Forward Point

Devotional

Day 1: Boats in Knee-Deep Water

Jesus stood by Lake Gennesaret as fishermen washed their nets. He climbed into Simon’s boat, asked him to push out just far enough to teach the crowd. When He finished speaking, He told Simon: “Put out into deep water.” Simon hesitated – they’d caught nothing all night. But at Jesus’ word, they let down their nets. The catch nearly sank two boats. [51:56]

Jesus didn’t ask for reckless abandon – just enough trust to push past comfort. He used Simon’s workplace as His pulpit, then transformed it into a miracle. The disciples’ obedience in shallow waters prepared them for deeper revelation.

Where is Jesus asking you to “push out a little farther” this week? Maybe it’s volunteering for five more minutes after service, or inviting a coworker for coffee. What practical step have you resisted because it feels unnecessary or inconvenient?

“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.”
(Luke 5:4-6, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal one area where He wants you to obey despite seeming futility.
Challenge: Text “NEXTSTEPS” to the church line within the next 2 hours.

Day 2: From Tarp Roofs to Open Doors

The Doyle family stood in a derelict house – roof leaking, floors crumbling. What began as a $1 land bank purchase became a home through months of sweat and community help. Like Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, they faced skepticism. Yet four years later, that house became a launchpad for neighborhood ministry. [40:48]

God specializes in restoring broken spaces – both buildings and lives. He didn’t call the skilled but the willing, using cracked ceilings to teach reliance. The house now stands as proof: what we dedicate to God’s purposes becomes more than we imagine.

When have you dismissed a “fixer-upper” opportunity – a relationship, project, or personal growth area – because the repairs seemed too costly? What broken place might God be asking you to claim today?

“They replied, ‘Let us start rebuilding.’ So they began this good work. When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, saying, ‘What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day?’”
(Nehemiah 2:18-3:1, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one area you’ve avoided investing in due to perceived inadequacy.
Challenge: Write down three practical ways to improve one “broken” area in your sphere this week.

Day 3: Frozen Machines & Second Chances

Six yogurt machines gathered dust in a warehouse – abandoned inventory from failed businesses. When Love Handles’ original plans collapsed, Steven found these forgotten units. God repurposed dead equipment into a community hub that’s given $100,000 to local causes. [44:52]

The Holy Spirit breathes life into what culture discards. Like Jesus feeding 5,000 with a boy’s lunch, He multiplies our “not enough” into abundance. Those machines now symbolize redemption – nothing is wasted in God’s economy.

What discarded resources (time, relationships, skills) have you written off as unusable? How might God want to recondition them for new purpose?

“Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’”
(John 6:11-12, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for three “leftover” blessings you once overlooked.
Challenge: Inventory your closet/pantry today – donate 10 usable items you’ve neglected.

Day 4: Altars in the Theater

For ten years, folding chairs echoed in the Palace Theater – a temporary sanctuary. Now as Ford Point moves across the street, they’re stacking “remembering stones”: stories of salvations, healed marriages, and transformed lives. Like Joshua’s memorial at Gilgal, these testimonies anchor future faith. [01:01:39]

God builds His kingdom through cumulative obedience. Each Sunday’s setup/teardown crew, every awkward conversation over coffee – these are living stones in a spiritual house. Permanent buildings don’t validate ministry; faithful people do.

What milestone in your spiritual journey have you failed to memorialize? How could recalling past victories strengthen your next obedience?

“Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. They are there to this day.”
(Joshua 4:9, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to bring to mind one breakthrough worth commemorating.
Challenge: Share one Ford Point memory with a friend via text/call today.

Day 5: Trucks on James Street

A retrofitted snow cone cart now parks outside 2519 James St – the first mobile unit of Love Handles’ expansion. Like Philip meeting the Ethiopian chariot, this truck positions believers in others’ daily paths. The goal isn’t frozen treats, but divine appointments in food truck lines. [57:49]

Jesus modeled incarnational ministry – He didn’t wait for people in synagogues. The mobile unit embodies this, taking church to sidewalks and school events. Every sprinkle-covered encounter becomes potential holy ground.

