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Sunday Message · Fountain of Grace International · Pretoria North

Why You're Not Moving Forward - And How to Break It

You know exactly what to do. But you are not doing it. The problem is not a lack of knowledge - it is something deeper.

Pastor Ricardo Zaal · Fountain of Grace International, Pretoria North · 1 March 2026

This message is for the person who has big ideas but has not executed them. For the person who has been planning - but has not yet acted on that plan. For the person who knows God has called them, but keeps staying stuck.

The root issue is not that you don't know what to do. You know exactly what to do. But you're not doing it. Peter walking on water - in Matthew 14:28 - is the biblical model Pastor Ricardo returned to throughout this message. When Jesus said "Come," Peter did not wait until the waves calmed. He moved.

1. Fear disguised as wisdom

You tell yourself you are being careful. But when you examine it through scripture, 2 Timothy 1:7 is direct: "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." The Greek word for fear here is delia - cowardice, shrinking back. The word for power is dynamis - like dynamite, a force in action. You have not been given the spirit of shrinking. You have been given the spirit of movement.

2. Double-minded thinking

James 1:6-8 says a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways - and should not expect to receive anything from God. You keep your options open. You say "maybe this, maybe that." Be specific. If you want a specific outcome, tell God specifically. The brain follows what you give it focus. A vague ask produces a vague result.

3. Waiting for perfect conditions

Ecclesiastes 11:4 says: "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap." The Hebrew word for "observe" here means to watch carefully and wait for ideal conditions. If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never plant. The perfect time was yesterday. The next best time is now.

4. Leaning on your own logic

Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." God directs moving people - not people who are standing still. If you are not moving, there is no direction needed. God gives direction to the mover.

A practical framework for moving

Pastor Ricardo also shared five principles from David Allen's Getting Things Done that align directly with this message:

  1. 1.Capture everything out of your head. Your mind is for having ideas, not for holding them. Write things down.
  2. 2.Define the next action - not the final outcome. What is the first step toward the result? That is all you need.
  3. 3.Separate projects from actions. A project is anything that needs more than one step. Know the difference.
  4. 4.Do a weekly review. You have captured ideas and defined actions - but do you go back and look at them?
  5. 5.The two-minute rule: if it takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. Do not schedule it, optimize it, or overthink it.

"You don't procrastinate because you are lazy. You procrastinate because your tasks are unclear. Get clarity."

- Pastor Ricardo Zaal, Fountain of Grace International

If you are reading this in Pretoria North and something in this message connected with where you are, come and hear it in person. Services are every Sunday at 09:00 at 323 B Danie Theron Street, Pretoria North.

Questions this message answers

Why do I keep procrastinating even when I know what I need to do?
According to Pastor Ricardo Zaal at Fountain of Grace International in Pretoria North, procrastination is usually not laziness - it is unclear tasks, double-minded thinking, or fear disguised as wisdom. The solution is getting specific clarity on what the next one action actually is.
What does the Bible say about being stuck and not moving forward?
Matthew 14:28 (Peter walking on water), James 1:6-8 (the double-minded man), Proverbs 3:5-6 (trusting God rather than your own logic), and Ecclesiastes 11:4 (not waiting for perfect conditions) are the key scriptures Pastor Ricardo used in this message at Fountain of Grace International, Pretoria North.
How do I break the pattern of planning without executing?
Pastor Ricardo's framework: capture your ideas, define only the next action (not the final outcome), separate projects from tasks, review weekly, and apply the two-minute rule - if it takes less than two minutes, do it immediately.
What does 2 Timothy 1:7 say about fear and why we stay stuck?
2 Timothy 1:7 says God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. The Greek word for fear used here is delia - cowardice, the spirit of shrinking back. Pastor Ricardo Zaal at Fountain of Grace International teaches that what many people call wisdom or caution is often this spirit of shrinking operating beneath the surface. The antidote is movement - dynamis, the spirit of power in action.

