How do you hold grief? How to you move through life when saddled with grief?

With loss comes grief. We all encounter loss and grief in different times and to various degrees in our lives.

Grief and loss are inevitable for those of us who live and love in family and in community—in this broken, sinful, and fallen world.

Grief is natural and should be expected when we loose someone we love and care about.

Everyone grieves and processes loss in their own way and in their own time. While there is no prescribed way to grieve, we should not go at it alone and God’s word gives us sound counsel concerning our griefs and sorrows.

How will we know when Jesus will come again? What should we anticipate at his return?

Just like we discern the seasons and can discern the patterns of the weather, we can anticipate the second coming of Jesus. We can discern the end of this age and the soon and coming Kingdom of God.

When Jesus returns, he will come in his perfect and discernible timing. Jesus himself told the Parable of the Fig Tree to encourage his followers in how to be watchful for his return.

LIn Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus said, “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.” (Matthew 24:32-33, ESV).

Will those who have died and gone to be with Jesus miss out when Jesus comes again?

When Jesus comes again, no one will miss out on his glorious return. Not only will Jesus return and bring with him the great cloud of witnesses—all the saints who previously died, he will also give them their resurrected bodies and they will join the meeting in the air and return with Jesus to usher in his Kingdom.

Paul told the Thessalonians: “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-16, ESV).

What hope do we have in the face of death? How is our hope informed? What is the basis for our hope at the end of this life?

Death is assured in this broken life—in this sin ravaged body—in this sin laden world. We grieve death and we anticipate our own death with feelings of disheartened grief. We grieve. However, we do not grieve without hope.

Because Jesus died and rose from the dead, we have hope in him for our own resurrection from death. We also have hope that Jesus will bring with him all the saints who have died and gone before us when he comes again.

The Apostle Paul wrote the church in Thessalonica, saying, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, ESV).

When we await Jesus’ return, what is it that we are truly waiting for? What can we anticipate with the return of Jesus at his second coming?

Jesus came to die for our sins—once and for all. When we face judgement at the end of days, the verdict will be ‘not guilty’, because Jesus sacrificed himself to do away with our sin and guilt. And when Jesus returns, he will rescue those who are eagerly waiting for him.

The author of Hebrews writes, “Jesus has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:26-28, ESV).

What do the people in power need from the powerful people of a powerful God?

People in power need the fervent prayers of God’s people.

God gives authority to those who govern us and God gives us the privilege and power of prayer and intercession for those in power to do God’s work and God’s will in this world.

The Apostle Paul wrote to his disciple , Timothy, saying, “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2, ESV).

What are we looking forward to? When we consider all who we have lost this side of eternity, how much more are we looking forward to meeting them again?

Death brings such sudden departure of those we love and long for. We yearn for reunion with those we love and miss who have died and gone before us. We look forward to the day of restoration and reunification with those we love and cherish. We long for resurrection.

God gave the Apostle John a reunion Revelation. John wrote, “I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10, ESV).

Have you ever felt lonely and experienced isolation? Have you ever experienced intimacy with another—so close you felt perfectly at peace and one with that person?

We were never meant to be alone or to feel lonely. Because God is always with us, we have never been alone. God desires for us to experience his presence and oneness with him.

The Psalmist writes, “For the LORD will not forsake his people, nor abandon his inheritance.” (Psalm 94:14).

God will never leave us, abandon us or forsake us. God is with us and for us. We are not alone.

What do you do to keep going when you feel like you cannot move forward? When hardships hit you, how do you find the strength to push through and to endure?

Life can be challenging and difficulties and hardships can arise. This broken world can stifle us and can be depressive. Troubles can leave us in a state of discouragement and paralysis and it can be hard to move ahead.

In the face of hardships, when we feel like we cannot go on, we can find the encouragement we need to endure in the word of God and in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus, who endured all things so that we would be able to endure and to keep going.

What kinds of people does Jesus call to follow him? When Jesus chose his disciples, what does their character say about him?

Jesus calls all kinds of people to follow him. When Jesus called his disciples, he called them prayerfully and intentionally.

Jesus called hot-headed fishermen, someone who would deny him, the unknown, devout Jews, siblings, a hated tax collector, doubters, the well known, religious Zealots, people from good families, and even a betrayer to follow him as his Apostles.

