Big Idea: God wants to send us with a peace that the world cannot comprehend.

Memory Verse — Isaiah 26:3 ESV
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Isaiah 26:1-8
“In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.” The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous. In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.”

Philippians 4:6–9
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Colossians 3:1–2
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Isaiah 26:3 tells us that God keeps in perfect peace the person whose mind is stayed on Him. The phrase “perfect peace” carries the idea of shalom shalom — complete, deep, whole peace. It is not merely the absence of trouble. It is the settled confidence of a soul resting in God. But the verse also shows us our part: our mind must be stayed on Him.

A steadfast mind is not a mind that never struggles. It is a mind that keeps returning to God. It leans hard on Him. It fixes its thoughts on His character, His promises, His power, and His presence.

Our thoughts and imaginations can run wild. We can imagine worst-case scenarios. We can rehearse frustrations. We can feed fear, bitterness, or anxiety. But God invites us to bring our minds back to Him.

Sometimes God keeps us from trials. Sometimes God keeps us through trials. Either way, He is a keeping God.

When our minds are stayed on Him, we can have peace that makes no sense to the world. We can walk through fire and know we are not alone. We can face uncertainty and still say, “It is well with my soul.”

Reflection Questions

• What thoughts most often steal your peace?
• What would it look like to “lean hard” on God today?
• What Scripture, worship song, or truth can help you refocus your mind on Him?

Song of the Day:
Your Name Is God | Elevation Worship & Leeland Mooring

Big Idea: God wants to send us with a peace that the world cannot comprehend.

Memory Verse — Isaiah 26:3 ESV
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Isaiah 27:2–6
“In that day, “A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone punish it, I keep it night and day; I have no wrath. Would that I had thorns and briers to battle! I would march against them, I would burn them up together. Or let them lay hold of my protection, let them make peace with me, let them make peace with me.” In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit.”

Numbers 23:19
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”

Isaiah 27 describes Israel as a vineyard watched over by the Lord. God says He waters it, guards it, and keeps it night and day. Though Israel would experience dark days, God promised future restoration and fruitfulness.

The sermon emphasized this truth: When God says something is going to happen, it is going to happen.

God’s promises are not fragile. They do not depend on human strength. They do not expire with time. What God speaks, He fulfills.

This matters for Israel, and it matters for us. If God keeps His prophetic promises, then we can trust His personal promises too. He will never leave us. He will forgive those who confess. He will give wisdom to those who ask. He will finish the work He began in His people.

Peace grows when we remember that God is faithful. The world changes. Nations rise and fall. Circumstances shift. But God remains the everlasting Rock.

God Always Keeps His Word

• Which promise of God do you need to remember today?
• Where are you tempted to doubt God’s faithfulness?
• How has God already proven Himself faithful in your life?

Song of the Day:
Shane & Shane - Before The Throne Of God Above

Big Idea: God wants to send us with a peace that the world cannot comprehend.

Memory Verse — Isaiah 26:3 ESV
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Isaiah 26:20–21
“Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.”

Romans 8:1
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Isaiah 26 speaks of God’s people being hidden and protected while judgment passes by. Scripture repeatedly shows us that God knows how to preserve His people. He protected Noah. He rescued Lot. He sustained Daniel. He walked with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire.  He protected the firstborn in Egypt by the blood of a spotless lamb. And today, we are protected by the blood of the Lamb!

The most important protection we have is not physical comfort or an easy life. It is salvation through Jesus Christ.

Every person will face a day of reckoning. But for the believer, that day has already happened at the cross. When we confess our sin, repent, and trust in Jesus, we are forgiven. Jesus took the punishment we deserved. His blood covers us.
That is why Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

This truth brings peace. We do not have to wonder where we stand with God. If we are in Christ, we are a new creation. We belong to Him. We are not appointed for condemnation but rescued by grace.

Reflection Questions

• Have you personally trusted in Jesus for salvation?
• Do you live with peace, knowing there is no condemnation for those in Christ?
• What guilt or shame do you need to surrender to Jesus today?

