PARENT–CHILD DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE
From Self-Reliance to Jesus-Reliance Week 1:
The Freedom of Needing Jesus

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
10 May 2026

Big Idea to Repeat Each Day:
Jesus does not want us to try to live without Him. Jesus wants us to trust Him, talk to the Father, listen to the Holy Spirit, and tell others about His love.

DAY 1 — I Need Jesus
Scripture: Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Parent Says:
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” That sounds like a hard phrase, but it means something simple.

Poor in spirit means I know I need God’s help on the inside.

Some people try to act like they do not need help. They try to look strong all the time. They may think, “I have to be perfect so people will love me.” Some people even start to think, “God will only love me if I do everything right.”

But Jesus says we do not have to pretend with God. We can come to Him and say, “Jesus, I need You. I cannot do this by myself.”

That is not bad. That is good. Jesus loves when His children come to Him honestly. We can tell Jesus when we are scared. We can tell Jesus when we are sorry. We can tell Jesus when we do not know what to do. We can tell Jesus when we need help obeying.

Jesus does not push away children who need Him. Jesus welcomes them.
Ask:

•  What is something you need help with?
•  Can you talk to Jesus when you need help?
•  Why is it good to tell Jesus the truth?

Truth: I need Jesus every day.
For Younger Kids: Jesus helps me.

Prayer: Jesus, I need You. Help me trust You today. Thank You that I do not have to pretend with You. Amen.

DAY 2 — Jesus Cares About My Heart
Scripture: Matthew 5:20
 “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Parent Says:
 Some people in Jesus’s day looked good on the outside. They prayed. They knew Bible verses. They followed rules. But Jesus knew that some of them did not have hearts that loved God.

Jesus teaches us that God cares about our hearts.

That means God cares about what is happening inside us, not just what people can see. A child can share a toy but still be angry inside. Someone can say, “I’m sorry,” but not really mean it. Someone can obey a parent but still have a grumpy heart. Someone can smile at church but be mean at home.

Jesus sees the outside, but He also sees the inside. He sees when we are angry, selfish, jealous, scared, or proud. He sees when we want our own way. He sees when we need help.

Jesus does not only want to change what we do. Jesus wants to help our hearts love God and love people. We cannot fix our hearts by ourselves. We need Jesus to forgive us and help us. We need the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside.
Ask:

•  Can God see our hearts?
•  What can we do when our hearts are angry, selfish, or sad?
•  Have you ever obeyed on the outside while having a bad attitude on the inside?

Truth: Jesus helps my heart.
For Younger Kids: Jesus helps me love God.

Prayer: Jesus, please help my heart love You and love others. Help me obey with my actions and with my heart. Amen.

DAY 3 — I Do Not Have to Show Off
Scripture: Matthew 6:1
 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.”
Parent Says:
Jesus talked about people who did good things only because they wanted others to notice them.

Sometimes we want people to clap for us, praise us, or tell us we are good. It feels nice when people notice good things. But Jesus says we should not do good things just to show off.

Maybe you clean your room and want everyone to know. Maybe you help someone but get upset if nobody says thank you. Maybe you pray loudly so people think you are very spiritual. Maybe you do the right thing only when someone is watching.

Jesus teaches us a better way. We can pray because we love God. We can help others because we care about them. We can obey because Jesus is good, not because we are trying to impress people.

God sees the good things no one else sees. God sees when you share quietly. God sees when you tell the truth. God sees when you are kind and nobody claps. God sees when you forgive someone. God sees when you choose not to say something mean.

You do not have to show off. God sees you, and God loves you.
Ask:

•  Have you ever wanted someone to notice something good you did?
•  Can we do good things even when no one claps?
•  What is one good thing you can do quietly for God?

Truth: I can do good things for God, not to show off.
For Younger Kids: God sees me.

Prayer: Father, help me do what is right because I love You. Help me obey even when no one is watching. Amen.

DAY 4 — God Knows What I Need
Scripture: Matthew 6:32
“Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”
Parent Says:
Jesus knows that people worry. Kids worry too.

Children may worry about school, friends, family, sickness, storms, bedtime, being left out, or what might happen tomorrow. Some children worry when parents argue. Some worry when a friend is upset. Some worry when they make a mistake. Some worry when things change.

Jesus does not say, “Pretend you are never scared.” Jesus says, “Your heavenly Father knows what you need.”

That means God sees you. God knows you. God cares about you. You do not have to carry your worries all by yourself.

When you feel worried, you can talk to God. You can say, “Father, I am scared. Please help me trust You.” You can also talk to a parent, grandparent, teacher, pastor, or another safe adult. God often helps us through people who love us.

Self-reliance says, “I have to handle this all by myself.” Jesus-reliance says, “My Father knows what I need, and I can trust Him.”
Ask:

•  What is something kids sometimes worry about?
•  What can you say to God when you feel worried?
•  Who is a safe adult you can talk to when you feel afraid?

Truth: God knows what I need.
For Younger Kids: God takes care of me.

Prayer: Father, thank You for knowing what I need. Help me when I feel worried. Remind me that I am not alone. Amen.

DAY 5 — The Holy Spirit Helps Me Obey
Scripture: Galatians 5:16
“Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Parent Says:
God does not tell His children, “Follow Jesus all by yourself.” God gives His people the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit helps us listen to Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps us say no to wrong things and yes to God.

Sometimes we want to do wrong things. We may want to yell, lie, be selfish, disobey, hit, talk back, or refuse to forgive. We may want to grab a toy, slam a door, blame someone else, or say something mean. When that happens, we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us.

We can pray, “Holy Spirit, please help me obey Jesus right now.”

If you want to yell at a brother or sister, the Holy Spirit can help you use gentle words. If you want to lie because you are afraid of getting in trouble, the Holy Spirit can help you tell the truth. If you want to be selfish, the Holy Spirit can help you share. If you feel angry, the Holy Spirit can help you stop, pray, and choose what is right.

The Bible says the Holy Spirit grows good fruit in God’s people. That means He helps us become more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled.

We do not grow this fruit by pretending. We grow as we stay close to Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit to help us.
Ask:

•  What is one thing you need help obeying?
•  Can you ask the Holy Spirit to help you?
•  What can you do when you feel angry or selfish?

Truth: The Holy Spirit helps me obey Jesus.
For Younger Kids: God helps me do what is right.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me obey Jesus today. Help me use kind words, tell the truth, share, forgive, and do what is right. Amen.

DAY 6 — Jesus Is My Strong Rock
Scripture: Matthew 7:24
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
Parent Says:
Jesus told a story about two houses.
One house was built on rock. One house was built on sand. Then a big storm came. The house on the rock stayed strong. The house on the sand fell down.

Jesus was teaching us that our lives need a strong place to stand. Trying to do everything by ourselves is like building on sand. Trying to impress people is like building on sand.

Trying to be perfect so people will love us is like building on sand. Doing whatever we want instead of listening to Jesus is like building on sand.

Jesus is the strong rock.
When we listen to Jesus and obey Him, we are building our lives on the rock. We obey Jesus because He loves us and knows what is best.

When you tell the truth, you are building on the rock. When you forgive, you are building on the rock. When you pray instead of worrying alone, you are building on the rock. When you obey your parents, you are building on the rock. When you are kind to someone who is left out, you are building on the rock. When you ask Jesus for help, you are building on the rock.

Jesus is strong enough to hold us when life feels hard.
Ask:

•  Which is stronger, rock or sand?
•  How do we build our lives on Jesus?
•  What is one choice you can make today that builds on Jesus?

Truth: Jesus is my strong rock.
For Younger Kids: Jesus is strong.

Prayer:  Jesus, help me listen to You and obey You. Thank You for being my strong rock. Amen.

DAY 7 — I Can Tell Others About Jesus
Scripture: Mark 5:19
“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
Parent Says:
 In Mark 5, Jesus helped a man whose life was very broken. The man could not fix himself. Other people could not fix him either. But Jesus helped him and showed him mercy.
Mercy means God is kind to us when we need help.

After Jesus helped the man, Jesus told him to go home and tell his friends what the Lord had done for him.

That teaches us something important. We do not have to be perfect before we tell people about Jesus. We can tell people Jesus loves them. We can tell people Jesus forgives sin. We can tell people Jesus helps us when we are afraid. We can invite people to church. We can pray for a friend. We can say, “Jesus helped me, and He can help you too.”

Children can tell others about Jesus in simple ways. You can be kind to someone who is lonely. You can tell a friend, “Jesus loves you.” You can say, “I prayed about that.” You can invite someone to Sunday school. You can tell your family something you learned from the Bible.

Our message is not, “Look how good I am.”
Our message is, “Look how good Jesus is.”
Ask:

•  What has Jesus done for you?
•  Who can you tell about Jesus?
•  What is one simple way you can show or share Jesus’s love this week?

Truth: I can tell others about Jesus.
For Younger Kids: Jesus loves me, and I can tell others.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for loving me and helping me. Help me tell others about You. Help my life show Your love. Amen.

FAMILY REVIEW
This week we learned that we need Jesus every day. We do not have to pretend to be perfect. We do not have to show off. We do not have to carry our worries alone. The Father knows what we need. The Holy Spirit helps us obey. Jesus is our strong rock. We can tell others about His love and mercy.

Family Truth to Remember:
 I need Jesus, and Jesus helps me.

Family Talk:

•  What was your favorite thing we learned this week?
•  What is one place where you need Jesus’s help?
•  Who can our family pray for this week?

Family Prayer: Father, thank You for sending Jesus. Help our family trust Jesus, listen to the Holy Spirit, and tell others about Your love. Amen.




© 2026 Dr. G. Ryan Perry, PhD. Published in partnership with Good Hope Baptist Church (GHBC) and Cross+Walk Ministries. All rights reserved. Permission granted for personal use, family discipleship, classroom teaching, and local church ministry use. Not for resale, unauthorized commercial reproduction, republication, editing for redistribution, or reposting as original content without written permission.

Welcome and Opening Prayer                                                    ~ Elder Milton Parrish

Call to Worship                                                                              ~ Worship Team
      ~ “Holy Spirit”
      ~ “Build My Life”
      ~ “It Is Well With My Soul”                              

Worship in Tithes and Offerings

Children 5th grade and under released to Children's Church

IMGN Life                                                                                        ~ Stacey Brown

Sermon                                                                                            ~ Pastor Jeremy Phillips
      ~  From Self-Reliance to Jesus Reliant Sermon 1:
         How the Spirit Leads God’s Children from Self-Rule into Mission

Invitation and Prayer                                                                     ~ Pastor Ryan
     ~   “I Speak Jesus”  

Benediction & Dismissal                                                                ~ Elder Mark White 

From Self-Reliance to Jesus-Reliance - Week 1:
The Freedom of the Poor in Spirit

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
10 May 2026

Primary Text:  Matthew 5–7 — The Sermon on the Mount
Supporting Texts:  John 15:5; Romans 6:14; Romans 8:13–15; Galatians 5:16; Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; Mark 5:19

Big Idea
Jesus exposes the exhaustion of self-reliance and invites us into kingdom life as poor-in-spirit children who depend on the Father, abide in Christ, walk by the Spirit, and live on mission.

I. The Entrance — Dependence, Not Performance
Key Scripture: Matthew 5:3 — “Blessed are the poor (ptōchos, someone destitute, someone empty-handed, someone who has nothing to bring and must receive from another) in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Main Thought: The kingdom of God is entered empty-handed, not self-sufficient.
Supporting Scriptures: Luke 18:9–14; John 15:5
Key Truths:

• Poor in spirit means spiritually dependent
• We cannot save or sustain ourselves
• Kingdom life begins with humility and need
• We never graduate from dependence on Christ

Core Statement: Jesus-reliance begins where self-reliance ends.

II. The Depth — Healing the Heart, Not Just the Hands
Key Scripture: Matthew 5:20 — “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees…”
Main Thought: Jesus exposes outward religion that hides inward self-rule.
Supporting Scriptures: Matthew 5:21–28; Romans 8:13–15; Galatians 5:16
Key Truths

• Self-repair can manage appearances
• Religious performance cannot heal the heart
• Sin is deeper than behavior
• Only the Holy Spirit can transform the inner life

Core Statement: God is not merely modifying behavior—He is transforming hearts.

III. The Motive — Religion Without the Ego
Key Scripture: Matthew 6:1 — “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.”
Main Thought: Even spiritual practices can become self-reliant when disconnected from relationship with God.
Supporting Scriptures: Matthew 6:4; Matthew 6:6; Matthew 6:18
Key Truths

• Giving, prayer, and fasting are not performance tools
• The Father already sees, knows, and loves His children
• Spiritual disciplines flow from intimacy, not insecurity

Core Statement: Kingdom spirituality is rooted in relationship, not religious image management.

IV. The Security — Living as Children, Not Orphans
Key Scripture: Matthew 6:33 — “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…”
Main Thought: Anxiety often reveals where we are trying to carry life without trusting the Father.
Supporting Scriptures: Matthew 6:31–32; Romans 6:14
Key Truths

• Orphans feel like everything depends on them
• Children trust the Father’s care
• Self-reliance produces anxiety and control
• Jesus-reliance produces peace and kingdom focus

Core Statement: The Father’s care frees us to seek His kingdom instead of trying to save ourselves.

V. The Foundation — Fruit and Obedience Built on Christ
Key Scripture: Matthew 7:24–25 — “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them…”
Main Thought: Kingdom obedience flows from abiding in Christ, not self-effort.
Supporting Scriptures: Matthew 7:17; Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:22–23; John 15:5
Key Truths

• Fruit reveals the source of life
• The Holy Spirit produces what self-reliance never can
• Grace does not remove obedience
• Obedience is the fruit of relationship with Jesus

Core Statement: A life built on Christ stands firm because Christ is the foundation underneath it.

VI. The Assignment — Restored and Sent
Key Scripture: Mark 5:19 — “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you…”
Main Thought: Jesus restores broken people and sends them with a testimony of mercy.
Supporting Scriptures: Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; 1 Timothy 1:13–16
Key Truths

• Mission begins with mercy
• God uses restored sinners, not self-made performers
• Our testimony is about Christ’s grace, not our perfection
• The mission rests on Christ’s authority and the Spirit’s power

Core Statement: You are not sent to prove how impressive you are. You are sent to tell how merciful Jesus has been.

