Setting the Course Pt4

Jun 07, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Planting Slow-Growing Trees in Dry Places

A terebinth tree takes decades to mature, its roots digging deep before visible growth appears. Abraham planted this stubborn desert tree as an act of faith, trusting God’s long-term vision over quick results. Spiritual growth often feels agonizingly slow—temperance, godliness, and love develop through repeated choices, not instant miracles. Like Abraham, believers are called to invest in eternal outcomes, not temporary comforts. What feels like stalled progress may be God cultivating unshakable roots. [36:28]

“And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.”
(Genesis 21:33, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you prioritized visible results over hidden growth? What “slow-growing tree” is God asking you to plant this week?

Day 2: When Breath Gets Knocked Out of Your Sails

Grief, failure, and loss can leave believers gasping like Abram in Haran. Yet God rebuilds breath through obedience, not escape. Staying the course means showing up to serve, study, and worship even when numbness sets in. The Holy Spirit resuscitates weary hearts through daily faithfulness, not dramatic experiences. Temporary stops become permanent graves only if we abandon the journey. [21:41]

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
(Hebrews 11:8, ESV)

Reflection: What loss has made you want to “settle in Haran”? What one small act of obedience can help you breathe again?

Day 3: Thermostat Wars and the Cost of Comfort

True calling disrupts climate-controlled lives. Greeters arrive early, worship teams rehearse, and parents sacrifice convenience—all because discipleship requires sweating. Like Abraham leaving Ur, answering God’s call means trading predictability for purpose. The thermostat of faith gets set through serving others, not personal preferences. Comfort zones become tombs when we prioritize ease over eternity. [10:31]

“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”
(2 Peter 1:10, ESV)

Reflection: What convenient habit protects your comfort at the expense of your calling? Where is God asking you to adjust your “thermostat”?

Day 4: Swinging the Axe at the Same Tree

Spiritual transformation comes through relentless repetition, not grand gestures. Like chopping a massive tree, holiness develops through daily Bible reading, consistent prayer, and weekly service. Abraham’s slow-growing terebinth required patience; our character needs steady axe swings against pride, anger, and apathy. God honors persistent effort more than sporadic intensity. [38:39]

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
(Philippians 2:12-13, ESV)

Reflection: What repetitive spiritual practice have you neglected? How can you “swing the axe” today on a stubborn area of growth?

Day 5: Naming Rights Beyond the Graveyard

God renamed Abram “father of nations” while he still mourned in Haran. Our identity isn’t defined by failures or grief, but by Christ’s finished work. Like Abraham buying land to bury Sarah yet planting trees for future generations, believers live between loss and legacy. Eternal identity outshines temporary circumstances when we fix our eyes on the city God is building. [26:27]

“No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.”
(Genesis 17:5, ESV)

Reflection: What temporary label (failure, widow, addict) have you accepted over God’s eternal name for you? How does “Abraham” redefine your story?

Sermon Summary

Peter promises something bold in 2 Peter 1:10. If believers confirm calling and election by practicing the staircase of character faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and agape love they will “never fall.” That word never rests on character formation, not hype. Calling is not just received in a flash. Calling gets confirmed in obedience. “Show up for your calling” even when it costs time, plans, and comfort, because faith begins where comfort ends.

Abraham shows how the call pulls a person out of what is familiar. Genesis 12 sends him toward a land he had never seen, which means the life of faith cannot clutch the world and still expect spiritual life to flourish. Temperance belongs in the mix, not as a fussy rule but as the Spirit’s surgery when anger flares and the horn wants to blare. Philippians 2 says salvation is worked out in awe because God is working in the willing and the doing. The course gets hard. Grief hits. The wind gets knocked out. Genesis records that Terah died at Haran, and the place name signals breath gone thin. The call says do not build a permanent house in a temporary stop. Take another step. Trust God when loss, bills, and betrayal stack up. Breath returns as the steps continue.

Identity becomes the anchor that keeps the steps steady. Genesis 17 takes Abram and adds breath, Abraham. God speaks identity before he reveals destiny. Romans 4:17 reserves the calling-into-existence to God, so identity must be received from the Word, not manufactured by chasing experiences. Jesus himself lived by what proceeds from God’s mouth. Fresh breath lives in Scripture, in worship, in the presence, not in constant novelty.

Hebrews 11 steadies the eyes on a better country. God is not ashamed to be called the God of those who desire that city. Hope pulls character forward. In Canaan Abraham plants a terebinth at Beersheba, a slow grower that drives roots deep in dry places. That tree pictures sanctification. Some virtues take time. Keep swinging the axe. Daily devotions, weekly serving, ordinary faithfulness. Over time that tree stands, and the next generation points and says, that is where faith took root. The everlasting God meets the long obedience with new mercies every morning, and breath keeps coming as the course stays set.

