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Made for Mondays | STEPS

Step Seven: The Petition

This week on Made for Mondays, Joe is joined by Heather, Jamey, and Tyler for a conversation centered on Step 7 in the STEPS journey: The Petition.

After some weekend catch-up (yes, Olympics enthusiasm makes an appearance 👀), the group reflects on the Bible Reading Challenge, having just stepped into Numbers and Mark, before diving into Sunday’s message.

And before things get too serious? An Olympic icebreaker. Favorite sport. Strong opinions. No medals awarded—just bragging rights.

Then the conversation turns toward the heart of Step 7.

Pastor Heather framed this step around a powerful idea:
 Humility begins when asking feels safer than hiding.

Step 7 invites us to humbly ask God to remove what we cannot—to stop performing and start trusting.

Here’s where the conversation goes:

• Asking vs. hiding
The group reflects on a simple but revealing question: Are you more likely to ask for help—or hide what you’re dealing with? For many of us, hiding feels easier. Safer. More controlled. But hiding also keeps us stuck.

• The Samaritan Woman (John 4)
Heather revisits the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus asks her for a drink before addressing her story. He doesn’t shame her. He doesn’t expose her. He creates safety first. The timing—noon—suggests she was avoiding people. And yet Jesus meets her there.

The group explores what this shows us about how Jesus approaches our shame—and what it might look like for us to create that same kind of safety for someone else. Where do we choose isolation over community? And what would one small, honest “ask” look like this week?

• Pride vs. humility
Referencing Dallas Willard, Heather highlights that humility grows when we stop pretending, stop presuming we’re already in the right, and stop pushing our will over others. The group wrestles with an important distinction: humble asking isn’t passive resignation. It’s active trust. It’s choosing dependence over self-protection.

• Safe enough to be honest
If humility begins when asking feels safer than hiding, what would it take for our church to truly be that safe? The group discusses the culture, language, leadership posture, and everyday practices that help a room feel safe enough for someone to say, “I’m not okay,” and still be lovingly moved toward healing.

• The OWN practice: Observe, Welcome, Name
Heather unpacks a practical tool for Step 7 in real time. Instead of enthroning our emotions—or ignoring them—we can:

• Observe what we’re feeling.
• Welcome it without panic or shame.
• Name it honestly before God.

The group walks through a real-life example—hurt leading to withdrawal—and what it looks like to pause in the moment, name the emotion, and ask God for help instead of hiding behind it.

Because Step 7 isn’t about pretending we’re stronger than we are.
 It’s about admitting we’re not—and asking anyway.

The big idea stays simple and challenging:

Humility begins when asking feels safer than hiding.

And that kind of humility doesn’t grow overnight. It grows through small, honest prayers. Through noticing when the umbrella goes up. Throug

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