You Don't Know, What You Don't Know 5/17/2026

May 17, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Plowing the Fallow Ground

Jesus spoke of soil needing preparation before receiving seed. Just as farmers break up hardened earth, God’s Spirit plows our hearts to receive new growth. The prophet declared, “Behold, I am doing a new thing” – not a surface change, but roots cracking through stubborn ground. Dead places awaken. What was bound gets loosened. [37:04]

This work isn’t temporary. When God renews, it’s eternal. Like Ezekiel’s dry bones, He resurrects what we’ve buried. The plow hurts, but it makes room for resurrection.

Where has your heart become hard-packed from disappointment or routine? Feel the plow’s blade today – not as punishment, but promise. What one crusted-over area will you ask Him to break open?

“Break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.”
(Hosea 10:12, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to expose one hardened attitude He wants to soften today.

Challenge: Write down one old habit or thought pattern. Rip the paper as a physical act of surrender.

Day 2: Standing Watch With Habakkuk

Habakkuk climbed his watchtower, determined to hear God’s voice before answering life’s chaos. He didn’t demand quick fixes but positioned himself to receive divine perspective. Like night guards scanning horizons, he leaned into the discipline of holy attention. [55:40]

Watching isn’t passive. It’s choosing stillness when culture screams “Scroll more, pray less.” God rewards those who wait with strategic clarity – not just answers, but His presence.

How often do you check your phone compared to checking in with Christ? Create space today to stand your watch. What distraction will you silence to hear His whisper?

“I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me.”
(Habakkuk 2:1, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one distraction that drowns God’s voice. Ask for focus.

Challenge: Set a 15-minute timer. Sit in silence with no devices. Listen.

Day 3: Oil in the Lamp’s Bowl

Five virgins trimmed their wicks but neglected oil reserves. Five kept flasks full. When the bridegroom delayed, only the prepared entered the feast. Their vigilance wasn’t about predicting timelines but maintaining可燃 fuel through dark nights. [53:36]

The oil represents daily obedience – small choices that keep faith burning. It’s easy to coast on past spiritual highs. Jesus wants fresh reserves.

When did you last refill? What mundane act of faithfulness (scripture memory, forgiveness, secret giving) could replenish your储备 today?

“The wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.”
(Matthew 25:4-5, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for His inexhaustible supply. Request hunger for daily renewal.

Challenge: Light a candle. Let its steady flame remind you to tend your inner fire.

Day 4: Caught Up in Clouds

Trumpets will sound. Graves will burst. Living believers will rise mid-stride, transformed in an instant. Paul says this hope should comfort us – not as escapism but empowerment. Eternal perspective fuels urgent obedience. [01:07:00]

Resurrection isn’t metaphor. Jesus’ physical return demands physical readiness. Every addiction, grudge, or compromise left unaddressed becomes weighty baggage.

If Christ returned during your commute, work meeting, or family argument – would you be caught living intentionally? What relationship needs reconciling before the trumpet?

“The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive…will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, NKJV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve grown complacent about eternity.

Challenge: Text/Call someone you’ve avoided. Offer peace or repentance.

Day 5: Disciplined For Departure

Soldiers polish boots before dawn inspections. Athletes train years for split-second finishes. Jesus said, “Take up your cross daily” – not when crisis hits. Discipline is the muscle memory of readiness. [01:00:24]

The cross isn’t hardship for its own sake. It’s intentional surrender: canceling gossip sessions, fasting from numbing scrolls, choosing worship over worry.

What one daily “drill” would strengthen your readiness? How can you build spiritual reflexes that honor sudden divine interruptions?

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
(Luke 9:23, ESV)

Prayer: Ask for courage to make one uncomfortable but holy choice today.

Challenge: Fast from one comfort (coffee, music, snacks) for 12 hours. Pray when cravings hit.

Sermon Summary

We thank God for a new, lasting work that breaks us out of the old and makes us alive in Christ, and we receive that transformation as real and eternal. We recognize that God calls us out of darkness, sin, shame, and bondage, and we allow the Spirit to plow up the fallow ground of our hearts so new fruit can grow. We commit to make our hearts good soil, to invite the Spirit to search motives, and to realign our thoughts so the truth of the cross roots deeply in us. We hold that sanctification is not optional while we wait for Christ, and we submit to ongoing renewal rather than seasonal or superficial change.

