I'll never forget the morning I stood at the base of a mountain in Korea, looking up at the peak shrouded in mist. I was young in ministry then, maybe in my second or third year, and I had traveled there for a conference. Some of the other pastors invited me to climb with them before the sessions began. I looked up at that towering peak and thought, "There's no way I can make it to the top." I was tired. I was out of shape. I was overwhelmed by the sheer height of what stood before me.

I'll never forget the morning I stood at the base of a mountain in Korea, looking up at the peak shrouded in mist. I was young in ministry then, maybe in my second or third year, and I had traveled there for a conference. Some of the other pastors invited me to climb with them before the sessions began. I looked up at that towering peak and thought, "There's no way I can make it to the top." I was tired. I was out of shape. I was overwhelmed by the sheer height of what stood before me.

But one of the older pastors put his hand on my shoulder and said something I've never forgotten: "The mountain looks impossible from down here. But you don't climb a mountain all at once. You climb it one step at a time. And the view from the top? It's worth every difficult step."

We started climbing. And he was right—it was hard. My legs burned. My lungs ached. There were moments when I wanted to quit, to turn back, to settle for the view from halfway up. But something in me kept pushing forward. One step. Then another. Then another. And when we finally reached that summit and I looked out over the landscape below, something shifted in my heart. The world looked different from up there. And I realized that God was showing me something profound: He calls us to heights we think are impossible to reach. But when we respond to His call with boldness, when we take it one step at a time in His strength, He brings us to places we never dreamed we could go.

That morning on that mountain became a defining moment in my ministry. Because I realized that for twenty-five years now—and especially in the twenty years I've spent in restoration work—I've been helping people climb mountains they thought were impossible to scale. Mountains of addiction. Mountains of broken relationships. Mountains of failure and shame. Mountains of unfulfilled potential and buried dreams. And I've watched God do the impossible again and again and again.

Today, I want to talk to you about exceeding God's calling on your life. Not meeting it. Not barely reaching it. Exceeding it. Going beyond what you thought possible. Ascending to heights that take your breath away. Because here's what I've learned: God doesn't call you to mediocrity. He doesn't call you to just get by. He doesn't call you to settle for the view from the valley when He's prepared a summit experience for you.

Listen to what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:9: "God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." God has called you. Not maybe. Not if you're good enough. Not if circumstances work out. He HAS called you. Present tense. Active reality. You have a divine calling on your life right now.

But here's what I see happening in the church today, what I witness in restoration ministry week after week: People hear about their calling, they get excited about their calling, they even talk about their calling—but they never actually step into it. They stand at the base of the mountain, looking up at the peak, convinced it's too high, too hard, too far beyond their abilities. And they settle. They settle for less than God intended. They settle for comfort when God called them to conquest. They settle for survival when God called them to victory.

Why? After walking with hundreds of people through their restoration journeys, I can tell you the main reasons people never step into their calling. And it's not what you might think. It's not lack of talent. It's not lack of opportunity. It's not even lack of resources. The two biggest obstacles that prevent people from exceeding God's calling on their lives are these: a lack of holiness and a refusal to forgive.

Let me explain what I mean, because this is crucial if you're going to understand how to exceed your calling rather than fall short of it.

First, holiness. First Peter 1:15-16 is crystal clear: "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" Notice the connection Peter makes here. The same God who called you is holy. And because He is holy, you are called to be holy. Your calling and your holiness are inseparable. You cannot fulfill your divine calling while living an unholy life. It's impossible.

Now, I know that word "holy" makes some people uncomfortable. It sounds old-fashioned. It sounds restrictive. It sounds like a list of rules and regulations. But that's not what holiness is. Holiness is simply being set apart for God's purposes. It's choosing to live differently because you've been called to something different. It's purifying your life—your thoughts, your actions, your relationships, your habits—so that God can use you for His glory.

Think about it this way: If you were climbing that mountain I mentioned earlier, would you fill your backpack with rocks? Would you tie weights to your ankles? Would you wear shoes that don't fit properly? Of course not. Because unnecessary weight and ill-fitting equipment would prevent you from reaching the summit. You'd purify your gear, keeping only what helps you climb and discarding everything that holds you back.

