Connect Groups Discussion
Life is better together.
IceBreaker: Answer these questions with your group…
WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG
We live in a world that hides weakness.
We filter it.
We mask it.
We compensate for it.
But the Kingdom of God does something radically different.
This Sunday we were reminded of a powerful truth:
The place you feel weakest may be the place where God’s power rests strongest.
The apostle Paul had extraordinary spiritual experiences — revelations that could have inflated his ego. But in 2 Corinthians 12, he reveals something surprising. To keep him from becoming proud, he was given what he calls a “thorn in the flesh.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”
Three times Paul asked God to remove it.
Three times heaven answered differently than he expected.
God didn’t remove the weakness.
He revealed His grace.
Strength in the Kingdom doesn’t begin with elimination... it begins with surrender.
WHEN GRACE IS THE ANSWER
Paul’s prayer wasn’t wrong.
His request wasn’t sinful.
But the answer was not removal, it was sufficiency.
“My grace is sufficient.”
Sometimes the most painful seasons of life are not the result of sin.
They are invitations into deeper dependence.
We often assume that if God loved us, He would take the discomfort away. But Scripture shows us something deeper: God does not always eliminate what humbles us. Sometimes He uses it to refine us.
2 Corinthians 12:10
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Weakness acknowledged is not failure.
It is the doorway where Christ’s power rests.
📍 Discussion Question:
What is something in your life that you have asked God to remove… but He may be asking you to trust Him within?
His request wasn’t sinful.
But the answer was not removal, it was sufficiency.
“My grace is sufficient.”
Sometimes the most painful seasons of life are not the result of sin.
They are invitations into deeper dependence.
We often assume that if God loved us, He would take the discomfort away. But Scripture shows us something deeper: God does not always eliminate what humbles us. Sometimes He uses it to refine us.
2 Corinthians 12:10
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Weakness acknowledged is not failure.
It is the doorway where Christ’s power rests.
📍 Discussion Question:
What is something in your life that you have asked God to remove… but He may be asking you to trust Him within?
GRACE FLOWS TO THE HUMBLE
The tension isn’t just weakness... it’s pride.
We want to appear strong.
We want to hold the image together.
We want to steer the ship.
But the Bible reminds us that grace flows in one direction:
James 4:6
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Humility is not self-hatred.
It is honest dependence.
The proud try to preserve the image.
The humble surrender the heart.
And then there's the promise:
James 4:10
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
God’s lifting is not public applause... It is inner stability for your life.
When humility governs the heart, grace governs the life.
📍 Discussion Question:
Where do you feel tempted to maintain an image instead of honestly depending on God?
We want to appear strong.
We want to hold the image together.
We want to steer the ship.
But the Bible reminds us that grace flows in one direction:
James 4:6
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Humility is not self-hatred.
It is honest dependence.
The proud try to preserve the image.
The humble surrender the heart.
And then there's the promise:
James 4:10
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
God’s lifting is not public applause... It is inner stability for your life.
When humility governs the heart, grace governs the life.
📍 Discussion Question:
Where do you feel tempted to maintain an image instead of honestly depending on God?
GOD DRAWS NEAR TO THE BROKEN
We often assume that brokenness pushes God away.
But Scripture says the opposite.
Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
God does not retreat from your cracks.
He draws near to them.
Like the cracked jar that watered flowers along the road, the weakness you wish away may be producing life you cannot see.
Brokenness does not disqualify you.
It positions you for intimacy with God.
Always remember... dependence is the real strength.
📍 Discussion Question:
How has a painful or weak season in your life shaped you in ways you didn’t expect?
But Scripture says the opposite.
Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
God does not retreat from your cracks.
He draws near to them.
Like the cracked jar that watered flowers along the road, the weakness you wish away may be producing life you cannot see.
Brokenness does not disqualify you.
It positions you for intimacy with God.
Always remember... dependence is the real strength.
📍 Discussion Question:
How has a painful or weak season in your life shaped you in ways you didn’t expect?
Final Thoughts & Application
The world tells us to hide our weakness.
The gospel teaches us to surrender it.
Paul didn’t say, “When I overcome my weakness, then I am strong.”
He said, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”
Strength in the Kingdom is not the absence of weakness.
It is the presence of grace.
This week, take time to:
Reflect – Identify the Thorn
What is the “thorn” in your life right now? Name it honestly before God.
Remember – Grace Is Sufficient
Memorize 2 Corinthians 12:9. Repeat it when frustration rises:
“My grace is sufficient for you.”
Act – Practice Dependence
Instead of trying to fix, force, or control something this week, intentionally surrender it in prayer. Choose trust over management.
You are not strong because you have no weakness.
You are strong because Christ’s power rests on you.
When you are weak,
He is strong.
Let’s pray.
The gospel teaches us to surrender it.
Paul didn’t say, “When I overcome my weakness, then I am strong.”
He said, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”
Strength in the Kingdom is not the absence of weakness.
It is the presence of grace.
This week, take time to:
Reflect – Identify the Thorn
What is the “thorn” in your life right now? Name it honestly before God.
Remember – Grace Is Sufficient
Memorize 2 Corinthians 12:9. Repeat it when frustration rises:
“My grace is sufficient for you.”
Act – Practice Dependence
Instead of trying to fix, force, or control something this week, intentionally surrender it in prayer. Choose trust over management.
You are not strong because you have no weakness.
You are strong because Christ’s power rests on you.
When you are weak,
He is strong.
Let’s pray.