Pastor Chad Everett | The Roads Church
Main Passage: Exodus 3
SEO Keyphrase: God’s Plan and Provision for Your Life
YouTube Sermon Link: https://youtu.be/au_G0oXsCgM
YouVersion Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49415958
God’s Plan and Provision for Your Life Begins With Being With Jesus
Today, we’re going to talk about being with Jesus. As we concluded our “Pillars of the Church” series last week, we emphasized the importance of prayer and God’s presence. That led me to stay on this topic a little longer, especially as we move closer to Resurrection Sunday. So let’s dive in.
Get your Bibles out—at The Roads Church, we love the Bible. Open to Exodus chapter 3, and let’s explore what it means to be with Jesus and how it connects to God’s plan and provision for your life.
Prayer: Aligning With Heaven’s Agenda
“Father in heaven, glorious King—thank you. Thank you for redeeming us, for saving us.”
I prayed today for communication freedom and that the Holy Spirit would release revelation into our spirits. My prayer is that people would be drawn to Jesus and forever changed by His Word.
The Encounter With God: Exodus 3
Let’s revisit the moment Moses encountered God in the burning bush.
In Exodus 3:2, it says the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire from a bush. The bush burned, but was not consumed. Important to note—when the Old Testament refers to “the angel of the Lord,” it’s not just an angel. This phrase often refers to a manifestation of God Himself—possibly even Jesus in a pre-incarnate form.
Turning Aside: The First Step Into God’s Plan
Moses sees the burning bush and says, “I will now turn aside to see this great sight.” And when the Lord saw that Moses turned aside, God called to him from the bush.
“Some things we may not be experiencing because we didn’t turn aside.”
This line hits deeply. Are we missing out on God’s voice because we won’t turn aside from our distractions—our phones, our schedules, our scrolling? God may be ready to speak, but He often waits for us to turn aside and truly look.
God’s Plan Begins With a Moment of Attention
God calls, “Moses, Moses!” Why Moses? Because Moses turned aside.
Had someone else turned aside, maybe the voice would’ve said “Judy” or “Steve.” But it was Moses who took the time to look—and that moment of attention became the launchpad for his calling.
The Call and the Mission: Deliverance for Israel
In verse 8, God shares His plan: “I have come down to deliver them [Israel] out of the hand of the Egyptians.”
Then in verse 10, He reveals Moses’ role: “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh.”
Moses immediately questions his worth and ability: “Who am I that I should go?” (verse 11)
God’s Provision is His Presence
In response, God gives the ultimate assurance:
“I will certainly be with you.” (Exodus 3:12)
“God’s provision is His presence.”
This is where God’s plan and provision for your life starts: not with your qualifications, but with God saying, “I will be with you.”
The Three Ps: Plan, Provision, and Partnership
Here are three essential truths about being with Jesus:
- Plan – God has one.
- Provision – It’s already built into the plan.
- Partnership (or Participation) – He invites us to join in.
God had a plan to free Israel. The provision? Himself. The partnership? Moses.
Provision Is Built Into God’s Plan
God never has a plan and then scrambles for how to fund or fulfill it. His provision is not added later—it’s embedded in the plan.
“Every time God has a plan, built into that plan is the provision for that plan.”
So when you hear God speak, don’t respond with, “But how?” Instead, trust that the “how” is found in the “Who.”
God’s Presence Is With the Plan, Not the Preference
Here’s a challenging truth:
“God is not with us because we’re us—He’s with us because we’re with His plan.”
We often pray, “God, be with me today.” But the more powerful prayer is, “God, help me be with You and Your plans today.” God’s presence accompanies His purposes, not our preferences.
Religion or Relationship: What Are We Asking God to Bless?
How often do we ask God to bless our day, our plans, our goals—without asking if those plans are His?
We must move from “God, be with me in what I’m doing” to “God, align me with what You’re doing.”
The Emphasis Is on Who Is With You, Not What You’re Called to Do
When Moses said, “Who am I?”, God didn’t give a motivational speech. He said, “I will be with you.”
“The emphasis is not on what God is asking you to do. The emphasis is on Who is with you to do it.”
This is foundational to God’s plan and provision for your life. The calling is big, but the God who called you is bigger.
God’s Plans Require God
“God’s plans require God.”
This simple but powerful line cuts deep. If you can fulfill your current plans without God, they may not be His plans.
We can manipulate or force things, but that doesn’t mean we’re in God’s will. God-sized plans will always stretch us beyond our abilities and require His involvement to be fulfilled.
Do Your Dreams Require God?
“If you don’t have any plans in your life right now that are impossible, you might want to re-pray.”
God was speaking this directly to me. He said, “Chad, you’re dreaming too small. You’re dreaming at your level. I want you to dream at Mine.”
The Problem Isn’t the Plan—It’s the Provision
Many times, we don’t get discouraged by what God asks. We get discouraged by how we think it’s supposed to happen.
