Grace in daily living

Grace for Daily Living

Text: 2 Corinthians 12:9–10

We are finishing our series on Grace today, we have been talking about it a fair amount lately, and i hope you have gotten a lot from it. I hope youve realised that we never graduate from grace. As a Christian, Grace is not the training wheels you start with and then discard. It’s the very air you breathe and the fuel you run on. It’s not just the front door of the Christian life—grace is the house you live in. The gospel isn’t “Jesus saves you by grace, now get busy on your own.” It’s “Jesus saves you by grace, sustains you by grace, and will carry you home by grace.”

Some things have been plastered over the news that may have impacted you all in different ways, perhaps some are sad, or indifferent or glad about them im not sure.

But I hope you understand an important truth life is fragile. Our tomorrows aren’t guaranteed.

This week, i have been seriously considering this. A 31 year old father was killed, i am a 31 year old father that hit home, the problem is however, that also other people were killed. In world wide conflicts hundreds of thousands have died. Tens of millions have died globally for one reason or another, many of them believing they had many more years then they did. Many whose names we may never know, are gasping for hope, and some never get to draw the next breath without ever accepting Jesus. However, some we do know the names of and because we do, we need to keep at the fore front of our minds this Grace we talk about

I pray We as a church never have time to peddle self‑help slogans because We have a life‑saving message to share.

So grace isn’t just a theological topic—it’s an urgent call. Until Jesus returns or calls us home, we’re going to be those people who keep repeating ourselves. Because when the stakes are this high, repetition isn’t redundant; it’s necessary.

We All Need Grace

I need you to understand that we all need grace no matter who you are:

Some of you may assume that because I’m a pastor, that i live on a spiritual mountaintop. Maybe you imagine I was born on a church altar, halo hovering over my head, perfect from day one. If that’s your picture of me, I owe you an apology. I am not that guy. I’m a broken sinner who needs grace just as much as anyone else.

To prove it, let me tell you a story, a TRUE STORY.

When I was about seven, I overheard my mum talking. She said something, and i asked her to repeat herself, she told me that when my older brother was about 6 months his lungs collapsed and eventually he stopped breathing and died. Ambulance arrived and revived him, he stopped breathing on the way to the hospital again and revived him again and survived. Any way i turned to my brother and was like that makes sense. My brother is like makes sense what do you mean?

Makes senses thats why youre so stupid!

Thats right i just heard about my brother dying for the first time, and my response was yep this is the moment. My moment to call him stupid. You see i was in need of grace from day one.

Do you want to know how i know i need grace now?

When i was reminded of this memory this week, i couldnt stop laughing, and anyone else who laugh you need grace too you heathens.

I need grace daily. If you’ve ever thought I was flawless, I’m sorry I misled you. I’m just another trophy of God’s grace.

And that brings us to our Scripture today. Paul is going to show us that grace isn’t a one‑time event; it’s an everyday reality.

Scripture Reading

Listen carefully to the Word of God:

> “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

— 2 Corinthians 12:9–10

Take a deep breath and let those words sink in. We’re going to unpack them phrase by phrase.

Context: 2 Corinthians

Imagine you planted a church, poured your heart into it for eighteen months, then moved on to plant elsewhere. Not long after, the very church you birthed goes off the rails. That’s Paul’s story. After founding the Corinthian church around A.D. 52 and staying there a year and a half, Paul left for Ephesus, only to hear that chaos had erupted. He wrote at least one earlier letter (now lost), then the letter we call 1 Corinthians, and later a tear‑filled “severe letter” delivered by Titus. Paul waited anxiously for Titus to return, fearing the worst, but Titus brought good news: the church had repented

If that were the end of the story, we’d be rejoicing. But the plot thickens. In Paul’s absence, flashy teachers swaggered into Corinth. Paul sarcastically dubbed them “super‑apostles.” They flaunted polished speeches, boasted spiritual experiences, and charged a fee, winning over many Corinthians. These “super‑apostles” belittled Paul’s unimpressive appearance and poor oratory, claiming he was weak, indecisive, and unreliable. They preached a slick, success‑driven “gospel” that demanded money and minimized suffering. Paul knew their message was no gospel at all.