Song of the Day:
Via Dolorosa - Leeland

Big Idea: God wants to send us with a peace that the world cannot comprehend.

Memory Verse — Isaiah 26:3 ESV
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Isaiah 25:6–9
“On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Isaiah 9:6–7
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”

Isaiah does not only see judgment. He also sees hope.

In Isaiah 25, God prepares a feast for His people. He removes shame. He wipes away tears. He swallows up death forever. His people rejoice and say, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.”

This is the hope of God’s kingdom. One day Jesus will rule and reign completely. No corruption. No injustice. No broken systems. No death. No sorrow. No more waiting in pain.
When we pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done,” we are praying for this reality. We are asking God to bring His rule fully and finally. We are longing for the day when the Prince of Peace reigns with perfect justice.

This gives us peace right now because history is not random. The world is not spinning out of God’s control. God has already told us where everything is heading. Jesus wins. His kingdom comes. His people are saved.

Reflection Questions

• What part of Isaiah 25:6–9 gives you the most hope?
• How does the promise of God’s coming kingdom help you endure today’s struggles?
• What does it mean for you to live now as a citizen of God’s kingdom?

Song of the Day:
Homecoming (Lyric Video) - Cory Asbury, Gable Price

Big Idea: God wants to send us with a peace that the world cannot comprehend.

Memory Verse — Isaiah 26:3 ESV
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Isaiah 24:1–3
“Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the LORD has spoken this word.”

Revelation 8:7–11
“The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.”

Isaiah 24 gives a sobering picture of judgment. The earth is emptied, shaken, and devastated. Isaiah looks forward to a day when God will judge the world because of sin, rebellion, and rejection of Him.

This kind of passage can be uncomfortable. But biblical judgment is not meant to make us casually curious about the end times. It is meant to wake us up.  God’s warnings are merciful. He tells us the truth before it is too late. Judgment reminds us that this world is not ultimate. The things we often invest in most — possessions, status, comfort, control — will not last forever.

This week’s message reminds us that our main investment should be God and people. Everything else will fade. But God’s kingdom is eternal, and people will spend eternity somewhere.

The coming judgment should not lead believers to panic. It should lead us to peace, urgency, and faithfulness. We know the Judge. We know His mercy. And we know the message of salvation that the world desperately needs.

Reflection Questions

• What temporary things are you tempted to treat as permanent?
• How does the reality of judgment change the way you view your priorities?
• Who in your life needs to hear the hope of Jesus?

Song of the Day: Tauren Wells, Gary LeVox - Until Grace (Live)

Big Idea: God wants to send us with a peace that the world cannot comprehend.

Memory Verse — Isaiah 26:3 ESV
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Isaiah 26:3–4  
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.”

John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Life can feel like a turbulent flight. Everything seems fine for a while, and then suddenly the plane drops. Fear rises. Anxiety takes over. We wonder whether we'll make it through.

But God offers His people something deeper than calm circumstances. He offers perfect peace. This is not the kind of peace the world gives. The world’s peace depends on everything going right. God’s peace can hold us steady even when everything around us is shaking.

In the message, the picture of a baby Tyler smiling during a terrifying flight reminds us of what trust looks like. The baby was not analyzing the turbulence or worrying about the aircraft. He was simply at peace because he was with his parents.

That is the kind of trust God invites us into. We may not understand everything happening around us, but we can know who is holding us.

Reflection Questions

• Where are you currently experiencing “turbulence” in your life?
• Do you tend to look first at your circumstances or first to God?
• What would it look like today to trust your Heavenly Father more deeply?

Song of the Day:
Ryan Stevenson - Eye Of The Storm (A Decade Later) [Official Video]

Big Idea: To live a SENT life, you must know the enemy, know yourself, and depend on God.

Memory Verse for the Week:
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

Though believers walk in the flesh, they do not wage war according to the flesh. God has given divine weapons to destroy strongholds, arguments, and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.

Colossians 2:13-15
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in him.”

