WE SET OUR HEARTS

This day helps us reset our hearts and posture ourselves before God as we begin each week.

*This Monday focus remains the same each week, while the rest of the guide flows from Sunday’s message.

SCRIPTURE

Joshua 5:15 (NKJV)

“Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, ‘Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so.”

DEVOTIONAL

Monday is a day to pause and realign our hearts with God. Before Joshua ever faced Jericho, he encountered the presence of the Lord and was called to consecration. Victory did not begin with strategy, but with surrender.

As we move forward in this new week, we choose to receive what God spoke on Sunday and to walk it out with humility and obedience. We acknowledge that God is holy, present, and leading us into the good works He has prepared for us. Our posture matters before our progress.

PRAYER FOCUS

Lord, we receive what You spoke to us. We humble our hearts before You and set our lives apart for Your purposes. Lead us this week as we walk in faith and obedience. [Pray from your heart.] In Jesus' Name I pray, amen.

FAMILY REFLECTION

Ask:

What stood out to you most from Sunday’s service?

This week, we are focusing on what it means to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God in a world that does not share His values. Though we live here on earth, our true identity and allegiance belong to heaven.

Peter reminds us that the culture of the Kingdom is different from the culture of the world. The world pursues power, pride, self-rule, and personal freedom. But the Kingdom advances through surrender, humility, submission, and love.

This week, we will focus on daily yielding our hearts to Jesus as King—allowing Him to shape our thoughts, actions, attitudes, and relationships so that our lives reflect His nature to the world around us. 

CITIZENS OF ANOTHER KINGDOM

SCRIPTURE READING

1 Peter 2:11

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul

Philippians 3:20

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ

DEVOTIONAL

Peter described believers as “sojourners and pilgrims” (also translated as "aliens and strangers") because their lives no longer fit the culture around them. Their identity came from another Kingdom.

As followers of Jesus, we are not meant to blend into the world around us. Our values, priorities, attitudes, and responses should reflect the culture of heaven rather than the culture of society.

The world says to promote yourself, defend yourself, and pursue your own way. But the Kingdom teaches surrender, humility, and trust in God.

Living differently may feel uncomfortable at times, but that tension reminds us that our true home is with Him.

PRAYER FOCUS

Lord, help us remember that our identity is found in You and Your Kingdom. Teach us to live differently from the world around us and to reflect Your nature in our words, attitudes, and actions. [Pray from your heart.] In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

FAMILY REFLECTION

Ask:

What are some ways the culture of Jesus is different from the culture we see in the world around us?

THE INWARD BATTLE

SCRIPTURE READING

Galatians 5:16–17

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

1 Peter 2:11

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul

DEVOTIONAL

Peter warned believers to abstain from fleshly desires because there is a real war taking place inside every believer.

Every day, we choose whether we will follow the desires of the flesh or the leading of the Spirit. Pride, selfishness, control, anger, and independence all fight for authority in our hearts.

Victory outwardly begins with surrender inwardly. Before God can work powerfully through us, He must first rule deeply within us.

The Christian life is not simply about behavior modification—it is about daily surrender to the Lordship of Jesus.

PRAYER FOCUS

Lord, reveal the areas of our hearts that are resisting You. Help us deny our flesh, walk in step with Your Spirit, and choose Your will over our own desires each day. [Pray from your heart.] In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

FAMILY REFLECTION

Ask:

What is one area where it can be difficult to surrender your own way and trust God instead?

If you aren't part of a Connect Group, we'd love to have you join us tonight! Click here for more information.

SUBMISSION IS STRENGTH

SCRIPTURE READING

James 4:7

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

1 Peter 2:13-14

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.

DEVOTIONAL

The world often sees submission as weakness, but in God’s Kingdom, submission is strength.

Jesus demonstrated the power of surrender perfectly. He willingly submitted Himself to the Father, and through that surrender, He overcame sin, death, and darkness.

Submission means choosing God’s mission over our own desires. It means trusting His wisdom even when our flesh wants control.

True freedom is not found in doing whatever we want—it is found in willingly surrendering ourselves to the rule of Jesus.

PRAYER FOCUS

Lord, teach us the strength that is found in surrender. Help us trust You enough to willingly submit every part of our lives to Your leadership and Your ways. [Pray from your heart.] In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

FAMILY REFLECTION

Ask:

Why do you think surrender can sometimes feel difficult? What happens when we trust God instead of insisting on our own way?

YOUR LIFE IS A WITNESS

SCRIPTURE READING

1 Peter 2:12

having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

DEVOTIONAL

Peter taught that even when believers are misunderstood or criticized, their actions can still point people to God.

People may never read a Bible, but they are reading our lives every day. The way we respond to pressure, conflict, inconvenience, and difficulty reveals whether Jesus truly rules in our hearts.

When we walk in humility, integrity, love, and obedience, our lives become evidence of the reality of God.

God uses surrendered lives to silence accusations and reveal His goodness to the world.

PRAYER FOCUS

Lord, let our lives reflect Your character to the people around us. Help us respond with humility, kindness, and integrity so that others would see You through us. [Pray from your heart.] In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

FAMILY REFLECTION

Ask:

How can the way you respond to difficult people or situations point others toward Jesus?

FREEDOM TO SERVE

SCRIPTURE READING

Galatians 5:13

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

1 Peter 2:16

as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.

DEVOTIONAL

The world defines freedom as doing whatever you want. But the Kingdom defines freedom differently.

Jesus did not set us free so we could live for ourselves again. He set us free so we could live fully for Him.

Peter warned believers not to use freedom as an excuse for selfish living. Instead, freedom becomes the opportunity to willingly serve God and others.

Real freedom is found when Jesus becomes King of our hearts. The more we surrender to Him, the more we experience the life He created us for.

PRAYER FOCUS

Lord, thank You for the freedom You have given us through Jesus. Help us use that freedom to serve You, love others, and live in a way that honors You. [Pray from your heart.] In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

FAMILY REFLECTION

Ask:

What is the difference between living for yourself and living surrendered to Jesus?

ENTHRONING THE KING

SCRIPTURE READING

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Luke 9:23

 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

DEVOTIONAL

At the end of the message, the church was challenged with a powerful question: Who is truly on the throne of our hearts?

Following Jesus means more than believing in Him—it means surrendering our lives to Him daily. We voluntarily lay down our desires, our pride, and our control so that His life can be seen through us.

The Christian life is a continual act of saying, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

As we daily take up our cross and follow Him, the power of His Kingdom begins to shape us from the inside out.

PRAYER FOCUS

Lord Jesus, we willingly place You on the throne of our hearts again today. Teach us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow You wholeheartedly in every area of life. [Pray from your heart.] In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

FAMILY REFLECTION

Ask:

What does it practically look like to make Jesus the King of your everyday life?