01/04/2026 UNITY SERVICE "My Soul is Anchored in the Lord

Jan 09, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting Chairs That Creak and Cars That Cough

When we sit in pews or start engines, we assume they’ll hold us—yet we question God’s reliability. Trusting human systems feels natural, but Jeremiah warns that leaning on flesh leaves us parched like desert shrubs. True stability comes not from what we engineer but from the One who engineered our souls. Drought reveals where roots truly drink. [01:07:32]

Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. (Jeremiah 17:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: What “chair” have you unquestioningly leaned on this week—a routine, relationship, or resource—that distracts you from depending on God’s strength? How might shifting your weight to Him change your posture?

Day 2: Roots Drinking From Unseen Streams

A tree by water thrives because its roots chase hidden currents. Jeremiah’s blessed man doesn’t fear heat because his life taps into eternal springs. Our visible circumstances—droughts, bills, betrayals—don’t define our vitality. Green leaves signal secret nourishment: daily surrender to Christ’s sustaining flow. [01:05:41]

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you currently “fearing the heat”—anxiety about a situation—instead of stretching roots deeper into prayer? What one Scripture could water those roots today?

Day 3: Storms That Strengthen, Heat That Purifies

Texas heat warps pavement but tempers faith. Fire refines gold; trials burn off false trusts. Shadrach’s furnace held a fourth Man because their anchor held. Our pain isn’t punishment but purification—God incinerating what hinders fruit. Surviving drought proves His streams outlast our sweat. [01:37:14]

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:7, KJV)

Reflection: What “impurity” has a recent trial exposed in you—self-reliance, bitterness, fear? How might this refining fire prepare you for greater fruitfulness?

Day 4: Leaves Without Fruit Curses the Hungry

A fig tree with leaves but no fruit starves those seeking sustenance. Churches full of programs but empty of transformed lives mock Christ’s sacrifice. Bearing fruit isn’t optional—it’s the evidence of roots drinking deeply. God judges not our greenery but our generosity. [01:33:37]

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5, KJV)

Reflection: Does your faith feed others through acts of love, or merely decorate your life like ornamental leaves? Who’s spiritually hungry near you needing fruit from your walk?

Day 5: Anchored Souls Don’t Sway in Squalls

Football linemen dig cleats into turf; believers plant souls in Christ. Waves crash, but anchored ships don’t sink. Calvary’s cross is our immovable hold—His resurrection power our ballast. When billows roll, sing: storms prove anchors grip rock. [01:50:32]

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil. (Hebrews 6:19, KJV)

Reflection: What present “wave” makes you feel unsteady? How would declaring “my soul is anchored” shift your focus from chaos to Christ’s steadfastness?

Sermon Summary

Jeremiah sets a stark line in the sand. “Cursed is the man who trusts in man…and blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.” The text paints it plain. Trust that leans on flesh dries up like “a shrub in the desert.” Trust that leans on God grows like “a tree planted by water,” sending roots to the stream, steady in the heat, green in drought, and not ceasing to bear fruit. The contrast is not complicated, but it is costly. The heart must answer where its weight really rests.

The year 2026 becomes a proving ground. The text exposes how easily the soul gives effortless trust to chairs and cars, but slow-walks trust toward God. Psalm 1 stands behind Jeremiah’s picture. Delight in the law of the Lord anchors the life. Jeremiah’s own story gives the feel of it. He tried to resign, but the word was “like fire shut up in my bones.” Israel’s deeper problem rises to the surface. Unbelief and idolatry numb a holy fear, then trade the living God for gods that never convict. Grace is not soft. The cross names sin, saves sinners, and leaves no room for a “sinless gospel.”

God’s answer to a weary servant is restoration, not retirement. “If you repent, I will restore you.” Memory becomes medicine. The day of deliverance re-anchors calling and joy. Then the text presses its contrast again. The cursed make flesh their strength and never see good when it comes. The blessed make the Lord their hope and do not fear when heat comes.

First, trust that is misplaced settles for self-sufficiency. All have sinned and cannot self-rescue. Flesh can flash, but it cannot finish. A shrub survives, barely, but never blooms. Even storms become mercy when they drive the roots deeper. Man is not sovereign and not without fault, so expectations set on people keep breaking. Only the Lord can hold the weight when life leans back hard.

Second, trust that is rightly placed manifests as rooted resilience. A tree by water flourishes under heat. That is abundant life. Leaves that only look the part are not enough. Jesus cursed the fig tree with leaves but no fruit. Real roots drink from an unseen stream. The foundation of the word holds when the furnace is lit and the Fourth walks in the fire. Storms make stronger. Heat makes healthier. The blessed do not fear the heat, and in drought they still bear fruit because the source is supernatural. So a soul anchored in the Lord stands planted. Winds can blow. Waves can beat. Calvary and an empty tomb seal the promise. If he got up, anchored trust can stand.

