https://www.bible.com/events/49575323

Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus 

Hurdles Part 2 

A little dance with darkness… 

We are continuing in our 4-part teaching series called “Hurdles”. 

Throughout this series we are going to face some of the key obstacles or hurdles that keep us from a full and abundant life in Christ. 

Today we are talking about the hurdle of “little sins”. 

It can be easy for us to think that the smaller consequences of some sin, means they are not that big of a deal. But that’s not a biblical view of sin. In fact, the bible knows nothing of “little sins”. The bible says that all sin is serious and it is always a hurdle in our relationship with Jesus. 

Sin shows up in the human story in chapter 3 of Genesis. 

In Genesis 1 and 2, God has created all things. All of creation and the cosmos, the land, the sea, and everything in them. He has created Adam and Eve, male and female, in his image. God has given them an identity, a calling and purpose for their lives. They are his co-agents, in creation, they enjoy perfect intimacy together. 

This is God’s vision for humanity- for your life and mine. That hasn’t changed. 

In this relationship, God gives them a choice. For a relationship to be loving, for it to be real intimacy, there has to be choice. Without a choice, Adam and Eve would have been God’s Robots, not sons and daughters. 

So God has given them unlimited freedom with only one rule, one choice to obey him. 

The devil comes into the story as a snake, and he goes after Eve at the point of this choice. He convinces her that God is holding out on them, that he cant be trusted. 

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬‬ 

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 

Sin enters our story. 

Sin wasn’t just the eating of a forbidden fruit, the breaking of a rule. It was the failure to be fully human as God intended. It was a fracture of trust and relationship with God, it was outside of his planned design for their lives. Friends that’s sin. 

In the Old Testament Hebrew Language, the word for sin is Khata (Ha-tah). In the New Testament Greek the word is Hamartia. Both words carry the same idea of missing the mark, or a failure to make the goal, or coming up short. 

The bible pictures sin as a failure to live into our calling as image bearers of God, a coming up short of our truest calling as his sons and daughters. 

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭9‬‬ 

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 

We choose sin, it continually separates us from relationship with God and distorts our lives. God in his mercy and grace continually comes after us, inviting us to turn away from our sin and into right relationship with him. 

To be transformed, to be healed, and remade into the design he has for our lives and our flourishing. 

And the healing and renewal is a critical part of God’s mercy because sin, according to the bible, is not just wrong actions, a list of rules broken. Sin has distorted our humanity- it’s a nature, a drive within us. Sin is part of our nature now as a result of Genesis 3. 

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭7‬‬ 

The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬‬ 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 

The Good news for us today, is that Jesus came to deal with both. The guilt of our wrong actions, and the corruption and impurity of our heart. 

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24‬‬ 

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. 

Dealing with sin on our own seems hopelessly impossible, and to be honest, it pretty much is. But God does not expect us to deal with it alone, he invites us to surrender out life to him, including our sin, and allow him to come into our lives and make us new. 

To literally restore and renew his image witin us, that we wouldn’t even desire sin anymore. 

That’s the hope today friends- that’s the invitation. 

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭9‬‬ 

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 

If we will confess our sins- that is we agree with the Lord that what we are doing is wrong, that it is sin and falling short of who he has called us to be, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and purity us from all unrighteousness. 

Are you ready to clear the hurdle of sin in your life? Walk in the light, as he is in the light. 

• WELCOME
• STRUCK ME- HURDLERS RUN EFFORTLESS
• SOME SEEM TO STRUGGLE- OTHERS DON’T

HURDLE DEFINED

• TEMPORARY OBSTACLE
• A BARRIER- WALL A FENCE
• HURDLES ARE NOT WALLS PER SAY
• THEY AREN’T DEAD ENDS

  READY     FIRE        AIM

• PLANNING SERIES TOPICS
• CONVERSATION – SOME THINGS ARE HURLDES
• SOMETIMES WE GET THINGS OUT OF ORDER

PUT YOUR BOAT IN WATER- NO PLUG IN IT

HOSE IN YOUR GAS TANK GO PULL AWAY

• DON’T GET THIS SERIES RIGHT- WE RUN THE RISKS

Putting sanctification before salvation (justification)-SPIN WHEELS

• only be frustrated if you want to act like Christ before you have CHRIST

 SCRIPTURE ROMANS 3:22                                      

  22. THIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IS GIVEN THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST TO ALL WHO BELIEVE. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JEW AND GENTILE.

