Bless Buford Live - Goodbyes & Hellos: “Why I Do What I Do” (Acts 20:17-24)

Devotional

Day 1: When Moses Finished Speaking, the Covenant Continued

The ancient words of Deuteronomy still echo: faith isn’t inherited but chosen anew. Like Moses urging Israel to claim God’s promises as their own, every generation must decide to love God fully. This covenant isn’t about clinging to past spiritual victories but embracing fresh devotion. The call remains urgent—to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength isn’t a relic but a daily surrender. What legacy of faith will your choices write for those who follow? [56:13]

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you relied on others’ faith instead of cultivating your own? How might your active love for God inspire someone watching your life?

Day 2: A Whispered Confession at the Hospital for Sinners

Churches aren’t galleries for the polished but emergency rooms for the wounded. Like Mister Craddock’s dying admission, many discover God’s love through imperfect people showing up with casseroles and compassion. The church’s power lies not in its flawlessness but in its willingness to bandage brokenness. When have you experienced grace in a place you least expected it? [01:04:20]

“Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.”
(1 Corinthians 1:10, ESV)

Reflection: When has someone’s imperfect kindness drawn you closer to God? How can you create space for others to whisper, “I was wrong”?

Day 3: Paul’s Tears in Ephesus: Serving Without a Cape

Ministry isn’t about titles but towel-washing. Paul reminded the Ephesians he’d served “with humility and tears,” not applause. True service means showing up for funerals and leaky pipes, not just pulpits. Like a country pastor fixing copiers or playing Santa, faithfulness thrives in ordinary obedience. Where is God calling you to labor quietly rather than shine brightly? [01:10:22]

“You yourselves know how I lived among you the entire time… serving the Lord with all humility and with tears.”
(Acts 20:18-19, ESV)

Reflection: What unnoticed act of service have you avoided because it felt insignificant? How might embracing “small” tasks deepen your humility?

Day 4: The Unlocked Door Where the Spirit Rushes In

The disciples didn’t plan Pentecost—they prayed. Revival begins not with programs but knees on floors. Like a retired pastor pleading, “Church, pray,” the Spirit moves when people gather not to debate but to beg. What doors might swing open if you stopped strategizing and started supplicating? [01:00:27]

“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”
(Acts 1:14, ESV)

Reflection: What burden have you tried to fix alone instead of bringing it to prayer? Who could join you in seeking God’s wind instead of human wisdom?

Day 5: Names Without Adjectives: The Gift of Receiving a New Pastor

Leadership transitions test a church’s maturity. Like Paul entrusting Ephesus to untested hands, seasons change but the mission remains. Respect isn’t earned by age or height but by honoring the Christ in each other. How will you introduce your new pastor—with qualifiers or quiet confidence in God’s timing? [01:13:30]

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord… esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, ESV)

Reflection: What assumptions about “young” or “different” leaders might hinder your ability to bless them? How can you actively honor God’s choice in those He sends?

Sermon Summary

Paul sets the tone by showing what a faithful goodbye looks like. The apostle serves the Lord “with all humility and with tears,” lives among the people, and leaves with a clean conscience that he has loved, taught, and labored well. That pattern names what matters in a change of seasons: faithfulness to God, tenderness toward the flock, and a readiness to move where God sends next.

Moses then steps in as the voice of memory and decision. He rehearses how God provided in the wilderness and presses each generation to renew the covenant for themselves. The call lands plain: love the Lord with all the heart, all the soul, all the mind, all the strength. The promise stands just as plain. The God who loves with all of himself will bless those who yield all of themselves.

Jesus gives the comfort and the marching orders for any transition. He promises that his people are not left alone. The Father sends the Holy Spirit. The command is simple and demanding at once. Love one another. The pathway to power is just as simple and just as demanding. Pray. Pray together until heaven pours out what human planning cannot produce.

The church shows up here not as a museum of saints but as a hospital for sinners. Imperfect people find saving and healing grace. Sanctifying grace keeps on working until grudges soften, insecurities meet courage, and pride bows to love. The church becomes the place where God teaches people to preach and to parent, to repent and to repair a copier, to baptize and to carry a casserole. It is messy and it is holy.

