### **Introduction – The Only Constant Is Change**
Video Ill.: Sermon Bumper 2
https://englishpluspodcast.com/the-only-constant-is-change-why-this-ancient-proverb-is-the-key-to-modern-life/
By English Plus
July 31, 2025
You may have heard the old saying, “The only constant in life is change.”
It comes from the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who taught that everything in the world is in motion — that you can never step into the same river twice because both you and the river have already changed.
I came across a recent article that revisited that same truth in modern terms. It pointed out that the universe itself is in a state of continual motion — mountains slowly shift, stars are born and die, continents drift, and even the atoms within our bodies are constantly moving.
The article’s conclusion was simple but profound: nothing — not nature, not technology, not even our own lives — stays the same for very long.
We see that everywhere.
Technology, trends, even the weather can turn on a dime.
You buy a new phone, and before you have even figured out how to use it, another model comes out.
You learn a new piece of software, and then an update moves everything around again.
Life is constantly updating itself, and most of us are just trying to keep up with the download speed!
But sometimes, those changes go deeper than gadgets.
Jobs shift. Friendships fade. Health declines.
Even our emotions can change from one day to the next.
Change is constant — and it can be exhausting.
And in those moments, when everything around us feels unstable, there is something in the human heart that cries out for something steady—something sure.
Last week, we began our series UNCHANGING by looking at Isaiah 40 and 1 Peter 1. In the fall season, among the beauty of the colors of the changing leaves, we are reminded that everything changes. But in a world where everything fades — where grass withers and flowers fall — God’s Word endures forever.
We learned that Scripture is not only enduring but alive — the living Word that still speaks to hearts today.
But if God’s Word endures, what about God Himself?
If His Word never fails, does His nature ever shift? Does He change His mind, His character, His promises?
Malachi 3:6 gives us some assurance:
6 “… I am the Lord, I do not change;?Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. (Malachi 3, NKJV)
You see, during the time of Malachi, God’s people had wandered away. They had disobeyed God’s laws. They had turned to the gods of the land. But God’s love and mercy had not moved. He was still there, though, they had drifted.
When everything around them shifted, God remained steady.
And that is what we are talking about today — the God who never changes.
### **1. God’s Character Never Changes**
Again, Malachi wrote:
6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change;?Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. (Malachi 3, NKJV)
When Malachi delivered this word, Israel was wavering again. They had grown weary, careless, and disillusioned. God had been faithful to them through covenant after covenant, generation after generation — but they were questioning His justice, doubting His love, and drifting from His ways.
And into that instability, God declares one of the most comforting and unshakable truths in all of Scripture:
“I, the Lord, do not change.”
Everything else changes — kingdoms rise and fall, people come and go, and even our own faith can feel like it waivers from week to week. But who God is never changes. His holiness never softens. His mercy never runs dry. His promises never fail. His love never stops reaching.
God is declaring His immutability — that His essence, His nature, His character, never shifts or evolves.
God does not grow wiser, because He is already all-knowing.
He does not grow stronger, because He is already all-powerful.
He does not become more loving, because His love is already perfect.
He is constant.
He is dependable.
He is faithful.
He is the same God today that He was when He spoke to Moses from the burning bush, when He led Israel through the wilderness, and when He raised Jesus from the dead. His character does not shift with culture. His truth is not swayed by trends.
Scientist Claimed the Internet Would Be a Fad
Source: Molly Bloom, "The Internet will be a fad, claimed scientist in '95," MPR News (2-16-12)
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2013/may/1052013.html
Copied from Preaching today
In 1995, an American scientist named Clifford Stoll boldly predicted that the Internet would be just another passing fad. He wrote an article for Newsweek titled "The Internet? Bah!" Here's what Stoll said in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio:
I expect the value of the Internet for communications in general isn't very high. I don't think it will ever replace face to face meetings and real rallies—things that get commitment and involvement from people. Rather, it induces a very shallow … involvement and as such, I think it's grossly over-promoted and there's a great deal of hyperbole surrounding it.
