Turn the Page: Embracing God’s Next Chapter

Devotional

Day 1: God present in the chaos of beginnings

Before anything in your life looked ordered, God was already there. He does not wait for you to clean up before He draws near; He moves toward you in the dark and the messy. Your origin story may feel tangled or tender, but none of it surprised Him, and none of it chased Him away. Today, release the idea that you must be “ready” before you come—He is ready now. Let His nearness steady you so you can take the next faithful step. [47:11]

Genesis 1:1–2
In the very beginning, God spoke everything into existence. When the world was unshaped and shadowed, God’s Spirit hovered right over the deep, fully present and already at work.

Reflection: What is one specific “messy” place you’ve been hiding from God, and what would it look like to bring it to Him this week—perhaps through a simple prayer at your kitchen table or asking someone to pray with you at the altar?

Day 2: Don’t let one chapter define you

One chapter is not the whole book of your life. Hurt, failure, or confusion may be part of your story, but they are not your identity. Stop rereading what God has already closed, and open your hands to the new page He is writing. Trust that He weaves even hard things toward a good end for those who love Him. Turn the page with hope, not denial—God is still writing. [43:29]

Romans 8:28
We’re confident of this: for those who love God and walk in His purpose, He takes every piece—the bright and the broken—and works it into a good outcome in His time.

Reflection: What mindset or habit from last year keeps pulling you back into an old chapter, and what is one small, practical step you will take this week to leave it with God?

Day 3: Name the real enemy, not people

Your struggle is not against a person; there is a deeper battle at work. When you misname the enemy, you stay stuck in the same chapter, blaming faces instead of resisting the one who schemes. Conflict does not mean God has left; it often means your faith and character are being formed. Pray, forgive, bless, and stand firm—fight the right battle with the right weapons. Let God use the pressure to shape a testimony, not a grudge. [54:36]

Ephesians 6:12
Our wrestling match isn’t with human opponents. We’re up against dark spiritual powers and patterns that oppose God, so we need God’s armor and help to stand firm.

Reflection: Think of one strained relationship in your life—how will you shift from blaming them to engaging the spiritual battle this week (for example, praying daily for their good and resisting bitterness by blessing them in one concrete way)?

Day 4: Tell your story with clarity and courage

A story locked on the shelf helps no one. God redeems your chapters so you can offer hope to others who feel stuck where you’ve been. Keep it clear: where you were, how Jesus met you, and where He’s leading you now. Your mess is part of the message; you don’t need a finished bow to speak of God’s real grace today. Share it with courage and kindness—someone’s waiting on your words. [57:22]

Revelation 12:11
They overcame the deceiver because of what Jesus accomplished and because they spoke openly about it. Their honest testimony became a doorway for victory.

Reflection: Who is one person you sense God nudging you to encourage this week, and how could you share a simple two-minute “before–Jesus met me–now” story with them?

Day 5: Trust the Author and turn the page

You are not the author of your life—God is, and He sees the whole book. He doesn’t improvise or abandon chapters; what He began, He will finish. “And we know” is the steady confidence that lets you leave old pages—people, places, and patterns—when He says it’s time. Turning the page can feel scary, but the next chapter is good because He is good. Take the step in front of you and let Him lead you forward. [01:16:09]

Philippians 1:6
You can be sure of this: the One who started His good work in you will keep shaping it and carry it all the way to completion in Christ.

Reflection: What is one concrete act that will symbolize turning the page this week—deleting an unhelpful app, setting a boundary, scheduling a night of prayer—and when will you do it?

Sermon Summary

The opening Sunday of the year casts a clear vision: God is the Author of a real, unfolding story, and each person is invited to turn the page into a new chapter with Him. Romans 8:28 anchors the call—God doesn’t write random scenes; He weaves every chapter, even the hard ones, toward a redemptive good. Life should never be judged by a single season. A hurt in church, a betrayal in a relationship, a year that barely felt survivable—none of these define the whole. Chapters end; the story continues. If it isn’t good yet, it isn’t the end.