Through the cross, Jesus forgave our sins, canceled the record of debt against us, disarmed the rulers and authorities, and put them to open shame by triumphing over them.
Not every battle begins with an action. Many battles begin with a thought. The enemy knows that if he can shape the way you think, he can influence the way you live. Lies become strongholds when they go unchallenged. Fear, shame, pride, bitterness, lust, insecurity, and self-reliance often begin as thoughts you entertain instead of surrender.
But God has not left you powerless in your mind. Paul reminds us that the weapons of our warfare are not worldly. They are divinely powerful. Through Christ, you can identify lies, reject arguments that rise against God’s truth, and bring your thoughts under the authority of Jesus.

The enemy has been disarmed by the cross, but he still lies like he has authority. He still accuses like your debt remains unpaid. He still tempts like sin is your master. But Jesus has already triumphed. The cross canceled your debt, exposed the enemy’s defeat, and gave you the power to walk in truth.

To live a sent life, you must not only guard your behavior. You must guard your mind. A surrendered mind becomes a battlefield where Jesus reigns.

Reflection:
What recurring thought, lie, or accusation have you allowed to shape your emotions or decisions? How does the finished work of Jesus on the cross speak truth against that lie?

Practical Application:
Identify one thought this week that does not agree with God’s Word. Write it down, then write a Scripture-based truth beside it. Each time that thought returns, reject it out loud and replace it with the truth of Christ.

Song of the Day:  
Desperation Band - Counting On God (Lyric Video)

Big Idea: To live a SENT life, you must know the enemy, know yourself, and depend on God.

Memory Verse for the Week:
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Revelation 12:9-11
“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”

Satan is identified as the deceiver of the whole world who has been thrown down, and believers overcome him through the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and a willingness to lay down their lives. Romans 8:37-39 -- Believers are declared to be more than conquerors through Christ, and nothing in all of creation is able to separate them from the love of God.

The story does not end with the enemy winning. It never did. Revelation 12:11 gives us the threefold strategy of the overcoming believer: the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and a life surrendered fully to God. The blood of Jesus is not a symbol. It is the most powerful force in the universe. It has already purchased your forgiveness, your freedom, and your future. Your testimony is not just a story you tell. It is a weapon you wield. When you speak of what God has done in your life, you are declaring the defeat of the enemy in real time. You were not called to survive the sent life. You were called to overcome it. That overcoming is not earned by your effort. You receive it through your dependence on the One who has already won.

Reflection:
When was the last time you shared your testimony with someone? How does the certainty of Satan's ultimate defeat change the way you approach your daily spiritual battles?

Practical Application:
This week, find one person with whom you can share a specific way God has worked in your life. Your testimony is not just personal encouragement. It is a declaration of victory over the enemy and an invitation for others to experience the same God who rescued you.

Song of the Day:  
New Life Worship feat. Ross Parsley & Desperation Band - Overcome

Big Idea: To live a SENT life, you must know the enemy, know yourself, and depend on God.

Memory Verse for the Week:
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Ephesians 6:10-18
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”

Paul describes the full armor of God, with each piece designed to help believers stand firm against the devil's schemes in both offensive and defensive spiritual engagement. James 4:7-8 -- Believers are instructed to submit to God and resist the devil, with the promise that the devil will flee. Drawing near to God brings God near to the believer.

God did not leave you unarmed. He did not call you to a sent life and then abandon you to fight alone. The armor described in Ephesians 6 is not decorative. It is functional. Each piece corresponds to a real spiritual reality -- truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. Notice that the only offensive weapon in the list is the sword, which is Scripture. Satan used Scripture against Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus used Scripture right back. You cannot fight a battle you are not equipped for, and you cannot use equipment you have never practiced with. Reading your Bible is not a religious ritual. It is weapons training. Submitting to God is not weakness. It is the posture that releases divine power on your behalf.

Reflection:
Which piece of the armor of God do you feel least equipped with right now? How consistently are you engaging with Scripture as an offensive weapon rather than just a source of comfort?

Practical Application:
Each morning this week, take two minutes to intentionally put on the armor of God in prayer. Name each piece aloud, ask God to make it active in your life, and identify one specific situation that day where you will need to stand firm.