Closing Challenge - Questions to Ask

• Am I living from self-reliance or Jesus-reliance?
• Am I trying to repair myself or return to Christ?
• Am I building my life on performance or dependence?
• Am I living as an orphan or as a child of the Father?

Final Declaration
Christ has freed God’s children from self-reliance. The Holy Spirit now teaches us to live from Jesus instead of from ourselves.

PARENT–CHILD DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE
God and Suffering  Week 3
Loaves, Fish, and Faith: Trusting Christ When Human Systems Are Not Enough       

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
03 May 2026

Big Idea (repeat each day)
What we have may look small, but when we surrender it to Jesus, He is more than enough.

DAY 1:  JESUS SEES THE NEED
Scripture: John 6:5–6

Parent Says:
A large crowd came to Jesus, and the people were hungry. The disciples saw a problem that was too big for them. They did not have enough money, enough food, or enough strength to fix it. But Jesus already knew what He was going to do. That teaches us something important. When we face a need that feels too big, Jesus is not surprised. He sees the need before we know the answer.
Ask:

• What was the problem in John 6?
• Does Jesus know what our family needs?

Truth to Remember:
Jesus sees our needs before we know the answer.

For Younger Kids:
Jesus knew the people were hungry, and He cared about them.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for seeing our needs. Help our family trust You when we do not know what to do.
 
DAY 2:  WE ARE NOT ENOUGH WITHOUT JESUS
Scripture: John 15:5

Parent Says:
Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” That does not mean we never work, plan, save, or try. It means we cannot do God’s work in our own strength. The disciples had a hungry crowd in front of them, but they did not have enough to feed them. Sometimes we feel that way too. We may not have enough courage, patience, money, strength, or wisdom. Jesus teaches us not to pretend we are enough. He teaches us to depend on Him.
Ask:

• What does Jesus say we can do apart from Him?
• Where does our family need Jesus’s help right now?

Truth to Remember:
We need Jesus for everything God calls us to do.

For Younger Kids:
Jesus helps us when we are not strong enough.

Prayer:
Lord, help us stop trusting only ourselves. Teach us to depend on You every day.

DAY 3:  BRING WHAT YOU HAVE TO JESUS
Scripture: Matthew 14:18

Parent Says:
A boy had five loaves and two fish. That did not look like much beside thousands of hungry people. But Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.” That is faith. Faith does not say, “I have enough.” Faith says, “Jesus, I give You what I have.” Our little may look small, but Jesus is not limited by what we can count. He can use our prayers, our time, our kindness, our obedience, our gifts, and even our weakness when we place them in His hands.
Ask:

• What did the boy have?
• What can we give to Jesus this week?

Truth to Remember:
Jesus can use what we surrender to Him.

For Younger Kids:
The boy gave Jesus his lunch, and Jesus used it.

Prayer:
Jesus, we give You what we have. Use our family for Your kingdom.

DAY 4:  JESUS IS BETTER THAN BREAD
Scripture: John 6:35

Parent Says:
After Jesus fed the crowd, many people came looking for Him again. But Jesus knew their hearts. Some wanted more bread, but they did not really want Him as Lord. Jesus told them, “I am the bread of life.” Bread can fill a stomach for a little while, but Jesus gives life forever. Sometimes people only want God to fix problems, give blessings, or make life easier. But our greatest need is not just what Jesus gives. Our greatest need is Jesus Himself.
Ask:

• What did Jesus call Himself?
• Why do we need Jesus more than anything He gives us?

Truth to Remember:
Jesus is our deepest need.

For Younger Kids:
Bread feeds our bodies, but Jesus gives life to our hearts.

Prayer:
Jesus, help us love You more than the things You give. Be the center of our family.

DAY 5:  DON’T PRETEND TO SURRENDER
Scripture: Acts 5:4

Parent Says:
In Acts 4, the early church shared generously so people in need could be helped. Then Acts 5 tells us about Ananias and Sapphira. They wanted to look generous, but they were not honest. Peter said they had lied to God. The problem was not that they failed to give everything. The problem was they pretended to surrender while secretly trying to control how people saw them. God cares about the heart. He does not want fake faith. He wants honest surrender.
Ask:

• What did Ananias and Sapphira do wrong?
• Why does God care about honesty?

Truth to Remember:
God wants true surrender, not pretend faith.

For Younger Kids:
God wants us to be honest with Him.

Prayer:
God, give our family honest hearts. Help us obey You without pretending.

DAY 6:  FAITHFUL PEOPLE STILL FACE HARD THINGS
Scripture: Psalm 23:4

Parent Says:
Faith does not mean we never suffer. Joseph suffered in Egypt. David faced danger before he became king. Ruth walked through grief and poverty. Daniel lived in exile. The poor widow gave when she had almost nothing. Faith does not remove every valley, but faith knows the Shepherd is with us there. Psalm 23 does not say we will never walk through the valley. It says we do not have to fear because God is with us.
Ask:

• Does faith mean life will always be easy?
• Who is with us in the valley?

Truth to Remember:
Faith trusts God even in the valley.

For Younger Kids:
God stays with us when life is hard.

Prayer:
Father, help us trust You in hard places. Remind us that we are never alone.

DAY 7:  PUT OUR LOAVES AND FISH IN JESUS’S HANDS
Scripture: Romans 8:28

Parent Says:
God calls His people to live faithfully in a suffering world. That means we do not build our lives on fear, comfort, money, or control. We give Jesus what He has placed in our hands. As a family, we can give Him our time, our prayers, our home, our gifts, our suffering, our blessing, and our future. Our church must do the same. Vision 2030 is not about saying, “Look what we can do.” It is about saying, “Lord, this is what You gave us. Here are our loaves and fish. Take what we have, multiply what we cannot, and use us to help people know Christ.”
Ask:

• What has God placed in our family’s hands?
• How can we surrender it to Jesus?

Truth to Remember:
Jesus is more than enough for what He calls us to do.

For Younger Kids:
 We can give Jesus our whole life.

Prayer:
Jesus, our family belongs to You. Take our lives, our gifts, our time, and our future. Use us for Your kingdom.

FAMILY PRACTICE FOR THE WEEK
Choose one “loaf and fish” your family can place in Jesus’s hands this week. It could be praying together each night, encouraging someone who is hurting, giving to someone in need, serving at church, forgiving someone, or using your home to bless another family.

Say together:
 “Jesus, what we have may look small, but in Your hands it is enough.”

CLOSING FAMILY PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank You that You see every need before we know the answer. Forgive us for trusting human systems more than we trust You. Forgive us for trying to control what only You can multiply. Teach our family to surrender what we have, not because it is impressive, but because You are Lord. Take our people, gifts, resources, prayers, time, testimony, suffering, blessing, and future. Use our family and our church for Your kingdom. Amen.




© 2026 Dr. G. Ryan Perry, PhD | Good Hope Baptist Church (GHBC) | Cross+Walk Ministries. All rights reserved. Permission granted for personal use, family discipleship, and local church ministry use. Not for resale or unauthorized commercial reproduction.

ADULT DEVOTIONAL COMPANION
God and Suffering Week 3
Loaves, Fish, and Faith: Trusting Christ When Human Systems Are Not Enough

Senior Pastor Dr. G. Ryan Perry PhD.
Good Hope Baptist Church
03 May 2026

The Big Idea:
Suffering is not only personal or circumstantial. Scripture teaches that evil has spiritual roots, but Christ has defeated the powers behind the pain through the cross, and believers now stand in his victory.

Day 1: The Battle Is Deeper Than What We See
Scripture: Ephesians 6:12
Paul tells believers that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.” That does not mean people are never responsible for evil. Scripture is very clear that human sin causes real suffering. People lie, exploit, abuse, betray, neglect, oppress, and destroy. Yet Paul teaches that visible problems often have invisible roots.

There are lies underneath addictions. There is fear underneath control. There is pride underneath injustice. There is idolatry underneath greed. There is spiritual blindness underneath cultures that normalize evil. Some suffering is personal. Some suffering is natural. Some suffering is systemic. Some suffering is spiritual. Wisdom learns to tell the difference.

The enemy loves confusion because confusion keeps people fighting symptoms while ignoring roots. A marriage may look like it is only fighting over money, but underneath may be fear, selfishness, bitterness, or mistrust. A person may think they are only fighting stress, but underneath may be a false belief that they must control everything to be safe. Scripture teaches us to look deeper without becoming strange, suspicious, or obsessed with demons. The point is not fear. The point is discernment.

Christians do not deny evil. Christians diagnose it through Scripture. There is hostile opposition to God’s order, but there is also a greater King who rules over every power.

Reflection: Where might you be fighting only the visible problem while ignoring the deeper spiritual root? What lie, fear, or false agreement needs to be brought into the light?

Prayer: Lord, give me discernment. Help me see my struggles truthfully without fear or denial. Teach me to fight with wisdom, humility, and faith in Christ.

Day 2: Satan Works Through Lies
Scripture: Revelation 12:9
Revelation calls Satan “the deceiver of the whole world.” That word matters. The enemy’s first weapon is often not destruction but deception. He does not always begin by wrecking a life outwardly. Many times, he begins by planting a believable lie inwardly.

In Genesis 3, the serpent did not attack Eve with force. He attacked her trust. He questioned God’s word, distorted God’s character, and made rebellion look like wisdom. That pattern has never changed. The enemy still whispers, “God cannot be trusted. Sin will satisfy you. You are alone. Your pain defines you. Your past owns you. Forgiveness is impossible. Bitterness protects you. Obedience will cost too much.”

Lies rarely stay small. Lies become thoughts. Thoughts become habits. Habits become chains. Chains become suffering. This is why truth matters so deeply. Scripture is not merely religious information. Scripture is light in a dark room. It names what deception hides.

Jesus said in John 8:44 that the devil is a liar and the father of lies. That means spiritual warfare is not only dramatic confrontation. Much of it is truth replacing deception in the mind, heart, home, and church.

Reflection: What lie have you been agreeing with lately? What Scripture directly confronts that lie?

Prayer: Father, expose every lie I have believed. Replace deception with Your truth. Renew my mind and teach me to trust Your voice above every other voice.

Day 3: The Accuser Has Been Answered
Scripture: Romans 8:1
The enemy is not only a deceiver. Scripture also presents him as an accuser. The Greek word often translated “devil” is diabolos, meaning slanderer or false accuser. Satan does not merely tempt people into sin. He then accuses them after they fall.

Accusation sounds like this: “You are guilty. You are filthy. You will never change. God is tired of you. You have gone too far. You do not belong near God.” The accusation feels powerful because our sin is real. We have failed. We have rebelled. We have hurt others. We have chosen self-rule over God’s rule.

Yet Romans 8:1 declares, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That does not mean sin does not matter. It means Christ has dealt with the guilt itself. He did not merely make guilty people feel better. He answered the charges. He paid the debt. He removed what gave accusation its power.

The enemy may still remind you of your past, but he cannot overturn Christ’s verdict. If you are in Christ, your battle is no longer to earn acceptance. Your battle is to stand in the acceptance Christ already secured.

Reflection: Where are you living under condemnation instead of conviction? How does Romans 8:1 speak to that place?

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for answering the accusation against me. Help me repent honestly, receive forgiveness fully, and stand in the grace You purchased.

Day 4: Jesus Entered the Battlefield
Scripture: John 1:14
John says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The word “dwelt” carries the idea of tabernacling, of God pitching His tent among His people. Jesus did not watch human suffering from a safe distance. He entered occupied territory.

Jesus stepped into a world filled with sin, sickness, oppression, fear, grief, and death. Mark 1 shows Him confronting demons. Luke 8 shows Him calming storms and casting out Legion. John 11 shows Him standing before a tomb and calling Lazarus out. Jesus did not come merely to offer moral advice. He came as King.

This matters for suffering because the Christian faith does not say, “Ignore evil.” It says Christ has entered the war. The Son of God took on flesh, walked among the wounded, touched the unclean, challenged false powers, forgave sinners, healed the broken, and moved toward the cross.

The cross was not an accident. It was the battlefield where the powers of darkness were defeated.

Reflection: How does it change your view of suffering to know that Jesus entered it personally? Where do you need to remember that Christ is not distant from your pain?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for coming near. Thank You for entering this broken world. Help me trust You as the King who has authority over sin, darkness, fear, and death.

Day 5: The Cross Was Victory
Scripture: Colossians 2:14–15
Many people see the cross only as suffering. Scripture reveals it was also victory. Paul says Christ canceled the record of debt against us and nailed it to the cross. Then he says Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame.

The cross looked like defeat from the ground. Rome saw a condemned man. Religious leaders saw a silenced threat. Darkness thought it had won. Heaven saw something different. The debt was being canceled. The accuser was being disarmed. The powers were being exposed. What looked like Christ losing was Christ winning.

The enemy’s weapons were guilt, accusation, fear, deception, and death. At the cross, Christ answered them all. Satan uses guilt. Christ answers with forgiveness. Satan uses accusation. Christ answers with justification. Satan uses fear. Christ answers with peace. Satan uses death. Christ answers with resurrection.

The enemy still lies. He still tempts. He still harasses. Yet he no longer has a covenant claim over those purchased by the blood of Christ. He cannot undo the cross. He cannot reverse justification. He cannot reclaim what Christ has redeemed.

Reflection: Which weapon has the enemy used most against you: guilt, accusation, fear, deception, or death? How does the cross answer that weapon?

Prayer: King Jesus, teach me to see the cross as victory. Help me live as someone forgiven, purchased, freed, and secure in You.

Day 6: Submit First, Resist Second
Scripture: James 4:7
James gives the order clearly: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The order matters. Submit first. Resist second.

Many people want authority without surrender. They want victory over darkness while still protecting compromise. They want peace while clinging to bitterness. They want freedom while feeding secret sin. They want power while refusing obedience. Kingdom authority flows from alignment with Christ.

