The Three P's of Expectations

Apr 26, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Stepping Onto Liquid Promises

Peter stood in a storm-tossed boat, eyes locked on Jesus. Waves slapped the wood. Wind ripped at his cloak. “Lord, if it’s You,” he shouted, “command me to come!” Jesus said one word: “Come.” Peter swung his leg over the side. For one breathless moment, his sandal met liquid—and held. Water became solid beneath his faith. [38:45]

Jesus rewards radical obedience. He didn’t calm the storm first. He invited Peter into the chaos, proving His power thrives in impossible places. Faith isn’t the absence of fear—it’s choosing His voice over the gale.

Many of us cling to boats of routine, safety, or control. What if today you answered His “come” with movement? Where is He asking you to trade stability for supernatural steps? What storm have you let drown out His command?

“Peter said, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.”
(Matthew 14:28-29, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to highlight one “boat” He’s calling you to leave today.
Challenge: Write down one fear holding you back. Burn or tear it after praying over it.

Day 2: Jars of Expectant Surrender

The widow gripped her last vial of oil. Elisha’s instruction baffled: “Gather empty jars—not a few.” She sent sons to knock on every neighbor’s door. Jars cluttered her small home. As she poured, oil multiplied—filling every borrowed vessel. The flow stopped only when no containers remained. [56:12]

God’s provision matches our preparation. The widow’s faith wasn’t in the oil—it was in the empty space she made for miracles. Her hands stayed busy while waiting for breakthrough, turning desperation into divine strategy.

What “jars” is God asking you to gather? Financial spreadsheets for that business vision? Baby clothes while believing for healing? Resume updates before the job offer? Don’t wait for the miracle to prepare the space. How many vessels have you left unfilled?

“Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars.”
(2 Kings 4:3-4, ESV)

Prayer: Confess areas where you’ve limited God by small expectations.
Challenge: Physically prepare space for one promise—clear a shelf, create a vision board, or buy a planner.

Day 3: Counting Uncountable Stars

God dragged Abraham into the desert night. “Look up.” Sand gritted underfoot as stars blazed. “So shall your offspring be.” The old man squinted—counting glittering specks until tears blurred them. His laugh lines deepened. Barren Sarah’s womb suddenly mattered less than this star-drenched promise. [48:52]

God exchanges human limits for divine perspective. He didn’t argue with Abraham’s doubts—He gave him a new lens. Kingdom imagination sees beyond biological clocks, bank statements, and medical reports to the Maker of galaxies.

What earthly facts have narrowed your vision? Chronic pain? A strained marriage? Delayed dreams? Shift your gaze upward. Can you name three specific promises God has given you that outshine present circumstances?

“He brought him outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ And he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’”
(Genesis 15:5, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for one promise that feels impossible—pray it aloud twice daily.
Challenge: Step outside tonight. Name one star after a promise you’re believing for.

Day 4: Fringe of Faithful Reach

Twelve years of bleeding left her weak. Crowds jostled as she lunged for Jesus’ cloak. Fingers brushed blue threads—power surged. Jesus froze. “Who touched Me?” She trembled, confessing. He smiled: “Daughter, your faith has made you well.” Her shame dissolved in His gaze. [59:06]

Desperate faith activates heaven’s power. She didn’t wait for invitation or healing lines—she engineered her miracle. Jesus honored her boldness, turning a covert touch into a public proclamation of restoration.

What brokenness have you hidden? Chronic anxiety? Secret addiction? Silent grief? Christ’s power flows through honest reach, not perfect prayers. Are you trying to fix yourself before approaching Him, or will you stretch toward His hem today?

“For she said, ‘If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.’ And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.”
(Mark 5:28-29, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve let shame silence your need.
Challenge: Text a trusted believer about one struggle you’ve kept hidden.

Day 5: Path Lit By Presence

Peter sank when he noticed waves. Jesus grabbed his wrist, steadying him. “Why did you doubt?” Back in the boat, the storm stilled. The disciples gaped—drenched but radiant. They’d walked the impossible. Not because of skill, but because they’d fixed their eyes on the Word-Made-Flesh. [01:04:07]

Miracles happen in His presence, not our performance. Peter’s faith faltered when he analyzed wind instead of worshipping. Yet even in sinking, Jesus’ grip proved stronger than Peter’s grip on control.

