Posted on December 24, 2025 by growintheword

Part 3: A Savior For Such A Time As Now 

Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 
December 21st, 2025 

Scripture: Luke 2:10–11 (NKJV) 

“Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” 

I. INTRODUCTION 

And we give You praise for Your work today. Let Your Word speak to us, that we are made better because of what we are about to receive. We thank You that those who are tuned in, those who are here in the room, will be transformed. Let us listen intently, that we shall be changed. And we give You glory and praise that somebody’s life will be forever changed because of this Word. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen. 

Luke chapter 2, verses 10 and 11. You may be seated. 

Today, I want to talk about “A Savior for Such a Time as Now.” 

Christmas is a reminder that God’s timing is flawless. The world may stumble, delay, or even rush—but God moves at the exact moment He intends. In the city of David, at the precise moment ordained before the foundations of the world, God declared that the Savior would be born. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. But when the fullness of time had come. 

That’s the heartbeat of the Gospel: God shows up at the moment His people need Him most. 

The shepherds were ordinary people, tending ordinary flocks, living ordinary lives. Yet God chose that moment to reveal something extraordinary. Angels announced a Savior who would bring hope, peace, and joy—not someday, not when conditions were perfect—but right then. 

Too often, we postpone joy. We wait for the right circumstances, the right season, or a sign that life has settled down. But Luke chapter 2 teaches us that God’s “now” is immediate, personal, and transformative. 

The Messiah’s arrival was not based on human schedules—it was based on divine timing. Bethlehem was crowded. Caesar had decreed taxation. Mary and Joseph were weary travelers. Yet God’s plan unfolded deliberately, right in the middle of ordinary struggle. 

And in that field, an angelic proclamation declared: “Today, a Savior is born.” 
Hope is here because He is here. 
Peace is here because He is here. 
Joy is here because He is here. 

Christmas is not just a historical memory—it is a present reality. 

II. GOD ARRIVES IN THE NOW 

A. He Meets Us Where We Are 

I want you to walk the streets of Bethlehem with me. Rome ruled everything—the roads, the money, the military, even the narrative of power. Caesar Augustus was celebrated as a savior, a bringer of peace. Messengers traveled city to city proclaiming his “good news.” 

But Luke tells us that into this world of empire and propaganda, God announced a different kind of good news. 

The angel used the same political words Rome reserved for Caesar—good news, Savior, Lord—but this time, they belonged to a newborn baby lying in a manger. Heaven was making a declaration: Rome does not get the last word. God does. 

Bethlehem mattered. It wasn’t just a town—it was the birthplace of David, the beginning of Israel’s golden age. When the angel said, “Born to you this day in the city of David,” the shepherds understood: God was restarting their story. 

And yet, the most shocking part is this—God didn’t send angels to kings, scholars, or priests. He sent them to shepherds. Overlooked. Untrusted. Marginalized. 

God begins on the margins, not in palaces. 
God meets people where they actually are—not where we think they should be. 

Jesus didn’t come to a palace. He came to a manger. 

And the same God who showed up in Bethlehem says, “I’ll show up in your mud, your mess, your struggle, your pain, your right now.” 

You don’t have to clean yourself up. God meets you exactly where you are. 

B. He Brings Immediate Good News 

The angel said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy.” 
That word “good tidings” is evangelion—good news. 

Notice the timing: 
Joy is not postponed. 
Salvation is not delayed. 
Peace is accessible now. 
Hope is tangible now. 

God’s presence guarantees that His promises are never late. 

That’s why I need you to hear this: 
Your breakthrough can happen today. 
Your healing can happen today. 
Your deliverance can happen today. 
Your turnaround can happen today. 

What seems impossible with man is possible with God. 

III. GOD BRINGS HOPE IN THE NOW 

A. Hope Is Realized Today 

Hope is not empty optimism. Hope is confident trust in the One who keeps His Word. 

The birth of Jesus brought practical hope to weary shepherds. Hope shows up when heaven interrupts earth and reminds us that darkness does not get the final say. 

