2025_12_07 The Prince of Peace

Devotional

Day 1: The coming King brings unending, global peace.

Jesus is the promised King who brings shalom—the fullness of peace that heals inward wounds and will one day cover the whole earth. This peace is both a present gift and a future reality: he has come to begin the work of restoring all things and will finish it when he reigns. Receive the assurance that the child born for us ushers in a kingdom where justice and peace endure. [27:20]

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 (NIV)
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

Sermon Summary

Today I pointed us to Jesus as the Prince of Peace. From Isaiah 9:6–7 and Isaiah 26:3–4, we saw that God promises a peace that will never end, and a peace we can begin to taste right now. The Hebrew word shalom is more than the absence of conflict; it’s wholeness—life as God intended—in our relationship with God, with one another, with creation, and within our own souls. Jesus doesn’t just bring peace; He is our peace. He came because the greatest enemy of our peace is not “out there,” but the sin and estrangement “in here.” By His cross He reconciles us to the Father and makes us family.

I shared four places where peace often leaks out of our lives, and the gifts Jesus gives to fill us again. Where sin leaves us with real guilt and real shame, He gives purification: the penalty is paid, and the Spirit washes us clean. Where anxiety rises because life is beyond our control, He gives provision: a Father who knows, cares, and provides as we bring everything to Him in prayer. Where past wounds and inner lies shape how we see ourselves, He gives promises: truth that renews our minds and pulls down strongholds. And where unfulfilled longings keep us chasing lesser comforts, He gives presence: fullness of joy that actually satisfies.

As we trust Jesus for purification, provision, promises, and presence, His shalom takes root within. And when peace settles inside, it doesn’t stop there—we become peacemakers. The energy we once spent grasping for inner relief gets freed to love, reconcile, and serve. That’s how His kingdom of peace begins to break in now, even as we await the day He returns to flood the whole earth with shalom. At the Table we remembered His cross, received His presence, and looked for His coming. Let’s keep asking: where is my peace being robbed—and how is Jesus inviting me to trust Him today?

Key Takeaways

1. Receive purification: guilt and shame lifted Guilt is a real debt before a holy God; shame is the stain we feel within. At the cross Jesus paid the penalty and, by the Spirit, washes us clean. Run to Him, not from Him, and receive forgiveness and cleansing—again and again. Peace grows where both guilt and shame are answered by His sacrifice and His Spirit. [42:48]
2. Trust the Father’s daily provision Anxiety thrives where control is worshiped. Jesus invites us to lay specifics before the Father with thanksgiving and to practice trust until our “faith muscles” strengthen. God’s peace then guards our hearts in Christ—a shalom, shalom anchored not in outcomes but in who Yahweh is. [46:06]
3. Renew your mind with God’s promises Old wounds plant deep lies about our worth and future. Scripture doesn’t paper over pain; it re-truths our minds so love, identity, and hope are anchored in Christ. As lies are named and replaced with God’s word, inner turbulence quiets and peace becomes a settled habit of heart. [50:40]
4. Find satisfaction in God’s presence Unfulfilled longings make us restless, chasing substitutes that never deliver. In God’s presence there is fullness of joy, and learning to delight in Him trains our desires to come home. As we are genuinely satisfied in Him, grasping lessens and peace deepens. [52:27]
5. Become a peacemaker from inner shalom Peace received becomes peace released. With hearts at rest, we can move toward others with patience, courage, and reconciling love. This is how Christ’s kingdom breaks in through ordinary lives as we carry His shalom into a broken world. [54:46]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:58] - Service flow and communion invitation
[04:45] - Simply Christmas and Scripture readings
[08:11] - Pastoral prayer for peace and mission
[23:29] - Advent Candle of Love + Offering
[27:20] - Prince of Peace: Isaiah 9
[31:18] - What shalom really means
[33:06] - From enemies to God’s family
[39:58] - Purification: freedom from guilt and shame
[46:06] - Freedom from anxiety: Father’s provision
[50:40] - Renewing the mind with promises
[52:27] - Finding satisfaction in God’s presence
[54:46] - Called to be peacemakers
[73:36] - Benediction: The Lord’s peace

