Why does life hurt so much? What's the purpose of our pain?

In Romans chapter 8, Paul provides a startling answer to these questions.

Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindall, speaking through his own illness and a raspy voice, reveals

the profound connection between pain and spiritual maturity.

In this passage, we'll discover why suffering isn't God's cruelty.

It's his curriculum.

Here's the raw truth.

God uses occasional hammer blows to shape us into his image and by doing so our groaning has a glorious purpose

Chuck called his message glorying and groaning

There is groaning in this life, but there is glory to come.

The glorying will be so magnificent, it will eclipse the pain of all the groaning.

Groaning.

The old earth groans, and it groans every time there's a tidal wave. It groans every time there's an explosion of a volcano.

Grones every time there's a fire that sweeps across it.

Grones every time the thistles overtake the plants.

There's groaning in this earth.

See, it hasn't always been groaning. It began to groan when the curse happened.

Began to grow then. Look at 19. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly.

It's the idea of standing on tiptoe and craning the neck waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

So let me give you the first of four statements here.

First, groaning is temporary.

That's verse 19.

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