Use the Rock You’ve Got

Posted on August 8, 2025 by growintheword

Sermon Synopsis 8.3.25
Delivered by Bishop Walker

1 Samuel 17:45-51

New International Version

45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

I.            Introduction

Today I want to talk to you from the subject: “Use the Rock You’ve Got.”

There comes a moment in every believer’s life when you’re faced with a challenge that exceeds your strength, your network, even your understanding. It’s in those moments the enemy tries to convince you: You’re not enough.

That’s when fear creeps in and whispers in your ear, leaning on your insecurities, telling you that “You don’t have what it takes”.

But I came today to tell you succinctly, You’ve got this! Not because of what you have in the natural—but because of what God has given you in the Spirit.

What God started in you, He will perform until the day of Jesus Christ.

The story of David and Goliath reminds us that God specializes in using small things to accomplish what seems impossible.

Yes, David slayed Goliath—but this is also the story of a king being released. David was in divine alignment with the assignment God had on his life. He stepped onto the battlefield when others were afraid to face it.

He didn’t step up with bravado. He stepped up with belief.
This wasn’t just about defeating a giant. It was about God revealing His power through someone who dared to believe.

So whatever you’re facing—whatever giant you brought here today, whether it be:

  • A health crisis?
  • Financial pressure?
  • Relational challenges?
  • Spiritual warfare?

Know That giant is about to fall!

It will fall, because God will show you that you already have everything you need.

You just need to learn how to use the rock you’ve got!

Before we dive into the battle, let’s understand the historical and cultural context that gives this moment its full weight.

Israel was in transition. They had been ruled by judges—temporary leaders raised up by God during times of national crisis. But the people grew weary and cried out for a king.

God warned them: It’s not time yet. But they pressed. So, through His permissive will, God allowed them to choose.

They chose Saul—tall, handsome, strong—but lacking obedience and spiritual maturity. His disobedience caused God to reject him. And while Saul was still on the throne, God was preparing David.

David—Was the youngest of eight. Jesse’s son. From Bethlehem. His brothers were in the military, but David was tending sheep in obscurity.
David had already been anointed by the prophet Samuel—but in secret.

See, God will anoint you in one season and release you in another.
Don’t get frustrated just because you’re not being used yet. It may not be time yet.
You don’t need the title to be anointed.
You don’t need the position to be powerful.

David brought his brothers food—he wasn’t on the battlefield, he was serving on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, the Philistines—the coastal enemies of Israel—stood in opposition.
They were polytheistic, technologically advanced, and persistent in their resistance. They had five major cities:
Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath.
Gath—the place Goliath was from.

Goliath wasn’t just a man—he was a trained warrior.

  • Nine feet tall.
  • Head-to-toe armor.
  • A spear like a weaver’s beam.

And standing before him?

  • A 4-foot-5 shepherd boy.
  • No armor.
  • No sword.
  • Just a sling.
  • And five smooth stones.

But David came not with fear, but with faith.
Goliath mocked him. But David declared: “You come to me with sword and spear—but I come to you in the name of the Lord Almighty!”

II.            Recognize the Resources You’ve Received

God will never send you into battle without giving you what you need.

Those smooth stones may not have looked like much—but they were enough in God’s hands.

We often underestimate the power of what God has given us because it doesn’t look like what others have. But what you carry may be unconventional—and still exactly what’s needed for victory.

A.   Acknowledge That God Has Equipped You

Every hidden battle, every private victory—was God preparing you.
David’s battles in the pasture with lions and bears? That was training ground.
In other words, your private pain was public preparation.

B.   Understand That What You Have Is Enough

When you place what you have in God’s hands, miracles happen.
The slingshot may look common—but in God’s hands, it becomes catalytic.

David didn’t just see stones—he saw victory.
When you release what you’ve got, Heaven backs you up.

III.            Rely on the Rock’s Reliability

David didn’t place his confidence in his aim—he placed it in God. He said “I come to you in the name of the Lord Almighty.” That changed the whole battle.

Goliath thought he was facing a boy, the was facing a believer.

Touch your neighbor and tell them: You can’t treat me any kind of way — I’m a believer!

When you use the rock you’ve got, you can say: “You may come to me with sickness, with slander, with shame—but I come to you in the name of the Most High God!”

