Chestnut Mountain Church

Today is a moment we will look back on as the day we said yes to what God has invited us into. Over the past month, we have walked through surrender, trust, generosity, and sacrifice, all leading to this moment of response. Don’t miss what God is doing or take for granted what we get to be a part of. Throughout Scripture, we see that our obedience is often the pathway to God’s promise. Like Noah, when God gave instructions, he chose to step out in faith, and through his obedience, God’s promise came to fruition. In the same way, God has given us a vision, and now we have a decision to make. We celebrate that God has spoken and invited us to be part of His plan. What He is calling us to may feel big, but whatever God reveals, He will accomplish. As we step into what’s next, the call is to respond with obedience, be open-handed, and trust God to do what only He can do.

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As we step into what’s next, we are reminded that a generous heart is cultivated by doing life with Jesus, not trying to do life for Jesus. We don’t give to get. We give because of what He has already done. In Exodus 35, God invited His people to be a part of His work, and they responded open handed, not because they had to but because they got to. They remembered His goodness, and their response was obedience. God is not concerned with the amount but with our hearts. As we look toward what’s next, the call is to remember what He has done and respond with sacrifice, trusting that He will provide everything needed.

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We often look at Christianity through a moral lens, creating a list of what we can and cannot do. When we live that way, we end up trying to do life for Jesus instead of doing life with Jesus. But when we spend time with Him, the lens shifts from moral to redemptive. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more grateful and surrendered we become, and that gratitude leads to a life of generosity. True generosity does not come from guilt or obligation. It comes from living a life with Jesus. We don’t give to get. We give because we already got. God does not need anything from us, but He invites us to be part of what He is doing. Like David, we are reminded that everything we have already belongs to God and that what He really wants is our heart. As we look toward what’s next, the invitation is simple: sit with Him, remember what He has done, and respond with obedience and generosity.

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Trust is the currency of every relationship. When we face major decisions or concerns, we go to the source we trust the most. Proverbs reminds us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not rely on our own understanding, living in awe of God and looking to His Word for direction. Trust means patiently waiting on the Master, knowing He is our provider. But trust also requires obedience. Saul learned that good intentions cannot replace clear instructions, and partial obedience is still disobedience. The question becomes personal: what is God asking you to do in this season? Is He asking you to take a step of faith, reconcile a relationship, finish an assignment, or trust Him in a new way? Trust God and take the next step of faith.

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God is sending people to us. As His church grows, so does the responsibility and opportunity before us. Our responsibility is to steward the growth that is already here and the growth that is to come. God is entrusting us to disciple people and to send people. He is inviting us to be a part of His plan. There have been pastors and leaders who have put their yes on the table before us. Now it is our turn. To get where God is leading us, it will take finances, resources, and open handed obedience. We are sharing God’s vision for the next two years. We are building bridges to the next generation, the next season of missions, the next yes. If God keeps sending people, it is our responsibility to make room. In Acts 9, God accomplished His plan through unexpected people with unexpected assignments. Jesus got Saul’s attention and told him to go. Saul stepped into the unknown. Then God spoke to Ananias. He listened, even when it seemed scary and impossible. He did not rebuttal what God said. He simply obeyed. That obedience changed the world. All God wants from us is our yes. If we will say yes and keep listening, He will give us the details. What does next look like for you, your home, and our church? Turn your eyes and ears to Him. Respond to what Jesus is speaking. Say yes to what’s next.

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Prayer is an invitation to meet with the Creator in a face to face exchange. Prayer is not a wishing well, magic 8 ball, or genie in a bottle. It is engaging with the Almighty God who humbles Himself and inclines Himself to listen as we pour out our hearts before Him. We can wrestle with Him, whisper, cry out, and tell Him all the struggles without needing perfect words. David reminds us that praise is not based on receiving an answer but on remembering who God is and what He has done. Jesus showed us this life of prayer, withdrawing to commune with the Father and teaching that when you pray, the reward is Him and the relationship with Him. Prayer begins by focusing on His holiness, His kingdom, and His will, then trusting how He is providing, forgiving, and giving freedom. The veil has been torn and the invitation is open to draw near, pour out your heart, and engage with Him.

