Remember Yesterday, Believe Tomorrow, Expect God Today

Sep 07, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Stones of Remembrance at Life’s Jordan Crossing

The Israelites carried twelve stones from the Jordan’s dry riverbed to mark God’s miraculous deliverance. These stones became conversation starters for generations—tangible proof of divine faithfulness. When life feels overwhelming, physical reminders of God’s past interventions anchor our trust. Recalling how He parted “impossible” waters fuels courage for today’s battles. What stones of remembrance do you need to gather? [35:26]

“So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” (Joshua 4:7, ESV)

Reflection: What specific moment in your life feels like a “Jordan River” today? Name one past victory where God made a way when there seemed none.

Day 2: Burnt Offerings and Thunderous Deliverance

Samuel’s burnt offering wasn’t religious routine—it was wartime dependence. While Philistines sharpened swords, Israel sought God’s presence. Thunderous confusion broke enemy ranks without a single Israelite strike. Surrender precedes victory; prioritizing connection with God disrupts human logic. What battle are you facing where strategy matters less than seeking His face? [42:33]

“The Lord thundered with a mighty sound… and the Philistines were routed.” (1 Samuel 7:10, ESV)

Reflection: Is there a situation where you’ve been “sharpening swords” instead of kneeling in surrender? What would it look like to shift from self-reliance to God-reliance today?

Day 3: Double Portion Prayers from Shepherd Hearts

Elisha didn’t timidly ask Elijah for leftovers—he demanded a double portion of spiritual inheritance. This boldness grew from years watching God move through ordinary obedience. Faithful stewarding of small flocks prepares us for greater assignments. What God-sized request have you hesitated to voice, fearing it’s “too much”? [58:19]

“Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” (2 Kings 2:9, ESV)

Reflection: What “lion or bear” have you already overcome that proves God’s capacity for your current Goliath? How does that victory shape your boldness in prayer?

Day 4: Salty Saints and Unhidden City Lights

Jesus didn’t call believers to be flavor enhancers—He called them to be irreplaceable preservatives in a decaying world. Salt loses potency when diluted; light fails when hidden under comfort’s basket. Our effectiveness comes not from self-generated zeal but abiding in the Source. Where have you blended in when you were meant to stand out? [01:02:48]

“You are the salt of the earth… a city set on a hill.” (Matthew 5:13-14, ESV)

Reflection: What relationships or spaces in your life need your “saltiness” this week? How can you intentionally reflect Christ’s light in one practical way today?

Day 5: Ignited Altars and Unstoppable Fire

The pastor’s call for “fresh fire” echoes Acts’ Pentecost—not emotional hype but sustained Holy Spirit power. Altars aren’t just church furniture; they’re personal places of surrender where old selves burn away. True revival starts when our whispered “yes” meets God’s refining flame. What dead thing in you needs holy fire today? [01:14:21]

“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” (Acts 1:8, ESV)

Reflection: When did you last feel the Holy Spirit’s tangible presence? What step will you take this week to position yourself for fresh empowerment?

Sermon Summary

God’s faithfulness in the past becomes fuel for faith heading into the future. Faith Christian Center has seen salvations, baptisms, healings, growth, new ministries, and people gathering in record numbers, and God deserves praise for every bit of it. God has brought the church this far, but He is not even close to being finished.

Scripture gives God’s people ways to remember. Israel’s festivals, Joshua’s twelve stones by the Jordan, and communion all call God’s people to remember what He has done. Samuel’s Ebenezer stone declares more than a hopeful wish. “Thus far the Lord has helped us” stands as a statement of fact: God helped before, God helps now, and God will help again.

Samuel’s burnt offering places Israel in the right position before God while the Philistines prepare for battle in their own strength. The offering says, “God, I need You. You are my source. You are in control.” God thunders against the enemy while Israel depends on Him. David carries that same faith before Goliath, because the God who delivered him from the lion and bear will deliver him again.

Paul’s words in Ephesians stretch faith beyond small expectations. God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that His people ask or think. God’s past work must not become a ceiling that limits what faith expects next. God’s past work is a foundation, and a strong foundation makes room for greater things.

Elisha’s request for a double portion comes from a heart that has watched, served, learned, and grown hungry. Elisha does not ask for enough to survive or merely get by. The double portion expresses a desire for God’s power to meet a needy world, not a desire for fame. The church needs more of Jesus, more of the Holy Spirit’s power, more people reached, more baptisms, more miracles, and more workers for the harvest.

