Discovering How Jesus Has Equipped Every Believer for Ministry This Sunday, we kick off our Vision 2026 theme: Knit Together in Love. For the next twelve months, our congregation will walk through Ephesians 4 and learn how Christ forms His people into a unified, serving, maturing body.
For months, our elders have prayed, planned, and prepared a year-long journey built around one central theme: Knit Together in Love. Why this theme? Why now? Because we are living in a cultural moment and a congregational moment where we cannot afford to drift. Our Vision Plan is rooted in Ephesians 4:11-16, where Paul describes Christ’s design for His church. He has given each one of us what we need to serve, grow, and build up the body. Today, we’ll learn how Christ has equipped us for the mission.
Acts 15 highlights a crucial moment in the early church—the Jerusalem Council. As the gospel spread among the Gentiles, a heated debate arose over whether they needed to follow the law of Moses to be saved. The apostles and elders gathered to seek God’s guidance and preserve unity within the church. Through attentive listening, scriptural reasoning, and the leading of the Holy Spirit, they arrived at a conclusion affirming salvation by grace through faith and emphasizing fellowship across cultural boundaries. This lesson shows how godly leadership prepares the church to handle conflicts wisely, protect the truth of the gospel, and promote peace among believers.
Acts 14 shows that suffering isn't a sign of failure but a part of God’s plan to strengthen His followers. As Paul and Barnabas traveled through Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, they experienced both success and intense opposition. Yet, through every challenge, God equipped them to stand firm, stay humble, and persevere with joy. This lesson reminds us that hardship is one of God’s most effective tools for shaping faith, preparing His people, and demonstrating the power of the gospel to endure in all circumstances.
Acts 13:13-52 records Paul’s first sermon and stands as one of the clearest examples of gospel preaching in the New Testament. Speaking in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, Paul explained how all of Israel’s history pointed to Jesus, the promised Savior who offers forgiveness and justification through His death and resurrection. This lesson shows how the Holy Spirit enables believers to proclaim Christ with clarity, courage, and compassion, even when faced with rejection. Through Paul’s example, we learn that the power of the gospel does not depend on human approval but on God’s truth faithfully shared.
Acts 13:1-12 records the moment when the gospel begins to spread beyond the familiar borders of Judea and Samaria. From the lively and diverse church in Antioch, the Holy Spirit calls Barnabas and Saul to take Christ's message to the Gentile world. This lesson explores how God equipped that congregation through worship, fasting, and prayer to become a sending church. We will see how obedience to the Spirit’s direction led to the first major missionary journey and how God’s power worked through ordinary believers to achieve extraordinary results.
In the quiet of the night, a young boy named Samuel heard his name called—once, twice, and then a third time. At first, he thought it was Eli, the aging priest, but it was God speaking. In that moment, Samuel’s life changed forever. His story reminds us that hearing God’s call starts with a heart that listens. This lesson explores how God speaks to those willing to hear, how He prepares His servants through obedience, and how a single voice of faith can bring renewal to a generation that has drifted from Him.
Gideon’s story begins in a season of fear and oppression. Israel had turned from God, and the Midianites were devastating the land. When God called Gideon to deliver His people, Gideon was hiding in a winepress, threshing wheat in secret. He saw himself as the least in his family and his family as the weakest in Israel. Yet God called him a “valiant warrior.” This lesson shows how God’s power shines through human weakness. The Lord does not choose people because of their strength; He makes them strong because of His presence. Gideon’s call reminds us that God delights in using ordinary people who trust Him completely.
After Moses’ death, the weight of leadership fell upon Joshua. The wilderness generation was gone, and the time had come for Israel to cross the Jordan and claim the land God had promised. Joshua faced overwhelming responsibility, a grieving nation, and a future filled with uncertainty. Yet God’s message to him was clear and repeated three times: “Be strong and courageous.” This lesson shows that courage in God’s service is not the absence of fear but the presence of faith. The same God who strengthened Joshua to lead Israel gives His people courage today to obey His word and trust His promises.
After encountering God at the burning bush, Moses still struggled to believe he was the right person for the job. His doubts and fears mirror the same struggles we often face when God calls us to serve. In this lesson, we see how God patiently addressed Moses’ excuses one by one, teaching that His strength is made perfect in human weakness. The Lord equips those who trust Him, not those who trust themselves. God’s response to every excuse was the same: “I will be with you.”
Moses’ encounter at the burning bush shows that God never calls someone without also providing what they need to serve. When God chose Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, Moses protested his inadequacy. Yet God answered each fear with His presence and promise: “I will certainly be with you.” This lesson reminds us that God’s strength is always greater than our weakness. The same Lord who equipped Moses to confront Pharaoh equips His people today through His Word, His Spirit, and His faithful presence to do what He commands.