This message was preached by Pastor Ricardo Zaal at Fountain of Grace International, located at 323 B Danie Theron Street, Pretoria North, Gauteng, South Africa. Fountain of Grace International is a registered NPO (No: 316-193) that holds Sunday services at 09:00 weekly. This teaching is part of a series on action, movement, and breaking patterns of stagnation - grounded in scripture and connected to practical everyday life in Pretoria North.

If this connected with where you are - come on Sunday.

Fountain of Grace International in Pretoria North. Every Sunday at 09:00. Someone will meet you at the door.

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Read Full Sermon Transcript
Why you're not moving forward? shop Yeah, why you're not moving forward? Yeah, it's there Yeah, it's check check for me on the Facebook I'm sure it needs to show why you're not moving forward. Can you check for me? It does your neck? Okay Okay, let me Let me see. Yeah, it does it does show me so why you're not moving Moving forward but and how to break it Why you're not moving forward and how to break it? Make sure that I tell you who this message is for This message is for the person who have been having big ideas big ideas but yet Did not execute these ideas Number one number two you feel There's too many planning that you've been doing but you have not act upon your planning Yeah then Which of I think minus up now? It shows Yeah, that's your way Yes, this one doesn't show So you also feel you are called like literally, you know, God has called you But you keep on staying stuck and not executing what he has called you to do So this message is is for the person who you started strong With everything that you do But yet you have not reached the finish line. Am I talking to somebody? Or do I make sense what I'm saying? And the worst part of it is it's not that you don't know what to do, you know exactly what to do But you're not doing it. You know exactly what to do, but you're not doing it But I want us to to read this let's go to Matthew 14 Matthew 14 28 now I want us to read Matthew 14 28 Now Matthew 14 28 says the following now it says Who sorry and Peter answered him and said Lord down But me on the water and Peter answered him and said if to be thou but me to come unto thee on the water and he said come and And When Peter has come down out of the ship he walked on the water to go to Jesus Now may the Lord God Bless his reading of his message the Bible two things comes out of here the part of things coming out of here is number one is that Why do you have to wait for God? to call you come knowing and Seeing somebody that walked before you has done it But you waiting for an invitation What invitation are you waiting for today? What is it that you should be doing but a waiting for an invitation I'm saying to you today come now Now Something that comes out of here as well is that Some of the things that comes That call you to come It's Extraordinary thing that is not normal. Have you ever seen somebody walk on water? You have not seen that but yet God is asking you to walk on water. It's extraordinary It's something that I can't believe it this guy What's this guy's name Elon Musk imagine somebody's saying Electric car how come Today there's cars electric Somebody's saying Can you imagine? If a car can drive himself when Knight Rider Was still in the I think 70s 80s. I think 80s. Yeah Knight Rider came out in the 80s It was a self-driving car 80 and look at where what when does the self-driving car only started? God said come and Somebody had to wait so long to come Hey T we have Ooba or Okay, let me not call it over. Let's say Services where pickups is done somebody Google and say come fetch me. Take me there a car comes not a driver a Self-driving car comes and take you exactly to your place We have that picture What Witchcraft is it? Hey, you say hey these people from Limpopo and their brooms now that this boom looks like a car witchcraft So God is allowing you to know Today there's certain extraordinary things that you will be doing You will be doing it You just have to Fully rely upon him Don't think and overthink and overthink and think yourself out of it Just do it Nike have a saying just do it and I remember there was a time I preached a message somewhere 2015 2013 somewhere around there I Remember the message vividly and that is why I'm I'm reminded today That even though my message comes in different ways and means it's almost as if it is the same message By that time I called the message just like it. What did it mean? Just do it sometimes I've not even gonna go through my My My notes as yet. Do you know what what happened? Nobody is lazy You are just overloaded with a lot of You can almost say a lot of things to do you are You have conflicting thoughts You see the one thought Yeah Go the one thought is telling you should I the other thought is telling you go Now you listen to the wrong thought Because of listening to the wrong thought you are overloaded like somebody Researching for quite some time You do all the research that you can find But yet you're not launching your company. You're not launching your company Like simple decisions you overthink it the only thing that I can tell you now the simplest form of of of of Business for argument sake is not to start by CIPC and start your company name. It's not necessary Many people run businesses without even being CIPC registered Let me explain you look for the need first and