SCRIPTURE 3:23

  23. FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.

 SCRIPTURE ROMANS 3:24

  24. AND ALL ARE JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT CAME BY CHRIST JESUS.       (JUST AS IF I NEVER SINNED)

SCRIPTURE ROMANS 3:25

  25. GOD PRESENTED CHRIST AS A SACRIFICE OF ATONEMENT, THROUGH THE SHEDDING OF HIS BLOOD-TO BE RECEIVED BY FAITH

 SCRIPTURE ROMANS 3:25

  25. HE DID THIS TO DEMONSTRATE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, BECAUSE IN HIS FORBEARANCE HE HAD LEFT THE SINS COMMITTED BEFOREHAND UNPUNISHED.

SCRIPTURE ROMANS 3:26

  26. HE DID IT TO DEMONSTRATE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AT THE PRESENT TIME.

SCRIPTURE ROMANS 3:26

  26. SO AS TO BE JUST AND THE ONE WHO JUSTIFIES THOSE WHO HAVE FAITH IN JESUS.

SLIDE 12: SIN                                                                        

• WORKING DEFINITION

WILLFUL VIOLATION TO THE KNOWN LAW OF GOD

• I WONDER TODAY- HOW MANY ARE TRYING

YOU ATTEND CHURCH – READ SOME SCRIPTURE

KNOW SOME OF THE SONGS – TOOK COMMUNION

NOT BECAUSE WE WERE BAPTIZED

• THINGS THAT SHOULD BE EVIDENCE OF OUR FAITH
• THERE ARE THINGS WE DO BECAUSE OF FAITH
• NOT THE SOURCE OF OUR FAITH
• HAVE YOU BEEN BORN AGAIN- ADOPTION

HAVE YOU REPENTED OF YOUR SINS?

   SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH-

GRACE CALLS US TO REPENANCE, WHICH IS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEING SORRY FOR OUR SIN, BUT TURNING AWAY FROM OUR SIN. TURNING FROM OURSELVES TOWARD GOD. WHEN WE RESPOND TO GODS GRACE WE ARE ABLE TO REPENT AND BELIEVE. 

   ROY: FORMER CHURCH                                                 

• DIDN’T LIKE ME MUCH- I WORE JEANS- HE WORE TIE
• DIDN’T CARE FOR MUSIC- TELL WORSHIP LEADER
• DIDN’T LIKE THE CHURCH GROWING- HIS WIFE
• OTHERS DIDN’T WANNA EAT WITH HIM-WAITRESSES
• HED BEEN IN CHURCH FOR LONG TIME-SAME SEAT
• SOMETIMES TELL ME- SOMETIMES TALK BOUT ME
• NO ONE WAS SURPRISED AND EVEN EXPECTED IT
• PEOPLE JUST TOLERATED HIM
• I DIDN’T AND NO ONE ELSE SAW ANY CHANGE
• WE ARENT HIRED TO INSPECT SPIRITUAL FRUIT
• BUT NO ONE SAW ANY REAL CHANGE IN HIS LIFE
• NO ONE EXPECTED HIM TO BECOME LIKE JESUS

SO WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO LIVE A LIFE LIKE JESUS

• I WONDERED- HAS ROY EVER BEEN SAVED?

HAD HE GENUINELY REPENTED OF ANYTHING?

   I ALSO WONDERED IF HE HAS BEEN SAVED- HAS HE EXPERIENCED ANY REAL LIFE CHANGE

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 4:17

  17. “FROM THEN ON JESUS BEGAN TO PREACH, “REPENT OF YOUR SINS AND TURN TO GOD, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR.”

   JAREDS STATEMENT ON REPENTANCE- DIDN’T MEAN IT

SCRIPTURE 1 JOHN 1:9

   “IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST AND WILL FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND PURIFY US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNES

SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21

  21. GOD MADE HIM WHO HAD NO SIN TO BE SIN FOR US, SO THAT IN HIM WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.

SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21.