Resistance is not panic. Resistance is not pretending temptation is not real. Resistance is standing under God’s authority and refusing agreement with darkness. It means confessing sin. It means closing open doors. It means replacing lies with Scripture. It means walking in community instead of isolation. It means choosing holiness when compromise looks easier.
You do not fight darkness with vibes. You fight evil with God’s truth. You do not defeat lies with feelings. You defeat lies with Scripture. You do not resist temptation by wishing. You resist by practiced obedience while abiding in the grace of Jesus.

Reflection: Where do you need to submit before you resist? Is there an open door that needs to be closed?

Prayer: Father, I submit myself to You. Search me, correct me, strengthen me, and teach me to resist the enemy from a place of surrender.

Day 7: The Church Pushes Back Darkness
Scripture: Ephesians 5:8–11
Paul says, “At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Notice what he does not say. He does not merely say believers have light. He says believers are light in the Lord.

That means the church does not respond to darkness by hiding. We respond by living as Christ’s holy people in the world. We push back darkness with truth, love, holiness, compassion, prayer, justice, discipleship, and mission. We disciple homes before darkness disciples them. We build mature believers, not passive attenders. We heal the broken with gospel truth and compassionate presence. We protect the vulnerable. We serve the community. We reach the lost.

Vision is not a slogan when it becomes obedience. Vision 2030 can become a church-wide response to suffering and spiritual darkness. It is not about building an institution. It is about bringing Christ’s order where chaos has spread.

Christ has defeated the powers behind the pain. Now the church stands in His victory and bears His presence in the world. We do not merely study darkness. We become light.

Reflection: Where is God calling you to push back darkness with truth and holy presence? In your home? Your church? Your workplace? Your community?

Prayer: Lord, make me light in the Lord. Use my life, my home, and my church to bring truth, healing, holiness, and hope where darkness has spread.

© 2026 Dr. G. Ryan Perry, PhD. Published in partnership with Good Hope Baptist Church (GHBC) and Cross+Walk Ministries. All rights reserved. Permission granted for personal use, family discipleship, classroom teaching, and local church ministry use. Not for resale or unauthorized commercial reproduction.

God and Suffering — Week 3
Loaves, Fish, and Faith: Trusting Christ When Human Systems Are Not Enough

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
03 May 2026

Key Verses:
John 6:5–6; Matthew 14:15; John 6:9; John 15:5: Matthew 14:18; Mark 6:37; John 6:9; Matthew 17:20; Philippians 4:19; John 6:10–15; Genesis 50:20; 1 Samuel 17:34–37; Mark 12:41–44; Romans 8:28; John 6:15; John 6:26; John 6:35; Acts 4:32–37; Acts 5:1–11; Mark 10:17–22; Romans 8:18–39; Psalm 23:4; Matthew 6:19–21; Matthew 7:24–27; John 15:5; Hosea 4:6; Proverbs 4:7; Matthew 13:18–23; John 17:3; James 1:22

Big Idea
In a suffering world, faith does not pretend we have enough. Faith brings what is insufficient to Jesus, trusts His lordship, and surrenders our lives to His kingdom purposes.

We ask the question: How do we live faithfully in a suffering world?

I. Suffering Reveals the Limits of Human Systems
John 6:5–6 - ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’
John 6 puts us in a familiar place. A large crowd, the day is getting late, and people are hungry. The disciples know they do not have enough money, enough bread, or enough ability to meet the need. Andrew points out a boy with five barley loaves and two fish, but even he knows how small that looks beside thousands of people.
Jesus is standing in the middle of the need.

Matthew 14:15 - This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.
Many have stood in that same kind of place, a need that is bigger than our ability, in human capability, an impossible task.

Jesus puts the disciples face-to-face with something they cannot do without Him. Jesus  tells them, “You give them something to eat.”

John 6:9 - There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?

What do we do when the need is real, but our ability is not enough?
Do we look at the crowd and say, Go home. We have nothing for you. Or do we take what we see as insufficient and give it to Jesus because it is all we have.

Human strength looks at what we have and says, this will never be enough.
Faith looks at what we have in the hands of Jesus and says, we are not on our own, and with Him, this can become more than enough.

Summary:
The disciples faced a real need that exceeded their resources: a hungry crowd, a desolate place, a late hour, and only five loaves and two fish. Their instinct was to send the need away or solve it through human systems. But Jesus placed them face-to-face with what they could not do without Him.

Human systems ask, “Do we have enough?”
Faith asks, “Is Jesus here?”

II. Jesus Calls Us to Bring Him What Is Not Enough
Matthew 14:18 - Bring them here to me.
Suffering touches both the faithful and the worldly. Blessing touches both the faithful and the worldly. But the worldly spend their lives trying to keep what time, death, and judgment will eventually take from them.

The faithful surrender what they have to Christ and receive what cannot be lost, stolen, corrupted, or taken by death.

John 6 begins with a large crowd following Jesus. They are searching for answers because Jesus has done what no human system could do. Some are sick. Some brought people they love who are sick. Some have already heard the usual answers: try harder, wait longer, pay more, go somewhere else, learn to live with it. But then they see Jesus heal, restore, and show mercy to people who had run out of options. So they follow Him, because in Jesus, they are seeing that suffering may not have the final word.

Matthew tells us Jesus saw the crowd and had compassion on them.

Mark tells us Jesus saw them as sheep without a shepherd.

The disciples look at the crowd and immediately feel insufficient. They do not have enough money, enough bread, or enough ability to handle what Jesus is asking.

But Jesus is not looking at the crowd through their limitation. He has compassion on them. He sees their hunger, but He also sees the sickness, weariness, confusion, and deeper need underneath it all.

Bread matters, and Jesus is going to feed them. But bread is not the final answer. They need the One who gives life. Jesus knows that what they need most is not somewhere in the villages. It is standing right in front of them.

Matthew 14:15 - “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

On the surface, their answer makes sense. The disciples are doing what humans do when the need feels too large. They are measuring the crowd by their own inadequacy. The day is late, the people are hungry, and their resources are small. They reach the only conclusion human strength can reach: We do not have what this situation requires.

The problem is not that they are far from Jesus. It is that the disciples spend every day with Jesus they have knowledge of all that He has done, and yet they still do not understand who He is.

So they start looking for answers in the same places everybody else looks. But apart from Jesus, every answer eventually comes up empty.

Human systems can offer relief for a moment, but they cannot redeem what suffering has broken.

If the disciples understood who was standing beside them, they would know the answer was not somewhere else. Jesus is the ultimate bread supplier, the bottomless bank account, and the conqueror of suffering.

Human systems teach us to think in only two categories: either we are strong enough to handle it ourselves, or it cannot be done. But God teaches us something different. Apart from Me, everything is impossible.

The world says, Be self-sufficient, or give up. Faith says, Be God-dependent, because what He calls us to do cannot be done without Him.

Jesus says, “Abide in Me.”

When we feel insufficient, like the disciples, we are thinking from a worldly perspective, reaching for practical answers that sound wise, but leave Jesus out of the solution.

We can have solutions that may sound reasonable, and may even contain some truth. But it still misses the point if it keeps us from bringing the need to Jesus.

Stewardship, planning, and being responsible are all good, Godly characteristics. But none of those can become a substitute for dependence on what only God can supply.

Human systems teach us self-sufficiency: either we can handle it ourselves, or it cannot be done.

Jesus teaches dependence: apart from Me, you can do nothing, but with Me, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.

Mark 6:37 - “You give them something to eat.”
The disciples' answer exposes their point of view. Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?

They immediately translate Jesus' command into human economic terms, counting bread, money, time, and people.

John says Jesus already knew what He was going to do. That matters because everybody else is trying to solve the problem from the ground up. Jesus already knows what He is about to do with what they think is not enough.

Philip answered with correct math, but his theology was too small.  He calculated the need without accounting for the presence of Christ.

That is what suffering often exposes in us. When something feels too big for us, we start counting. How much do we have? Who can help? What will this cost? Can we actually do this?

Those are not bad questions. But those questions cannot become lord.
The problem comes when we stop at what we can count and never bring it to Christ.
At that point, faith becomes management, and dependence gets replaced by calculation.

John 6:9 - There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?

Human systems teach us to trust what can be counted, managed, predicted, funded, and controlled. So when what we have looks small, we assume it is useless. But Jesus does not need us to possess enough before we obey. He calls us to bring what we have to Him.
The miracle did not begin with abundance in human hands. It began with surrendering all they had. Five loaves, two fish, and a boy willing to give all he had.

Matthew 17:20 - If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you.

This is placing what we have in the hands of Jesus and knowing He can supply all of our needs.

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Trust that Christ is Lord over what we cannot multiply. This miracle is not about the food, it is the suffering people behind the need for food. It is about Jesus being the answer to their suffering.

Faith does not say, I have enough strength. Faith says, Lord, I do not have enough, but I give You what I have.

Faith simply refuses to make limitation lord.

Jesus says in Matthew 14:18, Bring them here to me. The disciples wanted to move the need away from Jesus. Jesus moved the need closer to Himself.

Summary:
Jesus did not ask the disciples to possess enough before they obeyed. He asked them to bring what they had. The miracle began not with abundance, but with surrender.
Faith does not say, “I have enough strength.”
Faith says, “Lord, I do not have enough, but I give You what I have.”

III. God Multiplies What Is Surrendered for His Kingdom
Genesis 37-50 - Joseph was faithful in places that looked nothing like promotion. Joseph’s life did not look blessed from the outside. But Joseph did not wait until he had a platform to become faithful. He was faithful in the little, in the hidden, in the painful, and in the unjust.
Joseph consistently gave God all he had.

David was not a perfect man by all his actions but he was a faithful man.

1 Samuel 17:34–37 - David convinces King Saul he can defeat Goliath by recounting how God strengthened him to kill lions and bears to protect his sheep, asserting that the same God will deliver him from the Philistine.

When a giant came before David’s kingdom he was willing to risk everything, even the kingdom trusting God would prevail as he had done in the little things.
Putting what little we have in His hands and being faithful in giving to God.
Human systems ask, Is it enough?  Faith asks, Has God asked me to surrender it?
Human systems ask, What will I lose or what will I gain? Faith asks, What can God do with what I place in His hands?
Human systems say, Protect yourself. Faith says, Trust the Lord.
Human systems count scarcity. Faith counts God’s abundant presence.

The loaves and fish are not a principle for getting whatever you want from God. That is not faith. That is using spiritual language to prioritize self-rule, building one’s own kingdom and God being the wishing well.

Summary:
The loaves and fish are not a formula for getting whatever we want from God. They are a picture of surrender. God multiplies obedience, faithfulness, stewardship, and sacrifice when they are placed under the authority of Christ.
God’s multiplication is not for our self-made kingdom.
God multiplies what is surrendered for His kingdom.

IV. Consumer Faith Wants Bread Without Surrender
John 6:15 - the crowd wanted to use Jesus’ power for their version of kingdom. But Jesus refused to let His power be hijacked by human ambition.

God’s multiplication is not for our self-made kingdom. God’s multiplication serves His kingdom.

The issue is what has God placed in my hands that must be surrendered for what He wants?

In suffering, faith does not say, Lord, use Your power to protect my plan. Faith says, Lord, bring my life under Your plan.

Faith does not say, multiply my comfort. Faith says, Make me faithful in Your mission.
Faith does not say, give me enough to avoid dependence. Faith says, teach me to depend on You for what You have called me to do.

This is why Jesus moves from multiplying bread to declaring, “I am the Bread of Life.”

He refuses to let the miracle become a consumer transaction. The miracle was never meant to make people chase bread. The miracle was meant to make people see the power of God in His Son.

After Jesus feeds the five thousand, the people find Him on the other side of the sea. At first glance that sounds like faith. But Jesus exposes their motive.

John 6:26 - the people wanted bread from His hands, but they did not want to surrender under His authority.

They wanted Jesus’ provision or worldly sufficiency, but they did not want a personal relationship with Jesus as Lord of their lives.

The sign was supposed to point them to Christ as the Bread of Life.

That is still one of the dangers in suffering. Pain can drive us to God in faith, but it can also expose that we only want God to maintain the life we already built through striving.
Selfishness wants relief without the relationship, and provision without submission of control of one’s life.

We want God to supply our kingdom at the expense of His and everyone else’s.

In Acts 4, the early church is living in Spirit-filled generosity. Believers are giving freely so there is not a needy person among them. Barnabas sells a field and lays the money at the apostles’ feet.

Then in Acts 5 Ananias and Sapphira sell property and bring money. They appear to be generous. But they keep back part of the proceeds while pretending to give it all.
 Peter says in Acts 5:4, You have not lied to man but to God.
The problem was not that they failed to give everything. The sin was deception. The sin of Satan, they wanted the reputation of sacrifice without the reality of surrender. They wanted the appearance of kingdom contribution while secretly preserving control over their own kingdom.

That is the human system hiding inside religious activity. It still gives, but it gives for image. It still follows, but it follows for selfish benefit.  It still speaks spiritual language, but it is protecting self-rule underneath.

John 6 and Acts 5 are not identical situations, but they reveal the same kind of danger. The crowd in John 6 wanted to receive from Jesus without truly coming under Jesus’ authority.  Ananias and Sapphira wanted to appear surrendered to the Spirit while still managing the outcome for themselves.

Both are forms of false participation. One says, “Feed me, but do not rule me.” The other says, “Honor me, but do not expose me.”

We all come from a place of lack, every one of us. Even if human systems tell us differently.

Mark 10:17–22 - The rich man had much, but he lacked eternal life. He had possessions, morality, status, and religious concern, but Jesus said, “You lack one thing.” He had what the world system could provide, but he was missing what only Christ could give.
The man was broke and alone and didn’t realize it due to deception of the world system.

Summary:
The crowd wanted Jesus’ provision without His rule. Ananias and Sapphira wanted the appearance of surrender without the reality of surrender. Both reveal the danger of trying to use God’s power to preserve our own agenda.
False faith says, “Feed me, but do not rule me.”
Kingdom faith says, “Lord, bring my life under Your authority.”

V. Faithful Suffering Produces What Human Systems Cannot
Suffering happens on both sides, the worldly system and God’s faithful. The faithful suffer, and the worldly suffer.
The difference is what suffering produces in the hands of God.
Worldly suffering often produces fear, bitterness, control, self-protection, blame, appetite, deception, anxiety, worry, and hardness of heart.
Faithful suffering becomes a place where God supplies what the human system cannot produce.
God supplies presence, endurance, wisdom, provision, understanding, purpose, fruit, and hope.
Faith does not mean I never walk through the valley. Faith means the Shepherd is with me there.