Where do your routines naturally intersect with people far from God? How could you leverage those intersections this summer?

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch… Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”
(Acts 8:26,27,35 NIV)

Prayer: Ask for boldness to initiate one spiritual conversation this week.
Challenge: Sign up for one Love Handles truck volunteer shift in June.

Sermon Summary

We moved back to Syracuse, wrestled with vocational shifts, and watched God unfold a long, surprising journey that reshaped how we live, serve, and invest in a neighborhood. We embraced an open house connection that led us to join a community-focused church plant, and we committed to living in the neighborhood so ministry would be ordinary and local. We bought and renovated a land bank house, weathered the disruption of COVID, and used the pause to relaunch with fresh people, renewed focus, and new rhythms. We transitioned from part time outside work to full time ministry work, learning to follow openings rather than force them.

We launched a missional business, Love Handles, out of relationship and imagination, survived early equipment setbacks by stewarding unexpected resources, and built a customer base that turned a community shop into a sustainable giver. Love Handles became profitable and funneled significant resources back into the neighborhood, contributing over one hundred thousand dollars to local ministries and organizations. We saw how a small enterprise can be a long-term engine for mission when it orients to community, not merely profit.

We received a call to move into a permanent space at 2519, which created an opportunity to use a building every day of the week for discipleship, arts, recovery, and youth work. The Luke chapter five story became the organizing metaphor: moving the boat farther out, trusting the voice of Jesus, and casting nets where the catch changes everything. We named a structure for discipleship that begins with warm first steps welcoming newcomers, then invites next steps that deepen commitment and service. Practical plans include a mobile frozen yogurt truck, arts partnerships that revive youth ministry, Celebrate Recovery groups, front‑yard outreach like free snow cones at the parade, and a push for more volunteers to staff kid ministries and welcome teams.

We understand growth will demand that we stop spectating and start participating. We invite people to take small, specific next steps: join a group, serve one shift, train to lead Celebrate Recovery, or text the church line to begin a discipleship conversation. We expect faith, risk, and obedience to produce surprising provision and a harvest that reshapes Eastwood, Syracuse, and beyond.

Key Takeaways

1. Move into the neighborhood intentionally Living among the people we serve converts strategy into steady presence. Proximity creates trust, uncovers needs that never appear from afar, and lets discipleship happen in kitchens, parks, and porches. This commitment to neighborhood life changes ministry from an event into a lifestyle. [39:55]
2. Go deeper; cast nets again Going a little farther with Jesus invites unexpected abundance that outstrips our capacity. Trusting his direction asks us to leave safe routines, accept discomfort, and obey in the face of uncertainty. Those acts of faith often produce the largest catches. [51:56]
3. Multiply mission through missional business A business anchored to mission sustains ministry and funds mercy in ways donations alone cannot. When enterprises prioritize community impact over short‑term gain, they create durable resources for local charities and programs. Profit becomes a tool for blessing, not an end in itself. [46:27]
4. Design for daily discipleship Holding a permanent, everyday space changes what a community can offer and how people connect. Daily rhythms let arts, recovery, youth, and hospitality become consistent pathways into deeper faith. Stability invites responsibility from everyone, not only a few. [49:35]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:17] - Returning to Syracuse
[32:18] - Unexpected open house connection
[37:44] - Vision that captured our hearts
[39:55] - Choosing to live in the neighborhood
[40:48] - Renovation and COVID relaunch
[42:03] - Leaving outside work for full time
[44:15] - Love Handles: start and setbacks
[46:27] - Growth, profits, and community giving
[47:30] - Pursuing a permanent space
[49:35] - Luke 5: go farther, go deeper
[54:02] - Practical next steps and launches

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Luke 5:1-7 (ESV)
1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, [Jesus] was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

John 1:14 (ESV)
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Joshua 4:6-7 (ESV)
6 ...When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

