Touching Tomorrow: A Vision for Discipleship and Growth
Summary
In reflecting on the theme of "Touching Tomorrow," I shared my heart and vision for the next five years of our church's journey. This vision is deeply rooted in the transformative power of community and faith, as exemplified by my own experience with Concord Church. My wife and I joined this church as young adults, and it became a pivotal part of our spiritual and personal growth. We learned to navigate life’s challenges through the teachings and fellowship offered here, and it is this same opportunity for growth and transformation that we wish to extend to others.
The early church in Acts 2 serves as a model for us, demonstrating the importance of worship, growth, service, and giving. Worship is not just about singing songs but is a lifestyle that reflects our response to God in every aspect of our lives. Growth happens through discipleship, as we immerse ourselves in God’s Word and community, learning and growing together. Service is our calling, as we are saved not to sit but to serve, impacting others through our actions. Giving is an act of generosity that supports the work of God and enables us to reach and disciple others.
As we look to the future, we are committed to raising up disciple-makers and expanding our reach through 300 grow groups across the city and online. We celebrate the growth we have seen, with nearly 4,500 new members and 700 baptisms in the last two years, and we are excited about the potential for even greater impact. Our mission remains to grow people by connecting them to the next step with Christ, focusing on six key areas: growth journey, worship, youth development, community and missions, financial development, and infrastructure.
We are embarking on a strategic campaign to raise $6 million over the next 18 months to support these initiatives. This includes transforming our facilities, enhancing our worship experience, and investing in the next generation. We invite everyone to join us in this journey, to pray, give sacrificially, and be part of this movement of discipleship. Together, we can touch tomorrow and make a lasting impact on our community and beyond.
Key Takeaways:
1. Worship as a Lifestyle: Worship extends beyond Sunday services; it is a daily response to God in how we live, work, and interact with others. Our lifestyle should reflect our faith, pointing others to God through our actions and decisions. Worship is about embodying the presence of God in every aspect of life. [09:06]
2. The Power of Community and Growth: Growth in faith is amplified in community. Engaging in Bible studies and grow groups allows us to learn, ask questions, and support one another. This shared journey strengthens our understanding and application of God’s Word, fostering deeper spiritual growth. [17:59]
3. Service as a Calling: Service is integral to the Christian life. It is not merely an activity but an identity. We are called to serve others, reflecting Christ’s example of humility and love. Service is the rent we pay for our place on earth, and it is through serving that we truly live out our faith. [31:19]
4. Generosity and Giving: Giving is a vital expression of our faith and commitment to God’s work. It supports the church’s mission and enables us to reach and disciple others. Generosity is not just about financial contributions but about investing in the kingdom of God and impacting lives for eternity. [31:19]
5. Vision for the Future: Our vision for the next five years is to create a movement of discipleship, raising up disciple-makers and expanding our impact through strategic initiatives. This vision requires collective effort, prayer, and sacrificial giving, trusting God to use us to touch tomorrow and transform lives. [31:19]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Introduction to Touching Tomorrow
- [02:00] - Personal Journey with Concord Church
- [05:00] - The Early Church Model
- [09:06] - Worship as a Lifestyle
- [12:00] - Growth Through Community
- [15:00] - The Call to Serve
- [17:59] - Vision for Discipleship
- [20:00] - Celebrating Church Growth
- [23:00] - Strategic Campaign Overview
- [26:00] - Key Areas of Focus
- [28:00] - Invitation to Join the Journey
- [31:19] - Call to Action and Prayer
- [34:00] - Closing Prayer and Worship
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Touching Tomorrow
Bible Reading:
- Acts 2:42-47
- Matthew 20:28
- 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
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Observation Questions:
1. What are the four key activities of the early church as described in Acts 2:42-47, and how do they relate to the sermon’s emphasis on worship, growth, service, and giving? [09:06]
2. How did the pastor describe the role of Concord Church in his personal spiritual journey, and what impact did it have on his life and family? [17:59]
3. What specific examples of service within the church and community were mentioned in the sermon, and how do they reflect the call to serve as described in Matthew 20:28? [31:19]
4. How does the sermon describe the relationship between generosity and the church’s mission, particularly in the context of the strategic campaign to raise $6 million? [31:19]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that worship should extend beyond Sunday services, and how does this align with the description of worship as a lifestyle in Acts 2:42-47? [09:06]
2. How does the pastor’s personal story of growth at Concord Church illustrate the transformative power of community, as seen in the early church model? [17:59]
3. What does the sermon imply about the importance of service as an identity rather than just an activity, and how does this relate to Jesus’ example in Matthew 20:28? [31:19]
4. How does the sermon connect the act of giving with the broader vision for the church’s future, and what biblical principles support this connection? [31:19]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life: How can you incorporate worship as a lifestyle in your daily routine, beyond just attending Sunday services? What specific changes can you make this week? [09:06]
2. Think about your current involvement in community and Bible study groups. How can you deepen your engagement to foster spiritual growth, both for yourself and others? [17:59]
3. Identify a specific area where you can serve within the church or community. What steps will you take this week to begin serving in that capacity, following the example of Jesus? [31:19]
4. Consider your current approach to giving. How can you practice generosity in a way that supports the church’s mission and vision for the future? What specific financial or time commitments can you make? [31:19]
5. The sermon emphasizes the importance of raising disciple-makers. Who in your life can you mentor or disciple, and what practical steps will you take to begin that relationship? [17:59]
6. Reflect on the strategic campaign to raise $6 million. How can you contribute to this effort, whether through financial giving, prayer, or volunteering? What specific action will you take this month? [31:19]
7. How can you use your unique skills and resources to impact the next generation, as the church seeks to invest in youth development and community missions? What is one action you can take this week to support this goal? [31:19]
Devotional
Day 1: Worship as a Daily Response
Worship is not confined to Sunday services; it is a daily response to God that permeates every aspect of life. True worship involves embodying the presence of God in our actions, decisions, and interactions with others. It is about living a life that consistently points others to God, reflecting our faith in how we live and work. Worship as a lifestyle means that every moment is an opportunity to honor God, whether through acts of kindness, integrity in our work, or love for our neighbors. [09:06]
"Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." (Hebrews 13:15-16, ESV)
Reflection: In what specific ways can you incorporate worship into your daily routine, beyond traditional church settings?
