Three Steps Forward: The Steps of the Righteous

Such a hometown voice opens with gratitude, family memory, and a plain exhortation to live as the righteousness of God in Christ. The preacher urges daily discipline in Scripture reading and frames the Christian life around Psalm 26’s candid heart-searching: a reliance on God’s unfailing love, a refusal to mingle with deceit, regular repentance, and public praise. Drawing from Psalm 37, the sermon declares that the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord; falling does not mean being forsaken because God upholds and disciplines like a loving parent. That steady assurance is linked to practical faith—trusting God through job changes, financial uncertainty, and church transitions—while avoiding worldly drama and embracing humility where needed.

Psalm 91 becomes the sanctuary text: to dwell in the “secret place” is to abide under the Almighty’s shadow, to name the Lord as refuge, and to expect deliverance from snares and pestilence. The preacher insists this protection is not magical immunity but a covenantal reality that shapes courage, perspective, and how one responds to suffering. Angels, vigilance, and divine preservation are presented as real assurances for those who make God their habitation, not as trite promises but as the basis for a steady, hope-filled life.

The central metaphor—three steps forward, two steps back—captures perseverance. Using Jacob’s life and other biblical sketches, the talk demonstrates how forward progress often includes setbacks: deception, delay, loss, and fear still occur, yet faith that keeps moving will arrive at God’s intended place. The sermon emphasizes internalized law—God’s word written on the heart—as the guardrail preventing one’s steps from sliding. Practical calls follow: humble where required, give where called, pray without succumbing to drama, and keep walking even when knocked back. The tone blends plain humor, earnest confession, and firm theological conviction: God delights in the faithful, preserves the saints, and promises both deliverance and a transformed inheritance for those who trust and persist.

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. The Lord orders righteous steps God’s sovereignty arranges direction rather than removing responsibility; a believer’s choices are not random but guided within covenantal love. This ordering gives intention to daily decisions, reframes setbacks as redirected steps, and invites a posture of attentive obedience rather than passive fatalism. Believers are called to cooperate with that ordering through prayer and Scripture. [23:07]
• 2. Failures don't erase a faithful heart Moral lapses and moments of folly do not cancel a life shaped by mindful reliance on God’s love; David’s example shows candid confession with a prevailing heart toward God. True repentance restores agency and keeps the trajectory toward sanctification, not shame-driven paralysis. The goal is endurance in dependence, not perfection as proof of worth. [16:06]
• 3. Abide beneath God's protective shadow Dwelling in the “secret place” is an existential posture—habitual refuge, not occasional shelter—and it reshapes how danger, loss, and illness are interpreted. That abiding produces courage to face pestilence and trial with a steadier gaze because protection is relational and ongoing. It calls for intimacy with God, not merely reciting promises. [36:01]
• 4. Persevere: three steps forward Spiritual progress often advances by persistence through repeated setbacks; Jacob’s story shows progress is iterative and gritty, not linear or neat. The faithful life practices return, humility, and forward motion even when fear demands retreat. Persistence honors God’s patient work of forming character across seasons. [52:04]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [11:43] - Hometown and family memories
• [12:34] - Opening prayer and praise
• [13:54] - Daily Bible-reading discipline
• [15:41] - Psalm 26: A blameless heart described
• [23:07] - Psalm 37: Steps of the good man
• [25:55] - God upholds the fallen
• [30:52] - Promises for the faithful
• [36:01] - Psalm 91: Dwelling in God's shadow
• [38:37] - Deliverance from snares and danger
• [40:56] - Fear not pestilence or calamity
• [47:10] - Angelic charge and protection
• [51:35] - Three steps forward demonstration
• [53:15] - Jacob’s life: resilience and return
• [60:06] - Closing exhortation and dismissal

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon summary and transcript:

Bible Reading

Psalm 26:1-7 (ESV)
> 1 Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity.
> I have trusted in the Lord. I shall not slip.
> 2 Test me, O Lord, and try me;
> examine my heart and my mind.
> 3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
> and I have walked in your faithfulness.
> 4 I do not sit with the worthless,
> nor do I consort with hypocrites;
> 5 I hate the assembly of evildoers,
> and I will not sit with the wicked.
> 6 I will wash my hands in innocence
> and go around your altar, O Lord,
> 7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
> and telling all your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 37:23-24 (ESV)
> 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
> and he delights in his way.
> 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down,
> for the Lord upholds the heavens.

Psalm 91:1-4 (ESV)
> 1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
> will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
> 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
> my God, in whom I trust.”
> 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
> and from the deadly pestilence.
> 4 He will cover you with his pinions;
> under his wings you will find refuge;
> his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

Observation questions

1. The sermon mentions that if you spend ten to twelve minutes in the word every morning, you can get through the Bible in a year. What is the benefit of this daily discipline mentioned in the sermon? [14:43]
2. Psalm 26:3 states, "For I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness." How does the sermon explain the difference between being mindful of God's love and living perfectly? [17:11]
3. Psalm 37:23 says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord." How does the sermon describe the relationship between God's ordering of our steps and our own responsibility? [23:07]
4. Psalm 91:1 speaks of dwelling in the "secret place of the Most High." How does the sermon describe this dwelling, and what is the difference between this and occasional shelter? [36:01]

Interpretation questions

1. The sermon highlights King David's confession in Psalm 26, acknowledging his failures but emphasizing his general heart toward the Lord. How does this understanding of "failures don't erase a faithful heart" help us when we stumble? [16:06]
2. The sermon uses the analogy of a loving parent helping a child learn to walk when discussing Psalm 37:24, "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." What does this analogy reveal about God's perspective on our stumbles? [24:22]
3. Psalm 91:1-4 describes God as a refuge and fortress, promising deliverance from snares and pestilence. How does the sermon clarify that this protection is not magical immunity but a covenantal reality? [38:37]
4. The sermon uses the metaphor of "three steps forward, two steps back" to illustrate perseverance, drawing from Jacob's life. What does this biblical example teach us about the nature of spiritual progress? [53:15]

Application questions

1. The sermon encourages a daily discipline of Scripture reading, suggesting it keeps us sharp, safe, and walking with Jesus. What is one practical step you can take this week to be more consistent in spending time in God's Word? [14:43]
2. We are called to live as the righteousness of God in Christ, which involves a candid heart-searching like Psalm 26. In what area of your life do you need to be more mindful of God's unfailing love and live in reliance on His faithfulness? [17:11]
3. The sermon emphasizes that "the Lord orders righteous steps," meaning God's sovereignty arranges direction rather than removing responsibility. How can you cooperate with God's ordering in your daily decisions this week through prayer and Scripture? [23:07]
4. The idea that "failures don't erase a faithful heart" is central to the sermon. When you experience a moral lapse or a moment of folly, how can you practice true repentance that restores agency and keeps your trajectory toward sanctification, rather than shame-driven paralysis? [16:06]
5. Dwelling in God's "secret place" is described as an existential posture of habitual refuge, not occasional shelter. What is one tangible way you can cultivate a deeper intimacy with God this week, making Him your habitual refuge? [36:01]
6. The sermon teaches that "perseverance: three steps forward" often involves repeated setbacks. When you face a setback this week, how can you practice returning, humility, and forward motion, even when fear might tempt you to retreat? [53:15]
7. The sermon warns against worldly drama and encourages embracing humility. In what specific situation this week can you choose to respond with humility and avoid engaging in drama? [44:34]