A WOW Moment - 2 Corinthians 12:5-10

Good evening everybody tonight we are Visiting with miss with peewee. With peewee and tank over here, um, but we're visiting with miss Debra. Telling Hello. I hope you remember who I am. I'm Vicki Davis, and I'm the women's director at Winton Baptist Church, and this is my assistant Mercedes Watkins and she.

Opening With Debra and the Evening Bible Study

It's on the couch tonight because there's three of us. So we thought this might be better. There's five if you count the dogs and they are as big as humans. They're just over here. They'll be out in a minute.

I promise they will make their appearance Sweet. Tonight we have asked Deborah If she would like to join us in Bible study and Well, I'm not tonight but I asked her last week if she would like to join us in a Bible study and She was very ecstatic to do so.

Deborah has been home since all this COVID started and She said yes, she gives us that she would just skip over the six-foot parameter deal. Which we are kind of close, but you see she's still not getting really close.

That's fine. Oh, she's not scared so she has been home and also She doesn't struggle with being home from what I just found out she's kind of actually enjoying it. So that's a good thing. I guess it's a little therapeutic.

I'm very much an introvert. Introvert would have never thought that anybody that knows her to John open. Yes. Never an introvert knows an introvert. I would have never guessed that. Yeah, but you did not sing that way at church.

You're not in a shell.

Extrovert. My job requires me to be extroverted and so therefore I just.

Introverted, but my comfort zone is introversion. Gotcha, but we're learning a little bit about.

Deborah tonight. I had no idea. Did we ask them if they can hear us and understand us?

Can everybody hear us? We can't see any comments. She's gonna pull apart. Did you turn the comments off? Maybe nobody can hear us. You said that. Okay. Okay, it's just running a few minutes behind as you can tell.

Say somebody just did. Debra Talley is Watching. You're watching. So anyways, I did. I called her a week ago and I asked her if she would like to to do this and and she. Of course if anybody that knows Debra knows that she kind of went several different directions with this.

What would you what were you gonna wear? I was gonna wear my wedding dress. She wanted to wear a wedding dress at first.

I was gonna do my hair and makeup and wear the wedding dress and then I lost track of time today.

So we just we just have her. That's all we need. Really. That's all we need. So, um, she has chosen second Corinthians. Second Corinthians 12 5 through 10 and. And we had a discussion before all this started up.

Who was going to read and. Everyone. So Debra if you'd like to Go ahead and read the scripture. You've chosen study this evening.

Second Corinthians 12 5 through 10. On behalf of this man. I will boast but on my own behalf I will not boast except of my weakness though. If I should wish to boast I would not be a fool for I would be speaking the truth.

But I refrain from it so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations a Thorn was given me in the flesh a messenger of Satan to harass me to keep me from becoming conceited.

Three times I pleaded pleaded with the Lord about this that it should leave 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 of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ then I'm content with weaknesses Insults hardship persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh and Boasting in Weakness

So I'm gonna I just think I think I know why you chose this but why did you choose this passage?

So then in Corinthians 12 9 is my favorite verse where it talks about my grace is sufficient for you and boasting in our weaknesses versus boasting in our strength. And it's just always been. I've memorized that verse when I was very very young and it just always Stuck with me.

That doesn't matter how strong I am. But it matters how strong Christ is and Christ has so much power that He's able to. But in my weaknesses, that's when he is glorified. Something that I can't do on my own power or in my own strength, but that's when God's glory is shown the most.

Because he gives you the strength to well, he doesn't give you the strength. He is your strength. Right. Very well said. Very well said. Um, I Didn't break. I'm not one pair of my reading glasses so I I Noticed in the Bible that I used to say that my Gracious favor is all you need.

My power works best when you're weak in your weakness is in red. So that is that's the scripture that you like the most, right? That's the passage We're saying. What do you how do you relate with This passage when you think your weakest point that is when you become the most vulnerable.

To Let go of my God. True. I noticed in the study Bible that I It has. I believe that says Luke let's say Luke. Yeah, 23. Um I'd like to know what that passage is in relation to this.

