From Cautious To Courageous - Week 4 - Get Ready: Part 1 - Damon Moore - March 8, 2026

10 years, isn't that good? What God does? Get some messages if y'all couldn't hear that last part.

The question we asked is, what have your friends asked? Well, where'd you see that at? Where you get that from? Where's that environment where your dreams are coming to pass? And so, uh, we celebrated 10 years as a church last Sunday.

Isn't that awesome? Yes.

Come on.

You can make some noise for that.

Yeah.

And so, uh, God has been really, really good.

And so what we decided to do is that God has given us fresh vision for the season.

And instead of celebrating on one day, we decided to make it throughout the month of March.

Is that all right? Yes.

Because we realized that some of us, uh, have been a part of City Place since we launched the church, and then so many of us have come along in the journey.

And if we don't slow down, you may not know what God has done.

In the Book of Judges, it says that there arose a generation who did not know the mighty acts of God.

Sometimes you got to pause to remember what God has done while you're dreaming about what God will do.

And so over the next few weeks, all the way past Easter, we're gonna be casting vision of what courageous moments will look like for us in this season of our church.

Can you journey with us? So literally this Sunday and next Sunday and the Sunday after that, all the way up till Easter, there are going to be moments in our service where you're gonna hear vision.

Practical plans.

We're gonna talk about some of the things that we've done.

We've got, we've got outreach moments, we've got things that we're believing about for facilities that we're gonna share with you that we are ready to, to take our courageous step.

And so God's gonna challenge us.

I'm gonna be honest with you.

I, uh, what Ty and I are gonna share over the next few weeks is gonna be very transparent and it's gonna be very pastoral.

Very transparent and very pastoral.

And so what that means is, is that you're going to hear vision for God's house, but also vision for your family.

You're also going to hear what God wants to do in our house, but what God wants to do through us together.

And so it's gonna be a good couple of Sundays.

Is that all right? So if you have your Bibles, go to Joshua chapter one.

I got my, I got my seminar mic on today.

I love it.

'cause every time I wear this I always tell y'all, we got a packet available for you in the back.

It's 1299, but guess what? Today? For a hundred dollars.

For a hundred dollars, what we'll do is I'll send you my free cassette tapes.

Wow.

Did I age myself? Who grew up with the cassette tape? Come on.

Oh Snap.

CD player.

Okay.

Okay.

iPod Digital downloads.

Alright, here we go.

Here we go.

Here we go.

Here we go.

Record player.

A track.

Oh, snap the xylophone.

I don't know what that, what what? What's the phone? What's the thing? What's what's, you know, you know it's got the, the horn looking thing.

I don't know what you call it.

Anybody know what that is? Was anybody around back then? You know what? Help me out.

Right? So, so we gonna, we gonna have a good time as, as we, I don't know where I was going with that.

Anybody know what we were doing? No.

See, this is what happens when you lose an hour sleep.

I'm going to the scripture.

Yes.

Why you laughing? Quint.

You supposed to have my back.

Quentin.

Joshua, chapter one, Joshua chapter one.

We're gonna celebrate over the next few, few of us.

You guys can.

You guys can.

Head on to your seat.

Come on, y'all.

Can we celebrate the worship team? Yeah.

But Jamaris, I love, I love what the Lord is doing.

Joshua, chapter one.

We're gonna, we're gonna cast some vision.

You're gonna write a little bit today.

Uh, I'm, I'm gonna give you what the Lord's been giving us.

We're gonna stay in Joshua, but we're also gonna jump into Chronicles today and, uh, begin to just journey together what the Lord wants to do in city place.

In this next season is, is very, very beautiful and, uh, very humbling all at the same time.

Joshua chapter one, Joshua Chapter one says this, have I not commanded you to be strong and of good courage? Do not be afraid nor dismay for the Lord your God is with you wherever you will go.

This has been our foundational verse over the last few weeks, and in fact, I'd love for us to read it together.

Um, let's do this.

Put your name in front of the word have, so it would say, Damon, have I not commanded you? So on the counter three, I want you to read this verse with me.

Put your name in there and read it like you mean it.

Ready? 1, 2, 3.

Damon, have I not come on.

Don't be afraid.

