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An origin story is the part nobody talks about—the part before confidence and success, before anyone knows your name. It's the false starts, the wrong turns, and the total failures. It's the beginning.
Every person you admire has one. And the Bible may just be the greatest origin story ever told. It's a book about how God meets people at the beginning.
In the beginning, God creates. In the beginning, humanity is formed from dust. In the beginning there is possibility, purpose, and relationship.
Then things fall apart. But God rebuilds, and He enlists humanity in the work of restoration. The Bible is full of people who eventually become known for things like faith, courage, wisdom, and sacrifice. We call them heroes of the faith—but none of them started there.
The story God tells is about Him meeting ordinary people in ordinary places and inviting them into something extraordinary.
I'm Chuck, one of the teaching pastors here at Crossroads. Today we're kicking off a new series called Origin Stories. Our God is a God who does extraordinary things through ordinary people, and I'm really glad about that.
Today we're going to hear about a guy named Gideon, one of those ordinary people. When you think about heroes of the faith, you probably picture people who woke up on the right side of the bed, prayed the moment their feet hit the floor, and ran after God without ever wavering.
Whatever prototypical biblical leader you have in your mind, that ain't Gideon. And that's exactly why I like his story—because Gideon is like me. Gideon is like us.
This is a guy who is imperfect. His following of God is messy. It's not "up and to the right" all the time. He's unsure much of the time. And yet God uses him to be part of His bigger story.
Do you know that you were made to be part of a bigger story? Do you know that even the mess in your life is something God wants to use? But here's the question: Will you say yes?
This series is all about people who acted in faith. So what is faith? In its simplest form, faith is simply saying yes to God. But here's the biblical definition, from the book of Hebrews:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. — Hebrews 11:1
If I broke faith down into an equation, I'd say it like this:
Faith = Belief × Action
You can be doing things—but if you're doing them in your own power, unaware that you need God's power, that's not faith. By the same token, you can read the Bible backwards and forwards and quote all the scripture you want—but if you're not acting on it, that's also not faith.
One writer put it this way: in Hebrew, there isn't even a noun form of the word faith, because faith is only ever expressed as a verb. Faith never exists apart from action.
And here's the part we can miss: faith is never a straight line. It always has its twists and its turns.
A couple of years ago, Crossroads filmed a reality show called Phantom Lake. The premise was that Brian took several rookie riders—me being one of them—on a challenging, even treacherous, off-road motorcycle course through the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route.
None of us had ever done anything like this before. And while most people get to have their meltdowns in private, I got to have mine in public—filmed from multiple angles, mic'd the whole time.
There was a moment at the top of Corkscrew Pass where the view was amazing, the camaraderie was amazing, and the belief that yes, we can do this was sky high. I even recorded a message to my kids from the top of that mountain, telling them: you can climb mountains too, with help—people's help and God's help.
But here's the thing. There are two ways I could tell that story. One way: "Let me tell you about the time I made it up one of the most challenging hills you can ride on a motorcycle." But you now know there was way more to the story than that—more twists and turns, more fits and starts, more frustration, pain, and difficulty.
And I want you to know: that is more of what it looks like to live a life of faith than not.
So the big idea today is this: faith zigzags.
If you're at a place in your life where things feel more zig and zag than up and to the right, you may not be doing anything wrong. You may be doing it right.
Let me tell you more about Gideon. He lived in Israel at a time when the nation was under oppression from the Midianites. Every time the Israelites tried to grow crops to feed themselves, the Midianites would come and destroy them. On top of that economic oppression, there was family pain specific to Gideon—and because of it, shame.
In fact, we first find Gideon hiding. That's how this "hero" enters the story—hiding in a winepress, trying to grow food in secret so the Midianites wouldn't find it. Gideon is a nobody from nowhere. He even says himself that he's from the weakest and smallest tribe in Israel.
And I want you to know: God uses nobodies from nowhere.
This nobody from nowhere, hiding in a winepress, is visited by an angel of the Lord, who says:
The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor. — Judges 6:12
To which Gideon basically says, "Say what now? You must be talking to somebody else." He doesn't believe it. But this is the first zigzag of faith.
Faith begins with an encounter. Faith isn't about courage you muster up. It's about responding to a God who initiates with you.
