December 7, 2025 - Advent: Peace: John 14:27, Philippians 4:6-9

Devotional

Day 1: Prepare the way: repent and turn to God.

John’s call was simple and urgent: stop, turn, and prepare the way of the Lord by living differently. Repentance is not just words but fruit—changing direction, confessing, and allowing God’s cleansing to reshape actions and priorities. When people responded, they were baptized and readied themselves for the one who would baptize with Spirit and fire. [41:23]

Matthew 3:1-12 (ESV)
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” 4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

Reflection: What is one habit, attitude, or relationship you need to “stop and turn” from this week, and what concrete step will you take before next Sunday to show the fruit of that repentance?

Day 2: God makes rivers in our wilderness.

God does not promise to keep believers out of hard places but promises to meet them there with living water and provision. The wilderness becomes a place of encounter where God supplies streams to satisfy thirst, renews vision, and prepares people for what’s next. Rather than wasting that season in complaint or fear, it is an invitation to receive God’s help and hope. [31:55]

Isaiah 43:19-20 (ESV)
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 20 The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people.

Reflection: Identify one wilderness season you are in—how can you look for God’s “river” (a person, a Word, a ministry, a moment of prayer) this week, and what first practical step will you take to reach for that help?

Day 3: A voice cries: prepare the way.

The ancient prophecy declares a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the Lord’s arrival; God often sends the clearest words from places we try to avoid. Preparation requires clearing the path—confessing, listening, and making space so Jesus can move freely in heart and life. The call to prepare is both an invitation and an urgent summons: make room for God now. [43:26]

Isaiah 40:3 (ESV)
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

Reflection: What is one obstacle you need to remove this week so that Jesus can come through—what will you stop doing or give up to make that path straight?

Day 4: This is the Lord's day: rejoice.

Worship begins with the simple truth that this day belongs to the Lord and calls for rejoicing and gladness, even amid waiting and Advent seasons. Gathering to receive God’s grace invites rest from striving and a posture of trust that God has it—our finances, relationships, congregational future, and every small broken thing. Rather than wasting the season with panic or complaint, receive peace that comes from trusting God’s care. [07:50]

Psalm 118:24 (ESV)
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Reflection: Which one worry or striving will you intentionally hand to God this week, and what single practice (a prayer, a Sabbath pause, or a conversation) will show that you are trusting Him with it?

Day 5: Say “Yes, Lord”—trust, obey, receive grace.

Saying “Yes, Lord” is a posture of whole‑heart surrender: trusting God’s call even when the outcome is unknown and obeying when the ask feels big. Advent is not about striving to reach Christmas but receiving grace, resting in God’s sovereignty, and agreeing to the next step he invites. When the Spirit speaks, answer with your whole heart and expect the transforming work that follows. [01:01:10]

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Reflection: What is one “yes” God is asking of you that feels risky or bold, and what is the first concrete step you will take this week to begin obeying that invitation?

Sermon Summary

I welcomed our church family home and gave thanks for God’s presence already moving among us. Then I named a tension many of us feel: seasons when heaven seems “on mute.” Scripture reminds us that God often turns the sound back on in the wilderness. After 400 years of silence, a voice cried out—not in a palace or a platform—but in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord.” That wilderness theme runs through the whole Bible and through our lives. God doesn’t promise to keep us from wilderness moments; he promises rivers in the wilderness and to meet us there with help, hope, and holy direction.

John’s call is simple and disruptive: repent, which means stop, turn around, and face Jesus. Repentance is not shame; it’s reorientation. We can’t keep walking our way and also walk his way. And to do what God asks, we don’t rely on willpower alone. Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire, cleansing and renewing us from the inside out. The wilderness becomes preparation, not punishment—God’s classroom for clarity, dependence, and obedience.

During Advent, we don’t strive our way to Christmas; we receive grace. Peace may be less about outcomes we control and more about trusting the One who holds what we cannot. So our response this season is our song: “Yes, Lord, yes—your will, your way.” We say yes in the hard places, yes when answers are delayed, yes when we’re tempted to complain, and yes when God invites us into hairy, audacious obedience beyond our capacity. We sealed that yes at the Lord’s Table, receiving together what we could never earn—Christ’s life given for us—so that our “yes” is grounded in his grace.

