Trusting God Through Music and Life's Challenges

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of Repetition in Shaping Behavior

The music and messages we repeatedly expose ourselves to can significantly shape our actions and thoughts. This is why it's crucial to fill our lives with positive, God-centered influences that reinforce our faith and values. The idea is that what we listen to and surround ourselves with can either draw us closer to God or pull us away. For our youth, who are in their formative years, this concept is especially important. By choosing uplifting and faith-affirming music, we can create an environment that nurtures our spiritual growth and keeps us aligned with God's will. [48:06]

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV): "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

Reflection: What kind of music and messages are you currently exposing yourself to? How can you make a conscious effort to choose more positive, God-centered influences in your daily life?

Day 2: Trusting in God's Character and Strength

Trusting in God means relying on His character, ability, strength, and truth. God's wisdom, holiness, and strength are far greater than our own, and placing our trust in Him allows us to navigate life's challenges with confidence. This trust is not just a passive feeling but an active dependence on God's promises and His word. By trusting in God's character and strength, we acknowledge that He is in control and that His plans for us are good, even when we don't fully understand them. [01:01:20]

Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV): "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you struggling to trust in God's character and strength? How can you actively depend on His promises and word today?

Day 3: God's Unfailing Nature

Unlike humans, who are fallible and can let us down, God is unchanging and will never fail us. This assurance allows us to remain steadfast in our faith, even when others disappoint us. Trusting in God's unfailing nature means that we can rely on Him in every circumstance, knowing that He is always faithful and true. This trust makes us unshakeable, like Mount Zion, as described in Psalm 125. By placing our confidence in God rather than in people, we can experience a deeper sense of peace and security. [01:04:21]

Numbers 23:19 (ESV): "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"

Reflection: Think of a time when someone let you down. How can you shift your focus from relying on people to trusting in God's unfailing nature?

Day 4: The Power of Prayer and God's Response

Seeking the Lord in prayer and trusting that He hears and answers us is a powerful act of faith. Even when answers are delayed, remembering God's past faithfulness can sustain us. Prayer is not just about presenting our requests to God but also about building a relationship with Him and aligning our hearts with His will. By trusting in God's response to our prayers, we can find peace and assurance, knowing that He is always working for our good, even when we don't see immediate results. [01:13:04]

1 John 5:14-15 (ESV): "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

Reflection: What is one specific prayer request you have been waiting on God to answer? How can you remind yourself of God's past faithfulness as you continue to trust in His response?

Day 5: Trusting in God's Plans for Us

God's plans are to prosper us and give us hope and a future. Trusting in His plans, even when we don't understand them, allows us to live with peace and assurance, knowing that He is in control. This trust involves surrendering our own desires and expectations to God's greater wisdom and purpose. By embracing God's plans for our lives, we can experience the fullness of His blessings and the joy of walking in His will. [01:11:47]

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (ESV): "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find it difficult to trust in God's plans? How can you surrender this area to Him and embrace His purpose for you today?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Good morning, everyone! Today, we delved into the profound impact of music on our lives and how repetition influences behavior. We explored the idea that the music we listen to can shape our actions, thoughts, and even our perception of truth. This concept is crucial, especially for our youth, as they navigate their formative years. We discussed how surrounding ourselves with positive influences, including uplifting music, can lead us closer to God and help us maintain a Christ-centered life.

We then transitioned into the song "Trust in God" by Elevation Worship, which beautifully encapsulates the essence of relying on God through all circumstances. The song's lyrics remind us of God's unwavering presence and faithfulness, even in the most challenging times. The first verse speaks of Jesus as our "blessed assurance" and our "fourth man in the fire," emphasizing that He is with us in both joyous and sorrowful moments.

We examined the meaning of trust, which involves assured reliance on God's character, ability, strength, and truth. Trusting in God means believing in His wisdom, holiness, and strength, rather than our own. This trust is not just a passive feeling but an active dependence on God's promises and His word.

The chorus of the song reinforces this trust, declaring that God will never fail us. We discussed the importance of placing our trust in God rather than in people, who are fallible and can let us down. Psalm 118:8 reminds us that it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. This trust in God makes us unshakeable, like Mount Zion, as described in Psalm 125.

We also shared a powerful story from a mission trip to the Yucatan, where God's presence was profoundly felt. Despite initial resistance from the local community, a miraculous healing and an overwhelming sense of peace opened doors for ministry and transformed the entire village's perception of our mission.

As we concluded, we encouraged everyone to open their hearts and fully trust in God, allowing His presence to guide and sustain them through all of life's challenges.

###

Key Takeaways

1. centered influences that reinforce our faith and values. [48:06]
2. Trust in God's Character and Strength: Trusting in God means relying on His character, ability, strength, and truth. God's wisdom, holiness, and strength are far greater than our own, and placing our trust in Him allows us to navigate life's challenges with confidence.

3. God's Unfailing Nature: Unlike humans, who are fallible and can let us down, God is unchanging and will never fail us. This assurance allows us to remain steadfast in our faith, even when others disappoint us.

4. The Power of Prayer and God's Response: Seeking the Lord in prayer and trusting that He hears and answers us is a powerful act of faith. Even when answers are delayed, remembering God's past faithfulness can sustain us.

5. God's Plans for Us: God's plans are to prosper us and give us hope and a future. Trusting in His plans, even when we don't understand them, allows us to live with peace and assurance, knowing that He is in control.

