Is God Really in Control?: Trusting God in a World of Hurt (Paperback)

by Gerald Bridges (Author)
Key Phrases: sovereign purpose, Discussion Questions, Holy Spirit, Rabbi Kushner (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

From devastating natural disasters to deadly highway accidents, tragedies occur every day around the world and in our own lives. Is God really in control?

Author Jerry Bridges helps us answer that question positively, offering comfort and hope by exploring the greater purposes and Person of God.

• Includes discussion questions

From the Back Cover

How to respond in faith to life's minor disappointments and major tragedies. Whether it's a devastating natural disaster half a world away or a tragic accident involving a beloved family member, we all face troubles, trials, and tragedies every day. How will we respond? When terrorists strike or storms hit or relationships break down, we all search for the same answers: Why? Where is God in all of this? Is God really in control? Best-selling author Jerry Bridges, one of the most trusted Christian authors of our time, helps you wrestle with these questions in the clear light of the Scriptures. As a result, you can learn to understand and trust God's wisdom, love, and sovereignty in the midst of the little disappointments and the big tragedies. And you can experience comfort and hope by exploring the greater purposes of an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving God.

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Product Details Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: NavPress (January 11, 2006) Language: English ISBN-10: 1576839311 ISBN-13: 978-1576839317 Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #369,902 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sovereign purpose

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Discussion Questions, Holy Spirit, Rabbi Kushner, God Himself, Alexander Carson, Christ Jesus, Jesus Christ, Margaret Clarkson, John Newton, South Wales, Thomas Lye

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 20 books:

• When Bad Things Happen To Good People by Harold S. Kushner on page 23, page 32, and Back Matter
• Studies in Dogmatics: The Providence of God by Mr. G. C. Berkouwer on page 36, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner on page 23, page 32, and Back Matter
• Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper on page 83, and Back Matter
• The Book of Isaiah (3 Vol. Set) by Edward J. Young in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)

See all 20 books this book cites

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	67% buy the item featured on this page: Is God Really in Control?: Trusting God in a World of Hurt 4.4 out of 5 stars (7) $11.04
	24% buy Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts 4.9 out of 5 stars (32) $10.97
	4% buy Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate 4.7 out of 5 stars (38) $12.91
	3% buy Trusting God Discussion Guide: Even When Life Hurts $9.99

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7 Reviews 5 star:  (5) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.4 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 15 of 17 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Helps readers accept hardships and grow spiritually, January 24, 2006 By  Christian Book Previews.com "Christian Book P... - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)       Where is God when life is falling apart? From Job on, people have asked this question when their souls have been in anguish. Jerry Bridges supplies answers in Bridges writes for "the average person who has not necessarily experienced major catastrophe but who does frequently encounter the typical adversities and heartaches of life". (p. 11) Using Scripture and quoting other writers, many of them Puritan writers, Bridges grapples with the problem of understanding how a good God who is sovereign can allow, and sometimes initiate, suffering through humans, nature, and accidents. "(I)t often seems more difficult to trust God than to obey Him....The circumstances in which we must trust God often appear irrational and unreasonable....Obeying God is worked out within well-defined boundaries of God's revealed will. But trusting God is worked out in an arena that has no boundaries." (p.21) Bridges confronts questions about God's goodness, His sovereignty, His wisdom, and our responsibility. Then he goes beyond the questions to apply Scripture to our times of hurt and confusion, helping us to accept our hardships and to grow spiritually. His approach is very readable. He leans toward Calvinism in his acceptance of all things arising from the hand of God, and, though he does not excuse sin in human beings who bring us grief and pain, he suggests ways of dealing with our resentment, hurt, and anger against them. He promotes both recognizing God's sovereignty and our responsibility with a good discussion of prudence. Each chapter ends with discussion questions, making it easier to use in a group setting, as well as in private study. Jerry Bridges, a Bible teacher for the Navigators, has written several books, including the highly acclaimed The Pursuit of Holiness. Whether one fully agrees with him theologically, he addresses a thorny question thoughtfully, yet approachably. He offers much help in this short book. -- Debbie W. Wilson, Christian Book Previews.com 8 of 8 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Deals With the Questions We All Wrestle With, May 25, 2006 By  David A. Vosseller "davhoops" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Jerry Bridges originally wrestled with these issues in his 1988 book, Trusting God. He continues to ask tough questions. How does what we believe about God fit in with our experiences of life in a fallen world that is filled with disappointments, pains, trials and even sometimes tragedies? How do we reconcile our understanding that the Bible teaches that God is good and that God is sovereign (in control of all things), when, as the old book title says, bad things happen to good people? Bridges is a man who has known sorrow, having lost his first wife to illness, and having suffered himself with many physical afflictions. Yet he also has spent a lifetime learning to know his God through the Scriptures and prayer. His books have been, for me, continuously helpful and Biblical in my own walk. One of the things I appreciate about all his writings, and this book in particular, is that he does not settle for easy or pat answers. He does not just say, "God's in control so cheer up!". He is especially helpful in discussing what it looks like to trust God in times of adversity. "Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us." (pp. 129). Each chapter ends with some discussion questions to think through the material from that chapter, which makes it a great book both for personal study and for small group usage. Bridges writes in a clear and understandable fashion and includes helpful illustrations for many of his points. "Our God is glorious, and in this book we've been looking at three features of that glory: His sovereignty, His wisdom, and His goodness. Because of these, we can trust Him. And if we are to honor Him in our times of adversity, we must trust Him. For there is more at stake than experiencing peace in the midst of difficulties or even deliverance from them. The honor of God should be our chief concern. So, our primary response to the trustworthiness of God should be, `I will trust God.'" (pp. 136). If you want answers to some of the hardest questions and situations we face, Bridges book will give you a framework and a basis to trust God through your circumstances, and not merely in spite of your circumstances. Check it out! 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Reprint of Trusting God, April 3, 2006 By  Grace receiver "Pam" (Colorado) - See all my reviews As far as I can tell, this is a reprint of his wonderful book, Trusting God. Quite a few years ago I was challenged to study the character of God. I started with his sovereignty and have never needed to move on. All His attributes are affected by this one.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars Before you read this book... As with all books from Jerry Bridges, this book is also firmly rooted in the scriptures. Bridges masterfully confronts questions about God's goodness, His sovereignty, His wisdom,... Read more Published 20 months ago by Deepak K. Singh 5.0 out of 5 stars Believing In God Bridges directs us to Scripture to teach us of the enduring goodness of God, yet His immutable counsel is one of Sovereignty. Read more Published 21 months ago by J. Schoeman 5.0 out of 5 stars Another Wonderful Work From Jerry Bridges Dr. Bridges has once again ably addressed a needful topic on the soverignty of God. I highly recommend this book to anyone! Published on May 28, 2007 by RE Johnson 2.0 out of 5 stars Is God Really in Control?: Trusting God in a World of Hurt I bought this book for our adult Sunday School class. We discussed a chapter a week. The name of our class is the Searchers. Read more Published on November 6, 2006 by Nina Newcomb Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: NavPress (January 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576839311
• ISBN-13: 978-1576839317
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #369,902 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helps readers accept hardships and grow spiritually, January 24, 2006

