Whose will is winning in your life? Every day, competing choices, intentions, and purposes influence how we think, respond, and live. We may confess Jesus as Lord, but does His will actually govern our decisions? Understanding God’s will for your life requires more than knowing what Scripture says. It requires surrendering our own desires and choosing obedience to Him.

In this message from the Ephesians sermon series, Chad Everett takes us deeper into five powerful words in Ephesians 1:1: “by the will of God.” These words confront us with a question we cannot afford to ignore. Whose choices, intentions, and purposes are directing our lives?

Four Wills That Impact Our Lives

Paul identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ “by the will of God.” His calling came through God’s choices, intentions, and purposes, not his own ambition or the approval of others.

Four wills can impact our lives: God’s will, our own will, Satan’s will, and the will of others. Each carries intentions and purposes that can influence our circumstances and decisions. However, we have a responsibility to determine which will governs our response.

Consider the decisions you make every day. Are you seeking God’s direction, or are you allowing personal preferences, pressure from others, and fear of opposition to influence your obedience? Walking in God’s will for your life means refusing to give another will the authority that belongs to Him.

God’s Will Is Greater Than the Will Against Us

In Luke 22:31–32, Jesus tells Peter that Satan desires to sift him like wheat. Yet Jesus has already prayed that Peter’s faith will not fail. Rather than allowing Satan’s intentions to determine Peter’s future, Jesus speaks of Peter returning and strengthening his brothers.

Opposition may be real, but it does not have the final authority over God’s purposes. Therefore, we must stop measuring God’s faithfulness by the absence of trouble. When circumstances become difficult, will we magnify the opposition or trust the One whose purposes are greater? Our confidence must rest in Jesus and His Word, not in whether everything around us appears to be going according to plan.

Persecution Cannot Stop God’s Purposes

Before Paul became an apostle, he was Saul, a determined persecutor of the Church. He approved of Stephen’s death, entered believers’ homes, and dragged men and women into prison. However, Acts 8 reveals something remarkable. As persecution scattered believers throughout Judea and Samaria, they continued preaching God’s Word wherever they went.

Saul intended to destroy the Church, but the Gospel continued spreading into new regions. What the enemy scattered to destroy, God was sowing to multiply. As the Body of Christ, we must examine our perspective. Do we see opposition as evidence of defeat, or do we recognize opportunities for God’s Kingdom to advance?

Are we allowing difficult circumstances to silence our witness, or will we continue proclaiming Jesus wherever He places us? God’s will for your life is not dependent on the absence of opposition. We are called to remain faithful to His purposes even when obedience becomes costly.

One Encounter With Jesus Can Change Everything

Saul’s determination to destroy the Church eventually took him toward Damascus. His intentions were clear, but God’s purposes were greater. As Saul approached the city, a light suddenly shone from heaven. Jesus confronted the very man who had dedicated himself to persecuting His followers.

In that moment, Saul encountered a will greater than his own. His response revealed a dramatic change in direction: “Lord, what do You want me to do?” The man who once persecuted the Church would become an apostle of Jesus Christ.

What circumstances have convinced you that change is impossible? Who have you stopped believing God can reach? Where have you allowed what you see happening around you to become greater in your thinking than what God is capable of accomplishing? We serve a God who can intervene suddenly. Consequently, we must refuse to let present circumstances limit our faith in His purposes. One encounter with Jesus can change everything.

Surrender Your Will and Trust God’s Plan

Jesus demonstrated complete surrender to the Father when He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, “Not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). That same surrender must shape our lives as followers of Christ. We cannot claim Jesus as Lord while continually allowing our own preferences, the approval of others, or fear of opposition to determine our choices.

Furthermore, surrender does not require knowing every detail of God’s plan. When Saul encountered Jesus, he received instructions for his next step, not a complete explanation of his future. Obedience began with responding to what Jesus told him to do. As we pursue God’s will for our lives, we must be willing to take that next step, even when we cannot see the entire path ahead.

“We have the opportunity to decide which one of these wills will have the final say in our lives.” — Chad Everett

God’s will for your life is greater than your own plans and every opposing intention. Yet knowing that truth is not the same as living surrendered to it. As the Body of Christ, we must examine whether God’s will truly governs our decisions, relationships, priorities, and Kingdom assignments. Are we allowing His Word to direct our lives, or are we still trying to follow Jesus on our own terms?

