Why You're Not Moving Forward — And How to Break It

This message is for the person who has big ideas but has not executed them. For the person who has been planning — but has not yet acted on that plan. For the person who knows God has called them, but keeps staying stuck.

The root issue is not that you don't know what to do. You know exactly what to do. But you're not doing it. Peter walking on water — in Matthew 14:28 — is the biblical model Pastor Ricardo returned to throughout this message. When Jesus said "Come," Peter did not wait until the waves calmed. He moved.

1. Fear disguised as wisdom

You tell yourself you are being careful. But when you examine it through scripture, 2 Timothy 1:7 is direct: "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." The Greek word for fear here is delia — cowardice, shrinking back. The word for power is dynamis — like dynamite, a force in action. You have not been given the spirit of shrinking. You have been given the spirit of movement.

2. Double-minded thinking

James 1:6-8 says a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways — and should not expect to receive anything from God. You keep your options open. You say "maybe this, maybe that." Be specific. If you want a specific outcome, tell God specifically. The brain follows what you give it focus. A vague ask produces a vague result.

3. Waiting for perfect conditions

Ecclesiastes 11:4 says: "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap." The Hebrew word for "observe" here means to watch carefully and wait for ideal conditions. If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never plant. The perfect time was yesterday. The next best time is now.

4. Leaning on your own logic

Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." God directs moving people — not people who are standing still. If you are not moving, there is no direction needed. God gives direction to the mover.

A practical framework for moving

Pastor Ricardo also shared five principles from David Allen's Getting Things Done that align directly with this message:

1. 1.Capture everything out of your head. Your mind is for having ideas, not for holding them. Write things down.
2. 2.Define the next action — not the final outcome. What is the first step toward the result? That is all you need.
3. 3.Separate projects from actions. A project is anything that needs more than one step. Know the difference.
4. 4.Do a weekly review. You have captured ideas and defined actions — but do you go back and look at them?
5. 5.The two-minute rule: if it takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. Do not schedule it, optimize it, or overthink it.

"You don't procrastinate because you are lazy. You procrastinate because your tasks are unclear. Get clarity."

— Pastor Ricardo Zaal, Fountain of Grace International

If you are reading this in Pretoria North and something in this message connected with where you are, come and hear it in person. Services are every Sunday at 09:00 at 323 B Danie Theron Street, Pretoria North.