By	Christian Book Previews.com "Christian Book P... - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Where is God when life is falling apart? From Job on, people have asked this question when their souls have been in anguish. Jerry Bridges supplies answers in Bridges writes for "the average person who has not necessarily experienced major catastrophe but who does frequently encounter the typical adversities and heartaches of life". (p. 11)

Using Scripture and quoting other writers, many of them Puritan writers, Bridges grapples with the problem of understanding how a good God who is sovereign can allow, and sometimes initiate, suffering through humans, nature, and accidents.

"(I)t often seems more difficult to trust God than to obey Him....The circumstances in which we must trust God often appear irrational and unreasonable....Obeying God is worked out within well-defined boundaries of God's revealed will. But trusting God is worked out in an arena that has no boundaries." (p.21)

Bridges confronts questions about God's goodness, His sovereignty, His wisdom, and our responsibility. Then he goes beyond the questions to apply Scripture to our times of hurt and confusion, helping us to accept our hardships and to grow spiritually.

His approach is very readable. He leans toward Calvinism in his acceptance of all things arising from the hand of God, and, though he does not excuse sin in human beings who bring us grief and pain, he suggests ways of dealing with our resentment, hurt, and anger against them. He promotes both recognizing God's sovereignty and our responsibility with a good discussion of prudence. Each chapter ends with discussion questions, making it easier to use in a group setting, as well as in private study.

Jerry Bridges, a Bible teacher for the Navigators, has written several books, including the highly acclaimed The Pursuit of Holiness. Whether one fully agrees with him theologically, he addresses a thorny question thoughtfully, yet approachably. He offers much help in this short book. -- Debbie W. Wilson, Christian Book Previews.com

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deals With the Questions We All Wrestle With, May 25, 2006

By	David A. Vosseller "davhoops" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jerry Bridges originally wrestled with these issues in his 1988 book, Trusting God. He continues to ask tough questions. How does what we believe about God fit in with our experiences of life in a fallen world that is filled with disappointments, pains, trials and even sometimes tragedies? How do we reconcile our understanding that the Bible teaches that God is good and that God is sovereign (in control of all things), when, as the old book title says, bad things happen to good people? Bridges is a man who has known sorrow, having lost his first wife to illness, and having suffered himself with many physical afflictions. Yet he also has spent a lifetime learning to know his God through the Scriptures and prayer. His books have been, for me, continuously helpful and Biblical in my own walk.

One of the things I appreciate about all his writings, and this book in particular, is that he does not settle for easy or pat answers. He does not just say, "God's in control so cheer up!". He is especially helpful in discussing what it looks like to trust God in times of adversity. "Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us." (pp. 129).

Each chapter ends with some discussion questions to think through the material from that chapter, which makes it a great book both for personal study and for small group usage. Bridges writes in a clear and understandable fashion and includes helpful illustrations for many of his points.

"Our God is glorious, and in this book we've been looking at three features of that glory: His sovereignty, His wisdom, and His goodness. Because of these, we can trust Him. And if we are to honor Him in our times of adversity, we must trust Him. For there is more at stake than experiencing peace in the midst of difficulties or even deliverance from them. The honor of God should be our chief concern. So, our primary response to the trustworthiness of God should be, `I will trust God.'" (pp. 136).

If you want answers to some of the hardest questions and situations we face, Bridges book will give you a framework and a basis to trust God through your circumstances, and not merely in spite of your circumstances. Check it out!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reprint of Trusting God, April 3, 2006

By	Grace receiver "Pam" (Colorado) - See all my reviews

As far as I can tell, this is a reprint of his wonderful book, Trusting God. Quite a few years ago I was challenged to study the character of God. I started with his sovereignty and have never needed to move on. All His attributes are affected by this one.