Redefining Greatness: Being Great in God's Kingdom — I Got A Word — Joey Santora

Aug 11, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Silence That Reveals What We Already Know

When Jesus asked His disciples about their argument, their silence spoke louder than words. Their refusal to answer exposed hearts clinging to worldly measures of status rather than kingdom values. Like a child caught hiding broken pieces of a vase, their quiet shame revealed they knew their priorities were misplaced. True greatness begins when we stop defending our fragile egos and let Christ redefine what matters. [06:10]

“But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.”
(Mark 9:34, NKJV)

Reflection: Where does your silence about a habit, attitude, or conversation reveal you already know it doesn’t honor God? How might Jesus be inviting you to surrender that area today?

Day 2: A Child’s Unnoticed Value as Heaven’s Measure

Jesus placed a child—a person with no influence, wealth, or social power—at the center of His lesson on greatness. In a culture that dismissed children as insignificant, this act rebuked the disciples’ obsession with status. Serving those who cannot advance our reputation, repay our kindness, or boost our image becomes the litmus test for true kingdom impact. [38:11]

“Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me…’”
(Mark 9:36-37, NKJV)

Reflection: Who in your life feels as unnoticed as that child in the disciples’ circle? What practical step could you take to serve them without expecting anything in return?

Day 3: Passing the Ball When the Spotlight Could Be Yours

The basketball story revealed kingdom greatness—choosing teamwork over personal glory. Caleb’s decision to pass rather than force a shot mirrored Christ’s call to prioritize collective victory over individual accolades. Every unseen act of service, from adjusting a microphone to praying in secret, becomes an assist in heaven’s scorebook. [27:55]

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
(Philippians 2:3-4, NKJV)

Reflection: When have you recently struggled to celebrate someone else’s “shot” instead of your own? How can you intentionally empower others’ gifts this week?

Day 4: Referees, Fans, and Runners in the Race of Faith

The preacher’s whistle symbolized how comparison distracts us from our unique calling. Referees critique others’ races; fans spectate from sidelines; but runners fix their eyes on the finish line. Greatness crumbles when we measure ourselves against others’ assignments rather than stewarding our own with relentless focus. [18:52]

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”
(Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV)

Reflection: Are you currently refereeing someone else’s race or cheering from the stands? What one step would help you refocus on running your God-given race?

Day 5: Winter Coats for Souls We May Never See Again

The Bible college students’ coat ministry embodied hidden greatness—meeting practical needs to open hearts to eternal truth. Like storing treasure in heaven, these acts often go unrecorded on earth but echo in eternity. True servants don’t need viral moments; they find joy in being unseen conduits of God’s love. [45:12]

“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”
(Matthew 25:40, NKJV)

Reflection: What “winter coat” act of service have you hesitated to do because no one would notice? How will you quietly meet a need this week as if serving Christ Himself?

Sermon Summary

Mark 9 brings Jesus and the disciples into a house in Capernaum, and Jesus asks a question that already knows the answer. The disciples had been arguing on the road about which of them was the greatest, and their silence shows that they knew something was off. Jesus does not rebuke the desire to be great. Jesus redefines greatness.

Greatness is not wrong, but the definition can be wrong. The world measures greatness by money, followers, influence, status, titles, and how many people are under a person. Jesus measures greatness by service. A person can gain the whole world, have the career, the house, the accolades, and still miss what God calls great. The Bible becomes the source of truth because Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Why go to the world when the Creator of the world has already spoken?

Jesus also models what he commands. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. The King did not come demanding a chair, a fan, and grapes. Jesus humbled himself, washed feet, and went to the cross. Kingdom greatness looks like the greatness of Christ.

Greatness also does not compare. The disciples kept circling back to status, and comparison kept spreading. First they compared among the twelve, then John tried to stop someone casting out demons because “he wasn’t in our group.” Jesus says, “Don’t stop him,” because the point is not who gets the spotlight. The point is that the kingdom of God is advancing. Comparison turns runners into referees and fans. God calls his people to run the race set before them, not stare at everyone else’s lane.

Greatness serves. When Jesus says to take last place, Jesus is not calling for fake humility or low self-esteem. Humility is not lying. Taking last place means refusing to make the kingdom about personal credit, recognition, or being first. A servant serves when nobody is looking, when nobody says thank you, when it is inconvenient, and even when somebody else gets the credit.

