The Notes

This coming Wednesday night, August 26, 2026, we continue our message series "Wacky Worship" with a look at Flowing Rivers.  Seem wacky?  Maybe . . . but just maybe this common, every day sight will remind us of a spiritual truth and draw us closer to God.  Please join us at 6:00 p.m. for in-person Bible study and worship as we look at another ordinary thing to show us more about our extraordinary God.  It's a little wacky, but a whole lot of positive, uplifting, & encouraging truth!

If you can't join us in person, you can always participate through our Facebook page.  We go "live" at 6:00 p.m., and you will have a front row seat.  If you can't join us live, there are 3 ways to watch the message later - on Facebook, on YouTube, or here on our website. (the "Past & Future Messages" page).  Watch anytime!  

This week, August 19, 2026, we continued our message series called, "Wacky Worship."  It's wacky ideas that use ordinary things to connect us to our amazing and extraordinary God.  

Our focus this week was the Palm Tree.  It just so happens that we spent a few days in South Carolina where the state flag and state license tag feature the Palmetto Tree.  And of course, we live in Florida where the state tree is the Sabal Palmetto Tree which is featured in the state seal and on the state flag.  There are more than  2,000 species of Palm Trees.  You know them when you see them; they are unique and are all around us.  

Palm trees and their leaves have spiritual & symbolic meanings.

For example, the “Feast of Tabernacles” was a 7-day Jewish festival in which palm branches were used, and their use there fits perfectly with our Wacky Worship topic.  In Leviticus 23:40 – “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.”  The Festival started on 15th day of the 7th month of the Hebrew calendar.  It followed the harvest, and symbolized gratitude & dependence on God's provision.  They items they were to gather would remind them of how God provided for them, that's why they gathered fruit of beautiful trees.  It symbolized beauty & abundance, and reflected the bounty of the land God provided to the Israelites.  They also gathered branches of palm trees because: (1) palms were abundant in the region & (2) they were associated with victory, triumph, & eternal life.  The palms were a reminder of the victories God gave His people . . . when they conquered the Promised Land of Canaan and when the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. 

In ancient Rome, palm branches awarded to victorious athletes & warriors, embodying success and achievement.  And, of course, palm branches remind us of Jesus’ triumph over death and His entry into Jerusalem.  There, He was greeted with palm branches.  (John 12:13).  And in many cultures, palms are a symbol of paradise; we identify palm trees with leisure, relaxation, peace & calm.  There will obviously be peace in paradise - in Heaven - and there we will find palm trees and palm branches!

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” – Rev. 7:9.

But let me share another way to view palm trees, so that when you see one, you have a connection that will draw you closer to God and lift your spirits.

 Psalm 92:12-15 says - “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” 

From that verse, here are 4 Spiritual Truths:

# 1 – The Righteous Will Flourish.  To flourish means "to grow, thrive, or live in a healthy, successful way."  So, the Psalmist is reminding us that God's righteous people will continue to grow, even as we age.  We will continue to grow in faith, grow in love, grow in deeds.  The righteous rise up and thrive . . . even in challenging times.  They don’t give up.  They don’t become stagnant.  They continue!  Now the key to this is understanding that no person becomes righteous because of how they act or live.  We don't make ourselves righteous.  The Bible is clear on this point.  Romans 3:10 says, "There is no one righteous, not even one."  So how are we made righteous?  Romans 3:22 gives the answer.  It says that "righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe."  We are made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ and his blood makes us clean.  We are righteous then, not because of us, but through Jesus.  And it's through Jesus that we will "flourish like a palm tree."   

# 2 – The Righteous Will Be Resilient

Palm trees endure heat, drought, & harsh conditions, yet they still stand.  Palm trees are designed to bend in the storm, and not break.  So are we!  Like palm trees, we can be steadfast and keep standing.  Our faith assures us that despite life's challenges, we can trust in God's provision & strength.  When the winds of life come against us, we can see the palm tree and remember that we were made to withstand the storm.  We were built to bend and not break.  We are called victorious . . . because in all those tests of life, "we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Rom. 8:37).  We aren’t promised an easy life, but we are promised victory.  God promises to sustain us, strengthen us, and fight our battles.  Hardship doesn’t destroy us, nor does it destroy our usefulness.

# 3 – The Righteous Will Bear Fruit  Verse 14 says - "They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.”  When we "bear fruit," we impact other people and help change their lives for the better.  We are witnesses and living testimonies of God's goodness and grace.  And as we bear fruit – as we continue to flourish - it isn’t just for our personal benefit.  We do so for the blessing of others. We’re encouragers!  Even in old age, righteous believers will bear fruit by leading others to Jesus, by demonstrating God's love and truth to the world, by encouraging those who are facing challenges.  We have come through the fire and storms of life, yet still we can proclaim that there is a God who loves us.  Even after enduring loss, grief, hardship, we can still say that God is good. God is my rock; my sustainer.  I'm still standing!  Just like the palm tree, we face storms and continue to thrive.

And consider tis - palm trees are ever-green.  That means they don’t lose their leaves.  In old age, we don’t lose our usefulness, love, wisdom, or nature.  So we can continue to be a light that shines for Jesus Christ.

# 4 - The Righteous Will Experience Eternal Victory

Psalm 92 also says this in verses 6 - 9 - "Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand, that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.  But you, Lord, are forever exalted.  For surely your enemies, Lord, surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered."  But the righteous will not be scattered, they will be gathered together and rise to meet Jesus in the clouds.  Those who reject Jesus will be defeated, destroyed forever.  But the righteous will live forever in paradise, in the place that Jesus went to prepare for us.  And as we stand with our Savior in the most perfect paradise we could ever imagine, we will be waving Palm Branches.  We will be proclaiming that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of Lords; that He defeated death and gives us eternal victory.  Eternal life is promised to the righteous. 

So the next time you see a palm tree, let it lift you up and encourage you.  You were made to flourish, to withstand the struggles of life and keep standing!