Thesis
Using the feeding of the five thousand in Matthew 14, Pastor Bill argues that our so-called control issues are really trust issues. God consistently asks us to step out before He supplies, not the other way around. He is not a God of subtraction but of multiplication, and He invites His people to bring what little they have — their time, talent, treasure, and testimony — so He can do far more through them than they could ever manage on their own. The adventure of faith begins when we stop saying 'I can't' and start saying 'I will trust.'
Key points
- 1
Control issues are really trust issues — we trust God easily when life is comfortable, but struggle when He leads us into a storm.
- 2
The big idea: where God guides, He provides — He expects us to step out first in faith, not wait for provision before we move.
- 3
God always asks us to do something we do not have the resources for, because He wants to do something through us that we cannot do on our own.
- 4
Trust God with what He asks — He is teaching His disciples (and us) how to be the church: to point people to Jesus by loving them like Jesus.
- 5
Trust God with what you have — bring Him your time, talent, treasure, and testimony, because He will multiply it far beyond what you started with.
- 6
Trust God with what He will do — He is not a God of subtraction but of multiplication, and stepping out in faith builds confidence for the next step.
- 7
Jesus wants something for you, not from you — every ask He makes is an invitation into something greater than what you could do on your own.
Outline
Introduction: Control Is Really a Trust Issue
Pastor Bill opens with a humorous story about a road trip through a torrential storm to illustrate how quickly trust evaporates when circumstances get uncomfortable, framing the sermon's core tension: we trust God's control until it scares us.
The Big Idea: Where God Guides, He Provides
Pastor Bill introduces the central principle — where God guides, He provides — and contrasts it with the way most people actually live: 'where God provides, I'll let Him guide,' reversing the order of faith.
Context: The Feeding of the Five Thousand
Pastor Bill sets the scene in Matthew 14, explaining that this miracle is recorded in all four Gospels because it is primarily about what Jesus is teaching His disciples — how to be the church — rather than simply demonstrating miraculous provision.
Trust God with What He Asks
Jesus tells His exhausted disciples to feed over 10,000 people, and they respond with 'we only have five loaves and two fish.' Pastor Bill unpacks this as the typical response when God asks the impossible, and challenges the congregation to know, grow, and go — using their time, talent, treasure, and testimony for the mission.
Trust God with What You Have
Jesus says 'bring them here,' and Pastor Bill uses this moment to call listeners to surrender what they have rather than waiting until conditions feel safe. He addresses common obstacles — habitual sin, financial over-commitment — that keep people from releasing their resources to God.
Trust God with What He Will Do
Jesus blesses, breaks, and multiplies the loaves and fish until everyone is full and 12 baskets of leftovers remain — one for each disciple. Pastor Bill shows that God not only does something amazing through His people but also takes care of their needs in the process, building faith for the next step.
Closing Challenge: The Miracle on Ice
Pastor Bill draws a parallel between the 1980 US Olympic hockey team trusting their coach's impossible plan and believers trusting Jesus, urging the congregation to tackle their scariest area of unbelief first and step into the third period of their lives before it's too late.
Memorable moments
control issues are really trust issues
God always asks us to do something that we do not have the resource for. And the point is not to be a jerk. The point is he's going to do something if you trust him
Jesus wants something for you, not from you
The whole point is to turn your can't into I will trust. Because you know what? When you say I can't, you're right. You can't. But you're missing out on what God wants for you
Do you believe God or just believe in God? They're different things. You consider and say you believe in God and not trust him left and right. Or are you gonna believe him
if you lose this game, you will take it to your graves
Application
Pastor Bill's challenge is straightforward: stop reversing the order of faith. Most of us are waiting for God to provide before we're willing to let Him guide, but that is not how He works. The invitation is to bring what you actually have — your time, your money, your gifts, your story — and trust Him to multiply it. If you have a list of areas where you believe in God but haven't yet believed Him, don't start with the easiest one. Start with the scariest one. Once you see God come through there, the rest of the dominoes fall more easily. The goal is not just private peace but participation in something larger — feeding people, pointing them to Jesus, living out the mission you were built for. It's third period. Don't take it to your grave.
