SPEAKER_00: It is to be here worshiping with you this morning.
SPEAKER_00: What a beautiful week that we've had.
SPEAKER_00: But it's also been one of those where you get to experience every single season.
SPEAKER_00: We had uh storms on Sunday night, it was snowing on Monday, then it was 80 degrees much of the week following that.
SPEAKER_00: And you just get to get all the seasons in one week.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and and in all of that, we praise God for the way He takes us even in every single step of the way.
SPEAKER_00: Just a couple of notes uh before we jump into our sermon this morning.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, for our young adults, uh, we're not gonna have our class in the back, we're gonna be joining the auditorium class.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, Tony is not here this morning, so I'm gonna be teaching in here.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, for the adults and the young adults, we'll gather in this room for that Bible class.
SPEAKER_00: And then um this evening, the young people, that's not the young adults, but the younger ones, the college age and the teenagers, uh, we're meeting here tonight for our uh small groups uh instead of going somewhere, but we'll be with group three here at the building.
SPEAKER_00: Uh so we are bringing finger foods for that.
SPEAKER_00: So if you have something you want to bring, we can participate in that as well.
SPEAKER_00: So uh excited for our small groups.
SPEAKER_00: I hope you are feeling um, hope you're enjoying that so far.
SPEAKER_00: I hope you're getting opportunities to serve in ways that we perhaps didn't before.
SPEAKER_00: If you're not a part of a small group and you want to be a part of one, just let us know, one of the elders or myself, and we'll get you plugged in to a group and uh hopefully get to experience that bond with each other and also just new opportunities to serve in different ways.
SPEAKER_00: So we encourage you to be a part of those tonight uh and to go and enjoy that fellowship with one another.
SPEAKER_00: So this whole year, our theme is rooted in rising about how we're plugged into God's word, we're plugged into his plan for us, and through that we grow.
SPEAKER_00: The whole idea is we grow in number here among our brothers and sisters at Chisholm Hills.
SPEAKER_00: We grow individually in our faith and we grow as a church family closer to one another.
SPEAKER_00: And we've been this first quarter, we've been focusing on the wisdom that we find in him.
SPEAKER_00: We want to grow in wisdom as we're rooted in God's word and as we trust him, as we lean into that relationship with him, and it should set the roots for growth as we work our way through that.
SPEAKER_00: And so this morning, we're taking another step in that journey as we talk about living in understanding.
SPEAKER_00: And we'll be in Proverbs 3 this morning if you want to turn your Bibles.
SPEAKER_00: Our text is fairly short, but it's such a powerful message that we're gonna spend our time focused there.
SPEAKER_00: So, Willa enjoys going to the airport.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, she likes to go fly on an airplane, and and and she likes the whole process going there, carrying our luggage through the airport, finding our gate, sitting there, the excitement of your uh your plane being ready to board, and so we go and get on the plane and we take off.
SPEAKER_00: And it's just such an exciting process for a young person to take part in, to get on a big plane and fly across the country.
SPEAKER_00: There's something special about that that she loves and enjoys.
SPEAKER_00: But let's say I were to take her to the airport and I say, hey, your flight leaves in about two hours, so go ahead and find your way to the gate and get on that plane, and then you'll fly down to Orlando.
SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be a great ship.
SPEAKER_00: Go have fun.
SPEAKER_00: Five years old, dropping her off at the front of the airport.
SPEAKER_00: How's that gonna go?
SPEAKER_00: Probably not very well.
SPEAKER_00: She's gotta make her way through security, she's gotta find the right gate.
SPEAKER_00: And let's say they change gates while she's there.
SPEAKER_00: She's gotta look at her boarding pass and figure out where to go.
SPEAKER_00: She's not gonna have much success in that scenario.
SPEAKER_00: So when she goes to the airport and loves it so much, it's not because she understands the process, but it's because she holds on to daddy's hand and I help her navigate the airport.
SPEAKER_00: She trusts me to get her to that next step.
SPEAKER_00: So it's fun for her, even though she has no idea how the airport works.
SPEAKER_00: How do we get through TSA?
SPEAKER_00: She probably couldn't tell you, all I do is just go where daddy tells me to go.
SPEAKER_00: How do I find the right gate where my plane's taking off?
SPEAKER_00: Well, I just gotta let Daddy lead me there and we'll figure it out.
SPEAKER_00: Because she's holding on to my hand and she trusts me through that process.
SPEAKER_00: And when that happens, she can have fun and have a good flight and get where she's supposed to go.
SPEAKER_00: I want you to see this picture because I think this is this is the picture that's wrapped up here when we look at Proverbs chapter three, because this picture shows a child moving confidently through a place that she does not fully understand, not because she's mastered the system, because she trusts the one that's leading her through the airport.
SPEAKER_00: She makes it because she's holding on to daddy's hand.
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's where many of us are in life right now.
SPEAKER_00: We have to lean into God's word.
SPEAKER_00: We have to trust him.
SPEAKER_00: We have to hold on to his hand and know that he's going to get us where we need to go.
SPEAKER_00: We like the idea of life working out.
SPEAKER_00: We want movement in our life, we want progress.
