Sunday Message · Fountain of Grace International · Pretoria North

You're Working Hard But Nothing Changes. Here's Why.

Name: You're Working Hard But Nothing Changes. Here's Why.
Uploaded: 2022-07-04T12:00:00+02:00
Channel: Pastor Ricardo Zaal
Description: You're Working Hard But Nothing Changes. Here's Why.

You've been trying your own way for years. The results speak for themselves. What if there's actually a better path waiting, and you just haven't asked for it?

Pastor Ricardo Zaal · Fountain of Grace International, Pretoria North

You're exhausted from trying the same things over and over and getting nowhere.

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This message is for you if:

You work hard but feel like nothing ever moves forward
You keep praying for change but your life stays the same
Your relationships, job, or finances keep hitting dead ends
You're tired of your own strategies and need a different direction

The Pattern That's Killing Your Growth

You've been doing it the same way for years. Same job search tactics. Same relationship conversations. Same way of handling your kids or your marriage. And the results are always the same: nowhere.

The problem isn't that you're not working hard enough. You're exhausted from the effort. The problem is that you're using only your own mind, your own logic, your own strategies. You're like the Dead Sea. Water flows in-you put in the work-but nothing moves through you. No life flows. You stay stagnant because there's no movement toward what God actually has for you.

Pastor Ricardo puts it bluntly: if there had been another way, wouldn't everybody already be doing it? But the other way isn't complicated. It's just not the way you've been trained to think. It's the way that requires you to stop trusting only yourself and start asking God to show you the path He's already set.

Why Your Own Way Doesn't Work

You've been crying for your children to come to the Lord. Nothing. You've been trying to get your husband back. Nothing. You've gone to interview after interview. Nothing. You've been in that job for years with no growth. The gap between your effort and your results keeps telling you something: your method is broken.

The central reason is this: you haven't been taking time to ask God what the path actually is. You haven't been sitting in His presence long enough to hear what He's saying. You've been so focused on executing your plan that you never asked if it was His plan.

Jesus said in John 14:6, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.' Not just any way-His way. When you're cut off from that source, you're like a branch separated from the tree. There's no way to grow. It doesn't matter how hard the branch works; without connection to the tree, nothing flows through it. That's where you are now.

How to Know God's Path When You See It

God promises to show you the path of life. Not a path. The path. The one already set for you. But here's the test: Psalm 16:11 says it clearly. 'In your presence is fullness of joy.' That's the marker. That's how you know you're on the right path.

When you make a decision and there's no peace, no joy in it-it's not God's path. When you take a step and your gut says something is off, that's the signal. God's paths are marked by fullness of joy, not just the absence of pain. Not just 'it could work.' Joy. Real joy.

So before you take the next step in your career, your relationship, your life-ask God directly. 'Is this the way You want me to go? Will I feel Your joy in this?' If the answer is no, stop. Don't keep forcing a path that doesn't have His presence in it. That's how you escape the cycle.

The One Thing That Changes Everything

If things haven't been going right in your life, there's only one reason: you haven't had enough of God's presence guiding your decisions. That's it. Not bad luck. Not bad timing. Not other people holding you back. You've been running on your own fuel, and your own fuel is empty.

The shift happens when you say this to Jesus: 'I haven't been growing in this area. What path do You want me to follow?' Not what path looks good to you. Not what path your friends took. What path He wants. When you surrender the right to choose your own direction and ask Him instead, the entire landscape changes.

This isn't weakness. This is the strongest move you can make. Because the moment you give Jesus your life and ask Him to show you the way-He does. He gives you not just a path but a path marked by joy, purpose, and actual growth. Not the fake growth of climbing the wrong ladder. Real growth. Growth that satisfies.

What Happens When You Stop Fighting and Start Following

Growth happens in God's presence. Not in your effort alone. Not in your cleverness. In His presence. When you make decisions inside His presence-asking Him, waiting for His peace, moving only when there's joy-everything changes. Your relationships start healing. Your work bears fruit. Your prayers get answered because you're finally aligned with what He's been trying to do all along.