Song of the Day:
We The Kingdom – Don’t Tread On Me (Lyric Video)

Big Idea: To live a SENT life, you must know the enemy, know yourself, and depend on God.

Memory Verse for the Week:
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

1 John 2:15-17  
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
This passage identifies three broad categories of worldly temptation: the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life, and reminds believers that the world and its desires are passing away. Romans 12:1-2 -- Believers are called to present themselves as living sacrifices and to be transformed by the renewing of their minds rather than conformed to the patterns of this world.

The enemy does not use a one-size-fits-all approach. He is strategic and customized. He has studied your habits, your needs, your weaknesses, and even your strengths. He will use your ambition to make you proud. He will use your love for your family to crowd out your love for God. He will use your wealth to make you self-sufficient. He will use your gifts to make you self-centered. This is why self-awareness is not vanity. It is wisdom. You cannot guard what you refuse to examine. The Holy Spirit is not asking you to live in fear of yourself. He is asking you to live in honest, humble awareness so that you can bring every part of your life under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Reflection:
Which of the three categories -- lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, or pride of life -- tends to be your most consistent point of vulnerability? What good thing in your life has the potential to become a substitute for God?

Practical Application:
Set aside fifteen minutes this week for an honest inventory of your habits, appetites, and ambitions. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any area where a good thing has quietly begun to function as a god thing in your life.

Song of the Day:
Make Room (Live) || COMMUNITY MUSIC

Big Idea: To live a SENT life, you must know the enemy, know yourself, and depend on God.

Memory Verse for the Week:
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Isaiah 14:12-15
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.”

The passage describes the pride and fall of the one referred to as the Day Star, who declared five "I will" statements in his attempt to exalt himself above God. 1 Peter 5:8 -- Believers are urged to be sober-minded and watchful because their adversary prowls like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

Satan is not a cartoon character in a red suit. He is not a myth. He is a real, intelligent, and highly motivated adversary who was once the most brilliant and beautiful created being. His downfall was not stupidity. It was pride. Five times in Isaiah 14, he declared, "I will," putting his own desires above God's will. That same spirit of self-exaltation is what he plants in the hearts of people today. He is not fighting you with brute force alone. He is fighting you with ideas, desires, and subtle redirections away from God. Knowing this is not meant to frighten you. It is meant to sharpen you. A soldier who underestimates the enemy is
already losing.

Reflection:
In what areas of your life have you underestimated the influence of the enemy? Where have you dismissed spiritual warfare as something that does not apply to your everyday routine?'

Practical Application:
Study the names of Satan listed in Scripture this week -- adversary, accuser, tempter, deceiver. For each name, identify one specific strategy the enemy uses against you personally and one scriptural truth that counters it.

Song of the Day:
We The Kingdom - Lake Of Fire (Official Music Video)

Big Idea: To live a SENT life, you must know the enemy, know yourself, and depend on God.

Memory Verse for the Week:
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Isaiah 13:19-20
“And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.”

God declares that Babylon, once a symbol of worldly glory, will be reduced to permanent ruin, never to be inhabited again. Isaiah 46:9-10 -- God alone declares the end from the beginning, and His purposes will stand.

History is not random. It is authored. When God speaks, the universe listens and obeys. Isaiah prophesied Babylon's fall more than a century before Babylon even rose to power. Today, archaeologists walk through its ruins, confirming what God declared long ago. This is not a footnote in history. It is a testimony. The same God who spoke Babylon's end into existence is the same God who speaks over your life today. His promises are not suggestions. They are certainties. When you feel surrounded by systems and forces that seem too powerful to challenge, remember that God has already written the final chapter. Your confidence is not in what you can see. Your confidence is in the One who sees everything.

Reflection:
What promise from Scripture are you struggling to believe right now? How does God's track record in history strengthen your trust in His promises for your future?

Practical Application:
Write down one specific promise from Scripture that applies to a current struggle in your life. Place it somewhere visible this week as a daily reminder that God's word does not return void.