From the beginning, God meets people in chaos, not after they’ve cleaned it up. Like Genesis 1, where God’s Spirit hovers over darkness, He is present before the lights come on and order returns. “New” is not a style—suit or sneakers, hymnal or hoodie—“new” is the fresh work of God in a surrendered heart. That surrender often looks like refusing to reread the same closed chapter, releasing old identities, and letting go of people, places, and habits that belonged to a prior season.

The central conflict of this story is spiritual, not personal. Scripture reveals a real adversary who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. Naming the true enemy frees the heart from bitterness and reorients the battle toward prayer, resistance, and faith. In that battle, conflict isn’t proof God has left; it’s often evidence He is developing faith, character, and testimony.

Testimony is essential in this new chapter. A story locked on a shelf helps no one. God redeems stories so they can carry hope to those stuck where others have already been. The aim for this year is a people who can testify to God’s transformative love with confidence and clarity—brief, coherent, and honest about both mess and mercy. Above all, the Author must hold the pen. He who began a good work will carry it to completion. Trusting Him means turning the page—mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and practically—so the next chapter can begin. With “and we know” confidence, the community steps forward, believing God will work all things together for good in lives, families, and the church.

Key Takeaways

1. One chapter isn’t your identity. Don’t let a past season—however painful—dictate every decision in the present. God writes whole stories, not snapshots, and He intends to move you beyond what hurt you. Turning the page is an act of trust in His authorship, not denial of your pain. The page must turn so the next scene can unfold. [38:21]
2. God meets you before the order. Genesis shows God present over darkness before anything is tidy or fixed. Your chaos doesn’t intimidate Him; it’s often where His creative work begins. Rather than waiting to be “ready,” invite Him into the mess and let His presence become the first new sentence of your next chapter. [47:11]
3. Identify the true adversary. Your struggle is not with people; it’s spiritual at the root. Naming the real enemy breaks cycles of resentment and opens space for forgiveness, prayer, and wise boundaries. Spiritual clarity reclaims energy previously spent on blaming and redirects it toward resisting the enemy and trusting God. [53:40]
4. Tell your story with clarity and courage. A redeemed story is meant to be shared, not shelved. Keep it simple: where you were, what God did, and where He’s leading you—even if the ending isn’t written yet. Your honest testimony can become the key that unlocks someone else’s prison. [57:41]
5. Turning the page requires release. New chapters often demand new habits, new boundaries, and sometimes distance from patterns or people tied to old identities. You cannot live in the promise while clinging to the wilderness. Trust the Author enough to let go, and watch Him write what only He can write. [76:54]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[05:39] - Lift up Jesus together
[31:31] - Prayer night invite
[32:12] - Vision Night: transparency and direction
[33:42] - Storytelling theme
[37:27] - Romans 8:28: God’s redemptive authorship
[38:00] - One chapter isn’t your life
[43:06] - Turning the page: style isn’t substance
[46:09] - God in your beginning and chaos
[53:27] - Naming the real enemy
[56:32] - Your testimony is meant to be told
[62:32] - Let God hold the pen
[69:08] - Leave people, places, and habits
[72:49] - “And we know” confidence
[78:11] - Altar call: turn the page

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Observation questions

In Romans 8:28, what do we “know,” and for whom does God work all things together for good?
According to the message, where is God in relation to our chaos and “beginning” moments, and what image from Genesis 1:1–2 was used to show this? [47:11]
What were specific examples of “single chapters” people often let define their whole story (e.g., church hurt, betrayal, a hard year)? Name two. [41:25]
What was claimed about the true adversary in our conflicts, and which scriptures were referenced to support that claim? [53:40]

Interpretation questions

If God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28), what might “good” mean in context—immediate comfort, or redemptive growth (faith, character, testimony)? How does that shape how one reads a painful chapter?
“God meets you before the order.” What does this suggest about when to invite God into a situation—before or after things are tidy? How might that change how someone thinks about being “ready” for God? [47:11]
If the battle is spiritual and not against people, how should that shift one’s posture toward forgiveness, boundaries, and prayer when wronged? [53:40]
If God uses the “word of our testimony” to help others overcome (Revelation 12:11), why is clarity and simplicity in sharing one’s story important? What does a clear testimony include? [59:39]