  21. FOR GOD TOOK THE SINLESS CHRIST AND POURED INTO HIM OUR SINS. THEN IN EXCHANGE, HE POURED GODS GOODNESS INTO US.”

STATEMENT ON SALVATION

   SALVATION IS A THRESHOLD SO LOW ANYONE CAN COME ACROSS IT

STATEMENT ON SALVATION

   BUT ITS SO HIGH NO ONE CAN CLIMB IT

SALVATION IS A GIFT- SAVED BY GRACE- FAITH

COACH BILL MCARTNEY

• FORMER COLORADO FOOTBALL COACH

 JAMES RYLE

• FORMER PASTOR OF BILL MCARTNEY

  PROMISE KEEPERS

• 1997 WASHINGTON DC
• PREACHED THAT NIGHT

 MACHINE                                  

• A MACHINE THAT HAS FASCINATING PARTS
• THE MACHINE DOES NOTHING
• LOOKS IMPRESSIVE

POSSIBLE TO LOOK LIKE A GRAPE AND NOT BE ATTACHED

JUSTIFICATION

   IS THE FREEDOM FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN

SANCTIFICATION

   IS THE FREDEDOM FROM THE POWER OF SIN

 GLORIFICATION

  IS THE FREEDOM FROM THE PRESENCE OF SIN

   SANCTIFICATION– A SCRIPTURE FROM PAUL

 SCRIPTURE 1 THESALONIANS 5:23

  23. “MAY GOD HIMSELF, THE GOD OF PEACE, SANCTIFY YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH.” (PARTIALLY)

SCRIPTURE 1 THESSALONIANS 5:23

  23. MAY YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY BE KEPT BLAMELESS AT THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

 SCRIPTURE 1 THESSALONIANS 5:24               

  24. THE ONE WHO CALLS YOU IS FAITHFUL, HE WILL DO IT.

• PAUL ALSO SAID ROMANS 12:1

  12 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

BRENNAN MANNING- CATHOLIC PRIEST- RETREAT

ROMANS 7:25

SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND ME WHEN YOU SEEK

COMMUNION

DO YOU BELIEVE TODAY JESUS DIED ON A CROSS FOR YOUR SINS THAT SOMEHOW THAT HAPPENED FOR YOU- IF SO THEN DECLARE IT TODAY

SCRIPTURE ROMANS 10:9

   9. “IF YOU DECLARE WITH YOUR MOUTH, “JESUS IS LORD, AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED.

 SCRIPTURE ROMANS 10:10

  10. FOR IT IS WITH YOUR HEART THAT YOU BELIEVE AND ARE JUSTIFIED, AND IT IS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU PROFESS YOUR FAITH AND ARE SAVED.

WHAT IS NECASSARY

BELIEVE IN JESUS ENOUGH TO FOLLOW HIM

HOLINESS IS INSTANTANEOUS AND ALSO PROGRESSIVE

REPENTANCE IS NOT A ONCE AND DONE- ITS AN ENTRANCE

SURRENDER ISN’T A ONE AND DONE EVENT

PAUL SAID I DIE DAILY

 Judson W. Van DeVenter-

MAKING A DECISION TO STAY AN ARTIST OR ANSWER CALL

MENTORED BILLY GRAHAM

1 All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

SOME TO JESUS I SURRENDUR

SOME TO HIM I BEGRDUGINLY GIVE

2 All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

SOME OF US NEED TO JUST REPENT AND BE SAVED

SOME OF US NOT TO SURRENDER AFRESH AND NEW

WE NEED A NEW FILLING

WE DON’T GET A PIECE OF GOD-

HE GETS ALL OF US

https://www.bible.com/events/49571732

Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus 

Hurdles Part 1 

Ready. Fire. Aim 

We are starting a new 4-part teaching series called “Hurdles”. 

Over the next few weeks, we are going to face some of the key obstacles or hurdles that keep us from a full and abundant life in Christ. 

Today we are talking about the hurdle of having things out of order in our approach to relationship with Jesus. 

This can happen when we commit to trying to be a better person, to attending church, to doing all those good things, without ever first committing ourselves to Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. 

Certainly the bible teaches that we need to live a good and moral life, but that commitment to good works is not what saves us. 

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭9‬‬ 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. 

The life and salvation that Jesus came to offer, does not come by our efforts, our attempts to be a good person and help other people or any other good work. 

It comes by grace, through faith, believing in the person of Jesus Christ. 