I usually just study like I usually just think about that first though and become like with just verse 9. But whenever you asked me about what we know what verse I wanted to do I was like, well, I'm gonna look at the context of it and I just think that putting it in the context of Where Paul was in his mind like mentally and spiritually when he said that it was just so interesting like to talk about how.

He had plenty of opportunities to be conceded because he I mean he was pedigree, right? I mean Paul was Paul was it and so he had so many opportunities to talk about his strength. And you know, I did this and I got here but yet he was talking of like It's not his strength or his power that there's even something in his life that Keeps him from being where he thinks he wants to be and kind of keeps him humble.

What do you think that for me? I have no idea.

It could have been anything it could have been right.

Not that he like necessarily engaged in but something that was a temptation for him. Yeah.

That's that's something that when you first tell me you wanted to study this I was kind of like.

The my study note said The nature of this thorn or messenger is much disputed. The most frequently proposed possibilities include Paul's inner psychological struggles such as grief over Persecution of the church or sorrow over Israel's unbelief or continuing temptations Paul's opponents who continue to persecute him.

Some kind of physical affliction possibly poor eyesight malaria fever or severe migraines some kind of demonic harassment. Most commenters cautiously prefer some of the Third views and storm the flesh would suggest a physical condition I've heard it could have been like depression or something like that to you.

Just anything that gets your mind and I off of the prize.

So, I'm sure several of us have. I probably have more than one for him. I probably have. Like Rose bush at the words. I get hair splinters. You know, I've never had one of those. Can't imagine why. Well, um, there's a lot that of this that of this passage though because if you go up and you start at the beginning of 12 It really puts it into perspective and that's why I Did not know.

I did not know that. The thorn at first when I first read it. I was thinking that the one was actually a thorn. Because that's that's why I took it but now that you've put it that way I Can really see how many people have more than one and the struggle that we go through.

Pricking them out one at a time. Of course, we will never rid of all of them. Yeah.

Well, he said that he prayed three times about it. And I think at that point now, I don't think necessarily. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this that it should leave me but and then it goes into the grace portion of it.

So like he begged God, you know, hey, please take this from me. Take this from me take this from me and then God said no that's there for a reason so that I can be glorified. Get over it. He probably didn't say exactly like that, but you kind of feel that.

Yeah. And you know, it could actually work.

I really really really love this passage. I had not even read it. Except for of course in church whenever we would go over it or something like that during a Sermon but I'm really glad that you have brought this passage to me today because I Actually am going through some issues right now that yeah, I feel that the ones.

That's a big one. So.

We don't. We don't necessarily try to Fix the thorns because I mean some some issues in your life. You know, you do need to fix but then there's some that we have to acknowledge that our own power and our own strength Ability whatsoever of handling it which is why Christ came to handle all that stuff for us.

Your dog has his paw. Is that not the cutest thing ever? I think he likes me. He's huge. Does he like that cat because it scared me when she was.

So like when people do that like if you're.

Yeah, I'm like in verse 10. It says so I take pleasure in weaknesses insults catastrophes persecutions and then pressures because of Christ for when I'm weak and I'm strong so I. You may not take Pleasure in it at the time.

But once everything is said and done and things have been handling you come out the other side. Have you ever taken pleasure in those things going through those things. After the fact yeah. Yeah, because then it's kind of like Well, and then afterwards you might come across somebody who's going through something similar and you go.

Yeah, I've been there. Like we were talking about earlier I said, I've enjoyed this time like to be away from work and everything and I love my job. I absolutely love what I do yesterday so fun, but it's so nice to just have this downtime.

And the only concern I really had was the financial aspect of it. And so like you were pulling out in the first 10 it's been very Enjoyable to see how God is working through the situation to provide for us in various different ways like we've had random people who barely know us just give us a couple hundred dollars and I've had clients and friends give me gift cards and stuff just to kind of help us through like the first couple of weeks and stuff and so it's Just it's been very Humbling to see that, you know all this time I've been you know, busting my butt and working my job thinking.

Oh, yeah, I'm providing I'm making this money and all this. It's not really how it is. Like God's provided a hundred percent of everything that we ever get and so Now that I don't have that sense of control over my finances and it's strictly a hundred percent Whatever God's gonna do which I never had the control in the first place, but I felt like I did it's just so like freeing and so nice to see where God is.

