How many of you enjoy a good adventure? The wind blowing through your hair, blood pumping in your veins. Jumping out of airplanes, scaling mountains. No?
For those of us that crave a less terrifying bit of fun, maybe a road trip with friends. Maybe your dream looks a little more like:

- Starting a business
-Writing a book
-Becoming a parent

Have you ever thought about being chosen by God to do something great?

We love the idea of being chosen … to go on a victorious adventure with the Most High.

Being chosen means different things to different people, but at its core, it usually answers a deep question: “Do I matter enough for someone to want me?”

For some people, “being chosen” means:being loved intentionally, not tolerated accidentally.being seen in a world where we often feel invisible.being trusted with responsibility or purpose.

But have you ever wrestled with the moment when God finally asks you to move?

We wait and wait, then when the moment finally comes…We panic! What if I’m not ready? What if I fail, what if I’m not enough? Your mind rattles through a quick resume of qualifications for this new adventure and most times we deem ourselves unqualified.

If God is in fact calling us to do something, He has equipped us for that thing.
Plot twist…
Sometimes we’re actually NOT qualified. At least not by the world's standards.

God has never been limited by someone's resume. That way there's no question who deserves the glory.

When God says “GO” things can develop into something unexpected.
Go sounds exciting! Go to the Bahamas. Go shopping! Go get lunch. Right until it requires you to leave something behind. And GO, by definition means to leave…something behind. That might feel more like sacrifice.

Sacrifice isn’t fun like Go…

Sacrifice may require you to give up your pride, or a preconceived idea. Other times you might be required to let go of friend groups or something even more painful.

We see this time and time again in scripture.

Esther had to risk her life for the freedom of her people on her adventure. Mary left her reputation (and safety) in the dust to follow God's will. Even Peter had to give up his career to follow Jesus.

Have you ever noticed that when God offers us an opportunity, it rarely looks neat, tidy, or easy. For example He may ask you to forgive someone who hurt you deeply, to serve when you are already tired, to give when it stretches your faith, to lead when you feel unqualified, or to trust Him when you cannot see what comes next..
Here comes opportunity. Knock knock…

I keep saying opportunity because you always have a choice on how you will react. Even in the bad scenarios. You can run into the opportunity, or run away from it. It’s always your choice.

So if your life feels messy… unfinished… uncertain… OR you feel like you are standing on a precipice of something big, Rebekah might have some inspiration for you.

Rebekah wasn’t living a big life when God called her. She was just… moving through her normal day.

Let me summarize the story of Rebekah real quick to save us a little time.
Abraham had been blessed in every way. He was getting older, and he decided it was time for his son Isaac to find a wife. But not just any wife. Abraham wanted a woman whose faith matched Isaac’s faith to ensure that future generations were raised to honor God.So Abraham called his trusted servant and gave him an assignment. Go back to my homeland and find a wife for my son.So the servant gathers ten camels…(remember that number, it’s important,) and a group of traveling companions. Then he heads off on a journey of hundreds of miles back to Abraham’s homeland.When they finally arrive, the servant does something wise.

Before he does anything else, he prays.Why? Because he understands this isn’t just about finding a wife. It’s about finding God’s choice. So he prays, Lord, let the woman You have chosen for Isaac be the one who offers me a drink of water and then offers to water my camels as well.

Now that may not sound like a big deal to us, but don’t miss what he just asked.He asked for a woman with a servant’s heart. That she would not only give him water, she would volunteer to water ten thirsty camels.

According to google an average camel drinks about 25 gallons of water after a journey and remember there were 10. How many trips back and forth would she have to make to get 250 gallons of water? With a jar… how big was this jar? A gallon? If so, that's 250 trips from the well to the trough.

So we know Rebekah had character. And some muscles.
Then we will pick up the text at Genesis 24:15–20

Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.16 The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.17 The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”18 “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.
Then this servant gives Rebekah a nose ring and 2 bracelets and asks if her parents have room for him to stay at their house. She tells him where she lives.

When the servant arrives at Rebekah’s family’s home, he recaps the story and makes his case for why Rebekah should marry Isaac. And her family agrees.

The servant says, Great! It's late, let's get on the road. And her family basically says, Hold on there, cowboy. Can’t she stay with us at least another ten days?”

Now let’s be fair. They didn’t have phones back then. No social media.If Rebekah left, there was a very real possibility they would never see her again.No time to process. No time to plan a wedding. No time to get used to the idea that their daughter was leaving home.Imagine a stranger showing up at your house, telling you God has a plan for your daughter, and then saying, Great! We’ll be leaving first thing in the morning.
So after talking it over with the servant, Rebekah’s family decides to ask the one person who hasn’t had a say in any of this yet…Rebekah.Did you catch that?