A.   Trust That God’s Strength Is Unshakable

I know what it’s like to say, Why me, Lord?
Why the eighth son? Why the one that’s been overlooked the whole time (David)?

The answer is, because God knew: You were the one who wouldn’t flinch.
You’re tired—but God says: Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God never grows weary.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength!

B.   Remember: The Rock Will Never Fail

Psalm 18:2—“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.”

When everything shakes—God is still solid.
The rock you stand on is stronger than the giants you face.

IV.            Refuse to Retreat from Resistance

Goliath moved forward, but David didn’t flinch.

Everyone else stayed back, David stepped forward.

Battle lines are drawn to expose what’s in you.

Saul had the title—but David had the anointing.
And only the anointed cross battle lines.

A.   Stand Firm with Unwavering Confidence

This isn’t arrogance—it’s divine assurance.

Faith is not the absence of fear—it’s obedience in the face of fear.

B.   Don’t Let Fear Dictate Your Actions

Fear will paralyze you at the runway of destiny.

But I hear the Spirit saying: “Oh no, I’ve flown through worse.”
And if God brought you to it, He’s equipped to fly you through it.

V.            Rejoice in the Results of Your Resolve

Now here it is—David used one rock. He didn’t need all five.
He took what looked small and released it with faith.

And Goliath—fully armored—had one weak spot: his forehead and the rock found it.
Because the power wasn’t in the stone—it was in the Spirit behind it.

David then used Goliath’s own sword—just like he prophesied—to cut off his head.

Don’t shout over knocked-down giants still breathing.

In this season, it’s not just about knockdowns—it’s about cutoffs.

  • Cut off fear.
  • Cut off shame.
  • Cut off toxic relationships.
  • Cut off everything that says you’re not enough.

A.   Acknowledge God’s Faithfulness in the Fight

David stood over Goliath—foot on his neck.

That 9-foot-tall giant was now under the feet of the shepherd boy, not because of David’s strength, but because of God’s rock.

Closing Charge

Stand up. Grab somebody by the hand.
Tell them: You didn’t realize—you’re number 8!

Rejected by man—but chosen by God.

Tell them: “Use the rock you’ve got!”

And give God a praise like every giant in your life is already falling!

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Strategies for Receiving More

Posted on July 31, 2025 by growintheword

Sermon Synopsis 7.27.25

Delivered by Bishop Craig Oliver

Let’s go to Joshua 17:14–18, where we find a powerful conversation between the people of Joseph and Joshua:

Joshua 17:14-18 (NKJV)

14 Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the LORD has blessed us until now?”

15 So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.”

16 But the children of Joseph said, “The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel.”

17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, “You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot, 18 but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

I.                      Introduction

  • I want to share with you what God has placed on my heart concerning what He’s doing in the life of this church—and what He wants to do in your life as well.
  • Let me help connect some spiritual dots between what God is doing corporately in Mount Zion and what God wants to do personally in your life. Because Mount Zion is not just a multisite church—it is a movement. It is a model of multiplication.
  • Look around—God has expanded our reach, increased our campuses, and just recently gave us a historical landmark here in Nashville. That’s expansion! That’s divine elevation. And I think you ought to give God praise for that!
  • But this is more than real estate—it’s revelation. What God is doing corporately, He also wants to do individually. Somebody shout, “MORE!”
  • The same principle that’s fueling this church’s expansion is the same principle that God wants to apply to your life—your marriage, your ministry, your business, your finances, and even your walk with Him.
  • We don’t serve a stingy God. He is a God of abundance, of increase, and of more.
  • But here’s the tension: Do you believe that what you currently have is all God wants to do in your life? Or are you willing to believe Him for more?
  • It would be a shame to be connected to a multisite grace and still live with a single-site mentality.
  • Say that again—multisite grace with a single-site mindset. How can you be part of a church that’s taking territory—and you stay stuck?
  • God wants more for your life too.

II.                  Proactively Eliminate the Disposition of Entitlement

14 Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the LORD has blessed us until now?”

