Winning by Finishing What God Told You to Do

Devotional

Day 1: Finish What God Has Called You to Do

God calls each of us not just to start the journey of faith, but to finish it with perseverance and obedience. Many begin with excitement, but true victory comes when we see things through to completion, refusing to settle for partial victories or to stop when things get difficult. God is looking for those who will press on, even when the battle is long, trusting that He will empower them to finish strong. When you feel tempted to give up or accept less than God’s best, remember that the Lord is fighting for you, and your breakthrough is found in finishing what He has started in your life. [33:10]

Joshua 10:11-14 (ESV)
"And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword. At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, 'Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.' And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel."

Reflection: Where in your life have you settled for “partial victory” instead of pressing on to finish what God has called you to do? What is one unfinished step of obedience you can take today?

Day 2: God Empowers Us to Do the Extraordinary

God does not call us to remain ordinary, but to step out in faith and do things beyond our own strength and understanding. When Joshua was told to command the sun to stand still, it was a call to believe for the impossible, to trust God’s voice even when it defies logic or comfort. In your own life, God may be prompting you to take a bold step, to trust Him for something you’ve never done before. The extraordinary happens when you obey God’s leading, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone and believing for miracles. [51:17]

Mark 9:23 (ESV)
"And Jesus said to him, 'If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.'"

Reflection: What is one area where God is calling you to step out of the ordinary and trust Him for something extraordinary? How can you take a step of faith in that area today?

Day 3: Obedience Over Understanding

God often asks us to obey before we fully understand His plan. Joshua didn’t know all the science behind stopping the sun; he simply obeyed God’s voice. Likewise, God may ask you to do things that don’t make sense in the moment, but your obedience opens the door for His power to work. Don’t wait for all the details or perfect clarity—move forward in faith, trusting that God knows what He’s doing and will work all things for your good as you obey Him. [01:05:09]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: Is there something God is prompting you to do that you’ve been hesitating on because you don’t understand it fully? What would it look like to obey Him today, even without all the answers?

Day 4: The Need for Total Surrender and Consistency

Victory in the Christian life requires more than a one-time decision; it calls for daily surrender and consistent faithfulness. Many people start strong but fall away when challenges come or when the excitement fades. God desires that you not only begin well but continue steadfastly, letting go of old habits and walking in newness of life. Consistency in prayer, worship, and obedience is the key to lasting transformation and victory over the enemy. [45:09]

Philippians 1:6 (ESV)
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Reflection: In what area of your walk with God do you need greater consistency? What is one practical step you can take today to be more faithful in that area?

Day 5: God Fights for Us—Trust and Rest in His Power

No matter how desperate your situation may seem, God is able to make a way and fight your battles. Just as He fought for Israel with hailstones and miracles, He is working behind the scenes in your life, opening doors, providing healing, and bringing victory. Your role is to trust Him, obey His leading, and rest in the assurance that you are not alone—God is with you, and no weapon formed against you shall prosper. [01:00:38]

Isaiah 54:17 (ESV)
"No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord."

Reflection: What battle are you facing right now that you need to surrender to God’s power? How can you remind yourself today that God is fighting for you and you are not alone?

Sermon Summary

In the midst of life’s challenges and the busyness of our schedules, God is still working, calling us to give Him all the praise and to step into the fullness of His purpose for our lives. Drawing from Joshua chapter 10, we see a powerful example of what it means to finish what God has started in us. The Israelites, under Joshua’s leadership, were not content with partial victories. They pressed forward, trusting God’s promises, even when the odds seemed impossible and the enemy was desperate to stop their progress.

God’s people had already witnessed miracles: the Red Sea parted, Jericho’s walls fell, and victory after victory was given as they obeyed God. Yet, when faced with a coalition of kings determined to halt their advance, Joshua was confronted with a new challenge. The battle was fierce, and as daylight faded, Joshua recognized that a partial victory would only allow the enemy to regroup and return. In a moment of extraordinary faith, prompted by God, Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still. God honored that bold prayer, granting the time needed for a complete victory.

