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we are gonna jump right in we’ve been in
a series called stride everybody say
strides now in this series last week we
talked around this idea of striding
versus striving everybody everybody say
striving now this word striving what
we’re speaking to is this idea of trying
to do it on our own
this idea of running of being busy of
doing more and I wanted to read this
definition for you the word striving it
means to exert oneself vigorously to try
hard don’t think that that sounds a lot
of our like our lives like there are a
lot of areas that as we look at it that
maybe we’re striving we’re reaching for
promotion we’re reaching for for
something we’re packing our schedules
full and a lot of us are running and
we’re going through life striving for
different things and we presented this
idea that maybe God has a pace for grace
that maybe there’s a different pace that
maybe there’s there’s something that he
wants to work on the inside of us that
will truly begin to get planted in our
souls it’s this idea of stride and I
want to read the definition stride means
to walk with long decisive steps in a
specific direction you see I think this
year God wants us to strive he wants us
to walk in to our purpose to walk into
the blessings that he has for us because
the Bible says that the steps of a
righteous man are ordered so if our
steps are ordered why do we spend so
much time trying to run in front and do
more and be more if God truly has a plan
for us and this isn’t some random idea
that we just made up like as you look at
the Bible if you really look at it
bishop Kanye said it
Jesus walks like when you look at the
scripture Jesus fulfilled every single
prophecy ever written about him every
prophecy in three years and he never ran
to his next appointment you never see
Jesus running it says and then Jesus
walked to Jerusalem then Jesus walk to
come
then Jesus walked to Galilee Jesus
walked
it’s as if he understood that if he
walked in the pace of grace he could
still reach purpose and I believe that
God wants to do something in our hearts
to show us that hey there’s a different
pace and it doesn’t have to cost you
your family it doesn’t have to cost you
your integrity it doesn’t have to cost
you your character I have ordered your
steps and last week we came to this this
final point that that running is
overrated
it’s like hallelujah come on favor no
listen it’s not that the same like if
you don’t do something you gonna be the
same as you are right now so but but
when I say running I mean striving
trying to do it in your own power and
this week I’m excited because this week
we’re gonna address some roots
everybody say roots now when I say roots
what I mean is is if we truly want this
idea of walking of meaning finding this
pace that God has for us of slowing down
there are some things we’re gonna have
to dig out because we naturally want to
run we naturally want to do it ourselves
we naturally want to strive but if this
is going to get planted deep into our
souls God’s gonna have to cultivate and
get some things out of us that maybe
aren’t so pretty that maybe aren’t so
comfortable and it’s not gonna be fun
but it’s gonna be worth it because when
you work through those things and you
get those out then when God plants
something in your heart it will flourish
so today we’re addressing some roots of
running and we’re gonna jump right in so
turn with me to Genesis chapter 3 verse
number 1 Genesis three number one if you
don’t have a Bible no worries we’ll have
it on the screen for you but I love
Genesis because we get a picture of
God’s plan a like we get we get two and
a half chapters like three chapters of
God saying this is how I really meant
for it to be of course humans we jack it
up you kind of know the story and that’s
how we get where we are now but we’re
gonna read in Genesis today of a story
of Adam and Eve and it’s really the fall
of man if you’ve ever heard of that so
Genesis chapter 3 verse 1 says this the
serpent was the shrew
Buddhists are most subtle of all the
wild animals the Lord God had made one
day he asked a woman did God really say
to you you must not eat the fruit from
any trees in the garden of course we may
eat the trees from the in the garden the
woman replied it’s only a fruit from the
tree in the middle of the garden that we
are not allowed to eat you God said you
must not eat it or even touch it if you
do you will die personally for the
service says you won’t die God knows
that your eyes will be opened as soon as
you eat it and you will be like God
knowing both good and evil
the woman was convinced she saw the tree
was beautiful and the fruit it was so
delicious come on you read the Bible
having some fun some you’re like I’m the
fruit there was so delicious it’s like
this is fun these are real stories the
fruit was delicious that she wanted the
wisdom and would give her so she took
some fruit and ate it gave it to her
husband who was there with her at that
moment their eyes were open and suddenly
that they felt shame at their nakedness
so they sewed fig leaves together to
cover themselves verse number 8 when the
cool evening breezes were blowing the
man and his wife heard the Lord God
walking about in the garden and they hid
among the trees then the Lord God said
to them where are you it’s funny because
God knew exactly where they are like and
if you were ever somewhere and God says
where are you he knows where you are