The little child in Jesus’ arms becomes the object lesson. A child had no status, no power, and nothing to offer in return. Jesus says that welcoming such a child is welcoming him. The real test of kingdom greatness is not service to people who can elevate a person. The real test is serving those who cannot pay it back, inside the church and outside the four walls.

Key Takeaways

1. Greatness needs Jesus’ definition [08:58] Jesus does not crush the desire to be great; Jesus corrects the measuring stick. The world counts money, status, followers, and applause, but Christ looks for kingdom service. Earthly success can be received as a blessing, but it becomes empty when it replaces the only greatness that survives before God. [08:58]
2. Comparison stops kingdom assignment [16:36] Comparison turns attention away from Jesus and away from the race God assigned. The disciple who keeps looking sideways loses ground, even when the comparison sounds spiritual. Kingdom maturity rejoices when Christ is preached and the kingdom advances, even if another person gets the shot, the platform, or the credit. [16:36]
3. Service refuses to need credit [31:48] Jesus’ call to take last place is not false humility. It is the refusal to make obedience about being noticed, thanked, or promoted. True service can receive honor without craving it, because the glory belongs to God who gave the ability in the first place. [31:48]
4. Hidden service becomes heavenly treasure [35:06] God sees what bosses, crowds, and even church people never see. The unseen kindness, the inconvenient stop, the quiet help, and the unthanked labor are not wasted. Heaven keeps better records than earth, and every act of service becomes a holy investment before God. [35:06]
5. The least reveal love for Christ [40:11] Jesus identifies himself with the child, the overlooked, and the person who cannot do anything in return. The way a person treats the inconvenient person becomes a direct reflection of love for Christ. Kingdom service goes beyond important people and reaches the one who simply needs help. [40:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:39] - Mark 9 and the Disciples’ Argument
[01:27] - The Goat Debate and Greatness
[04:17] - Jesus Redefines Greatness
[06:54] - Greatness Is Not Wrong
[10:37] - Jesus Models Service
[13:17] - Greatness Does Not Compare
[16:36] - Run Your Race
[20:15] - Rejoicing When the Kingdom Advances
[24:37] - The Basketball Story and One Mission
[29:42] - Greatness Serves
[32:24] - Serving When Nobody Is Looking
[38:11] - Jesus and the Little Child
[41:59] - Serving Inside and Outside the Church

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Mark 9:33-37
“And He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, ‘What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?’ But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.’ Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.’” [00:39]

Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” [11:26]

Matthew 25:40
“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” [40:11]

Mark 9:38-40
“Now John answered Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side.’” [20:39]

Hebrews 12:1-2
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” [16:58]

Observation questions

In Mark 9:33-37, what were the disciples arguing about on the road, and how did Jesus answer that argument once they got in the house? [06:45]
What details in Mark 9:33-34 show that the disciples knew something was wrong about their conversation? [13:45]
In Mark 9:38-40, why did John want to stop the man casting out demons, and how did Jesus respond to him? [21:35]
In the picture of “run your race,” what are some of the ways comparison distracts people from their own assignment? [17:38]

Interpretation questions

Jesus did not condemn the desire to be first, but He did redefine it. What does that reveal about ambition in the kingdom of God? [07:09]
The disciples went silent when Jesus asked what they had been discussing. What does that moment suggest about the difference between knowing what is right and actually living it? [14:49]
Jesus said, “Do not forbid him,” when someone outside the disciples’ group was casting out demons in His name. How does that challenge the tendency to think the kingdom only moves through “our group”? [21:49]
Jesus used a little child as the object lesson for greatness. Why does serving someone with no status, no power, and nothing to offer in return reveal something important about real love for Christ? [39:12]

