Where Is God When Life Hurts? (Job 4-7)

JOB: Where Is God?

Jun 4

When life hurts, we need to trust in God. In this sermon we visit Job 4-7. Our God is greater than we can possibly imagine. When we sin, He disciplines us for our good, because He is the only one who can restore us to a right relationship with Himself. Whether we are suffering because we sinned or if we are suffering when we have done nothing wrong, we can trust our Lord.

As you prepare for the message, please read the passage and ask yourself,

"How has God disciplined me?”

"What should I do if I am suffering even though I did not do anything wrong?"

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More sermons from Pastor John Toone:

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October 2, 2025

Restored (Job 42:7-17)

October 2, 2025

In this sermon, we will be finishing the Book of Job (Job 42:7-17)! This passage focuses on the theme of restoration. God used Job to restore his friends and then He restored Job's blessings. In the same way, God challenges us to help others be restored to God through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

As you prepare for the message, please read the passage and ask yourself: How has God used what happened in my past to help others? What would restoration look like in my life?

October 2, 2025

September 25, 2025

I Repent (Job 40:6-42:6)

September 25, 2025

We're back in the Book of Job to finish looking at God's conversation with Job in Job 40:6-42:6. In this passage, God reminds Job how truly great He is. Job then realizes that the only appropriate response is repentance: confessing his sin and turning away from it toward greater trust in the Lord. We'll talk about what repentance from sin should look like in our own lives.

As you prepare for the message, please read the passage and ask yourself: What does it mean to repent? What does that look like in my own life?

September 25, 2025

September 11, 2025

Who Do You Think You Are? (Job 38:1-40:5)

September 11, 2025

We're be back in the book of Job again, where we finally get to hear from the Lord in Job 38:1-40:5. He graciously answers Job's demand for an audience, but does so by revealing His great power and control over all things. Job realizes that God is so much greater than us, yet He graciously provides us with a way to salvation. So, like Job, we should humbly submit to Him.

As you prepare for the message, please read the passage and ask yourself: Who am I compared to God? How should I respond to the fact that this God loves me?

September 11, 2025

August 14, 2025

Getting Closer (Job 32-37)

August 14, 2025

In this sermon we'll meet a young man named Elihu in Job 32-37, who gets us closer to Job's final encounter with the Lord. Elihu doesn't get everything right, but he shows us how relying too much on experience can lead us astray and he reminds us of how truly powerful and holy our God is.

As you prepare for the message, please read the passage and ask yourself, "Is experience the best teacher? Why or why not?" "What in nature reminds you most of God's power?"

August 14, 2025

August 7, 2025

What Does Commitment Look Like? (Job 31)

August 7, 2025

In this sermon we'll not only hear about what happened at VBS, but we will look at more practical examples of how Job was committed to God from Job 31. We'll look at topics like respecting others, caring for the vulnerable, trusting in God, and extending grace to others. Whether our life is going well or we are in a season of difficulty, Job shows us how we should remain committed to and live for the Lord.

As you prepare for the message, please read the passage and ask yourself, "How does my commitment to God impact how I treat others?" "How should God's people treat others?"

August 7, 2025

July 31, 2025

What Should We Do? (Job 29-31)

July 31, 2025

In this sermon we will see Job present his final defense to God in Job 29-31. Job's example shows us that whether things in our lives are good or bad, we should still hold firm to our commitments. In particular, Job focuses on his commitment to purity and honesty in Job 31:1-12. In the same way, we should commit to purity and honesty in our interactions with others.

As you prepare for the message, please read the passage and ask yourself, "Whether my life is going poorly or great, do I hold firm to my faith commitments?" "Do I practice purity and honesty in my own life?"

July 31, 2025

July 24, 2025

What Is Wisdom? (Job 28)

July 24, 2025

In this sermon we will be considering the mystery of wisdom from Job 28. Mankind can find many things in this world, but true, eternally reliable wisdom can only come from the Lord. Do we rely on ourselves or look to the Lord to find our wisdom?

As you prepare for the message, please read the passage and ask yourself, "What is wisdom?" "Where do I go to find wisdom?"

July 24, 2025

July 16, 2025

Where Is Our Confidence? (Job 22-27)

July 16, 2025

Job 22-27 will challenge us to have confidence in the Lord. In these chapters, Job's friends will urge him to repent of his sin, but Job will confidently declare that God, the true Judge, will prove him right. While we should be humble before the Lord, we can also go through life with confidence, trusting in the Lord to be faithful to His promises.

As you prepare for the message, please read the passage and ask yourself, "Is confidence good, bad, or both?"

"What does confidence in the Lord look like in my life?"