Key Takeaways

1. Confirmed calling keeps you from falling The promise of “never fall” is not magic. Peter ties it to a practiced life where faith grows ribs and muscle through virtue, knowledge, and temperance. When the call gets confirmed in obedient patterns, stability follows, not because strength is innate but because God secures what he commands. [05:01]
2. Faith begins where comfort ends The call regularly pulls a person beyond familiarity, like Abraham leaving country and kin. Comfort is not evil, but it can numb hunger for God’s future. When the schedule stretches and the flesh resists, obedience becomes the doorway where grace meets the soul with power. [08:29]
3. Do not settle in Haran Loss can make a temporary stop feel permanent. Haran feels like the breath is gone, yet the promise still lies ahead. Grief is real, but the next faithful step is how breath returns. Staying the course is not denial, it is trusting God to meet a broken heart with fresh wind. [22:54]
4. God speaks identity before destiny Abram becomes Abraham when God breathes identity into him. Work flows from sonship, not the other way around. Chasing experiences to feel significant only exhausts the soul, but receiving identity from the Word gives ballast for long obedience. [31:00]
5. Grow slow, swing the axe daily The terebinth grows downward before it grows upward, and character does the same. Small strikes devotion, Scripture, service feel weak at first, but faithful repetition fells stubborn timber. Over time, roots hold in dry seasons and a legacy stands where the Spirit has worked deep. [38:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:39] - Next Step invite and gifts
[05:01] - 2 Peter 1:10 Never Fall promise
[06:34] - Calling and election are distinct
[08:29] - Calling will cost your comfort
[15:47] - Work out salvation in awe
[17:48] - Stay the course defined
[20:57] - Haran and breath knocked out
[22:54] - Do not build permanent in temporary
[25:36] - Identity over role in church
[27:54] - Identity rooted in God’s Word
[32:06] - Heroes desire a better country
[34:58] - Planting a terebinth in Canaan
[38:39] - Swing the axe of daily habits
[41:55] - Prayer of salvation and response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
2 Peter 1:10 (ESV)
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

Observation Questions

What specific qualities does Peter link to confirming one’s calling and election (2 Peter 1:5-8)? How do these relate to the promise of "never falling"?
In Genesis 12:1, what three things did God ask Abraham to leave behind, and what did He promise in return?
According to Philippians 2:12-13, how does God’s work in us connect to our responsibility to "work out" our salvation?
The sermon described temperance as "the Spirit’s surgery when anger flares" [12:58]. What example did the pastor give to illustrate this struggle?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Peter connects the idea of "never falling" to the daily practice of qualities like virtue, knowledge, and self-control rather than a one-time spiritual experience?
Abraham’s journey required leaving his familiar environment (Genesis 12:1). How might clinging to comfort or familiarity hinder someone’s ability to walk in their calling today?
The sermon compared Abraham’s terebinth tree to sanctification, saying, "Some virtues take time" [38:39]. Why might God design spiritual growth to be slow and incremental rather than instant?
How does the idea that "God speaks identity before destiny" (Genesis 17:5) challenge the way people often pursue purpose or significance?

Application Questions

What is one area of your life where God is asking you to step out of comfort or familiarity, similar to Abraham’s call? What practical step could you take this week to obey? [08:29]
When have you experienced a "Haran moment"—a season where grief, loss, or disappointment made you want to settle for less than God’s promise? How can you actively trust God for "fresh breath" in that area now? [22:54]
The pastor emphasized daily spiritual habits as "swinging the axe" [38:39]. Which habit (e.g., Scripture reading, serving, prayer) feels most challenging to maintain consistently? How could you partner with someone to grow in this?
How might your daily choices change if you fully embraced your identity as "God’s child" rather than defining yourself by roles, achievements, or others’ opinions? [31:00]
The sermon warned against building "permanent houses in temporary stops" [22:54]. Is there a situation, relationship, or mindset you’re holding onto that God might be asking you to release to keep moving forward?
Reflect on a time when anger, impatience, or frustration revealed a need for "temperance as surgery" [12:58]. What practical step could help you invite the Spirit’s work in that area this week?
Abraham planted a slow-growing tree as a legacy of faith [38:39]. What small, faithful action could you start today to leave a spiritual legacy for others, even if results aren’t immediate?

Sermon Clips

53s

#CallingCostsComfort

“``Walking in your calling will cost you your comfort. If you're not uncomfortable, there's a good chance you're not walking in your calling. I I I love it, man. We come in this morning and it smelled good. The worship team was singing. The music was good. The graphics were rolling. Coffee was being made. I saw greeters greet at the front door. I think they were there ahead of time. Praise god. Let's thank god for our greeters this morning. Let's give them a hand for how welcome they made us feel this morning. I I mean, I'm telling you, I walked in and I'm like, man, this is good, man. But I'm telling you, it's gonna it cost them something to get here early. I guarantee you, they was here practicing way before most of us ever walked into church. It cost you something to serve in the kingdom. It'll cost you your comfort. It'll cost you your time. It might cost you a baseball game.”