What “waves” distract you—political chaos, family tensions, health scares? His presence isn’t a retreat from storms but the place to stand through them. When did you last sit in silence, letting His nearness recalibrate your focus?

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
(Psalm 16:11, ESV)

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to alert you each time you focus on storms today.
Challenge: Set a phone timer for three “presence checks”—pause to breathe and refocus on Christ.

Sermon Summary

Faith appears as a present, usable substance that enables people to step out of comfort and into supernatural possibility. Hebrews 11:1 anchors faith as the evidence of things hoped for and the substance of things not seen, insisting that faith begins in the imagination and then moves into concrete action. The image of the boat shows how comfort, fear, and low expectations hold people back; walking on the water requires an initial step of trust. Biblical examples illustrate the pattern: Abraham received a picture that expanded his thinking, Noah prepared before the rain, the widow borrowed many vessels and matched her miracle to her preparation, and the woman with the issue of blood pushed through the crowd to touch healing. Each story models imagination redeemed, active preparation, and sustained connection to God.

Expectation functions as an active posture rather than passive wishing. Possibility reshapes the mind so vision replaces fearful what ifs. Preparation aligns behavior with that vision so faith produces corresponding works before visible proof arrives. Presence sustains the posture; staying in God through prayer, Scripture, and worship keeps eyes fixed on the Lord and prevents sinking when storms appear. Practical steps include taking the first step before full evidence, preparing as if the promise already exists, and guarding thoughts by bringing them into obedience to Christ. Generosity, resume updates, rehearsed interviews, drawn-up business plans, and borrowed jars all serve as tangible expressions of faith in motion.

The promise of God invites expectation of abundance rather than mere survival. Faith gives weight to promises while the process unfolds and insists on acting as if the provision is real. The central challenge is not whether God can act but whether people will leave the boat of control and comfort to step toward what is spoken. Sustained expectancy becomes a lifestyle: imagine boldly, prepare faithfully, and remain in God so the miraculous becomes the natural outcome of ordinary obedience.

Key Takeaways

1. See with redeemed imagination Faith begins in the mind where vision replaces fearful scenarios. Redeeming imagination means deliberately picturing God sized outcomes, not human limitations. When imagination aligns with Gods promises the heart will move before the evidence appears and begin to form the actions necessary for fulfillment. [41:06]
2. Prepare as if its already here Expectation requires active preparation that mirrors the promised reality. Noah built the ark before rain; the widow gathered many jars before the oil overflowed. Preparation honors the promise by creating capacity and position for what God intends to bring. [51:54]
3. Remain in Gods sustaining presence Presence sustains expectancy and prevents sinking when circumstances roar. Keeping attention on God through prayer, Scripture, and worship preserves the focus that enabled Peter to walk on water. Expectation without connection weakens; continual communion fuels the courage to keep stepping. [61:51]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[06:54] - Weekly Confession
[30:07] - Defining Faith Hebrews 11:1
[36:42] - The Boat as Comfort Zone
[39:04] - Stepping Out to Walk on Water
[40:52] - Overview of Three P's
[41:06] - Possibility and Imagination
[51:54] - Preparation in Action
[54:33] - Noah and Divine Warning
[56:12] - Widow and the Jars of Oil
[59:06] - Woman with Issue of Blood
[61:51] - Presence Sustains Expectation
[66:28] - Call to Step Out
[71:22] - Announcements and Giving
[74:20] - Closing Blessing and Confession

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Observation Questions

According to Hebrews 11:1, how is faith defined in terms of its relationship to hope and unseen realities?
In the story of Peter walking on water (Matthew 14:28-29), what specific action did Peter take to demonstrate faith, and what happened when he shifted his focus? [39:04]
How did the widow in 2 Kings 4:3-7 prepare for her miracle, and what determined the extent of her provision? [56:12]
What practical examples of "preparation" were shared in the sermon (e.g., resumes, business plans)? [01:00:20]

Interpretation Questions

Why might "redeeming imagination" (replacing fear with God’s promises) be a critical first step in activating faith? [41:06]
How does the story of Noah building the ark (Hebrews 11:7) illustrate the relationship between faith and action, even when there’s no visible evidence? [54:33]
The woman with the issue of blood pushed through a crowd to touch Jesus’ garment. What does her determination reveal about the connection between faith and persistence? [59:06]
Why is maintaining a focus on God’s presence described as essential to avoiding "sinking" in difficult circumstances? [01:03:19]

