He Is Coming Soon

Keeping Watch Without Fear

Jesus told us to stay awake, not to be afraid. This message is about the difference between the two.

📖 Matthew 25:1–13

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” The wise ones took oil in jars along with their lamps.

Sermon notes

Two kinds of waiting

The five wise bridesmaids and the five foolish ones did exactly the same thing for most of the night: they waited, and they fell asleep. The difference was what they had prepared before the waiting started.

Oil is not something you can borrow

You cannot borrow someone else's walk with God at the last minute. Not your parents'. Not your church's. Your own lamp needs your own oil.

Watching is not worrying

Watching looks like: praying, gathering, serving, staying ready. Worrying looks like: calculating dates and losing sleep. Jesus asked for the first and warned against the second.

Questions to talk about

Good for a small group, a family meal, or on your own with a notebook.

1What does "having oil" look like in an ordinary week for you?
2Where have you been tempted to borrow someone else’s faith rather than build your own?
3What is one thing you could prepare now that you would be glad of later?

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