Around the Bend
Based on a message by Tracy Linkletter & the Ywam Mission Team | Aug 30, 2026
6 Minute Read

Most of us would probably like a little advance notice from God.

A glimpse around the corner would be helpful. A few details about where a decision will lead, some reassurance that the thing we sensed Him inviting us into will unfold the way we imagined. We can pray, listen carefully, take a step of faith, and quietly begin forming a picture of what our yes will look like.

Then the road turns.

Plans can change in ways we never saw coming, leaving us to watch an opportunity disappear or something we prepared for move forward without us. We may find ourselves somewhere entirely different from where we thought we were headed, wondering how a path that once felt so clear could have taken such an unexpected turn.

Those moments can bring honest questions to the surface.
Did I hear God correctly?
Did I misunderstand?
What am I supposed to do now?

The Psalms describe God’s Word as

“a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path”
Psalm 119:105

A lamp gives enough light to take the next step. There is a tenderness in that image because it describes a life of trust, one step illuminated at a time, with God close enough to lead us as we go.

When the Plan Changes

A heart prepared to serve can keep saying yes when the destination changes.

We may sense God leading us in a particular direction and begin preparing ourselves for what lies ahead. Then circumstances shift, and the opportunity we expected takes a different turn. Questions naturally come with that. Did I hear God correctly? Was all that preparation leading somewhere?

Those questions can become a place of deeper trust. God may be forming something in us before we understand where it will be needed. The willingness, compassion, courage, patience, or generosity growing in our hearts can become part of His work in a setting we never anticipated.

This gives us a different way to hold our plans. Open hands leave room for God to guide the outcome while we continue offering Him our yes. The path may turn, and the work He has been doing within us continues into whatever comes next.

Where might God already be using something He has been forming in you?

God Is Already There

Learning to live attentively with Holy Spirit can change the way we move through ordinary places, as the people and needs around us begin to hold our attention differently. A walk through the neighbourhood might draw us into prayer for the families who live there, while a practical need can invite us to serve or an unexpected conversation can help us notice the story another person is carrying. As our attention turns toward God, we begin to recognize more of what He may already be doing around us and how we might participate with Him.

Prayer is part of that attentiveness. Romans 8 tells us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes according to the will of God. When we pray for another person, a family, a school, a workplace, or a community, we are joining a conversation God has already begun. His care was present before the need caught our attention, and His Spirit is already at work in places we may only be beginning to notice.

That can make prayer wonderfully simple, because the places we already move through can become places where we notice what is on God’s heart. A walk through the neighbourhood might draw our attention toward the families who live there, passing a school might prompt us to pray for students and teachers, and a conversation might stay with us long enough to become a prayer later in the day. These small moments invite us to stay attentive to Holy Spirit as we move through everyday life.

And as we pay attention, compassion can become increasingly personal. Jesus consistently saw the whole person in front of Him. Throughout the Gospels, He draws near to people carrying complicated stories and receives them with dignity and compassion. Following Him teaches us to look with that same kind of care, allowing another person’s humanity to matter to us.

Our own stories can become part of this too. Experiences that have marked us may deepen our ability to recognize pain, loneliness, fear, or hope in someone else. What we have lived through can open our eyes to people we might otherwise have passed by, giving compassion somewhere tangible to go.

Who has been coming into view lately? Where might Holy Spirit be inviting you to pay closer attention?

Walking Humbly With God

Micah gives beautifully ordinary language to this kind of life:

“to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God”
- Micah 6:8

Walking with God happens in actual places among actual people. We listen as we go, allowing mercy to become part of our responses and obedience to take form through the choices in front of us. A few quiet minutes with Jesus, a prayer offered while walking down the street, practical help when someone needs it, or an unexpected opportunity to care can all become places where faith takes root in everyday life.

There is a steady companionship in Micah’s picture. We walk with God through plans and interruptions, familiar routines and unexpected turns. We keep learning His voice and becoming attentive to His presence, trusting that He is already at work beyond what we can see.

Over time, the truths we have carried in our minds begin to become part of the way we live. As we keep trusting God, learning to see people as Jesus sees them, and bringing the people and places around us into prayer, trust and compassion begin to take deeper root in our everyday lives.

And step by step, we discover that life with Holy Spirit can happen right where we are.

Around the Bend

We rarely know what waits around the bend.

God does.

He sees the family member who will need our care, the stranger whose story will touch something in our own, the neighbourhood that needs prayer, the unexpected interruption that will become an opportunity to serve. He sees the ordinary moments where a quiet yes will become part of something much larger than we can see.

That gives us room to loosen our grip on the map.

We can ask Jesus what He is doing here, in this place, with these people, in the life directly in front of us. We can carry our plans with open hands and trust that the God who has been faithful behind us is already present ahead of us.

And when the road turns, we can keep walking with Him.

Abiding In Jesus

Join us as Joel shares how abiding in Jesus shapes our everyday life through the presence of the Holy Spirit. In John 14, Jesus speaks to His friends during a time of uncertainty and assures them there is room for them in the Father’s home. He tells them that the Father and Son will make their home with them and that the Holy Spirit will live within them.


In John 15, Jesus gives another picture of this shared life. He describes Himself as the vine and His followers as the branches, inviting them to remain connected to Him. As His life flows through us, the Holy Spirit grows the character of Jesus within us through love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.


Joel also explores spiritual gifts and how the Holy Spirit gives them for the good of others. As we remain close to Jesus, His fruit shapes how we carry those gifts with love, humility, compassion, and care. The invitation Jesus gives is simple and deeply personal: remain in Him, receive His life, and allow His Spirit to make the life of Jesus increasingly visible in you.


📖 In This Video, We Chat About:

• What Jesus means when He says, “Remain in me”
• How John 14 and John 15 connect home, abiding, and the Holy Spirit
• How the fruit of the Spirit forms the character of Jesus within us
• How spiritual gifts help us love, serve, and strengthen others


🙏 Join us on this journey as we learn to follow Jesus in our everyday life. This is for anyone looking to deepen their faith or find some answers. This message gives a fresh view on understanding God's love and His plans for us.


• Discover what it means to make your home in Jesus and remain connected to Him
• Recognize the fruit of the Spirit as the character of Jesus growing within you
• Learn how spiritual gifts can be carried with love as we serve and strengthen others


💡 Highlights of the Sermon:

• Jesus invites us to remain connected to Him and receive His life
• The Holy Spirit forms the character of Jesus within us
• Spiritual fruit shapes how we use our gifts to serve others

#AbidingInJesus #HolySpirit #SpiritualGifts



Recorded on August 23, 2026 at Summerside Community Church in Summerside PEI, a church family learning to follow Jesus in everyday life.


