When Surrender Becomes the Only Sensible Response

There comes a moment in every believer’s journey when the Spirit asks
a simple but piercing question: “Stop God…For What?”

․Not in anger. Not in accusation. But in Revelation.

Because if we’re honest, most of the delays in our lives didn’t come from
God withholding. They came from us hesitating. Wrestling.
Negotiating. Trying to manage. outcomes we were never built to carry.
Trying to protect ourselves from a future God already secured.

And somewhere in the middle of that tug-of-war, the Spirit whispers:
“Stop God for what? What are you gaining by resisting the One who
is trying to bless you?”

🕊️When We Resist God Without Realizing It

When We Resist God with rebellion. Sometimes we resist Him with:

🤯 Overthinking
Fear of repeating old pain
Trying to control what only
God can orchestrate
Clinging to people, places,
or patterns that no longer fit
our calling

We call it “being cautious.”
God calls it stalling destiny.

We call it being realistic.”
God calls it forgetting who He is.

We call it “protecting ourselves.”
God calls it blocking the very thing
prayed for.

So again–
Stop God for what?

🔥 When God Moves, He Moves With Intention

God never asks us to release something unless He’s already prepared something better. He never closes a door unless He’s already opened one we haven’t seen yet.
He never asks for surrender unless He’s about to reveal strength.

So why stop Him?

Why interrupt the healing He’s trying to give? Why delay the breakthrough? He’s
Already scheduled?
Why question the path He’s already cleared?

If God is moving, move with Him.

If God is shifting, shift with Him.

If God is speaking, stop arguing and start aligning.


🌿The Real Question is This

What do you gain by stopping God?

What do you gain by holding onto fear?
What do you gain by delaying obedience?
What do you gain by staying in places where your
Spirit no longer breathes?

Nothing.

But what do you gain by surrendering?

Everything.

Peace.
Clarity.
Provision.
Strength.
Rest.
Direction.
And the Kind of divine momentum that makesup
for lost time.

✨ A Prayer for Releasehttps://millennials-matter-ministry.mail.chimpsites.com

Lord, help me stop stopping You.
Help me stop resisting what
You’re trying to give.
Help me stop fighting the healing
You’re offering.
Help me stop delaying the obedience
You’re requiring.
I surrender the hesitation, the fear,
the overthinking, and the need to control.
Move freely in my life.
I won’t stop you anymore
Amen

📝 Reflection Questions

Where have I been
unintentionally resisting God?
What fear keeps me from moving forward?
What would my life look like if I
stopped interrupting God’s
work?
What is God asking me to release so He can move?

How Leadership Whispers Become Congregational Wounds

Every church has its visible ministries-the choir, the ushers, the pulpit, the outreach teams. But behind the scenes sit the councils, committees, and leadership circles entrusted with guiding the spiritual direction of the house. When these councils walk in unity, the church flourishes. But when gossip enters the room, the council becomes a circle-and the circle becomes a trap.

The Quiet Destruction of a Whisper

Gossip rarely storms in loudly. It slips in quietly, wrapped in spiritual language:

“I’m just concerned..”
“We need to pray about this…”
I heard something you should know>>”

But Scripture is not confused about the power of a whisper.

“A gossip separates close friends.”
-Proverbs 16:28
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths…”
Ephesians 4:29

A rumor in the pew is harmful.
A rumor in the council is catastrophic:

Because when leaders whisper, the whole church feels the vibration.

When Councils Forget Their Own Calling

Church councils are meant to be:

Guardians of unity
Stewards of wisdom
Protectors of the flock
Models of spiritual maturity

But when gossip takes root, councils can become:

Gatekeepers of division
Carriers of confusion
Judges without evidence
Influencers of fear rather than faith

A gossiping council stops shepherding and starts surveilling
It stops discerning and starts assuming.
It stops praying and starts plotting

And the spiritual climate of the church shifts-quietly, but dramatically.

The Spiritual Cost of Gossip in Leadership

Gossip in leadership creates:

Distrust among members
Fear among volunteers
Silence among the wounded
Stagnation in ministry
A culture of suspicion instead of a culture of grace

People stop sharing their struggles because they fear their story will be repeated, and nine times out of ten, the leaders repeat what they should not.
Leaders stop taking risks because they fear being misunderstood.
The church stops growing because the atmosphere becomes spiritually unsafe.

Gossip is not just a sin-it is a spiritual toxin in the church.

Why Gossip Thrives in Councils

Gossip grows where:

Accountability is weak
Transparency is low
Power is unexamined
Personal agendas go unchecked by pastors
Spiritual maturity is assumed but not practiced

Sometimes the issue is immaturity.
Sometimes insecurity.
Sometimes it is a desire for control.
But whatever the root, the fruit is always division.

Calling Councils Back to Covenant
A healthy council must be a covenant community, not a gossip circle.

!. Guard Confidentiality

Not everything heard needs to be repeated.
Not everything repeated needs to be believed.

2. Practice Discernment

Ask: Is this necessary? Verified? Spirit-led, not jealousy and envy-led

3. Confront Gossip Immediately

Silence is agreement
Correction is protection.

