Sunday Rewind 7.9.06

Here's a summary of yesterday's sermon. May God bless you as you consider His Word.

Scripture Lesson: 2 Corintians 12:1-10

The apostle Paul had his share of combat truama. Not flesh and blood battles on the streets of Baghdad. But the spiritual warfare that came along with shepherding the church in Corinth.

His relationship with the Corinthian Christians was complex. His authority was continually called into question. Although he finds the idea of boasting to be foolish, he joins the boasting game. But instead of boasting in things that others cannot see, Paul urges his readers to look simply at what they know of him, his weaknesses, including his thorn in the flesh.

Paul's "thorn in the flesh" makes us uncomfortable. We're uncomfortable not knowing what it was. We're uncomfortable thinking of God as the agent of suffering. We're uncomfortable thinking of suffering as something that God won't remove. Yes, the "thorn" raises uncomfortable issues, but it also points to a glorious truth.

God's grace is sufficient for any trauma, for God's power is made perfect in weakness.

Sometimes, God's grace brings growth by bringing us through trauma. Sometimes, God's grace bring growth in trauma. Regardless, God's grace is sufficient for any weakness, insult, harship, persecution or calamity.

Relying on God moves us from weakness to strength...from agony to ecstasy...from cross to resurrection.