Build With God Not Without Him | Cornerstone Church | Pastor Brent Hatchett · Rewind

Build With God Not Without Him | Cornerstone Church | Pastor Brent Hatchett · Rewind

Brent Hatchett · Dec 8, 2025

Big Idea

Since none of us actually "got this," the goal of life is to build with Jesus instead of without Him, letting Him hold the eraser on our plans.

Many of us live with an "I've got this" mentality until life shows us we don't. Pastor Brent walks through Proverbs 16:1-9 to show that real security comes not from our own plans but from committing every part of life—our motives, our pride, our future—to the Lord and letting Him determine our steps.

Key points

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1Many believers live and act as though Jesus is still dead, even though He is risen and alive.
Pastor Brent opens by recounting the resurrection morning, when Mary and the women found the tomb empty and the angel declared Jesus risen. He notes this news shook the Roman Empire, yet many Christians live functionally as though their Savior is dead rather than alive and active.
2
2We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.
Working through Proverbs 16:1, Pastor Brent recalls a church mother telling him as a new believer to use his pencil to make plans but give God the eraser. He says surrendering to Jesus means letting Him determine the plans rather than gripping our own agenda.
3
3Discovering God's will comes from waking up each day wanting to please Him, not from anxious planning.
He tells of advising a 20-year-old, Joanna, that spending less time worrying about the future and more time simply trying to put a smile on God's face is how you discover His direction, sharing that his own five-year benchmarks never worked out as planned.
4
4The Lord examines our motives, so we must keep asking why we're really doing what we do.
From Proverbs 16:2, Pastor Brent challenges listeners to check whether their motives are pure in work, in checking on someone, or in posting on social media, giving concrete either/or examples where the same action can spring from a good or a hidden, impure motive.
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5Committing our actions to the Lord leads to success in every area of life, not just spiritual ones.
He illustrates this from Proverbs 16:3 with his own unexpected transition into a groups pastor role, where admitting he didn't know what he was doing and inviting God in led to growth from 40 to 85 groups in twelve weeks, then points to Chick-fil-A's Dan Cathy committing the business to Christian principles as an example of a plan submitted to God.
6
6God allows trouble as part of building with Him, and two questions help us respond rightly.
Using Proverbs 16:4, he acknowledges the enemy opposes those building with the Lord and things can look like they're going off the rails, but encourages asking 'Lord, what are You trying to teach me?' and 'What's one thing I can be grateful for?' rather than staying stuck in a 'woe is me' state.
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7Pride must be killed because it keeps us from doing the hard things God calls us to.
From Proverbs 16:5, Pastor Brent confesses his own struggle with pride and selfish ambition, telling a story of being assigned to hold flags and drive a golf cart after preaching, reacting with wounded pride, and being humbled by the Holy Spirit to realize no task is beneath a shepherd.
Proverbs 16:5; Matthew 16:24· related
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8Unfailing love and faithfulness is a person, Jesus, and making Him Lord changes what we're comfortable doing.
Working through Proverbs 16:6, he explains that Jesus alone atones for sin, and when He becomes Lord of your life the Holy Spirit makes you uncomfortable with sin you used to tolerate, turning you to run from evil and toward God.
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9When your life pleases the Lord, even non-physical enemies like fear, anxiety, and worry are made to be at peace with you.
From Proverbs 16:7, Pastor Brent broadens 'enemies' beyond people to spiritual struggles such as depression, anxiety, worry, and fear, teaching that having the Lord as light in your heart can quiet things that used to torment you.
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10Godliness matters more than accumulated wealth or status, because none of it transfers to eternity.
He unpacks Proverbs 16:8 by returning to his conversation with Warren and Elizabeth, who realized late in life that their accomplishments meant little in the end, and encourages the congregation to pursue success but hold it loosely, since heaven's reward will dwarf anything built on earth.
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11The Lord determines our steps, so the real choice is whether we hand Him the eraser on our plans.
Closing on Proverbs 16:9, Pastor Brent returns to the image of the pencil and eraser, challenging listeners at every age to admit 'I ain't got this' and let God determine their steps rather than clinging to self-made plans.

Application

Pastor Brent's charge is to stop saying 'I've got this' and instead build your life with Jesus, not without Him.

Give God the eraser on your plans
Whatever plans you're making for your family, finances, or career, commit them to the Lord instead of gripping them yourself, trusting Him to determine your steps.
Check your motives daily
Ask yourself 'why am I doing this' about your work, your relationships, and even your social media posts, making sure the reason behind the action is actually pure.
Root out pride
Identify where pride keeps you from doing hard or humble tasks, and let the Holy Spirit examine and prune that area of your heart this week.
Make Jesus Lord of your life
If you've never given your life to Jesus, take the step now by confessing with your mouth and believing in your heart that He is Lord, as Pastor Brent led people to do in the prayer of salvation.
Text Jesus to 21999
Those who prayed to receive Christ or stood during the invitation are asked to text the word Jesus to 21999 so the church can walk with them and help them grow in faith.

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7-day devotional

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Day 1

"We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer" (Proverbs 16:1, NLT). Pastor Brent opened with a picture worth keeping close: a church mother who told him, as a new believer, to use his pencil to make plans but to give God the eraser. That image gently reframes what surrender is. It doesn't mean you stop planning for your family, your finances, or your career. It means you hold the pencil loosely, knowing the eraser belongs to Someone wiser than you. So many of us live with an "I've got this" grip on our days until life shows us we don't. That's not a failure of faith; it's simply human. But there's rest available on the other side of loosening our fingers. When you commit a plan to the Lord, you're not handing Him a blank page of laziness. You're inviting Him to edit, redirect, and improve what you've sketched. The plans you're making are real and they matter. The question this week is simply whether you'll write them in pencil. Pastor Brent's charge is plain: stop saying "I've got this" and build your life with Jesus, not without Him. Today is just the first step in learning what that trust feels like.

For reflection

Which plan am I currently gripping most tightly, and what would it look like to hand God the eraser on it?

Pray

Pray for the willingness to hold your plans loosely and trust God with the outcome of ___.

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Topics

God's Will Pride Surrender Trust in God

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