So Paul writes 2 Corinthians—his most personal letter—to defend his apostleship, protect the church, and reconcile relationships. Chapters 1–7 express his relief at their repentance and his profound suffering for the gospel. He speaks of God comforting him in affliction and encourages the church to forgive the repentant offender. He describes believers as “jars of clay” carrying a treasure, underscoring that his weakness showcases God’s power. He urges holiness and warns against being yoked to unbelief. In chapters 8–9, Paul challenges them to complete a collection for the impoverished believers in Jerusalem, highlighting generosity as a sign of genuine faith. By chapter 10, the gloves come off. Paul confronts the super‑apostles head‑on, using biting irony and “foolish boasting” to expose their narcissism. He lists his hardships—not to elicit sympathy but to show that true apostleship is marked by suffering, endurance, and humble service. He refuses to play by the world’s rules of success, insisting that his authority comes from being commissioned by Christ.

This rocky backstory sets the stage for Paul’s “fool’s speech” in chapter 11, where he sarcastically “boasts” like his rivals to show their folly. He recounts beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonments, and sleepless nights. By the time we reach the end of chapter 11, Paul has turned worldly boasting on its head and has prepared us to hear his ultimate paradox in chapter 12.

Breaking Down the Text

1. God’s Grace is Sufficient

> “My grace is sufficient for you…”

Paul had just recounted a mysterious “thorn in the flesh”—some painful affliction that tormented him. He begged God three times to remove it, and the Lord said no. Instead, God said, “My grace is sufficient for you”. The Greek verb behind “is sufficient” is arkei—which means to be enough, to be content, to suffice. It literally carries the idea of “to ward off” or “to avail”—to provide what is necessary so that nothing else is needed. In other words paul was struggling physically in some sense. Paul begged God for relief. Not once. Not twice but three times however God did not give Paul relief; He gave Paul grace, and that grace was enough.

Paul understood that better than most. In Philippians 3 he described his pedigree and achievements—Hebrew of Hebrews, zealous for the law—but then declared it all as skubalon or dung compared to knowing Christ. In 2 Corinthians 11 he listed his sufferings and hardships to show that he had plenty of reasons to boast in the flesh whether as a great achiever or as someone who has suffered righteously, but he chose to boast in Christ. Paul recognised that real strength wasn’t found in his own resume; it was found in Christ’s grace. And when God said, “My grace is sufficient,” He was telling Paul, “You don’t need a change in circumstances; you need Me.”

I know many of us here today, have things going kn physcially or medically and are suffering beyond what i could even imagine. I know some of us have things going on in our familes, in our friendships and workplaces that are weighing us down, I dont always know what they are but God does and you might be praying for some relief and God is saying my grace is enough.

Many of us think grace means God fixes everything. We pray, “Lord, take this thorn away!” Sometimes He does. But sometimes He says, “I’m not going to remove the hardship; I’m going to sustain you through it.” The sufficiency of grace doesn’t mean you’ll never struggle; it means that in every struggle, God will give you what you need. God reminded Paul that as someone put it “the strength behind Paul’s ministry was not Paul’s experiences or abilities, nor was it the absence of difficulty”. God’s grace is not just saving grace; it’s sustaining grace. It empowers us to face difficult marriages, chronic illnesses, financial stress, or grief with a supernatural calm. Grace is not a quick fix; it’s a constant supply.

So when you feel overwhelmed, remember: His grace isn’t just barely enough—it’s more than enough. It wards off despair and fills you with the power to endure. You can face your thorn because the God who saved you is the God who sustains you and the one who will wipe away every tear.

2. God’s Power is Perfect in Weakness

> “…for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

The next phrase explains why grace is enough. God says His power (dunamis)—the Greek word meaning force, miraculous power, might—is made perfect (teleioo) in weakness. Teleioo means to complete, to accomplish, to bring to maturity. God’s power isn’t incomplete; rather, it reaches its intended goal when displayed against the backdrop of human weakness.