Up to this point, all of this has been happening while Rebekah isn’t even in the room.They’re discussing her future, her marriage, where she’s going to live, and when she’s leaving… And nobody has asked Rebekah what Rebekah thinks.
But here’s what makes this moment so special. Rebekah finally gets a voice in the conversation. The decision is placed in her hands.
And what she says next becomes one of the many courageous statements in Scripture.
Genesis 24:58 says

Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she delivers her famous line, “I will go.”

God’s invitations often show up while you’re just doing what’s in front of you. He doesn’t wait for you to be perfect. He waits for you to be available where you are.

1 Peter 4:10: As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.

It came down to her posture, what she expected versus what she gave out. Rebekah gave and that’s God's language. If you’re showing up… getting through the day… doing the next right thing …You might be exactly where God wants you.
But like I said earlier, there are almost always Some things we will need to let go of.

POINT 1: LET GO OF THE PAST
No I'm not gonna sing it for you, that's Jasons bit… Youre welcome
You cannot be excited and moving into the future if you’re still chained to where you’ve been.
Old mindsets like; I am who I am will keep you from becoming who you were originally designed to be.
If only… If only he hadn't done that I could have …you fill in the blank.
You can't live in a past that didn't even happen!! But people do it every day.
Do you really want a heart so full of yesterday's regret that you can't enjoy today's peace?
Old habits leave no room for new adventures.
Guys Rebekah didn’t say let’s wait and see if something better comes along. She didn’t say well let me meet Isaac and see if he’s my type. She listened to and trusted God

I understand…Stepping into God's plan might seem terrifying. Leaving her family behind was probably a little daunting. We always think that Bible characters just do the right thing because after all they are Bible characters. But they were actually just human beings just like you and me. She might have been prone to overthinking. Maybe she doubted herself a little.

But Scripture tells us in Philippians 3:13 to strain forward, not look back. Notice the word strain, that is exerting energy to move forward, even when it hurts.
What are the things you might want to let go of you ask?
How about that grudge you've been dragging around for 20 years. Did you know people will actually stop talking to others after a dispute for years. Why aren't we learning to be problem solvers instead of problem keepers?
I know it might have hurt, they were unkind, or didn't give you the respect you believe you deserved. But do you really want to carry all their garbage in your heart? Do you really not want to have an open heart, prepared for something wonderful, because that grudge is taking up all the space? Let it go guys…
But hear this clearly: Your past is not useless either. It’s how faith is built. Our past, if used correctly, can be the fuel for our future. Even though we are not meant to forget our past, we do need to stop letting it define us.

Some of us are still answering to names God already freed us from:
Failure…broken…too much… not enough… too big… too small… too loud.

I came to tell you, if you are living in Christ, That’s not who you are anymore.The danger in that -looking back kind of thinking is:If you keep looking back, while trying to move forward, you might run into a wall face first. Ask me how I know. We need to release the old versions of ourselves. Our old expectations and how we thought things would be.

In Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Philippians 4:19 My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.

So knowing all that …why do we keep focusing on what we don’t have?When God is saying: You already have what you need to take the next step.

It’s very often fear. Fear of the unknown. Of the known. Maybe it's a fear of who you really think you are behind closed doors.
So how do we let go and

POINT 2: OVERCOME FEAR

Let’s be honest, this is where a lot of us get stuck. Our society is full to the brim with fear and anxiety. Fear is a strange thing, starting off, it works like protection, but it quickly becomes a prison.At its core, fear is designed to keep us safe. It scans for risk, for rejection, for loss. And sometimes that’s helpful. If you walk up on a snake, fear is natural and might save your life. But the problem is, fear doesn’t just guard against what’s dangerous, it also guards against what’s meaningful. The same fear that keeps you from harm can also keep you from growth, calling, healing, or obedience.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

How many of you think that courage is the opposite of fear?
It’s not. Courage is just pushing through fear because you want something more than you’re afraid of it. Trust is the opposite of fear.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight.

Trust is a deep knowing in your soul that someone will not disappoint you. And it’s not usually built with one big moment, it’s built in small, consistent patterns over time.

Y’all my mom died in April, and I inherited her cat. His name is Cinder. When I walked into her home the first thing I noticed was that he was old and sick. He couldn’t make a sound when he meowed. His coat was rough and dirty. My first thought was oh God… he looks like he is gonna die any minute.

