Both suffering and abundant life are major themes in 2 Corinthians. How can this be? In 2 Corinthians, Paul is not sharing secrets for how to avoid pain and suffering. Instead, Paul offers all followers of Jesus the connection between our great needs and God's great abundance—it is His grace.

Living in Jesus is an amazing life. It is a life of faith that grows into fruit. But at its core, it is a gospel-centric life that flows out of a relationship with our heavenly Father.

As Israel advanced into the Promised Land, the people encountered challenges, setbacks, and new areas of growth. But when they were obedient, God helped His people take new ground for their lives. As we seek to move forward following Jesus, God also wants us to claim new ground in our spiritual lives. As we journey through Joshua, we will discover the obstacles in our lives that can prevent us from advancing the gospel in our lives, churches, and communities.