I think it's grossly oversold and within two or three years people will shrug and say, '"Uh yep, it was a fad of the early 90's and now, oh yeah, it still exists but hey, I've got a life to lead and work to do. I don't have time to waste online." Or, "I'll collect my email, I'll read it, why should I bother prowling around the Worldwide Web …" simply because there's so little of value there.
Ten years later, in a 2006 TED talk, Stoll reflected on his failed predictions and said, "If you really want to know about the future, don't ask a technologist, a scientist, a physicist. No! Don't ask somebody who's writing code. No, if you want to know what society's going to be like in 20 years, ask a kindergarten teacher."
Clifford Stoll could not have been more wrong. What he thought would fade away has transformed nearly every aspect of life — from how we work, to how we shop, to how we connect with one another.
Everything around us keeps changing — faster than we can predict. What seems certain today may be outdated tomorrow.
But while our world spins in constant flux, God’s faithfulness never falters. He is not like shifting trends or unstable technology. His promises are not subject to revision. His mercy and truth are not upgraded or replaced.
When Malachi wrote, “I the Lord do not change,” he was saying that God’s steadfast nature is the reason His people are not consumed — the reason we have hope, forgiveness, and a future.
That means when you and I wake up tomorrow — no matter what changes come, no matter what headlines we read, no matter what challenges arise — the same God who was faithful yesterday will be faithful again.
The One who carried you through the storm last year will still be there this year.
The One who kept His promise to Abraham, to David, to the disciples — still keeps His promises to you.
His character never changes, and because His character never changes, His faithfulness never fails.
When you fail, He remains faithful.
When you doubt, He remains true.
When you wander, He still calls you home.
When life feels unpredictable, remember—you can’t lose the God who never moves.
### **2. God’s Goodness Never Changes**
James writes in James 1:
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1, ESV)
If you watch the sunlight move across the room through the day, you’ll notice how the shadows shift. Morning brightness becomes afternoon dimness, and evening brings everything into shade.
James says, God is not like that.
He is the Father of lights, the One who created the sun, moon, and stars — yet unlike them, He does not change like shifting shadows.
His goodness is steady.
His mercy is constant.
His love does not depend on how our day is going.
### **Illustration – God’s Gracious Surprises**
Years ago, I started collecting baseball cards. I’d buy a few packs whenever I could, collecting Cincinnati Reds players, and the occasional card that might increase in value. But through job changes and life happening, there came a time when I just could not justify buying baseball cards.
I was so excited when Isaiah came along. Somehow the Easter Bunny always brought Isaiah and me packs of baseball cards. Santa started including ball card packs in our Christmas stockings too!. We would sit on the couch or at the dining room table, rip open those packs of cards, and see who got what. The world of baseball cards had changed — and one of the newest trends was inserting rare “chase” cards into random packs.
Sometimes in those packs, we would find nothing but average, normal cards. But every once in a while, we would pull something special. One year at Christmas, Isaiah pulled a 1 of 1 card. I can’t remember the player. A 1 of 1 means that it is the only card ever made of that particular style, design, and of that player. Very special. Very unique!
God’s goodness often works the same way.
He fills our lives with gracious surprises — little evidences of His love that we might overlook if we are not paying attention.
If we would stop and look around, we would see that His goodness is everywhere — woven through the ordinary moments of life.
Consider, for example, the colors of fall. The world could have turned brown and gray when the seasons change, but instead, God paints the trees in gold, orange, and crimson. That is not necessity — that is goodness. That is the overflow of a generous Creator who delights to fill our world with beauty, joy, and grace.
### **Application**
God is always giving good gifts — not just occasionally, but constantly.
Every good and perfect gift still comes down from above.
The problem is not that His goodness changes; the problem is that our attention does. We move in and out of the light, and we assume the light has moved.
But the truth is, God’s goodness has never shifted.
When you see the changing leaves, when you experience a moment of grace, when you receive more than you expected — remember the Giver.
