Where do you find peace when life feels unsettled?
In this second week of Advent, we turn our attention to peace and discover that biblical peace begins somewhere deeper than calm circumstances. Advent invites us to slow down and listen for the God who comes near, especially in seasons of waiting, uncertainty, and change. So what does it mean to experience peace when answers feel delayed, grief lingers, or life feels out of order? And how does God bring peace not by removing the waiting, but by meeting us in it?
In this message, Joan Cianci reflects on Isaiah 40 and the repeated call for God’s people to be comforted. Peace grows out of that comfort. It is not the world’s version of peace, built on control or convenience, but a peace rooted in God’s tender presence, His faithful word, and His promise to restore what feels broken. Through Scripture and personal experience, we are reminded that God speaks gently to His people, draws them close, and offers rest for weary hearts, even when the path forward is still unfolding.
If you missed the live service or want to reflect further, you can watch the full message above anytime after. We’ve also included discussion questions to dig deeper into the message. Whether you watch this on your own or share it with your small group, we hope this message encourages you.
Discussion Questions
- How does understanding peace as something that grows out of God’s comfort change the way you think about peace in your own life?
- What does Isaiah’s repeated call to “comfort” reveal about God’s heart toward people who are weary, discouraged, or waiting?
- Why do you think comfort often needs to come before peace, especially when someone is hurting or uncertain?
- In what ways does the world’s version of peace differ from the peace God offers through His presence and His word?
- How have words either brought healing or caused harm in your life, and what does that say about the power of words God uses to comfort His people?
- What kinds of waiting feel hardest for you right now, and how does Advent invite you to experience God differently in that waiting?
- How does living in seasons of not knowing shape faith in ways certainty never could?
- Why do human platitudes or well-meaning clichés fall short in moments of deep grief or crisis, and what makes God’s truth different?
- What does it look like to trust God’s peace when circumstances remain unresolved or painful?
- Where might God be inviting you to receive His comfort more deeply so that peace can begin to take root in your life?
