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The House Established
SEEK WEEK
Locations & Times
The House Established Town
1125 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814, USA
Sunday 6:00 PM
Church family,
I’m honored that you would join us this week for Seek Week.
Our prayer is simple: that this would be a season of alignment over achievement. That as we seek the Lord together—through Scripture, prayer, and fasting—we would grow clear, steady, and sober-minded.
The Apostle Peter writes:
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
– 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
Peter isn’t trying to scare us.
He’s calling us to clarity.
Not frantic.
Not distracted.
Not driven by noise.
But awake. Anchored. Present.
As you read this week, I’ve woven in a few personal stories. My prayer is that they would encourage you, ground you, and minister to you right where you are.
Our desire this week is not to do more, but to become more like Jesus—our truest selves.
Let’s open the Word together.
— Pastor JT
I’m honored that you would join us this week for Seek Week.
Our prayer is simple: that this would be a season of alignment over achievement. That as we seek the Lord together—through Scripture, prayer, and fasting—we would grow clear, steady, and sober-minded.
The Apostle Peter writes:
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
– 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
Peter isn’t trying to scare us.
He’s calling us to clarity.
Not frantic.
Not distracted.
Not driven by noise.
But awake. Anchored. Present.
As you read this week, I’ve woven in a few personal stories. My prayer is that they would encourage you, ground you, and minister to you right where you are.
Our desire this week is not to do more, but to become more like Jesus—our truest selves.
Let’s open the Word together.
— Pastor JT
DAY 1 — I’M CALLED TO SEEK FIRST HIS FACE
READING
“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God…”
– Daniel 1:1–2 (NIV)
DEVOTIONAL
Today, we find ourselves in Daniel chapter 1.
The story doesn’t begin with Daniel’s courage.
It begins with God’s sovereignty.
Jerusalem is invaded.
The temple is plundered.
God’s people lose control.
And then Scripture says something that should stop us:
“And the Lord delivered…”
Not Babylon.
Not armies.
Not politics.
The king of Babylon besieged Jerusalem.
And yet the text is clear. God is not absent. He is still ruling.
Which tells us this, God is still ruling, even when His people are not in control.
Seek Week starts here.
Not with striving, but with surrender.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God is still ruling, even when I don’t understand the moment.
MEDITATION QUESTION
Where have I been seeking control instead of seeking God’s face?
PRAYER
Lord, today I seek You first.
Not answers. Not outcomes.
You are still God, and I trust You.
Amen.
READING
“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God…”
– Daniel 1:1–2 (NIV)
DEVOTIONAL
Today, we find ourselves in Daniel chapter 1.
The story doesn’t begin with Daniel’s courage.
It begins with God’s sovereignty.
Jerusalem is invaded.
The temple is plundered.
God’s people lose control.
And then Scripture says something that should stop us:
“And the Lord delivered…”
Not Babylon.
Not armies.
Not politics.
The king of Babylon besieged Jerusalem.
And yet the text is clear. God is not absent. He is still ruling.
Which tells us this, God is still ruling, even when His people are not in control.
Seek Week starts here.
Not with striving, but with surrender.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God is still ruling, even when I don’t understand the moment.
MEDITATION QUESTION
Where have I been seeking control instead of seeking God’s face?
PRAYER
Lord, today I seek You first.
Not answers. Not outcomes.
You are still God, and I trust You.
Amen.
DAY 2 — I’M CALLED TO TRUST GOD WHEN I’M NOT IN CONTROL
READING
“Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.”
– Daniel 1:3–5 (NIV)
DEVOTIONAL
Daniel didn’t choose Babylon.
Babylon chose him.
He didn’t plan exile.
He was taken, retrained, and repositioned.
And yet—God was still at work.
Sometimes God doesn’t deliver us out of hard seasons.
Sometimes He delivers us into them.
Not to abandon us.
Not to destroy us.
But to form us.
Exile wasn’t the absence of God’s rule.
It was the rearrangement of it.