spoiler alert like he knows everything
so hey he says where are you at and then
right here it says I heard you walking
in the garden so I hid I was afraid
because I was naked verse number 11 this
is gonna be our key Scripture who told
you that you were naked
the Lord God asked have you eaten from
the tree whose fruit I commanded you not
to eat watch watch what Adam does he
says the man replied it was the woman
you gave me like Adams like listen here
God
I didn’t even ask for this woman you
took my rib gave me this thing and now
she doesn’t trick me like it’s her fault
so said the woman you gave me and that
is why I ate it then the Lord got turned
to the woman she said it was the serpent
actually that deceived me so
that’s why I ate it verse 14 so then the
Lord God said to the serpent because you
have done this you are cursed more than
all wild animals you will crawl in your
belly
grovel in the dust as long as you will
live I will cause hostility between you
and the woman between your offspring and
her offspring he will strike your head
and you will strike his heel the title
of my message today if you’re taking
notes want you to write this down is why
am i running why am i running let’s take
a moment to pray real quick Lord God I
thank you for how good you are but I
thank you for your grace Lord your grace
that that that allows us to be in
moments like this lord I pray as we
gather around your word that this would
not be just another talk just another
church service but that your Holy Spirit
would enter in and really do work on our
hearts but I thank you for what you’re
doing and Lord that we can truly find
your pace of grace it is in Jesus name
we pray
everybody said a mins I I want to pose
to you today a question and it’s a
question that God asked Adam and Eve and
in the story as we look at it God says
hey where are you at I’m looking for you
we usually walk together in the garden
and Adam says I hid from you because I
was afraid I was naked and in verse 11
God asked a very specific question
he says pause who told you that like who
told you that you were naked if you look
at the scripture I just picture it guys
like wait wait a second okay so we’re
like who taught what voice told you that
where where did that idea come from
because it wasn’t me and the question I
want to pose to you today is this who
told you to run meaning who told you
that busy was better like who told you
that activity equaled effectiveness who
told you that the more you did the more
important you were and why are we
running
like why are we so caught up in this rat
race of life of trying to do more be
more fill our schedules pack it together
like like who told us that and and where
did that idea come from now you know I
want to clarify when I talk about
running I’m talking about striving that
idea of trying hard exerting oneself
you’re trying to do it on our own and I
want to help you with with how to figure
out if you’re running or not so so
here’s some ideas if you are tired and
you feel like you just can’t carry much
longer or you can’t carry much more you
could be running because jesus said my
burden is easy and my yoke is light so
so if that’s the truth and we don’t feel
that way we could probably be running if
you feel like man I’ve done so much but
there just has to be more to life I feel
like I just had there’s something
missing I feel like there has to be more
you could be running John 10:10 the
enemy comes to steal kill and destroy
but I have come that you may have life
and life to the full if you made any
plans and didn’t consult with God you’re
probably running to sustain those
planets because God said I know the
plans I have for you and the steps of a
righteous man are ordered so it talks
about in the Bible too that we walk by
faith and not by sight why because we
can see a lot of things and you will run
to those things and try to do those
things but God says I have ordered your
steps and if you get outside of my pace
of grace you have to sustain it by
yourself
so that’s why you have a lot of people
in life juggling all these things and
God says man I that’s great you’re doing
that but that’s not what I call you to
do that’s great you started that
business that’s great you did this
that’s great you moved here but that’s
not what I told you to do and we have
outran God’s pace the pace of grace and
I want to ask why and really that first
question who told us like who told us to
run and as I thought about you you want
to know that
that question who told you to run
everyone everyone since you were a kid
has told you to run you know look at
this let’s say we have a little kid and
this little kid’s name is Billy Billy is
my go-to name it’s either Billy or Jamal
you can ask my wife any time I’m making
up stories it’s Billy or Jamal so Billy
it’s three years old Billy’s in his room
he’s playing with his toys and his
trucks and and Billy’s parents have some
friends over and they walk in they’re
like Oh where’s Billy let’s go see Billy
and they go in there and he’s playing in
his room and they lean down they’re like
but Billy Billy Billy what do you want
to be when you grow up now that seems
like a very innocent question but what
we’re telling Billy is that I know
you’re three years old and I know you’re
trying to learn your ABCs and I know
you’re trying not to pee on yourself
right now but you better hurry up and
figure out what you want to do with your
life because there’s not enough time and
