Stay Anchored

Devotional

Day 1: Tie to the Right Anchor: God Alone

The world is noisy with anxiety, despair, and quick fixes, but only God holds steady when everything else shifts. Work, success, trauma, or even a nightly habit can quietly become the rope you cling to, yet none of these can carry the weight of your soul. People and plans fail, batteries die, and boards fall off in the storm. God remains, and He alone keeps you secure. Choose today to tie your life to Him. [06:27]

Hebrews 6:19–20: Our hope functions like a sturdy anchor for our inner life—firm and unmoving—reaching into the very place of God’s presence, where Jesus has already gone ahead of us and serves as our High Priest forever.

Reflection: What “anchor” do you tend to reach for when you need to unwind, and what is one practical change you can make this week to re-tether that moment to God instead?

Day 2: Make Room to Remain; Start Small, Start Now

Abiding doesn’t happen by accident; it happens because you make room. Like moving furniture to set up a Christmas tree, you may need to rearrange your schedule to make space for God’s presence. Set your alarm fifteen minutes earlier, open Scripture, whisper a prayer, and let worship quiet the noise. Don’t wait for January; start tomorrow. Small beginnings grow deep roots when repeated in love. [15:30]

John 15:4–5: Stay connected to me like branches to a vine; life and fruit flow through our union. Cut off from me, you can’t produce what lasts, but remaining in me empowers you to bear real, lasting fruit.

Reflection: Which fifteen minutes will you reassign tomorrow morning, and what will you do in that space—read John 15, pray aloud, or sing one song—to help you remain in Christ?

Day 3: Obedience Still Meets Storms; Jesus Is Present

Not every storm means you did something wrong; sometimes you are exactly where God sent you, and the winds still rise. The disciples faced two different squalls: once with Jesus asleep in the boat, and once while He walked toward them on the waves. In both scenes, He brought them through and quieted what terrified them. You can breathe, even here; He is not far off. Let His presence steady you before the wind changes. [21:42]

Mark 4:38–41: While Jesus rested on a cushion, a violent storm shook the boat. Frightened, the disciples cried out, and He stood, addressed the wind and waves, and a deep calm settled. He asked why fear had taken over, and they marveled, stunned that even creation obeyed Him.

Reflection: Where have you assumed your current storm means you failed God, and how will you invite Jesus into that exact situation in prayer this week?

Day 4: Patient Endurance After Mistakes Leads to Promise

Abraham’s detour with Hagar was real, but it did not erase God’s promise. Grace didn’t excuse the choice; grace re-anchored his life to God’s word, and in due time Isaac arrived. Endurance means suffering patiently and remaining in existence until the promise breaks through. Your past doesn’t get the final say when you tie yourself again to the One who cannot lie. Retie the rope, lift your eyes, and keep walking. [28:17]

Genesis 17:19: God told Abraham that Sarah would bear a son, he would be named Isaac, and God would establish His lasting covenant with that child.

Reflection: What past decision still whispers shame to you, and what simple act of re-anchoring—confession, a specific prayer, or a reconciliatory conversation—will you practice this week to agree with God’s promise?

Day 5: Yoked with Christ, Peace in Every Storm

Jesus invites you to come, take His yoke, and learn His way, which is gentle and humble. He doesn’t force the connection; you choose it, and in choosing, you discover rest for your soul. Storms will still come, but anchored to Him you can be of good cheer. He has overcome, and His victory becomes your quiet courage. Stay tied to Him, and peace will guard you while the winds howl. [34:51]

John 16:33: In this world you will face pressure and trouble, but take heart—I have already conquered the world, and my triumph gives you peace.

Reflection: Where do you need to practice “be of good cheer” by a concrete step—making a phone call, closing a distracting tab, or taking a prayerful walk—and when will you do it this week?

Sermon Summary

Can you feel how quickly this year has rushed by? In a world full of war headlines, anxiety, and despair, I asked a simple but searching question: what are we anchored to? Many of us tie our identity and stability to the wrong things—work, trauma, performance, even a nightly glass of wine to “unwind.” But whatever we depend on for peace becomes our anchor, and only God can hold in every storm. An anchor is only as good as what it’s tied to—and the Anchor who never fails is the Lord. People and things will fail. Batteries die, plans fall apart, even our best efforts blow off like plywood in a hurricane. But when we secure ourselves to God—like shutters fastened before a storm—we can rest because He remains.

