Anyway, all right, let's get started. Our text today is going to be 2 Corinthians chapter

1 verses 7 through 9. We're making our way now through 2nd Corinthians on Sunday mornings,

chapter by chapter, verse by verse after having completed 1st Corinthians. So once find your way there, if you're able,

I'll ask you to stand. You can follow along. If not, that's all right. I'll begin reading

in verse 7, where the Apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit, writes of the Corinthian Church, and

our hope for you is firm, because we know that just

as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. We do not want you

to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province

of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired

of life itself. Indeed, verse 9, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened

that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead. Let's pray, if you would join with me. We'll ask God's

blessing on our understanding. Lord would you at this time focus our attention and

quiet our hearts and minds that we might hear you speak into our lives through

your word in that still small voice of the Holy Spirit. That's why we're here today.

We want to hear you speak. We want to hear your voice. There are so many voices that are so loud and clamor

for our attention, but it's your voice that we want to hear above all. So, Lord, will you speak?

Please, your servants are listening. In Jesus' name. Amen.

You can be seated. Thank you.

So today's teaching is going to be part three of a series I titled What Trials Produce.

I think it's becoming abundantly clear as we go through this series that the

trials God allows into our lives are always for His glory and our good. Or if you prefer

His glory and our betterment. God has a purpose in and through

...