Scripture

Luke 3:4 (NIV)
“As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'”

 Nehemiah 4:6 (NIV)
“So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.”

Devotion

This week we looked back on weeks of messages as “one brick at a time” and “clearing the way for the bridge.” That’s exactly what John the Baptist did in the wilderness. He was a forerunner. His job wasn’t to be the main event; his job was to prepare the way.

Preparation rarely looks impressive. Nehemiah’s people weren’t doing miracles; they were stacking stones. John wasn’t in the temple courts; he was out in a barren place, simply preaching repentance and calling people back to God. Yet heaven called that “preparing the way of the Lord.”

In your life, there are “bridge-building” moments that don’t feel spiritual at all: making time for prayer, cutting out a compromise, reconciling a relationship, investing in a child, serving faithfully at church, going to a place everyone else avoids. These are bricks in the bridge God is building.

The temptation is to despise “small” steps and wait for some dramatic “Acts 2” upper-room moment, but Pentecost only came after obedience, persevering prayer, and staying where Jesus said to stay. Pastor Darren reminds us: we may not be “building the bridge” yet, but we are clearing the way, laying foundation blocks, getting ready for construction.

God is calling you to be part of that preparation. Your voice, your obedience, your daily choices are making a way—for others and for a move of God you haven’t seen yet.

Reflection

• Where do you sense God has you “clearing the way” instead of doing something flashy?
• What “brick” could you lay today—a simple act of obedience or service that prepares a path for Jesus in someone’s life?
• Pray: “Lord, keep me faithful in the small bricks, even when I can’t yet see the whole bridge.”

Scripture

Psalm 27:4 (NIV)
“One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. ”

Devotion

Sunday ended with the song: “I just want You / Nothing else / Nothing else will do.” That’s the heart of a follower. Not, “I just want a position,” or, “I just want a breakthrough,” or, “I just want You to fix my life,” but, “I just want You.”

David’s “one thing” in Psalm 27 echoes the same heartbeat: to dwell with God, gaze on His beauty, seek Him. Not to perform for Him, not to use Him to get something else, but to be with Him.

This is what separates performers from followers at the deepest level. Performers want outcomes: blessings, applause, success, feelings, experiences. Followers want a Person: Jesus Himself. Performers can be content with “a good service” and no real change. Followers are restless until they encounter God and are shaped by His hand.

Pastor Darren prayed, “While the clay still has a little moisture left in it, God, sling us on the wheel and spin us in the fashion that You would have us be.” That’s the prayer of a follower: “Shape me, even if it’s uncomfortable. I just want You.”

Over these seven days, you’ve considered masks, performance, secret life, cost, and calling. Today, it comes down to desire. What do you actually want? If Jesus gave you Himself—but not the platform, not the recognition, not the feelings—would He be enough?

Reflection

• If God removed all the visible “benefits” of Christianity (comfort, image, community perks, platform), would you still want Him? Why or why not?
• What are the “extras” (blessings, answers, status) that you sometimes want more than Jesus Himself? Name them honestly before Him.
• Take a few unhurried minutes to pray (or even sing) to Him: “I just want You. Nothing else. Nothing else will do.” Ask Him to create in you David’s “one thing” desire, and to keep shifting you from performance into wholehearted, simple, honest following.

Scripture

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Devotion

Pastor D pointed to Matthew 6:33 in the context of worry about clothes, food, and daily needs. Jesus doesn’t deny those needs; instead He reorders them: “Seek first the kingdom… and all these things shall be added.”

Performance mode is often driven by what “all these things” can do for us: money, security, reputation, comfort. We work harder, volunteer more, take on more responsibility—sometimes just to secure a sense of worth, or to manipulate outcomes. Our jobs, our schedules, even our serving can become self-centered: “If I do this, I’ll get that.”

Following Christ re-centers everything: the kingdom first. Pastor made it plain: to follow will cost you time, energy, money. It will cost you pieces of yourself you didn’t know existed. Your calendar will change. Your priorities will change. Your wallet will notice. Your flesh will protest.

But the promise is: when the kingdom is first, God Himself takes responsibility for “all these things.” Following isn’t free, but performing for earthly rewards is far more expensive—and emptier. You can gain the badge, the role, the recognition, and still miss the reward that matters most: the Father’s “Well done” and the joy of walking closely with Jesus.

