Austin Chinese Church

The conclusion of 2 Corinthians is an examination of ourselves. Who are we? Who do we claim ourselves to be? If we are truly in Christ Jesus, our lives will reflect a ministry of reconciliation that promotes restoration, comfort and peace amongst one another as we are in Christ.

The conclusion of 2 Corinthians is an examination of ourselves. Who are we? Who do we claim ourselves to be? If we are truly in Christ Jesus, our lives will reflect a ministry of reconciliation that promotes restoration, comfort and peace amongst one another as we are in Christ.

Thorns usually have a negative connotation. Thorny situations. Thorny relationships. Injuries in the yard from working in the garden. We usually go out of the way to protect ourselves (and those we love) from experiencing the pain and wounds that thorns often cause. But is it possible that we are supposed to embrace the thorns that God has given to us? Was Paul crazy to use the words, “boast” and “content” when sharing about his pain? Can thorns in our life really be FROM God?

Paul understood his leadership to the Corinthian church to combine both strength and weakness. What can we learn from Paul’s example as we seek to be a witness as a church today?

What defines servants of righteousness? They are followers of Jesus loyal to God alone, find their identity in Christ alone, and do all things solely for God's mission of reconciliation. Any other work that does not proclaim Jesus are liars of the gospel, promoting themselves rather reconciling people to Christ.

While there may be certain social cues that we tend to follow, these ultimately do not define our identity. Our ultimate defense and offense as believers is our spiritual character. As such, our call for reconciliation is not to be what the world commends, but what God commends.

Reconciliation enacts the spirit of generosity. It was God's generous love for us that he sent his son Jesus to die for all humankind to reconcile us back to himself. And it is this same generous love that we must live out as we reconcile with one another. Reconciliation calls us to be givers of God's love so that the world may know him and surrender under his lordship.

Wherever people are gathered, we’ll certainly hurt each other. Proving our integrity and character can prevent our reputation from shattering and restore our relationships even when going the extra mile may feel pointless. However, taking that extra step will help remove any doubts about our integrity.

If you have been on the receiving end of someone's generosity, then you will likely agree that it feels like an act of grace. However, does it seem counterintuitive that generosity is also God's grace for the giver? Join us as we study Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 where he uses examples of generosity to admonish the Corinthian church to honor their commitment to giving. And see how God's grace in generosity can release us from the shackles of the love of money and free us to love God and others.

As our comforter, God draws us into a space of repentance, lifting us up from grief and affliction towards overflowing joy. Such is a life of reconciliation.