Obedience
Watch or listen to
the full sermon here.
Preached by Pastor Mike Woodard
Follow The Valley Church
When it comes to following Jesus, the big picture can feel overwhelming. How do we pray consistently, understand Scripture, worship well, and live faithfully in a world full of choices? Many of us wrestle with “paralysis by analysis”—wanting to do everything for God but not knowing where to start.
The good news is that God doesn’t ask us to figure out our entire future at once. Instead, He calls us to take things one step, one day at a time. Jesus makes this clear in Luke 9:23: “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
Following Jesus One Day at a Time
Notice the word daily. Jesus doesn’t ask us to take up tomorrow’s cross or carry the weight of the next ten years. He asks us to trust Him today. The Christian life isn’t about sprinting to the finish line—it’s about steady steps of obedience that shape our hearts over time.
When we try to follow Jesus without surrendering our will, faith can become shallow. We turn Him into a mascot instead of Master, a label instead of Lord. But true obedience—dying to ourselves daily—leads to transformation. It’s not the end of life, but the beginning of abundant life filled with joy, peace, and purpose.
Shifting the Question
So often we ask, “What is God’s will for my life?” But that question can paralyze us when we focus on the big picture instead of today. What if we flipped the question and asked instead: “How can my life fit into God’s will today?”
When we choose obedience in the moment, we align ourselves with God’s path step by step. Over time, we’ll look back and realize those small choices led to the very plan of God we once longed to know.
A Practical Tool: OBEY
To help put obedience into action, here’s a simple framework:
O – Opportunity: Identify a step of obedience God is calling you to today.
B – Barriers: Name what might hold you back—fear, distraction, or misplaced priorities.
E – Engage: Make a plan and pre-decide your yes’s and no’s.
Y – Yield: Take the step, even if it feels difficult or uncertain, trusting that God’s way is best.
Small Steps, Big Change
Obedience doesn’t weigh us down—it frees us. As we take up our cross daily, our hearts grow to desire what God desires. Over time, the “little victories” of obedience add up, shaping a transformed life.
The big moments will come, but they are built on the daily steps of faithfulness. And the best part? Jesus walks with us every step of the way.