49s

#ShowUpForYourCalling

“I’m all for someone saying, man, I got a calling on my life. God's called me in my life. If you wanna be motivated, search god for the calling that god's called you to do. God will motivate you through your calling. I'm all excited about that but there's a lot of work that happened between when I thought god called me and when then doing the ministry. Amen? If there's a lot of work that happened between believing god called me and put my name on a form and then showing up early before everybody else gets to the church and and waving and greeting and and putting the signs out in the parking lot, The it's a calling, but then you gotta show up for your calling. Amen? And we're all called to serve in this way, but it's not something we just receive in a moment, but it's something we continue that we confirm through obedience. So this calling is worked out into our life. And number one, I wanna say this, walking in your calling will cost you your comfort.”

26s

#LetGoToFollowGod

“And if you live by that and you keep swinging the axe, you'll watch your character change. You'll watch godliness come into your life, and you'll start being able to say, no. I'm not going there. And, yes, I'm going. I wanted to question today. What do you need to let go of like Abraham did when he left Haran? What do you need to let go of? What do you need to lay down like when he laid down Isaac? And what do you need to embrace as far as your identity? Don't believe the world. Don't believe what your mom and daddy said, but believe what the word of God says. Every head bowed, every eye closed, I wanna ask you a question today.”

46s

#IdentityNotExperience

“See, he didn't label them by the breath getting knocked out of him. He didn't label David whenever he sent Uriah out. He didn't label Abraham when Abraham went out and said, oh, no. That's my sister. And then the king, a curse fell on him, and he brought him back and said, what are you doing? This is your wife. God spoke to me. You bring a plague upon me? He didn't identify him for his failures. They identified him he identified him because he says, because they desired a better country that is a heavenly one. And it says, therefore, god is not ashamed to be called their god for he has prepared for them a city. There is a city we're headed to. It's so good of a city that here's what John said. John said, I'm gonna tell you, but it's so good, I can't tell you. I'm like, dude.”

43s

#SlowGrowthDeepRoots

“I've seen so many people look for gifting. I want gifting. I I think the Bible says we desire spiritual gifts. I desire them every day. God, give me what you want me to have. Do what you want me to do. But be careful that you don't make an experience out of what he's already told you you are. See, sometimes we gotta build from our identity. We can't go searching an experience to create our is this helping anybody this morning? We can't go out there searching for an experience to get our identity when he's already settled it on the cross, when he's already said that I gave you all things that pertain to life and Godliness. He says, as it is written, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, what did he say when he was tempted? He said, first thing the devil tempted him, he said, what do you need to do? He said, man should not live by bread alone but by every word that what? Proceeds out of the mouth of. Amen. Out of the mouth. Wow. Yeah.”

53s

#PlantForGenerations

“It's stated that more likely that when you plant this tree, there's very little root that goes out because it's planted in die, dry desert places that the root can get up to 30 foot deep. So it grows down before it grows out. And and Abraham, now, right after this, he's gonna go have to have a test of Isaac. It's getting ready to happen. And he's getting ready to take it up there, and he's getting ready to sacrifice his own son. But he plants a tree, and it's the slowest growing tree. Why do I tell you that this morning? Because working out this thing called salvation, add your faith virtue, virtue knowledge, knowledge temperance, temperance, godliness, godliness, brotherly kindness, and then eventually, agape love. That means I love you, Miller, so much. I do love you. Text him. Call him. I mean, he's not working on the sewer. We have conversation. I love you.”

47s

#DieToRise

“But I'm telling you right now, if you keep swinging on that axe, I'm gonna do my devotion. I keep swinging. Don't get so busy. You forget it's about relationship. And you keep and then all of a sudden that tree will fall. When he planted that tree, he made a statement because Abraham knew he was gonna die. And he knew God breathed on him. But he knew one day his grandchildren were gonna walk behind and say, that's the tree that Abraham planted. You see, the devil can tell you that you've ruined your life, but the truth is, there's gonna be a tree one day. If you keep up this faith thing and you do god's part, there's a thing he did is he planted a tree and that first piece of property he bought was to bury his wife and he bought a cave called McPeelah. Boy, I gotta go. So he made a statement. He said, the first thing I'm gonna plant is a tree that takes a long time to grow.”

52s

#StayTheCourse

“There's so much hope in that. That's eternal life. Do you know what he summed up eternal life? He said that you could have eternal life that you may know him. That's that relationship with him. That's that time with God. But then he bought a think about that. The first place he bought was that cave, and he bought that land. And when he bought it, there was a grave. Do you know the one of the first things you need to do to enter the promised land? You need to learn to die. Die to what you feel. Die to what you think. Die to what you believe. Let God rebuild you from the ground up and believe that he who began a good work and means faithful is completed till the day of redemption. I am the head and not the tail. I am above and not believe. I'm more than a conqueror. I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. I am a child of God. I'm an ambassador in the kingdom. That that that'll speak life into you and breath into you and encourage you. You say, but what are you gonna do? My key verse, his mercies are new every every morning.”

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