Joni Eareckson Tada has given us many books on the subject of God’s tender care for His children in times of suffering. Joni strikes the chord of authenticity with us so well because suffering is the world she lives in 24/7, literally. My personal favorite is When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty, co-authored with Steve Estes, a pastor in Pennsylvania. The following list of God’s purposes in our suffering is from one of the appendices in that book.

Take some time to meditate on the wisdom of God as He works out His perfect will through our suffering. No wonder James, the brother of our Lord, commanded us to “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2)!

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“It’s just not natural to be a good, kind parent.”

The mother who said these words at a recent Mother/Daughter event certainly seemed good and kind! She was a well-educated, well-respected physician in her community, but she was having a hard time parenting her 14-year-old daughter.

“It’s just not natural,” she repeated again with growing emphasis. “What’s natural for me is to be angry, frustrated, and inconsistent. I try one thing and it doesn’t work. So then I try something else. I just wish there was some kind of manual. Parenting is harder than anyone ever tells you. I mean, they come into the world crying, after all. That should be some kind of sign as to what’s to come.”

You may have felt the same way. (You probably do often if you have a 14-year-old!) Inconsistency happens. You are going to struggle. You may fail at your intentions. You may get angry or not follow through on your discipline. But even despite these struggles, you can still establish a pattern of consistency in your home.  

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We are excited to announce the upcoming study series for LifePoint Bible Study!  

This September we will dive into a 10-week study called "Faith in Hostile Times:  A Study of Elijah & Elisha" for the Fall Semester. 
 
In a world gone mad with sin, God spoke with clarity to a culture that was falling over the cliff.  These were desperate times for God's people.  What does it look like to hear God and trust Him with your life in a world that is hostile to faith in the one true God?  What does faith look like in a culture that is unwilling to hear of anything but promises of prosperity and where it is considered a virtue to tolerate evil?  Oh how the God of Elijah & Elisha speaks to us!  
 
Our Fall study will start the week of September 11th at three locations in the Valley: 

• Scottsdale Bible Church (Tuesday mornings)
• Bethany Bible Church (Wednesday mornings)
• Christ Bible Church (Wednesday evenings) 

Note:  Child care is available only at the Scottsdale Bible Church and Christ Bible Church locations.   

Registration will take place on our new LifePoint website!  On July 15th you may go to www.LifePointBibleStudy.org and click on the "REGISTER HERE" button on the home page. 

Until then, keep on reading with us through the Bible!    

So... mark your calendars!  We can't wait to immerse ourselves in God's precious Word with you!

~ Julie and Nichole       

Wounds inflicted by Christian leaders are sometimes the hardest felt and the slowest to heal.  What exactly is "spiritual abuse"?  

"Spiritual abuse is a sinful use of spiritual authority by Christian leaders to promote, protect, or enrich a person or a Christian institution regardless of the spiritual damage done to innocent parties and the cause of Christ."

For a succinct exposition of spiritual abuse, read the full article.   

Kelly Needham:  Each season of dying has felt just like that—dying. The choking out of something I have loved, desired, and clung to for hope, peace, and safety. The choking out of things in me, writhing, gasping for breath and praying, “Does it have to be this way? Can’t I follow You and also keep this with me? Does it really need to die?”

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Dan Allender recently released “Healing the Wounded Heart: The Heartache of Sexual Abuse and the Hope of Transformation”, the long-awaited sequel to “The Wounded Heart”, published more than 25 years ago. Part of what makes Allender’s work so successful is his seamless weaving of science with biblical principles. It’s not an either-or situation for Allender—science, biblical truths, and experience can all testify to the same end. In a culture inundated with accounts of sexual abuse, Allender’s advice for survivors is refreshing and surprisingly practical.

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