2 Corinthians 1:3-11
Ice Breakers
Are you a good “patient?” (In other words, are you good at being sick, uncomfortable, etc. and letting yourself be taken care of?)
Can you remember a time when someone did a great job of taking care of you? Maybe you were sick, injured, unable to leave the house, etc.
Who was it that brought you comfort?
What did they do that was so comforting?
Do you ever find yourself comforting other people in the same way or with a little more sympathy now?
Food for Thought
Paul experienced all kinds of uncomfortable things (to the point of almost dying!), but he didn’t “sue God for malpractice” or refer to Him as “the One putting him through all this.” What did he do? How does he refer to God?
What made those kinds of responses possible?
Do you feel like that’s true for you, too?
How do you usually relate with God in the midst of suffering?
“God won’t give you more than you can handle.” That’s a popular saying… and it’s one that this passage turns upside-down. Is that relieving or stressful? …encouraging or discouraging?
What does this mean about who you need to be or what you need to be able to do when hard times hit?
How does this emphasize the importance of who God is to us and who our community is around us? Does that challenge you in any way?
How can Paul have so much confidence that God would deliver him from death again?
What role does prayer play in that?
Even more, what does he say prayer will produce?
Are there prayers you wish you could pray about as confidently as that? How can God’s promises we can be sure of fuel that confidence and shape our prayers?
Are there any ways that the Lord is prompting you to…
…ask for help from the people around you?
…offer comfort to others that you once received from him?