BCF Philly | Pastor Ken Sheppard | Living by the Spirit and not the Flesh (Peace)

Oct 25, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Peace Unshaken by Life’s Storms

True peace isn’t the absence of trouble but a divine calm anchoring believers amid chaos. This peace flows from God’s character, not circumstances—a gift unaffected by traffic jams, family drama, or workplace tension. It’s the same unflappable peace Jesus carried when Pharisees harassed Him or soldiers came to arrest Him. Unlike the world’s conditional peace, God’s peace remains steady because it’s rooted in His authority, not our control. To receive it is to hold a piece of God’s own tranquility. [53:13]

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you mistaken temporary calm for God’s deeper peace? What chaos in your life needs surrendering to His unshakable stillness today?

Day 2: The Gift You Can’t Earn

Peace isn’t a reward for good behavior but a grace handed freely to those reconciled to God. Just as Jesus told His disciples, “My peace I give,” this gift comes not through effort but through surrender. It’s the birthright of everyone who confesses Christ, declaring them righteous despite their flaws. Yet many still let petty conflicts, grudges, or pride steal this treasure. Cherishing peace means guarding it like a heirloom, refusing to trade it for momentary anger. [54:51]

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1, ESV)

Reflection: When have you treated peace as something to achieve rather than receive? What habit distracts you from resting in this gift?

Day 3: Choosing Peace Over “All the Smoke”

God’s peace isn’t passive—it’s a daily rebellion against the itch to “crash out.” Every traffic insult, family slight, or workplace jab tests whether we’ll produce the Spirit’s fruit or the flesh’s works like strife or fits of anger. Peacemaking requires swallowing pride, disarming arguments, and trusting God to defend us. It’s harder than fighting but aligns us with Christ, who sheathed Peter’s sword to face the cross. [01:11:35]

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:18, ESV)

Reflection: Who triggers your desire for “the smoke”? How might responding with peace disrupt old patterns of conflict?

Day 4: Anchoring Your Mind in the Unchanging

Anxiety shifts when we obsess over God instead of problems. Isaiah’s call to “keep your mind stayed” on Him isn’t denial but active focus—leaning into His character like a wall against the storm. This isn’t positive thinking; it’s defiant trust. Just as Jesus fixed His gaze on the Father’s will in Gethsemane, we’re called to plant our thoughts in His promises, not our panics. [01:23:05]

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3, ESV)

Reflection: What situation dominates your mental energy? How would rehearsing God’s faithfulness shift your focus today?

Day 5: The Fruit That Exposes Our Roots

Peace isn’t a mood but a litmus test. When we choose rage, grudges, or drama, we reveal fleshly roots instead of Spirit-life. Galatians 5 starkly contrasts the Spirit’s fruit with the flesh’s “works”—enmity, rivalries, dissensions. Each angry outburst or bitter silence isn’t just a slip but a warning sign. True peace flows from abiding in Christ, not managing appearances. [01:15:21]

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)

Reflection: What recent reaction revealed your “root system”? How can you tend your connection to the Vine this week?

Sermon Summary

Peace is part of the one unified fruit of the Spirit, not a separate benefit believers can pick up while leaving the rest behind. Galatians 5 describes a wholeness, an inner calm, a divine well-being that does not depend on life settling down. Trouble may still be breaking loose, but God’s peace is not shaken by it.

Peace is first a gift from God to those who are at peace with God. Romans 5 connects that peace with being made right in God’s sight through faith in Jesus Christ. It cannot be earned or deserved. Jesus freely gives his own peace, not the world’s knockoff version that lasts only while money, health, work, and family are all acting right. His peace is rooted in his authority, his finished work at the cross, and his ongoing presence through the Holy Spirit.

