What is God asking of you today?
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Discover what God is truly asking of you today and how taking bold steps of faith can transform your life, your gifts, and the world around you.
Description
God Asking You Overview
In this compelling message from NTC Ministries, the pastor opens with a bold and searching question: what is God truly asking of you today? Drawing from Ephesians 2:8-10, Luke 19, and James 2:14-26, the sermon challenges the common misconception that salvation is merely a ticket to heaven that permits passive Christianity. The pastor uses the military as a vivid analogy, illustrating how enlisting in God’s army demands discipline, obedience, and active deployment of the gifts He has entrusted to us. Personal stories ground the message in lived experience, including how a reluctant teenager discovered a calling through guitar lessons and eventually led worship, and how praying with strangers at a food pantry has produced healings, restored families, and answered prayers. Nine foundational practices are presented, from believing in Jesus and prioritizing Him above all else, to reading Scripture, forgiving others, praying without ceasing, and loving sacrificially. The pastor reminds believers that they are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works prepared beforehand, and that sitting idly by while gifts go unused is not faithful stewardship. The call to action is urgent, pastoral, and filled with hope: take your step of faith today, because the world is watching and needs the light only you can carry.
God Asking You Outline
- 00:00 – Opening Context and the Question Before Us: The pastor sets the stage by referencing Dr. Holman’s ministry trip to African French-speaking churches and introduces the central question: what is God asking of you today?
- 05:30 – The Army of the Living God: Using the military as an analogy, the pastor explains that joining God’s army requires discipline, surrender of personal preference, and readiness to be deployed wherever He sends you.
- 12:00 – Nine Things God Asks of Every Believer: A rapid survey of nine biblical imperatives including believing in Jesus, prioritizing Him, reading the Word, gathering in church, forgiving others, giving thanks, praying without ceasing, loving others, and caring for widows and orphans.
- 22:00 – You Are His Masterpiece, Called for Purpose: Drawing from Ephesians 2:8-10, the pastor explains that believers are God’s workmanship created for good works, not passive observers. The word workmanship is unpacked as masterpiece.
- 29:00 – The Parable of the Minas in Luke 19: Jesus teaches His disciples through the parable of a nobleman and his servants. The pastor applies it directly: God expects a return on the gifts He has invested in each believer.
- 38:00 – Faith Without Works Is Dead: James 2:14-26 is unpacked to show that genuine saving faith produces action. Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac is held up as the supreme example of faith and works operating in synergy.
- 46:00 – Practical Steps: Praying at the Food Pantry: A personal illustration of praying with people at the church food pantry demonstrates how ordinary believers can take bold steps of faith in everyday situations and see real transformation.
- 50:00 – Rise Above Fear and Take Your Step Today: The pastor closes with an urgent exhortation to resist fear, prioritize God’s calling, and step forward in faith, reminding the congregation that Christ in them is the hope of glory.
Scripture References
Acts 16:31, Matthew 6:33, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 10:25, Luke 6:37, Philippians 2:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 1 Corinthians 13, James 1:27, Ephesians 2:8-10, Luke 19:12-26, Philippians 3:14, Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6, James 2:14-26, Proverbs 28:1, Luke 6:46, Psalms 8
Key Takeaways
- God does not call believers to passive faith; He created each person as His masterpiece for good works prepared beforehand, and He expects those works to be walked out daily.
- Salvation is a gift received by faith, not earned by works, but a living faith will always produce works that reflect the love and character of Christ in the world.
- The gifts God has entrusted to you are not yours to hide; like the servant in the parable of the minas, burying what He has given will result in loss rather than increase.
- Prioritizing God above every other relationship and responsibility is not a sacrifice that costs you something good but an act of trust that opens the door to what God has prepared.
- Forgiveness is not optional for the believer; harboring unforgiveness opens the door to bitterness that will destroy you mentally, spiritually, and physically.
- You can reach people that no one else in the body of Christ can reach, which means your obedience to God’s specific call on your life has an irreplaceable impact on those around you.
- Faith and works operate together in synergy; taking a step of faith, however small it feels, is how God grows you from faith to faith, strength to strength, and glory to glory.
God Asking You Notes
Faith Calls Believers to Active Obedience
The central teaching of this message is that Christianity was never designed to be a passive experience. The pastor draws a clear contrast between those who treat salvation as a ticket to heaven requiring nothing further and those who understand that God has prepared good works for every believer to walk in. Ephesians 2:10 becomes the anchor text, revealing that we are His workmanship, His masterpiece, created not to sit on a shelf but to be deployed with purpose. The military analogy reinforces this: soldiers do not enlist to lounge at the base but to be trained, disciplined, and sent on mission.
Nine Biblical Practices Shape Daily Discipleship
Rather than offering abstract inspiration, the pastor grounds the message in nine concrete practices drawn directly from Scripture. These include believing in Jesus, seeking His kingdom first, reading the Bible consistently, assembling with other believers, forgiving others freely, giving thanks without complaining, praying without ceasing, loving sacrificially, and caring for the vulnerable. Each practice is backed with a specific verse, making the list not a self-help checklist but a biblical portrait of what a disciple’s life looks like day to day. Together these nine habits form the rhythm of a life submitted to what God is asking.