Psalm 23:4 – does not say, “You will never walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” It says, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
That is the blessing through suffering. Not escape, but the presence of Jesus in relationship forever.

Summary:
Faith does not remove all suffering. The faithful and the worldly both suffer. The difference is what suffering produces in the hands of God. Worldly suffering produces fear, control, bitterness, and self-protection. Faithful suffering becomes a place where God supplies presence, endurance, wisdom, provision, purpose, fruit, and hope.
Faith does not mean we never walk through the valley.
Faith means the Shepherd is with us there.

VI. True Understanding Becomes Obedient Faith
Hosea 4:6 - “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
But knowledge there does not mean they had no religious information. The problem was not ignorance.

They had seen Jesus heal, restore, and do what no human system could do. The problem was that what they knew about Jesus had not course corrected their ambition for kingdom.
That is the difference between information and understanding. Understanding is knowledge that has taken root in a person's life.

Proverbs 4:7 - “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.”

Insight means understanding. It is the ability to see what something means, where it leads, and how to live in light of it.

John 17:3 - “This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Knowing God means more than knowing facts about God. It means we trust Him, follow Him, and let His truth shape how we live. That is the kind of knowledge that leads to life. That is worship.

James 1:22 - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Summary:
The crowd had knowledge of Jesus’ power, but they did not understand the sign. The bread was meant to point them to Christ, the Bread of Life. Biblical knowledge is not merely information; it is truth received, understood, trusted, and obeyed.
Understanding is knowledge in action.
To know the truth and not live it is to reject it.

VII. Vision 2030 Application: Put the Loaves and Fish in Jesus’ Hands
For Vision 2030, as a church, we have to put our loaves and fish in the hands of Jesus.
Our responsibility is not to make it happen in our own strength. Our responsibility is to surrender what He has already placed in our hands and watch in expectation what He does with it for His kingdom.

We put our people, our gifts, our resources, our land, our buildings, our prayers, our families, our time, our testimony, our suffering, our blessing, and our future in the hands of Jesus. We surrender it all to Him.

The human system says: keep what you have because it is not enough.
Faith says: give what you have to Jesus because He is more than enough.

Vision 2030 is not us saying: look what we can do. It is us saying, Lord, this is the vision You gave us. Here are the loaves and fish. Take what we have, multiply what we cannot, and use this church to feed people with the hope of Christ in Spotsylvania, in Virginia, in the U.S.A, and in the world.

We have seen God work. God has carried us through deafness, disease, sickness, pain, injuries, mental anguish, poverty, hunger, conflict, power struggles, money issues, and more than we can name.

He has preserved us because He wants to use us as His image bearers, His royal priesthood, His sons and daughters, in relationship with Him, to build His kingdom right here in Virginia for the glory of God.

Bring Him the little you have, and trust Him with what only He can do.

Summary:
As a church, Vision 2030 is not about proving what we can do. It is about surrendering what God has placed in our hands: our people, gifts, land, buildings, prayers, families, testimony, suffering, blessing, and future.

The human system says, “Keep what you have because it is not enough.”
Faith says, “Give what you have to Jesus because He is more than enough.”

Closing
Suffering is real, but it is not sovereign. Human systems are limited, but Christ is not. Faith brings the need, the lack, the grief, the resources, and the future to Jesus—and trusts Him to multiply what we cannot.

Welcome and Opening Prayer                                                    ~ Elder Milton Parrish

Call to Worship                                                                              ~ Worship Team
      ~ “Lead On Good Shepherd”
      ~ “Made For More”
      ~ “Testimony”                              

Worship in Tithes and Offerings

Children 5th grade and under released to Children's Church

Testimony                                                                                       ~ Doni O’Connor

Sermon                                                                                            ~ Pastor Jeremy Phillips
     ~  God and Suffering Sermon 3: Loaves, Fish, and Faith:
         Trusting Christ When Human  Systems Are Not Enough

Invitation and Prayer                                                                     ~ Pastor Ryan
     ~   “I Speak Jesus”  

Benediction & Dismissal                                                                ~ Elder Mark White 

PARENT DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE
God and Suffering
Week 2: What Is God Doing When Life Hurts?

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
26 April 2026

Purpose for Parents: Children notice pain, sadness, fear, sickness, and disappointment. They need biblical truth explained in words they can understand.

This guide teaches children:

• God is near when life hurts
• God hears our prayers
• Jesus Christ understands pain
• God helps us help others
• One day, God will make everything right

Main Truth for Kids: When life hurts, God does not leave His people.

Day 1 — God Is Near When We Are Sad

Bible Verse: Psalm 34:18 - “The Lord is close to people with broken hearts. He saves those who feel crushed inside.”

Teach Your Child: When we feel sad or hurt, God is not far away. He is close, and He cares.
Ask:

• Have you ever felt sad?
• How does it help to know God is near?

Activity: Put your hand on your heart and say: God is near me.

Prayer: God, thank You for being close when I am sad. Amen.

Day 2 — God Hears Our Prayers

Bible Verse: Philippians 4:6 - Do not worry about anything. Pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him.

Teach Your Child: You can talk to God anytime about anything.
Ask:

• What do you want to tell God today?
• When can we pray?

Activity: Start a prayer jar and place prayer requests inside.

Prayer: God, thank You for hearing me when I pray. Amen.

Day 3 — Jesus Understands Pain

Bible Verse: John 11:35 - Jesus Christ cried.

Teach Your Child: Jesus cried when others were hurting. He understands sadness.
Ask:

• Why do people cry?
• How does it help to know Jesus understands?

Activity: Draw a picture of Jesus comforting someone sad.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for caring when I hurt. Amen.

Day 4 — God Can Bring Good From Hard Things

Bible Verse: Romans 8:28 -  We know that God works all things together for good for those who love Him.

Teach Your Child: Hard things are real, but God can still bring good from them.
Ask:

• Can God help us in hard times?
• What good can we do today?

Activity: Describe one thing you can do for a person having a hard day. Describe what you would like done for you when you are having a hard day.

Prayer: God, help me trust You in hard times. Amen.

Day 5 — God Gives Us Helpers

Bible Verse: Galatians 6:2 - Help carry each other’s troubles.

Teach Your Child: God often helps people through family, friends, teachers, and church.
Ask:

• Who helps you when life is hard?
• How can we thank them?

Activity: Make a list of helpers and pray for them.

Prayer: God, thank You for people who help me. Amen.

Day 6 — We Can Help Others Hurt Less

Bible Verse: Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind to one another. Be caring and forgiving.

Teach Your Child: When others hurt, we can show kindness and love.
Ask:

• How can kids help others?
• What kind thing can we do today?

Activity: Make a card and pray for someone hurting.

Prayer: God, help me be kind today. Amen.

Day 7 — One Day God Fixes Everything

Bible Verse: Revelation 21:4 - He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or pain or crying.

Teach Your Child: Because of Jesus Christ, sadness will not last forever. God will make everything new.
Ask:

• What do you think heaven will be like?
• How does this give us hope?

Activity: Draw a happy world with no tears and no pain. Describe what you think Heaven is like.

Prayer: God, thank You that one day You will make everything right. Amen.

Family Discussion Questions

1. What should we remember when life hurts?
2. How do we know God is near?
3. Why should we pray?
4. How does Jesus understand sadness?
5. How can we help hurting people?
6. Why do Christians have hope?

Parent Help Section:
If Your Child Asks “Why Did God Let This Happen?”
Say: I do not know every reason, but I know God is good, God loves us, and God stays with us when life is hard.

If Your Child Feels Afraid…
Repeat together:
God is with me
God hears me
Jesus loves me
I am not alone

Weekly Family Challenge:
Choose one act of kindness:

• visit someone sad
• make a card
• help a neighbor
• pray for someone daily
• encourage a friend

 
Closing Blessing:




© 2026 Dr. G. Ryan Perry, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
Published in partnership with Cross+Walk Ministries and Good Hope Baptist Church.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author, except for brief quotations used in reviews, teaching, or ministry settings with proper attribution.
Scripture quotations adapted for children’s discipleship and educational use.
For ministry resources, teaching materials, or speaking inquiries, contact Cross+Walk Ministries.

 ADULT DEVOTIONAL COMPANION
God and Suffering
 Week 2: What Is God Doing in Suffering Right Now?

Senior Pastor Dr. G. Ryan Perry PhD.
Good Hope Baptist Church
26 April 2026

Theme Verse:
For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Introduction
Pain often asks questions before faith has time to answer.

Where is God?
Why has He not stopped this?
Does He care?
Is this punishment?
Has He abandoned me?

Scripture never mocks those questions. The Bible is full of lament, tears, confusion, and prayers cried from dark places. Yet Scripture also refuses the lie that suffering means God is absent.

Week 1 taught us that suffering was never part of God’s original creation. God made order, goodness, life, and flourishing. Suffering entered through rebellion, sin, death, and a fractured creation. Now Week 2 asks the next vital question:

What is God doing right now while suffering still exists?

The biblical answer is clear: God is present, restraining evil, sustaining His people, forming holiness, extending mercy, and moving history toward restoration.

Day 1 — God Is Near in Pain
Scripture Reading: Psalm 34:18 - The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Reflection: Pain often makes God feel distant. Yet feelings are not the final authority. Scripture says God is near. In Hebrew thought, nearness is not mere awareness. It means covenant presence, active involvement, and relational closeness. God does not stand far away studying your pain. He draws near within it. He may not always remove pain immediately, but He never abandons His people in it.

Application: Ask yourself honestly: Have I interpreted my pain more than I have trusted God’s promises?

Today replace “God left me” with “God is near me.”

Prayer: Father, when suffering clouds my vision, remind me that Your presence is closer than my fear. Amen.

Day 2 — Permission Is Not Approval

Scripture Reading: Job 1:12

Reflection: Many struggle here: If God allowed something, does that mean He wanted it? Scripture shows a distinction. God governs all things, yet He is not the author of evil. He may permit what He does not approve and overrule what He hates for higher purposes. Job suffered deeply, yet Satan could move only within the boundaries God established. Evil is real, but not autonomous. Darkness is active, but never sovereign. This means your suffering may be painful, but it is never outside God’s rule.

Application: Write this sentence somewhere visible: What hurts me is not above God.

Prayer: Lord, help me trust that even what I do not understand is still beneath Your authority. Amen.

Day 3 — God Works in What He Did Not Create

Scripture Reading: Genesis 50:20 - You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.

Reflection: Joseph did not call betrayal good. He called betrayal evil. Yet he also saw God’s hand above human evil. That is biblical maturity: refusing to rename evil while also refusing to deny God’s sovereignty. Not all things are good.  Cancer is not good.  Abuse is not good.  Betrayal is not good.  Death is not good. Yet God can work in all things for good. God does not need evil to be good. He is so good He can redeem what evil intended.

Application: Think of one painful chapter in your life. Ask: How has God sustained me, taught me, humbled me, redirected me, or used this season?

Prayer: Redeeming God, help me see that evil never gets the last word when You are present. Amen.

Day 4 — God Forms Strength Through Trials

Scripture Reading: James 1:2–4; Romans 5:3–5

Reflection: Trials do not automatically produce growth. Many become bitter, hardened, or hopeless. Yet surrendered suffering can become fertile ground for maturity.
Scripture says suffering can produce:

• endurance
• tested character
• deeper hope
• greater dependence
• spiritual steadiness

This does not mean pain is good in itself. It means God can cultivate life in ruined soil.

Application: Ask:

• What is this season trying to take from me?
•  What might God be trying to grow in me?

Prayer: Lord, if this trial cannot be removed yet, let it at least not be wasted. Produce Christlike strength in me. Amen.

Day 5 — Christ Entered Suffering

Scripture Reading: John 14:1, 27; Hebrews 4:15

Reflection: God did not answer suffering with distance. He answered it by entering it. Jesus knew betrayal, grief, rejection, injustice, pain, loneliness, and death. He is not a detached Savior giving advice from safety. He is the crucified and risen Lord who stepped into human agony. That means when believers suffer, they suffer before One who understands.
Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” He did not deny trouble. He denied trouble the right to reign in the heart.

Application: When pain rises today, say aloud: Jesus understands suffering, and Jesus is with me now.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for entering suffering and becoming a merciful High Priest for wounded people like me. Amen.

Day 6 — The Spirit Sustains Me Now

Scripture Reading: John 14:16; Romans 8:26

Reflection: The Christian life is not surviving pain through self-strength. Jesus promised “another Helper,” the Holy Spirit. Romans says the Spirit helps us in weakness. Sometimes the Spirit strengthens us.  Sometimes, He comforts us.  Sometimes, He convicts us.  Sometimes, He gives words when we have none.
 Sometimes, He simply keeps us from collapsing. You are not carrying suffering alone.

Application: Pause for two minutes in silence today and pray: Holy Spirit, help me in my weakness.

Prayer: Spirit of God, sustain what is tired, strengthen what is weak, and steady what is shaken. Amen.

Day 7 — Glory Is Coming

Scripture Reading: Romans 8:18; Revelation 21:4

Reflection: Christian hope is not a denial of pain. It is certainty that pain is temporary. Paul compares present suffering with coming glory and says they are not worth comparing. That is not because suffering is small, but because glory is immense.
Revelation promises:

• tears removed
• death ended
• mourning ended
• pain ended
• God present forever

The resurrection of Jesus Christ means suffering is real, but never ultimate.
Application: Finish this sentence in your journal: This pain is present, but it is not permanent because…

Prayer: Father, lift my eyes beyond this moment. Teach me to live with resurrection hope. Amen.
 
Weekly Summary: What is God doing in suffering right now?

• He is near to the brokenhearted.
• He is limiting evil.
• He is working redemption.
• He is forming endurance.
• He is sustaining by the Spirit.
• He is preparing glory.
• He is restoring all things through Jesus Christ.

Family / Group Discussion Questions

1. Which truth from this week challenged you the most?
2. Where have you mistaken pain for God’s absence?
3. How have you seen God redeem hard seasons before?
4. What does resurrection hope change about present suffering?

