Embracing Growth in the Waiting Season

Summary

Waiting is one of the most challenging aspects of life, especially in a world that values speed and instant results. Yet, waiting is not just a passive activity; it is a vital part of spiritual growth and character development. There are lessons that can only be learned in the waiting room of life—lessons that shape our faith, our patience, and our trust in God’s timing. The difference between “no” and “not yet” is crucial, and our inability to wait often leads to unnecessary pain, debt, and brokenness. God, however, is never in a hurry, and His timing is always perfect, even when we don’t understand it.

When we find ourselves waiting on God—whether for a job, healing, direction, or an answer to prayer—it’s important to remember several truths. First, there is always a natural delay between planting and harvesting; the results of our faith and obedience often come in a different season than when we sowed the seeds. Second, there is an unseen spiritual battle taking place. Sometimes delays are not denials, but the result of spiritual warfare that we cannot see. Third, God uses waiting to prepare us for the blessings He wants to give. He is more interested in our character than our comfort, and waiting tests and strengthens our faith. Fourth, we are in good company; the heroes of faith in Scripture all experienced seasons of waiting. Finally, God always keeps His promises. His Word is trustworthy, and what He has spoken will come to pass in His perfect time.

While we wait, we are not called to be passive. Instead, we should write down the lessons we are learning, act as though we have already received what we are praying for, imitate the habits of those with strong faith, and trust God instead of panicking. Waiting is a time to keep praying, serving, connecting with others, sowing seeds of faith, and believing in God’s promises. Like bamboo that grows unseen for years before suddenly shooting up, our faithfulness in the waiting season prepares us for the rapid growth and blessings that God has planned. Sometimes, what feels like waiting on God is actually God waiting on us to move against our fears and step out in faith. When we do, we discover that God’s arms are always there to catch us, and His timing is always right.

Key Takeaways

- Waiting is a Season of Growth, Not Inactivity
Waiting is not wasted time; it is a season where God develops our character, deepens our faith, and prepares us for what’s ahead. Just as there is a natural delay between planting and harvesting, spiritual fruit often comes in a different season than when we first sowed seeds of faith. Embracing the waiting period as a time of learning and growth allows us to receive the full benefit of what God wants to do in us before He does something through us. [05:23]

- Spiritual Warfare Often Accompanies Delays
Delays in answered prayer are not always denials; sometimes they are the result of spiritual battles taking place beyond our perception. The story of Daniel reveals that our prayers are heard immediately, but the answers may be delayed due to unseen opposition. Persisting in prayer and faith, even when nothing seems to be happening, is a vital part of spiritual warfare and demonstrates our trust in God’s sovereignty. [09:50]

- God Prepares Us for Greater Blessings Through Waiting
God’s primary concern is not our immediate comfort but our long-term character. The trials and delays we experience are tests that refine our faith, much like gold is refined by fire. In the waiting, we are “enlarged,” becoming more capable of receiving and stewarding the blessings God has in store, just as a pregnant mother grows in expectation of new life. [13:24]

- Faith Acts Before Seeing the Answer
True faith is not passive; it acts as though God’s promises are already fulfilled, even before they are visible. This means preparing, serving, and living in expectation, much like Abraham was called “father of many nations” long before Isaac was born. Acting in faith, rather than waiting for all fear to subside, positions us to receive God’s best and demonstrates our trust in His Word. [29:42]

- Don’t Put Life on Hold—Keep Practicing the Habits of Faith
Seasons of waiting are not times to be idle or to put life on hold. Instead, they are opportunities to develop habits that strengthen our faith: keep praying, keep serving, keep connecting with others, keep sowing, and keep believing. God cannot steer a parked car; as we remain active in faith, we are prepared for the moment when God’s answer comes, often more suddenly and abundantly than we could have imagined. [44:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:24] - The Challenge of Waiting
[02:07] - God’s Waiting Room
[04:24] - Five Things to Remember While Waiting
[05:23] - The Delay Between Planting and Harvesting
[06:35] - The Unseen Spiritual Battle
[10:35] - God Prepares Us for Blessing
[14:44] - You’re in Good Company
[16:59] - God Always Keeps His Promises
[21:11] - Four Things to Do While Waiting (W.A.I.T.)
[22:39] - Write Down the Lessons
[26:04] - Act as Though You Already Have It
[34:40] - Imitate the Habits of Strong Faith
[45:25] - Trust God Instead of Panicking
[49:14] - The Bamboo Principle: Don’t Give Up
[52:23] - Move Against Your Fear
[54:43] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Small Group Bible Study Guide: Daring to Wait on God

