Walking in Faith: Strength in Our Brokenness

 

Summary

Life often leaves us feeling bruised, battered, and sometimes even wrecked. Yet, in the midst of our struggles, God’s grace and power shine brightest. We are reminded that though we may feel like fragile jars of clay, inside us is the treasure of God’s unstoppable power. The reality of resurrection is not just a story for Easter Sunday—it is a living hope that sustains us every day, even when life knocks us down and backs over us twice. The journey of faith is not about never being hit, but about not staying down. Jesus, who was struck down and rose again, walks with us through every shadow, every fear, and every moment of pain.

Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4 speak directly to those who are “wrecked but walking.” He doesn’t sugarcoat the hardships of life—family tensions, financial stress, health scares, and emotional turmoil are all real. Yet, Paul insists that we are “hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” This is not mere optimism, but resurrection realism. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us, shaping our faith under pressure, not shattering it.

God is gentle with the broken. Isaiah 42:3 tells us that a bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. When we feel like we’re barely hanging on, God draws closer, breathing life into our faintest spark. Jesus does not walk away from the wounded—He walks with them, restoring what others would discard. Our scars, our limps, and our struggles become testimonies of resurrection power, offering hope to others who are limping along the same path.

The call is to acknowledge our bruises, run to the Healer, and keep walking—one step at a time, in faith. We are not called to fix ourselves before coming to God or to hide our pain from our brothers and sisters. Instead, we are invited to bring our brokenness into the light, to let Jesus and His people hold us up, and to trust that He is holding us together right now. Even when we limp, we walk in victory, because Jesus is strong, and His resurrection power is alive in us.

Key Takeaways

- God’s Power Shines in Our Weakness
Life will press us on every side, but it is precisely in our weakness and brokenness that God’s power is most evident. We are like jars of clay—fragile, yet containing the treasure of God’s all-surpassing strength. Our limitations are not obstacles to God; they are the very places where His glory is revealed. [42:13]

- Resurrection Realism, Not Mere Optimism
Faith is not about denying hardship or pretending everything is fine. Paul’s “resurrection realism” acknowledges the pain, but insists that the same power that raised Jesus is at work in us. This means that no matter how dead or hopeless a situation seems, God can bring life and hope out of it. [52:06]

- God Is Gentle with the Broken
When we are bruised, God does not discard us. Instead, He draws near, tending to our wounds with compassion. Isaiah’s image of the bruised reed and smoldering wick reminds us that God’s heart is for the fragile and the faint, and He specializes in restoration, not rejection. [54:14]

- Community Is God’s Healing Instrument
God often uses the church—our brothers and sisters in Christ—as His hands and feet to bring healing. We are not meant to isolate ourselves in our pain, but to share our burdens and allow others to walk with us. In our shared brokenness, Jesus binds us together and lifts us up. [59:20]

- Keep Walking—Faith Is One Step at a Time
The journey of faith is not about having it all figured out or never stumbling. It’s about taking the next step, trusting that Jesus is holding us up. Even if we limp, we keep moving forward, knowing that our limp can become someone else’s hope, and that Jesus walks with the bruised, not just the strong. [01:00:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:26] - Opening Worship: Great Is Your Faithfulness
[08:45] - Worship: Battle Belongs
[15:03] - Worship: Awesome God
[18:21] - Worship: Be Thou My Vision
[21:04] - Communion Meditation: Help, Thanks, Wow
[28:27] - Communion: The Lord’s Supper
[29:53] - Announcements and Offering
[36:39] - Upcoming Events and Fellowship
[39:18] - Introduction: Life Knocks Us Down
[41:16] - 2 Corinthians 4: Bruised but Not Broken
[45:33] - Jars of Clay: God’s Power in Weakness
[48:28] - Life’s Pressures and God’s Sufficiency
[52:06] - Resurrection Realism
[54:14] - God’s Gentleness with the Broken
[57:32] - How to Walk When You’re Wrecked
[01:00:42] - Faith: One Step at a Time
[01:04:03] - Closing Prayer and Benediction
[01:06:14] - Closing Worship: See a Victory

Study Guide

Small Group Bible Study Guide: “Bruised but Not Broken”