Application questions

The world measures greatness by status, influence, money, and recognition. Which of those measures most easily pulls at the heart, and how can Jesus’ definition of greatness begin to reset that this week? [08:58]
Comparison turns runners into referees and fans. Where has comparison been stealing joy, focus, or faithfulness lately—in work, family, ministry, or daily life? What would it look like to fix the eyes back on Jesus and run the race set before you? [16:36]
Serving without credit is one of the clearest marks of kingdom greatness. Is it harder right now to serve when nobody notices, when nobody says thank you, or when somebody else gets the credit? Why? [31:48]
Hidden service is not wasted because God sees what others miss. What is one ordinary, quiet act of service that could be offered this week without announcing it to anyone? [35:06]
Jesus connects Himself to the overlooked and the least. Who is the “little child” in your current world—the person who cannot boost your image, repay your help, or open a door for you—and what might welcoming that person look like? [38:57]
Service is not only for church settings; it belongs inside and outside the four walls. Where does obedience need to become more visible right now: at home, at work, in the neighborhood, or in the church body? What would one practical next step be? [43:17]
The way people are treated is a direct reflection of love for Christ. Think about a recent inconvenient moment: a needy person, a frustrating interruption, or someone easy to ignore. What did that moment reveal, and what would it look like to respond differently next time? [41:45]

Sermon Clips

58s

#MeasuredByWhoYouServe

“``I wanna be like Jesus, be a come a servant of everybody else. See, greatness in the kingdom is not measured by who serves you. Greatness in the kingdom is measured by who you serve. It's not about how many people work for you. It's not about how big your role is. And and I'm not just talking about serving in church today. I'm talking about something so much more. But you have people in churches, and not this church I'm saying. But in churches, they're like, I'm the head greeter. I sing on the worship team every third Sunday. They introduce, hi, I'm Joey. I'm the head greeter here. They they they they think there's something about the fact that they are superior or above or better than, but the reality is is it's not about our status or our title. It's about our service to the kingdom of God. I wanna be a servant of everybody else. It's not who serves you. That's what the world says. It's who you serve.”

43s

#LoveGodLovePeople

“See, people think people think that the way that they serve God is based on how they treat God. And to a degree, yes. But what if I told you it's also about the way that we treat others? The way we treat other people is a direct reflection of our love for God. You wanna be great in God's kingdom? I do. If you wanna be great, it's not to just become a worldly greatness and success, although, again, nothing wrong with that, But we should become a servant.”

64s

#ServeTheLeast

“And he says, you wanna be great? Serve this kid. Why a kid? Why does he use this? This is true today, but it was even more true in ancient times is that a child represents someone with no status, no power. A child represents someone that can't do anything for you. A child represents someone that can't elevate you, but rather they need your help. There's nothing that you could get out of that. Jesus comes to the point, and he says, you think you're great. The real test is how you treat this child. See, anybody can anybody can be a servant of their boss. You know, boss, can I get some coffee for you? You know, pay raise time is coming where they consider, can I get you a coffee? That's not the type of service Jesus is talking about. It's easy to serve when it benefits you, but what if it doesn't? That's the real test.”

68s

#HeavenlyInvestments

“He sees everything you do. There's a scripture that says in Romans that everything is naked before God, meaning that he sees everything exactly as it is. He sees the hours you put in the office that your boss doesn't see. He sees that girl or that guy that was in that was in need, and you treated them with kindness, and nobody else saw you be able to do that. He sees all. And I have good news for you. The Bible says that you can actually store up your treasure in heaven, and that's what you're doing every time that you choose to be a servant. You're storing up your treasure in heaven. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There'll be blessings that'll come to you in this life. But guess what? Every blessing we receive in this life, it's gonna go away. It's gonna be gone. You can't take all of that with heaven but, to heaven, but you can store up for yourself treasure for when you get there. People talk about retirement investments. I have heavenly investments, and I'm adding to them as much as I can by being a servant. I challenge you to do the same exact thing.”

47s

#ServeForGodsGlory

“What do you mean it was really bad? All those people got saved. You see what I'm saying? Jesus is not preaching false humility or low self esteem. When he says take last place, he's saying refuse to make it about you. What you're doing for the kingdom of god is not about you. It's about something so much bigger than that. It's about doing stuff without needing credit. It's about doing stuff without needing recognition. It's it's about doing stuff without needing to be first. If those things do happen, if you get recognition, if you are first, if you do get the credit, there's nothing wrong with that. But glory ultimately belongs to God who gave us the ability to be able to do it.”

