Your Work Matters - Everyday Faith | Week 1 | Tim Birdwell

Aug 03, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Fingerprints on Your Spreadsheet

Work isn’t a necessary evil or a self-made altar—it’s God’s original design. Before sin fractured the world, God worked. He formed stars, sculpted mountains, and called humans to cultivate gardens and create order. Your job—whether teaching algebra, filing reports, or scrubbing high chairs—echoes His creative heartbeat. Every task, no matter how ordinary, carries dignity because it reflects the God who invented work itself. The same hands that shaped galaxies now shape your Monday mornings. [04:17]

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. […] On the seventh day God finished his work that he had done.”
(Genesis 1:1; 2:2, ESV)

Reflection: What mundane task feels insignificant to you? How might it mirror God’s creative, order-bringing nature?

Day 2: When Work Feels Like Thorns in Your Keyboard

Work grinds because the world is broken, not because God abandoned it. After Eden, labor became tangled with frustration—cursed ground, spinning icons, and bosses who drain your soul. Yet God still meets you in the mess. He sees the nurse charting at 2 AM, the barista memorizing orders, the parent reheating cold coffee. Your exhaustion isn’t a sign of failure but a reminder: redemption is coming. [14:36]

“Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life. […] By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread.”
(Genesis 3:17–19, ESV)

Reflection: Where does work feel most futile? How might Jesus’ resurrection speak hope into that ache?

Day 3: Drywall Contractors and the Kingdom Come

God doesn’t need more pastors—He needs accountants who tithe, teachers who pray over lesson plans, and contractors who fund churches. Joseph governed Egypt, Lydia sold purple cloth, and Jesus sanded wood for 30 years. Your vocation isn’t a placeholder for “real ministry.” It’s the exact tool God uses to rebuild broken systems, fund gospel work, and model integrity in shark-tank industries. [21:59]

“One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. […] ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’”
(Acts 16:14–15, ESV)

Reflection: What unique access does your job give you to love others? Name one way to leverage it this week.

Day 4: Cheering in the Cubicle and the Carpool Line

Heaven isn’t an eternal hymn sing—it’s a redeemed workspace. Imagine coding without bugs, teaching without burnout, or building without back pain. Today’s work is a rehearsal. Every honest email, every fair deal, every patient response plants seeds of the new creation. Even when no one notices, the God who numbers hairs sees your integrity and whispers, “Well done.” [19:44]

“They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. […] For like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.”
(Isaiah 65:21–22, ESV)

Reflection: What task feels unredeemable? How could it point others to a God who restores?

Day 5: Clocking In for the Ultimate Boss

Your real supervisor isn’t on the org chart. Work becomes worship when you whisper, “This one’s for You, Jesus,” before a presentation, diaper change, or sales call. Paul told slaves to work “for the Lord”—not to excuse oppression but to radicalize their purpose. Whether you’re promoted or laid off, your true paycheck waits in eternity. [29:14]

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
(Colossians 3:23–24, ESV)

Reflection: What would change if you visualized Jesus signing your paychecks? Write one sentence to pray over your work tomorrow.

Sermon Summary

The doctrine of everyday faith begins with the strange love hate relationship people have with work. Work can feel like “a case of the Mondays,” the man trying to keep people down, or work can become worship to self, status, and accomplishments. But God has a bigger vision for work than any job description can hold. A profession can become a platform for Jesus Christ.

Work reveals. Genesis opens by showing God first as Creator. Before sin shows up, before the curse, before thorns and thistles, God works. Genesis says God created, God finished his work, and God rested from his work. Work is good because God is good, and God works. The first commission calls mankind to subdue the earth, rule over it, and work the garden. So spreadsheets, classrooms, laundry rooms, hospitals, courtrooms, job sites, and campuses can image a working, creating, cultivating God.

The beauty of excellence points back to that God. Great art, music, skill, and craftsmanship stir something in people because the Creator put that instinct there. A guitar played with a bow, a film made with genius, a job done with faithfulness, all of it can echo the God who hung stars in the sky. Even unseen work matters. The God of the universe sees the Cheerios in the minivan, the late shift, the classroom prep, the cubicle, and the quiet faithfulness.