Don't be dismayed.

Be strong and courageous for the Lord.

Your God is with you wherever you go.

Verse 11 says, pass through the camp.

Oh, verse 10.

Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people saying, pass through the camp and command the people saying, prepare provisions for yourselves for within three days.

Somebody say three to days.

For within three days, you will cross over this Jordan to go in and to possess the land, which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

Three days, prepare yourself.

You're going to cross over to the land that the Lord your God is handing over to you to possess.

First Chronicles chapter 28, first Chronicles, chapter 28.

1 Chronicles 28 · chapter mention 1 Chronicles 28 · chapter mention

Is it Not appear, but it should be on your message notes, which are on your seat.

One Chronicles 28, verse 20.

It says this, and David said to his son, Solomon, be strong and of good courage and do it.

Do not fear nor be dismayed for the Lord God, my God will be with you.

He will not leave you nor forsake you until you have finished all the work for service of the house of the Lord.

Here are the divisions of the priests, the Levites, and all the service of God's house, and every willing craftsman will be with you for all manner of workmanship, for every kind of service, all the leaders and all the people will be completely.

At your command this morning.

The challenge and charge as we are in this courageous season is I want to challenge all of us to simply get ready, get ready.

Sound like Bishop Jakes.

Get ready, get ready, get ready, get ready, get ready, get look at somebody.

Say, get ready.

Get ready.

Get ready.

Thank you, Jers.

Look at that other person.

Say Get ready.

Get ready, get ready.

Get get ready.

You don't have to do all that.

I love Bishop Jakes.

Like Bishop Jakes had this charge when he would start preaching and he would get fired up as he was preaching, and the room would be so excited, and then he would get from whatever his text was and he would say, get ready.

Get ready.

Don't just hear what God is saying.

Prepare for what God's going to do.

Don't just hear about it.

Respond with action in Joshua chapter one.

God has given the commandment to God's people that you have waited long enough.

It is time for you to possess everything that I literally am giving you.

Joshua's response was, everybody get, get, get, get, get, get ready.

Get ready, get ready, get ready.

Because in three days that's all you got.

We are going to grab hold of all that God's going to do for us.

For us.

Last week we preached about why not us? If God is going to do something on the earth, why not us? We don't just wanna read about it.

We don't just want to hear about it.

We don't just wanna move of God happening in another state.

How come it cannot happen where we are? The miracle signs and wonders that we read about why not letting those things happen in our lives.

If you're going to use anything, Lord Ron Cannoli, use me.

God, if you wanna do something on the earth, I am making myself available.

Why not me? Why not us? Joshua in one Chronics Chapter 28, and we're gonna be spending some time here in the next few weeks.

David King, David Giant Slayer.

Lion Killer David Saul.

This kid killed his thousands, David, his tens of thousands.

David, the David who the Bible says, had a heart after God is coming towards the end of his life, but he has got the blueprints of the house of God and he is going to God.

And he says, I am so ready to build your house in one Chronicles 28.

But God says, you cannot because your hands have shed blood.

And as a warrior.

You actually won't be able to fulfill that desire, but your son will, you will pass on the baton to your son to build my house.

And David has the blueprints, literally the design of God's house.

And he looks at his son and he says the same thing that we read when Joshua was talking to the people.

He says, son, as you build God's house, be strong.

Courageous.

Do not be afraid or dismayed.

No matter how hard it may seem, you are actually gonna build God's house because the Lord, watch now, my God, your dad's God is gonna be with you and the leaders they're gonna run too.

Joshua says, for all the people, God's gonna do it for you.

In Chronicles, David says, guess what we get to do? We get to build God's house for others and for him.

Over the next few weeks, you're gonna be hearing vision of what God wants to do for you.

But guess what? We will not be selfish with what God wants to do with us because there's a second part to what God wants to do in his house and both have the same echo.

Without losing any of God's power or abilities God wants to do for your house, what he wants to do for his house.

They both give us the same charge, strong and courageous, and the same promise.

I'll be with you wherever you go and you will accomplish it.

So get ready, get ready, get, get, get, get ready.

I'm not gonna have y'all repeat that because it's the get, get, get, get.

That's gonna be hard to follow and y'all know it will be.

