Trusting Jesus: Finding Peace in Troubled Times

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus Offers Peace for Troubled Hearts

Jesus knows the depths of our troubled hearts and does not ignore our pain or confusion. Instead, He speaks directly into our fears and anxieties, offering a peace that is not dependent on our circumstances. Even when life feels like it’s falling apart, Jesus invites us to trust Him, assuring us that He desires our hearts to be untroubled. He doesn’t promise that all our problems will disappear, but He does promise that believing in God and in Him is the way to find true rest for our souls. [27:42]

John 14:1 (ESV)
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

Reflection: What is one specific worry or fear that is troubling your heart today? Take a moment to bring it honestly to Jesus, asking Him to speak peace into that area right now.

Day 2: Hold Your Possessions Loosely

Jesus reminds us that He is preparing a place for us in His Father’s house—a permanent, personal room that reflects His deep knowledge and love for us. When we truly believe that our eternal home is secure and that Jesus is preparing good things for us, we can hold the possessions and treasures of this world with open hands. The anxiety and stress that come from clinging to our stuff begin to lose their grip, and we are freed to live generously and with contentment, knowing that our true inheritance is with Christ. [39:27]

John 14:2 (ESV)
“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”

Reflection: Is there a possession or material desire that has been causing you stress or anxiety? How might believing in your eternal home with Jesus help you release your grip on it today?

Day 3: Hold Your Life Loosely—Jesus Is Returning for You

Jesus promises that He will come again and take us to Himself, not just to a place, but into His very presence. Our ultimate hope is not in achieving a perfect life or reaching a certain status, but in being with Jesus forever. This truth allows us to hold our ambitions, accomplishments, and even our very lives loosely, knowing that our worth and fulfillment are found in Christ alone. The promise of His return gives us peace and perspective, freeing us from the endless chase for success and security in this world. [44:14]

John 14:3 (ESV)
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are striving for success or fulfillment apart from Jesus? How would your priorities shift if your greatest hope was simply to be with Him?

Day 4: Hold Jesus Tightly—He Is the Way, the Truth, and the Life

Jesus boldly declares that He is not just a guide, but the only way, the absolute truth, and the very life we are searching for. All our attempts to find meaning, truth, or joy apart from Him will ultimately leave us empty. The more tightly we hold on to Jesus—making Him our highest priority, spending time with Him, and trusting His words—the less troubled our hearts will be, even if our circumstances grow more difficult. Jesus alone is everything we are looking for, and He invites us to cling to Him above all else. [51:54]

John 14:6 (ESV)
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

Reflection: In what practical way can you tighten your grip on Jesus today—whether through prayer, worship, or time in His Word—so that He becomes your greatest source of truth and life?

Day 5: Jesus Holds You Securely, Even When Your Grip Fails

Even when our grip on Jesus loosens and we are tempted to trust in lesser things, He never lets go of us. Our security is not based on our own strength or faithfulness, but on His unbreakable hold. Jesus promises eternal life to His followers, and nothing can snatch us out of His hand. This assurance gives us the courage to face whatever troubles come our way, knowing that we are safe in Him and that His love will pursue us to the very end. [52:34]

John 10:28-29 (ESV)
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

Reflection: When have you felt your faith weaken or your grip on Jesus slip? How does knowing that He holds you securely change the way you face your struggles today?

Sermon Summary

Today marks a special milestone—nine years of God’s faithfulness to our church family. As we reflect on the journey, it’s clear that while nostalgia is sweet, our hope is anchored in the conviction that our best days are still ahead. Life, much like a long road trip, is filled with unexpected detours, uncertainties, and moments when our carefully drawn maps seem to fall apart. In John 14, Jesus speaks directly into the anxiety and confusion of his disciples, who are facing the collapse of their expectations and the unraveling of their plans. He tells them, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” This is not a call to ignore trouble, but an invitation to a deeper trust that transcends circumstances.

Jesus offers a roadmap for untroubled hearts, not by promising a life free from hardship, but by redirecting our hope from changing circumstances to a Person—himself. He gives three profound truths to anchor us: First, he is preparing a place for us in his Father’s house, a permanent home that frees us to hold our possessions loosely. Second, he promises to return and bring us to himself, reminding us that the ultimate goal is not heaven’s gifts, but the Giver himself. Third, he declares that he is the way, the truth, and the life—our only path to the Father, our only source of truth, and the only life that truly satisfies.

