Advent: Peace | Isaiah 9:6-7

Devotional

Day 1: The promised King brings lasting peace and right rule.

Long before circumstances change, God promised a King who carries peace on his shoulders and establishes justice that will never end. This peace is not a fleeting feeling but a right ordering of life, relationships, and the world as God intends. Remembering that peace is found in a person — the Prince of Peace — reorients hope away from circumstances and toward Christ. [41:05]

For unto 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 9:6–7, ESV)

Reflection: When anxiety makes you want to control outcomes, how would remembering Jesus as the Prince of Peace change one concrete decision you make this week toward trusting His rule?

Day 2: Jesus gives his own peace, not the world's.

Jesus promises his disciples the very peace he possesses — a peace unlike the fragile, temporary calm the world offers. That peace comes with the gift of the Spirit who teaches, reminds, and anchors the heart in Christ so that fear and trouble lose their final hold. Receive the offer: Jesus leaves his peace with you even in the hard and uncertain hours. [46:36]

“These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14:25–27, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one specific fear you carry right now; if Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you,” what is one tangible act of trust you can take this week that embodies believing that promise?

Day 3: Prayer with thanksgiving unlocks God's guarding peace.

When anxiety threatens, the Bible calls for prayer and supplication with thanksgiving — a posture that acknowledges God’s power and presence rather than one’s own control. Bringing requests to God does not minimize real difficulty, but it invites God’s surpassing peace to stand watch over heart and mind. Practice making your worries known to God with gratitude and watch God’s peace guard you. [01:06:52]

“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.” (Philippians 4:6–7, ESV)

Reflection: Choose one recurring worry and craft a short prayer of petition that includes one thing you are thankful for; when will you pray it this week and how will you remind yourself to do so?

Day 4: Perfect peace follows steady trust in God.

The heart that keeps its mind stayed on the Lord and trusts in Him experiences a stability of soul described as perfect peace. Trust is not merely an emotional choice but a continual reorientation of the mind toward God’s character — his faithfulness and strength. Aim to steady your thoughts on the Lord so peace can replace the morning fog of anxiety. [55:45]

“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.” (Isaiah 26:3–4, ESV)

Reflection: Where does your mind most often drift during anxious moments, and what one spiritual practice (Scripture reading, breath prayer, short confession) will you use this week to re-steady your thoughts on the Lord?

Day 5: Cast anxieties on God; He cares for you.

God invites humble surrender — laying burdens at his feet — because he cares for his people and can carry what we cannot. Casting anxieties is an act of trust that pulls weight from the shoulders and places it into the hands of the One who loves and sustains. Practice casting daily cares to God, and allow his care to shape your life and rest. [58:43]

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6–7, ESV)

Reflection: What is one worry you have been carrying alone that you will intentionally hand over to God this week, and which practical step (talking with a friend, journaling to God, specific prayer) will you take to do it?

Sermon Summary

I invited us into Advent peace by naming our restless age—anxious teenagers, weary adults, and the constant stimulation of our screens—but I reminded us that Scripture addressed our lack of peace long before smartphones. Peace in the Bible is richer than “peace and quiet.” It’s shalom: wholeness, completeness, life working as it ought. It’s the smooth stone, the solid wall without gaps, the restored field, the repaired relationship, the inner sense that “it is well with my soul.” We long for that kind of peace with God, within ourselves, and with others.

Isaiah held out a promise in a dark hour: God would not simply tweak circumstances; He would send a better King—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace—whose peace would never end. That promise arrives in Jesus, and the night before the cross He told His disciples that the Spirit would teach and remind them, and that He would give them His peace—not the fragile peace the world offers, but His own durable peace that steadies troubled and fearful hearts.

If peace is promised and given as a gift, why don’t we experience it more often? We put a “camera” into our hearts and named seven culprits: self-reliance, fear, chasing the world’s version of peace, carrying anxiety instead of casting it, living at odds with others, resisting God’s rule, and the deep fracture of sin that separates us from God. For those far from God, peace begins with being reconciled to Him through Christ. For God’s people, we pursue peace in a very practical way: “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” we draw near, hand over our burdens, and trust Him. Prayer is honest surrender, a refusal to pretend we are in control. And God promises that His peace—which surpasses understanding—will stand guard over our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. So we practiced it together, bringing our real anxieties before the Lord, asking Him to calm our hearts and make us whole.