Calling doesn’t wait for perfect conditions.
It often emerges right where we feel the least control.
My daughter Noa just turned ten.
I still can’t believe I have a ten-year-old.
Right now, many of her decisions are protected—how she’s raised, who she’s around, where she goes, what influences shape her. By God’s grace, that’s a place of safety.
But as she grows, she’ll gain more agency. More freedom. And one day, she may find herself in places she didn’t pray for or plan.
And I want her to know this:
God will still be with her.
And I want you to hear it today, too.
Even if you didn’t choose this season.
Even if you didn’t pray for this place.
God is still with you.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
God is faithful even when life feels rearranged.
MEDITATION QUESTION
Where might God be forming me in a season I didn’t choose?
PRAYER
God, help me trust You right here.
Amen.
READING
“Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.”
– Daniel 1:3–5 (NIV)
DEVOTIONAL
Daniel didn’t choose Babylon.
Babylon chose him.
He didn’t plan exile.
He was taken, retrained, and repositioned.
And yet—God was still at work.
Sometimes God doesn’t deliver us out of hard seasons.
Sometimes He delivers us into them.
Not to abandon us.
Not to destroy us.
But to form us.
Exile wasn’t the absence of God’s rule.
It was the rearrangement of it.
Calling doesn’t wait for perfect conditions.
It often emerges right where we feel the least control.
My daughter Noa just turned ten.
I still can’t believe I have a ten-year-old.
Right now, many of her decisions are protected—how she’s raised, who she’s around, where she goes, what influences shape her. By God’s grace, that’s a place of safety.
But as she grows, she’ll gain more agency. More freedom. And one day, she may find herself in places she didn’t pray for or plan.
And I want her to know this:
God will still be with her.
And I want you to hear it today, too.
Even if you didn’t choose this season.
Even if you didn’t pray for this place.
God is still with you.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
God is faithful even when life feels rearranged.
MEDITATION QUESTION
Where might God be forming me in a season I didn’t choose?
PRAYER
God, help me trust You right here.
Amen.
DAY 3 — I’M CALLED TO CONVICTION BEFORE INFLUENCE
READING
“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”
– Daniel 1:8 (NIV)
DEVOTIONAL
Before miracles.
Before dreams.
Before lions.
Before promotion.
Daniel resolved something in his heart.
He decided ahead of time who he would be.
This wasn’t emotional obedience.
This was intentional consecration.
Conviction isn’t formed in loud moments.
It’s formed in quiet ones.
Daniel settled the question of allegiance early so that when pressure came, his answer was already clear.
Influence without conviction drifts.
Conviction, even unseen, holds steady.
Don’t wait for pressure to define you.
Decide who you are now.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Conviction formed in private sustains faith in public.
MEDITATION QUESTION
What decision do I need to settle now, before pressure arrives?
PRAYER
Lord, form conviction in me before the moment tests me.
Amen.
READING
“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”
– Daniel 1:8 (NIV)
DEVOTIONAL
Before miracles.
Before dreams.
Before lions.
Before promotion.
Daniel resolved something in his heart.
He decided ahead of time who he would be.
This wasn’t emotional obedience.
This was intentional consecration.
Conviction isn’t formed in loud moments.
It’s formed in quiet ones.
Daniel settled the question of allegiance early so that when pressure came, his answer was already clear.
Influence without conviction drifts.
Conviction, even unseen, holds steady.
Don’t wait for pressure to define you.
Decide who you are now.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Conviction formed in private sustains faith in public.
MEDITATION QUESTION
What decision do I need to settle now, before pressure arrives?
PRAYER
Lord, form conviction in me before the moment tests me.
Amen.
DAY 4 — I’M CALLED TO ALLEGIANCE BEFORE APPETITE
READING
“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”
– Daniel 1:8 (NIV)
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
– 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
DEVOTIONAL
Our appetites are powerful.
And if we’re not careful, they can be dangerous.
