Travel Steady Along His Path： A Word for Tribe 2023

In one paragraph

On the first Sunday of 2023, Brian walked Tribe fam through Psalm 37:34, a verse he had been sitting with since sharing it at a December gathering with Tribe's leadership. The message centered on what it actually means to place your hope in the Lord and to travel steadily along his path as the new year begins. The congregation joined the conversation throughout, making this more of a dialogue than...

Read together

1. Revelation 1:13-16 John's vision of Christ on Patmos, describing his appearance when he returns
2. Psalm 37:34 central verse for the sermon, quoted in NIV, NLT, Living Bible and Passion Translation, on placing hope in the Lord and traveling steadily along his path
3. 1 Corinthians (chapter not specified) Paul listing nine sign gifts that can operate in a corporate gathering, including tongues and interpretation
4. Romans 5:3-5 (approximate) suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope
5. Luke 1:8-18 (approximate) Zechariah serving in the temple, the angel announcing the birth of John, used to illustrate long waiting before God acts suddenly
6. Proverbs (chapter not specified) your word is a light to my feet and a lamp unto the path
7. Psalm 119:114 God as refuge and shield, his word as source of hope, prayer that hope not be crushed, read as introduction to the offering

What was said

• Ask the Holy Spirit to show you one specific thing you have been placing your hope in that is not him, and then hand it over to him.
• If your Bible is buried somewhere, dig it out this week and spend some time in it as a first step back onto a steady path.
• Think of the person in your life you would consider the least likely to ever follow Jesus, and commit to praying for that person every day this week.
• When you catch yourself worrying this week, treat it as a prompt to remember one specific way God has come through for you in the past and let that fuel your expectation that he will again.
• If kneeling during the service felt meaningful, try it at home this week as a physical way of telling God that your heart is in a posture of submission and trust.

Talk about it

1. Brian talked about watching The Chosen and how it sharpened his appetite to know Jesus more vividly. What has helped bring Jesus into clearer focus for you personally, and what still feels blurry?
2. Brian asked the congregation to be really honest about where they placed their hope in 2022, and several people admitted it was in things other than the Lord. Where did you find your hope drifting last year, and what did that cost you?
3. Brian described hope in the Lord using the image of a ski lift haul line, where individual strands are woven together so tightly the splice is almost invisible. What would it look like practically for your own desires and goals to be that intertwined with what God wants for you?
4. Joyce pointed out that hope rooted in Jesus is fueled by remembering what he has already done. What is one specific thing God has come through on in your past that you could hold onto as fuel for trusting him in 2023?
5. Matt challenged everyone to pray daily for the person they can least imagine ever coming to faith. Who came to mind when he said that, and what has kept you from praying for that person before now?