8/23/26 10:30 AM || Follow Me - Following Jesus into the Community

Aug 23, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Weight of "All Authority" in Dusty Sandals

Jesus’ declaration of universal authority isn’t a cosmic power flex—it’s a call to walk where he walks. When he says "all authority," he’s pointing disciples to dirt roads, crowded markets, and neighborhoods where feet ache and hearts break. This isn’t theoretical sovereignty. It’s permission to step into the messiness of mission, trusting that the one who rules hurricanes and hummingbirds goes ahead. Obedience begins when we stop debating his right to ask and start moving where he sends. [49:00]

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
(Matthew 28:18-19, NIV)

Reflection: Where have you hesitated to act because you doubted Christ’s authority over a specific place or relationship? What dusty road is he asking you to walk today?

Day 2: Power’s Non-Negotiable Companion

The Holy Spirit’s fire doesn’t exist to warm pew-sitters. When Jesus promises power, he shackles it to witness—like giving a soldier a sword but forbidding sheaths. This isn’t spiritual gift mix-and-match. The same breath that parts seas propels tongues to speak names like Jerusalem, Judea, and the barista who misspells yours daily. To want his dynamism without his agenda is to beg for lightning while refusing storm. [52:00]

“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)

Reflection: What parts of your witness feel disconnected from the Spirit’s power? Where are you relying on charisma instead of his combustion?

Day 3: Wells Won’t Save Thirsty Souls

Clean water sustains bodies; living water resurrects souls. The story of the Costa Rican well isn’t a guilt trip—it’s a warning against mistaking humanitarianism for gospel. A thousand years from now, no one in heaven will thank you for hydration. But the woman who heard “living water” while holding your cup? She’ll know you brought both. Service without proclamation builds nice tombs. [01:11:59]

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?’ [...] The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
(Matthew 25:37-40, NIV)

Reflection: What good deed have you done recently that people might remember longer than the gospel you didn’t share?

Day 4: Andrew’s First Fetch

Discipleship isn’t a program—it’s a reflex. Andrew didn’t schedule evangelism training after breakfast with Jesus. He sprinted through streets, grabbing his brother’s collar, breathless with discovery. Our problem isn’t lacking tools but delaying urgency. The Messiah isn’t a museum piece to admire. He’s a fire to spread, and family makes kindling. [01:22:03]

The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
(John 1:41-42, NIV)

Reflection: Who have you treated as a “later” when the Spirit says “now”? What makes you prioritize systems over siblings?

Day 5: Unsubtle Saints in a Filtered World

Living “so people see Jesus” isn’t about perfection—it’s about peculiarity. When your kindness lacks ulterior motives, your patience defies logic, and your joy outlasts layoffs, the world notices. They may mock until their marriage crumbles or their diagnosis comes. Then they’ll knock, not because you hid your faith, but because you wore hope like neon in grayscale. [01:20:55]

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
(1 Peter 2:12, NIV)

Reflection: What ordinary habit could become your loudest gospel advertisement if done with intentional love?

Sermon Summary

Matthew 28 puts the whole thing under the authority of Jesus. Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” and that authority does not leave disciples with the option to opt out. The call to “go and make disciples” means taking the gospel to people, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded. The good news in that command is that Jesus also says he will be with his people every step of the way.

Discipleship has more than one lane. The church helps people meet Jesus by taking the gospel to them. The church helps new believers follow Jesus daily by opening the Word, teaching obedience, and walking alongside them. The church also strengthens people who have followed Christ for years by stepping in with accountability, support, and encouragement. All of that belongs to helping people follow Jesus.

Acts 1 ties the power of the Holy Spirit to witness. Jesus does not say that his people receive power and then decide whether witness is their thing. Jesus says the Spirit will come, and his people will be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and to the ends of the earth. The desire for God’s power cannot be separated from surrender to God’s authority.

Missions exists because people need the gospel. Food, water, shelter, medicine, and care matter, but they are not the ultimate goal. A well in Costa Rica can give clean water to fifty-two children, and that is good and beautiful. But if the gospel is not taken, those children can be “well hydrated and still headed to hell.” A thousand years from now, every person will be somewhere, either with Jesus or without him, and gospel witness will matter more than every physical gift given.

Matthew 25 shows that serving the hungry, thirsty, stranger, sick, and imprisoned is service offered to Jesus himself. The call to serve is not for a special class of Christians. If someone follows Jesus, then mission is for that person. The first step is simple: raise the head, look around, and see the people already placed nearby on purpose. The Father has put people in jobs, families, neighborhoods, and situations for gospel reasons.

