Broken By Life | Broken | Pastor Kim Kesecker

Devotional

Day 1: Expect the Unexpected: Align Your Expectations

Following Jesus doesn’t guarantee a pain-free path; it promises His presence on the path. Because we live in a broken world, trouble will visit us, and misaligned expectations can quietly tug our souls toward resentment and confusion—like a car pulled off course by poor alignment. Adjusting your expectations to reality frees your heart to notice Jesus with you in the storm rather than assuming He is distant. Today, expect the unexpected—and, even more, expect Him: near, compassionate, and steady. Let this alignment make room for a durable peace that lasts through both smooth roads and rough ones. [07:38]

John 16:33 — I’ve told you these things so you can share in my peace. In this world, pressure and pain are normal realities, but take courage—My victory over this broken world stands firm.

Reflection: Where has a hidden expectation (“God should keep this from happening”) been pulling your heart out of alignment, and how might you rewrite it this week to “Whatever comes, Jesus will be with me and help me”?

Day 2: God Is Close to the Brokenhearted

God is not watching from a distance; He comes close to the brokenhearted. At Lazarus’s tomb, Jesus knew resurrection was coming, yet He first entered grief—He wept openly with friends who were aching. Your tears are noticed and honored; your wounds are handled gently, without shame. You are not a project to be fixed but a beloved child to be comforted. Let His nearness steady your breathing and soften your fear today. [11:22]

Psalm 34:18 — The Lord draws near to people whose hearts feel shattered, and He rescues those whose spirits have been crushed.

Reflection: What would it look like, practically, to let God near your grief today—five unrushed minutes to cry in prayer, a journal page, or a simple “Lord, I hurt” sighed aloud?

Day 3: Name Your Pain in His Presence

Healing often begins when you name your pain before God. Like the blind man by the roadside, Jesus draws you close and asks, “What do you want Me to do for you?”—not because He needs information, but because He wants relationship. Naming shifts you from being the emotion to noticing it with Him, instead of numbing, distracting, or dumping it elsewhere. Be present in the process; pour out your heart like water, and come again tomorrow for more wound care. He will meet you with comfort, not condemnation. [24:06]

Luke 18:40–41 — Jesus stopped, called for the blind man to be brought near, and asked, “Tell Me what you want Me to do for you.” The man replied plainly with his need.

Reflection: Which three words best describe your current ache (for example, “betrayed,” “afraid,” “exhausted”), and when this week will you speak those exact words to Jesus?

Day 4: Grace That Strengthens Us in Weakness

Sometimes God does not remove the thorn; He gives Himself. His grace isn’t a shortcut around weakness but the strength of Christ within weakness. When self-reliance collapses, space opens for His power to uphold you and accomplish His purposes through you. You may not receive less weakness, but you can receive more of Him. Let your brokenness become the very place where His power is most visible. [20:10]

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 — A painful “thorn” was allowed to keep Paul from pride, and three times he begged the Lord to take it away. The Lord replied, “My grace is enough; My power shows best in your weakness.” So Paul chose to boast in his frailty, because when he was weak, Christ’s power rested on him; in that paradox, he was truly strong.

Reflection: What ongoing trial have you asked God to remove? What is one small, concrete step you can take today that depends on His sustaining grace rather than the problem disappearing?

Day 5: Comforted to Comfort: Turning Brokenness into Gift

God comforts us so that comfort can flow through us. As sorrow and joy run like parallel tracks, His goodness runs alongside your pain, shaping grace, identification, faith-building, and tenderness in you. Your survival becomes someone else’s hope—not because you were impressive, but because God proved faithful. Walk into the year unafraid of heartache, hand in hand with Christ, ready to share the same care you keep receiving. He will bless you in your brokenness and bless others through it. [33:55]

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 — Praise be to the Father of mercies and the God who comforts. He consoles us in every trouble so that we can extend the very comfort we received to others whenever they face trouble.

Reflection: Who is one person you could quietly sit with this week—without rushing or fixing—and how might you offer gentle, specific comfort that mirrors how God has comforted you?

Sermon Summary

Part two of “Broken” explores not moral failure, but the heartbreak that comes from living in a fractured world. Humanity dwells in an “age of knowing”—the knowledge of good and evil—so joy and sorrow arrive like parallel train tracks, running side by side. Because this world is not as it was or as it will be, real discipleship requires aligning expectations with reality. Jesus promised trouble, not insulation from it, so misguided expectations distort perception of life and even of God. The result is subtle but costly: unnecessary disappointment, spiritual drag, and a caricature of God as distant or indifferent.

Yet Scripture reveals the opposite: God draws near to the brokenhearted. Jesus wept at Lazarus’s tomb even as resurrection power stood ready. God records every tear, bandages wounds carefully, and refuses to shame the hurting. His way is not merely to fix; it is to comfort. Comfort regulates the soul, reconnects the isolated, and carries hope for the despairing. From that comfort, God gives strength.