Personal Story Shows Gifts Discovered Through Faith
One of the most disarming moments in the message is the pastor’s account of learning guitar at age fourteen, never imagining it would lead to leading worship. The nervousness of singing in front of peers, the reluctant yes to his father’s encouragement, and the eventual formation of a chapel worship team all illustrate how God reveals and develops gifts through small, sometimes uncomfortable steps of obedience. The story is relatable precisely because it begins with resistance and ends with fruitfulness, showing that calling is rarely obvious at the outset but becomes clear as each step of faith is taken.
The Parable of the Minas Warns Against Passivity
Luke 19:12-26 provides the sermon’s sharpest warning. The servant who hid his mina out of fear was not commended for caution but rebuked as wicked. The nobleman represents Christ who has gone to prepare a kingdom and will return expecting a return on what He has entrusted to His servants. The pastor applies this directly: the gifts, opportunities, and calling God has placed in each believer are not safeguarded by inaction but are multiplied through use. Sitting idly by is not faithfulness; it is the very behavior the parable condemns.
Praying at the Food Pantry Models Bold Faith
The pastor shares how volunteering at the church food pantry became an unexpected arena for bold, Spirit-led ministry. Rather than simply distributing groceries, he stops to listen, takes the hands of those in need, and prays specifically over their situations. The results he has witnessed, including healings, job breakthroughs, and reconciled families, demonstrate that ordinary believers in ordinary settings can see extraordinary results when they act on the quiet inkling the Holy Spirit places within them. This illustration answers the unspoken fear that stepping out in faith requires special gifts or formal ministry credentials.
The World Needs the Hope Only Christ Provides
The sermon closes with an urgent sense of cultural and spiritual moment. The pastor acknowledges the pressures that have pushed believers toward retreat and silence in recent years, but counters that Scripture calls the church to increase its activity as the day of Christ’s return approaches, not decrease it. Believers are the salt that preserves and the light that pierces darkness. A world without hope is searching for something it cannot name, and Christ in His people is the answer. The closing exhortation is pastoral and compassionate: your time is not over, your gifts are needed, and today is the day to take your step of faith.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does God ask of believers according to the Bible?
The Bible makes clear that God calls every believer to active, obedient faith. Ephesians 2:10 states that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. This means salvation is the beginning of a life of purposeful action, not the end of responsibility.
What is the meaning of the parable of the minas in Luke 19?
In Luke 19:12-26, Jesus tells of a nobleman who entrusts his servants with resources before departing, then holds each accountable upon his return. The servant who buried his mina out of fear was rebuked and stripped of what he had. The parable teaches that God expects His people to faithfully use every gift, opportunity, and calling He has given them rather than hiding them through passivity or fear.
Does the Bible say faith without works is dead?
Yes. James 2:17 states that faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. This does not mean works earn salvation, which Ephesians 2:8-9 makes clear is by grace through faith alone, but rather that genuine saving faith will always produce visible fruit in how a believer lives and loves others.
How do I know what God is calling me to do?
The Bible directs believers to seek God first through prayer, Scripture reading, and involvement in the local church. As you prioritize His kingdom according to Matthew 6:33, He opens your eyes to gifts and opportunities you may not have recognized. Often the calling begins with a small, uncomfortable step of obedience that grows into a clearer sense of purpose over time.
Why is forgiveness important for Christians?
Jesus directly links our willingness to forgive others with God’s willingness to forgive us, as seen in Luke 6:37. The pastor notes that harboring unforgiveness opens the door to bitterness, which can destroy a person mentally, spiritually, and physically. Releasing offenses is not weakness but an act of faith that keeps the believer spiritually free and effective.
What does it mean to be the salt and light of the world?
Being salt and light, as Jesus describes in the Gospels, means that a believer’s consistent character, love, and obedience visibly preserve and illuminate the culture around them. Salt does not perform; it simply is what it is and flavors everything it touches. Believers who live out their faith authentically in workplaces, families, and communities create an attraction that draws others toward Christ.
What does Ephesians 2:10 mean when it says we are God’s workmanship?
The Greek word translated workmanship in Ephesians 2:10 carries the meaning of a masterpiece, a carefully crafted work of art. The verse declares that every believer has been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared long before they were born. This means each person carries a unique, God-designed purpose that no one else can fulfill in exactly the same way.
How can a regular Christian take steps of faith in everyday life?
The sermon illustrates that steps of faith do not require a pulpit or formal ministry role. Stopping to pray with someone at a food pantry, introducing yourself to a neighbor, sharing an encouraging word, or volunteering in your local church are all acts of obedience that God uses to bring healing, hope, and transformation. First Thessalonians 5:17 encourages believers to pray without ceasing, turning everyday encounters into opportunities for God to work.
