A Few Good Men: Pastor Dave Rajoon

Jun 21, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: From Jacob to Israel: A Name Written in Struggle

When God renames Jacob "Israel," He transforms identity from deception to divine purpose. This moment at Peniel—wrestling through the night—reveals how God rewrites stories marked by brokenness. Jacob’s past as a schemer didn’t disqualify him; surrender did. Every man carries a name shaped by choices, culture, or failure. Yet God’s covenant faithfulness invites even the most flawed to rise as His princes. Redemption isn’t about erasing the past but reclaiming it for glory. [52:05]

“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28, ESV)

Reflection: What name have others spoken over you—failure, outsider, disappointment? How might God be calling you to embrace “prince of God” as your true identity?

Day 2: Building Walls, Standing in Gaps

Ezekiel’s call for men to “stand in the gap” echoes in a world of fractured families and cultural decay. Walls symbolize protection—guarding truth, dignity, and the vulnerable. Gaps are breaches where darkness seeps in: addiction, fatherlessness, injustice. God seeks men who repair both. Like Stephen, filled with faith amid chaos, this isn’t about perfection but presence. Will you be the barrier between destruction and hope? [01:16:25]

“I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.” (Ezekiel 22:30, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you see a “gap” in your home, workplace, or community? What practical step can you take this week to stand there?

Day 3: Reputation: More Than a Résumé

A “good name” isn’t earned in pews but proven in the grind of daily life. Timothy’s integrity in three cities wasn’t about piety but consistency—the same man in synagogue alleys and marketplace disputes. Reputation is what’s whispered when you’re not in the room. It’s built through small choices: keeping promises, resisting shortcuts, honoring the overlooked. God doesn’t need celebrities; He needs trustworthy stewards. [43:43]

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” (Proverbs 22:1, ESV)

Reflection: If your coworkers or neighbors described you in one word, what would it be? What single habit could shift that word closer to “faithful”?

Day 4: Spirit-Filled, Not Spiritually Drunk

Being “filled with the Spirit” isn’t about emotional highs but steady empowerment. The apostles prioritized Spirit-saturated leaders because the church’s survival depended on clarity, not chaos. Just as alcohol numbs pain but dulls purpose, counterfeit spirituality distracts from mission. The Spirit’s fullness fuels courage to face prison cells (like Stephen) and patience to serve neglected widows. [59:56]

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18, ESV)

Reflection: What “numbing” habit (entertainment, busyness, anger) do you turn to instead of the Spirit’s strength? What would surrender look like today?

Day 5: Wisdom: The Diplomacy of Heaven

The apostles chose men of wisdom to navigate cultural tensions between Hebrew and Greek widows. Wisdom isn’t avoiding conflict but disarming it with grace. It’s knowing when to speak truth and when to set a table for enemies. In a polarized world, wisdom bridges divides without compromising truth. Like Stephen, it confronts religious pride while kneeling for persecutors. [01:07:36]

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

Reflection: Where are you tempted to choose sides over solutions? How could wisdom turn that battle into a bridge?

Sermon Summary

Acts 6 puts a spotlight on a growing church with real needs and real tensions. The text multiplies disciples, then exposes a crack: Hellenist widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution. The apostles refuse to leave prayer and the ministry of the word, so the text calls for seven men to handle the business with spiritual integrity. The criteria land hard and clear: men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit, and wisdom. When those men are set in place, the word spreads, disciples multiply, and even priests become obedient to the faith. God uses ordered, Spirit-filled leadership to keep both table and pulpit strong.

Ezekiel 22 turns up the heat: God searches for a man to build a wall and stand in the gap, but finds none. That judgment scene reads like a mirror to a violent, compromised city, and it sounds close to the present moment. “Adam, where are you?” becomes a summons to purpose, not a search for information. God keeps looking for a few good men, not necessarily the most impressive, but men after God’s heart who will say, here am I, send me.

The passage presses the first mark: a good reputation. “A good name is to be chosen,” not assumed. Timothy’s name travels well across towns; John Mark’s doesn’t, at least not at first. God can redeem a bad start. Jacob the heel-grabber wrestles till daybreak and hears, “Your name shall be Israel.” God takes a chequered past and writes prince of God over it. The call lands: a man is responsible for his name in the neighborhood, on the job, and in the house.