If you’d like to support what God is doing through Summerside Community Church, prayerfully consider giving through the link below. Your generosity helps share the hope of Jesus here in Summerside PEI and beyond.

Joel Wydysh • 8/23/2026
Stay connected by subscribing below so you never miss an update.

Subscribe to Blog Updates

By subscribing, you agree to receive email communication from Summerside Community Church. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Up Next
From this Author: Tracy Linkletter
September 17, 2026 • 7 Minute Read
Learn the River
You can learn a surprising amount about canoeing before your paddle ever touches the water. Someone can show you how to hold the paddle, how to steer, what to watch for when the current changes, and how to work with the person sharing the canoe. You can listen to stories from people who have travelled rivers for years and learn from everything they have experienced. Then you push away from shore. Suddenly the current is something you can feel. The wind matters. The depth of the water matters. The person sitting in front of you matters. You begin listening differently because you are actually in the river, and what you learned on land starts making sense in ways it couldn't before. Life with the Holy Spirit grows much the same way. Scripture gives us the story of God and shows us His character and ways. Other people can tell us what they have learned through years of following Jesus. All of that matters deeply, and as we begin living attentively with Holy Spirit ourselves, what we have learned becomes part of our lived experience with God. Learning the River When Jesus stepped into the Jordan to be baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. Matthew tells us that immediately afterward, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. His baptism was followed by movement, and the life that unfolded from there was lived in continual relationship with the Father and the Spirit. That gives us a helpful picture for our own life with God. Saying yes to Jesus brings us into a relationship that keeps unfolding. We learn to recognize Holy Spirit as He leads us toward Jesus, reminds us of His words and ways, and helps us follow Him through the life actually in front of us. A river is a fitting picture because it requires a different posture than walking on land. On land, we choose our direction and put our feet where we want them to go. Once a canoe enters moving water, the current becomes part of the journey. We learn how to travel with something already in motion. Learning to live with Holy Spirit carries some of that same discovery. We begin to realize that God is already at work around us. Our part is to become increasingly attentive to where He is moving and how He is inviting us to respond. Paying Attention Anyone travelling a river learns to notice things. The current quickens. The water becomes shallow. Clouds gather in the distance or the wind changes direction. A bend blocks the view of what is coming next, so you pay attention to what is happening where you are. Discernment asks us to notice what is happening here and now, while keeping our attention on Jesus and listening for what Holy Spirit may be showing us. We may not know what is around the next bend, but we can become familiar with His voice and His ways as we travel. That also means learning to hold our circumstances with some humility. Calm water does not always mean we are heading in the right direction, and difficult water does not necessarily mean we have taken a wrong turn. The river can change quickly. What matters is that we remain present with God, attentive to what He is doing and willing to follow where He leads. What are you noticing in the stretch of river you are travelling right now? The answer may have less to do with figuring out what comes next and more to do with seeing clearly where you are. Learning Together Experience changes the way someone reads a river. A person who has travelled it for years notices things a newer paddler might miss, simply because they have seen the current behave this way before. Their experience becomes especially valuable when the water changes and we are unsure what we are seeing. The people around us can offer that kind of perspective as we learn to recognize Holy Spirit too. Scripture places followers of Jesus within a community where people pray together, learn together, share wisdom, offer correction, and help one another discern what God is doing. There is room in those relationships to bring what we are experiencing into the conversation, especially when we are unsure how to understand it. We can say, “I think God may be showing me something. Can I talk this through with you?” Someone we trust may help us test what we are hearing against Scripture, notice something we have missed, or recognize when our own desires and assumptions are influencing what we see. Their stories matter too. Someone who has already travelled through grief, uncertainty, transition, disappointment, or a long season of waiting carries knowledge of the river that can steady us when we reach similar waters. Some of the deepest formation in our lives happens through relationships that stay with us across many kinds of water. Years pass, circumstances change, and we discover that God has been using those friendships to help us know Him and understand ourselves along the way. What We Learn Upstream Every river eventually changes. Every river eventually changes. A calm stretch can carry you toward faster water, with rocks beneath the surface and bends that limit your view of what lies ahead. Storms can alter the conditions quickly, requiring you to draw on what you have already learned about navigating the river. When the water speeds up, there is little time to begin figuring out how to paddle. What became familiar upstream is already with you, and you discover how much you have learned simply by travelling the river. We can recognize something similar in our own lives. Holy Spirit may prepare us through experiences whose significance only becomes clear later. A skill developed years ago, wisdom gained through a difficult season, something learned through work, or a relationship that stretched us can become exactly what is needed in a situation we never anticipated. Looking back, we sometimes discover that God was preparing us long before we knew what He was preparing us for. That can change how we see the season we are living now. The experiences in front of us have value even when we cannot see where they are leading. Holy Spirit knows our gifts, our history, our limitations, and the parts of us that are still growing. He also knows what lies farther down the river. There is something deeply reassuring about realizing we do not need a map of every bend in order to keep travelling. We can learn what this part of the river has to teach us. Around the Bend There are also places on a river where paddling stops for a while. The water becomes too shallow, the route is blocked, and the canoe has to be carried until there is water again. Our lives have seasons like that too, when the familiar ways of moving forward no longer fit and we find ourselves in a landscape we did not expect. Staying present matters here as much as it does on the water. When our attention becomes fixed on getting somewhere else, we can miss what Jesus is showing us where we are. Holy Spirit remains with us through rest, waiting, healing, change, and all the places where the way forward is still taking shape. Matthew 14 gives us a picture of that trust. In rough water, Peter hears Jesus calling and steps out of the boat toward Him. His confidence rests in the One he is following, which brings us back to the heart of learning the river. Holy Spirit continually turns our attention toward Jesus, helping us trust Him through whatever kind of water we are travelling. Nobody learns a river in one afternoon. We learn by travelling it, paying attention, listening to people who have gone ahead of us, and staying close to those beside us. Over time, we become increasingly confident in the One who already knows where the river is going and what waits around the bend.Learn the River