Closing Encouragement
© 2026 Dr. G. Ryan Perry, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
Published in partnership with Cross+Walk Ministries and Good Hope Baptist Church.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author, except for brief quotations used in reviews, teaching, or ministry settings with proper attribution.
For ministry resources, teaching materials, or speaking inquiries, contact Cross+Walk Ministries.

Suffering Series Sermon 2: What is God doing in suffering right now?

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
26 April 2026

Key Verses:
Psalm 115:3; Deuteronomy 32:4; Genesis 1:26; Genesis 9:6; James 3:9; Genesis 3:5; Romans 1; Romans 6:16; John 8:44; John 10:10; Colossians 1:15; Philippians 2; Romans 8:29; Colossians 3:10; Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23; Romans 8:28; Romans 5:3–4; James 1:3; John 14:1; John 14:16; John 14:27; John 15:1–2; John 15:4–5; John 15:8; John 15:18; Romans 8:18; Revelation 21:4; Revelation 22:3–5; Ephesians 1; Psalm 34:18

I. God Is Sovereign and Perfectly Just
Psalm 115:3 –  God rules over all things—nothing exists outside His authority.
That means nothing exists outside his rule. Yet sovereignty must always be joined to character.

Deuteronomy 32:4 – His rule is never unjust—His ways are always justice (mišpāṭ).
The Hebrew word for justice is mišpāṭ, meaning righteous judgment, right order, things set rightly according to truth. God never rules crookedly. He never governs unjustly. He never acts with evil motives.

Today we ask the question: If suffering is happening right now, what is God doing?
Many assume suffering means: God is absent, or God is powerless, or God is just cruel.
Scripture says none of those are true. Instead, Scripture repeatedly illustrates that God is present. God is ruling, and God is restoring.

Today, we will walk through five biblical movements. To understand suffering, we must begin before suffering existed.

II. Humanity Was Created as God’s Image Bearers
Genesis 1:26 – Humanity was made in God’s image (ṣelem / eikōn) to reflect and represent Him.

The Hebrew word for image is ṣelem. It often refers to an image, representation, or visible figure. The Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint (LXX), translates it as eikōn, the same word later used of Christ in the New Testament.
Plainly spoken, this is what the Bible means when it says humanity was made in the image of God.

God is invisible, yet he chose human beings to visibly reflect his rule, goodness, wisdom, and care inside creation. That does not mean we are gods, equal to God, or worthy of worship. It means we were given a purpose and a calling, unlike the rest of creation.

So what is humanity? Humanity is the part of creation uniquely made to know God, love God, reflect God, and represent God on the earth.

Why were we created? We were created to live in relationship with God, live under his good authority, care for the world he made, love one another, and show what God is like through the way we live.

That is what it means to be image bearers of God.

We were made with purpose, not by accident. We were made to belong to God; we were made to reflect his goodness; we were made to carry responsibility; we were made to bring order, not chaos; we were made to worship the Creator, not created things; we were made to rule under God, not replace God. Humanity was meant to be creation’s royal servant race under the true King.

To an ancient Hebrew, worship meant rightly ordering your whole life under the God who made you. It was not mainly about a music set. It was about allegiance, trust, obedience, love, gratitude, and living in covenant relationship with Yahweh.

Worship meant recognizing who is truly God, knowing we are not God, receiving life as a gift, trusting God’s wisdom above our own, obeying God’s guidance, giving thanks for the provision God provides, structuring life around God’s presence, and refusing rival gods and false masters.

So when the Bible says humanity was made to worship the Creator, it means humans were made to live with God at the center of everything.
In Modern Language, we were made to have the right “center of gravity.” Everyone organizes life around something. Today, people may center life around: money, success, pleasure, politics, social media image, relationships, self-expression, technology, and or control.

The Bible says all of those make terrible gods. A Hebrew would say worship is what you build your life around.

If an ambassador ignores the king, serves another nation, and makes up his own laws, he has failed his purpose.

That is idolatry. Meaning, idolatry is not only bowing before a statue. At its deepest level, idolatry is giving ultimate loyalty, trust, obedience, and identity to something other than the true King.

It is the rejection of rightful rule and the transfer of allegiance to a false master.
So, in the image-bearer/ambassador picture, idolatry is: serving another throne, representing another kingdom, living by another authority, taking guidance from another source, and seeking life from what cannot give life.

Biblically, idolatry happens whenever creation takes the place of the Creator.
That can be a carved image, but it can also be: money as savior, power as security, pleasure as purpose, self as god, culture as truth, success as identity, or politics as hope.
So the deeper definition is: Idolatry is misdirected worship that reshapes a person away from God’s design.

If we faithfully represent the king/God, we fulfill our role and our purpose for existing.
That is worship. So a Hebrew would hear: You were made to represent Yahweh by living under Yahweh.

This is why idolatry is such a serious sin in Scripture. Humans were made to rule creation under God, not bow down to creation in place of God. When image bearers worship idols, everything is reversed. The steward kneels before the object he was meant to govern. The living person bows before a dead thing. The one made to reflect God begins reflecting what is beneath him instead.

That is why Psalms 115 says those who make idols become like them. Worship shapes the worshiper.

III. Sin Distorted the Image and Introduced Disorder
Sin did not erase the image of God in humanity, but it distorted it. People still possess dignity, value, and responsibility, yet instead of reflecting God clearly, humanity often reflects pride, selfishness, violence, lies, and rebellion.

That is why Jesus Christ is so important.

Colossians 1:15 says Christ is the image of the invisible God. He is humanity as humanity was meant to be. Where Adam failed, Christ obeyed. Where humanity bowed wrongly, Christ worshiped rightly. Where humanity ruled selfishly, Christ ruled through service and love.

Through salvation (God rescuing people from what is destroying them and restoring them to right life under him), therefore God is restoring broken image-bearers into the likeness of His Son, Jesus.

The word likeness is demût, meaning resemblance, correspondence, analogy.
Together with image-bearers, they teach this: Humanity was created to visibly represent the invisible God within creation. Not as little gods. Not as equals with God. But as creatures commissioned to reflect him.

Back to Scripture, the very next line in Genesis 1:26 states ...and let them have dominion.
The Hebrew word is rādâ, meaning to rule, govern, exercise authority. Notice the order. Image first. Rule second. Meaning our authority was never autonomous. It was a representative authority, so being an ambassador.

Genesis 2 places humanity in the Garden of Eden.
When God first made humanity, he did not create us for burnout, anxiety, violence, confusion, broken relationships, or meaningless work. He created people for a healthy, purposeful life.

The Garden of Eden represents the world as it was meant to be: close to God, safe, meaningful, abundant, peaceful, ordered, and full of life.

When the Bible says Adam was placed there “to work it and keep it,” it means people were created to contribute, build, care, protect, and make good things, things that were already created and planted to flourish.

So from the very beginning, humanity’s purpose was not to sit around doing nothing, nor to dominate everything selfishly. Humanity was created to help the world flourish under God’s rule

What This Means About Suffering: Suffering feels wrong to use because it is wrong. Deep down, people know pain, injustice, death, betrayal, and chaos are not how life should be.

That instinct exists because suffering was not in the original design.

Then Genesis 3 begins with a question: Did God actually say?

That matters because the first attack was not physical. The serpent did not begin by hurting anyone. He began by making people doubt God’s word.

The Israelites would understand something very important here: When trust in God’s voice is broken, everything else begins to break after it.

The serpent’s message was simple: God is holding something back from you, God cannot be fully trusted, you should decide good and evil for yourself, and you do not need to remain under God’s authority.

Then he says: You will be like God.

The irony is that humanity was already made in God’s image. They already had honor, purpose, dignity, and authority under God. The temptation was to seize independently what had already been given relationally.

That is still how sin works. People often reach the wrong way for what God made them for, rightly.

They seek identity without God, wisdom without God, power without God, freedom without God, blessing without obedience, and life without the giver of life.

Humanity chose autonomy over trust.

That means they chose self-rule instead of living under God’s wisdom. The result was distortion. What had been ordered became disordered.

Fellowship with God turned into hiding from God, truth became blame and excuses.
Meaningful work became a painful struggle against creation itself, and life became touched by death.

The curse in Genesis is the undoing of blessing. It is creation no longer functioning as smoothly as it was meant to under God’s order.

Was the image of God lost? No. The Israelites would understand that humanity still remained human and still accountable to God.

Genesis 9:6 – still speaks of humanity made in God’s image.
James 3:9 – says humans are still made in God’s likeness.
So the dignity remained, but the reflection was damaged.

Think of a mirror cracked but still showing an image. That is why people can do both great good and terrible evil.

We can build hospitals or battlefields, heal wounds or cause them, love faithfully or betray deeply, create beauty or unleash destruction.

The image remains. The alignment is broken.

God made creatures to live under his wisdom. The serpent embraced deception and imagined self-exaltation apart from God. Once corrupted, he spread the same lie to others.

That is how evil advances: truth is abandoned, pride rises, and deception presents rebellion as freedom.

Why this matters: the serpent could not create anything good. He could only twist what God made good.

That is always the nature of evil. Evil does not create life. It corrupts life. It does not create truth. It twists the truth. It does not create beauty. It distorts beauty.

Scripture teaches a deep principle: We become shaped by what rules us.
Romans 6:16 – You are slaves of the one whom you obey.

The Greek word is doulos, bondservant, one under mastery. Everyone serves some lord.

John 8:44 – Jesus says: You are of your father the devil.
He does not mean created by Satan. He means morally aligned with his desires.

Romans 1 says humanity exchanged the glory of God for images.

The Greek word for exchanged is allassō, to trade one thing for another.
Humanity traded worship of the Creator for created things. Then everything bends out of shape. False worship creates false humanity. That is why suffering spreads, greed devours, lust uses, pride crushes, hatred destroys, and deceit wounds.

IV. Two Kingdoms: Destruction vs. Life
John 10:10 – The enemy’s purpose: steal, kill, destroy.
But Jesus says I came that they may have life. Life is zōē, not mere breathing, but fullness of life as God intends.

This dichotomy illustrates two kingdoms, two directions, and two outcomes. God/Jesus has our best interests at heart; Satan, on the other hand, wants to sell it and destroy us in the process.

V. God Is Restoring His Image Through Christ
God did not abandon his image bearers. He entered the chaotic world that was hostile towards Him.

Colossians 1:15 – Jesus is the perfect image (eikōn) of God.
Jesus is the perfect visible revelation of the invisible God. Where Adam failed, Christ obeyed. Where humanity grasped, Christ humbled Himself.

Philippians 2 – Christ emptied himself and took the form of a servant.
That is true kingship. That is being an ambassador of God. That is worship.

Romans 8:29 – To be conformed to the image of his Son.

Conformed is symmorphos, shaped into the same form.
God is reshaping broken humanity into Christlike humanity, meaning true worshippers, image-bearers/ambassadors of the Most High God.

Colossians 3:10 – The new self… being renewed.

VI. God Works Through Suffering for Redemption and Formation
We have already established that suffering entered through the fall and through a creation now groaning under curse. We have already shown that pain was not the original design of Eden. Humanity was created for communion with God, meaningful work, ordered flourishing, and life under his reign. So let us move deeper now.

The question is no longer merely, “Where did suffering come from?” The question is, “What is God doing when suffering comes?”

Scripture does not teach that God stands distant, helpless, or absent. It also does not teach that God delights in pain for its own sake. It teaches that God is sovereign, present, wise, and able to bring holy purpose into what a broken world meant for harm.

Genesis 50:20 – Joseph said to the brothers who betrayed him, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

Notice the text carefully. Their act was evil. God did not rename evil as good. God overruled evil for good. Human sin was real. Divine sovereignty was greater.
That same pattern reaches its highest point at the cross.

Acts 2:23 – Peter declared of Jesus Christ, This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Lawless men acted wickedly. God accomplished redemption through the very event they meant for destruction.
This means the people of God never say evil is good. We say God is greater than evil.

Romans 8:28 – That is why Romans declares, For those who love God all things work together for good.
It does not say all things are good. It says God works in all things for good.                                                                           
Betrayal is not good. Disease is not good. Injustice is not good. Death is not good. Yet none of them are beyond God’s authority to redeem, transform, and overrule.

What good does God bring? Scripture gives substance, not clichés.
Romans 5:3–4 – Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.

James 1:3 – The testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
Endurance means weight that once crushed you no longer rules you. Character means tested integrity instead of shallow religion. Hope means confidence in God that survives dark seasons.

John 14 and 15 take us even deeper, because Jesus does not explain suffering merely as something to endure. He explains it through relationship with him, the presence of the Spirit, and fruitfulness under pressure.

Jesus speaks these words on the night before the cross. He is preparing his disciples for grief, confusion, fear, and persecution. He knows suffering is coming, yet his message is not panic. His message is trust.

John 14:1 – He says, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me”
Christ does not deny pain. He commands that pain not become master of the heart.

John 14:27 – He says again, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid”
The world’s peace depends on circumstances being stable. Christ’s peace depends on his presence being stable. One disappears when life shakes. The other can remain while life shakes.

John 14:16 – Then Jesus gives this promise: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever”
In suffering, believers are not abandoned to private strength. The Holy Spirit is present as Helper, Comforter, and Advocate.

This means suffering for the Christian is never solitary suffering.

John 15:1–2 – Then Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser… every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit”

Pruning is not punishment of a dead branch. Pruning is care for a living branch. The branch is already connected. The cut is not to destroy life, but to increase life.

Some pain in the believer’s life is not wrath. Some pain is the painful removal of what hinders fruitfulness. God may cut pride, false dependence, shallow loves, wasted habits, divided loyalties, hidden idols, or self-trust. The cut hurts, but the purpose is fruit.

John 15:4–5 – Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you… apart from me you can do nothing”

Many ask, “How do I survive suffering?” Jesus first asks, “Will you remain in me during suffering?” Abiding means continuing in prayer, obedience, trust, worship, and fellowship when emotions are unstable.

John 15:18 – Jesus also says, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you”

Some suffering comes not from failure, but from faithfulness. Truth has a cost in a false age. Holiness has a cost in a corrupt age. Loyalty to Christ has a cost in a rebellious age.
Yet even there suffering is not wasted.

