From Hearsay to Firsthand: Resting in Jesus' Invitation

Devotional

Day 1: From rumors to firsthand friendship with God

You were made for more than secondhand stories about God. Seasons of disorientation are not failure; they are invitations to move from knowing about God to knowing God. Slow down enough to listen—sit with Scripture, keep silence, and ask the Spirit to turn rumors into reality. Let this be a year of seeing with your own eyes, not just hearing with your ears. Begin small, steady practices that cultivate intimacy, and trust that God meets you there. [03:15]

Job 42:5–6
I had only heard reports about you, but now I have met you for myself. I withdraw my accusations and bow low, turning from my pride and empty words.

Reflection: Where have you been living on hearsay with God, and what specific 15-minute practice will you adopt this week to meet Him firsthand (for example, silence, journaling John’s Gospel, or a prayer walk)?

Day 2: Learning Jesus’ unforced rhythms of grace and rest

When life feels like spinning plates, Jesus does not add another plate; He offers His presence. He invites you to walk and work with Him, learning a pace that is sustainable and grace-soaked. Real rest is not escape; it is companionship—matching your steps to His. As you release the forced rhythms of productivity, you will recover your life. Choose one daily moment to breathe, realign, and receive His gentle way. [04:20]

Matthew 11:28–30
Come to me, all of you worn down and anxious, and I will restore you. Take my way of life upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble. My yoke fits you well; with me beside you, the load becomes light.

Reflection: Looking at your current pace, what one “forced rhythm” will you set down this week, and what simple habit will help you walk at Jesus’ gentle pace (for example, a midday pause or tech-free evening hour)?

Day 3: Letting go so new life can grow

In God’s kingdom, pruning is preparation, and surrender is the doorway to fruitfulness. Some good things must end so better things can begin; death precedes resurrection. When we release control, God multiplies life in ways we could not engineer. Trust Him in the uncertainty—He is faithful in the in-between. The seed only becomes a harvest when it is buried in hope. [05:02]

John 12:24–26
I tell you the truth: a single grain of wheat stays alone unless it falls into the soil and dies; if it dies, it produces a great harvest. Those who cling to their life lose it, but those who release it for my sake will find true life. If you would serve me, follow me where I am, and my Father will honor you.

Reflection: What is one specific “good seed” you sense God inviting you to bury—an activity, plan, or preference—so that new life can grow, and what step of release will you take this week?

Day 4: Make it easy for seekers to come

The mission is people encountering Jesus firsthand; everything else is backdrop. God’s heart is to remove unnecessary barriers so those turning to Him can come freely. Belonging before believing, clear next steps, and simple hospitality are not add-ons—they are ministry. Let love lower the hurdles and grace open the door wide. Become a bridge, not a gate. [03:47]

Acts 15:19
Therefore, my judgment is this: we must not put stumbling blocks in the path of those from the nations who are turning to God.

Reflection: Think of one person near you who is curious about faith; what concrete obstacle can you remove this week (simplify your language, offer a lift, share a meal, or sit with them at a gathering) so they can come closer to Jesus?

Day 5: At the Table: belonging, grace, and sending

At the Table, Jesus welcomes the broken, turns strangers into family, and sends His people to bless the world. Communion is not routine; it is a weekly taste of the future where God delights to dwell with us. Here we remember mercy, practice grace, and learn to make room for others. As we are nourished, we are also commissioned to carry His welcome beyond the walls. Come hungry, leave sent. [04:58]

Hosea 2:19–20
I will make you mine forever; I will bind you to me with faithful love, justice, compassion, and mercy. You will truly know me, because I will keep my promise to you.

Reflection: Who could you invite to your table (home or church) this week, and what two simple choices will help them feel they belong (for example, their heart-language music, a favorite dish, or a gentle explanation of communion)?

Sermon Summary

A year marked by movement—from orientation through disorientation into reorientation—was framed as an invitation to return to Jesus’ “unforced rhythms of grace.” Rather than running on the fumes of productivity, the call is to walk with Christ, not just work for Him, so that ministry flows from intimacy. Drawing from Matthew 11 and a sabbatical shaped by Job 42, the emphasis falls on shifting from living by secondhand reports about God to firsthand encounter—moving from rumors to reality, from crumbs to communion.