follow the need of people and Executing how to help with the need. Let me make an example If you know a train station in South Africa, I'm not bothered about America because I don't know America I've never been there. I will never even bother about people that I don't know but from what I know Go to wonderful station go to Park station go to whatever station. Do you know the need for just grab something People have seen it and sitting there to give you what you need to grab Some people even selling coffee by a robot They have gone so far that they even selling A breakfast on the run. It's a muesli in a cup presented. So well Anybody that passed there I didn't had breakfast this morning. Let me just get myself a cup of muesli So you look for the need First and when you have the need don't overthink it just do it Be sure somebody I can guarantee you now. I've said it before You don't need selling skills if you go to any School in In South Africa and stand with a packet of chippies chippies chippies like this Nobody will just They will not just look at you and pass Somebody will come to you and say how much You have not done anything you just stood there So business doesn't have to be over think you just have to do it South Africa is a big Testimony of how business get done easily and then as South Africans We get told I had a further for a lot Well foreigners the foreigners has taken over our jobs No, they have not taken over our jobs They have done what you were supposed to do and you didn't Because of overthinking do you know that there's a there's a there's a guy Okay, let me leave this guy because I can't remember his name now But it's somebody that come from outside started a mining company like mining taking resources from South Africa Things that belongs to South Africa you made billions out of mining things that is in South Africa That South African could have used But yet they have not done so Now my question to you is is it a A mine struggling situation or is it an execution situation if somebody would have executed it It would have been South African today Don't tell me it's about funding. No, I'll know it's never about funding If it would have been about funding Why not take the same thing that let's make an example in the Kimberley situation Let me not frustrate you let me just say If it would have been a funding issue Why would somebody? Be making a plan to fund it. Just leave it there My question is Do you think it has to do with you not knowing or it has to do with you changing your mindset? Because I think and I'm not saying it is the case I think it's more about mindset changing and the mindset behind it is the fear That this is disguised as wisdom you you you telling yourself You're telling yourself i'm just careful No, you're not careful You you you are you are fearing if I do it What if I fail because that's what we call fear of failure You fear failing Let me let me let me give you a word second Timothy one verse seven Please just write it down because i'm going to go through it first Nah Fear disguises wisdom you tell yourself i'm i'm just careful, but when you're talking about scripture This is how scripture exposed you for god has not given us the spirit of fear But of power and of love and of a sound mind second Timothy one verse seven The greek word here for fear Is delia It means cowardice Timothy And shrinking back while the word power means dynamous it's like That's where the word dynamite come from It's dynamite dynamics It means a certain type of a force the ability Or the strength in action And that is why I can tell you now you're not supposed to be shrinking you have been given The numbers the dynamics Strength or power I should actually let me let me make you to make it Number one is the fear of failure Let's let's call it the fear of failure disguised as wisdom number two is What we call the double-minded thinking You say maybe there's maybe that You keep you keep the options like there's always options There's always options and that is why james said it now james one One verse six to eight. It's james one verse six to eight says but let him ask in faith Nothing wavering did you hear he says let him ask in faith Nothing wavering for he had wavered. It's like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the lord a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways God give me a car A donkey car is also a car Be specific Be specific Because if you want a jeep and tomorrow it's a toyota There's no toy jeep or jeep toy There's toyota and there's jeep So don't have double-minded Speaking to god in a double-minded way No Tell god be specific And if you can even be so specific that you even tell him I want a jeep to rookie 2024 model White in color Black leather seats Navigation system Cruise control That's how specific you need to be. Can you see? because when you are more specific the brain even have a way of Following that pattern of what you want And I can make an example to you. I can guarantee you now if I ask you to close think Of something red Because your focus has been on my on my shirt the whole time you will remember this rent Because you have seen the red on my shirt But let me ask you if I ask you to close your eyes now and you close your eyes And I ask you to think of something That is brown It will be harder It will be harder to think of something that is brown because of the focus was not on brown When your eyes is closed It's hard to focus Do it when your while