Embracing the Spirit: Overcoming Mountains Together

This year is declared as the “Year of the Spirit,” a season where God is inviting us to shift from relying on our own strength and abilities to depending on the Holy Spirit. The journey ahead may present mountains—challenges that are universally recognized as insurmountable, not just personal hurdles. Yet, God’s promise is clear: what appears as a mountain to everyone else will become a plain before us, not by our might or power, but by His Spirit. This is a call to a new way of living, where our progress, victories, and breakthroughs are not the result of human effort, connections, or strategies, but the outcome of walking in step with the Spirit.

The story of Zerubbabel in Zechariah 4 illustrates this truth. He faced a great mountain, a challenge that no one could solve, but God’s word to him was, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” This is not just a word for a select few; it is for all who will choose to trust and yield to the Spirit’s leading. The world may not change, and circumstances around us may remain difficult, but God promises a different experience for those who walk by the Spirit—an experience of exemption, favor, and supernatural accomplishment.

However, this does not mean passivity. The Spirit rejoices to see the “plumb line” in our hands—our skills, trades, and efforts. We are called to put something in God’s hands for Him to bless and multiply. At the same time, we must not despise small beginnings or overlook the little things God is doing in and around us. The Spirit’s work often starts small but grows into something undeniable.

This year, God will instruct and teach us, guiding us with His eye. It is a season to learn the ways of the Spirit, to be led, taught, and guided by Him. The sevenfold Spirit described in Isaiah 11—wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord—will be our portion if we choose God’s way over the world’s alternatives. The world will offer its own versions of wisdom, might, and counsel, but we must intentionally choose the Spirit’s way. As we do, what we start, we will finish; what begins small will become great; and what seems impossible will become possible—by the Spirit.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The “mountain” before you is not unique to you; it is a challenge that even others recognize as insurmountable. Yet, God’s promise is that before you, by the Spirit, it will become a plain. This means your experience can be different from the general experience around you, as you walk in the Spirit’s exemption and favor. [11:07]
• 2. Relying on might and power—whether physical strength, connections, or personal strategies—will not bring the breakthroughs needed in this season. God is calling for a radical shift to dependence on the Spirit, which requires unlearning old patterns and learning to discern, follow, and trust the Spirit’s leading in every area of life. [17:40]
• 3. Do not despise small beginnings or overlook the “little things.” God often starts His greatest works in what seems insignificant. Both in yourself and in the opportunities around you, value and invest in what appears small, for the Spirit delights to multiply what is placed in His hands. [22:29]
• 4. The Spirit rejoices to see the “plumb line” in your hand—meaning, you must have something for God to bless. This is not a year for passivity or idleness; rather, it is a year to put your skills, trades, and efforts before God, trusting Him to breathe on them and bring supernatural results. [24:47]
• 5. The Spirit’s guidance comes through both instruction and teaching. It is not enough to receive prophetic words or instructions; we must also be taught the ways of the Spirit, learning to distinguish God’s wisdom, counsel, and might from the world’s alternatives. This intentional learning and choosing of God’s way will be the key to finishing what we start and seeing mountains become plains. [26:34]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [03:09] - Introduction: The Year of the Spirit
• [04:29] - Reading Zechariah 4: The Vision of Zerubbabel
• [05:23] - The Lampstand and the Olive Trees
• [06:03] - Not by Might, Nor by Power, But by My Spirit
• [09:34] - Facing the Great Mountain
• [11:07] - The Universality of the Mountain
• [12:54] - Exemption by the Spirit
• [14:28] - A Different Experience in Difficult Times
• [16:09] - Understanding Might and Power
• [17:40] - The Limits of Human Effort
• [18:55] - Completing What You Start
• [21:20] - Do Not Despise Small Beginnings
• [23:25] - The Plumb Line: Giving God Something to Bless
• [24:47] - The Spirit Rejoices Over Your Efforts
• [26:34] - Instruction and Teaching: How the Spirit Guides
• [31:33] - The Sevenfold Spirit in Isaiah 11
• [35:12] - Choosing God’s Way Over the World’s
• [39:44] - Closing Prayers and Announcements

Bible Reading

Zechariah 4:1–10 (ESV) — 1 And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep.
2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it.
3 And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”
4 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”
6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”
8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
10 For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole earth.”

Psalm 32:8 (ESV) — I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Isaiah 11:1–2 (ESV) — 1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

Observation Questions

1. In Zechariah 4, what challenge was Zerubbabel facing, and how did God say it would be overcome?
2. According to Zechariah 4:6, what is the difference between “might,” “power,” and “Spirit” as described in the passage?
3. What does the “plumb line” in Zerubbabel’s hand represent in the context of the passage and the sermon? [23:25]
4. In Psalm 32:8, what two things does God promise to do for His people?

Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon says the “mountain” before Zerubbabel was not just a personal problem, but something everyone saw as impossible. What does this suggest about the kinds of challenges God wants to help us with? [11:07]
2. The phrase “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” is repeated several times. What does it mean to shift from relying on our own strength to depending on the Holy Spirit in practical terms? [17:40]
3. The Spirit rejoices to see the “plumb line” in our hands. Why is it important to have something (a skill, a trade, an effort) for God to bless, instead of being passive? [24:47]
4. The sermon mentions that God’s Spirit brings wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2). How are these different from what the world offers, and why does it matter which one we choose? [35:12]

Application Questions

1. The sermon says that the “mountain” before you is not unique, but God promises a different experience for those who walk by the Spirit. Is there a “mountain” in your life right now that feels impossible? How might your experience be different if you truly depended on the Spirit instead of your own strength? [11:07]
2. The message challenges us to “unlearn” old patterns of relying on connections, strategies, or our own abilities. What is one area of your life where you tend to rely on your own power? What would it look like to surrender that area to the Spirit this week? [17:40]
3. The sermon warns against despising small beginnings or little things. Is there something in your life right now that seems insignificant, but could be the start of something God wants to grow? How can you value and invest in it? [22:29]
4. The Spirit rejoices to see the “plumb line” in your hand. What is in your hand right now—what skill, opportunity, or effort can you offer to God for Him to bless? Are there ways you’ve been passive that you need to change? [24:47]
5. God promises to instruct and teach us, not just give us one-time directions. How can you make space in your daily or weekly routine to listen for the Spirit’s instruction and teaching? [26:34]
6. The world offers its own versions of wisdom, might, and counsel. Can you think of a recent situation where you had to choose between the world’s way and God’s way? What helped you make your decision, and what was the result? [35:12]
7. The sermon says, “What you start, you will finish; what begins small will become great; and what seems impossible will become possible—by the Spirit.” Is there something you have started but are struggling to finish? How can you invite the Spirit to help you complete it? [18:55]