#3 The Future is Now
“Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.”
This message calls believers to stop waiting and start moving: “You’ve got ministry in you… What are you waiting on?” God’s heart is to give us the kingdom [Luke 12:32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.], and our confidence comes from identity in Christ—not performance—because “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” [Matthew 11:30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.]. Jesus, the Logos, reveals the Father’s logic and grace [John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word…], and the Spirit has given us a new heart to believe and act from [Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.]. Practically, wisdom looks like applying the heart to understanding and taking concrete steps—“Make a plan. Take a step.”—as we commit our works to the Lord and trust Him to establish our thoughts [Proverbs 16:3 Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.; Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.].
It’s Time to Make a Decision
If I had one word from the Lord for you today, it’s simple: go. “You’ve got ministry in you. You’ve got passion in you. You’ve got family tree changing mornings in you. What are you waiting on?” I know it can feel like you’re waiting on a green light from heaven, but here’s what I’ve learned—God’s waiting on you.
This isn’t about pressure or hustling to impress God. It starts with His heart. Scripture says, [Revelation 4:11 You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor… for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.]. And Jesus tells us plainly, [Luke 12:32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.]. Read that again—His good pleasure. The Father delights to bring you into His kingdom purposes. That changes how we move. We don’t step forward to earn; we step forward because we’re already loved.
Jesus is the foundation for this confidence. He’s not just a great teacher—He’s the Logos, the logic and mind of God in human form: [John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.]. I like to say, “Jesus is how God thinks as a human.” He taught the Law to an impossible standard on purpose—to show us we can’t do it on our own and to point us wholly to grace: “Only in me is your acceptance.” That’s why I keep reminding you of His invitation: [Matthew 11:30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.]. Yes, life can be hard. Steps of obedience can feel costly. But the Jesus part is easy and light.
Grace doesn’t make us careless. It makes us confident. I told a story about a king whose daughter was condemned. He halted the execution, laid himself down in her place, and said, “Carry out the penalty.” That’s grace. And you know what grace produced in her? Not rebellion—gratitude and a changed life. When you really see what Jesus did for you, you’re free from trying to perform your way into God’s favor. That freedom becomes the soil where real fruit grows. “Free people set people free. Hurt people hurt people. Controlling people control people. Free people set people free.”
So why do we still hesitate? Often because we doubt whether we can hear God. But hear me: “If you can read the Bible, you can hear God.” Proverbs repeats this rhythm: incline your ear and apply your heart. Until you actively seek to livethe Word, it stays theory. Wisdom arrives in motion. As I said, “Until you actually are actively seeking to live it out, you won’t really know how to live it out.” Move—and clarity will meet you on the way.
This is why the heart matters so much. God didn’t just patch you up; He remade you. [Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.]. “Your heart is where you believe from. The heart is who you really think you are.” Even your physical heart surprisingly stores memory, but spiritually speaking, your new heart carries God’s Word, voice, and love. Learn to direct it: apply your heart to understanding. Let the spiritual truth become the most sensible thing in the deepest part of you—about healing, your future, finances, relationships. [Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.]. Many of us stay stuck because we keep looking outsidefor identity and direction. Church culture sometimes hasn’t helped—“tell me who I am, tell me what to do.” But sons and daughters are called to grow up, to hear, and to walk with God from the inside out.
Here’s the liberating shift: you’re probably not missing a single, fragile bullseye called “the will of God.” If you’re in Christ, you’re in the will of God. From there, you and the Lord walk out assignments together. There will be specific moments He highlights, but the “what” is often wide open. That doesn’t create pressure; it creates freedom. It means you can choose a direction that glorifies Jesus and serves people—and trust Him to guide and correct as needed.
So let’s get practical. Scripture gives us a simple path: [Proverbs 16:3 Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.]. Notice the order. Your works—your steps, your plans—committed to the Lord. Then your thoughtsget established. In other words, clarity often comes after motion. That’s why I kept saying, “Make a plan. Take a step. Even if it’s the wrong step, He can change it. He’ll guide. He’ll establish.”
A Simple Plan to Move from Waiting to Walking
Decide a Direction (Identity First).
Sit with the Lord until there’s peace about the kind of fruit you want to see (souls saved, widows cared for, orphans housed, families discipled, businesses redeemed, neighborhoods served). From acceptance—not anxiety—choose a direction that reflects Jesus. Declare: “In Christ I’m accepted and loved; His yoke is easy and His burden is light” [Matthew 11:30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.].Name One Concrete Next Step.
Buy the domain, call the partner, meet a mentor, register the nonprofit, block a weekly serving slot, outline the curriculum—something. Wisdom meets you in the doing: “Until you actually are actively seeking to live it out, you won’t really know how to live it out.”Commit Your Works—Out Loud.
Pray Proverbs 16:3 over your specific action: “Lord, I commit this work to You. Establish my thoughts, shape my plans, correct my course.” Expect Him to stabilize your inner world as you move.Apply Your Heart Daily.
Each morning, incline your ear (read a short passage) and apply your heart (one obedience you’ll do today). When fear or confusion rises, answer it with truth: [Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.]. Choose spiritual thinking.Refuse Performance—Stay in Grace.
When you miss it (and you will sometimes), remember the King who took your place. Repent, receive, and keep walking. “Free people set people free.”
I’ve lived this. When Sara and I first knew I was called to pastor, it was fifteen years before we started our church. I didn’t know you were “supposed to fast and beg and get mad at God because it’s not happening.” I just knew the direction and took the next step—training here, serving there, learning, moving—and the Lord gave us the “how” along the way. That’s my promise to you as your pastor and brother: on the way, it will get stylized and personalized and specific for you. You’ll discover creativity you didn’t know you had. You’ll experience the satisfaction Jesus described after the well encounter: “My food is to do the will of my Father.” It’s not heavy or churchy; it’s the normal Christian life—alive, free, fruitful.
So… what’s your plan? You might not know ten years from now. You might not know five. You might not even know next month. But you can know right now: the next faithful step. Turn your face toward that direction and go. If it’s wrong, He’ll guide. If it’s right, He’ll establish. Either way, He’s with you. It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom [Luke 12:32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.].
Make a plan. Take a step. Go.
