Overcoming Hurdles While Serving: Serving God with Faith and Courage: Exodus 5-6

December 1st, 2025
by Richie Cancel

Introduction:

Walking with God isn't a leisurely stroll; it's an adventurous path filled with purpose, trials, and spiritual growth. As we discover through Moses' story, the journey from God's call to its fulfillment is often littered with obstacles. These hurdles don’t signify a misstep on our part; instead, they confirm we are exactly where God wants us, moving toward a deeper relationship with Him.

Exodus 6:1

"Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land"

The Hurdles Before We Serve

Overcoming Unbelief

How Do We Trust God When We're Full of Doubt?

Before Moses could even start the mission God had for him, he was caught in a struggle with unbelief. Despite witnessing miraculous signs—a staff transforming into a serpent and his own hand becoming leprous, then healed—Moses questioned God's power. How often are we like Moses? Filled with doubt as we face our calling, we wonder if God’s power truly applies to our lives.

Unbelief is just one of the hurdles. It's followed closely by self-will. We may acknowledge God's power but choose to carve our paths, hoping to negotiate His plan with our terms. God’s response to Moses’ stubbornness reminds us that self-will can provoke divine displeasure. Trusting God means surrendering to His will over ours.

Breaking Through Fear

How Can We Defeat Fear and Serve God Boldly?

Fear is a paralytic, immobilizing us with concerns about our weaknesses and past failures. Moses feared public speaking, just like many of us might fear stepping into God’s calling for our lives. Yet, victory over fear requires us to take that first bold step, relying on God’s grace every inch of the way.

The Hurdles While We Serve

Confronting Spiritual Warfare

What is Spiritual Warfare and How Do We Fight It?

Beginning to serve doesn’t eliminate trials. For Moses, spiritual warfare intensified. Pharaoh’s refusal made Israelites’ lives harder: gathering their own materials yet meeting the same work demands. This pattern is familiar—when we step toward God, life’s challenges often ramp up.

Spiritual warfare targets us by increasing our workload and scattering us from community, reigniting past regrets, and rushing our decision-making. When faced with these pressures, our inclination should be to cry out to God, not to the world or even ourselves, for resolution.

Overcoming Doubt by Knowing God's Word

Finding Assurance in God’s Promises

How Can Knowing God’s Word Help Us Overcome Doubt?

In a powerful display of faith, Moses brought his doubts to God, reminding Him of His promise: “You said You would deliver these people, and You haven't” (Exodus 5:23). Moses’ conversation with God reminds us that faith clings to promises, even amid confusion.

God reintroduced Himself to Moses as a covenant-keeping God. While Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had only seen promises, Moses would witness their fulfillment. This relationship invites us to endure, to see God not only as a promise-maker but as a promise-keeper.

Our Responsibility: Obedience, Not Outcomes

How Do We Define Success?

Moses was not responsible for Pharaoh’s reaction, just as we aren’t responsible for the outcomes of our obedience. We misplace burdens meant for God when we make it our job to dictate others' responses.

Though Moses was 80, demonstrating God’s strength is perfected in our weaknesses, it was at this point that God chose to manifest His power through Moses’ loyalty and dependence.

Practical Application for Today

How This Applies to Us in Brooklyn, NYC

In a bustling city like Brooklyn, where life can be hurried and burdensome, these lessons are profoundly relevant. Our call to community is vital in a place where isolation can be overwhelming. As a local church, embracing these truths helps us navigate the spiritual warfare and practical challenges of living and ministering in an urban setting. Like Moses, recognizing our hurdles not as detours but as confirmations assures us God is working in and through us.

Prayer:

Staying the Course for a Deeper Walk
The Christian life, like a marathon, is a long-distance race interspersed with hurdles. Whether we're dealing with unbelief, self-will, fear, or the challenges that come when we step out in faith, discernment helps us distinguish between trials that indicate spiritual warfare and those that highlight our disobedience. The hurdles affirm that we are journeying deeper into God’s plans.

Prayer:
“Father, we come before You, seeking the assurance that comes only from Your promises. In moments of doubt and trial, remind us of Your faithfulness. Teach us to discern our path, understanding that challenges often mean we're proceeding rightly. Help us to draw from Your strength and to stand firm on Your Word. As we face our own hurdles, let us know You more intimately and see Your faithfulness in new ways. Amen.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How can I overcome fear in my faith journey?

Begin by taking one small step forward, trusting in God’s grace to lead you.

What is spiritual warfare, and how should I respond?

Spiritual warfare involves challenges that arise as we align ourselves with God's purposes. Respond through prayer and by seeking God rather than succumbing to isolation or anxiety.

How does knowing God’s Word combat doubt?

God’s Word reassures us of His promises. The deeper we understand God’s character, the more firmly we stand on His truths.

What is my role in God’s plan?

You are responsible for your obedience to God, not for how others respond to your actions.

Why does following God seem to make life harder?

Difficulties affirm our path, signaling our alignment with God’s will in the face of spiritual opposition.

Listen to Full Message Here - Exodus 5-6-Overcoming While Serving

As we walk with God through life's hurdles, may our focus remain fixed on His promises, our eyes on His path, and our hearts open to His calling. Whether you're in Brooklyn or beyond, let these truths guide and encourage you on your journey.