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White Horse Inn

Trauma: The Pain of Belief in a Sovereign God

August 20, 2023

Bob Hiller, Justin Holcomb, Michael Horton, Walter Strickland

Series: The Problem of Evil

SufferingVirtues

Trauma: The Pain of Belief in a Sovereign God

42 min

Series: The Problem of Evil

SufferingVirtues

Trauma: The Pain of Belief in a Sovereign God

42 min

In some ways, trauma has become a buzzword, both culturally and within the church. Even in places that are supposed to be the most safe, traumatic experiences seem rampant. So, how do we deal with it all? Where does God’s will come into play and how can we have hope during some of the darkest times of our lives? In this episode of White Horse Inn, hosts Michael Horton, Justin Holcomb, Bob Hiller, and Walter Strickland wrestle with the issues we’re facing when it comes to addressing trauma and how the church can help others see the hope of God—even in the dark.

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Bob Hiller

Bob Hiller is the Senior Pastor of Community Lutheran Church in Escondido/San Marcos, California. He is the author of Finding Christ in the Straw and the content editor for The Craft of Preaching (1517).

Justin Holcomb

Justin S. Holcomb, PhD, is an Episcopal minister and professor of theology at Reformed Theological Seminary and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has authored, coauthored, or edited more than twenty books on numerous topics, including abuse, biblical studies, and theology. Justin and his wife, Lindsey, coauthored the award-winning children’s book God Made All of Me, God Made Me in His Image, and God Made Babies. You can read more from Justin at justinholcomb.com and connect with him on Twitter @JustinHolcomb.

Michael Horton

Michael Horton (Ph.D., Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and Coventry University) is the J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California and Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Sola Media.

Walter Strickland

Walter R. Strickland II (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is teaching pastor at Imago Dei Church. He is Associate Professor of Systematic and Contextual Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he cofounded Aptree Learning. He and his wife live in the Raleigh area in North Carolina, and they have two daughters and a son, and a daughter named Hope who is waiting to meet them in glory.

Series • 4 Episodes

The Problem of Evil

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Theorizing Evil: Is There Still a Place For Apologetics?

Theorizing Evil: Is There Still a Place For Apologetics?

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said that there’s an old illusion, and “it is called good and evil.” Throughout the ages, people have either thrown out the idea of evil, like Nietzsche, or attempted to rationalize it with their belief system. So, if everyone in some way gives an account for real evil and suffering […]

08/06/23•Bob Hiller, Justin Holcomb, Michael Horton, Walter Strickland•37 min
Tragedy: Meaningful or Meaningless?

Tragedy: Meaningful or Meaningless?

When tragedy strikes us, what do we do? Do we want to immediately blame God? Do we try to rationalize it in some way? Or do we just lose hope? When trials feel like a main player in our lives, it can be overwhelming. We might feel entitled to the answers for our questions. In […]

08/13/23•Bob Hiller, Justin Holcomb, Michael Horton, Walter Strickland•38 min
Triumph: The Death of Death

Triumph: The Death of Death

When the trials of tragedy and trauma feel overwhelming, we can forget the victory our Savior accomplished for us. Our own Creator came to us in the flesh—God’s one and only Son bore the full weight of sin and death, giving us everlasting life. We are undeserving; nevertheless, he defeated death for us. How do […]

08/27/23•Bob Hiller, Justin Holcomb, Michael Horton, Walter Strickland•40 min

More on this topic

Suffering

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Long-Suffering Faith

There is a famous saying in western culture, “Time heals all wounds.” Anyone who has endured deep suffering knows that sentiment is incomplete. Yes, time may settle raw emotions. It can provide helpful perspective. Yet, time itself has no healing power.

11/02/26•Joshua Moffit•5 min

Forget Not the Wilderness

It was a brisk November evening in 2022. Winter’s chill had settled in, wrapping the world in clouds that promised a cold night ahead. But the air was filled with the laughter of children clutching bright plastic shovels, their excitement lighting up the gathering.

10/12/26•Haley Isbell•4 min
Three Tips for Surviving the Spiritual Wilderness

Three Tips for Surviving the Spiritual Wilderness

God leads us through the wilderness to teach us to depend upon his daily provision and to show us what’s in our hearts. Trials are a window into our spiritual condition. They will either refine faith or expose faithlessness. If we’re going through something difficult and our response is to lash out and sin, God […]

07/29/26•Adriel Sanchez•12 min
Walking by Faith Isn't Wishful Thinking

Walking by Faith Isn’t Wishful Thinking

We are not merely hoping for the best outcome, we are assured of the greatest outcome—the coming of God’s Kingdom. Our faith doesn’t work like a magic eight ball, trying to tell us every detail of our lives, but our faith is knowledgeable.

07/01/26•Amy Hornbuckle•3 min

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