God’s Powerful Spirit GPS
God’s Will, God’s Way Week 2
John M. Wallace, Jr., PhD
January 11, 2026
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].
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.
Series in a Sentence
God’s Will. God’s Way.
Sermon in a Sentence
Don’t debate what “God said” with snakes
Key Truth: MWMW Started With Satan
Isaiah 14:12- 15
How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to
the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the
heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of
assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the
clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 15 But you are brought down to the realm of the
dead, to the depths of the pit.
How it all started—God’s Will. God’s Way.
Genesis 2:8-9, 16-17
8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had
formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were
pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the
Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 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.”
Genesis 2:18, 21-22, 25 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will
make a helper suitable for him.”
How We Got In the Mess We’re In: The Fall from God Is Sovereign to Self-Sovereignty
Exodus 34:5-6
5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name,
the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the
compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
Lord = The compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness
God = Creator, Mighty and Strong
6 Ways Snakes Try to Move Us from He is Sovereign (GWGW) to We is Sovereign (MWMW)
Genesis 3:1-6
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He
said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The
woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say,
‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not
touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For
God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye,
and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her
husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
1. Snakes try to distance us from God and diminish who He is
2. Snakes try to distort our thinking about what God said
3. Snakes tempt us to debate, defend and dilute, what God said
4. Snakes deny the truth of what God said
5. Snakes tempt us to distrust God’s motives for what He said
6. Snakes lead us to sin—to disobey what God said (and bring others down with us)
Happy New Year!
God’s Powerful Spirit GPS
Part 4
John M. Wallace, Jr., PhD
January 4, 2026
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 Will. God’s Way.
Matthew 6:9-10 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be
your name, 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
John 4:34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
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.
The Holy Spirit (GPS) Empowers Us to Live God’s Will God’s Way
John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not
speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the
things that are to come.
Romans 8:26-27 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to
pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit
intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Ezekiel 38:26-27 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from
you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and
move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for
every good work.
1 Corinthians 2:9-12 9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love
him—10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things,
even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit
within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we
may understand what God has freely given us.
The Will/Way Matrix Examples
My Will/My Way—Self-Sovereign: Pharoah
Exodus 5:1-2 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the
God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’”
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the
Lord and I will not let Israel go.”
My Will/God’s Way—Self-Righteous: Pharisees
Mark 7:9-13 9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in
order to observe your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and,
‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ 11 But you say that if anyone
declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is,
devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13
Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do
many things like that.”
God’s Will/My Way—Self Reliant: Saul
1 Samuel 13:11-14 11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the
men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were
assembling at Mikmash, 12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal,
and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” 1
Samuel 13:11-14 13 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the
command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom
over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a
man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the
Lord’s command.”
God’s Will/God’s Way—Self-Denial: Mary
Luke 1:34-35,38 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 38 “I am the Lord’s
servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Application
1. 21 Day Fast
2. Read through Old Testament together
3. Get in a group/Bible study
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).
