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Sunday Message - Fountain of Grace International - Pretoria North

The Right Action Principle: What Moves You Forward Faster | James 2:17

You have been to every interview, tried every option, and still nothing is moving. In this message, Pastor Ricardo Zaal explains that the problem is rarely a lack of effort - it is a lack of the right action, taken at the right time. This is Part 2 of a practical, Bible-based series on the principles that move people forward faster in every area of life.

Pastor Ricardo Zaal - Fountain of Grace International, Pretoria North - 16 November 2025

Doing Everything But Getting Nothing

There is a deeply frustrating place many people find themselves in - they are attending every interview, trying every option, showing up consistently, and yet nothing seems to move. Pastor Ricardo Zaal opens this message by speaking directly to that person. The temptation is to conclude that God is not answering, or that something is fundamentally wrong with you. But the diagnosis in this message is more specific and more solvable than that.

The problem is not a lack of action. The problem is the absence of the right action. There is a world of difference between being busy and being effective. 'Fake it till you make it' collapses without clarity because you might be faking the wrong thing entirely. What this message establishes is that the principle that activates everything in your life is not generic effort - it is targeted, faith-filled, correctly directed action that lines up with the outcome you are actually believing God for.

Faith Requires Correct Action

James 2:17 is plain: faith without works is dead. But Pastor Ricardo takes this further than most will - it is not just works that are needed, it is the right works. If you are believing for a job that pays R20,000 a month in a management role, but you have no management experience and are not building any, your action is misaligned with your expectation. The seed you are planting does not match the harvest you are expecting. The law of sowing and reaping is not a suggestion - it is a biblical principle that does not bend to wishful thinking.

He illustrates this vividly with a mechanic changing brake pads. A technician who simply quotes R200 for the job is underselling the value of what they are providing. But a technician who helps the client understand that driving on failing brakes could cost them their life, their family, and their future - that person has created real value. The price changes because the perceived value changed. This is right action. Understanding what is truly at stake and communicating it effectively is not manipulation - it is wisdom applied to service, and it is the kind of thinking that produces real results.

The Danger of the Delayed Right Action

One of the most overlooked destroyers of opportunity is not disobedience - it is delay. Proverbs 6:6-9 directs our attention to the ant, a creature with no overseer, no ruler, and no one reminding it what season it is. The ant simply acts when action is required. It gathers in summer because winter is coming. Pastor Ricardo uses this to challenge everyone who has the right intention but a slow response - showing up an hour late to an interview that started on time is not a bad attitude problem. It is a delay problem that produced the same result as not going at all.

Timing is part of the action. The right seed planted in the wrong season can still fail to produce. This is why wise people act when the window is open, not when they feel ready. The opportunity will not wait indefinitely, and the ant in Proverbs does not need to be told twice. If God has prompted you, if the door is open, if the interview is tomorrow - act now, fully, without the luxury of delay.

Abram's Obedience and the Harvest That Follows Action

Genesis 12 records one of the most striking examples of immediate obedience in all of Scripture. God told Abram to leave his country, his family, and his father's house - and go to a land that God would show him. The destination was not even fully disclosed. The plan was not complete. The logistics of moving a household were not addressed. And yet verse 4 simply says, 'So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him.' No negotiation, no further questions, no waiting for a more convenient time. He just went.

Pastor Ricardo draws the parallel clearly - obedience to a clear instruction from God is itself a form of right action. Delayed obedience is disobedience dressed up in politeness. And the fourth principle ties it all together: the harvest belongs to the workers. You cannot reap where you have not sown, and you cannot sow apples and reap something else. Whatever area of your life you are expecting increase in - your career, your relationships, your church community, your finances - that is exactly where your right action, your sowing, your investment of time and presence needs to go. The reward will always follow the right work done in the right field.

"Faith has nothing to do with just believing God will help you. Every time you believe God will help you, you do the right action that will create the help that God will give you."

- Pastor Ricardo Zaal

What to Do Next

  1. Identify the specific outcome you are believing for and audit whether your current actions are actually aligned with that outcome - not just busy, but targeted (James 2:17).
  2. Act immediately on the next open door or clear instruction in front of you without delay, because delayed right action can cost you the same as no action at all (Proverbs 6:6-9).
  3. Begin sowing consistently into the area where you want to reap - your career, your relationships, your church, your community - knowing that the harvest always belongs to those who planted in the right field (Galatians 6:7).

