Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:06] Speaker B: Welcome to the Weekday podcast of Sugar Hill Church where we desire to help you know God and discover your purpose, whether you're exercising, driving, meditating, or just hanging out while you tune in with us today. Thanks. We hope these next five minutes help you feel encouraged and inspired for your day.
[00:00:22] Speaker A: Hi everybody and thanks so much for joining me on today's weekday podcast. You know what? I record these things, but they're always about something that is happening in my reading and in the Scriptures. So this morning I read Second Corinthians, chapter 4, verses 7 through 9. Let me share it with you. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, Persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. There is beauty, my friend, in our crushed clay pots. In the ancient near east, clay jars were used to store somebody's wealth. When they saved for something costly like a field, they would bury the clay pots with the coins inside. And these clay pots were commonplace. They had little value, but they were made to hold a treasure. This is the comparison Paul uses to describe us. Unlike a gold treasure chest adorned with jewels, clay pots are plain and they're simple. Well, like them, we aren't really outstanding, are we? I mean, I looked in the mirror this morning and thought there's definitely nothing outstanding there. It's the treasure inside that gives us worth. And when I see the treasure that God is building inside, I am reminded that that treasure is God Himself.
Hard pressed. That's the way God expects us to live. He never promised our lives would be easy. In fact, we're guaranteed trials. We don't even get to choose which trials. I think it's interesting because a lot of pots break under pressure, but not us. In fact, he uses our hardships to show others we are different and to show Himself through us. God, my friend, wants to show Himself to the world through a different attitude and a different way of reacting to suffering. Other folks who see us hard pressed going through trials yet not breaking can see we have a superhuman strength in an atmosphere of great pressure. We're still holding on to our joy and peace. We show others good that comes out of suffering. I love this because Jesus abandoned His place in heaven and came to earth as a clay jar. He was crushed for our transgressions, hard pressed on the cross, felt the physical pain from beatings and the emotional pain of rejection. He was willing to lose his life and trusted God not only to bring it back but to bring about something significant from his suffering. God came through my friend. Jesus. Death and resurrection were so significant that we're still astounded by him 2000 plus years later. But the power wasn't the clay jar. The power was his message. Today my friend, recognize the beauty of what's inside your clay jar. The power of God Himself. God bless you my friend and thanks so much for joining me on today's weekday podcast.
[00:03:35] Speaker B: Thanks so much for joining us today for the weekday podcast. Our prayer is that the encouragement you just heard would help you live more like Jesus today. We would love to see you at Sugar Hill Church for one of our gatherings each Sunday at 9, 30 and 11 and we're always streaming live at Live Sugarhill Church. Thanks again for joining us today. As always, if today's message encouraged you, share it with friends and family by tapping the share button. Have an awesome.
