Rewired: Think Empowerment

Devotional

Day 1: Greatness Measured by Serving, Not Controlling

Jesus flipped his disciples’ argument about status by redefining leadership as sacrificial service. Worldly systems reward control and position, but kingdom leadership thrives when authority becomes stewardship. The disciples struggled to grasp this as they fixated on hierarchy while Jesus walked toward crucifixion. True greatness emerges not from managing others but from pouring oneself out for their growth. Jesus’ example confronts our addiction to recognition and invites us to find freedom in serving unseen. [46:53]

“Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” (Matthew 20:25-28, NIV)

Reflection: Where do you instinctively seek control rather than serve? How might choosing humility in one relationship this week reflect Jesus’ model of leadership?

Day 2: Empowered People Multiply Kingdom Impact

The Holy Spirit’s presence in believers isn’t just for personal comfort—it’s fuel for empowering others. Jesus didn’t hoard influence but distributed it, trusting flawed disciples to heal and teach. Like a relay runner passing the baton, kingdom leaders focus not on their lap but on equipping others for theirs. Every conversation, responsibility, or act of encouragement becomes a seed of empowerment. What seems small today can multiply through generations. [43:22]

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10, NIV)

Reflection: When has someone’s belief in you changed your trajectory? Who needs you to affirm their God-given potential this week?

Day 3: Success Is Reproducible, Not Indispensable

Jesus measured success by how many servants he sent out, not how many crowds he gathered. The disciples initially saw ministry as a competition, but Jesus modeled delegation—sending seventy others to preach while investing in twelve. Kingdom productivity values depth over deadlines, asking not “What did I achieve?” but “Who did I develop?” A parent teaching a child to pray or a coworker sharing wisdom both plant eternal harvests. [55:35]

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2, NIV)

Reflection: What task or role do you cling to out of fear others might fail? What step could you take to mentor someone in that area?

Day 4: Daily Prayer for Empowerment in Ordinary Moments

The simplest kingdom work often happens offstage—a parent letting a toddler pour cereal, a manager delegating a key project, or a friend asking, “What do you think we should do?” Jesus’ prayer model wasn’t about eloquence but availability: “Show me one person.” These moments require noticing the quiet, the unqualified, and the overlooked. Empowerment thrives not in grand plans but in daily obedience to see and stir potential. [01:06:10]

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3-4, NIV)

Reflection: Who in your circle feels unseen? How could you intentionally create space for their voice or gifts today?

Day 5: Leading by Stewarding Entrusted Influence

Every believer holds a circle of influence—children, coworkers, neighbors—not as burdens but as sacred trusts. Jesus saw Zacchaeus in a tree and Matthew at a tax booth as future kingdom carriers. Southeast Christian Church’s legacy grew not through one leader’s charisma but through generations empowering others. Your sphere may feel small, but stewarding it with prayer and intentionality ripples into eternity. [01:07:05]

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)

Reflection: What relationship or responsibility have you dismissed as insignificant? How might God view it as part of his eternal work?

Sermon Summary

God’s love lands first. The Father loves beyond imagination, Christ became one of us, and through the Spirit Christ actually lives in believers. That presence does not wait for perfection. It steps into storms and messes, not so people can clean themselves up, but so he can clean them up. Out of that grace, the call is not only to belong to Jesus but to be empowered by him for the sake of others.

Jesus then rewires the default settings on greatness. Culture assumes charisma, control, and platform. But enduring fruit comes through humility and resolve. Even the business world has noticed that “level five leadership” marries deep humility with unwavering resolve, yet long before that data, the kingdom had already been working differently. Jesus did not control people. He empowered people.

Matthew 20 carries that contrast into focus. On the road to Jerusalem, Jesus sets his face toward suffering and resurrection, tells his disciples what awaits him, and then hears them angling for rank. “Not so with you,” he says. The rulers of the nations boss people around, but in the kingdom whoever wants to become great must be a servant, and whoever wants to be first must be a slave. The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Service is not a tactic. It is the shape of his life.

From there, the kingdom flips the scorecard. The world says position equals authority, power equals success, influence is something to keep. Jesus says greatness equals serving, authority is stewardship, influence is something to give away. Control builds followers. Empowerment builds leaders. Success is not becoming indispensable. Success is becoming reproducible. The goal is not to make people depend on a leader, but to develop people so they can serve without that leader.

That reframe lands close to home. Every disciple is entrusted with influence. Parents, grandparents, teachers, employers, coaches, ministry leaders, and friends all carry people God has put within reach. The right question is not how much gets done, how much control is held, or how many people need a person. Those paths fuel anxiety, codependency, and burnout. The right questions sound like this: Who is being developed? Who is being encouraged, prepared, and trusted? Who has God entrusted right now? Who could be empowered this week? A simple, steady prayer keeps the compass true: Lord, show one person to empower today. That is how Jesus multiplies fruit through ordinary saints who live, love, and lead like him.