Right.

So here's something that I realized.

Watch this when I read first, uh, Joshua chapter one, and we're gonna be in there all year.

In the weeks ahead, we're gonna be in uh, one Chronicles.

We're gonna be in Matthew 28 as we get closer to Easter.

But I realize that when we read Joshua chapter one, because Joshua is taking over for Moses, God says this, Moses, my servant is dead.

Joshua, arise and go.

We said this in the last few weeks, that when God wants to begin a new season, there is a finish to the other.

When God's starting something, there is a closed door on one.

That's clear.

2025 didn't bleed into 2026.

It ended December 31st, 1201, January 1st.

No one celebrated.

Happy New Year.

2025.

End of one season.

New season, new opportunities, new moments for the Lord.

And so here's a couple of things that I want you to write down.

City place.

We're on a camping trip.

God never calls us to live in a place that he is only using as a place of preparation.

God never calls us to a place to live there when that place is a place of preparation.

The very first Sunday here, the Lord has spoke to me and, and taisha that the, these seasons or these months that we were here was a camping trip.

To not get comfortable.

Don't put nothing that seems permanent up in this building.

This is a pass through season.

This is a hidden season.

This is a season where we proved faithful when we had to move on short notice.

How will we respond to a trial so we can't get comfortable when there's a path through season? God always uses seasons of our life to prepare us.

The warning is, is don't get comfortable or pitch a tent.

Some of us are in are, we're in a season where we're stuck and you were supposed to pass through that season.

Yeah.

So what that means is, is we gotta go and check the date where we signed the lease, because it may have been seasons where the, you were just passing through on an overnight stay.

But that circumstance, that trial, that delayed dream caused us to pitch a tent there.

We start saying things like, maybe that's not what God meant.

Be strong and courageous whether you're moving towards what I have for you or whether you're building God's house.

God gave a promise to Abraham in Genesis chapter 12 that God is fulfilling in Joshua chapter one.

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

Here's the thing, God spoke to, uh, Abraham in Genesis chapter one and he said, uh, in chapter 12.

He said, get from your father's house to the land where I'm showing you.

Here's the reason why God said that is because Abraham's dad got stuck in a city that was supposed to be a pass through while they were going to Canaan.

They were going through the city and got stuck, and this is what it says in Genesis 1132.

So the days of terror were 205 years, and Tara died in Harran.

He was supposed to be passing through Harran.

He pitched a tent in a place that was preparation.

And so what did God do? God said, Hey Abraham, in verse uh, 12 verse one in Genesis.

He says, Hey, get outta your father's country.

Dad's gone, season's over to the place where I have for you.

And he's literally gone.

I've got the promise place for you, but I can't have you stuck where your father got stuck.

That season is over.

Go to the place of promise.

Some of our families have been stuck.

Can we be, be challenged enough to not be stuck where our families have been stuck because maybe God's calling us to more.

Y'all trending.

All right? Yep.

And so we said this, we said, God closes one season and begins one season.

Think about this, to move from cautious to courageous, everyone in this room has to take a new and the next step, we have to take a new and the next step.

We said last week, we said that vision brings clarity of pursuit.

When God says go and he says, I'm going to show you every step of the way, brings clarity.

We shared the story of how the, the, the vision of city Place Church started off as a clock, kaleidoscope view, where we could see images of people, but we couldn't see faces.

That caused us to have to pray and seek God and fast God for a year of what God was trying to say.

And every time we went back to him, God started giving us vision that there's four types of people who, who need to hear the gospel message.

One, people who don't want nothing to do with him.

Two people who were heard, people who don't know him yet, and people who haven't been dreaming.

That's where we got the vision of God to go back to him of God.

Well, what does that mean? Well, city Place will be a life giving, multi-ethnic, multi-generational church that builds dreams, ignites faith that establishes leaders that win the laws for the kingdom of God.

Well, God, what does that mean? Well, that means that when you talk about building dreams, that we will unlock the prophetic voice of God.

When you talk about igniting faith, that people are gonna, uh, break free so that they can walk in true faith and trust me.

Establishing leaders that if we don't disciple people, then the vision of heaven could leak on the earth.

Yeah.

