Day 16 – When It Starts Affecting Others

April 16, 2026 — Thursday

Some days are full.

And then some days…

Everything you’ve been learning starts showing up in how you lead others.

Yesterday was one of those days.

A Full Room and a Real Message

The morning started with ROI Discipleship.

Our first sponsored event.

Strong turnout.
Engaged group.
Real momentum.

And I delivered a message on:

The hidden cost of chronic stress.

Not theory.

Experience.

From Story to Impact

I shared what happened to me last year...

Bottling everything up.
Carrying stress silently.
Pushing through like everything was fine.

Until it wasn’t.

Until it showed up physically.

And what stood out wasn’t just the message…

It was how people responded.

You could feel it.

Walls coming down.
People opening up.

The Moment That Shifted Everything

During issue processing, one moment stood out.

A new member started sharing.

But it was surface-level.

Short answers.
Unclear direction.

And something in me said:

Keep going.

So I kept asking questions.

Gently.
Intentionally.

Until eventually…

She broke.

Opened up.

Started sharing the real story.

Pain.
Fear.
Lack of direction.

And underneath it all,

A fear of thinking too big.

The Lie Beneath the Surface

She said it herself:

She thinks small.

Because that’s what she’s always known.

And in that moment, it became clear:

This wasn’t a business problem.

It was a belief problem.

Calling It Out

So I said it:

“God doesn’t think small.”

If He put something on your heart

There’s a reason.

And when we shrink the vision,

We’re not protecting ourselves…
we’re limiting what we believe God can do.

What I Saw in Real Time

And right there, in front of everyone,

Something shifted.

Not just for her.

For the group.

Because when one person gets honest,

It gives permission for everyone else to do the same.

Confirmation When You Need It

Afterward, a close friend of mine, a pastor I respect deeply,

Reached out.

Said the message was phenomenal.

And that meant something.

Not because of validation,

But because it confirmed something I’ve been sensing:

There’s something here.

From Teaching to Shepherding

Later that night, I stepped into something new.

The member meal.

Sitting at the table with people who had just joined the church.

Hearing their stories.
Their journeys.
Why they came back or came for the first time.

And as I listened, I couldn’t shake the thought:

I used to be them.

Searching.
Trying to figure it out.
Taking that first step.

And now…

I’m sitting at the table helping guide them.

The Weight of the Seat

That moment hit me.

Not in a loud way.

But in a quiet realization:

This isn’t just participation anymore.

This is responsibility.

Faith Over Clarity

And if I’m being honest…

There’s still a part of me that thinks:

“Am I ready for this?”

But maybe that’s the point.

Because leadership isn’t about having it all figured out.

It’s about moving when you’re called.

Even when it doesn’t make sense.

The Anchor

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…” Proverbs 3:5

Not clarity.

Trust.

Closing Thought

I walked into the day focused on delivering a message.

But I walked out realizing something bigger:

When you step out in faith…
it’s not just your life that changes.

It’s the people around you.