That's exactly what Second Corinthians 7:1 is talking about: "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." Purify ourselves from everything that contaminates. Everything. Not just the big, obvious sins. But everything that weighs us down, holds us back, prevents us from ascending to the heights God has called us to reach.

I've counseled people who wondered why they weren't experiencing breakthrough in their lives, why they weren't seeing their prayers answered, why they felt stuck spiritually. And when we started examining their lives together, we discovered contamination. Maybe it was secret sin they thought didn't matter. Maybe it was compromises they'd made that seemed small at the time. Maybe it was entertainment they were consuming that was poisoning their thoughts. Maybe it was relationships that were pulling them away from God rather than pushing them toward Him.

And here's what I've learned: You can have a genuine calling from God and still miss it entirely if you refuse to pursue holiness. God's calling requires God's purity. The summit experience requires the surrender of anything that prevents the climb.

But it's not just about what you give up. Romans 12:1 shows us the positive side of holiness: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. That means dedicating every part of your life—your time, your talents, your resources, your relationships, your dreams—to God's purposes.

This is what it looks like to exceed your calling. You don't just acknowledge that God has called you. You don't just pray about your calling. You actively, intentionally, completely offer yourself to fulfill that calling. You become a living sacrifice, set apart for His use, dedicated to His glory.

Let me tell you about a woman I worked with several years ago in our restoration ministry. I'll call her Grace. Grace had a genuine calling from God to work with young women who were caught in human trafficking. She had a heart for it. She had passion for it. She even had some resources to start a ministry. But Grace was stuck. She couldn't seem to get the ministry off the ground. And when we talked, it became clear why.

Grace was holding onto unforgiveness toward her father. He had abused her as a child, and though she'd gotten therapy and done a lot of healing work, she still harbored deep bitterness in her heart. And that unforgiveness was like a chain around her ankle. Every time she tried to move forward into her calling, that chain pulled her back.

This is the second major obstacle I see that prevents people from exceeding their calling: unforgiveness. And this might surprise you, but I've discovered that unforgiveness is often more destructive to your calling than unholy living. Why? Because unforgiveness keeps you bound to your past while God is calling you to your future. Unforgiveness keeps you focused on what was done to you while God is trying to show you what He wants to do through you.

Jesus makes the connection between forgiveness and moving forward absolutely clear in Matthew 6:14-15: "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." That's not a suggestion. That's not a nice idea. That's a direct statement from Jesus Himself about how forgiveness works.

And here's what I want you to understand: When you hold onto unforgiveness, you're not just hurting the person who wronged you. You're not even primarily hurting them. You're hurting yourself. You're blocking the flow of God's forgiveness in your own life. You're preventing yourself from moving forward into the fullness of your calling.

Think about climbing a mountain while constantly looking backward. You can't do it. You'll lose your footing. You'll miss the next handhold. You'll stumble over obstacles you don't see because your eyes are fixed on where you've been rather than where you're going. Unforgiveness keeps you looking backward. It keeps you reliving the hurt. It keeps you rehearsing the offense. It keeps you stuck at the base of the mountain when God has called you to the summit.

But when you forgive—truly forgive, release the offense, let go of your right to revenge—something supernatural happens. The chains fall off. The weight lifts. You're free to move forward. You're free to climb. You're free to exceed the calling God has placed on your life.

Colossians 3:13 frames it this way: "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Forgive as the Lord forgave you. That's the standard. That's the model. You don't forgive because people deserve it. You forgive because Christ forgave you when you didn't deserve it. And when you extend that same forgiveness to others, you release yourself from the prison of bitterness and step into the freedom of your calling.

Going back to Grace's story, it took months of prayer, counseling, and courageous choices before she was finally ready to forgive her father. And I want to be clear—this wasn't about excusing what he did. It wasn't about pretending the abuse never happened. It wasn't about restoring a relationship that wasn't safe. It was about releasing the bitterness that was poisoning her own heart and blocking her calling.