Reflection

• In your real week (calendar, spending, energy), what seems to come “first” practically: God’s kingdom, or “all these things”?
• Where is fear about provision, security, or status pushing you into performance rather than trust?
• Identify one concrete way to “seek first” the kingdom this week (time in prayer/Word, generosity, obedience in a hard area), and do it deliberately as an act of trust.

Scripture

Matthew 4:19–20 (NKJV)
“Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”

Devotion

Pastor Darren asked a piercing question over and over: “Why are you here this morning?”

• To make someone else happy?
• To keep the preacher from texting you?
• To get a badge, a title, a place on the stage?
• Because “this is just what we do on Sundays”?

In Matthew 4, when Jesus calls the fishermen, He doesn’t say, “Come perform for Me” or “Come help Me put on a good service.” He says, “Follow Me.” And they leave their nets—career, security, routine—to do it.

Following Jesus always involves leaving something. Sometimes it’s tangible (a relationship, a habit, a role). Sometimes it’s internal (ego, reputation, the need to be seen, the addiction to approval). Performers ask, “What position will I get?” Followers ask, “Where is Jesus going, and what must I leave behind to go with Him?”

There are people who show up to church hoping to be noticed; there are people who show up hoping to meet Jesus. These can be the same building, same songs, same preacher—but not the same heart.

Why are you here? That question isn’t meant to condemn you, but to invite you into honesty and, if needed, a reset. Jesus still walks the shorelines of our routines, saying, “Follow Me.” Not “attend Me,” not “admire Me,” but “Follow Me.”

Reflection

• If you stripped away others’ expectations, why do you personally go to church or serve where you serve? Write it down honestly.
• Is there any “net” (comfort, image, relationship, secret sin, ministry position) that you sense Jesus asking you to lay down in order to truly follow?
• Ask Him plainly: “Jesus, why do You want me here in this body of believers? What are You calling me to follow You into?” Sit quietly and listen.

Scripture

Luke 9:23 (ESV)
“And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'”

Devotion

Pastor Darren told the story of Jack the baboon, a real monkey in the 1880s trained to run railway levers so well that he got put on the payroll. A monkey, doing a human’s job with “zero accidents.”

He used that story as a stinging picture: church is full of “trained monkeys.” People who have been trained to do all the religious actions—sing, wave, serve, say the right words—without ever being truly transformed. We can be like circus animals that perform on cue but don’t actually know the Master.

Jesus’ call is far more than “learn these religious behaviors.” He says, “Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.” That’s not performance; that’s death to self and obedience in real life. It’s costly. It demands a daily “yes” when no one is clapping and no one is posting a picture of your sacrifice.

You can train a monkey to raise its hands. But you cannot train a monkey to die to itself, to forgive enemies, to love the unlovely, to obey when it hurts. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit in a surrendered disciple.

Ask yourself honestly: am I more shaped by church culture than by Christ Himself? Have I been discipled into a set of behaviors rather than into a living relationship?

Reflection

1. What are some “church behaviors” you’ve simply learned by imitation (how to sound, look, act in services)?
2. Where is Jesus currently asking you to “deny yourself” in a very practical way (time, comfort, money, pride, habits)?
3. Pray: “Lord, I don’t want to be a trained religious monkey. Teach me to truly follow You—especially where it costs me something.”

Scripture

Matthew 6:3–4 (NASB)
“But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."

Matthew 6:6 (NASB)
"But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."

Matthew 6:17-18 (NASB)
"But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."

Devotion

Three times in Matthew 6, Jesus repeats a phrase: “Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”

He contrasts two kinds of people:

• Hypocrites, who make sure others notice their giving, praying, and fasting.
• Children, who do these things before the Father’s eyes alone.

Pastor pointed out that “hypocrite” came from the world of Greek theatre—an actor wearing a mask. Church can easily turn us into religious actors: we know the lines (hallelujah, I’m blessed), the cues (raise hands here), and the role (good Christian). But behind the mask, we’re unchanged.

The real test of whether you’re performing or following is your secret life with God. Does anything meaningful happen with you and God when there’s no camera, no microphone, no audience, no “like” button? Do you pray when no one is watching? Give when no one will thank you? Fast without telling the world how spiritual you are?

Performers crave visible rewards: praise, platform, titles. Followers seek the invisible reward: the Father’s pleasure, His presence, and the eternal “Well done.”

