You’re tired of quick quips (“Just trust God”) and false hopes (“Time heals all wounds”). You’re ready for real and raw, honest and hopeful conversation about suffering, loss, and grief—from a Christian perspective. You’re longing for real answers, for real people, with real struggles. You’ve come to the right place. When life’s losses invade your world, learn how to face suffering face-to-face with God.
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Enjoy Three Dozen Quotes of Note on God’s Healing
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Read Steve Grissom’s, Founder of the International GriefShare network, endorsement of God’s Healing for Life’s Losses.
Read A Biblical Model of Grieving. A 1,000-word summary of God’s Healing for Life’s Losses. View the Blog Version.
Read My Story of Finding God’s Healing Hope. View the Blog Version.
Read My Interview with GriefShare in PDF.
Find Links to Over Two Dozen Reviews of God’s Healing for Life’s Losses. Blog Version. Word Version.
Attend a God’s Healing for Life’s Losses Seminar.
Pastor Steve Viars’ Foreword to God’s Healing for Life’s Losses
I have had the privilege of serving as a pastor of the same congregation for over twenty years. On the one hand, God has graciously given numerous opportunities to share in the joys and blessings of my parishioners and friends. There have been many births, weddings, spiritual victories, and occasions for laughter and love. Countless days have been filled with far more sweetness than I would have ever imagined.
But the parallel truth is that I have seen first-hand how often men and women suffer. Job losses. Shocking diagnoses. Children gone astray. Abuse. And the caskets…oh so many caskets. I knew the Bible predicted this would occur, but it’s different when it happens to members of your church family, your own family, your friends, and to you.
Of course, you know that as well. I have never met a person who has not suffered in some way. That explains why Jesus’ family is instructed to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Life this side of heaven is anything but trouble-free.
That is why I am so glad Dr. Bob Kellemen wrote God’s Healing for Life’s Losses. You cannot choose whether you will face suffering or not, but you can decide where you will turn for help. Here are three reasons why I heartily and joyfully encourage you to carefully read what Bob has written.
It courageously faces the hard questions. You are probably fed up with pat answers and pious platitudes. Plastic smiles do not work, not when you are suffering. Bob writes with the seasoned wisdom of a winsome counselor who has spent many hours compassionately listening to people whose hearts are breaking.
It skillfully takes you to God’s Word. Listening is wonderful and powerful, but it is seldom enough. Bob is a careful student of the Bible. He believes that the living God has direction and answers for every hurting person who will humbly come to Him (Matthew 11:29). I went to college and seminary with Bob—I know that he is a diligent and accomplished student and scholar. Yet this book does not read like a distant theological treatise. It is more like a wise conversation with a mature spiritual friend.
It passionately points you to the Savior. The Bible is less like an encyclopedia and more like a novel. Bob’s goal is not to give us a few verses that we simply memorize and recite when times get rough. He is inviting us to use suffering as an opportunity to grow more in love with the One who suffered supremely for us. That is why there is hope for life’s losses.
I look forward to the day this project goes from the manuscript I currently have in my hand to a book I can read and give to others. My church family needs it. My counselees need it. I need it. And, if you’re suffering a loss or helping someone who is grieving, then you need it.