Whose will wins? Don’t simply answer with what you believe. Examine how you live, surrender what competes with His will, and obey what God is asking you to do now.

Scripture References

Ephesians 1:1, Luke 22:31–32, Acts 7:54–60, Acts 8:1–4, Acts 9:1–6

Called to Represent the Kingdom of Heaven

What does it mean to live in this world while representing a Kingdom that is not of this world? As followers of Jesus, we have a greater assignment than simply attending church services, learning biblical principles, or trying to live good lives. We are called to be ambassadors for Christ, representing His authority, His interests, and His Kingdom wherever He sends us.

In this opening message of the Ephesians sermon series, Pastor Chad Everett begins a verse-by-verse journey through Paul’s letter, starting with Ephesians 1:1: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.”

These opening words reveal a powerful truth about our identity and purpose. Just as Paul was sent to represent Jesus Christ, believers today have been entrusted with a Kingdom assignment that reaches into every area of life.

Ambassadors for Christ: Representing the One Who Sent Us

An ambassador does not represent personal opinions, preferences, or ambitions. Instead, an ambassador carries the authority and interests of the one who sent them.

Likewise, our identity as ambassadors for Christ changes how we approach everyday life. Although we live in this world, Philippians 3:20 reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven. Therefore, the values of God’s Kingdom—not the shifting standards of the world—must shape our decisions, relationships, conversations, and actions.

Consider what that means for your workplace, family, neighborhood, and community. Are you representing your own interests, or are you allowing God’s Word to determine how you live?

New Creations Entrusted with the Ministry of Reconciliation

Before we can fully understand our assignment, we must recognize what Jesus has already accomplished.

Second Corinthians 5:17 declares that anyone in Christ is a new creation. The old has passed away, and all things have become new. This transformation does not come through improved behavior, religious performance, or personal achievement. It comes through reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ.

Yet God’s work does not stop with our reconciliation. According to 2 Corinthians 5:18–20, He has also entrusted us with the ministry and message of reconciliation.

Consequently, being ambassadors for Christ means carrying the message of what Jesus has accomplished into the world around us. We are not merely recipients of God’s grace; we have been sent to make His truth known to others.

The Ekklesia: Called to Advance God’s Kingdom

When Jesus declared, “I will build My church,” in Matthew 16:18, He used the Greek word ekklesia.

Throughout this message, Chad challenges believers to understand the Church as more than a building, an organization, or a weekly gathering. The Church is God’s people, called to represent His Kingdom and carry His authority into the world.

Furthermore, Jesus declared that the gates of Hades would not prevail against His Church. Rather than retreating from the world or allowing its culture to determine our values, we are called to advance God’s Kingdom through the truth and authority of Jesus Christ.

This changes how we understand our purpose. We gather as the Church to worship, grow, encourage one another, and receive instruction from God’s Word. However, our Kingdom assignment continues long after the gathering ends.

The Keys of the Kingdom: Living Under Heaven’s Authority

In Matthew 16:19, Jesus speaks of giving the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.

As ambassadors for Christ, we do not operate according to our own authority or attempt to persuade heaven to support our personal agendas. Instead, we align ourselves with the authority and purposes of the Kingdom we represent.

Our responsibility is to discover what God’s Word reveals about His will and bring our lives into agreement with His truth.

Therefore, the question is not simply what we want God to do in our circumstances. We must also ask whether our thinking, decisions, and actions reflect the authority of heaven.

Get Out of the Locker Room and Get on the Field!

Chad uses a powerful sports illustration to challenge the Church. A locker room serves an important purpose. Teams gather there to receive instruction, encouragement, correction, and preparation. Nevertheless, the game is not played in the locker room.

In the same way, gathering with other believers equips us for the assignment God has given us. But if we continually receive instruction without putting God’s Word into action, we miss the purpose of that preparation.

Being ambassadors for Christ requires more than hearing the message. It requires living it.

Where has God placed you to represent Him? What opportunities are in front of you to demonstrate His truth, extend His love, and share the message of reconciliation?

Jesus has called His Church to carry His Kingdom into the world. Now is the time to move beyond simply attending church services and begin living every day as the Church.