God is nearer than we think. Jesus is here, and he’s showing up in ways we couldn’t have planned. The question is not whether God is speaking; it’s whether we will stop, turn, face him, and answer with our whole selves. As a church, that means serving our neighbors, investing in the next generation, blessing those God sends into new fields, and trusting him with our campus and future. Our anthem remains the same this week: “Yes, Lord, yes.”

Key Takeaways

1. God often speaks in wilderness God’s voice becomes clearest where our control runs out. The very places we’d rather skip are where he forms dependence and gives fresh direction. If we refuse the desert, we risk refusing the clarity we’re praying for. Don’t fear the quiet; expect God to meet you there. [31:55]
2. Repentance is reorientation toward Jesus Repent means stop, turn, and face Christ—no spin, no excuses, no delay. It’s the decisive move that opens space for the Spirit to transform us. Without reorientation, we mistake activity for obedience. Turn first; then follow. [51:14]
3. The Spirit cleanses and empowers Water can rinse sand and salt; the Holy Spirit can reach where water cannot. Jesus baptizes with Spirit and fire, burning away what chokes life and igniting holy desire. Surrender is not loss—it’s making room for power you don’t possess. [53:17]
4. Wilderness is preparation, not punishment Before public fruit, God cultivates hidden roots. Complaining wastes formation, but trust turns trials into training. Ask not “How fast can I get out?” but “What are you forming in me here?” [55:03]
5. Advent is receiving, not striving This season invites restfully alert trust: God holds what we can’t control. Peace grows when we release timelines, outcomes, and optics to him. Let waiting become worship and your “yes” become steady. [59:04]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[07:50] - Three-in-One Worship and Love Offering
[10:39] - December Events, Children’s Play, Banquet
[31:55] - Is Heaven on Mute? Wilderness Hope
[35:41] - Wilderness Stories Across Scripture
[41:23] - Prepare the Way: Matthew 3
[46:22] - John’s Call in the Desert
[48:36] - Get Ready: Jesus Is Here
[51:14] - Repent: Turn and Face Jesus
[53:17] - Spirit and Fire That Renew
[55:03] - Wilderness: Preparation, Not Punishment
[59:04] - Advent: Receiving Grace, God’s Care
[61:56] - Communion: Grace Received Together
[70:29] - Generosity, Offering, Community Updates
[79:26] - Blessing Val and Future Rhythms

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Matthew 3:1–12 (ESV)

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” 4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

Observation questions

Where did John preach and what single command did he keep repeating? What does the location add to the force of that command? [41:23]
How does John respond when religious leaders approach him (vv. 7–8)? What does “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” look like in the text? [43:26]
What contrast does John draw between his baptism and the one who is coming? What images does he use to describe that coming work? [53:17]
How does the phrase “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (v. 2) function both as a declaration and as a summons for people who are listening? [47:12]

Interpretation questions

What might the wilderness setting of John’s ministry indicate about where and how God often chooses to speak to his people? [31:55]
If repentance is defined as reorientation rather than shame, how does that change the expected results of someone’s response to the call “Repent”? [51:14]
How should the promise of baptism “with the Holy Spirit and fire” shape a community’s expectations for inner change and outward obedience? [53:17]
In what ways does interpreting wilderness seasons as “preparation, not punishment” alter how a person or church times their expectations for visible fruit? [55:03]

Application questions

Remember a season when God felt silent or “on mute” to you. What is one small, practical step you will take this week to expect God to meet you in that wilderness? [31:55]
Repentance as “stop, turn, and face Jesus” is directional. What specific habit, attitude, or relationship do you need to stop and turn from this Advent season? What will “facing Jesus” look like practically for you this week? [51:14]
The Spirit cleanses and empowers beyond what water can do. Where in your life do you sense a need for inner cleansing or a fresh filling of the Spirit, and which spiritual practices (prayer, confession, solitude, community) will you commit to for that renewal? [53:17]
Instead of asking “How fast can I get out of this season?”, ask “What is God forming in me here?” Name one fruit you hope God is producing through your present trial and one concrete way you will cooperate with that formation. [55:03]
Advent invites receiving, not striving. What is one timetable, outcome, or area of control you will intentionally release to God this season, and how will you remind yourself to rest in his care? [59:04]
Saying “Yes, Lord, yes” looks like action. Which of these is God prompting you to do in the weeks ahead—serve a neighbor, invest in a younger person, bless a new ministry, or trust God with a shared resource—and what is one practical first step you will take? [01:19:26]