I urged us to stop waiting for a perfect season and start with small, honest choices: set the alarm 15 minutes earlier, make room in the living room of your life like you moved furniture for the Christmas tree. Jesus promised tribulation, but He also promised His overcoming presence. Not every storm is punishment. Twice the disciples were exactly where Jesus told them to be—and still hit a storm. In both moments, He brought them through. So instead of assuming “I must be in sin,” we learn to ask, “Lord, what are You teaching me here?”

We looked at Abraham—not as the man who failed, but as the man who patiently endured. God swore by Himself and gave us a hope that is an anchor for the soul. Enduring isn’t passive resignation; it’s suffering patiently and remaining in existence until the promise appears. The rope that keeps us tied to the Anchor is woven through daily worship, Scripture, prayer, and the fellowship of believers. Storms will come; winds will blow. Tie yourself to the Anchor—and remain steadfast.

Key Takeaways

1. Anchor your soul in God alone Dependence reveals devotion. If I can’t quiet my mind without a substance, person, or routine, I’ve probably crowned a substitute anchor. God alone can shoulder the weight of my fear and carry me through cultural turbulence. Tie your identity to the One who remains when everything else shifts. [05:43]
2. Make margin to abide daily Abiding doesn’t happen by accident—space must be made for it. Move the “furniture” in your schedule like you did for the tree, even if it’s just 15 minutes earlier. What you schedule reveals what you anchor to. Small, consistent choices grow deep roots. [15:10]
3. Storms aren’t always punishment The disciples faced storms while obeying Jesus—once with Him asleep in the boat, once while He walked on the water to them. The presence of hardship isn’t the absence of God; often it’s where He trains our trust. Peace isn’t the silence of wind—it’s the nearness of the One who commands it. [21:42]
4. Endure patiently; promise still comes Abraham’s misstep didn’t nullify God’s oath; he retied himself to God and received the promise in due time. Hebrews calls this hope an “anchor for the soul,” steady and sure. Endurance is not passivity—it is faithful staying, eyes fixed, while God finishes what He swore by Himself to do. [28:17]
5. Tie the rope, then hold fast An anchor helps only if you’re attached. Worship, Scripture, prayer, and community are not extras—they are the rope. Storms test your connection, not God’s strength; keep tying yourself to Him until “remaining” becomes your reflex. [17:59]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:15] - Year-end shock and food banter
[01:43] - The world is full of turmoil
[03:32] - What are we anchored to?
[05:43] - Only God is our true anchor
[06:27] - Weak anchors versus a steadfast One
[07:28] - Loved ones help, not our anchor
[08:59] - Things fail; God remains
[12:31] - Choose daily time with God
[15:10] - Make room like the Christmas tree
[17:13] - Tribulation and abiding in Christ
[19:32] - Plywood vs. shutters: securing peace
[21:42] - Two storms, same faithful Jesus
[24:59] - Yoked to Jesus: learn in trial
[28:17] - Abraham, Hebrews 6, and the soul’s anchor
[31:29] - Endure patiently; promise endures
[34:51] - Remain steadfast; anchor yourself in worship

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Hebrews 6:13-20

Observation questions

In Hebrews 6:13-18, who makes the promise, what oath is made, and why does the writer stress that “it is impossible for God to lie”?
According to Hebrews 6:19-20, how is hope described, and where does this hope “enter”?
What everyday “anchors” were named—work, trauma, or a nightly glass of wine to “unwind”? ([05:02])
Which two storm scenes were retold, and where was Jesus in each—sleeping on a cushion vs. walking on water? ([21:42])

Interpretation questions

If hope is “an anchor for the soul” that goes “behind the veil” (Hebrews 6:19), what does that teach about where stability really comes from—our circumstances, our feelings, or God’s presence?
If storms can hit while someone is exactly where Jesus told them to be, how should hardship be interpreted? What false assumptions should be challenged? ([21:42])
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me”—what does this suggest a disciple is meant to look for in the middle of pressure or pain? ([24:59])
“Whatever you depend on for your unwinding is what you’re anchored to”—why does dependence reveal devotion, and how can someone discern their true anchor? ([05:02])

