United Around Jesus: Harbor West's Next Ten Years

Aug 03, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Baptism Wall as a Tapestry of Shared Faith

A concrete wall displays photos of faces wet with grace, each frame declaring the same confession: Jesus saves. This unity isn’t manufactured by shared preferences or backgrounds, but by the Spirit’s work in diverse lives. Baptism marks the moment when individual stories collide into one epic of redemption, stitching strangers into family. Every splash of water shouts that what divides us is drowned, leaving only Christ’s victory as our anthem. To withhold baptism is to silence part of the chorus God is writing through His church. [21:17]

“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13, ESV)

Reflection: When you see the baptism wall, do you feel kinship with those faces or distance? What step—whether going public through baptism or celebrating others’ stories—would deepen your sense of belonging here?

Day 2: 100 Trillion Cells, One Body

A human body thrives not by uniformity, but through trillions of specialized cells working unseen. So the church—each member a unique “cell” with irreplaceable purpose—flourishes when all contribute their God-given design. No role is insignificant: the hand’s grip matters as much as the heart’s rhythm. Dismissing your part disrupts the whole organism. Confidence grows when we trust the Designer’s blueprint over our limited perspective. [19:24]

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you downplayed your role in the body? How might embracing your specific design—instead of coveting others’—free you to thrive?

Day 3: The Right Hand of Fellowship for Outsiders

A former persecutor grips the hands of those he once hated, now brothers. The church’s unity startles the world most when enemies become family through Christ. Like Paul, we extend fellowship not to clones of ourselves, but to anyone transformed by grace—regardless of résumé. Barriers of race, class, or past failures crumble when Jesus becomes the shared resume. [22:58]

“And when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me.” (Galatians 2:9, ESV)

Reflection: Who feels like an “outsider” to you? How could initiating a conversation or shared meal this week embody Christ’s inclusive fellowship?

Day 4: Worshiping Behind the Scenes with Matt

A man’s off-key voice behind the pastor fuels his worship more than any stage performance. Unseen servants—cleaning crews, tech teams, security—oil the gears of community. Their labor often goes unnoticed until absent, like lungs only felt when breathless. Honoring hidden work protects the body from the lie that visibility equals value. [34:41]

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ.” (Romans 12:4–5, ESV)

Reflection: When have you undervalued someone’s behind-the-scenes service? How might you encourage or join them this month?

Day 5: Physical 100 and the Impossible Mission

A room of sculpted athletes strains toward feats no solo effort could achieve. The church’s mission—1% of Hawaiʻi saved, 100 churches planted—seems equally audacious. Yet unified bodies accomplish impossible tasks. Just as Paul relied on Antioch’s sending and care, we interlock gifts to fuel disciple-making. The goal isn’t personal glory but collective resurrection life. [44:58]

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19, ESV)

Reflection: What bold step—joining a community group, serving, giving—could position you to help tackle this God-sized vision?

Sermon Summary

First Corinthians 12 gives Harbor West a ten year anniversary word that is bigger than nostalgia: Christ has made his people one body, and God is not done. The body image says the church is alive, diverse, and on the move, not a club for insiders or a loose gathering of religious consumers. The Spirit baptizes Jews and Greeks, slave and free, locals and transplants, PhDs and middle school dropouts, million dollar homeowners and the houseless, into one body. Baptism says publicly that Jesus is God come to rescue sinners, the only hope in life and death, and the one who forgives, empowers, and secures the future.

The one body also exposes the danger of comparison. The foot does not stop belonging because it is not a hand, and the ear does not lose its place because it is not an eye. God has arranged each part just as he wanted, so the quiet member, the behind the scenes servant, the person who feels ordinary, and the person who wonders whether there is room all receive the same confidence: God has a purpose and plan for each person in the local church where he has placed them. The Spirit gives gifts “for the common good,” and the image of God in each person means that the church sees more of God as people are truly known.

The body image also kills superiority. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” because the visible roles cannot survive without the hidden ones. The clean team, tech team, security team, community group hosts, keiki workers, hospitality servants, generous givers, and faithful worshipers all become necessary ligaments in a living body. God gives greater honor to the less honorable parts, so unseen service is not second class work; it is indispensable.