Song of the Day:
Promises (feat. Naomi Raine) (Radio Version)

BIG IDEA: The world preaches a tolerance of stuckness, but God’s kindness offers us freedom through Jesus.

Isaiah 8:11-22
“For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.”

1 Peter 3:14-15
“But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

Isaiah 8 speaks directly into a culture full of fear, confusion, conspiracy, compromise, and spiritual darkness. God warned Isaiah not to walk in the way of the people around him. He told him not to fear what they feared or dread what they dreaded. Instead, Isaiah was called to regard the Lord as holy. In other words, when everyone else was panicking, compromising, and looking for answers in the wrong places, God’s people were called to stand apart.

The people of Judah were tempted to look anywhere but to God. Some looked to political alliances. Some looked to pagan practices. Some even consulted mediums and the dead. But Isaiah asked a piercing question: “Should not a people inquire of their God?” When people reject God’s truth, they do not become free. They become more stuck. They wander into distress, darkness, and gloom.

But God’s kindness offers another way. He does not leave his people in confusion. He gives his Word. He gives his presence. He gives Immanuel. The world may normalize fear, compromise, and spiritual stuckness, but Jesus offers freedom. He is the one who leads us out of darkness and teaches us to fear God more than we fear the world.

Personal Reflection:
What fears, pressures, or cultural voices are tempting you to think and live like everyone else? Are you looking to God first, or are you searching for answers in places that cannot truly save?

Practical Application:
Make a list of the voices that most shape your thinking right now: media, friends, politics, entertainment, social media, Scripture, prayer, or godly counsel. Be honest about which voices are loudest. Then choose one way this week to make God’s voice louder than the fear and confusion around you.

Song of the Day:
A Mighty Fortress
 
BE SENT!  Write your story in the Connect Book of Life:  https://www.connectchurchstl.com/bookoflife

BIG IDEA: The world preaches a tolerance of stuckness, but God’s kindness offers us freedom through Jesus.

Isaiah 6:8
“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.'”

Matthew 28:18-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'”

Romans 10:14-15
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

The entire arc of this series points toward a single conclusion. God does not save us simply so that we can remain comfortable. He saves us so that we can be SENT.
 
Isaiah received a vision of the holiness of God, experienced the grace of forgiveness, and immediately responded to the call to go. Matthew 28 records Jesus issuing the same call to his disciples. Romans 10 asks the question that should haunt every believer: how will people hear without someone to tell them? The prophecies of Isaiah 7 and 9 were given to Ahaz, but they were always meant for the world.

The grace you have received is not meant to stop with you. So….are you ready to be SENT?

Personal Reflection:
Are you living as someone who has been sent, or are you living as someone who is stuck? What is one specific step you can take this week to share the grace of God with someone who needs it?

Practical Application:
Identify one person in your relational circle who does not yet know Jesus. Write their name down. Pray for them each day this week. Then take one intentional step toward them, whether that is a conversation, an invitation, or simply a moment of genuine care. You are not called to save them. You are called to go.

Song of the Day:
For The Sake Of The Call  

BE SENT!  Write your story in the Connect Book of Life:  https://www.connectchurchstl.com/bookoflife

BIG IDEA: The world preaches a tolerance of stuckness, but God’s kindness offers us freedom through Jesus.

Isaiah 9:6-7 
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”

Colossians 1:15-20 
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, Isaiah listed names that describe who Jesus is and what he would accomplish. Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace. These are not titles of a distant deity. They are descriptions of a God who chose to enter human history as a child, born naturally but conceived supernaturally.
 
Nothing like this had ever happened in the history of all of humanity.  Colossians 1 echoes this same reality, describing Jesus as the image of the invisible God, the one through whom all things were created and in whom all things hold together. Whatever is falling apart in your world today, Jesus holds it. He is not scrambling for answers. He is the answer.

Personal Reflection: 
Look back over Isaiah 9:6.  Which of the names of Jesus from Isaiah 9:6 speaks most directly to your current season of life? Do you need his counsel, his strength, his fatherly care, or his peace?

