Called and Sent: Witnesses for Our Time

May 17, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Keys to the Kingdom

Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives, car keys of the Kingdom in hand. He tossed them to disciples still asking backward-looking questions about political restoration. With cloud-hidden departure, He entrusted the work to trembling hands. The angels’ question hung in the air: Why stare when you’ve been handed the wheel? [44:23]

This ascension wasn’t abandonment but commissioning. The same Jesus who trusted Galilean fishermen now trusts us with His ongoing work. Power comes not from controlling outcomes, but from releasing our grip to the Spirit’s steering.

When did you last white-knuckle a situation instead of trusting God’s partnership? What ministry keys have you been reluctant to take from Jesus’ hand?

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal one area where He’s waiting for you to take the wheel.
Challenge: Physically hold car keys for 60 seconds today, praying “Your kingdom come” with each breath.

Day 2: 900 Meals and Mountaintops

Steam rose from industrial pots as volunteers prepared 900 pasta dinners. Tomato-scented chaos became holy work when hands joined across generations. Like the disciples returning to the upper room, this church discovered power in collective action. [03:05]

Jesus multiplies our “five loaves” efforts into community transformation. The disciples’ locked room became a launchpad when they stopped staring at ceilings and started sharing bread. Service dismantles walls faster than sermons.

Where does your daily routine intersect with others’ hunger? What ordinary task could become worship if offered intentionally?

“They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together...breaking bread in their homes.”
(Acts 2:45-46, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for three specific hands that serve you spiritually or physically.
Challenge: Buy one extra cereal box this week for the food bank, praying over it as you donate.

Day 3: From Spectators to Witnesses

The disciples craned necks at disappearing clouds until angelic stagehands redirected their gaze. Jerusalem’s streets awaited testimony from those who’d touched resurrection scars. Witnessing begins not with eloquence, but with showing up where pain lives. [55:27]

Jesus redefined power as presence. Our “Jerusalem” includes the coworker who knows our failures and the family member who doubts our change. Courage comes in remembering the Spirit goes with us into awkward kitchens and tense break rooms.

Who needs your story of grace more than your critique of their choices? When did you last share a “God moment” without religious jargon?

“You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised.”
(Luke 24:48-49, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one relationship where you’ve preferred judgment over testimony.
Challenge: Text one person today: “God reminded me of you this week – how can I pray?”

Day 4: Lit Wicks and Liquid Courage

Gareth’s nonchalant candle-lighting rebuked perfectionism. The wicks caught fire despite his untrained hands – because the Spirit ignites what we simply make available. Like the boy’s loaves or Moses’ staff, God uses ordinary objects in willing hands. [08:33]

Jesus didn’t critique the disciples’ qualifications but promised power. Our broiled fish testimonies (Luke 24:42) – messy, tangible, real – feed hungry souls better than theological banquets. The goal isn’t polished performance but flammable availability.

What practical skill or object have you deemed “unspiritual” that God wants to ignite?

“The Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’...‘Throw it on the ground.’...It became a snake.”
(Exodus 4:2-3, NIV)

Prayer: Hold your dominant hand open while praying “Use what I’ve already been given.”
Challenge: Light a candle tonight, naming one fear holding you back from bold witness.

Day 5: Stones of Remembrance

The pastor hesitated, rock hovering over glass. Like the disciples debating kingdom timelines, we delay obedience waiting for perfect conditions. But memorial stones only work when thrown. [32:03]

Joshua’s Jordan stones taught children through tactile memory. Our “rocks” – service hours, awkward conversations, cereal boxes – become altars declaring “God met us here.” Each act of obedience chips away at doubt’s fortress.

What prayer answer have you forgotten to commemorate? Where do you need to build a “stone pile” against future fears?

“Each of you is to take up a stone...to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask...tell them.”
(Joshua 4:6-7, NIV)

Prayer: Name one current struggle, then thank God for how He’ll memorialize it later.
Challenge: Place a small rock in your shoe today, remembering God walks with you in discomfort.

Sermon Summary

We gather as a people shaped by joy and service, committed to simple, faithful worship and concrete acts of care. We celebrate milestones together, encourage young people as they claim their faith, and mobilize to meet real needs like preparing 900 community meals and stocking the food bank. Worship remains uncomplicated and relational, reminding us that small acts of obedience carry deep meaning. The scripture reading from Acts grounds our calling in a decisive moment when Jesus hands ministry to the followers, instructing them not to wait but to receive the Holy Spirit and then to witness where they already live, where society seems secular, where wrongs divide neighbors, and to the ends of the earth.

