Press On: Take the Next Step in Faith

Devotional

Day 1: God’s plan requires movement—take the first step

The new year will offer a lot of ways to change the outside, but God’s way always begins on the inside. Growth in God never happens while standing still; it requires pressing on, even when the full map isn’t in your hands. Sometimes He gives only one step so you won’t try to control the whole journey or get scared by the finish line. Take the step you see, trusting that He will light the next one when you move. You don’t need the destination to say yes to the direction. [41:03]

Philippians 3:12–14
I haven’t arrived yet, and I’m not complete, but I’m reaching for what Christ took hold of me for. I’m not living off yesterday, but I’m letting go of the past and stretching toward what’s ahead. I’m moving toward the goal, running after the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.

Reflection: What is one small, specific step you sense God inviting you to take this week, even if you can’t see the rest of the path yet?

Day 2: Let go of what God has finished

Some of what holds you back isn’t sin; it’s yesterday—both failure and success. Memories can encourage you, but you can’t live in them and move forward at the same time. God is doing a new thing, and it may not look like the old thing you loved or feared. Honor what He did, testify about it, then let it fuel your next yes. Forward-sight focused means your hands are free from yesterday so you can take hold of tomorrow. [51:06]

Isaiah 43:18–19
Stop anchoring your heart to the former things and quit staring at the old patterns. Look—right now I’m bringing something new to life; can’t you sense it beginning? I’m cutting a roadway through wild places and causing streams to run in dry ground.

Reflection: What “good old day” or painful memory is hardest for you to release, and how could you honor it without letting it decide your next step?

Day 3: Be strong and courageous after loss or delay

God often calls people forward right after something ends or feels delayed. When a season closes, He doesn’t abandon the promise—He leads you into it in a new way. Courage doesn’t mean you feel no fear; it means you move with God in spite of fear. He repeats it because we need it: be strong and courageous, for He is with you wherever you go. The assignment may feel bigger than you, but His presence is bigger than the assignment. [01:06:45]

Joshua 1:1–9
After Moses died, the Lord told Joshua to rise and lead the people across the river into the land He had promised. Every place they stepped would be territory He was giving them, and He would not abandon them. Joshua was told to be strong and very courageous, to hold tightly to God’s instruction, to speak it, think on it day and night, and obey it. Then his way would be made successful. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t fear or be discouraged; I’m with you wherever you go.”

Reflection: Where have you felt the sting of an ending, and what bold but humble action could you take this week to step into the “next” with God?

Day 4: Direction comes while you move in obedience

God steers moving vehicles, not parked ones. If your direction still feels unclear, walk in obedience to what you already know, serve faithfully where you are, and stay available in prayer and the Word. As you take a step—big or small—He establishes it and lights the next one. You don’t need leaps to be faithful; steady steps create the path. Keep moving, and God will do the guiding. [01:09:11]

Proverbs 16:9
We make our plans, but the Lord is the One who sets each step in place as we go.

Reflection: How could you practice “moving while listening” this week—one act of obedience, one place of faithful service, and one set time to be available to God?

Day 5: Lay aside weight and run with Jesus in view

Some things slow you down even if they aren’t sinful—unforgiveness, distraction, comfort, fear of other people’s opinions. Weights drag; sin trips; both keep you from the race marked out for you. Fix your gaze on Jesus, and forward motion becomes possible again. When you take the next surrendered step, God meets you in it, clarity grows in obedience, and faith strengthens through action. You don’t need more time or information—you need a willing spirit and your next yes. [01:13:43]

Hebrews 12:1–2
We’re surrounded by a great crowd of witnesses, so let’s drop every weight and the sin that tangles our feet, and run with endurance the race set before us. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus—the pioneer and perfecter of our faith—who, for the joy ahead, endured the cross and now sits in honor at God’s right hand.

Reflection: What specific weight is slowing your pace right now, and what would laying it down look like in practice over the next seven days?

Sermon Summary

With a fresh year approaching, the call is to move forward internally—not merely to upgrade the outside. The invitation centers on taking the next obedient step Jesus has put in front of each person. Drawing from Philippians 3, progress in Christ is not passive or accidental. It requires pressing on, forgetting what lies behind, and reaching toward what lies ahead. God often gives direction one step at a time because the journey shapes a person to bear the weight of what the destination requires. When the full plan is withheld, it protects from fear, presumption, and the temptation to do God’s will in human ways.

Moving forward also means refusing to live in memories—whether failures or even successes. Isaiah 43 insists that God is doing a new thing; the task is not to preserve yesterday but to perceive today. Success is a gift to steward, not a home to live in. Seasons close, and holy restlessness is often a sign God is preparing a transition. That transition can feel unsettling, but it produces life for others as much as for oneself. Ministry is not confined to microphones; it’s the witness carried into workplaces, nursing homes, and ordinary places where the Word brings life.