Paul’s thorn shows that the deepest gift in pain is not removal but presence—“My grace is sufficient for you.” Weakness becomes the stage for divine strength; power shines through limits, not apart from them. Practically, healing often begins by naming brokenness. Jesus’s question to the blind man—“What do you want me to do for you?”—invites honesty, not information. When pain isn’t named, it quietly shapes us into hardness; when it is named before God, the soul begins to mend. This means returning repeatedly to God for “wound care”: pouring out the heart, receiving fresh bandaging, and discovering again that his grace and comfort truly are enough.

Over time, those who bring their pain to God are changed. Tenderness replaces sharpness. Empathy expands. The self-focused orbit breaks, and life turns outward. The comfort received becomes the comfort shared. God does not merely heal; he makes sufferers into healers. Grace, identification, faith-building, and tenderness flow from people who have been held by God in their sorrow. Facing the future, courage is not denial of pain but companionship in it—walking into heartache hand in hand with Christ. Running parallel to a broken world is the unbroken goodness of God. His nearness, mercy, and faithfulness do not blink in the dark; they shine there.

Key Takeaways

1. Align expectations with reality of suffering Misaligned expectations intensify pain and breed resentment toward God. Jesus promised “trouble,” not a life of ease, so recalibrating expectations prevents spiritual whiplash. Realism nurtures resilience and preserves trust when hardship comes. It keeps the heart steady instead of suspecting God of neglect. [08:42]
2. God is near and compassionate God does not love from a distance; he draws close, weeps, and bandages wounds. His nearness is personal and attentive—he notices every tear and refuses to hurry the hurting. The healing presence of God dignifies sorrow and anchors hope without minimizing pain. Divine compassion is not theory; it is felt care. [13:59]
3. Comfort, not quick fixes, heals We often want escape; God offers comfort that calms, reconnects, and carries hope when we cannot. Comfort addresses deeper human need, restoring capacity to endure and orient to God’s faithfulness. From comfort rises strength—from strength, perseverance. The soul heals best in the warmth of presence, not the speed of solutions. [16:50]
4. Name your pain before God Healing often starts when pain is named in the presence of Christ. Naming moves us from being our emotions to observing them, creating space for relationship, wisdom, and care. Unnamed pain hardens the heart; confessed pain invites divine tenderness. Honesty opens the door to ongoing “wound care.” [23:27]
5. Brokenness becomes ministry to others The comfort God provides is meant to flow through us to others in their trouble. Survival becomes someone else’s hope—not because we were strong, but because God proved faithful. Grace, identification, faith-building, and tenderness grow in those who have been held by God. Suffering, surrendered, becomes a gift. [33:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:29] - Broken by sin, then by life
[01:28] - When life breaks us
[02:25] - The age of knowing
[03:37] - Train tracks: joy and sorrow
[04:37] - Broken world, resistance training
[05:19] - Sudden heartbreak scenarios
[06:50] - Expect the unexpected
[07:38] - Jesus: “You will have trouble”
[07:58] - Alignment and misaligned expectations
[10:03] - Mishearing Jesus vs his heart
[11:22] - Not “watching from a distance”
[12:25] - Jesus wept: God’s emotional nearness
[13:59] - Close to the brokenhearted
[14:36] - He counts every tear
[15:10] - Heals and bandages wounds
[16:30] - Fixing vs comforting
[18:53] - Comfort that strengthens
[19:53] - Paul’s thorn and sufficient grace
[22:31] - You don’t need less weakness
[23:04] - Name your brokenness
[24:37] - Numbing, joking, dumping: false shelters
[26:35] - Name it: brain science of labeling
[28:11] - Pour out your heart to God
[29:04] - The cobbler: be present to heal
[31:04] - Wound care: again and again
[32:37] - Tenderness, empathy, transformation
[33:24] - Comforted to comfort others
[34:13] - GIFT: Grace, Identification, Faith, Tenderness
[37:24] - Facing a new year unafraid
[38:44] - Goodness of God, running parallel
[40:39] - Prayer and sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- John 16:33

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

- Psalm 34:18

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

- 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

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 receive from God.

Observation questions

From John 16:33, what two realities does Jesus hold together for his disciples? Name both.
According to Psalm 34:18, to whom is the Lord near, and what does he do for them?
In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, what is the purpose of God’s comfort? What does the “so that” connect?
What everyday image was used to describe misaligned expectations, and what specific effects were mentioned that mirror spiritual “drag” and instability? [08:42]

Interpretation questions

If Jesus promises trouble in John 16:33, how should a disciple recalibrate expectations for life in a broken world, and how might that guard the heart from resentment toward God?
Considering “Jesus wept” at Lazarus’s tomb ([12:25]), how does that moment help one understand the promise of Psalm 34:18 about God being near to the brokenhearted?
In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, why might God prioritize comfort over quick fixes? What kind of strength and endurance is formed through comfort that quick solutions do not produce?
When Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” he invites the naming of pain ([23:27]). What is the spiritual purpose of naming brokenness before God rather than numbing or hiding it?