This transition has touched the church’s life in concrete ways. Leadership has broadened, social reach has expanded, and student ministry has seen significant momentum, particularly among international students. Property development received early approval, yet it was underscored that buildings, frameworks, and partnerships are merely backdrops, not the mission. The center is people meeting Jesus firsthand.

John 12 provided a hinge: “unless a kernel of wheat falls and dies…” Some things—like Table at 399—needed to end, not because of failure but to make room for new fruit. That surrender shapes the future vision summarized in the BRIDGE framework: Belonging; Renewed (deep dependence through practices); Intentionally Sent; Disciple-making; Grace-filled; and Equipped. Anchored in Acts 15:19, the aim is “not to make it difficult” for those turning to God. Practically, three hubs are emerging—Grow (formation into Christlikeness), Plant (raising planters and disciple-makers), and Build (forming kingdom entrepreneurs who carry the gospel’s DNA into every sphere).

January launches “At The Table,” a sustained return to communion as the weekly place of encounter, family, and mission—where Jesus welcomes the broken with grace, transforms strangers into family, and sends His people to participate in restoration. Four invitations close the year: stop living on hearsay and pursue firsthand communion with God; intentionally disciple one or two people; engage and serve meaningfully in the life of the church; and trust God amid ongoing uncertainty. Rather than settling for survival through transition, the call is to be transformed in it—choosing the feast of presence over the crusts of busyness.

Key Takeaways

1. From hearsay to firsthand faith Secondhand religion eventually runs dry. God invites a relationship that moves beyond information and into encounter—where doctrine is seasoned by devotion. Practices of silence, Scripture, and honest prayer retrain the soul to receive God rather than perform for Him. Repentance, like Job’s, is not defeat but the doorway into deeper sight. [37:58]
2. Death makes room for fruit Jesus teaches that surrender precedes abundance. Sometimes faithful endings—like retiring a beloved ministry—are the most obedient way to make space for new life. Pruning is not punishment; it is preparation for a harvest that cannot grow in crowded soil. Trust is measured by what we’re willing to let die for God’s glory. [46:35]
3. Choose unforced rhythms of grace Jesus offers rest that is learned by walking with Him, not by finishing tasks for Him. Grace is not the absence of effort; it is effort rightly ordered by presence. The light yoke exposes the heavy yokes we’ve normalized as “ministry.” Freedom begins when pace and priorities are set by the Lord of the Sabbath. [32:42]
4. The mission is people, not projects Buildings, frameworks, and partnerships are tools, not the target. The goal is helping real people meet the real Jesus in real time. When programs overshadow persons, we forget the Person who sends us. Keep the backdrop in its place so the main thing stays unmistakably central. [48:28]
5. Disciple one or two intentionally Transformation rarely happens in crowds; it happens across tables and over time. Choose a couple of people and walk with them from curiosity to conviction, from hearsay to firsthand faith. Share life, Scripture, prayer, and practice. Multiplication starts small and grows strong. [60:57]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[18:02] - Community announcements and picnic
[29:19] - Year-end reflection begins
[30:12] - Orientation, disorientation, reorientation
[32:17] - Invitation to rest in Jesus
[34:05] - Leadership shifts and ministry changes
[36:26] - Job: from rumors to reality
[43:42] - Property development approved
[46:05] - John 12: seed and surrender
[48:28] - Mission clarified: firsthand encounters
[49:17] - BRIDGE framework overview
[53:38] - Three hubs: Grow, Plant, Build
[57:39] - New series: At The Table
[60:00] - Four invitations for 2025
[64:20] - Benediction and celebrations

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
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Observation questions

In Matthew 11:28-30, what verbs does Jesus use to invite people, and what does he promise in return?
In Job 42:5-6, what change does Job name between his past and present knowing of God?
According to John 12:24-26, what two outcomes are contrasted for the “kernel of wheat,” and what determines which outcome happens?
What three hubs were described for the future (name them), and what is the one spiritual posture they must flow from? [53:38]

Interpretation questions

How do Jesus’ “unforced rhythms of grace” change the way we think about faithful work versus burnout-driven activity? [32:42]
What does Job’s move from “rumors” to “firsthand” suggest about the kind of repentance that leads to intimacy with God rather than just regret?
If “a kernel…dies” to bear much fruit, what kinds of endings might actually be obedient, not failures, in a church family? [46:35]
Why must buildings, frameworks, and partnerships stay as the backdrop so that people meeting Jesus stays central? What goes wrong if the backdrop becomes the main stage? [48:28]