Sin did not create work. Sin cursed it. Genesis 3 explains why work is hard, why the ground fights back, why bosses can be corrupt, coworkers can cut corners, and the spinning icon can test sanctification. The Tower of Babel shows that even impressive work can be jacked up on the inside when people build for a name for themselves.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news for more than souls floating somewhere spiritual. Colossians says Jesus reconciles all things by the blood of his cross. The resurrection changes everything. Christ redeems creation, and Revelation and Isaiah point toward a new heaven and new earth where work is enjoyed without sin, exhaustion, tears, death, or the spinning icon.

Work redeems as kingdom citizens carry redeemed souls into the marketplace. The first commission can lead to the Great Commission. Builders, administrators, judges, businesswomen, tentmakers, fishermen, tax collectors, drywall contractors, hairstylists, and students can serve others and bring a preview of God’s future kingdom into the present. Work is worship when “whatever” is done heartily for the Lord. Monday belongs to Jesus too.

Key Takeaways

1. Work reveals the working God [03:24] Work begins in Scripture before sin begins in the world. Genesis shows God creating, finishing, resting, and inviting image bearers into meaningful labor. The believer’s ordinary tasks can carry more glory than they appear to carry because work mirrors the Creator’s own activity. [03:24]
2. Sin cursed, not created, work [14:36] Genesis 3 tells the truth about why work groans under pain, sweat, resistance, and frustration. The curse explains the broken boss, the strained coworker, the failed system, and the task that fights back. Christian hope does not require pretending work is easy, but it refuses to believe brokenness gets the last word. [14:36]
3. Christ redeems all things [18:50] Colossians does not shrink redemption down to private spirituality. The blood of the cross makes peace over “all things,” on earth and in heaven. The resurrection means Christ’s victory reaches the material world, daily labor, human systems, and the future creation where work will no longer be twisted by sin. [18:50]
4. Vocation becomes kingdom preview [20:43] The kingdom of God comes into view when redeemed people serve with excellence, mercy, justice, and faithfulness in ordinary places. A workplace can become more than a paycheck and more than a career ladder. It can become a small window into the coming world where God’s authority brings healing and blessedness. [20:43]
5. Monday can become worship [29:14] Worship is not only a song sung in a room on Sunday. Colossians 3 turns “whatever” into holy ground when work is done heartily for the Lord. The simple prayer, “Jesus, you are my boss,” can re-order ambition, endurance, integrity, and joy before the workday even begins.

## [29:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:32] - A Love Hate Relationship With Work
[03:01] - Work Reveals and Work Redeems
[03:55] - Genesis Shows God as Creator
[05:23] - Work Before the Fall
[06:28] - Excellence Points Back to God
[09:26] - Sin Cursed Work
[11:05] - God Uses Every Vocation
[14:36] - Thorns, Thistles, and Hard Jobs
[18:21] - Jesus Redeems All Things
[20:43] - Work Previews the Kingdom
[22:32] - Ordinary Jobs on Mission
[28:15] - Bringing Church to the Workplace
[29:14] - Work Is Worship
[30:13] - Jesus Is the True Boss

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

Genesis 2:2-3
“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

Genesis 2:15
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

Genesis 3:17-19
“And to Adam he said, 'Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, "You shall not eat of it," cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.'” [14:36]

Colossians 1:19-20
“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” [18:50]

Colossians 3:23-24
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” [29:14]

Observation questions

In Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 2:2-3, what is the first picture of God that shows up, and what repeated word stands out in those verses? [03:55]
According to Genesis 2:15, what was Adam called to do in the garden before sin entered the world?
In Genesis 3:17-19, what words and images describe why work now feels painful, frustrating, and resisted?
What are some specific everyday places and kinds of work that can reflect God’s character—both seen and unseen? [10:21]

Interpretation questions

If work appears in Genesis before the fall, what does that suggest about the basic goodness and purpose of work, even when someone does not enjoy a current job? [05:23]
Colossians 1:19-20 says Christ reconciles “all things.” How should that shape the way a Christian thinks about daily work, not just church activity or private spiritual life? [18:50]
The Tower of Babel shows that impressive work can still be twisted on the inside when people build a name for themselves. How can a person tell the difference between healthy ambition and self-centered ambition? [16:05]
Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do,” do it for the Lord. How does that widen the meaning of worship beyond singing or gathered church moments? [29:14]

