Small Actions, Big Changes: Embracing Growth in Faith

Devotional

Day 1: Small Actions, Big Outcomes

Description:
The small, consistent actions we take in our daily lives, though often unnoticed, are crucial for achieving significant outcomes. These actions build our character and integrity, which are essential for God to trust us with more significant opportunities. Just as a large door swings on small hinges, our small, daily decisions and actions can lead to substantial changes in our lives. This principle applies to various aspects of life, including our finances, relationships, and spiritual growth. By focusing on the small things, we prepare ourselves for the bigger things God has in store for us. [36:58]

Bible Passage:
"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." (Luke 16:10, ESV)

Reflection:
Think of one small habit you can start today that aligns with God's principles. How can this habit, though small, lead to significant changes in your life over time?

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Day 2: Decide to Grow

Description:
Growth begins with a decision. We must decide to move out of our comfort zones and embrace the tension between where we are and where we could be. This decision is the first step towards experiencing the big things God has for us. The story of Elisha and the sons of the prophets in 2 Kings 6:1-7 illustrates this point well. They decided to move to a larger space and took action to make it happen. Similarly, we must make a conscious decision to grow and take the necessary steps to move forward. [46:35]

Bible Passage:
"Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes." (Isaiah 54:2, ESV)

Reflection:
What is one area of your life where you feel God is calling you to grow? What specific decision can you make today to start moving in that direction?

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Day 3: Put in the Work

Description:
After deciding to grow, we must put in the work. This involves building our lives based on God's principles and not relying on the faith of others. It's our responsibility to build our "house" and live out the principles God has called us to. The sons of the prophets had to cut down trees and build their new home, symbolizing the effort required to achieve growth. Similarly, we must be diligent in our efforts, knowing that our hard work, combined with God's guidance, will lead to significant outcomes. [54:39]

Bible Passage:
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." (Colossians 3:23-24, ESV)

Reflection:
Identify one task or project that you have been putting off. How can you start working on it today with the mindset of doing it for the Lord?

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Day 4: Commit to Private Growth

Description:
True growth happens in private, away from the spotlight. We must be committed to doing what no one sees, developing our character and integrity in the hidden places. This private growth is what prepares us for public impact. Just as the roots of a tree grow deep underground before the tree can grow tall, our private growth lays the foundation for the visible impact we will have in the future. By focusing on our private growth, we ensure that we are ready for the opportunities and challenges that come our way. [42:17]

Bible Passage:
"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6, ESV)

Reflection:
What is one area of your private life that you need to focus on for growth? How can you commit to developing this area away from the public eye?

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Day 5: Push Through Challenges

Description:
Growth is not always fun and can be challenging. We must push through the hard times and not quit, trusting that God will help us beyond our limits. The story of the sons of the prophets losing the borrowed axe head and Elisha performing a miracle to make it float illustrates the importance of perseverance. Even after receiving divine help, the man had to reach out and pick up the axe head, symbolizing the need to continue working. If we keep pushing, we will see the big doors swing on the small hinges we've worked on. [01:01:01]

Bible Passage:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4, ESV)

Reflection:
Think of a current challenge you are facing. How can you push through this challenge with perseverance, trusting that God will help you beyond your limits?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we began a new series titled "Small Hinges," which emphasizes the importance of small, often overlooked actions that can lead to significant changes in our lives. The central idea is that "big doors swing on small hinges," meaning that the small, consistent actions we take can lead to substantial outcomes. We explored how these small actions, though they may not be celebrated or even noticed by others, are crucial for achieving the big things we desire in life, whether in our finances, relationships, or spiritual growth.

We delved into the story of Elisha from 2 Kings 6:1-7, where the sons of the prophets found their living space too cramped and decided to build a new place. This story illustrates the need to make a decision, put in the work, and push through challenges to achieve growth. The sons of the prophets had to decide to move, cut down trees to build their new home, and even when they lost the borrowed axe head, they didn't give up. Elisha performed a miracle to make the iron float, but the man still had to reach out and pick it up, symbolizing the need to continue working even after receiving divine help.

