This Is Arrows

Apr 12, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: We are God's arrows, designed for His purpose.

We are not meant to be self-sufficient or independent. Our true purpose and power are found in complete reliance on God, our Archer. He provides the direction, the strength, and the launch. Our role is to trust His aim and fly true, fulfilling the mission He has designed for us. We find our greatest meaning not in our own plans, but in surrendering to His. [01:16]

And so, God is our archer, and we are the arrows. In God's power, he pulls us back, aims us where he wants us to go, releases us, and then we do what he created us to do, and that is to hit our target.
- Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

Reflection: In what specific area of your life are you currently trying to aim and fire yourself, rather than trusting God to be your Archer? What would it look like to surrender that control to Him this week?

Day 2: Our primary mission is to make disciples.

The central command Jesus gave His followers was not merely to attend, learn, or support, but to actively make disciples. This is the core work of every believer, not just church leaders. It happens in our homes, workplaces, and communities as we intentionally invest in the spiritual growth of others. This mission gives purpose to every other activity of the church. [06:32]

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 28:19-20a (ESV)

Reflection: Who is one person God has uniquely placed in your life—a family member, friend, or colleague—that you can begin intentionally investing in for their spiritual growth? What is one practical step you can take this week to engage them in a discipleship conversation?

Day 3: Everyone is welcome because everyone was welcomed.

The invitation of the gospel is shockingly inclusive, reaching people from all backgrounds and walks of life. This radical welcome is not based on our merit, but on God’s great love and mercy. Since we were all welcomed by God when we were far from Him, we are called to extend that same grace to others, creating a community where all can encounter Jesus. [11:19]

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
- Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV)

Reflection: Is there someone you have unconsciously deemed "too far gone" or "too different" to be welcomed into God's family? How can you adjust your heart and actions this week to reflect God's open-armed welcome to them?

Day 4: Courage requires stepping into the unknown.

Faith often calls us to take steps without knowing what the next step will be. God’s guidance sometimes comes not as a full map, but as a single instruction to move. Clarity can be the enemy of courage, as trusting God means obeying even when the full path is not yet revealed. True courage is found in following His lead into the unfamiliar. [20:38]

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”
- Genesis 12:1 (ESV)

Reflection: Where is God currently asking you to take a step of faith, even though you cannot see the entire path ahead? What is holding you back from taking that first step, and what would it look like to trust Him with the outcome?

Day 5: We are called to become the church, not just attend it.

The church is not a building or a weekly event to consume; it is a people on a mission to live out. This involves moving from passive attendance to active participation—serving, giving, and building relationships that fight isolation. Our identity is found in being sent out, living differently, and joining God’s work in the world right where we are. [38:38]

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.
- Ephesians 2:19 (ESV)

Reflection: Are you approaching your faith more as a consumer who attends church or as a disciple who is becoming the church? What is one tangible way you can shift from being a spectator to a participant in God’s mission this week?

Sermon Summary

Arrows uses the biblical arrow as its guiding image: an arrow cannot act alone but accomplishes its purpose only when the archer pulls, aims, and releases it. The church defines itself not as a building but as a people focused on Jesus, called above all to make disciples. Matthew 28 frames the mission: go, make disciples, baptize, and teach obedience. Every ministry, worship gathering, and act of service exists to support that primary verb—making disciples—so spiritual progress is measured by who is being formed, not by attendance or program participation.

The church’s culture centers on radical welcome. Scripture shows God works through messy, complicated lives, so everyone—doubtful, divorced, addicted, faithful, or skeptical—is invited to come close to Jesus. That invitation shapes how relationships form and how outreach proceeds. The posture toward human brokenness remains honest: God demands perfection for atonement, but Christ’s life and death supply that perfection by grace. Believers stand justified by faith, not by their moral scorecards.

