11/02/2026
This morning in chapel, Mike Dixon, HLGU Dean of Students, shared a message from Jeremiah 18:1-6 titled “Formed by God.” Through the image of the potter and the clay, he reminded us that God is not finished with us, even in our brokenness. While we often assume God’s goal is to make life comfortable, His greater purpose is to shape us into the likeness of Christ.
Drawing from the passage, Mike highlighted three powerful truths: the Potter has a pattern, and that pattern is Jesus; the Potter starts over in our lives through Christ; and the Potter is not finished, continually forming us to be more like Christ. As he shared, “God is not shaping you a life without struggle. He is shaping you to be more Christlike.”
Students were encouraged to remember that God specializes in restoration. He does not look at broken vessels and decide they are beyond repair. Instead, He lovingly starts over, continues His work, and uses every season of life for our good and His glory. The only perfect vessel to ever exist was Jesus, yet through Him, God offers transformation and the opportunity to begin anew in Him.
Mike challenged us to reflect honestly on where we are today. Are we resisting the areas where God is shaping us? Are we willing to surrender ourselves into the Potter’s hands? Clay cannot fix clay, but the Potter can. And no matter what season we find ourselves in, we can trust that nothing is outside of His control and that He is still working on us.