Back to the Garden (New Beginnings Series)

Back to the Garden: Choosing Life in a World of Noise

We live in a world overloaded with information, yet starving for transformation. Every day we scroll through endless updates, political opinions, statistics, success formulas, and life hacks. We’ve learned to live perpetually curious—but rarely content. In our modern digital Eden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is more accessible than ever, and like our spiritual ancestors, many of us are reaching for answers when God is simply inviting us to know Him.

“Back to the Garden” is more than a title—it’s a prophetic invitation. An invitation to return to the place of first love. A place of simplicity, of trust, of paradise—where truth is a Person, not a proposition. Where light wins over darkness not by argument but by presence. Where we stop looking to the crowd for identity and return to the One who formed us from dust and breathed Eden into our lungs.

In Genesis 1–2, God creates the heavens and the earth, and places humanity in a garden of beauty, purpose, and divine intimacy. Eden, at its core, is not just a perfect setting—it’s a divine strategy. Man was placed not in neutral space, but on mission: to cultivate, to subdue, to expand paradise through obedience and relationship.

But amidst the abundance of Eden, two trees stood at the center: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. One offered intimacy; the other, independence. One offered trust; the other control. And humanity reached for control—as we still do today.

Like Pontius Pilate, we want truth but don’t always want the One who speaks it. Pilate looked Truth in the face and then turned to the crowd for counsel. Sound familiar? We outsource discernment to culture. We ask Google questions we should ask God. And in doing so, we forfeit peace, authority, and the Eden we were born to extend.

But God…

The Gospel is the story of Jesus, the second Adam, returning to the tree—not to feed from it, but to redeem us through it. The Cross became a Tree that reversed Eden’s curse. Jesus, becoming sin for us, undid what was broken and opened a way back to intimacy with the Father (Galatians 3:13).

And now, as redeemed people, we must choose each day which tree we’ll feast from. Will we live from the fruitless branches of needing to know everything—Why is this happening? Who’s right? What do they think?—or will we abide in the Presence of the One who is everything?

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35). Not the bread of information. Not the bread of opinion. Life doesn’t come from knowing what’s next—it comes from knowing Him who is eternal.

This year, what if we laid down the pressure to control and picked up the posture to commune? What if our greatest ambition wasn’t to have the right answers but to know the Living Truth?

You don’t need to know everything to step into your purpose.

You just need to know the One who made you, called you, and walks with you. His Spirit is still hovering over chaos, waiting for faith to rise. You were born for this battle—not to survive it, but to shine in it. You carry the DNA of Eden, and it’s time to let it grow through your life, your family, and your future.

Choose life. Choose Him. Let the garden flourish again—one surrendered heart at a time.

“That I may know Him.” (Philippians 3:10)

May that become your anthem this year. Not “that I may achieve… debate… control… avoid… impress.” But simply this: to know Him—in power, in presence, in the stark beauty of letting go and trusting more.

Spirit of God, hover again. Not over the world out there, but over the heart in here. Redeem the wilderness. Replant Eden. Bring us Back to the Garden.

Discussion Questions:

Which part of the Genesis creation story speaks most powerfully to you right now, and why?
What does it look like in your life to eat from the Tree of Life versus the Tree of Knowledge?
How do you relate to Pilate asking Jesus “What is truth?” Have you ever searched for answers outside of God?
What subtle ways do we seek control through information, rather than seeking intimacy with Jesus?
How can we recognize when we’re turning to the crowd rather than trusting in Christ?
In what area of life are you feeling Eden-like peace? In what area do you feel like you’re in the wilderness?
What would it look like to bring “more Eden” into your workplace, family, or community?
Are there questions you’re asking that aren’t evil—but still aren’t giving you life?
How can your small group support each other in choosing intimacy with God over control this year?
What practices could help you feed daily from the Tree of Life (i.e., prayer, scripture, silence, worship)?

Activation:

Faith:
Your deepest need is not more clarity, but more intimacy. The enemy will bait you into endless questions to exhaust your soul. But Jesus invites you to sit and eat from His table—the Tree of Life—where trust replaces anxiety, and Spirit replaces striving.

This Week: Choose a 15-minute morning or evening rhythm where you put away your phone, grab your Bible, light a candle or sit in silence, and simply pray: “Jesus, I don’t need to know everything—I just want to know You.” Then listen.

Family:
The next generation isn’t looking for perfect answers. They’re looking for embodied peace. When parents and spiritual leaders live out Eden—not as perfection, but as presence—it speaks louder than sermons. Let children and teens see you walk closely with Jesus, admit when you don’t know, and trust even when it’s unclear.

This Week: Around the dinner table or in a casual moment, share one area where you’re choosing to trust God over needing all the answers. Invite others in your family to share their trust journey too.

Future:
Eden was never about staying still—it was always about expansion. You were placed in your time, your city, your family, your profession to “be fruitful and multiply” the presence of God. This message invites you to stop waiting for perfect conditions and to start cultivating Eden, right where you are.

This Week: Declare boldly, “I carry Eden.” Then ask God, “Where are You inviting me to plant peace, speak truth, or create order around me?” Obey the first prompting you feel by faith.

THE LINC COLLECTIVE