Practical Application: 
Spend time today in prayer, addressing Jesus specifically by the name that resonates most with your need. Do not rush through it. Sit with that name and allow it to reshape how you see your circumstances.

Song of the Day:
CeCe Winans - That's My King (Official Video)
 
BE SENT!  Write your story in the Connect Book of Life:  https://www.connectchurchstl.com/bookoflife

BIG IDEA: The world preaches a tolerance of stuckness, but God’s kindness offers us freedom through Jesus.

Isaiah 7:4-7:9
“And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” thus says the Lord GOD: “‘It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. And within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered from being a people. And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.’”

Hebrews 11:1-3
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

When Ahaz learned that Israel and Syria were advancing against Judah, the entire nation trembled like trees in a windstorm. Fear is a powerful force. It can paralyze leaders, silence the faithful, and drive people into compromises they would never otherwise make.
 
God sent Isaiah with a direct word: be careful, be quiet, do not fear. And then came the warning that cuts to the heart of the matter. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all. Faith is not a backup plan. It is the foundation.  Faith is everything to us as Believers.  When cultural pressure mounts and confusion increases, the person without a firm faith in God has nothing solid left to stand on.

Personal Reflection:
What fears are currently threatening to move you away from faithful obedience? Are you standing on your faith or looking for a human solution to a spiritual problem?

Practical Application:
Memorize Isaiah 7:9 this week. Write it on a card and place it somewhere you will see it when fear or anxiety rises. Let it serve as a daily reminder that your firmness in life begins with your firmness in faith.

Song of the Day:
Faithful Then / Faithful Now (Chris Brown) | Official Lyric Video | Elevation Worship  

BE SENT!  Write your story in the Connect Book of Life:  https://www.connectchurchstl.com/bookoflife

BIG IDEA: The world preaches a tolerance of stuckness, but God’s kindness offers us freedom through Jesus.

Isaiah 7:10-14:
“Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 'Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.' But Ahaz said, 'I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.' And he said, 'Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.'

Romans 5:6-8
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

King Ahaz was not a sympathetic figure. He stole from God's temple, burned his own children as offerings to pagan gods, and shut down worship of the Lord. He was, by every measure, undeserving of God's attention. And yet God sent Isaiah to him. God offered him a sign. God extended grace to a man who had done everything possible to reject it.
 
It’s hard to imagine the amazing depth of our God’s amazing grace!!!  Romans 5:8 reminds us that God demonstrated his love for us while we were still sinners. The prophecy of Immanuel was not spoken to the righteous. It was spoken to the wicked. That is the nature of grace. It goes where it is least expected.

Personal Reflection:
Do you ever feel too far gone for God's grace to reach you? Or do you know someone in your life whom you have written off as beyond hope?

Practical Application:
Write down the name of one person in your life who seems far from God. Begin praying for them daily this week. Remember that God sent Isaiah to Ahaz. He may be sending you to someone just like him.

Song of the Day:
Amy Grant - El Shaddai (Audio) 
 
BE SENT!  Write your story in the Connect Book of Life:  https://www.connectchurchstl.com/bookoflife

BIG IDEA: The world preaches a tolerance of stuckness, but God’s kindness offers us freedom through Jesus.

Isaiah 9:1-2
“But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”

John 8:12
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'”

September has shown us how crazy the world has been over the last two years.  Evil is out there and not even hiding anymore.  The world around us can feel overwhelming. Violence, confusion, and moral disorder are not new phenomena.
 
The people of Judah experienced the same disorientation under King Ahaz. Yet into that darkness, God spoke a word of hope. Isaiah described a people walking in deep darkness who would one day see a great light. That light was not a philosophy or a program. It was a person. Jesus declared himself the light of the world, promising that those who follow him will not walk in darkness. Whatever confusion surrounds you today, the light of Christ is not diminished by it. Walk toward him.

Personal Reflection:
Where in your life are you currently experiencing confusion or spiritual darkness? Are you walking toward the light of Christ or away from it?

Practical Application:
Identify one area of your daily routine where you have allowed cultural noise to drown out the voice of God. Commit today to replacing fifteen minutes of media consumption with prayer or Scripture reading.