Key Takeaways

1. Misplaced trust withers like desert shrub [01:23:42] A heart that leans on flesh becomes a bush in a salt land, present but not fruitful. Self-reliance survives by inches and never tastes the good that passes by. Idols feel safe because they never confront, but they cannot nourish. The soul needs rain from God, or it dries out even while standing. [83:42]
2. Anchored roots flourish in the heat [01:34:41] The tree planted by water does not deny the heat, it outlives it. Roots run to the stream, so leaves stay green when skies stay brass. Stability and fruitfulness do not come from gentler weather but from a deeper source. The word at the foundation feeds life beneath the surface until fruit shows above it. [94:41]
3. Trials purify and toughen true trust [01:36:59] Storms build muscle and heat burns off what is not worth keeping. Affliction exposes foundations and clarifies hopes. The furnace is not empty; Another is present in the fire. A purified trust fears God more than flames and walks out bearing fruit that hype could never grow. [96:59]
4. Remember your first deliverance [01:17:37] When calling runs thin and joy runs out, memory can lead the heart back to mercy. The day grace found a sinner becomes a landmark that points home. Returning to that altar restores gratitude, courage, and speech that is worthy rather than worthless. Repentance opens the door that despair tried to lock. [77:37]
5. Set expectations on God alone [01:27:47] People are not sovereign and not sinless, so they will not carry a soul’s full weight. Lowering demands on clay and lifting hope to God guards the heart from chronic offense. The Lord has never failed, forsaken, or fumbled what rests on him. Expectation planted in God becomes peace planted in the soul. [87:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[64:15] - Text: Jeremiah 17:5-8
[65:55] - Theme: My soul is anchored
[66:14] - Where does your trust sit?
[67:32] - Chairs, cars, and failed props
[70:57] - Psalm 1 in Jeremiah’s mouth
[72:25] - Fire shut up in my bones
[76:22] - Come back and be restored
[78:15] - Two paths: cursed or blessed
[79:33] - Point 1: Trust misplaced
[83:07] - Shrub in the desert
[91:49] - Point 2: Trust manifested
[94:41] - Roots by the river
[104:04] - Calvary and the empty tomb
[107:39] - My Soul’s Been Anchored

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Jeremiah 17:5-8 (KJV)
5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Observation questions

What two contrasting images does Jeremiah use to describe those who trust in man versus those who trust in God?
According to the passage, what specific outcomes characterize the person who trusts in God during seasons of "heat" or "drought"?
The sermon compared misplaced trust to leaning on chairs or cars that eventually fail ([01:07:32]). What everyday examples were used to illustrate effortless trust in things versus slow trust in God?

Interpretation questions

Why does trusting in human strength or idols lead to spiritual barrenness, even if it feels temporarily safe?
How does the image of roots reaching water in Jeremiah 17:8 connect to the idea of relying on God’s Word during trials?
The sermon mentioned that "storms make stronger" and "heat purifies" ([01:36:59]). How do trials expose the quality of our trust in God?

Application questions

What is one area where you’ve defaulted to self-reliance (e.g., finances, relationships, plans) instead of leaning on God’s strength? How could you actively shift that trust this week?
The sermon warned about "expectations set on people [that] keep breaking" ([01:27:47]). Is there a relationship or situation where you’ve felt chronic disappointment? How might adjusting your expectations to prioritize God’s faithfulness change your perspective?
When facing a current challenge, what practical step could you take to "send roots deeper" into God’s promises (e.g., prayer, Scripture memorization, community support)?
The sermon urged believers to "remember your first deliverance" ([01:17:37]). What specific moment or season in your life reminds you of God’s faithfulness? How could revisiting that memory renew your courage today?
How can you discern whether you’re producing "leaves" (outward religiosity) versus "fruit" (genuine spiritual growth) in your daily walk? What needs to change?
The sermon compared idols to things that "never confront" but "cannot nourish" ([01:23:42]). Is there a habit, distraction, or comfort you’ve prioritized that quietly competes with your dependence on God?

Sermon Clips

66s

#StormsMakeYouStronger

“And watch this. When storms are present, people tend to run and hide. When when the heat is pressing, people tend to complain and take a break, but I've learned that storms will make you stronger, and heat will make you healthier. Oh, that blessed me. Let me say that again. Storms will make you stronger, but the heat will make you healthier. You know what heat does, don't you? It purifies. It gets rid Yeah. Of the stuff that ain't worth nothing. So sometimes we ought to go through the fire Yeah. To get rid of some of this stuff that means us no good. And so if I gotta go through the fine twenty twenty six, Lord, I'm ready because I need to get rid of some stuff that don't need to be in my life.”

