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Before we dive in, I want to remind you of something important: you're going to die. So you need some peace.
Jesus actually had a will, and he named you in it. Romans 8 tells us we're heirs of God. On the cross, Jesus willed three things: he willed his mother to John, saying "Take care of my mom." He willed his spirit to the Father, saying "Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit." And to you—Jesus willed his peace.
In John 14, Jesus told his disciples: "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you." He explained that this peace is unlike any peace you'll find in this world. He said, "I do not give you the peace that the world gives. So do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid."
These five words have the potential to change your life: "My peace I give you."
There's a crucial difference between worldly peace and godly peace. Worldly peace is temporary—it helps you cope for a moment, but it doesn't last. It's like turning to substances, vacations, or money, thinking they'll bring lasting peace. You might feel relief for a while, but then you come back to your normal life, still struggling. There's not enough money in the world to fill the void inside you.
Godly peace is fundamentally different.
Isaiah prophesied into a culture much like ours—complicated economy, difficult elections, wars and rumors of wars. Everyone was afraid. But he declared:
"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, God, all whose thoughts are fixed on you."
The word "peace" comes from the Hebrew word shalom—it was a Jewish greeting meaning wholeness, completeness, and fullness of peace. When someone said "shalom," they were saying: "May you have the fullness of the peace of God. May you be at peace with other people. May you be at peace with yourself. May you be at peace with your circumstances, even if they are not what you would want."
In the original text, Isaiah actually said "shalom, shalom"—the same word twice. He was saying, "May God give you a double portion of peace. May God give you perfect peace."
You will be kept in perfect peace when your thoughts are fixed on God. The Hebrew word samach means to lean on completely, to fully rest oneself. Your mind will keep you in perfect peace when it is leaning on God's truth, resting on God's unfailing promises, fixed on the truth and power of God's goodness.
So I have to ask: What's your mind fixed on? Because what consumes your mind controls your life.
Oftentimes our minds get fixed on the worst-case scenario. We're caught in repetitive lies and fears. We obsess about the news. We scroll social media looking for things that upset us. But the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:8:
"Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. And then when you fix your mind on the things of God, then the God of peace will be with you."
Almost everything we read and hear tells us to fix our minds on what could go wrong, what we should be afraid of, what he said and she said. But Scripture says to fix our minds on what is pure and admirable.
Perfect peace does not mean you won't have bad days. Perfect peace doesn't mean Jesus isn't still with you when things get tough. It doesn't mean you won't have troubles or your heart won't get broken.
When the disciples were in a boat during a storm, Jesus was with them—yet they were still afraid. Jesus said, "Peace, be still." He said this during the storm, not after it. This shows us something crucial: true peace is not found in the absence of problems, but in the presence of God. This is a different kind of peace than the world gives.
I'm going to be real honest with you. I preach these truths, and I believe them, but I don't always live them perfectly. I've dealt with anxiety my whole life—what I call severe content anxiety. Week after week, year after year, I go to God's Word asking, "God, what do you want me to say to your people?" The weight of getting it right is difficult.
I've done over 400 message series in 28 years. Coming up with topics, studying the text, going 100 times deeper than I'll share with you, illustrating it all—it's constant, demanding work. And honestly, sometimes I can't wait to get to heaven. (congregation laughing)
But here's what I do: I work a little less and pray a little more. I fix my mind on God and trust Him. I fix my thoughts on Him. And He gives me His peace. It's not magic—it requires me to show up and study and trust. The Holy Spirit does the work, but I have to participate.
When we put our problems in Jesus's hands, He puts His peace in our hearts.
I started taking flying lessons a few years ago because my son Steven was graduating and I wanted more time with him. I was terrified of small planes—they're bouncy, and the one I flew was almost as old as I was.
My first instructor was TJ, who flew pipelines and had 21,000 hours of flying time—one of the most experienced pilots I've ever met. We were up in this 49-year-old plane, and I was nervous. I asked, "Are you nervous?" He said, "No." I asked, "What if the engine died right now?" He said, "No big deal. We just put it down in a field." I said, "What do you mean, no big deal?" He said, "Out here where we're flying, 100 times out of 100, I put it down in a field."
I didn't have peace—he gave me his peace. His 21,000 hours of experience, his knowledge and skill, gave me confidence. I said, "I'm not scared anymore, because I am never, ever, ever going to do that." (congregation laughing)
That's what happens when you're with someone who knows more than you do, who's experienced, who's reliable. I did not feel peace until he gave me his peace.