Reflection

1. Which spiritual habits in your life are mostly public (seen by others)? Which are truly secret (seen only by God)?
2. Where are you tempted to “sound the trumpet” about what you’re doing for God (posting, mentioning, hinting)?
3. Choose one secret act today—give, pray, or fast—in a way that absolutely no one else will know. Do it for your Father’s eyes alone.

Scripture

2 Corinthians 2:15 (ESV)
“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

Devotion

The sermon began with a “mistake”: Pastor Darren slid the pulpit, knocked over the anointing oil, and broke the cap. Oil soaked into everything. Tools, floor, hands—no matter what he touched, the smell was there. “My goodness, it’s everywhere.”

He took that as a picture: the cap broke for a reason. Too often we “cap off” what God wants to pour out, because we’re more comfortable with control, dignity, and image than with being saturated by the Spirit. We’d rather wear a polished mask than live with a messy-but-real anointing that people can actually sense.

The New Testament says we are meant to be “the aroma of Christ.” That’s not about outward performance; it’s about inward reality leaking out. The aroma of Christ isn’t a fake smile over a broken life. It’s the presence of Jesus saturating our weaknesses, pains, and ordinary moments.

Masks block aroma. You can smile, serve, and say all the right phrases, but if your heart is locked up, the fragrance of Christ is missing. God is inviting you to “take the lid off”: stop merely managing appearances and allow His Spirit to soak every part of your life—even the parts that hurt, even the parts you’re ashamed of.

Performance is controlled; aroma is surrendered. The question is: do people around you smell church culture, or do they smell Christ?

Reflection

• What “mask” do you tend to put on before you walk into church or around other Christians (strong, happy, spiritual, always-okay)?
• Ask the Lord: “What am I capping off? Where am I refusing to let You really soak in?” Listen for what He brings to mind.
• Pray: “Holy Spirit, I take the lid off. Saturate my real life—my pain, my fears, my schedule—so that Your aroma, not my performance, is what others encounter.”

Scripture

Matthew 6:1 (NASB)
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”

Devotion

Pastor Darren described that moment in the car when the GPS popped up: “X miles, X minutes to work” as they were headed to church. That tiny notification exposed a big question: has this become a job or a joy? Duty or delight? Performance or following?

Jesus warned that it is possible to “practice your righteousness” in the sight of people, and yet have no reward from the Father. In other words, you can do the right-looking things (church, serving, giving, singing) for the wrong audience. You can appear spiritual and still be performing rather than actually worshiping.

The scary part is how subtle this shift is. Church attendance can become a box to check. Serving can become a way to be seen. Lifting hands can become “what we do in this church” instead of an honest response to God. We get good at “church behavior” the way a monkey is trained to pull a lever. We learn the cues; we perform on command.

But Jesus is after followers, not performers. He’s after hearts that come to be with Him, not just bodies that show up so someone will notice. The Lord’s question to Pastor D is the question to you: “Is this a duty, or are you really about feeding the sheep? Are you here to perform, or to follow Me?”

Reflection

• Be honest: In what specific ways has church (or your role in it) started to feel more like “work” than worship?
• What is one area where you know you’re “going through the motions” for others’ eyes more than for God?
• Today, before you attend any service or do any “ministry,” pray simply: “Lord, I don’t want to perform for people; I want to follow You. Purify my motives.”

Scripture

“So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.”
– Ruth 1:22 (NKJV)

“Then the women said to Naomi, 'Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.'”
– Ruth 4:14–15 (NKJV)

Devotion

Naomi’s story begins with famine, death, displacement, and bitterness. At one point she even says, “Don’t call me Naomi (pleasant); call me Mara (bitter), for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20).

Yet by the end of the book, the same women who saw her come back emptied and broken are saying, “Blessed be the LORD… He has not left you… He will be a restorer of life.” Naomi is holding her grandson Obed—the grandfather of David, ancestor of Jesus.

Naomi didn’t know that her painful chapters were part of a much larger story: the line of the Messiah. She only knew: I’m empty, I’m bitter, but I’m going back to God’s people and God’s place. She didn’t realize that simple, painful obedience would be used in God’s eternal plan.

