Kankakee First Church of the Nazarene - IL

FEBRUARY 8, 2026

WHEN THOUGHTS AND DESIRES TURN INWARD

Dave Anderson, Lead Pastor

This week, we will explore how living in an ungodly life story causes our thoughts and desires to curve inward, leading to spiritual, mental emotional, and relational chaos, exhaustion and even insanity. Drawing from Romans 1:18–32, the apostle Paul identifies the root problem is a failure to live with a posture of worship and gratitude toward God, resulting in an “exchange” of God for lesser loves. God’s wrath is revealed not as explosive punishment but as passive permission—God “giving us over” to experience the consequences of misplaced worship. Yet this passage ultimately serves as an invitation to repentance, re-centering our lives in the gospel story of Jesus, where God forgives, reorders, and restores our thoughts, desires, and behaviors through grace.

Sermons From This Series

ROMANS READING PLAN

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

When have you found yourself asking, “How did I end up here?” spiritually, mentally, emotionally, or relationally—and what might that reveal about the life story you were living in at the time?
Which “self-centered” life stories does our culture most strongly invite us into, and why do they often feel appealing at first?
Paul says the root cause of an ungodly life story is a lack of worship and gratitude—what does that look like practically in everyday life?
How does understanding God’s wrath as “passive permission” (God giving us over) change the way you view consequences and grace?
Which good desires (love, success, rest, connection) are you most tempted to let drift off-center, and how have you seen that affect your life?
Of the four repentance practices shared (open hands, turning, breath prayer, gratitude), which one feels most helpful or challenging for you right now, and why?

LIFETRACK STEP TWO: FIND FREEDOM

ROOM 109 | 12:15PM | Lunch & Childcare provided

No matter where you are at on your journey, Lifetrack is the first step that we encourage you to participate in here at Kankakee First Church. This is where you will learn about WHO we are as a church, WHAT we believe, and HOW we are structured to help you along your spiritual journey. Lifetrack is a four-step process that helps you discover your redemptive purpose and live the life God created for you. You will learn more about who we are as a church and who God has created you to be.
Lifetrack is also our onboarding for our DreamTeam.