your mind is open. So When you have two-sided Just don't be pulled into both directions because you will be split in half Focus on the thing that you do want. That's number two number three Don't ever wait for perfect conditions Perfect conditions never ever ever ever ever wait for perfect conditions If we would have waited for perfect conditions yesterday to do the washing It would have been a problem Because our washing It was so soaked We had to take it inside and put it on the inside thing. But what i'm trying to say is that When you wait for perfect conditions To do certain things It won't help you The famous words is i'm waiting for Everything to align i'm waiting for everything to fall in line It's not going to happen Let me let me give you a scripture clear one Ecclesiastes 11 Verse 4 Ecclesiastes 11 verse 4 says he says he that observed the wind shall not so Did you see yeah Observe the wind shall not so and he that regarded the clouds Shall not reap sometimes when I do this bible studies and things I go into trying to figure out Um, you see this this thing there's a There's an app I have here Bishop this app is my go-to this this Is a bible study with strong Bible study with strong You have an option where you can actually Get the strong of the things so what I will do is I will read the scripture And I will go to this strong concordance bible And I will go and check What is the original meaning that was meant there? And hebrew word for observe In this specific scripture it means to watch carefully and wait for ideal conditions Did you hear it says watch carefully And therefore you will never plant So don't wait for perfect conditions if that business idea Has come Start triggering it just do it Just do it Just like it just like it that's it No need for planning because When everybody start planning the plan up until the last bit of planning The time of execution gets extended Must I say that again? If everybody Who is into planning? Start to plan up until Everything is in place The execution plan will be extended meaning to say instead of Having an idea of selling chappies to start my business The first thing is let me just quickly go and buy a packet of chappies Now you think if I buy the chappies how much am I going to sell it sell it for? You get my point? When you think how much is it going to be selling for then you think Where am I going to get a perfect spot? To sell these chappies for No, but I think that school is nicer than this school no man wait That school have a thing that anybody who's standing there will get into trouble Oh, okay. No, let me go to this one. No, let me go to shoshang guve in shoshang guve. They don't have this What what what You you see so every plan takes you out of your plan that you actually want to do Just execute number four This is the part I need you to understand as well Never ever ever leaning too much on your own logic Because what history has told you God has not told you History told us that it was impossible To do a one mile into a certain seconds or whatever minutes or whatever the case may be It's impossible Wait, there's a there's a study There was a study done specifically I think it was a four mile Run something like that um What was it again? I'm trying to check now. Um Yeah, there's a there's a guy called the roger banister now, sir roger banister was the first person to break the four mile The four minutes. Sorry. Sorry four minute mile barrier Running a time of three Three minutes 59 seconds and four that after seconds after the seconds. I don't know what they call that thing It was on may The 6 1954 at oxford university so After that many people have even better his record Because then they could see it was they could have done it While at first nobody thought it could be done So when you lean on your own logic It's where the problem comes in You start analyzing and start calculating Especially us that calculate according to our pockets You know when I start something I always think of the pocket Stop analyzing according to the pockets and according to your mindset because your mindset is wrong Proverbs 3 verse 5 and 6 Trust in the lord with all that heart and lean on unto their own understanding in all their ways Acknowledge him and he shall direct their parts Huh in all your ways He didn't say in one or two ways. He says in all your ways Trust here it means to rely on Fully on him It's like placing your confidence in him. Do you know that? God directs moving people God directs moving people If you stand still there's no direction needed for you Huh for somebody to stand still And have not decided left or right There's no need for a direction Because you're not going anywhere But god gives direction to the mover I can actually say the movers and shakers So your root issue Is not the lack of knowledge, you know what to do your your problem is also the root issue issue is that It's it's an indecisiveness that you have because you cannot decide do I want the jeep or do I want the toyota You have to decide and that will help you to move forward And don't think of Taking a step later When you take a step later one, two, three, four, five six seven eight Nine ten if it has Ten steps And you want to go there up there? Don't think that the ladder will stand if you try to jump to step number five first That ladder will fall under you A step later is supposed to be stepped on the first step The second step the third step the fourth and then the fifth Not from the