32s

#RedefineGreatness

“I wanna point something out. Notice that Jesus does not rebuke the desire to be great. Jesus doesn't say it's wrong for you to be great. We we shouldn't be great in the kingdom of god. No. He redefines it. Aspiring to be great is not a bad thing. There is nothing wrong with aspiring to be great, but the problem is how we measure our greatness. The world measures greatness completely differently than the kingdom measures greatness.”

47s

#GreatnessDoesntCompare

“I don't I don't want to compare because greatness doesn't compare. What somebody else is doing is accomplishing their task that God has for them. You know, the Bible says that we must quickly carry out the task assigned to us for nights coming, and then no man can work. And so guess what? There's a time coming where it'll be too late for me to be able to accomplish my task. I'll either go home to be with the Lord or the Lord will return. And it will be too late for me to be able to go and do more of what God wants me to do. Fulfill my task of being a pastor. It'll be too late. And I don't wanna get caught up looking at other people when I could be making more ground in the task that God has for me. Greatness doesn't compare.”

36s

#BeARunnerNotAReferee

“We have a lot of referees in the body of Christ and not enough runners. We're stopping and looking at everybody else's life. We're we're sitting there and blowing the whistle, and somebody starts doing something they shouldn't be doing, and not in a loving way, not in a way that we're doing our we're we're being our brother's keeper like the Bible teaches, but in a judgmental look at you type of way, we blow the whistle right at somebody else. And see, what we are doing in that moment is we are worrying about somebody else's race, and we're not focusing on the task that is ahead of us.”

47s

#CelebrateKingdomGrowth

“God hasn't called us to be referees. God hasn't called us to be fans. He's called us to be runners, to run the race that is set out before us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. I'm a minister, and I would love to tell you. I would love to tell you. You know, in the ministry, though, it's just really not like that. Pastors don't compare themselves to each other. Oh, yes. They do. They might honestly, they might be some of the worst when it comes to that. And it's something that I have to keep a guard on in my own life that I'm not worrying about what somebody else is doing. And I'm not worried about what somebody else is doing, but I'm excited about when the kingdom of God is advancing. That's the goal.”

51s

#DontStopTheWork

“The comparison started with the 12 internally, and now they're looking at other people. You know why? Because comparison knows no end. You'll start with comparing with one person, then it'll be two people, and then it will be everybody else, and it will consume your thinking. It consume your life. And so they're sitting there and they're saying, Jesus, we're the only demon casters in here. Jesus, we're the only ones that are gonna advance the kingdom. And you know what I think that John thinks? I think John thinks in this moment, just honestly, I think that John is expecting a pat on the back. Good job, John. You did good, man. Good job telling him to cut it out. That's not what he says. He says in verse 39, don't stop him.”

48s

#KeepEyesOnTheMission

“What what is what is Jesus saying here in this text? He's saying that the point is not who's doing it. The point is that the kingdom of god is advancing. We have to keep our eyes on the mission. Christians should be excited when the kingdom of God advanced. You know that you don't even have to like somebody for to be excited that the kingdom of God is advancing. You know, I I I was reading this text. I can't remember where it is in the scriptures, but it's Paul talking. And he's talking about some different people that have some questionable motivations in preaching the gospel. And you could tell that Paul doesn't really care for these people with these questionable motivations. And you know what he says? He says, but nonetheless, Christ is being preached.”

44s

#ServeEveryone

“Should we serve our bosses, and should we serve people who are above us? Absolutely. The Bible says to serve everyone. But the point I'm making is is that if our service only rises to the level of important people, then it's not kingdom service. I want my service to be beyond just those who can help me. Jesus ends and he talks about he says, anybody that welcomes this child welcomes me. Anybody who welcomes this child welcomes me. What Jesus is essentially saying is how you treat me is how you how you treat other people, old people is how you treat me. That's what he's saying.”

43s

#RunYourRace

“The longer that we compare ourselves to each other, the less time we focus on fulfilling our assignment from God. I want you to look at it like this. The the Bible says this. It says in Hebrews to run your race, Run it with perseverance, keeping your eyes on Jesus. Proverbs says to keep your eyes fixed straight ahead. Watch this. If I'm running my race and I stop and I start looking at what everybody else is doing, then I'm slowing down, and I'm not running the race that God has for me. I'm not focusing on Christ. I'm focusing on what everybody else is doing. I just preached a sermon to our youth. It was our impact graduation.”

