August 30, 2026
Appointed for Joy
Pastor Ricky Smith

Sermon Notes

Genesis 1:14-19
And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

I. God orders His creation.

Everything answers to the Word of God.

II. God ordains our celebration.

Leviticus 23:2
Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.

Sacred rhythm isn’t a fence God put up to keep us in line. It’s a gift God built into the world because He knows we need it.

III. God offers us rest in Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Salvation is a creation event. It’s Genesis 1 happening in your chest.

Colossians 2:16-17
Let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

Next Steps

• I confess my sin and turn to Jesus as King for the first time.
• I commit to prioritize seasons of celebration and rest in my routine.
• I confess I’ve allowed my feelings to shape my rhythms.

Deep Dive

1. Read Colossians 1:15-17. How does knowing that Christ is the one holding the sun, moon, and stars together right now change the way you think about His hand on your own circumstances today?
2. Read 2 Corinthians 4:6 alongside Genesis 1:3. In what way has your own coming to faith, or your ongoing walk with Christ, felt like God speaking “light out of darkness”?
3. Read Colossians 2:16-17. Where have you, or where has the church broadly, been tempted to treat religious observance as the point, instead of letting it point to Christ?

Springboard

1. Read Genesis 1:26-31. What’s one detail in the passage you’ve never noticed before, something that surprised you or made you stop and reread a verse?
2. Why do you think the creation of humanity gets more attention in Genesis 1 than any single day before it?
3. What does it mean to “look like” someone, the way a child looks like a parent, or acts like an older sibling? Whose likeness do you want to be known for this week: at school, at work, at home?