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Everyday Faith | Week 5 | Daniel Goulding | Echoes Church · Rewind

Echoes Church

39 min

Daniel Goulding · Aug 4, 2025 · 4 min read · 39 min listen

The big idea

God cares not just about what we decide but how and why we decide it, and leaving Him out of our planning is an arrogant assumption that James calls evil.

In this message

The big idea
Point 1 of 6James confronts the arrogance of assumption — planning our lives without consulting God.
Point 2 of 6Jesus modeled total dependence on the Father's will rather than His own.

Point 3 of 6Assumption is dangerous first because our perspective is limited.
Point 4 of 6Assumption is dangerous second because our flesh is deceitful.
Point 5 of 6Assumption is dangerous third because our time on earth is incredibly short.
Point 6 of 6The response is to build the posture of 'if it is the Lord's will, I will.'
Take it into your week
Transcript

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Scripture in this message

James 4
James 4:13
James 4:14
James 4:15
Romans 8:28
John 4:34

Rewind AI drafted the Big Idea and some point headings shown here from the sermon transcript. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI

Daniel Goulding · Aug 4, 2025 · 39 min watch · 2 min read

Everyday Faith | Week 5 | Daniel Goulding | Echoes Church

In this message

Big Idea
Key points
Application

Scripture in this message

James 4
James 4:13
James 4:14
James 4:15
Romans 8:28
John 4:34

Big Idea Key points Application

Big Idea

God cares not just about what we decide but how and why we decide it, and leaving Him out of our planning is an arrogant assumption that James calls evil.

God is not distant or mysterious about our decisions — He wants to be invited into every plan we make, before we make it, not just called on to fix things afterward. Because our perspective is limited, our hearts are deceitful, and our lives are short, we need to seek His will on the front end, not the back end, of every choice.

Key points

1
1James confronts the arrogance of assumption — planning our lives without consulting God.
Pastor Daniel walks through James 4:13-16, noting the emphatic 'now listen' in the Greek meant to grab a distracted reader's attention. James rebukes people who plan cities, business, and money-making without ever asking God, calling that boasting 'evil' — the same word used elsewhere of Satan.
2
2Jesus modeled total dependence on the Father's will rather than His own.
Pastor Daniel points to John 4:34, John 5:30, and John 6:38 to show Jesus repeatedly saying He came to do the Father's will, not His own. The challenge is that if even Jesus operated this way, believers have no excuse to plan their lives apart from God.
3
3Assumption is dangerous first because our perspective is limited.
He notes James 4:14's reminder that we don't even know what tomorrow holds, and tells the story of Joshua and the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:14) who examined the food but didn't consult the Lord, leading to a devastating treaty. God sees the whole picture we can't see, and consulting Him ahead of time can prevent painful detours.
4
4Assumption is dangerous second because our flesh is deceitful.
Drawing on Jeremiah 17:9, Pastor Daniel explains that people are skilled at lying to themselves, rationalizing pursuits of 'more' — money, status, pleasure — as godly when they are really about self. He illustrates this with lottery winners who end up broke and miserable, and warns that not every open door is from God.
5
5Assumption is dangerous third because our time on earth is incredibly short.
He returns to James 4:14's picture of life as a mist that appears and vanishes, illustrating with a story about family businesses rarely surviving to a fourth generation, and quoting D. L. Moody's warning that our greatest fear should be succeeding at something that doesn't matter. Only God, His word, His people, and His kingdom are eternal.
6
6The response is to build the posture of 'if it is the Lord's will, I will.'
Pastor Daniel highlights James 4:15 as the corrective prayer and posture — seeking God's will before deciding, not after. He shares his own practice with his wife of separating for a week to fast and seek God independently before big decisions, then comparing what God showed each of them.

Illustration

A study cited claiming people make approximately 35,000 decisions per day, used to frame the weight of daily decision-making.

Application

Pastor Daniel frames the charge as praying, 'if it is the Lord's will, I will' — seeking God on the front end of a decision instead of the back end.

Consult God before you decide, not after
Before saying yes to a promotion, a date, an engagement, or a move, seek God's heart first instead of only asking Him to bless or fix the decision afterward.
Get honest about your pursuit of 'more'
Examine whether your drive for money, status, or possessions has outrun your dependence on God, since that is the point where you're building your own kingdom instead of His.
Build a practice of seeking God on big decisions
Try what Pastor Daniel and his wife do: separate for a week, fast, seek God independently, and come back together to see if there's peace and alignment before moving forward.
Pray the prayer of surrender
Stand and pray, 'my life is not my own... not my will, but yours be done,' only if you mean it, inviting God into every part of your life, marriage, finances, and career.