Hope looks like trusting God when the diagnosis is uncertain. 
Hope looks like obeying God when the finances don’t add up. 
Hope looks like believing God still sees you when doors are slammed in your face. 

Hope declares that delay is not denial. 

You’re not too late for God. 
You didn’t miss your moment. 
Hope arrives right on time. 

B. Hope Is Universal 

The angel said this news is for all people. 

That means hope isn’t just for Israel—it’s for everybody. 
For the single parent stretching a paycheck. 
For the student trying to find their path. 
For the rich and the poor alike. 

Hope reminds you: You’re not going to look like what you’re going through. 

IV. GOD INVITES JOY IN THE NOW 

A. Joy Is Rooted in Salvation 

Joy is the natural response to the presence of Christ in your life. 

Let me say it again—because you’re going to be tested on it: 
Joy is the natural response to the presence of Christ in your life. 

Joy is not tied to circumstances. 
Joy is tied to salvation. 

Salvation is not an idea—it’s a person. 
Salvation means God is not distant from your life. 

It restores identity in a world trying to rewrite it. 
It transforms joy from emotion into foundation. 

Joy is not a smile on your face—it’s what sustains you through difficulty. 

B. Joy Is Evident in Obedience 

Salvation teaches us that the lesser must reach for the greater. 

That’s why you can’t save yourself. 
That’s why you surrender. 
That’s why you trust. 

And when you know what Jesus has done for you, joy becomes contagious. 

So here’s the question this Christmas: 
Will you make room? 

Not just at the table. 
Not just in tradition. 
But in your life. 

Jesus doesn’t demand the head of the table—He’ll sit with you in your pain, confusion, and midnight hour. 

ALTAR CALL / CLOSING 

Today, if you need a relationship with Jesus Christ—don’t reject the gift. 
If you need to rededicate your life—come. 
If you need a church home—come. 

You’re not too late. 
Now is your time. 

Salvation has come now. 

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Part 2: The Evidence in the Now

Posted on December 19, 2025 by growintheword

 

 

Sermon Synopsis 12/14/25

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Prayer:

God, we thank You for worshippers.

We thank You that we can proceed now into the revelation You have for our lives.

I pray today that this word will permeate every heart—every hard place, every tough place.

Give us clarity. Give us direction. Give us marching orders.

Let us see not only where we are, but what the end is going to be.

For Your anointing that destroys every yoke, we give You glory and praise.

Let somebody’s life be changed—and let it begin with me.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

I.            INTRODUCTION

  1. Faith is one of those words we use often, but many of us have never truly slowed down long enough to understand what faith really is.
  2. We say we have faith.
  3. We say we walk by faith.
  4. We say we stand in faith.
  5. But when life hits hard—and life will hit hard—faith gets tested on a different level.
  6. Faith is not passive optimism.
  7. Faith is not wishful thinking.
  8. Faith is not hoping things magically turn around.

 

  1. Faith is active trust in God.

 

  1. It is standing on what God said, even when your situation has not yet caught up with His Word.
  2. Faith believes before it sees.
    1. Some people trust God only when it feels good.
  3. Faith trusts God when life hurts.
  4. Faith is not about ignoring reality.
  5. Faith is about holding onto a greater reality—that God is still in control.
  6. Hebrews 11:1 says now faith.
  7. Not later faith.
  8. Not someday faith.
  9. Not faith when everything lines up.
  10. Faith is relevant right now.
  11. That word now is not accidental.
    1. It disrupts delay.
    2. It challenges hesitation.
    3. It confronts procrastination.
  12. Faith does not wait for perfect conditions.
  13. Faith moves in imperfect moments.

 

  • Somebody needs to hear this clearly today:

Your miracle is not tomorrow.

Your breakthrough is not later.

When faith is activated, it works now!

II.            FAITH IS CONFIDENT

A.  It Stands on God’s Word

  1. Faith, first of all, is confident.
  2. Confidence in faith is not arrogance.
  3. It is assurance rooted in God’s character.

