Strength 2026

Strength in Obedience

Sunday, July 26, 2026

God cares about both the mission and the method. A holy mission carried out through carnal methods is still disobedience.

Discussion Point #1: How does keeping God's Word in our hearts affect the way we carry out His will?

Proverbs 4:20-23 (NKJV)
²⁰My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. ²¹Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; ²²For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. ²³Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

When something has been tampered with, one of the first signs is that the seal has been broken. In the same way, God desires for our hearts to be sealed with His Word.

When we keep God's Word in the forefront of our minds and hearts, we guard ourselves against influences that would pull us away from Him. A heart that is sealed with His Word leaves no opening for compromise to enter.

Then, when God gives us a mission, the method will also remain holy because our hearts have first been guarded by His Word.

Discussion Point #2: Have you ever believed God was leading you to do something, but later realized the way you went about it was wrong? What did you learn from that experience?

Numbers 20:8 (AMP)
⁸“Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock in front of them, so that it will pour out its water. In this way you shall bring water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their livestock drink [fresh water].”

Numbers 20:9-13 (AMP)
⁹So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him; ¹⁰and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; must we bring you water out of this rock?” ¹¹Then Moses raised his hand [in anger] and with his rod he struck the rock twice [instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord had commanded]. And the water poured out abundantly, and the congregation and their livestock drank [fresh water]. ¹²But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed (trusted) Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, you therefore shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” [Ps 106:32, 33] ¹³These are the waters of Meribah (contention, strife), where the sons of Israel contended with the Lord, and He showed Himself holy among them.

The end result would have been the same if Moses had spoken to the rock as God instructed. Instead, he allowed his anger to change the method. His anger led him to disobey. Although water still came from the rock, Moses' disobedience kept him from entering the Promised Land.

Discussion Point #3: What promises might we miss out on if we do God’s mission our way instead of His way?

Our methods reveal the condition of our hearts. When we choose our own way instead of God’s way, we are choosing to walk in carnality instead of the Spirit. That changes the fruit our lives produce as well.

Matthew 7:16-20 (AMP)
¹⁶By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? [Luke 6:43, 44] ¹⁷Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets].

The fruit of our lives reveals whether we are truly walking in obedience to God.

Matthew 7:21-23 (AMP)
²¹21. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. ²²22. Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ ²³23. And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’ [Ps 6:8]

Let's choose to live as sons and daughters of God. Let’s choose to walk in obedience. Once again, consider what Proverbs says:

Proverbs 4:20-23 (NKJV)
²⁰My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. ²¹Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; ²²For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. ²³Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.