Streams in the Wasteland: Finding God's New Thing in Every Season
In a world that constantly craves novelty yet so quickly becomes accustomed to it, Pastor Dave Thomas of Courageous Church delivered a powerful message challenging us to rediscover the "new thing" God wants to do in our lives.
Beyond Facebook Marketplace Faith
Pastor Dave began his sermon with a relatable childhood story about his treasured Adidas Predator soccer boots—how he initially cherished them so much that he took them to bed, yet after just one game, they lost their "new smell" and appeal. This vivid illustration perfectly captured how our faith journey can follow the same pattern, moving from initial excitement to what he calls "Facebook Marketplace faith"—settling for secondhand spiritual experiences instead of fresh encounters with God.
"So many of us trade in somebody else's measure of God, yet He wants to do something new in you and for you and through you," Pastor Dave emphasized.
The Three Dimensions of "New"
Drawing from Revelation 21:5 where Jesus declares, "Behold, I am making all things new," Pastor Dave unpacked three dimensions of this divine newness:
New in character - transformation of who we are, not just what we do
Fresh - not stale or preserved, but vibrant and life-giving
Better - improving upon what came before
This isn't just abstract theology—it's the very DNA of Courageous Church, embodied in their cultural value of "Changeling." As Pastor Dave explained, "We're on a constant journey of transformation. There ain't no ceiling, there ain't no plateau."
Isaiah's Wilderness Promise
The heart of the message centered on Isaiah 43:18-19, a prophetic word given to people in captivity who felt impossibly far from home. God's instruction was fourfold:
Forget the former things - Release old ways of thinking that limit our expectations of how God works
Do not dwell on the past - Be intentional about where we give our time and attention
See that God Himself is doing the new thing - Shift from self-reliance to God-dependency
Perceive the way in the wilderness - Develop spiritual vision to see possibilities where others see only wasteland
"What tabs are open on your desktop?" Pastor Dave asked provocatively. "Are they just the ones to survive and make it through, or do you dwell in a place of hope and expectation?"
The Now Opportunity
Perhaps most compelling was the emphasis on the word "now" in Isaiah's prophecy. "There is a now moment, there is a now word," Pastor Dave declared. "There are going to be opportunities that come your way in the next five or six weeks that are going to be a now opportunity."
The sermon concluded with a practical challenge: set aside time on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to get still before God, asking Him to open the eyes of our hearts to see the new pathways He's creating—whether it's a way out of financial hardship, mental health challenges, marital difficulties, or addiction.
In a world that often associates Christianity with the old and unchanging, this message was a refreshing reminder that the God of the Bible is fundamentally a God of the new thing—making ways in our wildernesses and bringing streams to our wastelands.