2026 Wk 31 - Transitional Sunday: Kintsugi
New wk 1 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 12 viewsNotes
Transcript
[Potential SERMON: M&E 8-1-26 Imagery of Gleaning Promises from Ruth 2]
Worship Note
We
!
Song Set 1
Worship Thought
Every day
:::
Song Set 2
Celebration
God is
Generosity Moment
Last week we said that Jesus came, NOT to lower the standard in giving, but to transform our hearts in giving.
What is going on in our hearts when we are asked or see a need that may require time and money?
Do we leap to assist or do we take a gentle step back.
Constantly throughout the Word we hear the words… Go into all the World...Give and it shall be given...Come all who are weary—
Today as we pray, ask Father to saturate you with love that over flow to be one that is ALL IN and ready to HELP at Every Turn.
So, we pray… — Amen
Updates
MidWeek this week at 6:30p on Wednesday due to church camp. Look for a post on Facebook
Sunday Aug 1st: THANK YOU FOR PRAYING, Prayer Walk Brock Gym 9am
Backpack Sunday Aug 9:
We are asking children to come to church on Aug 9th and receive a backpack and school supply kit - as we ask them to let us pray over each of them and their parents.
Will you help us?
====================
Sermon Transition Sunday
Kintsugi: The Gospel in the Cracks
We just finished the series Fire in the City — possibly a question we could ask ourselves is:
“What does the Holy Spirit do with ordinary, broken people?”
often, I think we look at Paul, Peter, David and Daniel— thinking… “If I could be a good as David, or as righteous as Noah — my life would be different.
I mean they were KEY PEOPLE in the Bible and I’m — just one of 8 Billion people on the planet.
Well, maybe we forgot that Peter, Paul, and David had a past too.
Peter - denied Jesus
Paul - a religious bigot and over saw the persecution and murder of Christian’s like The stoning of Steven
David - peeping Tom, adulterer, deceiver, and murderer
But God…
Peter - had the illumination that Jesus was the Messiah, and upon this Rock the Church would be established
Paul - filled with the Holy Spirit, received the revelation of the Church writing 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament, and was willingly imprisoned for his faith.
David - repented of sin in true humility, wrote 75 chapters out of the 150 in the book of Psalms.
So let’s ask again…
“What does the Holy Spirit do with ordinary, broken people?” Like you and me
I am going to give you an answer today.
Write this down as our title today as our
Transition Sunday: From Fire to Gold
Here is my overall Big Idea:
God doesn’t pour out His Spirit because He thought the church needed something to argue over— such as spiritual gifts, prophecy, tongues, and miracle gifts. No!
Nor did God pour out His Spirit because we are flawless.
He poured out His Spirit to restore broken people unto Him and to display His glory through them to redeem that 8 Billion people who are lost and needs His son’s blood to redeem them.
Illustration (Ask the congregation):
“What are the effects of a forest fire?”
The forest fire in its self is chaotic… but afterwards…
Fire clears away what is dead and makes room for new growth.
The grass seems more vivid and trees mote vibrant in time.
Pentecost was never meant to end in Acts 2.
The fire was never the finish line—it was the beginning of God’s restoring work.
2. Cracked pottery bowl
Hold up a Bowl/Vase (or a picture of one).
Say:
“Most people throw away what is broken—God picks it up.”
3. Introduce Kintsugi
A unique Japanese art is one where the craftsman repairs broken pottery
Not with super glue, but with lacquer mixed with gold.
Instead of hiding the cracks, the craftsman uses the cracks to make a distinguished vase or bowl. The cracks then become a rather beautiful part of the vessel.
This art form is called Kintsugi.
Transition:
Isn’t this like the Gospel…?
Jesus doesn’t pretend our cracks aren’t there.
He redeems them.
This may not be the best allegory of the “Work of Jesus” cause 2 Cor 5.17 says…
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
However from our earthly perspective. It’s a visual that speaks volumes.
Our past may be forgiven but we keep seeing our scars.
Can we take a moment and focus on the fact that our scares are redeemed and we can renew our minds to our new image that is found in Jesus?
He changes our rebellion into Steadfastness
He redeems our worldly desires into holy passion
And keeps washing us day after day with to be a vessel set apart for His use
Main Text
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.* This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
“We have this treasure in jars of clay…” NIV
We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives.