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### Bible Reading

1. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 11
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to plant and a time to uproot... He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

2. Daniel 10:12-14
“Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future...’”

3. Romans 8:24-28 (The Message paraphrase)
“Waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy... Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us... That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

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### Observation Questions

1. According to Ecclesiastes 3, what does the Bible say about the timing of planting and harvesting? How does this relate to the idea of waiting in our lives?
[[05:23]]

2. In Daniel 10, what reason is given for the delay in Daniel’s answered prayer? What does this reveal about what might be happening when we don’t see immediate answers?
[[09:50]]

3. The sermon compares waiting to a pregnant mother’s experience. What does Romans 8 say about how waiting “enlarges” us?
[[13:24]]

4. What are some examples from the sermon of people in the Bible who had to wait a long time for God’s promises?
[[14:44]]

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think God allows a delay between planting and harvesting, both in nature and in our spiritual lives? What might God be teaching us during these waiting periods?
[[05:23]]

2. The sermon says, “A delay is not a denial.” How does understanding the spiritual battle described in Daniel 10 change the way someone might view unanswered prayers?
[[09:50]]

3. The message says that God is more interested in our character than our comfort. How does waiting test and shape our faith and character, according to the sermon and Romans 8?
[[13:24]]

4. The pastor said, “Waiting is not passivity.” What does it look like to wait actively, and how is this different from just doing nothing?
[[32:17]]

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### Application Questions

1. Think about a time when you were waiting for something important—maybe a job, healing, or an answer to prayer. Did you see it as a season of growth, or just wasted time? How might your perspective change after hearing this message?
[[05:23]]

2. The sermon talked about writing down the lessons you’re learning while you wait. Is there a lesson God might be trying to teach you right now in your waiting? What would it look like to start keeping a journal of these lessons?
[[22:39]]

3. The pastor said, “Act as though you already have it.” Is there an area in your life where you need to start preparing or acting in faith, even though you haven’t seen the answer yet? What’s one practical step you could take this week?
[[29:42]]

4. The message encouraged us to imitate the habits of people with strong faith. Who is someone you know that models strong faith during waiting? What is one habit of theirs you could try to imitate?
[[34:40]]

5. The sermon listed five habits to keep practicing while waiting: praying, serving, connecting with others, sowing, and believing. Which of these is hardest for you to keep doing in a waiting season? Why? What could help you keep going?
[[44:17]]

6. The “bamboo principle” says that growth may be unseen for a long time, but then comes suddenly. Is there an area in your life where you feel like you’ve been watering and waiting for years? What would it look like to not give up, even if you don’t see results yet?
[[49:14]]

7. The pastor said sometimes we think we’re waiting on God, but God is actually waiting on us to move against our fears. Is there a step of faith you’ve been putting off because of fear? What would it look like to move forward in faith this week?
[[52:23]]

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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
“God, teach us the lessons you want us to learn in this season of waiting. Help us to trust your timing, act in faith, and keep growing even when we can’t see the results yet. Give us courage to move against our fears and to believe that you are always working for our good. Amen.”

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting God’s Perfect Timing

God does everything just right and on time, even when we can’t see or understand His plan. Waiting is not a punishment but a process where God is working both in the world and in us, shaping our character and preparing us for what’s ahead. When we’re in the waiting room of life—whether for a job, healing, or an answer to prayer—it’s easy to get frustrated or discouraged, but God’s timing is always perfect. He is never early, never late, and always knows what is best for us. In these seasons, we are called to trust that God is at work behind the scenes, orchestrating everything for our good, even when the delay feels long or confusing. [03:37]

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV)
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Reflection: Where in your life are you struggling to trust God’s timing? What would it look like for you to surrender your impatience and rest in the truth that God is never late and always working for your good?

