If God, Why Evil?

Devotional

Day 1: Ready With the Reason

The disciples faced questions about their hope after Jesus’ resurrection. Peter told scattered believers to “always be ready to give a defense” when asked about their faith. He didn’t demand debate skills—just simple readiness to share the living hope within them. Like fishermen mending nets, we prepare by knowing Christ’s story in our bones. [01:15]

Jesus calls us to answer questions, not win arguments. When Peter wrote these words, he remembered denying Christ three times. Now transformed, he trusted ordinary believers to carry eternal truths in everyday conversations. Your neighbor needs your story more than your eloquence.

Next time someone asks why you serve at the shelter or forgive repeatedly, pause. What specific hope anchors you? Write one sentence linking your action to Christ’s work. When did you last notice your hope spilling into ordinary moments?

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”
(1 Peter 3:15, NKJV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to highlight one person today who needs to hear your hope-story.
Challenge: Write your one-sentence “reason for hope” on a sticky note. Place it where you’ll see it hourly.

Day 2: Thorns in the Garden

Adam and Eve walked in a garden bursting with figs, dates, and the tree of life. God called it “very good”—no decay, disease, or death. The serpent twisted God’s single restriction into suspicion. With one bite, creation’s harmony shattered like dropped clay. Thorns pierced the soil; sweat soaked brows. Paradise became a battleground. [25:38]

The Fall explains every hospital visit, warzone, and broken promise. Natural disasters and moral failures both trace back to Genesis 3. Creation groans under the curse, yet God didn’t abandon us to thorns. He entered the thorns Himself, wearing a crown of them.

Notice creation’s beauty and brokenness today—a blooming rose, a cancer diagnosis. Thank God for glimpses of Eden, then pray for the coming restoration. Where do you feel the tension between “very good” and “not yet” most acutely?

“Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, “You shall not eat of it”: Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.’”
(Genesis 3:17, NKJV)

Prayer: Confess areas where you’ve blamed God for thorns instead of trusting His redemption.
Challenge: Spend 10 minutes outside observing both beauty and decay. Whisper thanks for one of each.

Day 3: Groaning With Creation

Paul wrote that creation “groans” like a woman in labor. Volcanoes erupt; droughts parch fields; Alzheimer’s erases memories. This isn’t God’s cruelty—it’s creation’s collective cry for liberation. The same ground that grew Eden’s fruit now produces Rwanda’s mass graves and cancer’s ravages. Yet these groans point to delivery, not death. [31:59]

Jesus entered the groaning. He felt earthquakes, wept at graves, and sweat blood. When He died, the ground shook—creation recognizing its Redeemer. Now every tsunami and tumor shouts: “Fix this!” The curse will lift when Christ returns, but today we join creation’s aching prayer.

What groan consumes you? A chronic illness? A fractured family? Name it aloud as part of creation’s cry. How might your pain point you—and others—toward the New Earth?

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
(Romans 8:20-21, NKJV)

Prayer: Thank God that your deepest groans have an expiration date.
Challenge: Take a 15-minute walk. Pray for one area of “groaning” each time your foot touches pavement.

Day 4: Ten Years Versus Eternity

Paul called suffering “light” and “momentary.” Tell that to the Rwandan widow or the nephew watching his mother fade. Yet Paul wasn’t minimizing pain—he was maximizing perspective. Ten years of Alzheimer’s feels endless…until measured against eternity. The cross transforms our math: temporary trials yield eternal weight. [42:18]

Jesus endured the cross “for the joy set before Him.” His eternal perspective turned torture into triumph. When we fixate on earthly clocks, suffering overwhelms. But eternal eyes see chemotherapy as a comma, not the period.

What current struggle feels permanent? Write it down. Now draw a line through it and write “ETERNITY” beneath. Which of these two realities dominates your thoughts today?

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.”
(2 Corinthians 4:17-18, NKJV)

Prayer: Ask God to shift your focus from visible struggles to invisible glory.
Challenge: Set a phone reminder at 3:16 PM today to whisper: “This isn’t the end.”

