ROADBLOCKS: Trusting The Wrong Things

Jun 07, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The One Thing Between Sincere Seeking and Full Surrender

A man kneels before Jesus asking the right question, yet walks away clutching the wrong answer. His story reveals how good intentions crumble when trust remains divided. Eternal life demands more than admiration for Christ—it requires exchanging what we grip tightly for the freedom of following. This man’s tragedy isn’t rebellion but hesitation, not hatred but divided loyalty. What we refuse to release becomes the barrier to life itself. [28:02]

“Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.” (Mark 10:21-22, NIV)

Reflection: What good thing—success, comfort, reputation—do you instinctively defend when Christ’s call threatens it? How might this “one thing” quietly compete with your allegiance to Jesus?

Day 2: The Cost of Keeping What You Cannot Keep

The rich young ruler’s grief lingers like fog—a man who chose temporary comfort over eternal gain. His sorrow exposes the lie that we can negotiate with Jesus. Surrender isn’t a partial transaction; it’s exchanging counterfeit security for lasting treasure. Every roadblock persists only as long as we prefer the ache of holding on to the liberation of letting go. [38:34]

“But the man was sad at this word and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:22, ESV)

Reflection: What have you labeled as “mine” that Jesus might be asking you to release? Is your grip on it tighter than your trust in His provision?

Day 3: From Seed to Harvest – Seeing Sacrifice Through Eternal Eyes

A farmer’s patience reframes loss: buried seeds feel like waste until the harvest proves their purpose. Following Jesus often means planting what we’d rather keep—time, control, dreams—while trusting the yield will outweigh the cost. The disciples’ confusion mirrors ours when sacrifice feels like loss, not investment. Yet resurrection always follows surrender. [47:05]

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age…and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30, NIV)

Reflection: What current “seed” of surrender feels most painful to plant? How might eternity redefine its value?

Day 4: Love That Lets You Walk Away

Jesus watches the rich man leave, refusing to lower the cost of discipleship. True love doesn’t manipulate—it invites. God’s grace empowers our choice, even when we choose poorly. This freedom dignifies but devastates, for love cannot force trust. Our roadblocks remain only by our permission, never His indifference. [39:38]

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17, NIV)

Reflection: Where do you resent God for not overriding your resistance? How does His restraint reveal both His respect and desire for your whole heart?

Day 5: One Thing You Lack – Naming Your Unseen Roadblock

The rich man’s wealth wasn’t evil—it was his excuse. Jesus pinpointed his hidden barrier: trust in visible security over invisible faithfulness. Our roadblocks often wear respectable disguises—family loyalty, prudent planning, even ministry success. Until named, they masquerade as virtue while blocking surrender. [58:29]

“Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said.” (Mark 10:21, NIV)

Reflection: What “good” thing have you made non-negotiable? How might Jesus be inviting you to lay it down not as punishment, but pathway?

Sermon Summary

Mark draws a sincere seeker to Jesus and makes the roadblock plain. The man runs, kneels, and asks, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life. He is respectable, moral, and confident he has kept the commandments. The text exposes the gap. Christianity is not only avoiding harm. Discipleship asks, What obedience have I embraced. The goal is not becoming nicer. The goal is following Jesus.

Jesus looks, loves, and names it with no spin. One thing you lack. Go, sell, give, then come, follow me. The demand is not a blanket rule about money. The issue is trust. Possessions are neutral, but they can lodge in the heart as identity, security, and hope. The image from Doctor Johnson lands the point. Magnificent estates are the things that make it difficult to die. Comfort tethers the soul. So can success, reputation, intelligence, politics, family, or control. Anything trusted more than Jesus will be the thing that keeps a person from Jesus.

The man grieves and leaves. Jesus lets him. Love tells the truth, then honors the choice. Prevenient grace brought the question to his lips. Saving grace stood in front of him. He still walked away. John 3 says the world might be saved. God calls, convicts, and invites, but he does not coerce. Every person decides what to do with Jesus, not just at conversion, but as a way of life.

Jesus then turns to the disciples. Wealth makes entrance hard. A camel will not fit through a needle. With people it is impossible, but not with God. Peter points to the cost. Jesus reframes with promise, not denial. One hundredfold now, persecutions included, and in the age to come, eternal life. The first will be last. The last will be first.