He has not changed, and His goodness never will.
### **Transition**
So far we’ve seen that God’s character never changes — who He is is constant.
And God’s goodness never changes — what He gives and how He blesses are constant.
### **3. God’s Son Never Changes**
That leads us to one final, glorious truth: God’s Son never changes — Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.
The writer of Hebrews declares:
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13, NKJV)
We live in a world that changes faster than we can keep up.
Technology, politics, culture, even language — everything seems to evolve almost overnight.
But in the midst of all that change, one thing — one Person — remains constant.
Jesus Christ.
He was the same before time began.
He was the same when He walked the dusty roads of Galilee.
He is the same today as He reigns in glory.
And He will be the same tomorrow, when all else fades away.
That means the same Jesus who healed the leper still has compassion on the broken.
The same Jesus who calmed the storm still speaks peace into our chaos.
The same Jesus who forgave Peter still forgives us when we fall short.
The world may redefine truth, but Jesus is still the Truth.
The world may shift its values, but Jesus is still the Way.
The world may question purpose, but Jesus is still the Life.
He has not changed — and He never will.
### **Illustration – A Fixed Point in a Moving World**
When sailors navigated the seas before GPS, they relied on one thing that never moved — the North Star. No matter how far they traveled, no matter how the waves tossed or the winds shifted, that one light stayed fixed in the heavens.
If you could find the North Star, you could find your way home.
In the same way, Jesus is our constant in a world that feels adrift.
He is the fixed point when everything else moves.
He is the true and steady Light that always points us home.
You and I need that kind of anchor. Because life will change. People will change. Even we will change. But Jesus remains the same — loving, forgiving, faithful, and true.
### **Application**
When life feels uncertain, you can trust the One who never changes.
When you face loss, you can lean on the One who never leaves.
When you are weary, you can rest in the One whose grace never runs out.
Jesus does not have good days and bad days.
He does not shift with culture or circumstance.
He is the same Savior yesterday, today, and forever — the living proof that God’s character and goodness never change.
### **Conclusion – The Anchor That Holds**
Last week, we talked about how God’s Word endures forever — how His truth never fades, never fails, and never falls silent.
Today, we have seen that God Himself never changes. His character, His goodness, His promises, and His Son remain the same yesterday, today, and forever.
When everything around us shifts and shakes — when the world spins faster than we can keep up — when our hearts are anxious and uncertain — we can still stand firm.
The God who spoke creation into being is the same God who still speaks peace into our chaos today.
The God who parted the Red Sea still makes a way when there seems to be no way.
The God who raised Jesus from the dead still brings new life to hearts that feel hopeless and dead inside.
The same God who held His people steady through every storm of Scripture still holds us steady today.
The same God who promised to never leave or forsake His children still walks beside us through every valley.
And the same God who reigns from everlasting to everlasting still rules with power, mercy, and love.
Malachi reminded us that God’s character never changes.
James reminded us that God’s goodness never changes.
And Hebrews reminds us that God’s Son never changes.
He is our constant.
He is our compass.
He is our confidence.
He is our anchor when the world around us feels adrift.
Psalm 102:27 declares,
27 … You are the same,?And Your years will have no end. (Psalm 102, NKJV)
So when life changes — when people change — when you change — hold fast to the One who never will.
The same voice that spoke light into darkness still whispers peace into the hearts of His people today.
The same hands that shaped the heavens still hold you in every season of life.
God never changes — and because of that, you and I can live with unshakable hope.
### **Closing Challenge**
This week, as the world spins and seasons shift, take a moment to remember: the axis does not move. God is still God.
So wherever you find yourself — whether in the middle of change, facing uncertainty, or searching for peace — set your heart on the One who never changes.
Let His unchanging love steady your soul.
Let His unchanging truth guide your steps.
And let His unchanging presence remind you that no matter how much the world around you changes, your God never will.
He is — and always will be — the Anchor that holds.
