Exodus 3:7-8 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.

There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit."

But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.

31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
“and lean not on your own understanding…”

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Psalm 37:23 If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; 24though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

1 Corinthians 16:9 “a great door for effective work has opened to me,”

Sermon Questions:


What are some “giants” (fears, obstacles, insecurities) that have kept you from stepping into what you sensed was God’s will, and how do those compare to the Israelites' fear at the border of the Promised Land? Follow-up angle: What would it look like to respond like Caleb instead?


Which part of the “trust checklist” (Scripture, prayer, wise counsel, Holy Spirit) is hardest for you to rely on when making big decisions—and why? Challenge: What step can you take this week to strengthen that area?


Have you ever experienced a “closed door” that confused or disappointed you at first, but later made sense as part of God's greater plan?
Reflection: How can that experience encourage others to trust God’s timing and guidance?


How do your personal views of authority or past relationships—especially with parents—impact your ability to trust God's will and guidance? Heart check: Are there any misconceptions about God that you need to unlearn?


What does it mean to you to "become who God wants you to be before focusing on what He wants you to do"?
Application: How might your current decisions change if that became your first priority?