Family Matters: Showing Up and Holding Each Other Up

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Family Carries Each Other’s Burdens

A healthy spiritual family is marked by people who are willing to step in and help carry the weight when life gets heavy. Just as Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ arms when he grew tired, we are called to support one another in our struggles, not letting anyone face their battles alone. This is not just a nice idea, but a command that fulfills the law of Christ—loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves. When we show up for each other, we become the hands and feet of Jesus, making the church a place of real encouragement and strength. [37:24]

Galatians 6:2 (NIV)
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Reflection: Who in your church family or circle is carrying a heavy burden right now, and how can you practically step in to help hold them up this week?

Day 2: God Is Our Banner and Victory

True victory in life’s battles does not come from our own strength, but from God who fights for us and brings us through. When Moses built an altar and called it “The Lord is my Banner,” it was a declaration that God alone is the source of triumph and hope. In moments of exhaustion and defeat, we are reminded to look to God as our banner—He is the one who gives us victory, and our lives should point back to Him in gratitude and trust. [33:24]

Exodus 17:15 (NIV)
Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to stop striving in your own strength and instead declare God as your banner and source of victory?

Day 3: Jesus Invites the Weary to Find Rest in Him

When life feels overwhelming and you are tired from carrying burdens, Jesus offers a simple but profound invitation: come to Him. He promises rest for the weary and hope for the burdened, not by removing every challenge, but by giving us Himself as our anchor and peace. Surrendering to Jesus is both an act of humility and the pathway to true rest, as we trust Him with what we cannot carry alone. [34:54]

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Reflection: What is one specific burden you are carrying today that you need to bring to Jesus and trust Him to give you rest?

Day 4: Healthy Families Show Up for Each Other

Being part of God’s family means consistently showing up—not just when it’s convenient, but especially when life is hard. When we are present with one another, we create space for real relationships, encouragement, and transformation. It’s easy to withdraw when we’re tired or struggling, but the church is meant to be a place where we lean in, not pull away, so that no one has to face their battles alone. [38:49]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Reflection: When you feel like pulling away from your church family, what is one step you can take to intentionally show up and be present for others this week?

Day 5: Remember and Celebrate God’s Faithfulness

We are prone to forget how God has worked in our lives, especially after the battle is over. God instructed Moses to write down the story of victory so that future generations would remember His faithfulness. Taking time to remember and celebrate what God has done not only strengthens our faith, but also encourages others who are still in the midst of their struggles. [32:27]

Psalm 77:11-12 (NIV)
I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.

Reflection: Take a few minutes today to write down a specific time when God brought you through a difficult season—how can you share this story to encourage someone else?

Sermon Summary

We live in a world where “I’m tired” has become the most honest answer to “How are you?”—not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually. Life’s demands pile up: work, family, finances, anxieties, and even the expectations of faith. In the midst of this exhaustion, God’s design for us is not to go it alone, but to be part of a spiritual family—a community that both shows up and holds up.

Looking back to the story of Moses in Exodus 17, we see a vivid picture of what it means to be part of God’s family. As Moses stood on the hill with his hands raised, Israel prevailed in battle. But when he grew tired and his hands dropped, the enemy gained ground. Moses couldn’t do it alone. Aaron and Hur came alongside, physically holding up his arms until victory was won. This is not just a story about ancient warfare; it’s a blueprint for how God’s people are to live today. We all have moments when we can’t hold up our own arms anymore—when the burdens are too heavy, the battle too long. In those moments, we need others to step in, to support us, to carry our burdens.

This is the heart of a healthy spiritual family. It’s not about perfection—none of us are perfect, and neither are our families, biological or spiritual. But it is about presence and support. Healthy families show up: they are present in each other’s lives, especially when things get hard. And healthy families hold up: they step in to support, encourage, and carry one another when the weight is too much to bear alone.

Jesus himself invites the weary and burdened to come to him for rest. The posture of surrender—arms raised, admitting our need—is the same posture of victory. In Christ, we find both the strength to keep going and the family to help us when we can’t. The church is called to be this kind of family, carrying each other’s burdens and fulfilling the law of Christ: to love God and love one another.

So, the challenge is clear: don’t withdraw when life gets hard. Don’t try to carry it all alone. Show up for your spiritual family, and let them show up for you. Hold up others, and let yourself be held up. This is how we live out the reality that the family of God truly matters.

