Called to Serve: Connecting Rexdale to Jesus' Mission

Devotional

Day 1: A Church Existing for Those Not Yet Here

The local church isn’t a club for insiders but a bridge to those still outside. Rexdale Alliance’s mission statement centers on connecting neighbors to Jesus, not just maintaining programs for attendees. Like a hospital prioritizing patients over staff, the church exists primarily for those not yet part of it. This reframes priorities: budgets, volunteer hours, and prayers lean outward. Jesus’ promise of “life to the fullest” isn’t about comfort but alignment with God’s redemptive work. The call isn’t to abandon current members but to reorient around the harvest beyond the walls. [38:40]

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
(John 10:10, NLT)

Reflection: Where have you subtly made church about your preferences rather than your neighbor’s need? What outward-focused step could disrupt your routine this week?

Day 2: Every Part Matters, Even the Unseen

A thriving restaurant needs dishwashers as much as servers. Spiritual gifts like hospitality or administration often work backstage, yet without them, Sunday gatherings crumble. Paul’s body metaphor in 1 Corinthians 12 rebukes both arrogance and insecurity: no role is disposable. The tech volunteer adjusting slides, the introvert folding bulletins—these are not “less than” upfront roles. Visibility isn’t a measure of value. When any part withdraws, the whole body limps. [46:53]

“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.”
(1 Corinthians 12:12-13, NLT)

Reflection: Which unseen act of service have you undervalued in yourself or others? How might celebrating “hidden” roles change your view of church?

Day 3: Your Gift is the Church’s Missing Piece

Spiritual gifts aren’t optional extras but divine equipment for collective survival. Paul insists God deliberately distributes abilities so the church lacks nothing. The shy teenager with mercy, the retiree with craftsmanship, the busy mom with discernment—all are irreplaceable. Withholding your gift creates a gap only you can fill. Like a sprained ankle affecting a singer’s diaphragm, the body feels every absence. [44:18]

“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.”
(Ephesians 4:11-12, NLT)

Reflection: What unique ability do you dismiss as “not spiritual enough”? How might using it this month strengthen someone else’s faith?

Day 4: Starting Small, Serving Beyond Ourselves

Serving often begins with unglamorous motives—boredom, guilt, or restlessness. Yet action precedes passion. The pastor who avoided sermons by teaching kids discovered his calling through obedience, not excitement. Neuroscience confirms what Scripture implies: serving others triggers dopamine, aligning us with how we’re wired. Don’t wait for a burning bush. Stack chairs, sort food bank donations, or hold babies—the meaning follows the motion. [55:51]

“And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
(Acts 20:35, NLT)

Reflection: What practical task have you avoided because it felt insignificant? What’s one way to engage it this week, trusting God with the outcomes?

Day 5: One Step Toward Joining God’s Mission

Signing up for nursery duty or parking lot ministry isn’t a life sentence—it’s a firstfruits offering. The QR code and lobby iPads aren’t traps but thresholds. Jesus honors incremental yeses: a bored teen’s reluctant “fine, I’ll help,” a busy parent’s “I can bake muffins monthly.” Every small act of stewardship—time, skill, or presence—fuels the mission. The church grows when gifts move from theory to practice. [01:00:39]

“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”
(Matthew 25:23, NLT)

Reflection: What hesitation keeps you from taking that first step? How might trusting God with a “small amount” of availability lead to unexpected joy?

Sermon Summary

Rexdale Alliance Church’s mission is simple: “We exist to connect Rexdale to Jesus and to his mission.” That mission names the local community as the church’s first responsibility, even while love and concern extend across the city and the world. Jesus offers life to the fullest, not a health-and-wealth promise or an escape from trouble, but the kind of full life that comes when he is at the center.

The church exists for people who are not yet part of it. The church is not the mission, and its members are not the mission; they are invited into Christ’s mission of connecting people to him. The call reaches every person within five kilometres of the building, whether that person knows Jesus, rejects Jesus, or has never really heard who Jesus is. Life to the fullest is still found in him.

Paul’s image of Christ’s body makes clear that every believer has received a gift from the Spirit. The Spirit gives different gifts, kinds of service, and roles, but he gives them for the good of the whole body. The eye cannot dismiss the ear, the head cannot dismiss the foot, and no member can honestly say, “You don’t need me.” A sprained ankle can affect even a singer’s voice, because bodies are connected in ways that are easy to miss.

The contrast between visibility and importance matters. The front of the house may be what people see on a Sunday: singers, musicians, teachers, greeters, and those on the platform. The back of the house makes that experience possible: sound people, cleaners, food-bank volunteers, administrators, kitchen workers, communion preparation, facilities help, and countless others. A restaurant cannot offer a great meal without dishwashers, prep cooks, and cleaning staff. A church cannot carry out its mission if only a few visible people do the work.

Service does not earn a place in God’s love. Service grows out of the place Christ has already given in his body. The church carries people through seasons when they have nothing left to give, but a healthy body eventually sees every part contributing somehow. Service often begins for mixed reasons, even boredom, but God can use that small step to uncover gifts, friendship, purpose, and a place to belong.

The need is real, especially in NextGen, youth, welcome, worship production, adult ministries, helping hands, and special projects. God-sized opportunities stand before the church, while the budget and manpower remain ordinary-sized. The Spirit, however, has placed gifts among the people. “You were given a gift; you could give it away.” Following Jesus means finding a place in his mission.

