How Suffering Forms Us: Jerry Sittser on Adversity as Spiritual Formation

Jerry Sittser (Whitworth University, author of A Grace Disguised) shares from painful personal experience about how adversity and suffering in life can contribute to our spiritual formation. Delivered at Biola University on February 20, 2014. Co-sponsored by Biola CCT and Biola's Institute for Spiritual Formation.

[@AO-Love]

Thank you for this timely vid. I found out about Mr. Sittser through his book "Discovering God's Will." He knows alot about adversity, suffering, grief, & overcoming. God is using him in a mighty way. God bless!

[@olive4naito]

Great talk! Discipline can form basic character but it doesn't teach children about true character. Punishment and reward teaches us what is socially acceptable and what is not. When discipline fails, children learn to better hide their deviance and only put on display their good behaviour. Character can only be shaped if there is a true desire for change.

[@vwpicton1443]

This talk has made such a huge difference to my time dealing with chronic pain. A most real, honest and supportive perspective of the theology of suffering.

[@dodo3366]

what an amazing lesson /testimony....I am blown away

[@johnstewart7025]

From the poet Shelley: The pain of the inferior is frequently connected with the pleasures of the superior portions of our being. Sorrow, terror, anguish, despair itself, are often the chosen expressions of an approximation to the highest good.

[@scottbaldridge6148]

I don't fully understand,but, we keep trusting while we are being whipped! This man is admirable for his sincerity! Perhaps our healing in suffering is loving others as we hope God was loving us! I have dealt with severe pain and have seen faithful christians rail in pain because of Cancer! Somehow I have to see God as not being capricious! Jesus help me! If we think we don't deserve we punish our sense of healing in our hour mind! So it's grace!

[@tiruberehantsegaye175]

Its called the good struggle. If you are interested listen to the saying of the desert fathers through their life you would understand what it means. Listening their life stories strengthen my faith. Furthermore, it gave me depth view of what a good struggle is.

[@natanaelguepardo9271]

Tradução em português no have my friend

[@johnstewart7025]

A bad event can have a good outcome. So, if the world was not littered with death, birth defects, illness and terrible accidents, we could still experience bad outcomes.

[@jiayouchinese]

He's an ok speaker, I only wish he backed up his words with loving action.