The Life In Between | Ps. Hendra Wong | IFGF San Francisco

Jul 27, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Building Arks in Dry Seasons

The story of Noah constructing a massive boat in a rainless desert mirrors our call to act when circumstances seem absurd. Like Noah gripping his hammer despite mockery, believers face seasons where obedience feels irrational yet sacred. Active faith moves forward when logic says "wait," trusting God’s unseen timeline over human skepticism. This daily choice to build – through prayer, service, or perseverance – becomes worship in the waiting room. [29:30]

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:8-9, Amplified)

Reflection: What "ark" is God asking you to build that others might consider foolish? How can today’s small act of obedience become your declaration of trust in His promises?

Day 2: When God Closes the Door

Chaos roared outside the ark, but peace reigned within because God Himself sealed the entrance. Our trials often feel like rising floodwaters, yet Christ remains the ultimate shelter. True rest comes not from changed circumstances but from knowing the One who controls the storm. Like Noah’s family hearing the rain pound while sitting dry, we learn to anchor our hearts in divine protection rather than temporary safety. [37:39]

The Lord shut him in. (Genesis 7:16, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you need to stop fighting the "door" God has closed? How might embracing His protection in this situation deepen your trust?

Day 3: Sending Doves Before Dawn

Noah’s release of birds reveals wisdom in discerning timing – testing circumstances while waiting for clear direction. The raven scavenged endlessly, but the dove returned with living proof of new beginnings. Like checking for olive leaves in life’s floods, we balance holy curiosity with patient trust. Each "dove release" – a prayed-over decision, a cautious step forward – teaches us to read God’s signs without rushing His seasons. [44:07]

He waited seven more days and again sent the dove out from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! (Genesis 8:10-11, ESV)

Reflection: What "dove" have you sent out recently? How will you discern between restlessness and holy prompting when interpreting the results?

Day 4: The Hammer and the Hush

Noah’s decades of ark-building alternated between sweat and stillness, action and waiting. Spiritual maturity thrives in this rhythm – working while trusting, laboring while listening. Like a carpenter pausing to wipe sweat and pray, we learn when to swing the hammer and when to fold calloused hands in surrender. The sacred tension between doing and being becomes our training ground for Christlike dependence. [42:46]

In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. (Isaiah 30:15, ESV)

Reflection: Is your current season requiring more "hammer" or more "hush"? How can you lean into this rhythm without guilt or resistance?

Day 5: Serenity in the Scaffolding

The famous serenity prayer takes flesh in Noah’s story – building what he could control while surrendering timelines and outcomes. Our waiting rooms become holy construction zones where God shapes both our circumstances and our character. Like scaffolding around a rising cathedral, the messy middle stages hide the eternal design being forged through our faithful participation. [53:04]

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: What part of your "construction zone" needs acceptance today? Where is Christ inviting you to partner actively in His building process?

Sermon Summary

God meets His people in worship, in that intimate moment where the heart can connect with Him. The presence of God becomes so important because life keeps throwing notifications, noise, and information, and many times the soul gets consumed before even asking for it. The month theme, “in the middle, in between,” names that place where life is not yet at the destination, like standing in a bus station, sitting in a doctor’s office, or waiting at the airport gate.

The waiting room is not the greatest moment, especially in an instant gratification culture that wants to get there as soon as possible. Hebrews 11:13 says believers are strangers and exiles on the earth, so the whole Christian life is already lived in the middle. Earth is not the final destination. The ultimate home is with Jesus.

Genesis 6 brings Noah into that kind of in between life. Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was righteous, blameless in his evil generation, and walked in habitual fellowship with God. The world around Noah was corrupt, but Noah stayed connected with God when no one else seemed to be walking that way.

Hebrews 11 shows Noah responding by faith to something not yet seen. Faith did not sit around complaining about the drought. Noah picked up the hammer and built the ark, even when people probably laughed and said, “Are you crazy, Noah?” Ecclesiastes warns that the person who waits for perfect conditions will never sow. Active obedience means taking the first step even when the whole staircase cannot be seen.

Small faith is enough because God is the one working through it. The dry ground under Noah’s feet did not cancel God’s instruction. The hammer still needed to move.

