#87 | The Pain is Producing | Romans 8:18 | The Great 8

Pain has a way of shrinking our perspective.

When you're hurting, today's struggle can feel like the whole story. Five minutes feels like five hours. Five days feels like five months. And if we're not careful, we begin believing the lie that this chapter is the final chapter. But Romans 8:18 lifts our eyes above our circumstances and gives us an eternal perspective. Paul says, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us." He's essentially saying, "I've done the math." After weighing temporary suffering against eternal glory, there simply is no comparison. 

Paul isn't minimizing pain. He's maximizing eternity. He reminds us that suffering is real, but it isn't ultimate. God isn't asking us to pretend everything is okay. He's inviting us to trust Him in the middle of what's not okay. Because what feels like pressure today may actually be producing purpose for tomorrow.

In this episode, we unpack three powerful truths about present pain and future glory:

1. Present Pain Is Real — Faith doesn't deny reality. It trusts God inside reality. Your pain is real, but it doesn't have the final word.

2. Future Glory Is Greater — Heaven doesn't erase suffering; it puts suffering into perspective. The greater your view of eternity, the smaller your suffering becomes in comparison.

3. Eternal Hope Changes Earthly Hurt — God is producing something through your pain. What feels like pressure may actually be preparing you for purpose and glory.

Ultimately, Jesus shows us that suffering is never the end of the story. The cross looked like defeat, but resurrection was coming. And the same God who brought glory through Christ's suffering is working through yours.

Final Application:

• What suffering are you carrying today?
• What burden feels unbearable?
• What chapter feels confusing?
• Lift your eyes higher. Look beyond today. Look beyond the pain. Look beyond the pressure. Because glory is coming.

Because what feels like pressure today...

is producing something for eternity.

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Transcript

Welcome \\ Daily Rebel Mission

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This podcast is for the ones who know they will rescue, but also know they will resent. Saved by grace, sent to live differently. We're not rebelling against God, we're rebelling against everything that keeps us free. Every day we don't swing our opinions, we sharpen our lives on the word of God, the sword of the Spirit, guiding us, cutting through lives, and leading us one step at a time. We'll talk faith, identity, purpose, leadership, and what it really looks like to follow Jesus in a distracted world. Welcome to the Daily Rebel. Yo, what up, Rebels? Here we go. Uh today's title of the episode is The Pain is Producing Something. So Romans chapter

Romans 8:18

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8, verse 18, it says this for this is Paul. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is going to be revealed to us. So here we go. Listen, let's be honest. Man, pain has a way of shrinking our perspective. Like when you're hurting, five minutes feels like five hours, doesn't it? Like five days feels like five months. Five months feels like forever. And if we're not careful, we start believing the lie that this season is the whole story, as we covered last session. That this chapter is the final chapter, that the pain is all there is. But Romans 8.18 pulls us above our circumstances and gives us a little heavenly perspective. So Paul says, for I consider that

Paul Did The Math: Suffering vs. Glory

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word consider is this Greek word that's it was an accounting term, a mathematical term, like a word used when calculating value. So Paul is saying, Hey, look, I've I've done the math, I've weighed both sides, I've compared suffering and glory. And after examining both, he says they're not even comparable. It's as if he put it on a scale and pain is five and six, but the glory is ten. See, faith doesn't ignore pain, faith evaluates pain through the lens of eternity. And so Paul writes, the sufferings of this present time. Notice he doesn't deny suffering, he doesn't minimize it, he doesn't pretend it isn't painful. He this is the same Paul, listen, who was beaten repeatedly. Like he was in prison constantly. He was shipwrecked three times, he was bitten by a snake, he was betrayed, hunted, like he was always hungry, he was mocked and persecuted. And Paul knew, but he knew it he knew pain personally, yet he said it's not worth comparing. Why? Because he's comparing temporary suffering to eternal glory. So look, the the comparison changes the perspective. Your pain is temporary, but your glory is eternal. So I'm gonna make y'all

Point 1: Present Pain Is Real

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three points. Number one, present pain is real, like God never asked you to pretend it's not. Paul acknowledges suffering. The Bible never teaches fake optimism, never teaches denial, it never teaches pretending everything is okay. That's why I said this when we were in our study in James. Never say fake it till you make it. That's the dumbest line I've ever heard. Don't fake it till you make it. Call it for what it is. But listen, some of you are carrying grief, disappointment, anxiety, sickness, betrayal, unanswered prayers. And God isn't asking you to ignore it, He's inviting you to trust Him in it. Faith doesn't

Faith Doesn't Deny Reality

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deny reality, y'all. Faith trusts God inside reality. So that your pain is real, your hurt is real, your struggle is real, but it isn't ultimate. So what pain have you followed? Listen, what pain have you allowed to become bigger than God's promise? And have you followed pain to disparity? Or are you trusting the Father? Here's number two,

Point 2: Future Glory Is Greater

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is future glory is greater. The scale tips toward eternity. Paul places suffering on one side of the scale again and glory on the other, and he says there's no comparison. Not because suffering is small, because glory is enormous. One glimpse of Christ, one moment in eternity, one experience of perfect restoration, and every earthly hardship suddenly looks different. And the greater your view of eternity, the smaller your suffering becomes a comparison. So listen, there's coming today. Again, I I'm gonna say this again since this week is about suffering, is one day, every tear wiped away, every wound healed, every burden lifted, every grave defeated, every broken ring restored. So listen, heaven doesn't

Heaven Puts Suffering Into Perspective

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erase suffering, but it puts it in perspective. How would today's struggle look if you viewed it through tomorrow's glory? Which leads me to number three

Point 3: Eternal Hope Changes Earthly Hurt

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is eternal hope changes earthly hurt. This is this is purpose being produced. This is where Romans 8 begins turning, but because Paul is about to show us that creation groans, that believers groan, the spirit intercedes, that God works all things together, all things together, but it but it starts here with perspective. You see, pain feels pointless when all you can see is pain. But hope changes everything. Because hope reminds us God is working, he's shaping, and he's producing something. What feels like pressure may actually be producing purpose. You may not understand the process, but you can trust the author. You don't understand what he's writing, but you can trust that he's gonna be the one who creates something good from it because God is still writing. So don't I've said this a few days uh a while back, is don't judge God by a chapter he hadn't finished writing. What if this season didn't punishment? What if it's preparation? Nobody nobody understood this better than Jesus. The cross looked like defeat, the cross looked like loss, the cross looked like suffering, but on the other side was resurrection. On the other side was victory, on the other side was glory. And the same God who brought glory from Christ's suffering is working through yours. God often does his greatest work when it looks like he's doing nothing at all. So listen, y'all. What feels heavy now, it's not gonna last forever. The trial and the storm eventually end. Heaven changes how we handle hardship and pain has an expiration date. And God's purpose is bigger than your present struggle. Because listen, guys, girls, what feels like pressure

Pressure Is Producing Purpose

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today is producing something for eternity. Because maybe the thing that you hate now, it might actually help you later. Amen. Thank you

Outro

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for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help other people be equipped to be redeemed rebels, give us a follow and share it around with your friends. We'll see you next time.