54s

#TrustGodNotMan

“This is the last thing, and then I'm a move to my little points. But watch this. When you look at this pericope, the contrast in themselves are striking. It it said a cursed man trust in man, but the blessed man trust in the lord. The cursed man makes flesh his strength, But the blessed man makes the lord his hope. Yeah. The cursed man should be like a shrub in the desert. The blessed man should be like a tree planted by the waters. The cursed man shall not see when good comes, and the blessed man shall not fear when heat or trouble comes. The cursed man shall inhabit parts places, but the blessed man will not cease from yielding fruit.”

73s

#ExpectOnlyGod

“And so watch this. I pray for you. Yeah. You pray for me. Yes. We'll do the best that we can together. But watch this. I've learned to put my expectation only in God. Yeah. Because God has never failed me. He's never forsaken me. He's never left me by myself. And so if I'm gonna put a expectation on anybody, it's going to be the Lord. I wish I could finish everything on my paper, but but but but but but here it is. Our hearts deceive us. People and our abilities appear to work for a while. Yeah. Yes, lord. But then at some point, it'll let us down. And and and so I I've learned to anchor down in the one who can hold me up. Oh, yeah.”

64s

#ReturnToSalvation

“God was saying to Jeremiah, come back to me, and I will restore unto you the joy of your salvation. Can I help you when you get tired and when you feel discouraged, when you feel frustrated? Do you ever go back to the place where god saved your life? Yeah. Do you ever go back and remember the time and the hour that you accepted Jesus Christ into your life. For me, that was 05/07/1981. When I came down that aisle, I gave my life unto the lord. And that day, I remember it was a day of deliverance. It was a day of restoration. It was a day of redemption. And so anytime I feel discouraged, I just say, Lord, take me back to the place where I found you.”

81s

#SovereignNotMan

“so this imagery is one of barrenness and desolation, of worthlessness and uselessness, and the most ultimate sense such as the end of the one who trust in man. He looks for good to come, but will not see it because his eyes were fixed on the wrong hope. You ever wonder why you can't trust in man? One, because man is not sovereign. He can't do what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants to do it. You know, it amazes me how sometime we'll put trust in other folk Yeah. Yeah. Who can't fix their own situation. would I depend on somebody who can't handle their own problem rather than trusting in a god who can handle every situation in my life?”

68s

#WeNeedTheSavior

“As I come by, they'd ask us, are we like the cursed man? Or are we operating like the blessed man? I I I got two short things, and I promise I'll be out of your hair. Alright. The first thing that I see here is a trust that's misplaced. A trust. A trust that's misplaced. Those who depend on the flesh instead of the spirit for strength, watch this, are satisfied with their own ability. do not believe that they need divine help. Jesus said, I didn't come for those who are well, but I came for those who are sick and in need of a savior.”

84s

#GodHoldsYouUp

“Y'all ever played that game where you you fall back and and and and you got faith that the person behind you will be able to hold you up. Brother Larry, you're smaller than me. I think you got a little bit more. You got a little more percentage of success than I do. Watch this. You might have good intentions of catching me, but my weight may be a little bit too much for you to hold me and to keep me from falling. But do I have anybody that'll testify that the Lord can hold you up? He can keep you from falling. He won't let you hit the ground because his strength is way more than ours.”

80s

#AnchoredThroughFire

“Seasons in life can separate those who are anchored and those who are like the chaff of wheat. You wanna know why sometimes you go through some stuff? One the devil is trying to see. Yeah. Alright. How strong you are. Amen. The foundation of god's word. Come here. Come here. Come here, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Yeah. They would not bow down to the king. Yeah. And so the king had them thrown in to the fiery furnace. when the king looked in, the king said, didn't we throw in three? Yeah. Well, they walking around. But I see a fourth one, And it looks like the son of God. Beloved, can I tell you when you anchored in the Lord? You don't have to do this thing all by yourself. I love my family, but I trust in God to walk with me every step of the way.”

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01/04/2026 UNITY SERVICE "My Soul is Anchored in the Lord

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting Chairs That Creak and Cars That Cough

Day 2: Roots Drinking From Unseen Streams

Day 3: Storms That Strengthen, Heat That Purifies

Day 4: Leaves Without Fruit Curses the Hungry

Day 5: Anchored Souls Don’t Sway in Squalls

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

01/04/2026 UNITY SERVICE "My Soul is Anchored in the Lord

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