Discerning God's Will

Today I pressed us to think about choices that honor God, not just choices that look spiritual on the surface. Sometimes the “obvious” answer isn’t the faithful answer. Working on a Sunday might sound like it pulls you away, but what if God places you there to witness by how you work, how you speak, how you love? The real question is: are we full-time Christians—Monday to Sunday—or part-time, switching our faith on and off depending on setting and schedule?

Trust is crucial. Abraham stepped into the unknown. Children leap into their father’s arms—until the lights go out. Do we still trust when we can’t see? Scripture says God teaches us to profit and leads us in the way we should go. Father knows best. The issue is not whether God wants to guide; it’s whether we want to be led. A teachable heart will find a Teacher.

We walked through Romans 12: a renewed mind begins to align our will with God’s will. That has everything to do with careers and callings. Don’t just ask, “What do I want?” Ask, “What has God already given?” Your gifts and your holy desires are clues. If you can’t stand blood, you don’t have to abandon medicine; there’s a lane in the lab. If algebra drains you, don’t force a life that will hollow you out; teach what you love and use it to serve. Everyone has a gift; nobody has them all. Listen to the Body; affirmation and fruit are God’s highlighters.

We also talked about preaching and ministry. A call should be confirmed in community, mentored in humility, and expressed in many forms—pulpit, prison, nursing home, classroom. In our house we have a pathway for young ministers—practice, feedback, growth. Whatever we choose must not compromise our faith. Work is more than money; it’s worship when aligned with Scripture.

Practical steps: pray and fast; take a spiritual gifts inventory; keep a daily journal to watch where grace keeps showing up; seek mentors. God’s process is simple and costly: listen, trust, obey.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Be a full-time Christian everywhere A life that toggles between sacred and secular will always feel fractured. Holiness is not a location; it’s an identity we carry into classrooms, clinics, shops, and shifts. The power of witness is consistency—integrity that does not clock out. Live one life before one Lord, everywhere. [05:54]
• 2. Trust God beyond what you can see Obedience before understanding is not reckless; it’s relational. Abraham shows us that trust is not the absence of questions; it’s the refusal to be ruled by them. Faith is choosing the Father’s arms even when the lights are out. We step because He is steady. [11:39]
• 3. Let God renew how you think We don’t find God’s will by guessing; we grow into it by transformation. As our minds are renewed, our desires get re-educated, and we recognize what is good. Alignment isn’t instant; it is formed by worship, word, and surrender over time. New thoughts make new paths possible. [20:12]
• 4. Align passion, gifts, and calling God often hides direction inside design—what we do well and love to do. Naming limits is not faithlessness; it’s wisdom that frees us to find our fit. When passion and gifting converge, sustainability and joy rise, and service bears fruit. Let how God made you guide where you go. [27:53]
• 5. Seek mentors and communal confirmation Calling needs testing, not just feeling. Invite seasoned voices to assess, encourage, and correct; their feedback is grace that protects you and strengthens your work. Formation happens in a process, not a moment, and community is part of that process. Don’t walk it alone. [48:28]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:27] - Which choice draws you to God?
• [04:10] - The “work on Sunday” dilemma
• [05:54] - Full-time vs part-time Christian
• [10:06] - Abraham and trusting God
• [14:05] - Father knows best: God’s guidance
• [17:00] - Are you willing to be taught?
• [20:12] - Renewed mind aligns with God’s will
• [22:16] - Asking God about your career
• [25:12] - Gifts reveal direction; dancer example
• [27:53] - Aligning passion with limitations
• [33:04] - Let community confirm your gifts
• [48:28] - Young ministers group and mentoring
• [53:00] - Listen, trust, and obey

1. In Romans 12:2, what happens when our minds are renewed? What does a renewed mind help us to recognize?
2. According to Romans 12:6, how are spiritual gifts given, and what does that say about comparison and competition in the Body?
3. One example shared was a person who wanted medicine but couldn’t handle blood, so they found a lane in the lab instead ([27:53]). What other specific examples were given to show how passion and limits can guide calling?
4. What was the contrast between a “full-time Christian” and a “part-time Christian,” and what did each look like in daily life? ([05:54])

1. If a job asks for Sunday work, what makes that choice draw someone closer to God or away from God? How could the heart, the witness, and the way one works be the key issue? ([04:10])
2. Romans 12:1-2 calls for presenting our whole selves to God and being transformed by a renewed mind. What might it look like for desires to be “re-educated” over time so that God’s will becomes recognizable?
3. How can community feedback act as God’s “highlighter” for our gifts and callings? What protections and encouragements come from listening to others? ([33:04])
4. Think about the picture of trusting when the lights go out. What does real trust in God look like when the next step is unclear? ([11:39])

1. Where does your faith tend to “clock out”—work, classroom, dorm, home, online? Name one simple practice you will carry into that space this week to live as a full-time Christian (prayer before tasks, honest speech, kindness in pressure, refusing shortcuts). Be specific about when and how. ([05:54])
2. If you are facing (or will likely face) a Sunday work decision, how will you plan to honor God in that setting—through witness, worship rhythms, rest, and gathered fellowship? What concrete boundaries or routines will you set? ([04:10])
3. Where are the “lights out” in your life right now—an unknown, a delay, a tough choice? What is one act of obedience you can take this week before you understand everything? Share it with the group for prayer. ([11:39])
4. What one habit will you adjust for the next 30 days to help renew your mind (set a daily Scripture time, add weekly worship, practice surrender in prayer)? Name the time, place, and plan. (Romans 12:2)
5. Name one passion and one limitation you see in yourself. What is a next-step “lane” you can try that honors both (like the lab lane for the doctor who couldn’t stand blood)? Set a small action for this week. ([27:53])
6. Whose feedback will you seek about your gifts? Pick two people who know you and will be honest. How and when will you ask them (text, call, coffee)? What questions will you ask them to answer? ([33:04])
7. What step will you take toward formation and mentoring—joining a group, sharing a short message for feedback, shadowing a servant role? Set a date to start. ([48:28])