Triangle Family Church Sunday Service on June 28, 2026
Music Offering
Sermon: Right Intention and Motivation To Guide Our Lives
The speaker opens with the well-known parable of the three stone cutters to illustrate the importance of intention and motivation in our daily work and lives. Despite performing the same labor, each stone cutter sees his work very differently: one sees only stone, another sees a wage, and the third envisions the cathedral his work will build. This parable underscores how purpose transforms mundane tasks into meaningful callings. The speaker connects this idea to scriptures such as Proverbs 16:3, Colossians 3:23, and 1 Corinthians 10:31, emphasizing that our work should be committed to God and done wholeheartedly.
The sermon reflects on two primary approaches to navigating life’s challenges: the visionary approach and an alternative grounded in Buddhist teachings. The visionary approach, likened to seeing the cathedral in the stonework, motivates many first-generation believers with hope despite hardships and incomplete outcomes. The speaker cites the long construction of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, completed after 144 years, as an emblem of perseverance and sustaining vision over generations.
To complement this, the speaker introduces the "dharma of the three sentences," a Buddhist teaching encapsulating the path to enlightenment: making the awakening mind the cause, great compassion the root, and skillful means the goal. The awakening mind involves the altruistic wish for enlightenment that benefits others, not just oneself. This framework parallels the speaker’s own experience in fundraising roles that emphasized selfless motivation along with goal-setting.
The spiritual journey includes constant reflection on one’s true intentions, distinguishing between external achievements and inner growth. Work and community hardships often obscure the “cathedral” vision but growth continues through struggles. The speaker acknowledges that the Japanese church’s efforts may have caused fatigue and misunderstanding but asserts these were born from sincere intentions to benefit the world.
The sermon concludes by emphasizing teachings from True Parents about the foundational role of marriage and family in building ideal communities of love, respect, trust, and mutual support. The ideal family is presented as the core of establishing heaven’s tradition on earth. The congregation is encouraged to seek these teachings with the awakening mind, deepening their relationship with Heavenly Parent and embracing the vision of true parents, especially in challenging times.
Highlights
- The parable of three stone cutters reveals how the purpose behind work shapes our perspective and motivation.
- Bible verses like Proverbs 16:3 and Colossians 3:23 inspire us to commit our work to God and pursue it wholeheartedly.
- The visionary approach gives hope by seeing the “cathedral” beyond present struggles, similar to the prolonged construction of Sagrada Familia.
- Introducing the Buddhist “dharma of the three sentences,” highlighting awakening mind, compassion, and skillful means as a path to enlightenment.
- Reflecting on motivations is vital; success is not just external but about growth and relationship with God.
- True Parents’ vision for ideal families rooted in love, respect, and unity is essential for establishing heaven’s tradition on earth.
Transcript
Slide 1
Today, I want to reflect on the right intention and motivation to guide our lives.
Before we explore this theme, I’d like to begin with a Sunday School-style introduction by sharing the well-known parable of the Three Stonecutters. A traveler meets three men doing the same work, yet each sees his life very differently. This leads us to an important question: which stonecutter am I?
The parable reminds us that the work of our hands should be rooted in purpose and calling.
The following Bible verse connects with this lesson.
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3
Slide 2
A traveler comes upon three stonecutters and asks each the same question: “What are you doing?”
They use the same tools, breathe the same dust, and feel the same pain in their arms. The difference lies not in their hands, but in their hearts—in how far they lift their eyes.
The first man answers, “I am cutting stone.”
The second man answers, “I am earning a wage to feed my family.”
The third man answers, “I am building a cathedral.”
Slide 3
The first man sees only stone and sweat. To him, work is a burden—heavy, dull, and without meaning.
The second man works for a wage. His purpose is honest and good, but his focus remains on meeting today’s needs.
The third man sees the cathedral. The same tool that cuts stone now serves something lasting, and his labor takes on deeper meaning. He is not doing different work, but the same work with a different vision. Purpose turns exhausting labor into a calling.
“Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
Slide 4
Let us lift our eyes to the cathedral—the Cheon Il Guk in our church.
Our work is part of God’s larger story of building Cheon Il Guk.
God invites us to see our daily labor or study not as gray stone to endure, but as part of His greater purpose.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23 It is a well-known Bible verse that encourages working wholeheartedly and with purpose. It reminds individuals to do their best in all tasks, treating every responsibility as an opportunity to serve a higher purpose rather than just for human recognition.
