• Newtown, Connecticut, Herod’s Bethlehem, and the Dark Side of the Nativity Scene
  On that dark night in Bethlehem when King Herod's soldiers killed every boy aged two and under, even then the light of God's love was beginning to pierce the darkness. A message of hope for the bereaved people of Newtown, Connecticut. Added on 12/14/2012
  
  
• Trusting the God Who Offends You:
  The Importance of Trusting God Unconditionally
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• Book Reviews
  Listed here are reviews of some of the books we found to be helpful in dealing with grief. Added on 12/26/2009
  
  
• The God-man: Fully God, Fully Man, Full of Grace and Truth
  While an orthodox and reformed understanding of Christology maintains that in the incarnation Jesus is fully God, fully man, and one person, this sermon goes further to explain how Jesus continues to be personal towards us, comforting grieving people through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Added on 12/26/2009
  
  
• Fighting for Joy During the Holiday Season
  By Seeking, Believing, and Remembering Jesus
  A grieving mother once said, "Find my joy in Christ? Sure, I'd love to do that. Somebody, please tell me how to do that." This article, part of Greg Wright's Sermon Series on the Gospel of John, offers suggestions on how to do that. Added on 12/13/2008
  
  
• Seventh Anniversary of Bereavement
  Many perished during the tornadoes that swept through Tennessee during the first week of February, 2008. Our hearts go out to those who lost friends and loved ones. Just like us, on a warm day in February their lives were forever changed. Added on 02/10/2008
  
  
• Fullness of Grace: The Many Colors of the Grace of God
  While the first Christmas after my son died was difficult, New Years Eve was even more difficult. Nevertheless, God was there, dispensing all kinds of grace for all kinds of needs that I would have in the coming days. How many kinds of grace does God have? Consider the many colors in a large box of crayons. God's grace is thorough and comprehensive -- sufficient to carry you through the New Year and into the years to come. Added on 01/01/2008
  
  
• My Prayer is for the Solitary Griever
  Sometimes people choose to suppress their grief. Although they close the door to personal encouragement, the door of prayer remains open, and there is no wall that God cannot pass over. Added on 06/30/2007
  
  
• The Virginia Tech Massacre: A Prayerful Response
  How we long to reach out to those families, friends, and injured people whose lives have been shattered by a mad gunman. At times like this, rather than despair of our inability to help, God invites us to cry out to Him in prayer, that his healing and redeeming power might go forth. Added on 04/18/2007
  
  
• Hope for Wayward Sheep
  What is the heart of God towards his people when they bring suffering upon themselves? What is the heart of God towards His people when they suffer the consequences of their own mistakes? As we examine the scriptures, we find a God who forgives and restores. Added on 03/03/2007
  
  
• More Than Conquerors:
  Encouragement for the New Year
  This is a word of encouragement to the Christian who feels beaten down and conquered. Take heart: you do not have to let the enemy of your soul win. In His love, God has so thoroughly equipped you that you can be more than a conqueror in the days to come. Added on 01/01/2007
  
  
• The Early Days:
  Surviving the First Few Days of Bereavement
  In the early days of bereavement, the grieving person needs to know what to expect in the days ahead. This will keep him from having unrealistic expectations, and it will keep him from thinking he is going crazy when he is merely going through a normal grief process. Hopefully, this document will also prevent some of the mistakes grieving people make. Added on 01/01/2007
  
  When Time Does Not Heal:
  The Application of the Chief End of Man to the Wounded Heart
  Whether or not a Christian ever recovers from the suffering he experiences is very much dependent on his understanding of why he was created. A clear understanding and application of the doctrine of the chief end of man is foundational to healing. Added on 11/25/2006
  
  
• Why Me?
  Enduring the Severity of God in the Context of His Grace
  This short article explores the "why me" question from the perspective of both the severity of God and the grace of God. Added on 07/30/2006
  
  
• Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
  Thinking Biblically About the Problem of Sin in Our World
  By Robert G. Spinney. Added on 07/30/2006
  
  
• Are You Trusting in the Lord?
  MP3 File with Outline
  This exposition of Proverbs 3:5-6 was preached shortly after two church members were killed in an automobile accident. Added on 07/09/2006
  
  
• From Bitterness to Repentance: The Story of the Thief who was Angry with God
  The thief on the cross--the one who repented--has something to say to us today about anger against God. Added on 05/27/2006
  
  
• Trusting God in the Dark
  This exposition of Isaiah 50:10 by Robert G. Spinney encourages believers to keep on trusting in the character of God when life is mysterious and confusing. Added on 04/29/2006
  
  
  
  
• Fighting for Joy
  People often tell you to rejoice in the Lord, but hardly anyone tells you how. This article lays out an approach that I have found to be very helpful. Added on 03/25/2006
  