John 15:8 – Jesus says, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit”
Fruit means love when wronged. Peace when shaken. Obedience when costly. Faith when confused. Witness when opposed. Perseverance when weary.

God is not the author of the ashes. God is the redeemer of ashes. What enters your life through a fallen world does not enter beyond the reach of a sovereign God.

The resurrection proves it. Death took Christ into the tomb. God raised him in glory. If God can turn a cross into salvation and a tomb into victory, then he can take what is wounding you now and make it serve a higher end.

Suffering may be real, but it is not ultimate. Pain may be present, but it is not sovereign. God alone is sovereign.

• Christ gives peace, presence, and purpose in suffering.
• The Spirit is our Helper.
• Pruning produces fruit.
• Abiding sustains life.
• Some suffering comes through faithfulness.

VII. God Is Moving History Toward Final Restoration
The present world is not the final world.

Romans 8:18 – he sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed.

Glory is doxa, weight, splendor, radiant worth.
Creation waits for restored humanity.

Revelation 22:3–5 – No longer will there be anything accursed… they will see his face… and they will reign forever and ever.

Do you hear Genesis being healed? Curse removed, presence restored, servants serving, and reign restored.

His name will be on their foreheads. That means ownership, identity, and belonging.
The beast marks counterfeit humanity. God seals redeemed humanity.

Ephesians 1 – believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit is the mark of belonging now.

Revelation 21:4 – He will wipe away every tear.
Pain has an ending. Death has an ending. Loss has an ending. Tears have an ending.

So what is God doing in suffering right now? He is doing what he has always done. He is reclaiming creation. He is restoring his image bearers. He is defeating evil through Christ.
He is forming saints in trials. Suffering is not good in itself, yet God can use hardship in a fallen world to build endurance, deepen faith, expose false trusts, and shape believers into the likeness of Christ.

He is moving history toward glory. Though evil and chaos are real, history is not random. God is guiding all things toward Christ’s return, final justice, resurrection, and renewed creation.

The cross proves God entered suffering. In Jesus Christ, God stepped into human pain, rejection, injustice, and death to redeem the world from within.

The resurrection proves evil will lose. Christ rose bodily from the grave, showing that death, sin, and darkness do not have final authority.

The Spirit proves restoration has begun. God gives the Holy Spirit now to renew hearts, strengthen believers, produce holiness, and bring future life into the present.

Glory proves the story ends well. The end is not endless suffering, but resurrection life, renewed creation, justice fulfilled, tears removed, and full fellowship with God.

Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.
Near in Hebrew thought is covenant presence, not distant awareness.

Come to Christ today.
The perfect Eikōn restores broken image bearers.
Trust him.

Because salvation does not always remove suffering now, but it guarantees suffering will not have the final word.

Jesus will.

Conclusion: What Is God Doing Right Now?

• God is ruling — Psalm 115:3
• God is just — Deuteronomy 32:4
• God is present — Psalm 34:18
• God is restoring His image — Romans 8:29
• God is working through suffering — Romans 8:28
• God is forming His people — James 1:3
• God is bringing all things to glory — Revelation 21:4

Final Call

• Suffering does not mean God is absent.
• Suffering does not mean God is finished.
• Suffering means God is at work in a world He is redeeming.

Welcome and Opening Prayer                                                    ~ Elder Milton Parrish

Call to Worship                                                                              ~ Worship Team
      ~ “How Good It Is”
      ~ “What A Beautiful Name”
      ~ “If I Got Jesus”                              

Worship in Tithes and Offerings

Children 5th grade and under released to Children's Church

Sermon                                                                                            ~ Pastor Jeremy Phillips
     ~  God and Suffering Sermon 2: What is God doing in suffering right now?
          Ps 115:3; Deut 32:4; Gen 1:26; Gen 9:6; Jas 3:9; Gen 3:5; Rom 1;
          Rom 6:16; John 8:44; John 10:10; Col 1:15; Phil 2; Rom 8:29; Col 3:10;
          Gen 50:20; Acts 2:23; Rom 8:28; Rom 5:3–4; Jas 1:3; John 14:1,16,27;
          John 15:1–2,4–5,8,18; Rom 8:18; Rev 21:4; Rev 22:3–5; Eph 1; Ps 34:18

Invitation and Prayer                                                                     ~ Pastor Ryan
     ~   “Greater Still”  

Benediction & Dismissal                                                                ~ Elder Mark White 

• Today
  • Youth Bowling 2:30-4:30PM. Two hours of bowling at Bowlero in   

             Fredericksburg with food, drinks and a $10 arcade. Meeting at the 
             church at 1pm. RSVP with either Jeremy or Jenn.

• Apr 26. Southern Gospel Singer Ivan Parker in Concert 6pm at Hebron Baptist Church. Admission is free but a love offering will be taken up.
• May 3. VBS Volunteers Meeting immediately following service. Q&A to Jordan.
• May 10. Baby Bottle Campaign Kickoff with IMGN Life Ministries from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day. Every Penny Counts: Fill a Bottle, Change a Life!
• May 31. GHBC hosting multi-church Pentecost community worship & prayer service and potluck fellowship 5PM. Please bring a dish to share.
• June 3-5. 6-8PM Illumination Stations VBS 2026. Ages Pre-K - 5th Grade. Q&A to Jordan.
• Jun 7. VBS Family Rally during 10:30 worship service. Details TBD.
• Jun 11-13. 6-8PM nightly. Davy Thomson Worship Workshop for GHBC and surrounding churches. Agenda TBA. Pastor Ryan for Q&A.

Welcome and Opening Prayer                                                    ~ Elder Milton Parrish

Call to Worship                                                                              ~ Worship Team
      ~ “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)
      ~ “Raise A Hallelujah
      ~ “Trust In God”  

Worship in Tithes and Offerings

Children 5th grade and under released to Children's Church

Testimony                                                                                        ~ Mrs. Ashley Phillips

Sermon                                                                                            ~ Pastor Jeremy Phillips
     ~  Suffering Series Sermon 1: Why Does Suffering Exist?
        Genesis 1:1–2; 1:31; 2:8–10; 2:15; 3:5; 3:17–19; 3:23–24; 6–9; Psalm 69:1–2; Isaiah 57:20;
        Rom. 8:20–21; Gen, 4; Gen. 11; Ex. 1; Gal. 6:7; Job 1–2; Psalm 115:3; Deut. 32:4;
        Eph. 1:4–5; Luke 22:31; Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:22

Invitation and Prayer                                                                     ~ Pastor Ryan
     ~   “Help My Unbelief”  

Benediction & Dismissal                                                                ~ Elder Mark White 

 ADULT DEVOTIONAL COMPANION
God and Suffering
Week 1: Why Does Suffering Exist?

Senior Pastor Dr. G. Ryan Perry PhD.
Good Hope Baptist Church
19 April 2026

The BIG Idea (repeat daily)
God did not create suffering as the design of creation. Suffering entered through a world broken by sin, yet God still rules over it with purpose.

DAY 1 — God Created Goodness, Not Chaos
Scripture: Genesis 1:31

When God finished creation, He called it “very good.” That means creation was ordered, whole, flourishing, and functioning as intended. Suffering was not part of the original blueprint. Pain, death, injustice, disease, and fear are intruders, not foundations. This matters because many people assume suffering proves God made a bad world. Scripture says the opposite. God made a good world that was later fractured.

Reflection:  Do you think of suffering as normal, or as something foreign to God’s design?  How does this change the way you view pain?
Prayer:  Lord, thank You that You created what is good. Help me trust Your original design even in a broken world.
 
DAY 2 — Sin Distorted What God Ordered
Scripture: Genesis 3:17–19

Sin is more than rule-breaking. Sin is rejecting God’s authority and choosing self-rule. When humanity turned from God, disorder entered creation. Relationships fractured. Work became toil. Fear entered the human heart. Death began its reign. Sin always promises freedom, but it produces bondage. We still see this today whenever people define good and evil for themselves rather than trusting God.

Reflection:  Where do you see disorder caused by sin in the world?  Where do you need to surrender self-rule to God?
Prayer:  Father, forgive me for trusting myself above You. Restore Your order in my life.

DAY 3 — The Whole World Feels the Fall
Scripture: Romans 8:20–22

Creation groans. That means suffering is not only personal, it is cosmic. The world does not function perfectly now. Bodies weaken. Storms destroy. Systems fail. Hearts break. The Bible explains what we all experience: something is wrong here. But groaning is not the same as dying. Groaning often comes before birth. Romans 8 says creation groans because restoration is coming.
Reflection:  What brokenness around you reminds you this world is not yet healed?  How does hope change the way you endure hardship?
Prayer:  God, when I feel the groaning of this world, remind me that renewal is coming.

DAY 4 — Some Suffering Comes from Human Evil
Scripture: Genesis 4:8

Cain killed Abel. Very early in Scripture, suffering comes through violence, jealousy, hatred, and sin. Some pain in the world exists because people choose evil. This includes abuse, oppression, betrayal, greed, and injustice. God does not celebrate evil. He sees it, judges it, and will one day end it fully.

Reflection:  How have you seen human sin harm others?  How can you be a force for righteousness and healing?
Prayer:  Lord, make me someone who resists evil and reflects Your goodness.

DAY 5 — God Still Rules in a Broken World
Scripture: Psalm 115:3

Suffering can make life feel random. Scripture says it is not random. God remains sovereign. Nothing escapes His authority. Nothing can overthrow His purposes. That does not mean all things are good. It means God is greater than all things. He rules even in what He hates, and He can bring redemption from what others meant for harm.

Reflection:  What suffering feels chaotic to you right now?  Can you trust God even before you understand?
Prayer:  King Jesus, help me trust Your rule when life feels uncertain.
 
DAY 6 — God Uses What He Does Not Approve
Scripture: Genesis 50:20

Joseph suffered betrayal, slavery, false accusation, and prison. Yet later he said: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” Same event, different intentions. People can mean harm. God can mean redemption. This does not make evil good. It shows God is powerful enough to overrule evil.

Reflection:  Have you seen God bring good from pain in your past?  Where do you need faith for redemption you cannot yet see?
Prayer:  Lord, redeem what has wounded me, and use it for Your glory.

DAY 7 — Suffering Is Real, But Not Final
Scripture: Revelation 21:4

The Bible does not end with tears. It ends with restoration. No death. No mourning. No crying. No pain. Suffering is present, but temporary. Christ will bring the world to full healing. For believers, pain has an expiration date.

Reflection:  How would your daily life change if you truly believed suffering is temporary?  What hope do you need today?
Prayer:  Jesus, anchor my heart in the promise that suffering will not have the final word.

© 2026 Dr. G. Ryan Perry, PhD | Good Hope Baptist Church (GHBC) | Cross+Walk Ministries. All rights reserved. Permission granted for personal use, family discipleship, and local church ministry use. Not for resale or unauthorized commercial reproduction.

PARENT DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE
God and Suffering
Week 1 – Why does suffering exist?

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
19 April 2026

The BIG Idea (repeat every day) Suffering exists because sin brought brokenness into God’s good world, but God is still in control and bringing restoration.

DAY 1 — God Made the World Good
Scripture: Genesis 1:31

Parent Says:  When God finished creating the world, He said it was very good. God made a world full of life, beauty, and order. Suffering was not part of God’s first design.
Ask: What did God say about His creation? What are some good things God made?

Truth: God made the world good.
Prayer: God, thank You for making a good and beautiful world.

DAY 2 — People Were Made to Be Close to God
Scripture: Genesis 2:15

Parent Says:  God placed Adam in the garden to live with Him and care for what He made. People were created to know God and walk with Him. We are made for God’s presence, too.
Ask: Where did God place Adam? Why do we need to stay close to God?

Truth: We were made to live near God.
Prayer: Lord, help our family stay close to You.

DAY 3 — Sin Brought Pain
Scripture: Genesis 3:17–19

Parent Says:  Adam and Eve chose to disobey God. Because of sin, pain, struggle, and death entered the world. Sin means choosing our own way instead of God’s way.
Ask: What happens when people disobey God? Why is sin serious?

Truth: Sin brought brokenness into the world.
Prayer: God, forgive our sins and teach us to obey You.

DAY 4 — Brokenness Spreads
Scripture: Genesis 4:8

Parent Says:  After sin entered the world, Cain hurt his brother Abel. Sin did not stay small; it spread into families and communities. That is why the world needs God’s help.
Ask: What did Cain do wrong? How can sin hurt others?

Truth: Sin spreads hurt and pain.
Prayer: God, help us choose love instead of sin.
 
DAY 5 — The World Is Not Working Right
Scripture: Romans 8:22

Parent Says:  The Bible says creation is groaning. That means the world is broken and waiting for God to make it new. We feel sadness, sickness, and loss because the world is not as it should be.
Ask: Why does the world feel broken sometimes? What things do you want God to make new?

Truth: The world needs God’s restoration.
Prayer: Lord, bring healing and make all things new.

DAY 6 — God Is Still in Control
Scripture: Psalm 115:3

Parent Says:  Even when life is hard, God has not lost control. He still rules over heaven and earth. Nothing surprises God, and nothing is too hard for Him.
Ask: Is God still in control when life is hard? Why does that give us hope?

Truth: God is still ruling over all things.
Prayer: God, help us trust You in hard times.
 
DAY 7 — God Will Make Things Right
Scripture: Genesis 50:20

Parent Says:  Joseph’s brothers meant harm, but God used it for good. God can bring good even from painful things. One day, He will fully remove suffering forever.
Ask: How did God bring good from Joseph’s story? What hard thing can we trust God with today?

Truth: God is working all things toward His good plan.
Prayer: Father, help us trust that You are working even now.

© 2026 Dr. G. Ryan Perry, PhD | Good Hope Baptist Church (GHBC) | Cross+Walk Ministries. All rights reserved. Permission granted for personal use, family discipleship, and local church ministry use. Not for resale or unauthorized commercial reproduction.

Suffering Series Sermon 1: Why Does Suffering Exist?

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
19 April 2026

Big Idea: Suffering exists because creation is no longer aligned with God’s order—but it remains under His sovereign rule and is being moved toward His redemptive purposes.