If you are in Pretoria North, come on a Sunday - these messages are preached live every week at Fountain of Grace International, 323 B Danie Theron Street.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does James 2:17 mean by faith without works is dead?

James 2:17 in the KJV says, 'Even so faith, if it hath not works, it is dead, being alone.' This means that genuine belief in God must be accompanied by real, corresponding action - not just any action, but the right action aligned with what you are believing for. Faith that sits still and does nothing is not biblical faith.

Why do I keep doing everything right but still not getting results?

The issue is often not effort but direction - you may be taking action, but not the right action toward the specific outcome you want. Pastor Ricardo Zaal explains that if you want a management-level salary, for example, you need to build management-level value first. Unclear or misaligned effort produces no fruit no matter how hard you try.

How does delay destroy opportunity according to the Bible?

Proverbs 6:6-9 uses the ant as an example of a creature that acts in season without needing to be told twice. The Bible warns the sluggard who sleeps through summer that winter will come without provision. Pastor Ricardo applies this directly: the right action taken too late - like arriving an hour after an interview starts - is effectively the wrong action.

What can I learn from Abram's obedience in Genesis 12?

In Genesis 12:1-4, the KJV says 'So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him.' Abram did not wait for every detail, did not negotiate, and did not delay - he moved immediately when God spoke. This immediate, unquestioning obedience is itself a form of right action, and it is what positioned Abram to receive every blessing God had promised him.

Join Us This Sunday

Fountain of Grace International meets every Sunday at 09:00 at 323 B Danie Theron Street, Pretoria North. Come as you are.

