The Lie That’s Holding You Back

Purpose House Church

· 42 min

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Ever feel like something is fighting you before you even get started, and then coming back to take what you've already sown? In Zechariah 1, the prophet sees four horns that scattered God's people, and then four carpenters sent to break them. Pastor Jason McKinnies walks through the horns of hindrance, devouring and limitation, and shows that for every horn coming against you, God already has an answer.

Horn Two: The Horn of Hindrance

The Horn of Hindrance shows up before you even start. Its goal is to keep you from sowing, because the enemy cannot stop a seed once it is in the ground.

Paul experienced repeated resistance: “Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us” (1 Thessalonians 2:18).

When you pray, worship, give, serve, or sacrifice, you are sowing. That is why the enemy fights your Sunday, your quiet time, and your giving before they happen.

Every time you are hindered, get up and sow again.

“Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.” — Micah 7:8

A banged-up tractor still plows more ground than one parked in the shed. Don’t pull yourself out of the field because you’re struggling a little.

Horn Three: The Horn of Devouring

The Horn of Hindrance tries to prevent. The Horn of Devouring waits until you have sown—and then tries to consume.

Whenever Israel planted, the Midianites came and destroyed the produce (Judges 6:3–4). This horn attacks the harvest, eating up progress before it can grow.

But God made a promise:

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse… And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground.” — Malachi 3:10–11

Your harvest is your seed, and your seed is your harvest. Put it in His hand, and the devourer has to answer to Him.

Horn Four: The Horn of Limitation

The Horn of Limitation works through lies. Once it works, the enemy doesn’t have to keep pushing. You stop yourself.

Like an elephant that stopped pulling against a childhood rope, you can remain bound by an old failure or someone’s words over you. You are far stronger now than the rope.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” — Philippians 4:13

The hardest part of breaking a limitation is being the first. Don’t let what happened before determine what you believe God can do now.

The Breakthrough: God Sends Carpenters

Zechariah saw four horns, but then the Lord showed him four carpenters. For every horn, God already had an answer standing by.

God answered with builders. The point was never just to defeat the horns—it was to get the temple built again. Jesus, the Carpenter, came for every horn. His power is complete, perfect, and unmatched.

  • Over lack: God supplies—“you have lacked nothing.”
  • Over hindrance: The Breaker goes before you (Micah 2:13).
  • Over devouring: God promises to rebuke the devourer (Malachi 3:11).
  • Over limitation: He can do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

Paul and Silas were hindered, beaten, and imprisoned, yet at midnight they prayed and sang hymns. God shook the prison, opened every door, and loosed everyone’s chains (Acts 16:25–26).

They didn’t wait to get out before they praised. They praised their way out.

Which Horn Has Your Head Down?

The coming weeks will examine the influences that try to keep people imprisoned—and how to overcome them. But first, get honest with God: Which horn has been pushing on you?

Name it to Him. For that horn, God has already sent a Carpenter.

“You, O LORD, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.” — Psalm 3:3

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