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (NIV)
- Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

- Isaiah 26:3

Sermon Clips

The state of peace, of shalom is what the prince of peace, the prince of shalom brings. Now, the Jewish people, including the disciples, this is universal in Jesus' day, were expecting a Messiah who would come and who would conquer all their enemies, cast off in their day Roman oppression, and bring peace to his chosen people. The problem that they failed to seeis that they were also God's enemies. The Bible tells us that we're all enemies of God because of our sin and rebellion. [00:33:11] (41 seconds) #MessiahAndOurSin

``So if the Lord was to come and to conquer all of his enemies, he'd have to conquer them too. His judgment would fall on them too. He would fall on us. And so, you know, we say to the Lord, go get all the bad guys. And the Lord raises his sword and he turns towards us and we go, oh, oh, and we suddenly see this sin in our own lives. And okay, Lord, maybe not all the bad guys, you know? We see that we're his enemies in our natural state. We need help. [00:33:52] (34 seconds) #OwnYourSin

Thankfully, God had a greater plan, a plan hidden from the foundation of the world to send his own son into the world to pay the price for our sins so that our sins could be forgiven, so that we could be reconciled to God, so that we would no longer be enemies, but his redeemed people, his own family, his children, a people at peace withGod, a people loved by God. [00:34:26] (32 seconds) #ReconciledByGrace

Freedom from guilt requires the penalty to be paid so that the sin can be forgiven. And when the Lord forgives our sins, the Bible tells us the Holy Spirit comes and washes our souls clean. We become pure. And when we experience that purifyingwork of the Lord Jesus Christ, the shame is also removed. We need to fully receive that cleansing of our Lord Jesus Christ by faith. And the shame will also be dealt with. Once we're forgiven and cleansed, we experience freedom from both guilt and shame. We experience peace with God and peace in our own souls. [00:41:55] (45 seconds) #CleansedByTheSpirit

What's more, shame is dealt with. Your sins are washed away through the Holy Spirit. You're a new creation. You're purified. You're cleansed. Don't live in shame. You're not a sinner anymore. You're a saint who sometimes sins. You're a new creation in Christ Jesus. When you sin, I've learned, when I blow it, instead of running from God to hide, which is our natural response, kind of like what Adam did and Eve, run to him and receive his cleansing and his washing. He's there to forgive. [00:43:21] (34 seconds) #RunToForgiveness

We often walk around with a burden of guilt and shameand it robs us of peace, but we can be free from that. In faith, take hold of the truth. The price has been paid for you by Jesus' death on the cross. You are forgiven and as you confess that sin before the Lord, he washes you away. He purifies you. The Prince of Peace frees us from both the guilt of sin and the shame of sin. No sin is too deep. You can be cleansed by the blood of Jesus. [00:44:14] (37 seconds) #ForgivenAndFree

The key to overcoming anxiety is developing a deep confidence that your HeavenlyFather will provide for all you need. This deep trust requires daily effort, a daily surrendering of our burdens to the Lord. Trusting God in the face of great threat takes courage. We're casting ourselves upon him. We must choose to trust. And the more we trust, the stronger our faith muscles will become. Trust in the Lord. [00:46:35] (35 seconds) #FaithOverAnxiety

And so whether our peace is being robbed by sin or anxiety or brokenness or unfulfilled longing, the solution is faith in the Prince of Peace. In him, we receive purification, provision, promises, his presence. Those bring peace. And as we find peace within, we'll find that all of the energy we use trying to grasp for inner peace can now, because we have peace, be turned towards loving others around us. Once you receive peace, you become a peacemaker. Peace without comes as people of peace, people who have found peace in the Lord, spread peace in this world. [00:54:09] (49 seconds) #PeacemakersInChrist

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2025_12_07 The Prince of Peace

Devotional

Day 1: The coming King brings unending, global peace.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

2025_12_07 The Prince of Peace

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