Unlocked: Discovering Your New Strength | Pastor Jonathan Evans

Main message: The sermon teaches that believers discover true strength not by escaping weakness, but by depending on God’s sufficient grace in the midst of their “thorn.” Paul’s thorn was allowed to keep him humble, and God uses our weaknesses and trials to anchor us, grow us, and display Christ’s power.

Key points:

• Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” came after great revelations so he would not become proud.
• The thorn is portrayed as something God permits, even if it has demonic intent, because God is sovereign.
• Paul’s repeated request for removal was answered with “My grace is sufficient for you,” not with removal.
• Weakness is not the end of usefulness; it is the place where Christ’s power is made strong.
• Believers should not pretend to be self-sufficient; dependency on God is the key to perseverance.
• The preacher illustrates this with personal stories about his own struggles and how they helped shape his calling.

Scriptures mentioned: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, Acts 9, Acts 16, Acts 18, Acts 22, Acts 27, Job 1, Job 42, Revelation 1:8, Romans 8:28-30, 2 Corinthians 9:8, 1 Corinthians 15:58