4. Return to Prayer as the First Response

Prayer purifies motives
Prayer quiets assumptions.
Prayer restores unity.

5. Re-enter on Mission
When councils remember why they exist, gossip loses its power.

A Final Word: Healing is Possible

If your church has been wounded by a gossiping council, know this:

God restores.
God purifies.
God exposes what needs to be exposed and heals what needs to be healed.

The church is still God’s idea,
Leadership is still God’s design.
Unity is still God’s command.
And truth spoken in love still sets people free.

Reflection Questions for Personal or Group Study

1. Where have I seen gossip disguised as “concern” in leadership settings?
2. How can I personally model confidentiality and integrity in my ministry roles?
3. What steps can our leadership team take to strengthen accountability and unity?
4. How can prayer reshape the culture of our councils and committees?
5. What healing does our church need from past and present leadership wounds?
   
   
   
   Closing Prayer
   Father,
   Purify our church councils, cleanse our conversations, and sanctify every room where decisions are made in Your name.
   Where gossip has taken root, uproot it.
   Where division has been planted, restore unity.
   Where wounds have been inflicted, bring healing.
   Make our leadership circles places of truth, humility, and spiritual maturity.
   Teach us to guard our tonguesm protect our brothers and sisters,
   and honor the sacred trust You have given us.
   Let every council in Your church become a place where wisdom flows, prayer leads, and love governs.
   In the matchless name of Jesus Christ, Amen
   
   
   Minister Debra E. Stith

Subtitle: Stepping into the Moment Heaven
Prepared for You

Opening Paragraph

There comes a moment in your journey when you realize you did’t
arrive late, and you didn’t arrive early, you arrived right on time.
Not because the path was smooth or the timing made sense, but
because God aligned your maturity with your moment. And when
He opened the door, you didn’t shrink back. You didn’t second-guess.
You didn’t apologize for your calling. You chose this time

1. The Power of Showing Up
   
   There were seasons when you could have quit. Seasons when the weight
   It was heavy, the support was thin, and the warfare was loud. But you kept
   showing up. You kept building. You kept believing. You kept becoming.
2. God Chose the Time, But You Chose the Yes
   
   God can appoint a moment, but He will never force your obedience.
   Heaven opened the door, but you stepped through it. That partnership-
   Divine timing and human agreement are what birth destiny.
3. You Grew Into This Season
   
   You didn’t miss your moment. You matured into it. Every delay refined you.
   Every disappointment strengthened you. You are not stepping into this
   time unready- you are stepping in seasoned.
4. The Weight You Carried Was Training
   
   The invisible battles, the private tears, the silent endurance-none of it
   was wasted. God used every unseen struggle to build the spiritual muscle
   you need for this level.
5. You Chose Purpose Over People-Pleasing
   
   You stopped performing for applause. You stopped shrinking for
   approval. You stopped waiting for permission. You chose alignment
   over acceptance.
6. You Chose Courage Over Comfort
   
   You could have stayed quiet. You could have stayed small. You could
   have stayed hidden. But something in you said, Not this time. Not this time
   of season. Not this version of me.
7. You Chose Obedience Over Fear
   
   Fear whispers, “What if I fail?”
   Purpose whispered, “What if you don’t?”
   And you chose purpose.
8. You Chose Visibility When God Said “Go”
   
   The ad approval wasn’t random. The timing wasn’t
   a coincidence. It was confirmation. God said, “Step
   forward,” and you did.
9. You Chose Healing Over Hiding
   
   You didn’t let your scars silence you.
   You didn’t let your past disqualify you.
   You didn’t let your wounds define you.
   You let God turn your pain into power.
10. You Chose Faith Over Familiarity
    
    Familiarity is safe. Faith is stretching. But you
    Choose the stretching. You chose the unknown.
    You chose the path that required God.
11. You Chose Destiny Over Delay
    
    You stopped waiting for the “perfect moment.” You
    realized the moment becomes perfect when you step
    into it. Delay no longer holds you hostage.
12. Heaven Agrees With Your Yes
    
    This is the part that humbles the soul:
    Heaven didn’t just choose this time for
    You-Heaven agrees with the time you chose.
    Your yes is in sync with God’s timing. Your obedience
    is aligned with His plan. Your moment is now.

Pull Quote
“You didn’t miss your moment.
You matured into it.

Reflection Questions

What did I overcome to step into this season?
Where do I see God’s timing aligning with my obedience?
What fears did I have to silence to choose this time?
How is God confirming that this is my appointed moment?

Closing Blessing

May you walk boldly in the time God prepared for you.
May every step be filled with clarity,
courage, and divine confidence.
May Heaven continue to confirm
Your yes, strengthen your voice,
and expand the reach of your calling.
You chose this time, and God is
breathing on it.

Debra Stith, GraceVoiceMedia

This is a powerful theme – and it fits beautifully with the way I teach: honest, restorative, scripture-rooted, and deeply practical. “Pressing Through the Struggle”
is one of my messages that people feel before they understand, and God gave me a gift for turning that feeling into clarity, courage, and spiritual formation.