### [48:06]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[43:30] - Introduction and Announcements
[46:14] - The Power of Music and Repetition
[48:06] - Influence of Surroundings on Behavior
[52:26] - Personal Experiences with Music
[56:24] - Introduction to "Trust in God" by Elevation Worship
[57:26] - First Verse Breakdown
[60:01] - Understanding Trust
[62:36] - Chorus Breakdown
[64:21] - Trusting in God vs. Trusting in People
[67:39] - Psalm 125 and Unshakeable Trust
[69:14] - Second Verse Breakdown
[71:47] - God's Plans for Us
[73:04] - Bridge Breakdown
[75:25] - Mission Trip Story
[82:25] - God's Miraculous Work
[83:44] - Encouragement to Trust in God

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does Psalm 118:8 suggest about the reliability of trusting in God versus trusting in people? ([01:06:28])
According to Psalm 125:1-2, what are the characteristics of those who trust in the Lord? ([01:07:39])
How does Jeremiah 29:11 describe God's plans for us? ([01:11:47])
What was the main message of the song "Trust in God" by Elevation Worship as discussed in the sermon? ([56:24])

Interpretation Questions

Why might it be challenging to trust in God rather than in people, especially when people around us fail? ([01:04:21])
How does the concept of "repetition influences behavior" relate to our spiritual lives and the music we listen to? ([48:06])
In what ways can trusting in God's character, ability, strength, and truth change our perspective on life's challenges? ([01:00:01])
How did the mission trip story illustrate the power of prayer and God's response? ([01:22:25])

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you placed your trust in people and were disappointed. How can you shift your trust to God in similar future situations? ([01:04:21])
What kind of music do you currently listen to, and how might it be influencing your behavior and thoughts? Are there changes you feel led to make? ([48:06])
Think about a current challenge you are facing. How can you actively depend on God's promises and His word to navigate this challenge? ([01:00:01])
How can you incorporate more positive, God-centered influences into your daily life to reinforce your faith and values? ([48:06])
Recall a moment when you felt God's presence and faithfulness in a difficult time. How can this memory help you trust Him more in your current circumstances? ([01:13:04])
What steps can you take to remind yourself of God's plans for you, especially when you don't understand them? ([01:11:47])
How can you encourage others in your community to trust in God, especially those who might be struggling with their faith? ([01:23:44])

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "Repetition influences behavior. And this is so true in so many levels. And it's actually one of the things that we were breaking down with the high school students. We were talking to them about, hey, if you're hanging out with a certain crowd and you're hanging out with them every day and maybe they don't follow God, maybe they don't go to church, maybe they talk a certain way, maybe they act a certain way, the more that you hang out with this crowd, the more that you're around this crowd each and every day, most likely they're gonna influence your behavior too." [48:06] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Repeated information is often perceived as more truthful than new information. This finding is known as the illusory truth effect, and it is typically thought to occur because repetition increases processing fluency. And yes, I did look at what processing fluency, it's pretty much like information, how you react to the information, how you soak it up. So it increases. It increases that. So basically, not only is it affecting my behavior, but now it's affecting what I perceive as truth." [53:38] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. He's my blessed assurance. And I love what the writer is doing here because what he's doing is like, hey, I'm trusting in God. The name of this song is Trusting God. So I'm trusting in God because he's my blessed assurance. Jesus is my blessed assurance. He's been my fourth man in the fire time after time. What this refers to is, you know, he's been with me through the pain. He's been with me through the happy times." [57:26] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. And then it does a beautiful thing. It goes, never fail. I don't have music, so I can't do it right, guys. Come on. Who will never fail? Oh, he will never fail. I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. And he says that. Such a beautiful. Chorus. I mean, just singing it, just reading it, it's like, man, like, I do trust in God. He's my Savior." [01:03:20] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Again. He's not going to harm you. He's not going to destroy you. He's not going to do something to you that's going to bring you down, that's going to let you down. Plans to prosper you. Plans to give you hope and a future." [01:11:47] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "So being who I am, I try to, well, not I tried, I dug in a little bit deeper with this. Repetition influences behavior, because I thought that conversation was so amazing. So then I found another study that has to do with repetition and influencing our behavior, and I found this other study that ended the whole study with this. And it said, repeated information is often perceived as more truthful than new information. This finding is known as the illusory truth effect, and it is typically thought to occur because repetition increases processing fluency." [53:38] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "So now, this whole trusting in God thing. Okay, I'm getting it. Okay, now I could see myself trusting in God. In fact, I've done it, and I didn't even realize I was doing it. I was trusting in God. Look to your neighbor and say, trust in God. Look to your other neighbor and say, trust in God. We need to trust in God. We need to trust in God. So we go over the verse, and then comes the chorus. And it goes, I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. And then it does a beautiful thing. It goes, never fail. I don't have music, so I can't do it right, guys. Come on. Who will never fail? Oh, he will never fail." [01:02:36] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. And that's not saying, Hey, don't trust people. Don't trust anybody. You got to live a life where you don't trust. No, we have to trust people. I trust JT. I trust JT as my pastor. And I trust JT as my boss. I trust the board, the church board. I trust that every time they meet, they are making wise decisions because why they're being led by God. They're seeking God. They're seeking advice from God and they're there. And I'm trusting that they're doing that." [01:07:08] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Sion, which cannot be shaken, but endures forever. That's what this whole song is revolving around. Putting our trust in God, because if we put our trust in the Lord, we're not going to be shaking or shaken. Meaning when we get hurt, when we get let down by people, our trust in the Lord is so strong. That we're, that's not going to shake us. That's not going to make us doubt in God. It's going to make us endure forever." [01:08:27] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered. And it's funny because I put it like this, but it's actually repeating three times. I should have put like a times three. I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered. I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered. That's why I trust him. That's why I trust him. Such a simple bridge. And again, the more I listen to it, the more even this morning as I was driving here, I was listening to it. And I was man, this song is so good. I sought the Lord and he heard. And he answered." [01:13:04] (2 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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