Move: Following Jesus Is A Relay Race

Jun 28, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When the World Sees Misfits, God Sees Missionaries

Timothy didn’t fit religious or cultural boxes—half-Jewish, half-Greek, homeschooled by faithful women. Yet Paul saw past societal labels to the raw material of a disciple-maker. God specializes in calling outsiders into purpose, not because of their pedigree but because of His transformative power. True discipleship begins when we stop disqualifying ourselves and others based on earthly standards. [41:55]

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
(1 Timothy 4:12, NIV)

Reflection: What label or limitation have you allowed to define your usefulness to God? What courageous “yes” is He inviting you to speak over that narrative today?

Day 2: The Relentless Rhythm of Showing Up

Disciple-making isn’t a sprint or marathon—it’s a relay requiring faithful handoffs. Paul invested years walking roads, weathering storms, and modeling Christ to Timothy. Ministry happens in the mundane repetition of shared meals, hard conversations, and ordinary moments. Lasting impact comes not from grand gestures but from stubborn consistency. [50:07]

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
(2 Timothy 2:2, NIV)

Reflection: Who needs you to keep showing up this week despite fatigue? What simple rhythm (coffee, texts, errands) could become holy ground for investment?

Day 3: Legacy Grows in Hidden Soil

Lois and Eunice’s quiet faithfulness—prayers whispered, Scripture taught at home—cultivated Timothy’s soil long before Paul arrived. Disciple-making often begins in unseen places: bedtime stories, carpool conversations, tear-stained journals. What feels small today may nourish tomorrow’s harvest. [42:20]

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now, I am persuaded, lives in you also.”
(2 Timothy 1:5, NIV)

Reflection: Whose faithful investment in you felt invisible at the time but now bears fruit? Who might God be calling you to sow into without immediate results?

Day 4: Breaking the Algorithm’s Grip

While culture disciples us through curated feeds and isolation, Jesus calls us into messy face-to-face apprenticeship. Paul didn’t send Timothy a discipleship podcast—he took him on stormy boat rides and prison visits. Spiritual growth requires resisting the screen’s siren call for the slower work of embodied presence. [52:22]

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
(Romans 12:2a, NIV)

Reflection: What passive input (shows, scrolls, streams) subtly shapes your values? What intentional space will you create this week for life-on-life discipleship?

Day 5: Your Baton Awaits Its Runner

Mel kept leading Bible studies at 90; Paul wrote final letters to his “son” Timothy from death row. Disciple-makers die mid-handoff, trusting others to carry the gospel further. Your story—successes, failures, healed wounds—isn’t yours to hoard. Someone needs to hold your baton next. [58:30]

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”
(2 Timothy 4:2, NIV)

Reflection: What chapter of your journey (victory, failure, lesson) have you been reluctant to share? Who needs to hear it most this month?

Sermon Summary

Acts 16 brings Paul back to Lystra where the gospel already took root, and the text pairs a brilliant former Pharisee with a mixed-heritage kid who never fit the boxes. Jesus’ final words set the agenda, go and make disciples, so the movement keeps moving. Paul carries that charge into town, looks for people of peace, and sees Timothy, well spoken of though not shaped by the right schools or pedigree. The kingdom of God plays a different game. God chooses people the world does not choose, and leadership is recognized, not appointed. Paul wants Timothy to accompany him. The invitation sounds like Jesus, follow me.

Timothy’s story shows how God works through ordinary homes and praying moms. Lois and Eunice catechize at the kitchen table, and their faith lives in Timothy. Paul then removes stumbling blocks for mission, even having Timothy circumcised, not to win righteousness but to keep doors open among Jews. If God has that part, God has all of you. The gospel advances when nothing in the messenger gets in the way of the message.

The kingdom insists that disciple making is not a sprint, not even a marathon. It is a relay race. Paul runs hard, but he is already holding out a baton. Follow me as I follow Christ means Paul gives Timothy more than a message to preach, he gives a life to imitate. Less is more, up close and personal over years, not weeks. Faith is caught more than taught, and Paul’s my son language shows what proximity over time can do.

The church plays a whole different game than the world. A swim meet might be a place to meet people, and in the kingdom that is winning. It is all about people, not programs, not status, not resume. The call of Jesus pulls disciples away from isolation and toward presence. Show up at the table, show up at LifeGroup, show up to serve. Movements of God begin in relationships.

Everyone is being discipled by someone or something. Forty nine hours a week of phone-fed algorithms will not produce a heart that moves toward people or a mind that yields to Scripture. God’s word is not an algorithm, it will not only say what someone already agrees with, it will correct and re-train. The church’s mission lands here. Find a Timothy to love and train. Find a Paul to learn from. Hand the baton to someone, because a day is coming when the runner will not be on the track, but the race will still be on.