life is gonna pass you by Billy if you
don’t hurry up and stop messing with
these blocks and make a career choice
like so Billy is like oh my gosh I’m
three I just peed on myself and I got to
figure out what I wanna do with my life
so Billy starts running and what we’ve
done is we’ve started raising runners we
have raised our kids to run we told them
you got to figure it out
Billy’s in middle school they’re like
what do you want to be and what do you
what are you wanna go to college Billy
he’s like what in the college like I’m
trying to pass geometry he gets to high
school and so he’s picking up a speed
because he feels a little pressure that
he’s not where he’s supposed to be and
he gets to high school and I like Billy
you’ve been thinking about it since you
were three what do you want to do with
your life where are you going to college
it’s like I don’t know trying to get a
girlfriend like you know Billy’s just
he’s trying to catch up and what we’re
doing is we’re telling Billy that where
you are isn’t okay you better hurry up
and figure out what’s next that’s we
have so many people who are in content
because their whole life people told
them you better be thinking about that
up there and we’ve missed all of this
right here
now Billy it’s in college hat doesn’t
have no idea what he wants to do he’s
paying thousands of dollars to go to
school to figure out a job that he
doesn’t really know because they made a
decision when he was 3 of what he was
gonna do with this life and I’m asking
hey Billy what are you gonna get married
like why aren’t you married
I know you’re in college some of you
you’re in college right now you just
graduated when you’re gonna get married
you get married you get married you’re
like leave me alone me get married then
people start asking you questions like
they ask me and my wife went when are
y’all gonna have kids
what are you having kids when are you
having kids hey you gonna have to
consider hey man you gotta kids yet you
want me to tell you what we’re gonna
have kids I’m gonna polygraph when we
have kids my wife’s belly will be about
this big that’s how you will know that
we are having kids other than that don’t
ask me anymore when we’re having kids
you will know in your knower when you
see oh well Abby’s got a big belly like
must be kid in there yeah that’s that’s
that’s what we’re having kids
but what we have done is we have raised
runners and now we have adults and grown
people who are running through life and
as you get older you start to say funny
things like this you start to say man
time really just flies and see if I ever
said that before man time just flies by
you know the older you get time just
goes and I’ve said that we’ve all said
that but that is the dumbest thing I
have ever heard of my time doesn’t fly
when’s the last time a minute lasted 30
seconds is that a minute is always 60
seconds if time doesn’t fly it actually
has always been the same but we are
running so fast and there’s so many
things that just seem like a blur and we
think man I’m just running through life
and I’m going and times just seem to be
speeding up it’s not we’re running we’re
striving we’re trying to do it by
ourselves and right now I want to talk
about why like why are we running and as
I thought about this idea you know one
reason I think that we run will you run
because we think running looks better
like you know like in the movies when
they have the slow-mo run like in them
you know it’s slow motion and you’re
going inside
and they’re about to do I think is their
way to think there’s yes and it’s a
slow-mo and this is our live right we’re
just go I’m running and I look so good
my winds blowing in the hair I’m a winds
blowing in the hair my hair the wind
we’re running I can’t even talk right I
don’t know what’s gone and we’re going
slow motion and this is what we think we
look like when we’re running right here
this is like we’re just life is
beautiful and my tongues hanging out and
I’m running for this job and I’m
providing for my family and I’m going
and I’m doing it it is just amazing can
I tell you what you actually look like
when you’re running this is what you
look like when you’re running right here
that’s what you look like that’s what we
all look like right now running looks so
good he’s about to lose his mind he is
deranged like this is what we look like
and who were we’re running through life
and we’re striving trying to hold it
together and the thing is when you see
someone running you think man they’re
really going somewhere they’re really
doing something you see some of that wow
they’re fast that’s so good and they’re
really going somewhere I want to stop
and ask at what cost like what is
running cost you what is your great job
cost you what has the the new promotion
are moving to this place or your busy
schedule what does that cost you and I
think there are some things that if we
were honest with ourselves we would slow
down and realize that maybe God didn’t
call us to that but we have gotten so
busy that we’ve just outran God and
we’re just running through life and
running through life and and as I think
about it the real reason that a lot of
us run it’s maybe not even because we
think it looks good it’s not because we
want to once you write this down the
real reason we run running is our
cover-up
it’s a cover-up look look at Genesis 3
verse 7 at the moment their eyes were
open and they suddenly felt shame at