We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within, so that the extraordinary overflow of power will be seen as God’s, not ours.b
His Light,
His Message,
His glorious Treasure
In us — clay pots — human vessels.
LISTEN TO THIS PROPHETIC PASSAGE:
17 ‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon ALL people.
Q
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants—men and women alike—
and they will prophesy.
It’s easy to get lost in this passage if you are just looking at the manifestation of Spiritual gifts
I think that it showed us that God has thrown the gates open WIDE, and that He wants His Spirit to thrive with us.
We don’t need to hold our past against us
We can throw that poor me attitude to the curb
Refuse to let our past dominate our future
LISTEN TO THIS PROMISE…Jesus read this in the synagogue:
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.*
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,*
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
3 To all who mourn in Israel,*
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins,
repairing cities destroyed long ago.
They will revive them,
though they have been deserted for many generations.
Jesus was saying,
“I’m anointed by God to pour His Spirit into ordinary people.
Anointed to bring redemption upon ALL who are hurting,
Anointed to bring close those who feel far from God,
And anointed to help them rebuild and revive their cities.”
Again Vrs. 4
They will rebuild the ancient ruins,
repairing cities destroyed long ago.
They will revive them,
Broken people become rebuilders.
If you were broken you are now to be a REBUILDER
A contributor NOT a consumer
A builder NOT a slugger basking in comfort and blessings.
Let’s look at—
Three Points
1. God chooses clay.
Not crystal.
Not gold.
But Clay.
Fragile.
Ordinary.
Common.
Clay!
The miracle isn’t the container.
The miracle is the Treasure.
God doesn’t want us to keep His message or treasure to ourselves — He wants it to flow out of us.
A beacon of light in the darkness
A cup of water to the thirsty
A river of hope to the hurting
Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ”*
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
Clay pots are not to be to be ziplock bags
We are earthen vessels that have the treasure of LIFE in us!
2. Fire doesn’t destroy God’s people.
Fire reveals what God has placed inside them.
Remove the impurities from silver, and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith.
Dross is the useless waste material or the impurities that is separated from high quality metals during the refining process
We may not see what God has placed inside…
The fire removes our wood, hay, and stubble and leave what only the Refiners Fire can reveal.
Tying this back to our previous series.
Pentecost wasn’t about spectacular moments.
Preserving the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the upper room
It was about ordinary people becoming extraordinary witnesses.
Where thousands came to know Jesus
Like the Refiners Fire we can come to know what Peter discovered when he was filled with the Holy Spirit and was a witness for Christ that relied on the Fire and not the Flesh.
3. God fills what He intends to restore.
Our scars become places where grace shines.
- The Gospel never says, “Hide your cracks.”
- It says, “My grace is sufficient.” it is ALL You Need!
As a nurse over the years the general practice of dealing with a deep puncture wound is to clean it and often pack it so that it heals from the inside out and not just heal over, where bacteria, pus and infection is cultivated.
God wants us healed from the inside out.
Living out of our healing and not lashing out of our hurt.
There is hope for each one of us. Healing for today!
Closing Illustration
Show another Kintsugi bowl.
Ask:
Which one tells the better story?
The perfect bowl… or the restored one?
God isn’t collecting perfect people.
He’s restoring broken ones.
Communion
This is a perfect Communion Sunday.
The broken bread.
The poured-out cup.
Brokenness becoming life.
Yes, This Next Series
The Gospel in the Cracks
Series Verse
2 Corinthians 4:7
“We have this treasure in jars of clay…”
===== SERIES OUTLINE KINTSUGI =========
Next Series
The Gospel in the Cracks
Series Verse
2 Corinthians 4:7
“We have this treasure in jars of clay…”
Series Graphics
I picture a warm, elegant visual style:
• Matte black background
• Broken ceramic bowl repaired with brilliant gold seams
• Soft light shining through the cracks
• Gold dust drifting upward
• Minimal typography
I really like this direction because it doesn’t feel like you’re starting a brand-new conversation with the church. It feels like you’re answering the question they should be asking after Fire in the City:
“What does the Holy Spirit do with ordinary, broken people?”
The answer is Kintsugi.
Transition Sunday
From Fire to Gold
Big Idea: God doesn’t pour out His Spirit because we are flawless. He pours out His Spirit to restore broken people and display His glory through them.
