Dear Church - 2 Corinthians 1

2 Corinthians 1

Praise God that we are a New Creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
I am so thankful that David reminded us of that on Sunday.

Live as a new creation. Remember who you are.

o You are a child of the King
o You belong to Jesus
o You are loved …
o You are adored …
o You are cared for …
o You have been chosen and set apart …
o You are loved – not because you are perfect – but because God is perfect
o You are forgiven … and your sins have been buried in the deepest part of the sea
o You have been made in the image of God …
o You are a masterpiece …
o You are not a loser … an embarrassment … and irritation … or a problem
o You matter … you are significant … you are loved by the God of the universe …
o You are a new creation – the old is gone … the new has come

You belong to Jesus … now go out and live like it!
And go out and invite others to get to know Jesus as well.
Because that is who we are – and that is why we are here.
You may not think you have a testimony to share with others. I believe you do.

Have you experienced God's love? Yes, you realized you were a lost sinner who needed a Savior.
            You have a story to tell others.

Has God comforted you in the middle of a trial or tragedy? Yes, God has carried you through the difficulties of your life.
            You have a story to tell others.

          2 Corinthians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
God can speak through you in powerful ways when you let Him.

People want to know you are real and how God has brought you through the challenging times of life.

Praise God for what He has brought you through and be willing and ready to share with others who are walking the same difficult path of life.

What you learned will be a blessing and a source of hope for others.

Life is Hard, but God is good. It often feels like life is falling apart, but when you stand on the Rock of Jesus, you are secure.

          Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

The rains of life will come, but because you are a new creation in Christ, you will not lose hope.

          2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

In Christ, you are not crushed, not in despair, not abandoned, and not destroyed.

Praise God!

Walk today in the hope of your salvation.