God’s Will. God’s Way.
Cost of My Will. My Way
John M. Wallace, Jr., PhD
February 1, 2026
Matthew 6:31-33 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom [His Will] and his righteousness [His Way], and all these things will be given to you as well.
Sermon in a Sentence
God Word gives us direction for our provision and protection
Alternate Ways to Attain Abundant Life
The Word’s Way (God’s Will, God’s Way)
John 10:10 (AMP) 10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].
The World’s Way (My Will, My Way)
1 John 2:15-16 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
- The World (kosmos)—The ordered system of values, desires, priorities, and power structures that operate in rebellion against the Kingdom God (i.e., the kingdom of darkness)
- Lust of the flesh—excessive desire for sensual pleasures (e.g., food, sex, substances)
- Lust of the eye—the desire to acquire, covetousness, greed, materialism
- Pride of life—boastful confidence in position, possessions, power, and achievements
Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food [lust of the flesh] and pleasing to the eye [lust of the eye], and also desirable for gaining wisdom [pride of life], she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
The Math Problem of My Will, My Way The World’s Math
Perceived Benefit – Expected Cost = “Worth It!”
The problem is the formula underestimates the Total Cost
The Word’s Math
Total Cost = Expected Cost + Hidden Cost (i.e., consequences)
Only God knows the Hidden Cost!
Two Key Truths
1. The Hidden Cost (i.e., consequences) of My Will, My Way = Death
Genesis 2:16-17 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Shame
Genesis 3:7-19 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Avoided Intimacy with God
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Fear of God
9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
Blame
11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Curse of the serpent
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Pain and anxiety in childbirth
16 To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Relational imbalance and conflict in spousal relationships
Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
Work became “work”
17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
Physical death
19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
2. The Hidden Cost (i.e., consequences) of God’s Will, God’s Way = Abundant Life Now and
Eternal Life Later
Romans 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God’s Will. God’s Way.
The Cost of My Will, My Way
John M. Wallace, Jr., PhD
January 25, 2026
Matthew 6:31-33 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or
‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father
knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom [His Will] and his righteousness [His
Way], and all these things will be given to you as well.
John 10:10 (AMP) 10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that
they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].
Sermon in a Sentence
God’s directions don’t restrict us, they provide for us and protect us.
Review
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
16 To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I Commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken;
for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
1. Introduced
Shame—their eyes were opened, they realized they were naked and attempted cover themselves. Shame—the attempt to hide reflects damage to their relationship with themselves and their relationship with each other, and their relationship with God.
2. Fear, dread of God, did not want to be around Him—
3. Adam’s response to God’s questions should have been I’m right here, nobody told me, yes I ate from the tree and I
am sorry, please forgive me for being disobedient—opportunity to accept responsibility, repent, receive forgiveness
instead, he introduces..
4. Blame—Adam blamed the woman and God, the woman blamed the serpent
5. God passes judgment, beginning with the serpent:
6. The serpent is cursed to crawl on belly, eat dust
7. CONFLICT exists between serpents and humans
8. God is merciful and foreshadows the coming of Christ and His ultimate destruction of the serpent and his seed
9. The woman will experience pain in childbearing AND there would be conflict and the struggle for power between
Eve and Adam
10. Adam—the environment (soil) was cursed. Work became painful labor
11. Adam (and Eve) would eventually die—return to the dust
Disclaimer: Everyone is entitled to their opinion. We believe and teach that the Bible is God’s Word — His opinion — and provides His instruction for how to live life under His rule (i.e., the Kingdom of God).