Song of the Day:  
The Afters - Light Up the Sky (Official Video)
 
BE SENT!  Write your story in the Connect Book of Life:  https://www.connectchurchstl.com/bookoflife

BIG IDEA: Living SENT means taking the story of God to people who desperately need rescue and need to hear God’s Good News.  

Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

2 Corinthians 5:18-20
“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

The sent life is not lived in our own strength. Jesus promised His followers that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, and then they would become His witnesses. God does not merely give us a mission; He gives us His presence for the mission.
 
2 Corinthians 5 says we have been entrusted with the message of reconciliation. That means God is making His appeal through ordinary people like us. Living sent is not about having all the answers, perfect courage, or a flawless testimony. It is about being available, Spirit-empowered, and willing to represent Christ wherever He has placed us. Isaiah said, “Here am I. Send me.”

Today, the invitation is not only personal but communal: Here we are. Send us.

Reflection:
Where do you need to rely more fully on the Holy Spirit instead of your own ability as you seek to live sent?

Application:
Pray this simple prayer today: “God, make me available. Fill me with Your Spirit. Send me to someone who needs Your good news.” Then pay attention to the opportunities He places in front of you.

Song of the Day:
Here as in Heaven (Acoustic)

BIG IDEA: Living SENT means taking the story of God to people who desperately need rescue and need to hear God’s Good News.  

Galatians 1:4
“who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,”

Luke 19:10
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Galatians 1:4 states that Jesus gave His life for our sins according to the Father's plan, in order to rescue us from this present evil age. The word rescue carries urgency. It implies that something is at stake, that someone is in danger, and that waiting is not an option.

Luke 19:10 tells us that Jesus came specifically to seek and to save what was lost. This was not incidental to His mission. It was His mission. And He has invited you into that same mission. People around you are not simply spiritually curious. Many of them are desperate, even if they do not yet know what they are desperate for. Living sent means carrying the answer to a need people cannot always name.

Reflection:
Does the urgency of rescue shape the way you engage with the people around you, or has familiarity with the gospel dulled your sense of its weight?

Application:
Share the good news of God's rescue with someone this week, whether through a direct conversation, a written note, or a simple act of grace that opens a door for deeper conversation.

Song of the Day:
I Thank God, Glorious Day | Travis Greene & Forward City | (Official Music Video)

BIG IDEA: Living SENT means taking the story of God to people who desperately need rescue and need to hear God’s Good News.  

Ephesians 2:12
“Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

Philippians 2:3-4
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Ephesians 2:12 describes the condition of every person who has not yet encountered the grace of God: separated, without hope, and without God in the world. These are not mild inconveniences. They are the deepest forms of human poverty.

Philippians 2 calls us to consider the interests of others as more important than our own. Living sent is not primarily about what it does for you, though it does give your life purpose and meaning. At its core, it is about the person sitting in hopelessness who has not yet heard that rescue is available. Selflessness is not a spiritual bonus. It is the very heartbeat of a sent life.

Reflection:
When you think about living sent, are your motivations primarily about your own growth and fulfillment, or are they genuinely shaped by concern for others?

Application:
Spend time today praying specifically for someone you know who is living without hope or without God. Let their condition move you toward action rather than comfort.

Song of the Day:
Casting Crowns - Jesus, Friend of Sinners (with lyrics)

BIG IDEA: Living SENT means taking the story of God to people who desperately need rescue and need to hear God’s Good News.  

John 20:21
“Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.'”

Romans 10:14-15
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'”

Jesus told His disciples that just as the Father had sent Him, He was now sending them. This was not a commission reserved for the spiritually elite. It was spoken to ordinary people who had spent years fishing, collecting taxes, and managing the routines of everyday life. Romans 10 reminds us that people cannot hear good news unless someone goes and tells them. You already occupy a field. You already have relationships, credibility, and access that no pastor or program can replicate. Your workplace, your neighborhood, your family circle -- these are your mission field. You were not placed there by accident. You were sent there on purpose.

