Heaven is not a distant reward but is made real every time we show love, feed the hungry, stand with the lonely, and welcome the rejected. When we act with compassion and justice, we participate in God's dream to fill the earth with grace, making our world a little more like heaven with each loving deed. God’s dwelling is among us, and our mission is to embody that presence by being attentive to the needs around us and responding with tangible acts of care. [39:26]
Revelation 21:3-4 (ESV)
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Reflection: Who is someone in your life or community who feels unseen or rejected? What is one specific act of love you can do for them this week to help bring a little bit of heaven to earth?
Faith is not just a private matter or a Sunday ritual; it is a call to live out what we believe every day, in every interaction, and in every decision. When we truly embody our convictions—seeking justice, kindness, and compassion—we become agents of transformation in a world that desperately needs deeper love, not louder opinions. Imagine the impact if each of us committed to living our beliefs out loud, letting our actions reflect the love and grace we profess. [41:04]
James 2:14-17 (ESV)
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 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 belief or value you hold as a follower of Jesus that you have not yet fully put into action? What is a concrete step you can take today to live that belief?
We are called to take stands for justice, compassion, and love without becoming partisan or divisive. Jesus modeled a way of engaging the world that was deeply committed to the oppressed and marginalized, yet never reduced to party lines or factions. Our mission is to bring love into hard conversations, to advocate for the vulnerable, and to transform the world—not by building walls, but by building bridges of understanding and care. [42:41]
Micah 6:8 (ESV)
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Reflection: Think of a current issue or conversation where you feel pressure to “take a side.” How can you instead take a stand for Christ-like love and justice in that situation?
God’s work in the world is accomplished through us—our hands, our feet, our resources, and our willingness to serve. When we feed the hungry, support the church, or care for our neighbors, we become the living expression of God’s love and provision. Even when resources are scarce or the task feels daunting, God provides through the generosity and faithfulness of the community, reminding us that we are the ones God is sending to make a difference. [20:19]
1 Corinthians 12:27 (ESV)
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
Reflection: In what area of your life is God inviting you to be His hands and feet right now? What is one way you can serve or give this week that stretches you beyond your comfort zone?
Baptism is not just a ritual of initiation but a lifelong calling to resist evil, seek justice, and serve as Christ’s representatives in the world. Each time we remember our baptism, we are reminded that the Spirit of God dwells in us, empowering us to nurture one another, surround each other with love and forgiveness, and walk faithfully in service to others. This is God’s gift, offered freely, and it is our joy to live out this calling together as a family of faith. [01:15:10]
Romans 6:3-4 (ESV)
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Reflection: As you remember your baptism today, what is one way you sense God calling you to walk in “newness of life”? How can you renew your commitment to serve Christ and others this week?
Today, we gathered as a community to celebrate the profound gift of peace, justice, and love that God offers us, even in a world marked by brokenness and conflict. We lifted up prayers for those suffering from violence and for those who work for peace, recognizing that our calling is to be agents of God’s love in tangible ways. The joy of welcoming new members through baptism reminded us that God’s grace is freely given, and that each of us is invited into a family where we are known, loved, and called to serve.
We reflected on the reality that God’s work in the world is accomplished through us—our hands, our feet, and yes, even our wallets. The story of our church’s baptismal tank, and the unexpected provision that came through the generosity of others, illustrated how God provides when we step out in faith, even when resources are scarce. We are reminded that our acts of giving, service, and compassion are the very means by which God’s love is made real in the world.
Drawing from the teachings of Jesus and the example of John Wesley, we considered what it means to see the world as our parish—to recognize that our mission field is not limited to the walls of the church, but extends to every place where love is needed most. Jesus’ ministry was deeply engaged with the needs of the world, challenging systems of injustice and advocating for the marginalized, not out of partisanship, but out of a commitment to God’s kingdom of justice and mercy. Our faith is not a private matter, but a public calling to live out the values of the gospel in every aspect of our lives.
The United Methodist Social Principles offer us a guide for putting faith into action, reminding us that discipleship is about more than Sunday worship—it’s about how we treat our neighbors, care for creation, and speak up for those without a voice. We are called to “live what we believe,” to take stands without taking sides, and to bring love into the hardest conversations. Heaven is not a distant reward, but a reality we help to usher in every time we act with compassion, justice, and generosity.
As we welcomed new members through baptism, we reaffirmed our commitment to nurture one another in faith and to be a community where all are included, loved, and empowered to serve. May we go forth remembering that we are the hands and feet of Christ, sent to make earth a little more like heaven, one act of love at a time.
---
Luke 4:18-19 (ESV) — > “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Matthew 6:10 (ESV) — > “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Revelation 21:3 (ESV) — > “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’”
The work that God does is... It's all through us. When we go out, when we love on people, when we go out, when we feed people, when we have a food pantry to feed. And we've got to figure that out, y'all. We've got to figure out how that food is going from the back of this church to people in need. But all of this is the hands and feet of God at work. And that includes your wallet. [00:20:16] (26 seconds) #HandsAndFeetOfGrace
Jesus spoke with women who were foreigners and outcasts when society said not to. And that too is a political act. But Jesus was never partisan. He didn't wave one side's flag. He was loyal only to the kingdom or the kingdom. [00:31:52] (23 seconds) #KingdomLoyaltyNotPartisanship
Jesus is not about being quiet he is about being free he is about being free he is about being free. Jesus wasn't saying you're doing good if you just show up at church on Sunday give me an hour a week and that's all I need it's not the message it's not a private faith this is a very public faith it's the kind of faith that looks like the suffering in the world and says we cannot be silent we have to feed people we have to advocate for fair housing we have to advocate for justice we have to welcome those who've been excluded and that's not political y'all that's discipleship. [00:35:56] (45 seconds) #FaithThatSpeaksLoudest
Heaven is not some far off place. Heaven is not somebody. Heaven is not something that we're working toward. Heaven is not some final reward and that's all we have to do is figure out how to get there. Heaven here. It's now. It's happening every time God shows up right here, right now. It's happening every time a hungry person gets fed. That's when heaven comes down. When the lonely and the rejected and the oppressed person is seen, heaven comes down. When we stand beside someone who is hurting, heaven comes down. [00:38:42] (44 seconds) #EarthFilledWithGrace
We are called to be people who take take stands without taking sides i'm gonna say that again because i think it's important to take a stand without taking a side we are called to be people who bring love into hard conversations who believe that the gospel isn't meant to to escape the world but to transform the world. [00:42:24] (25 seconds) #GoAndLoveBoldly
Go where love is needed most think for a minute where is the place in this world that love is needed most you got that picture in your head that place on the street that you think love is needed most that person that you can talk to where you think love is needed most thing you could do that shows love where you think it's needed most. [00:43:46] (32 seconds) #CompassionBringsKingdom
We bring them not by coercion but by compassion we bring them not by winning an argument but by winning their heart we do this not by building walls but by bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth because the earth is the world is our parish and we are still the only one god is sending you me others like us that's who god sent we are the one tag you're it god has tagged you to be the one that god is sending to bring heaven to earth and may it be so. [00:44:50] (61 seconds) #BaptizedForJustice
I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Oct 19, 2025. Do you have any questions about it?
Add this chatbot onto your site with the embed code below
<iframe frameborder="0" src="https://pastors.ai/sermonWidget/sermon/crossroads-faith-action" width="100%" height="100%" style="height:100vh;"></iframe>Copy