Observation Questions

In Luke 5:4, what specific instruction did Jesus give Simon after teaching the crowd, and how did Simon respond?
The sermon emphasized “moving into the neighborhood” as a way to build trust and uncover needs. How does John 1:14 connect to this idea? [39:55]
What practical examples were shared about using a business (Love Handles) to fund community impact instead of focusing only on profit? [46:27]
In Joshua 4:6-7, what purpose did the stones serve for future generations?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus asked Simon to “put out into the deep” after he had already finished teaching the crowd? What might this reveal about how God often works?
How does living in proximity to those you serve change the nature of ministry compared to occasional outreach events? [39:55]
The sermon described Love Handles as a “long-term engine for mission.” Why might a sustainable business model be more effective for community transformation than relying solely on donations? [46:27]
In Joshua 4, the stones were a physical reminder of God’s faithfulness. What modern “stones” (practices or rhythms) could help a community remember God’s work in their midst?

Application Questions

What is one small, specific way you could “move into the neighborhood” this week—whether literally (e.g., hosting a meal) or relationally (e.g., initiating a conversation with a neighbor)? [39:55]
Jesus’ call to “go deeper” often requires leaving comfort zones. Where is God inviting you to take a risk or step of obedience that feels uncertain, like casting nets again?
The church’s frozen yogurt truck ([55:33]) and Celebrate Recovery groups ([59:39]) are examples of meeting practical needs. What skill, resource, or passion could you leverage to address a need in your community?
Reflect on a time God provided unexpectedly (like the equipment for Love Handles [44:15]). How does that memory encourage you to trust Him in a current challenge?
The sermon challenged people to shift from “spectating to participating.” What’s one tangible next step you could take this month—joining a group, serving a shift, or starting a discipleship conversation? [54:02]
How could you create a “remembering stone” (like Joshua 4) in your life or family to celebrate God’s faithfulness during a difficult season?

Sermon Clips

Yeah. You didn't really give a convincing message. You didn't really, you know, prick our hearts. It It wasn't enough to to make us just think that we're willing to to to tackle any kind of adversity for you. So, no, I'm not not so sure. But Jesus persists, and, eventually, they relent and they go out and they go further deeper into the water, and he tells them to cast their nets. And they do, and they have now a a catch, the largest of their career that they've ever had. More fish than they can do on their own. The begins to even break the nets that they're carrying, and it's all a result of them being willing to trust Jesus to go a little farther, to to go a little deeper, to take some next steps. [00:51:31] (49 seconds) #CastYourNet

Would you help to stir our hearts towards the things that break your hearts? Would you help us to to wrestle with? Would you help us just to to become in indignant to the the things that you just your break your heart? I thank you for every single person who's been such a instrumental part of the details of this new space, and we're gonna have some time to honor them. And I just thank you for that, God. But this morning is the invitation for the rest of us to know to to figure out what how did you design me? How did you create me? On purpose, for a purpose. To be a part of the change in my community, in my family, in my workplace. Help us to follow you as we continue to you continue just to write this story for us. We love you so much. [01:05:12] (57 seconds) #DesignedOnPurpose

And and every kinda church expert or counselor that I've ever listened to, they always talk about the same thing that once you have a permanent space, there's just this switch that flips. You kinda become respectable to the community. You kinda become like a a a real thing. And all of a sudden, just naturally, there's gonna be an increase of people who are participating in your ministry. And for that to happen, Ford Point, we have got to challenge ourselves to say, are am I a part of what's going on? Am I going deeper in my discipleship process, or am I just kinda cool staying, you know, kinda tiptoe depth? [00:58:01] (45 seconds) #StepIntoDiscipleship

In in in Luke chapter five, Jesus is just beginning his ministry, and there's this interesting, encounter as he has as he's beginning to to preach, and he gets down to this place where there's some boats there in the in the water. And in order for everybody to hear him, he decides he's gonna get into the boat, and he asked the owners of the boats to kinda push out just a little bit. Right? Just enough for for him to get out and for his voice to kinda be reflective, over the water and so everybody can hear him. And then as he's done speaking, he asked the fisherman. He says, hey. Can you guys take me out a little deeper? [00:49:42] (38 seconds) #TakeMeDeeper

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