Sabbath School Lesson 9 Summary – Love-driven Ministry | Q3 2026

SPEAKER A 00:00:00 - 00:01:14 Hello, I'm Kaysie Vokurka. Welcome to Let God Speak. The Christian life is not lived on mountaintops alone. It's often forged in hardship, disappointment, misunderstanding, and even heartbreak. The Apostle Paul experienced all these things, yet through them he learned how to love God's people with a Christlike love. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul reveals a ministry driven by compassion, integrity, Forgiveness and faithfulness. In our Sabbath School lesson discussion today, we will discover principles that guide Christlike ministry, including how God can use our struggles to make us a fragrance of hope and grace to those around us. On our panel today, we have Lena Yoon and John Kosmeier. Welcome to the program. SPEAKER B 00:01:14 - 00:01:15 Thank you. SPEAKER C 00:01:15 - 00:01:15 Thank you. SPEAKER A 00:01:16 - 00:02:48 Let's begin with opening with a word of prayer. Gracious Heavenly Father, we just want to pause to ask for your presence to be with us. We have come to learn from your word about love-driven ministry, and we pray that your Holy Spirit will teach us how we can apply this in our individual lives. And so we look forward to what we can learn today from your word. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, Paul's relationship with the Corinthians church was not always easy. He experienced anxiety, disappointment, criticism, and misunderstanding. Yet throughout every challenge, his love for the believers remained steadfast because it reflected the love of Jesus. As we examine 2 Corinthians chapters 1 and 2, we'll see how God comforts his children, teaches them to trust him, restores broken relationships, and leads them in triumph through Christ. So let's begin, and we're going to look at 2 Corinthians Chapter 1 and verse 3 and 4 to start with, which says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. So, Leanah, why does Paul begin with praising God? SPEAKER B 00:02:48 - 00:03:32 It's because Paul himself had personally experienced God's comfort in his suffering and his tribulation. And obviously in verse 13 here actually says, blessed be the God of— be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And also he actually starting with blessing God. What it means is that when we bless God, it doesn't mean that, you know, we cannot actually give anything back to God, but actually, you know, we acknowledge the fact that God is a giver of salutary things and stuff. So, and also the other thing here is that Paul emphasized on the mercy of God. SPEAKER A 00:03:32 - 00:03:32 Hmm. SPEAKER B 00:03:32 - 00:04:21 And, you know, it's not just a doctrine and such, but it is a living reality that actually Paul had to learn himself from his experiences. And also, the other thing here is in verse 4, it says, actually, who comforts us in all our tribulation. And so, in other words, God wants us to comfort others as well, because just as He comforts us, you know, during hard times and hardships. And so now we're going to go and look at Isaiah, chapter 66, verse 13. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you, and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. This is a great promise of God. SPEAKER A 00:04:21 - 00:04:44 Beautiful. It's a different picture, isn't it, of God's comfort that complements what He said in those verses there. So, that's really beautiful. So, let's continue reading. Well, actually, we did read just verse 4 then, But what we want to know, John, is why does God especially comfort us in our trials? SPEAKER C 00:04:44 - 00:05:45 When you turn to the book that Paul wrote called Galatians, in chapter 6 and verse 2, and I'm reading from the New King James Version, he makes it very plain, bear one another's burdens. So fulfill the law of Christ. Now, the law of Christ was love. And we fulfill that law when we share our comforts with others who are also suffering the difficulties that they have in life. And God never intended that the comfort that He gives to us was to stay with us. But He uses the problems that we go through and the comfort that we find It becomes a ministry where we help other people to do this. And so God is very much a part of a love-driven ministry. SPEAKER A 00:05:45 - 00:06:15 Yes. Yeah. And that's interesting because it really highlights that He doesn't want that comfort to become like a stagnant pool in one spot. You know, He wants us to receive and share and spread it around. So we are all blessed by that. And it's interesting because Paul Paul suffered greatly in his ministry. You can pick up on that all through the letters that he wrote, the details. But Lean, I'm