Faith at Arrows trusts that with Jesus anything is possible: restoration, healing, and transformed hearts appear regularly when people expect the miraculous. Core values—summarized as “be” statements—direct behavior: be together to resist isolation, be generous in service and giving, be courageous in stepping when the next move is unclear, and be different by living ordinary lives marked by the Spirit’s fruit so others notice the difference.

A portable posture currently shapes the congregation. Meeting in school facilities provides financial margin, relational rhythms through shared service, and a mission-first orientation that prevents protecting property from eclipsing people. Mobility fosters flexibility, outward focus, and a healthy reminder of pilgrimage rather than permanence. The portability also weeds out consumers: those who seek slick amenities give way to people hungry for presence and the Spirit. The document of the church’s history shows repeated moves and providential openings, prompting gratitude and a readiness to steward future opportunities without assuming ownership. The urgent question becomes personal: will individuals merely attend or will they become the church—making disciples, inviting others, and taking steps of faith?

Key Takeaways

1. Make disciples as primary mission Making disciples is the central command that orders every ministry and program. Measuring faith by disciple-making clarifies priorities: baptism, teaching, and going serve the greater purpose of forming followers who obey Christ. This reorients personal spirituality from consumer habits to relational investment in others’ growth. [03:46]
2. Everyone invited to come close The gospel consistently reaches messy people; exclusion contradicts the biblical pattern of God using the unlikely. Welcoming skeptics, the hurting, and the faithful alike honors the fact that grace meets need, not merit. Hospitality becomes a spiritual discipline that anticipates God’s redemptive work in unexpected lives. [11:19]
3. Grace covers imperfect people God’s demand for perfection meets its answer in Christ—who lived the perfection humans could not. Justification by faith removes the burden of self-justifying attempts and frees people to pursue holiness from gratitude rather than obligation. This truth reshapes shame into service and dependence into bold obedience. [14:32]
4. Courage over clarity in faith Following God often requires a first step without full visibility of what follows; clarity can cripple obedience. Biblical faith moves when someone leaves familiar ground trusting God’s promise to lead, not when every detail is visible. Practicing courageous steps trains dependence on God’s guidance rather than human certainty. [20:38]
5. Portable church prioritizes mission A mobile posture deflects attention from facilities to people, preserving resources for outreach and forming relationships through shared service. Temporary settings cultivate flexibility, reduce entitlement, and sharpen dependence on the Spirit. Choosing mission over monuments produces a community that multiplies disciples, not consumers. [33:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:29] - Arrow imagery explained
[01:16] - Archer and arrow metaphor
[02:32] - Church defined as people
[03:22] - Read Matthew 28: Great Commission
[04:20] - Make disciples: central command
[08:55] - Culture: Everyone’s welcome
[12:30] - Posture: Nobody’s perfect
[15:42] - Faith: Anything is possible
[19:10] - Courage: leave before clarity
[24:23] - History: moves and providence
[27:34] - Portable church blessings
[33:55] - Portable church makes disciples

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Observation questions

According to the passage, what is the one main verb, or primary command, that Jesus gives his followers?
What are the three specific actions mentioned that support and assist this main command?
What promise does Jesus give alongside this command?
What does the imagery of an arrow being pulled, aimed, and released by an archer tell us about our role as believers? [00:56]

Interpretation questions

Why is "making disciples" considered the central mission of the church, rather than just "going," "baptizing," or "teaching"?
How does the idea that "everyone is welcome" reflect the biblical pattern of God using flawed and messy people? [09:28]
What does it mean to take a "step of faith" when the next step is unclear, and how does the story of Abram in Genesis 12 illustrate this? [19:10]
In what ways can a "portable" posture, focused on mission rather than a building, actually be a blessing for a church community? [27:34]

