Bringing Kingdom Through Ordinary Acts of Love
Summary
Today’s gathering was a deeply personal and heartfelt time of worship, reflection, and challenge. We began by celebrating with original Five Rivers music, inviting everyone—whether familiar with the songs or not—to let the words and melodies speak to their hearts. Communion was observed in a personal, unhurried way, reminding us of Jesus’ sacrifice and the unity we share in Him.
A particularly moving moment was the baptism of three young women—Melissa, Mikayla, and Cheyenne—each publicly declaring their faith in Jesus. These moments of commitment are a powerful reminder of the ongoing work of God in our community and the privilege we have to walk alongside one another in faith.
As I prepare to step away from my role as lead pastor, I felt compelled to look back and honor those who have invested in me over the years. Names like Howard Briggs, Tom Pelt, Paul Wright, Jim Wells, Chuck Butts, Larry Richter, and Jerry Longo represent a legacy of encouragement, correction, and love. Their investment in my life is a testament to the quiet, often unnoticed ways that “kingdom” is built—one relationship at a time.
I shared the story of Sean, who came into our lives as a child in need, and how, despite our inexperience and mistakes, God used our willingness to invest in him to do something beautiful. Sean’s journey is a living example of what it means to “bring kingdom”—to step into someone’s life, offer what you have, and trust God with the outcome.
The heart of what I want to leave with you is this: bringing kingdom is not about grand gestures or perfect plans. It’s about seeing people, loving them, and being willing to sacrifice comfort, time, and resources for their sake. Sometimes it’s as simple as a smile, a hug, or a word of encouragement. Other times, it’s stepping into messy, complicated situations and choosing to stay.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 and James’ exhortation remind us that faith must be lived out in action. Kingdom begins with faith, but it is made real when we become the hands and feet of Jesus to those around us. As Five Rivers enters a new chapter, my hope is that you will continue to look for opportunities—big and small—to bring kingdom, trusting that God is writing a story far greater than any one of us.
Key Takeaways
- Kingdom Is Built Through Ordinary Faithfulness
The most significant spiritual impact often comes not from grand gestures, but from consistent, everyday acts of love and encouragement. The people who shaped my life did so through steady presence, honest feedback, and simple kindness—even when we disagreed. Kingdom is built in the quiet moments when we choose to show up for one another, often without realizing the full impact of our actions. [42:12]
- Bringing Kingdom Means Sacrificing Comfort for Others
To bring kingdom is to put others before ourselves, even when it costs us time, energy, or comfort. It’s not always convenient or easy; sometimes it’s uncomfortable, painful, or even scary. Yet, it is in these moments of sacrifice that the love of Jesus becomes tangible to those who need it most. [53:52]
- God Uses Imperfect People and Messy Situations
Our willingness to step into the lives of others, even when we feel unqualified or make mistakes, is often the very thing God uses to bring transformation. The story of Sean is a testament to how God can take our imperfect efforts and use them to change the trajectory of someone’s life. What matters is not perfection, but a heart willing to invest and trust God with the results. [46:22]
- Kingdom Requires Action, Not Just Belief
Faith is the starting point, but it must be accompanied by action. Jesus and James both make it clear that true religion and kingdom living are expressed in caring for the vulnerable, meeting practical needs, and refusing to let our faith remain theoretical. If we only speak of love but do not act, our faith is incomplete. [56:56]
- Every Person Has the Capacity to Bring Kingdom
No matter how much or how little you have, you are called and equipped to share your life, your story, and your resources with others. God blesses us not just for our own benefit, but so that we can be a blessing and bring kingdom to those around us. The opportunities are everywhere—sometimes as simple as a smile, sometimes as significant as opening your home. [57:52]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[06:13] - Communion and Worship
[24:14] - Baptism Introduction
[26:57] - Baptism: Melissa
[28:30] - Baptism: Mikayla
[30:04] - Baptism: Cheyenne
[38:59] - Honoring Spiritual Influences
[41:07] - Stories of Encouragement
[42:12] - The Power of Quiet Kingdom Work
[43:44] - Introducing Sean’s Story
[46:22] - Investing in Others Despite Uncertainty
[48:28] - The Relativity of Blessing
[50:24] - The Call to Bring Kingdom
[51:42] - Simple Acts, Profound Impact
[53:52] - The Cost and Challenge of Kingdom
[56:25] - Faith in Action
[57:52] - Living Out Kingdom Daily
[01:00:01] - Prepare: Trusting God’s Story
Study Guide
Five Rivers Small Group Bible Study Guide: “Bringing Kingdom in Everyday Life”
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### Bible Reading
- Matthew 25:34-40
(Jesus describes how serving “the least of these” is serving Him.)
- James 1:27
(“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”)
- James 2:14-17
(“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”)
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### Observation Questions
1. In Matthew 25, what kinds of needs does Jesus mention when He talks about serving “the least of these”?
2. According to James 1:27, what does God say is “pure and faultless” religion?
3. In the sermon, what are some specific ways the pastor described “bringing kingdom” to others? ([51:42])
4. What story did the pastor share about Sean, and what did it show about investing in others? ([46:22])
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Jesus connects serving others’ practical needs with serving Him personally? What does that say about how we should view people around us?