Jesus remains the source of the salt and the light. Believers are willing vessels whose flavor and brightness depend on how closely they stay with Him. Prayer turns vision into faith-filled asking, seeking, and knocking. God looks for surrendered, loyal hearts that will say, “Here I am. Use me, fill me, send me.” What God has done is the Ebenezer, what God will do is the expectation, and today is the day to believe for more.

Key Takeaways

1. Remember God’s faithfulness, then move forward. God’s past faithfulness is not meant to trap faith in yesterday’s stories. The Ebenezer declares that the same God who carried His people through former battles remains present in current need. Faith looks back so that it can look ahead with confidence, not nostalgia. [44:15]
2. Let God’s work become your foundation. God’s previous work must never become a ceiling that says, “This is all He can do.” The foundation image calls believers to make room for whatever God wants to build, whether that means a shed-sized expectation or a skyscraper-sized one. Faith honors yesterday’s grace by expecting God’s continuing purpose. [52:48]
3. Ask for more of God’s power. Elisha’s double-portion request rises from holy hunger, not personal ambition. The need of the city, the community, and the world calls for more than survival-level Christianity. The Holy Spirit empowers God’s people to carry Jesus into places that cannot be changed by human strength. [60:21]
4. Stay close to Jesus, the source. Jesus gives the salt its flavor and the light its brightness. Believers do not manufacture spiritual impact through personality, programs, or effort alone. The life of Jesus becomes visible as His people daily die to the old life and remain near the true source. [62:34]
5. Vision must become believing prayer. Dreaming says, “Wouldn’t it be amazing?” but prayer says, “God, I want a double portion.” Faith-filled prayer asks, seeks, knocks, and refuses to reduce God to the size of present circumstances. God is looking for surrendered hearts willing to pray big, serve faithfully, and step out.

## [71:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[29:48] - Hungry for More
[31:51] - Praising God for What He Has Done
[34:17] - Remembering God’s Faithfulness
[36:34] - Samuel’s Ebenezer Stone
[38:24] - The Meaning of the Burnt Offering
[42:11] - Depending on God in Battle
[44:15] - Faith for Tomorrow
[48:34] - Great Expectations for a Great God
[50:44] - Foundation, Not Ceiling
[56:17] - Elisha’s Double Portion
[61:09] - Jesus Is the Salt and Light
[64:19] - Vision for the Church
[69:27] - Praying Big Prayers
[71:32] - Great Faith and the Holy Spirit
[74:01] - Remember Yesterday, Believe Tomorrow

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Samuel 7:10-12

Verse 10: “Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel.” [37:11]

Verse 11: “And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and drove them back as far as below Bethkar.” [37:29]

Verse 12: “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’” [37:39]

Ephesians 3:20

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” [49:13]

2 Kings 2:9-10

“And when they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.’ And Elisha said, ‘Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.’” [57:27]

Matthew 5:13-16

Verse 13: “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” [01:01:25]

Verse 14: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” [01:01:36]

Verse 15: “Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” [01:01:37]

Verse 16: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” [01:01:37]

Observation questions

In 1 Samuel 7, what was Samuel doing while the Philistines were preparing to fight, and what did the Lord do in response? [42:11]
What did Samuel name the stone he set up, and what exact statement did that stone help Israel remember?
In Ephesians 3:20, what words does Paul use to describe God’s ability, and where does he say God’s power is at work? [49:34]
What did Elisha ask for when Elijah invited him to make a request, and what had Elisha been doing before this moment? [59:45]

Interpretation questions

Samuel’s burnt offering showed that Israel needed God and could not win by its own strength. What might depending on God look like for a believer facing a problem that cannot be solved through effort, planning, or resources alone? [42:40]
Why is “Thus far the Lord has helped us” a statement of faith rather than merely a memory of the past? How can remembering God’s faithfulness give confidence for a present battle? [43:57]
Ephesians 3:20 says God can do more than people ask or think, according to His power at work within them. How does this keep big prayers from becoming confidence in human ability? [55:36]
Elisha’s request for a double portion came after he had watched, served, learned, and grown hungry for God’s work. What helps distinguish a desire for more of God’s power from a desire for attention, comfort, or personal fame? [01:00:10]

