What’s Your Next Step? -Daily Hope with Rick Warren - March 31, 2026
Faith is not just belief; it's action and movement that leads to a more fulfilling life. Discover the crucial importance of taking your next step in faith to avoid stagnation and deepen your relationship with God, just as Bartimaeus did.
“Jesus told him, ‘Go, your faith has made you well.’ At once he could see again, and he followed Jesus on the road.”Mark 10:52 (GW)
What’s the next step you need to take in your faith journey?
Maybe your next step is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Or maybe it’s to get baptized, join a church, get into a small group, start tithing, find a place to serve in ministry, go on a mission trip, or invite a friend to church. I don’t know what your next step is, but I do know this: God will never be finished taking you deeper in faith. There is always a next step.
If you don’t take the next step without delay, then you’re going to get stuck in a rut. If you don’t move forward in faith, your heart will grow cold, and you will feel more distant from God. Before he helps you with steps two, three, four, and five, you need to take step one. If you’re asking God to help you with something, he’s asking you, “Why haven’t you done what I’ve already told you to do?” You may have been “aiming” to do something. Stop aiming, and take a shot!
Before Bartimaeus met Jesus, he was sitting beside the road, a blind man begging for handouts. After he received his sight from the Lord, Bartimaeus “followed Jesus on the road” (Mark 10:52 GW).
Which of those two phrases describes your life: sitting beside the road or following Jesus on the road? Which of those two lifestyles do you think is more fulfilling? Which do you think has more joy, more meaning, and more satisfaction? Which one do you want to represent your life?
There’s only one way to follow Jesus on the road: Take the next step.
Faith is more than believing. Faith is more than thinking, talking, or having convictions about Jesus. Faith is action. It is movement; it is activity. Faith is something you do. In fact, the Bible says in James 2:14, “If people say they have faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing” (NCV).
Where do you get the faith to begin a fresh start? There’s only one source: Jesus Christ.
The Bible says in The Message paraphrase: “Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Bartimaeus had no idea that Jesus Christ was going to pass his way that day. To him, it was just another day. But God gave him an unexpected opportunity that offered him a fresh start.
God is giving you the same opportunity. Don’t miss it! Take your next step of faith before the opportunity passes you by.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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