THE GOD WHO WORKS IN THE WAITING | Abram Dixon | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

THE GOD WHO WORKS IN THE WAITING

City of Refuge • Sep 6, 2026 • 50 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this encouraging sermon, Bishop Abram Dixon teaches that seasons of waiting are not divine delays or denials, but purposeful seasons of spiritual stretching and character development. Drawing from Isaiah 40:28–31, he reveals how biblical waiting (qavah) intertwines our weakness with God's strength, exchanging human limitations for divine power. True spiritual maturity is demonstrated not just in soaring during high emotional moments, but in consistently walking out our faith through ordinary and dark days.

Themes

Trusting God in Waiting SeasonsSpiritual Growth and DevelopmentDivine Exchange of Weakness for StrengthGod's Unseen ProtectionFaithfulness in Daily Walk

Key Points

1.
We must praise God not only for what He has done or what we expect Him to do, but also for what He has blocked and protected us from behind the scenes.
2.
Biblical waiting (qavah) is not passive sitting still, but being intertwined, bound together, and stretched alongside God to expand our capacity.
3.
Challenges and delays in waiting seasons are God's process of spiritual development, designed to strengthen us and filter out harmful influences.
4.
God accomplishes His deepest work in the unseen realm, developing deep character long before granting a public platform.
5.
What feels like an agonizing setback or delay is actually God preparing us for a future purpose that far exceeds our present pain.
6.
To renew strength (shale) means entering into a divine exchange where human weakness and past trauma are traded for God's all-sufficient power.
7.
Like an eagle rising on wind currents it did not produce, believers are called to rely on the power and provision God has already prepared rather than striving in self-reliance.
8.
The eagle rises above storms rather than fleeing them, illustrating how God uses life's turbulence to lift believers to higher spiritual levels.
9.
Isaiah 40:31 presents a reversed divine progression—soaring, running, and walking—showing that the ultimate test of spiritual maturity is faithfully walking out your faith during ordinary and dark days.

Sermon Moments

“When is the last time you gave God a praise for what He blocked?”

“Biblical waiting is not sitting still; it is remaining connected to God until His strength becomes your strength.”

“Roots grow before the fruit appears, foundations are laid before a building rises, and character is developed before the platform is given.”

“God does not merely refill your strength; He exchanges your weakness for His power.”

“An eagle does not create the wind it glides on; it learns how to rise on a current that it did not produce.”

“What would destroy others will propel you into your destiny.”

“God doesn't always remove the storm; sometimes He teaches us to rise above it.”

“The greatest challenge of Christianity is not flying or running—it is walking faithfully every day.”

This Week

Take time each day to thank God specifically for unseen protection and the harm He blocked from your life.

Reframe current delays or frustrations in your life as divine development time rather than spiritual setbacks.

Evaluate relationships and influences in your life, asking God to help you release connections that hinder your spiritual growth.

Bring specific areas of personal weakness, exhaustion, or past trauma to God, intentionally exchanging them for His power.

Stop striving in mere human effort and learn to rest and rely on the spiritual promises God has already established.

Face upcoming storms or difficulties with confidence, trusting that God uses life's turbulence to elevate your faith.

Commit to a steady daily walk of obedience through devotion and prayer, especially when emotional high moments or visible results are absent.

Remember This

Biblical waiting is an active process of being intertwined with God, exchanging human weakness for His strength so we can faithfully walk out our faith through every season.

A Challenge for You

When things get dark or don't look like what God promised, make up your mind to praise Him in the dark and faithfully walk it out.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.