Song 1 – Build Your Kingdom Here

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you;
   be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
   I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Song 2 – 10,000 Reasons

Song 3 – You Are Holy

Song 4 – Trials of Many Kinds

Song 5 – At Your Feet / Give Thanks

Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.

For information about giving online, please visit ucclife.fi/give or follow the QR code on the screen. You can also speak to our pastors or leaders for more information about giving and generosity. You can also ask the welcome team or any of our staff team members for more info on giving online.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen

A warm welcome to all, and especially to any visitors joining us today – if you’d like to get connected or find out more about UCC, please see our digital visitors card or speak to us after the service!

If you have children, they are welcome to join our Sunday school classes! 

The Nicene Creed 

We believe in one God, 
the Father almighty, 
maker of heaven and earth, 
of all things visible and invisible. 

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, 
the only Son of God, 
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, 
true God from true God, 
begotten, not made; 
of the same essence as the Father. 

Through him all things were made. 
For us and for our salvation 
he came down from heaven; 
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. 
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. 

The third day he rose again, 
according to the Scriptures. 
He ascended to heaven and is seated 
at the right hand of the Father. 
He will come again with glory 
to judge the living and the dead. 
His kingdom will never end. 

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, 
the Lord, the giver of life. 
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. 
He spoke through the prophets. 

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. 
Amen.

Our Scripture reading today is 2 Corinthians 12:1–10. Hear the Word of God:

1 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 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. 7 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. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 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. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Grace is Enough
God uses weakness to reveal His power, shaping us through what humbles and even hurts us.

I. Visions Don’t Validate, Weakness Does (vv 1–6)
II. Thorns That Humble, Grace That Sustains (vv 7–8)
III. Power Perfected in Weakness (vv 9–10)

Song 6 – His Glory & My Good

Song 7 – How Great Thou Art

For all church announcements, please see our digital announcements page: ucclife.fi/announcements

Introduction
1. Have you ever gone through something painful that later became a turning point for good in your life? What changed in you?

2. In the sermon it was said, “God often does His best work in the parts of our lives we most want Him to take away.” Do you agree with that? Why or why not?

Into the Text
3. Paul speaks of being caught up into “the third heaven” (vv. 1-4). Why do you think he distances himself from the experience by using the third person? What does this teach us about how Christians should talk about spiritual experiences?

4. In verse 5, Paul says, “I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.” How is this different from how people normally present themselves? Why do you think Paul chooses this posture?

5. Paul describes the thorn in the flesh as both a “messenger of Satan” and something “given” to him to keep him humble (v. 7). How can both of those be true at the same time?

6. Paul pleads with God to remove the thorn (v. 8), and God replies, “My grace is sufficient for you” (v. 9). What do you think Paul learned about grace that he may not have known without the thorn?

7.  In verses 9–10, Paul says he is content with insults, hardships, and calamities. How does this challenge your view of what the Christian life should feel like?

Apply the Text
8. In the sermon it was said, “True strength isn’t the absence of weakness, it’s Christ filling what is empty, upholding what is broken, using what is unimpressive.” What area of your life feels weak right now, and how might Christ want to meet you there?

9. Paul didn’t just tolerate his thorn, he learned to rejoice in it because of what it produced. What practically might this look like in your life right now?

10. How can we encourage each other to lean into God’s grace rather than run from affliction? Where might you need help with this?