The harvest image resets the horizon. Seed costs dearly. Fields demand long hours. Waiting tests the heart. But a bumper crop does not erase the cost. It reveals the worth of the cost. The harvest changes how sacrifice looks. An eternal perspective fuels patient prayer for the one, steady obedience when results lag, and courage to surrender the one thing. The tragedy in the story is not lack of information. The tragedy is loving something more than Jesus. The Spirit still puts a finger on the one thing you lack and asks for trust.

Key Takeaways

1. Discipleship is obedience, not avoidance [31:58] A moral life can stay miles from Jesus if it is only about not doing wrong. The text presses a different question, What obedience have I embraced. Following Jesus means concrete yeses that reorient time, money, relationships, and plans. The call is not to be nicer, but to be led. [31:58]
2. The issue is trust, not money [33:39] Jesus does not demonize wealth, he diagnoses worship. When treasure becomes identity and safety, surrender feels like death because trust has shifted. The invitation is a transfer of confidence from what is owned to the One who owns it all. Where trust rests, the heart will follow. [33:39]
3. Love tells truth and allows choice [40:28] Jesus loves enough to say, One thing you lack, and then loves enough to let the man walk. Grace draws, never drags. Real relationship requires real consent, which means real refusal is possible. That sober freedom dignifies the yes and explains the grief of a no. [40:28]
4. The harvest reframes the cost [49:08] Seed money feels like loss until wagons overflow. The harvest does not cancel the sacrifice, it clarifies its wisdom. Jesus promises a hundredfold with persecutions now and eternal life then, so present obedience is never wasted. From the far side of glory, every surrender will make sense. [49:08]
5. Name the one thing you trust more [58:29] The Spirit still puts a finger on rivals to Christ. Success, comfort, reputation, control, even good gifts can crowd the throne. Honesty before God is the first act of surrender; decisive action is the next. Refusing to obey leaves a person grieving outside the joy of following. [58:29]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:41] - Roadblocks to following Jesus
[25:44] - Hardest thing to surrender
[27:16] - Mark 10 and the rich ruler
[28:02] - Good Teacher and eternal life
[31:58] - From avoiding evil to obedience
[32:30] - Jesus looks, loves, and calls
[33:39] - Trust, not money, is the issue
[38:10] - He walks away grieving
[39:38] - Love that lets you choose
[43:47] - Camel, needle, and the kingdom
[45:04] - Hundredfold promise with persecutions
[47:31] - A farmer’s lesson on cost
[49:08] - Harvest that reframes sacrifice
[59:59] - Prayer of surrender and trust

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Mark 10:17-31 (ESV)
17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Observation Questions

What three actions did the rich young man take when approaching Jesus (Mark 10:17)? How does this contrast with his response to Jesus’ command?
Jesus lists several commandments in Mark 10:19. Which ones does He omit, and why might that be significant?
The sermon mentions that the man’s wealth was not inherently sinful but became a problem because of where he placed his trust. What specific examples does the sermon give of other things people might trust instead of Jesus? [36:56]
How does Jesus reframe Peter’s focus on sacrifice in Mark 10:29-30? What imagery does the sermon use to explain this shift in perspective? [49:08]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus initially responds to the man’s question by listing commandments about avoiding harm (e.g., “Do not murder”) rather than commands about active obedience (e.g., “Love your neighbor”)?
Jesus says it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom (Mark 10:25). How does this hyperbole clarify the relationship between earthly security and faith?
The sermon compares discipleship to a farmer’s harvest. How does this analogy help explain why obedience might feel costly in the moment but worthwhile in eternity? [49:08]
The rich young man walked away grieving. What does this reveal about the difference between sorrow over consequences and repentance leading to change?

Application Questions

Jesus identified the “one thing” the rich young man lacked. What is one thing you sense the Holy Spirit might be asking you to surrender to follow Jesus more fully? What practical step could you take this week to begin releasing it? [58:29]
The sermon warns that even good things (family, success, comfort) can become rivals to Christ. How do you discern when a good gift has become an idol in your life? What habits or relationships could help you keep these in proper perspective?
The farmer’s harvest analogy emphasizes patience and trust in God’s timing. Is there an area where you’ve grown discouraged because results are delayed (e.g., prayer for a loved one, obedience without visible fruit)? How can you renew your focus on eternal rewards? [49:08]
Jesus allowed the man to walk away, honoring his choice. How can you lovingly share truth with someone struggling to surrender to Christ without pressuring them to conform? What does this look like in practice?
Peter’s sacrifice was reframed by Jesus’ promise of “a hundredfold” (Mark 10:30). What sacrifice have you made for Christ that still feels painful? How might viewing it through the lens of eternity change your perspective?