Mission starts with getting involved, bringing brothers and sisters along, serving through gifts and loves God has already given, giving generously, keeping the main goal in mind, seeing people instead of projects, and living so people can see Jesus. John 1 gives the simple picture: Andrew found Simon and brought him to Jesus. That is the goal.

Key Takeaways

1. Christ’s authority sends witnesses Jesus does not give the Great Commission as a suggestion for especially bold Christians. His authority is the ground beneath the command, which means refusal is not mainly a personality issue, but an authority issue. The same Christ who sends also promises his presence, so obedience is not done alone or out of raw human courage. [49:49]
2. Power and witness stay together Acts 1 does not separate the Spirit’s power from the Spirit’s purpose. The longing for spiritual power becomes distorted when it is detached from being a witness to Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes not to decorate private faith, but to move the gospel through ordinary people into real places. [52:00]
3. Mercy must carry the gospel Clean water, food, shelter, and care are real acts of love, but they are not the final gift. The eternal future of a person gives urgency and weight to every act of service. Gospel-less mercy can ease a moment while leaving the deepest need untouched. [71:22]
4. People are not projects Mission goes wrong when needy people become problems to solve instead of image-bearers to love. The Holy Spirit is already at work before any volunteer, team, or ministry arrives. Faithful service joins what God is doing, speaks what he gives to speak, and refuses the arrogance of needing to fix everybody. [79:29]
5. Andrew brought Simon to Jesus John 1 gives a plain picture of mission: someone meets Jesus, then goes and brings someone else to him. The goal of serving, volunteering, giving, and going is not activity for its own sake. The goal is that real people get to Jesus.

## [81:33]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[46:16] - Church Family and Students Welcomed
[47:20] - Bring Bible, Friend, and Expectation
[47:51] - Follow Me and the Mission
[49:00] - The Great Commission Read
[49:49] - Authority Means Obedience
[51:18] - Partnerships Instead of Drive-By Missions
[52:00] - Spirit Power and Gospel Witness
[69:27] - Lovingly, It Is Not About You
[70:25] - Why Missions Matter
[71:22] - Water Is Good, Gospel Is Essential
[73:07] - Serving the Least Is Serving Jesus
[74:46] - Raise the Head and Look Around
[75:42] - Practical Steps to Get Involved
[81:33] - Andrew Brings Simon to Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:18-20
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” [49:09]

Acts 1:8
“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.” [52:00]

Matthew 25:37-40
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” [01:13:26]

John 1:41-42
“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.” [01:21:36]

Observation questions

In Matthew 28:18-20, what actions does Jesus give his disciples, and what promise does he attach to that command? [50:48]
In Acts 1:8, what does Jesus say will happen when the Holy Spirit comes, and where does he say the witness will go? [52:02]
What examples are given of the different ways believers help people follow Jesus, from first meeting Christ to walking with him over time? [48:20]
What practical steps are named for getting involved in mission, both nearby and farther away? [01:15:54]

Interpretation questions

Jesus begins the Great Commission with “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Why does that matter for the way a believer hears the command to go and make disciples? [49:49]
Acts 1:8 connects the Holy Spirit’s power with being a witness. What does that connection suggest about the purpose of spiritual power in a believer’s life? [52:28]
Mercy ministry matters deeply, but it is not the final goal. Why is it important to keep gospel witness tied to acts of compassion like feeding, visiting, or providing water? [01:11:50]
John says Andrew found Simon and brought him to Jesus. What does that simple picture show about what mission is really aiming at? [01:21:45]

Application questions

Jesus’ authority means mission is not optional. Where is there a temptation to treat witness like it is for somebody else and not for you? What might surrender look like in that area this week? [50:12]
The first step in living on mission is to raise the head and look around. Who has God already placed in your job, family, class schedule, neighborhood, or daily routine that you may have been overlooking? [01:14:46]
The Spirit gives power for witness. When do you most want God’s help, but hesitate to speak about Jesus? What do you think is underneath that hesitation? [52:16]
Serving people as image-bearers changes the way ministry feels. Is there any place where you have started to see people as problems to solve or projects to finish instead of people to love? [01:19:29]
The gospel is the greatest gift, even when practical help is urgently needed. In the places where you already serve or care for people, what could it look like to keep Jesus at the center without becoming forced or unnatural? [01:12:56]
God has already wired each believer with gifts, loves, abilities, and opportunities. What kind of serving fits the way God has made you, and what might be one clear next step to get involved? [01:17:57]
Andrew simply brought Simon to Jesus. Who is one person you could begin praying for, inviting, serving, or having a real spiritual conversation with in the next couple of weeks? [01:21:51]

Sermon Clips

62s

#GospelFirst

“We were able to dig a well through you guys and your support many years ago in Costa Rica where there was a home with 52 children living in one home. And we were able to be a part of digging a well in that front yard so that they have clean water. But listen to me, that was awesome, and we love those kids. And it was an amazing system when you walk by the spot where they all kept their shoes. Because when 52 kids live in one house, you gotta go get your shoes on, and it's a plethora o options at that point. But we were able to get them clean water that would help them and help them be safe and help them be physically well. But listen carefully. If we did not take them the gospel, then they would be well hydrated and still headed to hell. So when you figure out how I'm gonna plug in and what I'm gonna do next and how I should go about this, understand that the gospel is the most important thing to take to people.”