wondering, what can we learn from his example about enduring hardship? SPEAKER B 00:06:15 - 00:06:54 So actually, there's lots of lessons that we can learn from his experiences alone. And so being a Christian doesn't exempt us from affliction. We must remember that. Also, Paul teaches that suffering does not mean that God has abandoned us and such, and He still cares for us. But actually, through these trials, we can actually learn bigger things, you know, like we can actually deepen our faith, and we can actually be dependent more fully on God. SPEAKER A 00:06:54 - 00:06:54 Amen. SPEAKER B 00:06:55 - 00:07:35 upon the Lord. And so, basically, through these great tribulations and persecutions, God wants us to develop our character, which is very important for our salvation, as we all know, and also spiritual maturity. So, we're going to go to the Psalms, chapter 34, verse 19. Here, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. So, that's another great promise that we should remember when we go through difficult times in our lives. SPEAKER A 00:07:35 - 00:08:00 And I really like the point you made about how God doesn't abandon us in trouble, because sometimes it can feel— we can feel really abandoned when you have all these things happening to us. But Paul's really wanting us to know that, no, He's with us even in the tough stuff. And that's just such a reassurance. So, John, tell us more about how suffering can actually strengthen our relationship with God. SPEAKER C 00:08:00 - 00:08:23 When you go to the book of James chapter 4 and verse 8, it opens it up a little further for us. It says, draw near to God and He will draw near to you. And so when we have problems, All of a sudden we need God. SPEAKER B 00:08:23 - 00:08:23 Hmm. SPEAKER C 00:08:23 - 00:08:52 You see, when things are going well, who needs God? But when you get into trouble, you turn to God and then He comforts us. And then He says, cleanse your hands, you sinners. When we go to God, we need to watch what we do because that's what it means to cleanse our hands. Because that's what we work with. And then it goes a step further and says, purify your heart. SPEAKER A 00:08:52 - 00:08:52 Hmm. SPEAKER C 00:08:52 - 00:09:28 You double-minded. Here the heart is connected to the mind. And so, God gives us the task of coming closer to Him. And then when we look back on what has happened, we find that the periods of real trouble and strife In which God gave us comfort, we realize that this helps us grow in the Christianity God has put into our hearts. And so don't complain too much about what God does. SPEAKER A 00:09:28 - 00:09:34 He brings a lot of good out of these difficult times, doesn't He? Which is an amazing thing. SPEAKER C 00:09:34 - 00:09:36 But Lord, make all of our suffering little ones. SPEAKER A 00:09:36 - 00:09:58 Yes, absolutely. Well, let's have a read in 2 Corinthians Chapter 1 still, but verse 8 and 9, Paul tells about some of his experience and he says, for we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. SPEAKER B 00:09:58 - 00:09:58 Wow. SPEAKER A 00:10:00 - 00:10:21 Then it says, yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. So, he had quite an experience there. He was burdened beyond measure, and he— what does it say? He had to learn not to trust in himself. So, what is he teaching us here, Lina? SPEAKER B 00:10:21 - 00:10:39 Yes, he is teaching us a lot of things. And basically, you know, he, as you described, you know, he was pressured beyond or out of measure. It actually— it just doesn't talk about suffering itself, but the intensity of the sufferings. SPEAKER C 00:10:39 - 00:10:39 Mm-hmm. SPEAKER B 00:10:39 - 00:12:19 You know, we can, because, you know, we know what he had to go through. You know, in this context, we might think, you know, the tumult raised by Demetrius in Ephesus and also, you know, the plot of the Jews to kill him and deadly sickness and, you know, the contention and also stress, you know, over the Corinthian people and, you know, misunderstanding and such. Just millions of problems that he had to go through. And but, you know, he actually, what he had to learn was that God, you know, human strength has limits, but God does not have any. Right. And therefore, all, you know, his trials taught him to be completely dependent upon God and not to trust in himself. We know that he was highly educated and intelligent, but he had to learn from his own experiences like that. And but, you know, whether we like it or not, as John mentioned, Hmm. But, you know, trials are necessary for us, actually, for our own development, our character and spiritual maturity, and also actually to have more, you know, deeper faith in God. So, now we're going to go to