Reflection:
Who in your daily life is waiting to hear something that only your presence and testimony can deliver?

Application:
Choose one person in your regular sphere of life and commit to one intentional, meaningful conversation with them this week.

Song of the Day:  
Let the Nations Be Glad (Official Lyric Video) - Matt Boswell, Matt Papa

BIG IDEA: Living SENT means taking the story of God to people who desperately need rescue and need to hear God’s Good News.  

Matthew 4:23
“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”

Matthew 6:33
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Jesus did not simply talk about the Kingdom of God from a comfortable distance. He moved through towns, entered communities, taught in gathering places, and healed those who were suffering. His life was a demonstration of what Kingdom-centered living actually looks like in practice. Matthew 6:33 makes a remarkable promise: when the Kingdom of God becomes your highest priority, the things that consume your worry begin to find their proper place. A disordered life is often the fruit of disordered priorities. When the reign and rule of Jesus becomes the organizing principle of your daily decisions, clarity follows. The Kingdom is not a destination. It is a way of living now.

Reflection:
Where do your daily priorities reveal a church mindset rather than a Kingdom mindset?

Application:
Identify one decision you are currently facing and ask yourself how a Kingdom-first perspective would change your approach to it.

Song of the Day:
God of Revival (Live) |The Worship Initiative feat. Dinah Wright

BIG IDEA:  Living SENT means taking the story of God to people who desperately need rescue and need to hear God’s Good News.  

Exodus 3:1-12
“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Isaiah 6:1-8 (review)
“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Isaiah and Moses were called in very different places, but both were called by the same holy God. Isaiah encountered the Lord in the temple, high and exalted, surrounded by worship. Moses encountered God in the wilderness, in the flame of a burning bush while doing ordinary work. One calling came in a sacred space; the other came in a remote and ordinary place. Yet both remind us that God’s call can find us anywhere.

Isaiah’s response was confession: “Woe is me.” Moses’ response was insecurity: “Who am I?” Isaiah felt unclean before God’s holiness. Moses felt inadequate for God’s assignment. But in both stories, the focus quickly shifts from human weakness to God’s sufficiency. Isaiah is cleansed and sent. Moses is promised, “I will be with you.”

The calling of God does not begin with our confidence, competence, or readiness. It begins with His presence. Whether we feel sinful like Isaiah or insufficient like Moses, God is able to cleanse, equip, and send. The question is not whether we are enough. The question is whether we will trust the God who calls us.

Reflection:
Where are you more aware of your inadequacy than God’s presence?

Application:
Pray today, “Lord, I may not feel ready, but I trust that You are with me. Send me where You want me to go.”

Song of the Day:  
Take My Life and Let It Be | Reawaken Hymns | Official Lyric Video

This week’s BIG IDEA:   7 truths we need to be SENT and not STUCK.  Death is certain. God is in charge. He is holy. We are broken. God offers grace. God speaks. God sends.  

2 Corinthians 6:2
“For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Ephesians 5:15-16
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

James 4:14
“yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

One of the enemy’s most effective lies is not “never obey God.” It is “obey Him later.” Later when you are older. Later when life slows down. Later when the kids are grown. Later when your career is stable. Later when you retire. Later after the next busy season passes.
 
But Scripture keeps pulling us back to the urgency of today. “Now is the favorable time,” Paul writes. “Now is the day of salvation.” Ephesians tells us to make the best use of the time because the days are evil. James reminds us that life is a mist, here for a little time and then gone. Isaiah did not respond, “Here I am eventually.” He said, “Here I am! Send me.” The life God is calling you to live is not waiting on some perfect future version of you. The field is already in front of you. The time is now.

Personal Reflection:
Where have you been telling God “later”? What excuse or stage of life have you been using to delay obedience, ministry, generosity, courage, or witness?

Practical Application:
Choose one act of obedience you have been postponing. Do it today. Send the message, start the conversation, offer the invitation, serve the person, make the commitment, or take the step. Refuse to let “someday” steal your “send me.”

Song of the Day:
Available | Acoustic | Elevation Worship