Read Full Sermon Transcript
So, my message today is for the person that always say, I've been doing everything in life, yet I'm not winning. You know that person that says, I move to every interview, I'm not getting a job. I go to every dating app, yet I'm not getting a relationship. I even go to church to see if I can get a partner in church. I'm everywhere, but yet I'm not getting a relationship. If you are this person that has been doing everything in life, but yet nothing shows, yet nothing proves, this message is for you. The message I've entitled, The Principle That Activates Everything. This is a principle that activates everything. Now, one of the things that that people do is that they they say fake it till you make it. Now, my concern to that saying is, if you say fake it till you make it, but you don't know what is the outcome of what you want, you might fake the wrong thing. Now, the principle that activates everything is action. But I need to tell you, this has nothing to do with what you think. My message has nothing to do with the action. My message had to do with the right actions. Now, last week, the message we were saying was entitled, The Principles. You remember, I said to you, I couldn't I couldn't finish, so I needed to make this into a second part. So just to give you a brief of last week, the principle that move people forward faster. That was the first part of the message. And I said, number one, which was the obedience that you will have, it will unlock results. I said, you need to position yourself in the right positioning for the outcomes. I also said to you, you have to have wisdom, because wisdom multiplies the results. Then I also said to you, you have to have the strategy, because strategy is, it beats effort, in fact. Then I said to you, stewardship also bring increase. Relationships also open doors. That was the number six now. I said to you, you have to have the relationships. Then I said, you need to be prepared, or preparation, prepared to be ready for when opportunity strikes. Then I said to you, faith that you have to do that eggs, not only prey. So you need to do action. Then I said to you, also number nine, I said to you, the seed produces the harvest. So whatever you sow, you will reap. And I think the last one I said to you, focus on the few things that matters. Almost like, I think Stephen Covey said it, let the main thing be the main thing. I think that's what, is it? Yeah, but somebody said it. Let me say, somebody said, let the main thing be the main thing. Now, moving over to the next part of the same message, but in a different way of seeing it. The principle that activates everything is the right action. Now, when somebody says to you, it requires action, because that is my number one part of the message. One of the biggest, I mean, one of the biggest biblical accelerators, or something that accelerates your life, is action. That's like, it's something that I can almost put higher up in the Christianity things to take you somewhere. Faith requires action. The Bible says in James 2 verse 17, it says, Faith by itself, it does not have works, it's death. Now, let me speak to the person that says, I have done everything, but yet I have not gotten the job. My question to you is, what do you say was your everything? Because according to the law, let me call it the law of averages. Now, I can't say averages, the law of averages. Let me take it to the Bible. Let's call it the law of sowing and reaping. The law of sowing and reaping is that the right seed that you plant should bring the right plant that you reap from. I wish everybody can understand where I'm coming from. If it is that you say you want a job, you want a job. When they give you a job as a cleaner, it's also a job. Don't say, I've done everything under the sun and yet I have not received a job. If you have done what you could have done, you would have gotten a job. But the thing is, you have not clarified what kind of job you're looking at. You see, so when somebody look at a job, the reason why they don't get a job is that they're looking for something specifically, but don't take the effort to look into that specific thing that they want. I want a 20,000 rent a month salary, but my concern is I'm looking for a job that is in management whilst I don't even have a management experience. So you're looking for the job, but you strike the wrong action towards the kind of salary you're looking for. Can you see why I'm saying the correct action needs to be taken? Now, when you're looking at the correct action, how do you get a job that is more that you can earn? You need to increase the value that you give. What do I mean by the value that you give? Bishop, you remember last week I spoke about somebody who says that I want my car to be fixed. Now, for anybody to fix a brake pad, you can charge the person 200 rent. Easy. And that's the minimum. Please, hey Bishop, if you charge 200 rent, I will stop you now. Now, because even brake pads that people say, ah, it's quick. Hell no, it's not quick. It's 20 minutes of your time that could have been done somewhere else. But what I'm saying is that when somebody comes to you and you say to the person, I will fix your brake pads. You create the value of the brake pads to him. And this is what you do. You will ask him. So you say you want to change your brake pads. Is your brake pads still going to last for the next three months? No. So if your brake pads is not going to last for the next three months, what is the consequences of you not having brake pads? Ish, I won't be able to brake. You tell him, no. Ah, that's nothing. You won't be able to brake is not a problem. The biggest issue is that if somebody walks in front of you and you can't stop a car, you will become a killer. So you make the value of changing the brakes so high that the person can take anything to pay for it. You get my point? Because if brakes is not right, picture yourself driving down the hill and not getting any brakes. Rolling the car. Look at your family. What will happen? What will happen to your family if you are no longer there? Brake pad change is not worth 200 grand. So you have to create the right action to get to whatever you want. That's the reason why I'm saying to you, the principle, it has nothing to do with action. It have everything to do with the right action. Because what is faith by itself? If it does not have works, it is dead. Now, I want you to understand something. Believing that God will help you is not faith. It's every time, whenever you believe God will help you, you do the right action that will create the help that God will give you. You know, you know, you know, one thing I can tell you that Noah was seen as a, as a mumu, he was seen as a donko, he was seen as a leban, can't you see? But Noah, believing in God, started the ark. He did the right thing for the right outcome. So what I mean by this, the right action, what I mean by this, is that the fact that there's rain coming, you can't be building your house on sand. You have done the right thing, built a house, knowing that there's a storm coming, yes. But my concern is, doing it on sand will not withhold a storm. Now, my question to you is, my question to you is, what is the right action that you need to do? Now, the right action, unfortunately, gets destroyed by delay. I should, I should