We embrace watching and praying as active disciplines that keep us alert, sober, and ready, and we refuse cultural haste that trains us for instant gratification instead of patient waiting. We practice daily dying to self, picking up our cross, and renewing our minds so that laziness, temptation, and backsliding cannot erode our faith. We accept responsibility to share the gospel with urgency, because watching requires action and the hope we hold should propel us to reach the lost. We insist that the Holy Spirit empowers us not for fame or comfort, but to be ambassadors who bring mercy and truth into lonely and broken places.

We stand on the biblical promise that those who have died in Christ will be raised and that we who remain will be caught up with them to meet the Lord, and we comfort one another with this hope. We believe God will transform our corruptible bodies into incorruptible glory in an instant, and we live with the confidence that death is not the end for those in Christ. We refuse the lie that there will always be time to get right with God, and we live with holy urgency because the catching away comes suddenly and without warning. We invite the Spirit to expose any pride, fear, or demonic scheme in our minds, and we pray together to be liberated, healed, and prepared.

We commit to leave the gathering renewed, free, and ready, and we resolve to stop playing religious games so that our lives clearly display the gospel in word and action. We choose to be a disciplined, watchful, prayerful people who will meet the Lord with joy.

Key Takeaways

1. God does a new thing [38:20] We receive an eternal inner transformation, not a seasonal fix. We let the Spirit plow our hearts so truth can seed and bear lasting fruit. We refuse to settle for spiritual sameness and invite renewal that changes identity and behavior. [38:20]
2. Watch and pray with discipline [54:44] We treat watching and praying as active, daily habits that guard against laziness and temptation. We cultivate clear minded vigilance that shapes our character, relationships, and rhythms. We make spiritual discipline the context for readiness and intimacy with God. [54:44]
3. Hope in the resurrection and rapture [01:07:00] We grieve with hope because death in Christ ends with resurrection and reunion. We anchor our lives in the reality that God will raise the dead and transform our bodies. We carry this hope into every loss and every ministry decision. [67:00]
4. Urgency removes the luxury of delay [01:22:37] We reject the lie that there is always later for repentance and devotion. We act now in holiness and evangelism because the catching away happens without warning. We order our priorities so readiness governs daily choices. [82:37]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[36:15] - Thanksgiving for God at Work
[37:04] - The Old Is Gone, New Life Begins
[38:20] - Called Out of Darkness
[39:23] - Preparing Our Hearts as Good Soil
[43:29] - The Finished Work of the Cross
[45:02] - Sanctification While We Wait
[49:06] - Heaven's Power and Victory
[53:17] - Watching and Praying Explained
[54:44] - Be Vigilant and Sober
[66:08] - Reading First Thessalonians 4
[81:57] - The Catching Away Described
[82:37] - No Time for Delay

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (ESV)
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Observation Questions

According to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, how does the grief of believers differ from the grief of those without hope?
What specific events does Paul describe happening when the Lord returns (vv. 16-17)?
The sermon emphasized that "watching and praying" requires daily discipline to guard against complacency. What examples of spiritual laziness were mentioned as risks? [58:19]
How does the passage connect the certainty of Christ’s return to the command to "comfort one another" (v. 18)?

Interpretation Questions

Why is the hope of resurrection and reunion with believers who have died so critical to how we process loss?
The sermon warned against assuming "there will always be time to get right with God." How does the suddenness of Christ’s return challenge common attitudes about repentance and spiritual growth? [01:22:37]
In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, the dead in Christ rise first, followed by those alive. What does this order reveal about God’s faithfulness to His people across generations?
The sermon described "watching" as an active discipline, not passive waiting. How does this redefine what it means to live with urgency? [55:57]

