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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