Episode 785
From Distress to Growth: Lessons from Paul's Letter | 785
This podcast episode emphasizes the transformative power of vulnerability and the importance of creating an honest community. Dr. Brad Miller discusses how distress can lead to positive change when it drives individuals toward God rather than away from Him, highlighting that growth often requires uncomfortable conversations about privilege and justice. He reflects on the Apostle Paul's communication with the Corinthians, illustrating how accountability can foster healing without shame, ultimately promoting restorative justice principles. Listeners are encouraged to embrace sacred discomfort and practice mutual vulnerability in their relationships. The episode concludes with a prayer for courage and openness in facing hard conversations and building supportive communities.
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).
He is the author of "The A, B, C-1,2,3 Bible Study Guide" Free to you by clicking HERE.
Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is available seven days a week by 6:00 am ET. The episodes are no longer than ten minutes long and are...
- Understandable: A reading from the New Testament (usually the Gospel) selected from the Revised Common Lectionary using "The Message" translation.
- Relatable: You will have a couple of "points to ponder" from the text which will relate to your life
- Applicable: Every episode includes a way you can take action based on the reading
- A recommended resource to help you go deeper in biblical study and spiritual direction.
- A prayer for your day.
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Remember… “All scripture is God-breathed and useful”(2 Timothy 3:16)
Dr. Brad Miller presents a compelling exploration of vulnerability and transformation in Christian community through the lens of 2 Corinthians 7:2-16. He opens the discussion by emphasizing the importance of honest communication and the role of discomfort in facilitating personal and communal growth. Drawing from Paul's experience, he illustrates how distress can be a catalyst for positive change, urging listeners to embrace the sometimes painful conversations that lead to deeper understanding and restoration. The episode encourages listeners to view vulnerability not as a weakness, but as a source of strength that fosters authentic relationships and accountability within the church.
Takeaways:
- Embracing discomfort can lead to transformative experiences and personal growth within the community.
- Vulnerability in leadership fosters authentic relationships and encourages mutual support among individuals.
- The community's accountability can be a source of healing rather than a mechanism of shame.
- Engaging in open conversations about privilege and justice is essential for meaningful change.
- Creating a brave space for sharing uncomfortable truths can strengthen community ties and promote transformation.
- Distress, when properly channeled, can guide us back to God and lead to renewal.
Links referenced in this episode:
Transcript
Foreign hello good people.
Dr. Brad Miller:Dr.
Dr. Brad Miller:Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh brought to you by voiceofgodddaily.com this is where we offer a fresh expression, a fresh reading of the daily Scriptures.
Dr. Brad Miller:We use the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C.
Dr. Brad Miller:We're in the epiphany season that is the passage of Scripture for this very day, and we bring it to you in a way that is understandable.
Dr. Brad Miller:And then we read the New Testament only and the message translation of the Bible relatable.
Dr. Brad Miller:We give you a couple of points to ponder and applicable.
Dr. Brad Miller:We give you a point of application in your life.
Dr. Brad Miller:We have a prayer together and then we do all that in under 10 minutes or so.
Dr. Brad Miller:Today's reading is from Second Corinthians 7, verses 2 through 16.
Dr. Brad Miller:Reading from the Message More passionate, more responsible.
Dr. Brad Miller:Trust us, we've never hurt a soul, never exploited or taken advantage of anyone.
Dr. Brad Miller:Don't think I'm finding fault with you.
Dr. Brad Miller:I told you earlier that I'm with you all the way, no matter what.
Dr. Brad Miller:I have, in fact, the greatest confidence in you.
Dr. Brad Miller:If only you knew how proud I am of you.
Dr. Brad Miller:I am overwhelmed with joy despite all your troubles.
Dr. Brad Miller:When we arrived in Macedonia province, we couldn't settle down.
Dr. Brad Miller:The fights in the church and the fears in our hearts kept us on pins and needles.
Dr. Brad Miller:We couldn't relax because we didn't know how it would turn out.
Dr. Brad Miller:Then the God who lifts up the downcast lifted up our heads and our hearts with the arrival of Titus.
Dr. Brad Miller:We were glad just to see him.
Dr. Brad Miller:But the true reassurance came in what he told us about you.
Dr. Brad Miller:How much you cared, how much you grieved, how concerned you were for me.
Dr. Brad Miller:I went from worry to tranquility in no time.
Dr. Brad Miller:I know I distress you greatly with my letter.
Dr. Brad Miller:Although I felt awful at the time.
Dr. Brad Miller:I don't feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out.
Dr. Brad Miller:The letter upset you, but only for a while.
Dr. Brad Miller:Now I'm glad.
Dr. Brad Miller:Not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around.
Dr. Brad Miller:You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from Him.
Dr. Brad Miller:The result was all gain, no loss.
Dr. Brad Miller:Distress that drives us to God does that.
Dr. Brad Miller:It turns us around.
Dr. Brad Miller:It gets us back in the way of salvation.
Dr. Brad Miller:We never regret that kind of pain.
Dr. Brad Miller:But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.
Dr. Brad Miller:And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God?
Dr. Brad Miller:You are more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more Reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible, looked at from any angle.
