Rooted

KINDNESS AND GENTLENESS

Pastor Hope Flask

July 5, 2026

Main Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Additional Scriptures: Galatians 5:16-18, Zephaniah 3:17, Hebrews 4:12, Colossians 3:16

POINTS:

• The world’s definition of power: stoicism, domination, independence, the ability to win every argument, and a flawless track record.

• “The third heaven” = the very presence of God.

• Kindness = the display of God’s steadfast love.

• Gentleness = strength under control.

• Grace represents God’s undeserved kindness, demonstrated through gentle action.

• Grace and weakness are married in the gospel.

• The gospel tells us that we mustn’t see our weaknesses without also seeing His grace, nor should we see His grace without seeing our weaknesses.

• Paul had a daily demonic reminder of his weakness and complete dependence on God.

• Torment means to strike sharply as with a fist.

• Paul can’t remember heaven without remembering the thorn.

• We learn from Paul that experiencing heaven without the thorn, or the thorn without heaven, is profoundly dangerous.

• Paul was given a thorn to keep him kind and gentle. Paul was also given heaven to keep him anchored in hope.

• If our hope isn’t anchored in Jesus, a thorn will continue to strike us down until we give up and begin to let the thorn define our reality.

• There was a message from satan in the thorn.

• Satan has a message in the thorn, but so does God.

• Application: Let the message of Christ, not the message of Satan, dwell among you richly.

• Kindness and gentleness are where true evangelism begins.

• The very best argument for Christianity is intimacy with God.