their nakedness so they sewed fig leaves
together to cover themselves you know
what running is it’s the fig leaf that
covers up all the areas you’re insecure
about it’s the thing that if you run
fast enough maybe they won’t notice like
if I have hurt and pain in my leg or I
got shot in the leg or I cut my knee
open and I’m limping when I’m walking
it’s very obvious oh wow that got me
something must have happened to his leg
so I don’t know what’s going on but if I
start to pick up and I go a little bit
faster you think he runs kind of weird
but you just think he’s skipping and I’m
just skipping through life and
everything’s okay the actual issue is
you’re hemorrhaging at the leg and a lot
of us are running to hide insecurities
and so people look at you and they think
oh man you look good like you you work
hard you got six jobs that’s so amazing
you’re like yeah I’m good I’m good but
your honor the truth the truth is
growing up maybe you didn’t have
everything everything you always wanted
maybe maybe there was a Christmas where
you really wanted this present in your
face and hey we just we just don’t have
the money and you made a promise to
yourself that that will never happen to
my kids so you’ve went into debt buying
them Christmas presents you’ve got the
perfect job and you’re running through
life but it’s really covering an
insecurity that you have from when you
were a child some of you ladies you
ready girl people are like oh man girl
you look so good you always got your
step done I see you traveling a lot
you’re just doing so much girl oh you
look so good but the truth is the reason
you you go through all that energy to
put on this pretty thing is because
someone spoke into your life that you
weren’t pretty when you’re a child
someone told you that you weren’t good
enough so now you think if I could just
put out this good image if I can just
just make myself look like I’m put
together then maybe people won’t see
what’s actually going on
some of us are running we’ve been
running for so long that we think gosh
if I slow down other people will see my
pain even worse than that I may have to
deal with it so I’m just gonna keep
pushing through and that’s why you have
so many people who after years and years
of running they get tired and they look
for a release and they make horrible
decisions because they think I can’t
keep running like this I want to ask why
why are we running why do we feel like
this busyness is better and the truth is
as I was going through this message I
really this message it really time
anytime I get up here or even I know
this is true for pastor mind these
messages are more so than up for us than
it really is like we’re I’m up here
preaching to myself and as I’m writing
this message God is checking me in my
heart that’s why the name of the message
is why am i running because God was just
like why why are you running no I’m not
you know God I just I want to push the
kingdom forward I want to know like why
are you running so we’re gonna play a
little game real quick here so we’re
gonna do I’m gonna say I’m Charles and I
run and you’re gonna say why do you run
alright let’s test it out I’m Charles
and I run man you sound a look good
that’s so nice
alright here we go I’m Charles and I run
I run because I want everyone to know
that I’m enough I’m Charles and I run I
run because I really want to make my dad
proud I run because people didn’t clap
when I walked in a room but they cheered
when I ran touchdowns like you’ll get
this one I run because one time the
clock ran out and I missed both the
free-throws and I blew it but I want you
to know that I can make them this time I
run because I learned what God applause
so I just kept doing that because people
didn’t clap when I just walked in or if
he wouldn’t clap when I just did
something so if I run if I do more if I
put myself out there then pee
will clap so that’s why I’m just gonna
keep on running and am afraid if I slow
down you may actually see how hurt I am
you may actually see that I really don’t
know everything I really don’t have it
all together that I’m pretty broken and
I have some pain and there’s some stuff
I’m working through but if I just run
fast and long enough you won’t be able
to tell and the question I want to ask
you today is why are you running what is
it that you’re trying to cover up what
pain is there what hurt is there what
insecurity
why are we so caught up with this idea
of running now some of you as we’ve been
even last week and and in today tell you
say you know what Charles I’m sorry
about the stuff with your dad I really
am that’s bad but I’m not running like I
am not running I don’t strive I don’t do
that I’m not striving That’s not me
oh okay you may not be striving can I
tell you some of you have been standing
for years you you’ve been standing fear
has paralyzed you because one time maybe
you tried to run you tried to step out
you tried to do it you tried to follow
God and it didn’t work out so you said
you know what I’m just not gonna do that
anymore it’s not worth it but can I tell
you today that fear will no longer have
its place in our lives insecurity will
have no more place in our life because
we are gonna find the pace of grace so
how how are we going to stride how are
we gonna find God’s pace daily I want to
talk about how to strive daily everybody
say daily I put that part daily in there
because these are things that we’re
going to talk about that we little
you’re gonna have to wake up and do