July 16, 2025

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July 3, 2025

In Remembrance Of Me (1 Corinthians 11:17-34)

July 3, 2025

1 Corinthians 11:17-34 will highlight how the Lord's Supper is meant to be a testimony to our unity as a church, a powerful moment to remember and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, and an opportunity to reflect on what Jesus has done for us.

As you prepare for the message, please read the passage and ask yourself, "What does it mean to 'examine' myself?"

"Why is the Lord's Supper important?"

July 3, 2025

November 6, 2024

What To Do After The Election (Colossians 4:2-6)

November 6, 2024

The 2024 election is only a few days away. Maybe you think about it with excitement, anxiety, or relief that the political ads will stop. In this sermon, Colossians 4:2-6 will remind us that while elections are important, the daily decisions that we make to live for Christ are more important. Believers should daily decide to pray, share the good news, and walk in wisdom toward non-believers. Why are the daily decisions I make to live for Christ so important? How can I put those decisions in the proper perspective?

November 6, 2024

August 16, 2022

Not "By" Works, But "For" Works (Ephesians 2:8-10)

August 16, 2022

Inspired by this year's VBS theme verse, we'll then look at Ephesians 2:8-10 to talk about the relationship between salvation and good works. We are not saved "by" good works, but "by" God's grace and through faith in Jesus Christ.
Yet, we are saved "for" good works that God has prepared ahead of time for us to do for His glory.

August 16, 2022

April 19, 2022

The Race on Easter Morning (John 20:1-9)

April 19, 2022

We look at John 20:1-9 and the account several people who were running around on the morning of Christ’s resurrection trying to figure out what happened to the tomb and body of the man they loved. The answer would surprise them and change the world!

Why do we come to church on Easter morning?

What difference does (or should) the resurrection of Jesus make in my daily life?

April 19, 2022

January 11, 2022

January 9, 2022 Sermon

January 11, 2022

A sermon from Pastor John Toone.

January 11, 2022

August 17, 2021

Seek and Find (Jeremiah 29:10-14)

August 17, 2021

How we can seek and find God?

Am I seeking God? What truth do we find in the Bible about Jesus Christ?”

August 17, 2021

Recent Series

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Luke: Discovering Jesus

We will start a new sermon series on the Gospel of Luke. This sermon will be an introduction to the book and the first two chapters, focusing on Luke 1:1-4. We can trust what Luke writes about Jesus because he is presenting an orderly account of Jesus' life based on eyewitness testimony. This book should give us certainty about the truth of Jesus Christ.

Amos: The Lord Roars

We begin a new series through the book of Amos, which show us how to respond when the Lord roars with judgment.

Where do we find hope in the Lord’s passion for justice?

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JOB: Where Is God?

We will begin a new series going through the Old Testament book of Job. We ponder what we should do when God feels distant and things go wrong in our lives. Will we still trust in God's sovereign goodness and loving-kindness?

Titus: Mission Of The Church

Our focus will be on what God says our mission/goal as a church should be. In Titus 1:1-4, we'll talk about our responsibility to know the truth, live it out, and trust in the hope of eternal life.

Exodus | Escape To God’s Presence

Exodus emphasizes what God has done to bring us (His people) into His presence and into a relationship with Him.

Who Is Jesus? | The Gospel Of Mark

Summer Reading With The Word: A Study Of Psalm 119

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This is a powerful book that boldly proclaims the message that Jesus is Better! We’ll look at Hebrews 1:1-3 and talk about how the message ‘Jesus is Better’ can be a great encouragement to us.

We're Back! Now What? - A Study of The Books of Ezra & Nehemiah

Like the Israelites in exile, we have experienced many events that have kept us from serving God the way we were used to. But now, how should we move forward? The books of Ezra and Nehemiah help us answer that question. We’ll start this week in Ezra 1-2 learning about how God keeps His promises.
Will God keep what He has promised? How can I learn to trust Him?

Love In A Broken World - A Study of the Book of Ruth

Rejoice & Grow (Epistle to the Philippians)

“Joy is how believers who know Christ and whose futures are guaranteed by Christ respond in the context of present difficulties.” -Gordon Fee

The Sermon (Matthew 5-7)

What is The Sermon about?

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When it feels like God is against you.

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God is faithful and is ready to move forward.

Pastor John TooneJobWhere Is GodGod

Pastor John Toone

Pastor John Toone had served as East Shore’s Associate Pastor from June 2014 until his appointment as Senior Pastor in September 2020.

John’s passion is to glorify God and see His Word transform lives into the image of Christ, by the Holy Spirit’s power, in fulfillment of the Great Commission. He enjoys spending time with his family, talking about the Bible and theology, reading, watching movies, and cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles!

Where Is God When Life Hurts? (Job 4-7)

More sermons in this series:

More sermons from Pastor John Toone:

Recent Series

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