The Build at DCF with Bethany Donaphin and DeJuan Jones #shorts #DCF

Aug 16, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Salt in the Boardroom, Light on the Court

The call to influence isn’t limited to pulpits or pews. God plants His people in boardrooms, locker rooms, and policy meetings to preserve what’s good and illuminate what’s broken. Just as salt prevents decay without fanfare, believers steward integrity in systems others take for granted. When light shines in dark corners, it exposes injustice and creates space for redemption. Your daily work—whether drafting league policies or mentoring youth—is holy ground. [34:09]

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
(Matthew 5:13-14, NASB)

Reflection: Where has God placed you to “preserve” what’s good or “expose” what’s broken? How might your ordinary tasks today become sacred acts of stewardship?

Day 2: Monday’s Pulpit

Faith isn’t a weekend accessory. The church scatters into offices, schools, and stadiums where Monday’s work becomes worship. Preparing lesson plans, rehabbing injuries, or negotiating contracts aren’t distractions from ministry—they’re the proving ground of a faith that sweats. What you do at your desk or on the field matters as much as what you sing on Sunday. [34:36]

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”
(Colossians 3:23-24, NASB)

Reflection: What part of your daily work feels disconnected from your faith? How might approaching it as “for the Lord” shift your perspective today?

Day 3: Wisdom for the Pharaohs in Your Life

High-stakes decisions demand more than expertise. When navigating complex leadership—whether managing player disputes or rehab timelines—earthly wisdom hits limits. God promises strategic insight to those who ask: not just answers, but “witty inventions” that confound human logic. Your toughest meetings are classrooms for divine creativity. [36:00]

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
(James 1:5, NASB)

Reflection: What decision feels overwhelming today? How might asking God for “strategic insight” instead of just solutions change your approach?

Day 4: Strength in the Breach

Injuries—physical or emotional—expose our limits. A torn ACL or a fractured relationship reminds us that weakness is where God’s power pitches its tent. Recovery isn’t just about restoring what was lost, but discovering strength that outlasts the wound. Your healing process is a sermon in slow motion. [35:34]

“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
(2 Corinthians 12:9, NASB)

Reflection: Where do you feel “weaker” than others around you? How might Christ’s power be magnified in that exact area today?

Day 5: Favor in Foreign Territory

Joseph thrived in a palace that worshipped other gods. Likewise, believers in secular industries often feel like outsiders. Yet God plants His people in hostile systems not just to survive, but to redesign them. Your “Egypt”—whether pro sports or corporate politics—is a throne room in disguise. [36:34]

“Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.”
(Genesis 45:5,7-8, NASB)

Reflection: Where do you feel like an outsider? How might God be positioning you to “preserve life” in that very place?

Sermon Summary

The increase of His government sets the frame for everything, because the Lord wants to be Lord of all. God has people in all the sectors of the world, and His glory shows up in places that do not look like Sunday morning church. The Religious Mountain, the Business Mountain, and now the Entertainment Mountain all become places where the kingdom is not hiding, but working through real people with real assignments.

The call of God does not stay in the pews. Sunday becomes a safe space to gather, celebrate, and learn, but Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday become the real proving ground. The church does not end on Sunday, because Christ has called His people to be salt and light wherever their feet land. The Lord calls people to operate as the church in boardrooms, locker rooms, schools, league offices, rehabs, flights, family life, and every high-pressure place where influence carries weight.

The witness of Bethany Donovan shows what kingdom assignment can look like in a high-level leadership seat. Her work in the WNBA carries the weight of on-court operations, player policy, youth platforms, league decisions, and the pressure of holding relationships while also holding the line. The Lord’s grace is needed for that kind of space, because leadership can require being warm with people while still making hard calls. The prayer over her asks for Joseph-like wisdom, favor, strategy, and the right words before the “pharaohs” over her life.

The witness of Dewan Jones shows what kingdom assignment can look like in an athlete’s body, a locker room, and a season of injury. His ACL recovery, his competitive drive, his hopes for coaching, his work with Bay Area youth, and his coming role as a dad all become places where faith has to get lived out. The locker room is not sanitized space, but it is still a place where God can use a man who has made it his mission to use his platform to serve Him.

The blessing over the whole body widens the point. The same favor asked for Bethany and Dewan is asked for every person in every area of influence. The season of increase is tied to taking position in the kingdom, trusting God for open doors, fresh anointing, healing, wisdom, and uncanny favor wherever the Lord has called His people to stand.