And from his point of view. His mom just died… because she was his mama too. Then strangers came and took her away. He sat alone in the house, abandoned, for 3 days until I could get there. Then some strange nice lady.. that’s me.. shows up, kidnaps him and throws him into a cat crate that he was absolutely sure was prison and THEN.. drives him 14 hours without a break to a new house that he didn't sign up for.
When we arrive…the place smells like goats and chickens. Let's just say he was not impressed. This poor cat knows he has officially arrived at a horrible place of torment.

The following morning he was thrown back in the carrier and carted off to the vet to be poked prodded and prescribed meds for his truly horrible upper respiratory infection.

Later, when I tried to give him those medications, he believed I was trying to poison him. I had the scratches to prove it.
That’s a lot for one little cat to go through in a single week.
He was having the hardest week of his life, and from his perspective, I just kept making it worse. But the truth is, I was just trying to take care of him.
One morning I was telling the Holy Spirit about my concerns for Cinder, I had to laugh when He turned the whole thing around on me.
My mother’s death was the heartbreaking consequence of living in a fallen world. It wasn’t some cruel plan designed to punish a cat.
The abandonment …was completely unintentional on my mom’s part. She didn’t choose to die. Sometimes life simply places something painful in our path.

The kidnapping was actually a rescue mission.Cinder couldn’t stay in the place of death any longer. It wasn’t healthy for him, even though it was familiar.

The cat carrier, that little prison where he spent fourteen hours riding across states was also for his protection. I couldn't let him roam freely in the car or wander through parking lots. That's just not smart.
But all he knew was that he was confined, terrified, and more than a little angry. He didn't understand.

Stuffing him back into that carrier and taking him to the vet wasn't punishment. It was love. I want him to be healthy, so he can have a good life.

And finally the destination. After everything else, I brought him into a house that is not only unfamiliar and maybe a little scary, and smells like a farm.
Everything I did was motivated by love. Love for Cinder and love for my mom. Every mile traveled, every dose of medicine, every uncomfortable moment in that cat carrier was done to give him a safer, healthier, better life.But he doesn't understand any of that.
All he felt was abandonment, loss, fear, and the pain.
And that's when I finally got it.

How often do we look at God's care the same way?

How often do we mistake God'sprotection for confinement, His guidance for disruption, or His healing for hardship? How often do we feel only the pain of what was happening without seeing the love behind it?
Cinder can't see all the moving parts in the background of this story, He can only see the part that hurts. Sometimes, neither can we.
Is it possible that God was trying to get you someplace safe away from a place of death, and the road to your new location was horribly uncomfortable?

Maybe that place when you arrived -feels even worse than the trip.
Maybe you’ve felt abandoned, kidnapped, in-prisoned or poisoned. And it’s taking too long to change.

I want Cinder to understand he is safe and loved, but until he gets to know me he won’t fully trust me or his new situation. That will only happen with time spent together. With trust.

The point is you might be viewing your life through the lens of pain or trauma, but if you look at it from God's point of view maybe He’s trying to help you become safe, healed, and whole. Maybe God is showing you great favor and love. Trust is basically asking God;Are you safe? Are you real? Are you steady?

The short answer is yes! But for YOU to fully know the answer to these questions, deep in your spirit, to know when He is telling you to move, to stay, to be quiet, or to speak, you will need to develop your own personal trust in God.

Rebekah didn’t have a map, a plan, or a guarantee, She didn’t even know Isaac. And still… She said: "I will go.”
Because she had built trust in God and felt secure in her ability to navigate God's plan. No matter how awkward or scary it may have felt.
Today you have the choice to embrace God's love and guidance in spite of previous weaknesses. You can confront your fears and become an overcomer.

Fear will always give you reasons to stay: You’ll fail, You’re not ready, At least this life is familiar.
What are you afraid of?
Moving to a place where your addictions no longer run your life?
Letting go of the control you've hung onto because you couldn't control that event that changed everything?
Are you so ashamed that someone might see you that you can't see a future with God anymore?
It's time to step out and make the change. To believe that God will meet you right where you are.

Today is the day to trust God and the people He placed around you. Your 5…Which are the people who know you, know God, Love you, Love God and have your best interest in mind.

Shaking off the bonds of fear and growing trust in the Lord (and certain people) will give you the support and assurance you need to jump in with both feet and move into your next step with confidence.
Because you need to understand you are

POINT 3: BLESSED TO CHOOSE

Genesis 24:60
And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
“Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies.”