Day 2: The Unseen Battle in Waiting

There is a spiritual battle happening beyond what we can see, and sometimes the delays we experience are not denials but the result of this unseen warfare. When we pray, God hears us immediately, but there may be resistance in the spiritual realm that causes a delay in the answer. During these times, the enemy tries to discourage us with doubt, disappointment, and depression, but we are called to persevere in faith, knowing that God is fighting for us. Our prayers matter, and persistence in prayer is an act of daring faith, trusting that God’s answer is on its way even if we can’t see it yet. [09:50]

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Reflection: When you face delays or discouragement, how can you remind yourself that there is a spiritual battle going on and choose to keep praying and trusting God’s promises?

Day 3: Waiting Grows and Tests Our Faith

Waiting is always a test—a test of our faith, character, trust, and endurance. God uses seasons of waiting to prepare us for greater blessings and to refine our faith, just as gold is refined by fire. Like a pregnant mother who grows in expectancy, we are enlarged in the waiting, becoming more joyful and hopeful as we trust God’s process. Even when we don’t see immediate results, God is working in us, developing the strength and maturity we will need for the future. The Holy Spirit is with us, helping us in our weakness and praying for us when we don’t know what to say. [13:24]

Romans 8:24-28 (ESV)
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Reflection: What is one area where you feel “enlarged in the waiting”? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to help you grow in faith and patience during this season?

Day 4: Keep On—Active Faith in the Waiting Room

Waiting on God is not passive; it’s a time to actively develop habits and skills that will prepare us for what’s next. We are called to keep on praying, serving, connecting with others in community, sowing seeds of faith, and believing God’s promises. Just as a pregnant mother prepares for her child before it arrives, we are to act in faith as though God’s answer is already on the way. Don’t put your life on hold—use this time to grow, serve, and imitate the habits of those with strong faith. God cannot steer a parked car; He directs those who are moving forward in faith, even while they wait. [44:17]

Galatians 6:9 (ESV)
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Reflection: What is one habit or act of service you can keep doing or start today, even as you wait for God’s answer in another area of your life?

Day 5: Move Against Fear—Daring Faith in Action

Sometimes what feels like waiting on God is actually God waiting on us to move against our fears and step out in faith. Fear rarely disappears on its own; it is overcome by action—by doing the very thing we are afraid of. God calls us to trust Him even when we are afraid, to keep moving forward, and to believe that He will catch us when we leap. When we move against our fear, we demonstrate daring faith, and God is pleased. The waiting room becomes a place of transformation when we choose to trust God and act, even in the face of uncertainty. [53:47]

Psalm 56:3 (ESV)
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Reflection: What is one step of faith you have been putting off because of fear? How can you move against that fear today, trusting that God will meet you as you step out?

Quotes

When you have asked God for something and it hasn't come yet and you're in that delay period where you haven't seen the answer to your prayer, what do you do? You remember five things. Number one, remember there's a natural delay between planting and harvesting. And we talked about this in the message on the laws of sowing and reaping. There's a natural delay between planting and harvesting. When I, I have a garden and when I plant seeds, I plant a seed, I don't go out the next day to expect to see full grown tomatoes. When I plant carrot seeds, I don't expect to go out the next day to see carrots. There's always a delay between planting and harvesting. There's always a delay between sowing and reaping. [00:04:33]

Many of you have planted seeds in daring faith, financial seeds, seeds of service, seeds of sacrifice. You're not going to have the harvest immediately. You just need to understand that. It comes but it comes in another season. Write this down. I reap in a different season than I sow. During that season of waiting, you wait quietly, you wait expectantly, you wait patiently in faith. I remember that there's a natural delay between planting and harvest. When I put in a request, it's not going to be instantly fulfilled. There is always a delay. [00:05:50]

But in the cosmic heavenlies there is a spiritual war in other dimensions between good and evil, between God and Satan, between angels and demons and the fact is you're caught right in the middle. And if you're a child of God, Satan hates you. And he wants to mess you up. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6 verse 12, we're not struggling and fighting against human beings, but against evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm. The rulers and the authorities and the powers of darkness. Now what happens, what this verse is saying is that when you send up a prayer there is often a battle on how that is going to be answered. And Satan starts throwing, while you are waiting, while you are in the waiting room, he starts throwing darts at you. The dart of doubt. The dart of discouragement. The dart of disappointment. The dart of delay. The dart of depression. And he starts throwing these darts at you. And he says we should be aware that he is going to try to get you down. Now the truth is we don't really know this much. And the Bible doesn't even tell us that much about the spiritual warfare that's going on behind your prayers. [00:06:44]

