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Strength in the Broken Places - August 17, 2025

This Sunday we will look at Paul’s affliction and how it affected his attitude and mission. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul shares his experience of carrying a persistent “thorn in the flesh,” a burden that prayer did not remove. Instead of healing, Paul received something even greater: the assurance that God’s strength shines most brightly when our own strength is gone. We will reflect on how our broken places can become the very spaces where God’s presence rests and God’s love flows most freely.

As we gather, we will be reminded that it is okay to not be okay. The church is meant to be a place where we can admit our struggles without shame and lean on one another for support. We will see that our weaknesses are not obstacles to ministry but invitations for God’s power to work through us. 

This week, consider these questions: 

  • Where might God be inviting you to rely less on your own strength and more on God’s grace? 
  • How might your “thorn” become a testimony of God’s sustaining power in your life?

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