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬-‭10‬‬ 

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 

When we believe good works are what saves us, we are trusting in what we can do. 

Whereas when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we are trusting what he has done. 

When we believe in Him, in his life, death, and resurrection, we are what the bible calls justified. That means that every sin, every wrong thing we have ever done, said, or thought, is wiped clean. 

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬‬ 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 

When we place our faith in Jesus, turn away from our sin and place our faith in him. We are made new. The life of Christ is birthed within us by the Holy Spirit. 

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬‬ 

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 

We are justified, regenerated, and adopted into the family of God, all by grace through faith. Those are things that our good works simply can not earn us. 

So let me ask you, is this what you are experiencing? 

Can you identify a time and place in your life where something so dramatic changed that you would have to use words like “Born again” or “new creation” or “adoption into a new family” to describe it? 

This is way beyond a question of do you go to church? Are you a nice person? Do you help other people? Or even if you pray and read the bible sometimes. All of those are great and even necessary things, in the right order. 

But if we get the cart before the horse in thinking those things come first, or even if we think that’s all there is to being a Christian. We are going to live a pretty frustrating and unfulfilling life. 

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭2‬‬ 

As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 

Today is the day of your salvation. Today is the day to get your spiritual life in order, to know that it is by faith in the person of Jesus that you are saved. 

Today is the day to repent, to have a distinct and definite change in your life in regard to sin. 

Today is the day to be made new! 

“As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”” 

‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭17‬-‭23‬ ‭ 

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬-‭22‬, ‭27‬-‭28‬ 

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” 

‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭ 

Today we are completing our four-week series called Relationships Righted. You can access our messages at COTNAZ.org, WATCH/LISTEN ONLINE.

Over the last three weeks we have focused on relationships and focusing on “putting God first in our lives” so that our life is a living testimony to the LORD.

Today we are going to focus on relationships in the workplace. Can we truly worship God in the workplace and build and nurture relationships with our co-workers and bosses so that we point them to Christ?

Let us pray.

“Dear Lord, I stand before You and Your people, acknowledging that every breath and every hour of labor is a gift from Your hand. 

As we discuss the 90,000 hours we spend at work and in service, convict and encourage everyone here.  Let us be faithful stewards of this message.

Father, we bring our work-weeks—the exhaustion, the ambitions, and the anxieties—into this sanctuary. Perform a deep work within us today.

Transform our Hearts to see coworkers and neighbors not as obstacles, but as people to be loved in Your name.

Transform our Minds to stop seeing work as ‘secular’ and start seeing it as ‘sacred’—an offering of excellence to You.

Transform our Souls to find our identity not in titles or paychecks, but in our status as Your beloved children.

Lord please commission us. Move us beyond being ‘Sunday Christians.’ Equip us to represent Christ in the workplace and the neighborhood.

May we leave here seeing our labor not as a burden, but as a mission field.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.”

We just prayed for God to transform our hearts, our minds, and our souls.

And friends, we need that transformation because of one staggering, inescapable number: 90,000. (Say NINETY THOUSAND slowly!)

That is the number of hours the average person will spend working and volunteering over their lifetime.

If our faith is only active during the one hour we spend here on Sunday, we are leaving 90,000 (Say NINETY THOUSAND slowly) hours of our lives—nearly one-third of our existence—untouched by the Gospel.

We often think of ‘mission trips’ as something we do for a week or two in a far-off place. But the greatest mission field you will ever enter is the one you walk into every Monday morning.

There are 90,000 opportunities to represent Jesus Christ to a world that watches us more closely at the office than they ever will in the pews.

Today, we’re going to look at how the Holy Spirit reclaims those hours for the Kingdom of God.

If we are going to spend 90,000 hours in the marketplace, we need more than a career strategy; we need a divine mandate.

The Apostle Paul addressed this directly in two different letters—one to the church in Colossae and one to the church in Ephesus.

At the very moment Paul wrote these words, he was sitting in a prison cell. He wasn’t writing from a position of power or comfort; he was writing under the weight of chains.

In the following passages from Colossians and Ephesians, you’ll hear Paul use the language of his time—the language of “slaves” and “masters.”

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

So, I have to ask you: Who is your “Real Boss”?

When we look at Colossians 3, we see that even if your supervisor is difficult or your workplace is chaotic, your ultimate accountability is to Jesus.

