Title
A Return to Sanity 《回归清醒》
Date
01/04/2026
Description
Psalm 23:3: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
詩 篇 23: 3: 他 使 我 的 灵 魂 苏 醒 ， 为 自 己 的 名 引 导 我 走 义 路 。(pg 901)
Psalm 16:11: Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
詩 篇 16:11: 你 必 将 生 命 的 道 路 指 示 我 。 在 你 面 前 有 满 足 的 喜 乐 ； 在 你 右 手 中 有 永 远 的 福 乐 。(page 892)
Romans 8:6 - The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
羅 馬 書 8:6: 如果你们的思想受罪恶自我的控制，只能导致死亡。如果你们的思想受灵的控制，你们就会得到生命与和平。(page 1832)
John 8:32: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
約 翰 福 音 8:32: 你 们 必 晓 得 真 理 ， 真 理 必 叫 你 们 得 以 自 由 。(page 1734)
3 John 1:2 - Beloved, I pray you to prosper concerning all things and to be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
約 翰 三 書 2: 亲 爱 的 兄 弟 阿 ， 我 愿 你 凡 事 兴 盛 ， 身 体 健 壮 ， 正 如 你 的 灵 魂 兴 盛 一 样 。 (page 1985)
Prov 9:10: The starting point for acquiring wisdom is to be consumed with awe as you worship the Lord.
箴言 9:10:智慧始于敬畏耶和华，认识至圣者便是明智。 (pg 1045)
Psalm 23:6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
詩 篇 23: 3: 我 一 生 一 世 必 有 恩 惠 慈 爱 随 着 我 ； 我 且 要 住 在 耶 和 华 的 殿 中 ， 直 到 永 远 。(pg 901)
詩 篇 23: 3: 他 使 我 的 灵 魂 苏 醒 ， 为 自 己 的 名 引 导 我 走 义 路 。(pg 901)
Psalm 16:11: Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
詩 篇 16:11: 你 必 将 生 命 的 道 路 指 示 我 。 在 你 面 前 有 满 足 的 喜 乐 ； 在 你 右 手 中 有 永 远 的 福 乐 。(page 892)
Romans 8:6 - The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
羅 馬 書 8:6: 如果你们的思想受罪恶自我的控制，只能导致死亡。如果你们的思想受灵的控制，你们就会得到生命与和平。(page 1832)
John 8:32: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
約 翰 福 音 8:32: 你 们 必 晓 得 真 理 ， 真 理 必 叫 你 们 得 以 自 由 。(page 1734)
3 John 1:2 - Beloved, I pray you to prosper concerning all things and to be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
約 翰 三 書 2: 亲 爱 的 兄 弟 阿 ， 我 愿 你 凡 事 兴 盛 ， 身 体 健 壮 ， 正 如 你 的 灵 魂 兴 盛 一 样 。 (page 1985)
Prov 9:10: The starting point for acquiring wisdom is to be consumed with awe as you worship the Lord.
箴言 9:10:智慧始于敬畏耶和华，认识至圣者便是明智。 (pg 1045)
Psalm 23:6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
詩 篇 23: 3: 我 一 生 一 世 必 有 恩 惠 慈 爱 随 着 我 ； 我 且 要 住 在 耶 和 华 的 殿 中 ， 直 到 永 远 。(pg 901)
Creator
Pastor: Mike Koger
Contributor
Hillside United Methodist Church
3737 US 80
Phenix City AL 36870
United States
3737 US 80
Phenix City AL 36870
United States
Transcription
A Return to Sanity
From Old Form to New Life
(Psalm 23)
There are certain scripture passages and verses that form the bedrock of our Christian faith:
John 3:16
Jesus teaching what came to be referred to as “the Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13)
The opening verses of the first chapter of the Gospel of John
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…”
…and the 23rd Psalm
One of my favorite and most quoted parts of that chapter is Psalm 23:3: “He restores my soul – He leads me in paths of righteousness”
I want to begin this morning by saying something simple:
God wants to restore us.
Restoration assumes something was off. Something was not right
The quest for restoration should begin the moment we realize it is needed in our lives.
One of my favorite movies opens with this line:
“A beginning is a very delicate time.”
And today—this first Sunday of 2026—is a beginning.
Not necessarily a loud one or a dramatic one. …But a delicate one.
Proverbs reminds us to know the importance of the season we are in.
Not every season is for speed. Some seasons are for alignment.
Psalm 16:11: Thou wilt show me the path of life
Let me ask you something gently…
Were there moments in 2025 where you took actions that didn’t seem in line with your goals… your values…
…or even your own character?
Moments where later you thought, “What was I thinking?”
Shakespeare once lamented, “These rebel powers that thee array…”
talking about forces inside the soul that pull us off course.
“these “rebel powers” in the soul replaying” (forces that doubt belong there)
anger. resentment. guilt. bitterness. unforgiveness. We all know them.
The TV commercial asks, “What’s in your wallet?”