One more thing. Bob and I grew up a few miles from one another in Gary, Indiana. I have known him since we were boys running around the neighborhood. I can say this without reservation—Bob is the real thing. He cares deeply about people who are suffering. That is one of his God-given passions. Let this book be a gift to you, from a dear and trusted friend.—Dr. Steve Viars, Sr. Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Lafayette, Indiana
What Others Are Saying About God’s Healing for Life’s Losses
“How do you deal with suffering and despair; the times when life seems so overwhelming that you just want to give up? Bob Kellemen has the answers. If you are looking for tired clichés (‘Just put on a happy face’), impersonal academic discourse, and worldly wisdom, then this is not the book for you. But if you want a thoroughly biblical and intensely honest examination of suffering from someone who has walked the path from ‘hurt to hope in Christ,’ then God’s Healing for Life’s Losses is just the book for you. Dr. Kellemen provides a biblical theology of suffering that is also a practical guide to moving from grieving to growth, a journey on the road to hope and worshipping God. This an essential book, not only for pastors and counselors, but also for anyone who is suffering and overwhelmed by grief and despair.”—Dr. Ian Jones, Chairman, Counseling Department, Southwestern Theological Seminary
“God’s Healing for Life’s Losses takes on traditional thoughts about grief and loss and turns them upside down. Dr. Kellemen takes us down to take us up as he develops a biblical theology of suffering and hope. There is a refreshing honesty about the pain of loss and the permission to be real with God and others as we embrace the mourning process together. For those of you who are hurting, I would recommend a unhurried reading with time to work through the grief and growth workbook at the end of each chapter. This book is biblical, personal and healing; I highly recommend it.”—Garrett Higbee, Psy. D., President, Twelve Stones Ministries and Team Leader Harvest Biblical Counseling
“Without quick fixes or easy steps, Dr. Kellemen goes beyond the simple self-help so common to popular-level works offering counsel for pain. With a consideration of the message of the whole counsel of God, and appeals to the likes of the Puritan’s ‘losses and crosses,’ Luther’s ‘two levels of suffering,’ C. S. Lewis’ ‘megaphone’ of pain, and Hugo’s Les Miserables, he provides a Calvary-shaped lens through which pain, loss, and despair can be converted to satisfaction with the face of God in Christ.”—Eric C. Redmond, Senior Pastor of Reformation Alive Baptist Church, Temple Hills, MD, and Assistant Professor of Bible and Theology, Washington Bible College
“Here’s what is remarkable about this book: Bob’s passion for helping people see their suffering from God’s perspective does not blind him to the fact that suffering still hurts. As a result, he weaves together a compassionate, Christ-centered resource that radically renews one’s thinking about suffering while respecting the reality of it. I thank God for the clarity and comfort Bob brings to those who are overwhelmed by suffering.”—Sam Hodges IV, Executive Producer, Church Initiative
“I just love Dr. Bob Kellemen’s heart. He is committed and compassionate about helping people. In God’s Healing for Life’s Losses, he writes with a scriptural sensitivity that communicates clearly to all people of all races. Anyone facing suffering and dealing with grief will learn how to face their sorrows face-to-face with God. This book is real and raw offering Christ’s healing hope for life’s hurts. I highly recommend it for individual or grief group work—it will help heal.”—Pam Perry, Ministry Marketing Solutions Inc., Chocolate Pages Network, Founder, Co-Author of Synergy Energy
“Understanding the relationship between God and our life losses is a valuable tool in our spiritual growth. In this volume, Dr. Kellemen goes beyond merely helping people ‘recover’ from their painful situations to a point where a deeper resource can be found. Weaving together biblical texts with suffering’s varied and personal contexts, he directs the reader into the potential for growth that life’s losses present. Whether one reads the book for oneself or to better help others, Kellemen’s book is a practical resource for pastors, counselors, and anyone who has ever tried to help a friend who is hurting.”—John A. Jelinek, Th.D., Vice President and Dean, Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School
“Like so many books on this topic, I picked up Dr. Kellemen’s book expecting it to be another quick read on the subject of suffering. That wasn’t the case. Instead, I found it to be a work deserving a special place in my library to reference again and again. It was eye-opening in that it revealed the deepest longing in my heart to understand God’s purpose and plans for my own pain and grief. In a fallen and broken world this book is a welcome companion along life’s journey.”—Tracy Haney, Moody Radio Producer
“Reading God’s Healing for Life’s Losses is like walking a beach with a godly friend who knows where your path has been and where you hope your path will take you. Dr. Kellemen’s book is a relevant, extremely helpful faith guide for those longing for healing from a past sorrow or preparing for life’s inevitable pain.”—Pastor Steve Dewitt, Sr. Pastor, Bethel Church, Crown Point, IN
“Bob Kellemen skillfully uses a conversational writing style to engage his readers as he provides them with a thorough biblical and practical way to grieve, thrive, and grow. Dr. Kellemen’s book shows his tremendous spiritual insight and wisdom based on God’s Word. He confidently affirms that as Christians we are victors in Christ because we know the end of the story.”—Elias Moitinho, Ph.D., LPC, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Counseling, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
“While grief and loss are common to all of us, the manner in which we actually process our experience is often unique and personal. C. S. Lewis once wrote that, ‘God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscious, but shouts in our pain.’ For some, the journey towards healing and restoration seems clear and straightforward. For others, the way is more uncertain and challenging. In God’s Healing for Life’s Losses, Dr. Kellemen skillfully describes the necessary tasks for each stage of the grief and recovery process. With relevant illustrations and God’s Word illuminating the path, readers will receive encouragement and hope as they move from mourning to morning.”—Eric T. Scalise, Ph.D., LPC, Vice President for Professional Development, The American Association of Christian Counselors
