Jon Hasselbeck
While it is difficult to acknowledge, let alone talk about, our deepest vulnerabilities and areas of brokenness, the church is to be a safe community through which people can experience the love, hope and healing of Jesus. When the church chooses to not talk about our vulnerabilities and areas of brokenness, people remain stuck and their sin grows. That is why we are so grateful to Andrew and Kaylee for bravely sharing their story with the church.
Andrew shared about his nearly two-decade long struggle with pornography and sexual addiction, which started soon after his mom had died when he was a kid. About a year ago, Andrew joined a group that God was using to help set him free. For the first 9 months he was in this group, Andrew was sober from pornography. However, despite the success he was experiencing, he shared that his relationship with Christ was not growing. 9 months later, Andrew relapsed he and Kaylee hit their lowest point. Andrew was completely broken and hopeless. Kaylee was angry with God and had grown to hate Andrew. They decided to separate for a week and were not sure if their marriage would survive. That's when God met them.
For the first time in Andrew's life, he cried out to God for help and God clearly spoke to him. God led him to James 1:5–6 and asked him, "Where is your faith in me?" During their week apart, Kaylee also gave up her desires for what she wanted the outcome of their story together to be and started seeking God. God started healing her fears and anxieties and gave her the peace for which she longed. It was at their lowest point that God met them and started to bring love, hope and healing to them individually and to their marriage.
Pastor Jon spoke on how God does not call the people who have it all together, but instead calls the broken and the weak to follow him and serve others. It is your struggle that qualifies you to serve.Our goal is to not chase perfection on our own but is instead to surrender our weakness to God and to others. That sort of surrendering requires humility. Pastor Jon shared 9 marks of humility. Humble people are 1) thankful, 2) teachable, 3) able to affirm others, 4) able to celebrate the success of others, 5) will do any task no matter how small or menial, 6) do not need to be right, 7) are people who pray, 8) who seek the advice of others, 9) and who are honest about their weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
