Subtle Until Suddenly

Context: (50 A.D.) Paul left Macedonia and went to Thessalonica, a place that's religiously diverse. Served many different gods and emperors.

He's beginning to evangelize about Jesus the Messiah, it was a dangerous thing to say He was the only God but he did anyway.

Acts 17:2-6

...explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again...

Understanding the essence of God.

God never wants us to expect the same thing from Him from season to season.

He's not just the creator God, but the communion God.

Sometimes we create a baseline for who God is and then limit Him to that.

We have to stay flexible and sensitive to know he can show up in any way at any time.

Isaiah 55:8-9

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways."

His course of action is not always your course of action.

Have to let go of the idea that it has to go my way.

Let go and let God so you can be open to the course of action He wants you to take.

Train mind to know He's going to show up but don't know how.

You are never outside of the presence of God if you're willing to fix your sensitivity to stay close to Him.

God has a million ways to get you there.

Any good detour may change the way, but it doesn't change the destination.

A detour isn't a cancellation to your destiny.

He took your path and made it merge into His.

Expand your mentality for the endless possibilities of what God can do.

Often we don't fully trust God fully because things didn't go our way.

God can meet you in your space of grief to order your steps in His grace.

The enemy will get you trapped in the space of distress.

You must find a way to unlock the limits you've placed on God's potential.

It doesn't just limit you, it limits Him.

Can you will never fully unlock the limits on your potential.

John 5:19-20

Understand God's potential in any given moment.

Jesus understood the fullness of what God was and what He can do.

• operated in the fullness of that knowledge

People want you to stay limited to a version of what they understand.

Can't nobody do what God called you to do but you can't do it looking at them.

Align with Him.

When we are aligned fully, it speaks to what's possible.

If you know who God is, you'll never doubt who God is and what He can do through you.

What He starts, cannot be stopped.

He goes from glory to glory.

There's moments when God's way confuses us.

Abram and Isaac - asked to sacrifice his only son

• similar to what He called him out of

Can you believe Him when things are shifting into a direction you didn't anticipate?

God is a God of subtly and suddenly.

He can interrupt the program at any time.

Suddenly, He shows up.

Sudden deliverance.

Most moments when we look for God to do something big.

• He's doing it subtly in ways that we miss.

God uses subtle movement to cultivate our interactions with Him.

In your midst, He's either moving subtly or suddenly.

Prayer - Help me to not miss the subtle ways in which you are transforming me.

Enemy will make you think slow progress is no progress.

There are subtle changes taking place in this season and they matter.

Subtly builds momentum for suddenly.

Subtle moments lead to the big moments.

Suddenly, He stepped into ministry.

God has been building your faith subtly for the moment that you step into it suddenly.

Learning to trust God more and more when He opens up that opportunity, been building for a while.

Subtly, He's transforming me.

Didn't just happen in a moment, it happened subtly.

And He came to himself.

Step into your suddenly moment.

When that sudden moment comes, you'll be ready.

God is raising you up.

Suddenly moments are sustained suddenly.

This generation is addicted to suddenly moments. If it's not instant, we don't take care of it.

We long for suddenly moments but miss what we're supposed to take care of.

Prayer - How do I nurture what took place suddenly? I want to take care of it until it becomes a part of my identity.

God wants you to have transformation.

What I've been doing in private has qualified me for what I'm doing in public; for the moment I stepped in.

Be fully who you have the capacity to be.

What's more important than being known, is being aligned.

Galatians 1:7

Don't just want to be converted - want to be transformed.

Must do the work of being born again.

• Surrender to the process.

• God is changing your perception (heart, mind, etc.)

Ex: When a baby is born (suddenly), months leading up (subtly)

Needed to be transformed so he goes blind.

Paul experienced full transformation of God

Subtly turns into suddenly; don't sleep on suddenly.

Acts 17:6

Remember, subtle is impactful. Just as powerful as the big moments you experience.

Subtle moments of obedience prepare you for suddenly. 🤍