Expect Something Great! | Pastor Corbin Kill | Sunday, August 23rd, 2026

John 2 opens at a wedding in Cana where the wine runs out, and Mary does not panic, make excuses, or try to ration what is left. Mary looks at Jesus and then turns to the servants with the whole command resting on one line: “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” The servants become the people closest to the miracle because servanthood and obedience put them in the room where the power of God is about to be on display.

The water pots were not filled with something clean and impressive. The water was foot water, the kind of dirty, smelly stuff used to wash the dust off wedding guests’ feet. Jesus takes that kind of ordinary, stinky mess and turns it into wine so good that the ruler of the feast says the best has been saved for last. The miracle shows that Jesus does not do the minimum when faith and obedience fill the pots to the brim.

The poverty that matters most is not always money. The poorest of the poor are those living with a poverty of expectation, those who have accepted the ordinary, the mundane, and the average as permanent. That sickness of the soul can follow people right into the house of God, where lowered expectations settle for a few songs, a decent word, and getting home on time instead of believing for the miraculous.

Ephesians 3:20 declares that God is able to do “exceeding abundantly above all that” can be asked or thought, according to the power already working in His people. Expectation is another way to spell faith, and faith is not wishful thinking. Faith becomes the container, the big bucket, the atmosphere that receives what God wants to pour out.

The Apple “Think Different” image becomes a call for the church not to settle for spiritual mediocrity. The kingdom does not need people who only spectate. The kingdom needs servants bold enough to believe that God will heal, deliver, fill with the Holy Ghost, and move in power.

The spies in Numbers saw the same land, the same giants, and the same walls, but Joshua and Caleb refused to let circumstances talk them out of God’s promise. Peter and John saw a lame man at the temple gate, and Peter did not offer a maybe. Peter spoke the name of Jesus with expectation, and immediately the man’s feet and ankle bones received strength. The call is to lay down low thoughts about God, fill the pots to the brim, and come ready for something greater.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Servanthood sees miracles up close. The servants at Cana were not just present at the wedding; they were positioned by obedience. Their willingness to do the simple, strange, and unseen work brought them close enough to watch water become wine. The miracle did not first belong to the crowd, but to those who moved when Jesus said move. [38:23]
• 2. Poverty can live in expectation. A full bank account cannot fix a soul that has stopped believing God can do anything greater. The deepest poverty described here is the settled mindset that calls the ordinary permanent and treats the miraculous as unlikely. Faith has to confront not only lack, but also the quiet agreement with less than God promised. [41:08]
• 3. Faith fills pots to the brim. The servants did not half obey, and the water pots were not barely touched. Full obedience made room for full provision, and Jesus turned the very stuff of service into the best wine of the feast. Faith does not demand to understand the process before it obeys the command. [62:25]
• 4. An evil report can sound real. The ten spies did not invent the giants, walls, or enemies in Canaan. Their report became evil because it told the truth about the obstacle while leaving out the God who had already promised the land. Faith does not deny what is in front of it; faith refuses to let what is in front of it outrank what God has said. [67:34]
• 5. Expectation prepares the atmosphere. Hebrews 11 calls faith substance, not a vague feeling or religious optimism. Expectation becomes a container that makes room for what God wants to manifest. Low expectation comes to observe, but living faith comes ready to receive, respond, and participate. [73:42]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [33:52] - John 2 and the Wedding at Cana
• [34:40] - Whatever He Says, Do It
• [35:33] - Digging Deeper Into God’s Word
• [37:47] - Servants Positioned for the Miracle
• [39:41] - Foot Water Turned Into Wine
• [41:08] - The Poverty of Expectation
• [44:29] - Exceedingly Abundantly Above
• [47:39] - Lowered Expectations Become Accepted
• [51:39] - Think Different and Expect Greater
• [55:32] - Mary Prepared Before the Miracle
• [58:08] - Faith Spelled R-I-S-K
• [66:16] - Joshua, Caleb, and the Evil Report
• [71:31] - Peter’s Expectation at the Gate
• [78:40] - Laying Down Low Expectations

Bible Reading

John 2:1-11
“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” [33:52]

Ephesians 3:20
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” [44:45]

Numbers 13:1-33
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel. And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur. Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori. Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph. Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun. Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Rophu. Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi. Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi. Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli. Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael. Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi. Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua. And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes. So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. And they went up by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” [01:06:16]

Acts 3:1-10
“Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.” [01:11:31]

Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” [01:13:42]

Observation questions

1. In John 2, who did Mary speak to, and what exact instruction did she give them before the miracle happened? [34:40]
2. In the Cana account, what were the waterpots being used for before Jesus turned the water into wine, and who knew where the wine had come from? [39:41]
3. In Numbers 13, what facts did all twelve spies agree on about the land, and what details did the ten spies emphasize in their report? [01:07:34]
4. In Acts 3, what did Peter actually say and do when he met the lame man at the gate, and what happened immediately after that? [01:11:31]

Interpretation questions

1. Mary’s words, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it,” came before any visible sign of a miracle. What does that suggest about the relationship between obedience and expectation? [56:47]
2. The servants were the ones who saw the miracle unfolding up close. Why might servanthood place a person nearer to what God is doing than being a spectator in the crowd? [01:03:11]
3. The ten spies told the truth about the giants and the walls, yet their report was called evil. What makes a report evil when the facts themselves are real? [01:07:34]
4. Hebrews 11:1 calls faith “substance,” not just a feeling. What does it mean to treat expectation like a real container that makes room for God to work? [01:14:05]

Application questions

1. “Poverty of expectation” can settle into the heart even when outward life seems fine. Where has ordinary life started to feel permanent for you, and where do you sense God calling you to believe again for something greater? [41:08]
2. The servants filled the pots to the brim instead of halfway. What would “filling the pot to the brim” look like in one area of your life right now—prayer, obedience, serving, giving, forgiving, or stepping out in faith? [01:02:25]
3. Low expectation can quietly shape the way a person comes into the house of God. When you gather with God’s people, what are you honestly expecting most of the time, and what would need to change in your heart to come ready for the miraculous? [44:29]
4. Sometimes people say they are “just being real,” but they may be speaking more about the obstacle than about God’s promise. In your own speech this week, where have you sounded more like the ten spies than Joshua and Caleb? [01:08:08]
5. Peter spoke to the lame man with boldness in the name of Jesus. In what situation do you need that kind of faith-filled boldness instead of hesitating, stalling, or waiting for more guarantees? [01:12:24]
6. Jesus turned even dirty foot water into the best wine. What messy, ordinary, or disappointing area of your life needs to be put in His hands instead of hidden in shame or written off as useless? [40:07]
7. Servanthood and obedience position people close to the miracle. What is one simple act of obedience or service that you may need to say yes to this week so you are more available to what God wants to do? [01:03:44]