Sunday Morning 1st Service | Fire Within: Starting the Year with Holy Momentum #4

Jan 18, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Rekindling the Fire Within for God's Purpose

The spiritual journey often involves seasons where our inner flame may dim. Life's distractions and noise can cause us to lose focus, but God invites us to actively stir up what He has placed inside us. This involves intentional practices like prayer, fasting, engaging with His Word, and seeking moments of silence and solitude. As we brush back the ashes and allow the wind of God's Spirit to blow, our fire is rekindled, preparing us to live out His purpose. [47:43]

2 Timothy 1:6-7 (ESV)
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Reflection: What specific spiritual practice could you intentionally engage in this week to rekindle your passion for God and His calling on your life?

Day 2: Freedom in Christ for Loving Service

The freedom found in Christ is a precious gift, liberating us from the bondage of sin. However, this freedom was never intended for self-indulgence or to merely stop with us. Instead, it is a powerful call to move outward, flowing toward the needs and brokenness of the world around us. This divine liberty empowers us to serve one another in love, demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit bursting forth from our lives. [52:45]

Galatians 5:13 (ESV)
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Reflection: In what area of your life might you be tempted to use your freedom for self-gratification, and how could you intentionally redirect that freedom to serve someone else in love this week?

Day 3: Selfless Love: Meeting Needs, Restoring Lives

True love, as exemplified by Jesus, is a love that steps in and gets close, willing to get its hands dirty to meet real needs. This selfless compassion doesn't just patch things up; it seeks to restore lives with dignity and provide pathways to true freedom found only in Christ. It's a love that sees brokenness and responds with sacrifice and truth, bringing healing—physical, emotional, and spiritual—to those who are hurting. [01:05:23]

Philippians 2:3-7 (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. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Reflection: Where have you recently encountered a need in your community or among your acquaintances that God might be inviting you to address with selfless, restorative love?

Day 4: Steadfast Love: Consistent, Enduring Transformation

Transformation is rarely an overnight event; it is the fruit of consistent, steadfast love that never gives up. This enduring commitment means showing up repeatedly, even when the path is long or challenging. It's a love that inspires, encourages, and motivates people toward Christ through hope-filled stories and unwavering support. This kind of love builds, trains, and empowers, knowing that true impact comes from persistent presence and faithful partnership over time. [01:11:13]

1 Corinthians 13:7-8a (ESV)
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

Reflection: Consider a relationship or a commitment in your life that requires consistent effort. How can you demonstrate a "love that never lets go" in that area this week, trusting God for long-term transformation?

Day 5: Sacrificial Love: Action Beyond Comfort

The fire of God's love was never meant to be contained; it was meant to be released and to impact the world. This requires a love that doesn't stay comfortable, a love willing to get its hands dirty and move beyond familiar boundaries. It's a sacrificial love that goes where others are afraid to go, bringing the Gospel to unreached areas and faithfully serving vulnerable communities with consistency and compassion. This active love, both globally and locally, changes lives and impacts eternity. [01:31:00]

John 13:34-35 (ESV)
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Reflection: What is one practical step you could take this week to move beyond your comfort zone and demonstrate sacrificial love to someone in your immediate sphere of influence or a community in need?

Sermon Summary

A congregation is invited to move from rekindling an inner flame to releasing that fire into the world. The gathering frames spiritual fervor as freedom that must not be hoarded but expended in service, grounded in Galatians’ command to use liberty for loving service and in Jesus’ new command to love sacrificially. Three expressions of that love are highlighted: a love that empties itself through practical ministries meeting homelessness, health needs, and recovery; a love that never lets go through long-term training, media, and church planting that sustain transformation over years; and a love that moves across borders through mission teams and indigenous leadership development. Each example illustrates how theological conviction becomes incarnational action—God’s holiness met by human hands willing to get dirty in compassion.

