Here To Stay (2026 Theme): The Word Still Works

Here To Stay (Part 2): The Word Still Works

November 2nd, 2025/Seventh Day Adventist

Intro:

You ever notice that some things used to work, but they don’t anymore?

Like your iPhone after the new Iphone 17 comes out? It’s almost as if Apple is saying, “We hope you’ve enjoyed your phone, but it’s time to trade it in so that your battery can make it through the afternoon.”

Or your metabolism after 35. Remember when you could eat a whole pizza, drink a milkshake, and then go play basketball? Now you choose your restaurants solely based on how well they cater to your diet and then you wait several hours before any extensive activity.

Or who am I preaching to in the house that used to be able to just go to sleep without having to wear a mouthguard? C’mon. Anybody in the house grateful that when things do change, there’s resources that also change and help with the tightness in your jaw.

What worked in one season won’t always work in the next.

But what if I told you there’s one thing that never stops working, no matter the time, trend, or circumstance? God’s Word still works.

Story: I grew up loving the Bible. My parents were old-school God’s Word people. I’m talking Baptist parents, in church every time the doors were open, and Southern Gospel music people. They didn’t just talk about the Bible, they lived it. They didn’t just read it, they applied it. When I was a kid, I had this little blue Bible that went with me everywhere. I didn’t always understand what I was reading, but I knew it was doing something inside of me. I knew it carried more weight than anything else I’d ever read.

You ever read something you didn’t understand, but somehow it started to understand you? A feeling like “I’m reading this, but it feels like it’s reading me?” That’s the Word of God. Fast forward, now my sons and daughters are doing the same thing. My favorite thing in this season is watching my girls get up at 5:50 every morning and sit with Jesus, the bible, and a latte. They call it their “bible time”.

The reality is… God’s Word doesn’t just move through generations, it multiplies through them. Because His Word doesn’t return void. It doesn’t miss. It doesn’t stop. It always accomplishes what He sends it to do.

And I need you to hear this before we go any further: This church exists because God spoke. Pinewood isn’t the result of a fun idea. It’s the result of a spoken Word. That’s why we can say with confidence… We're here to stay.

Transition: Let’s be honest, we live in a time where people are hungry for truth but addicted to noise. We scroll, we post, we compare, we chase, and still we’re empty. We are the most connected generation in history… and the most lonely. We are over-informed… and under-formed.

And yet, right underneath the surface, there’s this quiet, undeniable movement happening.

• Bible sales are up. 41%
• Christian App Download 79%
• Christian Music 50%
• Christian content is being consumed like crazy.
• People are praying again.
• God is meeting people in their dreams.
• The church is getting bold in sharing their faith.
• Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the generation everybody predicted would walk away from the church, are coming to Christ like we’ve never seen in our lifetime.

Could it be that the world is finally realizing… We don’t need more content. We need the Word of God. Because when His Word goes out, things change. Hearts change. Homes change. Cities change. And Pinewood Church, that’s why we’re here to stay.

• Not because we’ve figured it out.
• Not because Boulder suddenly became easy.
• Not because the culture shifted in our favor.
• But because His Word is still working.

This is so important for Vision Sunday:

• We’re not trying to come up with a new slogan.
• We’re trying to stay faithful to the Word God gave us.
• We’re not trying to be relevant, we’re trying to be rooted.
• So today we go back to the passage this house was built on: Isaiah 55.

Pastoral moment on word of the year 2026

Passage: Isaiah 55:6-13

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call to him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, so he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will freely forgive.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, 11 so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

12 You will indeed go out with joy and be peacefully guided;
the mountains and the hills will break into singing before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will come up,
and instead of the brier, a myrtle will come up;
this will stand as a monument for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that will not be destroyed.

Pray:

Background:

Isaiah is talking to a people who have lost their way.
They’re God’s people… but they’re not living God’s way.
They’ve been discipled more by the surrounding culture than by the covenant God gave them.
Sound familiar?