 

  1. I don’t get to choose when it shows up. I just have to believe that what God said will come to pass.
  2. Faith is not about controlling outcomes. Faith is about resting in the One who is already in control.
  3. The reason your life has not collapsed under pressure is not because you are strong—it’s because your foundation is strong.
  4. That foundation is the Word of God.
  5. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, which means if you want strong faith, you have to feed it.
  6. Feed your faith. Starve your doubt.
  7. God’s Word is not just inspirational—it is foundational.
  8. His promises are yes and amen.
  9. His Word does not return void.
  10. When God releases a word, it is already on the way.
  11. It’s like standing at an airport gate. You line up even though the plane hasn’t arrived yet—not because you see it, but because you trust what was
  12. What God has already released from heaven is in route to your life.
  13. Let people call you crazy. You’re not crazy—you’re in
  14. Throughout Scripture:
  • David said, Your word is a lamp unto my feet.
  • Joshua was told, Be strong and courageous.
  • Jesus fought temptation by saying, It is written.
  1. You don’t respond to pressure with opinions. You respond with the Word.
  2. You didn’t come today to be entertained.
  3. You came to the sanctuary or you are reading this, because you need a word—because the Word is your

B.  It Sees With God’s Vision

  1. Faith doesn’t just stand—it sees.
  2. If you stay locked into the natural, you will stay discouraged.
  3. Faith sees beyond what’s visible.
  4. Faith sees victory in the valley.
  5. Faith sees abundance while still in lack.
  6. Faith sees restoration when life looks broken.
  7. Stop letting people diagnose your situation and define your future.
  8. It may look bad—but I see how God sees.
  9. Faith vision says:
  • I see myself healed.
  • I see myself delivered.
  • I see myself at another level.
  1. It’s all about perspective.
  2. If you look at your situation crazy, it will look back at you crazy.
  3. Faith says, I see you in my future.

III.            FAITH IS CONVINCING

A.  It Holds to Hope

  1. Faith is the evidence of things not seen.
  2. Evidence is proof—even before
  3. You’ve never seen the wind, but you’ve seen what it moves.
  4. You may not have seen God face-to-face, but look at your life compared to five years ago.
  5. Where is the evidence?
  6. Delay is not denial.
  7. The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
  8. Faith operates in real time—now faith.
  9. Faith is like an emergency power switch.
  10. You don’t think about it until everything goes dark.
  11. When the lights go out, it activates immediately.
  12. You don’t need next week’s faith. You need right now faith:
  • When the doctor brings unexpected news
  • When the bills arrive before the money does
  • When relationships fall apart
  • When doors go silent
  1. Faith stabilizes you in the present.

B.  It Trusts Beyond Sight

  1. Some seasons are not renovation seasons—they are revelation
  2. Renovation gives you plans, timelines, and blueprints.
  3. Revelation gives you a promise and says, walk with Me.
  4. Renovators need materials, Creators just need a
  5. If you don’t know the who, what, when, or how—congratulations! You are exactly where faith

IV.            FAITH IS COMPELLING

A.  It Pushes Us Forward

  1. Faith moves you to action.
  2. Faith without works is dead.
  3. Faith compelled:
  • Noah to build before rain existed
  • Abraham to leave without knowing the destination
  • Moses to confront Pharaoh despite fear
  1. Faith refuses to let you quit. Even with headwinds, faith keeps you moving.
  2. Faith is a holy push.
  3. Some of you are tired, depleted, and running on fumes, but you didn’t come eleven months just to quit in the twelfth.
  4. There are promises God made earlier this year that He still intends to fulfill.
  5. Don’t stop now.

B.  It Positions Us for Favor

  1. Favor is not random. Favor meets you where faith places you.
  2. The enemy attacks hope because hope fuels faith.
  3. Fear paralyzes—but faith
  4. This is your step-out season.
  5. Step out before applause.
  6. Step out before confirmation.
  7. Step out before it makes sense.
  8. Faith has a proven track record.
  9. You sit on a pew without checking it.
  10. You board a plane without interviewing the pilot.
  11. You eat food without inspecting the kitchen.
  12. Why? Because trust is built on

C.  Conclusion

God says: Keep walking toward what I told you.

