8/9/2026 | GOD, JUST TELL ME - Part 1

Baptism day puts God’s life-changing work right up front, because baptism is a celebration that God still changes lives. The lake becomes a place where the church gets a front row seat to grace, and the invitation stays simple: if baptism is the next step, come get dunked.

The question “God, just tell me” names that place where decisions get hard. Some choices are obviously bad, and some choices are between two good things, and that is where people start asking for skywriting, Christmas-light codes, or any clear sign. God’s will, though, starts in a deeper place: “Knowing God’s will starts with knowing God’s heart.”

God’s sovereign will is his big-picture plan, the things God says are going to happen no matter what. Isaiah says God tells the future before it happens, and Proverbs says people can make many plans, “but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” God’s sovereign will calls for trust, because God is good, loving, and not scrambling to hold the universe together.

God’s moral will is what God has already revealed in Scripture for all people, in all places, for all time. Scripture does not get edited to fit culture; Scripture gets learned, followed, and obeyed. Yet God’s moral will does not give anyone moral high ground to look down on others. God’s moral will turns the question inward: not “are they obeying,” but “is this life obeying?”

Paul says plainly in 1 Thessalonians that God’s will is holiness. Holiness means hagios, set apart, different, sacred, dedicated. God’s will is not first about getting the perfect future answer while ignoring today’s obedience. A life cannot walk in God’s will while disobeying God’s word.

God’s permissive will names the painful reality of a broken world. Joseph’s brothers meant evil, but God used it for good. God does not choose every hurtful thing, but God is good enough to use every moment for growth. Freedom in Christ also belongs here: “I am allowed to do anything, but not everything is beneficial.”

God’s personal will means God saves people from sin and for something good. Ephesians says God’s people are his masterpiece, created anew in Christ Jesus for good things planned long ago. God’s will is often overcomplicated, but at the core it means being holy, being different, and praying for one person to share God’s love with.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s will starts with God’s heart. The search for direction can become frantic when God is treated like a code to crack. God’s heart pulls that search back into relationship, where knowing him matters more than getting the next instruction. A person who wants God’s will without God’s heart may want control more than communion. [32:00]
• 2. Holiness means set-apart difference. Paul’s word for holiness, hagios, does not mean religious polish; it means a life marked off as sacred and dedicated. Kingdom values should eventually make money, speech, dating, work, and priorities look different from the world. A life that never looks different may not be following Jesus as closely as it assumes. [41:01]
• 3. Obedience begins with today’s word. The future often feels urgent, but God has already spoken clearly about the present. A person asking for the next step while ignoring Scripture’s present commands is not waiting for clarity, but resisting obedience. God’s will is not unlocked by spiritual guessing games; it is entered through faithful response to what has already been revealed. [44:45]
• 4. God uses what evil meant. Joseph’s story refuses to call evil good, but it also refuses to give evil the final word. God did not need betrayal to be righteous, yet God was able to bend even betrayal toward rescue. Brokenness is not God’s desire, but God’s goodness is strong enough to work inside it. [48:24]
• 5. Pray for one daily. God’s will becomes wonderfully simple when a day begins with one person to love in Jesus’ name. That prayer turns an ordinary schedule into a holy scavenger hunt. One conversation, one act of care, or one faithful witness can become the beginning of generational change. [59:29]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [26:51] - Baptism Sunday at the Lake
• [29:06] - Introducing “God, Just Tell Me”
• [31:30] - Knowing God’s Will and Heart
• [33:18] - Four Categories of God’s Will
• [35:12] - Trusting God’s Sovereign Will
• [36:54] - Obeying God’s Moral Will
• [41:01] - Holiness as Set-Apart Difference
• [46:18] - Accepting God’s Permissive Will
• [49:15] - Freedom in Christ and Wise Choices
• [50:57] - Walking in God’s Personal Will
• [54:49] - Overcomplicating God’s Goodness
• [55:32] - Grandpa Maybe and Broken Cycles
• [58:36] - God’s Will Made Simple
• [62:12] - Invitation to Follow Jesus

1. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3

1. Ephesians 2:10

1. Proverbs 19:21

1. 1 Corinthians 10:23

1. In 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3, what does Paul say believers should do “more and more,” and what does he plainly call the will of God? [41:00]
2. What four categories of God’s will were named, and how was each one described? [33:18]
3. In Ephesians 2:10, what words are used to describe God’s people, and what were they created to do? [52:59]
4. In 1 Corinthians 10:23, what contrast does Paul make between what is allowed and what is actually helpful or beneficial? [49:41]

1. If knowing God’s will starts with knowing God’s heart, how does that change the way a person approaches confusing decisions? [32:00]
2. Paul says God’s will is sanctification, or holiness. What does it mean for holiness to be “set apart” and “different,” and what parts of everyday life would that affect most clearly? [41:23]
3. Proverbs 19:21 says many plans can be made, but the Lord’s purpose will stand. How can that truth bring peace without making a person passive or careless? [36:20]
4. Freedom in Christ means many choices may be permissible, but not all are beneficial. How can a believer tell the difference between something that is merely possible and something that is actually wise? [50:01]

1. Where has the prayer “God, just tell me” been showing up lately—in work, relationships, family, money, or some other area? In that situation, what would it look like to seek God’s heart before demanding a clear answer? [31:03]
2. God’s will is holiness. Where does life currently look too similar to the world—in speech, spending, habits, dating, entertainment, priorities, or something else? What is one specific change that would make following Jesus more visible this week? [42:25]
3. A person cannot walk in God’s will while disobeying God’s word. Is there an area where the next-step question has become a way of avoiding present obedience? What would obedience look like today, not someday? [44:31]
4. God’s moral will should lead to inward examination, not moral high ground. When is the group most tempted to focus on whether others are obeying instead of asking, “Am I obeying”? What helps turn that question inward in a healthy way? [39:03]
5. Some painful things are not chosen by God, yet God is able to use what was meant for evil. Is there a hard part of life where someone is still asking “why”? What might it look like to trust that God can bring growth or good even without calling the pain good? [48:24]
6. God saves people not only from sin but for good works. What gifts, opportunities, burdens, or relationships might point to the good works God has prepared in this season of life? [51:48]
7. Praying for one person each day makes an ordinary day purposeful. Who might be one person to pray for this week, and what are some simple ways to share God’s love with that person? [59:29]