Don’t Stop Believin’
August 2, 2026
Some songs can only be sung by people who remember what it felt like to weep. Psalm 126 looks back on a season when God restored His people’s fortunes and filled their mouths with laughter. But it also looks forward with longing, asking God to do it again. This is the song of people who have tasted restoration but still carry tears. Join us for the final track of Summer Psalms Mixtape Vol. 5, where we will learn that biblical hope is not wishful thinking. It is faith that keeps us sowing, praying, and trusting, because the God who restored His people in the past can be trusted with what remains undone.
Passage
Psalm 126
Principle
Hope remembers what God has done and trusts Him with what is still undone.
Hope remembers What God Has Done (Psalm 126:1-4)
Hope trusts God to restore (Psalm 126:4)
Hope keeps sowing while it waits (Psalm 126:5-6)
Practice
Identify one place of sorrow or disappointment and ask God where He is calling you to keep sowing in faith.
Small Group Questions
Use this outline for personal reflection, as a couple or family, or with a small group.
HANGOUT
- What stood out to you in Sunday’s sermon on Psalm 126?
- Describe a time when something good happened that felt almost too good to be true.
HEAR
Read Psalm 126:1-3
- What had God done to fill the people with laughter and joy?
- Why is remembering God’s past faithfulness essential to hope?
- Verse 2 says that even the nations noticed what God had done. How can God’s work in our lives serve as a testimony to others?
Read Psalm 126:4
- What does the shift from “the LORD restored” to “restore our fortunes” reveal about the life of faith?
- Where in your life can you say both, “The Lord has done great things” and “Lord, restore us again”?
- What does the image of streams suddenly filling dry land teach us about God’s power to restore?
Read Psalm 126:5-6
- What distinguishes biblical hope from passive optimism?
- What might “sowing” look like in the following areas? A strained relationship; a difficult season of parenting; a prolonged period of unanswered prayer; a discouraging work or ministry situation; grief, illness, or personal disappointment
- Why are we sometimes tempted to stop sowing when we do not see immediate results?
HUDDLE
- Where are you currently waiting for God to restore something?
- What seed of faithfulness is God asking you to keep planting?
- Is there a past act of God’s faithfulness you need to remember this season?
- How can this group encourage you to keep sowing without minimizing your tears?
- Talk about it, invite accountability, and pray together.
Daily Reading
As you read each passage, look for connections to this week’s sermon and small group discussion. Invite the Holy Spirit to be your teacher as you seek Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
- Day 1: Psalm 126
- Day 2: Ezra 1:1-11
- Day 3: Isaiah 35:1-10
- Day 4: Jeremiah 31:7-14
- Day 5: Luke 8:4-15
- Day 6: Galatians 6:7-10
- Day 7: Revelation 21:1-7
Passage to Memorize: Psalm 126:5
Think Deeper
- Describe a time when something good happened that felt almost too good to be true.
- When has remembering God’s past faithfulness helped you face a current crisis?
- What is something you are asking God to restore?
Suggested Resources
The Songs of Jesus, by Timothy and Kathy Keller
The Case for the Psalms, by N. T. Wright
Reflections on the Psalms, by C. S. Lewis
Answering God, by Eugene Peterson
Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Check out these and other books from our suggested reading list at https://bit.ly/AspireSMB.