Application questions

Which side of the work struggle feels more familiar right now: hating work, just enduring work, or letting work become an identity? What has been revealing that in this season? [00:56]
Where is it hardest right now to believe that ordinary work matters to God—at home, at school, in an office, on a job site, or somewhere else? What makes that place feel small or unnoticed? [10:21]
What are the “thorns and thistles” in this season of work? Is it a difficult boss, a frustrating system, strained coworkers, exhaustion, discouragement, or something else? How has that been affecting the heart? [14:36]
Jesus has placed his people in real workplaces and real routines on purpose. Who are the actual people in that daily setting that could be served, encouraged, or prayed for more intentionally this week? [28:00]
If a profession becomes a platform for Jesus Christ, what might that look like in one concrete way over the next few days? Could it be stronger integrity, deeper kindness, better work, a gospel conversation, an invitation, or something else? [02:49]
“Jesus, you are my boss” is a simple way to begin the day. How might that prayer change the way work is approached tomorrow morning? What attitude, habit, or fear would it challenge first? [30:13]
Work is worship when it is done heartily for the Lord. What is one task this week that usually feels boring, invisible, or frustrating, and how could it be offered to God differently? [28:57]

Sermon Clips

40s

#WorkIsFromGod

“``See, sin did not create work. It cursed it, but sin did not create work. God did. God did. So my question is, do you see your work that way? Do you see your work as a student? Some of you are getting ready to go back to school. I talked to some teachers this morning who, by the way, should get paid more also. I can't do that for you, so just to set expectations. But and they're like, oh, man. Like, school's starting and get my classroom ready. And do you see it as an opportunity, your profession as an opportunity to platform Jesus, the kingdom of God, his goodness on the earth? That's how God sees it.”

43s

#WorkIsGood

“And so your job matters more than you think it does. Right? See, the reality is work is good. No amens to that? Work is good. Why? Because God is good, and God works. And it's not just that God works in a perfect paradise. Genesis one and two, as God is working, everything is perfect, he invites mankind to partner with him in that work. This is pre sin, pre fall, like the sequence if you don't know. Genesis chapter three, that's when sin shows up. Genesis one and two, work shows up.”

59s

#IWorkForYou

“And that's why he has you here. Some of you, this is overwhelming because right now you're thinking about these complications at work. You're thinking about some of you don't have a job. Some of you can't work right now for some reason. Some of you are thinking about all the well, like, but, Tim, I do this. I do you don't understand my job. And listen, that's why we have a four part series. K? We're gonna get to that, how we work next week. But here's just one simple change. I want you to start this tomorrow when you wake up before you go to work. I want you to declare this in a prayer. I want you to just say simply, I work for you. Jesus, you are my boss. I know you got another boss, but ultimately, you don't work for them. You work for God. Let me just if you work like that, the other things will shake out. The other things will shake out.”

59s

#WorkplaceMission

“but if it's just me and our pastors, we will never go to your workplace. But God has placed you there by appointment to be a missionary in your cube, at your campus, at your house, with your kids. And listen, I want you to invite people to church. Today, you're gonna get an invite card. We're gonna start doing this every Sunday. An invite culture, a lot of you guys invite people. We just wanna make it easier for you. We're I want you to bring people to church, but guess what? Every single day when you're at work or school, you get to bring the church of Jesus Christ to people. And if we're gonna reach the fifth largest city in the country, and I hope we do, and millions of people, it's not gonna be through 17 people who work in a church staff. It's gonna be through workers doing the work of God for his glory, for the good of our community and our city. Amen? That's what God has in store for you.”

47s

#OrdinaryVocationsMatter

“Again, it's not just prophets and priests, it's builders like Noah, it's administrators like Joseph, it's kings and shepherds like David, it's Daniel who was a government leader. Again, we're gonna go through that book in the the fall. God uses all these normal jobs with people like Lydia who was a businesswoman. Paul who was a missionary but was also a tent maker. Jesus, again, thirty years worked as a carpenter. Three years preached sermons. The disciples who started the church of Jesus Christ, and you read about in the book of Acts, God doesn't choose, like, for his varsity team, prophets and priests. He chooses fishermen and tax collectors to grow the church of Jesus Christ, which flips the world upside down. Can God use and redeem your work? He can.”