SPEAKER_00: We we want to arrive safely, but we do not really understand all the systems, all the delays, all the changes, all the reasons, and all the turns.
SPEAKER_00: I don't think there's too many of us that have every step of life figured out at this point.
SPEAKER_00: Proverbs 3, 5, and 6 tells us that peace is not found in mastering life, but peace is found in trusting the God who's leading us through it.
SPEAKER_00: And here's the bottom line of our message today as we take a look at this text.
SPEAKER_00: Trusting God reshapes how we navigate life.
SPEAKER_00: You want to get where you need to get, you got to put your trust in God.
SPEAKER_00: You got to put your faith in him and stop leaning on your own understanding.
SPEAKER_00: That's easy to say, but how are we living that out in the world on a daily basis, decision by decision?
SPEAKER_00: Are you truly trusting him?
SPEAKER_00: Are you just saying you do?
SPEAKER_00: And then so we're gonna talk about that this morning and see if we can put it into action.
SPEAKER_00: But trusting God, if we truly trust him, it changes the way that we navigate life.
SPEAKER_00: Here's a text trust in the Lord with all your heart.
SPEAKER_00: Do not lean on your own understanding, and all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
SPEAKER_00: The problem is not that we want understanding.
SPEAKER_00: I think that's a logical thing to want.
SPEAKER_00: The problem is that we usually want understanding on our own terms.
SPEAKER_00: We gotta have it the way we want it.
SPEAKER_00: We want enough control, we want enough clarity so we can stay in control of our own lives.
SPEAKER_00: We don't mind trusting God as long as he explains himself first, as long as we know the plan, then we can trust him.
SPEAKER_00: We don't mind following God, as long as his direction matches our purposes and our preferences.
SPEAKER_00: I'll go with you the way you want me to go.
SPEAKER_00: As long as it's in line with what I want, we don't mind obeying God, as long as obedience feels efficient, as long as it's obedient and as long as it's safe, then we're gonna follow his direction.
SPEAKER_00: But here's the problem the moment his way collides with our understanding, we tend to get nervous.
SPEAKER_00: We allow the wisdom we think we have, and when it conflicts with what God tells us to do, we begin to say, Well, is that really the right way?
SPEAKER_00: I think I might know better than he does.
SPEAKER_00: We're not gonna say that out loud, but our decisions reveal what's truly in our heart.
SPEAKER_00: Are you truly trusting him in everything?
SPEAKER_00: Or just the things that make sense on the surface?
SPEAKER_00: We want enough clarity to stay in control.
SPEAKER_00: And let's be honest, most of us are more comfortable with analysis than surrender.
SPEAKER_00: God's calling us to full surrender.
SPEAKER_00: The world says figure it all out, but God says, trust me enough to just follow me.
SPEAKER_00: Just hold on to my hand and I'm gonna lead you where you need to go.
SPEAKER_00: We like plans, we like guarantees, we like options, we even like backup plans, right?
SPEAKER_00: We like being able to say, I know exactly what I'm doing in this moment, but the text tells us something unsettling, but it's beautiful at the same time.
SPEAKER_00: It tells us that real understanding does not begin with mastering life and knowing everything about this world, but it begins with trusting God more than we trust ourselves.
SPEAKER_00: Lean not on your own understanding.
SPEAKER_00: Trust Him to get you where you're supposed to be.
SPEAKER_00: Again, it's easy to say, it's easy to say, I'm a Christian, I trust God, but what does your life reveal about who you really trust?
SPEAKER_00: Are you trusting yourself and your own understanding?
SPEAKER_00: Or in all your ways are you acknowledging him?
SPEAKER_00: And that is the lesson this morning.
SPEAKER_00: Lean not on your own understanding does not mean you turn your brain off.
SPEAKER_00: I think that's an important caveat here.
SPEAKER_00: We don't, it doesn't mean you just don't try to understand, it doesn't mean that you just ignore wisdom, it does not mean that you avoid planning, it doesn't mean that you celebrate confusion.
SPEAKER_00: It means your understanding is a terrible God.
SPEAKER_00: It's not the end all be all.
SPEAKER_00: It's a handy tool, but it's a lousy king.
SPEAKER_00: And I think some of us are exhausted right now because we have been asking our own understanding to carry the weight that it was never built to carry in the first place.
SPEAKER_00: God says that is too much weight for you because we try to solve everything.
SPEAKER_00: We try to control every step, we try to predict everything, and we try to prevent everything that we know is gonna be wrong.
SPEAKER_00: How many of you have wasted so much time worrying about what's coming next instead of just leaning in and trusting God to direct your way?
SPEAKER_00: We worry so much about what might happen.
SPEAKER_00: Sam pointed this out on Wednesday night, and then 60, 90% of the time, it doesn't even come about.
SPEAKER_00: We get so worried about control and circumstances instead of just trusting God in that next step.
SPEAKER_00: So here's the truth this morning as we work our way through this text.
SPEAKER_00: If you're using your outlines, we all lean on something.
SPEAKER_00: You're trusting in something.
SPEAKER_00: The question is, what is it in your world?
SPEAKER_00: The text says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
SPEAKER_00: And this word lean is very vivid.