Key Takeaways

1. Greatness equals serving, not control Service is not a strategy to get ahead; it is the kingdom’s definition of ahead. Jesus locates greatness in the basin and towel, not in the corner office. When service is the center, power stops being something to hoard and starts being a gift to steward. [48:33]
2. Success is reproducibility, not indispensability The world rewards the hero who cannot be replaced. Jesus blesses the servant who can be reproduced. Kingdom fruit matures when others grow to serve without the original leader in the room. Legacy is measured by multiplication, not magnetism. [49:18]
3. Every disciple is entrusted to lead Leadership in the kingdom is not a title but a trust. The Spirit places people within reach and asks a disciple to notice, encourage, and make room for them. Influence is already present; faithfulness asks what will be done with it. [51:02]
4. Measure life by who you develop The better scoreboard is names and faces, not tasks and totals. Development happens when someone is believed in, given responsibility, and walked with through wins and misses. Over time that investment outlives position and expands the kingdom’s reach. [55:35]
5. Pray to empower one person today A simple daily prayer trains attention toward people rather than projects. God often answers by placing a child, spouse, coworker, or hesitant believer in front of a willing heart. Small moments of trust, encouragement, and opportunity become holy ground. [66:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[36:17] - North Star: God loves you
[38:42] - Jesus rewires greatness
[41:27] - Redefining success in the kingdom
[43:03] - Success measured by development
[44:15] - Journey to Jerusalem context
[46:27] - Not so with you
[47:53] - Ransom for many
[48:33] - Greatness equals serving
[49:18] - Indispensable to reproducible
[51:02] - Every follower is a leader
[55:57] - Entrusted people and influence
[58:54] - Who to empower this week
[66:10] - Pray to empower one person
[68:39] - Closing prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 20:25-28 (NIV)
25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Observation questions

In Matthew 20:25-28, what contrast does Jesus draw between worldly leadership and kingdom leadership?
How does Jesus redefine "greatness" in this passage, and what specific actions does he associate with it?
The sermon mentions that Jesus "set his face toward Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51) while teaching these principles. How does the context of his journey to the cross shape his message about leadership? [45:12]
What example does the sermon give of a church that prioritized empowering leaders over building dependence on one person? [01:04:01]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Jesus connects serving with true greatness instead of authority or control? How does this challenge cultural assumptions about success?
The sermon argues that "success is reproducibility, not indispensability." How does this align with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 20:28 about giving his life as a "ransom for many"? [49:18]
How might a focus on control (e.g., micromanaging tasks) hinder the development of others, while empowerment (e.g., trusting others with responsibility) foster growth? [42:04]
What does it mean for leadership to be a "trust" rather than a title, and how does this shift our understanding of everyday influence? [51:02]

Application questions

Think about a relationship where you have influence (family, work, church, etc.). What is one specific way you could shift from controlling outcomes to empowering growth in that person this week? [58:54]
The sermon suggests measuring success by "names and faces, not tasks and totals." Who are 1-2 people in your life that God might be calling you to intentionally encourage or prepare? What step could you take to invest in them? [55:35]
Reflect on a time someone believed in you before you believed in yourself. How did their empowerment impact you? How can you pay that forward? [42:28]
The prayer "Lord, show me one person to empower today" is suggested as a daily habit. What practical barriers might keep someone from praying or acting on this? How could you overcome them? [01:06:10]
In what areas of your life (parenting, work, friendships) do you feel pressured to be "indispensable"? What would it look like to focus instead on helping others thrive without your direct involvement? [49:40]
The sermon warns that measuring success by "how much people need you" leads to burnout. How can you recognize if you’re slipping into this mindset, and what truth from Matthew 20 could redirect you?

Sermon Clips

73s

#KingdomLeadership

“``When Jesus finished reshaping his disciples, he wasn't just changing how they would lead. He was changing the very definition of success. The world says success is becoming indispensable. Jesus says, it's becoming reproducible. The world says, make people depend on you. Jesus says, develop people so they can serve without you. The world says, build your platform, and Jesus says, build people. The world says, protect your position. Jesus says, give it away. Jesus says, give it away. That's what the kingdom leadership looks like, not because it gets less done, but because it gets more done through more people.”

86s

#LeadLikeJesus

“why would our mission statement say, lead like Jesus? I'm not a leader. And that's the first hurdle you have. If you do not believe you're a leader, that's your first hurdle. Because as soon as Jesus calls you to be his follower, he's empowering to make a difference in other people's lives. It may not be the entire city. It may not be the entire workplace. It may not even be the entire community that you live in or neighborhood you live in, but God has empowered you to make an impact on other people's lives. He's empowered you to make a difference, not just in this world, but for all eternity in other people's lives. And that matters. Because eternity hangs in the balance. And so, I I don't just talk about leadership because, oh, I I I'm talking to the upper echelon of the church. No. I'm talking to each and every one of us. Each and every one of us are empowered to lead.”

59s

#EmpowermentMultiplies

“But, long before Colin studied leadership in the business world, Jesus had already modeled what it looked like in the kingdom of God. The kingdom has always worked differently than the world. Jesus didn't build his ministry by controlling people. You only had to look to Jerusalem to find out what that kind of leadership looked like and the impact that it had in people's lives. But instead, he built it on empowering people. And today, Jesus is doing something deeper than teaching leadership principles. He's rewiring how his followers define success. Not success as control and not success as position, not success as being indispensable, but success as empowerment that multiplies.”

66s

#GreatnessIsService

“The disciples were arguing over greatness, and Jesus completely flipped their understanding. The world says, position equals authority. Power equals success. Influence is something you keep, you hold on to. Jesus turns that all upside down. Jesus says it this way, greatness equals serving. Authority is stewardship. Influence is something you give away. Control builds followers. Followers. Empowerment builds leaders.”

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Rewired: Think Empowerment

Devotional

Day 1: Greatness Measured by Serving, Not Controlling

Day 2: Empowered People Multiply Kingdom Impact

Day 3: Success Is Reproducible, Not Indispensable

Day 4: Daily Prayer for Empowerment in Ordinary Moments

Day 5: Leading by Stewarding Entrusted Influence

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Rewired: Think Empowerment

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