Key Takeaways

1. Peace is wholeness, not mere quiet. Shalom is about life made whole—stones without cracks, walls without gaps, relationships restored, hearts aligned. It’s not escape from noise; it’s the settled wellness of a life brought into order under God. Pursue the kind of peace that repairs what’s broken rather than numbing what hurts. Let God move you toward completeness with Him and with others. [33:47]
2. Peace is promised in a Person. God did not promise better circumstances; He promised a better King. Isaiah points us to Jesus, whose rule brings a peace that does not expire with changing conditions. Anchor hope in His reign now and His return, not in the next fix. Peace grows as allegiance shifts from circumstances to Christ. [41:05]
3. Receive Christ’s own peace as gift. Jesus doesn’t hand out a technique; He gives His very peace, carried to us by the Spirit who teaches and reminds. This is a peace sturdy enough to meet troubled, fearful hearts. You don’t achieve it; you receive it. Open your hands and welcome what He freely gives. [48:52]
4. Diagnose your unrest with Scripture. Name what steals peace: self-reliance, fear, counterfeit comforts, uncast burdens, conflict, resistance to God, and unreconciled sin. Moving from vague anxiety to specific repentance and trust is grace at work. Let diagnosis become direction—toward obedience, reconciliation, and dependence. Peace often follows clarity and surrender. [54:39]
5. Prayer opens us to guarding peace. Philippians 4 doesn’t just say “don’t be anxious”; it gives a way forward: pray, plead, give thanks, and hand your requests to God. Prayer is the practice of trust; thanksgiving tunes the heart to His faithfulness. God’s peace, beyond analysis, becomes your sentry—guarding heart and mind in Christ. [64:02]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[26:51] - Christmas Eve invitation story
[27:17] - Brief update coming after worship
[28:07] - Opening prayer for calm hearts
[29:07] - The anxious generation explained
[31:42] - Scripture’s timeless word on anxiety
[32:51] - Peace is possible in Christ
[33:47] - What shalom really means
[38:19] - Isaiah’s Prince of Peace promise
[41:05] - Peace is found in a Person
[45:38] - John 14: The gift of peace
[54:39] - Seven reasons we lack peace
[64:02] - Philippians 4: Prayer that guards
[70:02] - Practicing prayer; closing intercession

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV)
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.

Observation questions (read the passage first)

Which four names are given to the child in Isaiah 9:6, and what practical promises about his rule do those names communicate? [41:05]
What does the phrase “of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” say about the durability and scope of the peace promised? [41:05]
In the Old Testament examples of shalom (a smooth stone, a wall without gaps, restored fields, relationships repaired), what concrete images of “wholeness” stand out to you and why? [34:25]

Interpretation questions (think together about what the passage and related texts mean)

If peace is given in a Person (a King) rather than in better circumstances, how should that change a person’s expectations when trials continue and circumstances don’t immediately improve? [41:36]
If Jesus gives “his peace” through the Spirit who teaches and reminds (John 14), what does that imply about how believers actually experience and remember peace in everyday life? [48:52]
Given the sermon’s “camera” diagnosis of seven reasons for unrest (self-reliance, fear, chasing counterfeit peace, carrying anxiety, relational conflict, resisting God’s rule, sin and separation), which of these categories most often explains a believer’s lack of peace, and why? [54:39]
How can the reality that sin separates people from God be held together with the promise that “he himself is our peace” (Eph. 2)—that is, how does the gospel address both the problem and the provision? [01:03:08]

Application questions (practical, personal steps)