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### Bible Reading

- 2 Corinthians 4:1-18
- Isaiah 42:3

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### Observation Questions

1. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul uses the image of “jars of clay.” What does he say is inside these jars, and why is that important? ([45:33])
2. According to Paul, what kinds of pressures and hardships do believers face? List some examples he gives or that are mentioned in the sermon. ([48:28])
3. In Isaiah 42:3, what two images are used to describe people who are hurting, and what does God promise to do for them? ([53:14])
4. The sermon mentions that Paul does not “sugarcoat” the reality of life. What are some of the real struggles he names? ([48:28])

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Paul say God’s power is most visible in our weakness, and how does this challenge the way we usually think about strength? ([42:13])
2. The sermon talks about “resurrection realism” instead of just optimism. What does it mean to have hope that is rooted in the resurrection, even when life is hard? ([52:06])
3. How does the image of a “bruised reed” and “smoldering wick” in Isaiah 42:3 help us understand God’s heart toward people who feel broken or barely hanging on? ([54:14])
4. The sermon says that our scars and limps can become testimonies of resurrection power. What does this mean, and how might it change the way we view our own struggles? ([56:58])

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### Application Questions

1. The sermon says, “Life has a way of breaking things… but God’s power shines brightest in broken places.” Can you think of a time when you felt “bruised” or “wrecked”? How did you see God at work in that season, or are you still waiting to see Him? ([41:16])
2. Paul lists being “hard-pressed,” “perplexed,” “persecuted,” and “struck down.” Which of these do you relate to most right now? What would it look like to bring that struggle honestly to God and to your small group? ([45:53])
3. The sermon says, “God is gentle with the broken… He draws near, tending to our wounds with compassion.” Is there a part of your life where you feel like a “bruised reed” or “smoldering wick”? What would it look like to let God or others into that place? ([54:14])
4. The pastor challenged us not to isolate ourselves in our pain but to let others walk with us. Is there a burden you’ve been carrying alone that you could share with someone this week? What’s holding you back? ([59:20])
5. The sermon encourages us to “keep walking—faith is one step at a time.” What is one small step of faith you can take this week, even if you feel like you’re limping? ([01:00:42])
6. The idea that “our limp can become someone else’s hope” was shared. How might sharing your story of struggle and God’s faithfulness encourage someone else who is hurting? ([56:58])
7. The sermon suggests writing down what’s bruised in your life and asking God how He is holding you together right now. Would you be willing to do this exercise? What do you hope God might show you? ([01:01:41])

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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite group members to pray for one another, especially for those who feel “bruised but not broken.” Ask God to help each person take the next step of faith, trusting in His resurrection power and gentle care.

Devotional

Day 1: Strength Revealed Through Fragility
Life’s pressures often leave us feeling weak and vulnerable, like fragile jars of clay. Yet, it is precisely in these moments of brokenness that God’s power is most clearly displayed. Our limitations and struggles are not barriers to God’s work; rather, they become the very places where His glory shines brightest. When we embrace our weakness, we open ourselves to the treasure of God’s unstoppable strength within us, transforming our fragility into a vessel of divine power. This truth invites us to stop striving in our own strength and instead rest in the sufficiency of God’s grace. [42:13]

God’s power is not about human perfection but about divine presence in our imperfection. When life presses hard on every side, it is not a sign of God’s absence but an opportunity for His strength to be perfected in us. This perspective changes how we view our struggles—not as defeats but as stages for God’s glory to be revealed.

Isaiah 40:29-31 (ESV)
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel weak or broken today? How can you invite God’s power to be revealed through that specific weakness instead of trying to hide or fix it on your own?



Day 2: Resurrection Realism—Hope Amid Hardship
Faith does not deny the reality of pain or hardship; it faces it head-on with the confidence that resurrection power is at work even in the darkest moments. Paul’s words remind us that being “hard-pressed” or “struck down” does not mean being destroyed. This is not naive optimism but a grounded realism rooted in the power that raised Jesus from the dead. No matter how hopeless or dead a situation may seem, God’s life-giving power can bring renewal and hope. This kind of faith acknowledges pain without despair, trusting that God’s resurrection power is actively shaping and sustaining us. [52:06]

This realism calls us to live honestly with our struggles while holding fast to the hope that God’s power is greater than any trial. It encourages perseverance, knowing that the same power that conquered death is working within us to bring life and transformation.

Zechariah 9:12-13 (ESV)
Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. For I bent Judah as my bow; I made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword.

Reflection: Identify a current difficulty that feels overwhelming or hopeless. How can you practice “resurrection realism” by acknowledging the pain but also trusting God’s power to bring new life in that situation? What practical step can you take today to hold onto that hope?