Tracy Linkletter

Senior Leader

September 17, 2026 • 6 Minute Read
Deep Water
For seven days, families gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, remembering the years Israel had lived in the wilderness and the God who had cared for them there. Near the end of the feast, priests carried water to the temple and poured it out, an ancient picture filled with memory, longing, and hope. It was into that setting that Jesus stood and spoke. “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me. Anyone who believes in me may come and drink.” John tells us that Jesus was speaking about Holy Spirit, describing rivers of living water flowing from within those who trusted Him. The invitation carries the sound of another river. Centuries earlier, the prophet Ezekiel had been given a vision of water flowing from the temple. At first it reached his ankles, then his knees, then his waist. Eventually the water became deep enough to swim in, a river he could no longer cross on foot. Everywhere it travelled, life appeared. Even the waters of the Dead Sea became fresh. Trees grew along the banks, bearing fruit, with leaves described as bringing healing. The river keeps getting deeper, and everywhere it goes, life follows. When the Water Gets Deep Ezekiel steps into a river that is already flowing. He does not create its current or determine where it will go. Its source is the presence of God, and Ezekiel is invited to follow it into deeper water. Our life with the Holy Spirit begins in much the same place. We are learning to become available to the One who is already present and at work, allowing His life to reach further into ours as trust grows. Deep water gives us a beautiful picture of what that trust can become. At ankle depth, we can still feel the ground beneath our feet. We can choose our direction fairly easily. As the water rises, each step requires greater awareness of the current. Eventually our feet leave the bottom and the river carries us. That can feel vulnerable. Most of us have places where we like to know exactly where our feet are going to land. We have learned ways of protecting ourselves, making plans, holding tightly to what feels secure, and preparing for whatever might come next. Some of those patterns have been shaped by disappointment or pain. Others simply grew through years of trying to make wise choices and take responsibility for our lives. Deep water brings us to the edges of what we can manage for ourselves, and those edges have a way of revealing where our trust rests. Israel discovered this in the wilderness. God provided manna each morning, enough for the day, and told them to gather it fresh. Their experience in Egypt had taught them something very different about survival, so trusting daily provision took time. They were learning the character of the God who had brought them out of slavery and was now teaching them how to live as free people. Trust grows through relationship. We come to know God as we spend time with Him, encounter Him in Scripture, recognize His faithfulness, and learn to bring our uncertainty into His presence. Some days that trust feels steady. Other days it feels fragile. Both can become places of honest relationship with God. Perhaps that is part of what makes Jesus’ words at the feast so tender. He speaks to thirsty people and says, “Come to me and drink.” He invites us closer. Wherever the River Goes The water Jesus offers is life itself, flowing through the presence of Holy Spirit. Paul later describes believers as the temple where the Spirit dwells, which makes Ezekiel’s picture especially beautiful. The river flowing from the temple becomes an image we can carry into ordinary life. God’s life is at work within His people and spills outward into homes, workplaces, friendships, neighbourhoods, conversations, acts of forgiveness, quiet faithfulness, generosity, courage, and love. This gives us a fuller picture of the Spirit’s power. His presence can be experienced in ways that leave us amazed, and His work can also be seen in a person learning to forgive, choosing gentleness when anger would come easily, serving without needing recognition, remaining faithful through disappointment, or loving someone who is difficult to love. The fruit of the Spirit is evidence of life taking root and flowing outward. What the Deep Water Reveals In deep water, surrender begins to reach the places we have held tightly. Control can loosen its grip. The need to prove ourselves can grow quieter. Old wounds can be brought into the healing presence of Jesus. Even familiar ways of hearing God may shift as we enter a different season with Him. The river moves, and we keep learning the character of the One who carries us. There may be an area of your life right now where the water feels deeper than it once did. Familiar rhythms have shifted, and you are learning to trust God without knowing very far ahead or having the certainty you would like. Perhaps this deeper place is becoming another part of your life where you are learning to know Him. What would trust look like there? A River Full of Life Ezekiel’s river offers a beautiful answer without giving us a map of every bend ahead. He sees the water move toward a dead place, and as it arrives, that place begins to live. The river carries healing and fruitfulness with it because its source is the presence of God. This story of water runs throughout Scripture. A river waters the garden in Genesis. The prophets picture water bringing healing and restoration. Jesus calls Himself living water and promises the Spirit. Revelation closes with the river of life flowing from the throne of God, with trees growing beside it and leaves for the healing of the nations. One river. One story of life flowing from the presence of God. And we have been invited into it. Becoming More Available Deep water asks for trust because our feet cannot always reach the bottom. It gives us room to discover that the river was never depending on our ability to hold everything together. The Spirit has been moving long before we recognized the current, bringing the life of Jesus into places that need healing, restoration, courage, mercy, and hope. The invitation in this season may be as simple as becoming more available to Him. Where are you sensing the current of His presence? What are you holding that may be ready to loosen in your hands? Where might Jesus be inviting you to trust His life within you? The river is still flowing. There is life in the deep water.Learn the River