So God speaks through the prophet and says:
“My thoughts are not your thoughts. My ways are not your ways. I am not limited to your imagination. I am not boxed in by your circumstances. And I am not dependent on your faithfulness to fulfill My promises.”

Then He gives this picture, rain and snow falling from heaven, and He says, “That’s how My Word works.”
It comes down.
It soaks.
It produces.
It always bears fruit.

That’s the word over Pinewood.
That’s the word over Boulder.
That’s the word over your family.
The Word still works.

Now let’s build this out in three movements.

Title: The Word Still Works

Main Points:

1. God’s Word Is Still Producing

   1. 10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
   2. Isaiah says God’s Word is like rain.
      1. Rain has an assignment.
      2. It doesn’t fall randomly, it falls purposefully.
      3. It doesn’t hit the ground and say, “I hope something good happens.”
      4. It saturates the earth and makes it sprout.
      5. In other words: God’s Word is not inspirational, it’s generative. It doesn’t just motivate, it creates. When God speaks, things that didn’t exist before start to exist.
      6. Story: When we moved here to plant Pinewood Church 8 years ago, the vision was never to do something that’s never been done before. We weren’t trying to chase the new hip church trend. If you were in the room the first year you would know, it was not very “hip”. The vision has always been, bring the Word of God to Boulder, pray, and watch God move!
      7. We were told “Boulder is the city where churches go to die”. And historically, that may have been the reality. But we also hold true the promises of God. That no matter the outcome of the story, His Word has success and it prospers. And if we stayed faithful to that simple truth, we couldn’t lose!
   3. God’s Word is generative

      1. Before I go further, let me define the word I used earlier, “generative.”

         1. In tech, especially here in Boulder, when we say “generative” we mean: something that doesn’t just store or repeat information, it actually produces new output.

         2. Think generative AI: you give it a prompt, and it creates something that wasn’t there before, an image, code, copy, music. It’s not just searching, it’s creating. It’s generative. 2. So when I say “God’s Word is generative,” I don’t just mean “the Bible is inspirational.”

         3. I mean:

         4. it creates life where there was no life,
         5. it produces faith where there was doubt,
         6. it calls into existence things that weren’t there yet,
         7. it generates what God intended.
         8. God’s Word doesn’t just inform, it forms.

         9. It doesn’t just describe reality, it creates reality.

            4. Now, let’s talk Boulder.
               1. We live in a city that thinks we are the generative ones.

         10. We create our own meaning.

         11. We define our own ethics.
         12. We curate our own spirituality, a little nature, a little breathwork, a little mindfulness, a little “I’m spiritual but not religious.”

         13. It’s very build-your-own-belief-system. 2. But Isaiah is saying: No.

         14. Life doesn’t come from the earth to heaven, it comes from heaven to earth.

         15. It doesn’t start with us reaching up, it starts with God raining down.
         16. We don’t generate God. God generates us. 3. That’s why this text is so important for us: “So my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”
             5. Let me say it plainly:
                1. God’s Word doesn’t fail or miss, but it prospers where He sends it.