Psalm 16:11 doesn't say 'fullness of joy might be there.' It says it is there. At His right hand are pleasures forever. Not temporary relief. Not 'getting by.' Pleasures. Desires fulfilled. This is what waits for you when you stop trying to force your own way and start asking what His is.

The path from where you are to where you need to be starts with one decision: Jesus is the way. Not a way. The way. The truth. The life. Give Him your life. Ask Him to show you the path. Then move. Move with joy as the compass.

"If there had been another way, everybody would have done it already. But you haven't taken it because you're still trying to use only your own mind."
- Pastor Ricardo Zaal

Key Takeaways

Stagnation Equals Death; Movement Equals Life The Dead Sea is dead because nothing flows through it. The Jordan River that feeds it teems with life. Your life follows the same law. When you're stuck in your own strategies with no movement toward God's will, you're stagnant. You feel it. But the moment you start moving in alignment with what God is showing you-even small steps-life returns. Growth returns. Joy returns. Movement toward God's path is movement toward life itself.
Joy Is God's Signature on a Decision You don't have to wonder if a path is from God. He marked His paths clearly: they carry fullness of joy. When you're considering a decision-a job, a relationship move, a direction-check for joy, not just logic or safety. If there's no peace, no joy in it, it's not His path. This isn't feeling-based nonsense; it's the built-in verification system God gave you. Trust it.
Surrender Is Strength, Not Weakness You've been trying to be strong by controlling your own path. That's actually the weakest position you can take, because you're cut off from the source of all real power. Surrender looks like asking God, 'What path do You want me on?' It feels counterintuitive, but it's the strongest move you can make. The moment you stop fighting for your way and start asking for His, everything shifts. You're no longer running on empty; you're tapped into abundance.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

I've been praying for years and nothing has changed. What's going wrong?

If things aren't changing, you're likely still making decisions based on your own thinking, then asking God to bless them. God promises to show you the path-but you have to actually ask Him, listen for His answer, and wait for the joy that marks His direction. Psalm 16:11 says fullness of joy marks His path. If you don't feel that joy, you're still on the wrong path. Stop asking God to fix your plan. Start asking Him what His plan is.

How do I know the difference between my own desire and God's will for me?

God gives you the desires of your heart-but first, His presence must be in the decision. Before you commit to a job, relationship, or major move, ask yourself honestly: Is there fullness of joy in this? Is there peace? If you're forcing it, justifying it, or operating on hope alone, it's likely your will, not His. God's path for you will feel right on the inside, not just look right on paper. Wait for the joy. That's the marker.

What if I don't know Jesus yet, and I want to start following His path?

Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.' You can't walk His path without Him. Start by giving Him your life. Tell Him you're tired of doing it alone, that you want Him as your Lord and Savior. Ask Him to show you the path He has for you and to write your name in the book of life. From that moment on, you're connected to the source-and growth becomes possible.

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►Read Full Sermon Transcript