Sermon Clips

and then and then and then in the wilderness places God turned the sound back on lives were transformed and the word of God was clearly experienced in every way what we find today is that God often speaks the clearest in the places that we try to avoid God speaks the clearest in the spots that we try to avoid I confess that that's often not in places of comfort not in places of control and often in wilderness spots of our lives [00:32:15] (70 seconds) #GodSpeaksWhereWeAvoid

Elijah well God fed him strengthened him and spoke to him not in the loud thunder but in the whisper of a quiet voice David David he learned to trust God while hiding from enemies before God anointed him as king John the Baptist he grows strong in faith while learning to live simply with God Paul God reshapes his identity and calling after his conversion John the revelator God gives him a vision of hope while he's still isolated in exile in an island and Jesus he faced temptations in the wilderness he relied on God the father and his ministry is still saving lives today [00:36:08] (66 seconds) #GodWhispersInWilderness

``John the Baptist he grows strong in faith while learning to live simply with God Paul God reshapes his identity and calling after his conversion John the revelator God gives him a vision of hope while he's still isolated in exile in an island and Jesus he faced temptations in the wilderness he relied on God the father and his ministry is still saving lives today [00:36:33] (41 seconds) #WildernessToMinistry

the wilderness reminds us that we are not in control now for some of us that breaks our hearts and that's terrifying but you know what you know what I have to say to that glory to God I'm not in control the creator of the universe is the one who's working and leading and guiding us it is not a person it is not a leader it is not a board it's not a meeting it's not a vote it is Jesus Christ God the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit who is leading and guiding and inviting [00:39:45] (49 seconds) #GodIsInControl

hear the good news hear the good news beloved get ready Jesus is here and he's getting ready to show up and show out in ways that we could never even imagine John taught us three simple things that God is closer than we think I don't know where you are today I don't know the wilderness that you're facing I don't know the hopes that you're facing the challenge is in the wilderness we hear silence and on the mountain top sometimes our ears are filled with our own praises and forget to remember it is God who is the one who is working God is near and he's got a question for us what are we gonna say [00:48:47] (65 seconds) #GodIsCloser

see before Moses led people he was in the wilderness before David became king wilderness before Jesus began his public ministry wilderness the wilderness is not punishment it is preparation but sometimes we waste our wilderness experiences sometimes we waste it with basic things like well we don't have this problem here so we don't have to worry about it but you know some of those other people and places and churches and Christians and Jesus followers experience this challenge they waste their wilderness experience where God is pouring grace by complaining [00:54:53] (61 seconds) #WildernessIsPreparation

it's a season of waiting and for some people it's called wilderness time because we're waiting for Jesus to break into this world again but this is not a season where we have to strive to get to Christmas it's a season where we're called to receive the grace to rest in the truth and the knowledge that God has got it God's got it your finances God's got it your relationships God's got it the future of our congregation and campus God's got it [00:59:17] (53 seconds) #GodHasGotIt

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Why is the wilderness preparation, not punishment?

What proves genuine repentance in everyday living?

What wastes wilderness seasons, and what redeems them?

December 7, 2025 - Advent: Peace: John 14:27, Philippians 4:6-9

Devotional

Day 1: Prepare the way: repent and turn to God.

Day 2: God makes rivers in our wilderness.

Day 3: A voice cries: prepare the way.

Day 4: This is the Lord's day: rejoice.

Day 5: Say “Yes, Lord”—trust, obey, receive grace.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

December 7, 2025 - Advent: Peace: John 14:27, Philippians 4:6-9

Share