Joshua 1 demonstrates that God often calls His people forward after loss or delay. “Moses is dead” was not an epitaph—it was instruction. Change is not failure, and courage is not the absence of fear but obedience in the face of it. God frequently lights only the first step; once it’s taken, the second appears. Proverbs 16:9 frames the path: God establishes steps, not leaps. So walk in obedience, serve faithfully where you are, and stay available in Scripture and prayer.

Hebrews 12 calls believers to lay aside both sin and weight. Many stall not because of scandalous sin but because of subtler burdens—unforgiveness, distraction, comfort, and fear of people—all of which slow the race. Comfort that resists God’s nudge becomes disobedience; people’s judgments cannot cancel God’s call. When the next step is taken, God meets in the step, clarity grows in obedience, and faith deepens through action. The response is simple: receive Christ, return to Him, or step into what He’s already asked. The altar of the heart is opened by a surrendered will, a willing spirit, and the first step.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s plan requires faithful movement Growth in Christ is an active pursuit, not a passive drift. Pressing on means gripping what God has revealed and reaching for what He hasn’t shown yet. The journey is part of God’s design to form people for the destination He intends. Waiting for a full blueprint often masks a fear of obedience. [46:23]
2. Let go of yesterday’s season Both failure and success can imprison the future when they become identity, not testimony. God’s mercies are new every morning, and His “new thing” requires perception, not nostalgia. Memories can fuel faith, but they cannot be a home address. Steward the past; don’t settle in it. [52:01]
3. Courage grows by taking first steps God often calls forward after loss, delay, or change—as with Joshua after Moses’ death. Courage isn’t bravado; it is choosing obedience while fear still speaks. God repeats “be strong and courageous” because He expects movement before feelings catch up. The step comes first; strength meets you there. [66:45]
4. God directs those who are moving The Lord establishes steps, not leaps—clarity increases with motion. Obey what you already know, serve faithfully where you are, and stay available in Scripture and prayer. God steers moving vehicles, not parked ones; immobility needs no guidance. Start, and the next light will come on. [72:04]
5. Lay aside weights, not just sins Many stall because of burdens that aren’t technically sinful—unforgiveness, distraction, comfort, and fear of people. Comfort that resists God’s nudge becomes disobedience; fear of man will suffocate calling. Weights slow you; sin trips you; both halt forward progress. Fix your eyes on Jesus and run. [73:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[35:57] - Opening and lighthearted intro
[36:28] - Family, calling, and today’s focus
[38:39] - New Year rhythms and real change
[39:07] - Outward upgrades vs inward renewal
[41:03] - When you feel spiritually stuck
[42:22] - Pressing on: movement in Philippians 3
[45:39] - The journey forms you for the goal
[49:35] - Armor of God: no protection for the past
[51:39] - Letting go of closed seasons (Isaiah 43)
[57:19] - Don’t live in last event’s success
[60:08] - Transition feels hard but births life
[61:54] - Events are means; the message is central
[64:08] - After Moses: change, courage, and promise
[68:12] - God may be waiting on you to move
[69:11] - Steps, not leaps: Proverbs 16:9
[73:16] - Weights vs sins: what slows you
[76:42] - What God does when you step
[78:05] - Testimony: from servant heart to shepherd
[81:07] - Invitation: salvation, return, next step
[82:17] - Prayer and altar open

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- Philippians 3:12–14

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

- Isaiah 43:18–19

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

- Joshua 1:1–9

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aid: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates— all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Observation questions

In Philippians 3:12–14, what action words does Paul use, and what do those verbs suggest about how growth happens?
In Isaiah 43:18–19, what are we told to stop doing, and what new work does God promise to do? What images are used to describe that new work?
In Joshua 1:1–9, how many times does God repeat the command to be strong and courageous, and why is that repetition significant in the context of Moses’ death?
What three simple practices were named for when direction feels unclear: “walk in obedience,” “serve faithfully where you are,” and “stay available” ([01:10:20])?

Interpretation questions

Paul says “forgetting what lies behind” and “pressing on” (Philippians 3:13–14). What does this teach about the nature of spiritual growth—passive or active? How might “forgetting” function in real life?
In Isaiah 43:19 God asks, “Do you not perceive it?” What does this imply about posture—paying attention to God’s present leading versus holding on to nostalgia?
The call “be strong and courageous” in Joshua 1 is repeated. How does that help us understand courage? Consider the statement, “Courage doesn’t mean we aren’t afraid. It just means that we’ll move and do what God says in spite of the fear.” ([01:07:42])
Why might God choose to “light up the first step” but not the whole path at once ([01:08:12])? What could God be forming in a person by doing it this way?