SPEAKER_00: It's a powerful description here.
SPEAKER_00: This is where your weight rests when you lean.
SPEAKER_00: It's what supports you when life gets shaky.
SPEAKER_00: It's what you fall back on when the pressure shows up.
SPEAKER_00: So we all lean on something.
SPEAKER_00: The issue is not whether you trust, the issue is what you trust.
SPEAKER_00: If we are leaning on God, we're where we're supposed to be.
SPEAKER_00: But if you're not leaning on God, you are leaning on something else.
SPEAKER_00: We tend to lean on our instincts.
SPEAKER_00: We often lean on our own plans, we lean on our own experience or our own feelings.
SPEAKER_00: We tend to lean on money and success, we lean on reputation.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we even lean on the approval of others.
SPEAKER_00: When I have that, I'm gonna be okay.
SPEAKER_00: When they believe in what I'm doing, then life's gonna be alright.
SPEAKER_00: But here's the danger whatever you lean on is going to shape how you walk.
SPEAKER_00: Whatever you put your trust in is gonna make an impact on your decisions on a daily basis.
SPEAKER_00: If you lean on fear, you're gonna walk anxiously.
SPEAKER_00: If you lean on pride, you're gonna walk stubbornly, trusting yourself.
SPEAKER_00: If you lean on feelings, you're gonna walk inconsistently.
SPEAKER_00: If you lean on public opinion, you're gonna walk timidly, walking on eggshells.
SPEAKER_00: You've heard that one before.
SPEAKER_00: But if you lean on God, that is when you can walk faithfully, trusting Him every step of the way.
SPEAKER_00: And I think this is where it matters.
SPEAKER_00: This is why it matters in real life.
SPEAKER_00: When you do not get the diagnosis you want, what are you leaning on?
SPEAKER_00: When the marriage gets tense, what are you leaning on?
SPEAKER_00: Who are you leaning on?
SPEAKER_00: When the kids aren't listening at home, what are you leaning on?
SPEAKER_00: When the future feels foggy at best?
SPEAKER_00: Who?
SPEAKER_00: What are you leaning on in that moment?
SPEAKER_00: When obedience costs you something, when trusting God and choosing his way costs you something in life.
SPEAKER_00: What are you leaning on?
SPEAKER_00: All your ways again.
SPEAKER_00: Do not lean on your own understanding.
SPEAKER_00: The truth is everybody leans in one way or the other.
SPEAKER_00: And the problem is not sincerity, the problem is stability.
SPEAKER_00: You can sincerely lean on something that you cannot hold.
SPEAKER_00: It's like putting you the weight on a railing that looks sturdy but is rotten inside.
SPEAKER_00: The issue is not how honestly you leaned, the issue is what you leaned on was not trustworthy enough to hold you.
SPEAKER_00: That railing looked nice, but it just couldn't hold your weight.
SPEAKER_00: And you trusted it when you leaned on it, but it just wasn't meant to hold your weight.
SPEAKER_00: Like climbing up on a um a bench that was meant for a kid and it collapses underneath you.
SPEAKER_00: It may have looked like it was gonna hold you, but when you sat down, it fell apart because it was never meant to hold somebody that was over 80 pounds.
SPEAKER_00: But how often in our life do we do exactly that?
SPEAKER_00: We trust in things that were never meant to support us.
SPEAKER_00: We trust in our own ways instead of trusting the God who we know is going to lead us where we are supposed to go and who we are supposed to be every step of the way.
SPEAKER_00: Your understanding is a gift, but it was never meant to sit on the throne of your life.
SPEAKER_00: You are always resting the weight of your life on something.
SPEAKER_00: So make sure it can hold you.
SPEAKER_00: Make sure it's going to carry you when life gets tough.
SPEAKER_00: Number two, this morning, our understanding is limited, not ultimate.
SPEAKER_00: I know that's a reality check for some of us.
SPEAKER_00: It may even seem like an insult, but that's the truth of God's word.
SPEAKER_00: The text says, do not lean on your own understanding.
SPEAKER_00: And I want you to see that's not an insult, but again, it's a reality check for you this morning.
SPEAKER_00: You and I do not need to see the whole field.
SPEAKER_00: We see one play and think we know the season.
SPEAKER_00: We see one chapter and start acting like we know the whole story.
SPEAKER_00: You ever read the, or you ever heard the saying you can't uh tell a book by its cover?
SPEAKER_00: Can't understand a book by just looking at the first page or the first chapter.
SPEAKER_00: You can't know it.
SPEAKER_00: You gotta read the whole thing before you understand.
SPEAKER_00: And I think we want the whole story when we just see one season of life.
SPEAKER_00: We think we got it figured out because we saw the cover.
SPEAKER_00: God says, just trust me, turn the next page, take that next step.
SPEAKER_00: Your understanding is limited, not ultimate.
SPEAKER_00: And I think there are three ways in which this presents itself in our life, and I want to look at those real quick.
SPEAKER_00: The first one is we are limited in perspective.
SPEAKER_00: We only see part of what God is doing.
SPEAKER_00: You can't see the way he's working around this corner and in this person's life or who he has set out for you to intersect in your world.