When I was a young man, there were seasons I couldn’t keep my phone near my bed. Not because the phone was evil—but because my appetites were unguarded.
I had to delete apps.
I had to stop scrolling.
I had to break the habit of comparing my life to others’ and wanting what wasn’t mine.
Comparison was robbing me of freedom.
Distraction was discipling me more than Scripture.
Now, at forty-three, the battle hasn’t disappeared, it’s just matured.
Every day I still decide what I will feed and what I will starve.
If I feed the Spirit, my allegiance grows.
If I starve the flesh, my appetites lose their grip.
Daniel didn’t say no because he hated Babylon.
He said no because he loved God more.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
What I feed will shape who I become.
MEDITATION QUESTION
What appetite might God be asking me to starve this week?
PRAYER
God, help me be sober-minded and clear-hearted.
Amen.
READING
“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”
– Daniel 1:8 (NIV)
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
– 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
DEVOTIONAL
Our appetites are powerful.
And if we’re not careful, they can be dangerous.
When I was a young man, there were seasons I couldn’t keep my phone near my bed. Not because the phone was evil—but because my appetites were unguarded.
I had to delete apps.
I had to stop scrolling.
I had to break the habit of comparing my life to others’ and wanting what wasn’t mine.
Comparison was robbing me of freedom.
Distraction was discipling me more than Scripture.
Now, at forty-three, the battle hasn’t disappeared, it’s just matured.
Every day I still decide what I will feed and what I will starve.
If I feed the Spirit, my allegiance grows.
If I starve the flesh, my appetites lose their grip.
Daniel didn’t say no because he hated Babylon.
He said no because he loved God more.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
What I feed will shape who I become.
MEDITATION QUESTION
What appetite might God be asking me to starve this week?
PRAYER
God, help me be sober-minded and clear-hearted.
Amen.
DAY 5 — I’M CALLED TO FAITHFULNESS WHERE GOD HAS GIVEN ME FAVOR
READING
“Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel,”
– Daniel 1:9 (NIV)
DEVOTIONAL
Daniel didn’t change Babylon by shouting at it. Daniel didn’t change Babylon by forcing his way. He stayed faithful in the place God put him.
Scripture tells us that God caused Daniel to find favor and compassion with the official.
Daniel didn’t manipulate favor. He didn’t position himself for it. God caused it.
Nearly two decades ago, some of the greatest lessons I learned came in New York City, in an office building above Grand Central Station at 200 Park Avenue, on the nineteenth floor.
It felt a lot like Babylon.
Wealthy.
Polished.
Full of opportunity.
It was also decadent, superficial, and highly competitive. Job titles carried weight. Revenue production defined value. And identity was quietly tied to performance.
Slowly, almost subtly, it began shaping what success looked like, what mattered most, and who I was becoming.
Not all of it was good, but all of it was formative.
God called me there for a season.
God called me there for a season.
That season trained me.
It developed my gifts.
It refined my skills.
It gave structure to my instincts.
It strengthened my voice and taught me how to stand my ground.
I found favor with men and women in that building.
Opportunities I didn’t chase.
Support I didn’t manipulate.
My parents were praying for me. God’s grace was surrounding me in a place where I was a foreigner, yet His purposes were providential. God was sovereignly orchestrating things behind the scenes. Not just for my blessing, but so that one day I could step into greater responsibility and serve faithfully in the places He would entrust to me.
One thing we have to keep clear: I am called to be faithful, but God’s favor is never earned by my faithfulness. Favor is a gift.
And thanks be to God, He doesn’t waste seasons.
He doesn’t waste environments.
He doesn’t waste obedience.
And when God gives favor, it is always meant to be stewarded for the sake of others.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God’s favor is a gift meant to be stewarded, not assumed.
MEDITATION QUESTION
How am I stewarding the favor God has already given me?
PRAYER
Lord, help me be faithful where You have placed me.
Thank You for the favor You give as a gift.
Teach me to steward it humbly and to use it for the good of others and the glory of Your name.
