Peace That Lasts

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to Beyond Sunday and day25 of our series anchored in
God's Promise.
This month we've been holding onto one promise today, letting
God's words set the tone for howwe live, think and respond.
Today's promise comes straightfrom the lips of Jesus in John
1427, peace I leave with you.
My peace I give you.
I do not give to you as theworld gives.

(00:21):
Do not let your hearts betroubled and do not be afraid.
Let's talk about the gift ofpeace.
Notice the language here.
Peace.
I leave with you.
My peace I give you.
Jesus isn't offering advice oreven a quick pep talk.
He's offering a gift.
Peace isn't something youmanufacture through perfect
circumstances.
It's something he places in yourheart and he says it's his

(00:44):
peace, not the fragile kind theworld gives, but the deep
lasting peace that comes fromhimself.
Think about how the worldusually offers peace.
It's conditional, temporary, andoften even fragile.
Peace is when the bills arepaid.
Peace is when the kids behave.
Peace is when the job is secure.

(01:04):
But Jesus says, I'm not givingyou peace as the world gives His
peace doesn't depend oncircumstances.
It transcends them.
It's why Paul could write from aprison cell about the peace of
God that surpasses allunderstanding.
Philippians four, seven, worldlypeace.
That's the kind of peace thatevaporates when life gets hard.
But Christ's peace sustains usin the storm.

(01:28):
Jesus follows his promise withan instruction.
Do not let your hearts betroubled and do not be afraid.
That tells us peace is both agift and a choice.
He offers it freely, but we mustchoose to receive it and rest in
it.
Sometimes you and I, we forfeitpeace because we keep feeding
fear doom.
Scrolling through the news,obsessing over worst case

(01:50):
scenarios or replaying anxiousthoughts on a loop.
Jesus invites us to lay thosethings down and instead fix our
minds on him.
I once heard about a paintingcompetition where the theme was
peace.
Most artists painted tranquillandscapes, calm lakes, soft
sunsets, think quiet meadows.

(02:10):
But the winning painting wasdifferent.
It showed a violent waterfallcrashing down rocks were jagged
and sharp at the bottom and inthe middle of it all.
A small bird sat calmly on abranch, tucked safely in the
nest behind the falls.
That's biblical peace.
Not the absence of storms, butthe presence of safety within

(02:31):
them.
So where do you need this kindof peace today?
Maybe it's in your mind, anxiousthoughts that don't seem to
stop.
Maybe it's in your home tensionor conflict you can't resolve.
Maybe it's in your futureuncertainty about what's next.
Here's the problem.
You don't have to wait for yoursituation to calm down, to
experience peace.

(02:51):
You can have peace in the middleof it because Jesus is in the
middle of it with you.
Now, here's your challengetoday.
Every time you feel stressedrising up today, pause and
whisper this prayer.
Jesus, thank you for your peace.
I choose to rest in it rightnow.
Let his words in John 1427 belouder than your fears.

(03:11):
Let's pray together.
Lord Jesus, thank you forleaving us your peace.
Thank you.
That is not temporary orfragile, but lasting and
unshakeable.
Help us to stop feeding fear andinstead rest in your promise.
Calm my anxious thoughts, steadyour hearts, and teach us to walk
in your peace today.
Your son's name, amen.

(03:32):
Hey, that's it for day 25.
If this is encouraged, you shareit with someone who's
overwhelmed right now.
They may need the reminder thatChrist's peace is available to
them as well.
I'll see you back here tomorrow.