“We get discouraged not by what God asks us to do, but whether we believe we have the resources to do it.”
If God said, “Buy a new car,” you might panic. But if He handed you a check for $70,000 with it, the command wouldn’t scare you anymore. The stress is rarely the task—it’s the lack of provision we imagine.
God’s Provision Makes the Impossible Possible
The emphasis must shift from “What has God asked me to do?” to “What provision has God already made?”
“If I’ll focus on the provision of God, then nothing is impossible with God.”
Partnering With God’s Plan Is Not About You
“God’s plan is not about you—but it includes you.”
God’s master plan is global and eternal, and yet He graciously weaves our personal fulfillment into it. When you partner with God’s plan, your gifts and desires begin to find their purpose.
Fulfillment Comes From God’s Plan, Not Your Own
We often want God to bless our ambitions—but true joy and purpose only come when we walk in His design.
“We can’t take God’s plans and massage them into our preferences and expect the same blessing.”
His provision follows His plan, not our preferences.
Abraham’s Example: The Pattern of Plan, Provision, and Partnership
Let’s go to Genesis 12:1–3 and see this model:
- Plan: “Get out of your country… to a land I will show you.”
- Provision: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you… and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
- Partnership: “So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him.”
Abraham had to step out before he saw. God’s plan required faith steps, not full blueprints.
Faith Will Always Be Required in God’s Plan
“If there’s no faith, it’s not of God.”
God’s plans require us to move based on what we hear, not what we see. He may not show us everything, but He’s always faithful to provide once we obey.
Provision Follows Obedience, Not Negotiation
We can’t ask for the blessing of Genesis 12 while refusing to obey Genesis 12:1.
“God’s provision is attached to His plan. It’s not attached to my preference.”
Abraham couldn’t stay home and still be made into a great nation. The journey required movement.
Stop Seeking Approval for What God Already Spoke
When God speaks a plan to you, don’t delay by polling public opinion.
“Be careful running God’s voice through public approval. Sometimes you need to obey as the Lord spoke to you.”
We don’t need 17 confirmations. We need courage to obey.
Stop Trusting People to Provide What Only God Can
I used to say, “God, how can I trust my family’s needs to church attendance or people giving?” God corrected me:
“I didn’t ask you to trust people. I asked you to trust Me.”
Jeremiah 29:11 – God Has a Plan and Provision For Your Life
Let’s bring it back to the familiar verse:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.”
— Jeremiah 29:11
This verse directly connects God’s plan and provision for your life. In His plan is your peace, your future, your hope.
Prayer Is the Place of Partnership
Jeremiah continues in verse 12:
“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”
When do we experience provision? When we turn aside and enter into prayer. God’s provision follows partnership.
Two Final Questions
- Do you know God’s plan for your life?
Not every detail—but are you even seeking it? - Are you willing to partner with it?
It’s one thing to know the plan. It’s another to say, “Yes, I’ll follow it.”
God’s Plan to Redeem the World Required the Ultimate Provision
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16)
God had a plan to redeem us. The provision? Jesus.
And even with that plan and provision, there’s still one missing part: our partnership. We must accept what Jesus did by faith to receive the benefit.
This Year: A Tipping Point of Obedience
As I celebrated 27 years of marriage, I realized something:
“I’ve now been married longer than I was single. That relationship now defines my life more than anything before it.”
God spoke to me in that moment:
“This year will be a tipping point for you with Me. Your life will now be more defined by Me than by anything before.”
God Is Asking You to Dream His Plans Again
When’s the last time you believed God for something only He could do?
“Stop thinking about your provision. Start thinking about God’s.”
God is calling you to dream again—not according to your limits, but His promises.
You’re Never Too Young or Too Old for God’s Plans
“Whether you’re 8 or 85, God sees you with joy and says, ‘I’ve got plans for them.’”
Don’t disqualify yourself by age or past mistakes. God’s plan still stands, and He still wants your partnership.
1. Exodus 3:1–12
Key Theme: God appears to Moses in the burning bush, reveals His plan to deliver Israel, and promises to be with Moses.
“I will certainly be with you.” — Exodus 3:12
2. Genesis 12:1–3
Key Theme: God calls Abram to leave his homeland and follow Him by faith. God gives both a plan and a promise of provision.
“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you…”
3. Jeremiah 29:11–13
Key Theme: God’s thoughts (or plans) for His people are full of peace, hope, and future — if they seek and partner with Him.
“For I know the plans I have for you… plans to give you a future and a hope.”
4. John 3:16–17
Key Theme: God’s ultimate redemptive plan is fulfilled through Jesus. Salvation is His provision, and we partner by receiving it.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”
5. Joshua 1:1–9 (Mentioned for further reading)
Suggested Reading: God commissions Joshua after Moses. The passage reinforces the pattern of God’s plan, His provision (His presence), and the call to partner through obedience and courage.