The doctrine of vocation refuses to sit still. Itinerant service means going where sent and knowing when God says, it is time. Resisting that nudge brings frustration and anxiety. Surrendering to that nudge honors God and frees the church for the next chapter he is writing.

The call to the congregation stays concrete. Seek God’s vision above personal preferences. Come together and pray until the Spirit carries the church beyond what human effort can reach. Use God’s gifts and graces, not only to be served but to serve. Honor leaders without nicknames or adjectives. He is your pastor. Staff are not somebody’s kids. They are ministers worthy of prayer, respect, and partnership. In all this, Christ keeps his promise. The Spirit remains, love abides, and the work goes on.

Key Takeaways

1. Renew the covenant as your own Each generation cannot borrow faith. Moses presses every person to say yes to God with heart, soul, mind, and strength, not just tip a hat to ancestors. A living covenant asks for living obedience and living love. The blessing belongs to those who enter it personally. [56:48]
2. Pray together to meet the Spirit Jesus’ people do not run on talent and calendars. Power arrives where prayer unites hearts before God. Pentecost follows a room full of disciples who stayed and asked. When the church gathers to pray, God gathers to act. [60:11]
3. Serve with humility and whole self Paul’s model is not celebrity but tears, endurance, and presence. Humility lets love do the heavy lifting that titles cannot. Serving like that leaves a legacy God can sign his name to. The measure is faithfulness, not fanfare. [69:56]
4. Let the church heal imperfect people A hospital is loud, needy, and hopeful. The church is just that, where sinners meet a Savior and keep returning for more grace. Sanctifying grace keeps reshaping character long after conversion. Healing becomes a shared story, not a solo project. [67:24]
5. Honor leaders without labels or adjectives Respect begins with names, prayer, and partnership, not nicknames or comparisons. Adjectives can reduce a shepherd to a caricature and rob a church of joy. Receive the minister as a gift for this season and invite others to see for themselves. That posture makes room for God’s work to grow. [73:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[45:45] - A lifetime of thankful service
[49:45] - Worship and serving beyond the building
[50:07] - Missions from local to global
[50:26] - Gratitude for family and calling
[51:28] - North and South Georgia become one
[52:08] - God’s nudge and holy discomfort
[53:29] - Resisting God breeds frustration
[53:49] - It is time
[54:01] - What itinerant ministry means
[55:09] - Levites and the one text on retirement
[55:56] - Moses: remember and renew the covenant
[56:48] - Love God with all you are
[58:32] - Jesus: Spirit given, love commanded
[59:37] - Pray, and keep on praying
[60:11] - Together prayer and the Spirit’s outpouring
[61:13] - Paul’s pattern of thanks and challenge
[62:23] - Fred Craddock’s father: wrong about the church
[64:32] - Not a museum, a hospital for sinners
[67:24] - A saving and healing place
[68:33] - Use the gifts God gave you
[69:56] - Paul’s humble, tearful service
[72:49] - Receive Pastor Blake as your pastor
[74:19] - Respect staff without labels
[75:11] - The handoff and the next chapter

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Acts 20:17-24 (ESV): Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders, emphasizing humility, tears, and faithfulness in ministry.
- Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV): Moses’ call to love God wholly and pass covenant faithfulness to future generations.
- John 13:34-35 (ESV): Jesus’ command to love one another as evidence of discipleship.

Observation questions

What three qualities characterized Paul’s ministry in Acts 20:17-24, and how did he describe his readiness to follow God’s direction? [56:48]
According to Deuteronomy 6, what specific instruction did Moses give to ensure covenant faithfulness across generations?
How does the sermon describe the church’s purpose, and what metaphor is used to contrast with a “museum of saints”? [04:32]
What practical examples were given in the sermon about how the church shapes people’s lives beyond Sunday worship? [06:19]

Interpretation questions

Why does Moses emphasize that each generation must personally renew the covenant with God rather than relying on their ancestors’ faith?
How does praying together create space for the Holy Spirit’s work in ways that individual prayer might not? [01:00:11]
Paul’s ministry was marked by “humility and tears” rather than titles or accolades. Why might this approach leave a lasting legacy in a community?
The sermon warns against labeling leaders with adjectives like “young” or “short.” How might such labels hinder a church’s unity or growth? [13:30]