The assignment is clear. Represent Jesus Christ, live under His authority, and put His Word into action wherever He has placed you.

“You are an ambassador for Jesus Christ. And when you walk out these doors, it’s game time.” Chad Everett

Scripture References

Ephesians 1:1–2, 2 Corinthians 5:17–20, Philippians 3:20, Matthew 16:13–19, Ephesians 6:19–20

What if one conversation, one act of encouragement, or one step of obedience could change someone’s life forever?

In this powerful message, Focusing on the One, Lee Grady, longtime friend and Overseer of The Roads Church, challenges believers to recognize the extraordinary Kingdom potential in reaching just one person.

Throughout the book of Acts, God used ordinary people and individual encounters to accomplish extraordinary things. Philip shared Jesus with an Ethiopian man. Paul invested in people others might have overlooked, and those relationships helped spread the gospel and strengthen the early Church.

That same opportunity exists for us today. God has placed people in our lives who need His love, truth, and encouragement. The question is whether we’re paying attention and willing to respond.

Build Genuine Relationships That Reflect God’s Love

Christianity is more than attending church services or participating in ministry activities. God calls us into a family where relationships matter, and genuine love extends beyond Sunday gatherings.

The Apostle Paul demonstrated this through his deep affection for fellow believers. In Romans 16, he personally recognized individuals who served, sacrificed, and partnered with him in advancing the gospel.

Likewise, we are called to move beyond surface-level connections and genuinely invest in others. Building meaningful relationships requires time, compassion, and a willingness to open our hearts. It also means recognizing the value of people who may not be part of our usual social circles.

Focusing on the One begins when we stop seeing people as faces in a crowd and start recognizing their individual value to God.

Recognize Divine Opportunities and Respond in Obedience

In Acts 8, God directed Philip away from a powerful revival to a deserted road. There, he encountered one Ethiopian man who was reading Scripture but needed someone to help him understand it.

Philip obeyed the Holy Spirit, approached the man, and shared the good news of Jesus Christ. As a result, the man believed and was baptized.

Just as He directed Philip, God still directs our steps today. His opportunities may come through an unexpected conversation, a struggling coworker, a lonely neighbor, or someone we encounter during an ordinary day.

However, recognizing an opportunity is only the beginning. We must also be willing to respond, even when obedience interrupts our plans or takes us outside our comfort zones.

Focusing on the One requires sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and a heart willing to obey, regardless of how small or inconvenient the opportunity may seem.

Speak Words That Encourage and Strengthen Others

Our words carry tremendous influence. Proverbs 10:11 declares, “The mouth of the righteous is a well of life.”

Every day, we have opportunities to strengthen someone’s faith, affirm their value, and speak encouragement into their circumstances. Yet we can become so focused on our own needs that we overlook someone who desperately needs a word of hope.

Instead of waiting for others to encourage us, we can intentionally become people who build others up. A sincere conversation, a timely word of encouragement, or a willingness to listen may have a greater impact than we realize.

Consider the people you interact with regularly. Do your words strengthen them, or have criticism, negativity, and indifference become part of your conversations?

God can use something as simple as our words to bring hope and life to another person. Therefore, we should never underestimate the impact of speaking encouragement when the Holy Spirit leads us.

Invest in Others and Multiply Kingdom Impact

Kingdom growth doesn’t end when one person encounters Jesus. Instead, it continues as believers invest in others who will carry His truth forward.

Paul recognized the potential in people others might overlook. He invested in Timothy and Onesimus because Kingdom multiplication requires more than reaching people. It requires helping them grow and equipping them to reach others.

In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul instructed Timothy to entrust what he had learned to faithful people who would be able to teach others also.

Through this kind of investment, discipleship produces multiplication. Rather than building something that depends entirely on us, we are called to equip others who will continue advancing God’s Kingdom.

As Lee Grady declares:

“God doesn’t look at one as if it’s small. He looks at the one as a seed that’s going to spread out all over.”

One transformed life can influence a family, a community, and future generations. Consequently, our willingness to invest in one person may produce fruit far beyond what we will ever see.

Who Is the One God Is Calling You to Reach?

Focusing on the One is more than a message about evangelism or discipleship. It challenges us to examine how we live every day and whether our priorities reflect God’s heart for people.