Application Questions

What area of your heart or mind might need "plowing" by the Holy Spirit to become "good soil" for lasting transformation? How could you intentionally invite that work this week? [39:23]
The sermon stressed that "watching requires action," including sharing the gospel. Who in your life needs to hear about the hope of Christ’s return, and how could you start that conversation?
Identify one daily habit (e.g., prayer, Scripture, fasting) that could help you resist "cultural haste" and cultivate patient readiness. What practical step will you take to prioritize it? [59:01]
How might your approach to grief or suffering change if you fully embraced the truth that "death is not the end" for those in Christ?
The sermon warned against "playing religious games." What attitudes or behaviors in your life might qualify as superficial faith, and how can you replace them with authentic surrender? [01:27:18]
If Christ returned today, what unfinished business (relationships, repentance, obedience) would leave you unprepared? How will you address it this week?
How can you "comfort others with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:18) in a specific situation of loss or doubt you’ve encountered recently?

Sermon Clips

25s

#BelieveHisReturn

“So we believe that God came down in human form. He died and then rose again, and now we're seated in all authority and power at the right hand of God. Then why is it difficult to believe he'll come back and get us? Why is it difficult to believe that those who have died will be raised up again to him? Why is it difficult to believe that we will meet him one day in the air?”

30s

#FoundationInChrist

“It seems to be folly if you don't believe in the foundational truth that Jesus Christ came, died, and rose again. If that miracle is a reality, then everything else. Oh, that's normal. Yeah. That makes sense. Sure. It's fine. It's not a problem to you. Like, yeah. Of course, he's coming back to get me, obviously. Of course, I'm gonna be in the heir. Obviously. If I die before he comes, yeah, I'm resurrected. Obviously. Why? Because your foundation is set.”

40s

#GuardYourFaith

“Over the years, over the days, over you repeating those same mindsets and those same thoughts of your unbelief consistently, god can't do it. God won't come through. God's not good enough. God can't provide. God doesn't see you. God doesn't know you, and it chips and it chips and it chips away until you're sliding through life undisciplined about who god is and you're not watching and you're not praying and so you're not ready.”

37s

#DisciplinedWaiting

“And we get bored too quickly, and we get distracted too easily, and we waver at the sign of any little thing. But God said, I want you to be a people who know how to watch and be disciplined in the waiting. Be disciplined in the watching. Stand your watch and listen to what I'm saying, says God, so you know how to answer me. But it requires a discipline. It requires a daily lifestyle.”

31s

#EmpoweredAmbassadors

“If you have Jesus as your savior, you have the Holy Spirit in you, so you've been empowered from on high. And it hasn't been empowered to do your own thing, to be cute and get followers, or to get attention on a stage. You've been empowered, why, to be ambassadors of god to share the hope and gospel of Jesus Christ. So watch what you do. And watch what you say. And watch where you go. Yeah.”

64s

#RaisedToLifeInChrist

“But god calls us out of the darkness, out of the pit, out of the grave, out of the bondage, out of the sin, and he pushes us forward because when god doesn't work, there's a transformational work. It's not a temporary thing. It's not a Sunday morning thing. It's not what I feel like getting. It's the eternal thing he does on the inside of us. He awakens our dead spirit so we can be alive to Christ.”

42s

#SlowCookInGod

“What god is calling you to do is to get out of that culture and get into a culture of waiting and watching on God. That's discipline. God wants to cultivate discipline in the heart of his body because we need to be disciplined to be ready. We want the instant fix of god like he's a microwave dinner. We want the instant fix of god. When he wants you to know how to slow cook in his presence.”

38s

#LoveInAction

“When you display yourself with love, you're bringing the gospel into broken, hurting places. When you show up, you're bringing the gospel into lonely and dark places. So be alert. Get your character in check. Start leaning in to the things of god. Be empowered to share the gospel. And so those we don't sorrow or grieve as the world agrees because we do have this hope that those who died in Christ, we will see them again.”

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You Don't Know, What You Don't Know 5/17/2026

Devotional

Day 1: Plowing the Fallow Ground

Day 2: Standing Watch With Habakkuk

Day 3: Oil in the Lamp’s Bowl

Day 4: Caught Up in Clouds

Day 5: Disciplined For Departure

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

You Don't Know, What You Don't Know 5/17/2026

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