Amen.
READING
“Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel,”
– Daniel 1:9 (NIV)
DEVOTIONAL
Daniel didn’t change Babylon by shouting at it. Daniel didn’t change Babylon by forcing his way. He stayed faithful in the place God put him.
Scripture tells us that God caused Daniel to find favor and compassion with the official.
Daniel didn’t manipulate favor. He didn’t position himself for it. God caused it.
Nearly two decades ago, some of the greatest lessons I learned came in New York City, in an office building above Grand Central Station at 200 Park Avenue, on the nineteenth floor.
It felt a lot like Babylon.
Wealthy.
Polished.
Full of opportunity.
It was also decadent, superficial, and highly competitive. Job titles carried weight. Revenue production defined value. And identity was quietly tied to performance.
Slowly, almost subtly, it began shaping what success looked like, what mattered most, and who I was becoming.
Not all of it was good, but all of it was formative.
God called me there for a season.
God called me there for a season.
That season trained me.
It developed my gifts.
It refined my skills.
It gave structure to my instincts.
It strengthened my voice and taught me how to stand my ground.
I found favor with men and women in that building.
Opportunities I didn’t chase.
Support I didn’t manipulate.
My parents were praying for me. God’s grace was surrounding me in a place where I was a foreigner, yet His purposes were providential. God was sovereignly orchestrating things behind the scenes. Not just for my blessing, but so that one day I could step into greater responsibility and serve faithfully in the places He would entrust to me.
One thing we have to keep clear: I am called to be faithful, but God’s favor is never earned by my faithfulness. Favor is a gift.
And thanks be to God, He doesn’t waste seasons.
He doesn’t waste environments.
He doesn’t waste obedience.
And when God gives favor, it is always meant to be stewarded for the sake of others.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God’s favor is a gift meant to be stewarded, not assumed.
MEDITATION QUESTION
How am I stewarding the favor God has already given me?
PRAYER
Lord, help me be faithful where You have placed me.
Thank You for the favor You give as a gift.
Teach me to steward it humbly and to use it for the good of others and the glory of Your name.
Amen.
DAY 6 — I’M CALLED TO RESOLVE MY HEART
READING
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
– Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
– Esther 4:14 (NIV)
DEVOTIONAL
Daniel lived this truth long before Jesus spoke it.
He didn’t chase position.
He didn’t chase provision.
He sought God first—and trusted God with the rest.
Seek Week is about resolving something before the year resolves you.
You don’t drift into holiness.
You decide into it.
This isn’t legalism.
It’s loyalty.
You are called.
You are placed.
You are here for such a time as this.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Seeking God first realigns everything else.
MEDITATION QUESTION
What does it look like for me to seek God first today—practically?
PRAYER
God, I choose You first.
Form my life around Your kingdom.
Amen.
READING
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
– Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
– Esther 4:14 (NIV)
DEVOTIONAL
Daniel lived this truth long before Jesus spoke it.
He didn’t chase position.
He didn’t chase provision.
He sought God first—and trusted God with the rest.
Seek Week is about resolving something before the year resolves you.
You don’t drift into holiness.
You decide into it.
This isn’t legalism.
It’s loyalty.
You are called.
You are placed.
You are here for such a time as this.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Seeking God first realigns everything else.
MEDITATION QUESTION
What does it look like for me to seek God first today—practically?
PRAYER
God, I choose You first.
Form my life around Your kingdom.
Amen.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS SEEK WEEK.
We’ll see you tomorrow for Week Two of “I’m Called.”
God has called you.
You were born for such a time as this.
And as you take the long walk of obedience in the right direction,
I believe you will see the hand of God move powerfully in your life.
With love and faith,
Pastor JT
We’ll see you tomorrow for Week Two of “I’m Called.”
God has called you.
You were born for such a time as this.
And as you take the long walk of obedience in the right direction,
I believe you will see the hand of God move powerfully in your life.
With love and faith,
Pastor JT