Choosing to make that manifest and to happen and and you know, like you were saying, you know You can see it like after the fact but even like during this like I kind of have that. When this first started my mindset was I'm not gonna stress out about it because I know God's gonna provide and so.

If I think having that mindset has made it more enjoyable for me going through the like financial Hardships or whatever trying to figure out where God's gonna provide and we've been fine. Yeah, it's so cool like it's so freaking cool.

Really? Well, I guess that's one thing because I have been a control freak 98 of my life until a Couple years ago two and a half years ago actually. When I did realize that I wasn't. But you know once you get through that and once you let it go, isn't it just a relief.

When you're in the position of being I feel like you're in control of something you feel like you have that power. But then when that that facade of being in control is taken away and you realize just how powerless you are.

It's just it takes so much pressure off of you because You put a lot of pressure on yourself thinking that you can control something that you really can't. So you bust your butt and push and push and push whether it's people or your surroundings or money or whatever.

You're pushing to be in control of that. But the reality is you're not and so when it's with the Idea of being taken up being in control. It's taken away from you or you give it up. Like it's just like a way to literally go it Be an actual side relief.

I think I've memorized that verse the verse 9 when I was 8 or 9 years old and it's you know, I'm 19 now so it's been a good 10 years and So don't worry. We're lightning-quick For a good. And so it's something that I Really long time like 20 something years I do I do math has gotten me in trouble before so anyway 20 plus years.

I've known this verse and I've seen it the this verse of brush print the instant 13 or my two verses that have just Every stage of my life. Wow.

My brain keeps going back to The do-not-worry ones that we covered last week. In correlation to this because it was the point because he's the one that's in control and once you agree or once you decide or what you put it in your brain or Once you fixate yourself or once you settle in to the comfort of his presence or That's the only time you're gonna see it.

I guess.

Don't you take the anxious for nothing and combine it with my grace is sufficient. It's a matter of don't be anxious about it because this very thing you're freaking out about is how I'm gonna show myself.

Like how God's gonna show himself to be so powerful and then we can just stare in amazement. Amen.

Trusting God Instead of Worrying

We're going to do this more often. Without a camera in front of us. Oh once I go back to work I'm just kidding. Wow, did y 'all hear that? You might need some ice out of your cup. I just got heated. I don't know.

Mommy you're a little warm. You might burn me if you touch me. I love you I love you too. But anyways, um, we do actually care for one another deeply.

Oh yeah, I think it's on the public page. And some of these people don't know. They don't know us.

Certain people It's like the people that wouldn't know us. Because the people that wouldn't know us would be like. There's Deborah. Yes they would. She's arrived. Ladies and gentlemen Deborah was here a minute ago.

But I don't have Deborah. Exactly Right. Well. Oh wow. That 30 minutes went by fast. Yeah it's kind of that interesting. Deborah is really in the house now. Forget the sinus. Maybe we will have her back on here one night.

I can't see your face though. Because the comments are in the way. It's fine. We'll keep her. We will. Well I hope you guys have enjoyed our study segment for tonight. Usually our study segments are. When we don't have A phone or a camera In the room.

We usually go for hours on end. But Considering that There's other people that want to get on here besides us. We thought we would be nice. So Mrs. Talley I would like to thank you For this time with you In your house With your wonderful dogs.

Before we leave though We'll show you all the dogs. Because I know they haven't made their appearance. And Mercedes I want to thank you again for tonight. I don't know who will be on here Next Thursday with us.

We'll have to think about it. We may talk to you about that. Maybe you could give us some input on who you think Would be good. Who knows. Would you like to show the dogs to the people. And you can do your mom on it.

They were groomed today. So they're very, very relaxed. From their pamper session. They're very sweet. Look at him. That's Pee-wee Pee-wee.

You have Tank. He's sweet boy. He's a sweet boy. So they've been very good though. Pastor Ben, they were very good tonight. They were very well behaved. You've done a good job with raising them. Alright.

And this has been a wild moment. Y 'all have a good night. Toodle.