Are we building genuine relationships? Do we notice the people God places around us? Are our words strengthening others? Are we investing in people who will carry the gospel beyond our own reach?

Perhaps fear, insecurity, past hurts, or a busy schedule have kept us from responding when God leads. Yet these obstacles do not have to determine our obedience. God calls us to overcome what stands in the way rather than allow it to keep us from following Him.

Begin by spending time in prayer and God’s Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare your heart, open your eyes, and strengthen your faith so you can recognize opportunities and respond to His leading. If you need encouragement, accountability, or someone to walk alongside you, don’t hesitate to reach out to another believer.

Above all, remember that you don’t need a large platform or a ministry title to make an eternal difference. You simply need a willing heart and the courage to obey.

Who is the one God is placing in your path today?

Scripture References
Acts 8:26–40, Acts 16:13–34, Romans 1:8–12, Romans 16:1–16, Philemon 1:8–17

Are You Living Like an Heir or Thinking Like a Slave?

Can you be an heir of God and still think like a slave?

Through Jesus Christ, we become sons and daughters of God and heirs of His promises. Yet our thoughts, attitudes, and actions don’t always reflect the identity we’ve received. We can know what Scripture says about who we are in Christ while continuing to allow fear, insecurity, past experiences, and circumstances to control how we live.

To Think Like an Heir Not a Slave means bringing our mentality into agreement with what God has already established through Jesus Christ. It requires more than knowing our identity. We must allow that truth to transform how we think, respond, and live.

“God wants us to think like heirs while we’re here, not just when we get to heaven.” – Chad Everett

From Slavery to Sonship

Galatians 4:1–7 reveals a powerful truth about our position in Christ. God sent His Son to redeem us so that we might receive adoption as sons. Through Jesus, we are no longer slaves but sons and daughters, and because we are His children, we are also His heirs.

Consider the Israelites. After generations of slavery in Egypt, God delivered them into freedom. Yet even after leaving Egypt, they continued to struggle with a mentality shaped by bondage. Their circumstances had changed, but their thinking still reflected their former condition.

We can experience that same struggle today. Jesus has brought us into God’s family, but we may continue thinking as though our past, fears, or circumstances have authority over our future. God has already established our identity in Christ, and now our thinking must rise to agree with that position. Learning to Think Like an Heir Not a Slave begins when we stop allowing our former condition to define our present identity.

Renew Your Mind According to God’s Word

What has the greatest influence over your thinking? God’s Word, your circumstances, your feelings, or the opinions of others?

Colossians 3:1–2 instructs us to seek the things above, where Christ is seated, and set our minds on things above rather than earthly things. This requires intentional action. We must examine the thoughts we’ve accepted, confront beliefs that contradict Scripture, and refuse to let our emotions determine what we believe. When God’s Word says one thing and our circumstances suggest another, which one carries greater authority in our lives?

Second Corinthians 5:17 declares that anyone in Christ is a new creation. The old has passed away, and all things have become new. Therefore, we cannot continue allowing old patterns of thinking to govern a life Jesus has made new. Renewing our minds isn’t about convincing God to change our identity. It’s about changing our thinking to agree with the identity He has already given us.

Be Led by the Holy Spirit, Not the Flesh

Romans 8:12–14 reminds us that we are no longer debtors to the flesh. We don’t owe our sinful desires obedience, and we don’t have to allow our human nature to control our attitudes or actions. However, freedom from the flesh requires more than determination or willpower.

Scripture tells us that by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body. This isn’t a passive suggestion to try harder or gradually improve. It calls for a deliberate decision to confront and put an end to what contradicts our new life in Christ. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live differently.

As we pursue God through prayer, His Word, worship, and obedience, we strengthen our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Consequently, the influence of the flesh begins to diminish as we increasingly yield to Him. Think about how you respond when someone offends you, circumstances become difficult, or things don’t go your way. Are your reactions controlled by your flesh, or are you allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you?

To Think Like an Heir Not a Slave means refusing to excuse attitudes and behaviors that no longer belong in our lives as sons and daughters of God.

Live in Your God-Given Identity Today

Romans 8:15–17 reveals that we have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if we are children, then we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.

Our inheritance isn’t simply a promise for eternity. Our identity in Christ carries significance for how we live right now. We don’t have to remain bound by yesterday’s failures, controlled by today’s circumstances, or limited by old ways of thinking. Jesus has made us sons and daughters of God, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to live according to that identity.

