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Venture Church

If God Is Good, Why Is There So Much Suffering and Injustice?

By Pastor Alika PolancoApril 19, 2026

The sermon delves into the profound issue of suffering, exploring how the brokenness of the world, spiritual warfare, and human frailty contribute to our challenges.

Watch · 5 Clips

Select a clip to watch

01
Introduction and Question of Suffering
1:56
02
Point 1: Broken World
3:47
03
Point 2: Kingdom of Darkness
2:36
04
Point 3: Human Brokenness
2:17
05
Conclusion and Prayer
1:36

Read

Scripture from the sermon

Genesis 1:1

¹In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth—

Genesis 3:16-19

¹⁶To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bear children. And to your husband shall be your desire. And he shall rule over you.” ¹⁷And to Adam he said, “Because you listened to the voice of your wife and you ate from the tree from which I forbade you to eat, the ground shall be cursed on your account. In pain you shall eat from it all the days of your life. ¹⁸And thorns and thistles shall sprout for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field. ¹⁹By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until your return to the ground. For from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Psalms 91:1-16

¹One who lives in the secret place of the Most High will lodge in the shadow of Shaddai. ²I will say to Yahweh, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” ³For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the plague of destruction. ⁴With his feathers he will cover you, and under his wings you can take refuge. His faithfulness will be a shield and a buckler. ⁵You need not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, ⁶or the plague that spreads in the darkness, or the destruction that devastates at noon. ⁷A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. ⁸You will only look with your eyes, and see the punishment of the wicked. ⁹For you, O Yahweh, are my refuge. You have made the Most High your dwelling place. ¹⁰No harm will befall you, and no plague will come near your tent. ¹¹For he will command his angels concerning you, to watch over you in all your ways. ¹²In their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. ¹³You will tread on lion and viper; you will trample young lion and serpent. ¹⁴Because he loves me, therefore I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name. ¹⁵He will call upon me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue and honor him. ¹⁶With long life I will satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

01 / 10

Related verses

God's presence in hardship3 passages

3 passages

Isaiah 43:2-4

²When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not flow over you. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not scorch you. ³For I am Yahweh, your God, the holy one of Israel, your savior. I give you Egypt as ransom, Cush and Seba in place of you. ⁴Because you are precious in my eyes, you are honored, and I myself love you, and I give people in place of you, and nations in place of your life.

Isaiah 41:10-12

¹⁰You must not fear, for I am with you; you must not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, indeed I will help you, indeed I will take hold of you with the right hand of my salvation. ¹¹Look! All those who are angry with you shall be ashamed and humiliated; your opponents shall be like nothing and shall become lost. ¹²You shall seek them, but you shall not find them; your opponents shall be like nothing, and the men of your war like nothing.

Isaiah 40:27-29

²⁷Why do you say, Jacob, and you speak, Israel, “My way is hidden from Yahweh, and my judgment is passed over by my God?” ²⁸Have you not known, or have you not heard? Yahweh is the God of eternity, the creator of the ends of the earth! He is not faint, and he does not grow weary! There is no searching his understanding. ²⁹He gives power to the weary, and he increases power for the powerless.

Sovereignty and goodness of God1 passage

1 passage

1 Chronicles 29:11-13

¹¹To you, O Yahweh, is the greatness and the power and the splendor and the glory and the strength, for everything in the heavens and in the earth. Yours, O Yahweh, is the kingdom and exaltation over all as head! ¹²And wealth and glory are from you, and you rule over all. And in your hand is power and might. And in your hand is power to make great and to give strength to all. ¹³And now, our God, we give thanks to you and offer praise to the name of your splendor.

Victory over evil2 passages

2 passages

Luke 10:19-21

¹⁹Behold, I have given you the authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will ever harm you. ²⁰Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven.” ²¹At that same time he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to young children. Yes, Father, for this was pleasing before you.

Luke 10:17-19

¹⁷And the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” ¹⁸So he said to them, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹Behold, I have given you the authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will ever harm you.

Discuss

Observation

In Genesis 1:31, we see God declaring His creation 'very good.' How does this relate to our understanding of a broken world today as discussed in the sermon?

Interpretation

What do you think the 'Kingdom of Darkness' means in the context of our current experiences with suffering?

Application

Think of a time when you experienced God's presence during a difficult moment. How does Isaiah 43:2-4 reassure us about God's promise to be with us in hardship?

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Pastor Troy Martin·April 26, 2026

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Where is God When I Feel Anxious, Lonely, or Burned Out?Sermon 01 · Pastor Todd Phelps How Can We Be Sure God Exists?Sermon 04 · J. Warner Wallace Does Christianity Matter Anymore?Sermon 05 · J. Warner Wallace

Continue the study

If God Is Good, Why Is There So Much Suffering and Injustice?

Watch · 5 Clips

Select a clip to watch

Introduction and Question of Suffering

Point 1: Broken World

Point 2: Kingdom of Darkness

Point 3: Human Brokenness

Conclusion and Prayer

Read

Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:31

Genesis 3:1

Genesis 3:16-19

Psalms 91:1-16

Romans 8:1

Ephesians 4:1

Ephesians 6:1

1 Peter 5:1

1 Peter 5:8