Your journey may feel ordinary, or even worse—like pure survival. But in Christ, no obedient step is ordinary. Your choice to get up, to return, to walk the hard miles, to live a life worth following, to stand your ground in your “bean patch”—all of that is part of an extraordinary story God is writing.

Like Pastor said, “You are not on an ordinary journey.”

• Ordinary people,
• With ordinary days,
• Making faith-filled decisions, become part of a supernatural plan of redemption.

You may not see the full fruit in your lifetime. But generations after you may say, “If they stood their ground, so can we. If they walked back to God, so can we. Let me tell you about what God did in their life.”

Your story, surrendered to Jesus, becomes a testimony that points to a greater Storyteller.

Reflection

• Where have you been tempted to rename yourself “bitter” because of your circumstances?
• Looking back, can you see any places where God has already “not left you” and has quietly worked good out of pain?
• What part of your journey do you need to freshly trust God with, believing it’s part of an extraordinary story?

Scripture

“And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.”
– 2 Samuel 23:11–12 (NKJV)

Devotion

In the sermon, the story shifts from Naomi and Ruth to Shammah standing alone in a lentil (bean) field. Everyone else ran. Shammah stayed.

It might’ve looked foolish to fight for a bean patch. But to Shammah, it wasn’t “just beans.” It was harvest. It was provision. It was what God had entrusted to him. He likely plowed that field, picked out rocks, hauled water, and planned meals for his family from that crop. He wasn’t about to let the enemy casually take it.

There comes a point in your life when you must stop running and say, “No more. Not this. Not today.” You’ve sown into your marriage, your children, your faith, your calling. The enemy wants to overrun it with intimidation, fear, discouragement, and compromise.

Standing your ground doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid; it means you fight anyway. And notice: “the Lord brought about a great victory.” Shammah swung the sword, but God won the battle.

Your “bean patch” might be:

• your family’s spiritual health,
• your personal purity,
• your calling or ministry,
• your church community,
• your own mind and peace.

You may feel alone, like others have run off. But your stand can preserve a harvest not just for you, but for those who come after you—just like Shammah preserved food for everyone who had fled.

Reflection

• What is your “bean patch”—the area God has entrusted to you that the enemy is trying to overrun?
• Have you been tempted to run, give up, or stop fighting for it?
• What does “stationing yourself” in that field look like in practical, daily terms?

Scripture

“But Ruth said: 'Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.’”
– Ruth 1:16 (NKJV)

Devotion

Two daughters-in-law had the same circumstances: widowhood, loss, uncertainty. Both loved Naomi. Both cried. Both started the journey.

But at the crossroads, Orpah kissed Naomi and went back; Ruth clung to Naomi and moved forward.

Why did Ruth cling? Pastor suggested this: Naomi had something inside her that Ruth wanted. Even in the grief, even in the bitterness, there was something of God that made Ruth say, “I’m not letting go. I’m going where you’re going. Your God will be my God.”

Everyone is influencing someone. The question isn’t whether people are watching you; it’s what they see when they do.

Are you living a life that makes people want to know your God? Do your attitudes, decisions, and responses to stress make people want to cling to you spiritually, to walk behind you as you walk toward Christ? Or do they see such inconsistency, compromise, or negativity that they think, “If that’s what following Jesus looks like, I’ll pass.”

Ruth’s loyalty and Naomi’s imperfect but real faith brought Ruth into the field of Boaz, her redeemer, and into the very lineage of Christ. Your influence may reach far beyond anything you imagine. Someone’s future with God may be shaped because you chose to live a life worth following.

Reflection

• Who is “clinging” to you—watching you closely, learning from your example (children, spouse, younger believers, coworkers)?
• If they fully imitated your walk with Christ, where would they end up?
• What one area of your life needs to better reflect a Christlike example for those following behind you?

Scripture

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
– Romans 5:3–4 (NKJV)

Devotion

Pastor Darren imagined Ruth describing Naomi’s life: how Naomi lost her husband, then her sons; how grief kept coming in waves; yet, somehow, something strong and God-centered kept surfacing in Naomi.

The question: What oozes out of you when life is unfair?

Anybody can act Christlike when everything’s going well. But your real legacy is shaped when the bottom falls out—when the diagnosis comes, the relationship breaks, the money runs out, or your plans collapse. What flows out then?

• Is it anger and blame?
• Is it bitterness and hardness?
• Or is there still a song somewhere in the dark, still a whisper of trust, still a clinging to God?