But the Bible tells us that Daniel had a prayer, it wasn't answered, it wasn't answered, he wasn't answered and he's starting to get discouraged and the angel shows up and says I'm here to get the answer. We heard it from day one but we've been in a battle over this and it was such an intense battle that Michael and the archangel had to come down and help me with this battle so I could come and tell you the answer is on its way. I don't know any more about it than that. I just know that this is not as simple as you think it is. So I want you to write this on your outline. A delay is not a denial. A delay is not a denial. When an answer to prayer is delayed it doesn't mean it's not going to be answered. There may be some kind of spiritual warfare going on behind it and you got to keep praying. A delay is not a denial. [00:09:30]

God is preparing me for his blessing. When you have an idea and you ask God to do something in your life, God usually has a bigger idea and usually has a better idea and he's going to have to prepare you to get you ready for a bigger and better answer to your prayer. And he usually has to take some time getting you ready, preparing you. And the first thing God wants to do before he answers your prayer for a job, for a mate, for a child, to get married, whatever your prayer request is. First he wants to get you ready because God is more interested in changing your character than he is in answering your prayer. Because your character is what you're going to take to heaven. [00:10:35]

The troubles you're going through right now, this is a test. They test your faith. So that it is strong and pure, just as fire tests and purifies gold, and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. Some of you are going through the fire right now. Keep going. What do you do when you're going through hell? You keep going. You don't want to stay there. You keep walking. When you're going through the fire, you keep going. He says these troubles are there to test your faith. You might write this down. Waiting is always a test. [00:11:38]

Waiting is always a test. It tests your character. It tests your trust. It tests your faith. It tests your endurance. It tests all kinds of things in your life. Waiting is a test. In fact, Paul compares waiting in life, waiting on God, when you really want something and it hasn't happened yet, Paul compares it to being pregnant. In Romans chapter eight. I've got a great analogy here. I love it in the message paraphrase. Romans 8, 24 to 28, Paul says this. Waiting does not diminish us. It doesn't diminish us any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. What we don't see is what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become. Just like a pregnant woman. The longer we wait, the larger we become. And the more joyful our expectancy. [00:12:27]

Meanwhile, when we get tired in the waiting, God's spirit is right alongside helping us. And if we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. Because he, the Holy Spirit, prays in us and for us. And he knows us far better than we know ourselves. And he knows our pregnant condition. And that's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is working into something good. That's a powerful passage. Now he's saying here that it's just like being pregnant. It's just like being expectant. Now in an expectancy, they don't call it expecting for nothing, do they? [00:13:37]

I'm in good company while I'm waiting. Millions of saints before you have sat in God's waiting room. You're not alone, in fact if you're in the waiting room right now you're waiting on a job, you're waiting on an answer, you're waiting on a prayer. There are a lot of other people sitting around you right now who are in that same situation. Millions of saints have sat in God's waiting room. You're in good company. Hebrews 11 verse 2 says this, people who lived in the past became famous because of their faith. And every one of those people had to wait. Think about Hannah who had to wait years to have the baby that she was praying that God would give her. Think about Joseph who God gave him a dream of being a ruler and he had that vision from a very young childhood age. [00:14:44]

And he ends up being put in prison for 14 years for a crime he did not commit. Falsely accrued of rape. And he spends 14 years in a prison and dungeon in Egypt waiting. God knew exactly where he was. He was preparing. Moses waits 40 years in the wilderness to know his purpose in life. To know his next assignment. To know what he's supposed to do with his life. Abraham waits 100 years before he has Isaac, his first child, through Sarah. The promised child. God had promised him years before. He's 100 years old. Noah had to wait 120 years before it rained. You think you're in a waiting period? How would you like to wait 120 years? [00:15:36]

You can count on God to come through because over these 7000 promises in the Bible that he has made, he has staked his reputation on them. So what you do in the waiting room is you don't focus on what you can't do, I don't have the money, I don't have the talent, I don't have the connections, I don't have the opportunity, you don't focus on what you don't have, you focus on what God does have, what God can do. And one of the ways you focus on what God can do is through the promises of God. Promises can help you focus on God and his unlimited abilities instead of you and your limited abilities. The Bible says anything is possible if you have faith. Habakkuk 2 verse 3 says this on the screen, God says at the time I have decided my words will come true. [00:17:41]