The Gospel of Luke tells us, “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.” (Luke 6:12–16, ESV)

What is your work? Where do you find purpose in your life? What brings you great joy and pleasure in life?

Our work is supposed to give us purpose, joy, and pleasure in our lives. Our work is supposed to be meaningful. Our work is supposed to be joyful and pleasurable.

Because of the fall of humanity and the brokenness of this world, our work is not always meaningful, purposeful, joyful, or pleasurable. However, it is God’s good design for our work to flourish and to be meaningful.

The wise preacher, most likely wise King Solomon, wrote, “I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.” (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13, ESV).

What is the relationship between need and good work? Do you have all you need? Are you doing good work?

God provides for us and blesses us so that we can be overflowing in every kind of good work.

The Apostle Paul wrote the Church in Corinth saying, “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8, NIV).

Any time is a good time to do every kind of good work. God desires to bless us to be a blessing to others and to help provide for and meet the need of those who are without.

Are you more comfortable with the old life, or are you more comfortable with a renewed life?

We are usually content with what we know. Most of the time we prefer what we are used to, what has always been, what we understand, and what we can predict.

We are less comfortable with the unknown and can even fear new things. We like our old life, because a new life, or a renewed life, can be unpredictable and can contain mystery beyond our own ability to understand or attain.

Who is really in charge of our world? Who is governing all things?

God is sovereign and is reigning and ruling over everything and everyone.

The Psalmist writes of God’s governance, saying, “For the kingdom is the LORD’s, and He rules over the nations.” (Psalm 22:28).

The Kingdom of God is God’s rule and reign over all things in heaven and on earth. God governs everything. It is God who is truly in charge and is bringing about his Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

What hope do we have in the face of death? When we die, what will happen next? What can we expect for those who have died before us?

Death is an unwelcome certainty which brings about heartache and grief. Often death is not thought about and not anticipated. The subject of death is avoided, downplayed, or is addressed through denial.

Death is the transition into eternity and the unknown. Because we have not experienced it, and have not had the opportunity to learn from those who have, we are uninformed. We fear what we do not understand and the unknown.

What is the greatest sight you have ever seen? Before your life comes to an end, what do you hope you have a chance to see? When you pass from this life to the next, what is it that you hope to open your eyes to and see?

The Apostle Paul received an amazing revelation from God. Heaven was opened up to John and he was able to look in and gaze upon the glory of God and God’s presence with his people. John saw the Kingdom of God.

What good news do you anticipate in the face of so much bad news? What are you hoping the future holds?

We are surrounded by such sadness, poverty, broken-heartedness, captivity, imprisonment and oppression, injustice, disaster, death, peril and distress. We need the deliverance, relief, rescue, and restoration of God.

When Jesus stood up to read the scriptures in the Synagogue in his home town of Nazareth, he read from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah, which promises reprieve from our current fallen, sinful, and broken state of being.

How much is too much to give? Can you give to excess? Is it possible to give abundantly while giving what looks like very little?

There are some who give out of their abundance. There are others who give abundantly out of their scarcity.

Each of us are called to give of our time, talent, and resources as followers of Jesus. We are to give abundantly from what we have been given. Since we have been given everything, we should be open to give everything.

The Gospel of Mark records an account of Jesus sitting down across from the treasury and watching the people putting money into the offering box. Mark tells us that many rich people put in large sums of money. However, a poor widow came and put in just two small copper coins, which make a penny.

How are you bearing witness to Jesus? What enables you to bear witness to Jesus? Where do you bear witness to Jesus—in what places do you share the good news?

As followers of Jesus, we are called to bear witness—to share the good news of Jesus with everyone we encounter.

God empowers us by his Holy Spirit to enable us to effectively share the good news of Jesus with others.

God desires for us to share the good news of Jesus wherever we are, with those around us, and to the ends of the earth, so that everyone might know Jesus.

What certainty do you have in what you believe? How can you be certain of your faith?

The author of The Gospel of Luke, the physician Saint Luke, wrote his gospel, his letter to Theophilus, to assure us of the facts of the life, ministry, teachings, miracles, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the Gospel of Luke, the Physician Luke writes, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1-4, ESV).