My assignment is not to impress—it’s to build faith.

Faith doesn’t come by hollering.

Faith comes by hearing, processing, and walking it out.

And that foundation—That foundation has kept you, held you, and sustained you.

Faith is confident.

Faith is convincing.

Faith is compelling.

And faith works—now!

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Part 1: The Keeper of Right Now

Posted on December 11, 2025 by growintheword

Sermon Synopsis 12.07.25

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

Scripture: Jude 1:24–25 (NKJV)

24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.

I.               INTRODUCTION

  1. Before we move into the text, take a moment and breathe in the goodness of God.
    Every breath we take is borrowed grace.
    Every day we wake up is God’s hand holding us steady.
    And so we begin by simply saying:
    Lord, thank You for Your keeping power. Transform us by Your Word today. Amen.
  2. Jude opens his benediction with a declaration that is not nostalgic and not futuristic. He begins with one powerful word: “Now.”
    Not yesterday.
    Not someday.
    Not after conditions improve.
    Now unto Him who is able…
  3. Because the God who kept you in childhood, the God who brought you through your darkest nights, the God who lifted you when you could not lift yourself—that same God is holding you right now.
  4. When you look back across the chapters of your life, you see evidence everywhere:
    • storms that should have drowned you
    • valleys that should have buried you
    • seasons that should have broken you
    • attacks that should have ended you
  5. Yet here you are—breathing, standing, surviving, becoming.
    That’s not luck.
    That’s not coincidence.
    That’s not resilience alone.
    That is the Lord who kept you.
  6. Jude writes to a community of believers facing infiltration, deception, confusion, and spiritual drift. They knew Scripture deeply—they knew the Exodus, the rebellion of angels, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude speaks their language. He uses apocalyptic imagery, the Bible’s way of pulling back the curtain to reveal the unseen world where God is at work even when chaos is unfolding on the surface.
  7. Apocalyptic literature says: You see trouble, but God sees triumph. You see confusion, but God sees completion. You see danger, but God sees destiny forming behind the scenes.
  8. Jude identifies the threat of apostasy, a drifting away from what once anchored your soul.
  9. Apostasy shows up as:

• A departure from truth
• A departure from trust
• A departure from the Teacher Himself

  • People were turning from sound doctrine to seductive doctrine—truth that feels good instead of truth that is good. They replaced conviction with convenience and discipleship with distraction. Jude tells them, “You must contend for the faith”—not casually, not occasionally, but intentionally—because everything valuable must be protected.
  • It is against that backdrop that Jude declares:
    “Now unto Him who is able to keep you…”
  • Not “you must keep yourself,”
    but He is able.
  • Not “you must hold it all together,”
    but He is holding you.
  • Not “you must navigate every threat alone,”
    but He is the Keeper of your right now.

II.               HIS POWER TO PRESERVE

  • Jude doesn’t begin with God presenting us; he begins with God preserving us. Before we ever get to the glory, before we ever stand faultless, before we ever experience joy—God starts by keeping us.
  • There are moments in life when the weight becomes so heavy that you feel your knees buckling.
    Moments where breath is short, tears are frequent, and hope looks blurry.
    Yet deep in the tension, God upholds you in ways you didn’t even realize at the time.
  • Jude says that God keeps you from stumbling—not from walking into difficulty, not from facing pressure, not from encountering grief—but from the kind of falling that destroys your purpose, your identity, and your belonging in Him.

