Do You Know What’s Inside of You?
Why Many Christians Live Below the Power God Has Already Given Them
By Justin Morris | Beaver Dam Revival
Watch the Video
https://youtu.be/A-9ds6RTayQ
Sometimes God speaks through the most unexpected things.
For me, this week’s message started with two dogs.
The Tiny Dog That Thought He Was a Lion
The other day I was at Matt and Janna’s house. Their kids were running a lemonade stand, and they had recently purchased a beautiful new home. They invited us inside for a tour, but before we went in they said, “Hold on—we need to put the dog away.”
Naturally I asked, “Oh, is it a big dog?”
They laughed and said, “No… it’s just a little thing.”
As soon as I walked through the door, there was Gigi—a tiny dog behind a baby gate—jumping, barking, and doing everything possible to protect that house. If you didn’t know better, you’d think she believed she was a hundred-pound guard dog.
Now, I know Gigi is actually a sweet dog, but in that moment she wasn’t thinking about her size. She was protecting her family.
As I watched this little dog full of confidence, I remember thinking:
There’s probably a sermon in this somewhere.
Meet Gooners
I’ve always been more of a cat person.
About five years ago, while I was out fishing, Jeannine and the kids decided they were going to pick out a puppy. They kept sending me pictures asking which one I liked.
There was one puppy that, for whatever reason, I just didn’t want.
So I texted back, “Whatever you do… don’t get that one.”
Can you guess which one they brought home?
Of course… that one.
Her name is Gooners.
And today she’s my best friend.
We spend almost every day together.
Gooners is half pit bull and mixed with just about everything else. She is lean, incredibly athletic, unbelievably fast, and probably the best Frisbee-catching dog I’ve ever seen. She can sprint across the yard, leap into the air, twist her body, and catch almost anything you throw.
When the Amazon driver pulls into the driveway, her bark sounds terrifying.
One delivery driver even asked me if I needed additional homeowner’s insurance because of my “killer dog.”
But here’s the funny part.
If that Amazon driver actually walked into my house, Gooners would probably roll over for a belly rub… or run away in fear.
She’s afraid of almost everything.
She’s afraid of riding in the car.
She’s so nervous she gets sick.
One day she was playing Frisbee with another dog. It was hot outside, so I turned on the garden hose to fill their water bowls.
The moment she saw the hose…
She ran all the way home crying.
Yesterday, a blade of grass landed on her while she was outside.
A blade of grass.
She froze.
Even our air conditioner has traumatized her so much this summer that we’ve had to help calm her while it runs.
This incredibly powerful dog lives afraid.
Then There’s Charlie
This year we added another member to the family.
Charlie.
His official name, according to my daughter Lia, is Charles Le Floof.
Our friend Chris had puppies, and Lia had been begging us for months to get one.
Chris came up with a brilliant plan.
He brought one of the puppies to Beaver Dam Revival.
Lia held that little puppy while I was playing guitar during worship. Then she looked at me with tears in her eyes and asked, “Please, Daddy?”
What chance did I have?
Charlie came home with us.
He’s a tiny miniature Goldendoodle.
Compared to Gooners, he has almost no physical strength.
But he has absolutely no fear.
He’ll bark at dogs ten times his size.
He’ll charge toward things Gooners runs away from.
Every time I watch these two dogs together, I think the same thing.
Gooners has no idea what’s inside of her.
And I wonder…
How many Christians are exactly the same?
We Don’t Have a Power Problem
Many believers think they need more faith.
More strength.
More confidence.
More courage.
But maybe that’s not the real problem.
Maybe we don’t have a power problem.
Maybe we have an identity problem.
Paul prayed something remarkable for the believers in Ephesus.
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know… his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead.”
— Ephesians 1:18-20
Notice what Paul does not pray.
He doesn’t pray, “Lord, give them more power.”
Instead, he prays that they would know.
The issue wasn’t whether God’s power existed.
The issue was whether believers understood what God had already done.
The Same Spirit Lives in You
Think about Paul’s words for a moment.
The very power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in every believer through the Holy Spirit.
That is almost impossible to comprehend.
The Christian life was never meant to be lived through human effort alone.
God Himself has come to dwell within His people.
You’re not trying to convince God to help you.
You’re learning to trust the One who already lives inside of you.
The Elephant That Never Learned
There’s a familiar illustration about elephants.
When an elephant is young, trainers tie it to a small stake.
The elephant pulls.
It struggles.
It fights.
Eventually it gives up.
Years later, that same elephant weighs thousands of pounds.
It could pull that tiny stake out of the ground without even trying.
But it never does.
Why?
Because somewhere deep inside, it still believes it can’t.
How many Christians live exactly like that?
Jesus has forgiven them.
The Holy Spirit lives within them.
They’ve been given authority in Christ.
Yet they continue living as though they’re still chained.
God’s Power Is Already Working
Paul writes another incredible promise:
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
— Ephesians 3:20
Notice those last two words.
Within us.
Not around us.
Not beside us.
Within us.
What Chains Have You Accepted?
Maybe you’ve believed lies like these:
“I’m always going to struggle.”
“I’m just an anxious person.”
“I’ll never overcome.”
“I’m too broken for God to use.”
Those are chains.
But Jesus already paid for your freedom.
The question isn’t whether Christ has enough power.
The question is whether we’ll believe His Word more than our past experiences.
You Are Not Alone
My pit bull is stronger than she knows.
That elephant is freer than he knows.
And I believe many Christians are far more equipped than they realize.
The Holy Spirit lives inside of every believer.
Jesus has given us His authority.
He has entrusted us with His name.
He has called us to carry His Gospel into the world.
We are not trying to become powerful people.
We are learning to live in dependence upon the One who already lives within us.
A Prayer
Father, open the eyes of our hearts. Help us stop living in fear when You have called us to walk in faith. Help us stop believing lies that keep us bound and instead believe Your Word. Thank You for giving us Your Holy Spirit. Teach us to live with courage, humility, and complete dependence on You. May we walk in the authority of Jesus, love people well, and boldly proclaim the Good News wherever You send us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.