  
• Have You Ever Felt Spiritually Exhausted?
  Encouragement to find your strength in the joy of the Lord. Added on 02/24/2006
  
  
• Fifth Anniversary of Bereavement: Looking Backward and Looking Forward
  Resolutions for the days ahead. Added on 02/02/2006
  
  
• Reformed Baptist Sermons and Papers
  It has been almost five years now since our precious Stephen passed away into glory. As I continue to write, some of my sermons and papers are unrelated to bereavement. Those are posted on the Reformed Baptist Sermons and Papers site. Added on 11/13/2005
  
  
• A Grieving Mother Asks Me: Where Did Her Son's Soul Go?
  Some questions are very difficult to answer. Hard questions come from parents who have buried their children. But the hardest questions of all come from parents who recognize that their deceased children lived their whole lives completely indifferent to the safety of their souls. When they ask, where did my child's soul go, how can I tell them what the Bible says without further breaking their hearts? Added on 11/12/2005
  
  
• Father's Day Reflection, 2005
  Rejoicing in the Fatherhood of God. Added on 06/16/2005
  
  
• A poem for Mother's Day, "There's a Song for the Hurting"
  This poem highlights the rest the grieving person finds in Jesus. Added on 05/08/2005
  
  
• The Hope Within Us:
  Bringing Comfort to the Bereaved
  This article by Nan Wright discusses how to encourage grieving people and how to avoid mistakes when trying to comfort them. Added on 04/29/2005
  
  
• Fighting the Good Fight of Faith in the Valley of Bereavement
  This sermon discusses seven ways the grieving person is tempted. Added on 04/23/2005
  
  
• The Funeral Service of Shawn Sandlin
  Shawn and a friend were murdered on February 22, 2002. The funeral service reveals the determination of a bereaved family to worship God in the midst of what is surely one of the worst kinds of grief: the murder of a loved one. Added on 02/19/2005
  
  
• God's Tiny Angels
  God's Tiny Angels is a non-profit Christian organization that is dedicated to providing continuous support to families who have been touched by the loss of a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or infant death and to those facing infertility challenges. Added on 02/19/2005
  
  
• Faith and the Fear of God:
  How to Know Whether Your Faith is Thriving or Dying
  The book of Ecclesiastes ends by saying that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. We might be disappointed that it does not say to believe the Gospel. However, the Fear of God is often the lense through which we see faith in the Old Testament. This sermon examines how faith and the Fear of God are connected. It then advises on how you can examine the way you fear God in order to know if you are about to lose your faith. Sadly, loss of faith is often one of the casualties of bereavement. Learn what you can do to keep this from happening. Added on 02/06/2005
  
  
• A Book for the Bereaved
  By John MacDuff. Added on 12/30/2004
  
  
• Death and Its Immediate Sequel for the One Who Dies in Union with Christ
  (audio) By Pastor Albert Martin, 2004. Added on 12/30/2004
  
  
• Biblical Directives for Godly Grieving:
  Gleanings from a Grieving Heart
  (audio) By Pastor Albert Martin, 2004. Added on 12/30/2004
  
  
• Trusting God When We Don't Understand
  Pastor Bob Gonzales Jr., from Covenant Reformed Baptist Church in Easley, South Carolina has written this sermon in the midst of his ongoing struggles with fibromyalgia. It is an exhortation to continue to trust God, even when we do not understand his reasons for letting us suffer. Added on 12/24/2004
  
  
• Sometimes I've Tried Forgetting
  Music added to 2001 poem on 11/13/2004
  
  
• Sometimes a Light Surprises
  These words by William Cowper have the same tune as the above song, only this time the theme is God's refreshing grace in the midst of sorrow. While the above song is a song of mourning, this song reflects a channeling of the melodies of mourning into joy in the comfort of God. Added on 11/13/2004.
  
  
• The Security of the Heart:
  How to Secure the Heart Against the Terrorists of the Flesh
  Added on 09/19/2004
  
  
• Safely Home: Biblical Preparation for Tragedy
  Added on 08/22/2004
  
  
• The Love of God in the Midst of Financial Difficulties
  Added on 04/25/2004
  
  
• I Will Rejoice in the Lord
  Added on 03/20/2004
  Written during vacation, March 2004, this song reflects a resolve to rejoice in the Lord who saves souls. It is based on Isaiah 61:10-11.
  
  
• Songs of Hope
  Link added on 03/20/2004
  The singer originally made these recordings to encourage a dying friend. Now they are posted on the web in realaudio and mp3 formats.
  
  
• Must I Forgive
  Link added on 03/20/2004
  Grief is often made worse by unforgiveness. This short, less than 3 page, article from Rev. Richard D. Phillips, of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, addresses the requirement that Christians forgive the unrepentant.