This is the great paradox of Christianity: strength through weakness. Think about light: you don’t notice a flashlight at noon, but in the pitch black of midnight, its beam is piercing. So overwhelming bright you can hardly look at it. In the same way, God’s power is so abundently obvious when our weakness is most evident. That’s why Paul says in chapter 4 that “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Cor 4:7). Our human frailty—the jar of clay—is the perfect stage for God’s glory.

Paul’s “thorn” drove him to his knees and exposed his inadequacy. Every time he felt its sting, he was reminded that he wasn’t self‑sufficient. And every time God’s grace sustained him, God’s power was put on display. As one commentary notes, Paul’s ability to survive incredibly difficult times “was due to God’s grace… When we are weak, God’s strength is even more evident”. In other words, your weakness is not a liability; it’s a showcase for God’s power.

Application: We often hide our weaknesses because we think they disqualify us. But God says the opposite. Instead of glossing over your struggles, bring them into the light. Let others see how God is carrying you. When you’re honest about your depression, your addiction, your anxiety, your fatigue, and how Christ still moves in and through you, sanctifying you and sustaining you. people don’t say, “Wow, she’s so strong.” They say, “Wow, her God is strong.” That’s the point. Your weakness is not a barrier to God’s power; it’s the stage on which is most evidently on display to our human perceiption.

3. Boasting in Weakness

> “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Because God’s power is perfected in weakness, Paul draws a shocking conclusion: he boasts in his weaknesses. The Greek word for “boast” (kauchēsomai) means to glory in or rejoice in. Paul redefines boasting. In the Corinthian culture, boasting was all about achievements—speaking skills, spiritual gifts, letters of recommendation. Paul turns it on its head: “If I’m going to brag, I’ll brag about being weak.” Why? Because when he highlights his weakness, he highlights Christ’s strength.

He is saying I will proclaim my testimony! Ill proclaim where God has transformed me time and again and sustained me time and again and how I have confidence that He will do it again and again.

Paul’s motive wasn’t self‑deprecation; it was God‑exaltation. In context, Paul was defending his apostleship against “super‑apostles” who flaunted their credentials. He reluctantly listed his hardships and visions but emphasised that he would “boast in the things that show [his] weakness”. He knew that drawing attention to himself would misdirect people, like John the Baptist, Paul could say, “He must become greater; I must become less.”

There’s another beautiful Greek word in this verse: episkēnōsē—translated “rest on me.” It literally means “to pitch a tent over”. The idea is that when Paul boasted in his weakness, Christ’s power would “pitch its tent” over him—cover him like a tabernacle. God’s glory dwelled in the tabernacle in the wilderness; now, Christ’s power dwells in the weakness of His people.

Application: What do you normally boast in? Your job title? Your degree? Your bank account? Your kids’ achievements? Paul challenges us to a counter‑cultural bragging: brag about your battle with cancer and how God carried you through. Brag about your anxiety and how God gave you peace. Brag about your failures and how God’s mercy met you there. Boast in the Grace that you experience every day, that Grace that gets your through the day. When we boast in our weakness, the power of Christ pitches its tent over us and people see Him, not us.

4. Content with Hardship for Christ’s Sake

> “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.”

Paul doesn’t merely accept hardship; he delights in it—for Christ’s sake. Why would anyone delight in weakness or insults? Because Paul saw purpose in his pain. He knew that difficulties drove him deeper into Christ and made him more reliant on grace.

For those of you with a thorn today, I need you to know that God can use your pain, whether it be to draw you to Him or as a way to display to others his great Love that he wants them too.

But it doesnt end there, if you have accepted the grace of Christ your thorn will be removed. It may be soon, it may take a while but it will be removed. It might even take getting to the otherside where eternity with Jesus waits but he will heal you, he will mend your broken heartedness and you will be sustained.

