Surviving On Broken Pieces | Desho'nai Burton | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Surviving On Broken Pieces

Desho'nai Burton

West Angeles Church of God in Christ • Sep 13, 2026 • 134 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this message, Evangelist Desho'nai Burton teaches from Acts 27 regarding Paul's perilous shipwreck voyage to Rome, reminding believers that being in the exact will of God does not mean freedom from storms or hardship. While comfortable vehicles, relationships, or plans may fall apart along life's journey, God's promise to carry us to our destination remains unbroken. By trusting God's grace and releasing temporary attachments, believers can rest assured that God can use even the broken pieces to bring them safely to dry land.

Themes

Grace to EndureTrusting God's ProcessSurrendering ComfortUnshakable Divine PromisesRestoration After Shattered Plans

Pastor's Points

1.

Don't get stuck in transit.

2.

Don't despise the broken pieces.

3.

You're going to arrive on dry land.

Key Points

1.
Don't get stuck in transit — transit is a place of passage, not a permanent place to reside.
2.
Don't despise the broken pieces — every broken piece plays a deliberate role in your ultimate arrival and development.
3.
You're going to arrive on dry land — the storm you are currently facing has an expiration date, and God will bring you to solid ground.
4.
Obedience to God can sometimes lead directly into hard and uncomfortable situations that challenge your faith.
5.
God often uses seasons of discomfort to disturb our complacency so that temporary blessings do not replace our dependence on Him.
6.
God's promise is attached directly to you and your destiny, not to the vessel, job, or relationship He used to carry you for a season.
7.
The breaking of comfortable methods is often necessary so our faith rests in the One who called us rather than what was carrying us.

Sermon Moments

“Have you ever experienced a time in your life where the will of God brought you into a hard place?”

“Sometimes obedience to God will carry you into a place where everything you see seems to contradict everything you heard God say.”

“Everybody wants the oil, but nobody wants to be crushed. Everybody wants the anointing, but nobody wants the breaking.”

“Don't become so attached to the vessel that you forget the voice that gave you the promise.”

“God never told Paul that the ship would make it to Rome. God told Paul he would make it to Rome.”

“The very evidence of what had been broken became the instrument God used for their survival.”

“Sometimes the miracle isn't that God kept everything from breaking; sometimes the miracle is that after everything broke, what remained was enough to keep you afloat.”

“The storm has an expiration date, and it's time to come out of survival mode.”

This Week

Identify temporary seasons or situations in your life where you have gotten stuck in transit and intentionally release control to God.

Stop despising what broke in past seasons and ask God how to use the remaining pieces to move forward.

Shift your daily security away from jobs, routines, or people and place it fully back on God's word.

Examine your life for extra spiritual or emotional weights (Hebrews 12:1) and lay them aside through prayer.

Remind yourself during trial periods that discomfort is often God's tool for stretching, maturing, and preparing you for what's next.

Actively move out of a 'survival mode' mindset by speaking God's promise over your current difficulties.

Turn directly to calling on the name of Jesus whenever feelings of anxiety or emotional brokenness try to overwhelm you.

Remember This

Even when the methods, plans, or vessels in our lives fall apart, God's promise to us remains unchanged, and His grace will use the broken pieces to carry us safely to dry land.

A Challenge for You

It is time to cross over to dry land, wipe away your tears, come out of survival mode, and trust that the same God who kept you through the storm will set your feet on solid ground.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.