Paul reminds us that the ultimate “reward” doesn’t come from a weekly paycheck or a commission check; it comes as an “inheritance” from the Lord.

This single shift in perspective transforms 90,000 hours of drudgery into 90,000 hours of devotion.

Let’s pause here for a moment of honest reflection. (Pause)

Have you ever worked alongside a Christian whose attitude or work ethic made you want anything but Jesus?

How about…Have you ever seen someone carry a Bible into the breakroom but leave their integrity at the time clock?

Now, let’s make this personal.

Let’s turn the mirror around: If your coworkers’ only exposure to the Gospel was your performance this past week, what version of Jesus would they believe in?

But Paul doesn’t stop at redefining who we serve; he expands the scope of what we do. He doesn’t say “whatever you do in the church” or “whatever you do on the mission field.” Instead, he uses the Greek word pas.

In the original text, pas means “all, every, or whatsoever.” It is an all-encompassing word that leaves nothing out. This includes:

• The emails you send
• The floors you mop
• The meetings you lead
• The cars you repair

If it is worth doing, it is worth doing for God. …In the life of a believer, there is no hierarchy of holiness in the 90,000 hours of a career. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing for God.

Look at the card that was given to you this morning when you entered. If you didn’t receive a card, please raise your hand and someone will bring you one.

This card represents your mission field starting tomorrow morning. It’s easy to think of a ‘mission field’ as a place across the ocean, but for most of us, it’s a cubicle, a classroom, or a construction site.

Ask yourself this question: When you walk into that ‘field’ tomorrow—whether that is your physical arrival through a door or your face appearing on a Zoom meeting—do you bring a presence that draws people toward Christ, or a spirit that pushes them away?

Does your arrival feel like an answer to prayer or just a new source of stress for your team?

And for those of you who are retired, this is just as personal for you. When you walk into the hospital room to visit a friend, or into the kitchen for Sunday lunch with your grandkids, what ‘atmosphere’ do you bring with you?

Does your presence bring the ‘refreshment’ of a seasoned soul, or does it bring the ‘smoke’ of a grumbling spirit? Your mission field hasn’t closed; the doors have just changed.

This leads us to Paul’s core strategy for the mission field. He calls us to work ek psychēs (Pronounced ECK Sigh-KAYS)—literally, ‘from the soul.’

Don’t miss this: When you work from the soul, you aren’t just performing a task; you are projecting an atmosphere.

You are bringing the very life of Christ into the room through the quality of your labor and the posture of your heart.

It’s not just about what your hands are doing; it’s about where the work is coming from.

This isn’t just about being a high producer; it’s about being intentional with every soul we encounter in those 90,000 hours.”

Working with “all your heart” means that your work is a reflection of your soul’s health. You aren’t just giving the company your time; you are giving God your best.

This is the most radical part: Paul tells the worker to look past their earthly supervisor.

Your boss might be ungrateful, your company might be disorganized, and your volunteer post might be frustrating.

But when you realize your Audience is One, the pressure to please people fades, and the joy of pleasing God takes over.

Let me apply this theological concept to our ordinary lives in 2026, the Monday reality in which we all face every week.

To the Teacher: If you are a teacher or a coach, your hours aren’t just about lesson plans or wins and losses.

Worship looks like seeing the ‘difficult’ student not as a disruption to your day, but as an image-bearer of God who needs grace.

When you stay late to help a child who is struggling—not because the administration is watching, but because your CEO, Jesus, loves that child—that is an act of worship.

To the Contractor: If you are a contractor, a plumber, or an engineer, your worship is found in the integrity of your craft. It’s the wire you tuck away neatly behind a wall where no one will ever see it.

You do it with excellence because you aren’t just building for a client; you are building for the Lord.

To the Healthcare Worker: For the nurse, the doctor, or the volunteer at the hospice center, your worship is found in the sincerity of your presence.

You aren’t just ‘checking vitals’; you are tending to the temple of the Holy Spirit.

To the Retired, I know some of you are thinking, ‘Pastor, my 90,000 hours of career labor are behind me. I’m retired. Does this still apply to me?’

Absolutely. In God’s Kingdom, there is no such thing as retiring from the mission. You aren’t ‘retired’; you are repurposed.

