Life: Speak Life, Live Life, Share Life

Devotional

Day 1: The Church as a Visible City on a Hill

The church is not meant to be hidden away or isolated from the world. It is designed by God to be a visible and active community, shining brightly for all to see. This visibility is not for its own glory but to point others toward the source of its light. As a city on a hill, the church is called to engage with its surrounding community, offering hope, faith, and the love of Christ. Its gates are always open, inviting others in and sending believers out. [02:10]

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14, ESV)

Reflection: In what practical ways can you, both individually and alongside your church family, ensure you are a visible and welcoming presence in your community this week?

Day 2: God Leads Us Through Our Circumstances

Difficult circumstances are an inevitable part of life and faith. It is in these challenging times that our trust in God is tested and can grow. The promise is not that God will always immediately remove the obstacle, but that He will faithfully lead us through it. He makes a way where there seems to be no way, walking alongside us every step of the journey. Our focus must remain on His leading, not on the towering walls of water that surround us. [05:49]

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. (Exodus 13:21, ESV)

Reflection: What is a current circumstance you are facing where you need to consciously choose to trust that God is leading you through it, rather than demanding He take it away?

Day 3: We Possess Eternal Life Now in Christ

The gift of salvation is not a distant promise but a present reality for those who believe. Eternal life is not something we hope to achieve or receive only after we die; it is a quality of life we possess here and now through a relationship with Jesus Christ. This life is a powerful, unquenchable fire within every believer, a source of strength and identity. It is a definitive gift, received by faith, not earned by religious effort. [13:46]

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12, ESV)

Reflection: How does knowing you already possess eternal life today, not just in the future, change the way you approach your daily challenges and interactions?

Day 4: Speaking Life with Our Words

The words we speak carry immense power, capable of either building up or tearing down. We are called to use our tongues as instruments of life, to bless others, and to declare God’s truth over our situations. Speaking life is a choice and a discipline that aligns our speech with the heart of God. It is a practice that can become a natural overflow of the eternal life residing within us, affecting every conversation and circumstance. [16:42]

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21, NIV)

Reflection: Is there a specific relationship or situation in your life where you feel challenged to consciously shift from criticism or complaint to speaking words of life and hope?

Day 5: Living and Sharing the Abundant Life

Jesus came to provide a life that is abundant, full, and free. This is the reality for every believer, though we may not always feel it. Living this life means walking in the freedom Christ has secured, rejecting the lies of the enemy that seek to steal our joy. As we live in this freedom, we naturally share this life with others through our everyday actions, attitudes, and conversations, becoming authentic witnesses of God’s grace. [19:41]

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10, NIV)

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take this week to more fully embrace the abundant life Jesus has for you, and how might that overflow into a opportunity to share that life with someone else?

Sermon Summary

Hilltop Church’s identity is restated with firm clarity: its mission is to impact the world by connecting people to Jesus and to the local faith community. The congregation is called to be neither cloistered nor passive but a visible “city on a hill,” engaged in its neighborhood while rooted in Scripture. The reality of Christian life includes unavoidable circumstances; using the Exodus crossing as a paradigm, God does not remove every obstacle but opens a way through them and leads the people to the other side. Believers are invited to remember that God is present amid trials and has already made a way of deliverance.

The year’s theme—Life: Speak life, Live life, Share life—frames every ministry and personal pursuit. Life in Christ is presented not as a distant promise but as a present possession: whoever has the Son has life now. That life is described as a continual, sustaining fire—spiritual vitality that enables speech, action, and witness. Speaking life is rooted in the scriptural power of the tongue to give form to destiny and to build up or destroy; Christians are called to use words intentionally to align reality with God’s truth.

Living life means walking in the freedom Christ secured: abundant, overflowing life that resists the thief’s intent to steal, kill, or destroy. Freedom is not merely an abstract status but a lived reality to be practiced and grown into, even when feelings lag. Sharing life reframes witness as everyday presence rather than intrusive proselytizing—every interaction can carry the fruit of new life, beginning close to home and extending to the ends of the earth.

The theological center is the cross and the resurrection: Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life; his death paid for sin and his rising guarantees forgiveness and resurrection life for all who receive him. The practical upshot is an urgent, loving summons: to speak life into situations, to live the freedom already granted, and to share this life naturally with others. Belief is enacted now—through confession, reception, prayer, and mutual support—so that individual transformation contributes to the church’s mission of connecting people to Jesus and to one another.