We confront impatience and longing for a return to familiar advantage. The disciples ask to go back, but the narrative presses forward, inviting us to stop longing for past comforts and to take the keys of ministry now. Letting go of control proves necessary; the Holy Spirit equips and empowers ordinary people to do extraordinary, faithful work. Ministry means active participation, not spectatorship. The angels’ charge to stop staring into the sky and to do something reframes hope as obedience and action. Being witnesses looks like naming Christ where we are known, bringing justice and mercy into everyday places, engaging those we distrust, and carrying God into all corners of life.

We receive a clear promise: the Holy Spirit will give us power to witness. That power does not remove risk or discomfort, but it transforms fear into faithful presence. The central question becomes personal and urgent: are we willing to be the ones who drive this work now? We answer by stepping into service, by choosing presence over nostalgia, and by trusting that God’s confidence in us exceeds our own. Our community commits to live into that sending through prayer, generosity, and persistent, humble action, so that God’s work continues here and reaches further than we can imagine.

Key Takeaways

1. We receive Spirit-given power The Holy Spirit does not merely inspire. The Spirit equips, enables, and gives authority to ordinary people to witness in fearsome places. We should expect boldness that bears practical fruit, not just warm feelings, and we should practice dependence on that power daily rather than lean on our own strength. [38:23]
2. Witness begins where we live Being a witness first means acting in our Jerusalem, among people who know our faults and our history. Courageous witness addresses familiar relationships with truth and love, showing that holiness can be messy and local before it becomes public and grand. Presence in known places changes character more than grand gestures do. [56:45]
3. Letting go releases ministry Surrendering control allows others to lead and the Spirit to move through apostles and amateurs alike. Holding tight to old roles blocks new work; handing over the keys invites shared risk and shared blessing. Trusting God’s ownership frees us to serve without owning every outcome. [47:47]
4. Nostalgia can blind us Yearning for restored advantage keeps us staring backward instead of moving into what God calls us to now. Nostalgia comforts but can harden our imagination and cripple creativity for present needs. We must translate longing into faithful action in the time we actually have. [45:53]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:21] - Weather and greetings
[01:24] - Confirmation announcement
[02:24] - Pasta dinner and community service
[03:32] - Food bank focus and cereal drive
[04:00] - Offering envelopes opt-in
[07:36] - Prelude and children's participation
[09:33] - Call to worship and prayer
[16:15] - Psalm reading
[37:49] - Acts reading and commissioning
[44:02] - Letting go and taking the keys
[54:09] - Receiving power and being witnesses
[69:53] - Offering prayer and closing hymn

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 1:6-14 (NIV)
6 Then they gathered around him and asked, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” 12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Observation Questions

What did the disciples ask Jesus right before he ascended, and how did he redirect their focus (Acts 1:6-8)?
What specific instruction did the angels give the disciples after Jesus ascended, and how does it contrast with their initial reaction (Acts 1:10-11)?
According to the sermon, why is it significant that Jesus told the disciples to start their witness in Jerusalem? [56:45]
The sermon mentions that nostalgia can “harden our imagination” for present needs. What example did the pastor use to illustrate this struggle? [45:53]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think the disciples’ question about restoring Israel’s kingdom (Acts 1:6) reflects a misunderstanding of Jesus’ mission? How does Jesus’ response redefine their purpose?
The angels told the disciples to stop staring at the sky and act. What does this reveal about the relationship between hope and action in the Christian life?
The sermon argues that “nostalgia comforts but can cripple creativity for present needs.” How might longing for past advantages prevent individuals or churches from embracing new opportunities? [45:53]
What does it mean to “receive power” from the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) in practical terms, and how does this power differ from human strength? [38:23]

Application Questions

“Witness begins where we live” means starting with people who know our flaws. Who in your daily life (family, coworkers, neighbors) needs to see Christ’s love through your actions this week? How can you show them grace even when it’s messy? [56:45]
The sermon warns against “staring backward” instead of moving forward. What is one habit, tradition, or mindset you need to release to fully engage with what God is doing now?
The Holy Spirit’s power is meant for “boldness that bears practical fruit.” What is one fear or risk you’ve avoided that God might be calling you to confront with His strength? How can you depend on Him daily in this? [38:23]
The angels’ question, “Why do you stand here looking into the sky?” challenges passive faith. What is one concrete step you can take this month to move from waiting to acting in your community?
The pastor said, “Ministry is not spectatorship.” Where have you been holding back from serving because you felt unqualified or afraid? How can you take a small step to participate this week? [47:47]
The disciples returned to Jerusalem and prayed constantly (Acts 1:14). What area of your life or community needs persistent prayer right now? How can you invite others to join you in praying for it?