Paul says tribulation—pressure, trouble, hardship—produces something if we let it: perseverance, character, and finally hope. You might not like what you’re going through, but what you’re going through can shape you into something others will want to follow.

Ruth clung to Naomi because, even through Naomi’s bitterness and mourning, there was something real, something resilient, something rooted in God. Legacy is not perfection; it’s authenticity in pain, anchored to faith.

The people around you are watching not just what you go through, but how you go through it. Your children, grandchildren, coworkers, and church family are learning how to suffer, how to grieve, and how to stand by watching you.

Reflection

• Think of a recent hardship or disappointment. How did you react—what “oozed out” of you?
• If someone learned how to handle suffering by watching you, what would they learn?
• What would you want to change about your responses in hard times?

Scripture

“So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.”
– Ruth 1:7 (NKJV)

Devotion

One key phrase in the sermon echoes this verse: “She departed from the place where she was.” That’s simple but profound.

Sometimes the greatest spiritual act is not a goosebump moment at the altar, but a decision made in the ordinary: I can’t stay here anymore. Naomi woke up in Moab one day and knew, This is not where I belong. It likely wasn’t glamorous. No parade. No fanfare. Just a woman who said, I’m done. I’m going home.

God often moves in your life when you move your feet.

We wait for feelings, motivation, or a “sign.” But Naomi’s story doesn’t describe a long emotional buildup—just a decision and a direction. Back toward God’s people. Back toward God’s presence. Back toward God’s provision.

Where are you “stuck”? Is it spiritual stagnation, bitterness, apathy, secret sin, or simple laziness in your walk with Jesus? You may feel like you’ve drifted miles from where you once were—less prayer, less hunger, less joy. You can’t rewind the past, but you can choose your next step.

You don’t have to understand how God will fix everything. You don’t have to see all the way to Bethlehem. Just depart from where you are.

Reflection

• Spiritually, where are you “right now”? Be honest.
• What is “the place where you are” that you know can’t be your permanent address?
• What is one concrete step you can take today to “depart” from that place and move toward God?

Scripture

“Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.”
– Ruth 1:1 (NKJV)

Devotion

Bethlehem means “house of bread.” Ironically, the house of bread had no bread, so Elimelech moved his family to Moab, looking for something “better.” But the place they thought would satisfy them became a place of death, loss, and grief.

That’s how sin and self-will work. We leave God’s place, God’s people, and God’s ways because we see something that looks greener somewhere else. We think, “It’ll be better over there. I’ll feel more fulfilled. I’ll have more freedom.” But often, we end up emptier, more broken, and more starved than ever.

Naomi left Bethlehem hungry and ended up in Moab devastated. Yet the turning point came when she heard that God had visited His people with bread again, and she arose to return (Ruth 1:6–7). There’s a time when you must simply say, “This isn’t working. I’ve gone my own way long enough. It’s time to go back.”

Where have you left Bethlehem for Moab—God’s way for your way? It might not be a physical move, but a heart shift: compromised values, distant from church, neglecting prayer, living on your own terms. You may have “put up a mailbox” there and settled in, but you don’t have to stay.

Naomi’s story turns when she gets up and moves. Yours can too.

Reflection

• Is there an area of your life where you’ve walked away from God’s “house of bread” and gone your own way?
• Has the thing that seemed “better” actually left you emptier?
• What “Moab decision” do you need to reverse?

Scripture

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
– Psalm 90:12 (NKJV)

Devotion

Pastor Darren opens with a piercing question: “Who will tell your story one day?” Not just who will tell it—but what will they say?

Every life is writing chapters. Your family, your church, the people you work with—they’re reading your life right now. When they gather years from now around tables, fire pits, or church pews, what kind of story will they tell about you?

Many people drift through life as if it’s “ordinary,” just surviving the day-to-day. But God is not writing an ordinary story with you. He’s weaving a testimony that can impact generations.

Psalm 90:12 calls us to “number our days”—to live with intentionality, realizing that time is limited and precious. You don’t have to be perfect to leave a legacy, but you do have to be purposeful. Naomi’s life was full of pain, loss, and even bitterness; yet her story still became part of the lineage of Christ. Why? Because she got up, turned back toward God’s people, and walked in His direction again.