The day Grace chose to forgive—truly forgive, completely release her father from the debt he owed her—was the day everything changed. Within weeks, doors started opening for her ministry. Within months, she had secured funding, assembled a team, and opened the first safe house for trafficked women. Today, five years later, Grace's ministry has rescued and restored dozens of young women. She is living in the fullness of her calling. She has exceeded even her own expectations of what God could do through her.

But none of it would have happened if she hadn't first pursued holiness and chosen forgiveness. Those two elements—purity and pardon—are non-negotiable if you want to exceed your calling.

Now, let me speak to those of you who are thinking, "Pastor, I hear what you're saying about holiness and forgiveness. But I still don't feel qualified for the calling God has placed on my life. I still don't feel ready to climb that mountain." And my response to you is this: You're absolutely right. You're not qualified. You're not ready. In your own strength, you cannot do what God has called you to do.

But here's the beautiful truth: God never calls you to do something in your own strength. He calls you to do it in His power. And His power is more than sufficient for whatever He's called you to accomplish.

Ephesians 4:32 connects all of this together: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Just as in Christ God forgave you. Everything we're able to do—the holiness we pursue, the forgiveness we extend, the calling we fulfill—it's all "in Christ." It's all through His power. It's all by His grace. It's all because of what He accomplished on the cross and what He continues to accomplish through His Spirit living in us.

When I stood at the base of that mountain in Korea all those years ago, I wasn't sufficient in myself to reach the summit. But I had a guide. I had companions. I had proper equipment. And step by step, supported and strengthened by what had been provided for me, I made it to the top.

Your calling is the same. God provides everything you need. He provides the Holy Spirit as your guide. He provides fellow believers as your companions. He provides His Word as your equipment. And as you pursue holiness, as you extend forgiveness, as you offer yourself as a living sacrifice, He provides the power to exceed anything you thought possible.

I've been in ministry for twenty-five years, and I've spent two decades specifically in restoration work. And I can tell you without hesitation: The people who exceed their calling are not the most talented. They're not the most educated. They're not the most naturally gifted. They're the ones who pursue holiness most diligently. They're the ones who forgive most completely. They're the ones who offer themselves most fully as living sacrifices to God.

They're the ones who wake up every morning and say, "God, purify me. Use me. Empower me to do what You've called me to do." They're the ones who refuse to settle for the valley when God has called them to the summit. They're the ones who keep climbing, one step at a time, even when it's hard, even when they're tired, even when the peak seems impossibly far away.

And here's what happens when you live like that: God does immeasurably more than you could ask or imagine. He takes your surrendered life and accomplishes things through you that leave you breathless. He brings you to heights you never dreamed you could reach. He uses you in ways that bring glory to His name and transformation to others.

That's what it means to exceed your calling. That's what it looks like to stand on the summit and look out over the landscape of what God has done through your life. And it's available to you. Today. Right now. Regardless of your past failures. Regardless of your current circumstances. Regardless of how impossible the climb seems.

But you must make a choice. You must choose holiness over compromise. You must choose forgiveness over bitterness. You must choose to step into your calling with boldness rather than shrinking back in fear. You must choose to start climbing rather than camping at the base of the mountain.

Let me close with this. When you stand at the base of your mountain—the calling God has placed on your life—and you look up at that peak shrouded in mist, it seems impossible. It seems too high. It seems too difficult. It seems beyond your abilities. And you're right. It is beyond your abilities. But it's not beyond His.

God is calling you to more. He's calling you to holiness. He's calling you to forgiveness. He's calling you to boldness. He's calling you to excellence. He's calling you to impact. He's calling you to transformation—both in your own life and in the lives of others. He's calling you to exceed what you thought possible and discover what He knows is achievable through His power working in you.

The question is: Will you answer that call? Will you pursue the holiness required? Will you extend the forgiveness needed? Will you offer yourself completely as a living sacrifice? Will you take that first step up the mountain?