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Key Takeaways

1. The church exists beyond itself. The church is not meant to become a private gathering built around the preferences of its current members. Christ gives his people a purpose that faces outward, toward neighbours who are not yet connected to him. The mission keeps comfort from becoming the church’s main goal and keeps Jesus at the centre. [39:55]
2. Every believer has a needed gift. The Spirit does not hand out gifts as decorations or private spiritual achievements. The body of Christ needs every part, including the parts that feel ordinary, hidden, or unimpressive. A believer who assumes, “They don’t need me,” is disagreeing with the way God has arranged his body. [42:32]
3. Visibility and importance are not identical. A Sunday gathering depends on far more than the people seen at the front. Hidden work often carries the weight that makes welcome, worship, care, food, safety, and ministry possible. Christ’s body becomes healthier when unseen service receives the honour it deserves. [46:53]
4. Service flows from belonging, not earning. Serving does not purchase God’s love or prove somebody is a better Christian. Christ has already given his people a place in the body, and service becomes the response of a member who knows that place is real. Grace creates participation rather than passivity. [43:08]
5. One next step can uncover purpose. A person does not need to sign away the rest of life before getting involved. God often uses a simple willingness, a practical need, or even boredom to reveal gifts that had gone unnoticed. The next step can become the place where a person finds both a role and a people.

## [60:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[29:53] - The Mission of Rexdale Alliance Church
[37:26] - Why Rexdale Means the Local Community
[38:40] - Life to the Fullest in Jesus
[39:55] - The Church Exists for Others
[41:14] - One Body, Many Spiritual Gifts
[42:32] - Every Person Has a Part
[43:08] - Serving From Grace, Not for Grace
[44:59] - An Invitation to Use Your Gift
[46:00] - Front of House and Back of House
[47:49] - Ministry Teams and Opportunities
[50:41] - The Immediate Need in NextGen
[51:52] - Youth Ministry Update
[53:59] - A Place for Every Gift and Personality
[55:51] - The Unexpected Benefits of Serving
[58:53] - God-Sized Opportunities and Real Needs
[60:39] - Take One Next Step
[63:20] - You Were Given a Gift

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 12:4-27

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. [41:22]

There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. [41:27]

God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. [41:31]

To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. [41:36]

If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? [41:51]

If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! [42:02]

Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” [42:08]

In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. [42:11]

John 10:10

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” [38:54]

Ephesians 4:11-12

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. [42:38]

Observation questions

According to 1 Corinthians 12, what do spiritual gifts, different kinds of service, and different ways God works all have in common?
What two wrong conclusions do Paul’s body illustrations correct: “I am not part of the body” and “I don’t need you”? [41:51]
What kinds of people and ministry roles make up both the visible “front of house” and the often unseen “back of house” in the church? [48:27]
In John 10:10, what does Jesus contrast with the “rich and satisfying life” he came to give?

Interpretation questions

Paul says that each believer receives a spiritual gift “so we can help each other.” How does that purpose challenge the idea that gifts are mainly private abilities or ways to stand out?
If God has arranged the parts of the body as he wants, what does that mean for a believer who assumes that their abilities, availability, or personality are not needed? [44:03]
Ephesians 4 says that leaders equip God’s people for ministry. What could it look like for a church to depend on the whole body rather than expecting pastors, staff, or a few highly visible people to do everything? [42:38]
Jesus promises full life, not an easy or trouble-free life. How can serving others be part of a rich and satisfying life even when it requires time, effort, or sacrifice? [39:14]

Application questions

Where have you been tempted to think, “They do not need me,” or, “What I can offer is nothing special”? What gift, skill, experience, or practical ability might God be inviting you to offer to others? [44:44]
Think about the people within five kilometres of the church building—people who know Jesus, reject him, or have never heard much about him. What is one way your small group could more clearly live as a church that exists for people not yet part of it? [40:28]
Which hidden forms of service have helped you receive care, worship, welcome, food, safety, or community? How could you express honour and gratitude to people whose work is usually unseen? [46:46]
Are you presently in a season when you need the church to carry you, or are you in a season where you can contribute? What would a healthy and grace-filled next step look like in your present circumstances? [58:14]
Is there a ministry area that fits your interests, personality, schedule, or willingness to learn—such as NextGen, youth, welcome, worship production, adult ministry, helping hands, administration, food bank, facilities, kitchen, or special projects? What is one realistic step you could take to explore it? [53:59]
Serving does not earn a place in God’s love; it flows from the place Christ has already given his people in his body. How would serving change if it came from gratitude and belonging rather than guilt, pressure, or the need to prove yourself? [43:32]
You do not need to sign your life away in order to begin. What “one next step” could you take this week—having a conversation, trying a short-term role, helping with a project, or asking for help identifying your gifts? [01:00:28]

Sermon Clips

32s

#ShareYourGift

“Our simple sermon for today, if I to summarize everything, it's that you were given a gift you could give it away. And we would be so grateful if you would choose to do that here. God has given you something this church needs. Following Jesus means finding your place in his mission. We need what God has put in you because you have a part to play in what God wants to do in and through his church here at Rexdale Lines Church.”

30s

#ServeFromGrace

“Now I wanna clarify something just in case it's coming across wrong. This is not in any way how we earn God's love. That this isn't like, you do this so that. This isn't to prove that you're a good Christian. I wanna clarify, make sure you understand. We don't serve to earn our place in the body. We serve because we've already been given a place in the body and because we have a role and because we're a part of it, now we participate and we act like a part of the body.”

34s

#WeNeedEachOther

“And it just that stuck with me. It's like, the head can't say to the foot, I don't need you. You can't say to another part, we don't need you. Or please don't say to us, you don't need me. We need you. That is what this is all about. And so today, part of the purpose is I want to invite you to use your gift right here in our church. Now, obviously, when Paul was writing this passage, he wasn't speaking specifically about Rexdale Alliance Church. We didn't exist yet.”

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