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VISION – HEIRS OF GOD
Based on the message by Pastor Chad Everett
OVERVIEW
Are you seeing the promises of God surrounding you, or are you only seeing the problems standing in your way?
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are sons and daughters of God and heirs according to the promise. God’s promise to Abraham included both lineage and land. Lineage speaks to our identity and the family we belong to in Christ. Land speaks to the territory God has called us to possess through the authority Jesus has given us.
In Genesis 13, God told Abraham to lift his eyes, look in every direction, and see the land He had promised. Before Abraham could possess it, he had to see it. He also had to leave behind what God had instructed him to release and be willing to arise and walk into the promise.
The same principles challenge us today. Are we allowing our circumstances to determine what we believe, or are we allowing God’s Word to shape what we see? Are we waiting for opposition to disappear before moving forward, or are we willing to confront resistance with the truth of God’s Word?
God’s vision extends beyond our own lives. Our obedience and faith today can impact families, communities, and generations we may never see.
“God asked Abram to see something before he possesses something.” – Chad Everett
HOW TO USE THIS STUDY GUIDE
Read → Respond → Reflect
Read each passage carefully before answering the Respond questions. Keep your Bible open and allow Scripture itself to provide the answers.
Then use the Reflect questions to examine your own life. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where your vision needs to change, what you need to leave behind, and where God is calling you to step forward in faith.
This guide is designed for individual study, family discipleship, and Roads Groups.
SECTION 1 — LEAVE BEHIND WHAT GOD TELLS YOU TO LEAVE BEHIND
Focus
God instructed Abram to leave his country, his family, and his father’s house. Yet Abram brought Lot with him, and difficulties followed. Genesis 13 records that after Lot separated from Abram, God directed Abram to lift his eyes and see the land He had promised.
When God tells us to leave something behind, His instruction is not simply a suggestion. He knows the end from the beginning, even when His direction does not make sense to us.
Sometimes what we need to leave behind is an attitude, an offense, a way of thinking, or our insistence on knowing what is best. Moving forward requires trusting God’s wisdom above our own understanding.
Read
Genesis 12:1–4; Genesis 13:5–14
Respond
- What was Abram required to leave behind in order to follow God’s direction?
- Who accompanied Abram when he departed, and how did this differ from God’s original instruction?
- What conflict developed between Abram’s and Lot’s households in Genesis 13?
- How did Abram respond to the conflict, and what choice did Lot make?
- What significant event occurred before God spoke to Abram again in Genesis 13:14?
Reflect
- Is there something God has been telling me to leave behind that I continue to hold on to?
- Where have I allowed my own reasoning, opinions, or feelings to carry more weight than God’s direction?
- Are there attitudes, offenses, or attachments that may be hindering me from moving forward?
- What would obedience look like if I trusted that God knows what lies ahead, even when I cannot see it?
Further Scripture Reading
Proverbs 3:5–7
SECTION 2 — LIFT YOUR EYES AND SEE BEYOND YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES
Focus
God told Abram to lift his eyes and look northward, southward, eastward, and westward. In every direction, there was land God had promised him.
Our spiritual vision can become limited when we focus only on the problems, disappointments, and circumstances surrounding us. Yet God’s promises are not limited by what we currently see or experience.
God told Abram to look from where he was, not from where he wished he could be. We must learn to see beyond our present circumstances and recognize what God is making available through His promises.
Our focus matters. We can become consumed with what the world is telling us, or we can lift our eyes to the Lord and allow His Word to shape our perspective.
Read
Genesis 13:14–16; Psalm 121:1–2
Respond
- Where did God direct Abram’s attention after Lot separated from him?
- Why is it significant that God told Abram to look from the place where he was?
- In how many directions did God tell Abram to look, and what did He promise concerning the land?
- How far into the future did God’s promise extend according to Genesis 13:15–16?
- According to Psalm 121:1–2, where does our help come from?
Reflect
- When I look at my current circumstances, do I primarily see problems or God’s promises?
- What situation has consumed so much of my attention that I have struggled to see beyond it?
- Am I allowing what I see and hear around me to shape my expectations more than God’s Word?
- Can I identify an area where God is asking me to see possibilities beyond my present reality?
- What would change if I intentionally shifted my focus from the problem to the One who can solve it?
Further Scripture Reading
Colossians 3:1–2
SECTION 3 — SEE THE PROMISE BEFORE YOU POSSESS IT
Focus
God asked Abram to see the land before he possessed it. His promise required Abram to believe what God had spoken before experiencing its fulfillment.
Second Corinthians 5:7 tells us that we walk by faith, not by sight. Faith is not simply agreeing with God’s Word. It must become what directs our steps.
When we allow our experiences to determine what is possible, we can become trapped in the belief that nothing will ever change. But God’s Word reveals a reality greater than our present circumstances.
Jesus demonstrated this principle when He instructed ten lepers to go show themselves to the priests. They were cleansed as they went. Their obedience came before the visible manifestation of healing.