In the mighty name of Jesus. Now this morning, I want to ask you a question. I want to ask you this question. What if there's a way that is better than what you have been doing all along? What if it is that I'm just making an example. So you have been living a life and this life has been giving you a lot of lemons instead of something that is fruitful. What if in life you've been living just to get by? If I ask you this question, what if there's another way? What if I can give you another way and you realize, but this way is actually better? Because you've been working, you've been working, you've been working, you've been doing so many things in life and everything seems that it's not going anywhere. So therefore, I'm asking you this question. What if there's another way? Now, if there would have been another way that is easier, everybody would have done it. But the another way is not complicated. It is not easy, but it's not complicated. The thing is that we complicate things by trying to use our human mind to go through things. So therefore, I'm coming to you now and I'm saying to you this morning, only one thing. What if there's another way? You've been crying for your children to come to the Lord and nothing happened. What if there's another way? You've been crying for your husband to come back, but without fail. What if there's another way? You've been trying to get another job, and still, what if there's another way? So if there would have been another way, why not use that other way? Because the nicest part about God is that God gives you options. And whenever He gives you those options the options actually represent Him and whenever He gives you those options He gives you those options The options actually represent him And whenever he gives you that options he gives you options not to harm you but to give you life not to kill you but to give you life. He gives you options that will go into you growing to whatever you need to be. He gives you options that whenever you step into that options, it's actually something that will help you. So this morning, I want to challenge you and ask you the question, what if there was another way? If there would have been another way, why haven't you take it? If there would have been another way, why didn't you just go with it? What if there's another way? You've been trying so hard to do things on your own. But this morning, I want to ask you, what if there's another way of doing things? Things that you've been struggling with. What if I can tell you there's an easier way? What if I can tell you that there's a better way? My question to you this morning is, what is it that has been holding you back to where you want to be? What is it that has been holding you back to growing? Because the problem is not in you having whatever you have. The problem is not in you growing to wherever you need to be. For argument's sake, I'm just making an example. Your leadership skills would have been far, but you use just the wrong option. Sometimes our options comes from us being in a situation where you feel like I need a change. So what if in this option I'm giving to you is a better option for you? So my greetings is in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior The one that is the one that was and the one that is still to come to give you Whatever your desire is I greet you in the mighty name of Jesus and everyone That will be listening to this I greet you in the name of Jesus I greet all the apostles men of God preachers everybody I greet you in the mighty name of Jesus our pastors elders. I greet every woman, every man. I greet the youth in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. So this morning, I just want to ask you a simple question. What, if the way that you've been using is not a right way, what if there is another way and you can take that way? If it is that you can take that way, why not take that way? So I want to come to you in this morning time. This is a Sunday morning where God has been telling me that there is growth for you. Whatever you've been going through, you don't have to go through it alone. He said to me this word so nicely. He said that some people kept on praying the prayer to say that where two or three are gathered in his name, he will be there as if he was never there. As if he was never there. But I'm telling you this morning that he has been there, he will always be there. Way after or long after you are gone He will still be there He's an omnipresence He's everywhere So this morning I want you to know that God give you growth Whenever you come into his presence And his presence is forever everywhere But the problem is that we're trying to change our ways of doing things so that we exclude him in whatever we do. So this morning, I want to give you a different option to go through. I want to give you an option that whenever that option comes to you, the only way is to say, thank you, Lord. I accept this option. So, as you accept the option, I want you to take it this way. When I say take it this way I say move in a direction where you want to go Number one say for instance your husband doesn want to be with you anymore And you feel you cannot give up as yet There's a way that you can do it. If you feel like the job that you are in is the right job for you as a person. But the job hasn't been giving you growth. This is for you This morning If it is that You had went to so many interviews And you found nothing This message is for you This morning If you have been looking for a girlfriend A boyfriend And couldn't find anyone that suits you This message is for you This morning If you feel frustrated With where you are in life And you haven't felt Anything Is wrong with you But everything is wrong with others This message is for you So if this message Finds you I want you to understand that This message is a message that will give you the key to your growing. Whatever you need growing in. If for argument's sake, your relationship with somebody is just by the courting stage, what is it to get it to grow further? I mean, this guy has been dating you for so long and he's not making any chance or any step forward. As if you are just having somebody to have somebody. This message is for you. If you are in a situation where you've been living, you know, I'm a fat answer. Now, in other languages they call it Amafat and Sid, but as soon as you call it, boyfriend you've been staying