lubumba pastors blog

In 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Paul makes this surprising, and perhaps ridiculously sounding, statement that the affliction we are passing through is simply light and momentary. This came from a man who experienced imprisonment, beatings, whippings, and even being stoned and left for dead. How could such a person then say afflictions in life are "light and momentary?" Find out in another epis...

In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul describes the Christian life with terms such as "affliction, persecution," and being "struck down." But when he reaches V16, he says "So we do not lose heart." We are prompted by an obvious question - "How can we not lose heart in the face of such difficulties?" And perhaps further, "Why shouldn't we lose heart?" In tod...

2 Corinthians 4:10 tells us that believers "always carry in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies." Why is suffering an essential part of Christian witness? What does suffering well say about the hope believers have in Christ? Is this a hope you share? Consider these things and more in another episode of transforming our thinking thro...

In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul describes believers as possessing God's power in "jars of clay." How do we typically measure people in life? When we are considering someone for an important position, what skills/attributes do we look for? Does God have the same perspective? Does he save and use the people whom he notices are extremely gifted? Find out in another episode of transforming ou...

2 Corinthians 4:3-6 describes how Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers to keep them from believing the gospel. It also states that the reason believers know Christ is because God has shone in our hearts. This leads some people to ask, "how then can a person be blamed for his response to God's truth?" The concepts of God being the author and finisher of salvation and man's respon...

In 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, the Apostle Paul makes another contrast between true and false ministers of the gospel. How do false teachers handle the word of God? In their exposition, what comes out as their motivation for the truths they proclaim? How do these details help us discern between true and false ministers? Consider these questions in another episode of transforming our thinking through the...

Can people change themselves? We know from life experience that we, and most other people, have ways we would like to change or improve ourselves. When do you see successful change or improvement happening in a person? What does this teach us about spiritual transformation? Is it possible for a sinner to conform to God's commands merely by being knowledgeable about God's commands? Consider...

In 2 Corinthians 3:17, the Apostle Paul tells us that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. What type of freedom is Paul referring to? Does he mean that since we are no longer under the law, Christians are free to create their own version of a religious life? Does it mean Christians don't have to worry about keeping commands like the law required? Consider these questions and more...

Recorded for Impact Radio Uganda broadcast on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

How much control does a person have over his or her thinking? Where do our thoughts come from? Are there any external and internal sources that influence our thinking? These are important questions for Christians to consider. In this episode, we consider the Bible's instructions for us to carefully consider God's Word so that its control over our thinking is supreme.

An ironic tendency people have is to try to add works from the old covenant (the covenant of the law) into the work of Christ as a necessary part of "receiving the grace of Christ." This is obviously paradoxical reasoning that leads to inconsistent soteriology. In 2 Corinthians 3, the Apostle Paul makes several powerful statements about the "ministry of righteousness" compared...

What is the meaning of the word covenant? Most Christians have a basic understanding of "the old and new covenants," but many are unaware of the significance of the term's meaning and the purpose the Bible states for why God allowed Israel to first fail under the old covenant before establishing the new. In 2 Corinthians 3:6, Paul makes a statement contrasting the results of each of...

The responsibility of new covenant ministry should be a somewhat daunting task for believers. We have been entrusted with what scripture calls "the ministry of reconciliation." The object of our ministry? The thing the Bible says is the most valuable of all creation, the souls of our fellow people. As Paul asks, "Who is sufficient for these things?" What's the answer to tha...

In the beginning of 2 Corinthians 3, the Apostle Paul asks the church whether he needs a "letter of recommendation" to them, as if his credentials had somehow been called into question. He then goes on to tell them what his true letter of recommendation was. How does this help us with discerning which people are truly serving the Lord and have been qualified to do so by God and not men?...

The past several years have given us strong reminders of what Jesus predicted would come in the course of human history. In the midst of various cultural and political conversations and turmoil, what should anchor a Christian's perspective in how they engage with things like injustice, corrupt morality, law-breaking, and other ongoing parts of reality in a fallen world? What is the primary nee...

Some of the primary content in 2 Corinthians is the descriptions and contrasts between supposed ministers of God and true ministers of God. How can we recognize false servants and those who truly serve the Lord? 2 Corinthians 2:17 gives us several phrases that help us begin to consider this topic, which will be expanded on as we continue through this letter. Consider these things and more in anoth...

Many Christians desire to simply live a life of relative homeostasis. They want to avoid confrontation and things that might lead to personal animosity towards them. But does God describe the Christian life in terms of silent and passive presence in the world, or distinct and standing out in a peculiar fashion? In today's passage, we consider the ramifications of God describing believers as an...

Do you ever worry about whether you're making the right decision in the midst of uncertain circumstances? Do you ever fear that even as you're seeking to serve God, somehow you've failed to recognize what God truly wants you to do? You're not alone in those questions. In 2 Corinthians 2, the Apostle Paul relates an experience he had where he was very anxious over the circumstances...

2 Corinthians 2:5-11 gives instructions to the Corinthian church to forgive a man in their congregation who was grieved over sin he had committed. Church discipline is not an easy practice to follow. Many leaders struggle to confront sin. Some fellowships are willing to confront sin but do so out of being offended by someone's sin rather than seeking that person's restoration to Christ. Wh...

Many Christians, especially those younger or totally new to the faith, wonder why their gifts and experience in the faith, don't exactly mirror the record of the early church in the book of Acts. Some wonder if they are missing something they need to find in order to receive the same gifts we see God gave to some Christians. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 gives us very reassuring and informative statem...

A major theme of Paul's writing his second letter to the church at Corinth was concern for how his first letter would be received, and how the believers would respond to its contents. Within his writing to the Corinthians, Paul reminded them of how he and his companions had labored among the Corinthians and behaved towards them. In that description comes an important truth about something that...

Recent political events in Uganda and the United States have prompted many believers to share their questions and views about what they believe is right and wrong in the varying situations. These questions, statements, and events are the focus point of this study. How should believers view human government? Do Christians have any responsibility towards their government? What if a government is an...

What is affliction meant to produce in a believer's life and how might it affect us in the opposite way when we fail to apply proper faith perspective on our circumstances? In this episode, we consider an example from the life of Paul that shows God uses trials in the Christian life to cause us to rely on him and increase our trust in him for the future.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 gives us several points about God's comfort in a believer's affliction. In this study, we expound on these points: The source of all true comfort, the extent of God's comfort, the purpose of God's comfort, mirroring Christ's affliction and comfort, and the conditional requirement for experiencing God's comfort. Be blessed in another episode of transformi...

Merry Christmas! In his opening statements of this letter, the Apostle Paul describes God as the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. What do those two words mean - mercy and comfort? Why do believers need mercy and comfort? What doe these things imply about the reality of affliction in the Christian life and the needs of a lost person for salvation? Consider these questions in another e...