A.    He Guards Us from Falling

  1. Picture a small child walking through a crowded downtown street—eyes lifted, captivated by lights and storefronts, unaware of dangers around them.
    But behind the child is a parent—watching, pacing, ready to intervene instantly.
    The child sees attractions; the parent sees threats.
    The child sees opportunity; the parent sees danger.
    The child walks freely; the parent covers faithfully.
  2. That is what God does for His people.
    He places Himself between you and what intends to harm you.
    You don’t even realize how many attacks never reached your doorstep because God intercepted them.
    1. Ephesians 6 describes the armor of God—helmet, breastplate, shield, sword, belt, sandals.
      Everything listed protects the front of the believer.
      So who protects your back?
    1. God does.
      He is your rear guard.
      The reason the enemy never successfully blindsided you, the reason the dagger thrown behind your back never struck, is because God Himself stood between you and every unseen attack.
  3. God’s preserving power is not the absence of adversity; it is the assurance that adversity cannot overthrow His purpose for your life.

B.    He Guides Us to Finish

  1. Preservation is not merely defensive—it is directional.
    God does not only guard you from falling; He guides you toward finishing.
  2. You were not designed to wander aimlessly.
    Your steps are ordered—even when the ordering feels like disruption.
    Every closed door was a redirection.
    Every lost opportunity was a pivot.
    Every breakup, job shift, disappointment, and detour was a steering mechanism.
  3. If that door had stayed open, you would still be stuck in a place too small for the destiny God planted in you.
    If that relationship had not ended, you would have been yoked to someone who could not carry the weight of your future.
  4. God’s keeping power is also a guiding power, pushing you toward the place He ordained long before you understood the path.

III.               HIS PROMISE TO PRESENT

  • Jude moves us into the crescendo of the text:
    “…and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.”
  • The world sees your flaws.
    People see your history.
    The enemy sees your weaknesses, but God sees you through the finished work of Christ.

A.    He Presents Us Faultless

  1. From childhood many of us have been labeled—
    • “not enough”
    • “too broken”
    • “too inconsistent”
    • “too flawed”
  2. Teachers underestimated you.
    Family criticized you.
    Friends magnified your mistakes.
    Some people didn’t know how to handle the gift in you, so they mishandled you.
  3. But when God presents you, He does not present you through reputation—
    He presents you through redemption.
  4. Faultless does not mean you never did wrong.
    Faultless means your wrongs no longer define you.
  5. Picture a courtroom where charges are being read—charges you know are true.
    You brace yourself for the verdict.
    Then the Judge enters and announces:
    “Case dismissed.”

Not because you were innocent,
but because you were covered.

This is why we cannot condemn each other.
Grace that lifts us cannot be used to shame someone else.
If God removed your guilt, who are we to reattach guilt to someone else’s name?

B.    He Presents Us With Fullness of Joy

  1. God doesn’t present us reluctantly—He presents us rejoicing.
    Not with minimal joy.
    Not with decent joy.
    But with exceeding joy—overflowing, abundant, unstoppable joy.
  2. Joy is not emotion; joy is infrastructure.
    Joy is the internal engine that keeps running even when external conditions collapse.
  3. Joy is…A Fruit of the Spirit — Galatians 5:22
    2. A Strength-Giver — Nehemiah 8:10
    3. A Response to God’s Salvation — Psalm 51:12
    4. A Gift Found in God’s Presence — Psalm 16:11
    5. A Hopeful Expectation — James 1:2
    6. A Mark of the Kingdom — Romans 14:17
  4. Happiness is external:
    flowers, applause, affirmation, compliments.
  5. Joy is internal:
    revelation, identity, stability, presence.
    1. Imagine a neighborhood during a power outage.
      House after house goes dark, but one house is still glowing.
      Why? Because that house has a generator—power that does not depend on the grid.
    1. That is joy.
      Joy keeps you shining when
      • the relationship collapses
      • the finances tighten
      • the job shifts
      • the storm hits
      • the wind howls
      • the ground shakes
    1. This joy you have—the world didn’t give it, and the world cannot take it away.

IV.               HIS PRAISE IS PERMANENT

  • Jude concludes by lifting our gaze beyond earth’s instability to heaven’s permanence:
  • “…to God who alone is wise, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, both now and forever.”

