2 Corinthians 12 - Christ-likeness

Every great athlete has had a great trainer that pushed, motivated, encouraged, challenged, and even under certain circumstances, disciplined them! These trainers often see beyond what the athlete believes he or she is able to accomplish and thus is able to motivate them unto greater heights! We as Christians are no different, for we have access to be trained by the best, Jesus Christ Himself! But to be the best, you have to muster up the endurance to make it through the muck and mire of training. For every athlete will face these seasons from time to time, and it is in our response to these trials that will determine the effect of our training. In this sermon, we will delve into the training of Paul, and how even he failed to see the bigger picture in the midst of the hardships. But who he became through the rigors of being trained, even wrung out by the trials he faced for the Gospel, serve as a beautiful picture of what grace, the true grace of God, can accomplish in the life of a Believer who is willing to suffer for the sake of the Kingdom of God...no matter the thorns they must face!