Tracy Linkletter

Senior Leader

September 7, 2026 • 9 Minute Read
Get in the Water
Baptism is a word that carries a picture within it. To be baptized is to be immersed, plunged beneath the surface, surrounded by water until there is no part of you untouched by it. When the Bible speaks about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that picture gives us a beautiful place to begin. It invites us to imagine a life immersed in the presence of God, learning to live within the life He has already opened to us. For many people, the words “Holy Spirit” carry other things too. There may be memories of a particular church tradition, experiences that were deeply meaningful, questions that were never fully answered, or disappointment connected to things witnessed along the way. Each of those experiences becomes part of the story we carry. Jesus welcomes us to bring the whole story with us as we return to Scripture and allow our understanding of Holy Spirit to keep growing. When we follow the Spirit through the biblical story, we discover that His presence has been there all along. The Spirit Over the Water The Bible opens with a world waiting for life. Genesis describes the earth as formless and empty, with darkness covering the deep, while “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” The Hebrew word used for spirit is ruach. It can mean breath, wind, or spirit, and there is something wonderfully alive about all three. Breath fills lungs. Wind moves through trees and across open water. The Spirit hovers over creation, completely present and ready to bring life. The word translated “hovering” gives us the picture of a bird staying close to its young, watchful and attentive. Before anything begins to grow, before the waters are gathered or the land produces vegetation, the Spirit is there. Genesis gives us our first glimpse of Holy Spirit as the One who is present within the unfinished places, bringing life where life is waiting to emerge. That picture can stay with us when our own lives feel unfinished. Holy Spirit remains present within places we cannot quite understand, including situations where the way forward has not become clear. What might change in the way we see those places if we began to trust that the Spirit of God is already present within them? A few verses later, God breathes life into humanity. Breath fills what God has formed from the dust, and a human being becomes alive. From the beginning, the biblical story connects the Spirit of God with life. That thread keeps moving. A Presence Drawing Closer Throughout the Old Testament, Holy Spirit works through people in wonderfully varied ways. He gives wisdom and skill to Bezalel as he creates the furnishings for the tabernacle (Exodus 31:1–5). He empowers leaders and speaks through prophets, working through people such as Deborah with courage and wisdom for the particular place and time in which they live (Judges 4–5). Then the prophets begin speaking about something still to come. Jeremiah describes a day when God will write His ways upon human hearts. Ezekiel speaks of God giving His people a new heart and placing His Spirit within them. In a valley filled with dry bones, Ezekiel watches as the breath of God brings life again. Joel hears God promise that His Spirit will be poured out upon sons and daughters, young and old, men and women. These promises were spoken to people who knew disruption, exile, grief, and uncertainty. Their familiar world had been shaken, and God kept speaking about presence, restoration, breath, and life. He was drawing His people toward a future in which His Spirit would dwell within them. God’s desire for closeness runs through the whole story, and the promises of the prophets begin to take visible form when Jesus arrives at the Jordan. As He rises from the water, the Spirit descends upon Him like a dove and the Father speaks His love over His Son. Father, Son, and Spirit are present together as Jesus begins His public ministry. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters of creation now rests upon Jesus, who will live in complete dependence upon the Father and the Spirit. John the Baptist had already told the people that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. The One standing in the river would open the way for people to live immersed in the presence of God. The Water Begins to Move After the resurrection, Jesus tells His followers to wait for the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, wind fills the house, fire rests upon ordinary people, and voices begin speaking in languages they had never learned. Peter reaches back to the prophet Joel to explain what is happening. The promise they had been waiting for is unfolding among them. God pours out His Spirit on people. The rest of the New Testament begins to explore what life with the Spirit looks like. Paul tells followers of Jesus that they are God’s temple and His Spirit lives within them and among them. The Spirit grows fruit in human lives, gives gifts, helps people pray, leads them, and forms the character of Jesus within them. He creates a people whose shared life becomes another place where the presence of God can be seen. This brings the idea of immersion very close to home. Life with Holy Spirit reaches into prayer, relationships, work, creativity, decisions, conversations, disappointments, and the quiet thoughts no one else hears. His presence belongs within the ordinary texture of being human. We begin to recognize that He has been present in places we once overlooked. A conversation lingers in our thoughts and becomes an invitation to pray. Compassion rises unexpectedly for someone whose story we barely know. A familiar passage of Scripture suddenly speaks into something we are carrying. Beauty catches our attention on an otherwise ordinary morning, and for a few seconds we become aware of the goodness of God. Learning to live immersed begins with attention. We keep turning toward the One who is already near. Pouring Our Stories Into the River Our stories come with us into that life. The traditions we have inherited, the experiences that have awakened us to the reality of God, and even the disappointments that have left us carrying questions all become part of the way we understand Holy Spirit. These stories stay with us, sometimes for years, influencing what we expect and how open we feel to what God may want to show us. As we bring them into His presence, Holy Spirit can continue to meet us within our stories and deepen our understanding of who He is. The image of water helps here too. Water held in a bottle stays contained. A river moves, carrying fresh water onward as it follows its source. There are parts of our stories that can become contained in much the same way. We can hold tightly to one experience, one understanding, one disappointment, or one explanation until it becomes difficult to imagine that God might still have something to show us. Holy Spirit invites us to pour those stories into His living water and let Him carry them toward their source. Surrender can look like bringing our whole story with us, including the traditions that first taught us about Jesus, the experiences that awakened faith, the ones that left us confused, and the places where God acted differently than we expected. We can hold all of it openly before Holy Spirit, trusting Him to meet us within what we have lived and continue showing us who He is. After His resurrection, Jesus walked beside two disciples on the road to Emmaus who were carrying their own expectations and disappointments. As He opened the Scriptures, He helped them see their experiences within the larger story of what God had been doing all along. Their understanding began to change as they walked, and eventually they recognized that Jesus Himself had been with them on the road. Their story gives us room to consider our own. What might Holy Spirit be helping us see differently as we bring our experiences back to Jesus and allow Scripture to open our understanding of who He is? Come The final pages of the Bible return us to water as “the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come,’” inviting anyone who is thirsty to receive the water of life (Revelation 22:17). Genesis begins with the Spirit hovering over the waters, ready to bring life into creation, and Revelation closes with the Spirit still inviting people toward life. Between those two scenes, we find the story of God drawing near, breathing life into His creation and making His home among His people. We are living somewhere within that story, with places in us still waiting for renewal, questions we continue to carry, gifts we are learning to recognize, and trust that grows as we walk with Jesus. Holy Spirit is present there too, patiently leading us deeper into the life of Jesus. The invitation is beautifully simple: get in the water. Bring your story with you. Bring your questions, your history, your hope, your longing, and the parts you still cannot explain. Let Scripture keep introducing you to the Spirit who hovered over the waters, filled ordinary people, rested upon Jesus, came like wind and fire at Pentecost, and now makes His home within those who follow Christ. And as you move through the coming days, pay attention. Notice where life seems to be stirring. Listen for the quiet invitation to pray, to love, to create, to speak, to wait, or to move. Watch for the places where something that has felt stagnant begins to breathe again. The water is still moving. The Spirit is still giving life and Jesus is still inviting us deeper. The invitation remains open to every thirsty heart: come, get in the water, and discover where Holy Spirit is leading.Get in the Water

Tracy Linkletter

Senior Leader

September 3, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Reach
God's heart has always been for people. As we prepare for Worship in Unity, we want to pray beyond ourselves and beyond our churches. This week, we turn our attention to the communities where God has placed us. Jesus consistently noticed people who were overlooked, welcomed those who felt excluded, and brought hope to those who were searching. As we spend time with Him, our hearts begin to reflect His heart for others. Prayer prepares us to participate in what God is already doing. As we seek Him, He often opens our eyes to opportunities to encourage someone, share His love, or simply be present with those around us. About Fasting If fasting is new to you, begin with a simple step that fits your season of life. The purpose of fasting isn't to prove our devotion or earn God's favour. It's to intentionally set aside something that normally has our attention so we can give that time and attention to Jesus instead. Here are a few ways you might participate: Fast one meal and spend that time reading Scripture and praying. Fast from sunrise until supper if you're able. Choose a non-food fast by setting aside social media, television, entertainment, or another regular distraction, and use that time to seek God. If you have medical concerns, are pregnant, or have dietary needs, please choose a fast that is appropriate for your situation. Whatever you choose, let the time you would normally spend eating or engaging with that activity become an opportunity to worship, read Scripture, sit quietly with God, or pray. This Week's Prayer Focus Pray for your neighbourhood and community. Pray for people who are searching for hope, peace, and purpose. Ask Holy Spirit to soften hearts and draw people to Jesus. Pray for opportunities to be a faithful witness through your words, your actions, and your love. Pray that Worship in Unity would encourage believers and point people to Christ. Remember, prayer is about turning to Jesus, and being with Him. Allow for some quiet time to just be with Him in silence. When your mind wanders, because it will, just turn back to focusing on Jesus. Like young Samuel learned from a young age, say, ‘speak Lord, your servant is listening’ (1 Samuel 3:1) Scripture to Read "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them... Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" - Matthew 9:36–38 Pray that Jesus would give us His compassion for the people around us. Ask Him to raise up men and women who will faithfully share the hope of the gospel across Prince Edward Island. "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." - Luke 10:2 Pray for churches across our Island to be faithful witnesses in their communities. Ask God to prepare hearts to receive the good news of Jesus. "...God... gave us the ministry of reconciliation... We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." - 2 Corinthians 5:18–20 Pray that we would represent Jesus well through our words, actions, and love. Ask God to help us become people who bring hope, healing, and reconciliation wherever He sends us. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved... How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" - Romans 10:13–15 Pray for those who have never heard or never responded to the invitation of Jesus. Ask God to open doors for conversations that point people toward Him. "Devote yourselves to prayer... Pray that God may open a door for our message... Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders." - Colossians 4:2–6 Pray for open doors to share Christ naturally and graciously. Ask Holy Spirit to give believers wisdom, courage, and kindness as they interact with others. Reflection As you pray today, ask yourself: How can I encourage and pray for another church or ministry this week? Thank you for continuing this journey of prayer and fasting. Next week, we'll pray for our communities and ask God to draw people to Himself. Prayer & Fasting Guide (PDF) Download your guide for practical fasting ideas and weekly prayer focuses.Download Guide Preparation Schedule August 29 — Reach September 5 — Fill September 12 — Worship in Unity