I can tell you from twenty-five years of ministry and twenty years of restoration work: If you will, God will meet you there. He will strengthen you for the climb. He will guide you on the path. He will bring you to the summit. And the view from the top—the perspective of seeing what God has accomplished through your surrendered, holy, forgiving life—will take your breath away.

Let me pray for you:

Father God, I lift up every person reading these words right now. You have called them. You have a mountain for them to climb, a summit for them to reach, a calling for them to exceed. Lord, give them the courage to pursue holiness, to purify themselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit. Give them the grace to forgive those who have hurt them, to release the bitterness that's been holding them back. Give them the boldness to offer themselves completely as living sacrifices, set apart for Your purposes. And give them the faith to take that first step, and then the next, and then the next, trusting that You will provide the strength for every step of the climb. Do immeasurably more than they can ask or imagine. Bring them to heights they never dreamed possible. Use them to bring glory to Your name and hope to a broken world. We ask this in the powerful name of Jesus, who calls us to follow Him to the highest heights. Amen.

Friends, your mountain is waiting. Your calling is clear. Your summit experience is possible. But it starts with a choice—the choice to pursue holiness, extend forgiveness, and step boldly into what God has prepared for you.

Will you make that choice today? Will you start the climb? Will you trust God to bring you to heights that exceed your wildest imagination?

If this message has stirred something in your heart, I want to encourage you to share it. Forward this sermon to someone who's standing at the base of their mountain, afraid to start climbing. Send it to a friend who's stuck in unforgiveness. Post it for a family member who's compromised their calling through unholy living. Because transformation is contagious. When you step into your calling, you inspire others to step into theirs.

And if you've been blessed by this ministry of restoration, if God has used these words to call you higher, I invite you to partner with us in reaching more lives at The Restoration Point. Visit www.therestorationpoint.com to find resources, community, and support for your journey to the summit. Your prayers matter. Your support matters. Your partnership enables us to help more people climb their mountains and exceed the calling God has placed on their lives.

The sunrise is breaking over the peak. The view from the summit is calling you. God's power is available to equip you. Will you answer the call? Will you pursue holiness? Will you extend forgiveness? Will you start climbing today?

Your summit experience begins now. Right here. Right now. With one bold step of faith toward the calling God has placed on your life. Take that step. Trust Him for the journey. And watch as He brings you to heights that exceed anything you ever imagined possible.

The mountain is calling. God is equipping. Your destiny is waiting. Will you answer?one of the older pastors put his hand on my shoulder and said something I've never forgotten: "The mountain looks impossible from down here. But you don't climb a mountain all at once. You climb it one step at a time. And the view from the top? It's worth every difficult step."

We started climbing. And he was right—it was hard. My legs burned. My lungs ached. There were moments when I wanted to quit, to turn back, to settle for the view from halfway up. But something in me kept pushing forward. One step. Then another. Then another. And when we finally reached that summit and I looked out over the landscape below, something shifted in my heart. The world looked different from up there. And I realized that God was showing me something profound: He calls us to heights we think are impossible to reach. But when we respond to His call with boldness, when we take it one step at a time in His strength, He brings us to places we never dreamed we could go.

That morning on that mountain became a defining moment in my ministry. Because I realized that for twenty-five years now—and especially in the twenty years I've spent in restoration work—I've been helping people climb mountains they thought were impossible to scale. Mountains of addiction. Mountains of broken relationships. Mountains of failure and shame. Mountains of unfulfilled potential and buried dreams. And I've watched God do the impossible again and again and again.

Today, I want to talk to you about exceeding God's calling on your life. Not meeting it. Not barely reaching it. Exceeding it. Going beyond what you thought possible. Ascending to heights that take your breath away. Because here's what I've learned: God doesn't call you to mediocrity. He doesn't call you to just get by. He doesn't call you to settle for the view from the valley when He's prepared a summit experience for you.

Listen to what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:9: "God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." God has called you. Not maybe. Not if you're good enough. Not if circumstances work out. He HAS called you. Present tense. Active reality. You have a divine calling on your life right now.