Key Verses: 
Genesis 1:1–2; Genesis 1:31; Genesis 2:8–10; Genesis 2:15; Genesis 3:5; Genesis 3:17–19; Genesis 3:23–24; Genesis 6–9; Psalm 69:1–2; Isaiah 57:20; Romans 8:20–21; Genesis 4; Genesis 11; Exodus 1; Galatians 6:7; Job 1–2; Psalm 115:3; Deuteronomy 32:4; Ephesians 1:4–5; Luke 22:31; Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:22

Today, we are not starting with emotion; we are starting with Scripture.
Because, if we do not define suffering biblically, we will misdiagnose it completely.
 
I. God’s Design and the Fracture of Creation (Creation → Fall)
Genesis 1:1–2 — Creation begins תֹּהוּ (tohu) — formless, unstructured,  בֹּהוּ (bohu) — empty, unfilled
 
This is not evil, this is unordered potential. Genesis 1 shows us what God does with that: He separates, He names, and He fills. The repeated Hebrew word is: בָּדַל (badal) — to separate/divide.

Genesis 1:31 — מְאֹד (tov me’od) completely ordered, fully functioning, flourishing, literally very good.  

God did not create suffering. God created order, life, and flourishing.
 
Genesis 2:8–10 — A river flows out and divides.  This is not random; this is structured life flowing from God’s presence.

Genesis 2:15 — The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden… to work it (עָבַד ʿābad) and keep it (שָׁמַר šāmar). These are priestly terms (Numbers 3:7–8).

Genesis 3:5 — The serpents lie to humanity. Sin is rejecting God’s authority and redefining good and evil on your own terms.

Genesis 3:17–19 — Curse, toil, and death. Suffering begins where God’s life-giving presence is lost.

II. Disorder Spreads Through Creation
Genesis 6–9 — The Flood (de-creation, creation returning to disorder)

Psalm 69:1–2 & Isaiah 57:20 — Waters represent chaos (תֹּהוּ בֹּהוּ – Chaos)
and instability, lack of order.

Romans 8:20–21 — Creation subjected to futility. The world is not working correctly, creation is disordered, life is not functioning (ματαιότης mataiotēs) as it was intended.    

III. The Four Sources (Categories) of Suffering
Moral Evil — This is not just individual sin; it expands into systems.

• Genesis 4 — Cain kills Abel, representing the uprising of personal evil.

• Genesis 11 — Babel builds a system against God, the entire human system arranged around rebellion.

• Exodus 1 — Egypt enslaves Israel, creation of a structure of oppression.

Natural Evil

• Genesis 3:17–18 — Cursed is the ground because of you…Creation itself now resists life

Personal Consequence

• Galatians 6:7 — Whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Some suffering is not mysterious it flows from our own choices

Spiritual Warfare

• Job 1–2 — There are realities you cannot see; forces at work beyond human understanding; heavenly beings opposed to God with their own agenda. Yet even here, we will notice there are limits.

Suffering is not one-dimensional. It is layered. It is complex. It is the result of a world no longer in alignment with God’s order.

We must understand something foundational: What does it actually mean that God is sovereign? Because if we misunderstand this, we will either blame God for evil or remove God from control.

Scripture does not illustrate either one of these approaches.

IV. God’s Sovereignty and His Work in Suffering
1. God is Fully Sovereign and Perfectly Good

• Psalm 115:3 — God does all He pleases.

Sovereignty means: God’s absolute right, authority, and power to rule over all creation, such that nothing exists, acts, or occurs outside of His ultimate governance, while His rule always remains perfectly consistent with His righteous character.

• Deuteronomy 32:4 — God is just and upright

God is not just powerful, He is perfectly good. God is fully sovereign, and God is fully righteous.

Nothing exists outside His rule, happens beyond His authority, or can ultimately overturn His purposes. And yet Scripture clearly shows evil exists, sin exists, and suffering exists.
How is this possible? God is sovereign over all things, but He is not the source of all things.

He rules over what He allows, and He works through what He hates to accomplish what He has purposed. This is not a contradiction; it is the complexity of a fallen world under a sovereign God.

2. God Relates to Suffering in Three Ways
a. God Wills (What He directly brings about)

• Creation — Genesis 1
• Salvation — Ephesians 1:4–5

b. God Permits (What He allows within His rule)

• Job’s testing (Satan acts, but only within limits) — Job 1–2
• Peter’s sifting (“Satan demanded… but I have prayed for you.”)— Luke 22:31

God is not absent in permission; He is governing even what He allows.

c. God Works Through (What He redeems for His purposes)

• Genesis 50:20 — You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.

One event, two intentions: human intention is evil, and God’s intention is redemption. God does not call evil good. He overrules it for good.

This is the biblical picture of sovereignty: God is not the source of evil, God is never out of control, and God is always working toward His purposes.

God does not cause evil in the sense of producing it, but He does ordain a world in which it is temporarily allowed and ultimately overruled.

That means: Evil is real, suffering is real, but neither is ultimate.

Some situations feel chaotic, like it is outside of God’s control. Scripture says: No creation itself is fractured, but it is not outside of God’s rule.

V. Living in the Tension: A Groaning World with a Certain Future
Romans 8:22 — Creation groaning together

This is not random pain. This is a world under strain waiting for restoration.

If God is sovereign and God is good, why does He allow this to continue? Why not stop it now? Why allow suffering at all? These questions are not doubt; it is exactly where Scripture wants you to wrestle.

Forward Movement (Series Connection):

• Week 2: What is God doing in suffering?
• Week 3: How does God ultimately end suffering?

God is not out of control in your suffering and He is not absent from it.

He is ruling over it and moving it toward something you cannot yet see.

Welcome and Opening Prayer                                                    ~ Elder Mark White

Call to Worship                                                                              ~ Worship Team
      ~ “How Good It Is”
      ~ “Can’t Steal My Joy”
      ~ “What An Awesome God”                              
      ~ “Breathe”

Worship in Tithes and Offerings

Children 5th grade and under released to Children's Church

Pastor Ordination for Jeremy Phillips as Youth Pastor               ~ Pastor Ryan Perry

Sermon                                                                                            ~ Pastor Jeremy Phillips
     ~  God Doesn’t Call the Qualified—He Qualifies the Called
        2 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 12:9; 1 Timothy 4:12; Isaiah 6:8

Invitation and Prayer                                                                     ~ Pastor Jeremy
     ~   “Walk With Me”  

Benediction & Dismissal                                                                ~ Elder Tom Noss 

God Doesn’t Call the Qualified—He Qualifies the Called

Pastor Jeremy Phillips
Good Hope Baptist Church
Sunday 12 April 2026

Big Idea: God’s strength, not our qualification, is what fulfills His calling.
 
Personal honesty: “I am not qualified to be here…”

Key Verses

• 2 Corinthians 3:5 – Our sufficiency is from God
• 2 Corinthians 12:9 – His power is made perfect in weakness
• 1 Timothy 4:12 – Be an example regardless of age

• Isaiah 6:8 – “Here am I. Send me!”

1. God Calls the Unlikely

• Exodus 3:11–12 – “Who am I?” → “I will be with you”
• Exodus 4:10–15 – Moses’ excuses vs. God’s assurance

2. God Uses the Overlooked

• 1 Samuel 16:11 – Forgotten in the field
• 1 Samuel 16:7 – God looks at the heart
• 1 Samuel 17:45 – Faith over physical strength

3. God Strengthens the Weak

• Judges 6:12–15 – “Mighty warrior” who felt insignificant
• Judges 7:2 – God reduces numbers to ensure His glory

4. God Honors the Faithful

• Daniel 1:8 – Commitment to purity
• Daniel 6:10 – Consistency in prayer
• Daniel 6:22 – God’s deliverance

Main Takeaway
God does not call the qualified—He qualifies the called.

How We Apply It
1. 1 Timothy 4:12 – Be an example regardless of age
2. Isaiah 6:8 – “Here am I. Send me!”

Closing Challenge

Welcome and Opening Prayer                                                    ~ Pastor Ryan Perry

Communion Lord's Supper

Call to Worship                                                                             ~ Worship Team
      ~  “Low in the Grave He Lay” Hymnal #160
      ~  “Come Alive (Dry Bones)”
      ~  “King of Kings”

Worship in Tithes and Offerings

Children 5th grade and under released to Children's Church

Sermon                                                                                            ~ Pastor Ryan Perry
      ~ PASSOVER 2026 Sermon 6: Firstfruits - Why Resurrection Was Always Required
         Texts: Genesis 2:7, 17; Exodus 13:14–15; Leviticus 23:9–14; Psalm 16:9–11; Isaiah 25:6–9;
         Hosea 6:1–2; Luke 24:1–12; 1 Corinthians 15:20–26; Romans 8:18–23

Invitation and Prayer                                                                      ~ Pastor Perry
     ~  "O Praise The Name (Anástasis)”

Benediction & Dismissal                                                                 ~ Elder Mark White

PARENT DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE
Helping Your Children Understand God’s Gospel Calendar
WEEK 6 — Firstfruits - Jesus is Alive!

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
05 April 2026

The BIG Idea (repeat every day) Jesus is alive, and because He lives, we will live too.

Day 1 — God Gives Life
Scripture: Genesis 2:7

Parent Says: God made people in a special way.
He didn’t just form them, He gave them life.
We live because God gives us life.
Ask:

• Who gives us life?
• Why do we need God every day?

Truth: God is the giver of life.
 
Prayer: God, thank You for giving us life.

Day 2 — Sin Brings Death
Scripture: Genesis 2:17

Parent Says:
God warned Adam that sin would bring death.
Death means being separated from God.
Ask:

• What happens when we disobey God?
• Why is being close to God important?

Truth: Sin leads to death, but God has a plan.

Prayer: God, help us choose what is right.

Day 3 — God Rescued His People
Scripture: Exodus 13:14

Parent Says:
God rescued His people from Egypt.
He told them to remember what He had done.
Ask:

• What did God save His people from?
• Why should we remember what God does?

Truth: God saves His people.

Prayer: God, thank You for rescuing us.

Day 4 — Firstfruits Means More Is Coming
Scripture: Leviticus 23:10

Parent Says:
God told His people to bring the first part of their harvest to Him.
This showed they trusted God to give them the rest.
Ask:

• Why did they give the first part?
• How can we trust God?

Truth: God always keeps His promises.

Prayer: God, help us trust You.

Day 5 — God Promised Life After Death
Scripture: Psalm 16:10

Parent Says:
God promised that death would not win.
He promised life would come again.
Ask:

• Is death the end?
• What does God promise instead?

Truth: God promises life.

Prayer: God, thank You that death is not the end.

Day 6 — Jesus Is Alive
Scripture: Luke 24:1–3

Parent Says:
When people went to Jesus’ tomb, He was not there.
Jesus had risen from the dead!
Ask:

• What did they find at the tomb?
• Why is it important that Jesus is alive?

Truth: Jesus is alive!

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for rising from the dead.
 
DAY 7 — We Will Live Too
Scripture: John 14:19

Parent Says:
Jesus said that because He lives, we will live too.
That means we don’t have to be afraid of death.
Ask:

• Why don’t we have to be afraid?
• What does it mean to have life with Jesus?

Truth: Because Jesus lives, we will live too.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for giving us life forever.

Passover 2026 Sermon 6: FIRSTFRUITS - Why Resurrection Was Always Required
Daily Devotional - Passover Week 6

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
05 April 2026

The BIG Idea (repeat daily)
“Because Christ lives, death is not the end; resurrection is our future.”

Day 1 — God Is the Source of Life
Scripture: Genesis 2:7; Genesis 2:17

God did not simply create humanity; He breathed life into us. Life is not something we own; it is something we receive from Him.

That means death is not just physical. It is separation from the source of life.
From the beginning, the problem was never just sin.

The problem was always death.

Reflection:

• How does seeing God as the source of life change how you view your daily dependence on Him?
• Where are you trying to “live” apart from Him?

Prayer: God, remind me that my life comes from You. Draw me back to You as my source.

Day 2 — Passover Was the Beginning, Not the End
Scripture: Exodus 13:14–15

Passover was not just about being spared; it was about being brought into life.
God commanded Israel to teach their children: “This means something.”
Salvation is not just rescue from something. It is movement into something greater.

Reflection:

• Do you view salvation as escape or transformation?
• What does it mean that God brought you out to bring you in?

Prayer: Lord, help me see that Your salvation is not just rescue but new life.

Day 3 — Firstfruits: The Promise of More
Scripture: Leviticus 23:9–14

The firstfruits offering came before the harvest was complete. It was a declaration: What God has started, He will finish. The first sheaf was not the harvest; it was the guarantee of the harvest.

Reflection:

• Where do you need to trust that God will finish what He started?
• What “firstfruits” has God already given you as a promise?

Prayer: God, help me trust Your promises even when I have not yet seen the full harvest.

Day 4 — Resurrection Was Always the Plan
Scripture: Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 25:8; Hosea 6:2

Resurrection is not a New Testament idea.
It is woven into the entire story of Scripture.

God promised:
Death would not win
The grave would not hold
Life would be restored

If God is faithful, then resurrection is necessary.

Reflection:

• How does seeing resurrection in the Old Testament strengthen your faith?
• What does it mean that God’s plan has always included victory over death?

Prayer: Father, thank You that Your plan has always been bigger than death.

Day 5 — Jesus Is the Firstfruits
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:20–26

Jesus is called the firstfruits.
That means: His resurrection is not the end; it is the beginning of the harvest.
If He rose, then all who belong to Him will rise.

Reflection:

• How does Jesus’ resurrection change how you view your future?
• Do you live with resurrection hope or temporary thinking?

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for rising from the dead. Help me live in the hope of what is coming.
 
Day 6 — Resurrection Begins Restoration
Scripture: Romans 8:18–23

Creation itself is waiting.
Not to be destroyed but to be restored.
God’s plan is not escape from the world. It is renewal of all things.

Reflection:

• How does this reshape your understanding of eternity?
• Where do you see glimpses of God restoring things even now?

Prayer: God, help me long for restoration, not just relief.

Day 7 — Because He Lives, We Will Live
Scripture: John 14:19

Jesus said: “Because I live, you also will live.”
This is not wishful thinking.
This is a promise secured by the empty tomb.
The story ends where it began:
Life with God.