The challenge is to Think Like an Heir Not a Slave in every area of life. Are your thoughts aligned with God’s Word? Do your attitudes and responses reflect the Holy Spirit’s influence? Are you living according to what God says about you, or are you still allowing something else to define who you are?

God isn’t asking us to earn a position in His family. Through Jesus Christ, He has already given us that position. Now it’s time for our mentality to match our identity.

Seek the things above. Set your mind on God’s Word. Yield to the Holy Spirit. And begin living today as the son or daughter of God you already are through Jesus Christ.

Scripture References
Galatians 4:1–7, Romans 8:12–17, Colossians 3:1–10, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Corinthians 10:3–5

See Beyond Your Circumstances

What you see in your circumstances should never become greater than what God has spoken in His Word. Walking by faith not by sight means trusting God’s promises even when your current situation looks completely different from what He has said.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are sons and daughters of God and heirs according to His promise (Galatians 3:26–29). Our identity and inheritance come through Christ, not through our circumstances, achievements, or limitations.

God’s promises require more than simply knowing what He has said. We must believe His Word, respond to His instructions, and move forward in faith.

Leave Behind What God Tells You to Leave Behind

In Genesis 12, God instructed Abram to leave his country, his family, and his father’s house. Yet Abram brought his nephew Lot with him. Later, conflict developed between their households, and they separated.

After Lot departed, God told Abram to lift his eyes and look at the land He had promised.

Sometimes moving forward requires leaving something behind. Offenses, unhealthy attachments, familiar patterns, and our desire for control can keep us focused on what we need to release rather than what God has promised.

Obedience requires trusting God’s direction, even when we cannot see what comes next.

Lift Your Eyes and See the Promise

God instructed Abram to look north, south, east, and west. He promised to give Abram and his descendants the land he could see.

Abram had to see something before he possessed it.

Likewise, walking by faith not by sight requires looking beyond present circumstances and allowing God’s Word to shape our expectations. Fear, disappointment, and past experiences must not determine the limits of what we believe God can do.

God’s vision also extends beyond our individual lives. His promise to Abram included generations yet to come.

Are we seeing big enough and far enough that our faith and obedience today will impact people and generations beyond us?

Arise and Walk in Your God-Given Authority

God didn’t simply tell Abram to look at the land. He instructed him to arise and walk through it.

The promise required a response.

Joshua 1:3 reinforces this principle as God declares that He has given His people every place the soles of their feet will tread.

Walking by faith not by sight means taking steps of obedience before we see the complete outcome. In Luke 17:11–14, Jesus instructed ten men with leprosy to show themselves to the priests. They were cleansed as they went.

Their circumstances changed as they responded to Jesus’ instruction.

As sons and daughters of God through Christ, we must recognize our identity, believe His Word, and walk in the authority He has given us. Faith isn’t merely agreeing with God’s promises. Faith moves in response to them.

Drive Out Opposition and Possess the Promise

In Numbers 33:50–53, God instructed Israel to drive out the inhabitants of the promised land, remove their idols, and take possession of what He had given them.

The presence of opposition did not cancel God’s promise.

Likewise, fear, anxiety, lies, and patterns of thinking that contradict Scripture must not determine how we live. We cannot allow opposition to become greater in our thinking than God’s Word.

Instead, we must recognize what disagrees with His truth, confront it, and establish His promises in our hearts.

Philippians 4:6–7 reminds us to bring our concerns to God through prayer and thanksgiving, allowing His peace to guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Step Into What God Has Promised

Walking by faith not by sight calls for more than hearing God’s Word. It requires obedience.

What are you holding on to that God has instructed you to leave behind? Where have your circumstances limited your vision? What step of faith have you delayed because you cannot see the outcome?

God’s purpose reaches beyond your present circumstances and even beyond your lifetime. Your faith and obedience today can influence generations to come.

Don’t allow fear, opposition, or what you see naturally to determine the limits of your faith.

Lift your eyes. Believe God’s Word. Take a step of faith.

Scripture References
Galatians 3:26–29, Genesis 12:1–4, Genesis 13:14–17, Joshua 1:3, Numbers 33:50–53