Opening Illustration
Ask the congregation:
“What happens after the fire?”
When a forest burns, something surprising happens. Fire clears away what is dead and makes room for new growth. Pentecost was never meant to end in Acts 2. The fire was never the finish line—it was the beginning of God’s restoring work.
Then hold up (or show a picture of) a cracked pottery bowl.
Say:
“Most people throw away what is broken. God picks it up.”
Introduce Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with gold. Instead of hiding the cracks, they become the most beautiful part of the vessel.
Transition:
“That is the Gospel. Jesus doesn’t pretend our cracks aren’t there. He redeems them.”
Main Text
2 Corinthians 4:7
“We have this treasure in jars of clay…”
Acts 2:17-18
God pours His Spirit into ordinary people.
Isaiah 61:1-4
Broken people become rebuilders.
Three Movements
1. God chooses clay.
Not crystal.
Not gold.
Clay.
Fragile.
Ordinary.
Common.
The miracle isn’t the container.
The miracle is the Treasure.
2. Fire doesn’t destroy God’s people.
It reveals what God has placed inside them.
Tie this back to the previous series.
Pentecost wasn’t about spectacular moments.
It was about ordinary people becoming extraordinary witnesses.
3. God fills what He intends to restore.
Our scars become places where grace shines.
The Gospel never says,
“Hide your cracks.”
It says,
“My grace is sufficient.”
Closing Illustration
Show another Kintsugi bowl.
Ask:
Which one tells the better story?
The perfect bowl…
or the restored one?
God isn’t collecting perfect people.
He’s restoring broken ones.
Communion
This is a perfect Communion Sunday.
The broken bread.
The poured-out cup.
Brokenness becoming life.
Series Title
Kintsugi
The Gospel in the Cracks
Series Verse
2 Corinthians 4:7
“We have this treasure in jars of clay…”
Series Graphics
I picture a warm, elegant visual style:
• Matte black background
• Broken ceramic bowl repaired with brilliant gold seams
• Soft light shining through the cracks
• Gold dust drifting upward
• Minimal typography
Series title:
Kintsugi
Subtitle:
The Gospel in the Cracks
Week 1
Cracked but Chosen
Text
2 Corinthians 4:7
Big Idea
God intentionally chooses weak vessels so His power is unmistakable.
Key statement
Your weakness never disqualifies God’s calling.
Week 2
When Life Breaks
Texts
Psalm 34:18
Romans 8:28
John 11
Big Idea
God never wastes pain.
Week 3
The Master’s Hands
Texts
Jeremiah 18
Isaiah 64
Big Idea
The Potter never quits shaping the clay.
Illustration
The clay never tells the Potter what it should become.
Week 4
Texts
2 Corinthians 12
John 20
Notice:
Jesus kept His scars after the resurrection.
Scars became testimony.
Wonderful Gospel connection.
Week 5
Filled Again
Texts
Acts 4
Ephesians 5:18
Big Idea
The vessel isn’t simply repaired.
It is continually filled.
Tie directly back to Fire in the City.
Week 6
Sent with Gold
Texts
Matthew 28
Acts 1:8
Isaiah 61
Big Idea
God doesn’t repair us so we can sit on a shelf.
He restores us so we can carry hope into the world.
Close the series with this challenge:
“People don’t need to see perfect Christians.
They need to see redeemed ones.”
A Thread Running Through the Whole Series
One thought could become the refrain every Sunday:
God doesn’t hide our brokenness. He fills it with His grace.
Or even shorter:
The cracks aren’t where your story ends. They’re where God’s glory begins.
I especially love the continuity this creates. Fire in the City ends with people filled by the Holy Spirit and sent into the world. Kintsugi answers the next question: What kind of people does God send? Not the flawless. Not the polished. He sends restored people whose lives visibly display His grace. That makes the two series feel like one unfolding story rather than unrelated messages.
========= MORNING AND EVENING
7-27-26 Promise Giver vs Measuring Promises
“His promises are great, priceless, and trustworthy.” — 2 Peter 1:4
And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
Key Thought: Faith grows when we stop measuring the promise and start trusting the Promiser.
God’s promises are meant to be more than read—they’re meant to be lived. Slow down and meditate on them. Like grapes in a winepress, God’s promises release their sweetness when we linger over them. As you fill your mind with His Word, you may discover that the peace, strength, or hope you’ve been praying for quietly begins to fill your heart.
