Desperate for Hope: Hanging on and Finding God during Life's Hardest Times

by Bruce W. Martin

Overview

With sincere sympathy and ready encouragement, Bruce W. Martin takes hurting readers through a grieving process that helps them reconcile their deep suffering with their beliefs about a good God. He helps them find deep meaning in the midst of tragedy so that they can enjoy a deeper intimacy with God and others.

A unique and compassionate take on the age-old questioning of suffering, this book is perfect for readers who have experienced life-shattering pain, such as divorce, the loss of loved ones, bankruptcy, cancer, addiction, and even violent crimes, giving them real answers to their toughest questions and helping them move forward in life after tragedy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781441238252
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Bruce W. Martin is the pastor of a new church plant in Alabama. He has been a pastor and counselor for fifteen years and speaks and teaches in the United States and abroad. With the help of God he has survived his own soul-shattering pain and seeks to guide others through theirs.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 9

Introduction 11

Part 1 The Divine Setup

1 You Want Answers? 19

2 A Bad Call 26

3 Collateral Damage 36

4 Stuff Happens 41

5 The Problem with Grace 48

6 Six Words 54

Part 2 Your Worst Nightmare

7 When God Doesn't Act Right 63

8 You've Got to Be Kidding! 69

9 Going Off the Deep End 77

10 It Is Well with My Soul 85

11 It Can Always Get Worse 91

12 The Path of Least Resistance 97

13 Unclaimed Promises 106

Part 3 The New Normal

14 There's No Going Back 115

15 I Want to Go Home 123

16 Redefining Normal 130

17 Desperate for God? 136

18 Control or Chaos 143

19 Losing It 148

20 Well-Meaning Friends 156

Part 4 Searching for Meaning

21 Brace Yourself! 167

22 Hindsight Is 20/20 175

23 Why God Is Never on Time 182

24 Clever Disasters 189

25 Happily Ever After? 197

26 God Has Remembered Us 204

27 God's Will and Suffering 212

Epilogue: Famous Last Words 221