This account is more than a story of ancient warfare; it is a call to each of us. Too often, we settle for partial victories in our spiritual lives—attending church, feeling a touch from God, but not pressing on to full deliverance and transformation. The enemy is content when we stop short, knowing that unfinished battles will resurface. God, however, calls us to total victory, to step out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary by faith and obedience.

God does not expect us to understand every detail of His plan. Like Joshua, we may not grasp the complexities of what He asks, but we are called to trust and obey. When God speaks to our hearts—whether it’s to let go of sin, to serve in new ways, or to take a stand in our families and communities—He also empowers us to finish the work. The same God who fought for Israel fights for us today. He is able to do the impossible, but we must refuse to settle, press on, and finish what He has begun in us.

Key Takeaways

1. Refuse Partial Victories—Pursue Total Obedience It is easy to settle for small improvements or temporary relief, but God calls us to press on until the work is complete. Partial victories leave room for old struggles to return. True transformation comes when we surrender fully, allowing God to finish what He started in us. [53:52]
2. Extraordinary Faith Requires Extraordinary Obedience Joshua’s command for the sun to stand still was not about understanding the science, but about trusting God’s voice. Sometimes God will ask us to do things that seem beyond our ability or comprehension. The breakthrough comes when we step out in faith, believing that God will do what only He can do. [50:55]
3. God Fights for Those Who Obey The victories in Joshua’s life were not achieved by human strength alone. God rained down hailstones and intervened supernaturally. When we walk in obedience, we are never alone—God Himself goes before us, fights for us, and brings about results we could never achieve on our own. [44:38]
4. Consistency and Perseverance Lead to Spiritual Growth Starting well is important, but finishing well is essential. Many begin the journey of faith with enthusiasm, but only those who persevere through challenges and remain consistent experience lasting change and deeper relationship with God. [28:47]
5. Obedience Over Understanding—Trust God’s Leading God may not reveal every detail or answer every question before He calls us to act. Like Joshua, we must learn to obey even when we don’t fully understand, trusting that God’s wisdom and power are more than enough for every situation. [65:09]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:43] - Opening Prayer and Worship
[03:24] - Announcements and Upcoming Events
[28:47] - The Challenge of Consistency
[29:38] - Vision for Outreach and Evangelism
[31:36] - Reading from Joshua 10
[33:10] - We Win by Finishing
[34:02] - God’s Empowerment and Past Victories
[36:08] - The Enemy’s Desperation
[38:01] - The Need for Salvation
[42:13] - God’s Call and Our Response
[44:38] - God Fights for Us
[49:32] - Refusing Partial Victories
[50:55] - Extraordinary Faith in Action
[53:52] - The Danger of Stopping Short
[56:54] - No Time to Debate with God
[69:25] - Call to Salvation and Total Victory
[76:15] - Prayer for Strength to Finish
[79:49] - Offering and Final Announcements
[85:45] - Dismissal and Closing

Bible Study Guide

**Bible Study Discussion Guide**

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### Bible Reading

**Joshua 10:11-15 (ESV)**
11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.
14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.
15 So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

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### Observation Questions

According to Joshua 10, what did God do to help Israel win the battle against the coalition of kings?
What bold request did Joshua make during the battle, and how did God respond?
In the sermon, what reason did the pastor give for why Joshua could not settle for a partial victory? [[49:32]]
How did the pastor describe the difference between starting well and finishing well in our walk with God? [[28:47]]

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### Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God chose to intervene so dramatically (with hailstones and stopping the sun) in this particular battle? What does this say about God’s involvement in the lives of His people?
The pastor said that partial victories leave room for old struggles to return. What might be some examples of “partial victories” in a Christian’s life today? [[53:52]]
Joshua obeyed God’s command even though he didn’t understand all the details or science behind it. What does this teach us about the relationship between obedience and understanding? [[01:05:09]]
The sermon mentioned that God fights for those who obey. How does this truth affect the way we approach challenges or spiritual battles in our own lives? [[44:38]]