ground to number five That thing will fall under you So remember Anything you want to do start with the first step that you can see just the first step that you can see not Thinking of the third fourth and fifth start with the one that you can see immediately and start moving Because that will give direction I need to I need to give you some sort of a framework if I can call it that way Decide one direction. What what is it? If I want to go to job, it's like i'm going to job now don't think of Like I want to go to job work But I think I will do it end of the year Ah, no, no If you think job work now and you know, there's something for you that will make your life to go Give it only 24 hours Not longer than 24 hours and start Give yourself a 24-hour action If you can do it even earlier Before the emotion starts running and overflowing Do it quicker Because sometimes our emotions Get us to snap out of it and when you see yourself you have been moving review that step And repeat it every day What I mean by that I have seen job work. I have moved. I know I need to get a taxi Or I know I need to start the car whatever has worked keep on making a Journal if I can call it that way make a journal of your Move And when you see what has worked Review look this one worked that one doesn't work start again Keep on doing it and the more you review the more you get it And as I said to you The biblical model model of movement is the peter walking on water water movement That was the best that could ever happen to anyone Who taught that walking on water was only for the elected? The one that taught walking on water was only For god meant with jesus But yet when he moved he saw it went he wondered to one word. He didn't care about the physics of things You know physics will tell you physics will tell you That is like The the the law of gravity It will tell you law of gravity will pull you down What is density What what? Hey, I i'm not physics physics physics. Please. Let me not embarrass myself But the thing that water is done with it's not like Step on it it will cut through But do remember also While I made it make sure When you when you fall from a airplane for argument's sake Or anything higher than 200 meters The moment you come to the water If you don't break the water's Surface It will break you into pieces You need something to When you go to the water start with your finger first To break the density of the water I know a bit of physics as well. Even though I say, ah, let me not go there, but I know it well Bishop, do you know? We call it the uh in africans, ne When somebody took a dive we call it pensy Can you hear that sound? You go like It hit you it's red We call it pensy ma So when you dive that pensy is because you did not break the water's Thing and that's why it hurts so much Now This guy peter He was taking a Pency There was nothing to Break the water to get him inside But he did not know those things All he knew is come come All he knew was come And I want to I want to take this this moment and speak to you about a guy called Uh, what's this guy's name again david something david alan I just want to take a quick few things out of his book, ne Bishop if you don't mind, I'll just rush through it quickly because I think this has been helping me a lot as well The getting things done. There's five things that will change how you execute, ne You don't need the whole system at once you need the parts that that force movement and here are five Of that things that matters number one Capture everything out of your head Like whenever you have an idea write it down David alan's first rule is that your mind is for having ideas not for holding them If you keep Task in your head you will feel overwhelmed You will feel busy And not having any clarity So write it down capture it somewhere And you will feel stressed But you won't feel understand why it's because you have everything in your head The head is only for ideas Get the idea get it out on paper So a practical move here is Capture get a capture tool of of how you put your ideas A note app notebook or whatever Sometimes I I walk around with this What's that thing I have a voice recorder So I will be walking around with a voice recorder if i'm driving I'll capture it on the voice recorder And when I get home I will capture it somewhere, you know, because that makes it easier Do you know bishop the last time I saw that voice recorder? Was when we went that side I bring the voice recorder back I packed it somewhere. I couldn't find it. I only got it this week I was struggling to get it. I I couldn't remember where I put it. So when I look for it i'm like I know i've got it. So I used my phone in the interim until when I realized ah It's in the laptop bag that we took that day But I forgot where it was but the thing the main thing i'm saying Get yourself a place where you capture all your ideas together That's the the the number one thing Number two thing define what will be the next action to do Not defining what will be the last No, don't go to the outcome first According to the outcome think of the first step towards the outcome So that that is a game changer because when you start business Let me not you know Let me let me make an example when you start a business people think of the making the money first They don't think of what is the issue you can close it Or from outside you can close it from outside I can see it's it's it's so What i'm trying to say is that the next action