Application questions

Be honest: when anxiety spikes, what do you reach for first—phone, food, a drink, a person, work, entertainment? What would a 7-day fast or boundary from that “unwind” habit look like so you can turn to God first? ([05:02])
Make room like you moved furniture for the Christmas tree. When, where, and how will you carve out 15 unrushed minutes a day this week to abide—Scripture, prayer, and quiet? Set the plan now. ([15:10])
The rope matters: worship, Scripture, prayer, and community are how we stay tied. Which strand is thinnest for you right now, and what one concrete step will you take to strengthen it this week (schedule it)? ([34:51])
Share a current storm. Instead of only asking “Why me?” ask, “Lord, what are You teaching me here?” What is one “learn from me” step you will practice daily in this storm? ([24:59])
Think of Abraham’s detour. Where have you tried to “help God” and made a mess? What does re-tying yourself to God look like this month—confession, counsel, new boundaries, renewed obedience? ([28:17])
Plywood vs. shutters: what’s your spiritual “plywood” (quick fixes) and what would be your “shutters” (pre-decided, durable habits)? Choose one shutter habit to fasten in place before the next storm. ([20:01])
Prepare tonight for tomorrow’s choice. What needs to change this evening (bedtime, screens, alarm) so you actually wake up and meet with God? Set the alarm now and tell a friend for accountability. ([14:42])

Sermon Clips

And so the question that I would ask us this morning is this, what are we anchored to? In the midst of all of these storms, what are we anchored to? Now, some of you, you hear that, and you say, well, what do you mean, what are you anchored to? Shouldn't it be, who are you anchored to? But here's the reality. The majority of the world is not anchored to a who, but to a what. [00:04:00] (32 seconds) #ChooseWhoNotWhat

And the problem is this. There's many of us believers that are tying ourselves to all kinds of different anchors instead of the one true anchor, God, who will hold us securely in place through everything that we may face. He's the anchor. So again, I ask that question, what are we anchored to? Or we can go ahead and say it in the right way, which is that God is the anchor and God holds us securely in place through every storm. [00:06:39] (37 seconds) #GodHoldsThroughStorms

Our anchor cannot be an individual or a person. Our anchor must be God. He's the only who that we can be tied to as our anchor. Here, many of us, the who that we anchor ourselves to is our spouse or our children or our parents. And here's the reality. All of them will pass away one day. God will remain. Everything will fail us. God will remain. [00:08:14] (35 seconds) #GodNotPeople

And why am I being so like dramatic with it? I want us to get the visual picture. Stuff will fail. People will fail. God will remain. Stuff will fail. People will fail. God will remain. But connected to God is a choice. And many times when we feel that God has not met our expectation, we cut rope and say, I'll tether myself to something else. I've been there. I've done that. I burned the t-shirt though. [00:10:27] (52 seconds) #DontCutTheRope

So you're ruffling my feathers. You're stepping on my toes. No, no, no, no. If that's bringing conviction to you, you have the power to change it and fix it with no condemnation from this altar. You can change that tomorrow. When you wake up in the morning, you can choose to spend some time with God. As a matter of fact, you can make that change today by setting your alarm clock for tomorrow morning 15 minutes earlier than you regularly do to spend some time with God. [00:12:28] (28 seconds) #15MinutesWithGod

In our house, it's right in front of the window, right? Now, there's usually a couch there, a little chair there, a little foyer area, if you would. So before putting the Christmas tree, I had to go move some stuff. I had to make room for the tree. Some of y'all asking, why am I not growing with God? Because you ain't making room for the tree. Nothing to do with my preaching, nothing to do with what we're talking about, but everything to do with the preaching and everything to do with what we're talking about. So you can make room today for time with God tomorrow. [00:15:23] (37 seconds) #MakeRoomForGod

I'm not saying wake up three hours before. God told you to do that, you do that. I'm saying start with 15 minutes. Start. Start. Start. They say the most difficult equipment at the gym is the front door. Start. Don't wait till January 1st in 18 days. Please start with tomorrow morning. And start by setting your alarm clock for tomorrow morning to spend some time with God. [00:16:02] (47 seconds) #StartSmallStartNow

what am I trying to get at two times we see in scripture the disciples in the place Jesus told them to be one of the times Jesus on the boat with them the other time he had just said go this way both times in the storm or the storm came not because they were doing wrong they were actually in the right place it just got stormy [00:24:04] (21 seconds) #StormsDespiteRightness

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