SPEAKER_00: We can see what's in front of us, but we cannot see around the corners.
SPEAKER_00: We can see what hurts now, but we cannot see what God may produce through that hurt.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe there's a reason you're going through this struggle.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's not something you chose, but it's something that God is going to use to carry you where you're supposed to be.
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes we look at the season of life and think this is the worst thing that's ever happened to me, and then we get on the other side and we say, Man, that's the best thing that's ever happened.
SPEAKER_00: If you're in the midst of one of those struggles right now, just trust in God, be obedient to his will and know that he's going to carry you through.
SPEAKER_00: And when he does, it's probably gonna lead you where you're supposed to be if you trust in him.
SPEAKER_00: Don't let a limited perspective skew your trust.
SPEAKER_00: Because in those moments we want to retreat, in those moments we want to turn into our own understanding and trust ourselves instead of his plan.
SPEAKER_00: But God says, hold on, just take that next step.
SPEAKER_00: Number two, we are limited by our emotions.
SPEAKER_00: Our fear can distort our judgment.
SPEAKER_00: Anybody been there before?
SPEAKER_00: You've been so scared of what's happening next that you make the wrong choice.
SPEAKER_00: We get so anxious, but and then our anger can distort our judgment.
SPEAKER_00: We get so caught up in the pride of knowing ourselves that it can distort our judgment.
SPEAKER_00: Desire can distort judgment.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes what makes sense to us is not wisdom at all, but it's just our emotion with a microphone.
SPEAKER_00: Do you get that?
SPEAKER_00: We allow our emotions to rule instead of the truth of God's word.
SPEAKER_00: And it leads us the wrong direction.
SPEAKER_00: And third, we're limited by timing.
SPEAKER_00: There are things that feel wrong in the moment that become clear later.
SPEAKER_00: There are prayers that God did not answer the way that we wanted.
SPEAKER_00: And then years go by and we look back and we say, Thank you, Lord, for not answering that prayer the way I wanted it to, because I see your wisdom prevailed.
SPEAKER_00: And it's a blessing that we have those unanswered prayers.
SPEAKER_00: Or I should say, prayers that were answered the way we didn't want them to be.
SPEAKER_00: Because oftentimes God answers with a no, and that's the best thing that could ever happen to us.
SPEAKER_00: Have you been there before?
SPEAKER_00: Have you experienced that in life?
SPEAKER_00: If you haven't, it's coming.
SPEAKER_00: Just hold on and look back at those things that didn't go the way you thought they were supposed to.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it's the best thing that ever happened to you.
SPEAKER_00: Your understanding may be sincere, but it is still insufficient.
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's important because many people assume sincerity equals safety, but the truth is it does not.
SPEAKER_00: You can sincerely believe a wrong relationship is right for you.
SPEAKER_00: And I imagine we've all, or many of us, have been there before.
SPEAKER_00: You can sincerely believe revenge is going to fix that pain that you're holding on to, but the truth is it is not.
SPEAKER_00: You can sincerely believe that compromise is the easier path forward.
SPEAKER_00: It may be easier, but it's not the one that's gonna lead you to the right path.
SPEAKER_00: You can sincerely believe delaying obedience is harmless.
SPEAKER_00: I'll get to it later.
SPEAKER_00: I just want to have fun right now, and then one day.
SPEAKER_00: Sincerity matters, but sincerity alone is not enough.
SPEAKER_00: I think that means when you when your understanding and God's word collide, your understanding does not get the final vote.
SPEAKER_00: Trust in his plan and not what you think or what you feel.
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's where faith becomes practical.
SPEAKER_00: When scripture says forgive, but your feelings are telling you, punish that person.
SPEAKER_00: Make them hurt.
SPEAKER_00: Who wins when you experience that?
SPEAKER_00: Is it God's word, obedience to the scripture, or is it your feelings?
SPEAKER_00: When scripture says purity, when culture tells us to indulge, who wins?
SPEAKER_00: Who won in that moment?
SPEAKER_00: When scripture says generosity, what our feelings say, hold on to that.
SPEAKER_00: You gotta hoard that up.
SPEAKER_00: Who wins?
SPEAKER_00: When scripture says truth, but our self-protection says hide, you don't want anybody to see.
SPEAKER_00: Who wins?
SPEAKER_00: Think about those moments.
SPEAKER_00: Plug yourself into those scenarios, because I guarantee you've been there before.
SPEAKER_00: Who won in that moment?
SPEAKER_00: Was it your understanding, or was it God's word?
SPEAKER_00: Were you leaning on yourself or trusting in him and his plan, even when it's uncomfortable, even when it doesn't feel right?
SPEAKER_00: You gotta know that his way is the best way.
SPEAKER_00: We can say it all day long, but how are you living it out on a daily basis?
SPEAKER_00: That means when your understanding and God's word collide, your understanding does not get the final vote.
SPEAKER_00: Trust in him and his plan.
SPEAKER_00: Faith is not the absence of thought, but it is the refusal to worship your own thoughts like they are ultimate.
SPEAKER_00: And some of us need that reminder badly because control is often just fear that's wearing a business suit.
SPEAKER_00: It looks nice, it feels right.