Day 5: Scars and Broiled Fish

The risen Jesus showed His scars and ate fish. He didn’t erase suffering’s marks—He redeemed them. His wounds proved death’s defeat and became salvation’s roadmap. Our scars—physical, emotional, spiritual—aren’t shameful. They’re proof we’ve battled the curse and await the Healer’s final touch. [46:04]

God doesn’t waste pain. He used Joseph’s prison, Job’s boils, and Paul’s thorn. Your cancer, divorce, or depression will either bitter you or become a testimony. Scars remind us: the worst Satan can do still serves Christ’s plan.

What scar—visible or hidden—have you tried to hide? How might Jesus want to display it as evidence of His resurrection power?

“When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”
(John 20:20, NKJV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for one scar He’s using to draw others to Himself.
Challenge: Text someone today: “God’s not done with your pain. Want to talk about it?”

Sermon Summary

A narrative traces decades of mission work and apologetics training that pivot toward a single, universal question: if God exists, why does so much pain and evil persist? The account describes tactical apologetics as translating complex scientific and philosophical arguments into everyday conversations, emphasizing relationship, listening, and patient questioning over debate. Africa trips and university seminars illustrate the global urgency of the question, where droughts, war, genocide, and chronic illness press this issue on grieving hearts. The talk sets out a fourfold biblical framework: creation in Genesis one and two, the fall in Genesis three, God’s redemptive work from Genesis twelve through Luke, and the consummation in Acts through Revelation.

The framework explains suffering as rooted in the fall, which brought moral and natural brokenness into a creation originally declared very good. Natural evils such as earthquakes and droughts flow from a creation subjected to futility, while moral evils like genocide and corruption trace to human choices. Practical care requires first meeting people in their emotional moment—listening, empathizing, and resisting the urge to begin with abstract answers. Only after careful empathy should the larger biblical story be set alongside present grief to show that redemption addresses the heart, not merely structures, laws, or education.

The theological core stresses that ultimate change comes through the redemption offered in Christ, which transforms hearts and promises a new heaven and new earth where current groaning ceases. The apostolic perspective reframes suffering as temporary in light of eternity, urging a shift of focus from temporal pain to unseen, eternal realities. Pastoral application combines honest empathy, patient conversation skills, and the honest proclamation of hope found in Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. The result equips believers to walk with those who hurt, provide perspective, and point to an eternal hope that reorders suffering without minimizing present sorrow.

Key Takeaways

1. Begin with compassionate, patient listening Deep, sustained listening honors the emotional reality behind questions about suffering. People evaluate pain in the moment; responding first with arguments risks invalidating grief. Listening builds trust and opens a space where truth can later be received without defensiveness. Empathy creates the relational soil for meaningful conversation about hope. [04:12]
2. Frame pain within the big story Placing individual suffering inside the biblical narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation gives context to otherwise bewildering events. That perspective reduces the sense of randomness and shows evil as part of a broken story that God intends to mend. Context does not erase pain but locates it in a redemptive plotline that culminates in restoration. The big story invites patients and friends to see sorrow against eternity. [24:04]
3. Distinguish natural and moral evil Identifying whether suffering stems from nature or human agency sharpens pastoral and intellectual response. Natural evils expose creation’s groaning after the fall, while moral evils reveal human responsibility and the need for repentance and justice. Clarity here prevents simplistic answers and guides appropriate action—comfort, advocacy, or moral reckoning. Knowing the difference keeps conversations honest and constructive. [20:29]
4. Focus eternity over present suffering Reframing affliction as momentary in light of eternity changes how suffering is held and narrated. The contrast between temporal pain and eternal hope does not minimize loss but enlarges meaning and endurance. Encouraging a gaze toward what is unseen helps sustain faith when earthly explanations fall short. Eternity reorders values and anchors patient hope. [41:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:21] - Early ministry background
[00:52] - What is apologetics
[03:55] - Tactical apologetics explained
[09:59] - Training in Africa
[11:07] - Equipping national staff
[14:56] - The central question posed
[20:29] - Natural and moral evil defined
[24:04] - God's big story framework
[29:45] - The Fall and its consequences
[31:38] - Creation's groaning explained
[39:16] - Redemption through Christ
[41:58] - Eternity reframes suffering
[47:08] - Prayer and hope

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Romans 8:20-22 (NKJV): "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now."
- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV): "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
- Genesis 3:17-19 (NKJV): "Then to Adam He said, 'Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, “You shall not eat of it”: Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.'"

