He Hasn’t Forgotten You
Pastor Stephen Chandler
Sermon Summary
Have you been waiting a long time for something that still hasn't happened yet? This message from Pastor Stephen Chandler on the life of Joshua will remind you that God hasn’t forgotten about you, even if you haven’t seen the progress you hoped for yet. In fact, He may be using the season you're in right now to prepare you for what comes next.
Sermon Highlights
God’s Word will test you.
The longer God delays you, the longer He's preparing you. The longer God is preparing you, the greater it is what He has for you on the other side.
A calling with no preparation will crush you. Without preparation there’s a temptation to perform.
Three lessons in a waiting season:
Rejection is a teacher
If rejection paralyzes you, you will forfeit the call of God on your life.
God is trying to figure out: Whose voice do you listen to?
Rejection will teach you to (1) incubate a Word from God and (2) celebrate other people.
Faithfulness precedes promotion
Before God puts me where I want to be, can I win where I have to be?
As long as you are complaining about what's not fair in your situation, you are not yet ready to step into all that God has for you.
How I steward what is not mine prepares me to steward what God has for me.
Delay is a multiplier
Can you deal with the disappointment of delay and yet not have your faith diminish?
Maybe God keeps delaying you because He's waiting for you to be fully persuaded that He will do what He said He will do.
Delayed dreams either kill dreams or develop faith. You decide.
Scriptures
Read this week’s Scriptures. Ask your group what stands out to them.
Sermon Discussion
Conversation Starter
Choose the one that works best for your group!
Pastor Steven Chandler gave an illustration of playing hide-and-seek as a kid at his grandma’s house. What was your favorite game to play growing up?
When you have exciting news, do you tell people immediately, wait for the perfect moment, or hold onto it until the last minute?
Discussion Questions
What’s a waiting season you’re in right now, and how have you seen God teach you to (1) be immune to rejection, (2) be faithful when you don’t feel like it, and (3) manage disappointment?
“The longer God delays you, the longer He's preparing you. The longer God is preparing you, the greater it is what He has for you on the other side.” How did God use a past waiting season to grow you in ways you couldn't see at the time?
“Rejection is a teacher.” What's one area where a past disappointment has made it difficult to take another step, and what could moving forward look like?
“Before God puts me where I want to be, can I win where I have to be?” What's an area of your life where you've been so focused on where you want to be that it's been difficult to appreciate where you are?
“How I steward what is not mine prepares me to steward what God has for me.” Where do you currently have an opportunity to be faithful with something that’s been entrusted to you?
“Can you deal with the disappointment of delay and yet not have your faith diminish?” What helps you hold on to your faith when you feel disappointed by how long you’ve been waiting?
Prayer Prompt
Ask your eGroup if they have any prayer requests or praise reports they’d like to share, and include them in your closing prayer.
Pray this prayer over your eGroup to close, and/or send it to them throughout the week to let them know you’re praying for them!
Lord, thank You for never wasting our waiting seasons. When we face rejections, delays, and disappointments, help us pay attention to the lessons we’re learning and remain faithful so we can step into what You’re preparing us for with confidence. Teach us to steward others’ dreams as well as our own as You continue to grow and strengthen us in our individual callings. We declare in faith that You will do everything You said You’ll do. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Additional Content
Here’s some additional content you can use to encourage your group this week.
Go Deeper: Celebration Activity
Pastor Stephen Chandler reminded us that rejection teaches us to celebrate others with humility. Take a few seconds to think of someone in your life you want to encourage, then send them a text letting them know what you appreciate about them or how you’ve seen them “win” lately!