  • Look at verse 14. The people of Joseph come to Joshua and said, “The hill country is not enough for us.”
  • Now they weren’t wrong in saying that what they had wasn’t enough—but here’s the issue: They approached it with entitlement.
  • They didn’t say, “Joshua, thank you for what you’ve given us, but we’ve outgrown it. May we have more?” Instead, they said, “This isn’t enough!”
  • The spirit of entitlement will rob you of expansion. You can’t expect more when you aren’t grateful for what you already have.
  • Some of us suffer from CED—Chronic Entitlement Disease. I’m talking to some parents—you’re thinking about your kids right now! They think everything belongs to them. They don’t say thank you, and they don’t think they should work for anything.
  • I was raised in the ’70s. You didn’t just go in the kitchen and just take what you wanted. You had to ask, “Mama, can I…?” Anybody else grow up like that?
  • We’re raising a generation that wants inheritance with no initiative. Rewards without responsibility. Blessings without burden.

III.              Properly Estimate Your Dynamic Endowment

17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, “You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot, 18 but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

  • Verse 17 says Joshua reminds them, “You are a great people—and you have great power.” He calls out what’s already in them.
  • He tells them, “You’re not deficient—you’re disengaged. If you want more, you need to reintroduce yourself to yourself”. Some of us have spiritual amnesia. We’ve forgotten who we are and what God has placed inside of us.
  • You’ve been endowed with gifts, purpose, power, authority, the fruit of the Spirit, and the mind of Christ!
  • Stop underestimating your endowment. When you do, you mismanage your opportunities.
  • You are blessed, not just a beggar.

IV.             Purposefully Evaluate Your Designated Environment

18 but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours;

  • Verse 18 says “The hill country shall be yours, although it is a forest…”
  • Did you catch that? You’ve been asking for more—but can you see it through the trees?
  • God said, “It’s yours, but you’ve got to clear the forest.” You want a developed blessing—but God gave you undeveloped potential. You want a finished product—but God handed you raw material.
  • You’re praying for elevation, but don’t want to chop down any trees. Let me make it plain: You don’t want to do the work
  • Some of you want the grill that’s already assembled—but it costs more. The one in the box? That’s cheaper, but it requires assembly.
  • You want the blessing on the floor, but you don’t want the blessing in the box.

V.                 Persistently Eradicate Your Detrimental Enchantments

18b says… for you shall drive out the Canaanites

  • Joshua told them: “Drive out the Canaanites.”
  • Let me introduce you to a few modern-day “ites”:
  • Complacency – You’re stuck, not because you’re cursed, but because you’re comfortable. You won’t read. You won’t grow. You’re just…lazy.
  • Compromise – You’ve traded conviction for convenience. You’ve sacrificed principles for preferences.
  • Comparison – You can’t appreciate your life because you’re always scrolling through someone else’s highlight reel. It’s a filter! It’s not even real.
  • Control – You’ve got a messiah complex. You want to be God. You won’t surrender.
  • Carnality – You’re led by your flesh, not the Spirit. You’re chasing feelings instead of following faith.

VI.             Prophetically Elevate Your Divine Entrustment

18c says though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

  • He said, “I’m giving you the Hill Country.” This is not just expansion, it is elevation.
  • But here’s the order:
  • Climb it
  • Clear it
  • Claim it
  • You’ve moved from entitlement to entrustment.
  • This isn’t just about you. It’s about those coming after you. You said you were a numerous people—well, your blessing must be big enough for generations!
  • Legacy is on the line. You are not just receiving more for your enjoyment. You’re receiving more for your assignment.
  • What God is doing in this church… He wants to do in your life. But don’t sit back naming it and claiming it—go get an axe. Be willing to work for it.

Mount Zion, I love you. I pray this word will inspire you to believe again, to work again, and to expect MORE.

God bless you!

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Posted on July 24, 2025 by growintheword

Part 3: This Wall Is In My Way

Synopsis 7/20/25

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

Joshua 6:1-5 (NKJV)

1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.

2 And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.

3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days.

4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.

