Author Archives: Jeff Block

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About Jeff Block

Lover and follower of Jesus, the long awaited King. Husband and father. Pastor, writer, and engineer. Learning how to be Found in Jesus, and helping others to do the same.

A Clear Context for Suffering

We avoid pain because… We have cultivated unhealthy perspectives God commonly uses pain and suffering in people’s lives to get their attention and to grow  them up into spiritual maturity. Nonetheless, most people work very hard to avoid pain. Why is … Continue reading

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The day Penitens died

Penitens was a busy, notable tradesman, and very prosperous in his dealings, but died in the thirty-fifth year of his age. A little before his death, when the doctors had given him over, some of his neighbors came one evening to see him, … Continue reading

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Selfish Glory?

God causes suffering in order to bring Himself glory Ultimately, God’s primary motivation for everything He does — including His work in my life and yours — is to bring Himself glory. With all His divine sovereignty and power, God … Continue reading

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Painful Love

God causes suffering in order to perfect others Although it’s sometimes very easy to live like it isn’t true (especially in the American cultural context), the fact is that I’m not the only one in the universe God is working on. God … Continue reading

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God’s House of Pain

God causes suffering in order to perfect us God’s goals for His people are exceptionally lofty. He is not satisfied to leave mankind in its fallen state, or to leave the rest of the cosmos broken by sin, for that matter. Instead, He … Continue reading

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Idol-Snatching Ninjas

God causes suffering in order to wrestle our idols away from us Pain and suffering play a key role in our sanctification. Without them, we might become content with earthly things, which cannot ultimately satisfy us. When life is peachy, we tend to … Continue reading

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