Tracy Linkletter

Senior Leader

Currently Reading
August 30, 2026 • 6 Minute Read
Around the Bend
Most of us would probably like a little advance notice from God. A glimpse around the corner would be helpful. A few details about where a decision will lead, some reassurance that the thing we sensed Him inviting us into will unfold the way we imagined. We can pray, listen carefully, take a step of faith, and quietly begin forming a picture of what our yes will look like. Then the road turns. Plans can change in ways we never saw coming, leaving us to watch an opportunity disappear or something we prepared for move forward without us. We may find ourselves somewhere entirely different from where we thought we were headed, wondering how a path that once felt so clear could have taken such an unexpected turn. Those moments can bring honest questions to the surface. Did I hear God correctly? Did I misunderstand? What am I supposed to do now? The Psalms describe God’s Word as “a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” Psalm 119:105 A lamp gives enough light to take the next step. There is a tenderness in that image because it describes a life of trust, one step illuminated at a time, with God close enough to lead us as we go. When the Plan Changes A heart prepared to serve can keep saying yes when the destination changes. We may sense God leading us in a particular direction and begin preparing ourselves for what lies ahead. Then circumstances shift, and the opportunity we expected takes a different turn. Questions naturally come with that. Did I hear God correctly? Was all that preparation leading somewhere? Those questions can become a place of deeper trust. God may be forming something in us before we understand where it will be needed. The willingness, compassion, courage, patience, or generosity growing in our hearts can become part of His work in a setting we never anticipated. This gives us a different way to hold our plans. Open hands leave room for God to guide the outcome while we continue offering Him our yes. The path may turn, and the work He has been doing within us continues into whatever comes next. Where might God already be using something He has been forming in you? God Is Already There Learning to live attentively with Holy Spirit can change the way we move through ordinary places, as the people and needs around us begin to hold our attention differently. A walk through the neighbourhood might draw us into prayer for the families who live there, while a practical need can invite us to serve or an unexpected conversation can help us notice the story another person is carrying. As our attention turns toward God, we begin to recognize more of what He may already be doing around us and how we might participate with Him. Prayer is part of that attentiveness. Romans 8 tells us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes according to the will of God. When we pray for another person, a family, a school, a workplace, or a community, we are joining a conversation God has already begun. His care was present before the need caught our attention, and His Spirit is already at work in places we may only be beginning to notice. That can make prayer wonderfully simple, because the places we already move through can become places where we notice what is on God’s heart. A walk through the neighbourhood might draw our attention toward the families who live there, passing a school might prompt us to pray for students and teachers, and a conversation might stay with us long enough to become a prayer later in the day. These small moments invite us to stay attentive to Holy Spirit as we move through everyday life. And as we pay attention, compassion can become increasingly personal. Jesus consistently saw the whole person in front of Him. Throughout the Gospels, He draws near to people carrying complicated stories and receives them with dignity and compassion. Following Him teaches us to look with that same kind of care, allowing another person’s humanity to matter to us. Our own stories can become part of this too. Experiences that have marked us may deepen our ability to recognize pain, loneliness, fear, or hope in someone else. What we have lived through can open our eyes to people we might otherwise have passed by, giving compassion somewhere tangible to go. Who has been coming into view lately? Where might Holy Spirit be inviting you to pay closer attention? Walking Humbly With God Micah gives beautifully ordinary language to this kind of life: “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” - Micah 6:8 Walking with God happens in actual places among actual people. We listen as we go, allowing mercy to become part of our responses and obedience to take form through the choices in front of us. A few quiet minutes with Jesus, a prayer offered while walking down the street, practical help when someone needs it, or an unexpected opportunity to care can all become places where faith takes root in everyday life. There is a steady companionship in Micah’s picture. We walk with God through plans and interruptions, familiar routines and unexpected turns. We keep learning His voice and becoming attentive to His presence, trusting that He is already at work beyond what we can see. Over time, the truths we have carried in our minds begin to become part of the way we live. As we keep trusting God, learning to see people as Jesus sees them, and bringing the people and places around us into prayer, trust and compassion begin to take deeper root in our everyday lives. And step by step, we discover that life with Holy Spirit can happen right where we are. Around the Bend We rarely know what waits around the bend. God does. He sees the family member who will need our care, the stranger whose story will touch something in our own, the neighbourhood that needs prayer, the unexpected interruption that will become an opportunity to serve. He sees the ordinary moments where a quiet yes will become part of something much larger than we can see. That gives us room to loosen our grip on the map. We can ask Jesus what He is doing here, in this place, with these people, in the life directly in front of us. We can carry our plans with open hands and trust that the God who has been faithful behind us is already present ahead of us. And when the road turns, we can keep walking with Him.Empowered For Love

