Sermon Recap | Nov. 23, 2025 Copy

December 3rd, 2025

But, God… The Words That Change Everything

Dr. Bill Shuler

As we transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas, we often think about themes like love, peace, and joy. But these shouldn't just be seasonal words we admire - they should be daily attributes of how we live. The Bible tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 that the fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we're missing any of these in our lives, it's time to pause and readjust.

What Does It Mean to Walk in the Fruit of the Spirit?

Walking in love means more than just agreeing that love is important. It requires practical action - looking for daily opportunities to show God's love to others. Walking in joy means experiencing something beyond our circumstances. Walking in peace means finding calm amidst chaos. This is what it means to be led by the Spirit rather than by our flesh.

Understanding the Holy Spirit's Role

The Holy Spirit is God himself - the Promised One who is present with us. When Jesus walked the earth, he was limited to one location at a time. But after his crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit who can be with believers everywhere simultaneously. The Holy Spirit resides within us and empowers us for witness, holy living, and walking in God's miraculous power today.

How Do Our Emotions Affect Our Spiritual Walk?

The word "emotions" comes from Latin meaning "to move away." When we're not under the control of the Spirit, our emotions can cause us to live outside of God's best for us, moving us away from walking in the fruit of the Spirit. However, when led by God's Spirit, we can rise above our greatest challenges.

Finding God in Both Highs and Lows

God can be found in both our highest moments and our lowest valleys. Many of the stories we read in Scripture are about the lows that our heroes of faith experienced before they had revelations and chose to serve God wholeheartedly, regardless of their circumstances.

This doesn't mean God brings sorrow upon us. Lamentations 3:33 clearly states: "For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone." However, God does redeem and heal what the enemy meant for harm in our lives.

What Can We Learn from Joseph's Story?

Joseph's story in Genesis provides a powerful example of finding God in difficult circumstances. When Joseph spoke to his brothers who had betrayed him, he said: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many."

The Power of Reframing Our Perspective

Joseph experienced a paradigm shift - a "but God" moment that changed everything. Instead of tying himself to his circumstances, he tied himself to God's story and looked for God's presence in every situation. This is what Brother Lawrence called "the pure, loving gaze that finds God everywhere."

How Can We Better Understand Ourselves and Our Needs?

To follow God's guidance effectively, we need to understand ourselves and why we're placed on earth. This includes recognizing our genuine needs, which might include companionship, security, acceptance, forgiveness, healing from past emotions, inner peace, and relationship with God.

Philippians 4:19 promises: "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." God doesn't necessarily give us all our desires, but he will meet our essential needs as we align with his will.

What Does Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Look Like?

Emotionally healthy spirituality includes:

Awakening and surrendering to God's love in every situation
Positioning ourselves to hear God and remember his presence
Practicing silence, solitude, and unceasing prayer
Resting attentively in God's presence
Understanding our earthly life as a journey of transformation
Loving others out of our love for God
Living in committed community that loves Jesus above all else

The Importance of Authenticity in Faith

We must move beyond surface-level pleasantries to authentic faith. If we carry what appears to be good faith while things are in turmoil behind the scenes, we're just waiting for everything to be exposed or fall apart. God wants us to have genuine authenticity in our relationship with him.

How Do We Find God in Our Personal Story?

Joseph wasn't blaming God for his hardships - he was honoring God for his guidance and intervention amidst those hardships. Even during 10-13 years in prison, the Bible describes Joseph as "walking with God." The prison became a place of honor, and the prisoner was walking with God.

Learning to Reframe Our Past

Joseph named his two sons Manasseh (meaning "to forget") and Ephraim (meaning "fruitful"), saying: "God has made me forget all my trouble" and "God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." This doesn't mean hitting your head against the wall until you forget - it means the painful experiences lose their power to control you and become portals to knowing God more deeply.

Why Is It Important to Examine Our Past?

Our families and traumatic events often hand us negative messages that unconsciously direct our lives. Most people never examine these scripts from their past, but Joseph did. When we submit what we've been through to God, it becomes an anointed testimony that can set others free.

God wants to rewrite your history in light of his love, presence, and power. What was meant for harm, he can turn to good - not just for your benefit, but for the saving of many others.

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Life Application

This week, challenge yourself to grow in faith through three practical steps:
This week, challenge yourself to live the life God called you to live - nothing less. Don't reach the end of your life realizing you could have walked in a completely different dimension with God if you had only put his kingdom first.

Questions for Reflection:

Where in your life do you need to experience a "but God" moment that reframes your perspective?
What painful experiences from your past might God want to transform into an anointed testimony to help others?
How can you move from suppressing difficult emotions to authentically bringing them before God for healing?
In what practical ways can you walk in the fruit of the Spirit this week, especially during challenging moments?

Remember, there is an anointing upon your scars. Your testimony of God's faithfulness through difficult times has the power to set others free. God is in control of the things that keep you up at night, and he wants to lead you into the future he has prepared for you.

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Posted in Prayer + Devotion, Sermon Blog