The message encourages us to take care of the small things in our lives, like our character and integrity, which are the "small hinges" that can lead to the "big doors" of opportunity and blessing. It also reminds us that growth and significant changes don't happen overnight; they require consistent effort and perseverance. We must commit to private growth, stop quitting, and push through the hard times, trusting that God will do His part if we do ours.

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Key Takeaways

1. Small Actions Lead to Big Outcomes: The small, consistent actions we take in our daily lives, though often unnoticed, are crucial for achieving significant outcomes. These actions build our character and integrity, which are essential for God to trust us with more significant opportunities. [36:58]
2. Decide to Grow: Growth begins with a decision. We must decide to move out of our comfort zones and embrace the tension between where we are and where we could be. This decision is the first step towards experiencing the big things God has for us. [46:35]
3. Put in the Work: After deciding to grow, we must put in the work. This involves building our lives based on God's principles and not relying on the faith of others. It's our responsibility to build our "house" and live out the principles God has called us to. [54:39]
4. Commit to Private Growth: True growth happens in private, away from the spotlight. We must be committed to doing what no one sees, developing our character and integrity in the hidden places. This private growth is what prepares us for public impact. [42:17]
5. Push Through Challenges: Growth is not always fun and can be challenging. We must push through the hard times and not quit, trusting that God will help us beyond our limits. If we keep pushing, we will see the big doors swing on the small hinges we've worked on. [01:01:01]
### [61:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:13] - Introduction to Small Hinges
[35:43] - The Importance of Small Hinges
[36:58] - Small Actions Lead to Big Outcomes
[38:05] - Examples of Small Hinges in Daily Life
[39:30] - The Elephant Illustration
[40:43] - Growth Takes Time
[42:17] - Commit to Private Growth
[43:54] - Elisha and the Sons of the Prophets
[46:35] - Decide to Grow
[47:59] - Embrace the Tension
[50:27] - Pack Up and Move
[54:39] - Put in the Work
[56:10] - Build Your Own House
[59:06] - God Wants More for You
[61:01] - Push Through Challenges
[65:41] - Reach Down and Pick Up the Axe Head
[67:03] - Prayer of Salvation
[70:53] - Closing Prayer and Encouragement

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What problem did the sons of the prophets face in 2 Kings 6:1-2, and what solution did they propose?
How did Elisha respond when the sons of the prophets asked him to accompany them to the Jordan? (2 Kings 6:3-4)
What happened to the borrowed axe head, and how did Elisha resolve the situation? (2 Kings 6:5-7)
According to the sermon, what is the significance of the small actions or "small hinges" in our lives? [36:58]

Interpretation Questions

Why is it important to make a decision to grow, as illustrated by the sons of the prophets deciding to build a new place? [46:35]
How does the story of the floating axe head symbolize the need for both divine intervention and human effort in achieving growth? [45:18]
What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between private growth and public impact? [42:17]
How can the concept of "small hinges" be applied to our daily lives to achieve significant outcomes? [36:58]

Application Questions

Reflect on a small action you can take this week to improve your character or integrity. How can this action lead to a bigger outcome in your life? [36:58]
Think about an area in your life where you feel cramped or limited. What decision can you make today to start growing in that area? [46:35]
Identify a specific task or principle from God's word that you need to work on. How will you commit to putting in the work this week? [54:39]
What are some ways you can commit to private growth, even when no one is watching? How will this prepare you for public impact? [42:17]
Recall a recent challenge you faced. How did you push through it, and what was the outcome? How can you apply this perseverance to other areas of your life? [01:01:01]
Is there a small, consistent action you can start doing today that might not be noticed by others but is crucial for your personal growth? What is it, and how will you ensure you stick to it? [36:58]
How can you embrace the tension between where you are and where you could be, as discussed in the sermon? What steps will you take to move out of your comfort zone? [50:27]

