Unfinished Business

Sep 06, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Old Age, Unconquered Land

The text confronts us with Joshua’s reality: time grows short, yet purpose remains. God names both Joshua’s aging and the unconquered territories, refusing to let exhaustion or complacency define the story. This tension between limited time and lingering assignments mirrors our own lives. Every breath signals unfinished kingdom work, whether reconciling relationships, stewarding gifts, or confronting personal strongholds. What land have you left unconquered because you assumed time had run out? [01:46]

“When Joshua was old and advanced in years, the Lord said to him, ‘You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess.’”
(Joshua 13:1, ESV)

Reflection: What “unconquered land” have you neglected to confront because you’ve told yourself it’s too late? How might today’s breath be your invitation to advance?

Day 2: Forty Days of Unfinished Proofs

After resurrection, Jesus didn’t ascend immediately—He lingered to restore doubters, reignite vision, and commission the doubtful. His post-grave ministry reveals God’s commitment to completing what He starts. Unfinished business isn’t failure; it’s divine strategy. Just as Jesus appeared to Thomas and Peter, He meets us in our unresolved spaces to prove His power. What unfinished work requires His resurrection touch in your life? [10:11]

“He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
(Acts 1:3, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you declared “it is finished” prematurely? What relationship, dream, or calling needs resurrection-proof encounters to reignite?

Day 3: Torn Between Two Realities

Paul’s admission in Philippians 1:23-25 exposes the tension every purpose-driven heart feels: longing for heaven’s rest yet tethered to earth’s assignments. His clarity—that fruitfulness trumps comfort—challenges our retreats into spiritual complacency. To recognize what remains isn’t about busyness but about stewarding the “why” behind your remaining breaths. What makes your earthly tethers more compelling than heaven’s pull? [27:50]

“I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.”
(Philippians 1:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: What kingdom fruit keeps you anchored to earthly life? How does this clarify your “unfinished business”?

Day 4: The Cemetery of Unbirthed Dreams

The preacher’s jarring image—the graveyard as earth’s wealthiest place—confronts our procrastination. Time spent comparing, doubting, or delaying becomes stolen legacy. Ephesians 5:15-16 reframes time as a dwindling currency to invest, not hoard. Redeeming time means attacking distractions like deathbed regrets. What unbirthed dream have you buried under excuses? [35:28]

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
(Ephesians 5:15-16, ESV)

Reflection: What “cemetery-bound” dream have you resigned to death? What first step could resurrect it today?

Day 5: Resolve to Die Empty

Paul’s final declaration—“I have finished”—haunts and inspires. Resilience, resistance, and resolve merge here: the grit to rise after failure, the defiance of distraction, the choice to die poured out. Unfinished business becomes rebellion when we cling to comfort over completion. What untapped potential are you guarding instead of releasing? [39:11]

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
(2 Timothy 4:7, ESV)

Reflection: What have you been preserving in yourself that God demands you pour out? How will you shift from storing to stewarding?

Sermon Summary

Joshua 13:1 opens with an unusual but urgent word: Joshua is growing old, and much land remains to be conquered. The text puts two realities side by side: time is moving, and territory remains. Age, then, is not merely about a number but about how much time is left, and nobody knows either the day Christ returns or the day life ends. Life must not become so distracted by dying that it misses living.

Jesus supplies the clearest picture of unfinished business. Calvary was complete when Christ said, “It is finished,” but Christ did not say, “I am finished.” Redemption was finished, while Christ’s work in and through His disciples continued for forty days. Christ restored Peter, reassured Thomas, opened understanding, commissioned the apostles, and directed them toward the promised Spirit. A chapter may be finished, but the calling is not finished.

Breath becomes evidence that God still has purpose. Delays, disappointments, detours, defeats, depression, and dark seasons do not get the final word over a life God has kept. The cemetery holds too many unfulfilled dreams, unwritten books, unbuilt businesses, unfinished degrees, unrepaired relationships, and buried potential. God calls His people not merely to exist, but to die on empty.

Paul gives language for recognizing what remains. Philippians 1 shows a man ready to be with Christ but convinced that fruitful labor still requires his presence. Heaven may be calling, but purpose can be keeping. Unfinished business is not every item on a bucket list; unfinished business is whatever obedience God requires to complete the assignment He has given. God’s assignment may involve building something, forgiving someone, seeking forgiveness, breaking a cycle, serving, mentoring, or finally becoming who God called a person to be.

