8/9/2026 | GOD, JUST TELL ME

Devotional

Day 1: A Front Row Seat to God’s Life-Changing Work

Baptism isn’t just a ritual—it’s a celebration of God’s active work in human hearts. Like watching sunlight break over a lake, baptisms remind us God transforms ordinary moments into eternal milestones. Every splash in the water declares a life rescued, a story rewritten. This joy isn’t reserved for the baptized alone but shared by all who witness it. When we gather to celebrate, we join a chain of testimonies stretching back to the early church. Our role isn’t passive; we’re called to lean in, cheer loudly, and recognize God’s power at work. [27:19]

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:41, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life embodies a story of God’s transformation? How can you actively celebrate His work in them this week?

Day 2: Knowing the Heart Before Following the Plan

God’s will isn’t a treasure map to decode but a relationship to cultivate. Like learning a friend’s preferences through years of shared meals and conversations, discerning His direction starts with intimacy. Scripture reveals His character: a God who mourns with the hurting, celebrates growth, and prioritizes love over rule-keeping. When we fixate on “What’s next?” we miss the deeper invitation to ask, “Who are You?” The answer reshapes every decision. [32:00]

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: What practical step could you take this week to deepen your understanding of God’s character rather than seeking only His direction?

Day 3: Be Different Because You’re Set Apart

Holiness isn’t about isolation but intentional contrast. Like a single lit match piercing darkness, a life aligned with Christ’s values stands out. This difference isn’t performative—it’s the natural result of trading cultural norms for kingdom priorities. When our spending, speech, and schedules mirror the world’s rhythm, we lose our saltiness. But a heart set on pleasing God radiates hope even in mundane moments. [42:32]

But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you unconsciously blended in with cultural values that conflict with Christ’s call to holiness?

Day 4: What Was Meant for Evil, God Uses for Good

Brokenness doesn’t get the final word. Joseph’s story shows how betrayal and injustice become raw materials for redemption. God doesn’t cause pain but transforms it into purpose when we surrender our narratives to Him. Like a mosaic made from shattered glass, our hardest seasons can reflect His light most brilliantly when placed in His hands. [48:24]

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. (Genesis 50:20, ESV)

Reflection: What past hurt or disappointment might God be inviting you to release so He can rewrite its purpose?

Day 5: Pray for One, Change Generations

Legacies begin with single obedient steps. Like a pebble creating ripples across a lake, sharing Christ’s love with one person can alter family trajectories for centuries. This isn’t about grand gestures but daily readiness to notice the cashier, neighbor, or coworker God highlights. Every “one” matters—your courage today could echo in eternity. [59:52]

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)

Reflection: Who is the “one” God has placed in your orbit this week? How will you intentionally reflect His love to them?

Sermon Summary

Baptism day opens with celebration because baptism gives the church a front row seat to watching God change lives. The cry, “God, just tell me,” names a place almost everybody knows, that moment when a decision feels too big, too cloudy, or too costly, and the heart wants God to write the answer in the sky. Knowing God’s will starts with knowing God’s heart, because the search is not first about getting a secret code for the future, but about learning the God who leads.

God’s sovereign will names the big picture plans God says will happen. Isaiah 46 says God can tell the future before it happens, and Proverbs 19 says many plans can be made, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. God’s sovereign will calls for trust, not control, because God is good, loving, and moving history toward the day every knee bows and every tongue declares that Jesus is Lord.

God’s moral will names what God has already revealed in Scripture for all people in all times. First Thessalonians says God’s will is for believers to be holy, and “holy” means set apart, different, sacred, and dedicated. Holiness is not moral high ground for judging everybody else. Holiness asks an inward question: is this life actually obeying God’s Word? A life that carries the same values, spends time and money the same way, talks the same way, and wants the same things as the world is not really following Jesus in any meaningful way. God has already spoken, and nobody can walk in God’s will while disobeying God’s Word.

