Know God, Gather Together, Chase Purpose, Change the World

Sep 20, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Deciding How Much of God You Want to Know

Knowing God isn’t passive—it’s a daily choice to pursue Him through Scripture, prayer, and worship. Just as Paul pressed on to know Christ despite decades of walking with Him, every believer must actively seek deeper intimacy. Busyness will always compete, but the decision to prioritize knowing God shapes everything. This pursuit isn’t about checking boxes; it’s about encountering the unchanging God who meets vulnerability with love. Your honesty with Him becomes the doorway to experiencing His faithfulness. [39:31]

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (Philippians 3:10–12, NASB)

Reflection: What practical step will you take today to prioritize knowing God, not just about Him? How might honesty with Him deepen your experience of His presence?

Day 2: Playing Life as a One-Person Team Exhausts You

Trying to live like the lone basketball player facing five opponents drains joy and purpose. Isolation isn’t just lonely—it harms mental, emotional, and even physical health. God declared “it is not good to be alone” before sin entered the world, proving community is His design, not a backup plan. The church functions as a body: hands need arms, feet need knees. Your presence and gifts matter to others as much as theirs matter to you. [49:14]

“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” (Genesis 2:18, NASB)

Reflection: Where have you settled for isolation disguised as peace? Who might need your intentional pursuit this week to experience God’s design for community?

Day 3: Your Purpose Begins With God’s Assignment, Not Your Resume

Abraham was 75, childless, and clueless about the destination when God called him. Purpose starts with God’s initiative, not human qualifications. He equips those He calls, accounting for weaknesses and uncertainties. Surrendering control—like Abraham leaving Haran—unlocks obedience. Chasing purpose costs comfort but multiplies impact, as seen in Abraham’s legacy leading to Christ. Your “yes” to God’s assignment, however small, can ripple through generations. [59:31]

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.’” (Genesis 12:1–2, NASB)

Reflection: What fear or excuse holds you back from trusting God’s assignment? How might your surrender today position others to encounter His purpose?

Day 4: Redefining Wins Where Your Two Feet Stand

Changing the world starts not with grand plans but faithful presence. Like coaching a losing soccer team, discipleship means celebrating small victories—a child’s perseverance, a family invited to church. The Great Commission happens in grocery lines, school pickups, and workplaces when we ask, “How can I glorify God here?” You don’t need expertise, just availability to encourage, serve, and invite others to follow Jesus as you do. [01:10:27]

“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.” (Matthew 28:19–20, NASB)

Reflection: Where do your “two feet” stand today? How could seeing that place as your mission field shift your perspective on ordinary moments?

Day 5: Angry Prayers Can Be Sacred Doorways

Crying “Why did you allow this?” in raw honesty doesn’t disqualify you—it deepens intimacy. God met the pastor in a July night’s anger, proving He welcomes our unfiltered struggles. Pouring out grief, doubt, or rage to Him isn’t faithlessness; it’s trust that He can handle our humanity. Vulnerability dismantles performative religion, letting us experience God as a Father who stays close in pain. [44:15]

“Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:8, NASB)

Reflection: What unspoken struggle have you bottled up, fearing God’s rejection? How might bringing it honestly to Him today shift your understanding of His nearness?

Sermon Summary

The call to make disciples begins with knowing God, because no one can go with confidence until they have personally come to know the One they are pointing people toward. Paul’s hunger in Philippians shows that even after seeing God move, there is always more of Christ to know. Knowing God means more than hearing about Him on Sunday. Knowing God means choosing Scripture, prayer, worship, and honest time in His presence before the busy takes over.

God’s faithfulness becomes especially real when honesty replaces pretending. The invitation to know God includes bringing anger, grief, questions, and unhealed trauma to Him instead of trying to perform a polished faith. God meets people where they are, and He does not leave them there. The more a person knows God, the more that person finds they are known by Him.

Gathering together pushes back against the lie that isolation is peace. God said, before sin ever entered the picture, that it was not good for people to be alone. The body of Christ needs every part, because gifts, stories, encouragement, and presence matter to somebody else. Community costs vulnerability, but no one can experience its benefits while continually avoiding the openness it requires. Doing life together means carrying burdens, eating, praying, forgiving, serving, celebrating, and knowing more than faces and names.