SPEAKER_00: And we want that control, but that control, all it is, is just fear playing out for.
SPEAKER_00: Itself because you can't let go and allow God to direct the path.
SPEAKER_00: Hand it over to Him.
SPEAKER_00: Trust in His way, not your own understanding.
SPEAKER_00: We may say, I'm just being careful.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes maybe, but sometimes we're just trying to keep ourselves in charge.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes being careful just means I'm holding on to something for myself because I think my way is better if we're being honest.
SPEAKER_00: I trust in myself more than I trust in His plan.
SPEAKER_00: 95, 99% of the time, that's your understanding can be real, it can be helpful, still may not be enough to lead your life.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm gonna go say it is not enough to lead your life.
SPEAKER_00: Trust in God and His plan.
SPEAKER_00: Number three, trust is not vague optimism, but surrendered dependence.
SPEAKER_00: The text says, trust in the Lord with all your heart.
SPEAKER_00: In Proverbs, the heart is not just emotion, the heart is your inner control center.
SPEAKER_00: It's the mind, it's the will, it's the desires, it's the affections that we feel.
SPEAKER_00: So trusting God with all your heart means there's no divided allegiance in that moment.
SPEAKER_00: Trust in Him with everything you got.
SPEAKER_00: Knowing His plan is the right way to turn.
SPEAKER_00: It means God is not an emergency contact.
SPEAKER_00: He is your first confidence.
SPEAKER_00: He's our first step, every step of the way.
SPEAKER_00: Trust is not saying, I believe in God.
SPEAKER_00: It's important for us to say that, but that's not trust in and of itself.
SPEAKER_00: Trust is arranging your life around what God says.
SPEAKER_00: Do you see it?
SPEAKER_00: We can claim to be Christians all day long, but if you aren't changing your life around his word, making choices based on what his plan is, then do you really trust him?
SPEAKER_00: Is your faith real if you can't even follow it up with simple obedience in that next step?
SPEAKER_00: That's what it means to let go of your own understanding.
SPEAKER_00: It's not vague optimism, but it's surrender dependence.
SPEAKER_00: It's trusting him with everything, with all your heart.
SPEAKER_00: That's why the text says, with all your heart, not partly, not when it's convenient, not when the road is obvious, not when the outcome is guaranteed, but with all your heart.
SPEAKER_00: That means trusting God even when the path is not clear, even when the math isn't mathing, when obedience does not look efficient, when holiness may cost you opportunities in the real world, but we trust him anyway.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's not the best way to get ahead, but it's the best way to step with him.
SPEAKER_00: Control says, I need all the answers before I obey.
SPEAKER_00: But trust in God says God is enough, even when I don't have all the answers, even when the entire path isn't made clear.
SPEAKER_00: And I think that is what real faith looks like.
SPEAKER_00: This is where the gospel shines, because the clearest picture of this kind of trust is Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus never leaned on public opinion.
SPEAKER_00: He never leaned on self-preservation, he never leaned on human wisdom.
SPEAKER_00: What were the people around him telling him?
SPEAKER_00: Go ahead, take your place.
SPEAKER_00: Step up.
SPEAKER_00: We're there for you every step of the way, Jesus, until they weren't.
SPEAKER_00: Because he wasn't doing what the people wanted him to do.
SPEAKER_00: He was doing what God had in store.
SPEAKER_00: And when he was facing his toughest moment in the Garden of Gethsemane, what was his prayer?
SPEAKER_00: Not my will, but your will be done.
SPEAKER_00: In the end, I'm gonna trust you.
SPEAKER_00: Even though my emotions, my feelings tell me something else.
SPEAKER_00: But I know your plan is ultimate.
SPEAKER_00: So in the gospel, we see the way it plays out in the life of Jesus Himself.
SPEAKER_00: Even when things don't make sense, we trust his plan.
SPEAKER_00: In the end, it's not my will, but your will.
SPEAKER_00: Luke 22, 42.
SPEAKER_00: He acknowledged the Father even when the path led straight through suffering.
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's the challenge for us sometimes.
SPEAKER_00: You may look ahead and say, that's gonna hurt.
SPEAKER_00: But God called me to do it anyway.
SPEAKER_00: To let go of that relationship that was important to me.
SPEAKER_00: To step out of that system or that situation that may have got me a lot of money, but it's leading me away from God.
SPEAKER_00: I'm compromising my faith here, but it's leading me to success.
SPEAKER_00: Am I gonna continue doing that or am I gonna trust God in his plan?
SPEAKER_00: So many ways.
SPEAKER_00: All of this matters because trusting God does not always lead around pain.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it leads straight into pain and into something greater.
SPEAKER_00: You see it?
SPEAKER_00: The straightest path is not always the easiest one.
SPEAKER_00: For Jesus, the path of surrender, surrendered trust, led right through the cross and into the resurrection.
SPEAKER_00: So when we preach trust, we're not preaching positive vibes.
SPEAKER_00: We're preaching crucified faith.
SPEAKER_00: We're preaching surrender that says, Father, here I am.
SPEAKER_00: I trust you in this next step.
SPEAKER_00: Even when it might not make sense to the world, even when it might not make sense to my family, even when it might not make sense to my own brain, but I trust you anyway.