The second mark fills the room: full of the Spirit. The church is a spiritual body, not a secular club. The word says, “Do not be drunk with wine… but be filled with the Spirit.” That is not prudish talk; it is protection for homes, bodies, and souls, and power for service. Stephen’s Spirit-fullness steadies him even under stones.

The third mark is wisdom. Cultural tensions require more than a bull in a china shop. Wisdom knows how to heal ethnic disparities, carry new wine into old skins without tearing everything apart, and hold the line of truth without turning bigot. The gospel insists on conviction with compassion: offer cold water on the parade route and a clear path to Jesus. God still seeks men who will build the wall, stand in the breach, and keep their eyes on Christ above the noise of politics and the pull of the age.

Key Takeaways

1. God still wants a few good men [31:29] God keeps searching for men of faith, character, and purpose who will say yes to responsibility. The need is not for perfect resumes but available lives. Ezekiel’s ache and Acts’ solution meet in a man who will step forward for God’s business. [31:29]
2. A good name is chosen [43:43] Reputation is a stewardship, not an accident. Scripture ties credibility to community witness, so a man’s neighbors and coworkers become part of his audit. God can rename a Jacob, but a man must still walk in the new name with consistent integrity. [43:43]
3. Be filled with the Spirit, not wine [59:56] Power for holy living and steady leadership does not come from the bottle. The Spirit sobers judgment, strengthens self-control, and supplies courage for costly love. A Spirit-filled life becomes both ballast at home and blessing in the church. [59:56]
4. Wisdom heals cultural fractures [01:07:36] Real ministry needs soft hands and a firm spine. Wisdom listens long, speaks clearly, and refuses lazy partiality while guarding the unity Christ bled for. Truth without love hardens, and love without truth hollows, but wisdom holds them together. [67:36]
5. Stand in the gap and build [01:16:25] A wall defends and a gap-stander intercedes when breaches appear. Families, churches, and communities need men who notice cracks early and move toward them prayerfully and practically. The man who shows up in the breach often becomes the bridge God uses. [76:25]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[30:33] - The world still needs men
[31:29] - A call for a few good men
[32:40] - Acts 6: widows neglected
[33:11] - Three marks for service
[34:41] - Ezekiel: God seeks a man
[36:18] - “Adam, where are you?”
[43:43] - A good name is chosen
[51:24] - From Jacob to Israel
[59:30] - The church is spiritual
[63:34] - Filled with the Spirit, not wine
[67:36] - Wisdom for delicate disputes
[75:11] - Build the wall, fill the gap
[79:39] - Untangling faith and politics
[81:55] - Men respond at the altar

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 6:1-8 (ESV)
1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. 8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

Observation Questions

What problem arose in the early church as it grew, and how did the apostles address it? (Acts 6:1-3)
What three qualifications did the apostles require for the men chosen to serve? (Acts 6:3)
According to Ezekiel 22:30 (referenced in the sermon [34:41]), what was God searching for in a time of judgment, and what was the tragic outcome?
How did Stephen’s Spirit-filled life equip him to face persecution? (Acts 6:8, 7:55-60)

Interpretation Questions

Why were qualities like “good reputation” and being “full of the Spirit” essential for handling practical church matters like food distribution?
The sermon contrasts being “filled with the Spirit” and being “drunk with wine” ([59:56]). How does this contrast shape our understanding of spiritual leadership?
How does Jacob’s transformation to Israel (Genesis 32:28) demonstrate God’s ability to redeem flawed reputations, and what does this mean for believers today?
What does it mean to “stand in the gap” (Ezekiel 22:30) in modern contexts like family, church, or community?

Application Questions

A good reputation is “chosen, not assumed” ([43:43]). What specific action could you take this week to strengthen your integrity in an area where others might see inconsistency (e.g., work, social media, or home)?
The sermon warns against letting cultural norms like alcohol abuse erode spiritual focus ([59:56]). What habit or relationship might you need to reevaluate to prioritize being “filled with the Spirit”?
Wisdom requires balancing truth and compassion in divisive cultural issues ([01:07:36]). Where do you see tension in your community, and how could you model Christ-centered reconciliation this month?
Ezekiel’s call to “build the wall and stand in the gap” ([01:16:25]) involves both defense and intercession. What specific breach (e.g., in family, church, or society) is God urging you to address through prayer or action?
Jacob’s story shows God can rewrite a flawed past. What part of your story needs God’s redeeming touch, and what step will you take to walk in your “new name” as His child?
The early church multiplied when leaders prioritized prayer and Scripture (Acts 6:4). What distraction or responsibility might you need to surrender to focus on your primary calling?

