Stepping into Hope: A Call to Action

In a week marked by tragedy and heaviness, it’s more important than ever to gather as the people of God, to worship, pray, and remember that God is still on His throne. The world is filled with chaos, evil, and heartbreak—stories of senseless violence, loss, and division are all around us. Yet, in the midst of this darkness, God calls His people not to retreat or become numb, but to step into His redemptive mission with hope, courage, and purpose.

When confronted with evil, the first response is to lament—to grieve honestly, to acknowledge that things are not as they should be. Scripture gives us permission to bring our anger, sadness, and confusion to God. But we don’t stop there. As followers of Jesus, we are called to pray—truly pray, not just post or worry. We pray to a God who is both loving enough to care and powerful enough to act, asking Him to bring healing, unity, and revival in our land.

But prayer is not the end. Love moves. The people of God are called to act, to serve, to be the light in the darkness. This is not blind optimism; it’s rooted in the reality of the empty tomb and the promise that Jesus will return to make all things right. The mission Jesus gives is vast—be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or to minimize our impact, but history shows that God uses ordinary people, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to change the world. The movement started with just a handful of disciples and now spans billions across the globe.

The challenge is not to get distracted by lesser things—politics, personal comfort, or the endless scroll of daily life. Instead, lift your eyes to the greater mission: to be a witness of Jesus, to invest in what matters for eternity, to pour into the next generation, and to join in God’s redemptive story. Don’t settle for less when Jesus calls you into more. Don’t be caught standing around, gazing at the sky, but step into the work God has prepared for you. The world desperately needs hope, and we are carriers of that hope. Let’s not waste our days; let’s make them count for the kingdom.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Lament is a Biblical Response to Evil When faced with tragedy and evil, it is right and necessary to lament. Scripture gives us the language and permission to grieve, to be angry, and to cry out to God in honesty. Lament is not a lack of faith, but a faithful response that acknowledges the brokenness of the world and our deep need for God’s intervention. [51:00]
• 2. Prayer Must Precede Action In a world quick to react, post, and argue, the people of God are called first to pray. True prayer is an act of dependence, recognizing that God cares more deeply and acts more powerfully than we ever could. Before we move, we must submit our hearts and our world to God, seeking His wisdom and power to bring real change. [53:33]
• 3. The Mission is Bigger Than Our Distractions It’s easy to get caught up in politics, personal ambitions, or the anxieties of daily life, but Jesus calls us to a mission that transcends all of that. Our primary citizenship is in the kingdom of God, and our lives should reflect that reality. The call is to lift our eyes from the temporary to the eternal, aligning our prayers, actions, and priorities with God’s redemptive purpose. [67:00]
• 4. Ordinary People, Extraordinary Impact The story of the church is a story of God using ordinary, imperfect people to accomplish an impossible mission. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, even the smallest acts of faithfulness—serving, inviting, discipling—can have generational and global impact. Never underestimate the significance of your obedience in God’s hands. [74:23]
• 5. Don’t Be Caught Standing Around—Step Into the Mission The temptation is to stand by, to spectate, or to numb ourselves in the face of overwhelming need. But Jesus’ call is urgent: don’t just gaze at the sky, get to work. Invest your life in what matters for eternity, pour into others, and be found faithful when Jesus returns. The world needs hope, and we are entrusted with that hope—let’s not waste it. [85:43]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [43:45] - Next Step Sunday & Mission Invitation
• [44:17] - A Call to Prayer for Our Nation
• [46:25] - The Need for God in Chaos
• [47:28] - Praying for Hope, Unity, and Healing
• [48:53] - Processing Tragedy with Our Families
• [51:00] - Lamenting Evil and the Biblical Response
• [53:33] - Moving from Lament to Prayer and Action
• [54:16] - Love Moves: Acting in a Broken World
• [55:07] - Discipling the Next Generation
• [56:43] - Evil Will Not Have the Last Word
• [57:37] - The Mission: Be My Witnesses
• [59:07] - Don’t Get Distracted from the Mission
• [70:54] - Ordinary People, Extraordinary Impact
• [85:43] - Don’t Be Caught Standing Around
• [90:21] - Praying for Courage to Step In
• [192:15] - Closing Worship and Next Steps

Bible Reading

Acts 1:6-11 (ESV) — 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,
11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Observation Questions

1. What were the disciples hoping Jesus would do when they asked about restoring the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:6-7)
2. According to Jesus, what would the disciples receive, and what would they become as a result? (Acts 1:8)
3. In the sermon, what examples did Pastor Tim give of “evil” and tragedy in our world today? [[48:53]]
4. What was the reaction of the disciples after Jesus ascended, and how did the angels respond to them? (Acts 1:9-11)

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus redirected the disciples’ focus from political and territorial hopes to a global mission? What does this say about God’s priorities? [[01:04:38]]
2. The sermon says, “Don’t get distracted.” What are some modern distractions Pastor Tim mentioned that can pull us away from God’s mission? [[01:07:00]]
3. The sermon highlights that God uses “ordinary people” to accomplish His mission. Why is this significant, and how does it challenge the way we view our own role in God’s work? [[01:14:23]]
4. The angels told the disciples not to just stand around looking at the sky. What does this imply about how we should respond to Jesus’ call? [[01:25:43]]

Application Questions

1. Pastor Tim talked about lament as a biblical response to evil and tragedy. When was the last time you honestly lamented before God about something broken in the world or in your life? What did that look like for you? [[51:00]]
2. The sermon challenged us to pray more than we post or worry. What would it look like for you to make prayer your first response this week instead of reacting online or just talking about problems? [[53:33]]
3. “Don’t get distracted” was a key point. What is one specific thing (news, politics, social media, comfort, etc.) that tends to distract you from God’s bigger mission? How can you intentionally shift your focus this week? [[01:07:00]]
4. The mission Jesus gives is huge—being His witness “to the ends of the earth.” Do you ever feel like your impact is too small to matter? How does the story of the early church and Pastor Tim’s examples encourage you to see your everyday faithfulness differently? [[01:14:23]]
5. Pastor Tim shared about serving the next generation and how small acts of faithfulness can have generational impact. Is there a young person or someone in your life you could intentionally invest in or encourage this week? What would that look like? [[01:21:22]]
6. The angels told the disciples not to just stand around. Is there an area where you feel like you’ve been “standing around” spiritually—waiting, spectating, or numbing out? What is one step you could take to “get to work” in God’s mission this month? [[01:25:43]]
7. If someone were to describe your life at your funeral, as Pastor Tim described his dad’s, would they be able to say you invested in what matters for eternity? What is one change you want to make so that your life story points to Jesus and His mission? [[01:28:38]]