Application questions

“Sometimes God’s only going to light up the first step” ([01:08:12]). What is one first step God has already lit for you? What specific action will you take this week to step into it?
“We can’t live in seasons that God has already closed” ([47:57]). Where might you still be living in a past season—either a past failure or a past success? What would it look like, practically, to release it and make room for a “new thing” (Isaiah 43:18–19)?
“Let us also lay aside every weight and sin” ([01:13:16]). What non-sin “weight” is slowing you right now—unforgiveness, distraction, comfort, or fear of people? Name one concrete step you will take this week to lay it aside.
“Serve faithfully where you are” ([01:10:51]). In your current setting (home, work, school, neighborhood), what is one faithful act of service you can choose this week?
“Their judgment does not affect the call of God that’s on your life” ([01:15:22]). Where do you most feel the fear of people’s opinions? What truth from Scripture will you hold onto, and what action will you take even if the fear doesn’t go away?
“This is a very small part of ministry… Ministry happens out there” ([49:12]). What is one place outside the church walls (workplace, nursing home, team, classroom) where you will carry the message this week? What will you do and when?
“God steers moving vehicles, not parked ones” ([01:12:04]). What is one small start you can make today—however imperfect—to put yourself in motion so God can guide your steps?

Sermon Clips

Paul says, I have not obtained it. I don't have it yet. I don't have it all figured out. Now, and this is Paul. He was very dedicated to the ministry and to what God did during that time. And he's saying, I don't have it figured out, but I'm going to press on anyway. I'll take hold of what I do know. I'm going to reach out and obtain what I do know. But the rest of it, I'm going to have to go after. I'm going to chase it. God's plan is not always a destination. Sometimes it's just a direction. [00:43:04] (46 seconds) #PressOnForPurpose

Sometimes what holds us back isn't sin. It's memories of what happened yesterday. Sometimes those things will hold us back. We hear phrases like, well, I remember how we used to do it over there back then. Or I remember God used to do it this way. Or I remember over there God did it different. Listen, it doesn't matter how God did it yesterday. What matters is how God's doing it today and how he's going to take you into tomorrow to do it better. That's what matters. [00:52:06] (38 seconds) #ReleaseYesterday

You have a responsibility if you have a call. If you question if you have a call, come see me. I'll show you in Scripture. I promise you have a call. You just have to figure out what it is. If you know what it is and you're not moving in it, that's disobedient. And God can't honor disobedience. Can't happen. If God's calling you to something and you're not doing it, whether he's calling you to salvation in a relationship with him, or he's calling you to go with us to go to the nursing home and minister, or whatever it is, it doesn't matter what it is. If you're not doing it, you're in disobedience. [00:52:55] (41 seconds) #AnswerYourCalling

God said in that Bible passage, do you not perceive it? He didn't say, do you remember it? He said, do you perceive it? What does that mean? That means, are you getting it? It hasn't happened yet. But are you getting what I'm trying to say? Are you getting where I'm trying to take you? Are you understanding that I need you to take a step? It's not a memory. It's a perception of what God has for you and what he wants you to move into to do next. [00:54:14] (36 seconds) #PerceiveGodsDirection

Transition always feels uncomfortable, but it always produces life. If you are transitioning and you're doing the things that God would have you to do and you feel like he's calling you to something else, it's going to be difficult. But if you'll do it, it'll produce life. And I don't just mean life for you. I mean life for those that are going to be affected by what God's called you to do. You see, God's calling you to do something. And if you don't do it, somebody may be missing out on something because you're not doing what God called you to do. [01:00:38] (35 seconds) #TransitionBreedsLife

And then the next thing, the last thing of those three is, stay available. Continue to study the Word. Continue to find prayer time in your closet, by yourself, where God can speak to you. And when you read the Word, you read the Word not only to read it, but to understand and to hear from God. As you're walking through that. That's what you're supposed to do when you study the Word. You study to hear. And you stay available. And if you'll do those three things, He will begin to guide you as you move. God steers moving vehicles, not parked ones. [01:11:16] (43 seconds) #StayAvailableToGod

We serve in ministry and everything's going really good. Oh man, God's blessing the ministry and everything. And then all of a sudden God says, Hey, I want you to move from here to here. Good. I appreciate what you've done. I'm here. Things are going great. Here's what I can tell you. If God calls you to move and you don't move because you're comfortable, things will not go great for long. Comfort becomes disobedience. It's what happens. [01:14:08] (35 seconds) #ComfortIsDisobedience

What happens when we move forward? When we make the decision to move forward, what happens? God meets us in the step. Clarity is revealed in obedience. Faith grows with action. We don't need more time. We don't need more talent. And we don't need more information. We do need a surrendered heart, a willing spirit, and the first step. It's what we need. [01:16:46] (38 seconds) #ClarityThroughObedience

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Press On: Take the Next Step in Faith

Devotional

Day 1: God’s plan requires movement—take the first step

Day 2: Let go of what God has finished

Day 3: Be strong and courageous after loss or delay

Day 4: Direction comes while you move in obedience

Day 5: Lay aside weight and run with Jesus in view

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Press On: Take the Next Step in Faith

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