God is calling us to believe His Word and move forward, rather than waiting for everything to change before taking a step.
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 was the relationship between what Abram could see and what God promised to give him?
- According to 2 Corinthians 5:7, what should direct our walk?
- What did Jesus tell the ten lepers to do before they experienced healing?
- At what point did the lepers experience their cleansing, and what does the sequence reveal about faith and obedience?
Reflect
- Where am I waiting to see evidence of change before I choose to believe God’s Word?
- Have I allowed past experiences or disappointments to determine what I believe is possible?
- What promise from Scripture do I need to begin seeing as a reality greater than my current circumstances?
- Is there a step of obedience I have delayed because I cannot see how everything will work out?
- What would it look like for faith, rather than sight, to direct my next step?
Further Scripture Reading
Hebrews 11:1, 6
SECTION 4 — ARISE AND WALK IN YOUR GOD-GIVEN AUTHORITY
Focus
God told Abram to arise and walk through the land He had given him. The promise was already spoken, but Abram still had to move.
As sons and daughters of God, we are not called to remain passive observers of His promises. We are called to walk in the authority Jesus has given us, carrying His presence into our homes, workplaces, schools, and communities.
This authority is not rooted in our own importance or ability. It comes from God and His presence within us.
Our vision must also extend beyond ourselves. God promised Abraham descendants, reminding us that His purposes reach into generations yet to come. What we believe and pursue today can influence people and places far beyond our own lifetime.
We must be willing to step into the territory God has called us to influence, trusting His Word and boldly representing His Kingdom.
Read
Genesis 13:14–17; Joshua 1:1–3
Respond
- How was Abram expected to respond to the land God had already promised him?
- What connection do you see between God’s promise in Genesis 13:17 and His instruction to Joshua in Joshua 1:3?
- What action was required of Joshua and the Israelites before they could enter the land?
- According to Joshua 1:3, what determined the places God had given His people?
- How does God’s promise concerning Abram’s descendants show that His purposes extended beyond Abram’s lifetime?
Reflect
- Am I actively walking in what God has called me to do, or have I become comfortable simply knowing His promises?
- Where have fear, hesitation, or concern about others’ opinions kept me from boldly representing Jesus?
- What area of influence has God placed before me that I have not fully stepped into?
- Is my vision limited to what God can do for me, or am I believing for what He can accomplish through me for others?
- How might my obedience today influence my family, community, or future generations?
Further Scripture Reading
Matthew 28:18–20
SECTION 5 — DRIVE OUT OPPOSITION AND POSSESS THE PROMISE
Focus
When God instructed Israel to enter the promised land, He told them to drive out its inhabitants. The land was promised, but opposition was still present.
The presence of resistance did not mean God had withdrawn His promise. His people had to move forward and confront what stood in the way.
The same principle applies to our spiritual lives. Lies, fear, anxiety, sinful attitudes, and old patterns can occupy territory in our hearts and minds that should be governed by God’s truth.
We cannot simply hope that opposition will disappear. We must establish God’s Word within us until His truth becomes greater than the lies coming against us.
Possessing the promise involves more than recognizing what needs to leave. We must replace what has occupied that territory with the truth of God’s Word and continue standing in it.
Read
Numbers 33:50–53; Philippians 4:6–7
Respond
- What responsibility did God give the Israelites once they entered the land He had promised them?
- What specific things were the Israelites commanded to remove or destroy according to Numbers 33:52?
- How does Numbers 33:53 connect driving out the inhabitants with possessing the land?
- According to Philippians 4:6, what should replace anxiety?
- What does Philippians 4:7 promise concerning the peace of God, and what does that peace guard?
Reflect
- What thoughts, fears, attitudes, or patterns have I allowed to occupy territory in my life that belongs to God?
- Have I been waiting for opposition to disappear rather than confronting it with God’s truth?
- What lie have I believed for so long that it has begun to feel like an unchangeable reality?
- What specific truth from Scripture directly confronts that lie?
- What practical steps can I take to establish that truth in my heart and refuse to surrender that territory again?
- Have I interpreted resistance as evidence that God is not leading me, rather than recognizing that advancing in faith may involve opposition?
Further Scripture Reading
2 Corinthians 10:3–5
FINAL ENCOURAGEMENT
“We have to step into the promise before we can possess the promise.” – Chad Everett
God has called you to live as His son or daughter, not to remain limited by your circumstances or intimidated by opposition. Lift your eyes and see what He has promised. Trust His direction, even when it requires leaving something behind or stepping forward before you see the outcome.
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where your vision has become limited and what has taken up residence in your heart that needs to be driven out. Replace the lies with God’s truth, take the next step of faith, and continue walking in His authority.
Are you seeing big enough and far enough that your faith and obedience today will impact people beyond you, even generations to come? God’s vision is bigger than your own life. Don’t limit what He wants to do through you to what you can see or experience today.
Lift your eyes. Arise and walk. Possess the promise.