Joel Wydysh

Pastor of Community and Connections

August 27, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Fill
September 12 is almost here. For the past four weeks we've been preparing together through prayer and fasting. Along the way we've asked God to prepare our hearts, strengthen the unity of His Church, and give us His heart for our communities. This week we bring all of those prayers together as we pray for Worship in Unity. Our desire isn't simply for a well-planned evening. We long to see Jesus honoured, His Church encouraged, and Holy Spirit free to work in every heart. We trust that God has been preparing His people long before we gather, and we look forward with expectation to what He will continue to do. About Fasting If fasting is new to you, begin with a simple step that fits your season of life. The purpose of fasting isn't to prove our devotion or earn God's favour. It's to intentionally set aside something that normally has our attention so we can give that time and attention to Jesus instead. Here are a few ways you might participate: Fast one meal and spend that time reading Scripture and praying. Fast from sunrise until supper if you're able. Choose a non-food fast by setting aside social media, television, entertainment, or another regular distraction, and use that time to seek God. If you have medical concerns, are pregnant, or have dietary needs, please choose a fast that is appropriate for your situation. Whatever you choose, let the time you would normally spend eating or engaging with that activity become an opportunity to worship, read Scripture, sit quietly with God, or pray. This Week's Prayer Focus Pray that Jesus would be honoured in every part of Worship in Unity. Pray for the churches participating and for every pastor, worship leader, musician, prayer leader, volunteer, and servant involved in the evening. Pray for every person who will attend, asking God to encourage believers and draw those who are searching closer to Himself. Pray that Holy Spirit would lead every conversation, every prayer, every song, and every heart. Pray that the unity we celebrate together would continue to grow long after September 12. Remember, prayer is about turning to Jesus, and being with Him. Allow for some quiet time to just be with Him in silence. When your mind wanders, because it will, just turn back to focusing on Jesus. Like young Samuel learned from a young age, say, ‘speak Lord, your servant is listening’ (1 Samuel 3:1) Scripture to Read "Lift up your heads, you gates... that the King of glory may come in." - Psalm 24:7-10 Pray that our hearts would be open to welcome Jesus and that He would be honoured throughout the evening. "...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith... Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..." - Ephesians 3:16-21 Pray that God would strengthen His people through the Holy Spirit and accomplish far more than we could plan or imagine. "...Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness... After they prayed... they were all filled with the Holy Spirit..." - Acts 4:29-31 Pray for courage, faithfulness, and the fresh filling of the Holy Spirit for everyone who participates. Reflection As September 12 approaches, consider this question: How is God inviting me to participate in what He is already doing among His Church? Thank you for joining this journey of prayer and fasting. We look forward to worshipping together on September 12 as we lift high the name of Jesus. Prayer & Fasting Guide (PDF) Download your guide for practical fasting ideas and weekly prayer focuses.Download Guide Preparation Schedule September 5 — Fill September 12 — Worship in Unity

Tracy Linkletter

Senior Leader

August 20, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Unite
Jesus prayed that His followers would be one. That doesn't mean every church looks the same or expresses worship in the same way. God has gifted His Church with many different expressions, traditions, and cultures. Yet together we belong to one body because we belong to one Lord. As we prepare for Worship in Unity, we want to thank God for the churches He has established across Prince Edward Island and ask Him to continue strengthening His people. Our prayer is that our love for one another would point others to Jesus. About Fasting If fasting is new to you, begin with a simple step that fits your season of life. The purpose of fasting isn't to prove our devotion or earn God's favour. It's to intentionally set aside something that normally has our attention so we can give that time and attention to Jesus instead. Here are a few ways you might participate: Fast one meal and spend that time reading Scripture and praying. Fast from sunrise until supper if you're able. Choose a non-food fast by setting aside social media, television, entertainment, or another regular distraction, and use that time to seek God. If you have medical concerns, are pregnant, or have dietary needs, please choose a fast that is appropriate for your situation. Whatever you choose, let the time you would normally spend eating or engaging with that activity become an opportunity to worship, read Scripture, sit quietly with God, or pray. Remember, prayer is about turning to Jesus, and being with Him. Allow for some quiet time to just be with Him in silence. When your mind wanders, because it will, just turn back to focusing on Jesus. Like young Samuel learned from a young age, say, ‘speak Lord, your servant is listening’ (1 Samuel 3:1) This Week's Scriptures & Prayer Focus "...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you... Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." - John 17:20–23 Pray that the Church across Prince Edward Island would reflect the unity Jesus prayed for. Ask God to help us love one another in ways that point people to Christ. "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace… There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all…" -Ephesians 4:1-6 Pray for pastors, ministry leaders, elders, volunteers, and congregations. Ask God to strengthen relationships between churches and help us walk together with humility, gentleness, patience, and love. "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!... For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." - Psalm 133:1-3 Thank God for the many churches across our Island. Pray that our unity would be a place where God's blessing, encouragement, and life are experienced by His people. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience… Bear with each other and forgive one another… And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace." - Colossians 3:12-15 Pray that God would shape His Church to reflect the character of Christ. Ask Him to fill us with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love. Pray that the peace of Christ would guide our relationships so that our unity becomes a faithful witness to the world. Reflection As you pray today, ask yourself: How can I encourage and pray for another church or ministry this week? Thank you for continuing this journey of prayer and fasting. Next week, we'll pray for our communities and ask God to draw people to Himself. Prayer & Fasting Guide (PDF) Download your guide for practical fasting ideas and weekly prayer focuses.Download Guide Preparation Schedule August 29 — Reach September 5 — Fill September 12 — Worship in Unity

Tracy Linkletter

Senior Leader

August 13, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Prepare
Before God moves through us, He often chooses to work within us. Throughout Scripture, seasons of prayer and fasting were often times of preparation. They weren't about convincing God to act, but about making room to listen, surrender, and align ourselves with God's purposes. As we prepare for Worship in Unity, we invite you to join believers from churches across Prince Edward Island in setting aside time to seek Jesus together. About Fasting If fasting is new to you, begin with a simple step that fits your season of life. The purpose of fasting isn't to prove our devotion or earn God's favour. It's to intentionally set aside something that normally has our attention so we can give that time and attention to Jesus instead. Here are a few ways you might participate: Fast one meal and spend that time reading Scripture and praying. Fast from sunrise until supper if you're able. Choose a non-food fast by setting aside social media, television, entertainment, or another regular distraction, and use that time to seek God. If you have medical concerns, are pregnant, or have dietary needs, please choose a fast that is appropriate for your situation. Whatever you choose, let the time you would normally spend eating or engaging with that activity become an opportunity to worship, read Scripture, sit quietly with God, or pray. This Week's Prayer Focus Pray that God would prepare your heart to seek Him. Ask Holy Spirit to reveal anything that has distracted you from Jesus. Pray for a greater hunger for God's presence and a deeper love for Christ. Ask God to prepare His Church for Worship in Unity and for what He desires to do across Prince Edward Island. Remember, prayer is about turning to Jesus, and being with Him. Allow for some quiet time to just be with Him in silence. When your mind wanders, because it will, just turn back to focusing on Jesus. Like young Samuel learned from a young age, say, ‘speak Lord, your servant is listening’ (1 Samuel 3:1) Scripture to Read "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." - Psalm 139:23–24 Consider reading the whole Psalm as a prayer and allow yourself to pray other Psalms as you have time. 'Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ' - John 15:4 (vs 1-17) Reflection As you spend time with Jesus today, consider this question: What might God be inviting me to lay aside so I can give Him more of my attention? Thank you for joining believers from across our Island as we prepare together. Next Saturday, we'll turn our prayers toward the unity of Christ's Church. Prayer & Fasting Guide (PDF) Download your guide for practical fasting ideas and weekly prayer focuses.Download Guide Preparation Schedule August 15 — Prepare August 22 — Unite August 29 — Reach September 5 — Fill September 12 — Worship in Unity

