VISION – HEIRS OF GOD
Based on the message by Pastor Chad Everett
OVERVIEW
What if the biggest thing limiting your future isn’t what’s happening around you, but what you’ve allowed yourself to believe?
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are sons and daughters of God and heirs according to His promise. Our identity is not determined by our circumstances, our past, other people’s opinions, or what we think we are capable of. We belong to God’s family.
God promised Abram land and descendants, but Abram had to respond to what God said. He had to leave things behind, lift his eyes beyond his circumstances, believe what God promised before he experienced it, and take steps of faith.
That same challenge confronts us today. We can become so focused on our problems, disappointments, fears, and the opinions of people around us that we lose sight of what God has said. We can know His promises and still refuse to move because we want to see the outcome first.
But faith isn’t waiting until everything looks possible. Faith believes God’s Word and responds with obedience.
God’s purpose for our lives extends beyond our personal success, comfort, or experiences. Our faith and obedience today can impact people and generations beyond us. Are we seeing big enough and far enough to believe God for something greater than ourselves?
“God asked Abram to see something before he possesses something.” – Chad Everett
The question is not simply whether you know what God has promised.
Are you willing to believe Him enough to live differently?
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
Read → Respond → Reflect → Pray → Live It
Read each passage carefully. Pay attention to what God says, what He promises, and how people respond.
Respond from Scripture. Don’t answer based only on what you remember from a sermon or what someone else has told you. Open your Bible and find the answers.
Reflect honestly. Think about your relationships, friendships, social media, attitudes, fears, future plans, and the decisions you make when no one is watching. Don’t settle for answers that sound spiritual but never challenge how you actually live.
Pray about what the Holy Spirit reveals, and then Live It. Choose a specific response that puts God’s Word into action.
SECTION 1 — LEAVE BEHIND WHAT GOD TELLS YOU TO LEAVE BEHIND
FOCUS
God told Abram to leave his country and family, but Abram brought Lot with him. After they separated, God spoke to Abram about the promised land. Obedience sometimes requires letting go of familiar things, offenses, unhealthy attachments, or our need for control. Following God’s direction means trusting His wisdom, even when we don’t understand what comes next.
READ
Genesis 12:1–4; Genesis 13:5–14
RESPOND
- What specific things did God tell Abram to leave in Genesis 12:1?
- Who accompanied Abram when he departed, and how did that compare with God’s original instruction?
- What conflict developed between Abram’s and Lot’s households?
- How did Abram handle the conflict, and what did Lot choose?
- What happened before God spoke to Abram again in Genesis 13:14, and why is that detail significant to the sermon?
REFLECT
- What are you holding on to that you know is keeping you from fully obeying God? Why have you been unwilling to let it go?
- What are you afraid you might lose if you obey God completely? What does that fear reveal about where you’ve placed your trust?
- If you continue choosing what is comfortable or familiar over what God says, where could that lead you? What would genuine obedience look like right now?
PRAY
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything you’ve continued holding on to despite knowing God is calling you to let it go. Be honest about why you’ve resisted, and ask Him to help you trust His direction more than your own understanding.
LIVE IT
Identify one specific attitude, offense, habit, or attachment you need to leave behind. Write down what obedience would actually require, and take the first step this week.
READ MORE
Genesis 13:14–17
SECTION 2 — LIFT YOUR EYES AND SEE BEYOND YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES
FOCUS
God told Abram to lift his eyes and look in every direction at the land He had promised. Yet we can become so focused on problems, relationships, fears, or uncertainty about the future that we lose sight of God’s Word. God told Abram to look from where he was. We don’t have to wait for better circumstances to begin seeing our lives through His promises.
READ
Genesis 13:14–16; Psalm 121:1–2
RESPOND
- Where did God direct Abram’s attention after Lot separated from him?
- Why is the phrase “from the place where you are” important in Genesis 13:14?
- What did God promise Abram concerning the land he could see?
- How far beyond Abram’s own lifetime did God’s promise extend?
- According to Psalm 121:1–2, where does our help come from?
REFLECT
- What situation, disappointment, or fear has become so big in your thinking that it’s affecting how you see yourself, your future, or what God can do?
- Have you allowed your circumstances, past experiences, or other people’s opinions to determine what you believe is possible? How does that compare with what God’s Word says?
- If you stopped looking at your life primarily through what you see and feel, what would change about the way you think, pray, and make decisions?
PRAY
Ask God to show you where your vision has become limited by fear, disappointment, or circumstances. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize what you’ve allowed to become bigger in your thinking than God’s Word.
LIVE IT
Pay attention to what dominates your thoughts this week. Identify one recurring worry or negative belief, find a truth from the Scripture passages you’ve studied that speaks to it, and intentionally return your attention to that truth.
READ MORE
Philippians 4:6–7
SECTION 3 — SEE THE PROMISE BEFORE YOU POSSESS IT
FOCUS
God asked Abram to see the land before he possessed it. Second Corinthians 5:7 tells us to walk by faith, not by sight. When Jesus told ten men with leprosy to go show themselves to the priests, they were healed as they went. Faith means believing God’s Word and responding with obedience, even before we see the outcome.