That gift also calls for trust and obedience. Peace is meant to be lived out with others, not merely displayed during a church service. Scripture commands believers to seek peace, pursue it, and make every effort to live peaceably. Choosing “all the smoke” instead produces the works of the flesh: hostility, strife, fits of anger, rivalries, and divisions. A temper handed down through the family is no excuse for refusing God’s command. Paul’s warning about inheriting the kingdom makes that refusal a serious matter.

Personal peace likewise requires a response. Philippians calls believers to trade anxiety for prayer and supplication. Isaiah describes a mind stayed on God, resting upon him rather than obsessing over the problem. Settled trust remains anchored in God’s character, promises, and sovereignty, even when circumstances do not change. God’s peace is received freely, cherished deliberately, and expressed through a life ruled by the Spirit.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s Peace Is Not A Knockoff. The world calls life peaceful when the bills are paid, the body feels good, and nobody is getting on anybody’s nerves. Jesus gives something different: his own peace, rooted in God rather than favorable circumstances. Trouble can change the conditions of life without changing the source of that gift. [57:25]
2. Peace With God Comes Through Christ. Romans 5 places peace with God on the foundation of being declared righteous by faith. Neither good behavior nor personal effort can purchase what Jesus has already made possible. The gift calls for gratitude and surrender, not the assumption that peace can be manufactured apart from him. [53:52]
3. Choosing Smoke Means Feeding The Flesh. Hostility, quarrelling, and uncontrolled anger are not harmless personality traits when Scripture names them works of the flesh. Bragging about an outburst does not make it strength, and a family history of bad tempers does not make it obedience. The Spirit calls believers to pursue peace even when another person refuses to cooperate. [1:12:57]
4. A Stayed Mind Keeps Leaning On God. A mind stayed on God does more than glance toward him before running back to the problem. It rests upon him and remains there through prayer, pleading, and settled trust. That trust recognizes God’s power to act without making confidence in his character depend on the outcome. [1:24:07]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[47:30] - Galatians 5 and the Fruit of the Spirit
[49:13] - From Joy to Peace
[50:35] - Peace That Trouble Cannot Shake
[52:48] - Peace Is a Gift From God
[53:52] - Peace With God Through Faith
[56:15] - Jesus Gives His Own Peace
[57:25] - The World’s Peace and God’s Peace
[1:03:02] - Christ’s Authority and the Spirit’s Help
[1:07:02] - Living Peaceably With Others
[1:12:21] - Choosing Peace or Feeding the Flesh
[1:17:43] - No More Excuses for Anger
[1:20:33] - Trading Anxiety for Prayer
[1:21:43] - A Mind Stayed on God
[1:26:41] - Choosing God and Receiving Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Galatians 5:22
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” [47:30]

Romans 5:1
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [53:52]

John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” [56:15]

Observation questions

How is the peace described in Galatians 5:22 different from simply having no trouble? What words describe that peace? [51:20]
In Romans 5:1, what is the connection between faith, being made right in God’s sight, and peace with God? [54:05]
What everyday conditions does the world’s version of peace depend on, and how does that contrast with the peace Jesus gives in John 14:27? [57:33]
What behaviors are identified as works of the flesh that oppose the Spirit’s fruit of peace? [01:13:55]

Interpretation questions

If peace belongs to one unified fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, why would it be a mistake for a believer to seek inner calm while refusing to grow in love or patience? [50:08]
How does Romans 5:1 distinguish being at peace with God from merely feeling peaceful? Why does that distinction matter for someone who thinks God’s acceptance depends on having a good week? [54:05]
How can peace be a freely given gift from Jesus while still calling for a believer’s trust and obedience? What is the difference between receiving that gift faithfully and trying to earn it? [58:49]
What does pursuing peace require of a believer when another person refuses to cooperate? How is making every effort toward peace different from being responsible for the other person’s response? [01:09:18]

