Zion Church | The Pathway to Success Part 3 | Pastor Keith Battle

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Pathway to Good Success

True success is found in obeying God’s Word and following His pathway, not just achieving material gain or worldly recognition. God desires for you to do well and to do good, to prosper in both your circumstances and your character. The key is not just knowing His Word, but meditating on it day and night and putting it into practice. When you align your life with God’s instructions, you position yourself for the kind of success that brings lasting fulfillment and peace. Good success is not just about what you have, but about who you become as you walk in obedience to God. [02:39]

Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to move from just knowing God’s Word to actually obeying it today?

Day 2: You Are God’s Masterpiece, Created for a Divine Assignment

You are not an accident or an afterthought; you are God’s masterpiece, uniquely designed with gifts, abilities, and a purpose that only you can fulfill. God has already prepared good works for you to do, and He has equipped you with everything you need to accomplish them. But you can only walk in your true assignment when you are born again and connected to Christ. Don’t settle for mere employment or a life of average when God has called you to a divine assignment that brings Him glory and brings you fulfillment. [05:38]

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Reflection: What unique gifts or passions has God placed in you that you may have overlooked or undervalued, and how can you begin to use them for His purpose?

Day 3: Discovering and Operating in Your Special Gift

God has given each person a special gift, a unique grace and anointing that is already within you. Your special gift is something you are not only effective at, but you do it with excellence, energy, and joy—it’s the work that feels like it was made for you. When you operate in your gift, you don’t just get the job done; you do it in a way that stands out and brings glory to God. It’s not about being average or just getting by, but about discovering what you were created to do and doing it with all your heart. [11:26]

Ephesians 4:7 (CEV)
“God has been kind to each of us! He has given each of us a special gift through Christ.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you consistently experience effectiveness, excellence, and energy, and how might God be calling you to use that gift more intentionally?

Day 4: Joy and Enjoyment in Your Life’s Work

There is nothing better than finding joy and contentment in the work God has given you. True enjoyment in your work is a gift from God, and it is marked by a deep sense of peace and fulfillment—not just pleasure or external rewards. When you are doing what you were designed to do, you experience a joy that goes beyond circumstances, a joy that is rooted in knowing you are in the center of God’s will. This kind of joy is a sign that you are walking in your purpose and living out your calling. [22:00]

Ecclesiastes 2:24 (ESV)
“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God.”

Reflection: In what ways does your current work bring you joy or drain your joy, and what step can you take to move closer to the work God designed you to enjoy?

Day 5: Humility—Letting Jesus Increase and You Decrease

True success in God’s eyes is not about making your own name great, but about making Jesus greater in your life. Humility means aligning your lifestyle with your assignment and being willing to decrease so that Christ can increase. It’s not about fame or recognition, but about faithfulness to God’s calling. When you put Jesus first and let Him be the most important, you find your true identity and purpose. The world may chase after followers and fame, but as a follower of Christ, your greatest aim is to be faithful and let God receive the glory. [29:35]

John 3:30 (CEV)
“Jesus must become more important, while I become less important.”

Reflection: Where in your life are you tempted to seek recognition or validation from others, and how can you intentionally choose to make Jesus more important than your own reputation today?

Sermon Summary

The journey to true success is not about what we wear, where we work, or how much we accumulate, but about how we walk in alignment with God’s purpose for our lives. God’s definition of “good success” is not limited to material prosperity, but includes doing well and doing good—living a life that is both blessed and a blessing to others. We are each God’s masterpiece, uniquely crafted with gifts, abilities, and a divine assignment that only we can fulfill. Yet, many settle for employment over divine assignment, living in the safe zone of “average” rather than stepping into the rare and exceptional calling God has placed within us.

Discovering and operating in our special gift is essential. This gift is not something we must chase after; it is already within us, waiting to be uncovered. The evidence of this gift is found in six words: effectiveness, excellence, effort, energy, enjoyment, and ease. When we function in our God-given calling, we are not only effective, but we pursue excellence, willingly invest effort, are energized rather than drained, find deep enjoyment, and make difficult things look easy because of God’s anointing. This is not about hobbies or fleeting pleasures, but about the work we were created to do—work that brings joy and contentment, not just a paycheck.