For those of you who are in this season, I MUST ask:

• Are you using your freedom to build the Kingdom, or have you ‘retired’ from being a witness?

• Who are you intentionally pouring your wisdom into right now, so that they can find refreshment instead of drowning in the stress of their 90,000 hours?

For you, worship tomorrow might look like:

• The way you treat the cashier at the grocery store.
• The intentional way you pray for your grandkids.
• The way you volunteer your time to mentor a younger person.

You have a lifetime of wisdom to offer.  You can be the refreshment to a younger generation that is stressed and burned out.

You aren’t just ‘finished’ with your hours; you are the seasoned veteran on the team, bringing peace and encouragement to your neighborhood and your family.

While Colossians is about the fire in our hearts, Ephesians is about the faithfulness of our habits.

Ephesians 6:5-9:

5 “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.”

Paul warns us against ‘Performance Mode.’ This is the habit of working hard only when you are being watched, or doing the right thing just to win favor with people. In 2026, we call this ‘Performative Labor’ or ‘Image Management.’

Paul’s counsel is to work with ‘sincerity of heart.’ This means your character at 2:00 PM on a Tuesday—when you are exhausted, alone, and no one is looking—should be identical to your character here on a Sunday morning.

Let’s be honest for a moment: Is there a disconnect between the person in this pew and the person at your desk?

If your boss or your coworkers were sitting next to you today, would they recognize the person they see on Sunday mornings—or would they be shocked to find out the ‘Christian’ they never knew they employed?

Now, let’s make this personal. Let’s turn the mirror around: If your coworkers’ only exposure to the Gospel was your performance this past week, what version of Jesus would they believe in?

True integrity isn’t a performance for a human boss; it’s a lifestyle lived before God.

Paul’s counsel to the employee/volunteer is: Don’t work for the ‘Like’ or the ‘Favor.’ If you only work hard when you are being watched, you aren’t serving Christ; you are serving your own reputation.

Colossians tells us to work because we love God; Ephesians tells us to work because we represent God.

When we combine them, our integrity becomes our greatest sermon.

While Paul gives us a high calling in Ephesians to work with ‘sincerity of heart,’ the Book of Proverbs gives us a very blunt warning about the opposite.

Proverbs 10:26 (The Message):

“A lazy employee will give you a splitting headache; he’s like a mouthful of sand.”

Also translated as: “A lazy employee is the sand in the gears of a team and the smoke in the eyes of the boss.”

Think about that imagery.

On a job site or a football field, a sandpit is a trap. It slows everyone down. 

When you do the bare minimum, when you are unreliable, or when you bring a toxic attitude to the office, you are the sandpit that makes everyone else’s job harder.

Smoke makes your eyes sting. It makes it impossible to see clearly. When you only work hard when you’re being watched, you become a source of irritation.  You are clouding the vision of the whole organization.

If you want to have the right to speak to your coworkers about the Gospel, you must first earn their respect through your labor.

A believer who is an ‘irritation’ to their boss closes the door to their mission field.

Ask yourself this question…Are you currently the ‘sand in the gears’ of your office—someone who slows the team down with complaints, excuses, or unreliability?

Or are you a breath of fresh air on a blistering hot day—the person the boss relies on when everything else is falling apart?

Are you a refreshment? When you walk in, you shouldn’t just be filling a seat; you should be changing the atmosphere.

We see this today in C.J. Stroud, who in 2026 remains a household icon not just for the power of his arm, but for the posture of his altar.

He proves that when you work ‘from the soul,’ people notice your Source as much as your talent.

Stroud’s teammates publicly called him the “light in the room.” When the Texans faced a three-game losing streak in late 2025, C.J. didn’t resort to performing for the cameras.  

He didn’t put on a show for the media while grumbling in the locker room. Instead, he worked with a ‘sincerity of heart.’

He stayed late, encouraged his teammates behind closed doors, and took personal responsibility. He proved that his work ethic wasn’t tied to the scoreboard or public opinion, but to his commitment to the Master.

His coach, DeMeco Ryans, noted that C.J.’s influence wasn’t just about his stats; it was about the consistent character he brought to the facility every single day, win or lose.

In fact, DeMeco Ryans stated that the team’s success was a direct reflection of the players’ ‘belief in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’

To see exactly what that kind of ‘drafted’ character looks like in action, let’s watch this video.