Day 2: Community as a Catalyst for Growth
Growth in faith is significantly enhanced within a community. Engaging in Bible studies and grow groups provides a platform for learning, asking questions, and supporting one another. This shared journey strengthens understanding and application of God’s Word, fostering deeper spiritual growth. Community offers accountability, encouragement, and diverse perspectives that enrich one's faith journey, making it a vital component of spiritual development. [17:59]
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)
Reflection: How can you actively contribute to and benefit from your faith community this week?
Day 3: Service as an Expression of Faith
Service is not merely an activity but an identity for Christians. It is a calling to reflect Christ’s example of humility and love through serving others. Service is the rent we pay for our place on earth, and it is through serving that we truly live out our faith. By serving, we demonstrate the love of Christ and make a tangible impact on the lives of others, fulfilling our purpose as followers of Jesus. [31:19]
"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Galatians 5:13, ESV)
Reflection: Identify one person or group you can serve this week. How can you show Christ’s love through your actions?
Day 4: Generosity as a Reflection of Commitment
Generosity is a vital expression of faith and commitment to God’s work. It supports the church’s mission and enables the reaching and discipling of others. Generosity is not just about financial contributions but about investing in the kingdom of God and impacting lives for eternity. It reflects a heart aligned with God’s purposes, willing to sacrifice for the greater good of His mission. [31:19]
"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7, ESV)
Reflection: What is one way you can practice generosity this week, whether through time, resources, or talents?
Day 5: Vision for a Movement of Discipleship
The vision for the future is to create a movement of discipleship, raising up disciple-makers and expanding impact through strategic initiatives. This vision requires collective effort, prayer, and sacrificial giving, trusting God to use us to touch tomorrow and transform lives. By focusing on growth, worship, youth development, community, financial development, and infrastructure, the church aims to make a lasting impact on the community and beyond. [31:19]
"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." (Matthew 28:19-20, ESV)
Reflection: What role can you play in supporting the church’s vision for discipleship and community impact?
Quotes
"I want to use this series of touching tomorrow to really begin to share my heart in terms of what we are trusting the Lord for in this next season in the life of our church in these next five years. I want to begin this way. The year was 1998, and my wife and I, I think they have a picture. We had just graduated from college. We had graduated in May, had gotten married in June, and then we had then relocated to the Dallas area. And upon relocating to the Dallas area, we began looking. Y 'all got that picture for us? We began looking for a church." [00:00:08] (48 seconds)
"You cannot miss it in the text. The text says they are praising God, they are gathering together. They didn't have a facility quite like ours, but what they did have was the presence of God in their lives. And every time they gathered, they worshiped God, they honored God. You see worship is your response to God. Every time you respond to God in your lifestyle, in your decisions, in how you handle tragedy and trials, in how you show up, your worship is your response to God. So when you know who God is, it changes how you live. It changes how you show up. It changes your decisions. Worship is not just us singing songs and praising God. That's one part of it. But worship is also how you show up on Monday morning with your co -workers. Worship is a lifestyle and worship is an act to God. That's what you see in this first text. God creates the church because he wants it to be a gathering of his people, an assembly of his people that are worshiping and honoring God every..." [00:05:39] (72 seconds)
"That he would then, while his disciples were sitting around the table some days later, debating over who's the greatest, that when Jesus gets there, he takes a towel and he takes a basin. Here he is, the master. Here he is, the teacher. And he gets on his knees and he washes the disciples' feet. And when he finishes, he says, go and do likewise. Jim Cimbala tells the story that on one occasion, he had just finished ministering and someone had come up to him, and currently it was a homeless man that had come up and he smelled just a foul odor, as though not having a bath in several days. And he said, he smelled this foul odor, and yet the man had come desiring to know more. And he just felt like, oh, I can't do this. This is, this was, this was, it was even nauseating. And he said, Jesus, he heard God whisper to him, if you don't learn to love that smell, I can. And, so when he's done that, you know." [00:10:21] (66 seconds)
