Faith to Start

Let’s do a recap: 1. God’s call in my life is not a career, but a call to be like Jesus. 2. We need wisdom to discern if your choice comes from God. 3. Last week, Damion spoke about trusting the process. Don’t plan to succeed, but plan to obey.

Today, we finish our series with Faith to Start.

As you know we just turned our clocks forward because of time change. It’s also a sign that there is a change in seasons. Winter is done and now spring is coming.

There are also season of life, some of us understand that even more poignantly as we get older.

With that said, I want to announce that Damion is resigning as our youth pastor on June 27. As he shared last week, he is trusting the process. God placed a call in his life to begin a new ministry call Colektive Company, to use his gifts to speak to youth in conferences and conventions and to empower them to be all that God created them to be. As a church and his pastor, we want to send Damion and Krista, Briella, and Malia with our blessing and support.

Pray for our next youth pastor. God has already prepared that person and equipped him to the call to OnPointe Youth.

Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to start and leave what is comfortable to something that is unsure and uncertain.

For too many people, it’s the START that stops them.

You will never finish something that you don’t start!

You will never get out of debt until you start to get your finances in order. To live in a budget.

Tell your money where to go instead of wondering where your money went.

You will never get in shape until you start a diet and begin to exercise. Don’t expect to lose 20 lbs if you keep eating the same you gained your weight.

God told Israelites to obey and be blessed.

Worshiped false gods—God allowed Babylonians destroy city—Captivity.

Walls of Jerusalem had been down for 140 years

Walls remained down—Vulnerable and embarrassing.

Nehemiah 2:16-18

Nehemiah 2:16–18 ESV

And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work. Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.

Nehemiah was not in construction, he was not a builder, he was a cupbearer to the King.

What would you do?

How would you start?

1. Just start.

You can dream big, but just start. Start small.

God wants you to be faithful in the small things.

Zechariah 4:10 NLT

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)

You don’t have to have the faith to finish. You just have to have the faith to start.

If you want to do something big for God, think Big, but start small.

Just start.

Nehemiah 2:19–20 ESV

But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”

When you start.

There will always haters.

There will be obstacles.

There will be difficulties.

There will be a fight.

2. Take the next step.

When doubt/doubters come…just take the next step.

We will arise and build…Neh 2:19-20

How do you lose 20 lbs? Take thenext step.

How do you grow closer to God? Pray. Seek. Serve.

“Start doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible, then suddenly you are

doing the impossible.” St. Francis of Assi

Just Do Something: Take next step.

Nehemiah (CUP)—Start small—Take next step—BUILT WALL 52 days!

Once you do what you set out to do You will realize that you are just getting started.

The wall was up—Only started to rebuild Jerusalem: Economy, Temple.

Galatians 6:9 ESV

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Dream big. Start small. But most of all start.

The smallest step in the right direction

Might have been the biggest step in your whole life.

Philippians 2:1–16 ESV

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

What is Paul saying in this text?

Have this mind among yourselves...Jesus in the form of God…took a step of faith…took the form of a servant…born likeness of men…humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death…even death on a cross...

Took the next step.

And final step was the cross.

The cross for you and I.

Practical Takeaway.

Start small.

Take the next step.