5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”

I.            Introduction

  1. On the 7th day, when they made a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when they heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout—and the wall of the city fell down flat. The people went up—every man straight before him.
  2. Have you ever felt like you were standing right at the edge of your breakthrough—but the closer you got, the greater the opposition became?
    1. You’re in the right place today. Because this Word is going to help us understand what it looks like when God’s people are at the door of promise, but one thing is standing in the way.
  3. For Israel, that “one thing” was the wall of Jericho.
    1. Jericho was a fortified city.
    1. The wall was built like a fortress—25 feet tall, 20 feet thick.
    1. They were proud of their wall.
    1. The wall was so massive, it had houses built into it. Biblical history suggests that Jezebel’s home may have even been built into the wall—she’d hang out her red rag from time to time (but that’s another sermon for another day).
  4. The wall of Jericho was designed to intimidate.
    1. It gave the city a psychological advantage.
    1. Jericho had military strength.
    1. They could also, shut the city down where no one could come in and no one could go out. That’s where our text picks up today.
  5. To understand this fully, you’ve got to go back to Genesis 12, where God made a covenant with Abraham.
    1. God promised to bless him and make his name great, and through him all the families of the earth would be blessed. He told Abraham his descendants would inherit the promised land.
    1. Before they possessed it, Abraham’s descendants—the Israelites—would spend 400 years in Egypt.
    1. They entered Egypt as welcomed guests because of Joseph. But when a Pharaoh arose who didn’t know Joseph, the favor turned into 400 years of slavery.
    1. They cried out, and God heard them. He raised up Moses to lead them out.
    1. Moses trusted God even in the face of Pharaoh’s resistance.
    1. God performed signs, brought them through the Red Sea, provided manna and water in the wilderness. Their clothes didn’t wear out and their feet didn’t swell—God sustained them.
    1. At the edge of the Promised Land, when spies were sent in, fear took over.
    1. That generation died in the wilderness. Only Joshua and Caleb remained.
  6. Moses died on Mount Nebo. Now Joshua, Moses’ protégé, was called to take the people into the land.
    1. God told Joshua: “Be strong. Don’t be afraid. I got you. As I was with Moses, I’ll be with you.”
    1. Joshua did great exploits, including parting the Jordan and defeating Amalek.
  7. But now—at this moment—they were standing at the threshold of promise, but there was  one thing in the way: a wall.
    1. That wall represents everything standing between you and your promise.
    1. For some of you—it’s a diagnosis.
    1. For others, it’s an invoice.
    1. For some—it’s a toxic relationship, a job situation, depression, or doubt.
    1. But I came to declare: whatever your wall is, this is your last day dealing with it, because the same God who brought you out—will bring you in.

II.             Walls Weigh On Our Worship

A.   Walls Create Barriers, But Worship Breaks Chains

  1. Walls are heavy. They burden your mind.
  2. They try to block your worship, because you’re so consumed with the problem—you forget your praise.
  3. The enemy wants you to see an obstacle, but God wants you to see an opportunity. Let me help you:
  4. When you mature in God, you stop panicking and start praising.
    1. Don’t say, “My life is falling apart. ”Say, “God, you must be setting me up for something major!”
  5. Worship isn’t based on what you see—it’s based on what you believe.
  6. What I see might look bad, but what I know is that:
    1. God shall supply all my needs.
    1. By His stripes, I am healed.
    1. He will keep me in perfect peace when my mind is stayed on Him.

B.   Walls Challenge Our Faith, But God Calls Us To Trust

  1. Can you still trust God when the wall is still there?
  2. Can you trust God when the promise is spoken—but the obstacle hasn’t moved yet?

III.            Worship Wields The Weapon

A.   Worship Is Our Warfare Against The Enemy

  1. Israel wasn’t told to fight Jericho with swords. They were told to worship. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God…”
  2. The shofar—the ram’s horn—wasn’t a military trumpet. It was a sacred, prophetic instrument.
  3. It symbolized God’s presence, it warned of judgment, and proclaimed victory.
  4. Blowing the shofar wasn’t about pageantry. It was a prophetic declaration “We are claiming territory. We are about to occupy what God promised.”

B.   There are territorial spirits.

  1. Demons are assigned to regions—why do you think certain cities are known for certain spirits?
  2. When the people of God blow the trumpet—when we raise our worship—we declare war.
  3. We say to the enemy: “We’re taking back territory!”
    1. Mount Zion isn’t in four locations just for convenience. It’s a divine strategy.
  4. God told us to take territory.
  5. We bought the block at 1112 Jefferson Street—once the most incarcerated zip code in the nation.
  6. We took over a nightclub in Antioch and made it a youth complex.
  7. Now we’re in Brentwood—covering the city in every direction.
  8. When you worship, you shift the battle from your hands, to God’s hands.