Sermon Clips

49s

#AngelsSayDoSomething

“Angels function in the gospel narrative as the emcees. They announce that God is up to something, and it's huge. It's always huge. Men of Galilee, they say, don't just stand there. Do something. That's what the angels say. They say, men of Galilee, why are you staring up into the sky? Men of Galilee, why are you just going, Wow. They're saying, do something. Don't just stare up in the sky. Do something. Men of Galilee, this Jesus who you have been with for the past three years, he's gone, and now it's yours. Here's the keys, say the angels.”

60s

#MoveForwardNow

“And the answer was then and is now. Nope. But together, we can move forward. Together, we can see where God is calling us and leading us for this time in ministry If we were all to have a time machine and the time machine were to magically go back to 1971, the church is in a good position to be exactly what the community needs for that time. But I don't know of any time machines, and so we're working with twenty twenty six. We're working with what we've got now, and so we're not going back. We're moving ahead. We're moving ahead to where God is calling us now for this time.”

56s

#WitnessEverywhere

“And what do the powerful do in the kingdom of God? What will the powerful what will the power of the spirit enable them to do? They will do God's work. They will be witnesses to the love of Jesus Christ. That's what the powerful do. They will speak the name of Christ where they are in Jerusalem, where there are challenges in Judea, and where there are people that we don't like, in Samaria, and wherever we go to the ends of the earth. That's what the powerful do in the kingdom of God. They are witnesses in the places where they are. They're witnesses in the so called secular places, and they're witnesses in the places that they're scared to go where the other is.”

39s

#BeTheAnswer

“And so, god, we pray that you would empower us to become the answer to our own prayers, to as the angels say in scripture, to do something, to do something about the pain that we see, to do something about the injustice that we see. God, we thank you for the ways that you will use us, that you have used us, and that you are currently using us. Allow us to to share your word and your love to a world that is desperate to hear it. We pray this in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray.”

65s

#TiredOfWaiting

“Does it sound familiar? Because it sounds familiar to me. I'm tired of waiting for a lot of stuff. How long, oh god, will racism be present in our society? Because I thought it would have been ended by now. How long, o god? I'm tired of waiting for that day. How long, oh god, will children die in their classrooms because lawmakers refuse to pass even the most basic common sense gun reform. How long, oh lord, I'm tired of waiting, and so are you at this time speaks to me. We're impatient people. I am an impatient person. This question is within us.”

39s

#ReceiveThePower

“Our love for the past sometimes prevents us from seeing the future that God has for us. But Jesus is patient, and Jesus is kind, and Jesus is laser focused. Jesus doesn't wanna talk about all of that stuff. Jesus wants to talk about them, the disciples. Jesus says to the disciples, don't worry about that. Let's talk about you. You're going to receive power when the Holy Spirit comes, and then and then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

56s

#EveryPlaceIsHoly

“School's a great example of this because sometimes we tend to get in a huff about removing prayer from schools. But I'm gonna tell you, we couldn't remove prayer from schools if we tried. We couldn't do it. We couldn't do it if we tried. We couldn't remove God from anywhere if we try. Whether we carry love wherever we go, we carry love, grace, and mercy. We carry Christ with us, and so school can be a great Judea because we have this misconception that there are secular places in this world, and I submit to you that there is no such thing as a secular place. There's no such thing.”

72s

#GoToYourSamaria

“And then Samaria, the ultimate those people place. Go and lift the name of Christ in the places that have people we don't like. Where are our Samarias? Jesus prods the disciples. He nudges the disciples. He challenges the disciples, and he gives it all to them. Jesus tosses the disciples the keys. But just like my uncle that day, Jesus didn't send the disciples alone. Jesus said, he tells the disciples and us that the holy spirit is coming, and we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes. We will receive power when we say yes to the nudges and prods and challenges that the spirit provides.”

41s

“Are you, pastor Jason, going to take us back to when we had the advantage, to when Elm Park United Methodist Church was the king church in the Wyoming conference? Are you, pastor Jason, at this time going to take us back? And the answer was then and is now. Nope. But together, we can move forward.”

66s

29s

37s

“wherever we go, we carry love, grace, and mercy. We carry Christ with us, and so school can be a great Judea because we have this misconception that there are secular places in this world, and I submit to you that there is no such thing as a secular place. There's no such thing. There's nowhere in this world that is separated from God. There's nowhere. And so, there's nowhere in the world that is a secular place. No such thing.”

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Called and Sent: Witnesses for Our Time

Devotional

Day 1: Keys to the Kingdom

Day 2: 900 Meals and Mountaintops

Day 3: From Spectators to Witnesses

Day 4: Lit Wicks and Liquid Courage

Day 5: Stones of Remembrance

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Called and Sent: Witnesses for Our Time

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