entitled a few things, now. Now, the principle of right action, number one, is that faith requires correct action. That's number one, eh? Faith requires the correct action. Then, number two, I can say, what's the use of having the right action, but delay? Because when you don't, when you do the right action, but you delay to do it in the right time, it might cause some problem. Because opportunities gets destroyed because you delayed on the right action. I hope you understand what I'm saying. Let me explain what I mean. Come for an interview tomorrow. Now, you said I'm coming. But in the morning, you dry dry, you take time. By the time you get to the interview, the interview is supposed to start at 10, but you delayed to get there by 11. They decided the next candidate is already in the position because you delayed to go there. Right action can still be a wrong action if it's getting to a delayed situation. Let me make an example. The Bible says in Proverbs 6, verse 6. Wait, let's go to Proverbs 6, verse 6. I want us to read Proverbs 6, verse 6. It says that go to the end, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise, which having no guidance, overseer or ruler, provided her meat in the summer, and get her food in the harvest. How long will thou, O sluggard? When will thou arise out of thy sleep? When will thou arise out of thy sleep? Did you hear it says in Proverbs 6, verse 7, it says in this one yeah, this is what I'm looking for it says, it says consider her ways and be wise consider her ways and be wise my question to you is if an ant sleeps during the time of summer delaying to gather food for winter do you think winter will be having a a life ant if I can call it that way because ants do have the time, they don't have to delay in summer together together things like to to get things together so the thing is when it comes to the right action make sure that you act immediately without any delays so the principle that goes with this is almost like wise people act when the opportunity is there and act when the opportunity is there number three of right action is that even if you have the right thing to do but don't obey it's useless you must obey immediately with whatever it is that you do because remember God told Abram to leave the land now the nicest part is wait wait let me read it so that you can understand where I'm coming from it's in Genesis 12 now Genesis 12 and I said so Abram departed no wait number three 12 verse 3 and I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curses thee and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed so Abram departed as the Lord has spoken unto him you see yeah I think let me let me start from number one he says now the Lord has said unto Abram get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show God was still speaking did you hear so as he goes on let me let me explain and I will make thee great nation and I will bless thee and I will make thy name great and I shall not be blessing and I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curses thee and thee shall all family of the earth be blessed did you hear this is what where God was still speaking when he said when he he said full stop of the earth be blessed he didn't say Abram still ask Maragot I can't be leaving my family here man I didn't still make conversations with God huh he didn't still ask hey Maragot you mean you say I must I must I must get out of my country and from my kindred and from my father's house you know my father's house have a lot of food for me to eat now I must go to a place where I don't even know where there's food or not he didn't he just said so Abram departed as the Lord has spoken unto him did you see the obedience to the call you know the dynamics of moving from one place to another if God tells me today I must go to to start my business in northwest do you know what is the first thing I'm thinking of where am I going to stay if it is that I going to stay in northwest how is how where's my kids going to be where's my kids going to stay you get my point Abram just moved he just went that's the obedient sign now going to the fourth one the thing that you should know is that a principle that moves people faster is that reward if I can say it that way belongs to the right action that people have taken I can almost when I change the wording that's how I can explain it but if I can give you I can give it to you this way the harvest belongs to the workers the harvest belongs to the workers so if you work in the right place with the right actions taken then you will receive the harvest how can you be able to to do a planting of of of of apples expecting to reap lions no so your harvest belongs to the work that you have done in the morning I said something as in fact this this this is also a nice part to bring in what I was saying in the morning when you have a church you have to have rules that abides in the church so if somebody breaks the rule of the church and I'm not talking about church as a as a organization I'm talking about the church of Christ how can you call yourself a Christian if you don't do the things that Christ has been doing so what I mean by that is if you are in a church and you come to church expecting to reap you know what I'm saying reap like to get something what have you added into what have you have what have you have you sown how can you expect a church that you belong to to come and pray for you the day when you are sick if you haven't been in church for the last 10 years you call the same church your church I can't call christian assemblies postmas because I have even sown everything into that church it is my main church yes it is the church that I've been submitting to it's where I gave my heart to the Lord I've served them time I was in postmas burg that is why anytime I go back to postmas and I go to church I will take my offering big offering sometimes not just small small when I get to church I will drop it in the offering basket knowing that this is the church that grew me my what I'm trying to say is that even for the 10 years that I haven't been there anytime I am there I do something towards what I need so I expected something from them years ago I don't expect anything from them anymore because I am no longer there on a permanent base so my question to you is that God forbid something happen today and you are in need of the church is that the same place where you will ask can you help me or would you rather need to go somewhere else because you haven't been serving or you haven't been doing anything to prove to be a part of that family so always whenever you do things think of the harvest that you will get because the harvest belongs to the workers and the workers regain only regain the harvest when right action has been done so if you don't come to church don't expect right harvest the bible even says it he says that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few so meaning to say that the harvest that is there is for the workers did you hear what he says he says the harvest is plentiful meaning to say together there is enough there is enough the problem is not the harvest the problem has never been the harvest the problem has been the workers how do you expect to receive from the same harvest you have not been working on the same harvest you have not been working on is the same harvest