Gideon wasn't sharpening his sword hoping God would pick him. He wasn't praying, fasting, or looking for God. But here's the good news: God was looking for Gideon. And wherever you are today, God is looking for you too.
Do you know you have a calling on your life? Do you know you were created with a purpose by the Creator Himself? He wants to bring that out of you, even if you don't see it in yourself.
I have friends stepping into fatherhood right now, and I love it—because any parent knows this to be true: nobody is born a great parent. You become one. But the potential is there from the beginning.
That's how God looks at us. That's how God looked at Gideon. God said, "I see in you a mighty man of valor." Maybe someone today needs to hear that God sees in you a faithful person, an overcomer, someone who won't be limited by their past.
Was God being unrealistic? No. I'd actually say God was being radically realistic, because when it comes to your calling, it doesn't matter the measure of the man or the woman—what matters is the power of the God who calls you.
God's word meant more than Gideon's word in that moment. And it means more than the words others may have spoken over you—those who said you'd never measure up, never amount to anything, never be used by God.
Faith is choosing to believe what God says over you, and not what others say over you.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think... — Ephesians 3:20
Whatever the biggest, boldest prayer you have for your life, God can do exceedingly and abundantly more.
So ask yourself: what was Gideon's greatest enemy? Was it the Midianites—the enemy out there? Or was it the same enemy that's often ours—the enemy in here?
Our minds get us into trouble all the time. We can fall into two ditches:
People ask, "Isn't doubt the opposite of faith?" I don't think so. I think doubt is actually a part of faith.
If you're communicating your doubt to God—"God, I'm not sure. God, I don't know. God, You've got to help me"—that in itself is an act of faith. It only stops being faith when you walk away from the conversation with God.
Maybe some of us have done that. Well, here's the good news: God is waiting with open arms for you to come back into the conversation you walked away from.
Gideon was doubtful. You may have heard of looksmaxxing—people doing painful things to themselves to appear more attractive. Well, Gideon wasn't looksmaxxing, but he was definitely doubtsmaxxing. Listen to how he responds to a literal angel:
Please, my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all the wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us...? But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian. — Judges 6:13
Isn't that real? Do you ever struggle to trust God because life is hard? Maybe there's a string of disappointments around the very thing you're sure God called you to. The victory hasn't happened yet, and Gideon is honest enough to say it.
I had to learn in my own journey that I can be emotionally honest with God. Growing up, certain emotions were on the table and certain ones weren't—especially anger. I assumed I certainly couldn't be angry with God, as if He'd strike me with lightning.
But be honest: is there any close relationship in your life where anger isn't part of it? My kids can make me angry precisely because I love them and there's a real relationship there.
Here's what I had to learn: God is the most psychologically safe being in the universe.
Even though Gideon expressed uncertainty, God didn't strike him down. God allowed him to need reassurance.
You may have heard someone say they're "putting out a fleece" to decide something. That phrase comes from Gideon's story. And remember—this is a guy who was visited by a literal angel, and he still wanted a test.
Then Gideon said to God, "If You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand." — Judges 6:36–37
The next morning he wrung out a bowl full of water from the fleece. God overdelivered on the ask. And what does Gideon do? He says, "Great, God—now do it one more time, but reverse it." And God did that too—dry fleece, wet ground.
Now, this is not sounding like a mighty warrior. At some point you'd think God might say, "Man, I've got the wrong guy here."
But before we judge Gideon, don't we test God all the time?
We test God all the time. And I think it says something that God allows us to stay in the conversation. He's okay with the zigzags of our faith journey.
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. — Hebrews 11:6
It's okay to need reassurance—as long as we are drawing near to God. God cares far more about the posture and trajectory of your heart than about where you happen to be in this moment.
In this moment you might be fearful, frustrated, numb, or angry. God isn't judging you for where you are right now. He's asking you to lean in—to let the trajectory of your heart be toward Him and not away from Him.
But don't miss this: faith has a deadline on hesitation. There comes a point where God says, "It's time to move." And there comes a point where reluctance and hesitation to trust God can cause some things not to happen in your life that otherwise could.
We see this in Gideon's story. He has to face an army of 135,000 Midianites—with only 32,000 soldiers. That math already doesn't work. So how will God close that gap? By drastically reducing Gideon's numbers even further.