God’s permissive will names the broken things God does not choose but still allows in a broken world. Joseph’s brothers meant evil when they sold him, but God used it for good. God mourns with the hurting, celebrates with the joyful, and uses every experience to grow his people. Paul’s word about freedom also belongs here: “I am allowed to do anything,” but not everything is beneficial. Freedom in Christ is real, but Doritos for every meal is still dumb.

God’s personal will names the good things God planned long ago. Ephesians 2:10 says believers are God’s masterpiece, created anew in Christ Jesus for good works. God saves from sin, but God also saves for something good. The mistake is overcomplicating God’s will and underestimating God’s goodness. The simple action is to pray for one person to share God’s love with, then live the day like a holy scavenger hunt.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s will starts with God’s heart God’s will is not first a puzzle to solve or a future to decode. God’s heart is the starting place because a person who knows the character of God can trust the direction of God. The question changes from “What is next?” to “Who is God, and what does God love?” [32:00]
2. Holiness means being set apart God’s will is not hidden when Scripture says, “God’s will is for you to be holy.” Holiness means a life looks different because its values, money, words, habits, and desires are being shaped by Jesus. The point is not judging others from moral high ground, but letting God’s Word examine the life closest at hand. [41:01]
3. Obedience comes before direction The desire for future guidance can become a way to ignore present obedience. God’s direction for tomorrow cannot be separated from God’s Word for today. A person cannot walk in God’s will while actively disobeying what God has already made clear. [44:12]
4. God uses what God did not choose Broken things happen in a broken world, and not every painful event should be blamed on God’s desire. Joseph’s story shows that evil intentions do not get the final word when God is at work. God may not choose the wound, but God is good enough to use even the wound for growth, rescue, and redemption. [48:24]
5. Pray for one person today God’s will becomes very practical when a day begins with, “Give one person to share your love with.” That prayer gives ordinary hours a purpose and turns daily life into a holy scavenger hunt. One faithful conversation can become the beginning of change for a person, a family, and generations that follow. [59:29]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[26:51] - Baptism Sunday at the Lake
[29:06] - Introducing “God, Just Tell Me”
[32:00] - Knowing God’s Heart First
[33:18] - Four Categories of God’s Will
[35:12] - Trusting God’s Sovereign Will
[36:54] - Obeying God’s Moral Will
[41:01] - God’s Will Is Holiness
[46:18] - Accepting God’s Permissive Will
[49:15] - Freedom and What Is Beneficial
[50:57] - Walking in God’s Personal Will
[55:06] - A Family Story of Redemption
[58:58] - Pray for One
[62:12] - Invitation to Follow Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Thessalonians 4:3
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;” [41:01]

Ephesians 2:10
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” [52:59]

Proverbs 19:21
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” [36:20]

Isaiah 46:10
“declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’” [36:04]

1 Corinthians 10:23
““All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.” [49:41]

Observation questions

According to Isaiah 46:10 and Proverbs 19:21, what do these verses say about God’s purpose compared to human plans? [36:04]
In 1 Thessalonians 4:3, what word is used to describe God’s will, and how was that connected to being set apart or different? [41:01]
What are some specific areas of life that were named as places where holiness should show up—values, money, speech, habits, or desires? [42:25]
In 1 Corinthians 10:23, what contrast does Paul make between what is lawful and what is helpful or beneficial? [49:41]

Interpretation questions

If knowing God’s will starts with knowing God’s heart, how does that reshape the way a person approaches big decisions when the answer does not seem obvious? [32:00]
If God’s will is holiness, why is obedience to God’s Word so closely tied to guidance for the future? What does it mean that a person cannot walk in God’s will while disobeying God’s Word? [44:29]
Joseph’s story shows that people can mean something for evil while God still uses it for good. How does that help make sense of painful events without calling evil good? [48:24]
Ephesians 2:10 says believers are created in Christ Jesus for good works prepared beforehand. How does that speak to both identity and purpose for someone who wonders whether God has a personal plan for their life? [52:59]

