Where do We Go from Here? by Pastor Tim Coman at Pleasant Grove Church, Sun, July 5, 2026

Isaiah names God as the everlasting creator whose strength does not run out, and the text answers the tired question of a weary people with a promise. Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. The image of eagle’s wings holds out more than survival. It pictures lift, altitude, and fresh breath that comes not from hurrying, but from hoping. James refuses cheap comfort and calls trials a forge. Endurance must have its full effect so that a people grows up into completeness. Lamentations calls quiet waiting good, not because inertia is holy, but because the God who saves is not late.

A little binder of stories and bulletins becomes a parable of memory. A 20 by 30 foot room, a 1911 tornado that ripped a roof, a 1948 sanctuary of brick, the change from Methodist to independent, and people who still showed up and put their hands to the work. That record says more than nostalgia. It says the calling has not moved. Christ is still to be worshiped. His people are still to be loved. This community is still to be served. The gospel is still to be carried out.

The contrast between microwave faith and the pace of God lands hard. God is not a delivery service, a vending machine, or a search engine. Prayer is not placing an order. Prayer is a relationship that takes time. Waiting, the language of Isaiah insists, is active trust that binds a life to the strength of God. The old payphones, the mailbox, the movie store, and now livestreams name a culture of convenience. Technology can help, but it cannot replace being with God’s people in God’s house. Hebrews still speaks. Do not forsake assembling.

The table of grace cuts through the changes and stands unchanged. It was never a Methodist table. It was never a John Wesley table. It is Christ’s table for all who come hungry. Memory then turns future-facing. Saints in 1856 planted seed they would never see. Saints in 2026 are called to do the same. Children in these pews are already the church today and will carry the work tomorrow. The question lands plain. Where do they go from here. The blessing answers with a posture. Go in peace and wait well. God is never in a hurry and always on time.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Waiting binds life to God’s strength [36:02] Waiting in Scripture is not doing nothing. It is an active tethering of a heart to the character of God, the steady choice to hope when emotions want to sprint. Strength rises in the binding, not in the rush. Eagle’s wings do not grow in a microwave. [36:02]
• 2. Legacy demands building for tomorrow [38:52] Founders planted what they would never harvest, and that is the shape of faithful love. Kingdom work is always larger than one lifetime, so vision must reach beyond nostalgia and personal preference. The next generation needs room to lead and a people willing to pay forward what others once paid for them. [38:52]
• 3. Prayer is covenant, not a transaction [44:34] If God becomes a vending machine, disappointment is inevitable and cynicism soon follows. Prayer is the long conversation where trust deepens and will is aligned. Answers come, but the greater gift is the nearness learned in the waiting. [44:34]
• 4. Gathered worship shapes a patient people [42:41] Livestream can serve the homebound, but it cannot bear the whole weight of belonging. Shared song, common prayer, and faces at a table form a resilience that screens cannot give. The table of grace teaches bodies to wait together and to receive together. [42:41]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [20:13] - Looking back at birthdays
• [20:35] - The binder of memories
• [23:09] - Tornado and endurance
• [24:41] - 1948 sanctuary and cornerstone
• [25:21] - From Methodist to independent
• [26:07] - Scripture: Isaiah, Lamentations, James
• [28:39] - Endurance that shapes identity
• [31:49] - Memory and future vision
• [33:29] - Changing times, not changing God
• [35:48] - Not microwave faith
• [42:09] - Embodied community over convenience
• [44:34] - Prayer as relationship, not orders
• [47:22] - The table of grace endures
• [51:08] - Blessing to wait well

1. What does Isaiah 40:28-31 say happens to those who "wait for the Lord"? How is their strength described?
2. The sermon mentions a 1911 tornado that ripped off the church roof. How did the people respond, and what does this reveal about their faith? [23:09]
3. According to the sermon, what does the image of "eagle’s wings" symbolize about waiting on God? [36:02]
4. James 1:2-4 connects trials with endurance. What specific outcome does James say endurance produces?

1. Why might Isaiah contrast the exhaustion of "youths" and "young men" with the strength given to those who wait on God? What does this teach about human effort versus divine provision?
2. The sermon argues that "waiting is not doing nothing" but "active trust." How does the story of the church’s founders planting seeds they’d never harvest illustrate this? [38:52]
3. James calls trials a "forge" for maturity. How does enduring hardship shape a person’s character differently than avoiding difficulty?
4. The sermon warns against treating prayer like "placing an order." How does viewing prayer as a relationship instead of a transaction change our expectations of God? [44:34]

1. In what area of your life are you tempted to rush ahead instead of "actively waiting" on God? What practical step could you take to bind your heart to His strength in that situation?
2. The church’s founders built for a future they’d never see. What is one way you could invest in the next generation’s faith, even if you won’t see the results? [38:52]
3. The sermon contrasts "microwave faith" with God’s timing. When have you felt disappointed by unanswered prayers? How might reframing prayer as a "long conversation" shift your perspective?
4. The church’s history includes gathering through hardships like tornados and pandemics. How can prioritizing in-person worship strengthen your endurance in faith? [42:41]
5. The "table of grace" is described as unchanged through generations. What habits or practices could help you regularly remember God’s faithfulness in your daily life?
6. The sermon says legacy requires building beyond personal preferences. Is there a tradition or preference in your spiritual life you’d need to release to make room for future generations?