together for many years this message is for you because god has been giving us ways and means to grow in our lives not to be stagnant because remember this is this is what happened if you're looking at the at the dead sea the jordan river is flowing into the Dead Sea. But why the Dead Sea is called the Dead Sea and there's no living creatures that is in there is because it is not moving. There's no stagnant. There's no moving. It keeps on being stagnant. There's no moving or flowing through like the Jordan because the Jordan is there's so many life actually. So therefore this morning, this message is for you that hasn't been growing. And I want you to take this message with a pinch of salt. If you feel like, I don't want to go anymore. I don't want to grow anymore. I don't want to be anymore. I don't want to be somebody anymore. I just want to be me. Take it with a pinch of salt. But if the message is saying that I want to be that person that move to the front, that go forward, that want to be somebody one day, this message, you have to take it with your whole heart, with your whole life. So this morning, let me start off by giving you a biblical reason what will happen. Now I want to read out of the Bible In Psalm 16 And I'm only going to read verse 11 I'm only going to read verse 11 The Bible says it's so nice But I'm reading out of the Amplified Bible The Bible says it so nicely In Psalm 16 verse 11 You will show me the path of life In your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Now this is the part where I saying to you this morning what it is to grow in your life Now how do you grow in your life is nearly written in this manual. Now the manual has been given to somebody some time ago And this manual is still relevant today Now because the manual is relevant today Even as it was the very beginning So that is why I'm saying to you this morning the Bible says it so nicely for you, you as a person I mean as in God you will show me the path of life you will show me the path of life now one thing that we don't understand is that whenever you sit in a split room I mean in a split road, sorry. When you sit in a split road, there's always a choice to choose between one or the other. Now God has promised us that he will give us the path of life. Now the path of life is something that he has already set out for you. The path of life has already been given to you. and it's just for you to say, God, I want you to help me in this part. How do you know that is God's part? The reason, I mean, the way you should be knowing when it is in God's part is that he said it so nicely, in his presence, there is fullness of joy. Now, whenever you make that choice and you are not happy in making that choice, it is not the part that you should be looking for. Because the part that he is giving in life the part for your life needs to have the characteristics of the following fullness of joy because he said it your presence is fullness of joy your path is fullness of joy your move is fullness of joy so whenever you make a decision and the decision doesn't resonate with with you, it doesn't feel right with you, then you should know that is not the path of God. Then you should know you hit a ceiling in that decision. Then you will know you cannot grow further because how you would grow is in taking up God's presence and say, God, I want to ask you, what is the path? What is the path? What is the path? What is the way? Like, when I was in the world, this is the nice thing that happened. Or let me say it, this is the way we used to say, Owens, asdada ne'a weini. No, no. So, the Owens is that now not a way, it always means what you have to say, either a cave, or a beer, or whatever, is that not a way? That was our words that we always said. And these words that we always said, is that not a way? It has not been told that, someone has a plan to make. So somebody has to make a plan, if there is a way, Make a way man. Make a way for once or once. But today, I have this nice way where I say, God, you are the way. Because you said it in your word. If anybody comes through me, he's of me. The Bible says that. I say that. is the the I am the tree of life Anybody branching from me will have life or will eat of this fruit The moment you are cut off from the tree, there's no way that you can grow because you've been cut off from the tree. So this morning, I want to tell you that the few ways to move from where you are into your growth way of doing things is to firstly accept that Jesus is the way. Jesus is the truth. Jesus is life. Because by giving your life to Jesus, he gives you a way. He give you the true way And He give you the life And not just an ordinary life But a life in abundance So this morning I want to ask you this question If ever things has not been going right in your life There's only one reason That it hasn't been going right into your life The reason is simple Is that you haven't been having enough of God's presence within you. You haven't been taking the time to speak to God. You haven't been taking the time to hear what he is saying. You haven't been taking up the time to actually go to God and ask for the path, the way, the next step. Because God is the only one who actually He started everything. He was in the beginning and he will still be in the end. So this morning, as I'm speaking to you, I want you to ask God, Jesus, I haven't been growing in a certain area of my life. What part do you want me to follow, to grow into that? Sometimes the part that you've been following might not be the right part that you've been having, but it's the best part to actually move from where you are to where you need to be. So this morning, I want to ask you whatever the part is that you choose. Firstly, ask God if this is the right part that you need to move into. If this... Sorry about that. I want to ask you to ask God... I apologize for that. To ask God if this is the way that you want to lead me. what am I going to get in front? Because if I don't feel joy in it now, I want you to show me, because you said so nicely in your word that in your presence there's fullness of joy. The part that you give to us is a part of life, not just an ordinary part. Let me read the scripture again. You will show me the path of life. You will show me the path of life. You will show me the path of life. Wow. So if God is showing you the path of life. Therefore, in his presence, there will be