The body finally points the church toward mission. A healthy, strong, focused body can do things that look impossible, and Christ has given his body the Great Commission: make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey. Harbor West’s next ten years are called toward going all in through salvation, baptism, membership, community groups, serving, giving, and church planting. The one one hundred dream asks God to bring one percent of Hawaii to Jesus and plant around one hundred churches, a goal so big that only God could do it. Jesus unites the body, gives purpose to every part, and sends the church out to see the miraculous.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus alone can hold diversity. The body of Christ is not held together by shared politics, background, income, age, or culture. The Spirit gathers outsiders and insiders into the same family, and that kind of unity requires Jesus at the center every time. The church becomes healthiest when room is made not just in the chairs, but in actual lives and relationships. [28:32]
2. God arranges every needed part. The foot is not less body because it is not a hand, and the ear is not less body because it is not an eye. Comparison forgets that God places people with care, purpose, and wisdom. A local church does not need every person to be the same; it needs every God-given part to stop apologizing for its place. [31:12]
3. Hidden service deserves real honor. The visible gifts often receive the attention, but the body breaks down quickly when unseen servants stop caring. Clean rooms, clear lyrics, safe gatherings, warm welcomes, and faithful setup are not background noise; they are love taking practical shape. God clothes the less noticeable parts with honor because his kingdom does not measure value by visibility. [39:45]
4. Membership means serious commitment. Covenant membership is not just a church database or a casual label. It says, “These are my people,” even when difficulty, offense, and strain make leaving feel easier. The body grows strong when commitment becomes deeper than convenience. [52:03]
5. A healthy body makes disciples. The church does not exist only to receive spiritual goods, but to move together on the mission Jesus gave. A united, focused body can see people move from death to life, leaders raised up, groups multiplied, and churches planted. The one one hundred dream is intentionally too big for human strength, because only God gets glory from impossible fruit. [46:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[14:54] - Celebrating Ten Years of Harbor West
[16:11] - A Vision for the Next Ten Years
[17:47] - One Body, Many Parts
[20:37] - Baptism Unites Believers Around Jesus
[23:21] - One Spirit in One Body
[26:44] - Making Room for Outsiders
[29:49] - Comparison Inside the Body
[31:12] - God Arranges Every Part
[35:45] - Gifts, Presence, and Community Groups
[38:26] - Honoring Hidden Servants
[42:56] - Suffering and Rejoicing Together
[45:24] - The Great Commission Mission
[46:52] - The One One Hundred Initiative
[51:28] - Next Steps to Go All In

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 12:12-27
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” [17:28]

Matthew 28:19-20
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [45:27]

Galatians 2:9
“and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” [22:20]

1 Corinthians 12:7
“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

Observation questions

In 1 Corinthians 12, what different kinds of people and body parts are named, and what do those examples show about the church being both diverse and one? [26:44]
What does Paul say the foot and the ear are tempted to believe about themselves, and what does he say back to that kind of thinking? [29:49]
According to 1 Corinthians 12:21-25, how does God view the parts of the body that seem weaker or less honorable? [38:34]
What practical next steps are connected to the church’s mission of making disciples in Matthew 28:19-20? [51:28]

Interpretation questions

Paul says believers were baptized by one Spirit into one body. Why does that make Jesus, rather than background or preference, the center of church unity? [24:24]
Paul says God arranged each part of the body as he chose. How does that challenge both insecurity and comparison in a local church? [31:12]
Paul says the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you.” What does that reveal about visible ministry and hidden ministry, and why can’t a church stay healthy while treating unseen service like it matters less? [39:45]
Jesus gave the church the mission to make disciples of all nations. How does the body image in 1 Corinthians 12 help explain why that mission is meant to be carried out together rather than alone? [46:52]

Application questions

Where is comparison most tempting right now: wishing for someone else’s gifts, role, personality, or visibility? What would it look like to receive the place God has given instead of apologizing for it? [31:00]
Jesus brings together people who would not naturally choose one another. Is there a kind of person it feels hard to make room for in actual life and relationship? What would making room look like beyond being polite on a Sunday? [28:32]
Hidden service is indispensable in the body of Christ. Which kinds of unseen faithfulness have been easy to overlook or undervalue? How could more honor be shown to people who serve quietly? [40:20]
Membership says, “These are my people.” If commitment has stayed shallow or convenient, what has made it hard to go all in with a local church? What would deeper commitment look like in this season? [52:03]
God gives gifts for the common good. Where does personal gifting seem most alive right now, and where might that gifting need to be put to work more intentionally for others? [33:00]
Community in the body means suffering together and rejoicing together. Is there a burden being carried alone right now, or a joy that has not really been shared? What would it look like to let the church into that more honestly? [42:56]
A healthy body moves on mission. Which next step feels most real right now—salvation, baptism, membership, joining a community group, serving, giving, or helping send more leaders and churches? What makes that step feel timely? [51:15]

Sermon Clips

37s

#CommitToOneChurch

“Now listen, I do not believe that everyone should be a member at Harbor West. I don't believe that. I don't believe Harbor West is for everyone. There are too many amazing gospel preaching Jesus loving churches on our island for everyone to find a home here. But you've gotta commit somewhere to be part of this mission. You've gotta commit somewhere to be part of this mission. To say, this is my place. This is where I'm living this out. This is where I'm gonna work together with my brothers and sisters to do something that I couldn't do, we couldn't do as individuals.”