Day 3: Tenderness Toward the Bruised and Faint
God’s heart is tender toward those who are broken, bruised, or barely holding on. The image of the bruised reed and smoldering wick reminds us that God does not discard or reject the fragile parts of us. Instead, He draws near with compassion, gently tending to our wounds and breathing life into our faintest spark. This divine gentleness invites us to come as we are, without pretense or fear of rejection. Our scars and struggles are not liabilities but testimonies of God’s restorative power, showing that He specializes in healing what others might overlook or abandon. [54:14]

This truth encourages us to stop hiding our brokenness and to receive God’s gentle care. It also challenges us to extend that same compassion to others who are struggling, becoming instruments of God’s healing in community.

Isaiah 42:2-3 (ESV)
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

Reflection: When you feel fragile or worn down, how do you typically respond? Can you invite God’s gentle presence to meet you in your brokenness today? Who in your life might need you to show that same tenderness and compassion?



Day 4: Healing Through Shared Brokenness
God often uses the community of believers as His hands and feet to bring healing to the broken. We are not meant to isolate ourselves in pain but to share our burdens with others who can walk alongside us. In this shared vulnerability, Jesus binds us together and lifts us up. The church becomes a living instrument of God’s restoration, where wounds are tended and hope is renewed. This communal healing reminds us that no one is alone in their struggles and that our brokenness can become a bridge to deeper connection and mutual support. [59:20]

Being part of a faith community means allowing others to see our weaknesses and trusting them to hold us up in love. It also means being willing to carry others’ burdens, reflecting the heart of Christ who walks with the wounded.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV)
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

Reflection: Is there a burden or struggle you have been carrying alone? What is one step you can take today to share that with a trusted brother or sister in Christ, allowing God’s healing to flow through community?



Day 5: Faith as a Steady, Limping Walk
The journey of faith is not about perfection or never stumbling; it is about taking the next step, even if that step is slow or uneven. Jesus walks with us through every shadow and every moment of pain, holding us up when we limp. Our limps and scars become sources of hope for others who are walking similar paths. This steady, step-by-step faith invites us to keep moving forward, trusting that Jesus is strong even when we feel weak. Victory is found not in flawless progress but in persistent trust and movement toward God. [01:00:42]

This perspective frees us from the pressure to have it all together and encourages us to embrace the pace God has for us, knowing that each step is significant in His eyes.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (ESV)
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.

Reflection: What is one small step of faith you can take today, even if you feel weak or uncertain? How can you remind yourself that Jesus is holding you steady, even when your walk is uneven?

Quotes

Let's be real easter um resurrection Sunday it was a powerful Sunday it was a powerful day and it reminded us that Jesus is alive, but Monday came and what do you do on Monday what do you do about Thursday night at 11 p.m when everything feels like it's falling apart what do you do when you still feel wrecked even after the resurrection by the way if you have your Bible we will be opening our Bibles you can click on the QR code there and uh follow along with the message as well this series that we are talking about today is for the ones who are still walking but with a limp. [00:39:34]

For the ones who know Jesus is alive but life still hits hard for the bruised but not broken let's pray father I pray that as we get into the message today that your word will encourage us and inspire us that we will be lifted up and that we will see the world as you see it and how you want it to be and how you want us to live our lives in victory we love you in Jesus name amen but I guess as we get into this the first thing we got to admit we got to say is that when we look at life well you know life has a way of breaking things. [00:40:27]

You know we we get into life and before you know it things start to happen and things start to break and it seems like it's a wreck it seems like it's a mess go ahead and turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 4:es 1-18 2 Corinthians 4 and before we jump into the word I want to kind of let you know kind of what's happening here in this in this passage so the the Apostle Paul is writing to the church of Corinth and he's defending his ministry and encouraging believers who are facing hardships. [00:41:16]

He's writing to believers who know what it feels like to be knocked down but he's reminding them and he's reminding us that we are never knocked out life hits hard, life and ministry can get heavy but God's power shines brightest in broken places paul says "We might feel like fragile clar clar clar js." There you go clar I'm a clar J clay jar clay jars but inside of us is a treasure the unstoppable power of an almighty God. [00:41:56]

You know our bodies might get bruised but our spirits are being renewed every single day and every bit of pain we face is producing a glory Paul says that far outweighs it all so as we read this passage keep that in mind that we are wrecked but walking bruised but not broken so let's go to 2 Corinthians now therefore since through God's mercy we have this ministry we do not lose heart if you're an underliner or highlighter you might want to do that we do not lose heart. [00:43:41]