READ
Genesis 13:14–17; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Luke 17:11–14
RESPOND
- What did God ask Abram to see before he had taken possession of the land?
- What did God promise concerning the land Abram could see?
- What contrast does Paul make in 2 Corinthians 5:7?
- What did Jesus instruct the ten men with leprosy to do?
- When were the men cleansed, and what does the order of events reveal about their response to Jesus?
REFLECT
- Where are you waiting to see results or have everything figured out before you’re willing to trust and obey God?
- When God’s Word says one thing but your circumstances seem to say another, which one actually determines your decisions? What evidence in your life supports your answer?
- What step of obedience have you been delaying because you cannot see how things will turn out? What would it look like to act on God’s Word before seeing the outcome?
PRAY
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where you’ve allowed what you see or feel to carry more authority than God’s Word. Ask for faith that responds to what God says, even when the outcome isn’t yet visible.
LIVE IT
Identify one area where you’ve been waiting for proof before taking a step of obedience. Find what Scripture says about your response, then take one practical step that demonstrates trust in God rather than waiting for your circumstances to change.
READ MORE
Joshua 1:3
SECTION 4 — ARISE AND WALK IN YOUR GOD-GIVEN AUTHORITY
FOCUS
God told Abram to arise and walk through the land He had promised. Knowing God’s promises wasn’t enough; Abram had to move. As sons and daughters of God through Jesus, we’re called to represent Him rather than allowing fear or others’ opinions to control our choices. Our faith and obedience can influence people and generations beyond our own lives.
READ
Genesis 13:14–17; Joshua 1:1–3; Galatians 3:26–29
RESPOND
- What did God tell Abram to do after showing him the land?
- What connection do you see between God’s instruction to Abram and His promise to Joshua in Joshua 1:3?
- According to Galatians 3:26, how do we become sons and daughters of God?
- What does Galatians 3:29 say about those who belong to Christ?
- How does God’s promise concerning Abram’s descendants show that His purposes reached beyond Abram’s own lifetime?
REFLECT
- Where have fear, insecurity, or the desire to fit in kept you from representing Jesus through your words, decisions, or actions?
- If someone younger followed your example of Christianity, what would your life teach them about trusting God, obeying His Word, and living as His son or daughter?
- Are your goals and decisions focused mainly on what you want for yourself, or are you living with a vision that could impact others beyond your own life? What would need to change?
PRAY
Ask God to give you a bigger vision for your life than personal success, acceptance, or comfort. Ask the Holy Spirit for courage to represent Jesus faithfully wherever He has placed you.
LIVE IT
Choose one place where you’ve been holding back because of fear or insecurity. Take a specific step to represent Jesus there this week, whether that means praying with someone, speaking truth, offering encouragement, or refusing to compromise what you believe.
READ MORE
Genesis 13:14–17
SECTION 5 — DRIVE OUT OPPOSITION AND POSSESS THE PROMISE
FOCUS
God told Israel to drive out what stood in the way of possessing the promised land. Opposition didn’t mean God had withdrawn His promise. Fear, anxiety, lies, and unhealthy patterns of thinking can also keep us from moving forward. We must confront what doesn’t agree with God’s Word, establish His truth in our hearts, and refuse to let resistance determine our direction.
READ
Numbers 33:50–53; Philippians 4:6–7
RESPOND
- What responsibility did God give the Israelites when they entered the promised land?
- What specific things did God command them to remove or destroy?
- How does Numbers 33:53 connect driving out the inhabitants with possessing the land?
- What does Philippians 4:6 instruct believers to do instead of being anxious?
- According to Philippians 4:7, what does God’s peace guard?
REFLECT
- What lie, fear, or negative belief have you allowed to shape the way you see yourself or your future? How long have you been allowing it to influence you?
- What does God’s Word say that directly confronts that belief? Why have you continued giving the lie more influence than the truth?
- If you truly accepted God’s Word as the authority over your thoughts and circumstances, what would you need to stop believing, stop tolerating, or start doing differently?
PRAY
Ask the Holy Spirit to expose lies, fears, and patterns of thinking that have gained influence in your life. Ask Him to help you recognize opposition without surrendering to it and to establish God’s truth in your heart.
LIVE IT
Write down one lie or negative belief you’ve allowed to shape your life. Find a specific truth from God’s Word that confronts it. When that lie comes against you this week, deliberately reject it and remind yourself of what God says instead. Let that truth influence one real decision.
READ MORE
Galatians 3:26–29
FINAL ENCOURAGEMENT
“We have to step into the promise before we can possess the promise.” – Chad Everett
You can hear sermons, attend church, know Bible verses, and agree with everything you’ve studied without allowing any of it to change your life.
But God didn’t tell Abram simply to admire the land from a distance. He told him to lift his eyes, see what He had promised, and arise and walk.
What are you holding on to that God has told you to leave behind? What problem has become bigger in your thinking than His promises? Where are you waiting for circumstances to change instead of taking a step of faith? What lies have you allowed to determine what you believe about yourself and your future?
And are you seeing big enough and far enough that your faith and obedience today could impact people beyond you, even generations to come?
Don’t allow your circumstances, your fears, or other people’s expectations to set the limits of your vision.
Lift your eyes. Believe God’s Word. Take a step of faith.