However, the pursuit of true success requires humility. It is not about making our own name great, but about letting God elevate us in His time and for His glory. John the Baptist modeled this by aligning his lifestyle with his assignment and choosing faithfulness over fame. We must ask ourselves whether we are using our gifts for God’s glory or our own advancement, and whether Jesus is truly first in our lives or just sprinkled on top for appearance.

Sometimes, God allows rejection or even job loss to redirect us toward our true calling. Rather than clinging to comfort and mediocrity, we are invited to trust God, step out in faith, and pursue the rare path He has designed for us. Ultimately, God desires our obedience and response—not just hearing His voice, but acting on it, putting Him first, and living out our unique assignment with excellence and humility.

Key Takeaways

1. Good success is holistic, encompassing both doing well (materially) and doing good (behaviorally and benevolently). God desires that we thrive in both areas, not sacrificing one for the other, and He equips us with the health and resources to enjoy the blessings He provides. True success is not just about what we have, but about who we become and how we impact others. [04:00]
2. Each person is God’s masterpiece, uniquely designed with a special gift and a divine assignment. Our gifts are not random; they are intentionally placed within us to fulfill specific good works that God prepared in advance. Settling for “average” or merely being employed can keep us from the greatness God intends, but discovering and operating in our unique calling leads to fulfillment and impact. [06:42]
3. The evidence of your calling is found in six words: effectiveness, excellence, effort, energy, enjoyment, and ease. When you are in your God-given lane, you are not only effective but pursue excellence, willingly invest effort, are energized by the work, find deep enjoyment, and make it look easy to others. These markers help discern the difference between a job and a calling, and challenge us to pursue what God has truly designed us to do. [12:41]
4. Humility is essential to true success. Rather than striving to make our own name great, we are called to let God elevate us and to make Jesus more important in our lives. Faithfulness to God may cost us fame or recognition, but it positions us to hear “well done, good and faithful servant,” which is the highest commendation we can receive. [26:02]
5. Alignment between lifestyle and assignment is crucial. Excellence requires focus and the discipline to say “no” to distractions, even good things, so that we can say “yes” to our God-given purpose. When we use our gifts for our own advancement and merely sprinkle Jesus on top, we miss the mark; but when we surrender our gifts for God’s glory, we find true fulfillment and effectiveness. [27:46]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:19] - The Power of Sharing and Evangelism
[01:08] - Success Is About How You Walk
[02:27] - Theme Verse: Joshua 1:8 and Good Success
[03:21] - The Difference Between Doing Well and Doing Good
[05:11] - You Are God’s Masterpiece
[07:15] - Employment vs. Divine Assignment
[08:24] - The Call to Be Rare, Not Average
[11:06] - Discovering Your Special Gift
[12:41] - Six Words to Identify Your Gift
[14:00] - Effectiveness vs. Excellence
[17:06] - Effort and Energy in Your Calling
[21:48] - Enjoyment and Joy in Your Work
[24:31] - Ease: The Anointing Makes It Look Easy
[26:02] - The Role of Humility in Success
[27:46] - Aligning Lifestyle with Assignment
[29:35] - Faithfulness vs. Fame
[31:05] - Personal Testimony: Finding My Assignment
[36:55] - The Danger of Settling for Average
[38:52] - Responding to God’s Call

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Joshua 1:8 (ESV) —
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

- Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

- John 3:30 (ESV)

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Observation Questions

According to Joshua 1:8, what is the connection between meditating on God’s Word and experiencing “good success”?
In Ephesians 2:10, what does it mean that we are God’s “workmanship” or “masterpiece”? What does the verse say we were created to do?
The sermon described six words that help us identify our God-given gift: effectiveness, excellence, effort, energy, enjoyment, and ease. Which of these words stood out most in the examples given? [[12:41]]
In John 3:30, what was John the Baptist’s attitude toward his own role and Jesus’ role? How did this reflect humility? [[29:35]]