But maybe our deeper question should be: “What’s in your soul?”
Sometimes we kinda need a setback to prepare us for a comeback.
And so much of recovery — so much of restoration—
can be traced back to one thing: A return to sanity.
In the Twelve Steps, Step Two says this:
“Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
Sanity simply means: reasonable, sound, clear thinking.
Living in alignment with reality.
I submit to you: Insanity, then, isn’t madness — it’s misalignment.
“He wasn’t in his right mind when he did that”
“not being in your right mind” can mean all kinds of things.
It doesn’t have to be addiction or something that people can see outwardly
It can be anger, resentment, anxiety, unforgiveness, being judgemental
Someone once said, “That rare person who truly sees their betrayal by their own wrong ideas is ready to awaken.”
A wake-up call is really a return to sanity.
That’s mercy.
Jesus gives us a perfect picture of this in Luke 15. (Prodigal Son)
Luke 15:17 says,“When he came to himself…”
That’s restored sanity.
TPT says, “Humiliated, the son finally realized what he was doing.”
Not condemned. Not rejected. Awakened.
Truth did something nothing else could do.
Truth can show mercy toward you by being merciless toward everything that is harming you.
“The TRUTH shall set you free”
3 John 2 says, “…even as your soul prospers.”
God desires your life to flourish— but flourishing follows restoration.
Our souls need to be restored to God’s divine settings so that our souls can prosper, so that our lives can flow the way they were designed to flow.
…so that we can accomplish our “Divine To-Do’s”
This isn’t about trying harder. It’s about returning to alignment.
Proverbs 8 says this: “If you wait at wisdom’s doorway, longing to hear a word for every day, joy will break forth within you as you listen.”
Listen to this line: “…the fountain of life pours into you every time you find me.”
(ref: Prov 8:34) That’s not striving. That’s beholding.
But Proverbs also warns us: Ignoring wisdom brings harm to your own soul.
Not punishment — harm.
The opposite of sanity is in-sanity.
Scripture describes insanity this way: “Like a dog returning to its vomit.”
This comes from Proverbs 26:11 and describes a fool who repeats their foolish mistakes … someone going back to harmful or sinful behaviors, even after knowing better
… it’s going back to what once made us sick and wondering why we still feel unwell.
So when we ask, “What was I thinking?” the honest answer is often:
“I was thinking — but I was thinking carnally.”
“To be carnally minded is death.” Carnal thinking disconnects us from reality.
But Proverbs 9:10 says, “The starting point for acquiring wisdom is to be consumed with awe as you worship the Lord.” “Consumed with awe.”
Isn’t that what we’ve been talking about?
Isn’t that beholding?
Transformation doesn’t start with effort. It starts with awe.
One of the clearest signs of insanity is often revealed in the way we speak.
Why would we curse ourselves? Why would we speak against our future?
1 Peter 3:10 says, “Whoever desires to love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil.”
Words reveal what’s happening in the soul. …those “rebel forces”
Wisdom guards the mouth because wisdom guards the soul.
This year isn’t about becoming someone else.
It’s about coming back to yourself — the self God intended
…before fear, distraction, and misalignment set in.
Psalm 23:3 doesn’t say, “He pushes my soul.” It says, “He restores my soul.”
Restoration is not force. It’s return.
“Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.
From old form - to new life. From confusion - to clarity. From insanity - to sanity.
So today, don’t rush this new beginning. It’s a delicate time.
Let Him restore your soul.
Father,
We come before You now not to fix ourselves, not to promise improvement,
but to return.
We confess that at times we have lived out of alignment—
thinking without awe, speaking without wisdom, moving without clarity.
And yet You have not withdrawn.
You have remained near.
You are the One Who restores our souls.
So we yield the noise within us. We release the old ways of thinking,
the old fears,
the old forms
that no longer belong to the life You are shaping in us.
We choose stillness over striving. Awe over anxiety. Wisdom over impulse.
Restore our souls to Your divine settings.
Bring us back to clarity. Bring us back to truth.
Bring us back to ourselves as You intended us to be.
As we behold You, quietly and honestly,
let our thinking be healed, our words be purified, and our lives realigned.
We trust You with this beginning.
It is delicate — and it is held in Your hands.
We rest in You. We return to You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
From Old Form to New Life
(Psalm 23)
There are certain scripture passages and verses that form the bedrock of our Christian faith:
John 3:16
Jesus teaching what came to be referred to as “the Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13)
The opening verses of the first chapter of the Gospel of John
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…”
…and the 23rd Psalm
One of my favorite and most quoted parts of that chapter is Psalm 23:3: “He restores my soul – He leads me in paths of righteousness”
I want to begin this morning by saying something simple:
God wants to restore us.
Restoration assumes something was off. Something was not right
The quest for restoration should begin the moment we realize it is needed in our lives.
One of my favorite movies opens with this line:
“A beginning is a very delicate time.”
And today—this first Sunday of 2026—is a beginning.