Application questions

When the heart says, “God, just tell me,” is the real struggle confusion, fear, impatience, or wanting control? What usually makes it hardest to trust God in those moments? [31:03]
Holiness means being set apart. In what part of life does that feel most challenging right now—speech, spending, relationships, entertainment, work habits, or something else? What would “different” look like there this week? [41:23]
God’s direction for tomorrow does not cancel God’s commands for today. Is there any clear area of obedience that has been delayed while waiting for a bigger answer from God? What would it look like to take one honest step this week? [43:15]
Freedom in Christ is real, but not everything is beneficial. What is one choice that may be allowed but is not actually helping someone grow, love others, or build a healthier life with Jesus? [49:15]
God may not choose the wound, but God is able to use it. Is there a painful part of life that still feels confusing or unfinished? Where might God be inviting trust, healing, or growth in the middle of it? [48:47]
Believers are God’s workmanship, created for good works. What helps a person actually believe they are a masterpiece with purpose, and what tends to fight against that belief? [53:50]
Praying for one person to share God’s love with can turn an ordinary day into a holy scavenger hunt. Who might be one person to begin praying for this week, and what simple act of love or conversation might open the door? [59:29]

Sermon Clips

42s

#LiveDifferentForJesus

“``And that hurts to say, that hurts to hear. But sometimes we need to hear it. If my life looks the exact same as everybody else, then are you really following Jesus? Because if we're following Jesus, we're gonna look different. And so often we talk about, God, just tell me. God, just tell me. And God's like, I did. We want God's direction for our future, but we ignore the way he has asked us to live today. And you know what God's plan is for your future? Is for you to live the way he wants today. And the future stuff will take care of itself.”

65s

#StewardFaithfully

“Our people say, God, like, show me who am I supposed to marry. Bring me this strong godly marriage. Bring me this strong godly man or woman that I can marry. But we don't wanna follow God's directions for how we should date. God, show me how to have better finances. God, fix my money situation, but we don't wanna follow God's directions about being generous, putting God ahead of our money. We want the financial blessing, but we don't wanna steward what God has already given us. Say, God, show me what's next in my career. I'm stuck here. I don't like this anymore. God, show me what's next. Open the right door. But in the process, we forget everything he said about how we should be working in our current spot. can't you can't walk in God's will if you're disobeying God's word.”

83s

#PrayForOne

“But, ultimately, guys, we overcomplicate it. We overcomplicate it. At its will, at its core, here's God's will for you. His sovereign will, his moral will, his permissive will, his personal will, it's for you to be holy, for you to be set apart, for you to be different. So what action do we take today to make sure that we can be holy, we can be different? What action can we take today to say, I wanna lean into God's? I wanna learn God's will for my life. Again, we overcomplicate it. Let's make it real simple today. We pray for one. We pray for one. That's God's will for your life. That every day, we pray for one person to share God's love with. Every day, we say, God, give me one person to share your love with. And now my day has a purpose. Now my day has a plan. Because if we pray for one person to share God's love with, you know what God's gonna do? He's gonna give you one person to share his love with. So now my day has a purpose. My day has a plan. Because now my day is going on a holy scavenger hunt trying to find that one.”

54s

#CreatedOnPurpose

“God says, you know, I you are a masterpiece. I created you, and you are a masterpiece. I love that part of it because we need to hear that too because the world's gonna bombard us with all their messages about how bad we are and all the things you've done wrong, and enemy is gonna hit you with those things and say you're not good enough. You're not good enough. You're not good enough. And God said, no. No. No. No. No. No. No. I created you. I created you the way you are on purpose and with a purpose. You are a masterpiece created for the good things that God has chosen for you to do. We need to hear that. We need to own that. That needs to seep into our every inch of our being that I am a master. I am not perfect. And boy, do I need Jesus? But with Jesus, I am a masterpiece created to do the good things that he planned a long time ago.”

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