Application questions

What is one area of your life where you’ve been resisting God’s “nudge,” and what step could you take this week to surrender to His direction? [53:29]
How can you intentionally “renew the covenant” in your own walk with God this month—not as a ritual, but as a fresh commitment to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?
The church is described as a “hospital for sinners.” Who in your circle needs an invitation to experience this healing community, and how will you extend it? [07:24]
Think of a time when collective prayer led to a breakthrough in your community. How could you prioritize praying with others (not just alone) for a current challenge?
What is one way you’ve labeled or categorized a leader (e.g., “young,” “new”) instead of simply honoring them as “pastor” or “minister”? How can you shift your posture toward partnership this week? [14:19]
Paul served in both extraordinary and mundane ways (preaching, repairing copiers). What “ordinary” act of service could you embrace to humbly build up your church?
The sermon warns that resisting God’s direction breeds frustration. What practical habit (e.g., journaling, accountability) could help you discern and follow His guidance more readily? [53:01]

Sermon Clips

64s

#PrayingTogether

“``But here's the thing. I I don't think we can ever do anything beyond ourselves without God's spirit empowering us. Right? That we will not fully experience the movement of his spirit until we start praying. Praying. Praying together and asking God that we may experience the fullness of what he desires. See, the disciples experienced that outpouring of God's holy spirit after they were what? Together and praying. Pray. So if you want to see more of what God can do in the church here, than church. Pray. Pray. Individually pray. Yes. But come together as the church and pray. And as a church, seek after what he wants.”

72s

#SpiritLedLove

“And so I I turned to the words of Jesus and some of those final words that he had to say to his disciples, to those who he loved, to those who he was closest with, and he promised them that even when he would go, they would not be left alone. That God would send his holy spirit to be with them, and he told them to love one another. Right? And then he prayed for him. He prayed for him. See, I I like that also because it's my prayer that you will continue to love each other and you'll show that love by serving each other. I I pray that the church will rely on and be moved by God's holy spirit and not just what we can do on our own. Because if all we're satisfied with is what we can do on our own, then we're gonna miss out on what God's plan and God's desire is for this church. So church, keep praying.”

78s

#ChurchAsSanctuary

“Some of us have had rough backgrounds. Some of us have had poor role models. Some of us has a history of tragedy and disappointment. Some of us are burdened with insecurities with a lack of self confidence. Some of us have too much confidence. And for many of you, the church, this has been a saving place, a healing place, a place for the wounded and the brokenhearted. I hope you will always be asking if Buford First is that for not only yourselves, but for anyone who may come into these doors. A place where someone can come to love and be loved, to celebrate and to be celebrated, to serve and to be served, but they'll serve and to be served. Those go together. Don't be content just to come and let someone serve you without relying on God's gifts and graces for you to continue to serve. We love and we serve as Jesus did.”

59s

#ChurchChangedMe

“See, I I know that the church is far from perfect. I mean, how can it be perfect? Look around here. Right? Look at me. Look at y'all. You know, we are imperfect people. You know, it's like the old saying goes, the church is not a museum of saints, but it's a what? A hospital for sinners. Man, that's what we are, but it's the church that has changed me. You know, my sister's here with me this morning, and as a as a child, I think that we probably spend as much time in pool halls with our grandfather, with papa, than we did when our grandmother would take us to church on a Sunday. But it was in the church that I learned of a God who was there for me, would never leave me, who love me, would not forsake me, or abandon me.”

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Bless Buford Live - Goodbyes & Hellos: “Why I Do What I Do” (Acts 20:17-24)

Devotional

Day 1: When Moses Finished Speaking, the Covenant Continued

Day 2: A Whispered Confession at the Hospital for Sinners

Day 3: Paul’s Tears in Ephesus: Serving Without a Cape

Day 4: The Unlocked Door Where the Spirit Rushes In

Day 5: Names Without Adjectives: The Gift of Receiving a New Pastor

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Bless Buford Live - Goodbyes & Hellos: “Why I Do What I Do” (Acts 20:17-24)

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