Do you know in prisons that some of the fastest moving religion is Islam in a place where freedom is needed? Prisons are being overtaken by Islam.

They create a brotherhood and community.

If we're not careful, the vision of heaven could leak or we can just go, they don't need, and the enemy creeps in and goes, we got what you need.

So we wanna establish as leaders for the ultimate purpose, which win the loss for the kingdom of God, because that's God's victory proposition.

So we had to keep going back to the Father because vision from God brings clarity or pursuit.

Y'all trying in all right.

We said this last week that what vision doesn't do is reveal the process of spiritual growth and maturity.

What vision doesn't do is reveal the process.

What God wants to do as he's growing us spiritually and maturing us.

But that's where we keep going back to the Father because we have the vision every step, every part of the journey.

We keep going back to the Father because he keeps drawing us closer and closer, and he reveals more and more and more of him himself.

Clarity of God's vision becomes clearer as we seek his face.

It becomes clearer as we seek his face.

I realize that Joshua watch now Joshua receives a fresh assignment for what God wants to do, watch during his wilderness season.

Joshua has been in the wilderness with the people for 40 years walking around the same mountain.

Have you ever felt like you've just been walking around the same thing, dealing with the same issue? That is where God wants to meet you.

God wants to meet you in those moments where you're trying to navigate the seasons and the terrain of life.

Listen to this.

It's an exodus.

These are all in the, in Exodus 17, we find Joshua fighting in a valley while Moses's arms are being held.

In Exodus 24, we are ident.

Uh, Joshua is identified as Moses's assistant while he's in the wilderness.

In Exodus 33, Joshua is watching as Moses is talking to God face to face.

Moses goes down from the mountain, God says, let him stay.

All of this is happening in the wilderness.

See, some of our greatest write this down moments with God come during seasons while we're in the wilderness.

Some of our most poignant and powerful moments with God happen in those seasons where we're navigating the tr tra uh, the, the, the, the, the, the, the terrain of life.

We cannot discount what God is doing in the process.

We cannot discount what God is doing in the process.

In numbers 13, while they're all in the wilderness, Joshua goes up with 12 spies, comes back with a report and says, why can't we go? And Joshua 14.

God speaks to Moses and says, Hey, everybody's gonna die off.

I'm gonna kill season.

There are gonna be two that will remain Caleb and Joshua who will go in and possess the promise in, in Deuteronomy 1 38, Joshua's purpose is made clear because this is what the Lord says, Joshua, the son of none who stands before you.

He shall go in, encourage him, and he and Israel will inherit the promise.

By the time we get to Deuteronomy 3 28.

There's a commandment that God gives Josh, uh, Moses to tell Joshua, he says, encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go over before this people and will cause them to un herd the land.

All of this is happening in the wilderness.

You and I should never discount the process.

Here's the reason why, because in whatever season of life we're, if we don't have God's voice, we don't have God's vision.

We need God's voice in every season.

This is not the time in the tough moments for us to retreat from God.

No clarity of vision becomes clearer in our pursuit.

So when we cannot see him while we're holding on to that prayer request, we pursue harder.

Several years ago, God spoke to our church and I just want you to hear a couple of things I brought.

I brought my journal.

God spoke to our church.

While we were coming out of the pandemic, a wilderness season.

We, we, we hadn't seen everything that we had prayed for.

And there were some moments that I had with the Lord where it was kind of like, Lord, you showed city place so much, but we don't see it in 20.

In 2023, the Lord spoke to our heart that we were heading into our impact years.

And those were the years where God was gonna place his hand on us because we'd been faithful when no one was watching and God was gonna resource his house and God was gonna push us with, with great influence in the way that he would see fit.

And all we needed to do was have zeal for his presence and zeal for his house.

And then God was saying, Damon, in those hidden years, and I didn't know y'all that at the time we would be at Hidden Oaks.

I thought, listen, I thought that we had walked through that hidden season, but as I continue to keep going back to God about this hidden season, I'm like, snap.

We had hidden notes and here's what the Lord said.

This will be a season where we will create a strong foundation of leadership where our yes is gonna be rooted in humility and excitement for the honor of being asked to care for people.

In the hidden season, so the Lord is like, I'm still working out some stuff.