Proverbs, chapter 3, verse 5. Here it says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. So, leaning not on Your own understanding does not mean that we should not use our reasoning or intelligence and such, but it actually means that intelligence is still necessary to be able to discern what the will of God is. Then we follow His directions. That's what it means. SPEAKER A 00:12:19 - 00:13:16 Well, thank you for really fleshing that out for us in that verse there. And there's just so much to learn on this topic of how we can grow through suffering. Now I'm going to move along a little bit now and we're going to look at 2 Corinthians 1:12. And this one says the following, it says, For our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom But with the grace of God and more abundantly toward you. Now, this is for you, John. We are talking now about ministry, and Paul is saying that about the importance of ministering with simplicity and with godly sincerity. Can you share with us why this is important? SPEAKER C 00:13:16 - 00:13:22 It's important because it helps us to understand what's happening. SPEAKER A 00:13:22 - 00:13:22 Hmm. SPEAKER C 00:13:22 - 00:13:31 And there we find that he was grateful to the Corinthians because they prayed for Paul. SPEAKER B 00:13:31 - 00:13:32 Yes. SPEAKER C 00:13:32 - 00:14:02 And what a blessing it is when somebody else prays for you. It's part of this love ministry that we're learning about. And here in the Book of James, Chapter 5 and verse 16. It says, confess your trespasses to one another. When you hurt somebody, then say to them, look, I'm sorry. You know, this has happened. And then you pray together. SPEAKER B 00:14:02 - 00:14:03 Mm-hmm. SPEAKER C 00:14:03 - 00:14:19 And then it goes on and it says, confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man. SPEAKER A 00:14:19 - 00:14:20 Hmm. SPEAKER C 00:14:20 - 00:14:22 In this case, person. SPEAKER A 00:14:22 - 00:14:22 Hmm. SPEAKER C 00:14:22 - 00:14:50 It avails much. And this is where prayer is part of a ministry that we have that unites the believers together. And what a blessing that is, that you no longer have a burden of your own and a problem of your own. But you can share it with people and then they help you just like you help them. And then together you pray to God because that's the way we communicate with God. SPEAKER A 00:14:50 - 00:15:27 Hmm. Yeah. So really, prayer is part of this sincere ministry as we are genuinely looking out for one another. And yeah, this is quite an important part. And of course, Paul's motives in ministry was very much about this sincerity. And, um, and, um, yeah, part of that is, is a very strong value for all of us to share between one another. So we're moving along. So now, Lina, we're wanting to talk about Christian integrity. So what does Christian integrity look like in practical terms? SPEAKER B 00:15:27 - 00:16:03 Okay, so let me define the definition, you know, the, the meaning of integrity. As per Cambridge Dictionary, integrity means it's the quality of being consistent, honest, and also having strong moral principles that you refuse to change. That's what it means. And also it has a quality of being obviously honest, consistent, and trustworthy. And so it actually means, you know, our public life and private life match. They do agree with each other. SPEAKER A 00:16:03 - 00:16:04 Consistency. SPEAKER B 00:16:04 - 00:16:39 That's right, consistency. So, that's really important because when non-Christians see us, our lives, they can see that we are different. There's something about us which is very important. In itself is just personal testimony and witness. And also it builds confidence and strengthens relationships, therefore. And now we're gonna go to Proverbs 10:9. Here it says, he who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known. SPEAKER A 00:16:39 - 00:17:05 Hmm, short and to the point, but it says a lot, doesn't it, that proverb? That's really good to share. So, okay, this one's for you, John. Paul's motives were questioned by some in Corinth. They were not sure about his sincerity, as we were kind of talking about this before. So how should believers respond when their sincere intentions are misunderstood? SPEAKER C 00:17:05 - 00:17:44 This is what Paul did. He had history. He didn't always treat Christians nicely. In fact, some of them he even put into prison and their end. Well, sorry. And this is where Paul had to show to other people that his intentions and his integrity was intact and that he was doing sincerely. And this is where, when we help others in this ministry of love, that we make sure that we ourselves are genuine. And as a result, we can then have an effective ministry because