Your legacy won’t be defined by never failing. It will be defined by what you do when you fall, when you hurt, when life disappoints you. Do you stay in Moab, or do you get up and head back toward Bethlehem?

Reflection

• If someone close to you wrote your story today, what three words might they use to describe your life in Christ?
• Is there anything you’re doing right now that you know won’t produce the kind of story you want told later?
• What one shift would move your story closer to Christlikeness?

Scripture

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
— Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

Devotion

Pastor Darren built to a clear, urgent call:

• It’s time for the church to rise up.
• It’s time to stop being lukewarm.
• It’s time to stop living for comfort and convenience.
• It’s time to make room for God to do whatever He wants.

Pastor described God forming a new “mold” for the church—same Holy Spirit, same power, but a new outpouring, a new wineskin. He prayed that we would become like “hot magma” poured into that mold, taking whatever shape God desires.

This is Galatians 2:20 lived out. To be crucified with Christ is to surrender:

• My preferences.
• My timelines.
• My stubbornness.
• My version of “normal.”

And to say: “Do whatever You want to.”
The question is no longer, “What do I want my life/church to look like?” but “What do You want, Lord?” That’s when we move from being spectators to participants; from passive attenders to active, Spirit-filled disciples.

Lukewarmness isn’t safe; Revelation tells us it makes God sick. God is inviting you into a wholehearted, surrendered life that says: “Here is where I lay it down. I will make room for You.”

Reflection

• In what areas of your life are you still insisting on your own way instead of saying, “Do whatever You want to, Lord”?
• What does it look like, in practical terms, for you to “rise up” in this season—at home, at work, in your church?

Scripture

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
— Hebrews 12:1–2 (NIV)

Devotion

Using Richard Petty as an illustration, Pastor said Petty drove enough race laps on Sundays to go to the moon and back—over and over—yet he never actually left the track.

Pastor Darren compared that to many believers: we look like runners—we buy the “gear,” know the language, even sit in the right places—but spiritually, we’re just driving in circles every Sunday:

• Emotionally stirred during worship (the “eagle flies”),
• Then settling into lap 21—back to routine, unchanged.

He asked, “Did you show up today to finish the race, or just to drive around in another couple circles and leave unchanged?”

Hebrews 12 calls us not to a race in circles, but to a race “marked out for us,” with a clear goal: Jesus Himself. To run that race, we must:

• Throw off what hinders (weights, distractions, petty offenses).
• Throw off the sin that entangles.
• Run with perseverance, not just enthusiasm.

This walk with God isn’t a short sprint or a showy lap; it’s a lifelong marathon. And it’s meant to be going somewhere: toward deeper Christlikeness, greater obedience, more love, more fruit.

Reflection

• Where in your spiritual life do you feel like you’re just “driving in circles”—busy, emotional, but not actually changing or moving forward?
• What specific hindrances or sins is God highlighting that you need to “throw off” so you can truly run your race?

Scripture

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
— Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NIV)

Devotion

Pastor Darren contrasted two types of “trees”:

• The spindly little tree that bends over with every wind, needing to be constantly propped up.
• The massive sequoia with a huge “butt end,” anchored deep, that can withstand fire and crashing trees around it.

The question was blunt: “What kind of tree are you? Are you planted for His glory or firewood for the enemy?”

Jeremiah gives a similar picture. Those who trust in the Lord are like trees planted by water:

• Not free from heat, but unafraid of it.
• Not spared from drought, but still green in it.
• Never failing to bear fruit, even in hard seasons.

Your stability isn’t about personality or temperament—it’s about where you’re planted and where your roots go. If your roots go into circumstances, other people’s approval, or your own strength, you’ll topple easily. If your roots go deep into God’s Word, His presence, and trust in Him, you can stand when others fall.

God is not asking you to be impressive; He’s asking you to be rooted.

Reflection

• In this season of your life, would you describe yourself more as the spindly tree or the deeply rooted tree? Why?
• What practices (prayer, Scripture, fellowship, obedience) help your roots go deeper into God rather than into temporary things?

Scripture

“…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”
— Isaiah 61:3 (NIV)

Devotion

Isaiah 61 was a core text in this weeks sermon. God promises a divine exchange:

• Beauty instead of ashes.
• Joy instead of mourning.
• Praise instead of a disheartened spirit.

