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This is part two of the "Strength in the Cracks" series — exploring vulnerability in leadership as a place of God's power, not human weakness.

Why do we edit the "thorn" out of our bios? In this episode, Paul digs into 2 Corinthians 12 — Paul the apostle's thorn in the flesh, his three prayers for its removal, and God's answer: "My power is made perfect in weakness." This episode makes the case that weakness isn't an obstacle grace works around — it's the location where God's power actually shows up, and unpacks what that means for where leaders locate their confidence.

What We Cover:

• Why our public bios and platforms only ever show the "strong" version of us
• A walkthrough of 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 — Paul's thorn, his three prayers, and God's response
• The difference between preaching this text as consolation versus what it actually claims as method
• Why Paul boasts in his weaknesses instead of just enduring them
• Where leaders locate their confidence — in the thorn being removed, or in grace being sufficient with the thorn still there
• An important caveat: this isn't permission to avoid getting help for something you can actually work on

Scripture Referenced:

• 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 — Paul's thorn in the flesh, and "My power is made perfect in weakness"

Quotable Moments:

• "Weakness isn't the obstacle grace has to get around. It's the location where the power shows up."
• "That's not a consolation prize. That's a method."
• "Is your confidence built on the thorn being gone? Or is it built on grace being sufficient with the thorn still there?"

This Week's Challenge:

Name your thorn — not necessarily out loud to your congregation, but honestly to God. Not "fix this so I can lead better." Just: "here it is. Be sufficient here."

Coming Up Next:

Episode 3 gets practical with the neuroscience behind exposure vs. armor — what's actually happening in a leader's nervous system when they choose honesty over performance.

About the Series:

Strength in the Cracks is a mini-series exploring how pastors and leaders can experience vulnerability not as a liability to manage, but as a place where God's power shows up most clearly — drawn from Paul's ongoing D.Min. research in Spiritual Formation and Relational Neuroscience.

Enjoyed this episode? Like and share it with another leader who needs to hear it — keep doing your best, and trust God with the rest.

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Thanks for listening to The Reluctant Leader Podcast with Paul Jenkins! Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and be sure toread the stuff I'm writingon my blog.

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