Observation Questions

According to Romans 8:20-22, what does creation experience as a result of the fall, and what hope is given?
In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, what contrast does Paul make between "light affliction" and "eternal weight of glory"?
What specific consequences of the fall are described in Genesis 3:17-19, and how do they connect to natural evil?
How does the sermon distinguish between natural evil (e.g., droughts) and moral evil (e.g., genocide)? [20:29]

Interpretation Questions

Why might Paul describe suffering as "light" and "momentary" in 2 Corinthians 4:17, even when it feels overwhelming in the present?
How does the fall in Genesis 3 explain both natural disasters (like earthquakes) and human-driven evils (like corruption)?
Romans 8:20-22 says creation was subjected to futility "in hope." What does this imply about God’s ultimate plan for creation?
How does framing suffering within the biblical narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation change how we process grief? [24:04]

Application Questions

When someone shares their pain with you, what practical steps can you take to prioritize listening and empathy before offering answers? [04:12]
Think of a recent hardship you or someone close to you experienced. How might you reframe that situation using the four-part biblical story (creation, fall, redemption, consummation)?
Identify one example of natural evil (e.g., illness) and one of moral evil (e.g., injustice) in your community. How would your response to each differ based on their root causes? [20:29]
What habits or practices could help you focus more on "unseen eternal realities" (2 Corinthians 4:18) when facing personal suffering?
How might sharing stories of Christ’s suffering and resurrection (e.g., 1 Peter 3:15) offer hope to someone questioning God’s goodness in pain?
Reflect on a time when you struggled to see purpose in suffering. How could the promise of a "new heaven and new earth" (Revelation 21:1) reshape your perspective? [41:58]
Who in your life needs compassionate companionship in their grief? What specific action will you take this week to walk with them without rushing to "fix" their pain?

Sermon Clips

42s

#EternalPerspective

“So those of us who understand math and fractions, we put 10 above the line, 86 below the line, we do the math and Mike suffered for eleven and a half percent of his life. Is that momentary light affliction? Depends on where your focus is. If the focus is on the here and now, maybe it's not so temporary. But now take that 86 below the line, erase it, put in eternity. Now you've got ten years out of eternity. Momentary light affliction.”

54s

#RedemptionOverEducation

“Education is not the answer. What's the answer? The answer is redemption in Christ. Why? Because what needs to change is the heart. Not government, not laws, not education, but the heart. And so we have the death of Christ, the resurrection, and what has happened is that there's been an exchange. God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us so that in him we would become the righteousness of God. And this this, just talks about the different types of sins that they'll not inherit the kingdom of God, but the underlying part, some of you once lived this way”

44s

#SufferingAndFaith

“If God exists, then why does he allow so much pain, suffering, and evil? And this is the number one question that is asked throughout the world by unbeliever, even believers, is how could a good, omnipotent, loving God allow so much suffering, pain, and evil? And as you as you would know, the suffering and the pain that goes on in Africa is far beyond what we experience. I mean, there's poverty every day and just, when when they pray, give us a this day our daily bread, they mean it. And so many of them are living day to day to day to day.”

46s

#EmpathizeThenPerspective

“Whatever it is, robbery, corruption, genocides, wars, adultery, murder, anything that you want to look at in this world that's considered evil goes all the way back to Genesis three. It goes all the way back to Genesis three. And so, again, what I'm saying is when the person lives in this moment and this is what's affecting them, we need to identify with that. We need just to let them talk, tell me more, what's the pain like, what are your memories. But then when the time is right, it may not be immediate, you take a step back and help them see the big picture.”

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If God, Why Evil?

Devotional

Day 1: Ready With the Reason

Day 2: Thorns in the Garden

Day 3: Groaning With Creation

Day 4: Ten Years Versus Eternity

Day 5: Scars and Broiled Fish

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

If God, Why Evil?

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