Are you waiting on God to show you the full plan before you move? In this message from our Start Here series at Redemption Church, Pastor Chris Fluitt teaches how God usually leads us one step at a time. Learn how to find your next step with God, walk by faith, and discover real direction for your life.

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Welcome to Redemption Church in Plano Tx.

Have you ever had someone try to give you directions and they give you way too much information?

“You go down this road for ten miles, then you will see a gas station, then a curve, then a big tree, then a red barn, then you turn left, then there is a bridge, then another light…”

About halfway through you are already thinking, “I am lost.”

In real life, most of us do not actually like full map plans.
Too much information makes us hesitate.
Too many details make us second guess.
We get confused and end up doing nothing.

In real life, full maps overwhelm us.
BUT LET’S BE HONEST… with God, we insist on having a full map before we move.

We say things like:
“God, show me how this will work out.”
“God, tell me exactly where this is going.”
“God, explain the whole plan, then I will obey.”

We struggle with direction.

A lot of us are living right in that tension.

And we end up frozen, waiting on a level of certainty that God never promised.

While we wait for the full plan, we are missing out on the next step.

Days turn into weeks.
Weeks turn into months.
Now the year goes by and we have not taken the next step.

Start Here #4: Find Your Next Step: Discover Your Direction

So how does Jesus lead people?

He gives them a step.

“Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.” Matthew 4:18–22

Jesus sees Peter and Andrew, James and John doing ordinary fisherman work… and Jesus says “Come follow me…”

That is it.
No long briefing.
No detailed future.

Just a step.

And they leave their nets and follow.

They do not know the whole story.
They only know the next move: follow Jesus.

One step of obedience changes direction.

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

Following Jesus is not one dramatic moment.
It is a daily step.

Deny myself today.
Pick up my cross today.
Follow Him today.

You do not need faith for the next twenty years.
You need faith for the next step.

Notice the order.

Come to me.
Learn from me.
Then you find rest.

Some of us are waiting for life to calm down before we move toward Jesus.

Jesus says, “Step toward me first. Walk with me. That is where rest shows up.”

A lamp does not light the whole road.
It gives enough light for the next step.

Step, then light.
Step, then light.

And sometimes, the church makes this harder than it needs to be.

People walk in for the first time and we give them the full map.

You need to know how to give.
You need to serve.
You need to get baptized.
How were you baptized before?
Let’s talk about repentance.
The Holy Spirit.
The 9 gifts of the Spirit.
End times and pre-mid-or post tribulation rapture.
Revelation.

And they think, “What is all of this?”

We are stuck in full map mode, when God is saying, “Help them take the next step.”

God has already given enough light for faith.

Not twenty-five things.
Just the next thing.

Step, then light.
Step, then light.

So what does that mean for you, right now, at the end of this Start Here series?

It means this:

You do not need the full plan to take your next step with God.

You need to respond to the step God is already putting in front of you.

For some of you, your next step is spiritual:

For some of you, your next step is relational:

For others, your next step is practical:

Here is a helpful question:

Where do you sense the Holy Spirit drawing you forward, and at the same time fear is telling you to stay put?

That tension is often your next step.

The Holy Spirit pulls.
Fear resists.

You will not get clarity by standing still.
You get clarity as you follow.

As we close out this Start Here series, let’s make this simple.

#1 Name the step.
What is the step the Holy Spirit is drawing you toward, even though fear is pushing back?
Name it. Be real about it.

#2 Tell someone. (accountability)
If you are watching on livestream, put it in the chat.
Text us this week.
Fill out a connection card.
Reach out.

You do not have to do this alone.

#3 Let’s pray.
Right now, we are going to take a moment and pray together.

Invite God to be right in the center of every next step.

Ask God for courage where there is fear, clarity where there is confusion, and faith to obey.

And if you have a specific prayer need, go ahead and leave it in the comments.
We want to pray with you.
We want to believe with you.
We want to see God do great things in your life.