we trust people, they trust us. SPEAKER A 00:17:44 - 00:18:03 Yeah, yeah, it's really important, isn't it? As you say, that word trust is a key word which we need to be building in any kind of Ministry environment. What if this is a different kind of question for you, Lena? Why is flexibility important in Christian ministry? I know Paul's experience, he had to be flexible with so many situations. SPEAKER B 00:18:03 - 00:18:03 That's right. SPEAKER A 00:18:03 - 00:18:04 Tell us about that. SPEAKER B 00:18:04 - 00:18:28 Yeah, so he, as you mentioned, he had to be very flexible, and we know that from one of the examples that Paul changed his travel plans because circumstances around him changed, and he did not actually go back to Corinth as he planned, you know, at least not immediately, and because his latest visit, you know, didn't go well there. SPEAKER A 00:18:28 - 00:18:29 Um hmm. SPEAKER B 00:18:29 - 00:19:06 So instead, he actually returned to Ephesus and wrote a letter to them, and because, you know, he would rather send a letter than risk, you know, with his another visit. And so just Because, you know, likewise, effective ministry sometimes requires flexibility. You know, for some people, even for me, it can be quite uncomfortable. But, you know, but, you know, we, you know, and also we have to remain faithful to God as well and His plans. And we also have to ask God, not only we just make our own assumptions and make our own decisions, but based on our prayers. SPEAKER A 00:19:06 - 00:19:07 Hmm. SPEAKER B 00:19:07 - 00:19:13 That's really important. And also flexibility helps us to respond wisely to people's needs. SPEAKER A 00:19:13 - 00:19:14 Yes. SPEAKER B 00:19:14 - 00:19:15 Yeah, so true. SPEAKER A 00:19:16 - 00:19:52 Yeah. Thank you for sharing those thoughts. Now there's a very interesting verse in 2 Corinthians chapter 1, and it's in verse 20. It says, for all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him amen, to the glory of God through us. Now what does Paul mean by this, John? What does he mean when he says all the promises are yes This is where what is said in the Psalms is very true. Mmm. SPEAKER C 00:19:52 - 00:20:26 Psalms 37:5, where it says, commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. And this is where if we respond with a positive, with a loving and a caring attitude, then we find that just like Christ was misunderstood, we will be too. But our reaction should be the same as what Christ was and that we trust in Him and we follow the way in which He dealt with this question. SPEAKER A 00:20:26 - 00:20:58 Hmm. Nice. Thank you for sharing that. And of course, when we're thinking about, I mean, you brought up one of His One of the promises in God's Word, which He's faithful to. And so, I guess when we have promises like that, being— when we can claim them through Christ, we can claim them with assurance, can't we, that those promises are, you know, God is going to give them to us with a certainty. So, that's a real blessing. How does God's— confidence in God's promises such as this help us during difficult times, Leena? SPEAKER B 00:20:58 - 00:21:24 Immensely. I mean, there's no doubt about God's promises because God never changes. God remains always faithful to us, even though we cannot be faithful at times. And so, God's promises give us great hope that whatever happens around us, we can get through, because, as we already discussed, we have limited strength. SPEAKER A 00:21:24 - 00:21:24 Yes. SPEAKER B 00:21:24 - 00:21:47 But God has, you know, just, you know, the power, ultimate power and strength that He can give us. So, what we need to do, just, you know, we have to have trust in Him and, you know, hold on to Him and His promises and keep going and moving forward. That's what we need to do. So, that is why in our lives, you know, life itself is very difficult. SPEAKER A 00:21:47 - 00:21:49 Is that right? Yes. SPEAKER B 00:21:49 - 00:21:56 So, that's where we need to actually believe in God's promises 100%. And, and, you know, go from there. SPEAKER A 00:21:57 - 00:22:09 Yeah, yeah, for sure. Now, John, Paul makes quite a bit of emphasis on God's faithfulness in his— all of what his writings are. SPEAKER C 00:22:10 - 00:22:10 Why? SPEAKER A 00:22:11 - 00:22:14 Why does he emphasize this so much? Tell us about that. SPEAKER C 00:22:14 - 00:22:23 Paul lived in New Testament times making the New Testament, and he learned how God is In the Old Testament. And so we go back to Numbers. SPEAKER A 00:22:23 - 00:22:25 Mm-hmm. SPEAKER C 00:22:25 - 00:22:46 Chapter 23 and verse 19. And remember that in the Old Testament, things were very, very difficult. And here the question is asked, God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should repent. He is totally faithful. SPEAKER A 00:22:47 - 00:22:47 Hmm. SPEAKER C 00:22:47 - 00:23:03 He's God. And this is the way God behaves. He has, has He said and will not do? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good? The answer to those 2 questions is no. SPEAKER A 00:23:03 - 00:23:04 Hmm. SPEAKER C 00:23:04 - 00:23:09 Because God is good and He does things that are right. Hmm. SPEAKER A 00:23:09 - 00:23:15 Beautiful. I love that. Yeah. That we can put our trust in God because of who He is. SPEAKER C 00:23:15 - 00:23:16 Yes. SPEAKER A 00:23:16 - 00:23:44 That's really powerful. Well, we're going to move into chapter 2 now of 2 Corinthians, and we're going to look at verse 4. And it says, for out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you. So tell us about this, Selina. What does it reveal about true Christian leadership? the sentiments that are expressed in this verse? SPEAKER B 00:23:44 - 00:24:17 So, here Paul actually demonstrated stern reproof and discipline, but not in anger, but in sorrow. And just like, you know, it reminds me of Christ when He wept and when He actually yearned for His people in Matthew, chapter 23. And so, reproof or discipline has to must not be done in harshness but with great tenderness and compassion. So, that's really important actually for true Christian leadership. SPEAKER A 00:24:17 - 00:24:17 Yes. SPEAKER B 00:24:17 - 00:24:44 So, true leaders actually care deeply for the people they serve. They should have this mindset of serving, not being served or controlling over people. And every correction is to be motivated by love and concern rather than pride or control. And here we can see that Paul truly showed the sincerity of his heart through his tears. SPEAKER A 00:24:44 - 00:24:52 Beautiful. Now, John, why is loving correction sometimes necessary in a church environment? SPEAKER C 00:24:52 - 00:25:23 Because God is what He is, and we are what we are, and this is where God Treats us that way in order to make us more like Him so that our ministry can be more like His ministry when we deal with others. And so, God is faithful. And Paul's ministry, he demonstrated the reliability of what he was doing. What a blessing. SPEAKER A 00:25:23 - 00:25:31 Yeah, absolutely. And I guess, Yeah, as you alluded there, growth is something we all need. SPEAKER C 00:25:31 - 00:25:32 Yes. SPEAKER A 00:25:32 - 00:25:58 And whether it's us as leaders or whether it's the people we are serving, all of us have room to learn and grow, and correction can be a part of that. So, that's a really key thing. Well, we're going to move along now to talk about the fragrance of Christ, which is something which is written here in 2 Corinthians 2, And tell us, Lean, what does that mean? SPEAKER B 00:25:58 - 00:27:01 Okay, so fragrance in the King James Version, actually, it's sweet savor. So, 2 words there, and it means sweet smell. And it applied not only to things but persons who are pleasing to God. It also reminds me of the scene of burning incense in the sanctuary or tabernacle. And so, You know, our lives should reveal the character of Christ, you know, just like a fragrance. And so, just like fragrance diffuses everywhere, wherever we go, we should actually reveal our, you know, character, refined character through our words and actions. And, you know, and we're going to go and read 2 Corinthians 2:14-15. And here it says, It says, now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and through us diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. SPEAKER A 00:27:01 - 00:28:00 Beautiful. Yeah, what a blessing, you know, to be like a beautiful fragrance to those around us in our ministry for Christ. Thank you for sharing that, Lean. Christian ministry is driven by love. Paul's life teaches us that suffering can become a source of comfort for others. Integrity builds trust, forgiveness restores relationships, and God's promises never fail. Most importantly, we have learned that every believer is called to be the fragrance of Christ in a world searching for hope. As you go through this week, ask God to fill your heart with his love So that others may see Jesus in you. Thank you for joining us on Let God Speak. All past programs and teacher's notes are on our website, 3abnaustralia.org.au. Email us on [email protected]. Tell your friends about the program. And until next time, let God speak to your heart through His Word. SPEAKER B 00:28:07 - 00:28:31 You have been listening to Let God Speak, a production of 3ABN Australia Television. To catch up on past programs, please visit 3abnaustralia.org.au. Call us in Australia on 02 4973 3456 or email [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you.