Local partnership and civic engagement receive attention as evidence that faith shapes public life, with the church blessing and praying for city leadership while encouraging congregational involvement in community renewal projects. Impact Sunday functions as both celebration and accountability: donors, volunteers, and missionaries are named, reports of lives changed are shared, and the congregation is reminded that transformation takes consistency, sacrifice, and patience. The theological heartbeat is unmistakable: restoration is not mere repair but new creation, achieved by Christ’s substitutionary work and received through repentance, confession, and ongoing surrender. The invitation to commit to Christ is presented as the decisive pivot from brokenness to belonging; practical next steps—prayer partners, discipleship classes, mission trips, and local service—are offered for those who respond.

Ultimately, worship, witness, and works are not separate spheres but a single movement of love that begins in God and flows outward through redeemed people. The call is both urgent and steady: keep the fire alive, refuse inward comfort, invest in long-term change, and say yes to the One who makes people new. Those who step forward are connected immediately to pastoral care and prayer support, reinforcing that conversion and commitment are integrated into communal life and mission.

Key Takeaways

1. Freedom must move toward service The gospel frees people from bondage so they can bear responsibility to others, not indulge themselves. True Christian liberty manifests when personal rights are subordinated to neighborly need; freedom that does not flow outward calcifies into self-absorption. Choosing service is discipleship in practice—where inner renewal proves real by taking external shape in compassion and sacrifice. [51:57]
2. Love that empties itself Self-emptying love prioritizes tangible needs over reputation or comfort, showing faith through shelters, clinics, and recovery programs. Such love refuses to admire suffering from afar and instead enters it with practical aid, dignity, and pathways to restoration. By meeting needs first, the church opens ears to the gospel and models the kingdom’s upside-down economy. [56:16]
3. Love that never lets go Sustained transformation requires patience, training, and persistent resources; short-term fixes rarely yield durable change. Long-term partnerships—church plants, schools, media, and leadership development—equip locals to shepherd their communities, proving that steadfastness multiplies fruit over decades. Committing for the long haul flips crisis relief into cultural renewal. [1:08:18]
4. Decide for Jesus right now Salvation is presented as a decisive, lifetransforming turn: repentance, confession, and resurrection faith produce a new creation, not merely moral improvement. The invitation is immediate—those who respond are connected into prayer, discipleship, and service so belief becomes embodied mission. Choosing Christ reorients purpose, calling, and daily witness toward eternal impact. [1:35:00]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:56] - Service reminders and return invitation
[47:43] - Fire Within series recap
[49:21] - From rekindling to release
[50:03] - Impact Sunday introduction
[51:57] - Scripture: Freedom to serve
[53:15] - Jesus’ new commandment: love
[56:16] - Ministries that empty themselves
[58:42] - Warrior Center and local outreach
[1:08:18] - Long-term partners and training
[1:13:38] - Overland Missions and global work
[1:19:13] - Local impact and civic partnership
[1:27:55] - Mayor’s blessing and prayer
[1:35:00] - Invitation: receive Christ
[1:39:11] - Prayer partners and dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

Galatians 5:13 (ESV)
"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

John 13:34–35 (ESV)
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Observation questions

According to Galatians 5:13, what is the specific purpose for the freedom we have been called to?
In John 13:34–35, what is the "proof" to the world that someone is a true disciple of Jesus?
What is the danger of keeping the "fire of God" locked up inside our own lives instead of releasing it to impact the world? [49:21]
How is the concept of "restoration" described as being different from just "patching things up" or putting on a band-aid? [01:05:23]

Interpretation questions

Galatians 5:13 warns against using freedom to satisfy the "sinful nature." What does it look like when a person’s spiritual freedom "calcifies into self-absorption" rather than moving toward the needs of others? [51:57]
Jesus commands us to love "just as I have loved you." Considering that Jesus "got his hands dirty" and met real physical and emotional needs, how does this sacrificial standard change the way we should view "loving" people who are in deep brokenness? [52:45]
Transformation is described as something that doesn’t happen overnight but requires staying consistent and "showing up over and over." [01:11:13] Why is "steadfast love" often more difficult to practice than a one-time act of compassion?
Faith is meant to shape public life and bless the city leadership. [01:27:55] How does a church’s active involvement in community renewal projects serve as a witness to those who don't yet know Christ?

