Scripture: 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10–11), 22–30, 41–43

There are seasons of life when we want God to show up in a way we can recognize.

Not because we don't believe. Not because we have forgotten what God has done. But because sometimes life has been so heavy, confusing, or uncertain that we need some reassurance that God is still here.

That's what makes 1 Kings 8 so powerful.

For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance; in your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. Psalm 139 13-15

A month ago I got my 23andMe results back, and they told me a different story than the one I was raised on. I'd always been told certain things about where I came from. The test said something else. And it got me thinking. not about DNA, but about all the stories we carry that were handed to us, that we never checked, that we just believed.

There are moments when the Word of God comforts us, and there are moments when it confronts us.

This was one of those confronting moments.

The people had gathered together after years of exile and the completion of Jerusalem's wall. For the first time in a long time, they were hearing God's Word read aloud. As they listened, they began to cry. They weren't weeping because life was difficult. They were weeping because the Word held up a mirror. They realized how far they had drifted from God's ways, how many opportunities had been missed, and how much had been lost.

Song: Worth Fighting For - Brian Courtney Wilson

Exodus 14:13–14

Good morning.

Have you ever found yourself in a season where the future felt unclear? A season where the plans you carefully made no longer seemed to fit the life you were living? You weren't necessarily in crisis, but you were carrying questions. You were doing your best to trust God while quietly wondering, "Lord, what's next?"

Israel knew that feeling.

HOW ARE YOU DOING? ...HOLDING TO HOPE

There are seasons in life when these three commands feel impossible.

How do you rejoice when you're still waiting? How do you remain patient when the pain seems unending? How do you keep praying when heaven feels silent?

SONG: DeWayne Woods; Let Go

When do you lose your Joy?

Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that we should have joy. That there are moments when we don't have to grieve but rather let the emotion be to celebrate and have joy.

Get your joy back, it is our strength.

Song: The Joy of the Lord is my Strength by Douglas Miller

Song: Already Here by Brian Courtney Wilson

A God Who Keeps His Word 2 Samuel 7:27-29

"For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house'; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you." (v. 27)

There are moments in life when prayer feels difficult. The weight of disappointment, unanswered questions, and uncertain circumstances can leave us wondering whether God is still listening. Yet in this passage, David teaches us something profound: the courage to pray is often born from the promises of God.

David is not praying from a place of wishful thinking. He is praying because God has spoken. God had made a promise concerning David's future, and that promise gave David confidence to come before the Lord. David understood that prayer is not convincing God to do something God has not already desired to do. Prayer is responding to what God has already revealed.

Prayer

Faithful God, thank you for your steadfast love that never ceases and your mercies that never come to an end. Thank you for sustaining me through every season of my life. When I am tempted to focus on what is missing, remind me of all the ways you have carried me. Help me to greet each day with confidence, knowing that your mercy is new every morning and your faithfulness never fails. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

"When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted." — Matthew 28:17

One of the most comforting verses in all of Scripture is tucked into the middle of the Great Commission. Matthew tells us that when the disciples saw the resurrected Jesus, they worshiped Him—but some doubted. Let me read this again…But some doubted.

What would you do differently today if you believed that God's presence was more important than having all the answers?

We live in a world that celebrates the solo story. The self-made person. The need for individualism. We have been quietly taught that needing other people is a weakness and that the strongest faith is the one that stands completely alone. Because all we need is us and God, right?

But when the Holy Spirit showed up on Pentecost, God didn't send a memo to one person. God filled a space. The detail that anchors everything in Acts 2 is easy to overlook: they were all together. Before there was wind and fire. Before anyone spoke in a language they hadn't learned, they were there in community. Laughing, smiling, telling stories, greeting one another and just waiting.