Genesis 16 shows the danger of desperate shortcuts. Sarah tried to help God when the promise seemed too long, and that short circuit created consequences. Genesis 7 shows another way. God closed the door of the ark behind Noah, and that closed door became safety while chaos was outside.

Rest is knowing God is holding the life. Exodus 14:14 says the Lord will fight while His people keep silent and remain calm. Isaiah 30 calls the heart back to returning, rest, quietness, and confident trust. Prayer becomes the simple but hard thing when life gets tough and there is no clear answer.

Genesis 8 shows Noah needing wisdom after the flood. Noah sent the raven and the doves, but Noah did not run out just because there was a sign. Noah waited until God said, “Go out from the ark.” Proverbs 3 calls for trust in the Lord with all the heart, not leaning on personal understanding, because not every open door is God’s timing.

God sometimes allows a path so the heart can learn the hard way. God used an awkward conversation, a failed test, a closed door, and later a new door to show that the waiting room is training time. The serenity prayer gives the shape of that wisdom: serenity to accept, courage to change, and wisdom to know the difference.

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[14:47] - Worship and God’s Presence
[16:25] - In the Middle, In Between
[19:27] - The Waiting Room Picture
[22:24] - Strangers and Exiles on Earth
[23:18] - Noah Found Favor with God
[25:53] - Active Obedience While Waiting
[30:37] - Do Not Wait for Perfect Conditions
[35:11] - Resting in God’s Promises
[35:55] - Sarah’s Shortcut and Its Cost
[37:09] - God Closed the Ark Door
[42:46] - Wisdom to Know the Difference
[43:21] - Noah Waited for God’s Timing
[48:03] - A Personal Waiting Room Story
[52:20] - The Serenity Prayer and Response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Hebrews 11:13

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” [22:33]

Genesis 6:8-9

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” [23:53]

Hebrews 11:7

“By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” [26:38]

Genesis 7:16

“And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.” [37:10]

Genesis 8:15-16

“Then God said to Noah, ‘Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you.’” [44:19]

Exodus 14:14

“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” [38:27]

Isaiah 30:15

“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’ But you were unwilling,” [39:50]

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” [45:51]

Observation questions

In Genesis 6:8-9, what words are used to describe Noah, and what do those words show about how he lived in the middle of a corrupt generation? [24:10]
According to Hebrews 11:7, what did Noah do after being warned about something “as yet unseen,” and what does that show about the kind of faith he had? [26:38]
What images were used to describe “in the middle, in between,” and what do those places have in common? [19:27]
In Genesis 8, what signs did Noah look for after the flood, and what did he still wait for before leaving the ark? [43:21]

Interpretation questions

Hebrews 11:13 calls believers “strangers and exiles on the earth.” How does that truth reshape the way a Christian sees delay, transition, and unfinished seasons? [22:33]
Noah walked with God before he ever built the ark. Why does habitual fellowship with God matter so much when someone is trying to obey in a confusing or lonely season? [24:35]
Genesis 7:16 says the Lord shut Noah in. How can a closed door be an act of God’s protection instead of a sign of rejection? [37:10]
Noah had signs that the water was going down, but he still waited for God’s word to go out. What does that suggest about the difference between opportunity and timing? [44:42]

Application questions

What waiting room are you in right now—work, family, health, calling, relationships, or something else? Where do you feel most tempted to panic or freeze? [25:25]
Active obedience keeps picking up the hammer even on dry ground. What is one small act of obedience you already know to do, even if you still do not see rain yet? [29:28]
Shortcuts often show up when the promise feels late. Where are you most tempted to “help God” right now by forcing an outcome, rushing a decision, or taking control? [36:29]
Rest means knowing God is holding your life. What usually makes it hard for you to be quiet before God and trust Him when things feel chaotic? [37:59]
Prayer is simple, but often hard when life is heavy. When you do not know what to do, what usually comes first for you—overthinking, avoiding, fixing, talking to others, or praying? What would it look like to return to prayer first this week? [41:02]
Not every open door is God’s timing. Is there an opportunity in front of you that needs more prayer and discernment before you step through it? [45:27]
The waiting room can become training time. Looking back, can you see a season that felt delayed but later proved to be part of God’s training in your life? What was He building in you there? [41:39]

Sermon Clips

59s

#WaitingIsTraining

“And we all love God's promises. Right? And many times we hate the process. And we dreaded the time in the middle, in the waiting room. you know what? God treat that time as a training time. Amen? That's our training time. God wants us to mature in our spiritual life. Every time that we do, we wanna go past that first grader, second grader, high school, college, master degree, professor, those. But we need to go through that maturity. That in between time, that waiting room time is our training time. Build that muscle.”