While you have my promise for the season that you and as a church, that we've been trusted with the father sheep because we obeyed his voice, that we've been faithful over the few that God will has used the unplanned things as preparation for the next season.

We, we are in a season of preparation for kingdom rule, authority and impact that we will overcome the tensions of timing, delay, insignificant work and feeling overlooked.

It'll be in the hidden seasons when we have endured the test, struggled and fought battles and won.

Praise God for what God did for Kimmy, for what God's done for you, that we won't force our way into a room or complain out loud when we weren't invited.

The Lord is healing and pruning and correcting us so we can finish well.

Because the main focus is that we settle into his glory.

Like it's in these moments that feel like tough terrain, where if we continue to pursue, God speaks.

See over the next few weeks, Ty and I have to share this stuff with you, lest it only feels like a church service.

There is a weight that the Lord has for his church in this season that cannot be carried alone by Ty and I.

There is the hay.

Be strong and courageous fam, because we're about to go.

And then there's the first Chronicle.

Strong and courageous as you build God's house, it's all the same.

Y'all, I'm so ready to do this next season with you.

I was sharing with someone the other day.

I was like, man, if, if everybody really knew how much we love you as a pastor, you would be blown away.

I was talking to a pastor friend this week and we were talking about, what you don't know that I didn't know until we became senior leaders.

The grace of God.

To care for his people cannot be described, but I also feel like God will give that same grace to the body of believers, to be able to love his people and to live selflessly for someone who's broken loss and a ready to dream again.

Can you imagine what could be done together? Taisha asked those 12 people.

During our second launch meeting that you heard of, we didn't know that there would be a Jorge and Friendy who would be moving from Venezuela, who would respond to a, we need a piano player on Craigslist.

We didn't know that they would become family.

We didn't know that their influence would increase.

Into their community.

We didn't know that their win was ours.

We didn't know that we weren't just building our house.

We were doing First Chronicles 28, and we didn't even know it because when we were equipping them, we were equipping others.

Oh man.

If I would've known then what I know now.

I would've said, Lord, bring whomever you got.

But now since I'm a little bit wiser at 38, I think last week I was 42.

There's a joy for the journey.

Over the next few weeks, we're gonna take our time.

We had plans y'all to tell you some of the things that we're gonna launch, but it's better if we allow the Lord to minister.

And we deliver how he wants to deliver.

So I'm, I'm gonna let y'all know we had major plans for today to tell you outreach initiatives and things about property and all those different things.

And we are gonna come over the next three weeks.

I want to ask you to journey with us because these are sacred moments, and as a pastor, I, I, I do not want to get in God's way.

So can we make space? I know next week is spring break for your kids.

Go and enjoy.

We got teachers back there, teachers back there.

All I need you to do is just amen during the message.

You know what I'm saying? Joshua Chapter one.

Amen.

Come on, come on vacation.

Amen.

You're preaching now, pastor, but over the next few weeks, I realize, and I want you to write this down because I want this to settle in your heart.

God chooses you and I watch this now.

God chooses you and I.

God chooses his church to be his partner for Kingdom impact not to consume.

God chooses us to be his partner on the earth.

Write that down.

So if we said that this year it's gonna be the year we move from cautious to courageous, what does that look like? I'm gonna give 'em to you quickly, and there's some awkward blanks on your sheet.

I just want you to know that it looks like a step and then a step down, A step up and a step down.

Watch this.

'cause we're gonna talk about this in everything that we do throughout the year.

This is what it looks like when we move from cautious to courageous.

God normally meets us in our comfort.

Okay.

God normally meets us in our comfort and things can be good.

It's not always bad, but God meets us in our comfort and he says, there's gonna be a fresh season, something I want to do that's new.

God normally meets us in our comfort.

Hey, don't write so fast.

Don't write so fast because I know y'all trying to copy fo focus on me really, really fast.

I wanna deliver it to you.

Okay.

Actually I'm, can I be a teacher real fast? Will you mind taking that down please? No, I, I want you to catch this.

I want you to catch this.

Don't write, don't, don't write.

Is that okay if I just be a pastor promo? I want you to catch it because I, I can send you all of these slides, but watch God meets us in our comfort because he wants us to be courageous for what he has.

