I used this with a lesson inspired by a Women of Faith conference on our society being a culture of comfort. I adapted it for my 12th grade girls Sunday school class. the end was played with Natalie Grant's To Be Held.

1. Comfort……
1 Corinthians 3-10

2. Brainstorm
• Four Groups
• Each come up with something, a situation,
and event in your life that makes or made you
uncomfortable or brings you distress

4. What is comfort?
conditions in which somebody feels
physically relaxed
relief from pain or anxiety
somebody or something that provides
relief from pain or anxiety

5. 2 Corinthians 1:3-10
• Written by Paul to the Church of Corinth
• Their were actually 4 letters written to the
church but two were lost! This is actually the
fourth letter
• This is a very personal autobiographical letter
from Paul
• Corinth was a very busy seaport know for it’s
immorality.

6. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all
comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles ,so that
we can comfort those in any trouble with the
comfort we ourselves have received from God.
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our
lives so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If
we are distressed it is for your comfort and
salvation. If we are comforted it is for your comfort,
which produces in you patient endurance of the
same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is
firm because we know that just as you share in our
suffering so also you share in our comfort
2Corinthians 1:3-10

7. Our society is becoming a cult of comfort.
al·go·pho·bi·a (ăl'gə-fō'bē-ə)
n. An abnormal fear of pain.
How are we handling this pain?

8. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts
us in all our troubles ,so that we can comfort those in any
trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Action
Comfort
Emotion
Compassion
Our weakness can never trump Gods strength…

9. What is making you uncomfortable?
• Relationships
• Bad Choices
• Sickness
• Family Issues
• School
• Work
• Worry
• Fear
• Sadness
• Confusion

10. How do we try to self medicate?
• Behavioral Addiction
– Shopping
– Gambling
– Sex
• Food Addictions
– Binge Eating
• Substance Addictions
– Drugs, alcohol
Addicts turn their pleasures into vengeful Gods
mason cooley.

11. Joe Namath Martin Lawrence Drew Barrymore Noelle Bush
Lawrence Taylor Melanie Griffith Dick Van Dyke Dick Cheney
Steve Howe Tatum O'Neal Larry Hagman Mel Gibson
Gerry Cooney Lindsay Lohan James Galdolfini Michael Douglas
Dock Ellis Shelley Winters Pete Doherty Matthew Perry
David Soul Eddie Money Kiefer Sutherland Charlie Sheen
Stacy Ann Ferguson quot;Fergiequot; Jessica Hahn Elizabeth Taylor Paula Poundstone
Oliver Stone Christian Slater Colin Farrell Kate Moss
Representative Mark Foley Alice Cooper Etta James Ray Charles
Richard Pryor Winona Ryder Rick James Johnny Depp
George Carlin Demi Moore Buzz Aldrin Mary Tyler Moore
Richard Lewis Nicole Richie Chris Penn Richard Dreyfuss
Rodney King David Bowie Jason Priestley John Daly
Jean-Claude Van Damme O.J. Simpson Prince Harry Keith Moon
Bo Bice (American Idol) Jim Brown Tom Arnold Ted Turner
Kirsty Alley Joe Louis Brett Butler George C. Scott
J. Paul Getty, Jr. Mike Tyson Dionne Warwick Tony Curtis
Boy George
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Ken Caminiti David Gahan
Michael Jackson
Robin Williams Jennifer Capriati Wynonna Judd
Keith Richards
Robert Downey, Jr. Tonya Harding Britney Spears
Judy Collins
Ray Kroc Truman Capote Wilson Pickett
Rush Limbaugh
Eminem Liza Minnelli Carrie Fisher
Johnny Cash Haley Joel Osment
Ben Affleck Nell Carter
Joaquin Phoenix Anna Nicole Smith
Nick Nolte Billy Bob Thornton
Elton John
Nick Carter Chris Webber

12. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all
comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles ,so
that we can comfort those in any trouble with the
comfort we ourselves have received from God.
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our
lives so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If
we are distressed it is for your comfort and
salvation. If we are comforted it is for your comfort,
which produces in you patient endurance of the
same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is
firm because we know that just as you share in our
suffering so also you share in our comfort
2Corinthians 1:3-10

13. If We make choices based on comfort
If we do not drop out of the cult, we will live
in a rut of relationship disasters
Our distractions become our addictions
We will miss out on the full measure of our
calling if we base it on “HOW COMFORTABLE
IT IS”

14. We will miss out on the presence of God
Short term comforts make us miss long
term blessings
When GOD brings comfort….He brings
HIMSELF!!!!
What are you missing out on because it
might be UNCOMFORTABLE?

15. Grace is given according to demand
Psalm 77:2
Look for grace so you do not become
bitter
Hebrew 12:15
God is in process with us, we live with
much chaos….

16. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our
lives so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we
are distressed it is for your comfort and salvation. If we
are comforted it is for your comfort, which produces in
you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
And our hope for you is firm because we know that just
as you share in our suffering so also you share in our
comfort

17. • Comfort is meant to be shared
• We tend to focus on I and me instead of
us and we
• The we is the thing, we share hardship,
suffering, despair, and joy
• Our society is engaging socially but
detaching emotionally.
1Thessalonians 2:8 Pour your life into your
ministry, encourage, comfort. Let people
know you hurt bleed and mess up!!

18. παραμυθέομαι
Para-myth-eomai to come beside or be near
WHEN MY STORY COMES BESIDE
SOMEONE ELSE’S

19. Grace is given upon demand

74. Praise be to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
compassion and the God of all
comfort, who comforts us in all our
troubles ,so that we can comfort
those in any trouble with the
comfort we ourselves have received
from God.