These truths challenge us to examine what we’re holding tightly. Are we gripping our possessions, our achievements, or our own sense of control, hoping they will bring peace? Or are we holding tightly to Jesus, the only one who can truly secure our hearts? Even when our grip on him loosens, his grip on us never does. The invitation is to trust him more deeply, to let go of lesser things, and to find our rest, joy, and security in him alone. As we move forward as a church and as individuals, may we be a people marked by untroubled hearts—not because life is easy, but because Jesus is enough.

Key Takeaways

1. Untroubled Hearts Are Rooted in Trust, Not Circumstances Jesus does not promise a life free from trouble, but he does promise that our hearts can be untroubled if we trust in him. The peace he offers is not dependent on our circumstances changing, but on our relationship with him. This means we can experience deep rest even when life is chaotic, because our hope is anchored in the unchanging character of God. [32:08]
2. Hold Possessions Loosely—Our True Home Is Being Prepared Jesus assures us that he is preparing a place for us in his Father’s house, a permanent and personal home. This truth liberates us from the anxiety and striving that comes from clinging to our possessions and achievements. When we believe that our eternal future is secure, we can let go of the need to accumulate and protect earthly treasures, finding freedom and peace in the process. [39:27]
3. The Goal Is Not Heaven’s Gifts, But the Giver Himself Jesus promises to return, not simply to bring us to a paradise, but to bring us to himself. The deepest fulfillment is not found in the blessings of God, but in God himself. If we gained every good thing but missed Jesus, we would still be empty; but with him, even in lack, we have everything. [44:14]
4. Jesus Alone Is the Way, the Truth, and the Life He does not merely show us a path or offer good advice—he is the path, the truth, and the life itself. All other pursuits, no matter how noble, ultimately fall short of the life and joy found in him. This exclusive claim is both a challenge and a comfort: everything we are searching for is found in Jesus alone. [48:48]
5. Even When Our Grip Fails, Jesus Holds Us Securely Our faith is not sustained by the strength of our hold on Jesus, but by the strength of his hold on us. Even when we falter, doubt, or chase after lesser things, he remains faithful and will not let us go. This security frees us to return to him again and again, knowing that our peace and identity are safe in his hands. [52:34]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:30] - Celebrating Nine Years: God’s Faithfulness
[05:10] - The Story of Harbor West’s Beginnings
[08:45] - Looking Ahead: Our Best Days Are Still to Come
[12:00] - A Gift for the Church: Pursuing Health Together
[15:30] - Roadmaps and Life’s Journey
[23:19] - Navigating Life Without a Map
[25:42] - Jesus Speaks to Troubled Hearts
[27:42] - When Life’s Plans Collapse
[30:13] - The Desire for an Untroubled Heart
[32:08] - Peace That Transcends Circumstances
[36:18] - Hold Possessions Loosely: Our True Home
[40:27] - Hold Life Loosely: Jesus Is Returning
[47:53] - Hold Jesus Tightly: The Way, the Truth, the Life
[52:34] - The Security of Jesus’ Grip
[54:46] - Responding in Worship and Generosity
[57:21] - Communion: Remembering Jesus, Our True Hope
[58:52] - Giving as Worship and Trust
[73:07] - Closing Prayer and Sending Out

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 14:1-6 (ESV) — 1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Observation Questions

What situation were the disciples facing when Jesus told them, “Let not your hearts be troubled”? ([26:33])
According to Jesus in John 14, what is the “way” to the Father? ([47:53])
What does Jesus say He is preparing for His followers, and what does that reveal about His relationship with them? ([36:18])
In verse 3, what is the ultimate goal of Jesus’ return—what or who does He promise to bring us to? ([42:56])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus tells His disciples not to let their hearts be troubled, even though He knows their circumstances are about to get much harder? ([32:08])
What does it mean that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life”? How is this different from Jesus simply giving advice or showing a path? ([48:48])
The sermon says, “The goal is not heaven’s gifts, but the Giver Himself.” Why is it important to focus on Jesus rather than just the blessings He gives? ([44:14])
How does knowing that Jesus is preparing a place for us and will return for us help us hold our possessions and achievements more loosely? ([39:27])

