In this message from the “Bon Voyage” series, Pastor David uses a hilarious (and slightly traumatic) childhood RV road trip to unpack how we often pack our lives: we bring the wrong things, forget the essentials, and then wonder why we feel overwhelmed. From Mary and Joseph’s journeys to Bethlehem and Egypt, to Noah, to the Israelites leaving Egypt with arms full of Egyptian gold, he shows how every biblical journey involved deciding what to carry and what to leave behind—and how the same is true for our souls in a hectic holiday season.
From there, he introduces the big idea: “Peace isn’t something to wish for; it’s something to walk in.” Drawing from Isaiah 26:3–4, Pastor David explains the promise of “perfect peace” (shalom shalom)—not a fragile, external calm, but a deep, internal wholeness anchored in trusting God. Peace isn’t about everything around us settling down; it’s about our minds being fixed on Him. He contrasts our tendency to try to manufacture peace through control, circumstances, and resources with God’s invitation to surrender into His peace—illustrated with a funny and relatable story about finally learning how to relax into a hammock.
He then walks through the tension between management and surrender, teaching that our “war for peace” is usually fought in our thought life. Using Philippians 4:8–9, he calls us to break the mental “hula hoop” of replaying hurts, news cycles, and fears, and instead to fix our minds on what is true, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy. In John 14:27 and John 16:33, Jesus promises a peace the world can’t give—a “tranquil state of soul” rooted in salvation, not in the absence of problems. The presence of problems doesn’t require us to forfeit peace; we choose whether to give it away or walk in what Jesus already purchased for us.
Finally, Pastor David shows how ever-present peace comes from practicing the presence of God. Through Philippians 4:6–7, he gives a simple rhythm: don’t worry about anything; pray about everything; tell God what you need; thank Him for what He’s already done—and then the peace of God will guard your heart and mind. He closes by praying for those who want to carry peace on the whole journey of life, not just visit it occasionally—and invites anyone who has never surrendered their life to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to take that first step of faith.
Key Scriptures
Isaiah 26:1–4
Exodus 3; Exodus 12
John 14:27
John 16:33
Philippians 4:6–7
Philippians 4:8–9