Jubilee Community Church
Sunday Service
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  • Everybody Will Be Happy Over There
  • The Son Hath Made Me Free
  • Heaven's Jubilee
  • You Love Me Anyway
  • Show Me Your Face Lord
  • Worthy Of It All
  • No Longer Slaves
  • Prophesy Your Promise
  • Trust In God
  • Fall Like Rain
  • Made For More
  • Don't You Give Up On Me
  • Better Is One Day
  • Pour My Love On You

  • “Stand Still and See”

    Exodus 14:13 KJV 1900
    13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

    Introduction

    Israel had just been set free from Egypt when they suddenly found themselves trapped between the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh’s army behind them. They were exactly where God had led them, yet everything looked impossible. Many of us know that feeling: we are obeying God, but life still corners us. This devotion takes yesterday’s portion and brings it into our Sunday: What do we do when we feel stuck?

    God Leads Us Into Tight Places On Purpose

    Israel did not wander to the Red Sea by accident; the Lord led them there by a pillar of cloud and fire. What looked like a dead end to Israel was actually a setup for God’s glory. Sometimes God allows us into tight places so we can finally see that He, not we, is the Savior. When we are hemmed in, our first instinct is often fear and blame, just like Israel, but God is inviting trust.
    Application questions:
    • Where in your life right now do you feel “stuck between the sea and the army”?
    • Are you assuming you are in the wrong place, or have you considered that God might be at work in a hidden way?

    “Do Not Be Afraid. Stand Firm.”

    Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today… The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Standing firm did not mean doing nothing; it meant refusing to run in panic or turn back to Egypt. Faith looks like staying where God told you to stand, even when everything in you wants to escape. Being still means quieting the inner storm so you can watch God work.
    You can invite your group to reflect:
    • What does “standing firm” look like for you today? Continuing to pray? Staying faithful in a hard marriage, job, or ministry?
    • Where is fear pushing you to make a rushed decision instead of waiting on God?

    Move Forward When God Says “Go”

    Right after telling them to stand still, God says to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” God opened a way through the sea, but Israel still had to step into it. Faith is not only waiting; it is also walking when God makes a path. The water did not part while they stayed in camp dreaming of deliverance; it parted as they moved forward in obedience.
    Application:
    • Is there an area where God has already shown you the next step, but fear keeps you frozen?
    • Sometimes the “sea” opens in front of us only after we obey the last thing God said.

    Remember and Sing After the Victory

    After the crossing, Moses and the people sang a song to the Lord, praising Him for throwing the horse and rider into the sea. Later in the portion, God provides manna, water from the rock, and victory over Amalek, but the people quickly forget and complain. We are often like them: we cry out for rescue, God answers, and then the next problem makes us forget His past faithfulness. Worship and remembrance protect us from spiritual amnesia.
    • Think of one “Red Sea moment” in your life when God clearly made a way.
    • How can you “sing” about that today—by telling someone, thanking God out loud, or writing it down?

    Closing

    Bring these three simple phrases into today:
    1. “God led me here.”
    2. “The Lord will fight for me as I stand firm.”
    3. “When He opens the way, I will move forward in faith.”

      • Exodus 14:13KJV1900

  • Why Maturity Matters More Than Passion Right Now

    Primary Scripture Reading
    Text: Ephesians 4:13–15
    Ephesians 4:13–15 KJV 1900
    13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

    Introduction

    The Weather Vane Faith

    There’s an old story of a farmer who placed a weather vane on his barn roof. At the top, he inscribed the words “God Is Love.” One day, a passerby asked, “Do you mean God’s love changes with the wind?”
    The farmer smiled and said, “No. I mean whichever way the wind blows, God is still love.”
    The body of Christ is filled with believers who love God deeply but have learned to live by the direction of the wind. Every doctrinal breeze, new movement, or emotional wave blows them somewhere new. But the mature believer stands fixed—not because the winds stopped, but because Christ is their anchor.

    God’s Goal Is Full Growth, Not Emotional Height

    Ephesians 4:13 begins with “Till we all come in the unity of the faith.”
    The word “come” is from Strong’s G2658 – katantaō, meaning “to arrive at, to reach a destination.” Our destination is not excitement—it is Christlikeness.
    A: Perfection Means Completion
    The word “perfect” in verse 13 is Strong’s G5046 – teleios, meaning “complete, mature, brought to full age.”
    God’s vision for His children is completeness—believers fully formed in character, not just fervor.
    James 1:4 — “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
    Emotional experiences can start us on the journey, but maturity means allowing patience—time, testing, and truth—to complete us.
    A young blacksmith swings his hammer with passion. Sparks fly, but his blows are uneven. The seasoned blacksmith, calm and consistent, shapes the iron with purpose. The fire is the same, but one’s passion is guided by formed skill. God is shaping a people not only to burn but to build.
    B: Christ Is the Standard of Maturity
    Paul says “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” The term “measure” (G3358 – metron) speaks of a set standard; “stature” (G2244 – hēlikia) means age, growth, or maturity.
    Our measure is not emotion—it is the fullness (pleroma, G4138) of Christ. The mature believer reflects His nature in consistency, discernment, and obedience.
    Philippians 3:14 — “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
    We measure by Christ, not by another Christian’s passion. A flashlight and the sun both shine, but one fades quickly; the other never stops radiating. Passion is the flashlight, maturity the sun.