Application Questions

What is one area of your life where fear or "what ifs" have limited your imagination? How could you intentionally replace those thoughts with a vision aligned with God’s promises?
If you were to "prepare as if the promise is already here" this week, what tangible step could you take (e.g., updating a resume, creating a budget, writing a plan)? [53:26]
Identify a current challenge where you’re tempted to focus on the "storm" (circumstances) rather than God. What daily habit (prayer, Scripture, worship) could help you stay connected to His presence? [01:05:05]
Generosity, borrowing jars, or rehearsing interviews were examples of faith in motion. What practical, faith-filled action have you hesitated to take because it feels premature?
When have you seen a "miracle match your preparation" in your life? How does that experience encourage you to act boldly now?
What does "stepping out of the boat" look like for you right now? What fear or comfort zone might God be calling you to leave behind? [01:07:20]

Sermon Clips

23s

“So stop waiting for evidence to move. Stop waiting for everything to be laid out in front of you before you take that step and step out of the boat because your movement is the evidence of your faith. That first step you take, that is your evidence of faith. That's putting your faith into action. Amen? That's why we walk by faith and not by sight.”

from 01:01:18

#StepOfFaith

34s

“Notice he had to step out of the boat and step into faith and that's when he began to walk on the word come and walk walk on the water. But it wasn't while he was in the boat. Because the truth is, you will never experience supernatural results while living a natural, comfortable, low expectation life. I wanna say that again. You will never experience supernatural results while living in a natural, comfortable, low expectation life. Right?”

from 00:39:14

#NoComfortNoMiracles

31s

“As long as I stay in this boat, I know how things are going to turn out. I don't wanna step out of the boat, and that's a dangerous place to be. We are called to step out of the boat into faith and walk on the water, but you can't do that when you're still stuck. See, faith doesn't live in that boat. Fear, anxiety, doubt, concern, you know, the status quo, that's what lives in that boat, not faith. Faith actually has you walk out on the water.”

from 00:36:42

#FaithLeavesTheBoat

23s

“Expectation is not passive. Expectation is the preparation. It prepares. You think of an expecting mother, right? Someone who's expecting their child. They don't just sit and wait nine months and say, okay, well whenever the baby gets here then I'll do everything. I have to wait until I see it before I'm able to actually do stuff. That's not what an expecting mother does, right?”

from 00:52:07

#ExpectationIsPreparation

28s

“See, what I want you to understand is faith begins where your imagination is redeemed. And what that means is your ability to believe God starts with what you allow your mind to picture. So what are you picturing? Amen? I'm picturing a good God, an abundant God, a God who's yes and amen. Because before faith before faith actually shows up in your actions, it shows up in your imagination first. Right?”

from 00:41:12

#FaithStartsInImagination

29s

“See, you can't maintain expectation without staying in God's presence. Staying in his word, staying prayed up, praying without ceasing, staying in an act of worship. See, the moment that Peter stepped out of that boat, he was walking on the word come and he began walking on water. But when he looked at the wind and the storms around him and the circumstances, that's when he began to sink.”

from 01:01:57

#StayInGodsPresence

24s

“See, you can't step out of that boat if all you see is the storm around you. If you focus on the storm and you focus on the circumstances that are going around you, it's gonna hold you back into that boat of captivity, that boat of, well, I don't have enough, that boat of of anxiety and all that kind of stuff. You can't step out of that boat if you're focusing on the storm around you.”

from 00:50:54

#EyesOnThePromise

25s

“But you have to prepare, you have to walk in that expect that preparation for expectation. So if you're believing today, if you're here today and you're believing for a job, then prepare and act like it's already yours. Amen? Act like it's already yours. Prepare. That's exactly what I had to do. I dusted off a resume. I started practicing for interviews. I hadn't even had interviews set up yet and I was practicing for interviews.”

from 00:59:54

#PrepareLikeItsYours

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The Three P's of Expectations

Devotional

Day 1: Stepping Onto Liquid Promises

Day 2: Jars of Expectant Surrender

Day 3: Counting Uncountable Stars

Day 4: Fringe of Faithful Reach

Day 5: Path Lit By Presence

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Three P's of Expectations

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