Application questions

Who is one person in your life—a family member, coworker, friend, or neighbor—that you could begin investing in for the purpose of making disciples?
How can you practice "radical welcome" this week toward someone who might feel messy, doubtful, or different from you? [11:19]
Where is God asking you to be "courageous" and take a first step of faith, even if you don't have clarity on what the second step will be? [20:38]
In what specific, practical way can you shift from being a "consumer" of church to someone who actively "becomes the church" through serving, giving, or inviting? [38:20]
What is one area of your life where you are still trying to earn God's approval, and how can you rest in the truth that Christ's perfection covers your imperfection? [14:32]
How does understanding that the church is a people and not a place change the way you think about your role and responsibility within it? [02:32]

Sermon Clips

34s

#StepOneCourage

“``How many of us want God to show us where he's taking us before we take the step in that direction? Come on. Raise your hands. Yeah. We've convinced ourselves that we need clarity from God before we can step out in courage. Listen. Clarity is often the enemy of courage. God, I don't know what step two looks like. I know. Ain't it great? I'm not telling you what step two looks like yet. I just want you to take step one. That's courage.”

41s

#MissionOverBuilding

“And if the holy spirit is not here, it's useless. So when people ask, when are we gonna get a building? Here's my honest answer. When God decides that walls will serve the mission better than wheels. When God decides what's gonna serve the mission, his mission, better than wheels is walls, I believe he's gonna do something amazing. He's gonna open doors. He's gonna create ways. Why? Because he's literally been doing that since day one. Right now, wheels seem to be serving his mission well.”

29s

#ChurchIsAMission

“You forget why you started in the first place, and that is to reach people for Jesus. It's just really easy to do. I'm not saying it can't be done otherwise. It's just really easy to fall into that trap. And so I I'm not anti building. I would love for us to have a building one of these days. And I know this much, being portable right now reminds us that the church is not a place we own. It's a mission that we live out.”

35s

#NoFrillsFaith

“Portable church makes disciples, not consumers. People who show up to a portable church, they don't show up wondering if they're gonna be blown away by your facilities. Right? They're like, oh, they meet in an elementary school. Okay. I think I kinda know what that's gonna be. No one's rolling through those doors being like, you think they have a two story water slide in their kids' department? Right? Those are awesome. They're not really expecting that when they walk in. But what's interesting about that is that's kind of the people you want walking through the door.”

35s

#SavedByGrace

“It is by grace you have been saved. God demanded perfection. You aren't perfect. Jesus was. Jesus paid the price that we could not pay. Lived the life that we could not live. Satisfied the perfection that God had towards the atonement of sin that we could not even come close to providing, And because we have faith in Jesus now, God sees us as righteous. That's the good news. That's the good news of the gospel.”

29s

#MakeDisciplesFirst

“We have been commissioned by Jesus to go and make disciples just like everything he said. Making disciples is the thing that we are to do. It's not one of the things. It is the thing. Everything else that we do assists in us making disciples. So first thing I want us to look at this morning is our foundation. Our foundation as a church is to make disciples.”

31s

#BecomeTheChurch

“And you know what that makes you? A consumer, not a disciple. And so the question for all of us, there's really only two options for everybody here this morning. And those two options are this, you can come to church or you can become the church. That's it. That's the option for all of us. You can come to church or you can become the church. Who are you becoming? Let me pray for us.”

33s

#EveryoneIsWelcome

“Everyone is. What does that look like for us? This is the heartbeat of Arrow's Church. Everyone's welcome. This means that the divorced person is welcome. Why? Because they're not always welcome in every church. The skeptic is welcome. The person who doesn't even know that they believe in god is welcome. The person that is high on life or high on something else is welcome. And I gotta let you know, God loves you too much to keep you in whatever it is that you're in sometimes, but you're welcome.”

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This Is Arrows

Devotional

Day 1: We are God's arrows, designed for His purpose.

Day 2: Our primary mission is to make disciples.

Day 3: Everyone is welcome because everyone was welcomed.

Day 4: Courage requires stepping into the unknown.

Day 5: We are called to become the church, not just attend it.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

This Is Arrows

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