    Immaturity Leaves Us Vulnerable to Deception

    Ephesians 4:14 says, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro.”
    A: The Word “Children” Exposes Spiritual Inexperience
    The Greek term is Strong’s G3516 – nēpios, meaning “infant, one who cannot speak or understand.” Spiritual infancy keeps us reactive instead of responsive—living off emotion rather than revelation.
    Hebrews 5:13–14 — “For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.”
    Emotional faith doesn’t last under pressure; mature faith endures because it’s rooted in truth.
    Consider a sapling and an oak in a storm. The sapling whips violently; the oak bends but stands. The difference is not the storm but the roots.
    B: False Winds and Spiritual Games
    Paul warns of “every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men.” The term “sleight” (G2940 – kubeia) means dice-playing or trickery. Deception comes subtly, often dressed in spiritual passion but void of biblical soundness.
    2 Corinthians 11:13–15 — “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.”
    The spiritually immature confuse charisma for character and newness for truth. Those easily swayed will spend their strength chasing sensations rather than building steadfastness.
    A ship without ballast is easily tossed no matter how skillful the sailor. The Word of God is our ballast. Passion may fill the sails, but only maturity keeps the ship steady.

    Maturity Manifests Through Truth and Love

    Verse 15 declares, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”
    A: Truth Is More Than Words—it Is Grown Character
    “Speaking the truth” (G226 – alētheuō) means “to live or practice the truth.” It’s not only spoken doctrine but embodied honesty.
    1 John 3:18 — “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
    A tree speaks by its fruit. You never hear it shout “apple!”—you simply see it bear what it is. Maturity doesn’t need to announce itself; it manifests naturally in how one treats others.
    B: Love Is the Environment Where Growth Flourishes
    Agapē (G26) is not a feeling but a decision of divine nature. Truth without it becomes harsh; love without truth becomes hollow. Maturity balances the two.
    1 Corinthians 13:11 — “When I was a child, I spake as a child… but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
    In the wilderness, Israel rejoiced at the Red Sea’s parting but murmured days later in dryness. Passion celebrated the moment; maturity would have trusted beyond it. God calls us not only to worship in freedom but to walk faithfully afterward.

    God Is Shifting His Church from Hype to Habitation

    The Spirit’s work in this hour is preparation, not performance; training, not excitement.
    2 Timothy 2:3–4 — “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
    Psalm 1:3 — “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water… his leaf also shall not wither.”
    A: Hype Fades—Habitation Endures
    Moments stirred by passion may ignite quickly but cool just as fast. Habitation means God establishes His presence as a continual reality within a mature people.
    John 15:5 — “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.”
    A campfire burns bright for a night; a furnace warms the house for a lifetime. Hype creates sparks, but maturity builds a furnace. God is building enduring faith—faith that keeps burning when no crowd watches.
    B: Training Produces Steadfast Faith
    Discipline in Scripture (G3809 – paideia) means “training or instruction.” It speaks of growth shaped by correction, not applause.
    Hebrews 12:11 — “No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous… nevertheless it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness.”
    God’s training silences the noise of the moment to strengthen endurance for the mission.
    An athlete doesn’t grow stronger in applause but in repetition—running, stretching, straining. Likewise, spiritual muscle builds through small obediences, uncelebrated moments, and quiet faithfulness.

    God’s Preparation Exposes the Depth of Our Faith

    In prophetic seasons, surface faith is revealed. What was once loud may now grow quiet; what looked insignificant may now endure.
    Matthew 7:24–25 — “Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them… it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”
    Buildings look similar in sunlight, but only storms reveal their foundations. The coming days are testing days. Hype will not hold; only depth will.
    Encouragement:
    If God is preparing you through pruning, He’s proving you for purpose. Passion may wobble under pressure, but maturity stands because it is rooted in conviction, not convenience.

    Conclusion: Growing Up Into Christ

    Ephesians 4:15 ends with the phrase “may grow up into him in all things.”
    That is the invitation—to grow up and into. Up in stature, into likeness.
    Maturity is not outgrowing passion—it’s anchoring it. God doesn’t remove zeal; He refines it until it burns steady instead of wild.
    Colossians 2:7 — “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith.”

    Closing:

    A young orchestra loves to play loud, every instrument competing for attention. But a master conductor teaches them harmony, timing, and tone. The music becomes deeper, not because passion left, but because it found direction. So too, the Spirit is conducting the body into a harmony of maturity.
    Spiritual adulthood is the call of this hour. Do not despise the season of training; rejoice that God counts you worthy to be formed. Passion may start the fire—but maturity keeps it burning through the night.
    “Growth in grace is the best evidence of spiritual life; increase of love is the surest mark of vitality. We must not rest while we are little in faith, unsteady in purpose, shallow in experience; but press onward to know the Lord.”— Charles Spurgeon

      • Ephesians 4:13–15KJV1900

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Jubilee Community Church
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http://jccministries.org
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