Pastor Dana Coyle
"The Hidden Smile of God"
Length Approximately: 00:40:50
Philippians 1:27-30
Suffering is a miserable thing. We hate it, and consider it a curse. But the Scriptures call upon us to see it in a positive light. "It has been granted to you...to suffer for Him..." Suffering, just like saving faith, is birthed out of God's grace. But it's not that suffering has intrinsic value (good for it's own sake, an end in and of itself). Rather, it has productive value because of what God can produce in us through it. Paul tells us that when Christians suffer well, the greatness and beauty of Christ and His Kingdom is revealed...it's a means whereby God communicates Himself to the world.