a fullness of joy. And at your right hand, there are pleasures forevermore. Now, if I go into the word says pleasures forevermore, meaning to say that it is the desires of your heart, the pleasures of your heart, because he said in your word, I will give you the desires of your heart. So if you want to ask God, God, my desire is to actually know you more. If it is a desire, he will give it to you. Lord, I want to become a doctor. My desire is to become a doctor. He will do it for you. If it is in his will for you. His perfect will for you is to grow. His perfect will for you is to grow from not just the ordinary, but grow from glory to glory to glory for His glory Because whenever he actually giving to you certain things he makes it to grow he makes it actually to grow his glory to so that people can see his glory into your life or in your life so this morning i want to ask you nicely If it is you that feel like life has been tough, life has been hard, it's been a struggle, I can't even make ends meet, I can't even move from where I have been to where I want to be. Or I have not even taken one step towards where I need to be. Then I'm going to pray for you this morning. And my prayer this morning is that God will undertake for you to show you the path. But for you to know the path is firstly to know who is the path, who is the way, who is the one that gives the way. So if you don't know Jesus this morning, you haven't taken up as your personal Savior, as your personal Lord and Savior, I want to first pray for you. Heavenly Father, this morning, there is a woman, there's a man, there's a boy, there's a girl that hasn't made the decision as yet to take you into their lives. I pray for them this morning That as they make the decision To actually be in your presence To actually take you up as their Lord and Savior Write their names in the book of life Give them that opportunity to Actually be called the son Of God Whether it is a son or a daughter Father God this morning I pray for them for the God as they have given their life to you Jesus because they know that they haven been having anything that they supposed to have according to your word they didn have the peace of mind Father God I pray for them now in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Just undertake for them, my God. Now I'm going to my next prayer point. The person that feel like, but I know God. I have been reading my Bible. I have been knowing the scriptures, but why my life is not going according to the plan that God has set for me. I want to pray for you this morning. Heavenly Father, sometimes whenever we come to you, we expect certain things. But the problem is The things that we expect Might not be in your perfect will So this morning If it is something that is not in your will Take it away from us as soon as possible So that we can focus on what your perfect will is This morning For somebody who has been serving you for many years Has been going out and give people Jesus, the person that felt, but there is still something that I miss. This morning, I pray for that person, Father God. Just touch them, undertake for them, move them to where you want them to be, Father God. And whatever they feel like is not of you, Father God, let them just believe that you've given them the word to say, this is not from me, but it's your own desires that is not in my will. So take away that in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, I pray my God. This morning, I also want to pray for somebody this morning, for the God who said, but I don't understand that I gave my heart to the Lord. I've been serving the Lord. I've been doing everything that he said I should be doing, But I'm not fully feeling fulfilled. I'm not feeling as if things is is is where it's supposed to be for the God. I pray for that person now for the God Give them that passion in their lives for the God to know that it is not all about them But is to serve others Because by serving others that fulfillment will come Father God The growth in your presence, Father God, give that fulfillment. Because of the greater picture is that you have died on the cross of Calvary for us. What is it that we should die of for our neighbor? I want to pray, Father God, that whenever that person or whatever that person needs to die from, for you to have a perfect thing in his or her life, I pray to take that from them, Father God. I also pray, Father God, because you said in your word that there's fullness of joy in your presence, Father God. Father God, wherever we feel that you are not there Father God, give us a sign, a hint That you are there In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray For the person that will be listening to this For the person that is already listening to this I pray now, O Lord That you will undertake for them You will touch their hearts, their lives. If there is anyone that would like to say, I need a prayer man of God. I need something specifically. There's a number on the screen. There's a number I'm going to share. Just WhatsApp whatever your prayer request is Or if ever you need counseling Or testimonies that you want to share How God has been good to you There is a number on the screen You can take that number And then ask your request And I will make your request known to God And if it is in His perfect will He will definitely stand on His word because His word is yea and His word is Amen. Nothing can be added, nothing can be taken away His word is yea and Amen and that is what He will do. If His will do it, it will surely come to pass. It is just for you as a person to take it further. Now, my name is Ricardo. And if ever you need anything, just say, Ricardo, please pray for me. Ricardo, please, I have this issue. Is there anything that God is saying about this situation? If God speaks to me about it I can give you answers Because God has been giving me the grace To actually see into the realm of the spirit As to where certain things has gone wrong And if you feel that this morning That life has been too hard I need a change I'm praying for you this morning That God will give you growth Because there is growth in his presence. And may the good Lord bless you. Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us until Jesus comes. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives. And we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen. God bless you. God bless you. Thank you.