50s

#EveryoneUnderChrist

“Jesus said to be a servant of everyone else. What about yes? What about the person I don't really care for? Yes. Everyone, regardless of what their economic status is. Can I talk real to you? Regardless of what their racial background is, which, by the way, there's no room for that in the body of Christ. Either one of those things. There's no room for that. In we are united under Christ. The Bible says there's no longer slave nor free, Jew nor Greek. Christ is all that matters. Everyone else. Everyone is everyone. I wanna serve everyone however I can.”

50s

#ServeWhenNoOneSees

“The second thing I wanna point out that Jesus says is he says, to be a servant of everybody else. Be a servant of everybody else. What is being a servant? Being a servant is serving when nobody's looking. Nobody can even notice that you're gonna do it. You see a piece of trash down on the ground, and you, like, look around. I wonder if anyone's maybe I'll wait until somebody looks at me to be able to pick this up so somebody can notice that I'm doing it. That's not the heart of a servant in the kingdom. We do it regardless of if anybody is looking, regardless of if anybody is watching. Being a servant being a servant being a a servant in the kingdom of god is serving even if you don't get thanked.”

32s

#ServeForTheKingdomNotPraise

“Now let me just say this. We believe in thanking people here at this church. I believe that as Christians, we should thank people when they have done a a kindness towards us or something. I'm not saying that we should be thankless people. In fact, the Bible talks about being thankful in all things. The Bible talks about giving honor to where honor is due. We believe that. But, see, the heart of the person that is doing it should not be to be seeking man's thanks. It should be to be seeking service in the kingdom of god.”

36s

#ServeInsideAndOut

“service in church matters. The way that we greet people at the door. What about, yes, unsaved people? But what about your brother or sister in the body of Christ that had a terrible week, and they come into church and you smile at them and say hello? And they think to themselves, man, nobody has smiled at that like that to me the entire week. Our service in the church matters. But what if I said that our service is too weak if it's only inside the church? We need to serve inside the church, yes. But we should be serving outside of the four walls of the church.”

53s

#PracticalLoveFirst

“there was, we used to go on the streets, and we would evangelize to the homeless people in that city. it got really cold in this in this city in the winter. And we were bible college students. It's not like we had all these resources and money and stuff like that. But you know what we were able to do? We were able to to gather up some winter coats. And so we went out there, and we didn't look at the some some guy that's on the street that's freezing half to death and say, can I tell you about Jesus? We handed him a coat first. And we said, here, we just wanna give this to you because we love you. And you know why we love you? We love you because Jesus loves you. And we were able to share the gospel with people. People were getting saved on the streets. We're able to pray with people, able to to to help them get into homeless shelters and do things of that nature. Why? Because that's serving people.”

62s

#KingdomInEveryCareer

“Let me encourage you with this. Many people think that the only way to kingdom advancement is through this pulpit right here. Me preaching. Oh, pastor Joey's advancing the kingdom because he he preaches and people get saved. And that is one avenue to be able to advance the kingdom of god. Ultimately, it comes back to, is the thing you're doing help advance the the the kingdom of God? Well, I'll tell you what. There's, you know, there are people that are in other careers that are also helping the kingdom of God advance. They're out there at they're out there, you know, at a doctor at a doctor's office. And what are they doing at the doctor's office? They're showing the love of Jesus Christ. They're praying for people. They're inviting people to church. They're witnessing to people. And you know what they're even doing? They're funding the kingdom of god with the with with what they, resources that they have. There are many avenues and streams to be able to advance the kingdom of god. You don't just need this pulpit. Whatever you do, you can connect it to the kingdom of god and help the kingdom of god advance. Can you say amen?”

39s

#ServeBeyondChurch

“The way you treat the least of these is the way that we treat him. This is what it looks like to be a servant. God may be challenging some of you right now to be a servant. And and, again, I'm not just talking about serving in church. If you don't serve in church, yes, I encourage you to be able to do that. But I'm not looking to use this message as just a platform to be like, everybody should just give all their time and hours to the church. I'm saying that we as Christians need to be servants in life beyond the four walls of the church and in the four walls of the church.”

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