2. The pastor said, “Kingdom is built in the quiet moments when we choose to show up for one another, often without realizing the full impact of our actions.” What does this mean for how we live out our faith? ([42:12])
3. James says faith without action is dead. How does this challenge the idea that believing is enough? ([56:56])
4. The pastor mentioned that God uses imperfect people and messy situations. Why do you think God chooses to work this way? ([46:22])
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### Application Questions
1. The pastor talked about people who invested in him through encouragement, correction, and love—even when they disagreed. Who has done this for you, and how did it impact your faith? Is there someone you could encourage this week? ([41:07])
2. “Bringing kingdom” sometimes means sacrificing comfort, time, or resources for others. What is one area of your life where you feel God might be asking you to step out of your comfort zone for someone else? ([53:52])
3. The story of Sean showed that God can use our imperfect efforts to change someone’s life. Is there a situation or relationship in your life where you feel unqualified, but sense God nudging you to invest anyway? ([46:22])
4. The pastor said, “Sometimes it’s as simple as a smile, a hug, or a word of encouragement.” Who in your daily life might need a simple act of kindness from you this week? ([51:42])
5. James 1:27 talks about caring for orphans and widows. Are there people in your community or church who might feel overlooked or alone? What is one practical thing you could do to reach out to them?
6. The pastor challenged the church to look for opportunities—big and small—to bring kingdom. What is one small, specific step you can take this week to be the hands and feet of Jesus? ([57:52])
7. As Five Rivers enters a new chapter, what is one way you can help build a culture of “ordinary faithfulness” in your group or church family? ([42:12])
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Closing Prayer:
Ask God to open your eyes to opportunities to bring kingdom this week, and to give you courage to step into them—even when it’s uncomfortable or you feel unqualified.
Devotional
Day 1: Bringing Kingdom Means Meeting Practical Needs
Jesus calls His followers to recognize and respond to the real, tangible needs of others, not just with words but with action. When we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick or imprisoned, we are serving Christ Himself. Sometimes, those in need may not even ask for help, but our attentiveness and willingness to step into their lives can be the very expression of God’s love they are longing for. Bringing kingdom is not about grand gestures but about faithfully loving and serving those around us, especially the “least of these.” [55:34]
Matthew 25:35-40 (ESV)
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
Reflection: Who is someone in your life or community who may be quietly struggling with a practical need? What is one specific way you can tangibly serve them this week?
Day 2: Faith Must Be Lived Out Through Action
True faith in Jesus is not just a belief or a feeling—it is demonstrated by how we care for others, especially those who are vulnerable or in distress. It is easy to say kind words or offer well-wishes, but God calls us to go further, to act on behalf of those in need. If our faith does not move us to action, it is incomplete. Each of us is called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, living out His love in practical, sacrificial ways. [56:56]
James 2:15-17 (ESV)
“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
Reflection: What is one area where you have felt compassion but have not yet acted? How can you take a concrete step today to put your faith into action?
Day 3: Pure Religion Is Caring for the Vulnerable
God’s heart is especially tender toward those who are overlooked or marginalized—orphans, widows, and those in distress. He calls His people to look after them, to step into their pain and need, and to keep themselves from being shaped by the world’s indifference. This is the kind of faith and religion that God values: one that is both compassionate and pure, marked by selfless care for others. [56:25]
James 1:27 (ESV)
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
Reflection: Who in your circle or community might feel unseen or unsupported? What is one intentional act of care you can offer them this week?
Day 4: Bringing Kingdom Requires Sacrifice and Selflessness
Bringing kingdom is not always easy or comfortable; it often requires us to put others before ourselves, to give up our own comfort, time, or resources for the sake of someone else. Sometimes, it means stepping into situations that are messy, inconvenient, or even painful. But it is in these moments of sacrifice that God’s love is most powerfully displayed, and lives—including our own—are transformed. [53:52]
Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV)
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Reflection: What is one comfort or convenience you can set aside this week in order to serve or encourage someone else?
Day 5: Trusting God’s Story and Being Ready for New Opportunities
God is always writing a new chapter in our lives and in our church. To bring kingdom is to trust the story He is telling, to be open and prepared for the opportunities He places before us, and to lean into His will with faith and expectation. As we pray for God to prepare us, we become ready to step into the next season, bringing kingdom wherever He leads us—sometimes in small ways, sometimes in big ones, but always with a heart surrendered to His purpose. [01:00:01]
Isaiah 43:19 (ESV)
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you sense God inviting you to trust Him for something new? How can you prepare your heart to say “yes” to His next step for you?
