The Way - This AND That - Pastor James Hooper

Apr 26, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Water in the Wasteland

The kings marched seven days through desert heat. Their armies choked on dust, throats parched. Joram blamed God: “Did you bring us here to die?” Elisha glared at the faithless king but honored Jehoshaphat’s presence. A harpist played. Water flowed from Edom’s direction without rain. God answered because one man sought Him. [15:24]

God cares more about your heart than your perfection. He provided water for armies led by a rebellious king because Jehoshaphat humbled himself. The Lord’s mercy flows toward anyone who turns to Him, even amid self-made crises.

You’ve marched into deserts of your own making. Bills pile up. Relationships crack. Hear Elisha’s harp: God still answers. Stop rehearsing your failures. Open your hands. What desert have you entered without consulting God? How might He provide streams there?

“This is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.”
(2 Kings 3:16-17, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal one past mistake you’ve let define you. Release it aloud.
Challenge: Write “I AM DOING A NEW THING” on a sticky note. Place it where you’ll see it hourly.

Day 2: The Harpist’s Intercession

Elisha refused to help Joram—until Jehoshaphat arrived. The prophet demanded a harpist. Strings hummed. The Spirit fell. God spoke solutions: water without rain, victory without battle. One righteous man’s presence shifted everything. Jehoshaphat’s faith became Joram’s lifeline. [13:00]

God partners with our obedience, not our schemes. Jehoshaphat’s history of seeking the Lord (2 Chronicles 17:3-6) made him a conduit of grace. Jesus still uses faithful friends to rescue rebels.

Who’s your Jehoshaphat? Who prays when you’re too angry or ashamed? If you lack such a friend, become one. Call someone wrestling with consequences today. Ask: “When did you last let someone intercede for you?”

“But Elisha said, ‘As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you.’”
(2 Kings 3:14-15, NIV)

Prayer: Text one person who models godly wisdom. Thank them for reflecting Christ.
Challenge: Call a mature believer this week. Say, “I need your prayers for [specific struggle].”

Day 3: Beyond the Immediate Need

The kings begged for water. God gave pools—and Moab’s defeat. He transformed their desperation into dominion. Joram saw only thirst. God saw an opportunity to display power. The valley became a battleground of grace. [23:22]

Jesus multiplies our “not enough.” He fed 5,000 with a boy’s lunch, using disciples who initially complained (John 6:9). God exceeds requests to reveal His heart.

You pray for rent money. He wants to teach you provision. You beg for healing. He plans to make you a testimony. What if your crisis is a setup for His glory? What need have you limited to practical solutions?

“This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; He will also deliver Moab into your hands.”
(2 Kings 3:18-19, NIV)

Prayer: List three needs. After each, write: “But God can also…”
Challenge: Buy groceries for someone facing a similar struggle to yours.

Day 4: Blessed for Another’s Sake

Potiphar prospered because Joseph worked in his house. Prisoners found hope because Joseph interpreted dreams. Egypt survived famine because Joseph stored grain. God blesses systems touched by faithful people. Jehoshaphat’s presence saved three armies. [16:35]

You carry Christ’s presence into workplaces, schools, and grocery stores. Like Joseph’s integrity in Potiphar’s house, your obedience releases favor. The jailer heard Paul’s midnight hymns (Acts 16:25-26)—and got saved.

Where have you underestimated your influence? Your cubicle, kitchen, or gym needs your light. Who benefits from your faithfulness besides you?

“From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph.”
(Genesis 39:5, NIV)

Prayer: Walk through your home/workplace. Pray: “Bless this space through me.”
Challenge: Serve someone anonymously today—pay for a coffee, leave encouraging notes.

Day 5: Cinnamon Rolls and Open Hands

The pastor celebrated his birthday by buying dinner for family. His mother covered the bill instead. God multiplies generosity. Babes Chicken became a feast. Cinnamon rolls given freely sweetened the whole church. [36:29]

Jesus noticed the widow’s mites (Mark 12:43). He honors small sacrifices. Your $5 coffee for a stressed coworker or 10-minute call to a lonely relative matters. Stop measuring “big” blessings.

What can you give today without calculating returns? Who needs your time more than your advice? When did simple generosity last surprise you?

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”
(James 1:17, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for three specific gifts you’ve received this week—name them.
Challenge: Give something tangible today: cash, baked goods, or a handwritten letter.