Dr. Brad Miller:You've come out of this with purity of heart.
Dr. Brad Miller:And that is what I was hoping for in the first place.
Dr. Brad Miller:When I wrote the letter, my primary concern was not for the one who.
Dr. Brad Miller:Who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you, that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God.
Dr. Brad Miller:That's what happened.
Dr. Brad Miller:And we felt just great.
Dr. Brad Miller:And then we saw how Titus felt his exuberance over your response.
Dr. Brad Miller:Our joy doubled.
Dr. Brad Miller:It was wonderful to see how revived and refreshed his he was by everything you did.
Dr. Brad Miller:If I went out on a limb and telling Titus how great I thought you were, you didn't cut off that limb.
Dr. Brad Miller:As it.
Dr. Brad Miller:As it turned out, I hadn't exaggerated one bit.
Dr. Brad Miller:Titus saw for himself that everything I had said about you was true.
Dr. Brad Miller:He can't quit talking about it.
Dr. Brad Miller:Going over and over again the story of your prompt obedience and the dignity and the sensitivity of your hospitality.
Dr. Brad Miller:He was quite overwhelmed by it.
Dr. Brad Miller:And I couldn't be more pleased.
Dr. Brad Miller:I'm so confident and proud of you.
Dr. Brad Miller:Well, good people, in this.
Dr. Brad Miller:In this passage of Scripture, we're talking about vulnerability.
Dr. Brad Miller:Vulnerability, transformative vulnerability, and the power of an honest community.
Dr. Brad Miller:Here's a couple of points to ponder.
Dr. Brad Miller:It's about embracing sacred discomfort.
Dr. Brad Miller:Paul's letter caused distress that led to transformation.
Dr. Brad Miller:And Christianity recognizes that growth often requires uncomfortable conversations about privilege, justice and complicity.
Dr. Brad Miller:When this discomfort drives us toward positive change rather than defensive withdrawal, it is sacred work.
Dr. Brad Miller:Then there's also vulnerability as strength.
Dr. Brad Miller:Paul's openness about his worries and joy models leadership through vulnerability.
Dr. Brad Miller:This changes traditional hierarchical leadership models that equate authority with emotional distance.
Dr. Brad Miller:True community requires mutual vulnerability and honest sharing of both struggles and celebrations.
Dr. Brad Miller:Then there's the point about collective accountability.
Dr. Brad Miller:The community's response shows how accountability can work without shame.
Dr. Brad Miller:They turn their distress into positive action, becoming more alive, more concerned, more sensitive.
Dr. Brad Miller:This is a model about restorative justice principles, where the goal is healing and transformation, not punishment.
Dr. Brad Miller:Here's your action step.
Dr. Brad Miller:Think about creating something we might call a brave space circle this week.
Dr. Brad Miller:That is, gather a few others, three or four others, perhaps committed to transformation in your community, whatever that is.
Dr. Brad Miller:It may be the town you live in, or your workplace or your church.
Dr. Brad Miller:And each person shares an uncomfortable truth about their own complicity in something that's not right in the community, something that's oppressive or that's something that needs to be changed.
Dr. Brad Miller:And practice supportive accountability by checking in regularly.
Dr. Brad Miller:On these commitments.
Dr. Brad Miller:Remember, the goal is transformation, not shame.
Dr. Brad Miller:We're going to pray in just a second here, but I did want you to know that we have available for you a Bible study resource.
Dr. Brad Miller:We love to provide it for you.
Dr. Brad Miller:It's you can find it voiceofgoddaily.com is the ABC 123 Bible Study guided.
Dr. Brad Miller:It makes for your Bible study, your personal Bible study, as Easy as indeed abc123 find it@voiceofgod daily.com let's pray.
Dr. Brad Miller:Divine God, Source of truth and grace.
Dr. Brad Miller:Help us embrace the discomfort that leads to growth, the vulnerability that builds authentic community.
Dr. Brad Miller:When hard conversations challenge us, may we turn towards transformation, not away in fear.
Dr. Brad Miller:Give us courage to speak truth with love and and wisdom to receive feedback with openness.
Dr. Brad Miller:Thank you.
Dr. Brad Miller:For communities that hold us accountable while holding us in grace.
Dr. Brad Miller:Guide us in building spaces where honesty meets compassion, where growth meets support, and where justice meets love.
Dr. Brad Miller:May our distress lead us toward you and towards a deeper community with each other.
Dr. Brad Miller:Amen.
Dr. Brad Miller:Well, my name is Dr.
Dr. Brad Miller:Brad Miller.
Dr. Brad Miller:Indeed, it's always a joy and a pleasure to be with you.
Dr. Brad Miller:Here on the Daily Bible Refresh.
Dr. Brad Miller:We look to make the Bible relatable and applicable in your life and understandable.
Dr. Brad Miller:We're here with you every day to give you this daily Bible study reading you can usually catch me at before 6am is when we usually drop these episodes.
Dr. Brad Miller:You can find everything we're all about at Voice of God Daily, a back catalog of all of our over 700 episodes and all the transcripts.
Dr. Brad Miller:Until tomorrow then, good people.
Dr. Brad Miller:Remember that God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Dr. Brad Miller:His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.
