IntoOne Learning Map · Group leader’s guide
Seeking Path · Lesson 8: Extra lesson · If There Is a God, Why Is There Suffering?
This lesson in one sentence: Suffering is real, and the Bible does not avoid it; what it offers is not a complete explanation but a God who is present.
Timing (about 55 minutes)
- Food and catching up10 min
- Read Together10 min
- Discussion25 min
- To take home and think about5 min
- Closing (prayer optional)5 min
Read aloud at the start: you don’t have to speak · you can ask anything · no pressure
Opening
Has anything recently made you ask ‘why did this happen’? (It can be from the news, or something close to home.)
Read Together
I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 · WEB
Discussion
- “man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:6-7)—how do you feel about the Bible speaking so directly about suffering?
- Why does ‘if there is a God, why is there suffering’ become a reason for so many people not to believe?
- “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble” (Nahum 1:7)—in hard times, which helps people more: ‘presence’ or ‘explanation’?
To take home and think about
If God did not first give you an explanation, but walked through it with you, what difference would that make?
Closing
The leader prays briefly (optional) for anyone in the group who is going through hard times, without naming them.
Tips for the leader
- This session is the one most likely to include someone who is in a hard place right now. Listen first, and don’t rush to give reasons; don’t say things like ‘this is God’s good plan’.
- Don’t look for a ‘reason’ for suffering, and above all don’t suggest that it is someone’s fault.
- If someone reveals thoughts of harming themselves, stay with them one-to-one right after the meeting, and contact local emergency help (Canada and the United States 911 / suicide and crisis lifeline 988; mainland China 110 / 120 / psychological support hotline 12356; Hong Kong 999; Taiwan 110, 119 / mental health support line 1925) or someone they trust. This is not something to discuss in the group.
General principles for leaders
- The leader is not a teacher but someone who walks alongside everyone.
- Give everyone a chance to speak; with someone who talks a lot, you can gently say, ‘Let’s also hear from friends who haven’t spoken yet.’
- Don’t rush to give answers. If someone is silent, wait a few more seconds.
- For a question you can’t answer, you can say, ‘I don’t know either; let’s look it up together,’ and note it down for next time.
- What is said in the group stays in the group.
- At the opening, the leader can give their own answer first, showing that it can be simple and honest.