A.    His Glory Is Eternal

  1. Worship is not entertainment; worship is surrender.
    The presence of God moves where ego dies.
    The glory falls where agendas collapse.
    Healing emerges where surrender deepens.
    When glory enters a room, nothing remains the same because glory reveals God and conceals man.
  2. We come to church saying, “I need a word,” but God also asks, “What will you give Me?”
    Clapping is appreciation.
    Worship is surrender.

B.    His Greatness Is Exalted

  1. Consider a lighthouse in the middle of a violent storm—
    waves crashing, winds screaming, clouds swallowing the sky.
    The lighthouse does not calm the storm.
    It does not silence the waves.
    It does not stop the wind.
  2. But it stands.
    Unmoved.
    Unshaken.
    Unintimidated.
  3. Why?
    Because the storm has motion,
    but the lighthouse has foundation.
    The storm has noise,
    but the lighthouse has authority.
    The storm has force,
    but the lighthouse has dominion.
  4. That is your God.
    Everything around you can shake,
    but He cannot be moved.
  5. Everything around you can change,
    but He remains forever.
  6. And because He is the Keeper of your right now,
    He is also the Keeper of your tomorrow.

C.   INVITATION

  1. If you are reading this and you feel far from God…
    If life has pushed you into a place of confusion or transition…
    If you’ve drifted and want to return…
    If you’re longing for His glory to rest on your home, your family, your purpose…
  2. There is no shame.
    No condemnation.
    Only grace.
    Only arms open wide.
    Only a Savior ready to keep you, guide you, and present you faultless with exceeding joy.
  3. Come to Him.
    Come into His keeping.
    Come into His glory.

Have a blessed and victorious week in the Lord.

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I See The Goodness of God

Posted on November 26, 2025 by growintheword

 

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

Synopsis 11/23/25

Scripture: Psalm 27:13 (NKJV)

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord

In the land of the living.

I.               INTRODUCTION

Prayer:

Oh Lord, we thank You today that we are centered around Your Word. And because we are centered around Your Word, somebody’s life is getting ready to shift. Somebody in this room is going to walk out stronger. Somebody streaming in is getting clarity they’ve been begging You for. Thank You for the power of Your Word. Thank You for the anointing behind Your Word. Speak it now. Make us better, because we will leave here better than we came. In Jesus’ name… Amen.

David writes in Psalm 27:13, “I would have fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

Sometimes life doesn’t just hit you, it hits you all at once. You’re doing everything right, and suddenly the bottom falls out. You’re already tired, and then the job shifts… the bill shows up… the relationship shakes… the doctor calls and says something you were not ready to hear. You’re praying, but the pressure keeps howling. You’re standing, but the ground under you keeps shifting.

That’s when fainting feels like the most natural thing to do.

Psalm 27:13 bursts into those moments with a reminder:

  • God’s goodness is not distant. It’s not delayed. It’s not waiting for heaven.
  • It’s available right now—in the land of the living.

When you believe, your vision changes. You stop seeing brokenness and you start seeing the blessing. You stop seeing setbacks, and you start seeing setups. You realize your breakthrough is closer than you imagined.

God is moving, even when it looks like nothing is moving.

Today I want to talk about:

  • How to hold on when life tries to knock the wind out of you
  • How to activate your faith when your strength feels weak
  • How to stay alert to the favor that’s already forming around you

This Word is for the tired, the weary, the overwhelmed, the frustrated, the person who said, “Enough is enough.”

You are getting ready to see the goodness of the Lord—and not just see it, you’re going to walk in it.

II.               I ALMOST FAINTED

  • David was not in a palace when he wrote this. He was in caves. He was hiding. He was betrayed. He was exhausted. He was chosen by God but chased by enemies. He was promised a crown but running for his life.
  • And in that tension, he says: “I almost fainted.”