For us, life can be amazing, but God being, God would say one season is closing.

You could be in a season of success.

And he can be like, now I wanna elevate you in a greater way.

Here is how, I just want you to listen.

I want you to write these down.

You can hold that slide.

This is what God does.

God move us.

Watch now from comfort.

And then what happens is, is we normally write this in the first blank.

We move cautiously.

We move cautiously.

And so we, we start off cautious.

I don't know, what should I do? And here's the bridge.

The bridge is that we need to connect with the father.

It's in the connection where we begin to move from cautious.

John, chapter 15, I am the vine.

John 15 · chapter mention

You are the branch.

If you abide in me and my word abides in you, you will bear much fruit by this.

The father is glorified, but you have to abide in me.

If you wanna fulfill my purpose, if you want to fulfill destiny, if you want to impact, if you want your own life to be blessed, there's a connection that's required with me.

So God meets us in our comfort.

We normally step with caution, but the thing that gets the momentum going is our connection, which then leads us watch now to consistency.

Go ahead and write that down.

Some of y'all like, pastor, you too late.

We got to the slide before you took it down, pal.

Got him.

No, but listen, God meets us in our comfort.

We move cautiously.

God can I, I don't know if I'm equipped.

Okay, God.

But it starts with that connection.

God, I'm gonna trust you.

I'm gonna seek your face.

Why? Because vision from God is made clearer in our pursuit.

So the more I connect with him, the more clearly vision comes.

I may not know everything.

It may be one simple step of faith, one five minute moment of prayer, one five minute moment of worship, one five minute moment in his worship.

So much so that that.

The more time I spend with him, he keeps calling me and I realize that time is passing, five starts to 10 now I'm praying throughout the day because I'm just trying to get to know him.

So we move from cautious, being connected to consistent, and then consistent is that consistent rhythm where God, I'm just gonna take these steps towards you and watch now and then it goes back to being connected.

Which now you can put back up the slide.

There's this constant look.

Now, if we go from cautious to courageous, it's not a jump.

No.

It all happens with connection, which gives us consistency.

Consistency, going back to connection.

I'm never losing that.

It's just my faith journey, which then leads me to being committed.

I am not coming out of this.

But guess what? I started off taking my discipleship journey.

I was cautious.

I'm connected to you.

I'm consistently coming to God's house or tithing or or, or giving God some finances.

I'm learning, but I keep going back to Jesus.

Why? Because vision is becoming clearer over time, and then I become committed.

But guess what? I don't stop there.

I go back to my.

Connection.

And then God says, now it's the time to be courageous.

Over the next few weeks we're going to talk about this.

If we're gonna move from cautious to courageous, then that connection part has to be made sure, and guess what? We have to give ourselves permission to go step by step in the journey.

Are y'all ready? How about this? How about this? And Joshua went throughout the territory and he told everybody within three days, prepare yourselves.

'cause it's time to possess.

So get ready, get ready, get, get, get, get, get ready.

There's this phrase that says, be ready so you don't have to get ready over the next few weeks.

And if you miss a service in these two weeks, go on YouTube and watch it asap, because God's gonna move.

God's gonna show up.

We're going to dream about people.

We're gonna dream about property and all of us.

Guess what? We're gonna dream about what God wants to do in our own lives.

Can I pray? Father, in Jesus' name, we're grateful for where you're taking us as the church in this hidden season where you're building us up character wise and you're calling us higher.

God, I thank you that we will hear your voice and we will see your vision.

And God, I pray that you move us from comfort.

You've already challenged us in this year that anything can happen.

That you're moving us from cautious to courageous.

Now, God, every day of our life, let us connect with you in fresh ways as we take this journey from being cautious to courageous.

Our response is that we're ready to take new territory and new ground.

In the mighty name of Jesus we pray.

Amen.

Are y'all ready? Look at the person beside you.

Say, get, get, get ready, looking at that other person, and do Bishop Jakes and say, get, get, get, get ready.

Good Sunday.

Refreshing Sunday.

Amen.

Thank you.

Thank you for journeying with us.

Thank you for allowing God to speak to us.

Thank you for allowing God to speak to us.