Sermon Summary

Isaiah 43 calls for shedding the weight of former failures because God promises to do a new thing and make a way in the wilderness. The prophet’s image of streams in the wasteland urges attention to God’s present activity rather than fixation on past mistakes. A scene from Second Kings 3 shows three kings stranded without water after a bad campaign, yet God responds through Elisha to fill the valley with pools despite the leaders’ errors. The narrative highlights that God meets immediate needs and secures future victory even when people act rashly or self-reliantly.

The account underscores the power of faithful association. One king’s devotion brought divine attention that the others lacked, showing that righteous affiliation can alter outcomes and attract God’s provision. The text also affirms that ambition and industry receive God’s blessing when submitted to divine guidance. Practical stories about family, generosity, and community life illustrate how faithfulness and giving invite blessing into everyday affairs. Patience emerges as a spiritual discipline: long-term trust in God’s timing often replaces hurried attempts to force outcomes.

Generosity and community responsibility appear as spiritual obligations that shape local witness. Voting, civic engagement, and service carry moral weight because righteous leadership fosters communal flourishing. Personal anecdotes about family, creative work, and ministry ambitions model how faith integrates with everyday calling. The final charge emphasizes God’s favor and blessing: when God stands on a person’s side, provision, protection, and fruitfulness follow. The piece closes with a pastoral blessing that pictures the people as trees planted by streams, invited to prosper in God’s care.

Key Takeaways

1. Forget the former things Letting go of past failures frees perception to notice new work that God is doing. Clinging to shame or old plans narrows vision and keeps attention on what is lost rather than on present opportunities. True spiritual movement begins when memory yields to expectancy and obedience. [02:21]
2. God provides in unexpected ways Divine provision can arrive from unlikely directions and in surprising forms, turning scarcity into abundance. The narrative shows water springing where none was expected, proving that God’s solutions often exceed human strategy. Expect provision that reorients both need and future promise. [15:24]
3. Choose faithful companions wisely Associations shape spiritual outcomes because the presence of the faithful can draw divine favor where it otherwise would not come. Covenantal relationships carry consequences that extend beyond emotion into deliverance and blessing. Invest in companions who pursue God and practice integrity. [15:50]
4. Offer ambition as worship to God Ambition becomes sanctified when submitted to God’s will and partnered with prayerful patience. Creative drive and industry reflect God’s image when guided by wisdom and yielded to divine timing. Pursue ideas, then wait for God to enlarge or redirect them. [24:15]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:29] - Online Campuses Greeting
[01:28] - Devotions and Giving Info
[02:21] - Isaiah 43: Forget the Past
[04:14] - Second Kings 3 Background
[05:43] - March, Thirst, and Crisis
[11:21] - Elisha Confronts the Kings
[13:22] - Prophecy: Pools in the Valley
[15:24] - Water Appears and Victory
[16:15] - Power of Godly Association
[24:15] - Ambition, Patience, and Partnership
[30:36] - Family, Book Launch, and Blessing
[36:54] - Civic Duty and Community Care
[42:57] - Closing Blessing and Send-Off

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Isaiah 43:18-21 (NKJV)
“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.”

2 Kings 3:9-20 (NKJV)
“So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. And the king of Israel said, ‘Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.’ But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?’ So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, ‘Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.’ And Jehoshaphat said, ‘The word of the Lord is with him.’ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him… Then Elisha said… ‘Thus says the Lord: “Make this valley full of ditches.” For thus says the Lord: “You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.”’”

Observation Questions

In Isaiah 43:18, what specific instruction does God give about the past, and what promise does He attach to it?
Why were the three kings in 2 Kings 3 facing a crisis, and how did their own choices contribute to their situation? [06:14]
What surprising method did God use to provide water for the armies in 2 Kings 3:16-17, and what does this reveal about His provision?
How did Jehoshaphat’s presence influence Elisha’s response to the kings’ request for help? [12:06]

Interpretation Questions

Why might God emphasize “forgetting the former things” as a prerequisite for perceiving His new work (Isaiah 43:18-19)? How does clinging to past failures hinder spiritual growth?
The kings in 2 Kings 3 acted without seeking God’s direction yet still received His help. What does this suggest about God’s character and His response to imperfect human decisions? [13:51]
Elisha highlights that he only helped the kings because of Jehoshaphat’s faithfulness. What does this imply about the spiritual impact of godly relationships in our lives? [15:50]
How does the imagery of “streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19) challenge common expectations of how God meets needs?

