On Father’s Day 2025, Pastor Josh White challenged us with a searching question: Where are you trying to find peace? Drawing from 2 Thessalonians 3:16 and the story of the prodigal son, this message reveals three unshakeable places every child of God can find true peace — even in the middle of life’s most difficult circumstances.
The God of Peace Gives Peace
Paul concludes his letter to the Thessalonian church with these remarkable words:
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
— 2 Thessalonians 3:16
The Thessalonian believers were worried. They feared they had missed the rapture and were about to endure the Day of the Lord. Paul had already addressed end-times confusion in chapter 2 and church discipline in chapter 3 — not easy topics. But he ends with words of profound comfort: God is not just the giver of peace. He is peace. He is the God of peace himself, and He longs to give you peace at all times in every way.
But what does biblical peace actually look like? Many of us think of peace as the absence of conflict — and that’s part of it. But biblical peace, often called shalom in the Old Testament, is far more than that. Shalom is an all-encompassing wholeness and well-being. It’s a harmony and tranquility that transcends human understanding — that inexplicable calm you can have even in the middle of a storm.
Pastor Josh proposed three specific areas of life where we experience the peace that only God can give:
1. Finding Peace in Our Identity
To illustrate how this works, Jesus told the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–24). This young man had every reason to live at peace. He was his father’s son. He had purpose in the family business. He had an inheritance waiting for him. And yet he rejected it all — convinced that peace and happiness were out there somewhere, waiting to be found.
His story exposes a lie that entices all of us: If only something were different — my circumstances, my relationships, my bank account — then I’d finally be happy. It’s the “if only” disease. And it leads us away from the very peace God wants to give us.
The truth is, our ultimate identity is found in Christ. When you place your faith in Jesus, everything changes:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
You are an adopted child of God. Your sins have been paid for. There is no condemnation between you and God. And nothing — nothing — can change that. When you understand who you are in Christ, you find a peace that no circumstance can shake.
2. Finding Peace in Our Purpose
Along with our identity, God gives us purpose — and that purpose is a source of deep peace.
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
— Ephesians 4:1–3
Part of our calling is to be peacemakers — to pursue unity and harmony in the body of Christ. But notice: our purpose isn’t something we just receive passively. Unlike our identity (which is God’s work) and our destiny (which is God’s work), our purpose is where we have responsibility. We’re called to walk according to it.
When the prodigal son rejected his purpose — his role in the family business, his calling to work alongside his father — he fell into despair. The same can happen to us when we chase after purposes other than the one God has given us. Understanding and embracing God’s calling for your life is where you’ll find peace.
3. Finding Peace in Our Destiny
Here’s the most comforting point: no matter what happens to you in this life, ultimately, you’ll be okay. Because your destiny is secure.
The Thessalonian believers were terrified about the future. Many of us are too. We worry about money, health, relationships, politics. We are professional worriers. But Paul reminds us — and this is why he ends his letter this way — that God wants to give us peace about our future.
Consider Paul’s testimony. He wrote these words from a Roman prison, shortly before he was executed for his faith:
“The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
— 2 Timothy 4:17–18
Did God rescue Paul from the evil deed that killed him? Yes — but not by extending his life. God rescued Paul by calling him home. And Paul knew it. He had peace because he knew his eternal destiny was secure.
“Even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.”
— Ephesians 2:5–7
That is your destiny, if you are in Christ. And that is where the deepest peace is found.
Where Are You Trying to Find Peace?
Peace is not found in circumstances. It’s not found in changed situations, better jobs, more money, or different relationships. Peace — true, lasting, unshakeable peace — is found only in the God who made you, saved you, and has secured your eternal future.
On this Father’s Day, Pastor Josh closed with a personal challenge: Where are you trying to find peace? If you’re looking anywhere other than your identity in Christ, your purpose in His calling, and your destiny in His kingdom, you’re living like the prodigal son — searching for something you already have access to at home.
The peace of God is a gift. And He offers it freely to everyone who will turn from their empty searching and rest in Him.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
— Romans 15:13
Scripture References
- 2 Thessalonians 3:16 — The Lord of peace Himself gives peace
- Philippians 4:6–7 — Do not be anxious; pray and the peace of God will guard your hearts
- Luke 15:11–24 — The prodigal son and the peace of returning home
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 — In Christ, we are a new creation
- Ephesians 4:1–3 — Walking worthy of our calling in the bond of peace
- 2 Timothy 4:17–18 — Paul’s confidence in his eternal destiny
- Ephesians 2:5–7 — Our secure position in the heavenly places
- Romans 15:13 — The God of hope fills us with joy and peace