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Fasting is us saying no to us and saying yes to Him. Jesus was getting ready to begin His ministry, and He had just fasted. Even when we are doing all the right things, it does not mean obedience will be easy. Obedience will always come with a challenge, and that challenge is our flesh. Satan tried to derail what God had for Jesus by appealing to His flesh. He knows when we are weak and wants us to take just one step off of God’s path. It only takes one misstep to cost us everything. Too often we listen to our flesh, make a mess, and then cry out for God to fix it. Our heart, our emotions, and our feelings will lie to us. Satan offers what is not his to give. When he offers joy, peace, or security, remember you already possess those through Jesus. The wilderness was not a setback. It was a display of Jesus’ superiority over the enemy and the beginning of a rescue mission. That mission began with a fast. It began with saying no to the flesh and yes to God. Fasting prepares us to make Spirit led decisions and to discern the perfect, pleasing will of God. Offer yourself as a living sacrifice. Learn to say no to you and yes to Him.

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As a church, we are living in a season of anticipation for what God has next. But we cannot get so focused on growth as a church that we forget growth begins with individuals. At the end of the day, it comes down to how committed we are personally. The question is not just what would Jesus do, but what did Jesus do in preparation to be used by the Father? Before His public ministry began, Jesus took a step of obedience through baptism, publicly declaring His commitment to the Father’s plan. Then He was led into the wilderness where He prayed and fasted. If the Savior of the world practiced obedience, prayer, and fasting in preparation, it is imperative that we do the same. A fast is the discipline of saying no to our flesh. It is not a diet. It is not an attempt to impress God or get something from Him. We don’t fast to get God. We fast because we are God’s. Fasting is not about holding God hostage to our plans. It is about offering all of ourselves to Him in true worship. Through prayer, fasting, and obedience, we reset our minds, renew our thinking, and align our hearts with His will. Instead of asking God to join our vision, we join His. As we prepare for what God wants to do in our church, we must first allow Him to prepare us. What does obedience look like for you right now? 

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As a church, we are being corporately called to a fast. Jesus never commanded fasting, but He assumed we would. In Matthew 6, Jesus does not say if you fast, but when you fast. People come to fasting from many different places, which is why we are fasting together as one body, pursuing unity and alignment. A fast is the practice of saying no to our flesh in a world that tells us to feed our desires. Fasting is not easy, and it is often misunderstood. A fast is not a diet, not a way to earn God’s approval, and not an attempt to get something from God. Jesus fasted after the Father declared that He was well pleased with Him. We fast because we are God’s. Fasting is an act of worship that aligns our hearts with God’s will. It shifts physical hunger into spiritual hunger and helps us say no to ourselves and yes to God. As we fast together, we seek first His direction and desire to be aligned with what He is calling us to do.

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After being rescued from Egypt, the Israelites stood outside the Promised Land and were told not to be afraid or discouraged. Instead, fear halted their obedience, and the consequence was forty years in the wilderness rather than stepping into the promise. At the end of those forty years, God raised up Joshua to lead His people forward. Standing on the brink of the Promised Land once again, God reminded Joshua to be strong and courageous, to stick to the plan, and to trust His Word. God was giving His people another shot, not because they deserved it, but because He is a God of grace who gives second chances. When they faced the walls of Jericho, what stood between them and God’s promise looked impossible. God gave instructions that did not make sense. They were to march around the city one day at a time, remain quiet, and walk in obedience. Day after day nothing happened. They were mocked, tested, and tempted to quit, yet they kept marching in silence. Faith required perseverance and patience, even when God seemed silent. On the seventh day, the walls fell. The very obstacle that once stood in their way became the path into the promise. Whatever wall stands between you and what God has for you, keep doing what God last told you to do. Do not stop one day short of the promise. Walk in obedience, trust God’s timing, and live with expectation that He will do the miraculous.

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