But don’t just focus on the promise—focus on the Promiser.
When someone makes you a promise, you consider whether they’re trustworthy and able to keep it. God is both. He cannot lie. He never changes.
The Creator of heaven and earth has the power to do everything He has promised, and the wisdom to know the perfect time to fulfill itTrust God’s character more than your circumstances.
The more you meditate on His promises, the more you’ll experience their power—not because of the size of the promise, but because of the greatness of the One who made it.
7-28-26 Teach me to trust You
“So foolish was I, and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.” — Psalm 73:22
I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
One of the most comforting things about Scripture is its honesty. David, a man after God’s own heart, didn’t pretend he had it all together. He confessed, “I was so foolish.”
His foolishness wasn’t a lack of intelligence—it was a lack of trust. He envied the success of the wicked and forgot that God’s perspective is always greater than what we can see in the moment.
If we’re honest, we’ve all been there.
How many times have we questioned God’s faithfulness after He’s proven Himself over and over? How often have we resisted His direction, only to discover later that His plan was far better than our own? We’ve looked at painful seasons and thought, “Everything is falling apart,” when God was quietly working everything together for our good.
Sin often promises satisfaction but leaves us empty. God’s ways sometimes seem harder, yet they always lead to life.
The more we recognize our own limitations, the more we learn to depend on God’s wisdom. Humility opens the door for His guidance.
Today, instead of trusting your own understanding, choose to trust the One who sees the beginning, the middle, and the end. His counsel has never failed, and it never will.
Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times I’ve doubted Your goodness or leaned on my own understanding. Teach me to trust Your heart even when I can’t see Your hand. Guide me by Your wisdom, shape my perspective, and help me walk confidently in Your will today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
:::
7-29-26 Nevertheless…
“Nevertheless I am continually with You.” — Psalm 73:23
Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.
Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
Yet, in spite of all this, you comfort me by your counsel; you draw me closer to you.
“Nevertheless I am continually with You.” — Psalm 73:23
There are few more hopeful words in Scripture than “Nevertheless.” It reminds us that God’s faithfulness is greater than our failures.
Asaph had just admitted how foolish, jealous, and spiritually blind he had been. Yet he didn’t end his story there. He declared, “Nevertheless I am continually with You.”
That is the confidence every believer can have. Even when we’ve stumbled, doubted, or made poor choices, our standing with God isn’t secured by our perfection but by Christ’s grace.
What does it mean to be continually with God?
It means you are always on His mind. He never forgets you. His eyes never stop watching over you. His hands never stop holding you. His heart never stops loving you. Even when you can’t see Him at work, He is weaving every circumstance together for your good.
The enemy wants your failures to become the final chapter. God writes a different ending. Because of Jesus, He doesn’t see you clothed in shame but clothed in Christ’s righteousness. You are accepted, loved, and welcomed into His presence—not because you’ve earned it, but because Jesus has made you His own.
If you’re fighting anxiety, grief, temptation, or discouragement today, remember this one word: Nevertheless.
Your circumstances may be difficult. Your emotions may be unsettled. Your faith may feel weak. Nevertheless, God is still with you. He has not abandoned you. He is holding you, guiding you, and working for your good.
PRAYER
Father, I rest in this unchanging truth today— “Nevertheless (in my weakness and inability to produce results) I am continually with You.” Your presence is constant, Your grace is sufficient, and Your love never lets go. In Jesus Name amen.
::
M&E 7-30-26 The look from Jesus
“And when he thought thereon, he wept.” — Mark 14:72
And immediately the rooster crowed the second time.
Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept.
Peter never forgot the night he denied Jesus. Many believe that every time he remembered it, tears filled his eyes again. That wouldn’t be surprising. His failure was deep, but so was the grace that restored him.
If we’re honest, many of us know that feeling.
We’ve made bold promises to God: “I’ll never do that again.” “I’ll always trust You.” “I’ll never let You down.” Yet somewhere along the way, we’ve stumbled. Our actions haven’t matched our words, and we’re left grieving what could have been.
Peter’s denial didn’t happen because he stopped loving Jesus. It happened because fear became louder than faith. One compromise led to another until he found himself doing what he never imagined he would do.