Key Takeaways

1. Healthy families show up for each other Being present is the foundation of any strong family, especially in the body of Christ. When we consistently show up, we create space for real relationships, vulnerability, and support. Absence, especially in hard times, isolates us and prevents others from knowing when we need help or how they can serve us. [38:35]
2. Healthy families hold up one another Support in God’s family is not passive; it’s active and intentional. Like Aaron and Hur with Moses, we are called to step in when someone is weary, carrying their burdens as if they were our own. This mutual support is how we fulfill Christ’s law of love and experience the strength of true community. [42:12]
3. Surrender and victory share the same posture Raising our hands—whether in surrender or in celebration—reminds us that admitting our need is not weakness, but the gateway to God’s victory. In Christ, surrender leads to rest, and dependence leads to triumph. We must be willing to let others see our need so that God’s strength can be made perfect in our weakness. [35:22]
4. Don’t forget what God has done We are prone to forget God’s faithfulness once the battle is over. Writing down, remembering, and sharing stories of God’s provision keeps us anchored in gratitude and trust. This practice not only strengthens our faith but also encourages others who are still in the midst of their struggle. [32:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:26] - Thanksgiving Greetings & Announcements
[13:35] - Communion Instructions
[15:20] - The Universal Experience of Tiredness
[17:44] - Spiritual Fatigue and Honest Questions
[18:39] - The Family of God: Series Recap
[20:03] - God’s Plan for Family in Scripture
[21:48] - Israel’s Battle with the Amalekites
[22:30] - Hands Raised: A Living Illustration
[24:59] - The Power of Perspective
[26:44] - Moses’ Humanity and Our Own
[29:01] - Aaron and Hur Hold Up Moses
[30:36] - Who Holds Up Your Hands?
[33:24] - God as Our Banner of Victory
[35:22] - Surrender and Victory in Christ
[37:24] - Carrying Each Other’s Burdens
[38:35] - Healthy Families: Show Up and Hold Up
[41:19] - From Inward to Outward Faith
[45:35] - The Cost of Not Showing Up
[48:21] - Communion: Remembering Jesus Together
[54:55] - Living as God’s Family

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Exodus 17:8-16 (NIV) — 8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.
9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.
11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”
15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.
16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

Matthew 11:28 (NIV) — “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Galatians 6:2 (NIV) — Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Observation Questions

In the story from Exodus 17, what happened when Moses’ hands were raised, and what changed when he grew tired and lowered them? ([25:20])
Who were the people that came alongside Moses, and what specific actions did they take to help him? ([29:01])
According to Matthew 11:28, who does Jesus invite to come to Him, and what does He promise to give them? ([34:39])
What does Paul instruct the church to do in Galatians 6:2, and what does he say this fulfills? ([37:24])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God chose to involve Aaron and Hur in helping Moses, instead of just giving Moses supernatural strength to keep his hands raised? What does this say about God’s design for community? ([29:45])
The sermon mentioned that “healthy families show up and hold up.” What does it look like for a church family to “show up” for each other, especially during hard times? ([38:35])
Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” How might spiritual tiredness look different from physical tiredness, and why is it important to admit when we are spiritually weary? ([34:39])
The sermon talked about remembering what God has done and not forgetting His faithfulness. Why is it so easy to forget God’s help after a difficult season, and how does remembering help us and others? ([32:27])

Application Questions

The sermon described how “I’m tired” is often our most honest answer, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually. When was the last time you felt this kind of tiredness? Did you let anyone know, or did you try to handle it alone? What was the result? ([15:39])
Moses needed Aaron and Hur to hold up his arms when he couldn’t do it anymore. Who are the people in your life who “hold up your arms” when you’re struggling? Are there people you need to invite in, or are you trying to do it all yourself? ([30:36])
The sermon challenged us not to withdraw from our spiritual family when life gets hard. Is there a time when you pulled away from church or community because you were overwhelmed? What would it look like to lean in instead of pulling away next time? ([39:04])
“Healthy families show up.” What are some practical ways you can be more present for your spiritual family this month? Is there someone you know who might need you to “show up” for them right now? ([38:35])
“Healthy families hold up.” Think of someone in your church or small group who might be carrying a heavy burden. What is one specific thing you could do this week to support or encourage them? ([42:12])
The sermon said that surrender and victory share the same posture—raising our hands. Is there an area of your life where you need to admit your need and ask for help, either from God or from others? What’s holding you back from doing that? ([35:22])
The sermon encouraged us to remember and share stories of God’s faithfulness. Can you think of a time when God provided for you or brought you through a hard season? How could sharing that story encourage someone else who is struggling right now? ([32:27])