Chasing purpose begins with God’s assignment, not personal qualifications or other people’s opinions. Abraham’s call shows that God gives purpose, provides what is needed, and asks for a yes before giving every detail. Purpose will cost comfort, control, plans, fear, and pride, because obedience requires surrender. God’s purpose also reaches beyond the individual, like an apple tree whose fruit is meant for those passing by. One faithful yes can touch generations that a person may never see.

Changing the world turns all of this outward. Jesus’ Great Commission calls every follower to go and make disciples wherever their two feet are. Discipleship can be as simple as saying, “Follow me as I follow Christ,” then inviting somebody into the process of knowing God, gathering together, and chasing purpose. Availability matters more than expertise. A soccer field, classroom, office, grocery store, or school pickup line can become holy ground when someone asks, “God, how can You use me right here?” The win is not always points on the board. The win may be encouragement, perseverance, a burden carried, or one person seeing Jesus through an ordinary yes.

Key Takeaways

1. Know God before you go Knowing God cannot be outsourced to a church service, a leader, or somebody else’s testimony. Personal time in Scripture, prayer, worship, and honest conversation forms the kind of faith that can speak of God’s goodness with confidence. God remains constant through changing seasons, and there is always more of Him to know. [41:30]
2. Honesty opens deeper fellowship with God Honest prayer does not dishonor God when pain, anger, and confusion are real. God is not threatened by the questions that rise from wounded places, and He does not turn away from vulnerable hearts. The place of deepest honesty can become the place where a person feels most seen and loved by God. [44:15]
3. Community requires vulnerable participation Isolation can feel safe because it limits disappointment, but it also cuts people off from the life God designed them to receive and give. The body of Christ needs more than attendance; it needs shared burdens, names, stories, forgiveness, and presence. Community often begins when someone stops waiting to be invited and chooses to create space for another person. [55:26]
4. Purpose requires a surrendered yes God assigns purpose with full knowledge of every weakness, limitation, and unfinished part of a person’s story. Obedience rarely comes with every detail in hand, because surrender means trusting God one step at a time. A faithful yes may carry a cost, but it can produce fruit far beyond one person’s lifetime. [63:20]
5. Availability changes the world nearby Changing the world does not require a platform, expertise, or a perfect plan. God can use ordinary people in ordinary places when they stop asking only how to win and begin asking how to glorify Him right where they stand. Faithfulness may look like encouragement, perseverance, asking for help, or inviting one person to follow Christ alongside them.

## [79:09]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[38:35] - The Mission Methods
[39:01] - Know God Before You Go
[41:30] - There Is More of God to Know
[42:26] - Honest Prayer in Hard Places
[47:56] - Gather Together
[49:30] - Isolation Has a Cost
[52:34] - The Body of Christ Needs Every Part
[57:32] - Chase Purpose
[59:31] - Abraham’s Yes to God
[62:02] - Purpose Will Cost You
[64:19] - Purpose Impacts Others
[67:20] - Change the World
[70:27] - Discipleship Wherever Your Feet Are
[71:50] - A Soccer Field and a Yes
[79:55] - Be Available Right Where You Are
[83:20] - Prayer of Salvation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:19-20
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
[38:35]

Philippians 3:10-14
“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
[40:04]

Genesis 12:1-2
“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing.’”
[59:50]

1 Corinthians 12:12
“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.”
[52:47]

Observation questions

In Philippians 3, what does Paul say he still wants even after all he has already experienced with Christ, and what words show that he has not “arrived” yet? [40:21]
What does God ask Abram to leave behind in Genesis 12, and what does God promise to do through him?
According to 1 Corinthians 12:12, how does Paul describe the relationship between the many members and the one body? [52:47]
In Matthew 28:19-20, what are the main actions Jesus gives His followers, and what promise does He give them as they obey? [01:08:50]

Interpretation questions

Paul’s desire to know Christ includes both resurrection power and fellowship in suffering. What does this show about knowing God as more than simply learning facts about Him? [40:29]
God told Abram to go before showing him the full destination. Why might God sometimes call a person to take the next obedient step without giving every detail first? [01:02:19]
If the church is one body with many members, what is lost when a believer stays disconnected or assumes that his or her presence, gifts, and story do not matter? [53:40]
Jesus commands every follower to make disciples and promises to be with them. How does His presence address the fear of feeling unqualified or unprepared to help someone follow Him? [01:19:34]