IV.            Waiting Works In Our Walk

A.   Here’s the strategy.

  1. Joshua says: “Get in line. March around the wall—once a day—for six days. And don’t say a word.”
  2. Why? Because sometimes silence is your strategy.
  3. Some of y’all talk too much. You post your promise before it manifests, but this time—just march and say nothing, because on the 7th day, something is going to happen!
  4. By the 7th time, you’ll be tired, but you’ll also be ready—because man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.

V.            We Are About To Witness Divine Wonders

A.   Final Lap

  1. On that final lap, the priests blew the shofar, which is an ram’s horn. A person in a white hoodie blowing a horn AI-generated content may be incorrect.
  2. The people shouted together—and the wall fell flat. It didn’t crumble. It didn’t crack. It fell flat.
  3. And when the wall fell, every man went up straight before him.
  4. This is how you know it was God, because your wall isn’t just falling—it’s clearing the way.
  5. Don’t miss this: It only happened when everybody shouted together.
  6. There were no spectators and no folded arms.
  7. We need one sound, one shout, one unified faith, because there’s something on the other side of that wall.

Final Prophetic Push

  1. Look at your neighbor and say, “Help me shout this wall down.”
  2. When we open our mouths together, walls fall, strongholds break, and territory is taken!
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Part 2: The Power of a Yet Praise

Posted on July 15, 2025 by growintheword

Synopsis 07.13.25
Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

Habakkuk 3:17–19 (NKJV):

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

I.               INTRODUCTION

Life has a way of putting us in situations where everything seems to be falling apart. Have you ever been there? Moments where the things you counted on fail. The job you relied on disappears. Relationships you thought were unshakable begin to crumble. Everything you held dear starts slipping away.

Life sometimes brings us to a place where our plans are derailed by uncertainty—yet we are forced to testify to the depth and breadth of our relationship with God.

This is where we find the prophet Habakkuk. Unlike many prophets who speak God’s word to the people, Habakkuk speaks the people’s frustrations back to God.

He asks hard questions:

  • Why do the wicked prosper?
  • Why do the righteous suffer?
  • Why does it feel like You’re silent, God, in the face of injustice?

By chapter 3, something shifts. Habakkuk moves from questioning to confidence. From frustration to faith. From the natural to the spiritual.

He says, “Though there are no blossoms… no fruit.. . no cattle—YET I will praise God.”

This, my friends, is what we call a YET praise.
It’s not based on what you see—it’s based on what you know.
It’s a defiant praise in the face of adversity.

A yet praise is a pivot in your posture. It’s when God gives you a revelation in your situation—and that revelation creates an expectation that what was revealed will become manifested.

Your language has changed. Your vision has changed.

You may not have the healing… YET.
You may not have the home… YET.
But you believe manifestation is on the way.

Some of you are praising based on a word—not on your circumstance. And that’s what this message is about: praise as a position, a perspective, and a push forward.

II.               PRAISE PROFESS OUR POSITION

Habakkuk’s name means “embrace” or “wrestler.” He wrestles with God’s will, but ultimately embraces God’s plan.

600 years before Jesus, Judah is in crisis. The Assyrian Empire is crumbling, and Babylon is rising. Political corruption, injustice, economic collapse—everything is chaotic. Sound familiar?

Habakkuk is standing in the middle of national disaster, asking: “God, why are You allowing this?”, but chapter 3 is a pivot.

It’s a song. A declaration. A memory of what God has done.

He says, “God has given us deer’s feet… He is preparing us for elevation.”

You don’t get deer’s feet for staying low. You get deer’s feet because you’re going higher.

So let me give you a few things to help you understand how a YET praise can shift your life.