The same thing happens with Jesus. Jesus says, "My peace I give you." He's giving you His peace—His confidence, His knowledge, His presence, His reliability.
The Apostle Paul wrote from a Roman prison, awaiting possible execution:
"Don't be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
If it's big enough to worry about, God is big enough to pray about. When you take what's on your heart and give it to God, there is a peace from heaven.
If you're not a follower of Jesus, you don't know this peace. It is a peace from heaven which the world cannot understand.
When we put our problems in Jesus's hands, he puts his peace in our hearts. There's someone here who is tired of pseudo peace—tired of the peace of this world that does not last. You're ready for a different kind of peace: shalom, the perfect peace of God.
Paul described this peace from a Roman prison, awaiting possible execution, when circumstances couldn't get any worse. Yet he wrote:
"Don't be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
If it's big enough to worry about, God is big enough to pray about. When you take what's on your heart and give it to God, there is a peace from heaven. If you are not a follower of Jesus, you don't know this peace, because it is a peace from heaven which the world will not, cannot understand.
It's time to fix your thoughts on what's true, to tell the devil he's a liar, to believe the truth of God:
Somebody is gonna put their problems in His hands, and Jesus will put His peace in your heart.
Jesus willed you something. He could have willed you anything. Jesus could have said, "My purpose I give to you." He could have said, "My passion I give to you." He could have said, "My perseverance I give to you." But He said five words: "My peace I give you."
It is the peace of God, not the world's peace. The world can't give it, and the world can't take it away. It is His peace, and He gives it to you.
Right now, I wonder how many of you have a burden that's weighing you down—something that's making you anxious, a weight that just won't go away. You're worried about someone, you're worried about something. You're worried about your health, the health of someone you love, bad diagnosis. You're worried about finances, your kids, your marriage, your job, the economy. There's something that's weighing on you.
But I want to tell you: if you don't think you know that peace, you haven't done anything wrong. You just don't know the one who gives it yet.
If I asked you, "Do you know where you stand with God?" and you hesitate, if you say, "I'm not really sure," let me just tell you: the diagnosis is probably not good. When you truly know Him, you know who He is, His character, His goodness. When you know His grace, when you know how much He loves you, and you know what He's done for you, and you've received that gift, your only reasonable response is to give Him your whole life and recognize that you belong to Him.
Why is it that we wonder about where we stand with God? Why is it that we worry? The reason is because we've all done stuff wrong. We're ashamed of it, we're embarrassed by it. The Bible calls it sin—a word that means missing the mark, not hitting God's standard. We've all sinned, Scripture says.
We feel bad about it because we've done something that we know in our hearts is against God. So what do we do? A lot of times we try to make it up, try to do better and not be bad, but we continue to do wrong. The problem is we can never be good enough on our own. This is where the goodness of God comes in.
Scripture says:
"For God so loved the world, God so loved you, that he sent his one and only son, Jesus, the Son of God, who gave his life."
God raised Him from the dead. Whoever believes in Him, whoever trusts Him, your sins would be forgiven, and you would be made brand new.
Today, there are those of you watching or here, and it is not an accident. You're here because God brought you here because He loves you and because He wants to forgive you. He wants you to know Him and wants to give you a peace that this world could never even explain.
Some of you know that's you. You know it's you. You're a little nervous right now—that's you. Your heart's beating fast—that's you. If you're wondering where He's at, that's you. And the great news is: you're here because God loves you, and it's your day to say yes to Jesus.
What are we gonna do? We're gonna step away from our old life, we're gonna step away from our sin, and we're gonna say yes. If someone loves us that much to give His only son, the perfect one, who died in our place so we could be forgiven, we're following that guy. We're giving our life to Him. From now on, we wanna be like Him.
If you say today, "I know I'm broken. I know I've sinned. I know I've fallen short. I want to get out of that. I want His peace. I want His forgiveness. Today, by faith, I trust into Him. I'm giving my life to Jesus"—that's your prayer.
Would you pray with us today?
Heavenly Father, please forgive me of all of my sins. And thank you for Jesus, His grace, His forgiveness, His perfect work. I trust Him to save me. Fill me with your Spirit so I could know you and serve you for the rest of my life. My life is not my own. I give it to you. In Jesus' name I pray.
