Summary of this week's sermon
Every week we want to have a 5 day devotional recapping our previous sermon so we can grow deeper together.
This Sunday Pastor Scott continued in our series for November entitled, "THX." Join us as we focus on a life of thanksgiving.
Day 1: When Our Mind Plays Tricks On Us
Devotional
Have you ever noticed how a single criticism can overshadow ten compliments? Or how one bad day can make you forget weeks of good ones? There's actually a psychological reason for this - our brains are naturally wired to hold onto negative experiences more tightly than positive ones. It's not a character flaw; it's simply how we're designed. But here's the challenge: this natural tendency can become a spiritual trap if we're not careful. The Israelites experienced this firsthand. Just 45 days after witnessing God's incredible power in delivering them from Egypt - the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the destruction of Pharaoh's army - they found themselves complaining in the desert. Their minds had already begun to play tricks on them, causing them to forget God's faithfulness and focus only on their current discomfort. This is why walking with the Holy Spirit and renewing our minds is so crucial. When we allow God's truth to shape our thinking rather than our natural tendencies, we can break free from the cycle of negativity that wants to consume us. We can choose to remember God's goodness even when circumstances feel difficult. Today, you have a choice. You can let your mind default to dwelling on what's wrong, or you can intentionally focus on God's faithfulness. The negative moments may stick easier, but God's goodness is always present - we just need to train ourselves to see it.
Bible Verse
'Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.' - Romans 12:2
Reflection Question
What negative experience or disappointment has been occupying too much space in your mind lately, and how might God want to renew your perspective on that situation?
Quote
Psychology tells us that negative moments tend to form deeper in our brain. It doesn't mean we become negative people all the time. It's just a fact that we have to know and why it's important to walk with the Holy Spirit, as Romans 12 says, and renew our mind.
Prayer
Lord, help me recognize when my mind is dwelling on negativity and disappointment. Transform my thinking through Your Holy Spirit, and help me see Your faithfulness even in difficult moments. Renew my mind with Your truth today. Amen.
Day 2: The Danger of Selective Memory
Devotional
Memory is a funny thing. When life gets tough, we have a tendency to look back at what we think were the "good old days" - those perfect moments when everything seemed to be going our way. The Israelites did exactly this when they complained about being hungry in the desert. They claimed they used to sit around pots of meat in Egypt, eating all the food they wanted. But here's the problem: that never actually happened. When you read through the early chapters of Exodus, there's no mention of abundant food or comfortable living. Instead, you find stories of ruthless slavery, babies being thrown into the Nile River, impossible work quotas, and brutal beatings. The Israelites had completely rewritten their history, glossing over the pain and creating a false narrative of better times. We do this too. When we're struggling, we compare our current situation to sanitized memories of the past or to others' highlight reels on social media. We forget the challenges we faced before and romanticize times that weren't actually as perfect as we remember them to be. This selective memory becomes dangerous because it makes us ungrateful for what God is doing right now. Instead of trusting Him in our current circumstances, we become convinced that He's somehow failing us or that He loved us more in the past than He does today. The truth is, God has been faithful through every season of your life - even the ones that felt difficult at the time.
Bible Verse
'So the Israelites set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."' - Exodus 16:1-3
Reflection Question
What past season of your life have you been romanticizing, and what painful realities from that time might you be forgetting?
Quote
From Exodus 1 to Exodus 15, no mention about pots of meat. None. Not at all. But you know what was mentioned? Lots and lots of really horrible problems in their life.
Prayer
Father, help me see my past clearly - both the good and the difficult parts. Don't let me create false narratives that make me ungrateful for Your current work in my life. Help me remember Your faithfulness through every season. Amen.
Day 3: When Expectations Meets Reality
Devotional
Expectations can be both a blessing and a curse. They give us hope and something to look forward to, but they can also set us up for disappointment when reality doesn't match what we had in mind. This is exactly what happened to the Israelites in the desert - and it happens to us more often than we'd like to admit. Think about it: when things go wrong in your life, where does your mind immediately go? Usually to what you think was the most perfect moment in your life - a time when you felt like you had everything you needed. The Israelites did this when they faced hunger in the desert. Their abundance in the past (even though it was largely imagined) had created expectations about how God should provide for them. Here's the hard truth: when what God does doesn't match what we expect, it creates ungratefulness in our hearts. We start to think that God is doing us wrong, which really means we think we know better than God. We take our eyes off of Him and put them squarely on our disappointing circumstances. But what if we're missing something? What if God is actually working in ways we don't realize? What if this moment of unmet expectations is actually an opportunity to trust Him more deeply rather than allowing our disappointments to drive us away from Him? Maybe, just maybe, God is smarter than we are. Maybe He sees the bigger picture that we can't see. Maybe this is exactly the time to put our trust in Him rather than in our expectations.