But here's what I see happening in the church today, what I witness in restoration ministry week after week: People hear about their calling, they get excited about their calling, they even talk about their calling—but they never actually step into it. They stand at the base of the mountain, looking up at the peak, convinced it's too high, too hard, too far beyond their abilities. And they settle. They settle for less than God intended. They settle for comfort when God called them to conquest. They settle for survival when God called them to victory.

Why? After walking with hundreds of people through their restoration journeys, I can tell you the main reasons people never step into their calling. And it's not what you might think. It's not lack of talent. It's not lack of opportunity. It's not even lack of resources. The two biggest obstacles that prevent people from exceeding God's calling on their lives are these: a lack of holiness and a refusal to forgive.

Let me explain what I mean, because this is crucial if you're going to understand how to exceed your calling rather than fall short of it.

First, holiness. First Peter 1:15-16 is crystal clear: "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" Notice the connection Peter makes here. The same God who called you is holy. And because He is holy, you are called to be holy. Your calling and your holiness are inseparable. You cannot fulfill your divine calling while living an unholy life. It's impossible.

Now, I know that word "holy" makes some people uncomfortable. It sounds old-fashioned. It sounds restrictive. It sounds like a list of rules and regulations. But that's not what holiness is. Holiness is simply being set apart for God's purposes. It's choosing to live differently because you've been called to something different. It's purifying your life—your thoughts, your actions, your relationships, your habits—so that God can use you for His glory.

Think about it this way: If you were climbing that mountain I mentioned earlier, would you fill your backpack with rocks? Would you tie weights to your ankles? Would you wear shoes that don't fit properly? Of course not. Because unnecessary weight and ill-fitting equipment would prevent you from reaching the summit. You'd purify your gear, keeping only what helps you climb and discarding everything that holds you back.

That's exactly what Second Corinthians 7:1 is talking about: "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." Purify ourselves from everything that contaminates. Everything. Not just the big, obvious sins. But everything that weighs us down, holds us back, prevents us from ascending to the heights God has called us to reach.

I've counseled people who wondered why they weren't experiencing breakthrough in their lives, why they weren't seeing their prayers answered, why they felt stuck spiritually. And when we started examining their lives together, we discovered contamination. Maybe it was secret sin they thought didn't matter. Maybe it was compromises they'd made that seemed small at the time. Maybe it was entertainment they were consuming that was poisoning their thoughts. Maybe it was relationships that were pulling them away from God rather than pushing them toward Him.

And here's what I've learned: You can have a genuine calling from God and still miss it entirely if you refuse to pursue holiness. God's calling requires God's purity. The summit experience requires the surrender of anything that prevents the climb.

But it's not just about what you give up. Romans 12:1 shows us the positive side of holiness: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. That means dedicating every part of your life—your time, your talents, your resources, your relationships, your dreams—to God's purposes.

This is what it looks like to exceed your calling. You don't just acknowledge that God has called you. You don't just pray about your calling. You actively, intentionally, completely offer yourself to fulfill that calling. You become a living sacrifice, set apart for His use, dedicated to His glory.

Let me tell you about a woman I worked with several years ago in our restoration ministry. I'll call her Grace. Grace had a genuine calling from God to work with young women who were caught in human trafficking. She had a heart for it. She had passion for it. She even had some resources to start a ministry. But Grace was stuck. She couldn't seem to get the ministry off the ground. And when we talked, it became clear why.

Grace was holding onto unforgiveness toward her father. He had abused her as a child, and though she'd gotten therapy and done a lot of healing work, she still harbored deep bitterness in her heart. And that unforgiveness was like a chain around her ankle. Every time she tried to move forward into her calling, that chain pulled her back.

This is the second major obstacle I see that prevents people from exceeding their calling: unforgiveness. And this might surprise you, but I've discovered that unforgiveness is often more destructive to your calling than unholy living. Why? Because unforgiveness keeps you bound to your past while God is calling you to your future. Unforgiveness keeps you focused on what was done to you while God is trying to show you what He wants to do through you.