28s

#FaithfulWorkMatters

“As you work, God's bringing the kingdom bear to bear on this earth as you work with faithfulness and excellence even though nobody is watching. You're doing that first commission, which often leads to the great commission. You're you're ruling and having dominion over the earth as God has called us to, and you're imaging that good God as well. And it's what we see in scripture, that our work serves others. Did you know this?”

36s

#PlatformForTheKingdom

“And God has something to say about all of it. So we're doing this series called everyday faith, closing the Sunday to Monday gap. We're gonna talk about what God has to say about our work. And here's the question I want you to wrestle with today and throughout this series. How can your profession become a platform for Jesus Christ? Whatever you spend your your waking hours working, doing, how can that thing that you think is amazing or insignificant, how can that become a platform for the kingdom here on the earth.”

31s

#RiseAndPrayForWork

“God wants to give you a bigger vision for your work. We're gonna respond in prayer. We're gonna respond in song. I'm gonna ask you to stand with me right now. Would you rise to your feet? As we pray, I I want you to ask God, how can your profession become a platform for Jesus Christ? What if, church, what if all of us in this room saw our profession, saw our school, saw our homes and our neighborhoods like that? What would God do?”

46s

#GospelTransformsAll

“And some of us feel that. Some of us feel that at home. Some of us feel that at school. And yet this is why the gospel of Jesus Christ, hear me, is good news. See, I want you to broaden your perspective of what the gospel of Jesus Christ. We see this in the whole of scripture, what it is. God does not just redeem souls and the spiritual. as he beats death in the resurrection, Jesus Christ came out. He walked out of a tomb, people. Does that just change our spiritual, immaterial life? That changes everything. If a God beat death, does it change everything? Amen.”

38s

#HonorEveryJob

“That God speaks through people in scripture, not just prophets and priests, but through administrators like Joseph, through builders like Noah, through carpenters like Jesus Christ. Did you know Jesus preached for three years? He worked as a carpenter for thirty years. 80% of his life was working a regular job. Did you know that you in this room, again, you're a student, stay at home mom, which by the way, if you're a stay at home mom, your salary should be like a million dollars a year. Can I get an amen? Okay. We we know what you do isn't seen a lot, but that's work. Amen? That's work.”

50s

#CreatedToCreate

“And there's something innate within us, whether you're a believer in Jesus or not, that admires work and excellence. Because you were created by a creative working God who hung stars in the sky that you could still see today, that set planets in motion, that that created a man and a woman from the dust of the earth. And so there's something in you whether believe in Jesus or not that says, hey, God created work for something bigger. Even on those days where you hate your job and that little icon is spinning and it's testing your sanctification. There's something in you that knows, hey, is bigger, work is good.”

46s

#EveryVocationMatters

“So work reveals, but also work redeems. Work redeems. And listen, I I'm not just talking about pastors and missionaries and Chick fil A even though that's the nuggets of heaven. Amen. Praise God. I'm not just talking about, like, those things, like, are redemptive. I'm talking about God uses every vocation. Again, as you look at the scriptures, we're gonna talk about specific examples. What you don't see is 66 books made up of a prophet, a priest, and a pastor doing all the work for God. Many times, it's the opposite of that. You see like a a builder. You see fishermen. You see tax collectors. They built the first church of Jesus Christ that we're now experiencing today.”

41s

#WorkAsCalling

“Do you do you see your career as just a career or do you see it as a calling for the glory of God? Do you see your profession as that's just my profession. Or do you see it as a platform for Jesus Christ and his kingdom? Listen to me, church. Just so you know, cards on the table, I want Phoenix bible church. If you've ever wondered, some of you've asked me, do we want a big church? Are we becoming a big church? I'm kinda scared of a big church. And I would tell you loudly, Because anytime people ask me that, they're a little uncomfortable, things are changing, things are hard, and they always ask me that. I always think to myself, sometimes I say it out loud, I always think, who do you want me to ask to leave?”