We are hardpressed on every side but Chris crushed perplexed but in despair persecuted but abandoned struck down but destroyed we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body i think sometimes we just carry around the death of Jesus in our body and people just see the death of Jesus oh he died for us i'm a miserable sinner but he died so that we could live he died so that we could have life he rose again. [00:45:47]

He didn't just die and stay in the tomb that's what Easter was all about he rose he rose so yes yes we're dead inside and we were dead and we're horrible miserable sinners but he died for us and he rose again and now we can live for him and we can have life in Jesus Christ so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body for we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus's sake so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. [00:46:33]

So then death is at work in us but life is at work in you it is written "I believed therefore I have spoken with that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence all this is for your benefit so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God therefore we do lose heart though outwardly we're wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. [00:47:24]

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all so we fix our eyes on what is seen but on what is unseen for what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal we are hardpressed on every side but crushed perplexed but in despair paul's not a sugar coater i don't know if he likes sugar cookies probably not he's not He doesn't sugarcoat anything he says what we all know life squeezes life squeezes hard many times we we we are see we are hardpressed we are hardressed on all sides. [00:48:10]

We're hardressed by f family tensions anybody have any family tensions anybody have someone in your family that causes tension is it you you don't got to answer that one see me afterwards if you No there's like there's these family tensions there's these things you know and we're hardressed by it and we're like you know I got to love my family and but all this stuff's going on i don't know how to handle it or we got financial stress and you know with with the way the world is today and all the things that are happening you know even if we think that there's a an end to it you know there might be an end coming but right now I still got to eat. [00:48:56]

You know I'm not worried about what I'm going to eat next month or next year I'm not worried about paying my bills next week or next year right now right now and sometimes that stress can be hard it can be difficult even if we again even if we have these these mindset that things are going to get better it can still be really really hard what about health scares you know when when things come up and you're thinking you're doing great and all of a sudden you're like "Oh we found something on the chart." You're like "What i didn't see that before." [00:49:44]

You know it's like sometimes I re I feel like you know I don't everyone to go to a doctor because it seems like every time someone goes to a doctor and they find something and something happens it's like man you know before I went I was doing great and then it's you know and it feels like that sometimes it feels like we're being attacked in all these ways and we have anxiety and anger and doubt and fear but what's powerful here is what Paul says next but crushed but not crushed you see you're still standing you're still breathing you're still here. [00:50:32]

Paul wrote this letter in most amazing times he was everything was going perfect for him he had no problems whatsoever chris say it not not yeah he had beatings beating beatings like with an S at the end prison prisons shipwrecks betrayal even near-death moments and yet he wrote with assurance and not because of his circumstances see we see our circumstances and we're like "Oh no it's all over we're going to die." But Paul he says Jesus already died for us he's alive now. [00:51:23]

He says My strength is sufficient for you i am sufficient for you and he talks about that and this isn't just optimism it is resurrection realism some people will say "I'm a realist." We're talking about resurrection realism a a guy who was dead who really raised from the dead really did so let's be realistic if he raised from the dead there's nothing in our lives that he can't bring back to life but you know pressure it's it's there it's real and it's part of the process but it's not a sign of failure in fact spiritual maturity often grows best under pressure. [00:52:13]

Like a diamond forced under the crushing weight your faith is being shaped not shattered a lot of times we we think our faith is being shattered but it's not it's it's being shaped and this matters because too many people think if they're struggling they're failing but that's not true you can be pressed and still have purpose because Jesus heals what's bruised in Isaiah 42:3 we read "A bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out." You ever feel like that bruised re like you're barely hanging on like one more disappointment might break you. [00:53:09]

Well God sees that he knows it and he doesn't toss you aside because you're bruised he draws closer god is not rough with the fragile he is gentle with the broken say it again he's not rough with the fragile he is gentle with the broken you take a look at these two words up here bruised reed smoldering wick this is there's power in this text god says a bruised reed he will not break a smoldering wick he will not snuff out that's you my friends that's me we might feel like we're bent or cracked or barely hanging on but God's not coming to finish you off he's coming to heal you. [00:54:08]

He sees the tiniest spark and he breathes life into it again this isn't failure it's survival it's grace it's hope that's someone who's been through fire and storm but still has a spark and God fans it back into a flame isaiah 42 is a prophecy about the coming Messiah the suffering servant and this is the kind of savior that Jesus is not crushing or condemning but careful and compassionate he's not here to break you further he's here to bind you up and here's an important thing you might want to write down what others discard God restores. [00:55:08]

