TODAY'S DIFFICULTIES, TOMORROW'S TESTIMONIES (8 OF 8)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: II Corinthians 12:1-10
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Today's Difficulties, Tomorrow's Testimonies (8 of 8)
Series: Purpose Driven Life
Jeff Strite
II Corinthians 12:1-10
OPEN: Years ago, the story was told of a Sunday School teacher who - on the Sunday before Thanksgiving - was encouraging the children in her class to share things they were grateful for.
A little boy was asked what he was thankful for, and he thought for a moment. Then the boy went through a whole laundry list of things he was thankful for... including being thankful for his glasses.
The teacher thought that was a bit peculiar. Most of the children she knew didn't particularly like to wear their glasses... but this little boy was very enthusiastic about them. So asked him why he was thankful to have to wear glasses.
He answered with these words: "Because they keep the boys from hitting me...and the girls from kissing me."
APPLY: When I was younger, a lot of kids rebelled at the idea of wearing glasses. Glasses in my day weren't a "fashion statement" - they were glasses. Something you had to wear to in order to see. But they weren't the most attractive things in the world... mine were horn rimmed and ugly, but functional.
And so, sometimes kids would refuse to wear them to school... often putting them in their lockers or their desks at school. They'd rather look at a world filled with blurry images than face the embarrassment of being seen as less than perfect... or being made fun of by their peers.
But not this little boy. He looked at what others saw as a weakness - and saw instead an advantage, a strength. He had learned a deep truth that many people never fully understand:
That which many people perceive as being a weakness, can actually become the source of our strength, and our comfort.
I. That was what God was teaching Paul here in 2 Corinthians
Now, you wouldn't think that Paul would need to be "taught." Paul was one of the greatest teachers of the early church. I mean, he wrote about ½ of the New Testament. And those ...
Series: Purpose Driven Life
Jeff Strite
II Corinthians 12:1-10
OPEN: Years ago, the story was told of a Sunday School teacher who - on the Sunday before Thanksgiving - was encouraging the children in her class to share things they were grateful for.
A little boy was asked what he was thankful for, and he thought for a moment. Then the boy went through a whole laundry list of things he was thankful for... including being thankful for his glasses.
The teacher thought that was a bit peculiar. Most of the children she knew didn't particularly like to wear their glasses... but this little boy was very enthusiastic about them. So asked him why he was thankful to have to wear glasses.
He answered with these words: "Because they keep the boys from hitting me...and the girls from kissing me."
APPLY: When I was younger, a lot of kids rebelled at the idea of wearing glasses. Glasses in my day weren't a "fashion statement" - they were glasses. Something you had to wear to in order to see. But they weren't the most attractive things in the world... mine were horn rimmed and ugly, but functional.
And so, sometimes kids would refuse to wear them to school... often putting them in their lockers or their desks at school. They'd rather look at a world filled with blurry images than face the embarrassment of being seen as less than perfect... or being made fun of by their peers.
But not this little boy. He looked at what others saw as a weakness - and saw instead an advantage, a strength. He had learned a deep truth that many people never fully understand:
That which many people perceive as being a weakness, can actually become the source of our strength, and our comfort.
I. That was what God was teaching Paul here in 2 Corinthians
Now, you wouldn't think that Paul would need to be "taught." Paul was one of the greatest teachers of the early church. I mean, he wrote about ½ of the New Testament. And those ...
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