A. Adversity Will Challenge Your Endurance

  1. Every believer has had “almost fainted” seasons.
  2. The bills stacking…
  3. The doctor’s report shaking you…
  4. The anxiety attacking your mind…
  5. The marriage stretching your heart…
  6. The job draining you…
  7. The grief suffocating you…

 

  1. We have had almost fainted moments, but “almost” does not mean “did.” Let me say that again: Almost is not fainting. Almost breaking is not breaking.
  2. God does His best work at the edge.
  3. Endurance isn’t measured by how long you last, It’s measured by what you’re standing on while you last.
  4. Adversity exposes the truth: What foundation have you really been standing on?

 

B. Most People Don’t Know How Close To The Edge You Are

  1. You’ve learned how to function while fractured. That’s called high-functioning distress.
  2. You can smile publicly but cry privately.
  3. You can help everybody else but be falling apart inside.
  4. You can look strong and feel empty at the same time.
  5. Most people have no idea how close you’ve been to the edge.

3 Signs That Often Go Overlooked:

  1. Sudden Withdrawal-Physically present, emotionally absent. You’re there… but you’re not “there.”
  2. Forced Positivity-You joke, you laugh, you keep the vibe light, because you don’t know how to say, “I’m hurting.”
  3. Silent Struggle – “I’m fine” becomes your script, even though your tone is screaming for help.
  1. But hear this:
  2. Even if people don’t see it, God sees it.
  3. He steps in at “almost”, because “almost” is where His sustaining power carries you.
  4. Somebody shout, “He kept me!”

 

III.               I ACTIVATED MY FAITH

  • David pivots: “Unless I believed…”
  • Faith is what kept him from collapsing.

A.    Faith Moves Beyond Feeling

  1. Faith isn’t a feeling.
  2. Faith leads your feelings.
  3. Faith says:
  4. When feelings say stop—move.
  5. When feelings say retreat—advance.
  6. When feelings say quit—trust.
  7. Faith is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.
    1. And faith says: “I don’t see everything, but I trust the One who does.”

B. Faith Calls Forth Divine Intervention

  1. Faith moves heaven.
  2. Without faith it is impossible to please God… (Hebrews 11:6)
  3. When you activate faith, it’s like pressing the “start” button on a machine:
  • Internal systems start shifting
  • Angels begin moving
  • Doors begin aligning
  • Outcomes begin orchestrating
  1. It might still look silent around you, but something is already moving for you.
  2. Faith doesn’t wait for evidence. Faith creates evidence.
  3. That’s why we walk by faith and not by sight, because sight will make you panic, but faith will make you press through.

Somebody shout, “My faith kept me!”

IV.               I BECAME AWARE OF GOD’S FAVOR

  • David didn’t just say he would see goodness. He said he would see it in the land of the living. That means in your lifetime, on this side of heaven.
  • Favor has been around you the entire time. You just didn’t recognize it because trouble tried to blind you.

A. Favor Is Revealed In Timing

  1. God’s timing is strategic. Sometimes what feels late is actually right on schedule.
  2. God waits until the moment when only He can get the glory.
  3. Favor moves according to divine appointment, not human expectation.
  4. And He will not release favor until you are mature enough to carry it.

B. Favor Transforms Your Perspective

  1. Favor is not favoritism. Favor is assignment.
  2. Joseph was favored, but favor took him to a pit and a prison before it took him to a palace.
  3. Mary was favored, but favor made her misunderstood and isolated.
  4. David was favored, but favor sent him to caves before it sent him to a throne.

 

  1. Favor doesn’t mean God loves you more. Favor means God trusts you with something heavier than most people could carry.
  2. When favor is recognized, everything shifts in your walk, your voice, your confidence, your decisions.
  3. Look down your row and declare: “Favor is on this row!”
  4. Look toward your house and say: “Favor is over my house!”
  5. Declare over yourself: “I will see the goodness of God.”

CALL TO DECISION

Think back over every season the enemy tried to break you—but you’re still here.

This Word was God pulling you back into His presence.

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord, thank You for catching us at “almost.”

Thank You for strengthening us when we were close to fainting.

Thank You for faith that keeps us anchored.

Thank You for favor that positions us for what You’ve called us to carry.

Cover us. Keep us.

And let us see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

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