Application Questions

When you think about your own life, what are some things (possessions, achievements, plans) you tend to hold onto tightly, hoping they will bring you peace? How might Jesus’ promise to prepare a place for you help you loosen your grip on these things? ([39:27])
The sermon compared life to a road trip with unexpected detours. Can you share a time when your “map” for life fell apart? How did you respond, and what would it look like to trust Jesus more deeply in those moments? ([27:42])
Jesus says He is the way, the truth, and the life. Are there areas in your life where you are tempted to look for “the way” or “the truth” somewhere else? What would it look like to turn back to Jesus in those areas? ([48:48])
The sermon said, “Even when our grip on him loosens, his grip on us never does.” How does this truth affect your sense of security and your willingness to return to Jesus after you’ve wandered? ([52:34])
If Jesus is returning to bring us to Himself, not just to a paradise, how does that change the way you think about heaven and your relationship with God right now? ([44:14])
The pastor mentioned that sometimes the tighter we hold onto Jesus, the harder life can get, but the less troubled our hearts will be. Have you experienced this? How can the group pray for you to hold onto Jesus more tightly this week? ([53:42])
What is one practical step you can take this week to “hold Jesus tightly”—whether it’s through prayer, time in the Word, worship, or serving others? ([51:54])

Sermon Clips

The way that we can have untroubled hearts in this life is to believe in God and believe in Jesus. That's it, guys. And that's amazingly good news because, well, think about it. If Jesus had said, don't let your hearts be troubled, all of this bad stuff will be gone one day. Your life circumstances will change one day and it'll all get better. Think about what he'd actually be saying there. He'd be saying, don't let your hearts be troubled because once your circumstances change, then you'll be happy. [00:31:50] (40 seconds) #FaithBeyondCircumstances

To get all the good gifts that God has for you but not get the giver of the gifts would leave you and I infinitely empty. It would be like telling a kid, hey, I'm gonna bring you to the biggest candy store in the world and you're gonna see all the candy that's ever been created. We're gonna bring you into the Wonka factory and you can see it all, you can have it all, you can taste it all but it all tastes like nothing. It all tastes like water. The kid would say, what's the point? This is miserable. This is actually torture. And that's what it's like to live in this world with all the good gifts of God but without God himself. [00:44:48] (41 seconds) #HoldJesusTightly

To live untroubled in this life right now, number three, hold Jesus tightly. Hold your possessions loosely. Hold your life loosely. Hold Jesus tightly. Because he says he's the way. He doesn't say he's showing us the way, but he himself is the way. [00:48:13] (21 seconds) #LifeInJesusAlone

He's not just a messenger. He is the truth. He is absolute truth made flesh. There is no truth apart from Jesus. And so he didn't come and say, hey, I am a truth. I'm one way to God. There's many ways to God. And I'm a truth, one of them. He says, no, no, no. I am the truth. I'm the only one. There's only one way here. And it's me. I'm telling you what's true. [00:48:59] (24 seconds) #LoosenedGripOnJesus

Here's the good news for Jesus' followers. Even when you and I loosen our grip on Jesus and we go through seasons where we start to believe that other things can give us what only he can give us, he doesn't loosen his grip on us. The way, the truth, the life, Jesus himself, he holds you so securely, so tightly. [00:52:14] (21 seconds)

If Jesus is your savior, if he's king, if you found in him everything you are looking for, you are held tightly and securely in the hand of Jesus, which is held tightly and securely in the hand of God. Even if you loosen your grip on Jesus, God will not loosen his grip on you. You and I can run as far away as we think we can like Jonah and we can find ourselves at the depths and the ends of the earth and God is going to keep pursuing us because he loves us to death. The cross proved it. God is not going to loosen his grip on you. [00:53:01] (35 seconds)

Because if you're believing that Jesus is preparing a place for you, if you're believing that he is returning for you to bring you to himself, if you're believing that he is holding you tightly, then your and my hearts can be at total peace no matter what is happening in our lives. [00:54:11] (20 seconds)

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