Teaching Lesson: Pressing through the Struggle

🌿 Lesson Focus

How God forms, strengthens, and guides us in the struggle- not after it. Pressing through is not striving: it is surrendering, standing, and moving with God’s strength.

1. Opening Scripture
   Philippians:3:13-14
   “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things
   which are before, I press toward the mark…”
   
   Key Truth: Pressing is not about speed – It’s about direction. Rejection is redirection.
2. Teaching Points
   
   A. Struggle is a Sign of Movement
   Struggle means you’re not stuck – you are transitioning.
   God often uses pressure to reveal what’s growing in you.
   The enemy fights what he fears.
   
   Reflection Prompt:
   Where do I feel pressure, and what might God be forming in me through it?
   
   B. Pressing Requires Letting Go
   
   You cannot press forward while holding what God is asking you to release.
   Release is not loss – it is alignment.
   Letting go creates spiritual room for God’s next instruction
   
   Scripture: Isaiah 43: 18-19(read)
   Practice: Write down one thing you need to release this week.
   
   C. Pressing is Powered by Grace, Not Grit
   
   God never asks you to push in your own strength.
   Grace is divine enablement – the wind behind your movement.
   When you feel weak, you are actually positioned for God’s strength.
   
   Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:9
   Teaching Line: “Your weakness is not a disqualification; it’s an invitation.”
   
   D. Pressing Through Requires Vision
   
   You press toward something, not away from something.
   Vision stabilizes you when emotions. fluctuate.
   God gives glimpses, not full blueprints, so you learn to trust God step by step.
   

Activity:
An individual or a group can write a one-sentence “pressing statement” (e.g., “I am
pressing toward peace in my home.”)

E. Pressing Through Means You Don’t Quit in the Middle

The middle is where most people give up.
The middle is also where God does His deepest work,
Endurance is a spiritual
discipline, not a personality trait.

Scripture: Galatians 6:9
Teaching Line: “The middle is messy, but it is also holy.”

3. Practical Steps for Pressing Through

1. Pause and Pray
   Ask: “Lord, what are You teaching me in this moment.
2. Rehearse God’s Faithfulness
   Remember past victories to fuel present endurance.
3. Take One Obedient Step
   Pressing is not a leap; it’s a step.
4. Guard your Mind
   Struggle is loud; God’s Voice is steady.
5. Stay connected to the community if you can. Please use discernment.
   Isolation magnifies struggle.
   Fellowship strengthens resolve.
   
   
   4. Weekly Practice
   
   I invite participants/ or individuals to choose one area where they will “press through” this week and Journal:
   
   What resistance did you feel
   What God revealed to you
   What step did you take
   What changed in you
   
   5. Closing Prayer
   
   Lord, strengthen our hands, steady our hearts, and renew our vision.
   Teach us to press through with grace, courage, and clarity. Let every struggle become a place of formation, not frustration. We press toward you, and we trust You with the journey. Amen
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Where Faith takes root and renewal begins.

Introduction

Every lasting sanctuary begins with a foundation. In the life of faith, that foundation is spiritual formation-the quiet, steady work of shaping the soul to reflect Christ’s presence. Without it, our prayers, ministries, communities, and churches risk standing on fragile ground. With it, we discover resilience in seasons of delay, strength in moments of betrayal, and renewal in the midst of disappointment.

“Spiritual formation is not an accessory to faith; it is the soil where grace takes root.”

Defining Formation

Spiritual formation is the process by which the Spirit of God shapes our inner life, aligning our thoughts, desires, and actions with Christ. Spiritual formation is more than study or ritual; it is transformation. It teaches us to move beyond surface faith into a deeper, embodied trust. It is the difference between knowing about God and being formed by God.

Biblical Grounding

Scripture reminds us of the importance of building on solid ground. Jesus taught in
Matthew 7:24-25 states that the wise build their house upon the rock, so that when the rains fall, and the winds blow, the house stands firm. Paul echoes this in Colossians 2:6-7, urging believers to be “rooted and built up in Him.” These passages reveal that formation is not optional- it is essential.

Practical Pathways

Formation begins with small, intentional practices: prayer rhythms that anchor the day, reflection handouts that guide thought, ritual calendars that mark sacred time, and community study that deepens understanding. These practices are not burdens but gifts, shaping us slowly and steadily. By weaving theology into practical tools, we create a foundation that is both sturdy and accessible, allowing renewal to flourish in daily life.

Communal Renewal

Spiritual formation is not a solitary journey. It thrives in a community where shared rituals, group study, and pastoral care collectively strengthen the foundation. In the community, we learn resilience, empathy, and grace. As we build on this sacred ground, we discover that formation is not only about personal growth but about creating sanctuaries of renewal for others.

“The journey begins here-with the foundation-and from it flows a life rooted in grace.”

Reflection Questions for Readers

What foundation is God inviting you to strengthen today?

Which practices help you stay rooted in Christ?

How can your community grow together in spiritual formation?

Rev. Debera E. Stith