SPEAKER_00: I'm leaning not on my own understanding, but I'm acknowledging you in every step of the way.
SPEAKER_00: That is the text this morning.
SPEAKER_00: That's how it's preaching to us this morning.
SPEAKER_00: And I hope that's what you can see.
SPEAKER_00: The call of the text is not full explanation, but it is full surrender.
SPEAKER_00: Trusting God means putting your whole self under his rule, even when you cannot trace his reasons.
SPEAKER_00: The next point acknowledging God means bringing him into every hallway of your life.
SPEAKER_00: The text says, in all your ways acknowledge him.
SPEAKER_00: And I think that phrase is massive.
SPEAKER_00: This is where we need to lean in this morning.
SPEAKER_00: It wrecks compartmentalized religion.
SPEAKER_00: You may have heard this whole idea of compartmentalizing our faith and our life.
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna trust him in this, but I'm still gonna hold on to this.
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna go to church, but I still want to live the way I want to on Friday and Saturday nights.
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna trust him with this part of my life, but in my finances, his way is just not the best way.
SPEAKER_00: Because I need to hold on to this stuff.
SPEAKER_00: God's leading you in every aspect, and so often we tend to compartmentalize it.
SPEAKER_00: But acknowledging God means bringing him into every hallway of your life.
SPEAKER_00: This is bigger than praying before meals.
SPEAKER_00: This is bigger than just going to church on Sunday.
SPEAKER_00: This is bigger than saying God first while living like he's getting the leftovers.
SPEAKER_00: Where is he landing in your life on a daily basis in all your ways?
SPEAKER_00: Means every hallway of your life.
SPEAKER_00: Here's the question: do you acknowledge God in the way you spend your money?
SPEAKER_00: You acknowledge God in your dating life, you acknowledge God in the way you speak, you acknowledge him in your schedule.
SPEAKER_00: Where are you planning your time with him?
SPEAKER_00: You acknowledge God in your entertainment, you acknowledge God in your parenting, in your conflict, in your ambition.
SPEAKER_00: You acknowledge God in your suffering.
SPEAKER_00: My guess is, myself included, we can look through that list and find a couple spots, a couple blind spots in our life where we haven't been living that out like we should.
SPEAKER_00: Are you with me?
SPEAKER_00: Because I know I can look at ways that I need to.
SPEAKER_00: My guess is you can probably identify those as well.
SPEAKER_00: Because this text is calling us to acknowledge him in every aspect of your life.
SPEAKER_00: Not just the ones that make sense, not just the ones that are easy.
SPEAKER_00: It's not, Lord, bless what I've already decided, but it's Lord, I belong to you, so lead me.
SPEAKER_00: It means acknowledging God is not tagging him at the end of your plan, it's surrendering the plan to him in the first place.
SPEAKER_00: How often do we get that backwards?
SPEAKER_00: We make a choice and we and then we go back and say, okay, how can I glorify you in this choice that I've already made?
SPEAKER_00: Instead of walking into that choice with him in mind, with his plan, with the steps on how you're supposed to live, because he's laid it out for you.
SPEAKER_00: You have that next step.
SPEAKER_00: Are you trusting him to follow it?
SPEAKER_00: Most people want God as a consultant, but the Proverbs present him as Lord.
SPEAKER_00: I think that's the image of discipleship.
SPEAKER_00: It's not pretending you know everything, not faking independence, not performing control.
SPEAKER_00: It's just follow, it's just holding on to the Father's hand as you're walking through the airport.
SPEAKER_00: A lot of believers acknowledge God in crisis, but not in routine.
SPEAKER_00: We bring him in on the cancer diagnosis.
SPEAKER_00: We bring him in to the funeral and the hurt.
SPEAKER_00: We bring him in in major emergencies.
SPEAKER_00: But are we introducing him to our calendars?
SPEAKER_00: Are we allowing his guidance in our budgets?
SPEAKER_00: Are we carrying him into our arguments?
SPEAKER_00: Are we allowing his word to affect our private habits, what we do when no one's looking?
SPEAKER_00: Are we allowing his influence on our entertainment choices?
SPEAKER_00: And are we consulting him?
SPEAKER_00: Are we putting him first in that next career move?
SPEAKER_00: To acknowledge God in all your ways means to stop living like he only belongs in the religious corners of your life.
SPEAKER_00: Trusting him in all your ways, every hallway.
SPEAKER_00: God is not meant to be part of your life plan.
SPEAKER_00: He is supposed to be Lord over it all.
SPEAKER_00: And I know we're running long, but we got one more point and we'll wrap it up.
SPEAKER_00: God directs the path of the surrendered.
SPEAKER_00: The text says, and he will make straight your paths.
SPEAKER_00: This does not mean God gives you a detailed roadmap for every direction.
SPEAKER_00: It does not mean every faithful person gets an easy life.
SPEAKER_00: I want you to hear that.
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't mean that if you trust God enough, nothing painful is gonna happen.
SPEAKER_00: That is not the promise that we have in Scripture.
SPEAKER_00: There's no reason for me to stand up here and preach a prosperity-glazed nonsense to you this morning.
