Message for October 18, 2026 - Paul and the Thorn

Nobody wants to talk about weakness, but the Apostle Paul discovered something remarkable through his own suffering: God's power shows up most clearly in our weakest moments. In 2 Corinthians 11 and 12, Paul gives an unfiltered account of beatings, shipwrecks, hunger, and hardship, not to earn sympathy, but to point to something greater. He also describes a mysterious thorn in the flesh that God refused to remove, despite Paul pleading three times. God's response was a promise: His grace is sufficient, and His power is made perfect in weakness. This challenges the cultural instinct toward self-reliance and independence. The places where we are forced to let go and lean on God are often where we grow the most. Our scars tell our story, and God can take our greatest test and make it our greatest testimony. Do not waste your weakness. Bring it to God, and trust what He will do with it.