So please Notice the list: weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, difficulties. Paul isn’t masochistic; he doesn’t enjoy pain for pain’s sake. He delights in these things for Christ’s sake—because they connect him to Christ. They teach him to rely on Jesus, not himself. They strip away the illusion of control and drive him to prayer.

we, too, can show gratitude for our weaknesses. The beauty of weakness lies not in the weakness itself but in how God’s power shines through it. Even our unanswered prayers can become windows into God’s grace. Sometimes God says no because He loves us. He knows that giving us everything we want would make us self‑reliant and perhaps even reject his grace. His “no” is often an invitation to deeper dependence.

Illustration: Consider the story of Joni Eareckson Tada She became a quadriplegic after a diving accident at 17. For decades she has lived with daily physical weakness. Yet she has testified repeatedly that her wheelchair has been a platform for the gospel. She has said, “I’d rather be in this wheelchair knowing Jesus than on my feet without Him.” She delights in her weakness because Christ’s power rests on her.

Application: Can we learn to say, "Lord, give me the Grace i need today or the grace to face this thorn?" When you face insults for your faith, can you see it as fellowship with Christ? When you endure hardship, can you trust that God’s grace will meet you there? Contentment isn’t complacency—it’s confidence that God is at work even in your suffering. We don’t have to seek out persecution, but when it comes, we can rejoice because we know it’s doing something in us and through us.

5. When I Am Weak, Then I Am Strong

> “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

This is the paradox of the gospel. Paul sums up everything he’s said: true strength isn’t self‑reliance; it’s Spirit‑reliance. Human weakness and divine strength coexist in the believer. The more aware you are of your weakness, the more you lean on God, and the stronger you actually become.

Paul was addressing a church besieged by “super‑apostles” who bragged about their pedigree. Paul counters by highlighting his sufferings and weaknesses. He tells of a thorn that God refused to remove. Then he declares this paradox. We all have limitations—illness, shyness, poverty—and that we tend to hide them. Paul offers an alternative: show gratitude for your weaknesses because God’s power shines through them. He reminds us that sometimes God answers prayers with a “no”. That “no” is not abandonment; it’s formation. God isn’t a cosmic genie; He’s a Father shaping us.

When Paul says, “when I am weak, then I am strong,” he isn’t engaging in wordplay. He’s testifying to a lived experience: in his weakest moments—beaten, stoned, imprisoned, sleepless, anxious for the churches—God’s power carried him. Therefore, he can call himself strong because Christ is his strength.

Application: This paradox has daily implications. True Christian strength does not look like stoicism or never admitting you’re struggling. It looks like humility, prayer, and dependence. It looks like saying, “I can’t do this, Lord, but You can.” It looks like getting to the end of yourself and finding that underneath are the everlasting arms. When you face something beyond your capacity, remember: your weakness is not final. In Christ, weakness becomes the doorway to strength. He will be strong in you.

Conclusion: Why Grace Matters Today

Grace is why every day matters. Grace is what sustains us in weakness. We’ve seen that God’s grace is sufficient, His power is perfect in weakness, we can boast in our weakness, we can find contentment in hardship, and we discover strength in our weakness. These aren’t abstract theological points; they are truths meant for daily living.

So let me challenge you:

If you don’t know Christ: Don’t wait. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. A 31‑year‑old man went to an event and never came home. None of us knows how many breaths we have left. Without the grace of God, we are lost. But His grace is sufficient to save you, sustain you, and transform you. Repent of your sin and trust in Jesus today. Receive the grace that Jesus purchased for you at the cross.

If you do know Christ: Live in His grace daily. Don’t treat grace as a past event; treat it as your present reality. When you feel weak, remember that grace is available. When God doesn’t answer your prayer the way you want, trust that His grace is enough. Share this grace boldly with others. People around us are suffocating without hope. Let’s be those who point them to the oxygen of God’s grace.

Grace is not just theology; it’s life support. It’s the reason we can face fragile tomorrows with confidence. It’s the reason we can look at our weaknesses and say, “This is where Jesus shines.” And it’s the reason we will keep talking about grace until we stand before the throne and no longer need faith.