Not necessarily a loud one or a dramatic one. …But a delicate one.
Proverbs reminds us to know the importance of the season we are in.
Not every season is for speed. Some seasons are for alignment.
Psalm 16:11: Thou wilt show me the path of life
Let me ask you something gently…
Were there moments in 2025 where you took actions that didn’t seem in line with your goals… your values…
…or even your own character?
Moments where later you thought, “What was I thinking?”
Shakespeare once lamented, “These rebel powers that thee array…”
talking about forces inside the soul that pull us off course.
“these “rebel powers” in the soul replaying” (forces that doubt belong there)
anger. resentment. guilt. bitterness. unforgiveness. We all know them.
The TV commercial asks, “What’s in your wallet?”
But maybe our deeper question should be: “What’s in your soul?”
Sometimes we kinda need a setback to prepare us for a comeback.
And so much of recovery — so much of restoration—
can be traced back to one thing: A return to sanity.
In the Twelve Steps, Step Two says this:
“Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
Sanity simply means: reasonable, sound, clear thinking.
Living in alignment with reality.
I submit to you: Insanity, then, isn’t madness — it’s misalignment.
“He wasn’t in his right mind when he did that”
“not being in your right mind” can mean all kinds of things.
It doesn’t have to be addiction or something that people can see outwardly
It can be anger, resentment, anxiety, unforgiveness, being judgemental
Someone once said, “That rare person who truly sees their betrayal by their own wrong ideas is ready to awaken.”
A wake-up call is really a return to sanity.
That’s mercy.
Jesus gives us a perfect picture of this in Luke 15. (Prodigal Son)
Luke 15:17 says,“When he came to himself…”
That’s restored sanity.
TPT says, “Humiliated, the son finally realized what he was doing.”
Not condemned. Not rejected. Awakened.
Truth did something nothing else could do.
Truth can show mercy toward you by being merciless toward everything that is harming you.
“The TRUTH shall set you free”
3 John 2 says, “…even as your soul prospers.”
God desires your life to flourish— but flourishing follows restoration.
Our souls need to be restored to God’s divine settings so that our souls can prosper, so that our lives can flow the way they were designed to flow.
…so that we can accomplish our “Divine To-Do’s”
This isn’t about trying harder. It’s about returning to alignment.
Proverbs 8 says this: “If you wait at wisdom’s doorway, longing to hear a word for every day, joy will break forth within you as you listen.”
Listen to this line: “…the fountain of life pours into you every time you find me.”
(ref: Prov 8:34) That’s not striving. That’s beholding.
But Proverbs also warns us: Ignoring wisdom brings harm to your own soul.
Not punishment — harm.
The opposite of sanity is in-sanity.
Scripture describes insanity this way: “Like a dog returning to its vomit.”
This comes from Proverbs 26:11 and describes a fool who repeats their foolish mistakes … someone going back to harmful or sinful behaviors, even after knowing better
… it’s going back to what once made us sick and wondering why we still feel unwell.
So when we ask, “What was I thinking?” the honest answer is often:
“I was thinking — but I was thinking carnally.”
“To be carnally minded is death.” Carnal thinking disconnects us from reality.
But Proverbs 9:10 says, “The starting point for acquiring wisdom is to be consumed with awe as you worship the Lord.” “Consumed with awe.”
Isn’t that what we’ve been talking about?
Isn’t that beholding?
Transformation doesn’t start with effort. It starts with awe.
One of the clearest signs of insanity is often revealed in the way we speak.
Why would we curse ourselves? Why would we speak against our future?
1 Peter 3:10 says, “Whoever desires to love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil.”
Words reveal what’s happening in the soul. …those “rebel forces”
Wisdom guards the mouth because wisdom guards the soul.
This year isn’t about becoming someone else.
It’s about coming back to yourself — the self God intended
…before fear, distraction, and misalignment set in.
Psalm 23:3 doesn’t say, “He pushes my soul.” It says, “He restores my soul.”
Restoration is not force. It’s return.
“Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.
From old form - to new life. From confusion - to clarity. From insanity - to sanity.
So today, don’t rush this new beginning. It’s a delicate time.
Let Him restore your soul.
Father,
We come before You now not to fix ourselves, not to promise improvement,
but to return.
We confess that at times we have lived out of alignment—
thinking without awe, speaking without wisdom, moving without clarity.
And yet You have not withdrawn.
You have remained near.
You are the One Who restores our souls.
So we yield the noise within us. We release the old ways of thinking,
the old fears,
the old forms
that no longer belong to the life You are shaping in us.
We choose stillness over striving. Awe over anxiety. Wisdom over impulse.
Restore our souls to Your divine settings.
Bring us back to clarity. Bring us back to truth.
Bring us back to ourselves as You intended us to be.
As we behold You, quietly and honestly,
let our thinking be healed, our words be purified, and our lives realigned.
We trust You with this beginning.
It is delicate — and it is held in Your hands.
We rest in You. We return to You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.