Application questions

We often focus on "stoking the fire" through prayer and fasting to feel better personally. [47:43] In what specific area of your life—your workplace, your home, or your neighborhood—do you feel the nudge to "release the fire" rather than just admiring it? [49:21]
Self-emptying love prioritizes tangible needs over our own comfort or reputation. [56:16] When was the last time you stepped into a situation that was "messy" to help someone, and what fears or distractions usually hold you back from doing that?
It is easy to get excited about short-term fixes, but real change takes "consistency, sacrifice, and patience." [01:11:13] Is there a person or a situation you’ve been tempted to "let go" of because you haven't seen immediate results? How can you commit to the "long haul" this week?
Christian liberty is proven real when we put our personal rights aside to meet a neighbor's needs. [51:57] Can you identify a "right" or a "comfort" you are currently holding onto that might be preventing you from serving someone else effectively?
Salvation is a decisive turn, not just moral improvement. [01:35:00] If you were to look at your daily habits and priorities, would they reflect a life that has been "made brand new" or just one that has had a "makeover"? [01:36:53]
Loving like Jesus means moving from "teaching" to "action." [01:31:00] What is one practical "next step"—such as joining a local service project, a mission trip, or a discipleship group—that you can say "yes" to today?

Sermon Clips

18s

#RaisedWithChrist

“``that you're actually crucified with Christ, and when he and you're raised with him just as he was raised from the grave. You're raised with him, and the Bible says that he doesn't just like I say, he doesn't just stick a band aid on you. He makes you a brand new creation. It's not just a makeover. You're made brand new. You're perfect. You're holy. You're blameless.”

21s

#GodWithUs

“and so god the father makes the choice to send his very own son, to send him down, to put on human flesh, to put his deity aside, and to walk among us, to experience what we experience, to live the life that we live, and to live the life that we were supposed to live while dying the death that we deserved.”

17s

#RighteousInChrist

“It's not just a makeover. You're made brand new. You're perfect. You're holy. You're blameless. That when god the father looks at you, he doesn't see your mess ups that you remember. He doesn't remember the shame and the guilt that you carry. He sees the righteousness of god in Christ Jesus when he looks at you.”

23s

#JesusInAction

“Jesus is our ultimate example. Right? Jesus modeled this kind of lifestyle, and he stepped in from heaven. The Bible says he put on human flesh. He stepped in. He got close. He got guys, he got his hands dirty. He got real. He he he met real needs, and he came in with with love and and compassion and and with with sacrifice and with truth.”

29s

#EverydayDiscipleship

“that you are his disciple. Do you know we talk about being a witness for Jesus, but guys, the very first witness you have is the love that you display in your everyday life. It's easy to do it when you sit in the four walls of a church but like pastor Dennis said, man, it's a whole another deal when you're kinda tired at work and ticked off and don't agree with the boss and somebody says something you didn't like and, you know, whatever it may be but it's your love that proves that you are a disciple of Jesus.”

17s

#ReceiveJesusNow

“If you haven't made Jesus lord of your life, we we never let an opportunity go go by without giving the invitation to receive Jesus. The most important decision you will ever make in your life. The Bible tells us that we were born into sin. We're born under a curse, and there was nothing we could do to restore our relationship with our father.”

18s

#ResurrectionChangesEverything

“and we believe that god raised him from the dead. And the bible says that when you do that, that you're actually crucified with Christ, and when he and you're raised with him just as he was raised from the grave. You're raised with him, and the Bible says that he doesn't just like I say, he doesn't just stick a band aid on you. He makes you a brand new creation.”

24s

#HealingBringsHope

“and and different things, but Trinity Health was kind of near and dear to our heart because we look at that. And how do you know that Jesus, he ministered, he would often come in and he would meet a need first in somebody's life. And many times that came through, that was healing, whether it was physical healing or emotional healing or whatever it may be, being forgiven. And so, guys, healing is huge when we're bringing somebody to the Lord. And how many of you know the Lord offers healing?”

20s

#LoveChangesEternity

“Guys, when we love like Jesus, when we love like Jesus, when we love selfless selflessly and steadfastly and sacrificially through service, we don't just change lives, we change eternity, and guys that's the reward in heaven, that's what will be remembered.”