Tracy Linkletter

Senior Leader

August 5, 2026 • 1 Minute Read
The Invitation
On September 12, believers from churches across Prince Edward Island will come together for an evening of worship, prayer, and Communion. The journey begins before we gather. Over the four Saturdays leading up to Worship in Unity, we invite you to set aside time to pray and fast, asking Jesus to prepare our hearts, deepen our unity, and move throughout our churches and communities. Watch the introduction below to learn more about this shared journey. Prayer & Fasting Guide (PDF) Download your guide for practical fasting ideas and weekly prayer focuses.Download Guide "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2 Preparation Schedule August 15 — Prepare August 22 — Unite August 29 — Reach September 5 — Fill September 12 — Worship in Unity

Tracy Linkletter

Senior Leader

August 4, 2026 • 6 Minute Read
Learning to Live From a New Heart
Throughout Scripture, God’s saving work comes first. Learning to live in that freedom unfolds over time. Israel walked out of Egypt in a single night. The sea opened, the people crossed on dry ground, and the power that had enslaved them disappeared beneath the water. Pharaoh’s voice had shaped their lives for generations, and those years could still be heard in the way they thought, reacted, and made decisions. They had left Egypt, though Egypt still occupied places within them. The wilderness became the place where their hearts slowly caught up with what God had already done. Pharaoh no longer decided where they would live, how hard they would work, or what their future would hold. God walked with them, teaching them what life looked like as His people. Their story gives language to something many followers of Jesus discover. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has broken the power of sin and opened the way home to the Father. Scripture describes those who belong to Christ as new creations. Holy Spirit dwells within us, giving us a new heart and shaping the life of Christ in us. That new heart is God’s gift. Learning to live from it is the journey. Freedom Takes Root Israel lived under Pharaoh’s rule for four hundred years. Generation after generation grew up hearing the same messages of pressure, fear, production, and survival until those voices became familiar. Even after they crossed the Red Sea, they carried those old ways of thinking with them. Freedom was real, but it took time for their hearts to believe they were no longer slaves. Our hearts carry voices too. Some were formed in childhood. Others grew through painful relationships, disappointment, cultural expectations, or seasons when we learned to protect ourselves. We may have discovered that staying in control felt safe, that performing well earned approval, or that keeping people at a distance reduced the chance of being hurt. Those responses may have helped us through difficult seasons, but they can quietly settle into the way we see ourselves, other people, and God. Holy Spirit knows every one of those places. He uncovers the beliefs beneath our reactions and the fears beneath our need for control, creating space for honesty because, as Romans 8 declares, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We can bring every part of ourselves into His presence, including the places that feel frightened, guarded, or uncertain. Where might an old voice still be shaping the way you see yourself? What has it taught you to expect from God? A Heart Under Renovation Giving Jesus access to our heart resembles handing Him the keys to an entire house. His work reaches every room. He strengthens the foundation, opens long closed doors, and restores places that have carried years of wear. Anyone who has lived through a renovation knows the work unfolds one room at a time. Hidden problems appear beneath the surface, plans change, and progress can be difficult to recognize while you’re living in the middle of it. Hearts grow in much the same way. God works through our desires, thoughts, relationships, choices, and responses, shaping something that will last. Jesus described life with Him as remaining connected to the vine. That picture reminds us where growth begins. His life flows into ours through everyday moments that can seem ordinary at first glance. A conversation where we pause before responding, an apology, a prayer whispered during a difficult morning, or choosing to bring our anxiety before God all become places where He continues His work. A gardener understands this rhythm. Seeds spend weeks beneath the soil before anyone sees a hint of green above the surface. While nothing appears to be happening, roots are reaching deeper and preparing for the life that will emerge in time. God works with that same quiet faithfulness, accomplishing far more than we can see. Learning Another Voice Learning to live as free people also meant learning whose voice would shape their lives. Pharaoh’s voice belonged to the past. God was drawing His people into a relationship where they could learn to recognize His voice and follow Him day by day. Many voices continue speaking long after their authority has been broken. Shame, fear, performance, and self protection still try to shape the way we think. They may sound familiar, but they no longer have the final word. Holy Spirit teaches us to recognize the Father’s voice above every other voice. We come to know Him through Scripture, prayer, and life together with other believers. Over time His voice becomes familiar because we continue spending time with Him. Like any relationship, trust grows through shared life. Prayer becomes part of that shared life. We bring Him our work, our families, our decisions, our disappointments, and our questions. We learn to ask, “Holy Spirit, what are You doing here?” That simple prayer slows us down long enough to remember that God is present in this moment, not waiting somewhere farther down the road. Living From What Is Already True When Israel reached Mount Sinai, God gave them His law after He had rescued them. They received instruction as people who had already been redeemed. The law showed them how to live with the God who had brought them into covenant with Himself. Learning to live from a new heart begins with receiving the gift God has already given. Jesus brings us into new life, and Holy Spirit forms that life within us day by day. As our trust grows, our hearts become more at home in the freedom Jesus has given us. This journey unfolds over a lifetime. Feelings do not always change overnight. Habits formed over many years may take time to loosen their grip. God never loses sight of the work He has begun, and His grace meets us in every stage of that process. What would it look like to trust the new heart Jesus has given you today? That may begin with noticing which voice has your attention. It may begin by opening one guarded place to God and allowing His presence to meet you there. The story of God is the story of One who keeps drawing closer. He walks with His people, forms them with wisdom and love, and teaches them to live in the freedom He has already given. One ordinary step at a time. Watch the Sermon 👇Learning to Live From A New Heart