Sin works the same way in our lives. It rarely begins with open rebellion. More often, it starts with a small compromise that grows if left unchecked.
But Peter’s greatest memory wasn’t the sound of the rooster. It was the look from Jesus.
Luke tells us that after Peter denied Him, “the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.” It wasn’t a look of condemnation. It was a look filled with sorrow, compassion, and unfailing love. That single glance broke Peter’s heart—not because Jesus rejected him, but because Jesus still loved him.
That same grace is available to us today. When we remember our failures, don’t stop there. Remember the Savior who forgives, restores, and calls us back into His presence. Conviction is never meant to leave us in shame; it is meant to lead us to repentance and restoration.
May our hearts never become comfortable with sin, but may they also never doubt the mercy of Christ. The tears of repentance become the doorway to the joy of forgiveness.
Prayer: Lord, keep my heart tender before You. Let me never excuse my sin, but never forget Your mercy. Thank You that Your love is greater than my failures and Your grace is always enough to restore me. Amen.
:::
7-31-26
“I in them.” — John 17:23
I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
One of the greatest truths of the Christian life is this: Jesus doesn’t simply walk beside us—He lives within us.
Because Christ lives in us, we have an open invitation to enjoy His presence every day. Our relationship with Him isn’t limited to a church service, a quiet time, or a special spiritual moment. Through the Holy Spirit, we can walk with Him, talk with Him, and experience His nearness wherever we are.
Imagine if there were only one small window through which you could speak with someone you deeply loved. You would treasure every opportunity. But Jesus has done far more than leave us a small opening. He has thrown the door wide open. We don’t have to wonder if we’re welcome in His presence—we already are.
In fact, He has come even closer than that. He hasn’t remained at a distance, waiting for us to find Him. He has made His home in us. The Creator of the universe has chosen to dwell in the hearts of those who trust Him.
If Christ is this near, why would we live as though He were far away?
Too often we carry our burdens alone, search for answers without asking Him, or rush through our days without acknowledging the One who is always with us. Yet every moment is an opportunity to turn our thoughts toward Him, whisper a prayer, seek His wisdom, or simply enjoy His presence.
Jesus is not a distant Savior. He is your faithful Friend, your loving Shepherd, your Savior, and your King. He delights in walking with you through both ordinary moments and life’s greatest challenges.
Today, don’t settle for knowing about Jesus when you can enjoy fellowship with Him. Pause often. Speak to Him. Listen for His voice through His Word. Thank Him for His faithfulness. Rest in His love.
The One who died for you now lives in you. There is no closer relationship than that.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for making Your home in my heart. Help me to become more aware of Your presence throughout this day. Teach me to walk closely with You, to trust You in every circumstance, and to enjoy the fellowship You have made possible through Your Spirit. May I never live as though You are distant when You have promised to be with me always. Amen.
:::
SERMON
M&E 8-1-26 Imagery of Gleaning Promises
“Let me go to the fields and gather the leftover grain.” — Ruth 2:2
One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”
Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.”
If you’re discouraged or carrying a heavy heart today, go into God’s field of promises and gather what you need. His Word is filled with promises designed for moments just like yours.
Start with this one: “He will not break a bruised reed or put out a smoldering wick.” Maybe you feel fragile, worn down, or like you’ve got nothing left to offer. Jesus doesn’t discard weak people. He gently restores them. If your faith feels like it’s barely glowing, He won’t snuff it out. Instead, He breathes new life into it until it burns brightly again.
Gather another promise: “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus knows your tired heart. He isn’t demanding more from you—He’s inviting you to come closer. His rest is for you today.
Take another: “Do not be afraid… I will help you.” When God Himself promises His help, fear doesn’t have the final word.
Keep gathering. “I have wiped away your sins like a cloud.” “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” “Whoever is thirsty, let them come and receive the water of life freely.”
God’s field is overflowing with hope, grace, forgiveness, strength, and peace. These promises aren’t just for someone else—they’re for you. Pick them up. Hold onto them. Think about them until they take root in your heart. Let them nourish your soul.
Don’t let fear keep you from what God has already provided.
Trust Him.
His promises are enough for whatever you’re facing today.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for filling Your Word with promises that meet me right where I am. Help me to believe them, hold onto them, and find strength in them today. When I feel weak, remind me that You are faithful. Amen.
:::
