When Differences Divide

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

January 11th Sermon, Day 1

We live in a world where differences seem to divide us more than ever. Whether it's politics, parenting styles, or personal preferences, conversations can quickly turn into battlegrounds.

The early church in Ephesus knew this struggle intimately. Jewish and Gentile believers found themselves on opposite sides of deep cultural and religious divides that seemed impossible to bridge. These weren't small disagreements about worship music or meeting times. These were fundamental differences about identity, tradition, and what it meant to follow God. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Sound familiar? Yet Paul didn't throw up his hands in defeat or suggest they simply avoid each other. Instead, he pointed them to something revolutionary - a different way of seeing their situation entirely. He reminded them that their differences, while real, didn't have to define their relationships. Today, you might be facing your own version of this challenge. Maybe it's a family member who sees the world completely differently than you do. Perhaps it's a coworker whose values seem to clash with yours at every turn. Or maybe it's someone in your own church community who approaches faith in ways that make you uncomfortable. The good news is that God has something better in mind than endless conflict or uncomfortable avoidance. He has a path forward that honors both truth and love, conviction and compassion. Over the next few days, we'll discover how Jesus himself becomes the bridge over our deepest divides.

Bible Verse

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called 'uncircumcised' by those who call themselves 'the circumcision' (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. - Ephesians 2:11-12

Reflection Question

What relationship in your life feels most divided by differences, and how might God want to work in that situation?

Quote Difficult conversations are everywhere.

Prayer

Lord, help me to see beyond the differences that seem to separate me from others. Give me wisdom to navigate difficult relationships with both truth and love. Show me how You want to work in the midst of division. Amen.

Faith is a Choice Not a Feeling

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

January 4th Sermon, Day 5

If you've been waiting for your anxious thoughts to disappear before you can have real faith, you might be waiting forever. Faith isn't the absence of worry - it's choosing where to place your worries when they come. You might have anxious thoughts about your job security, your relationships, or your health. The presence of these thoughts doesn't mean your faith is weak or that you're failing spiritually. It means you're human, living in an uncertain world where real challenges exist.

Faith is what you do with those thoughts. Do you rehearse them endlessly in your mind, trying to solve problems that may never happen? Or do you acknowledge them and then consciously choose to place them in God's hands? Faith is the daily, sometimes moment-by-moment decision to trust God's character over your circumstances. This doesn't mean you become passive or stop caring about important things in your life. God never asks you to stop caring - He asks you to stop carrying what only He can handle.

There's a difference between responsible concern that leads to appropriate action and anxious worry that leads to paralysis. Your faith grows not by eliminating uncertainty but by learning to trust God in the midst of it. Every time you choose to cast your anxiety on Him instead of carrying it yourself, you're exercising faith.

Every time you decide to focus on God's faithfulness instead of your fears, you're growing stronger. As you face whatever uncertainties this new year might bring, remember that you don't have to face them alone. God promises that you never will. Your job isn't to eliminate every anxious thought but to consistently choose where you place them. Choose God's hands over your own worried mind.

Bible Verse

'Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.' - 1 Peter 5:7

Reflection Question

In what specific area of your life do you need to stop carrying the weight and start trusting God's care?

Quote Faith, it's not the absence of anxious thoughts, it's choosing again and again where you place them.

Prayer

God, help me understand that faith isn't about having no anxious thoughts but about choosing to trust You with them. When worries come, remind me to cast them on You rather than carry them myself. Strengthen my faith through each act of surrender. Amen.

The Proof of His Care

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

January 4th Sermon, Day 4

Sometimes when we're drowning in anxiety, it's hard to believe that God really cares. Our worries can make us feel forgotten, overlooked, or abandoned. In those moments, we need something more than just words - we need proof that God's care is real and personal. The cross of Jesus Christ is that proof.

When God sent His Son to experience fear, betrayal, pain, and death, He wasn't standing at a safe distance from human suffering. He entered into it completely. Jesus knows what it feels like to be anxious about the future, to feel abandoned by friends, to face overwhelming circumstances. This means that when you bring your anxiety to God, you're not burdening Him with something He doesn't understand. You're bringing it to Someone who has felt the full weight of human worry and chose to carry it anyway.

The cross proves that God doesn't just tolerate your anxiety - He cares so deeply about it that He was willing to experience it Himself. Every time you cast your worries on God, you're not adding to His burden. You're trusting in His proven love. You're accepting an invitation that cost Him everything to extend.