This piece of land here in Lake Forest was not even on the map when Saddleback Church started because there was no such thing as the city of Santa Margarita and there was no such thing as the city of Foothill Ranch and nobody had even mapped or partitioned this piece off. There was no Portola Parkway, El Toro Road was a two lane road. There was no toll road. It was in no man's land. Nobody even knew it. But God before the foundation of the earth had planned where Saddleback Church would have its first campus. He knew. And it was just a matter of time. And all of those things where we had the delays and the denials and the dead ends and all those things where we had one defeat after another, God was working on us. [00:19:33]

When you're in the waiting room, the first thing you do is write down the lessons that you are learning. Because waiting is always the season to listen. And waiting is always the season to learn. And when you're listening and learning, then you need to write it down. God has some things he wants to teach you before he answers your prayer. God has some things he wants you to learn before that seed that you're planting in daring faith sprouts. He wants to teach you some things. God is more interested in your character than your comfort. But you will forget the lessons that you learn in the waiting rooms of life if you don't write them down. And you know what happens when you don't write them down? You forget them. And what happens when you forget them? He has to take you through it again. That's no fun. That's unnecessary pain. [00:22:02]

What in the world were they doing for 40 years walking around in a circle? God was giving them one test after another saying will you trust me? There are seven tests. And every time they'd fail a test, he'd say another lap around the wilderness. And in that wilderness, they were not there by accident. Waiting in the wilderness has a purpose. Some of you are in the wilderness right now. I want you to write this down. The way to the promised land is through the wilderness. You can't get to the promised land without going through the desert. And you've got to go through that waiting period. You've got to go through that desert. You've got to go through that dry spell. You've got to go through that wilderness. Waiting in the wilderness for a purpose. The way to the promised land is through the wilderness. And the lessons that you're learning in the wilderness, please write them down. [00:23:08]

Act as though I already have it. This is called faith. And when you have deposited a seed, a seed of finances like many have done with Daring Faith, a seed of talent and service, a seed of energy, a seed of reputation, when you've had a need and you've planted a seed, what you do while you're waiting for that seed to grow is you act as though you already have it. This is faith. Now we typically, when we're in the waiting rooms in the wildernesses of life, you know what we do? We don't do that. What we do is we wonder and we worry and we whine. That's what we do in the waiting rooms of life. First we wonder, why, Lord, why? We wonder. And then we worry, how, Lord, how? How are you gonna do this? And then we whine, when, Lord, when? [00:26:32]

Are you gonna answer my prayer? So instead of wondering and worrying and whining, you need to learn to act as if you've already got it. But you act in faith. Here's how Jesus puts it. Mark chapter 11 verse 24. Jesus said, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. Now I want you to pay attention to this verse. Believe that you have received it and it will be yours. That's future tense. What in the world is Jesus saying? Believe that I've already got it in order to get it. That's exactly what he's saying. He said, hang on here, Rick. Are you telling me I gotta believe something is so even though it isn't so, in order to get it to get it? even though it isn't so, in order to get it? In order to get it to become so? Yep. That's called faith. [00:27:32]

Every pregnant woman does this, what I just talked about. She carries inside her body the promise of a baby. She's getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Even though she can't see that baby, she's never seen that baby, she knows it's there. She's confident that it's there. She can feel that baby there. Even though she's never seen the baby, she starts preparing in advance for the baby's arrival. In faith. First she starts eating differently, she starts taking better care of her body, she starts sleeping differently, she starts going out and buying maternity clothes because she knows she's going to get bigger, she starts stocking a nursery, they have showers, she gets clothes, she gets diapers, she gets all the paraphernalia, the changing tables and the rocking cribs and all kinds of stuff. She's doing that in faith. They don't call it expecting for nothing. She's expecting a baby. She hadn't seen that baby, but she's acting as though it's already here. [00:29:08]

Now let's just take this in a real practical way. Some of you are out of work right now and you're looking for a job and you're waiting. for a job and maybe you are waiting on God to get a job. And you have been praying, God I need a really good job. Okay question, if you had a job how would you act? Start acting in that way right now. First place, if you had a job would you lay around all day in your pajamas and not take a shower? No. If you actually had a job you would set an alarm and you would get up and you would get ready and you would put on work clothes then that is what you need to be doing right now. You need to start acting like you got the job. You don't wait until you get the job to act like you got the job, there is no faith in that. You act in advance, you believe a thing is so even though it isn't so that it becomes so. And you do it now. [00:31:29]