Take it into your week

Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI

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Scripture in this message

From the transcript
“If you have a bible, which I hope you do, open them up to James chapter four. We're continuing this morning in a series that we've entitled everyday faith”
From the transcript
“Here's how James four begins this morning. He starts in verse 13 by saying, now now listen”
From the transcript
“why? You you don't even know what will happen tomorrow and then he asked the question, what what is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then just vanishes”
From the transcript
“Instead, you ought to say, if it is the lord's will, we will, we will live and do this or that. As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes”
From the transcript
“God and his grace and his mercy, his compassion, and his love, yes, he does that Romans eight twenty eight thing where he works out all things for the good of those who love him”
From the transcript
“Look what Jesus says in John chapter four verse 34. Then Jesus explained, my nourishment, the thing that feeds my soul, the thing that makes me who I am, It comes from doing the will of God”
From the transcript
“John chapter five verse 30, Jesus says, I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just because I carry out the will of the one who sent me”
From the transcript
“Jesus in John chapter six verse 38 says, for I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will”
Paraphrase of the transcript
there's one verse in the book of Joshua that shows what they should have done. Joshua chapter nine verse 14 says that the Israelites, they examined the food, but they didn't consult the Lord.
From the transcript
“Jeremiah chapter 17 verse nine reminds us that the human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and it is desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is”
From the transcript
“James literally says in verse 14, what is your life? Have you ever stopped to just ask, like, what is the point of all of this? What's the purpose of this life”
From the transcript
“James reminds us in verse 15, a powerful prayer, a powerful mantra that we must to adapt. He says, instead, you ought to say, if it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that”
From the transcript
“I have Galatians chapter two verse 20 tattooed, which is one of those things that freaks people out because most people when I speak at events are like, oh, look at the guy that was like in prison”
Paraphrase of the transcript
then I remember what Paul says in Galatians chapter two verse 20 that I wanna share with you this morning. Paul reminds himself, I wrote it on my arm to remind myself. my old self has been crucified with Christ.

Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI

7-day devotional

A personal reading plan from this message — scripture, reflection, and prayer for each day.

Sign in to track your progress through this devotional.

Day 1

Pastor Daniel named something most of us do without thinking twice: we map out the next move — the city, the deal, the timeline — and then ask God to bless what we have already decided. James has strong words for that pattern. He pictures someone confidently saying, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." It sounds responsible, even admirable. But James calls the boasting behind it evil. Not because planning is wrong, but because planning as if our future belongs to us — as if God is an afterthought to consult only when our plans need a rubber stamp — is what Pastor Daniel called the arrogance of assumption. The good news is that this isn't a verdict over your head; it's an invitation. God isn't waiting to scold your ambitions. He's offering to be in them from the start. Today, simply notice where you tend to decide first and pray later. That awareness is the front door to a different way of living — one where the God who sees everything is welcomed into the early, unformed pages of your plans, not just the finished draft.

For reflection

Where in my life have I been asking God to bless a decision I had already made on my own?

Pray

Ask God to show you one area where you've been planning first and praying later.

Day 2

If anyone could have charted His own course, it was Jesus. Yet He said, "I can do nothing on My own. I judge as God tells Me. Therefore, My judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the One who sent Me and not My own will." Pastor Daniel pointed out that Jesus was, in a sense, obsessed with the Father's will — not occasionally curious about it, but oriented around it. Notice what Jesus tied to that surrender: His judgment was just because it wasn't His own. There's a freedom hidden here that's easy to miss. We tend to think self-direction is where freedom lives — that the more we steer, the more alive we'll be. Jesus models the opposite. The fullest, most purposeful life ever lived was one entirely yielded to the Father. That reframes surrender. It's not the loss of a meaningful life; it's the doorway to one. If the Son of God lived this way, our instinct to grip the wheel deserves a second look. Today, consider one decision you're carrying. What would it look like to hold it the way Jesus held His life — open-handed, listening first, willing to be led?

For reflection

What would change in my decisions this week if I wanted God's will more than my own?

Pray

Pray for a heart that, like Jesus, genuinely desires the Father's will over your own.

Day 3

Related passage

"He looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens." Pastor Daniel anchored a humbling truth here: our perspective is limited. We don't even know what tomorrow holds, let alone how this year's decision will ripple out a decade from now. We make confident calls with a sliver of the picture. God sees the whole thing — every consequence, every door down every hallway we can't yet see. That's not meant to make us feel small in a crushing way; it's meant to make us wise. Why would we lean only on our own narrow vantage point when the God who sees everything invites us to ask? This is exactly why seeking Him on the front end of decisions isn't a religious formality — it's the most reasonable thing a limited person can do. You don't have to manufacture certainty about tomorrow. You're not supposed to. Your job is to consult the One who already sees it. Today, name a decision where you've been straining to predict an outcome you simply can't control. Then hand the unknowns to the God who already stands at the end of them.

For reflection

What am I trying to figure out on my own that I could instead bring to the God who sees everything?

Pray

Bring to God the part of your future you can't see, and ask Him to lead where you can't.