Application questions

Expectations audit: Where has an assumption slipped in that following Jesus should mean insulation from pain? Name one area where that shows up (health, relationships, work), and write a one-sentence reset for your expectations in that area this week. [07:38]
Name your pain: Take 15 minutes sometime this week to answer Jesus’ question, “What do you want me to do for you?” Out loud or in writing, name what hurts and why. What words would you actually use? [23:27]
Practice “wound care”: What simple rhythm could help you receive fresh bandaging from God—daily or weekly—over the next month (for example, a short lament prayer, a walk-and-pour-out, a psalm read aloud)? When, where, and how long will you do it? [31:04]
Trade false shelters: Which pattern do you tend to choose when you’re hurting—numbing, joking, or dumping? What is one practical swap you’ll make this week (for example, call a trusted friend, journal a lament, take a quiet hour with God) to move toward comfort instead? [24:37]
Sufficient grace in a thorn: What current “thorn” (ongoing limit, burden, or weakness) are you asking God to remove? What would it look like to look for his sufficient grace in it this week—one small step to rely on his strength right inside the weakness? [20:10]
Comfort received, comfort shared: Who in your world could use presence more than solutions right now? Choose one person and one GIFT to offer (Grace, Identification, Faith-building, or Tenderness). What simple act will you do and when? [33:24]
Facing the future with courage: If sorrow and joy run on parallel tracks, what would it look like for you to walk hand in hand with Christ into whatever comes next? Identify one Scripture or phrase you will carry and one practice that will help you remember his nearness when heartache arrives. [37:24]

Sermon Clips

And when our expectations about life are misaligned, it doesn't just affect how we see life, it actually affects how we see God as well. And we start to come to some conclusions like this. We see God as one who is distant, as one who's rather unaware of what's going on, unmoved, unconcerned. He doesn't really care. When suffering shows up and we expected protection, when loss comes and we expected fairness, when pain lingers and we expected quick relief, we don't just question the situation. We question God's heart. [00:09:22] (45 seconds) #ExpectationsShapeFaith

Scripture reveals that we can and we should expect the very opposite. We should expect the unexpected. Scripture assures us that we are never, ever alone. Our God is present. He is with us. And we can even add this, that he is emotionally engaged with us. He cares deeply. [00:11:40] (23 seconds) #GodIsNear

Jesus didn't show up kind of, you know, emotionally detached, clinical, let me get this done. He stepped right into the grief of Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, and all their friends. He was with them in their pain and sorrow. He saw their tears. He heard their cries. And he was moved by their heartache. I think his tears were saying, I know. [00:12:57] (28 seconds) #JesusWeepsWithUs

God heals by bandaging our wounds. Think about that carefully. Picture that. I mean, you don't bandage a wound from a distance, right? You have to get up close, real close and personal with someone and maybe even kneel down. You get tenderly close and bandaging a wound, it isn't rushed. It's careful. It's gentle. It acknowledges the pain. It doesn't dismiss it. [00:15:23] (33 seconds) #HealWithGentleCare

When we come to him hurt with our broken hearts, God doesn't shame us for being wounded. He doesn't say, you should be over this by now. Suck it up, buttercup. No, he carefully and he tenderly and he lovingly tends to the wounds of our heart. Healing will come, but bandaging is the tender, loving care that you and I experience along the way. We so often, we just want God to fix it. [00:15:56] (37 seconds) #TenderBandageNotFix

Because we are human beings made in the image of God, we are wired for relational healing. From infancy onward, comfort is how we survive distress. I mean, think about it. If a baby doesn't get comforting, it's not good. Even developmentally, developmentally for years to come. And that need never goes away for us. We just experience it in more complex forms as adults. Pain and heartache from a broken world need, desperately need comfort. And that's exactly what our creator wants to give us. [00:17:56] (43 seconds) #WiredForRelationalHealing

Because healing often begins when we finally give our pain a voice. By inviting the man to name his brokenness, Jesus was communicating, look, I don't need information. I want relationship with you. I don't need information from you. I want relationship with you. That's the most important thing. And I want you to know I see you. I'm here right now for you. Your need matters, so tell me about it. Tell me what hurts. I'm listening, and I care. Before healing the man, he comforted the man. [00:23:38] (46 seconds) #NameYourPain

And until you and I, until we deal with our pain, our pain, it's going to deal with us. What remains unnamed will remain unhealed. And pain that stays unnamed, it doesn't just go away. What it does is it quietly shapes us. And not in a good way at all. It shapes a hardened and a bitter and a harsh heart that cannot be broken. And that's not a pretty thing. [00:25:46] (33 seconds) #UnnamedPainUnhealed

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