36s

#WorkIsYourWorship

“So again, some of us are overwhelmed. That's why we have a prayer team on my right, on on my left. They can come down now. As we respond, as we sing, as we worship, some of you don't see your work as worship. Some of you, if you're honest, and this is some of us today, listen, your work is your worship. It's not working as it's worship unto God. Your work itself is worship, and the way you spent seventy hours trying to make a name for yourselves and and and just about your image and your status. And we need to come down and confess that and ask God to to change our view of work. Some of us, our work is significant.”

42s

#WorkersBringRevival

“And God, I would just ask humbly that you change our city through workers of Phoenix Bible Church, that you would bring thousands of people who need to know that they're lost and dying and dead without a savior Jesus Christ. And that you've appointed such a time as this for us to go in our jobs and declare and demonstrate the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that those lost people can be found, those dead people can be made alive in Jesus' name. And that you would bring revival in this church and in this city through a bunch of people who work regular jobs and go to schools and and are in their homes and their neighborhoods. God, we we ask for that,”

46s

#WorkIsBroken

“Like think about that that boss. Again, you're thinking about in your mind, like, Tim, you don't know my boss. Your boss is corrupt. He doesn't use his skills and gifts and his power to serve people, he uses it to lord over you. And work is broken. Think about that coworker that you do not get along with, that you do not give the benefit of the doubt, that you do think cuts corners when nobody else is looking. Think about that that icon. We had it on Thursday. We were trying to show stuff on this projector back here and it was just spinning. And you're like, work is broken. Even in the church, the Holy Spirit didn't fix it. It's broken.”

59s

#InviteFromWorkplace

“There's a lady in our church named Adeline who own or runs a wellness studio where you do your cold plunge and hot sauna and all those kinds of things. And another couple in our church named Tim and Pam, after they got off work, they went there to get their cold plunge on. K? And they didn't just go there. They they thought about this everyday faith idea. They went there on mission, and they started talking to Adeline who manages this studio, and they invited her to church a few months back. She's come ever since. She came down and met me and introduced me to her sister and brother-in-law who she invited. They've been coming for the last two weeks and said, hey, they wanna get baptized. And they're getting baptized next Sunday. Praise God. And listen to me. Adeline does not have a seminary degree. She doesn't work for our church, and she is doing the mission All of us have that opportunity.”

31s

#FaithInTheProfession

“But what I love about Jim is we have all these attorneys in our church. So guys, we're safe, we're well protected, you need a defense. We're good to go here at Phoenix Bible Church. We have all these attorneys, not just love, I get to introduce them to 84 year old Jim Tilborg. And every single one of them he takes out to lunch and he mentors them. And in a profession that can be super sketchy and cutthroat like being an attorney, Jim teaches these guys how to honor God with your work.”

55s

#WorkPaysKingdom

“There's a guy named David, who's a friend of mine who has been a friend since we started PBC twelve years ago, and he's a drywall contractor in Texas. And yet through his drywall, he's made some money, and he gives generously. He ties off that income, and part of that went to Phoenix Bible Church in the early days, and we didn't have much money. And I can honestly tell you this, without David Nance, Phoenix Bible Church would not be here. If he had chosen to be a pastor, we'd been out of luck. But he's a drywall contractor, and he gave generously. And I always loved David. He still tells me to this to this day. He said, Tim, if you don't ask, if you don't ask me to give towards things, you're robbing me, listen to this, of my joy. Don't rob me of my joy, that's what he'll tell me all the time. And that's why I say, David, I will not. will not do that. And I ask him for things for the church all the time.”

31s

#InviteYourNeighbors

“Like, I wanna reach my neighbor Margaret who's 85 years old and does not know Jesus Christ. And every Easter, we invite her to church and she always says, we'll see where the Lord leads. And she's never been, and she does not believe in Jesus. I I want Margaret to come. I want Sean, the guy I work out with who always asks, what do I have to wear pastor and how's it gonna work? And he never comes. And Sean, if you're watching, I want you to come and know that Jesus loves you and he died and rose again for you.”

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