Key Takeaways

1. God owns every sector The increase of His government means no arena sits outside Christ’s claim. Work, sports, entertainment, business, and religion are not separate worlds where God occasionally visits, but places where His people are planted on purpose. A calling can look like policy meetings, rehab sessions, youth programs, or executive decisions when the Lord is treated as Lord of all. [01:38]
2. Sunday gathers, Monday reveals The church does not end when the service ends. Sunday gives space to worship, learn, and breathe, but the real witness often happens when pressure, deadlines, travel, conflict, and responsibility return. Faith becomes visible when ordinary workdays become the place where salt and light actually function. [34:36]
3. Influence carries real weight High-level assignment is not just opportunity, it is burden. Bethany’s role shows that leadership can require grace to be relational and firm at the same time, especially when decisions affect people, policies, and public narratives. Kingdom influence needs more than talent; it needs wisdom, favor, timing, and the courage to carry weight without losing tenderness. [18:27]
4. Injury can become formation Dewan’s rehab season shows that a setback can expose what is really driving a person. The body may be healing, but patience, identity, discipline, and trust are also under repair. God can use the hidden grind of recovery to shape a person for future doors, fatherhood, coaching, and service. [12:53]
5. Favor needs wisdom and strategy The prayer for “Joseph like anointing” asks for more than promotion. Joseph needed interpretation, timing, restraint, and the ability to speak rightly before power. God-given favor is not vague blessing; it is strategic grace for rooms where one sentence, one decision, or one meeting can change the future.

## [36:00]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:38] - The Increase of His Government
[02:02] - God in Every Sector
[02:41] - Introducing Bethany Donovan
[03:52] - Introducing Dewan Jones
[06:29] - The Humans Behind the Bios
[12:53] - Injury, Rehab, and Resolve
[14:51] - From the League to Operations
[18:27] - Grace Under Public Pressure
[20:36] - Player Life Behind the Scenes
[26:31] - Faith in the Locker Room
[30:50] - Centering Under Pressure
[33:33] - Called to Every Mountain
[35:02] - Prayer for Favor and Healing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Isaiah 9:7
“There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.” [01:50]

Matthew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” [34:09]

Genesis 41:15-16
“Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.’ Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, ‘It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.’” [36:18]

Observation questions

According to Isaiah 9:7, what is said to increase without end, and what does that say about the reach of Christ’s rule?
What pictures does Jesus use in Matthew 5:13-16 to describe His people, and what do salt and light do in ordinary places? [34:13]
What are some of the specific places named where believers are called to function as the church beyond Sunday gatherings? [34:36]
What kinds of needs were prayed over for Bethany and Dewan, and what does that show about the pressures people can carry in positions of influence? [35:02]

Interpretation questions

If there is no end to the increase of Christ’s government, how should that shape the way a believer thinks about work, leadership, sports, and public life? [02:04]
Jesus says His people are salt and light. What might it look like for that witness to be visible in places that are not clean, easy, or church-like, such as locker rooms, meetings, travel, or rehab seasons? [26:31]
Joseph answered Pharaoh by saying the answer was not in himself but in God. What does that kind of humility teach about how a believer should carry favor, wisdom, and access in important rooms? [36:26]
A season of injury can feel like pure loss, but it can also become a place of formation. How can suffering, delay, or recovery expose what is driving a person and deepen trust in God? [12:53]

Application questions

Which “mountain” or sphere of influence feels most like the place God has assigned right now—home, work, school, athletics, leadership, caregiving, or something else? What would it look like to treat that place as holy ground this week? [34:02]
Sunday is a safe place to gather, but Monday often reveals where faith is really living. Where does pressure usually hit hardest in the week, and what would it look like to be salt and light there in a practical way? [34:47]
Some people are called to carry real weight while staying tender with people. Is there a relationship or responsibility right now that requires both warmth and firmness? What kind of wisdom is needed to hold that tension well? [18:57]
When a setback hits—injury, disappointment, delay, or uncertainty—what usually rises to the surface first: fear, anger, striving, numbness, prayer, or trust? What might God be shaping in that hidden place? [13:24]
Joseph-like favor is not just promotion; it is wisdom, timing, and the right words in the right room. Is there a conversation, meeting, or decision coming up that needs that kind of grace? How can the group pray specifically for that? [36:00]
The church does not end on Sunday. In what setting this week does there need to be a clearer witness through words, attitude, integrity, or service? What is one small but real step that could be taken there? [34:34]
The same favor prayed over visible leaders is needed for every believer in every area of influence. Where is there a need right now for open doors, healing, strategy, or courage to take position in the kingdom? [37:36]