Day 4

"The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" Pastor Daniel didn't soften this one. Our flesh is deceitful — we rationalize, we tell ourselves convincing stories, and we quietly believe that a little more money or status will finally satisfy the longing inside us. The danger isn't only that we deceive others; it's that we deceive ourselves, and then dress it up as a smart, God-honoring plan. This is why we can't fully trust our gut and call it discernment. Our wanting can masquerade as wisdom. None of this is said to shame you — wanting more isn't proof you're a bad person; it's proof you're human, with a heart that needs an outside voice. That's the gift of God's Word and the honest counsel of Spirit-filled people: they tell us the truth our own hearts can talk us out of. Today, think about a desire you've been justifying. Hold it up to Scripture and, if you can, to a trusted believer who loves you enough to be honest. Letting your heart be examined isn't weakness; it's how the truly free stay free.

For reflection

What desire have I been quietly justifying that I've never honestly tested against Scripture or wise counsel?

Pray

Ask God to reveal any place where you've been deceiving yourself, and to give you honest counsel.

Day 5

"How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog — it's here a little while, then it's gone." Pastor Daniel let this verse breathe: our time on earth is a mist. Not a tragedy, but a fact — and a clarifying one. We spend our brief mornings building things that won't outlast the fog, chasing a kingdom that evaporates. James isn't trying to depress us; he's trying to wake us up. When you really sit with how short this is, the question changes from "How do I get more?" to "What is worth my one short life?" That's not a morbid thought; it's a freeing one. It cuts through the noise of status and accumulation and asks what actually matters. The shortness of life is an argument for surrender, not for scrambling. If your days are a mist, the worst thing you could do is spend them building something temporary in your own strength. The best thing you could do is pour them out for what lasts — for Jesus, for people, for His mission. Today, let the brevity of life clarify your priorities rather than frighten you.

For reflection

If my life is a mist, what am I spending it on that won't last — and what would last instead?

Pray

Pray for clarity about what's truly worth your one short life.

Day 6

"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Pastor Daniel landed the message here: total surrender. My life is not my own — crucified with Christ, raised to live on mission for Jesus. He pictured pushing everything to the middle of the table — our time, resources, plans, and futures — and saying, "Not my will, but Yours be done." That's a daunting image until you notice the last phrase of the verse: this is the Son of God "who loved me and gave Himself for me." We're not surrendering to a distant boss; we're trusting the One who already gave everything for us. That changes the math. Radical obedience isn't loss — Pastor Daniel said the other side of it is a life far richer than anything we could engineer ourselves. Today, get practical. What's one significant decision ahead of you — a relationship, a move, a launch, how you spend your time? Bring it to the middle of the table before you decide. Surrender it on the front end, not the back.

For reflection

What is one specific thing I need to push to the middle of the table and surrender to God today?

Pray

Tell God you're laying your plans down before Him, trusting the One who gave Himself for you.

Day 7

This week James walked us from a warning to a way of life. He exposed the arrogance of assumption — planning as if tomorrow belongs to us — and offered a better posture: "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Pastor Daniel turned that into a mantra worth carrying: "If it is the Lord's will, I will." Look back over the week. We saw that Jesus lived entirely for the Father's will, that our perspective is limited while God sees everything, that our hearts can deceive us, that our time is a brief mist, and that surrender to the One who loved us isn't loss but the doorway to a richer life. James ends with a quiet challenge: "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." So the question isn't whether this week's truth was good — it's what you'll do with it. Pick one decision in front of you and practice the front-end posture: seek God in His Word, invite the honest counsel of believers, pray until His peace settles it. Then move. This isn't a one-time exercise; it's how the surrendered life learns to walk.

For reflection

What is one ongoing rhythm I can build so I consult God on the front end of decisions, not the back?

Pray

Pray for the courage and the rhythms to keep saying, "If it is the Lord's will, I will."

Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI

Small-group discussion guide

For leading a group conversation about this message.

Open

Most of us have a mental list of plans for the next year — places to go, things to start, decisions on the horizon. This message in James 4:13-17 invites us to look at how God fits into those plans, and where in the process we tend to invite Him in.

Discussion questions

1
In James 4:13-16, the merchants lay out a confident plan for the coming year. What is it about their planning that James calls arrogant, and what do you notice is missing from how they talk?
2
Pastor Daniel described 'the arrogance of assumption' as charting our own course and then asking God to bless it on the back end. Why do you think people so naturally drift into that pattern?
3
Jesus says in John 5:30 that He sought not His own will but the will of the Father who sent Him. What does it look like to follow that same pattern in ordinary, everyday decisions?
4
James compares our life to a mist that appears for a moment and then vanishes. How might keeping that picture in mind reshape the way we spend our time and energy?
5
Pastor Daniel said not every open door is from God, and pointed to His Word, Spirit-led community, and prayer as ways to discern. How could a group like ours actually help one another seek God on the front end of a big decision?
6
The mantra Pastor Daniel left us with was James's own words, 'If it is the Lord's will, I will.' What would it look like for us to carry that posture into the decisions ahead this week?

Pray together

Surrendered planning — asking God for the humility to bring Him into the front end of our decisions and the trust to say, 'Not my will, but Yours be done.'

Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI

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Everyday Faith

Week 5 · 6 messages

Where these passages are preached

James 4 Romans 8 John 4 John 5

Explore related topics

Arrogance of Assumption God's Will Planning and Decision-Making Seeking God's Guidance Surrender

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