SPEAKER_00: Because that's not the promise.
SPEAKER_00: In this world, you will have trouble.
SPEAKER_00: But trust the one that's overcome it.
SPEAKER_00: Trust the one who has a better plan for you.
SPEAKER_00: It may not be easy, it may hurt sometimes, but he's leading you to something better.
SPEAKER_00: We do not need to preach nonsense because the promise is not ease, the promise is direction.
SPEAKER_00: God makes straight the path.
SPEAKER_00: And usually his direction works in ways that we do not always appreciate at first.
SPEAKER_00: Can you look back on your time in your life where you did trust him and you may have thought you had a better plan, but you look back and you said, Well, because I trusted him, I got where I wanted to be.
SPEAKER_00: Or because I trusted him, I know it worked out better than what my plan was in the first place.
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's where maturity leaves as we as we mature in our faith, as we grow, as we're rooted and rising.
SPEAKER_00: That means we can look back at those moments and say, I trusted you in that, and look where it led me, where I'm supposed to be.
SPEAKER_00: It may not have been my plan, and I'm thankful I didn't have my plan work out because your way is better.
SPEAKER_00: It may have hurt a little more than what I thought my way would have, but it led me to where I'm supposed to believe.
SPEAKER_00: I've matured, I've gotten stronger, I trust you more, and I'm closer to you than I ever have before because your way is better at the end of the day.
SPEAKER_00: God directs the paths of those who are surrendered to Him.
SPEAKER_00: His direction is often gradual.
SPEAKER_00: His direction is often clearer in hindsight.
SPEAKER_00: You may not see it in the moment.
SPEAKER_00: When you look back, it makes complete sense.
SPEAKER_00: God's direction is often moral before it is logistical.
SPEAKER_00: And my guess is we've all been in those moments before the opposite way.
SPEAKER_00: We look back at our choices and we say, man, if I would have just trusted God, I wouldn't be in this mess that I'm in right now.
SPEAKER_00: Anyone want to amen to that?
SPEAKER_00: Because I've certainly felt bad at times.
SPEAKER_00: If I just would have trusted him and his plan, if I would have just leaned on his word instead of my own way.
SPEAKER_00: It felt good at the time, but look where it led me.
SPEAKER_00: Look at the misery and the pain that I'm living in because of my poor choice.
SPEAKER_00: Has anybody been there before?
SPEAKER_00: Trust in God, acknowledge him.
SPEAKER_00: And as you surrender your life to him, he's going to direct your paths.
SPEAKER_00: Not always easy, it's not always pleasant, but it is the best way to live.
SPEAKER_00: And that's the that's wisdom at work.
SPEAKER_00: That's maturity, that's growth, that's being rooted in his word.
SPEAKER_00: We want a five-year plan.
SPEAKER_00: We want details.
SPEAKER_00: God says, trust me today in this next step.
SPEAKER_00: We want certainty about every turn.
SPEAKER_00: Where's it leading?
SPEAKER_00: But God says, just walk with me, just take this next step.
SPEAKER_00: We want explanation.
SPEAKER_00: But God hands over presence.
SPEAKER_00: And that's enough.
SPEAKER_00: See, that is enough because a straight path is not necessarily a pain, painless path, but it's a God-led path.
SPEAKER_00: Go back to the illustration.
SPEAKER_00: Willa does not need to understand every gate number.
SPEAKER_00: She doesn't have to understand all the overhead announcements.
SPEAKER_00: She doesn't have to know all the airport policies.
SPEAKER_00: She just needs to stay with the one that knows where she where he's going.
SPEAKER_00: She just needs to hold on to daddy's hand.
SPEAKER_00: Same is true for us in the church.
SPEAKER_00: Hold on to his hand, trust in his plan.
SPEAKER_00: Peace does not come from knowing everything, it comes from trusting the one that does.
SPEAKER_00: And man, what a blessing it is that we have God's word.
SPEAKER_00: He's telling you the next step.
SPEAKER_00: He's telling you where you need to do, where you need to go.
SPEAKER_00: He's telling you what decision you need to make.
SPEAKER_00: You may not see 10 years down the road, and if you think you do, it's probably gonna change.
SPEAKER_00: Let's be real.
SPEAKER_00: But you have what you need to do today.
SPEAKER_00: Walk in obedience to his plan.
SPEAKER_00: We don't know where the journey's going to end, but we know the next step we're supposed to take.
SPEAKER_00: And I say we don't know, we know where the journey is ultimately going to end.
SPEAKER_00: We put our faith in him, and that's a home with him for eternity.
SPEAKER_00: God does not promise to explain every step, but he does promise to guide the surrendered life.
SPEAKER_00: Just walk with him.
SPEAKER_00: Just do what he asks.
SPEAKER_00: Living with understanding does not mean you finally have life figured out.
SPEAKER_00: It means you finally stop treating yourself like the one that had to figure it all out.
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's what Proverbs 3, 5, and 6 is calling us to do.
SPEAKER_00: Trust in the Lord, not partly, not when it's convenient, not only when the path makes sense, but trust him with all your heart.
SPEAKER_00: Give him everything.
