Ministry Monday: The Sunday Sermon Review

Right before Mr. The King and I got married, I got my first ministry job working with youth. Back then, I was full of creativity and imagination, and I loved coming up with my own biblical material to teach instead of using a ciriculum all the time. One of the things that I started doing with the youth on Sunday nights was a discussion time called the "Sunday Sermon Review." I encouraged the youth to pay attention to the sermon on Sunday morning and write down notes and questions in a special notebook that I gave them. Then, on Sunday night when we would meet for small group, I would help to break down the sermon so that they could understand how to really apply it to their lives.

As I think back on the "Sunday Sermon Review," I realize just how effective it was. The youth in my group grew so much spiritually during that time, and so did I! I have a craving in my soul to continue to grow and to better apply the Word of God to my heart, so I have decided to start doing the "Sunday Sermon Review" again. I will be sharing about the Pastor's sermon each week on the blog (hopefully on Sunday's), and I will also be sharing more about the sermon with our youth during our Soul Tribe Student Worship on Sunday nights.

This week, we had a guest preacher who preached a sermon from Jeremiah 18:1-6 called "Being Shaped and Encouraged by God."

The Potter and the Clay

 ¹ The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, ² “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” ³ So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. ⁴ But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

 ⁵ Then the Lord gave me this message: ⁶ “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NLT)

When I was told what the sermon would be about last Monday (as the Worship Leader, I usually know ahead of time), I was really excited because this passage of scripture from Jeremiah has always been one of my favorite illustrations of our lives and God's role in it. The preacher started the sermon by showing us a lump of clay. He demonstrated how pliable it was. He talked about remembering people in our lives who have shaped who we are today. Teachers, parents, grandparents, youth leaders, and friends have all made an impact on who we are, but God, as our Creator and the "Potter," is the ultimate molder and shaper of our lives. He uses both people and circumstance to shape us into the person He wants us to be.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Philippians 1:6 NLT

One of the most beautiful things in life is the knowledge that the Potter will never give up on us. If we make a mess of what He is making, He will just mash us up, soften us up and start again.
The remolding process may hurt, but it is for our best. We must remember not to let ourselves become so hardened, by the world and by the enemy, that we are resistant to the molding hands of our Maker. He is the Master Artisan and His design for our vessel will always be more beautiful and more useful than anything we could design.

So, remain teachable; remain pliable in the the Potter's hands and trust in the beauty of the Potter's design. It is a long process and often a painful one, but one that will be worth it in the end when we see the finished product, a beautiful one-of-a-kind masterpiece of pottery that bears the indentifying marks of the Maker's hands.


Mr. The King and I would very much appreciate your prayers for our ministry. God is continuing to mold and shape it into what He wants it to be, just as He is molding and shaping us individually. We are not exactly sure what our ministry should look like at this moment in time, but it is our desire and fervent prayer to always be faithful and responsive to the Master's molding touch!