69s

#LivingInTheBetween

“The truth is, as a believers, right, we all live in the between. Right? Because our ultimate home is be with Jesus. Earth is only a temporary state. Right? Amen? It's not our final destination. We all live in the middle right now. We live in the waiting room at this moment. Now today, I wanna share simple one like, you know, we can learn so much from the life of this person in the Bible. You know, like, have the next slide please that that who live in the corrupt world while holding fast to the promise of the Lord. And we know who's this guy. He's like, we wanna learn from the person called Noah.”

61s

#FaithInAction

“You know, true faith doesn't sit around complaining. In this case, Noah did not complain about the drought. Noah understand. He picked up his hammer and built that ark that God instructed him. When you think about it, it's not easy. It's not easy. But yet what through this Hebrew 11 said, by faith. Right? By faith. That's the key. He doesn't sit there just waiting, Lord, show me and or he doesn't wait just like, Lord, give me the note, the ark right there, which is God can. Right? But Noah was instructed to build that ark. Keep building. Keep active. He was obedient to the Lord.”

73s

#WaitForGodsTiming

“Many times I feel like Noah probably if I'm Noah is a a person that really amazing. Right? If I die like that, oh, there's an open door. This is the one. This is the one. Right? Many times that we're just, like, making a move so fast. Right? But yet, actually, Noah asked the Lord. He daily habitual relationship with him. You know, like, keep connecting with God, and and he was list listening to God. God, what do I need to do? Waited for God. Waiting for God to reveal to him what to do next. Right? Many times open door opportunities in our life is not God's timing. You know, but, you know, may the the true wisdom is like when we wait for god, you know, god always show us to the right one.”

57s

#DontShortcutGod

“God has promised, But here it is Sarah. Right? Desperate moment. She was old, in old age. Abraham is old age. There's a promise of God. Right? Sarah think like, I am out of my prime zone. How can I get this promise of God? When the journey is long, many times, like, we are trying to short circuit that. And we know when we're trying to help God, there's consequences. We know that Sarah gave Hagar, right, to Abraham, and we know at the end, it created a generation, multi generation conflict at the until this time.”

50s

#WisdomToDiscern

“Resting in God keep us anchored. But, you know, how do we know when it's actually we need to step out like Noah to do the work, move forward, or do we need to rest? Right? Many times that we are in the dilemma, Lord, what we need to do? Do we need to step forward, or do we need to remain silent? The second the third point is like we need the wisdom to know the difference.”

80s

#OneStepSmallFaith

“Well, our life is full of staircase. Some of us still long, some of us in the between but we need to faith to take the first step. Before we get up to the next step, the next staircase. We need faith. That's why the reason why the disciples of Jesus said, Lord, give me faith. This is what need we need to practice every day. When we wanna have an active obedience during that time, we need the faith that God given to us. We can say that, Lord, how? I felt like I don't have faith. You know, the good thing is like the good news. You know, the bible said that you don't need the big faith. You need only small faith, just small faith. Just one step at a time. Just one step. Small step. Small felt is enough. Why? Because it's not us. It's God, you know, that's working through us.”

43s

#GodFightsForYou

“Why we can be rest? Because God will fight for us. Many times we cannot see that because, you know, we cannot see God sometimes. Right? We cannot see him. I'd always told my my son, hey, you need to be obedient, right, to the people, that authority around you that you can see. Because by then you know. Right? How can you obey the things that you cannot see? But this is the promise of God. God will fight for you. God will fight for you even though that you don't know it. I don't know it. Right?”

Ask a question about this sermon

IFGF San Francisco This sermon · AI assistant

What should believers do during seasons of waiting?

What does Noah teach about faith and obedience?

How can Christians discern when to act or rest?