Quotes
But throughout his life, Dawn and I have made it a point to try to invest our time, our energy, our love into his life and bring kingdom to him. Now, his wife and his three little children that are down here, I'm not up here to say to you, well, because of us, blah, blah, blah. What I am trying to say to you is this. When people who follow Jesus invest themselves into others, God does amazing stuff. [00:47:45] (35 seconds)
Because it's all relative, folks, right? It's all relative. You look at yourself and you think, oh, if only I had more. And then someone's looking at you thinking, if only I had what they had. Did you think it's all relative? Let's go. Let's go .rixEN and then someone's looking at them thinking, if only I had what they had. And we live in a culture where it's never going to be enough, and so we're always trying to get more and more and more and more. But here's the thing. As followers of Jesus, my hope is that as I depart from Five Rivers, I want to just tell you a little bit about my hope for you and what it means to bring kingdom, because we talk about it all the time here, and I feel like I've talked about it until I'm blue in the face. [00:49:56] (35 seconds)
But I believe wholeheartedly that there are people sitting here right now in this room who are desperately waiting for someone to bring kingdom to them. And you look around and you may not know who those people are, and that's okay. But I guarantee you, if someone's not sitting here right now, there's someone's going to come through those doors in a week or two weeks or a month or six months or a year, desperately waiting for someone who loves Jesus to speak and bring kingdom into their lives. And please don't hear me saying, Five Rivers Church, I don't think you're doing that, because that's not, please, that's not what I'm saying. I just want to encourage you with my last message that I have to share with you. [00:50:24] (44 seconds)
Sometimes bringing kingdom, it's going to sound goofy, sometimes it's as simple as smiling at someone who needs to feel loved because they don't feel loved anywhere else in their life. And for many of us, we can't fathom that. We're like, there are no people out there who don't get smiles, and I'm going to tell you right now, there are. There are people who don't get smiles or hugs or handshakes. They're missed when they walk on the streets. They feel invisible. And sometimes just a smile, a hug, a handshake, a glad you're here brings kingdom into somebody's life. [00:51:42] (34 seconds)
When you hug on them and you encourage them, right? When you offer them clothing, when they don't have clothing, when they're in need and we come alongside them, when we sacrifice for them, when it hurts, when it's painful, when it's uncomfortable, and sometimes even when it's scary. Bringing kingdom doesn't have to be some great, big, huge thing that you do. You don't have to like take a child in and have them live in your home to bring kingdom. Is that a way to bring kingdom? Sure it is. [00:52:16] (32 seconds)
But I want to encourage you, there are so many people desperately seeking love and understanding. People who are seeking Jesus, but they don't know necessarily that that's what they seek. They're desperately needing kingdom, but they don't have kingdom language to put to it. They don't know to call it kingdom, but they know that they're desperate for it. And you, we have the opportunity to bring it to them. [00:52:48] (28 seconds)
Bringing kingdom will cost you. It will cost you comfort. Sometimes it'll cost you time. It might cost you energy. It might cost you money. Kingdom can cost us all kinds of things. Kingdom can cause us heartache. Kingdom can cost us all kinds of things because when we work to bring kingdom, what we're doing is we're saying, I'm going to put someone else before myself. And sometimes bringing kingdom means I have to be focused on others more so than on myself. [00:53:51] (32 seconds)
Jesus in the book of Matthew, he's talking about how people didn't like take care of him, right? He uses these words in Matthew chapter 25. I was hungry, he said, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty. You gave me nothing to drink. He goes on and says, I was a stranger. You didn't invite me in. I needed clothes. You didn't clothe me. I was sick and in prison. You didn't look after me. They will answer. He says, they're going to answer this way. Lord, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Jesus, when did we see you hungry or thirsty? When did we see you needing clothes or sick or in prison and we did not help you? And he said, truly, let me say this. Whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me. Earlier in that passage, he says the inverse. He says, when you do these things to others, you do them for me. [00:54:48] (47 seconds)
Kingdom doesn't come magically to the world because you tell someone else about Jesus. It might be the beginning of their kingdom journey, but bringing kingdom means that we have to be the hands and the feet of Jesus. We live out in physical expression, right? You use your life to live out Jesus' love, his mercy, his grace, his message to the world around us. Because each of us, no matter how much or how little you have, you have the calling, you have the capacity, you have the opportunity, and you have the resources to share your life, your love, your testimony, what God has done for you. [00:57:44] (47 seconds)
He doesn't bless us just so that we can live well and be happy. He blesses us so we can bring kingdom to other people. When I think back to the earliest days of Five Rivers Church, the band, you guys can come up. We're going to sing one last song. But in the early days of Five Rivers Church, right after we had merged, we did a sermon series called Prepare. Remember that sermon series, Tracy? Tracy and I worked on this series called Prepare. We had moved into this phase of ministry where we said, we're moving from merge into mission. So we had done a hard work of merging two churches, and now we're ready to move into mission. And so we worked on this series based on the Lord's Prayer called Prepare. And it was all about preparing ourselves for what God was going to do next at Five Rivers Church. [00:58:59] (42 seconds)
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