Jesus makes the connection between forgiveness and moving forward absolutely clear in Matthew 6:14-15: "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." That's not a suggestion. That's not a nice idea. That's a direct statement from Jesus Himself about how forgiveness works.

And here's what I want you to understand: When you hold onto unforgiveness, you're not just hurting the person who wronged you. You're not even primarily hurting them. You're hurting yourself. You're blocking the flow of God's forgiveness in your own life. You're preventing yourself from moving forward into the fullness of your calling.

Think about climbing a mountain while constantly looking backward. You can't do it. You'll lose your footing. You'll miss the next handhold. You'll stumble over obstacles you don't see because your eyes are fixed on where you've been rather than where you're going. Unforgiveness keeps you looking backward. It keeps you reliving the hurt. It keeps you rehearsing the offense. It keeps you stuck at the base of the mountain when God has called you to the summit.

But when you forgive—truly forgive, release the offense, let go of your right to revenge—something supernatural happens. The chains fall off. The weight lifts. You're free to move forward. You're free to climb. You're free to exceed the calling God has placed on your life.

Colossians 3:13 frames it this way: "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Forgive as the Lord forgave you. That's the standard. That's the model. You don't forgive because people deserve it. You forgive because Christ forgave you when you didn't deserve it. And when you extend that same forgiveness to others, you release yourself from the prison of bitterness and step into the freedom of your calling.

Going back to Grace's story, it took months of prayer, counseling, and courageous choices before she was finally ready to forgive her father. And I want to be clear—this wasn't about excusing what he did. It wasn't about pretending the abuse never happened. It wasn't about restoring a relationship that wasn't safe. It was about releasing the bitterness that was poisoning her own heart and blocking her calling.

The day Grace chose to forgive—truly forgive, completely release her father from the debt he owed her—was the day everything changed. Within weeks, doors started opening for her ministry. Within months, she had secured funding, assembled a team, and opened the first safe house for trafficked women. Today, five years later, Grace's ministry has rescued and restored dozens of young women. She is living in the fullness of her calling. She has exceeded even her own expectations of what God could do through her.

But none of it would have happened if she hadn't first pursued holiness and chosen forgiveness. Those two elements—purity and pardon—are non-negotiable if you want to exceed your calling.

Now, let me speak to those of you who are thinking, "Pastor, I hear what you're saying about holiness and forgiveness. But I still don't feel qualified for the calling God has placed on my life. I still don't feel ready to climb that mountain." And my response to you is this: You're absolutely right. You're not qualified. You're not ready. In your own strength, you cannot do what God has called you to do.

But here's the beautiful truth: God never calls you to do something in your own strength. He calls you to do it in His power. And His power is more than sufficient for whatever He's called you to accomplish.

Ephesians 4:32 connects all of this together: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Just as in Christ God forgave you. Everything we're able to do—the holiness we pursue, the forgiveness we extend, the calling we fulfill—it's all "in Christ." It's all through His power. It's all by His grace. It's all because of what He accomplished on the cross and what He continues to accomplish through His Spirit living in us.

When I stood at the base of that mountain in Korea all those years ago, I wasn't sufficient in myself to reach the summit. But I had a guide. I had companions. I had proper equipment. And step by step, supported and strengthened by what had been provided for me, I made it to the top.

Your calling is the same. God provides everything you need. He provides the Holy Spirit as your guide. He provides fellow believers as your companions. He provides His Word as your equipment. And as you pursue holiness, as you extend forgiveness, as you offer yourself as a living sacrifice, He provides the power to exceed anything you thought possible.

I've been in ministry for twenty-five years, and I've spent two decades specifically in restoration work. And I can tell you without hesitation: The people who exceed their calling are not the most talented. They're not the most educated. They're not the most naturally gifted. They're the ones who pursue holiness most diligently. They're the ones who forgive most completely. They're the ones who offer themselves most fully as living sacrifices to God.

They're the ones who wake up every morning and say, "God, purify me. Use me. Empower me to do what You've called me to do." They're the ones who refuse to settle for the valley when God has called them to the summit. They're the ones who keep climbing, one step at a time, even when it's hard, even when they're tired, even when the peak seems impossibly far away.