There is a difference between passively waiting in fear and apathy and expectantly waiting in faith where you take action. You get prepared and you act as though you already have it. God does this. Do you know that God is doing this, God goes to Abraham 25 years before he has a son and changes his name. He says your name is Abram and I am going to change it to Abraham. And Abraham says what does that mean? Abraham means father of many nations. So for 25 years Abraham, Abram changes his name and he is called Abraham. How do you like this? He walks into a bar. What is your name? Father of many nations. Oh great. How many kids you got? None. How old are you? A hundred. Hmm. Interesting. How would you like to live with that? [00:32:47]

I need to imitate the habits, particularly of people of strong faith. You can imitate people of strong faith and look at the habits that they do, find their skills, find their patterns, find their habits and follow that, imitate that to grow strong in your faith. In other words, use the time while you are waiting to develop personal maturity. Let me show you some verses. First Peter 1, 6 and 7. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith, daring faith, and patience, that's waiting, through faith and waiting, through faith and patience, who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. He says that's the kind of people you ought to be imitating when you are in the waiting room. We don't want you to be lazy. Don't sit around passively doing nothing. He says imitate those who through faith and patience have inherited what God has promised. [00:34:45]

Now I want you to write this down. This is very important. Don't get anything else. Get this one. When you are in the waiting room of life, don't put my life on hold. Please write that down. Don't put my life on hold. While I am waiting for my big break in Hollywood. While I am waiting for my ship to come in. While I am waiting for an answer to prayer. While I'm waiting for me. While I am waiting for . . . . the girl or the man of my dreams to show up. Don't put your life on hold. Waiting is not inactivity, it is not idleness, it is not laziness, it is not passivity, it is not apathy. Waiting is the time to develop habits and skills that you are going to use later on. Say it again. Waiting is the time you develop the habits and the skills that you are going to use later on. [00:36:57]

When you are in the waiting room, keep on praying. Matthew 7, 7 says keep on asking and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened. That is actually the correct Greek because it is a participle, it is a continuation, it is a continuing verb that says keep on doing it. Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking and you will get your answer. Keep on praying. Number two, keep on serving. Never be lazy in your work but serve the Lord enthusiastically. This sharpens your skill. You know most of you guys know I train pastors. And I meet a lot of young pastors who they don't want to do the menial things in ministry. And they don't want to serve God in a small world. way. They only want to serve God in a big way. Well you don't get to serve God in a big way unless you've served God in a small way first. If you're faithful in little things then you'll be faithful in much. [00:39:27]

There are no great ways to serve God, there are only small ways to serve God done with a great heart. And that's true greatness. And so you serve God with a great heart and you make the ministry service successful. Why do I say keep on serving? Because that's another meaning of the word wait. Wait doesn't just mean expect something to happen that hasn't happened yet. Wait also means to serve. Have you ever had a waiter at your table? Why do they call that guy the waiter? You're the one who's waiting. You're waiting on the food. You're waiting on him, not he's waiting on you. Well it's two different meanings. When you say I'm waiting for something to happen, that's what you're doing. But wait also means to serve. And that's why servers are called waiters. And ladies in waiting are women who serve the queen. Because the word wait doesn't just mean to expect, it also means to serve. [00:41:01]

If your group didn't meet your needs, congratulations. You learned some love to love people maybe it were difficult for you to love, get in another group. But whatever you do, keep on going in a small group. Don't give up the habit. Keep on. Number four, keep on sowing. Ecclesiastes 11 .6 says this, keep on sowing your seed for you never know which ones will grow. Perhaps they all will. You've sown a seed in daring faith but daring faith is actually going to start now for the next three years and we're going to be sowing for the next three years. Keep on sowing your seed. You never know which one will grow. Perhaps they all will. And then number five, keep on believing. Keep on believing. The Bible says you must keep on believing the things you have been taught. [00:43:51]

