For the week of June 8, 2026
MONDAY
Day One: A Cry for Help
Sermon Focus: When surrounded by deceit and hostility, the LORD is our only true source of deliverance and peace.
Truth: Psalm 120 says, “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree! Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!”
Sermon Point: The psalmist could pray with confidence because he had seen God answer him in the past. He can look back on real moments of distress where he cried out and God truly responded, and that history becomes the foundation for his current hope. He reminds himself – and us – that remembering God’s past faithfulness strengthens our trust when pressure closes in and we feel bound, helpless, or unsure of what to do next. The psalmist knows that God hears and acts for His people, and that assurance carries him into every new hardship.
Sermon Reflection: What are some specific ways God has responded to your desperate prayers in the past and how does that knowledge encourage and inform your prayers right now?
Application: Starting today, find somewhere that you can write down specific moments God has answered you in the past – perhaps it’s a journal, maybe a blank page in your Bible, or somewhere on your phone. Let it become an encouragement whenever new distresses come, so that your present prayers can rest on remembering God’s past mercies.
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Praise God for His rescuing mercy and goodness; that He hears and answers us when we call out to Him. Pray that His Spirit would remind us often of God’s faithfulness and that our prayers would become more faith-filled and Kingdom-centered.
- Pray today for those people in your life who don’t know or perhaps don’t believe that they can cry out to God, no matter their distress. Pray that God will give you opportunities to share your faith and the Hope of Christ with them.
TUESDAY
Day Two: Deliver Me!
Sermon Focus: When surrounded by deceit and hostility, the LORD is our only true source of deliverance and peace.
Truth: Psalm 120 says, “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree! Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!”
Sermon Point: The psalmist moves from remembering past deliverance to pleading for God’s intervention in the toxic, deceit‑filled environment he now faces. Surrounded by people who lie, slander, and wound with their words, he reaches a breaking point and urgently cries, “Deliver me, O Lord,” trusting that only God can rescue him. Instead of fixating on how he might retaliate or solve the problem himself, he deliberately turns his attention to the Lord, the only just judge. His response mirrors Christ’s own example of entrusting Himself to God amid deceit and hostility, calling believers to do the same when they are maligned or mistreated.
Sermon Reflection: In what ways or situations are you tempted to retaliate, defend yourself, or “fix” the situation with your own strength instead of entrusting yourself to God?
Application: Practice the discipline of not retaliating. When you are tempted to defend, correct, or strike back…pause. Don’t do it. Take the situation to the God who judges justly, following Christ’s example.
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
1. Thank God that He is faithful to deliver us when we cry out to Him; thank Him for the example we have in Christ; and thank Him for His Spirit who strengthens us to respond in step with humility and Truth.
2. Along with the psalmist, pray that FMC would be delivered from deceit and lies; they are rampant among us. Pray also for yourself – that the deceit and lies that you perpetrate will be utterly eradicated from your life. Where deceit and lies rule, we cannot and will not glorify God alone, and that is a dreadful thought.
WEDNESDAY
Day Three: What Will You Do, God?
Sermon Focus: When surrounded by deceit and hostility, the LORD is our only true source of deliverance and peace.
Truth: Psalm 120 says, “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree! Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!”
Sermon Point: The psalmist acknowledges that while deceitful people may wound him, it is God – not him – who will ultimately judge the wicked with a punishment that is both fitting and severe. He refuses to take justice into his own hands, choosing instead to entrust the situation to the Lord who sees, knows, and repays rightly. Scripture reinforces that those who live as if God will not judge are deeply deceived, but their actions still carry unavoidable consequences. For the believer, this means resisting revenge and responding instead with the radical, Christlike love that overcomes evil with good.
Sermon Reflection: What would it look like in your relationships to believe that God sees, knows, and will repay rightly those who lie about or deceive you, and how might that change the way you respond to them?
Application: , practice one concrete act of kindness toward him/her – a kind word, an act of generosity, a note of encouragement, etc.
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Repent for the times you have not responded in a Christ-like way to those who have lied about or deceived you. Repent for the times you have lied about or deceived others. Pray that the Spirit would convict us swiftly and deeply when we are tempted by or faced with lies and deceit – that we would pursue Truth and that our desire to glorify God alone would shape our every thought, word, and deed.
- Pray that FMC would become and be known as “those people who are all about Truth” – fully committed to being and making devoted disciples of Jesus Christ – obsessed with God’s glory – overflowing with love and gratitude – thanking and praising God every chance they get!
THURSDAY
Day Four: Woe to Me
Sermon Focus: When surrounded by deceit and hostility, the LORD is our only true source of deliverance and peace.
Truth: Psalm 120 says, “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree! Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!”
Sermon Point: The psalmist feels worn down by the hostility surrounding him, lamenting that living among people who “hate peace” has become both unbearable and unrelenting. By invoking Meshech and Kedar – places known for violence and conflict – he paints a poetic picture of feeling trapped in a world marked by constant strife. Yet his use of the word sojourn reminds us that this hostility is not his true home; he is a temporary resident, an exile whose real citizenship is in the Kingdom of God.
Sermon Reflection: In what ways have you forgotten that we are sojourners and exiles here – that this world is not our true home? How might remembering your heavenly citizenship reshape your response to toxic environments?
Application: Make some intentional choices to limit the influence of toxic voices in your life – set healthy boundaries to reduce exposure where possible, invest in relationships that are mutually edifying, and fill your mind with God’s Word so that you believe and behave in step with it.
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Pray for Four Mile Church – that anyone who is struggling under the weight of a toxic, hostile environment would be encouraged by what we’re learning in 1 Peter and the psalms. Pray that we would become better at encouraging and building one another up and doing all we can to build and maintain unity among us.
- Thank God for the grace that is ours in Christ. Pray that His Spirit would shape our hearts such that we never stand in judgment over those whose lives are marked by deceit and lies but that, in humility, we would see where the rotten fruit of deceit and lies reside within us, as well. Pray that we would love Truth more and more, pursuing it with everything we’ve got.
FRIDAY
Day Five: Peace
Sermon Focus: When surrounded by deceit and hostility, the LORD is our only true source of deliverance and peace.
Truth: Psalm 120 says, “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree! Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!”
Sermon Point: The psalmist stands in stark contrast to the hostile people around him – he longs for shalom, the wholeness and God‑given harmony that is far more than the absence of conflict, while they remain committed to strife. Even though he feels worn down by their unrelenting hostility, his character doesn’t change; he continues to steadfastly pursue peace. His commitment is active and persistent – he keeps speaking peace, working toward peace, and praying for peace even when those around him refuse it. Like the psalmist, we are called to pursue peace and reconciliation even when surrounded by toxic people who drain and discourage us.
Sermon Reflection: Is there a hostile or toxic environment in your life that is wearing you down? What would it look like for you to keep “speaking peace” with patience, humility, and dependence on God?
Application: No matter where we are or who surrounds us, we’re called to make disciples. So today, be filled with Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-21), put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) and GO! Glorify God Alone all day long!
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Thank and praise God that He is a God of peace and that we can experience that peace as we trust in and depend on Him. Pray that we would believe His promises and trust in His faithfulness. Pray that we would sow His Word into our hearts every single day that we might live in obedience to it, for His Glory Alone.
- Pray for our upcoming corporate worship on Sunday. Pray that every single person will be encouraged and built up in their faith – that Truth will be pursued – that unity among us would be guarded – that our conversations would be gracious and seasoned with salt – that eyes and ears would be open and responsive to the work of the Holy Spirit – that next steps would be identified and taken. And that in and through every moment, God’s Glory Alone would be our chief aim.