Sermon Clips

It's almost like someone came up, Moses, how are you? And Moses replies, I'm tired. I'm holding up this staff. I know when I drop it, we're losing it. If I put it up, we're winning. And this is a long battle, just to be clear. But he's tired. This is how we feel oftentimes. How are you? I'm tired. I'm tired of holding this up. I'm tired of feeling I have to keep holding up my hands. I can't do it much longer. I can't. He's tired. [00:28:22] (26 seconds) #SupportInTheBattle

Aaron and Hur, who were with them, they see that Moses is tired. They see that if his hands drop, the Israelites are losing and more people are dying. Like, they see the magnitude of what's taking place. So what they do is say, you know what? Let's haul this rock over so Moses can sit on it. Because even sitting helps. I should have made you guys stand up and do this. It would be even better. But he's able to sit. And then they go, you know what? Hands have to stay up. He can't do it anymore. We'll do it for him. [00:29:24] (23 seconds) #HandsHeldUpTogether

Who holds your hands up? When life is tired, when life is exhausting, who holds your hands up? And on top of that, whose hands do you hold up? Because this goes both ways. When you're tired, who holds your hands up? And when someone else that you know and love is tired, whose hands do you hold up? This is what a healthy family does. Any family, but specifically, this is how God's family, his church, is supposed to function. [00:30:32] (29 seconds) #WhoHoldsYourHands

God is the victory. God is the winner. It's not Moses, not Joshua. God used them to bring victory. But it's a reminder for them and Israel in this moment that who brought the victory was God. It's a reminder to keep with their faith. And that's what we need to remember. We're tired and struggling with faith and life. Remember, God is our victory. [00:33:54] (20 seconds) #VictoryThroughCommunity

And God showed them in this victory that they need to be there for each other. Could God have just wiped the Amalekites out? Absolutely. But he didn't. He had them go through it to show them this is what it looks like to be there for each other. He set the expectation of how his people are to function. And this hasn't changed today. Life is still tiring. Life is still hard. And we need God to be our banner. We need God to be our victory. [00:34:14] (27 seconds) #RestInJesus

``If you're tired, go to Jesus. If you're burdened, go to Jesus. If you need victory, you go and find it in Jesus. Because God is our banner. He is our victory. He is the anchor to our faith. He is our hope. He is our life. This is our reminder that through Jesus, when we're tired and heavy burdened, we come to him. And in him, we find rest. In him, we find victory. [00:34:54] (26 seconds) #PostureOfSurrender

The posture of surrender is the same as our response to victory. Because for us to go to Jesus and say, I need rest, we need a posture of surrender. So think about this. If you have or had kids that were little at one time, one day they get tired, they get grumpy and cranky and insufferable and all these things. What do they do eventually? They'll eventually stop doing it when they get too old. But they just come up to you, mom or dad, just hands up. It's a posture of surrender. [00:35:22] (28 seconds) #VictoryInSurrender

Because victory in Christ brings us into salvation. It brings us into God's family. And what's amazing is when we're in God's family, the expectation for how we operate now is no different than it was back then. Paul says this. This is now the New Testament. This is way after the story of Moses and Aaron and her and Joshua, but it's still the same dynamic as the family. Galatians 6.2. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. [00:37:09] (28 seconds) #NeverAloneInFaith

In God's family, we carry each other's burdens. We hold each other up. When someone is tired, be their strength. And in doing so, he says, we'll fulfill the law of Christ. What's the law of Christ? To love God with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus says, everything God calls us to do in life hangs on those two things. It's two sides of the same coin. When you love your neighbor as yourself, you show how much you are loving God. [00:37:38] (27 seconds) #HealthyFamiliesShowUp

We all are going to carry heavy burdens, and we're all going to have difficult moments. And life, and it will cause us to grow weary. But we were never meant to do that alone. And the church is meant to hold each other up. This is what healthy families do. So I said, we're going to take two actions from this Old Testament story. And here's what these two actions are. The first one is this, is healthy families show up. Healthy families show up. [00:38:19] (23 seconds) #HealthyFamiliesHoldUp

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