Application questions

Which circumstance—money, health, work, or family—most often determines whether you feel at peace? What might trusting Jesus look like this week if that circumstance does not improve? [57:33]
When you fall short, do you tend to rest in what Christ has done or try to earn your way back into God’s acceptance? How could the truth of Romans 5:1 shape your response to your next failure? [54:05]
Think of a recent moment when you wanted “all the smoke.” What were you trying to defend or prove, and what could a Spirit-led response have looked like? [01:11:04]
Have you ever excused an angry response by saying, “That’s just how I am,” or pointing to your family’s temper? What is one pattern you would like the Holy Spirit to change, and who could help you recognize it? [01:17:43]
Is there a relationship where you could take a step toward peace without trying to control the other person’s response? What might that step be—an apology, a calmer conversation, or choosing not to retaliate? [01:18:05]
What concern keeps replaying in your mind right now? What would it look like to bring that concern honestly to God in prayer, and what truth about his character could help you keep leaning on him even if the outcome remains uncertain? [01:25:17]

Sermon Clips

43s

#PeaceInEverySeason

“God's peace doesn't depend on your circumstances. God's peace is rooted in god himself. that's how you know it's stable. It doesn't shift depending on what things are happening. it's sustained by, here you go, our trust and our obedience. And this makes all the difference in the world. God gave us his peace because he knows we need it. Pretty simple. He's our creator. He made us.”

34s

#ChoosePeace

“We gotta stop making excuses for our lack of peace. God, stop telling people, well, I just... That's how I am. I just got a temper. My mama had a temper. Her mama had a temper. Her mama had a temper. God don't care nothing about those excuses. He gave you a command. We can't control what other people say and do. All we can control is ourselves.”

58s

#PeaceBeyondTrouble

“The word peace here in Galatians five means wholeness, means tranquility, means inner calm, divine well-being. And here you go. This is the difference. It has nothing to do with all the chaos, all the drama that's happening in your life. It is unaffected anything negative that's happening to you in your life. That is peace. That is what God is describing here in Galatians five as a fruit of the spirit. transcends the absence of trouble. Despite any hell breaking loose in your life currently, God's peace is not bothered by it.”

32s

#PeaceWithGod

“We have the peace of God. That's my point. When we are at peace with God. If you are not at peace with God, then I encourage you today, don't leave this building until you make peace with God. Until you give your life over to God so that you can experience his peace too, because he don't give his peace to everybody. Just those that belong to him.”

59s

#ShareThePeace

“Peace is just not for you. You can't keep it for yourself totally. It is for you, but it's also to be shared with others. Now most of us today, most of us, you know, I use that term loosely. We'll consider ourselves peaceful people. Right. Right. Most of us. But true peace is more than just looking peaceful in a ninety minute church service. Service. That's right. Peace more than just looking peaceful at your job as you sit at your desk in your cubicle. Peace is to be lived and every day with others and with yourself.”

36s

#GodsPeace

“So let's look at the difference real quick, different between the world's peace and god's peace. The world's peace is conditional first and foremost. The world's peace means that you're living your best life. Money in your pocket. Your body is feeling good. Your spouse ain't getting on your nerves. Your supervisor ain't getting on your nerves. Life, your kid's acting right. Life is just good. That's what the world says, peace is. But because it's conditional, it's temporary.”

47s

#FruitOfTheSpirit

“Truth is we are given every opportunity choose producing the fruit of the spirit. It's up to us. Stop letting your emotions control you. We all gotta do a better job of managing our emotions every day. Choose peace. It's a precious fruit of the spirit. If we allow the spirit of god to rule in and over our lives, then we will experience the peace of God. I'm getting ready to close.”

33s

#StayAnchoredInChrist

“Lord, I'm staying right here until you do something. That's right. That's right. Hey. That's right. Lord, I'm not moving until you change something. I'm staying right here crying and pleading and praying, fasting, doing whatever I gotta do, but I'm not moving until you fix it. Stop running around losing your mind. Yes. Yes. Anchor your mind in Christ. Yes.”

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Bethesda Christian Fellowship Church of God This sermon · AI assistant

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