Ministry is carried out in community. God has designed His people to serve and grow together, using their gifts in harmony with one another. In this section, we will explore the relational tools that enable believers to build strong spiritual connections: serving with our gifts, mentoring and being mentored, bearing one another’s burdens, and practicing hospitality. These tools remind us that ministry is not an isolated effort but a shared calling in which we help one another grow in faith, maturity, and love.
Encouragement is one of the simplest yet most powerful ministries available to every Christian. From Hebrews 10:24-25 we learn that encouragement requires intentionality, presence, and urgency. By considering one another, we stir each other up to love and good works. By gathering together, we strengthen one another through our presence. And as the Day of Christ draws near, encouragement becomes increasingly vital to help us endure trials and resist discouragement. This lesson reminds us that encouragement is not optional — it is essential — and challenges us to use words, presence, and actions to build up the body of Christ.
This lesson emphasizes that prayer is not just a private devotion but the lifeblood of ministry. From Ephesians 6:18-20, we see that prayer expresses our constant dependence on God, our intercession for fellow believers, and our need for boldness to proclaim the gospel. Just as Scripture equips us for good works, prayer empowers us to carry them out. Ministry without prayer becomes self-reliant and weak, but when we pray in the Spirit, we invite God’s strength, wisdom, and courage into our service. This class will challenge us to move beyond routine prayers to intentional, ministry-shaped prayer that sustains, unites, and emboldens the people of God.
This opening lesson reminds us that the Bible is the essential tool God has placed in our hands for ministry. From 2 Timothy 3:16-17, we learn that Scripture is God-breathed, carrying His authority and life, and that it serves a vital purpose: to teach, rebuke, correct, and train us in righteousness so that we are fully equipped for every good work. Our goal is not just to read the Word but to live it — approaching it regularly, carefully, prayerfully, for application, and with others. As we begin this quarter on Tools for Ministry, we start with the foundation: learning to use God’s Word well, so that it shapes us into servants ready to build up the body of Christ.
Join Matt & Jason for live bible talk beginning at 8 AM ET!
This sermon calls us to carry the spirit of thanksgiving beyond the holiday by seeing God’s goodness in every season. Using passages like James 1:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, and Psalm 100:5, it reminds us that every blessing comes from the Lord, His mercy never fades, and His hope anchors us through the pressures of life. We are urged to thank God for His people, His grace, and the privilege of gathering to worship. As we step into the busy weeks ahead, the message challenges us to slow down, notice God’s hand, and let a thankful heart shape the way we live, serve, and speak.
2 Samuel 11 marks a turning point in David’s life. Up to this point, the story has been filled with faith, courage, victory, and kindness. But here, the tone shifts. When other kings went to war, David stayed home. From a place of comfort and idleness, he saw Bathsheba, desired her, and committed adultery. When she became pregnant, David tried to hide his sin, eventually arranging the death of her husband, Uriah, one of his most loyal warriors. This chapter illustrates the slow, tragic progression of sin: desire leads to action, action to deception, and deception to destruction. David’s downfall demonstrates that even the most faithful can be overtaken if they let their guard down. It also sets the stage for the grace and repentance that will be explored in the next chapter. 2 Samuel 11 is a story of warning. It reminds us that sin grows fastest in moments of ease, that cover-ups never work, and that hidden sin always hurts innocent people. Yet even here, God is not absent — His displeasure at the end of the chapter shows that He will not leave His servant in darkness.
2 Samuel 10 tells the story of kindness misunderstood. When the king of the Ammonites died, David sent servants to comfort Hanun, his son. Instead of accepting the gesture, Hanun suspected treachery. He humiliated David’s men and plunged his nation into an unnecessary war. This insult brought the Ammonites into conflict not just with Israel, but also with the powerful Aramean armies. The result was a decisive victory for Joab, Abishai, and Israel — and a clear reminder that rejecting peace often leads to destruction. The chapter sharply contrasts with the previous one: Mephibosheth gratefully accepted David’s kindness, while Hanun foolishly rejected it. One received a blessing, the other faced ruin. Through this story, we learn that suspicion, pride, and bad advice can turn peace into disaster. At the same time, we see the courage and faith of Israel’s leaders as they confront overwhelming odds.
2 Samuel 9 is one of the most beautiful chapters in David’s story. After years of war, the kingdom is secure and strong. Instead of seeking revenge on the house of Saul, David looks for someone to bless. He remembers his covenant with Jonathan and asks whether anyone from that family is left to whom he can show kindness. The answer is Mephibosheth — a crippled, forgotten man living in fear. David brings him out of hiding, restores his inheritance, and gives him a place at the king’s table. This chapter shines a light on the heart of a godly king. It also points forward to Christ, who shows mercy to those who can give nothing in return.
Join Matt & Jim for live bible talk beginning at 8 AM ET!