Before we dive in, I want to remind you of something important: you're going to die. So you need some peace.
Jesus actually had a will, and he named you in it. Romans 8 tells us we're heirs of God. On the cross, Jesus willed three things: he willed his mother to John, saying "Take care of my mom." He willed his spirit to the Father, saying "Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit." And to you—Jesus willed his peace.
In John 14, Jesus told his disciples: "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you." He explained that this peace is unlike any peace you'll find in this world. He said, "I do not give you the peace that the world gives. So do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid."
These five words have the potential to change your life: "My peace I give you."
There's a crucial difference between worldly peace and godly peace. Worldly peace is temporary—it helps you cope for a moment, but it doesn't last. It's like turning to substances, vacations, or money, thinking they'll bring lasting peace. You might feel relief for a while, but then you come back to your normal life, still struggling. There's not enough money in the world to fill the void inside you.
Godly peace is fundamentally different.
Isaiah prophesied into a culture much like ours—complicated economy, difficult elections, wars and rumors of wars. Everyone was afraid. But he declared:
"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, God, all whose thoughts are fixed on you."
The word "peace" comes from the Hebrew word shalom—it was a Jewish greeting meaning wholeness, completeness, and fullness of peace. When someone said "shalom," they were saying: "May you have the fullness of the peace of God. May you be at peace with other people. May you be at peace with yourself. May you be at peace with your circumstances, even if they are not what you would want."
In the original text, Isaiah actually said "shalom, shalom"—the same word twice. He was saying, "May God give you a double portion of peace. May God give you perfect peace."
You will be kept in perfect peace when your thoughts are fixed on God. The Hebrew word samach means to lean on completely, to fully rest oneself. Your mind will keep you in perfect peace when it is leaning on God's truth, resting on God's unfailing promises, fixed on the truth and power of God's goodness.
So I have to ask: What's your mind fixed on? Because what consumes your mind controls your life.
Oftentimes our minds get fixed on the worst-case scenario. We're caught in repetitive lies and fears. We obsess about the news. We scroll social media looking for things that upset us. But the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:8:
"Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. And then when you fix your mind on the things of God, then the God of peace will be with you."
Almost everything we read and hear tells us to fix our minds on what could go wrong, what we should be afraid of, what he said and she said. But Scripture says to fix our minds on what is pure and admirable.
Perfect peace does not mean you won't have bad days. Perfect peace doesn't mean Jesus isn't still with you when things get tough. It doesn't mean you won't have troubles or your heart won't get broken.
When the disciples were in a boat during a storm, Jesus was with them—yet they were still afraid. Jesus said, "Peace, be still." He said this during the storm, not after it. This shows us something crucial: true peace is not found in the absence of problems, but in the presence of God. This is a different kind of peace than the world gives.
I'm going to be real honest with you. I preach these truths, and I believe them, but I don't always live them perfectly. I've dealt with anxiety my whole life—what I call severe content anxiety. Week after week, year after year, I go to God's Word asking, "God, what do you want me to say to your people?" The weight of getting it right is difficult.
I've done over 400 message series in 28 years. Coming up with topics, studying the text, going 100 times deeper than I'll share with you, illustrating it all—it's constant, demanding work. And honestly, sometimes I can't wait to get to heaven. (congregation laughing)
But here's what I do: I work a little less and pray a little more. I fix my mind on God and trust Him. I fix my thoughts on Him. And He gives me His peace. It's not magic—it requires me to show up and study and trust. The Holy Spirit does the work, but I have to participate.
When we put our problems in Jesus's hands, He puts His peace in our hearts.
I started taking flying lessons a few years ago because my son Steven was graduating and I wanted more time with him. I was terrified of small planes—they're bouncy, and the one I flew was almost as old as I was.
My first instructor was TJ, who flew pipelines and had 21,000 hours of flying time—one of the most experienced pilots I've ever met. We were up in this 49-year-old plane, and I was nervous. I asked, "Are you nervous?" He said, "No." I asked, "What if the engine died right now?" He said, "No big deal. We just put it down in a field." I said, "What do you mean, no big deal?" He said, "Out here where we're flying, 100 times out of 100, I put it down in a field."
I didn't have peace—he gave me his peace. His 21,000 hours of experience, his knowledge and skill, gave me confidence. I said, "I'm not scared anymore, because I am never, ever, ever going to do that." (congregation laughing)
That's what happens when you're with someone who knows more than you do, who's experienced, who's reliable. I did not feel peace until he gave me his peace.
