Step By Step

INTRO I’m just going to admit this upfront—I am a recovering procrastinator.

I can plan a thing to death. I’ll make a checklist, color-code the calendar, buy the supplies. I’ll talk about how productive I’m about to be like I’m announcing a new Apple product.

And then—nothing. A week later, two weeks later... still no action.

And when I finally do start, it’s 1AM, the coffee’s strong, the pressure’s on, and I’m halfway into something I could’ve done a long time ago. Every time, I say the same thing:

"Next time, I’m going to start earlier."

Some of us are doing that spiritually.

We’re planning to change. Planning to obey. Planning to grow.

But Proverbs 16:9 brings us into a necessary tension:

Proverbs 16:9 NLT

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.

God doesn’t direct good intentions. He directs motion.

MAIN POINT

God can’t direct a step you never take.

1. PLANS WITHOUT MOVEMENT ARE JUST DREAMS.

A. GOD HONORS PLANNING, BUT NOT PASSIVITY.

PLANNING IS BIBLICAL. GOD IS A GOD OF ORDER.

A PLAN WITHOUT A STEP IS JUST A WISH.

VISION WITHOUT OBEDIENCE IS JUST POTENTIAL ON PAUSE.

James 1:22 NLT

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

B. SPIRITUAL GROWTH REQUIRES MOTION.

DREAMING IS GOOD, BUT IT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR MOVEMENT.

GOD BLESSES WHAT YOU DO, NOT JUST WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT DOING.

MOTION IS WHAT UNLOCKS MOMENTUM.

C. OBEDIENCE STARTS WITH A SMALL STEP.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING, JUST SOMETHING.

START WHERE YOU ARE. START TODAY.

THE STEP YOU AVOID COULD BE THE BREAKTHROUGH YOU NEED.

ILLUSTRATION: Try turning a parked car. You can turn the wheel all day long, but if you’re not in drive, you’re not going anywhere.

Some of us are asking God for direction, but our faith is still parked in the driveway.

2. DELAYED OBEDIENCE IS DISOBEDIENCE IN DISGUISE.

A. WAITING ISN’T ALWAYS SPIRITUAL.

SOMETIMES WE SAY WE’RE WAITING ON GOD WHEN WE’RE REALLY AVOIDING THE HARD THING.

DELAYED OBEDIENCE IS OFTEN DISGUISED FEAR.

GOD ALREADY ANSWERED—YOU JUST HAVEN’T MOVED.

B. DISOBEDIENCE CREATES DISTANCE.

ADAM AND EVE DIDN’T STOP BELIEVING IN GOD—THEY STOPPED OBEYING.

ONE STEP OF DISOBEDIENCE IN THE GARDEN SEPARATED THEM FROM DAILY CLOSENESS.

DISOBEDIENCE DOESN’T REMOVE GOD’S LOVE, BUT IT DOES DISRUPT HIS DIRECTION.

Genesis 3:8–9 NLT

When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

C. OBEDIENCE NOW PREVENTS REGRET LATER.

YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR DELAY IS COSTING YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE.

WHAT BLESSING ARE YOU MISSING BECAUSE YOU’RE WAITING?

TAKE THE STEP.

3. GOD DIRECTS STEPS, NOT STALLS.

A. GOD MOVES WHEN YOU MOVE.

GOD’S GUIDANCE OFTEN COMES IN MOTION, NOT IN PAUSE.

HE DIDN’T GIVE ABRAHAM THE WHOLE MAP, JUST THE NEXT STEP.

FAITH DOESN’T MEAN STANDING STILL. IT MEANS STEPPING WHILE TRUSTING.

Hebrews 11:8 NLT

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.

B. YOU CAN’T ASK FOR DIRECTION WHILE IGNORING INSTRUCTION.

GOD DOESN’T BLESS INDECISION.

IF YOU’RE NOT MOVING ON WHAT HE’S ALREADY SAID, WHY WOULD HE SPEAK MORE?

OBEDIENCE UNLOCKS REVELATION.

C. STALLING DOESN’T PROTECT YOUR PEACE, IT PREVENTS YOUR PROGRESS.

FEAR TELLS YOU TO WAIT. FAITH TELLS YOU TO WALK.

YOU DON’T NEED ALL THE ANSWERS, YOU NEED TO TAKE THE NEXT RIGHT STEP.

SOME OF US ARE ASKING GOD TO FIX WHAT HE ALREADY GAVE US THE POWER TO MOVE.

4. FAITH WITHOUT FOLLOW-THROUGH IS FRUSTRATING.

A. FRUSTRATION BUILD WHEN OBEDIENCE STALLS.

YOU CAN BE FULL OF FAITH AND STILL FEEL STUCK IF YOU’RE NOT WALKING IT OUT.

SPIRITUALLY, FRUSTRATION OFTEN COMES FROM KNOWING WHAT TO DO BUT NOT DOING IT.

OBEDIENCE BRINGS RELEASE; DISOBEDIENCE BRINGS RESISTANCE.

B. ACTION LEADS TO BREAKTHROUGH.

GOD OFTEN MOVES AFTER WE STEP, NOT BEFORE.

THE MIRACLE DOESN’T MEET YOU IN THE PLAN, IT MEETS YOU IN THE MOTION.

THINK OF PETER STEPPING OUT OF THE BOAD—HE DIDN’T WALK ON WATER BY THINKING ABOUT IT.

Matthew 14:29 NLT

“Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.

C. MOVEMENT RELEASES THE BLESSING

GOD HONORS MOTION.

THE LONGER YOU WAIT, THE HEAVIER THE ASSIGNMENT FEELS.

START SMALL. TRUST BIG.

CALL TO ACTION

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN PLANNING THAT YOU HAVEN’T BEEN DOING?

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN PRAYING ABOUT THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE CLARITY ON?

WHAT STEP HAVE YOU BEEN DELAYING?

OBEDIENCE STARTS WITH ONE STEP.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

CHALLENGE: PERSONAL CHALLENGE

TAKE ONE STEP THIS WEEK THAT YOU’VE BEEN PUTTING OFF.

CONCLUSION/CLOSE

Remember what I said at the start? That I always find myself up late, rushing to do something I should’ve started weeks ago?

That’s not just a productivity problem. That’s a pattern of putting off what matters most.

Some of us have done that spiritually. You’ve planned. You’ve talked. You’ve journaled. You’ve even prayed for direction.

But it’s 1AM in your soul, and you know it.

You’re standing in a season that could have been different by now—if you had just taken the step when God first whispered it.

You can make all the plans in the world, but if you never move, you’ll stay stuck in someday.

And here’s the good news: You don’t have to finish the whole journey today.

You just have to take the next step.

Because the Lord still determines your steps. He just needs you to take one