Application Questions

What “former things” (regrets, shame, or old plans) are you struggling to release? What practical step could you take this week to shift your focus toward what God might be doing now?
Share a time when God provided for you in an unexpected or unconventional way. How did that experience reshape your trust in His methods? [15:24]
Who are the “Jehoshaphats” in your life—people whose faithfulness seems to draw God’s favor into your circumstances? How can you intentionally strengthen those relationships?
The sermon emphasized submitting personal ambitions to God’s timing. What dream or goal are you currently trying to “force” instead of waiting for His direction? [24:15]
How could your daily work, hobbies, or creative ideas become an act of worship when offered to God? Name one area where you could practice surrendering outcomes to Him.
The sermon linked civic engagement (like voting) to spiritual responsibility. How can you actively contribute to your community’s flourishing in a way that reflects God’s heart? [36:54]
What does it look like for you to “be a stream in the wasteland” for someone else this week—offering practical help or encouragement that points them to God’s provision?

Sermon Clips

40s

#GrowInGodsTiming

“Beautiful land, all this kind of stuff and my thing is, is we're going to be the biggest church in the Pentecostal Church of God because we're in a town of 80,000 people. We're going to explode, we're going to grow, we've got land to build on, we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna I didn't have anybody behind me saying, yeah, we're gonna, but I'm saying we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna and it's like, dude, chill. But God's given me an understanding that he works in his own way, but that things don't have to happen immediately.”

35s

#PrayBeforeFixing

“That's I'm gonna admit to you, that's not my first thing. I'm not an intercessor like my wife because I'm a fixer. And so when I hear of a problem, my mind goes immediately to, okay, how can we do this? Can we put a process in place? Can we do this? Can we and we're putting it and I'm working and I'm doing all this kind of stuff and blah blah blah blah. And then Sharon said, well, let's pray about it. Oh, okay. Yes. Let's do that. And so we pray about it and sure enough God comes through and usually doesn't work the way I figured it out.”

38s

#GraceAfterMistakes

“Especially for Sharon and I, it would cause us usually it was financial grief because I'd go out and do something cockamamie that I'm I'm gonna do. I call it, but you know, I I have all these ideas. I'm just gonna go do this and then we end up in financial hurt. But I I always had a problem with asking God to help us out of that because we did it on our own. This proves to me God loves me. Even when I mess up myself, when I do things I know I should not do, when I make mistakes.”

39s

#DontForceVision

“God still blessed him because they called on him. So what I'm trying to tell you is even though you're in a a fix of your own making, even though you're in a situation that you made happen because how many know every I know let me just say this, every time I tried to make things happen because that's what I do, because I'm a visionary and I see it and it's got to happen now. No. No. No. I would still push forward, I would do things and I would cause and it would cause so much grief.”

43s

#GodGivenAmbition

“So we got to understand that God has taken us, he loves us so much, he gives us okay, so I've heard so many people say that ambition is bad. I disagree. God gave us ambition. God gave us ambition. He gave us a mind. He gave us he just gave us everything, all the intellects, the skills and everything, but he wants us to work in concert with him. It's okay if we have ideas. It's okay because that's how God works.”

45s

#CallOnGod

“Should I even say this even when I sin, if I will call on him? I if I do it on purpose, if I sin on purpose, if I call on him, he's gonna answer me. Now, do I do things on purposes so he'll ask me? Oh, no. No. I don't I don't need that much drama. I don't, you know, I don't need that much drama. I was a fine arts major in college, but I don't need drama. I have learned in my 63, I can say that now, sixty three years I have learned just let just wait. Now, that's hard to do for me.”

37s

#UseYourGiftsForGod

“He married Kelsey and then they had their issue and then he married Mikayla and they're so much alike. They're both they're both always trying to make money doing stuff, always got these ideas. Mikayla's photography and she's baking and she's doing this and she didn't and Kelsey's running around. It's like, oh my God. These women, they're just they're just some productive people and that's what God wants us to be. He wants us to be productive people. He wants us to to find our heart and our passion and he wants us to pursue those things, but as long as we submit that to him.”

26s

#GodIsOnYourSide

“This has been an odd message. Just been kind of odd. But I just believe God's going to ordain. But God is going to really do a work in your lives. Just take that from me this morning. If you need a word from the Lord, the word is he's on your side. It's all you need. He's on your side. Amen?”

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The Way - This AND That - Pastor James Hooper

Devotional

Day 1: Water in the Wasteland

Day 2: The Harpist’s Intercession

Day 3: Beyond the Immediate Need

Day 4: Blessed for Another’s Sake

Day 5: Cinnamon Rolls and Open Hands

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Way - This AND That - Pastor James Hooper

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