2. God’s Word Still Sets You Free

   1. “12 You will indeed go out with joy and be peacefully guided…”
   2. This is so good. The Word doesn’t just grow you, it moves you. It doesn’t just fill you, it frees you.
      1. We live in a culture of hyper-autonomy and low joy.
      2. We’ve never had more choices… and we’ve never been more anxious.
      3. We’ve never had more mobility… and we’ve never felt more stuck.
   3. Isaiah says when God’s Word hits your life, two things happen:
      1. You go out with joy.
      2. You are led in peace.
      3. That’s not just “I’m forgiven.” That’s “I’m actually walking in what God made me for and experiencing abundant life.”
   4. You can’t be led by the Word and the world at the same time.
      1. You will either let the Word shepherd your desires, or you will let culture disciple your appetites.
   5. That’s why Isaiah ties joy to going out.
      1. Joy isn’t in staying bound. Joy is in moving forward.
      2. Joy is in leaving Egypt.
      3. Joy is in walking out of the mindset that said, “This is just how I am.”
      4. Joy is in leaving your old identity and stepping into your assignment.
   6. Illust: Jess and I love getting on the motorcycle and driving up to Nederland and grabbing breakfast. No hurry, no rush, no agenda. That feeling of wind, beauty, presence… that’s a picture of what it feels like to live led by the Spirit and the Word, not led by rush and fear.
   7. Freedom is not the absence of leadership. Freedom is being led by the right Leader.
      1. Isaiah says, “You will be led.”
      2. The question is not “Will I be led?” The question is “Who will lead me?”
         1. Will it be your trauma?
         2. Will it be your bitterness?
         3. Will it be your bank account?
         4. Will it be the cultural story of Boulder?
         5. Or will it be the Living God through His Living Word?
   8. Some of you have lost your joy because somewhere along the way, you took the pen back from God.
      1. You started leading your own life again.
      2. In the words of Carrie Underwood “Jesus take the wheel.”
      3. Today is a day to say, “I want the peace of God back, so I’m putting the Word of God back in charge.”

3. The Word Of God Still Transforms What Is Broken

   1. Verse 13 is so beautiful: “Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will come up; instead of the brier, a myrtle will come up; this will stand as a monument for the Lord, an everlasting sign that will not be destroyed.”

   2. This is not just improvement language. This is exchange language. This is kingdom reversal language. This is God saying, “I am not interested in behavior modification, I am interested in total renewal.” This is changing the very soil of the city, from barren ground to fertile soil. From waste land to evergreens.

      1. Thorns and briers in Scripture represent the curse, frustration, sin, futility, life not working like it was designed to work. Earth apart from heaven.
      2. Trees represent stability, righteousness, flourishing, shade, legacy, life working like God designed it to work. Heaven coming down to earth.
         3. So God says, “Where the curse once grew, I will make beauty grow.” That’s Gospel!!! That’s the VISION!!!
      3. And of course we see the ultimate picture of this in Jesus. When Rome mocked Him with a crown of thorns, they didn’t know they were crowning the One who would reverse the curse.
      4. What was meant to shame Him became the symbol of our freedom. What was meant to say, “You’re not a king,” actually declared, “He’s the King over the curse.” He’s the KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS!

      5. So when Isaiah says the thornbush will become a cypress (Or Pine tree… Pinewood), he’s not just talking about landscaping, he’s talking about redemption.

         1. He’s saying: “What sin ruined, God’s Word can rebuild.”
         2. He’s saying: “What culture distorted, God’s Word can restore.”

         3. He’s saying: “What you thought was permanent, God can reverse.”

            4. Now let’s bring this right into Boulder.
               1. Boulder is a stunning place with a restless soul. People come here to heal, to hike, to reinvent, to deconstruct, to start fresh, or to detox from a religious system they felt was controlling. This is a city full of people trying to self-heal without Spirit-renewal.
               2. A lot of what is popular here right now sounds spiritual and often inviting.

         4. New Age practices. Energy work. Breathwork. A little nature-as-god.

         5. It is sincere. It is searching. But it is still centered on the self. 3. These systems start with this idea:
            “The answer is already in you. You just need to unlock it.”

         6. Or, “If I can align my energy with the energy of the universe, I will be well.”

         7. Or, “If I can detach from desire, I can escape suffering.” 4. Here is the problem.

         8. If the wound is in me, and the cure is also in me, I am treating my sickness with my sickness.

         9. Creation cannot heal creation.
         10. The created order can point to God, but it cannot replace God.

         11. At some point you have to move from looking inward and outward to looking upward. 5. That is why so many people in Boulder are actually coming to Jesus right now.

         12. They tried everything.

         13. They did the retreats.
         14. They did the sound baths.
         15. They did the crystals.
         16. They felt calmer for a moment, but not cleansed.
         17. They felt lighter, but not forgiven.