Sermon Clips

1. "How many of you in the room today want God to do big things with your life? Maybe it's in your finances, your relationship, in your job. Come on, big impact, whatever it is. You want big doors from God. You want big opportunity. You want God to trust you. You want God to trust you. You want God to trust you. You want God to trust you with more. Can I tell you something? All of that is dependent on how you take care of the small things. It's what you do with the small things that makes that stuff happen, that makes that stuff work." [36:58] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The thing about small hinges in our lives is it's the things that nobody's going to pat you on the back for doing. Like if you got a big door, let's say a big goal, and you want to have better financial stewardship and more savings, right? Nobody's going to pat you on the back that afternoon for going, I spent $25 left at the grocery store today. Nobody's going to do that. But man, it feels good at the end of the month when you got more money in your savings account, doesn't it?" [38:05] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Some of you, here's the reality, you have these big dreams, you have these big thoughts, you have these big ideas, you have these big faith. You want this. That's not your problem. The problem is you're not taking the steps. The problem is the small hinges aren't installed. And so the door's just laying on the ground and God's going, I sure would love to install that in your life. The problem is your character, your integrity, your consistency, your commitment isn't there yet." [39:30] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "We live in a world that celebrates publicity. And celebrates a spotlight. But your growth doesn't happen in the spotlight. Your growth happens when there's no light. Your growth happens when there's nobody around. Who are you when nobody is there to celebrate you? That is who you really are. That is your character. That is your integrity. And those are small hinges that make big doors of what God wants for us and with us in our lives happen." [42:17] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "I get frustrated, if I'm honest, in the Christian world, in the church world. I get frustrated whenever we just sit down and we go, God, this is what I want. Now make it happen. And God's sitting back going, that is not how life works. Can he do that? Absolutely he can. He can do it whenever he wants. Does he do that? Absolutely he does that. Does it mean he will always do that? No. I've got to put my side in. So doing the small things means that I'm going to commit to doing what nobody else sees." [40:43] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "When your life outgrows your current way of living, I have to make a decision. Do I want to stay here, or do I want to be a part of something greater? Verse four, verse four leads us into another thought process here. So I have to make a decision here. I have to make a decision here. I have to make a decision here. Verse four says, so he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. So let's say that today, you've got this faith lifting moment and you're encouraged. You're ready to run through a brick wall. I mean it's good. I'm ready to move. Let's go. I made the decision. Now, it's time to get to work." [53:15] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "Nothing changes without work. That's why some of us, us, not you, I'm saying us, because I'm included in this, that's why some of us still hold on to things from 10 years ago, we haven't put in the work to change from where we were. I still think the same way I did, I gotta, you know, like, we see it in the church world all the time, it's gotta be the same music as it used to be, and you gotta preach the same as it used to be. Why do you cut the lights off, and why do you do that, why do, I don't know, why'd you wear what you wore today?" [58:11] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "Some of us in the room today have already quit. We haven't quit on our belief in God. We've just quit on our belief in what God can do with us. And it got hard. And it got tough. And working on your marriage was almost impossible. And working on yourself became very difficult and frustrating. And growth became very unbearable. And you had to change a lot at the same time. And all this happened. And outside resources. And all these things took place. And all this. And it's just like, well God, if this is what it's going to be, I'm just tired, man. I just want to quit." [01:01:01] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "Don't stop praying for your family. Don't you stop believing for your spouse. Don't you stop pushing for your kids. Don't you start believing that God can do something with you. Don't you stop with your gift. Don't you stop with your generosity. Don't you stop with your faith. I'm just here to tell somebody in the room, it's time to push. It's time to pick up the axe head and start swinging again. It's time to keep building. Don't you stop. Don't you quit. Pick it up. Build that house. God's got you." [01:02:09] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "If he calls you to it. The old preacher phrase. He's going to bring you through it. And I'm here to tell you that God has a plan and a purpose in your life. And if you won't stop, you'll see the big doors swinging on the small hinges that you put in the work for. And if you'll keep pushing, God's going to do something great in your life. I'm just here to tell somebody, stop quitting. Stop quitting. Push through. Believe God. Watch a miracle take place. Reach down. Let today be the day. To where you go, I lost the axe head." [01:05:07] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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