Reflection:

• Do you truly believe death is not the end?
• How would your life change if you fully lived in resurrection hope?

Prayer: Jesus, anchor my life in Your resurrection. Help me live like eternity is real.

PASSOVER 2026 Sermon 6:
Firstfruits – Why Resurrection Was Always Required

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
05 April 2026
 
Primary Texts

• Genesis 2:7, 17
• Exodus 13:14–15
  Redemption of the firstborn tied to God’s deliverance.
• Leviticus 23:9–14
  The offering of firstfruits before the Lord.
• Psalms 16:9–11
  “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol… you make known to me the path of life.”
• Isaiah 25:6–9
  The feast of victory and the swallowing up of death.
• Hosea 6:1–2
  “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up.”
• Luke 24:1–12
  The resurrection of Jesus.
• 1 Corinthians 15:20–26
  “Christ has been raised… the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
• Romans 8:18–23
  Creation groaning and awaiting redemption.

For the last several weeks, we have been walking through the story God gave His people long before Jesus was born. We’ve seen that Passover is not about God skipping His people, but about God standing between His people and judgment.
We’ve seen that salvation required a substitute, that blood had to be shed, and that God Himself chose to absorb the cost of covering.

We’ve sat at the table. We’ve listened as Jesus said, “This is my body.” “This is my blood.”
But Passover does not end at the table. And, it does not end at the cross.

Today, we come to the question the story has been moving toward all along:
Why was resurrection not optional?

I. The Problem: Death, Not Just Sin
From the beginning of Scripture, God’s problem has never been forgiveness alone. God’s problem has always been death.
 
Genesis 2:7 - Life begins with God’s breath.

Genesis 2:17 - Death enters through separation from God.

Death is not merely punishment. Death is separation from the source of life.
So, if God intends to save His people, forgiveness alone is not enough. Sin must be dealt with. And death must be undone.

II. From Passover to Firstfruits as a Guarantee of Life
Passover was never only about surviving judgment.

Exodus 13:14- God told Israel that the story must continue beyond the night of death.

Leviticus 23:10 - Firstfruits immediately follows Passover—movement from rescue to life.

Leviticus 23:10–11 - The first sheaf offered as a declaration of the coming harvest. Before the full harvest. Before the fields were gathered. Before the work was finished…

The firstfruits were not the end. They were the guarantee. When the firstfruits were lifted, Israel was declaring: “What God has begun, God will complete.”

Passover said, “We were spared.” Firstfruits said, “We will live.”

III. Resurrection Promised  -- and Required!
Psalms 16:10; Isaiah 25:8; Hosea 6:2 - David understood this. Isaiah proclaimed it. Hosea pointed to it.

Resurrection is not a New Testament idea. It is the logical outcome of covenant faithfulness.

Exodus 3:6 - God introduces Himself this way

Luke 20:38 - Jesus draws the conclusion.

If God remains God to those who have died, then death cannot be the end. Resurrection is required if God keeps covenant.

The cross answers guilt – Resurrection answers corruption – The cross removes condemnation – Resurrection restores creation.

1 Corinthians 15:17 - Without resurrection: Sin may be forgiven, but death still reigns, Love may sacrifice, but evil still wins, God may pardon, but creation remains broken.

Resurrection is God’s verdict on death itself.

IV. Jesus the Christ as Firstfruits
The cross deals with guilt. The resurrection deals with death.

Luke 24:1–3 - Jesus did not rise randomly. He rose on the Feast of Firstfruits.

1 Corinthians 15:20 - Firstfruits is not the full harvest and not the end of the story, but it IS the certainty of what is coming.

V. God’s Path to Salvation and Restoration
Scripture presents salvation as an ordered work of God, unfolding in stages.

At the cross, sin is judged. At the resurrection, death is defeated. At Pentecost, life is applied from within. And at Christ’s return, restoration is completed.
 
1 Corinthians 15:23–26 - The resurrection is not the beginning of salvation. It is the decisive turning point.

Ezekiel 36:27 - Without the Spirit, salvation would remain external –  announced but not inhabited. That is why Pentecost is necessary.

Notice what God does not say. He does not say, “I will force you.” He does not say, “I will bypass you.” He says, “I will put my Spirit within you.”

Pentecost is where God addresses the human will from the inside. The Spirit does not replace the will. The Spirit restores it.
 
Philippians 2:13 - Before the Spirit, God’s commands stood outside us. After the Spirit, God’s life lives within us.

God works in the will, not against it. Obedience does not disappear. It becomes possible. Faith and obedience were never opposites. They have always been the same response to God’s provision.

At Passover, trusting God meant placing blood where He said it belonged. That trust was obedience. God did not evaluate intent. He looked for the blood.

At the cross, trusting Christ means placing ourselves under the blood God has provided. That trust is obedience. God still does not evaluate effort. He looks for the covering.

The resurrection guarantees that death has been broken.

Pentecost guarantees that this life can now be lived.
 
1 Corinthians 15:25–26 - Christ’s return guarantees that what has begun will be finished. Resurrection does not finish restoration. It makes restoration inevitable.

The gospel is not a single event. It is a divine sequence. And every step addresses what humanity lost: the cross answers guilt, the resurrection answers death, the Spirit answers inability, the kingdom answers exile.

This is why the story could not end at the tomb.

And this is why Passover always pointed beyond the night.

The cross forgives, the resurrection conquers, the Spirit restores the will, and the kingdom completes the story.
 
Romans 8:19–21 - Creation is not longing to be discarded. Creation is longing to be resurrected.

God’s goal has always been a redeemed people in a renewed creation dwelling permanently with Him.

Passover begins with blood on wood, but it ends with life from the grave. The lamb dies and the people live. Christ dies and death itself is undone.

Resurrection is God’s final answer to Egypt, exile, sin, and the grave.

Resurrection is not merely something that happened to Jesus. It is the future God has promised to those covered by the blood.

Invitation
We do not hope for escape. We hope for restoration.

John 14:19 - “Because I live, you also will live.”

Passover was not the end of the story. The table was not the end of the story. The cross was not the end of the story.

Firstfruits tells us that what God has begun, God will finish.

Some of us live as though death still has the final word. The resurrection says it does not. If you are under the blood, you are promised life.

Today, we do not celebrate survival. We celebrate resurrection.

Christ is risen!
And because He lives, so shall we.
 

Call to Worship                                                                             ~Worship Team
      ~  “Hosanna (Praise is Rising)”  
      ~  “We Praise You”
      ~  “Abide”

Worship in Tithes and Offerings

Children 5th grade and under released to Children's Church

Sermon                                                                                            ~ Pastor Ryan Perry
      ~ PASSOVER 2026 Sermon 5: BEHOLD THE LAMB - How John Shows the Whole 
         Bible at the Cross
         Texts: Ex. 12; Lev. 14–16; Num. 19; Ps.51; Isa. 53; Zech. 12–13; John 18–20; Gal. 3:13;
         1 Peter 2:24

Invitation and Prayer                                                                      ~ Pastor Perry
     ~  "The Old Rugged Cross"    Hymnal #141

Benediction & Dismissal                                                                 ~Elder Tom Noss

PARENT DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE
Helping Your Children Understand God’s Gospel Calendar
WEEK 5 — Behold the Lamb: Seeing What Jesus Did on the Cross

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
29 March 2026

Big Idea (repeat every day)  “Jesus is the Lamb who takes away our sin.”

DAY 1 — God Had a Plan for the Cross
Scripture: John 19:28
Parent Says: Jesus did not go to the cross by accident.
The Bible says He knew everything was being finished.
That means God had a plan all along.
From the very beginning, God was preparing to save His people through Jesus.

Ask:

• Do you think God ever gets surprised?
• Why is it important that God had a plan?

Truth: God planned to save us through Jesus.
Prayer: God, thank You for having a plan to save us.

DAY 2 — Jesus Took the Curse
Scripture: Genesis 3:18; John 19:2
Parent Says: When sin entered the world, the ground grew thorns.
Thorns were a sign that something was broken.
Then the soldiers made a crown of thorns and put it on Jesus.
Jesus took the sign of the curse and wore it Himself.

Ask:

• Why would Jesus take something painful for us?
• What does it mean that Jesus took our place?

Truth: Jesus took the curse so we don’t have to.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for taking the curse for us.

DAY 3 — Jesus Is the King
Scripture: John 19:2–3, 19
Parent Says:
The soldiers dressed Jesus like a king to make fun of Him.
But they didn’t realize something. He really is the King.
Even the sign on the cross said: “King of the Jews.”
God was showing the truth, even when people didn’t understand it.

Ask:

• What does a good king do?
• How does Jesus show He is a good King?

b: Jesus is the true King.
Prayer: Jesus, You are our King. Help us follow You.

DAY 4 — Jesus Gave Himself
Scripture: John 19:23; Hebrews 7:27
Parent Says:
The Bible says Jesus wore a special robe like a priest would wear.
Priests offered sacrifices to God. But Jesus didn’t offer something else.
He offered Himself. He gave His own life to save us.

Ask:

• What is the biggest gift someone can give?
• Why is Jesus’ gift so special?

Truth: Jesus gave Himself for us.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for giving Yourself for us.

DAY 5 — Jesus Took the Punishment
Scripture: John 19:28–30
Parent Says:
Jesus said, “I thirst.” Then He finished the work on the cross.
He took the punishment for sin. And then He said: “It is finished.”
That means nothing else is needed. The work is done.

Ask:

• What do you think “It is finished” means?
• How does it feel to know the work is done?

Truth: Jesus finished the work of saving us.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for finishing the work for us.

DAY 6 — Jesus Makes Us Clean
Scripture: John 19:34; Psalm 51:7
Parent Says:
When Jesus died, blood and water came from His side.
The Bible teaches us something important. Blood means our sins are forgiven.
Water means we are made clean.
Jesus doesn’t just forgive us. He makes us new.

Ask:

• What happens when you wash something dirty?
• How does Jesus clean our hearts?

Truth: Jesus forgives us and makes us clean.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for forgiving us and making us clean.

DAY 7 — Jesus Brings New Life
Scripture: John 20:15; 1 Corinthians 15:22
Parent Says:
Jesus was buried in a garden. Then He rose again.
Mary thought He was the gardener.
And in a way, she was right. Because Jesus came to fix what was broken
and bring new life.

Ask:

• What grows in a garden?
• What does new life mean?

Truth: Jesus brings new life.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for giving us new life.

Passover 2026 Sermon 5: BEHOLD THE LAMB -
How John Shows the Whole Bible at the Cross
Daily Devotional - Passover Week 5

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
29 March 2026

Day 1 — The Cross Was Not Random
Scripture: John 19:28; Luke 24:27

Jesus did not arrive at the cross by accident.

John tells us, “Jesus, knowing that all was now finished…”
This moment was not unfolding. It was completed.

From Moses to the prophets, God had been telling one story.

Passover.
Sacrifice.
Priesthood.
Cleansing.

All of it was moving toward this hour. The cross is not a break in the story. It is the point of it.

Reflection: Do you see the cross as central to your faith, or as something added to it?
Prayer: Lord, teach me to see that everything You have done in the Old Testament leads to Christ.

Day 2 — The Curse Was Carried
Scripture: Genesis 3:18; John 19:2; Galatians 3:13

Thorns entered the world when sin did.
They were not decoration. They were declaration.

The ground was cursed. Creation resisted. And now Jesus wears them.
Not near Him. On Him.

The curse that marked the world is now placed on the Savior.
He does not avoid it. He absorbs it.

Reflection: Where in your life are you still living as if the curse still has authority over you?
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for taking what I could never carry.
 
Day 3 — The King Was Revealed
Scripture: John 19:2–5, 19; Psalm 2:12

They dressed Him in purple. They crowned Him with thorns.
They meant mockery. God meant revelation.

Pilate said, “Behold the man.” But what stood before them was more than a man.
The true human. The obedient Son. The rightful King.

Even the inscription declared it: “King of the Jews.”
The world rejected Him. But truth was still proclaimed.

Reflection: Do you recognize Jesus as King only in belief or in submission?
Prayer: King Jesus, I give You not just my words, but my authority.
 
Day 4 — The Priest Became the Sacrifice
Scripture: John 19:23; Exodus 28:31–32; Hebrews 7:27

John tells us His tunic was seamless. That detail matters.
The high priest wore a garment like that. It could not be torn.
Jesus is not only the Lamb. He is the Priest offering the Lamb.

But there is no second offering. No separate sacrifice. He offers Himself.

At the cross, the priest and the sacrifice become one.

Reflection: What does it mean to you that Jesus did not offer something, but gave Himself?
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for holding nothing back.

Day 5 — The Cup Was Finished
Scripture: Psalm 75:8; John 19:28–30

“I thirst.” Not for relief. For completion.
The cup of wrath had been lifted. The judgment of God against sin was being poured out.
And Jesus drank it. Not partially. Fully.

Then He said: “It is finished.”
Nothing remains. Nothing is left unpaid. The work is complete.

Reflection: Do you live as if something is still required or as one who is fully redeemed?
Prayer: Lord, help me rest in what You have already finished.

Day 6 — The Cleansing Was Released
Scripture: John 19:29, 34; Leviticus 17:11; Zechariah 13:1

Hyssop is lifted. The same instrument used at Passover. The same used for cleansing.
But now it touches Christ. Then His side is pierced.

Blood flows. Water flows. Atonement and cleansing together.
What rituals once symbolized now flows from Him.
The fountain has been opened. Not in a place. In a Person.

Reflection: Are you trying to clean yourself, or are you living from the cleansing Christ provides?
Prayer: Jesus, let me live from the cleansing that flows from You.

Day 7 — The Garden Was Reopened
Scripture: John 19:41; John 20:15; 1 Corinthians 15:22

John tells us there was a garden. That detail is not incidental.
In a garden, humanity fell. In a garden, Christ is buried. In a garden, resurrection begins.

Mary mistakes Him for the gardener. And John does not correct her. Because something is happening.
The curse is being undone. Creation is being restored. The Gardener has returned.

Reflection: Where do you need to start living as if new creation is already true?
Prayer: Risen Lord, teach me to live in the life You have already begun.