         18. They felt spiritual, but not saved. 6. So to make it plain:

         19. You do not just need spiritual practice. You need a Savior.

         20. You do not just need to go deeper into yourself. You need to be born again.

         21. You do not just need peace. You need the Prince of Peace. 7. But the Bible gives us a different order.

         22. First the King, then the Kingdom.

         23. First repentance, then renewal.

         24. First the Word from above, then the life that grows below. 8. And that is why Pinewood has to stay.

         25. Because God wants a clear, loving, joy-filled, Bible-rooted witness in a city that is full of spiritual activity but low on surrender.

         26. A place where people can hear, “What you were reaching for in New Age, you will find fully in Jesus.”

         27. A place where people can hear, “You were not wrong to seek healing. You were just looking in the wrong direction.” 9. “This will stand as a monument for the Lord, an everlasting sign that will not be destroyed.”

             5. That’s our assignment.
                1. To be the everlasting sign in Boulder that says:

         28. God is still speaking.

         29. God is still saving.
         30. God is still healing.
         31. God is still calling.
         32. God is still planting churches in “hard” cities.
         33. God is still building homes for His presence.
             6. That’s what Here to Stay is about.
                1. It’s not just a 2-year giving campaign.
                2. It’s a 2-year faith formation campaign.
                3. It’s God saying, “I want you to be the people through whom I show this city that My Word still works.”

Closing:

So… where does this land on you? Because sermons aren’t just to be admired, they’re to be obeyed.

Let me ask you a few straight questions:

1. Has the Word been raining on you, but not getting in you? You hear it. You like it. You post it. But you don’t sit with it. You don’t memorize it. You don’t submit to it. Today is a day to say, “God, soften my soil.”
2. Have you lost your joy? You love God, but your soul’s tired. You’ve been led by worry, hurry, and comparison. Today is a day to say, “Lead me again, Jesus. I want to go out with joy.”
3. Are there still thorns growing where God wants trees? Maybe it’s sexual compromise. Maybe it’s hidden unforgiveness. Maybe it’s cynicism that grew because Christians disappointed you. Maybe it’s that you’ve been burned by church, so you’re here but guarded. Today is a day to say, “God, I want the full exchange, thorns for trees, curse for blessing, sorrow for joy.”

Listen: the Word still works.

Invitation:

Isaiah says:

“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call to him while he is near.
Let the wicked one abandon his way
and the sinful one his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord,
so he may have compassion on him,
and to our God,
for he will freely forgive.”

That is the invitation.

• Seek the Lord while he may be found. That is urgency.
• Call to him while he is near. That is access.
• Abandon your way and your thoughts. That is repentance.
• Return to the Lord. That is surrender.
• He will have compassion and he will freely forgive. That is grace.

Some of you have been around the things of God, but you have not sought the Lord.

Some of you have believed in God, but you have not abandoned your way.

Some of you have loved the idea of Jesus, but you have not actually returned to the Lord. Today is the day to return.

RESPONSE MOMENT

If you know God is near and you do not want to miss this moment, I want you to respond. If you have been in New Age or self healing or a build your own faith kind of journey, and today you sense the Holy Spirit saying, this is the way, come back to the Lord, I want you to respond.

If you have been in church but you have been living on your own thoughts and your own ways, I want you to respond.

If you have lost your joy and you want to go out with joy and be led in peace, I want you to respond.

Invitation:

If you want to make a decision to follow Jesus. Then join me and everyone else in the building as we pray out loud together. It’s not the prayer that saves you, but your faith, making Jesus Lord of your life. We don’t let anyone go on the journey alone. If you have faith in Jesus, then let’s join together as we pray…

Prayer of Salvation:

Jesus, I acknowledge that I need you

I confess that I have sinned against you

I believe that God raised you from the dead

And right now, by faith, I say “Jesus is Lord”

Thank you for forgiving me

By your grace I am saved

And by your power I am set free