every single day because our reaction is
gonna be to take off running we’re gonna
see something see new jobs see anything
an opportunity and we’re going to try to
take off to it some of you last week we
talked about finding the pace of grace
and you tried to run into walking which
doesn’t really make any sense so we have
to do these things daily so the first
points in how to strive daily is uncover
repent uncover and repent the reason
that we run is there’s a lot of things
in our life that we’re trying to hide a
lot of things that we maybe feel a
little insecure about and if we’re gonna
truly find God’s pace we got to uncover
those things we got to come to God and
say hey this this is what’s really going
on this is the pain that I feel this is
the hurt that I’m carrying this is why
I’ve been running my whole life some of
you have been running to prove someone
wrong that’s really not even around
anymore and you’ve been protecting this
but if you truly want to experience the
pace of grace you’ve got to uncover
those things and come before God and say
God I’m sorry that’s the part that says
repent god god I’m sorry
because what running is it’s truly not
trusting God it’s saying god I know you
you breathe the Stars and you created
everything but in this one area I’ve got
it so I’m gonna run I’m gonna strive I’m
gonna do it myself we’ve got to uncover
those things and we have to repent
saying God I’m sorry and I truly want to
walk into your pace and as you uncover
those things there are some things in
there that you might have to do and this
is so personal for me because literally
as I was writing this message and I
asked that question who told you to run
people started coming to mind and I
started getting frustrated the guys
thought well well you told me to run
like you said I was good if I ran and I
literally I had literally called my dad
and I was half mad but didn’t understand
because why cuz I felt like I’ve been
running my whole life trying to be like
my dad or be make him proud of me or
feel all this stuff and I had put all
this pressure on that really he didn’t
even put on that I just assumed like I
want to make you proud I want to do this
I’m gonna take this on imma do this and
some of you there are some people in
your life that you need to forgive there
are some people that you’ve been running
forward there are some people that
you’ve been trying to prove wrong
because of what they said and you need
to forgive some of you as you uncover it
you’re gonna need to just own it like
Adam and Eve they said well you know is
the woman you gave me and then it was
the snake some of us just need to
uncover and say God I did this like it
wasn’t anybody else’s fault it wasn’t
coz something happened it was just I
didn’t trust you and so I took it into
my own hands and God I’m sorry and I
repent so we have to uncover and the
repent and then the second point that I
want to talk about is commit to walk
everybody say commit to walk now there’s
word commits I’m going to talk about
some sub points under this commit to
walk but this word commit a lot of times
we think of it as just like to do an
action so you commit a crime you commit
a sin but this word commit it really
means to obligate oneself to to bind to
when I say the word commit what I mean
is there’s no other option like it’s not
like I’m gonna have kind of oh I’m going
to commit to walk because I’m really
tired now I’m gonna commit to walk
because it’s what God has called us to
do like there is no other option so the
first first part under this commit to
walk is I want you to write this down
commit to walk with others commit to
walk with others the interesting thing
about this story of Adam and Eve is I
ask myself sometimes in the story where
was Adam when all this was going down
like he is like am i a when the serpent
is talking to Eve it is funny sometimes
growing up guys would say you know it’s
Eve’s fault that we in seeing now you
know she ate the apple so if she
wouldn’t hate the Apple you know if you
read the Bible God never told Eve that
she couldn’t eat the apple he told Adam
he told Adam and then it was Adams
responsibility I got a a man over there
she preached it boy but but what my
point is is we don’t do well on our own
when we get separated when we get away
from others we don’t make good decisions
you could look at any of our lives and
say when you’re by yourself when you’re
alone in your thoughts you don’t make
the best decision and if you’re gonna
find a pace of grace you need people
some of us are waiting on a miracle from
God he said I’m just waiting for you to
get over
yourself and admit that you need some
help I’ve got an example uh Parker and
Adrian come up here real quick
these are two of my little best friends
in the world
now look slow man come on so slow he’s
striding oh my gosh get out of here
that’s good though I guess you found a
pace so this is Adrian and it’s actually
kind of sad and amazing at the same time
Adrian literally like a year and a half
ago I was two years ago we had started
getting coffee together and really just
being intentional about walking and I
literally told him I said you are like
actually the first real like best friend
that have actually ever had in my life
now 23 years old and the reason was I
was running so I was too scared to show
people what was actually going on and
Parker Parker is crazy you could tell by
this creepy mustache she’s got so yes