Sermon Clips

25s

#CalledToPurpose

“``Adam, Adam, where are you? And Adam says, I was hiding myself. I was hiding from you. It's not that God didn't know where Adam was. It's simply that God was calling Adam back into his purpose. And I believe for everyone of us here today, for every man, every male in this house, God is calling you back into your purpose. What is your true purpose?”

44s

#EndDomesticViolence

“It's a contributor to violence in homes, domestic violence. A lot of people here today here, and you go on Facebook and you see it, you talk about the crimes that have been committed in Trinidad. And a lot of people are afraid to go to Trinidad because they think it's such a violent place. But I go to Trinidad and realize Trinidad is not a violent place. They're not you don't have crimes on every street corner. You're afraid to go at night. The biggest problem in our country is domestic violence because of alcohol abuse. I'm not gonna say much more about that here today, but Paul says, don't be drunk with wine. In other words, he said, be filled with the spirit.”

31s

#MenTakeResponsibility

“the men, we have a responsibility. How many of you understand that, men? Understand that we have a responsibility. We have a responsibility to our families. We have a responsibility to church, and we have a responsibility to our communities. That's all I stand here today. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. I wanna say this as I close this morning that God is still looking for men. God is still looking for a few good men. Few good men. Amen.”

53s

#OwnYourName

“What I wanna say to you today is that you are responsible for your name. You are responsible for your name. You're responsible for how people look at you, how people see you in the community. You are responsible for that. Nobody else is responsible. Not your wife, not your children, not your parents. You are responsible for your name. A certain politician was going into a building not too long ago. He remained nameless. But as he was getting ready to go and the escalator stopped, and immediately assumed there was a conspiracy against him. And of course, the internet is brutal, and the meme started coming. And one of the memes that I liked a lot and applies in every situation, it says, live your life in such a way, so that if the escalator stops while you're going up, you don't think it's because the world hates you.”

54s

#SpiritFilledChurch

“Men full of the holy spirit. Somebody say, of the holy spirit. This is important. Being filled with the spirit was a dominant characteristic of the church back in those days. You see, the day of Pentecost had just happened, so people were being filled with the spirit. Over and over again, people are being filled with the spirit. And that was a dominant characteristic of the church back then, and it should be a dominant characteristic of the church today. The church should be filled with people who have the spirit. Why? Why is it necessary to be filled with the spirit? Because the church is a spiritual entity. The church is a spiritual organism. The church is not a secular organism. It is not a humanistic organization. It's a spiritual body. And in order for this body to function, the people who are in leadership and the people who are a part of that church should be people who are spirit filled.”

29s

#DiscoverYourPurpose

“What are the saddest things that we can think about in life is if we go through our whole lives and we die not knowing what our purpose is. Not knowing what God has placed us here for. So I'm hoping that today, as we go through the scriptures, as we go through a couple of things, that we as men will find ourselves and know and find out what is my purpose. What is my God given purpose here on this earth?”

41s

#MenSetTheExample

“and he said, well, you know where you can find him? You could find him down at the bar. I go to the bar 09:00 in the morning, and there were six to nine guys around tables, and they're drinking 09:00 in the morning. One day, should be home with their kids, going to soccer practice, doing something with their kids. They're out there imbibing. And I'm I'm I'm saying that because these are the realities, and sometimes we have to address the reality amongst us. Amen? So God is looking for good men, and he's looking for men who will be examples for their children to see, examples that their sons can follow.”

30s

#BeAPrinceOfGod

“you are now gonna be a prince of God. How many of you want to be a prince of God today? And I wanna say to the men who are here today, it doesn't matter where you have come from, no matter what your family was like, no matter what has been in the past, you can be a prince of God. Thank you, Lord. Because he wants you to be. He's looking for a few good men. So Jacob was born with a bad name, but I just see at one time in Jacob's life, he said,”

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A Few Good Men: Pastor Dave Rajoon

Devotional

Day 1: From Jacob to Israel: A Name Written in Struggle

Day 2: Building Walls, Standing in Gaps

Day 3: Reputation: More Than a Résumé

Day 4: Spirit-Filled, Not Spiritually Drunk

Day 5: Wisdom: The Diplomacy of Heaven

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

A Few Good Men: Pastor Dave Rajoon

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