Application questions

Pace and yokes: Where have heavy, ill-fitting yokes crept into your week (even in the name of serving)? What is one concrete change to your rhythm this month to learn Jesus’ “unforced rhythms of grace” (e.g., a daily 10 minutes of silence, a weekly hour of undistracted prayer-walk)? [32:42]
From hearsay to firsthand: In what area of your walk have you been living on “crumbs of rumor”? Choose one practice to pursue firsthand encounter with God this week (silence, Scripture in the Gospels, honest prayer, or journaling). When and where will you do it? [37:58]
Surrender for fruit: What might God be asking you to lay down (a program, a habit, a role, a schedule pattern) to make room for new life? What small, obedient step could you take in the next 7 days to “plant the seed” and trust God with the fruit? [46:35]
Disciple one or two: Who are the one or two people God is placing on your heart to walk with this year? What first step will you take this week—texting an invite, setting a regular time, or sharing a simple plan (Scripture, prayer, and life-on-life)? [01:00:57]
At The Table each week: As we gather for communion, what will you bring to the Table—confession, gratitude, intercession for a friend, a willingness to be sent? How could this weekly encounter become a new “home base” for your life with God? [57:39]
Engage and serve: Where is one meaningful place you can step in—joining a life group, helping with students, hospitality, prayer, or tech? Name the team, the person you’ll contact, and when you’ll do it. [01:02:14]
Trust in uncertainty: What unknowns are you carrying (timelines, work, family, housing)? Share one, and decide on one simple practice to stay anchored this month (breath prayer, a weekly fast from worry screens, memorizing a promise). [01:03:06]

Sermon Clips

And so, maybe this year has felt like disorientation for you. Maybe you've been living on hearsay, going through the motions without encountering the living God. And if that is you, let me just say, that's not failure, right? This is a path for you. That disorientation is how God prepares us for something new. That disorientation prepares us for something new. [00:39:04] (34 seconds) #DisorientationPrepares

This year has also been a number of talks around how we partner with other like-minded people and organizations to become a place where the gospel is shared with passion, that the gospel is shared with people who don't know, that we become a place where people will want to come because we will be known for our love for God. [00:45:19] (35 seconds) #KnownForGodsLove

And for me, John chapter 12 was a hinge moment for us. It's, I don't believe it's by coincidence. In part, I go, oh, wow, that's amazing. Because as I came back from sabbatical, I knew that we were going into a transition season. And John chapter 12 was the hinge point in the gospel, the moment where Jesus prepares for glory through his sacrifice. [00:46:05] (28 seconds) #John12HingeMoment

We will be a place that is grace-filled. That this will be a place where you can belong before you ever believe. And we saw that on Sunday, sorry, we saw that on Christmas Day, though there was a couple of people who, who came up here to, to read the Bible passages. And, you know, they're not yet Christians. And yet they put their hand up to go, I want to read. I want to, I want to read the gospel. I want to read this passage. And they did it. And it's amazing what God is doing. [00:51:06] (33 seconds) #BelongBeforeYouBelieve

I want you to pursue God to know him firsthand, that this is your primary work. Ask God to move you from rumors to reality. To spend time in silence, to practice things like the daily office, to sit with scripture, to encounter the one who wrote it. It's not enough just to hear a sermon every Sunday. Right? Part of the reasons why people say, oh, you've got to pray, read your Bible, and all of that kind of stuff, is so that you can know the God who saved you. [00:59:50] (37 seconds) #FromRumorsToReality

I want you to identify one or two people who you will intentionally disciple. Right? Not just befriend. Not just invite to church. Disciple. And what I mean by this is, I want you to walk with them. Help them move from hearsay to firsthand knowledge of who God is. [01:00:57] (20 seconds) #IntentionallyDisciple

And so, in this coming month, maybe less, I want you to start praying. And I believe that God will put one or two people's names in your heart, in your mind. And I want you to reach out to them, one or two people, and just walk alongside them. Help them to see who God is through your own life. [01:01:31] (22 seconds) #PrayAndWalkAlongside

I want you to, I would like for each and every one of you to engage in the work here at Kingsford Church. Not just attend. I want you to find your place here, to serve somewhere, to give something, to grow intentionally. And that could look like serving in a ministry. It would definitely look like each and every one of you joining a life group. We want to help you grow intentionally in God because in this coming year, changes are going to come thick and fast. [01:01:55] (35 seconds) #EngageAndServe

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