Pastor Darren reminded us: in Bible times, people would pour ashes on their head as a sign of grief and mourning. God says, “No longer. I want to replace that with beauty. I want to anoint you with gladness.”

Then comes a powerful identity statement: “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD…that he may be glorified.”

Pastor used the picture of giant sequoias—trees that actually need fire for their cones to release seeds. The intense heat causes new life. After the fire, ashes become the fertile ground for new growth.

There are fires you’ve gone through—losses, disappointments, battles—that you assumed had only destroyed. But in God’s hands, those ashes can become the seedbed of something beautiful and strong. He wants to grow you into a mighty “oak,” stable and anchored, so He can display His splendor through your life.

Reflection

• What “ashes” are you carrying—things you mourn, regret, or feel burned by?
• How might God use those very ashes as the fertile ground for new growth and testimony?

Scripture

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
— Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

Devotion

This verse was the heartbeat of the sermon. Many in the church responded to the altar call when Pastor Darren simply declared: “Behold, I’m going to do something new.”

God says:

• I’m doing a new thing.
• I’ve already begun.
• Do you not see it?

The problem is often not that God isn’t working; it’s that we’re not looking. Pastor said, “Maybe you ain’t got your eyes on the right thing. Maybe you’re still dwelling on the old thing.”

To embrace the new thing, you must release the old thing:

• Old offenses and grudges.
• Old identities tied to your failures.
• Old thought patterns of negativity and fear.

God promises to “make a pathway through the wilderness” and “rivers in the dry wasteland.” The parts of your life that feel overgrown or dried out are not beyond His reach. But you must agree to stop clinging to what He’s asking you to discard.

He’s not just doing something new around you (in your church or county); He wants to do something new in you.

Reflection

• What “old things” (sins, memories, labels, habits, comforts) is God asking you to release so you can walk into His new thing?
• Where do you see even small signs that God has “already begun” something new—even if it’s not fully formed yet?

Scripture

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”
— Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)

Devotion

Pastor described living with a burned-out bedroom lamp as a young man. The light switch never worked, but instead of fixing it, he got comfortable in the dark. He learned the room well enough to navigate without light.

That’s a picture of how we can live spiritually. Maybe you know your way around your “mess” well enough to function:

• That sin pattern you’ve learned to manage.
• That bitterness you’ve learned to live with.
• That depression or anxiety you now call “just who I am.”

You can walk through the room, but the light is still off. You’re functional but not free.

Isaiah 9:2 tells us: people walking in darkness have seen a great light. Jesus didn’t come so you could be a slightly more efficient sinner, or a marginally more comfortable captive. He came to call you—by name—out of the grave, out of the tomb, out of darkness.

The message said, “I was comfortable in my darkness. Comfortable in my mess.” You may know that feeling. But comfort in darkness is still darkness. God is inviting you, gently but firmly, to stop tolerating the burned-out bulb and come back to the Power Source.

Reflection

1. Where have you become “comfortable in the dark” in your own life—areas you’ve stopped even trying to change?
2. What would it look like to stop “navigating” around that darkness and instead bring it fully into the Light

Scripture

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
— Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

Devotion

Pastor Darren kept asking one piercing question: “Why did you even come this morning?”

Many come to church (or to God) out of habit, obligation, or to please someone else. Others come because their week was “devastating” and they just need a breather. But the sermon pushed deeper:

• Did you come to truly get in His presence?
• Did you come expecting to be changed?
• Did you come hungry for something new from God?

In Psalm 100, we’re told how to come to God: with thanksgiving and praise. But the why is just as important. When we come simply to “do church,” we may leave unchanged. When we come to be with Him and to be transformed, we position ourselves for God to work.

Pastor said: “I came to get in His presence. I came to leave changed. I came to be renewed.” That is a posture of expectation and surrender. You may have “mustered up enough strength” just to get here—to open this devotional, to pray at all. God sees that.

Today, be honest with God about why you show up—on Sundays, in prayer, in worship. He’s not asking for perfection; He’s asking for honesty and hunger. He can work with that.

Reflection

1. When you go to church or approach God in prayer, what is your real reason? Tradition, guilt, pressure, habit, or hunger for Him?
2. What would change if you approached each worship time with the expectation: “I came to be in Your presence and leave changed”?