Sermon Clips

40s

“But here's the hard truth. Anything you trust more than Jesus will be the thing that keeps you from Jesus. That's the hard truth. The thing that you trust more than Jesus Christ will be the very thing that keeps you from growing in faith with him. And because of that, Jesus calls it out to the young man. He's not gonna waste any time. Jesus is off on a journey. He's headed to the next town, and it's clear that this young man actually wants an answer. So Jesus just tells him, hey, here's the problem. You trust money more than me.”

from 00:37:20

#TrustJesusFirst

55s

“What are you trusting more than him? And if you already know the answer, then my question is what are you gonna do about it? What are you gonna do about it? If you're trusting something more than Christ, if you're truly honest with yourself and you're trusting something more than Jesus Christ, then you had better take action you can walk out of these doors like the rich young man grieving, knowing that Christ is calling you closer to him, but you're refusing to obey. Not pastor Michael. You're refusing to obey Jesus. You're refusing to be obedient and faithful to the god that is willing to offer you eternal life.”

from 00:58:44

#ChooseObedience

35s

“you may be saying, oh, I've heard this story before. It's a story about money. The issue isn't money. The issue isn't money. The issue is trust. You see, if wealth had not owned this young man's heart, giving it away would not be difficult for him. But we begin to see what this young man trusts in. He trusts in his wealth. And that's a danger to us.”

from 00:33:32

#ItsAboutTrust

53s

“let's get real for a second, church. Is that one of those where you could say, there's nothing. I'm I'm doing everything I possibly could. Or is the holy spirit speaking and going, yeah, you you know the one thing. I've been speaking it to you for quite some time. What is it? I want you to think about that. The roadblock that the young man encountered was not his money. Roadblock was his trust. And the greatest question in this room this morning is not do you believe in Jesus? The greatest question is what are you trusting more than him?”

from 00:57:51

#ExamineYourTrust

49s

“Was it a habit? Maybe it was a a dream, a relationship, maybe a career, or maybe it was just a sense of control. Most people assume the hardest thing Jesus asked us to to surrender is something sinful. But sometimes Jesus asked us to surrender something good, something successful, something respectable, something that we have built our identity around. The man we're gonna meet today is not a villain. He's the kind of person that most churches would love to have. He's the kind of person that a pastor would love to see sitting in the congregation.”

from 00:25:58

#SurrenderGoodThings

45s

“So I wanna return to that rich young man. You see, the tragedy is not that he lacked information. He knew Jesus was a good teacher. He knew he could receive the answer of how do I get to heaven. The tragedy is that he loves something more than Jesus. That's the tragedy. And if you looked at your life today, if Jesus looked at your life and said one thing you lack, what would he put his finger on? That's what he did with the young man. The young man says, what do I need to do to continue on in this faith? And Jesus said, well, the one thing you lack”

from 00:57:06

#OneThingYouLack

50s

“Well, then we hit verse 22. And I wanna tell you, this is perhaps the most tragic verse in all of the New Testament. Outside the crucifixion, the passion narrative itself, this is the most tragic verse. It says, but he, the young man but the young man was deeply dismayed by these words and he went away grieving for he was one who owned much property. This should be a sobering verse for us. The man who is sincerely looking, how do I get eternal life? And he's standing before the Messiah himself, and he kneels down.”

from 00:38:07

#GrievingAtChoice

51s

“And I want to say this, this is not your Sunday school lesson. So this might hit some of you a little hard. The man leaves, and what we're gonna see is Jesus lets him. Jesus lets him leave. No negotiation with him. No lowering standards. No chasing him down. No. Hey. Let's try something else. This is the god of the universe. He's not gonna negotiate with people. The rich young man had provenient grace. Right? We just went through that whole series on grace. We just closed out. Right? It's there.”

from 00:39:16

#GodRespectsChoice

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ROADBLOCKS: Trusting The Wrong Things

Devotional

Day 1: The One Thing Between Sincere Seeking and Full Surrender

Day 2: The Cost of Keeping What You Cannot Keep

Day 3: From Seed to Harvest – Seeing Sacrifice Through Eternal Eyes

Day 4: Love That Lets You Walk Away

Day 5: One Thing You Lack – Naming Your Unseen Roadblock

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

ROADBLOCKS: Trusting The Wrong Things

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