65s

#EternalImpact

“So as we serve, as we go feed homeless people that need space and need need help and and they're in need, as we love on folks, let's remember to love on them with the idea that the gospel is what we're bringing to the table. And here's why, because a thousand years from now, listen, I don't know if you know this or not, but everyone in this room will be someplace a thousand years from now. You're gonna be in heaven with Jesus, or you're gonna be in hell without him? All of us will be someplace. Many of us think, well, after this time's over, it'll just eventually go away. Not the case. And for every person that you serve, a thousand years from now, they will be more thankful that you gave them the gospel than that you gave them water. You follow me? So that's why we have to make sure that as we sign up and as we do this, we take the gospel with us to make sure that we are sharing the love of Christ with our neighbors, our friends. They have to have the gospel.”

36s

#PoweredToWitness

“Listen, many of us would say we really, really wanna receive God's power, but we're not necessarily all into that being his witness thing. And I would just encourage you this morning, as we get started, because we're gonna do a lot of stuff this morning, but as we talk through this, just be just recognize that when he says, I will give you power, he also says, and you will be my witnesses. He does not say, I'm gonna give you power, and then you can choose whether or not you're gonna be a witness. That's not one of his things. So if you're gonna say, man, I love the power, then we also have to surrender and say, he's got authority. I'll be a witness.”

36s

#SubmitToHisAuthority

“So we'll talk about that a little bit today and how we do missions, but that's part of when when we say when Jesus says, I have been given all authority. We talked about that a couple weeks ago. For those of you that are brand new, if if your parent in your house says, hey. Take out the trash, and you say no, you're saying to them, I do not agree with your authority. So when our god says to us, I need you to take the gospel to the people around you, and you say, no. I'm not really into that. We are saying to him, no. We don't really agree that you have all authority.”

55s

#PeopleNotProjects

“see people and not projects. Man, it is so easy in our world today to see a person as someone that we have to go fix. We need to go and do this. We need to go and do that. We need to walk through. One of the things I heard this morning from Peyton was that the Holy Spirit of God is already at work where he's calling you to go. So you think that you're the answer. You think that you're gonna come in. We do this in other countries. Right? We do it. We've seen it for years and years. We go into other countries thinking as American Christians, we're coming in with all the answers. And what we're really reminded of is that the Holy Spirit's already there working. He just needs us to come speak things that he says to speak and love on people in the way that we're called to love them. So you don't have to have all the answers. You just got to see people as people and not projects.”

48s

#LiveLikeJesus

“You're not there to fix anybody. You're there to show them the gospel, show them Jesus. And the way you do that is number three on this list is that you live in a way that people can see Jesus in you. I'm telling you right now, in our world that we live in today, if you want to have an impact for the kingdom, you just simply pray, God, help me live and look like a Christ follower in this world, and you will stand out. And people will ask you things like, hey. Why do you do that? And why do you live this way? And how does that work? And where's that hope coming from? Because our world does not know that. They don't see it. And we have to live like Christ so the people around us can see him and follow him through us.”

48s

#ServeAsSacrifice

“Guess when you decide today on one of those partnerships, when you decide, man, this is where I want to go serve. This is where I wanna plug in. You need to recognize that you are taking yourself and you are offering your body as a living sacrifice to go and serve your creator in whatever ministry you're going to. This is about Jesus. It's all about Jesus. And we're taking Jesus to the people around us when we go and serve. But understand, there's not an option today of, well, that's not really for me. If you follow Jesus, it's for you. And it's time for us to find ways to plug in and serve.”

32s

#LookUpAndSee

“First step in that, the simplest thing, and and she barely touched on this, but a simple part of this is if you wanna start living on mission, first thing you do is look around. Like, raise your head up from your television. Raise your head up from your your phone that you watch constantly. Raise your head up from that computer. Raise your head up from the grocery basket that you're pushing. Just raise your head up and begin to look around because there are people all around you that are desperately waiting for the gospel.”

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