Thesis
Using the life of Moses in Exodus 2–3, Pastor Brian Pacheco argues that when we bring our own plans to God — deciding the timing, providing the strength, declaring the purpose, and claiming the victory — we inevitably end up scared, isolated, and stuck. True fruitfulness comes only when we open our clenched fists, surrender our agendas, and trust God's next step for us, confident in His promise: 'I will be with you.' The forty years Moses spent as a shepherd were not wasted time but essential preparation, and the same is true for every season God leads us through.
Key points
- 1
When we bring our own plan to God, we decide the timing — and that timing is almost always wrong.
- 2
When we rely on our own strength, that strength will ultimately betray us and leave us unable to accomplish God's purpose.
- 3
Bringing our own plan to God leads us to misunderstand our true purpose, just as Moses misunderstood his calling when he killed the Egyptian.
- 4
When we own the victory, we will own the failure — our plans crumble and we crumble with them.
- 5
God's next step comes at exactly the right time — even when, like Moses at 80, it looks nothing like what we imagined.
- 6
When we take God's step, He becomes our strength, repurposes our weakness, and promises, 'I will be with you.'
- 7
Jesus gives the same promise to every disciple He sends — He is always with us to the end of the age.
Outline
Introduction: The Big Idea
Pastor Brian introduces himself and his family, frames 2010 as a pivotal year when he wanted to plant a church, and states the sermon's big idea: it's not your plan for God — it's His next step for you.
Moses Enacts His Own Plan (Exodus 2:11-12)
The text introduces Moses at 40, raised in Pharaoh's household, who sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and takes matters into his own hands. Four deadly patterns emerge: we decide the timing, provide the strength, declare the purpose, and own the victory.
The Consequences of Living by Our Own Plan (Exodus 2:13-15)
Moses is exposed and flees to Midian — scared, alone, and isolated. Each of the four patterns is shown to backfire: wrong timing, strength that betrays, misunderstood purpose, and a failure we must own.
Opening Our Hands — A Personal Illustration
Brian shares how his pastor challenged him to step down from college ministry, enter youth ministry, and delay marriage — a series of steps that felt like going backward but proved essential preparation.
God's Next Step Arrives (Exodus 3:1-4)
Forty years later, Moses encounters the burning bush. When he turns aside and draws near, God calls him by name — revealing that the right time, God's strength, and true purpose come only when we take the step He reveals.
What Taking God's Step Actually Looks Like (Exodus 3:10-12)
God commissions an 80-year-old Moses to free Israel, and when Moses asks 'Who am I?', God answers simply, 'I will be with you.' The four contrasts are drawn: He reveals the timing, He is the strength, He repurposes our weakness, and He becomes the victory.
The Great Commission and the Promise (Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus echoes the same promise to His disciples — 'I am with you always, to the end of the age' — grounding every next step in His presence rather than our own ability.
Conclusion: Open Hands, Next Step
Brian closes with the story of standing outside Cornerstone in 2010 asking 'Who am I?', then reports 19 people moved with him, the church averages 80 weekly, and five baptisms are coming — a testimony to what God does when we open our hands and take His step.
Memorable moments
It's not your plan for God. It's his next step for you
when we bring our plans and we make the timing in our own strength of our own purpose, owning the victory, we will inevitably end where Moses ended. Scared, alone, isolated, filled with fear
Your strength will betray you
The best men and women I know, the ones that I want leading with me are those who have the scars of Jesus, who have come to the end and have convinced themselves that they need him to move forward
when Jesus is the victory, no matter what step he calls you to take, how dark it may seem, how scary it may look, he goes with you and he makes all the difference
When you go to God and you say, Who am I that I should go? Watch what he'll do. When you open your hands and you take the next step
Application
Pastor Brian calls every listener to examine whether they are holding their plans in a tightly clenched fist — deciding the timing, muscling through in their own strength, and claiming the credit. The invitation is to open those hands. That may look like stepping into something uncomfortable (as Brian did with youth ministry), delaying something you desperately want, or following a nudge that feels like a step backward. The key posture is turning aside toward the burning bush — drawing close to God before stepping out with Him. For some, that next step may be joining or supporting Flatiron Church; for others, it may be a completely different call. Whatever it is, the promise is the same one God gave Moses and Jesus gave His disciples: 'I am with you.' You don't have to figure out the whole plan — just take the next step with Him.