Application questions

What usually takes over before time with God—work, family needs, phone notifications, tiredness, or something else? What would it look like to make a realistic choice this week to know God through Scripture, prayer, worship, or quiet honesty before the busy begins? [41:01]
Is there an area of anger, grief, confusion, disappointment, or pain that has been kept hidden from God? What might an honest conversation with Him sound like, even if there are still unanswered questions? [44:15]
Where has isolation felt safer than community? Is there a specific person, group, meal, or conversation that could be one next step toward being known and helping someone else feel known? [55:17]
The body of Christ needs every part. What gift, encouragement, experience, or simple presence might God want to use through someone in this group right now? [53:43]
What part of obedience feels costly at this season—comfort, control, plans, fear, pride, or something else? What is one surrendered “yes” that could be taken without needing every detail first? [01:03:16]
Where are your two feet most often this week—home, work, school, a team, a neighborhood, a store, or somewhere else? Who is one person there who may need encouragement, prayer, practical help, or an invitation to follow Jesus alongside you? [01:21:30]

Sermon Clips

46s

#ChooseCommunity

“But I wanna challenge us because I've I've I've said a lot of these things in my life. Well, we complain that we're lonely, but we won't join a life group. We want community, but we won't initiate community. We want someone to check-in on us. When was the last time you checked on someone? We want people to know us, but we don't wanna let them in because that's personal. But here's the thing is you can't, experience the benefits of community while continually avoiding the vulnerability that community requires.”

42s

#SurrenderToGod

“Y'all, this act of faith required Abram to give up literally everything he had ever known to be obedient to the call that he didn't even have all the details for. Chasing your God given purpose requires obedience and obedience requires surrender. Surrender of our comfort, of control, of our plans, of our fears, of our pride, you fill in the blank. And can I be so honest? Sometimes the biggest roadblock between stepping into our purpose and us is ourselves. And to that I say, get out of your own way.”

38s

#CreateCommunity

“Sit with someone you don't know. Invite someone to your house and just ask somebody, how are you really doing? Don't wait for community to happen to you. Go create it. Because we're not a one person team. We're the body of Christ. So we do life together because we were never created to do this alone. And community isn't just about having someone beside you, it's about having people who help you become what God created you to be.”

43s

#PurposeWithAyes

“And God knew that Abraham was the perfect person for this assignment because God accounted for everything about him just as he accounts for everything about you. He knows your strengths. He knows your weaknesses. He knows your struggles. He knows you'll fall short and he doesn't disqualify you for it. I mean, in this story, Abraham is 75 years old and childless when God asked him to go. Now, that's a word for somebody this morning. And no matter where you are, where you've come from, or who you are, God has assigned you a purpose that no one and no thing can take away from you. All it requires is your yes.”

45s

#KnowThenGo

“But we don't want to know God so we can keep him to ourselves. We know so that we can go. If I didn't know God, I wouldn't have the confidence to stand up here this morning. This is part of my going. I get to share what I have walked through so that someone else can have the opportunity to know God that I have come to know. And going doesn't always mean standing on stage. It means taking what God has done in us, into the places, and the relationships he has put around us. Because before we go, we have to know. But once we know him, we get to go.”

52s

#ChangeTheWorld

“But maybe it's your classroom or your school, students, your office, your neighborhood, the grocery store, the school pickup line. That's fun. Your child's team, maybe your team, maybe your own a team, guys. And maybe you needed to help change the culture wherever your two feet are. There are people who Jesus loves so much, and maybe they don't know. And if not us, who will tell them? This is changing the world, and it's not changing the whole world at one time. It's seeing the one person in front of you and saying, hey, I don't have it all figured out, but follow me as I follow Christ.”

42s

#HonestWithGod

“And I'm not gonna tell you that everything was made better because it wasn't. People have people make choices. Evil is real in the world. And sometimes, even innocent people have to handle and and walk through consequences of somebody else's choices. in those times and asking those questions and seeing that God was faithful, he did not turn his back on me. He was not quiet. I got to know him. And so, I hope that brings you freedom today if you're walking through something like that because it's okay to be honest with God.”

45s

#GoodNewsEverywhere

“You don't have to wait till you're handed a mic. You don't have to wait for whatever it is you're waiting for, for a missions trip. You don't have to wait to be on staff at a church. You don't need to have everything together because that's impossible. Right? You don't have to wait in order we call them our good news boots on in our kids. You don't have to wait to put your good news boots on the ground wherever your two feet are. You were made to change the world. Together, wherever our two feet are, that is where God can use us.”

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