sorry but Parker literally some of you
know that me and my wife just actually
merged a church with called Eden with
transformation Church and Parker’s
literally the second time I met Parker
literally like ever in my life like the
first time was like hey man we went to
there never saw him again he was living
in New York City we go to New York City
were hanging out and literally we sit
down and I say hey man we’re starting
this church in Tulsa would you like to
move from New York
the Tulsa and he said yeah I will
totally do that
so he is actually crazy but but these
are my boys like and we’ve committed to
walk together no matter what
like like regardless of if we get
frustrated at each other regardless of
if we’re doing the right thing all the
time
like we’ve like there have literally
been times I said to Parker I want to
hit you in your face like but but we’ve
committed to walk together and here’s
what a lot of us do that a lot of us are
out here and we’re running because
everyone told us that it was better to
be upfront and you get a trophy if
you’re in the front and you look back
yeah I’m winning ha ha I’m win but what
happens is when you get tired you don’t
have anybody to talk to you
when you start running for a long time
so thinking me I’m tired out here okay I
don’t know if I can handle this I don’t
know if I and you look back and you
think well they don’t look tired so I
guess something’s just wrong with me and
so I’m having a good day so I’m good but
then a bad day I feel like I want to
give up and I want to do this or I want
to sleep with that person I want to
drink that alcohol and you start running
and you have no one to bounce ideas off
of or no one to keep you accountable but
the Bible says that when you walk with
other people there’s power in that can I
tell you when you walk with other people
that can help you keep your pace they
can keep you in check the Bible says
when you walk with other people they can
help you and so watch we’re not when I
try to take off running they said no
we’re walking when I want to slow down
I’m like dog I don’t want to do this no
more I can do it like boy you better
come on like people will help you keep
their pace when they fall so listen to
this some of you some of you you got
people in your knife and you need people
in your life that when you fall they’ll
just drag you because they said boy we
are not staying back to here look some
of you you are one community away from
your purpose your one relationship away
from your purpose you need people thank
you so much y’all look so good I love
y’all commit to walk with others the
second part commit to walk with God walk
with God something Adam and Eve did in
the garden as they walked with God and
it’s funny if you look at the story Adam
and Eve were always naked like they were
but what I want to say born naked but
it’s like were they ever born
technically I thought did Adam have a
bellybutton I don’t know you think about
it you don’t know anyways so but but
they were always naked like the thing
about the story why God asked him who
told you that it’s because they were
always naked because when they walked
with God insecurities and things that
way would normally be insecure out about
they weren’t
because their eyes were so fixed on the
goodness of God their eyes were so fixed
on their creator can I tell you if you
would commit to walk with others and
then walk with God the insecurity the
hurt the pain everything that has held
you back will begin to fall away because
your eyes are so fixed on Jesus look at
the story in the Bible by in the Bible
of Peter God said hey I want you to get
out and walk on the water
how long did Peter walk in the water as
long as his eyes were fixed on Jesus I’m
telling you if you want to find the pace
of grace you need people and you need to
walk with God commits to the journey of
following Jesus it’s not this magical
place that you just end up somewhere but
if you will just stay in it if you will
just walk long enough you will win if
you just don’t quit it’s not about being
the best and you got to have it all
together if you just say you know what I
may not be the best but I’ll just keep
walking I promise you you will working
the purpose you will walk into blessing
you will walk into everything God has
for you you got to commit to walk with
others you got to commit to walk with
God and the last part is commit to walk
in victory walk in victory at the end of
our story I read I read two verses
verses 14 and 15 says then the Lord God
said to the serpent because you have
done this you are cursed more than all
animals domestic and wild you will crawl
on your belly groveling in the dust as
long as you live and I will cause
hostility between you and the woman
between your offspring and her
offsprings he will strike your head and
you will strike his heel a picture this
part of the story like this
God’s standing there he’s asked Adam Lee
where are you they said we hid who told
you that you were naked okay she may be
either Apple okay
so God’s talking in this part and it
what he’s from II you’ve got a burl Eve
and the serpent now the serpent it is
the devil it’s the enemy and what he
says is there’s gonna be hostility I’m
gonna cause hostility between your
offspring and her offspring now the
offspring of
if you believe the bible is everybody is
the world we God made Adam and Eve and
then that’s where we came from so God’s
talking and what he’s saying here is Eve
and the enemy there’s gonna be some
