Wake Up the Wonder: Rekindle Your Faith

Launching into a new year, the call is to awaken a fresh sense of wonder—the awe that rises whenever God moves. Wonder does not end with Christmas; it extends into every season for those who believe God is still at work. Scripture frames this posture: “Forget the former things… I am doing a new thing” (Isaiah 43). That word came to a people shifting from punishment to restoration; it announces that God can speak, and seasons can change. The invitation is to live ready for that shift—heart soft, ears open, faith engaged.

Three movements shape that readiness. First, rekindle the fire. Drift is normal, but it’s not neutral. When drift goes unchecked, zeal wanes, love cools, and the basic practices that feed the soul—Scripture, prayer, worship, community, and serving—fall away. Paul’s charge to “fan into flame” reminds that the Spirit supplies power, love, and self-discipline. Often the greatest growth comes not from receiving but from serving; pouring out becomes the pathway to being filled afresh.

Second, stir up faith. Revisit the wonders God has already done to fuel expectation for what He has yet to do. Then aim that faith with four clarifying questions: What am I expecting from God this year? What does God want to do in me? What does God want to do for me? What does God want to do through me? These questions insist that faith be concrete, surrendered, and outward-looking.

Third, move. God rewards those who diligently seek Him, not those who wait passively for change. Like the priests at the flooded Jordan, step into the water before it parts. “Get your feet wet” is a picture of embodied faith—take the next obedient step and watch God respond. For God’s new wine, become a new wineskin: hearts soaked again in the oil of the Spirit—soft, stretchable, ready to receive and carry something new without bursting under the pressure of growth.

Two responses follow: for some, surrender to Jesus and receive forgiveness and a true beginning. For others who have drifted, stand, seek, and return to the basics. The year ahead is an invitation to fresh fire, focused prayer, and practiced spiritual warfare—drawing near with expectation that God is already moving.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Rekindle the fire with holy habits Drift dulls desire; course corrections require returning to the simple means of grace—Scripture, prayer, worship, community, and serving. The Spirit supplies power, love, and self-discipline, but these gifts are most evident when we actively give them room. Serving especially pulls us out of stagnation by reorienting our lives around God’s purposes. Fan the embers until flame returns. [46:29]
• 2. Revisit past wonders to ignite faith Memory is a spiritual discipline. Remembering answered prayers and previous deliverances trains the heart to expect more from God, not less. Gratitude becomes fuel for bold petitions, pushing back against cynicism and resignation. What God has done before becomes a lens for what He can do next. [54:20]
• 3. Ask faith-shaping questions for 2025 Vague hope rarely produces concrete obedience. Naming what you expect from God, what He wants in you, what He intends for you, and what He desires through you gives faith a direction and a cost. These questions expose resistance, invite surrender, and translate longing into steps. Clarity strengthens courage. [55:58]
• 4. Move first; get your feet wet In kingdom rhythm, faith often precedes sight. The waters part as obedience advances, not before. Take the next faithful step—confess, return, serve, give, reconcile—and trust God to meet you in motion. He honors seekers who act on His word. [62:55]
• 5. Become a pliable wineskin again New wine requires stretch. Hearts hardened by hurry, disappointment, or comfort must be soaked again in the Spirit’s oil to recover softness and expandability. Let God massage tenderness back into places that have become brittle so you can carry what He wants to pour. Renewal is preparation for responsibility. [65:52]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [38:13] - Hungry for God’s Word
• [39:11] - Wonder Continues Beyond Christmas
• [43:25] - Isaiah 43: A New Thing
• [44:26] - From Punishment to Restoration
• [46:07] - Wake Up the Wonder
• [46:29] - Rekindle the Fire
• [49:49] - Power, Love, Self-Discipline
• [53:26] - Growth Often Comes Through Serving
• [55:58] - Four Faith-Stirring Questions
• [60:13] - It’s Time to Move
• [62:55] - Get Your Feet Wet (Joshua 3)
• [65:52] - New Wine, New Wineskins
• [71:36] - Two Responses and Prayer
• [79:55] - January: Spiritual Warfare Prayer

1. In Isaiah 43:18-19, what commands and images does God use to describe the new thing He is doing?
2. Which basic practices were named as the simple ways God uses to rekindle a fading fire—what was on that list? [52:02]
3. In the Jordan River story retold, what had to happen before the waters parted—what action came first? [01:04:45]
4. In the wineskin picture, what specific process makes an old wineskin soft and usable again? [01:09:03]

1. In Isaiah 43:18-19, how should “forget the former things” be understood—amnesia about past works or a reorientation so past grace fuels present expectancy?
2. If drifting is common, what does that imply about the partnership between the Spirit’s gifts (power, love, self-discipline) and daily habits that keep a believer on course? [49:49]
3. Why might God choose to “reward those who diligently seek Him” after they start moving rather than while they wait passively? What does that reveal about faith’s nature? [01:01:13]
4. What does the wineskin image suggest about why hearts must be soft, stretchable, and ready if God is going to entrust “new wine”? What might happen if they are not? [01:08:04]

1. Where have you drifted? Name one practice you will restart this week (Scripture, prayer, worship, community, serving). When, where, and for how long will you do it? [52:02]
2. Revisit past wonders: list three specific moments (answered prayer, provision, deliverance). How will you rehearse them this month so gratitude fuels fresh faith? [54:20]
3. Work through the four faith-shaping questions for this year and share one concrete answer and next step: What are you expecting from God? What does God want to do in you? For you? Through you? [55:58]
4. Get your feet wet: What is one obedient step you will take in the next 7 days (confess, return, serve, give, reconcile, sign up for a group)? Who will you tell for accountability? [01:02:55]
5. Serving as a growth pathway: Where can you pour out practically this quarter (kids, hospitality, tech, youth, local outreach)? What start-date will you commit to? [53:26]
6. Become a new wineskin: Where has your heart grown hard (hurry, disappointment, comfort)? Choose one “oil of the Spirit” practice to soften your heart (daily worship, 10 minutes of silence, weekly fasting, honest confession). When will you begin? [01:08:34]
7. Is your next obedient step surrendering to Jesus or going public in baptism? What’s holding you back, and what help or prayer do you need to take that step? [57:37]