Providing Encouragement To Reflect on Our Own Key Outcome of Series: Providing Encouragement To Reflect on Our Own Spiritual Growth with Jesus!

How Much Am I Willing to Suffer? Philippians 2: 8 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Rarely Frequently

Definition of Suffer? “To be badly affected by a disease, sadness, a lack of something…” PAIN

“He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even DEATH on a CROSS!” Philippians 2:8

“Perform duties or services for another person or an organization”

Are you suffering from some difficult circumstance today? What about you… Are you suffering from some difficult circumstance today?

In your walk with God have you ever cried out to Him, “Take away this Pain?”

Types of Pain & Suffering: Physical Mental Emotional Spiritual

When we do suffer, when things in our life do not go our way…. Do we grumble against God like the Israelites?

“ In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron “ In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16: 2 - 3

In Paul’s fleshly torment he struggled immensely… Three times he prayed begging the Lord to remove it!

“ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me “ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12: 8 - 10

In his torment Paul discovered a very important spiritual truth we need to Hear and Embrace…

God’s Grace is Sufficient When I am Weak, then I am STRONG in Jesus! AND When I am Weak, then I am STRONG in Jesus!

Original Sin’s Influence: Why do we Suffer? Original Sin’s Influence: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through on man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” Romans 5:12

Why do We Suffer? —For God’s Glory:  “Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick. "When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s Glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” John 11: 1 - 4

On this Side of Heaven All will Suffer One way or another….

For a Believer in Jesus is: Key Question For a Believer in Jesus is: How will we Respond?