Is nicer If the next action there is less than two minutes do it immediately Don't wait if something can be done within two minutes do it immediately This weather is changing Number three You need to separate the projects from the action A project is anything that needs more than one step. That's a project You see when we're talking about a project is Church growth comes in a project. There's different sections to it So when you're talking about different sections you need to talk about action Action What is the action so separate the action from the project So there's a There's a what we call two lists this This that's what we call two lists that you can do you you have the the project list And you have the action list And separate the two but use them intertwined Like you know what you want to achieve this will be the bigger project But you know what is the first step to get to that bigger project and start those steps If it is two minutes Do it immediately don't wait for it david ellen's advice always Whenever you do number four is to have a weekly review of where you are This is where most people actually fail And you have captured all the ideas you have defined all the action But then you forgot to look at them because you have everything in place You have the action But you have not reviewed from the last time I got the the idea of starting a keyboard lesson Have I started to try one code as well? No i've not been So review every week And the last one look this is not the exhaustive list it was just five top things that I just wanted to to quickly Give you Oh i've given this one already The number five which is the the two minute rule If it takes less than two minutes do it immediately don't schedule it don't overthink it don't optimize it Just execute it Did you hear that say I said the two minute rule Anything you want to do? If it takes less than two minutes Do it immediately If you want to do your If you want to brush your teeth Knowing that you won't do three minutes. We just do two minutes Do it immediately if a bad Feel like ah, it's going to take too long And I need to do my homework Choose which one is better like choose a The one that will allow you to To move forward I don't say bathing Is wrong But you can still bath at the latest stage when you do your homework first If the electricity switch off suddenly and it becomes night time You can still go and bath In the dark, but you can't do your homework in the dark You can if you were in our days where we used to do the candle lighting We used to But if electricity is off Ah homework is somewhat awful as well So just remember that if you can do it within two minutes do it If I can if I can reduce this get things done to only one one line there It's like you don't procrastinate because you are lazy You procrastinate because your tasks are unclear so get clarity If I can Put everything together Get clarity Brian Tracy have a whole course on clarity I'm giving you my i'm giving you my my The guys that has helped me my life Bishop the bible have it But somebody said it nicely in today's life I would go and read it there People will tell you ah, why don't you read the bible? What what what the bible have all the answers Sometimes we are we are not the holy ghost power to understand what the holy ghost is trying to sell us So we go to the guys like what i'm saying to you now the the david ellen's and the brine tracy's And the anthony robbins and whoever and I sometimes go to them and I extract ideas from them I Because I can guarantee you now every man of god on this earth Not all of them Are perfect human beings But there's something perfect you can take from them They are full of nonsense they Lie and cheat their ways But there's one or two things you can take from Don't discard Their whole life Because of one incident you have with them I'm telling you i've learned more from my enemies than what i've learned from my friends I wish you can understand what i'm trying to say If that enemy is trying to kill you Go and see what kind of forces they are using to kill people And you might just learn something from that Just one thing out of everything Get clarity Get clarity Get clear as to what you want in life because a double-minded man A sneak up in place is trouble What is one project? Or one action step That is sitting in your head right now That you can start executing Do that today Do that Today i'm not ruled by threat. I'm not ruled by fear I'm not divided in my mind I'm not I will not wait for perfect conditions I trust god more than my own thoughts I trust god more than my own doubts I move when he says I move I act even when I feel uncertain I plant seeds daily I build momentum through obedience and I finish what I started That's a declaration that we all should Be moving to daily What is that one action? That you know, you must take not five One not ten one Not a hundred only one If you do that today your life will shift And remember god has told you already what to do He has not told me What to do He has told you So let him be the one That guides you because I might be getting something wrong But god has teach you how to heavenly father I want to take this moment and ask you for clarity in our lives Clarity That will give us direction as to where we need to go Clarity that makes us to know What is the next step? That's all we want is the next step in the mighty name of jesus christ our lord and savior
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