The big point I'm trying to make is that waiting is not passivity. God cannot steer a parked car. I'm waiting God. Well turn on the ignition and just start driving. Where? Anywhere. God can direct a car that's moving. He cannot direct a car that's stalled. Get involved in a ministry. Get involved in service. Get involved in a small group. Do the things that you know you could be doing, developing skills and habits. Now to prepare so that when that baby arrives you're not caught off guard. The delivery is a joy. Write down the lessons. Act as though I already have it. Imitate the habits that grow strong faith. And the T we learn from scripture in the waiting rooms of life is to trust God instead of panicking. [00:44:29]

Sometimes God lets a situation get so bad, only a miracle will do. Don't give up your faith. Hold on, hang on, do the things I've just taught you how to do because you're getting ready for a miracle. Jesus walks up the tomb and says, roll the stone away, they rolled the stone away. And he says, Lazarus, come forth. Now, I'm glad he said Lazarus because if he just said come forth, every dead person in Searing is going to come out at that point. But he calls him by name, Lazarus, come forth. He comes out. And it's interesting, when he walks up to the tomb, he says, Father, they overheard him praying this. Father, I thank you that you've already heard me. Father, I thank you that you've already heard me. And I'm even saying this just for the people around me. He already knew what he was going to do. [00:47:30]

God already knows what he's going to do in your life next month, next year, and next decade. And his plan for you is good. And you need to trust him. And you need to relax. And when you're in the waiting room, you need to just say, okay, he's not early, he's not late, he's always on time. And I will trust God. And I will do these things, I'll write down the lesson. and I'll act as though it's already happened and I'm going to keep on doing the habits. I'll keep on sowing and I'll keep on sharing and I'll keep on serving and I'll keep on believing and I'll keep on going to small group and I'll keep on praying because God's timing is perfect. He's not too late. I'll close with this. [00:48:26]

I'm kind of a student of bamboo. Some bamboos grow very, very slow and some grow very fast and some grow slow, slow, slow and then fast. Here's how you grow a typical piece of bamboo. You cut a piece of bamboo off like this and you cut it in half and you stick it in the ground and you water it for a year and nothing happens. Nothing. And you water it for the second year, the bamboo, and nothing happens. And you water it for the third year and nothing happens. And you water it for the fourth and the fifth year and nothing happens. And you fertilize it. And on the sixth year you water it and nothing happens. And on the seventh year it sprouts. But once it sprouts it takes off. Some bamboo can grow one meter or three feet in 24 hours. Some bamboo can grow to nine feet in about four days. It just, when it takes off, it takes off. [00:49:09]

And you may have been thinking, I have been working on this and working on this and working on this and I have been studying the Bible, I have been serving, I have been tithing, I have been believing, I have been planting seeds. You may be in year six. Don't give up. Because when that thing sprouts it could grow nine feet in about three days. And it just takes off. And you go, whoa, what just happened? God just did what he wanted to do. Last verse on the screen, Galatians 6, 9. So let us not get tired of doing what is right. For after a while, at the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessing. But here's the condition. If we don't get discouraged and give up, I will not as your pastor let you give up. I will beat you. I will beat you. [00:50:39]

He knew what he was going to do in my life and I didn't and I had no idea but during the dark days I was learning the skills and I kept on praying and I kept on giving and I kept on serving and I kept on believing and I kept on trusting and the bamboo sprouted. Psalm 56 3, even when I'm afraid, even when I'm afraid, I will trust you. That's daring faith. Now listen, some of you think you've been waiting on God and God is waiting on you. What you have been thinking is I'm waiting on God, but what you're really thinking is I'm waiting for the fear to go away and then I'll do it. I'm waiting for the fear to go away and then I'll make this commitment. I'm going to wait for the fear to go away and then I'll go after my dream. I'm going to wait for the fear to go away and then I'll start tithing or give to daring faith. I'm going to wait for this fear to go away and then I'll, whatever you've got on your mind. [00:52:37]

Let me tell you a little secret. It's not going away. It's not going away. God's not going to take that fear away. The only way you get through that fear is you must move against it. You must move through it. You must move against it. You must do the thing you fear the most. Many of you did it in the last 10 days. You're scared to death to make a 36 month financial commitment and you did it. You moved against your fear and you did it and God is smiling and he's pleased and you have not been waiting on God. God has been waiting on you to demonstrate faith and you did. [00:53:41]

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