Tracy Linkletter

Senior Leader

July 26, 2026 • 7 Minute Read
When Love Rearranges Your Heart
When Love Rearranges Your Heart Most people can remember something they carried everywhere as a child. A favourite blanket. A stuffed animal that had seen better days. A toy that somehow made unfamiliar places feel a little more manageable. Those objects offered real comfort. They helped us take small steps into a world that felt much bigger than we were. Then, almost without noticing, there came a day when they stayed behind. We had grown, and what once felt essential quietly became something we no longer needed. Growing older changes the things we carry. The blanket may disappear, yet the longing to feel safe remains. We don’t usually outgrow our need for security. We simply find new ways to look for it. Over the years, life quietly teaches us habits that help us navigate disappointment, uncertainty, and pain. Some become so familiar that we stop noticing them altogether. Those habits look different for each of us. Some people learn to stay in control because uncertainty feels overwhelming. Others work tirelessly to get everything right, hoping perfection will protect them from failure or criticism. Some become fiercely independent after learning that relying on other people can lead to disappointment. These responses rarely appear without a story. They are often shaped by experiences that taught us, consciously or unconsciously, what was necessary to make it through. The surprising part is that these ways of coping often begin as something genuinely helpful. They carry us through difficult seasons and help us keep moving when life feels uncertain. Over time, though, what once served as protection can quietly become a limitation. The need to stay strong can make it difficult to receive help. The desire to get everything right can leave little room for grace. Independence can become isolation, and control can make trust feel risky. Where Trust Was Broken This tension is much older than any one of us. The opening pages of the Bible tell a story that helps make sense of our own. They show us where trust was broken, why fear took root, and how our hearts learned to protect themselves. Genesis 3 begins in a garden where humanity lived in close relationship with God. Adam and Eve enjoyed His presence, cared for His creation, and experienced life as He intended it. Fear had no place there, and shame had not yet entered the story. Their lives were marked by trust. Then another voice entered the conversation. The serpent quietly planted doubt about God’s character, suggesting that He was holding something back. In that moment, trust gave way to suspicion. Adam and Eve reached for life on their own terms, and everything changed. The first thing they noticed was their own vulnerability. They covered themselves, hid from God, and began blaming one another. Those responses have echoed through every generation since. When we feel exposed, we instinctively look for something to hide behind. We protect ourselves from rejection, disappointment, and pain in ways that often feel ordinary because they have become so familiar. We stay in control, work harder, keep people at a distance, or convince ourselves that we can manage on our own. Although those responses look different from person to person, they all grow from the same place. Somewhere beneath them is a question that has lingered since the garden: Can God really be trusted? God Keeps Moving Toward Us The story could have ended there, with humanity hiding and God walking away. It didn’t. From the very beginning, God has been moving toward the people who turned from Him. Throughout the Bible, He continues pursuing hearts that have learned to hide, patiently revealing His faithfulness to generation after generation. The distance between God and humanity was never created because He stopped loving His creation. Even in the middle of humanity’s rebellion, His desire has always been to rescue, restore, and bring people back into relationship with Himself. That story reaches its fullest expression in Jesus. He entered the very world that had become marked by fear, shame, and self protection, not to condemn it but to save it. His life, death, and resurrection opened the way for something entirely new. The question is no longer whether God is willing to come near, in Jesus, He already has. The invitation now is to learn to trust the One who has been reaching toward us all along and allow Holy Spirit to work from the inside out. Life in a Different Atmosphere That is why Paul’s words in Romans 8 carry such hope: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This is more than a comforting promise for difficult days. It describes the kind of life Jesus has made possible. Life with Jesus is shaped by a different atmosphere. Many of us have spent years expecting failure to be met with rejection, weakness to be met with criticism, or vulnerability to be met with disappointment. Those expectations become part of the way we move through the world, and before long we begin assuming God will respond to us in much the same way. Romans 8 tells a different story. Through Jesus, we no longer have to live beneath the constant weight of shame or the fear that one wrong step will push God away. His presence becomes the place where honesty is safe, grace is abundant, and healing can begin. This is where the work of Holy Spirit becomes so personal. He does not expose our hearts to embarrass us or make us feel guilty. He brings truth into the places we have kept hidden because those are the very places where God’s healing is needed most. What we have spent years protecting, He gently invites us to place into the hands of Jesus. The purpose of His light is to reveal what is real and true, ultimately leading us to recognize that we can trust His goodness and that His presence is meant to heal and restore that which was distorted and lost. From that place we can then begin to experience the freedom to be who we are and continue to grow in the light of Holy Spirit in us. Learning to Let Go The security blankets of childhood were never meant to stay with us forever. They gave us comfort for a season until we were ready to take the next step. In much the same way, many of the ways we have learned to protect ourselves once served a purpose. They helped us through difficult moments, painful relationships, and uncertain seasons. Yet Jesus loves us too much to leave us depending on what was only ever meant to carry us for a while. Most of us eventually left our childhood security blankets behind. The harder things to recognize are the ones we still carry today. The Holy Spirit has a gentle way of bringing those places into the light, not to shame us, but to remind us that we no longer have to carry them alone. What are you still holding because it once helped you feel safe? Jesus meets us there with patience and kindness, inviting us to trust Him with the parts of our hearts we have guarded for so long. Watch the Sermon 👇When Love Rearranges Your Heart

Tracy Linkletter

Senior Leader

January 25, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
When Light Changes How We See Life
Some days, nothing around us changes, yet everything feels heavier. Thoughts crowd in. Focus slips. The mind stays busy, but peace feels distant. It is often in those moments that God is not absent at all. He is quietly inviting us to see what is shaping our attention. Many of us carry real problems. They are not imagined or exaggerated. They show up in our bodies, our relationships, our work, and our prayers. Over time, they can begin to take up more space than we realize, moving closer to the center of our thoughts until they start setting the tone of our inner world. This is how distortion happens. Not through one dramatic moment, but through slow accumulation. The mind fills with noise. Thoughts repeat themselves. Concerns feel urgent and demanding. Everything feels active, yet nothing feels settled. Something is broadcasting, but it is not leading us anywhere. When God brings His light into moments like these, He is not confronting us. He is clarifying what has quietly taken the lead. Light helps us notice when something that once felt familiar no longer has the authority it used to hold. What felt overwhelming begins to look smaller when seen clearly. Sometimes the shift brings a gentle laugh. Not because the problems have vanished, but because we recognize they are no longer meant to drive our lives. The weight eases. Fear loosens. Trust returns to its rightful place. Peace often arrives this way. It does not come from fixing every thought or solving every issue. It comes from noticing what has been given too much attention and choosing where our focus will rest. God becomes central again, and everything else finds its proper place around Him. Problems remain real. They still require care, wisdom, and courage. Yet they no longer define who we are. They stop being the lens through which everything else is interpreted. God’s light changes the frame, and with it, our sense of direction. This kind of seeing invites us to slow down. To become aware of what has been shaping our decisions, our identity, and our sense of worth. It reveals how easily urgency can replace trust, and how fear can quietly disguise itself as responsibility. God’s presence brings a different rhythm. One that rests. One that listens. One that leads from peace rather than pressure. His light does not erase the story we are living. It reveals it more truthfully. What might come into focus if more light were allowed in? What thoughts would lose their grip if they were seen clearly? What would shift if attention returned to Jesus, right where you are? This way of seeing unfolds gently. It takes time. It does not demand immediate clarity. It simply invites openness and trust. And as light continues to enter, life begins to look different. The circumstances may remain the same. Yet the heart grows steadier. The noise softens. And a quiet confidence settles in, reminding us that God is near, attentive, and already at work. Sometimes nothing changes around us. Yet everything changes in how we see.When Light Changes How We See Life

Tracy Linkletter

Senior Leader