Worship Service June 28th, 2026 Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Matthew 10 ties welcome to Jesus himself and then to God. Jesus sends the Twelve with real authority to announce good news, heal, and cast out unclean spirits, yet with empty hands and no safety net. That pairing forces dependence on God and on the hospitality of strangers. In a dry land, the cup of cold water becomes a sign of life and a sign of welcome. To receive a disciple is to receive Jesus, and to receive Jesus is to receive the One who sent him. Welcome creates a chain of belonging that runs from host to disciple to Christ to God.

The cup of cold water speaks plainly. In a climate where thirst can kill, small mercy is not small. The gift is basic and concrete, and so is discipleship. Jesus names “the little ones,” which certainly includes children, but also widens to “the least of these,” any neighbor on the margins, the traveler without provisions, the hungry, the thirsty, the unsheltered. The measure of love is not the size of the platform but the attention to the least.

Discipleship keeps going. “It is a lifelong journey.” The moment someone says they have learned enough, trouble has begun. Because the world changes, the church keeps learning, taking seriously new knowledge in science and technology, not to replace faith but to fold it into faith with humility. The Spirit keeps moving and showing new things, so humility becomes the right posture, a virtue named in the Seven Grandfather Teachings remembered on Indigenous Sunday. Humility opens ears to feedback, eyes to others’ gifts, and hands to receive what God gives through people.

Community makes this durable. The call to raise a child in Christ’s way is real, and it is too hard to do alone. So baptism belongs inside a people who promise to nurture by word and deed. The church learns together, serves together, and does not have to be a disciple alone. Concrete hospitality looks like neighbors creating a safe place for kids after school, reading stories, serving snacks, and letting friendships grow across ages. Such service gives, but it also receives.

“Reward” shows up as a promise, and Matthew does not price it out. The reward is not a prize, but a new relationship. When a congregation opens its doors to the little ones, it discovers that Christ walks in. God works through such welcome to bring healing and wholeness in the community. That shared life is the deepest reward.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Welcome links host, disciple, Jesus, God. The welcome that meets a disciple becomes a welcome that meets Christ, and in meeting Christ it meets the Father who sent him. Hospitality is not mere politeness, it is participation in God’s own mission. A doorway opened to a traveler becomes a doorway into communion. This reframes ordinary hosting as holy ground. [45:17]
• 2. A cup of water saves. In a thirsty land, a cup is life. Jesus honors the smallest act because he knows how scarcity turns basics into gifts. When care is concrete and timely, mercy turns practical and holy at once. Discipleship starts at the scale of a cup. [46:16]
• 3. The little ones are many. Children are included, but Jesus’ field of vision is wider than childhood. The least of these includes anyone in need, including those sent out on mission with empty hands. Compassion grows when categories stretch and faces come into focus. The neighbor becomes the measure. [46:39]
• 4. Discipleship needs humility and dependence. Learning does not stop, because God keeps teaching through a changing world and a living Spirit. Humility keeps the heart teachable, willing to receive feedback and the gifts of others. Depending on God and community is not failure, it is formation. Jesus trained his own to travel light. [41:10]
• 5. Reward grows as relationship. The promise of reward is not a paycheck but a people discovered and a Presence welcomed. Love given returns as shared life and mutual blessing. In that exchange, Christ reveals himself, and healing takes root in the neighborhood. Wholeness is the dividend of hospitality. [52:17]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [39:31] - Cup of cold water promise
• [40:17] - Baptism and belonging at Westminster
• [40:45] - A congregation’s shared responsibility
• [41:10] - Discipleship is a lifelong journey
• [41:45] - The Spirit keeps showing new things
• [41:57] - Humility from the grandfather teachings
• [43:09] - Sent with authority, without pay
• [43:58] - Risk, danger, and thirst on mission
• [45:17] - Welcoming disciples welcomes Jesus and God
• [45:49] - Even a cup still matters
• [46:39] - The little ones and the least
• [48:03] - Tompkins Grove after-school ministry
• [49:35] - Parents share concrete fruit
• [52:17] - Reward as relationship and wholeness

Bible Reading
Matthew 10:40-42 (ESV)
“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Matthew 25:35-40 (ESV)
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. [...] Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

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Observation questions

1. In Matthew 10:40-42, what connection does Jesus make between welcoming a disciple, welcoming himself, and welcoming God?
2. The sermon mentions that “the little ones” includes but is broader than children. What examples of “the least of these” are given in the sermon? [46:39]
3. According to the sermon, why is a cup of cold water a significant act in the biblical context? [46:16]
4. How does the sermon describe the relationship between “reward” and community? [52:17]

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Interpretation questions

1. Why might Jesus use the metaphor of a cup of cold water (Matthew 10:42) to illustrate discipleship, and how does this connect to dependence on God?
2. The sermon argues that humility is essential for lifelong discipleship. How does humility help believers remain teachable in a changing world? [41:57]
3. In Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus says serving “the least of these” is serving him. How does this redefine what it means to welcome others?
4. The sermon describes baptism as a communal responsibility. Why is community necessary for nurturing faith? [40:45]

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Application questions

1. What is one practical way you could offer “a cup of cold water” to someone in your neighborhood or workplace this week? How might this small act reflect dependence on God?
2. Who are the “little ones” in your daily life (e.g., coworkers, neighbors, strangers) that you might overlook? How could you intentionally welcome or serve them? [48:03]
3. Humility involves valuing others’ gifts and being open to feedback. When have you struggled to receive input from others, and what step could you take to practice humility this month?
4. The sermon shares an example of an after-school program creating relationships. What is one way your community could collaborate to meet a practical need? What gifts or resources could you contribute?
5. How does the idea of “reward as relationship” challenge your view of serving others? When have you experienced mutual blessing through hospitality?