Key Takeaways

1. The kingdom chooses unlikely people God delights to raise leaders from unfavored soil. Paul sees what pedigree misses, a young man well spoken of, faithful, available, teachable. God’s choice removes excuses and calls for movement, not comparison. The gospel levels the field, then sends people into it. [44:29]
2. Disciple making is a relay race Ministry is not about doing everything fast or doing everything alone. It is about running a faithful leg, then handing a life, not just lessons, to a trusted runner. A name on the baton matters, because one day the runner will be gone and the race must go on. Intentionally choose who will take it. [50:07]
3. Move toward people, not isolation The church wins a different game where people are the prize, not platform or polish. Relationships require showing up when energy is low and keeping short accounts when conflict comes. Programs are tools, people are the mission. Movements of God grow where presence becomes a habit. [47:53]
4. Audit your influences and time Formation follows attention. Forty nine hours of algorithmic agreement will disciple the heart far more effectively than three hours of gathered worship if left unchallenged. Scripture refuses to be a mirror that flatters, it speaks truth that corrects and frees. Choose inputs that form love, courage, and wisdom. [51:33]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[35:33] - Series setup and call to move
[36:54] - Jesus calls disciples to himself
[38:01] - What a disciple really is
[38:46] - Paul’s mission and church planting
[39:07] - Finding people of peace
[41:05] - Timothy’s background and outsider status
[42:20] - Lois and Eunice, faith at home
[43:42] - Leadership recognized, not appointed
[44:29] - I choose you, Timothy
[46:34] - Swim meet parable, new game
[47:53] - It’s all about people
[49:32] - Not a sprint or marathon
[50:07] - Discipleship as a relay race
[50:33] - Find and invest in a Timothy
[51:33] - Algorithms and everyday discipling
[52:53] - The drift toward isolation
[54:14] - Removing stumbling blocks, all in
[55:28] - Mel’s example of finishing well
[58:30] - Follow me as I follow Christ
[59:08] - Less is more, life on life
[60:19] - A leadership handoff vision
[62:16] - My son, Timothy
[65:22] - Word over algorithm, audit your time
[66:04] - Prayer and sending to move toward people

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 16:1-3 (ESV)
Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

2 Timothy 1:5 (ESV)
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV)
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Observation Questions

What details about Timothy’s family and social standing made him an unlikely choice for ministry? (Acts 16:1-3)
How does Paul describe the role of Timothy’s mother and grandmother in shaping his faith? (2 Timothy 1:5) [42:20]
What practical step did Paul take to remove potential barriers for Timothy’s ministry, even though it wasn’t required by the gospel? (Acts 16:3)
What metaphor did the sermon use to explain disciple-making (hint: it’s not a sprint or marathon)? [50:07]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Paul emphasized Timothy’s reputation (“well spoken of”) over his pedigree or training? What does this reveal about God’s priorities?
How does the “relay race” metaphor challenge common assumptions about individual achievement in ministry? [50:07]
The sermon states, “Faith is caught more than taught.” How does Timothy’s upbringing (2 Timothy 1:5) and Paul’s mentorship illustrate this?
Why might Paul’s instruction to “imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1) be both empowering and risky for discipleship?

Application Questions

Who is one person in your life (a “Timothy”) you could intentionally invest in this month? What specific activity or conversation could you initiate? [50:33]
The sermon warns about spending 49 hours weekly on algorithm-driven content versus 3 hours in worship. What one change could you make to prioritize Scripture over passive scrolling? [51:33]
Paul circumcised Timothy to avoid unnecessary stumbling blocks. Is there a habit, attitude, or preference you need to set aside to better serve others?
The relay race metaphor implies handing off what you’ve learned. What one lesson from your faith journey do you most want to pass on to someone else?
How could you intentionally “show up” in a relationship this week (e.g., LifeGroup, serving, a hard conversation) even if you don’t feel like it? [47:53]
Reflect on Lois and Eunice’s influence. What daily or weekly rhythm could you create to nurture faith in your home or community?
The sermon says, “Everyone is being discipled by someone or something.” What voices (podcasts, books, friends) are shaping you most right now? Are they leading you toward Christ or isolation?

Sermon Clips

43s

#ShowUpServe

“``Even when you don't feel like it, you show up. If you've got a LifeGroup, maybe there's times you don't wanna go, show up. You sign up to serve. You don't wanna serve. You wake up on that morning, you don't wanna go. You show up and serve. You'll be blessed by it. Yes. There were times Jesus got alone, but Jesus, I'm sure there were many times he didn't wanna hang out with those 12 guys. He did it anyway. He chose them. This is what Paul does. He chooses Timothy. He chooses Timothy. Timothy is I don't know. How do we know he wasn't fully Jewish? How do we know that? From the text. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him. That's the rest of the verse I didn't put on the screen.”