Bible Verse
'"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."' - Isaiah 55:8-9
Reflection Question
What expectation of God has recently gone unmet, and how might He be inviting you to trust His wisdom rather than your disappointment?
Quote
When what God does and what we expect don't match, it creates the human response of ungratefulness. Here's the hard truth. I don't ever want pain or trials in my life. I don't. And when God allows that, I think to myself, God is doing me wrong. Which really means I think I know better than God.
Prayer
God, I confess that sometimes I think I know better than You. When my expectations aren't met, help me trust Your wisdom instead of my disappointment. You see what I cannot see, and Your ways are higher than mine. Amen.
Day 4: God's Perfect Timing And Purpose
Devotional
Sometimes what looks like God's poor planning is actually His perfect preparation. The Israelites couldn't understand why God had led them into the desert where they faced hunger and thirst. From their perspective, it seemed like God had made a mistake or forgotten about them. But God knew exactly what He was doing. God had them in the desert because He knew they weren't ready for the battles they would face in the Promised Land. He put them between Pharaoh and the Red Sea on purpose. He led them through the wilderness intentionally. Why? Because God wanted to show them - and us - that we can trust Him completely, even when we can't see His plan. Looking back, how many of us can see God's hand in those rough seasons of our lives? During those difficult times, we couldn't understand what was happening. But now, having come through them, we can see how God was working, preparing us, strengthening us, and teaching us to depend on Him. God knows exactly when to provide relief in our lives. The problem is, it's often not when or how we think we need it. God knows your breaking point better than you do. He knows what you can handle and what will ultimately make you more like Jesus. His goal isn't just your happiness - it's your holiness. He's not trying to make your life easy; He's trying to make you more like His Son. And sometimes that requires seasons in the desert where we learn to trust Him more than our circumstances.
Bible Verse
'When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.' - Exodus 13:17-18
Reflection Question
What current "desert season" in your life might actually be God's way of preparing you for something greater that you can't yet see?
Quote
God had them in the desert because he knew they weren't ready for a fight. God put them in the desert on purpose. God knew exactly what he was doing.
Prayer
Lord, help me trust Your timing and Your purposes, even when I can't understand them. You know what I need and when I need it better than I do. Use this season to prepare me for what's ahead and to make me more like Jesus. Amen.
Day 5: Living A Life Of Gratitude
Devotional
Gratitude isn't just about saying "thank you" when good things happen. True gratitude is a way of life that trusts God more than circumstances, believes He knows more than we do, and recognizes that He's always working for our good - even in the difficult moments. The Israelites missed this. They couldn't be grateful in their growth moments because they were focused on their discomfort rather than God's faithfulness. They compared their current situation to false memories and others' perceived blessings, thinking God was punishing them while blessing everyone else. But what if we could break this cycle? What if we could be grateful in the entire journey - not just the mountaintop experiences, but also the valley seasons? This happens when we understand that God's desire for us is holiness, not just happiness. When we grasp this truth, we can actually be thankful for the growth moments, knowing that God is using them to make us more like Jesus. God is always good and always faithful, even in the darkest moments. When we renew our minds to align with His perspective, we can live a life of gratitude because we can confidently say, "God, I trust You." This kind of gratitude is attractive to others. There are people in your circles that God wants to meet through your life of gratitude. When you choose trust over complaint, when you choose to see God's goodness even in difficult seasons, you become a light that points others to Jesus. Go today and be Jesus to someone. Live with gratitude and shine His light everywhere you go.
Bible Verse
'And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.' - Philippians 4:19
Reflection Question
How can you demonstrate a life of gratitude today that might point someone else toward Jesus, even if your circumstances aren't perfect?
Quote
Can we be grateful in the entire cycle because we trust God more than our circumstances, that we trust he knows more than us that he has a bigger plan for us and that he is working in us to make us like Him.
Prayer
Father, help me live with genuine gratitude that trusts You more than my circumstances. Use my life to point others to You, and help me shine Your light wherever I go today. Thank You for Your faithfulness in every season. Amen.