The same God who didn't spare His own Son for your sake is certainly willing to handle whatever you're worried about today. When doubt creeps in and you wonder if God really cares about your specific situation, remember the cross. It's not just a symbol of forgiveness - it's the ultimate demonstration that your concerns matter deeply to God. He didn't just say He cares; He proved it in the most costly way possible. Your anxiety doesn't surprise God or overwhelm Him. He's already carried the weight of every human worry on the cross, and He's inviting you to let Him carry yours too.

Bible Verse

'Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.' - 1 Peter 5:7

Reflection Question

How does knowing that Jesus experienced human anxiety and fear change the way you view bringing your worries to God?

Quote The cross of Jesus Christ is the proof that God cares deeply about you. So when you hand over your anxiety, you're not burdening him, you're trusting Him.

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for experiencing human anxiety so that You could understand mine. When I doubt whether You care about my worries, help me remember the cross as proof of Your love. I trust You with my concerns because You've already proven Your care. Amen.

All Means All

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

January 4th Sermon, Day 3

When Peter writes to cast 'all' your anxiety on God, he really means all of it. Not just the big, overwhelming fears that keep you awake at night. Not just the socially acceptable worries that others would understand. All of it - including the small, nagging concerns you feel silly about and the fears you're embarrassed to admit.

Maybe you worry about what people think of your outfit. Perhaps you're anxious about a conversation you had three days ago, replaying it endlessly in your mind. You might feel foolish for being concerned about your pet's health or stressed about whether you locked the front door. These aren't trivial to God because they're not trivial to you.

God doesn't have a minimum threshold for what qualifies as worth His attention. He doesn't sort your worries into categories of 'important enough' and 'too small to bother with.' If something matters to you, it matters to Him. If it's stealing your peace, He wants to carry it.

The beauty of 'all' is that it includes even the messy, complicated anxieties that don't have clear solutions. The relationship that's falling apart despite your best efforts. The health concern that doctors can't quite figure out. The financial situation that seems impossible to resolve. Nothing is too messy for God to handle. When you hold back certain worries because they seem too small or too complicated, you're essentially telling God that you know better than He does about what deserves His attention. But His invitation is comprehensive - bring everything, leave nothing behind. Today, make a mental list of all your current worries, from the biggest to the smallest. Notice how God's invitation covers every single item on that list.

Bible Verse

'Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.' - 1 Peter 5:7

Reflection Question

What 'small' worries have you been keeping to yourself because you thought they weren't important enough to bring to God?

Quote Nothing is too small for God. And it means nothing is too messy for God.

Prayer

Father, thank You that nothing is too small or too messy for You. Help me bring all my anxieties to You - the big ones and the small ones, the logical ones and the ones that don't make sense. I trust that You care about everything that concerns me. Amen.

Throw It, Don’t Place It!

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

January 4th Sermon, Day 2

When you think about giving your worries to God, what comes to mind? Many of us imagine carefully placing our concerns before Him, like setting down a delicate package.

But that's not what Peter had in mind when he wrote about casting our anxiety on God. The word 'cast' that Peter uses is the same word used to describe fishermen hurling their heavy nets into the sea with force and intention. It's not gentle or careful - it's decisive and complete. Peter is telling us to throw our worries at God, to hurl them away from ourselves with the same energy we'd use to get rid of something we desperately don't want to carry anymore.

This changes everything about how we approach our anxiety. Instead of tiptoeing around our worries or trying to manage them politely, God wants us to get rid of them entirely. He can handle the force of our fears. He's not fragile or easily overwhelmed by the weight of what we're carrying. Most of us have become expert worry managers rather than worry casters.

We organize our anxieties, analyze them, and try to control them. But management isn't what God is asking for. He's asking for release - complete, forceful, intentional release. Casting means admitting that you're tired of pretending you can fix everything. It means acknowledging that some burdens are too heavy for you to carry and too complex for you to solve. When you cast your anxiety on God, you're not just asking for help - you're actively getting rid of the weight that's been crushing you. Today, identify one specific worry that you've been carefully managing. Instead of trying to handle it gently, imagine throwing it forcefully into God's capable hands.

Bible Verse

'Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.' - 1 Peter 5:7

Reflection Question

What would it look like for you to stop managing a specific worry and instead throw it completely to God?

Quote Casting doesn't mean you set it down gently in front of God. No, Peter uses this word cast, for a really particular reason. It doesn't mean “carefully place your anxiety, just really gently give it to God.” No, it means throw it, hurl it, get it away from you.

Prayer

Lord, I'm tired of trying to manage my worries on my own. Help me to cast them on You with force and intention, trusting that You can handle whatever I throw Your way. Give me the courage to truly let go. Amen.