  1. PRAISE ESTABLISHES OUR STANCE DESPITE THE STRUGGLE
  2. Your situation does not define you—your stance in God does.
  3. When you praise in difficulty, you declare that your faith is not circumstantial—it’s steadfast.
  4. You’re like a tree planted by rivers of water…
    You’re steadfast, unmovable, always abounding…
  5. Foundation matters.
  6. Praise is your seatbelt in turbulence.
    You may not be able to stop the storm, but you can strap in and call on Jesus.
  7. That’s how you survive life’s turbulence—with a foundation in God.
  • PRAISE KEEPS US GROUNDED IN GOD WHEN LIFE IS UNCERTAIN
  • Judah was facing the unknown. The Babylonians were coming, but praise lifts your eyes above the chaos.
  • “I will bless the Lord at all times” means I bless Him…
  • If He opens the door.
  • If He doesn’t open the door.
  • All times means even when I don’t understand what’s going on, I will bless him.

III.               PRAISE PROVIDES A PROPER PERSPECTIVE

Praise doesn’t just keep you grounded—it shifts your view.

  1. Praise Shifts Our Focus from Lack to the Lord
  2. Stop focusing on what’s missing.
    Start thanking God for what’s present.
  3. Worry stares at the fog. Praise focuses on the headlights.

3. So enjoy today. Protect your peace. Don’t drag tomorrow’s worry into today’s gift.
“This is the day the Lord has made—I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

  • Praise Reframes Problems as Platforms for God’s Power
  • Your pain is a platform.
    Your struggle is an opportunity for God to get glory.
  • Paul and Silas praised at midnight—and the jail shook.
  • What if your praise is someone else’s breakthrough?

IV.               PRAISE POWERS OUR PERSEVERANCE

Endurance is not about avoiding struggle.
It’s about having the strength to push through it.

A.    Praise Strengthens Our Steps in Seasons of Suffering

  1. Psalm 23 says  “Yea, though I walk through the valley…”
    You may be in the valley—but you don’t have to camp there.

B.    Praise Gives Us Stamina to Press Forward in Faith

  1. Habakkuk says, “Even if there’s no fruit, no flocks—yet I will rejoice.”
  2. This is agricultural disaster.
    No crops = no food, no income, no survival, but he says, “Even if I lose it all—I still choose to praise.”
  3. Like Job: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

V.               PRAISE PROPELS US TO PROGRESS

Verse 19 isn’t just about survival—it’s about elevation.

A.    Praise Accelerates Our Movement Toward Divine Destiny

  1. God doesn’t just give you strength to survive—He gives you strength to CLIMB.
  2. Deer’s feet = agility to go higher.
  3. You were prepared in the valley… for the high place.
    All that trauma? That preparation?
    It was building you for the next level.
  4. Tell somebody: “This is the last time you’ll see me at this level.”
  5. Praise Shifts Your Mindset from Survival to Success
  6. You’re not just surviving—you’re progressing.
    You’re blessed in the city and the field.
  7. Worship Prepares You for the Doors God is About to Open
  8. Worship is about who God is.
    And that alignment gets you ready for what’s next.
  9. Joy in the Lord Strengthens You for the Journey Ahead
  10. The joy of the Lord is your strength.
    That’s how you keep moving when others quit.

B.    Praise Positions Us for the Next Level of Purpose

  1. You were built for this. That’s why God gave you deer’s feet.
  2. There is:
  3. Protection – Some things can’t reach you at this level.
  4. Provision – God will nourish you in high places.
  5. Persistence – You’re equipped to handle the terrain.
  6. Perspective – You see clearer at this height.

e.      

C.   CONCLUSION: THE POWER OF “YET”

  1. “Though the fig tree does not blossom… yet I will rejoice.”
  2. That little word “yet” carries weight.
  3. As an English major and theologian, let me tell you—“yet” is a conjunctive adverb.
    It connects two opposing realities: despair and praise.
  4. “Yet” says:
  5. My faith isn’t tied to the fig tree.
  6. My praise isn’t postponed by pain.
  7. My revelation is greater than my reality.
  8. You may not have the diagnosis you wanted—yet.
    You may not have the breakthrough—yet.
  9. But you’ve got a YET praise.
    A praise that says, “God, I trust You anyway.”
  10. So if you’re here today and this word reached you—don’t let pride keep you in your seat.

If you need a foundation, come to Jesus.
If you’ve been trying to hold it all together on your own—it’s time to give it over to Him.

This is your moment.
And your YET praise… is your prophecy.

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