And here's what happens when you live like that: God does immeasurably more than you could ask or imagine. He takes your surrendered life and accomplishes things through you that leave you breathless. He brings you to heights you never dreamed you could reach. He uses you in ways that bring glory to His name and transformation to others.

That's what it means to exceed your calling. That's what it looks like to stand on the summit and look out over the landscape of what God has done through your life. And it's available to you. Today. Right now. Regardless of your past failures. Regardless of your current circumstances. Regardless of how impossible the climb seems.

But you must make a choice. You must choose holiness over compromise. You must choose forgiveness over bitterness. You must choose to step into your calling with boldness rather than shrinking back in fear. You must choose to start climbing rather than camping at the base of the mountain.

Let me close with this. When you stand at the base of your mountain—the calling God has placed on your life—and you look up at that peak shrouded in mist, it seems impossible. It seems too high. It seems too difficult. It seems beyond your abilities. And you're right. It is beyond your abilities. But it's not beyond His.

God is calling you to more. He's calling you to holiness. He's calling you to forgiveness. He's calling you to boldness. He's calling you to excellence. He's calling you to impact. He's calling you to transformation—both in your own life and in the lives of others. He's calling you to exceed what you thought possible and discover what He knows is achievable through His power working in you.

The question is: Will you answer that call? Will you pursue the holiness required? Will you extend the forgiveness needed? Will you offer yourself completely as a living sacrifice? Will you take that first step up the mountain?

I can tell you from twenty-five years of ministry and twenty years of restoration work: If you will, God will meet you there. He will strengthen you for the climb. He will guide you on the path. He will bring you to the summit. And the view from the top—the perspective of seeing what God has accomplished through your surrendered, holy, forgiving life—will take your breath away.

Let me pray for you:

Father God, I lift up every person reading these words right now. You have called them. You have a mountain for them to climb, a summit for them to reach, a calling for them to exceed. Lord, give them the courage to pursue holiness, to purify themselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit. Give them the grace to forgive those who have hurt them, to release the bitterness that's been holding them back. Give them the boldness to offer themselves completely as living sacrifices, set apart for Your purposes. And give them the faith to take that first step, and then the next, and then the next, trusting that You will provide the strength for every step of the climb. Do immeasurably more than they can ask or imagine. Bring them to heights they never dreamed possible. Use them to bring glory to Your name and hope to a broken world. We ask this in the powerful name of Jesus, who calls us to follow Him to the highest heights. Amen.

Friends, your mountain is waiting. Your calling is clear. Your summit experience is possible. But it starts with a choice—the choice to pursue holiness, extend forgiveness, and step boldly into what God has prepared for you.

Will you make that choice today? Will you start the climb? Will you trust God to bring you to heights that exceed your wildest imagination?

If this message has stirred something in your heart, I want to encourage you to share it. Forward this sermon to someone who's standing at the base of their mountain, afraid to start climbing. Send it to a friend who's stuck in unforgiveness. Post it for a family member who's compromised their calling through unholy living. Because transformation is contagious. When you step into your calling, you inspire others to step into theirs.

And if you've been blessed by this ministry of restoration, if God has used these words to call you higher, I invite you to partner with us in reaching more lives at The Restoration Point. Visit www.therestorationpoint.com to find resources, community, and support for your journey to the summit. Your prayers matter. Your support matters. Your partnership enables us to help more people climb their mountains and exceed the calling God has placed on their lives.

The sunrise is breaking over the peak. The view from the summit is calling you. God's power is available to equip you. Will you answer the call? Will you pursue holiness? Will you extend forgiveness? Will you start climbing today?

Your summit experience begins now. Right here. Right now. With one bold step of faith toward the calling God has placed on your life. Take that step. Trust Him for the journey. And watch as He brings you to heights that exceed anything you ever imagined possible.

The mountain is calling. God is equipping. Your destiny is waiting. Will you answer?

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