2 Corinthians Series: Paul Was An Ugly Duck Series

2 CORINTHIANS SERIES

Paul was an Ugly Duck

2 CORINTHIANS 10:1-18

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PERSON FROM CONGREGATION READS 2 CORINTHIANS 10:1-18

I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 7 Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. 8 For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. 13 But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence. 17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

FAIRY TALE: THE UGLY DUCK

Once upon a time, on a quiet little farm, a mother duck sat on her nest. One by one her fluffy yellow ducks hatched and came out, but one egg was much bigger than the others. When the bigger egg finally cracked open, out came a gray duck. He didn’t look like the others at all.

The other ducklings stared.

“You’re so gray and weird!” one said.

“You don’t even quack like us,” another whispered.

“My dear, you may not be as pretty as your siblings, but you are just as special,” Momma duck said, giving all the ducks lots of love. The gray duck felt sad. He didn’t understand why he looked different. Wherever he went, the other animals laughed at him. The chickens clucked, the cats sneered, and the ducks waddled away.

“Go away, ugly duck!” they said.

So, the poor duck ran off, looking for a place where he would belong. As autumn came, he found a beautiful lake shining in the sunlight. There, he saw a group of graceful white swans swimming on the water, their wings shining like silver. Enchanted by their beauty, the little gray duckling went closer, but he stopped. He remembered how others had treated him. He was afraid the swans would laugh at him too.

To his surprise, the swans turned and smiled.

“Hello there, little friend. You are welcome to join us,” said the kindest swan.

“But I’m not beautiful like you,” the gray duck said quietly. “I’m just an ugly duck.

The kind swan nodded gently. “You may think that now, but beauty is not just about looks. It’s about being kind, brave, and true to yourself. Come, let us be friends.” With new hope and happiness, the little duck swam into the lake as the swans welcomed him warmly. They played games, splashed in the water, and laughed under the moon.

One morning, the duck looked into the lake and gasped. His dull gray feathers were gone. He now had bright white feathers, a long neck, and gentle eyes. He had grown into a beautiful swan… just like his new friends.