The same thing happens with Jesus. Jesus says, "My peace I give you." He's giving you His peace—His confidence, His knowledge, His presence, His reliability.
The Apostle Paul wrote from a Roman prison, awaiting possible execution:
"Don't be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
If it's big enough to worry about, God is big enough to pray about. When you take what's on your heart and give it to God, there is a peace from heaven.
If you're not a follower of Jesus, you don't know this peace. It is a peace from heaven which the world cannot understand.
When we put our problems in Jesus's hands, he puts his peace in our hearts. There's someone here who is tired of pseudo peace—tired of the peace of this world that does not last. You're ready for a different kind of peace: shalom, the perfect peace of God.
Paul described this peace from a Roman prison, awaiting possible execution, when circumstances couldn't get any worse. Yet he wrote:
"Don't be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
If it's big enough to worry about, God is big enough to pray about. When you take what's on your heart and give it to God, there is a peace from heaven. If you are not a follower of Jesus, you don't know this peace, because it is a peace from heaven which the world will not, cannot understand.
It's time to fix your thoughts on what's true, to tell the devil he's a liar, to believe the truth of God:
Somebody is gonna put their problems in His hands, and Jesus will put His peace in your heart.
Jesus willed you something. He could have willed you anything. Jesus could have said, "My purpose I give to you." He could have said, "My passion I give to you." He could have said, "My perseverance I give to you." But He said five words: "My peace I give you."
It is the peace of God, not the world's peace. The world can't give it, and the world can't take it away. It is His peace, and He gives it to you.
Right now, I wonder how many of you have a burden that's weighing you down—something that's making you anxious, a weight that just won't go away. You're worried about someone, you're worried about something. You're worried about your health, the health of someone you love, bad diagnosis. You're worried about finances, your kids, your marriage, your job, the economy. There's something that's weighing on you.
But I want to tell you: if you don't think you know that peace, you haven't done anything wrong. You just don't know the one who gives it yet.
If I asked you, "Do you know where you stand with God?" and you hesitate, if you say, "I'm not really sure," let me just tell you: the diagnosis is probably not good. When you truly know Him, you know who He is, His character, His goodness. When you know His grace, when you know how much He loves you, and you know what He's done for you, and you've received that gift, your only reasonable response is to give Him your whole life and recognize that you belong to Him.
Why is it that we wonder about where we stand with God? Why is it that we worry? The reason is because we've all done stuff wrong. We're ashamed of it, we're embarrassed by it. The Bible calls it sin—a word that means missing the mark, not hitting God's standard. We've all sinned, Scripture says.
We feel bad about it because we've done something that we know in our hearts is against God. So what do we do? A lot of times we try to make it up, try to do better and not be bad, but we continue to do wrong. The problem is we can never be good enough on our own. This is where the goodness of God comes in.
Scripture says:
"For God so loved the world, God so loved you, that he sent his one and only son, Jesus, the Son of God, who gave his life."
God raised Him from the dead. Whoever believes in Him, whoever trusts Him, your sins would be forgiven, and you would be made brand new.
Today, there are those of you watching or here, and it is not an accident. You're here because God brought you here because He loves you and because He wants to forgive you. He wants you to know Him and wants to give you a peace that this world could never even explain.
Some of you know that's you. You know it's you. You're a little nervous right now—that's you. Your heart's beating fast—that's you. If you're wondering where He's at, that's you. And the great news is: you're here because God loves you, and it's your day to say yes to Jesus.
What are we gonna do? We're gonna step away from our old life, we're gonna step away from our sin, and we're gonna say yes. If someone loves us that much to give His only son, the perfect one, who died in our place so we could be forgiven, we're following that guy. We're giving our life to Him. From now on, we wanna be like Him.
If you say today, "I know I'm broken. I know I've sinned. I know I've fallen short. I want to get out of that. I want His peace. I want His forgiveness. Today, by faith, I trust into Him. I'm giving my life to Jesus"—that's your prayer.
Would you pray with us today?
Heavenly Father, please forgive me of all of my sins. And thank you for Jesus, His grace, His forgiveness, His perfect work. I trust Him to save me. Fill me with your Spirit so I could know you and serve you for the rest of my life. My life is not my own. I give it to you. In Jesus' name I pray.