SPEAKER_00: Do not lean on your own understanding.
SPEAKER_00: Listen, your mind matters, wisdom matters, your thoughts matter, even your planning matters, but your understanding makes a terrible God.
SPEAKER_00: Walk and step with his word.
SPEAKER_00: Make your plans according to what he has for you.
SPEAKER_00: In all your ways, acknowledge him.
SPEAKER_00: I want you to see that doesn't say just show up to church on Sunday mornings and you're good.
SPEAKER_00: It says, in all your ways, acknowledge him.
SPEAKER_00: Not just in crisis, not what just when life gets tough, not just at the beginning or end of a prayer.
SPEAKER_00: But acknowledge him in all your ways, not just before that meal, not just before bedtime, and everything you do, allow his word to impact you.
SPEAKER_00: And let God do what only God can do.
SPEAKER_00: Direct the path of a surrendered life.
SPEAKER_00: Somebody here today is trying to control a situation that God is calling you to surrender over to him.
SPEAKER_00: Is that you this morning?
SPEAKER_00: God's calling you just to let it go, hand it over to him.
SPEAKER_00: Somebody in here today is demanding clarity when God is asking for simple obedience.
SPEAKER_00: You know, we we want to figure it out.
SPEAKER_00: We want to know the plan.
SPEAKER_00: God just says, be obedient to me.
SPEAKER_00: Take that next right step.
SPEAKER_00: You know what that is?
SPEAKER_00: Just trust me, he says.
SPEAKER_00: Some of us are just struggling with understanding things our own way instead of allowing him to direct us.
SPEAKER_00: Somebody in here is demanding clarity when God is asking for obedience.
SPEAKER_00: You don't have to know the outcome, just trust God and His plan.
SPEAKER_00: Somebody has reduced faith to occasional consultation instead of daily submission.
SPEAKER_00: Are you handing it over to Him every day or just when life gets tough?
SPEAKER_00: Somebody in here is exhausted because you're carrying what was only safe in God's hands.
SPEAKER_00: And again, I don't stand before you as someone that has all the answers and has it all figured out.
SPEAKER_00: Because I'm I'm I say this all the time.
SPEAKER_00: And when somebody tells me that they that a sermon meant something to them, 90% of the time I'm preaching to the preacher.
SPEAKER_00: Telling myself things that I need to hear, and hopefully you get something out of it as well.
SPEAKER_00: Because I think this is something we all struggle with.
SPEAKER_00: In all your ways, acknowledge him.
SPEAKER_00: So what I want you to do today is examine your life.
SPEAKER_00: And it's not a matter of, is there something I need to work on?
SPEAKER_00: But it's identifying that point in your life that you need to focus on.
SPEAKER_00: Trying to find that spot in your life where you're stepping in correctly, where you do need to hand over your trust to him, myself included.
SPEAKER_00: We all have to lean into this truth as uncomfortable as it may be.
SPEAKER_00: But you're you don't have it all figured out.
SPEAKER_00: Trust in the one who does.
SPEAKER_00: Where is it in your life where you need to hand it over to him?
SPEAKER_00: Stop trying to run through the airport on your own.
SPEAKER_00: Hold on to God's hand.
SPEAKER_00: See it.
SPEAKER_00: For the Christian, that means repentance where you have trusted yourself more than God.
SPEAKER_00: It means bringing him into every hallway of life under his lordship.
SPEAKER_00: And for the one who's never obeyed the gospel, this trust means becoming concrete and surrendering to Christ.
SPEAKER_00: It means believing in him, turning from your sin, means confessing his name and being baptized into him for the forgiveness of your sins.
SPEAKER_00: You're not saved by mastering yourself, you're saved by trusting the Savior.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus trusted the Father all the way to the cross.
SPEAKER_00: Because he did, there is mercy for you and for me, for every sinner who comes to him.
SPEAKER_00: So the call today is simple.
SPEAKER_00: Trust the Lord with all your heart in all your ways and let him lead you to where your understanding never can get.
SPEAKER_00: Trusting God reshapes how we navigate.
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna stand up and sing a song together.
SPEAKER_00: And I really, really want you to think about what this means in your life.
SPEAKER_00: Where is it that you need to trust Him?
SPEAKER_00: Where is it that you need to hand over control?
SPEAKER_00: Because as long as you allow yourself to sit on that throne, as long as you allow your understanding to lead your life, you're missing something monumental that can change the outcome of every situation from here.
SPEAKER_00: But ultimately, where you are eternally.
SPEAKER_00: You trust in him enough to allow Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of your life.
SPEAKER_00: If you don't come to him, take him, name him the Lord of your life, be baptized for remission of your sins.
SPEAKER_00: Have you allowed your life to stray so far off path because you've allowed your understanding to get in the way of your trust?
SPEAKER_00: Come back to him this morning.
SPEAKER_00: I encourage you, I implore you to come, to acknowledge sin, to just say, I need the prayers of the church to get my life right.
SPEAKER_00: Let's let's hold on to each other today.
SPEAKER_00: Let's trust in him.
SPEAKER_00: We can help you in any way.
SPEAKER_00: Please come.
SPEAKER_00: Let's together hand and sing.