48s

#GoAllInChurch

“Whatever the deepest level of commitment that church has, go all in. Join that church in that way. Be as fiercely committed as you can be to that place. And once you've done that, you can live with the confidence of this, that God has a purpose and plan for you at that church. Because look at what it says. God has arranged his church according to his plan. That that that means that if God himself has arranged the parts of the church body the way he wants it, that he wants you to be here. He has ordained that you have a necessary, vital, involved role in this body. And so you can be confident that this is where God is going to use you.”

44s

#UseYourGodGift

“Earlier up in the chapter, in verse seven, it says that God's spirit has given different gifts to each person in the church for the common good. That when you became a Christian, God's spirit gifted you in a unique way for the common good of us all. You are gifted to be a blessing to your church. Are you using that gift in your church? Are you committed to that gift in your church? You have a gifting from God to be lived out in a local church. When you join a church in membership, you're saying, this is the place that I believe that God has called me to live this out, to be a blessing, to use this gifting.”

59s

#ReflectGodInOthers

“You have yourself. Like in Genesis, we're taught that each of us are created in the image of God. That God has created us to image him to reflect his glory. When someone looks at you and someone gets to know you, they're seeing and learning something about God in you. And here's what that means. The more people you truly get to know, the more you see and learn about God through those people. For us to know God better, we need to know each other better. We can move forward in the confidence of knowing that you need to be here. When you're missing, we don't get to see God in his completeness. When you're here, we get to see more of God. God is gonna use you in some way to shine light on his glory and to encourage us and strengthen us and propel us forward.”

60s

#UnitedByBaptismJesus

“And when you think about those things together, our unity in our baptism, our confession of faith, our unity in God's spirit who indwells all of us the same. We have this unity as a church solely built on what God has done. We gather up as a church and when we do, we're saying, it's all because of you, Jesus. It's not because I figured out life and I cleaned myself up and I found another group of people that have figured out life and cleaned themselves up and we're trying to be good together. No. We gather together because of what Jesus has done in each of our lives. And so Harbor West, as we move forward into the next ten years, let's move forward united around Jesus. Because he's the only thing. He's the only one who could unite us.”

64s

#UnitedDoIncredibleThings

“Church, when we move forward united by Jesus, confidently committed to each other, using our gifting to build up this body, we are able to do incredible things. Incredible things. Like think about the incredible things here. Being united with no division. Having a diverse group of people as us come together and experience unity and not letting things blow up and divide us. That is a miracle. That's a miracle that that that could happen among such a diverse group of people. Having concern for one another so much that we suffer together, rejoice together. Who lives like that? Verse 27, the church. The church can. Jesus gave us a mission to do incredible things, to live in incredible ways. And so Harbor West, let's move forward on this mission. Let's move forward on the mission that we can do incredible things as a body.”

71s

#MakeRoomKeepJesusCenter

“Now, I don't mean simply scooting over in our chairs and allowing for there to be space for more people to sit down. I'm talking about making room for them in our lives. Making enough room for them in our lives and in our own relationships. Making room for people who are not like us. And man, when you do that, when you make room for people in your life who are not like you, you must keep Jesus at the center. You must keep Jesus at the center because we're gonna be tempted to let all kinds of things divide us. The coming together of a crazy diverse group of people with different backgrounds and and growing up in different ways, we're gonna be tempted to let politics divide us or ethnic differences divide us or racism divide us. The list is endless. The only way to move forward united is to be united around Jesus. He is the only one who could unite such a diverse people that he is calling to himself. And so Harbor West, as we move into the next ten years, let's be fiercely committed to being united around Jesus.”

42s

#ChurchWithoutBarriers

“You see in the church, there are no racial or social or national barriers. The church is the coming together of an incredibly diverse group of people who are all united through Jesus and by Jesus. Now, the hyper religious people of Jesus in Paul's day, they would have been super upset by this. The idea that outsiders were allowed in. They wanted the church to be a space just for them, just for their friends and for others like them. They wanted it to remain an insider's club. But God made it clear that he wasn't just allowing outsiders to come in, he was inviting them to be co equals in the family.”

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