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Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one will fall to the ground
apart from your Father.
Matthew 10:29

Biblical teaching and Christ-centered encouragement for those battered by the storms of life

THE TEACHING MINISTRY OF TODD SHAFFER

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SF 16: Affliction & the Eternal Decree of God

SF 16: Affliction & the Eternal Decree of God

by Todd Shaffer | Aug 23, 2022

How do we reconcile God’s sovereignty and human will? How do we reconcile those two things when those things are suffering or tragedy? Does that mean God decreed our suffering from eternity past? If God is in the business of decreeing what happens in this life, what...

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Suffering is Not for Nothing: Elisabeth Elliot’s video class teaching at Ligonier

Suffering is Not for Nothing: Elisabeth Elliot’s video class teaching at Ligonier

by Todd Shaffer | Nov 10, 2022

Where is God in our suffering? In this message, Elisabeth Elliot examines the terrible realities of tragedy and loss and considers how we can reconcile them with the truth of God’s sovereignty and love. Elisabeth Elliot's 7-part teaching series Suffering is Not for Nothing can be found at this link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... The video below is the first video in her teaching series.

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SF 15: Suffering and the Sovereignty of God with Scott Christensen

SF 15: Suffering and the Sovereignty of God with Scott Christensen

Jun 20, 2022

How are we to understand the sovereignty of God in the midst of suffering and evil? Pastor and...

SF 14: Hope in a Culture of Suicide, with Dr. Matthew Sleeth

SF 14: Hope in a Culture of Suicide, with Dr. Matthew Sleeth

Jun 8, 2022

Suicide is not a subject people want to talk about, but it’s one of those discussions we need to...

SF 13: Even the One Who Could Not Keep Himself Alive

SF 13: Even the One Who Could Not Keep Himself Alive

May 23, 2022

It’s the final episode in our short series on Psalm 22. What began as an Israelite peace offering...

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Tim Challies interviewed by Todd Friel about the loss of his son

Tim Challies interviewed by Todd Friel about the loss of his son

by Todd Shaffer | Oct 29, 2022

Tim Challies sat down and broke bread with Todd Friel to discuss the unexpected death of his son, Nick Challies. This...

The Cellar of Affliction and John MacArthur

The Cellar of Affliction and John MacArthur

by Todd Shaffer | Sep 21, 2022

Songs of Suffering: A short film with Joni Eareckson Tada

Songs of Suffering: A short film with Joni Eareckson Tada

by Todd Shaffer | Aug 7, 2022

“Suffering will teach you who you are. It's a textbook that will show you the stuff of which you are made. And...

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How do we reconcile God’s sovereignty and human

How do we reconcile God’s sovereignty and human will? How do we reconcile those two things when those things are suffering or tragedy? Does that mean God decreed our suffering from eternity past? If God is in the business of decreeing what happens in this life, what choices we make, what suffering we endure, what does that say about human will and human sin?
A 500-year-old document offers us help to understand how these things work together. It’s called the Westminster Confession of Faith. It might be old, but it’s spiritually profound.
sparrowfalls.org

How are we to understand the sovereignty of God in

How are we to understand the sovereignty of God in the midst of suffering and evil? Pastor and author Scott Christensen is our guest to help us scripturally construct a theology to answer this perplexing question.
sparrowfalls.org

Dr. Matthew Sleeth brings hope into suicide preven

Dr. Matthew Sleeth brings hope into suicide prevention.
sparrowfalls.org

The peace offering at the end of Psalm 22 includes

The peace offering at the end of Psalm 22 includes those whose suffering brought them near to death, and those who died. All will worship the God who hears the cries of the afflicted.
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One of the most beautiful ways God and his people

One of the most beautiful ways God and his people interact in intimate fellowship is with a meal. The Passover, the Lord’s supper, and the great feast at the end of the age are all wonderful pictures of God’s fellowship with his people. There is one meal that we are not familiar with that is designed to motivate us to worship and to strengthen our melted hearts. That meal is the peace offering, and this is what the psalmist brings to us in the final verses of this psalm.
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This is what we wanted to know all along. Does God

This is what we wanted to know all along. Does God hide his face from the afflicted?
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Scripture shows us how the godly suffer. It teache

Scripture shows us how the godly suffer. It teaches us what we can expect, it shows us models of suffering, and it gives us language to use in our despair.
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When we hit rock bottom, and God feels far away wh

When we hit rock bottom, and God feels far away when our troubles are close, we always have something of God’s character to sustain us.
In this 2nd episode of our series on Psalm 22, the horrid nature of Jesus’ suffering is described for us, from his perspective. This is how he felt about himself. As hard as it is to imagine, the words here express the reality of his inward struggle. And though God seemed far from saving him, he still had hope — a tested hope that was rooted in the trust God had nurtured into his life. How he reasons his way to hope is instructive for us.

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