that you expect an outcome from a positive outcome the right action is what is needed in the right harvest that's what is needed and one of the things I can another one okay wait wait number one I said it's the fate that requires the correct action and then number two I said it's the right action delayed I don't know how to explain it yeah it's the right action that you delayed that you're not getting anywhere number three is you obeyed the wrong thing or your obedience has been in the wrong place right obedience will help you then I said the right action into the right harvest will help you as well or let's call it the harvest belongs to the workers now number five you I can call it no let me say laziness blocks progress I want to do something but I'm lazy so it blocks the progress proverbs 13 when you read proverbs 13 verse 4 it says the soul of the sluggard craves and get nothing did you hear the soul of the sluggard craves the soul of the sluggard craves and get nothing while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied you see even though you desire a thing if you don't put the right action to it it will produce nothing he says there's a scripture that says is it also proverbs I think that says he will give you the desires of your heart yes he will give you your desires of your heart but if you desire a lamborghini how do you expect a lamborghini to come to you if you only pray for it have you ever decided to earn money to get it I'm not saying God can't give you a lamborghini I'm not saying God can't give you a Ferrari I'm not saying God can't give you a house with 5 million rent chances of you losing it if you are not working is higher because you get the 3 million rent with the house but rates in Texas is going to kill you you have to sell it make sense what I'm saying so it's it's not to be lazy enough of that side most people are praying but things never take steps forward because they didn't take the next step of prayer because if you pray for food sitting in your house the crew won't come to your house and come and feed you it it can happen don't get me wrong it can happen but if you are hungry lying in your bed won't get you full while your fridge is still full I think I can add this one as well let me add the last one for you immediate right action multi immediate right action multiplies impact immediate right action he said lower your net imagine if something would have said if something would have come differently it would have been different lower your net and you up your net what would have happened he just said the right action you remember I said to I said about Abraham that that was said you must go he didn't wait he just went so the immediate right action multiplies impact this is just a bonus man I didn't think of it but I just got it if you want to cut off a tree you can cut off the tree by hitting the tree not what's next to the tree I want to give you some few things that will help you to get all these principles of wisdom to get effect in your life how do you get all these principles to be effective in fact in your life number one is always real because nothing can be done without God start building in vain build the builders if God is not building so seek direction from God so number one is prayer then number two is seek wisdom now wisdom makes you to understand that what I have done last time is not working so the right action towards it I need to be wise to know what is the correct action or the correct action measured you see then number three is positioning yourself to be in the right place so positioning yourself to be in the right place if you want to become a doctor don't go to an engineering school if you want to become a doctor don't go to an engineering school position yourself correctly and the last one always take the right action and move immediately right action immediately move immediately when these four things align things can change when these four things align things can change I want to ask a question is there something specifically in your life that you can think of don't take 100 years take a second to think of it if there's one thing that you know that God wants you to do what would that be because the answer that you give now did you hear what I asked the question I asked what do you know that God wants you to do if you write that answer down and you do it I can guarantee you you will have a life of wow you will have a life of wow if I can ask another question you said God told you to do certain things God has spoke to you about a certain thing why have you not done it why have you not done it God has told me that I will get a job where somebody will pay me a million rent why have you not yet sent your CVs out how do one get the job why did you not speak to somebody and ask them do you know of any jobs that is available why have you not spoken to somebody and tell them you know my skill I love speaking my talking is very nice because the more you build relationships in speaking to somebody about what is it that you want the quicker somebody can see what you can get and I leave it to that this is the end of my message this is the end of my message but I want you to think of all these things that I have said today and go back and ask what is the right action that you would want to do now this is not a part of the this is not a part of the of the message people have tendency to when you come to this part they have a tendency to tell you that the people in church is only looking for money but do you know that when you take up an offering tithes and offering it does not help the church to grow it puts somebody life to be at a better risk to be at a better place like the last time there was a situation where we as the church members we didn't have money but we could feed a feminine you see this is what I'm trying to say to you when somebody asks me for bread and I don't have money I don't go and ask my wife do you have hundred rent so that we can buy the bread to this person no we do ask the church there is somebody that is in need of a bread can we buy bread for that person so your offering and your tithe help us to do that your tithe and offering even helps us to put programs in place to train disciples of God because some people ask us money for training for training help us to pay for people that the expertise is needed in church I've made an example of a project manager so when a project manager wants you to do something or you want a project manager in church to help you with certain projects they ask money they don't ask for God bless you God bless you is not helping so your tithe and offering is helping so we want to take this moment and ask you if there's anyone that is having a tithe and offering we take the time and take that up heavenly father I pray for each and everyone who will be given father god not according to what they have or not according to what they don't have but according to what you have blessed them to have I pray that in the mighty name of Jesus that you will then help them whatever they give let it be multiplied not according to their gift but according to their heart because some wants to give but don't have and some can give but don't give but yet we ask now in the mighty name of Jesus bless even all of them in Jesus mighty name we pray amen
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