hostility there and he uses a specific
word he says he will strike your heel
now that word strike it means to crush
to strike or to erase or to cover up and
he said I’m going to strike your heel
now that word heel what it means it
talked about when armies would walk
their boot prints would make a mark in
the snow or in the sand or wherever they
were walking what is he saying the
enemy’s gonna strike your heel or he
affects your footsteps the enemy may
mess with your pace he may try to get
you off steps he may try to cover up the
steps that God has walked in front of
you the enemy will mess with how you
walk but the thing about a heel the heat
if you hurt your heel it’s okay you want
to know the only way to kill a snake or
some something that can cause real
damage to somebody when you hit their
head it says he may strike your heel but
he will crush your head now when I first
read this I thought okay so we’re the
offspring of Eve and God is talking
about this but if you read your Bible
and you know a little something about
reading your Bible that he is
capitalized and if the he is capitalized
get this moments after we ruined the
plan for Humanity like moments after
gods after God said don’t eat that we
ate it you know what God said I’m gonna
send a capitalized he I’m gonna send
Jesus who will crush the enemy’s head so
the enemy may mess with your footsteps
he may try to get you off pace but God
says you can have peace and you can walk
in victory because greater is He that is
in me than he that is in the world and
if you look in the Gospel of Luke this
is oh my gosh I’m so excited right now
if you look in the Gospel of Luke Luke
10 9
team Jesus has just sent a bunch of
disciples out and they come back and
saying Jesus demons are listening to us
we’re healing people all this amazing
stuff is happening and this is Jesus
response he says look I have given you
authority over the power of the enemy
and you can walk you you can walk among
snakes and scorpions and crush them
nothing will injure you can I tell you
if you will just walk God will direct
your steps and in directing your steps
you will crush the enemy you will crush
the insecurity you will crush the fear
if you will find God’s pace of grace
every single one of your steps will be
ordered you you won’t have to worry and
sustain things by yourself you won’t
have to feel like all this pressure of
life is on you because God’s already
been there he said I know the plans I
have for you even this moment I was
thinking about preacher today I was
nervous and every single time before I
preached I think I’m gonna throw up I’m
gonna throw up I’m gonna throw up but
even before that you know I said God I
haven’t been there but you’ve already
been there like you’ve already been in
this moment so I can walk in peace I can
know that I can walk at a pace that is
sustainable and still reach my purpose
can I tell you that God has already
ordered your steps but you’re not gonna
run into it you’re not gonna feel your
skin you’re not gonna become it by just
doing more and being more and I’m gonna
show everybody I’m gonna prove them
wrong you’re gonna find it when you
uncover those insecurities when you
truly repent say god I’m sorry I didn’t
trust you I’m sorry I did it on my own
but I’m gonna commit to walk I’m gonna
walk with these people I’m gonna walk
with you and I’m gonna walk in victory
realizing that literally we have the end
of the story like we know the end of
that we know how this turns out and so
in that it brings a confidence and
brings something that you can face
something you say you know what’s
already cuz my god has already overcome
that situation so I don’t have to run I
don’t have to hurry up I don’t have to
do more I can walk and stay in my stride
but at all hinges on understanding that
why and dealing with the why are you
running because if you don’t address
that when something comes up when
something happens you’ll take off again
and it’ll be another year and I’ll be
standing at the at the beginning of
another year and you’ll think man I’m
still tired and I still don’t really
know my kids and this marriage is still
on the rocks and time just still seems
to be flying by but God says I have a
plan and a purpose for you I’ve ordered
your steps and if you would just trust
me in the way he says my burden is easy
in my yoke is light following Jesus
doesn’t have to wear you out walking in
purpose doesn’t have to cost you
everything
it’ll cost you giving up your pride
it’ll cost you trying to do it on your
own but jesus said I came to give you
life in life to the fool a life some
translation says a life you could only
dream of but it starts with walking in
long decisive steps in a specific
direction and the thing about walking
when you’re walking it’s easier to hear
you ever try to talk somebody when
they’re running back but when you’re
walking God’s can say stop don’t take
that job it’s gonna cost you your family
okay God I’ll go here wait stop don’t
marry that person I know they look good
but there’s some character issues in
there and God will direct your steps if
you’re walking you can hear him more
clearly and you’ll be able to walk into
purpose but it goes against everything
we feel it goes against what your
teacher told you it goes against
everything that society has built up but
I promise you if we can find this pace I
believe there’s there’s a life that we
could only dream
and it’s found in following Jesus