55s

#DisciplinedByMedia

“Listen. Everyone's being discipled by someone or something. Everybody. Everybody. And in our culture today, do you know what the most significant discipleship tool that exists? The average person, the average American is spending forty nine hours being discipled by this. The average person, the average American is spending forty nine hours being discipled by this. You're being discipled by what you spend the most time with or in, and you're being discipled by this. There are algorithms specifically designed for you to give you content that you like. Opinions that you already agree with are gonna flood your feed to get you to be convinced more of what you think you already believe.”

47s

#DiscipleMakingRelay

“When I was early in ministry, you know what I thought ministry was? I thought it was a sprint. Get as much done as fast as I can, meet with as many people as I can, save as many people as I can, right, through God's grace. I'm gonna praise them. I'm gonna do all this work. I thought it was a sprint. Then I matured in ministry a little bit by God's grace, and then I came to realize, no. It's not a sprint. It's a marathon. Disciple making is is the long game It's over many, many years. It's faithfulness over many, many it keeps showing up. Things get hard. You just keep showing up. The relationship, there's conflict, keeps showing up. But then you know what I've realized here recently? It's not a sprint, and it's not a marathon. You know what it is? It's a relay race.”

42s

#HandOffTheBaton

“Because there's a day going there's a day coming where you won't be here anymore. Who are you handing your baton off to? Is there one person that you've invested in that you've spent time with? If not, it's not too late. Is there what we would say, is there a Timothy in your life that you can just simply say, Hey, I choose you. I would take you to coffee. Can we go grab a meal? I'm going hiking. You wanna join me? Let's let's go. Is there one person, women in the room? Is there another woman in your life? Doesn't necessarily have to be a younger woman. It could be an older woman. Somebody maybe new to the faith, somebody maybe doesn't know Jesus, but you see something in them, you say, I choose you to spend my time with.”

48s

#MoveTowardPeople

“Take work out of it. Take work out of it. How much time are you spending social media or inputting entertainment into your world versus how much time you're spending with people? And I get it. Some of us in the room are not people people. I get it. But the call of the gospel is to move toward people. Some of us can maybe manage more relationships than others, but the call is not to isolation. It's to move toward people. The natural drift in our life is to move toward isolation. Movements of God do not begin with somebody sitting alone in their home all week long. Movements of God begin in relationships. Move toward people.”

56s

#FaithIsCaught

“Two very, very different backgrounds and experiences, but you know the common denominator was Jesus Christ. The unity of the gospel brings people who have nothing in common together. And Timothy begins to pastor the church at Ephesus. Listen, faith is caught much more than it is taught. God rarely grows his kingdom through isolated individuals. Disciple making, the goal is not for people to follow us. The goal is people to follow Jesus. Follow me as I follow Jesus. Who's following you? Would you pray that you would take one step, that you would move in one direction toward people?”

41s

#CommunityOverCompetition

“The whole first season goes she's five years old. The whole first season goes, and she never wins a race. But she's the happiest girl in the pool. She's enjoying herself. It's the end of the first season. The mom sits her down and says, hey. Do you wanna thinking she doesn't, but do you wanna go out for the swim team again? She's like, yes. I love it. I want to be part of the team again. I want to go swimming every day. I'm having the time of my life. She goes through the second season, the whole second season, doesn't win a race. And this is really odd because she's tall and kinda lean, and she's built like she could be a fast swimmer.”

59s

#PeopleNotPrestige

“And so the end of the second season comes to a conclusion, and mom sits down like, Hey, I don't think swimming is your thing because you're not winning any of the races. And the girl looks up at mom and says, It's a race? I thought it's just where you go to meet people because it's called a swim meet. She was she was playing a whole different game. And you know what? She was winning at it, a different game than the world. Listen, disciple making is different. We play, as a church, a completely different game than the rest of the world. It's not about status. It's not about name. It's not about power. It's not about rights. It's not about your job or your career or how much money you have in the bank. You know what it's about? It's about people.”

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Move: Following Jesus Is A Relay Race

Devotional

Day 1: When the World Sees Misfits, God Sees Missionaries

Day 2: The Relentless Rhythm of Showing Up

Day 3: Legacy Grows in Hidden Soil

Day 4: Breaking the Algorithm’s Grip

Day 5: Your Baton Awaits Its Runner

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Move: Following Jesus Is A Relay Race

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