Astonished By God | Jonathan Pickens | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Astonished By God

Jonathan Pickens

Passion City Church • Jul 23, 2025 • 37 min

Start a Devotional

Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

When facing severe trials or intimidating threats, our natural instinct is often to focus on the problem and seek self-preservation. Looking at the early church in Acts 4, Pastor Jonathan Pickens shows that true disciples respond to threats by gathering with fellow believers and fixing their eyes on the astonishing power and sovereignty of God. When we recognize who our Heavenly Father is, our prayer life transforms from asking for mere relief to seeking divine boldness to carry out His mission.

Themes

Prayer and IntercessionSovereignty of GodChristian CommunityKingdom BoldnessTrusting God in Suffering

Pastor's Points

1.

Until we pray, we can do nothing better than pray.

2.

We're meant to analyze the King, not our threats.

3.

Knowing who your Father is will change what we ask for.

4.

God wants to answer your prayers.

Key Points

1.
Until we pray, we can do nothing better than pray, because appealing to the Sovereign Creator is the most powerful action we can take in any circumstance.
2.
When facing severe threats or trials, believers must seek out their spiritual community ("their own") to lay out their fears and be covered in unified prayer.
3.
Believers are called to analyze the King rather than fixate on their threats, spending far more time declaring who God is than describing their problems.
4.
Scripture stored in our hearts serves as an arsenal for the Holy Spirit to apply truth and comfort directly to our trials.
5.
God can take our deepest pain and unanswered requests, just like the crucifixion, and transform them into resurrection power for His highest glory and our highest good.
6.
Knowing who our heavenly Father truly is transforms our prayers from requests for self-preservation and comfort to requests for kingdom boldness.
7.
God delights in answering aligned prayers by filling His people with the Holy Spirit and empowering them to proclaim His word with divine courage.

Sermon Moments

“Like a child in a dark car wash clinging to her dad, we often fixate on oncoming obstacles, forgetting that our Heavenly Father is in control and knows where the car is going.”

“Until we pray, we cannot do more than pray—there is nothing more powerful or helpful than appealing directly to the Sovereign Lord of all creation.”

“In the Acts 4 prayer, God is referenced eighteen times while the threat is referenced only once; we must learn to analyze the King, not our threats.”

“When you pray and memorize God's Word, you equip the Holy Spirit with an arsenal to apply divine balm and truth to your exact trial.”

“Just as God transformed the tragedy of the crucifixion into the triumph of the resurrection, He can take your pain and use it for His high purposes.”

“Understanding who your Father is shifts your prayers from asking for small things to making bold requests aligned with His kingdom will.”

“Boldness in the Christian life is not a natural personality trait; it is a spiritual gift promised to those who ask God for courage in the face of fear.”

“John Bunyan found deep peace in prison because he realized his family was far safer in God's hands while he was obedient than in his own hands if he were disobedient.”

This Week

Gather with fellow believers ("your own") when trials arise instead of trying to carry heavy burdens in isolation.

Reframe your prayer time by focusing primarily on praising God's character and sovereignty rather than fixating on your problems.

Memorize scripture regularly so the Holy Spirit can bring specific biblical promises to mind during seasons of distress.

Shift your daily requests from asking God for mere safety to asking Him for kingdom boldness and courage.

Unwrap your hidden fears and struggles before trusted Christian community so they can cover you in prayer.

Surrender unanswered prayers to God, trusting that He can turn painful circumstances into resurrection power for His glory.

Pray immediately with others in person when they share a need rather than simply promising to pray for them later.

Remember This

When we focus on our astonishing God rather than our frightening circumstances, our prayers shift from seeking comfort to asking for kingdom boldness.

A Challenge for You

Let us give our threats to God and fix our gaze on Him, trusting His power so that we pray bold prayers and experience His astonishing work in our lives and church.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.