Even if you want to discard you God is ready to restore you you know the world the world breaks ru bruised reads religion often ignores them but Jesus he kneels next to them and he brings them back alive jesus doesn't walk away from the wounded he walks with them he doesn't walk away from the wounded he walks with them my friends you need to know that although the holiday of Easter is over resurrection power lives in you if you are a believer and receiver of Jesus Christ second Corinthians says it again. [00:56:08]

Your scars preach resurrection louder than any sermon ever could and the enemy wants you to think it's over but the resurrection says it's not and every time you get back up you're telling the devil "You hit me but you didn't stop me you don't rise by your strength you rise because Jesus already did." And we need to understand this isn't about never getting hit it's about not staying down because resurrection power means even when you're wrecked you walk again so what do we do when when life beats us up what do you do well first you acknowledge the bruises don't fake it name it god already sees it. [00:57:24]

I'm beaten i'm down i'm hurting i'm struggling and then we run that's what we mostly do we run we run away but instead we need to run away to the healer not run away from the pain run to the healer again I just said this earlier i I don't even want to go to the doctor because I find out it's all over right it's like no no yeah once you acknowledge it and you know it run to the healer we want to run away from it we want to hide from it we want to say "La I'm not hurt i'm not pain nothing no struggles i'm fine i'm great." [00:58:24]

We can't isolate ourselves and we got to let Jesus tend to the damage and And you know you know what he uses most of the time people you know what he uses most of the time in the church your brothers and sisters in Christ but I'm going to sit at home and lick my wounds i'm not saying to let other people lick your wounds that's not what I'm saying i'm just saying we need to come to the church and come to the people come to our brothers and sisters and say "Listen I'm broken." And maybe they might say "Well I'm broken too." [00:59:24]

And together we can be broken together and Jesus can hold us up and put us back together and when we do that we keep walking we keep walking and you you know how you know how you keep walking you know how you keep walking it's not the end goal it's not figuring it all out everybody knows this right i mean you learned this as soon as you learned how to walk i'm talking about the basics of walking right the basics of walking you stood up for the first time and then what did mom or dad say or whoever your guardian say they said "Take a step forward right you take one step forward right?" [01:00:24]

And then they fell and they're like "Oh they took one step they took the first step." Great and then he took the second step and it's the same third for us you take one step after another one step that's how you keep walking you keep moving one step after another with Jesus by your side him holding you up seeing you through and you know what that's called that's called faith that's what faith is not running away not having everything perfect but taking each step with Jesus knowing that the next step I could fall and crash down but I also know I have a savior who's going to hold me up that's what faith is. [01:01:09]

And when and as a little baby and you say "Come to me come to me." You know we know little children right i mean how many how many parents made this mistake right told their child you know they're like standing on the counter and you said "Jump to me." And they jump to you but they jump to you when you're looking over there and you're like "Ah." You know because they they they just trust that mom or dad's going to catch me they got me and that's what faith is walking with God knowing that he has you so acknowledge the bruises run to the healer and keep walking this week. [01:02:09]

Little homework for you write down what's what's bruised in your life right now maybe write that down right now later this week write down what's bruised in my life right now and then what I want you to do is I after you write down what's bruised I don't want you to write down you know what I got to do to fix this or what happened i want you to just pray to God and ask him how is he holding you together right now how is he holding you together right now how is he with you right now again too many times we get too many steps ahead of ourselves. [01:03:09]

If we see how he's holding us together right now it's easier to see how he can hold us together in the next step and the next step my friends this matters because if you believe bruised means broken you're just going to give up but if you believe Jesus is with you you will keep moving even with a limp and your limp will become someone else's hope you may feel like life has tried to take you out but I want you to know you're still here not because you're strong but because Jesus is. [01:04:09]

If you've never trusted him fully if you've been trying to hold it all together yourself this is your moment because he doesn't walk past the bruised he walks with them you might be bruised but in Jesus you're not broken you are wrecked but walking and if you feel like a wreck today and you need prayer or you need help or you need someone to talk to be by the prayer room afterwards to talk with you to walk with you my friends this world's a mess we're a mess but Jesus died for our mess and in him we can be renewed we can be restored and you can walk confidently through this mess and not feel pulled down but feel lifted up through the power of the Holy Spirit and through what Christ did for us. [01:05:09]

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Transcript
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