Discipleship in Grief and Loss

Romans 8:29 - "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son..."

Isaiah 53:3 - "He was...a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief..."

John 11:35 - "Jesus wept."

Being a follower of Jesus includes God's work to transform our lives, inside and out, to reflect the life of Jesus, inside and out. When we think about discipleship, or we plan and program for "discipleship" we often think of content, creeds, theology, knowledge, and a bit of serving as well. But what about the discipleship of our hearts, of our emotions? Perhaps we have a shallow experience of God and the Gospel because we do not attend well to matters of the heart, especially in regard to grief and loss.

What if these are primary tools in God's process of moving us from who we are to who Jesus is? What if our escape or denial of pain and loss undermines and undercuts our growth as image bearing Jesus followers?

In this message I refer to a couple of books and key resources. Below are some links to find out more:

Emotionally Healthy Discipleship - Peter Scazzarro

The Deeply Formed Life by Rich Villodas

For a deeper journey into emotional and relational health, join us at Freedom Session this fall. Check our website for dates and times.