Ephesians 5 calls for redeemed time. Time is the one currency spent without knowing how much remains and without receiving more of it. God calls His people to stop wasting precious moments on bitterness, comparison, petty arguments, distractions, and rehearsing what went wrong. Today is the moment placed in their hands, and obedience cannot wait for perfect conditions.

Second Timothy 4 calls for resolve. Paul finished because resilience got him back up, resistance kept him from quitting, and resolve settled his mind even when emotions fluctuated. Starting takes inspiration, but finishing takes determination. Nehemiah supplies the final image: God’s people must build with one hand and fight with the other. Arise Church Detroit carries a prophetic mandate to see ruined places stir holy burden, become a plan, and rise into rebuilding.

Key Takeaways

1. Breath means purpose still remains. God’s preservation is not accidental. A hard season may close a chapter, but it cannot cancel a calling God has not completed. Life still carries an assignment wherever breath remains. [14:17]
2. Obedience defines unfinished business. Unfinished business is deeper than personal ambition or a list of dreams. God may be calling for an apology, forgiveness, a new work, a restored discipline, or a delayed act of courage. Perfect conditions often become the excuse that buries obedience. [31:47]
3. Time must be redeemed, not assumed. Time cannot be stored, recovered, or guaranteed. God places today in human hands as a stewardship, calling His people to love, forgive, serve, and speak while opportunity remains. Bitterness and distraction cost more than they first appear to cost. [36:51]
4. Finishing requires settled resolve. Resilience rises after failure, resistance refuses distraction, and resolve remains firm when feelings shift. Failure is an event, not an identity, and setbacks do not have authority to name the future. Faithfulness is proven not by an exciting start but by endurance to the end. [41:01]
5. Build while staying ready to fight. Nehemiah’s hammer and sword picture a people who make progress without becoming naive about opposition. God’s work requires both constructive labor and spiritual resistance. Ruined places should stir more than grief; they should produce prayer, a plan, and faithful building.

## [50:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:46] - Unfinished Business
[04:23] - Why the Sabbatical Was Delayed
[06:52] - Joshua’s Remaining Land
[08:45] - Do Not Miss Living
[10:11] - Jesus Had Work Left to Do
[11:59] - It Is Finished, Not I Am Finished
[15:16] - God Is Not Done Yet
[18:07] - Do Not Die With Regrets
[26:46] - Recognize What Remains
[33:04] - Redeem the Time
[38:06] - Resolve to Finish
[43:25] - God Is Raising Finishers
[49:33] - The Mandate to Build Detroit
[50:55] - Build With One Hand, Fight With One

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Joshua 13:1
“Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the LORD said to him, ‘You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess.’” [07:01]

Philippians 1:21-25
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,” [27:17]

Ephesians 5:15-16
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” [33:16]

2 Timothy 4:7
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” [38:46]

Nehemiah 4:17-18
“Who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built.” [50:55]

Observation questions

In Joshua 13:1, what two realities does the Lord place side by side in Joshua’s life, and why does the remaining land matter?
According to Philippians 1:21-25, what two desires does Paul feel, and what reason does he give for remaining alive? [28:03]
What examples of “unfinished business” are named, beyond simply starting a project or pursuing a dream? [31:20]
In Nehemiah 4:17-18, what were the builders doing with each hand, and what does that show about the conditions in which they were building? [51:02]

Interpretation questions

Joshua was old, yet God still pointed to land that remained to be possessed. What does this reveal about the way God views a person’s usefulness and calling in different seasons of life?
Paul describes remaining alive as “fruitful labor” for the good of others. What kinds of fruit might show that a believer is doing more than merely existing? [28:30]
Unfinished business is not every desire on a bucket list; it is the obedience God requires to complete an assignment. How can a believer tell the difference between a God-given assignment and a personal impulse? [31:47]
Paul says he fought, finished, and kept the faith. How do resilience, resistance, and resolve help a believer continue when emotions, circumstances, or setbacks make quitting seem easier? [39:09]

