Planting the Flag | While I Breathe I Hope

Devotional

Day 1: A Stone Named Help in the Valley of Defeat

Samuel raised an ordinary rock to mark the place where confusion turned to victory. This stone didn’t glow or speak, but it screamed God’s faithfulness to forgetful people. When Israel saw it, they remembered thunder splitting enemy ranks, fear dissolving into courage, and shame replaced by deliverance. Ebenezers aren’t magic—they’re mirrors reflecting God’s past faithfulness to illuminate present darkness. What seems mundane becomes sacred when it points to divine intervention. [07:09]

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
(1 Samuel 7:12, ESV)

Reflection: Where has God shown up in your past battles that you’ve begun to forget? How could creating a tangible “Ebenezer” today anchor you in His faithfulness?

Day 2: Purple Paint and the Weight of Wet Clothes

Baptism’s water clings like dye, a public stain declaring death to old ways. It’s not about getting wet but wearing resurrection as an irreversible mark. Just as purple paint would embarrass anyone pretending it wasn’t there, baptism exposes our loyalty. The water shouts what whispers won’t—that shame drowned here can’t haunt tomorrow. [13:54]

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
(Romans 6:4, ESV)

Reflection: What part of your “old self” still feels dry, untouched by baptism’s claim? How might living like someone drenched in grace change your choices today?

Day 3: Lobster Rolls and the Lies of Disappointment

Plymouth Rock’s anticlimax teaches us to dig deeper than surface letdowns. When markers seem underwhelming, the enemy whispers, “Is this all?” But significance lives in the story, not the stone. Communion’s bread isn’t cuisine—it’s a war ration reminding soldiers their Commander already secured victory. [02:53]

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
(Luke 22:19, ESV)

Reflection: What spiritual practice feels routine or disappointing lately? What buried story of God’s faithfulness might it point to if you looked closer?

Day 4: Hot Potato with Holiness

Israel treated the ark like a lucky charm; the Philistines tossed it like a cursed object. Both missed the point—God’s presence isn’t a tool or threat but a person. Sacraments avoid becoming empty rituals when we touch the water, taste the bread, and meet the Savior they represent. [05:47]

You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
(Colossians 3:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: When have you treated spiritual practices like magic tricks rather than encounters with Christ? What would it look like to approach communion or prayer as a relationship today?

Day 5: Planting Flags in Enemy Territory

Baptism in hostile lands isn’t a photo op—it’s drawing battle lines. Like missionaries declaring allegiance despite exile, every splash shouts, “This ground belongs to Christ.” Our Ebenezers aren’t just memories; they’re rallying cries for future victories. [16:18]

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
(Lamentations 3:21-23, ESV)

Reflection: Where does your life need a “flag” of bold declaration today? What fear keeps you from publicly living what you privately believe?

Sermon Summary

Samuel sets up an ordinary stone between Mizpah and Shen after God throws the Philistines into confusion and gives Israel victory. The stone receives the name Ebenezer, “stone of help,” because it marks the place where “thus far the Lord has helped us.” The rock itself carries no power. The rock points beyond itself to the faithfulness, deliverance, and help of God.

Plymouth Rock carries a similar kind of significance. The rock may be small, moved, broken, and possibly not even the original, but the story behind it makes people preserve it. Sacred markers work like that. The marker reminds people what happened there and gives the next generation something to ask about: “Why is this here?” The answer becomes, “This is where God helped us. This is where God delivered us.”

Israel’s history shows why such reminders matter. Israel tried to use the ark like a lucky charm, brought it into battle, and still lost because God cannot be controlled. God then brings the ark back, calls Israel to repentance through Samuel, and answers Samuel’s intercession when Israel gathers in fear. Israel’s victory comes after repentance, crying out to God, and God’s thunderous intervention.

The sacraments function as New Testament Ebenezers. Communion points back to Christ’s broken body, shed blood, finished payment for sin, and resurrection hope. Baptism points back to the death of the old life and the rising of new life with Christ. The water does not save by itself, just as the stone did not win the battle, but baptism visibly declares that everything has changed because Jesus died and rose again.

Forgetfulness makes these tangible reminders necessary. Forgetfulness loses keys and wallets, but it also loses sight of marriage vows, promises to children, the danger of addiction, and the true place of identity. The enemy uses that forgetfulness to whisper that Christ is not enough. Communion and baptism answer those lies by declaring that Jesus is the good enough, sin has been paid for, and hope has a name.

Baptism plants a flag. Baptism says, “While I breathe, I hope,” not because life is always easy, but because the grave could not hold Jesus. Baptism may cost a person deeply, especially where public allegiance to Christ brings rejection from family and community. God meets obedience with His presence, and the waters become a visible reminder to remember the table, remember the grave, remember the resurrection, and remember what God has done.