"service is not what we do service is who we are service is who we are and the service that we talk about in the life of our church is not yes we are grateful for people that serve in our music ministry and people that serve in our in our children and in our nursery space and in our parking lot this church does not happen ministry does not take place without volunteers that show up early and serve from 7 30 to 2 in the afternoon because they are committed to serving God it doesn't happen without people on the security ministry and people in production and people change in diapers so you can enjoy worship people that are on the parking lot people in production people teaching our children and teaching our youth people going to the prison ministries and people going to serve the homeless and people helping people through the food pantry and through counseling services nothing works except for the servants like yourself that love to serve others that's the engine behind the church so you see in this extra they are serving and when needs pop up they respond to the needs I guess what friends service is not just what we do in the life of the church service is also what we do in the city and the community that God calls us into this room that we're this is like the huddle that you know in football they they have a sequence of things that happen throughout the game that that team of 11 defensive or 11 offensive they will they will huddle up in the circle where they will get instructions and get directions and get a plan and then they say break and they each go to their roles and they execute the play when we gather on Sundays this is the huddle but around 10 a .m. when this service is over we say break and then you got to go run the play" [00:11:27] (136 seconds)
"it's not just us making disciples we want every person to be a disciple maker and so so so we are we are grateful for what the Lord has been doing in the life of our church in the life of our church we have been we've been in a season because our Our church will turn 50 in June. And so for the last, come on, let's celebrate 50 years, y 'all. And because of that, a year ago, we went through a process. We started a process of trying to ask the Lord, Lord, where do you want us to go from here? And so we spent a year. We did focus groups with different segments of the church family to try to get different voices. We talked to people in the community. We looked at kind of statistics in terms of where Dallas is headed. We went through a time of prayer. We spent about a year. We had a strategic planning team made up of some of the leaders in the life of our church and our community. We went through a whole process because we were trying to seek the Lord to say, okay, Lord, as we turn 50, where do you want us to go from here? Like we don't want to waste. We want to make sure that we steward and honor God's call on the life of our church well. And so we spent that time and did that work. And so now what I want to use this time is I want to talk to you a little bit about how we're praying for, what we're trusting God for in this next season. So we went through this process." [00:16:57] (95 seconds)
"We began to identify like six key areas that we said, okay, this is what we're really believing God for. When we talk about touching tomorrow, it really is a movement of discipleship. It's a movement. It's a movement of discipleship whereby we are trusting the Lord to raise up disciple makers in this next five years. Part of that will be connected to us raising up 300 grow groups across the city, even across our online campus. Here's what we know so far. We know so far that God has sent nearly, let me look at this. I want to look at this stat, make sure I get it right. Here's what we know so far. Y 'all put that one up, the last two years. Let's put that one up right quick. Here's what we know the last two years. The last two years, the biggest number there is that we've seen nearly 4 ,500 new members in the last two years alone, and we've baptized nearly 700 people. So we thank God for what God has done in the last two years of our church, our historic. We've made the last two years of our church, and we've made the last two years of our church." [00:18:31] (73 seconds)
"If we're going to grow people, we think it's essential and important that we started something last January that we think is going to be key to helping us grow more effectively with disciples. We gave out a survey that is going to give us a spiritual marker of kind of where we are spiritually, based on several key areas that we identified, worship, grow, serve, give. We're going to then use that data to help shape how we are able to grow you in terms of our classes, sermons, and then we'll reassess it in two years. We want to use data to help us grow in our lives and help us make more effective disciples. The other piece we want to do there is that one of our goals is to raise up, as I mentioned, 300 disciple makers. Each year we want to add 50. That means there's someone in this room. Let's go! that you've been sitting and soaking up for quite a while. And our hope and prayer is that God wants to release you to be able to start a grow group, be able to mentor somebody, be able to walk with somebody. We just believe this. For so long, can you sit and just watch? God wants to use you to help grow and impact somebody else. And we believe this could be the season that he doesn't. Worship. We want to continue to create engaging, powerful, spirit -filled worship experiences. We believe it's important that we create an experience. And our team has been working steadily here. We also want to create a collective where we're going to be training up the next generation of worship leaders and the next generation of musicians. We want to be pouring and developing them to help them to grow in their walk with the Lord and in their relationship with him. We also are going to be making some upgrades in this space as well as we address worship because we've been in this building right at 13 years now. And so some of the items, soundboard, and some of the speakers and other things, we're going to have to update so that we can continue to have powerful and engaging worship services. The next one is our youth development. Our youth are facing challenges that they have not faced in prior generations." [00:21:10] (133 seconds)
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