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### Application Questions

The pastor talked about refusing to settle for partial victories. Is there an area in your life where you have stopped short or settled for less than what God wants for you? What would it look like to press on to “total victory” in that area? [[53:52]]
Joshua prayed a bold, extraordinary prayer for the sun to stand still. When was the last time you prayed a bold prayer, trusting God for something only He could do? What is holding you back from praying that way now? [[50:55]]
The sermon emphasized that God may ask us to do things we don’t fully understand. Can you think of a time when you felt God leading you to do something that didn’t make sense? How did you respond? [[01:05:09]]
The pastor said, “Starting well is important, but finishing well is essential.” Are there commitments or steps of faith you started but haven’t finished? What is one practical step you can take this week to move forward? [[28:47]]
The message challenged us to step out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary by faith and obedience. What is one “ordinary” habit or mindset you need to let go of so you can step into what God is calling you to do? [[51:17]]
The sermon mentioned that God fights for us when we walk in obedience. Is there a specific area where you need to trust God to fight for you instead of trying to handle it all on your own? [[44:38]]
The pastor shared that sometimes we want to debate or delay when God speaks, but there’s “no time to debate with God.” Is there something God has been prompting you to do that you’ve been putting off? What would it look like to obey Him this week? [[56:54]]

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Sermon Clips

The enemy is making war against God's people. Even today, he sees that when we get filled with the Holy Spirit, we say, God, come into my life, take away my sin, and we truly give our life to God, we become victorious. We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. [00:36:37] (17 seconds) #MoreThanConquerors

There are those that realize we can't defeat sin by ourselves. Every January 1st, people want to take turnover, new leave, want to try to do things differently. But no matter what you do, you can't wash away your own sins. But there is a plan. God has already worked all that out. [00:41:28] (18 seconds) #SinNeedsGrace

How many of you have ever had God deal with your heart about doing something? And you know that was God speaking to you. You know that was God. See, this is the important thing in this lesson that I want to share this morning, is we have to know and believe that God is dealing with our hearts. Because that's the beginning. [00:42:08] (19 seconds) #GodIsDealing

If we do things in God's will, and we walk with God, he will empower us to see great things done. There's so many times as God is calling people to start and step out in faith. They step out in faith, but they don't finish what God wants them to do. [00:44:56] (16 seconds) #FinishInFaith

Sometimes, brother, you just got to take a leap of faith and just walk out and do what God tells you to do. Just do what God wants you to do. Give your life to God. Don't worry about how you're going to let go of the battle of the booze and the drugs and the cursing and the anger and all. Don't worry about all that. Just step out in faith, which is what Joshua did. [00:48:46] (21 seconds) #LeapOfFaith

There's no time to debate with God. Either you do what God tells you to do, or you're getting ready to lose. And when God is speaking to your heart, there's no time for you to debate with God. You need to get in with everything in you. You need to serve God with everything within you. [00:56:31] (16 seconds) #NoDebateWithGod

Some of you are changing. Some of you are growing. Some of you are actually leaving the path of sin, letting things go. You're leaving the path of ordinary, and you're stepping into extraordinary. That's scaring the devil right there. [01:06:33] (17 seconds) #SteppingIntoExtraordinary

How are you going to live without getting drunk all the time? How are you going to live without doing your drugs to calm you down? How are you going to live without your friends all around you? How are you going to live without this one and that one? God didn't call you to question all that. He just said obey. Obedience is better than sacrifice. [01:09:03] (22 seconds) #ObedienceOverSacrifice

You started a good work in us, God. And we do not have to stop because the devil gets mad. Lord, we can keep on going. Hallelujah, Jesus. We bless your names. Lord, I pray that you receive the praise this morning of all the saints that have chosen to walk in your faith. And Lord, I believe in you. We're not going to question you in the midst of a battle. God, we're going to just obey your words. Let your will be done. [01:18:26] (26 seconds) #KeepWalkingInFaith

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