44s

#ImpactSunday

“my world? So, again, today is our annual Impact Sunday, and, this has become a really cool tradition, awesome tradition for us where we come together, and it it's more than tradition. It's a celebration. We come together and we celebrate what not what we have done. Have you know it's not about us. Right? It's about what God has done. But how do you know that God uses human vessels? He uses us. That's why we surrender ourselves and allow him to use us. Not so that our name can be made famous, but so his name can be made famous and be glorified. And so today, we're gonna answer that question. Where do I release the fire? Today, we're gonna talk about it. Today is Impact Sunday.”

39s

#SurrenderToServe

“and, this has become a really cool tradition, awesome tradition for us where we come together, and it it's more than tradition. It's a celebration. We come together and we celebrate what not what we have done. Have you know it's not about us. Right? It's about what God has done. But how do you know that God uses human vessels? He uses us. That's why we surrender ourselves and allow him to use us. Not so that our name can be made famous, but so his name can be made famous and be glorified. And so today, we're gonna answer that question. Where do I release the fire? Today, we're gonna talk about it. Today is Impact Sunday.”

22s

#LoveOnTheJob

“is the love that you display in your everyday life. It's easy to do it when you sit in the four walls of a church but like pastor Dennis said, man, it's a whole another deal when you're kinda tired at work and ticked off and don't agree with the boss and somebody says something you didn't like and, you know, whatever it may be but it's your love that proves that you are a disciple of Jesus.”

18s

#RepentAndTurn

“How do we do that? Well, we repent for living life the way that we think it should be lived. And our own pride and arrogance thinking we know what's best. We stop and it's not just saying sorry, but it's turning from our sin.”

17s

#HePaidItAll

“while dying the death that we deserved. He literally gave his son as a sacrifice to pay the price to bring you out from under the curse, to bring you freedom, and restore you back in relationship as a son and as a daughter.”

31s

#HarvestFamily

“So so guys, again, we wanna welcome you. Thank you so much for being here at Harvest this morning. It's a privilege to have you with us. Whether you're part of the Harvest family or whether you're a guest or whether you're joining us online, y'all give the online crew a hand. I know we got some folks watching and join us via the livestream. Thank you so much for being a part. Guys, we're just a family of Christ followers. We love God, we love people, and we serve the world at the hands and feet of Jesus. If you're part of the Harvest family, why do we gather together? To make, grow, and equip followers of Jesus to fulfill their God given purpose in life, and we accomplish that through community, discipleship, and outreach.”

67s

#ServeNativeCommunities

“I think that's the last one. So so with that said, the next one I wanna mention is the outpost of Freedom Mission Base. Y'all familiar with Rick Bennett? He's also one of our overseers and Memphis long time. He grew up here in Memphis, was my youth pastor growing up, but now has this ministry to the Apache and Navajo nations in Arizona, New Mexico, and our kids grew up going out there and sometimes spending their summers out there serving the native people out there, and they are faithfully serving Apache and Navajo communities with consistency and compassion, and and you can see some of the pictures from the trip this past year that that you guys that you many of you guys went on, and we actually are in the process right now of planning the trip for twenty twenty six. So those of you who are willing to to take a week or two and head out to to Arizona this summer, get ready, we will have information on that coming soon. You can go out there, you can help do a VBS, you can you can help feed folks, you can do all kinds of different things, pray for folks, whatever it may be, but the whole deal is to glorify God and bring the Gospel to to the Navajo and Apache people, and so we're thankful for that.”

48s

#TrainLocalLeaders

“doctor Leon Van Royen, all the work that he and his team are doing. We know that our ministry school, he he was is the one who started our ministry school here at Harvest. It's been going on for twenty five years or so and out of Harvest, there are now hundreds and hundreds of those same ministry schools all over the world that started right here, and and they're they're partnered with Overland Missions. Overland Missions came out of Global Ministries and Relief, and they're going in behind all these missionaries who open up new areas, and they're coming in, and they're bringing the ministry school, and they're training up leaders. To so it so you got indigenous people who are leading their own people in the gospel and so so it's incredible work that that GMR is doing but guys, was we presented so much so far that it's been a lot of information but we are not done. We're now gonna talk about a love that moves locally.”

23s

#BrandNewInChrist

20s

#LoveThatLasts

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