Slide 5
I prepared a coloring page and reflection questions based on the parable of the Three Stonecutters.
I hope the children enjoy coloring the page and come up with creative answers to the questions.
Slide 6
I would like to continue exploring the right motivation and perspective to guide our lives.
I mentioned that there are generally two ways to approach life’s fundamental questions in my last sermon. The parable of the Three Stonecutters teaches the visionary approach, which often lifts us up and gives us hope to keep moving forward.
When I joined the church, I was deeply inspired to help build the kingdom of heaven on earth, where the following Bible verse becomes a reality.
‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 21:4
I was like the third man in the parable of the Three Stonecutters, and I believe many first-generation members felt the same.
As life goes on, we may find that reality turns out differently from what we first envisioned.
Even within our church communities, many people continue to suffer. Mourning or crying or pain continues.
At times, it is hard to see the cathedral we once believed we were building.
It can feel like the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain—once called an “eternally incomplete” cathedral.
Yet recently, the final cross was placed atop its central tower.
Its structural completion was celebrated on June 10, 2026.
For generations, the builders preserved the cathedral’s vision until its completion 144 years later.
This visionary approach can be difficult, especially when the gap between vision and reality feels wide, or when we feel isolated because we cannot hold on to that vision with conviction and passion.
Honestly, I sometimes find it difficult and tiring to uphold the vision. I still believe a visionary approach is powerful and necessary for us, but I also think we can use another approach and the approach reinforces and preserves the vision.
Slide 7
I’d like to introduce a Buddhist teaching on the approach to enlightenment called the “Dharma of the Three Sentences” as that alternative approach. You may wonder why I’m bringing a Buddhist concept into a Sunday service. I believe the core teachings of all religions share important similarities. It can be beneficial to those who prefer a problem-solution type of approach. I also found that the “Dharma of the Three Sentences” closely resembles what I learned in fundraising training during my CARP years.
Slide 8
The “Dharma of the Three Sentences” condenses the entire Buddhist path into three core principles.
Make the Awakening Mind the cause.
Make Great Compassion the root.
Make Skillful Means the ultimate goal.
Three short sentences map the cause, the ground, and the fruit of an awakened life.
Slide 9
What is the awakening mind? According to “Dharma of the Three Sentences”, it is the sincere wish to reach enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, not for oneself alone. The teaching explains that our intention should first be grounded in this sincere wish. Great compassion and love should then guide and motivate our actions. Finally, we should make every effort to achieve goals that benefit all beings.
Slide 10
Fundraising training taught me the importance of doing my best with the right intention and motivation. Like businesspeople, we set external goals and worked hard to achieve them. However, our purpose was different. Our goal was to deepen our relationship with God and serve the people in the areas where we were assigned to fundraise. We continually reflected on whether our motivation was truly to benefit others. With gratitude, we worked day and night to serve God and people. I believe we were practicing the teaching of the “Dharma of the Three Sentences.”
Slide 11
Setting an external goal matters because it helps us examine our intentions and motivations more clearly. Still, what matters most is what we learn and how we grow. Life on earth is a training ground. Even when it becomes difficult to see the cathedral we once believed we were building, we can still learn and grow through hardships. Even if someone struggles to believe what our church teaches, they can continue to grow by holding the right vision, intentions, and motivations.
Intentions and motivations cannot be seen from the outside. Those who criticize our church may not understand the intentions and motivations behind its efforts. The Japanese church may have worked too hard and made many people tired, misunderstood, and hurt. But I believe its intentions were sincere and aimed at benefiting Japan and the world. True Parents taught us the right vision, intentions, and motivations for our life on earth, especially in marriage and family life. I hope young people can recognize the goodness of this vision and learn the intentions and motivations we should bring to marriage and family life from True Parents.
Slide 12
I would like to conclude with True Parents’ words.
“The ideal family is the model for living together in peace. The ideal family is the nest where we live and learn to become one. There we have the foundation of love and respect between parents and children, shared trust and love between husband and wife, and mutual support among siblings. For this fundamental reason, you should receive the Holy Marriage Blessing from the True Parents and establish Heaven's tradition of ideal families.”
When you search for these words in Google Chrome, it provides a response and suggests follow-up questions. You can easily explore True Parents’ teachings on marriage and family. As you do, please remember to let the Awakening Mind be your reason for seeking them.