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Key Takeaways

1. Ebenezer points to God’s help [07:25] The stone mattered because God’s deliverance stood behind it. Tangible reminders become spiritually weighty when they turn attention away from human strength and back to God’s faithful action. The question is never whether the rock is impressive, but whether the heart remembers the God who helped. [07:25]
2. Sacraments confront spiritual forgetfulness [12:36] Forgetfulness does more than misplace small things; it can slowly loosen a person’s grip on covenant, identity, and hope. Communion and baptism interrupt that drift by putting Christ’s death and resurrection before the eyes. The bread, cup, and water call the heart back to what is already true in Jesus. [12:36]
3. Baptism declares a changed life [13:34] Baptism publicly says that the old life is dead with Christ and that new life has risen with Him. The water becomes a flag planted against shame, guilt, and every lie that says nothing has really changed. Christ’s resurrection gives baptism its meaning, because resurrection means the past does not get final say. [13:34]
4. Public faith can carry real cost [15:37] Baptism is not merely a private feeling made visible; it is an open declaration of allegiance to Jesus. In places where baptism brings rejection, homelessness, or separation from family, the cost reveals the seriousness of that declaration. Christ remains worth public identification even when obedience makes life harder. [15:37]
5. Hope remembers Christ’s finished work [17:42] Hard seasons can make hope feel impossible, especially when life does not go as expected. The table, the waters, and the Ebenezer call the heart to remember that hope rests in Christ’s death and resurrection, not in present circumstances. While breath remains, Christ’s work remains the ground for hope.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:25] - Samuel Sets Up Ebenezer
[01:13] - The Disappointment of Plymouth Rock
[04:11] - Why Sacred Markers Matter
[04:44] - Israel, the Ark, and Repentance
[06:24] - God Delivers Israel at Mizpah
[07:09] - Ebenezer: The Stone of Help
[08:10] - Communion and Baptism as Reminders
[10:01] - The Danger of Forgetfulness
[13:11] - Baptism Plants the Flag of Hope
[14:20] - The Cost of Public Baptism
[17:03] - Remember the Table and the Waters
[18:44] - An Invitation to Be Baptized

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Samuel 7:12
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Till now the Lord has helped us.’” [00:31]

Romans 6:4
“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” [09:29]

1 Corinthians 11:24–25
“and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” [08:40]

Observation questions

What does Samuel name the stone, and what specific truth does that name preserve for Israel? [07:09]
What happened before Israel’s victory at Mizpah—both in Israel’s response to God and in God’s response to the Philistines? [05:58]
According to Romans 6:4, what do the descent into water and the rising from water picture in baptism? [09:29]
In 1 Corinthians 11:24–25, what are believers told to remember when they receive the bread and cup? [08:54]

Interpretation questions

Why was it important that the Ebenezer stone pointed to God’s help rather than becoming an object Israel trusted in by itself? How does Israel’s earlier misuse of the ark help explain this difference? [05:13]
What does Paul mean when he says believers are buried with Christ and raised to “walk in newness of life”? What kinds of old patterns, guilt, or identities does this truth challenge? [09:44]
Why do believers need repeated reminders of Christ’s body and blood, even when they already know the gospel? What kinds of forgetfulness can Communion confront? [10:51]
Why can baptism be understood as a public declaration of allegiance to Jesus, rather than merely a private spiritual moment? [15:47]

Application questions

Where have you seen God’s help in your own life—through deliverance, provision, repentance, endurance, or forgiveness? What could help you remember that moment when life becomes difficult? [07:43]
Is there an area where you are tempted to treat a spiritual practice, church activity, or religious object like a lucky charm instead of depending on God Himself? What would genuine repentance and trust look like there? [05:13]
When accusations of shame, guilt, or spiritual failure come, how could the truth pictured in baptism help you answer them? If you have been baptized, what does your baptism declare about your old life and your new life in Christ? [13:11]
What are some of the “false sources” of identity or hope that can slowly take Christ’s place—such as work, relationships, comfort, achievement, or an addiction? Which one most needs to be put back in its proper place this week? [11:46]
How can receiving Communion become more than a routine for you? What specific truths about Jesus’ broken body, shed blood, forgiveness, and resurrection hope do you need to remember most right now? [09:05]
If you have not been baptized as a believer, what is holding you back from publicly identifying with Jesus? If you have been baptized, how can you live more openly as someone whose hope rests in Christ’s death and resurrection? [18:44]
Where does hope feel hardest right now? In that situation, what would it look like to remember the table, the waters, and the finished work of Jesus rather than letting present circumstances have the final word? [17:34]

Sermon Clips

60s

#HopeInJesus

“And here's the thing, there's gonna be times where it's hard to hope. There's gonna be times where we don't feel like we can press on, that life is not going the way you expected it or you hoped for, but Jesus gave us these sacraments. And so in those times, we need to remember the table. In those times, we need to remember the waters. In those times, we need to remember the Ebenezers. That point got back to what God has done because our hope is in the death and resurrection of Jesus.”

47s

#NewLifeInChrist

“Every time we partake in communion, we're supposed to be reminded of what Jesus has done. And this is the same thing that happens in baptism. In baptism, when we go down in the water, we are saying our old life, our old person, our old self is done with, is dead in the water, and we're coming back up in new life. Your shit, your sin, your shame, your guilt is left in the water, and you rise up in new life because your old life is dead in the grave with Christ, and your new life is risen with him.”

50s

#WhileIBreatheIHope

“And while I have breath in my lungs, I will remember what he has done for me. And while I have breath in my lungs, I will remember what he is doing. And for that reason, while I breathe, I hope. And we have people today that have signed up for baptism and they are planting the flag. They are saying, while I breathe, I hope because of what Jesus did in the grave and when he rose again. And they're telling that to everyone.”

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Planting the Flag | While I Breathe I Hope | Mark Boettcher