During the Spaces series, Beyond the Weekend will preview the coming weekend’s message rather than looking back at the previous one—mirroring our group curriculum and helping prepare our hearts for the upcoming sermon. This week, that means looking ahead to The Sea.

Read: Luke 22:39-42 | Listen: Luke 22

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42

 Jesus walks a familiar path. After the Passover meal, he leaves Jerusalem and climbs the Mount of Olives “as usual” (Luke 22:39). Moonlight shines through olive branches, and the night air carries a chill. Jesus withdraws just a stone’s throw from his disciples, kneels on the rocky ground, and prays. He knows what awaits him: betrayal, beatings, and a cross. The cup holds the full weight of God’s judgment against sin, and Jesus, fully God and fully man, feels its crushing heaviness. Yet a lifetime of prayer has shaped this moment. He asks honestly, then surrenders completely to his Father’s will. This is the heart of true trust.

 Every one of us will face a problem beyond our reach. A child makes choices we can’t control. A doctor calls with unwelcome news. Anxiety presses in from every direction. In those moments, we tend to grip tighter—worrying, fixing, and planning, as if control could keep us safe. Like Jesus, we can bring God our honest requests. But trust goes further. It isn’t giving up or pretending we don’t care. It’s opening our hands, believing our Father is good, even when his answer is no. God didn’t take the cup from Jesus, yet Jesus kept trusting him. Our trust grows the way his did—one surrendered prayer at a time. 

TODAY: Pray the words Jesus taught his disciples: “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10). Name whatever you are facing and bring it honestly to God. Then release it to him, praying, “Not my will, but yours be done.” Consider spending time in solitude or taking a walk as you pray.