Application questions

What “chapter” do you keep rereading—an old hurt, a failure, a label? What is one concrete step this week that will signal you’re turning the page (a boundary, a phone call, deleting a number, a calendar change)? [50:02]
Where in your life does it still feel “formless and void”? Before anything looks tidy, what is one way you will invite God into that chaos this week (specific prayer, worship in the mess, asking for help)? [47:11]
Who are you tempted to blame for your current struggle? If the real enemy is spiritual, what’s one way you will shift from blaming a person to resisting the enemy (prayer, fasting, Scripture, accountability)? [54:36]
Write a 60–90 second testimony using three parts: where you were, what God did, where He’s leading you. Practice it with the group, then aim to share it with one person this week. Keep it simple and clear. [01:00:04]
“New” isn’t a style; it’s surrender. Are there style preferences (music, dress, format) you’ve confused with spiritual maturity? What would it look like to focus on a surrendered heart instead this month? [44:05]
Where have you taken the pen from the Author—trying to write your own chapter? What does giving the pen back look like in practice (a surrendered prayer, obeying a nudge, delaying a decision)? [01:02:32]
To walk in “and we know” confidence, identify one uncertain area in your life. Which promise will you cling to this week, and what daily practice will help you remember it (note card, phone reminder, journal, share with a friend)? [01:12:49]

Sermon Clips

Wouldn't it be great if we stayed and saw the whole story? Wouldn't it be amazing if we saw the whole thing finished? So, if we believe that and think that through, why would we take one chapter of our life, one moment, one season, and allow it to decide everything else. You ready? Something happened to you in church. [00:40:55] (23 seconds) #SeeTheWholeStory

The problem is this, god didn't stop writing in that chapter. The problem is some of us are just rereading the same chapter over and over and over again. You can't step into what god is writing next if you're still clinging to what god already closed. [00:43:02] (26 seconds) #StopRereadingThePast

In every book, chapters end, the story continues. Painful seasons, losses, failures, waiting, those are chapters. They're not conclusions. In Romans eight twenty eight assures us that god works all things together for good. He will often end chapters so he can begin new ones. [00:52:03] (20 seconds) #ChaptersNotConclusions

You probably been thinking like, when he said this was like for his year, like for the vision for the year. Let me tell you my goal for the year. I want every person that is a member of the forward community. Everybody that it calls this church their home. I want them to be able to testify of god's transformative love. Yeah. In their life with confidence and clarity. [00:57:29] (26 seconds) #TestifyTransformativeLove

God is the author of your story. And he's not finished yet. You're not the author of your story. God is. In fact, most of the time we've messed up. If we will just be honest with ourselves, it's because we've tried to take the pen out of his hand and write our chapter ourself. [01:02:25] (20 seconds) #GodIsTheAuthor

Some of us get stuck, stuck in regret, stuck in failure, stuck in disappointment, stuck in trauma, stuck in what could have been, and what was once a chapter now becomes a cell. God is saying to us today, don't dwell there anymore. Not because it didn't matter but because it no longer defines you. [01:11:58] (28 seconds) #BreakFreeFromOldChapters

The reason a lot of people don't see the resolutions of the New Year is because they don't give up the habits of the previous year. Many times, we don't see the blessings of the next chapter because we don't give up the mindsets and the habits of the last chapter. [01:15:45] (23 seconds) #ReleaseOldHabits

But you gotta you gotta be willing to let some things go. People, places, things. You gotta let some stuff go. You can't stay in the wilderness and live in Canaan. You can't stay in bondage and live in the promise. You can't stay in last year and live in this year. [01:16:43] (28 seconds) #LetGoToMoveForward

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What habits hinder entering a new chapter?

Who is the real enemy in conflicts?

When circumstances aren’t good, what should we conclude?