Unstuck #3 - The Flyer Does Nothing // Chris Holm

Sermon Summary:In our "Unstuck" series exploring principles from the 12-Step Program, we focused on Step 3: "We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God." While the first two steps involve recognition and belief, this third step calls for action and choice—the pivotal moment when we surrender control to God.The sermon used the powerful metaphor of trapeze artists to illustrate this surrender. As Henri Nouwen learned from the Flying Rodleighs, "The flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything." In that moment between bars, the flyer must resist every instinct to grab and instead trust completely in the catcher's ability. Any attempt to help actually endangers both people.Similarly, we struggle with surrender because holding on feels safe. We grab our resentments, selfishness, and need for control, carrying these burdens even though they harm us. Step 3 isn't about surrendering a single behavior but our entire will to God's care.The 12 Steps reveal a profound paradox: the direct approach of trying harder often keeps us stuck. Like Paul in Romans 7, we discover that willpower alone cannot free us from destructive patterns. Freedom comes through the indirect path of complete surrender to God.True surrender isn't spiritual negotiation where we set the terms. It means following Jesus without trying to control outcomes. We're not surrendering to an indifferent force but to a Father who loves us deeply. Jesus himself modeled this surrender perfectly in Gethsemane: "Not my will but yours be done."Step 3 invites us to experience the paradox at the heart of spiritual transformation: in letting go, we find true freedom.