2 Corinthians 4

6 For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.
9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
17 For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Power Over Problems

• Paul overcame - text
• David - Acts 13:36 "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation..."
• A man's strength is not measured by what he can pick up, but what it takes to knock him down.

Five Prevailing Principles

• God is too powerful to fail - v.7,9
• Our goal is to glorify God - v.10
• Problems are not permanent - v.17
• Due season always comes - v.17
• God's perspective is better than our perception - v.18

Living Life With Purpose

• You are not a problem to be solved
• When you live your life with purpose, you are a part of the solution