Scripture

“‘Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”
— John 14:1–3 (NLT)

"Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."
— John 14:6 (NLT)

Devotion

Pastor closed by lifting our eyes beyond every earthly place—pastures, caves, palaces, secret places—toward the ultimate place. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you… that where I am you may be also.”

All the “places” you walk through in this life are temporary. The joys, the battles, the caves, the churches, the breakthroughs—they are leading somewhere: into eternal, face‑to‑face life with God.

Pastor Darren emphasized this: “Wherever you are in the place… if you just simply love Me, I’m going to be the way to the Father.” Thomas asked, “How can we know the way?” Jesus answered with Himself: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Your hope isn’t in finally getting the perfect situation here; it’s in being with Him there—and knowing Him here. The secret place now is a down payment on the eternal place then. You are not just surviving to the end; you are being prepared for a place Jesus is personally preparing for you.

Let that hope steady you in every season and every place on the journey.

Reflection

• Do you live with a real sense of eternity, or are you mostly focused on this life’s circumstances?
• Have you personally entrusted your life to Jesus as “the way, the truth, and the life,” or have you been trying to get to God by your own goodness or effort?
• How does knowing Jesus is preparing a place for you change how you view your current struggles?

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
Thank You that You are preparing a place for me in the Father’s house. I confess that You are the way, the truth, and the life. I turn from my sin and my self‑reliance, and I trust in Your death and resurrection for my salvation. Secure my heart in the hope of eternity with You. Let that hope reshape how I see every place I walk through in this life. Until You come for me, keep me faithful in the secret place and bold in public places, living for Your glory alone.
In Your name, Amen.

Scripture

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.”
— Matthew 5:14 (NLT)

Devotion

Pastor said, “The place that the body of Christ needs to be is right where you are, getting poured into. But then the place that we need to go is out there. We need to leave this place, go to another place, and create a place.”

Your life is not just about surviving your own mess; it’s about becoming a place where others meet God. Your home, workplace, friendships, and church can become “cities on a hill,” places of refuge, love, truth, and power.

He also said, “When the church stands up, the community grows… lives start to change… revival kindles.” Revival doesn’t begin with a tent; it begins with a people who have met God in the secret place and then carry His presence into every other place.

You might feel like a “junkyard dog,” as the pastor humorously described—a life full of dents, scars, and brokenness. But in God’s hands, that junkyard becomes a restoration shop where others are rebuilt. Broken people, transformed by a perfect Savior, become beautiful places of hope.

Reflection

• What kind of “place” is your home spiritually? Your workplace? Your involvement in church?
• Where do you sense God nudging you to “stand up and be counted” in your community or congregation?
• Who in your life needs the kind of “place” you’re beginning to experience in God—someone you can intentionally love, pray for, or invite?

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
Make my life a “place” where people encounter You. Let my home be filled with Your presence, my words with Your truth, and my actions with Your love. Use me in my church and community to help create a place of healing, hope, and revival. Show me one specific step to take this week to be a light on a hill for someone else.
In Your name, Amen.

Scripture

“In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.”
— 2 Samuel 11:1 (ESV)

Devotion

David’s most infamous fall didn’t happen in the pasture or the cave—but in the palace. When kings went out to battle, David stayed home. In a place of comfort and power, he looked down from his rooftop, saw Bathsheba, took her, and orchestrated her husband Uriah’s death.

Pastor warned: “All of a sudden we find David in a new place… a place of power… where he should have been [on the battlefield], but he’s sitting on the wall.” The problem wasn’t just Bathsheba—it was David’s place of disengagement and entitlement.

Our “palace” moments—success, comfort, influence—can be more dangerous than our caves. When we stop fighting, stop serving, stop staying accountable, we become vulnerable to temptation. Power without presence becomes a trap.

Yet even after this failure, David returned to God in repentance (see Psalm 51). The place of sin didn’t have to be the place of his identity forever. Neither does yours.

Reflection

• Where are you “on the wall” when you should be “in the battle”—spiritually, morally, in service or accountability?
• What “palace comforts” (ease, status, entertainment, unchecked online time, relationships) have become spiritual vulnerabilities for you?
• Is there an area of sin you need to bring into the light and repent of today?

Prayer

Holy God,
Expose every “palace trap” in my life. Show me where I’ve grown lazy, entitled, or disengaged from the battle You’ve called me to. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Don’t let my comfort become my downfall. Call me back into active obedience and wholehearted devotion.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.