Application questions

What is one clear “Ebenezer” in your own life—a time when you can honestly say, “Thus far the Lord has helped me”? How could you remember and share that story this week? [44:35]
Is there an area where God’s past work has quietly become a ceiling on what you expect Him to do next? What would it look like to treat that past work as a foundation instead? [50:48]
Where are you most tempted to prepare for life’s battles in your own strength instead of first bringing your need to God? What is one specific way you can put prayer and dependence on God first this week? [39:02]
Elisha did not ask merely to survive or get by; he asked for more of God’s Spirit. What is one area of your life, family, workplace, or community where you are hungry to see more of Jesus at work? [58:16]
Jesus is the source of both saltiness and light. What habits help you stay close to Jesus, and what distractions or patterns make it harder for His life to be seen through you? [01:02:37]
Vision becomes faith-filled prayer when people move from saying, “Wouldn’t it be amazing?” to asking God directly. What is one big but God-honoring prayer you can begin praying consistently—for a person, a need, or your community? [01:11:01]
God looks for surrendered hearts willing to say, “Here I am. Use me, fill me, send me.” Which part of that response feels most challenging to you right now: being used, being filled, being sent, serving, witnessing, or stepping out in faith? [01:13:43]

Sermon Clips

42s

#BigGodBigDreams

“You dreaming big? And not just for the church, but in your own lives. Are you asking and praying big? Are you dreaming big for your own life? Because you can believe big. I'm here to tell you today as your pastor, believe big. We serve a big God. But even your biggest prayers doesn't exhaust God's ability. You're never gonna pray a prayer that God God's gonna go, oof. I don't know about that one. Even your greatest dreams don't exceed God's capacity. Even your biggest vision isn't bigger than God. We serve a big God. We serve a big God.”

62s

#BuildStrongFoundations

“The ceiling is where the building stops. Right? It's where it stops. Ceiling's it. It's the limit that you put it on. K? Foundation represents the capacity for the building. If you build a foundation for a shed, you can't build a house on it. Am I right? If you build a foundation for a shed, you're gonna build a shed. If you build a foundation for a house, you can put a house on it, but you can't put a two story commercial industrial building on it. That would be bad. Right? If you build a foundation for a house, you get a house. If you build a foundation for a large office building, you get an office building. If you build a foundation for a skyscraper, guess what you can build on it? A skyscraper.”

34s

#AskForMoreBelieveMore

“The thing that we need to be cautious of is that we don't ask God for more because we have never allowed ourselves to believe that more is possible within us. That's why maybe we are not asking for more because maybe we've never asked it in ourselves. Our prayer our prayers become small because our vision of God, the love of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit is or has become small. When we have vision, we pray differently. Amen?”

37s

#RememberBelieveExpect

“Because I don't want us to come into the next season remembering only what God has done. I want us to come believing for God for what he's going to do. So the the entire message comes down to this thing. What God has done is our Ebenezer. What God is going to do is our expectation of him. Or even more simply put, remember yesterday, believe for tomorrow, expect God to move today.”

24s

#HereIAmSendMe

“God's looking. He's looking for people who will say, here I am. Use me, fill me, send me. I'll pray. I'll believe. I'll serve. I'll witness. I'll step out. I'll trust. God isn't looking for people who have everything figured out. I'm glad for that, aren't you? He's looking for people whose hearts are surrendered to him.”

22s

#PrayWithVision

“When we have vision, we pray differently. We pray like, God, use me. God, fill me. God, empower me. God, save my family. God, reach my community. God, give us revival. God, give us greater spiritual hunger. God, pour out your spirit in fresh ways on me and on our church.”

40s

#EbenezerFaith

“That's what Ebenezer means, is we serve a God who's big. We serve a God who's great. We serve a God who is all powerful, and he has been there in our lives. He's in our lives now, and he's gonna be in our lives. Amen? does not change. God is faithful. So Samuel understood something important. What God has done in the past becomes fuel for the fire of our faith heading into the future.”

39s

#GodFaithfulAlways

“This was not a statement wishing, like, well, it's don't don't read it like this. Don't read it with this tone like, well, God God has helped us in the past. I hope he shows up today and helps us again. That's not the way you read that. That's not what Samuel is communicating. It was a statement of fact. It was a statement of truth. What Samuel was saying there is God has helped us in the past, and he will help us now, and he's gonna help us in the future. Amen?”

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