Key Takeaways

1. Speak words that create life Speaking life is an act of authority that shapes relationships and realities. The tongue can release hope, repentance, and direction, aligning ordinary moments with God’s redemptive purposes. Practicing speech as a spiritual discipline reduces negative reactions and cultivates a consistent witness. [16:14]
2. Live the freedom Christ provides Freedom in Christ is an existing possession to be inhabited, not merely a future hope or transient feeling. Living free involves persistent choices to walk in truth, even when emotions or circumstances suggest otherwise. Growth in freedom requires repeated application, honest confession, and reliance on the Spirit’s enabling power. [17:37]
3. Share life by natural witness Witnessing is primarily relational and habitual—less a scripted encounter and more the overflow of a transformed life. Everyday conversations, ordinary kindnesses, and consistent presence become channels for the gospel when gospel life fuels them. This approach removes performance pressure and invites authenticity. [18:54]
4. Trust God through hard circumstances Trials do not mean God’s absence; often God opens a path through obstacles rather than removing the obstacle immediately. The Red Sea example reframes deliverance as divine accompaniment and direction toward the other side. Trusting God in hardship cultivates endurance and a testimony of God’s guiding faithfulness. [05:49]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:50] - Mission: Connecting People to Jesus
[01:32] - Church as Community and Presence
[02:10] - City on a Hill: Public Faith
[03:39] - Circumstances and the Red Sea Pattern
[05:49] - God Leads Through, Not Always Around
[08:54] - 2026 Theme: Life—Speak, Live, Share
[11:36] - Possessing Life Now in Christ
[16:14] - Speaking Life: The Power of Words
[17:37] - Living Life: Freedom and Abundance
[18:54] - Sharing Life: Everyday Witness
[25:55] - Call to Receive Jesus Today
[30:57] - Prayer, Mission Sunday, and Closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
John 10:10 (ESV)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV)
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Matthew 5:14–16 (ESV)
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. 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.

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Observation questions

According to John 10:10, what is the purpose of the thief, and what is the purpose of Jesus?
What two powers does Proverbs 18:21 attribute to the tongue?
In Matthew 5:14–16, what two images are used to describe how believers are to be visible in the world?
The Exodus account shows that God didn’t remove the Red Sea but opened a way through it [05:49]. What does this reveal about how God often works in difficult circumstances?

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Interpretation questions

How does “having the Son” relate to “having life” [11:36]? What kind of life is being described here—physical, spiritual, or both?
“Speaking life” is described as using words to align reality with God’s truth [16:14]. What might that look like in a practical, day-to-day conversation?
Freedom in Christ is said to be a present possession, not just a future hope [17:37]. How can someone “live free” even when they don’t feel free?
Sharing life is framed as a natural overflow of a transformed life [18:54]. How does this differ from traditional ideas of evangelism or “proselytizing”?

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Application questions

What’s one situation this week where you can intentionally “speak life” by using words of hope, truth, or encouragement, instead of reacting negatively?
Freedom is something we grow into through repeated choices [17:37]. What’s one area where you’ve been believing the lie that you’re not free, and what’s one practical step you can take this week to walk in the freedom Christ has given you?
Witnessing is less about a script and more about overflow [18:54]. Who is one person in your ordinary routine (neighbor, coworker, cashier) you can “share life” with through simple kindness or conversation this week?
God often leads us through hard circumstances rather than removing them [05:49]. What’s a current challenge you’re facing where you need to trust that God is making a way *through* rather than asking Him to take it away?
Life in Christ is a fire that’s hard to hide [14:14]. What would it look like for you to “let the fire burn” more visibly in your home, workplace, or community?
We’re called to be a “city on a hill” [02:10]—visible and engaged. How can you personally help make your church less like a “cloister” and more like a light in your neighborhood?

Sermon Clips

Today is your day to start eternal life. So that one day when you pass away, it'll be just like passing through a curtain from this life into the next, into the very presence of Jesus. It starts today by receiving forgiveness for your sin, Acknowledging that you can't do it yourself. You can't get to heaven on your own. There's no way religion doesn't do it. Being good enough doesn't do it. Money can't buy it. Jesus bought it at the cross. [00:25:55] (30 seconds) #StartEternalLife

Forgiveness for all their sin. Not just all the things we've done wrong, but the very motivation of sin that we're bought into, that we can't help, that separates us from God. He says, if you believe in me, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. If you receive me, confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. Believe in your heart that God raised you from the dead, and you will be saved. [00:25:31] (23 seconds) #ForgivenAndSaved

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