Tell whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead. — Judges 7:3
You might expect maybe 10% to leave. But 22,000 out of 32,000 said, "Peace out, I'm gone." Here's the thing about the ones who ran home: they may have saved their hides that day, but they missed out on the victory.
I wonder if there are things that could be yours but aren't, because you didn't trust God. Opportunities you could be seizing, relationships you could be in, healing and growth that could already have happened—but because you didn't trust God enough, you're still in that place.
I have a friend, an author, who felt God clearly called him to write a specific book. Out of fear or reluctance, he didn't write it. Years later he was on Amazon and saw the book—someone else had written his book. And God reminded him, "I gave that to you."
I wonder today if there's something God has placed in your hands. Something He wants you to step into.
God took the 10,000 who remained down to just 300 men against 135,000. Gideon had to be terrified. But he teaches us a lesson we need: faith moves scared.
Sometimes you've got to do it scared. Sometimes you've got to do it with what you have. I love God's words to Gideon:
Go in the strength that you have. — Judges 6:14
Sometimes you have to do it before your friends think it's a good idea. Before your parents are on board. Sometimes you have to forgive before you feel ready. Ask forgiveness before you feel ready. Sometimes you have to do it scared.
But here's the good news: you may be called to do it scared, but you are never, ever going to have to do it alone. Two verses later, God tells Gideon:
I will be with you. — Judges 6:16
Friends, that's all you need—to know that God is with you.
Remember Brad from that motorcycle video? Brad was the guy who patched me up. When I was too weak and winded to pick up my bike, Brad picked it up for me. Brad put his arm around me and coached me when fear made me forget how to use the clutch. God brought Brad alongside me.
Here's what I need you to know: God loves you and believes in what He put in you so much that He didn't just send you a human—He came Himself, in the form of Jesus. The perfect human and also fully God, who lived the life we could never live and died the death we deserve, so that when life zigzags, we've got Jesus on our side.
We've got Jesus wrapping His arm around us saying it's going to be okay. Jesus coaching us when we forget how to pull the clutch. Jesus when we're fearful, when we're angry, on the mountaintop, and in the valley.
When you step out on faith and actually do the thing God called you to, remember: faith glorifies God, not us. Gideon is not the hero of this story. God is the hero of this story. And God is the hero of your story.
Maybe the reason God has you where He has you—asking you to do the thing that freaks you out—is because you don't yet know the impact it will have on the people around you. Someone may say, "If God was faithful to you in that sickness, maybe I can trust Him too." You may be setting up a legacy for kids who aren't even born yet.
God rescued Israel from an army of 135,000 with just 300 men armed with lanterns and trumpets—so He would get the glory. When they celebrated, they cried out:
For the Lord and for Gideon! — Judges 7:18
And the order matters. The glory goes to the Lord first.
But don't miss this: God rewards faithfulness.
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. — Hebrews 11:6
So many things in following God we receive by grace—we don't earn them:
But there are some things you will not receive if you don't act. There are aspects of God you'll never know unless you trust Him:
Remember: faith = belief × action. Only when we move do we experience those things.
And God is still looking for people—people hiding in winepresses, people trapped in addiction, struggling with fear, stuck in anger, wrestling with doubt. God is still looking for partners in the bigger story He is writing.
I'll leave you with two questions. You can apply them to Gideon's story—and to every week of this series.
Yes, Gideon was hiding. But once the angel came, he started engaging—clumsily, fearfully, with fleeces and hesitation, but engaging. Ask yourself: Am I findable by God, or am I running from God?
I just talked with a man before this service who's wrestling with community and pain in his life. As we prayed, we identified one next step. I told him, "You don't need to know the rest. You just need to know that."
I wish I could tell you that following Jesus means He'll reveal steps one through 25 all at once. Anyone who's followed Jesus for five minutes knows that's not true. But if you trust Him with the next step, He'll reveal the one after that, and the one after that. Over time, you'll look back and realize—this zigzag journey has been taking me exactly where God always intended.
Faith equals belief times action. And when you say yes to God, you get to be part of the bigger story He's writing in your life.
God, I pray that You would help us in this series to lean in. There's going to be a story—maybe Gideon, maybe Joseph, maybe another later in the series—that lands and says, "That's for me." I pray that we would be open to what You want to say, that we would hear Your voice, be findable by You, and take the next step. In Jesus's name. Amen.