Application questions

What is one area of life where it feels like “much land remains”—a relationship, discipline, calling, ministry responsibility, or personal growth area? What may God be asking you to address first? [30:54]
Has a closed chapter caused you to wonder whether your calling is over? What would it look like to believe that a season may be finished without believing that God is finished with you? [13:00]
Is there an act of obedience you have delayed because you are waiting for more money, more confidence, more time, or perfect conditions? What is one faithful step you could take this week? [32:20]
What has been taking too much of your time lately—bitterness, comparison, distractions, worry, petty arguments, or replaying what went wrong? What would it look like to redeem that time in a practical way? [37:27]
Is there someone you need to forgive, seek forgiveness from, encourage, call, or have an honest conversation with while the opportunity is still open? What has made that step difficult? [37:05]
Think about a setback or failure that still affects how you see yourself. How can you treat that failure as an event rather than an identity, and what would “getting back up” look like now? [39:27]
Where are you called to build something good while also staying spiritually alert against discouragement and distraction? What might it mean for you to build with one hand and fight with the other? [51:35]

Sermon Clips

24s

#NotFinishedYet

“A chapter may be finished, but you are not finished. A relationship may be finished. A season may be finished. A position may be finished. An opportunity may be finished. Something you planned may have come to an end, but never confuse the conclusion of a chapter with the completion of your calling.”

43s

#LiveOnPurpose

“Church, there's a difference between being alive and truly living. There's a difference between occupying space and fulfilling purpose. There's a difference between passing time and producing fruit. You can have breath in your body and still allow your purpose to remain buried. You can wake up every morning and and still live spiritually asleep. You can be busy and still be unproductive. You can be moving and still not be making progress. And so the question is not merely am I alive. The question is rather, what am I alive to accomplish?”

26s

#LiveInTheMoment

“Church, you can lose money and make more money. You can lose possessions and replace possessions. You can lose a position and find another one. But once a moment has passed, you can never call it back. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is not promised. All you truly possess is the moment god has placed in your hands today.”

33s

#UnwaveringResolve

“Resolve means that you have reached a settled decision. It means your emotions may fluctuate, but your decision remains firm. You may get tired, but your mind is made up. You may have to cry, but your mind is made up. You may need to rest, but your mind is made up. You may have to adjust the plan, but your mind is made up. I'm looking for people who have a resolve that no matter what happens, I am going to stay in the fight.”

38s

#MissionContinues

“Because as I said a moment ago, if he said I am finished, the work you know, here it is. The work of redemption was finished, but his work in and through his disciples was continuing. If Jesus had been finished, Peter would not have been restored. If Jesus had been finished, Thomas might have remained trapped in doubt. If Jesus had been finished, the disciples would not have received the great commission. If Jesus had been finished, they would not have received instructions concerning the holy spirit. Here it is. Calvary was complete, but the mission was continuing.”

40s

#LiveWhileLiving

“Of course, this is not intended to make us afraid of dying. It is intended to awaken us to living. Church, whatever else I'm saying to you is that we have to live while we are living. We gotta love while we have the opportunity. We have to forgive while the person is still here. We have to obey while the door is still open. We have to serve while you still have time. We gotta say what needs to be said. We gotta do what needs to be done, and we have we have to finish what god has placed in our hands.”

49s

#FinishYourAssignment

“For others of you, it may be starting the business. It may be completing the degree or getting your health under control, repairing the relationship, breaking the generational cycle, mentoring the young person, serving in ministry, apologizing to someone you want you you wounded or forgiving someone who wounded you, sharing the wisdom you have gained, finally becoming the person god has called you to be. But we have to be careful here, church. Unfinished business is not simply everything on your bucket list. It is not chasing every ambition, every impulse, every idea. Unfinished business, here it is. Write it down. It is whatever obedience god requires to complete the assignment he has given you.”

51s

#DontQuitNow

“Whatever else I'm saying to you is that you cannot quit here. Church, you cannot quit here. You have to speak to yourself or remind yourself, god, did not bring me this far to leave me here. You cannot give up here. You have survived too much to surrender now. You have been through too much to quit here. You have seen god open too many doors to doubt him now. Watched him provide too many times to stop trusting him now. You didn't just survive to exist. You survived to tend to the unfinished business.”

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