C.J. Strout interview 2 mins:  All Glory to God 1_52.mp4

That is what it looks like to play for the Master.

Look also at Justice Amy Coney Barrett. In 2026, she sits on the highest court in our land—a workplace that is often a storm of political “smoke.”

It would be easy for her to slip into “Performance Mode” to please the crowds, or to become a “people-pleaser” just to quiet the critics. Instead, she operates with a quiet strength.

You might ask, “How do I personally know this to be true about her when I don’t know her as a friend?”

I know it the same way the rest of our nation does: through the steady, unwavering frequency of her reputation.

Even from a distance, her life sends a clear signal.

Whether she is celebrated or criticized, she remains a trustworthy messenger because she isn’t working for the “likes” of the culture; she is working for the Lord.

She views her hours as a stewardship of God’s justice. Her identity isn’t found in her black robe; it’s found in her white robe of righteousness in Christ.

Her reputation speaks to our nation because her witness is consistent even when the cameras are off.

Church, tomorrow morning, you are walking back onto your own “field.”

Don’t be the ‘Smoke. If we are irritable, uncooperative, we cloud the vision.  As followers of Christ, our goal is to clear the air. I challenge you to be the ‘Refreshment.’

Whether you are clocking in at an office or meeting a friend for coffee in retirement, you have a mission:  be the one in your circle who stays consistent when the pressure is on.

 You don’t need a title to influence the culture of your family, your neighborhood, or your workplace. When things get heated or people get discouraged, be the refreshment that brings clarity and peace.

Proverbs 25:13 says: “Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.”

Work with such “High Integrity” and “Quiet Strength” that your boss finds refreshment in your reliability. Be the “light in the room” when the project fails or the deadline is missed.

Our mission statement says: ‘Transformed by God to bring Hope to others.’ This transformation begins in the heart. If you have a job, you have a calling. There is no such thing as a secular job.

Tomorrow morning, you aren’t just starting a new week; you are continuing an act of worship.

Don’t go in there trying to blend in. Be who God made you to be. Let the ‘Sunday you’ be the ‘Monday you.’ Remember: Integrity is consistency. Your daily work is deeply important to your God.

I want us to take a stand together in unity.

Whether you are a teacher, a mechanic, a nurse, a stay-at-home parent, a retiree, or an executive, everyone in this room has a mission field.

Right now, I want to ask this entire team to stand up.

Look at the person to your left and right. This isn’t just a crowd; this is your team.  This is a team committed to working ek psyches  (Pronounced ECK Sigh-KAYS). We aren’t just doing a job; we are working from the soul.

Now, I’d like to invite you to reach out and place a hand on the shoulder of the person next to you. You are not walking into your week alone.

Release that shoulder and hold your hands out in front of you, palms up. These are the tools of your worship.

Now as you look at your hands, I want you to stop and ask yourself these two questions:

• Lord, what will these hands build this week that will last for eternity?
• Who will I touch with Your grace, and who will I serve with Your excellence?

Let us pray:

“Dear Lord, look at this team and look at these hands. We are Your people, heading out into the mission field of this Valley. (Pause)

Father, I pray for the mechanic under the car, the accountant at the screen, and the retiree serving their neighbor—let their integrity be a refreshment to everyone they meet.

I pray for the teacher and the nurse—let them see every person as an image of You.

Today, we choose to be the refreshment. Holy Spirit, give them Your POWER! Remind them that they work for the King of Kings. In the Name of Jesus, we pray… AMEN!”

As we close, take a look at the card. This isn’t just a piece of paper; it’s your Playbook for the next six days.

Look at the front: ‘Drafted by God. Playing for His Glory.’ Whether you are in a boardroom, a classroom, or a season of retirement—that is your identity this week.

You haven’t just been ‘hired’ or ‘assigned’; you have been hand-picked by God for this moment.

Colossians 3:23 tells us to work with all our heart for the Lord.

Flip that card over. Tomorrow is Monday, and your mission is simple: Be the Spark.

Put this on your dashboard or your fridge where you’ll see it every morning.

Now… go out there. Bring the fire. Bring the hope. Our community is waiting—go give them Jesus! Let’s take the field for Jesus!!  You are dismissed.