Sermon Clips

37s

#BeyondSunday

“``that the church doesn't end on Sunday. Sunday is just an opportunity for us to come and gather and celebrate together in a safe space and to learn. But the reality is it's on Monday, it's on Tuesday, it's on Wednesday when we are to really function as the church. Amen? And so we get an opportunity here how these people do it, have to do it at a high level, a very high profile way. And so as you're extending your hand to them, you're also really saying, god, do it in me as well.”

44s

#LiveAsChurch

“the Lord is calling you to operate as the church. I think Bethany said it, Duane said it, that the church doesn't end on Sunday. Sunday is just an opportunity for us to come and gather and celebrate together in a safe space and to learn. But the reality is it's on Monday, it's on Tuesday, it's on Wednesday when we are to really function as the church. Amen? And so we get an opportunity here how these people do it, have to do it at a high level, a very high profile way. And so as you're extending your hand to them, you're also really saying, god, do it in me as well.”

57s

#SaltAndLight

“Christ has called us to be light, salt and light. And that's the point of the build is that, we're having conversations with major thought leaders from these various sectors of society, so that you can see that no matter what God has called you to, that, the Lord is calling you to operate as the church. I think Bethany said it, Duane said it, that the church doesn't end on Sunday. Sunday is just an opportunity for us to come and gather and celebrate together in a safe space and to learn. But the reality is it's on Monday, it's on Tuesday, it's on Wednesday when we are to really function as the church. Amen? And so we get an opportunity here how these people do it, have to do it at a high level, a very high profile way.”

58s

#EngageThoughtLeaders

“And that's the point of the build is that, we're having conversations with major thought leaders from these various sectors of society, so that you can see that no matter what God has called you to, that, the Lord is calling you to operate as the church. I think Bethany said it, Duane said it, that the church doesn't end on Sunday. Sunday is just an opportunity for us to come and gather and celebrate together in a safe space and to learn. But the reality is it's on Monday, it's on Tuesday, it's on Wednesday when we are to really function as the church. Amen? And so we get an opportunity here how these people do it, have to do it at a high level, a very high profile way. And so as you're extending your hand to them, you're also really saying, god, do it in me as well.”

54s

#ServeInYourCalling

“And we've heard from we've heard from pastor Gerald Simpkins in the Religious Mountain. We've heard from Brian Cameron this year in the Business Mountain, and now we've heard from Bethany Donovan, and Duane Jones in the Entertainment Mountain. But wherever mountain you're serving in, you know, the lord has called you to that, to that mountain. And, Christ has called us to be light, salt and light. And that's the point of the build is that, we're having conversations with major thought leaders from these various sectors of society, so that you can see that no matter what God has called you to, that, the Lord is calling you to operate as the church.”

46s

#GodInEverySector

“So we are so excited. I hope you guys have been enjoying these conversations. We have really, enjoyed putting these together. And the whole thought behind this is because, you know, in revelations, it says that and in the end, in the increase of his government, there will be no end. And what we have discovered is that the Lord, the Lord wants to be Lord of all. And so what we've discovered, is that God has God has people in all the sectors of the world. And it's fascinating when God displays his glory, in the various sectors of society.”

41s

#PrayerForFavor

“We pray, Lord God, for the favor of God to be resting heavily on her. Lord, we pray for a Joseph like anointing upon her. That, Lord, she would know what to say to the pharaohs over her life. Lord God, that she would know exactly, Lord, what to do. Give her the wisdom of God, Lord, in this season. We bless, Lord God, this man of God, Lord, for the career that's in front of him. Lord, in Jesus' name, for open doors, Lord, of coaching, open doors, Lord. All that's in his heart to do for his future. We pray strength, God, in Jesus' name.”

31s

#StrategicFavor

“God, we pray for incredible, uncanny favor on Bethany, Lord God, that you would clear a path for her, God. That you would give her complete vision, give her complete strategy, lord. Give her strategic witty insight about what to do at this week's meetings and god, give her insight, lord god, with her colleagues, with her peers, Lord, with her reports, those that she directly reports to and that those that report directly to her.”

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