Rebekah's yes completely changed her life.She moved to a foreign land. She left her family and friends behind, and she had to overcome any fear that might have been bouncing around in her head.
A simple yes to God can change so many things in your life. It could change your direction -one yes to an opportunity, a calling, or even a hard conversation can put you on a path you never would’ve found otherwise.
In our family we always say you are one decision from a completely different life.

The caveat to this is you never know which decision is the one…. Every decision matters!

It could change your relationships-A yes to forgiveness can restore what felt lost. A yes to showing up can deepen connection. A yes to vulnerability can turn acquaintances into family.

Rebekah’s yes didn’t just change her location. It positioned her inside a promise bigger than she could see. One yes led to another, and eventually nations came through her family. Jesus Himself came through her lineage. That’s how God often works. One act of obedience today becomes a blessing you may not fully understand until generations later.
It can change your future-not always instantly, and not always comfortably, but consistently. One yes stacks on another until one day you realize your life looks completely different.

God wrote a story especially for you. Using your unique strengths and weaknesses. Your crazy thought processes and the quirky little things that make you special. To build you into the new creation He created you to be.
Rebekah's big claim to fame in this story is just saying yes to God's plan for her. She is not famous because she conquered nations or performed miracles. Her legacy began with one simple act of obedience.
Somehow It never occurs to us that just living a life of integrity and loving and serving Jesus and the ones around us, could be enough. That becoming healed and whole is the plan of God for us. That we are actually enough at our base.

You understand that right? - You are enough.

If you don’t share your story, it dies with you. No blessing flows.But when you choose to open your mouth… when you choose to help the person next to you… when you choose to say, “me too, I’ve been there here is how I got out” Healing can multiply exponentially.

Over time what used to be hard and scary becomes second nature.
God can redeem even the moments you wish you could delete from your mind, and make them clean and useful.

As you become obedient and share your story, transformation brings a new level of integrity into your life.
When your integrity speaks louder than your shortcomings, you give God the room to move you into place.
Did you hear that?

And it really paid off in

Genesis 24: 67 it says. Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

As soon as Isaac saw Rebekah -he set up the marriage and it says that Isaac loved her. Rebekah spent her days loved…That’s a reward y’all.
You are not blessed just to survive.You are blessed to choose. Your everyday decisions whether to live in integrity or greed, whether you will grow or stay stagnant.. All your choice.

To change your bloodline from earthly to heavenly. To reflect Jesus to those around you. Rebekah wasn’t just chosen, she chose back.But you have to remember God will never force you. He invites you.

SO THE QUESTION TO YOU IS...

Which invitation are you choosing? From God, or from the enemy?
When God asks…Will you go? Your go might look like…Go forgive…Go obey…Go build…Go loveIt could be Go to Africa

Someday you'll stand before God and see the entire story.
You'll see the doors He closed that protected you.You'll see the cat carriers that felt like prisons but were actually mercy.You'll see the places He led you that made no sense at the time.

And I wonder if, in that moment, you will realize that the greatest blessing in your life wasn't that God chose you. It was that He invited you to choose Him back.

Rebekah wasn’t chosen because she was perfect. She wasn’t chosen because she had all the answers, or because she knew how the story would end. She was chosen because when the moment came and the question was asked, she said: I will go.

And today God may be asking you the very same question.
So before you leave today, I want you to ask yourself three questions.

What do I need to leave behind?
What fear do I need to surrender?
And what is God asking me to say yes to?

When it's your turn, will you go? I pray your answer will be the same as hers…and you will.
What is God asking you to do?

Maybe He’s asking you to do something specific. Maybe He’s asking you to forgive someone. Maybe He’s asking you to serve, to give, to lead, to trust, or simply to take the next step of obedience.
The truth is, God has never called anyone to something without first preparing them for it. You may not feel qualified. You may not have all the answers. You may even be afraid. But your confidence was never supposed to be in your ability, it has always been in His presence.

Today, don’t leave carrying the same excuses you walked in with. Don’t let fear have the final word. If God is speaking to your heart, answer Him.
Maybe you’ve never said yes to Jesus. Before you can go where He calls, you first have to belong to Him. If today you would like to give your life to Jesus please raise your hand. If you made the decision to surrender your life to Jesus, we’d love to pray with you. Our prayer partners are waiting for you. Or maybe you’re already a believer, but you know God has been stirring something in your heart, and you’ve been resisting. Today is your moment to say, “Lord, I’ll go. I don’t know how. I don’t know where. But I trust You.”

If that’s you, I’m going to invite you to step out from where you are and come to the front. Today can be your day to respond in obedience. Let’s give God permission to move us into place.
Let’s pray.