Trust often erodes peace. Where are you depending on your own wisdom or strength instead of trusting the Lord? Name one specific decision this week where you will “stay your mind” on God and how you will do it (scripture, prayer, who will remind you). [55:07]
Fear steals peace when faith shrinks. What particular fear is most present in your heart right now, and what is one concrete act of faith you will take this week to oppose that fear (a prayer, a conversation, a Bible passage to memorize)? [56:11]
Which worldly substitute (pleasure, achievement, stuff, relationships) have you leaned on for a false sense of peace? What practical step will you take to turn from that substitute toward Christ this month? [58:16]
What anxious burden are you still carrying instead of casting on the Lord? Will you name that burden in prayer now and share it with one trusted person who will pray with you this week? [58:43]
Is there a strained or broken relationship that keeps you from experiencing inner peace? What is one concrete step toward reconciliation you will take in the next seven days (phone call, apology, listening meeting)? [59:58]
Where are you resisting God’s rule in your life (a pattern, habit, or decision)? What is a specific, doable first step toward obedience and repentance you will take this week? [01:01:18]
If someone in the group senses they are not reconciled to God, what is the next step toward receiving the Prince of Peace (repentance, trusting Christ)? Who will you ask to walk with you through that step this week? [01:03:08]

Use this time to read Isaiah 9:6–7 again together, pray for one another as you name specific needs, and practice bringing those needs to God in honest prayer and thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6–7).

Sermon Clips

But in our passage this morning that Russ read from Isaiah, the prophet is looking toward a time when a king will come. He is a prince of shalom. He is a prince of peace. And he would bring peace that would never end. And that's the peace that Jesus came to give us. It's not just a quiet moment. It's not like when we say finally some peace and quiet. Instead, it is a deep and steady and grounded sense that because of Jesus, it is well with my soul. [00:38:25] (46 seconds) #PrinceOfShalom

It is interesting to know that God doesn't promise his people a better circumstances immediately. He promises them a better king. The peace that is promised is not a feeling that we manufacture or create. Peace is found in a person. And his name is Jesus. All of scripture is building up toward the arrival of this king. When he comes, the rest of scripture is looking forward to the time when he will come again. And so Isaiah is prophetically announcing his arrival. [00:41:08] (50 seconds) #PeaceIsInJesus

Your heart is unsettled, and you can't life-hack your way to a peaceful heart. I mean, you've tried to take control of an uncontrollable situation. You've tried to reframe where God has you this morning. You've tried to control the controllables. You have created healthy relational boundaries between you and another person and another party. You've done all you can do, but nothing seems to work. All the world seems to give you is anxiousness and anxiety. [00:43:26] (41 seconds) #YouCantLifeHackPeace

But God made a promise. He promised to send a son who would carry the weight of peace on his shoulders. He promised to send a savior who would be the prince of peace. Peace, again, is not something we create. Peace is someone we receive. So if that's true, if it is true that Jesus is the prince of peace, then how do we receive that kind of peace? [00:44:07] (30 seconds) #ReceiveThePrinceOfPeace

And the promise that he gives to them is not only am I going to give to you my Spirit, who will teach you and remind you, but Jesus claims, I'm going to give you my very peace. Like, the very peace that Jesus had that he experienced, he wanted to give it to his followers, to his disciples. I believe that God wants to give us that kind of peace today. Like, the very peace of Jesus. [00:48:57] (31 seconds) #HolySpiritBringsPeace

And so he told his disciples, I want to give to you my peace, which blows my mind. Like, I'm just thinking, like, Jesus knows he's going to go to the cross. His life here on earth is coming to an end. And one of the things that he thought was so important to tell his disciples is, listen, I want you to have my peace. And the peace that is mine, I want to give that to you. It's not the same peace that the world pursues. It is my peace, and I want you to experience it. [00:49:51] (36 seconds) #JesusGivesPeace

Because I don't know about you, but I believe that. I believe that peace is offered, and I believe that peace is a gift. But I also believe that there are times in life when even for followers of Jesus, that that is not our experience. Our hearts still feel unsettled. We still wrestle with anxiousness and weariness. So why? Why is it if God promises peace in Jesus, and he promises to give it to us as a gift, not something that we earn, why is it that we don't always experience it? [00:51:16] (46 seconds) #WhyPeaceEludesUs

Peace is withheld when we refuse to hand over our burdens to God. Anxiety that we refuse to give to God will gradually weigh us down until we cannot bear the weight. Peace is experienced when we give our anxiety to God and trust that he can bear the weight. This is something that oftentimes we do on a daily basis. We cast our anxiety on God instead of keeping it to ourselves. [00:58:56] (36 seconds) #CastYourCaresOnGod

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