The Psalms - A Blessed and Prosperous Life

Pastor Steve Smith opens by reframing what it means to prosper as a Christian. Drawing on Ephesians 2:10, he reminds the congregation that each person is God's masterpiece, created for good works planned in advance. True prosperity, he argues, isn't the "prosperity gospel" of wealth and ease, but rather the fruitfulness, maturity, and forward progress described throughout Scripture — the kind of soul-deep flourishing that 3 John 1:2 speaks of when John prays that his friend would prosper even as his soul prospers.

Using Psalm 1 as his guide, Pastor Steve traces a path of spiritual regression — from walking in ungodly counsel, to standing in agreement with sin, to sitting in the seat of the scornful. He challenges the congregation to honestly examine where they might find themselves on that path, whether it's turning to social media, ungodly friends, or even AI for counsel instead of the Holy Spirit. He warns that the seat of the scornful is a dangerous place to get stuck, especially when a root of bitterness takes hold and blinds a person to the goodness of God at work in their own life and in others.

The good news, Pastor Steve declares, is that God offers a path forward — seated with Christ in authority (Eph. 2:6), standing firm in the full armor of God (Eph. 6), and walking in step with the Holy Spirit, who John 16:13 promises will guide us into all truth. Like the tree in Psalm 1:3, planted by rivers of water and bearing fruit in every season, those who delight in God's Word and meditate on it day and night will find that whatever they do shall prosper — not because life will be easy, but because they are rooted in the living water of Jesus Christ and running the race set before them with their eyes fixed on Him.