Take Ground Part 7

The service opens with announcements about an upcoming guest, free resources, and gratitude for a record attendance that pushed the gathering into two services. A vision of ongoing change and growth frames the season: the congregation must remain flexible, take ground, and keep adapting so more people can be reached. The Take Ground series shifts from broad vision to personal application, pressing each person to invite God to take new ground in their private life and relationships.

The posture of the heart proves decisive. Psalm 119’s injunction to “incline the heart” emphasizes that pursuing God requires a deliberate turn of will, not passive expectation. Freedom and healing often arrive through long conflict rather than instant miracles; Scripture images show slow progress where one house grows stronger while another fades. Personal testimony of past strongholds—substance, sexual sin, cigarettes, anger—illustrates the layered nature of freedom and the need for patience and persistence.

Two probing questions drive the practical call: how badly is freedom desired, and is progress underway? Urgency matters—Proverbs’ gazelle image urges a life-or-death intensity in pursuing liberty—yet desire must translate into forward motion. Momentum emerges from consistent, wise choices: creating small wins builds confidence and prepares for larger responsibilities. Biblical examples of leaders who created and built momentum underscore the need to move rather than stagnate.

Practical steps surface alongside vision: be a safety net for others rather than an enabling hammock; begin faithful obedience with what is at hand; join equipping rhythms designed to strengthen families and the next generation; and cultivate spiritual practices that prepare for prophetic listening. Small faithful acts compound into spiritual momentum. The service closes with a call to worship, personal response, and invitations for prayer and follow-up for those deciding to follow Christ.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Posture the heart toward obedience Deliberately inclining the heart is not passive spirituality but an act of the will that opens the soul to God's statutes. Choosing to set the heart primes perception, breaks habits of spiritual numbness, and allows the Holy Spirit to begin direct, internal work. This posture differentiates two identical Sundays into radically different outcomes. [07:31]
• 2. Freedom often unfolds in process Some battles require long wars rather than overnight victories; growth appears as steady strengthening over time. Recognizing layered freedom helps avoid shame when temptations recur and encourages perseverance in practices that gradually erode strongholds. Progress counts more than perfection. [14:43]
• 3. Pursue freedom with urgent determination The Proverbs image of a gazelle fleeing teaches that freedom demands urgency and single-minded resolve. When desire for change becomes life-or-death serious, superficial comforts fall away and risky but necessary steps gain priority. This intensity channels resources, breaks enabling cycles, and aligns focus with survival-level pursuit of holiness. [16:22]
• 4. Build momentum by small faithful steps Confidence and spiritual authority grow from repeated faithful choices, not sudden leaps. Regular obedience—quiet disciplines, small sacrifices, steadiness in responsibilities—creates competence and prepares for larger opportunities to lead and serve. Momentum ultimately turns hoped-for change into lived reality. [28:38]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [03:00] - Upcoming guest and resources
• [04:22] - Gratitude for record attendance
• [05:40] - Two services and growth vision
• [06:28] - Take Ground: personal focus
• [07:31] - Posture of the heart (Psalm 119)
• [10:06] - Personal struggles and testimony
• [14:43] - Freedom as a long process
• [16:22] - Desire like a gazelle (urgency)
• [22:02] - Momentum and equipping nights
• [25:15] - Story: confidence through practice
• [28:38] - Faithfulness builds spiritual momentum
• [41:54] - Invitation, response, and prayer

1. What does the phrase "I have decided to obey" in Psalm 119:112 tell us about the nature of our choice to follow God?
2. According to 2 Samuel 3:1, what was the nature of the conflict between the house of Saul and the house of David, and what was the long-term outcome for each side?
3. What two animals does Proverbs 6:5 use to illustrate how we should pursue freedom, and what does this imagery suggest about the intensity required?
4. The testimony shared described a layered process of freedom from various strongholds. [10:06] What were some of the specific struggles mentioned that illustrate this is often a long battle rather than an instant fix?

1. The idea of "inclining the heart" is an act of the will. [07:31] Why is this deliberate choice so crucial for experiencing spiritual growth, as opposed to waiting for a feeling or a miraculous intervention?
2. The war between David and Saul's houses "lasted a long time." [14:43] In what ways can recognizing that some spiritual battles are long wars help a person avoid discouragement and shame when temptations recur?
3. The gazelle runs with a life-or-death intensity. [16:22] What does this kind of urgency practically look like when someone is pursuing freedom from a specific sin or stronghold in their life?
4. Momentum is built through consistent, faithful choices. [28:38] How do small acts of obedience, even when no one is watching, eventually lead to greater spiritual confidence and authority?

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how badly do you want God to take new ground in a specific area of your life right now? [16:22] What would it look like for you to move that number one point higher this week?
2. Considering the difference between being a safety net and a hammock for others, [18:46] is there a relationship in your life where you need to stop enabling and start empowering? What is one step you could take to make that shift?
3. Are you currently in a season of creating spiritual momentum for your family or building upon a foundation that was handed to you? [22:02] What is one "wise choice" you can make this week to either start creating or continue building that momentum?
4. What is one area where you feel like you're "at the free throw line just hoping the shot goes in" with little spiritual confidence? [25:15] What is one small, faithful act of obedience you can practice this week to begin building momentum in that area?
5. The call is to "be faithful with what God has given to you now." [31:09] What are the "few things" (time, resources, relationships, gifts) in your life right now that God is asking you to be faithful with, so that you can be trusted with more?