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says “good success” is not just about material prosperity but also about doing good and being a blessing to others. How does this definition challenge common ideas of success? [[04:00]]
Ephesians 2:10 says God prepared good works for us to do. What might it look like to settle for “employment over divine assignment” in our own lives? [[07:15]]
The six words (effectiveness, excellence, effort, energy, enjoyment, ease) are described as evidence of our calling. How might someone discern the difference between a job and a calling using these markers? [[12:41]]
John the Baptist chose faithfulness over fame. What are some ways Christians today might be tempted to “make their own name great” instead of letting God elevate them? [[26:02]]

Application Questions

The sermon says many people settle for “average” or “medium well” instead of stepping into the rare and exceptional calling God has for them. Is there an area in your life where you feel you are settling for average? What would it look like to trust God and step out in faith toward something greater? [[08:13]]
Think about the six words: effectiveness, excellence, effort, energy, enjoyment, and ease. Is there something you do (at work, at home, in ministry) where you experience most or all of these? How might God be calling you to use that gift more intentionally for His glory? [[12:41]]
The sermon challenged us to ask if we are using our gifts for God’s glory or our own advancement. Are there ways you have been “sprinkling Jesus on top” of your plans instead of truly putting Him first? What would it look like to surrender your gifts to God? [[32:42]]
Sometimes God allows rejection or job loss to redirect us toward our true calling. Have you experienced a setback that, looking back, was actually God’s way of moving you into your assignment? How did you respond at the time, and what did you learn? [[35:34]]
The sermon says alignment between lifestyle and assignment is crucial, and that excellence requires saying “no” to distractions. What is one “good thing” you might need to say no to in order to focus on your God-given purpose? [[27:46]]
John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” In what area of your life do you need to make Jesus more important and yourself less important? [[29:35]]
The message ended with a call to respond, not just to hear God’s voice but to act on it. What is one step of obedience you sense God is asking you to take after hearing this message? [[42:11]]

Sermon Clips

All money ain't good money. And I'm going to say, if that's true, I would also say all success ain't good success. God says to Joshua, here is the pathway to good success. [00:03:09] (17 seconds) #GoodSuccessOnly

Even if you have a special gift to do something, it's still going to take a lot of work to do it, a lot of planning, a lot of preparation, a lot of late hours. But here's the good news. Because God designed you to do that, he wires you with the desire to do the effort. [00:16:58] (16 seconds) #WiredForEffort

``Do you, in your life, would you, are you more interested in being famous or faithful? Do not answer that in here. Do you want to be famous with people or faithful to God? Because I'm telling you, those two things compete with each other. Because your faithfulness to God may diminish your fame. Because it ain't about you. And your pursuit of fame will certainly impact your faithfulness to God. Because the people who are truly about it say, I must decrease, he must increase. [00:29:46] (40 seconds) #FaithfulOverFamous

How many of you have taken the gift God gave you and you ran with it for your, and really, you won't admit it, but it's really all about you. And you sprinkle enough Jesus on it that you got enough people saying, and you know what? She saved too. You ain't know she was saved? Look on her. On her IG page, it say God first. Go look at it. The first thing she said is God first. That's sprinkles. Can't just write that. You gotta live that. I say you gotta live that. God knows even when people are convinced otherwise. And I wanna ask you a question today. Is he really first? Is he really first? [00:33:33] (50 seconds) #LiveGodFirst

Let me tell you something. If you really had God first, you could bless your own business. You could bless your own house. Let me ask you something. What is it that you can't, what is it that you can be doing professionally that you can't pray over? You can't pray over. That tells me there's compromise. You are the priest of what you're leading. The fact that you can't pray over it is probably a sign of compromise. But just because one of the pastors come by and bless it don't mean you're in alignment. [00:38:14] (36 seconds) #PrayOverYourWork

At the end of the day, there's going to come a time when you're going to have to give an account to God. And what this part of the service is really about is your response to him. How will you respond to God? About what he's saying in this message? About what he's saying in this service? About what he's been dealing with? See, sometimes God's been dealing, he's been dealing with you about stuff. And you think it's pretty ironic that you came in here and it got confirmed. Part of you wants to chuckle right now and say, God, I hear you. Okay, you hear? What you going to do? [00:39:34] (40 seconds) #AccountabilityToGod

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