Walking by Faith: Youth Mission Trip Reflections

God’s call to mission appears first as something unexpected and uncomfortable, but that discomfort becomes part of the confirmation. Dayton, Ohio becomes the place where open hands turn into obedience, with mornings spent repairing homes for Sudanese refugee families and afternoons spent leading VBS for refugee kids from the Congo. Luke 10 stays in the background the whole time, because Martha is busy doing good work while Mary sits at the feet of Jesus. Jesus does not say serving is bad, but he does say one thing is necessary, and that one thing is being with him before getting lost in all the details.

Leadership on the Dayton trip becomes a real test of that truth. The worksite foreman role could have turned into striving, organizing, and trying to prove ability, but surrender becomes the better way. The Lord shows that striving after him matters more than striving to get everything right. From that place, service becomes less about performance and more about loving others and glorifying him.

Romans 5 brings everything back to the cross. Christ died while people were still helpless, still sinners, still enemies. God does not wait for people to clean themselves up or bring a list of good things before he moves toward them. The dinner with Africa and the recovery group makes that truth personal, because God met her right where she was and stayed with her every step of the way.

First Peter 2:12 gives a picture of a life worthy of the cross. Good works are not meant to make the servant look impressive. Christ centered leadership lets people see Jesus before they see the leader, especially in the way believers carry themselves with grace and love.

Jeremiah 29:11 speaks into Costa Rica when expectations fall apart. Separation from close friends, sickness, rain, changed plans, broken buses, and missed reunions all look like interruptions at first. Yet God turns obstacles into opportunities: new friendships, a sister’s growing faith, ministry in Lower TBD, and a prayer walk that places the team beside a family right when a fence falls. God’s plan proves better because he sees the whole picture while people only see a small part.

Second Corinthians 5 gives the rhino image its weight. Rhinos can only see a little way ahead, so they move forward by trust, not sight. Faith becomes the firm bridge, while worldly desires snap under pressure. Prayer becomes the needed communication with God, and the warning is simple: “I got it” is a dangerous way for blind people to live.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. The necessary thing comes first Jesus’ words to Martha cut through even good and useful activity. Serving can become a way of hiding from dependence when the details become more important than being with Christ. The best work begins at Jesus’ feet, because love that does not first receive from him eventually turns into anxiety, control, or exhaustion. [44:04]
• 2. God meets people right there Romans 5 refuses the idea that God waits for a cleaned-up life before he comes near. Christ moves toward sinners, enemies, and broken people with a love that is not earned by progress. The story of recovery shows that grace does not begin after healing is complete, but often begins in the very place where a person finally admits the need for God. [48:24]
• 3. Broken plans can become mercy A changed route, an unanswered door, or a ruined schedule can feel like wasted time, but God can place his people exactly where help is needed. The fallen fence in Costa Rica shows that inconvenience may be providence in disguise. Human plans can fail without God’s purpose failing, because his timing is not dependent on human control. [60:14]
• 4. Faith walks past limited sight The rhino image makes trust feel concrete: sight may only reach a few steps ahead, but faith keeps moving on the path God gives. Second Corinthians 5 calls believers to confidence, not because circumstances are clear, but because the Lord is trustworthy. Anxiety demands full visibility, while faith obeys with partial sight and a sure foundation. [64:21]
• 5. Self-reliance is a fragile bridge The words “I got it” sound brave, but they can reveal a heart trying to live without prayer, Scripture, and dependence. Worldly supports may feel strong for a moment, but they snap when real weight is placed on them. Trusting the Lord with all the heart means admitting that human understanding is too small to carry a life safely.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [42:04] - Dayton and an Unexpected Call
• [42:35] - Serving Refugee Families and Kids
• [43:45] - Martha, Mary, and One Necessary Thing
• [45:13] - Leading by Surrender
• [46:17] - Romans 5 and the Cross
• [47:18] - God Meets Africa in Recovery
• [48:53] - A Life Worthy of the Cross
• [52:46] - Costa Rica Expectations Change
• [54:38] - Sickness, Rain, and Disrupted Plans
• [55:57] - Jeremiah 29:11 and Trusting God
• [57:56] - Obstacles Become Opportunities
• [59:47] - Right Place at the Right Moment
• [63:04] - Verbena and Finding Daniel
• [64:21] - Rhinos Walk by Faith
• [66:31] - Prayer, Trust, and Letting Go

Bible Reading

Luke 10:38-42
“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'” [44:04]

Romans 5:6-11
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” [46:17]

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” [56:21]

2 Corinthians 5:6-9
“So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.” [01:04:35]

1 Peter 2:12
“Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” [48:48]

Observation questions

1. In Luke 10, what words describe Martha’s condition, and what does Jesus say Mary has chosen instead? [44:04]
2. In Romans 5, how are people described before Christ died for them, and what does that show about when God chose to act? [46:17]
3. What were some of the unexpected problems that changed the Costa Rica trip plans, and what opportunities came out of those changes? [59:47]
4. In 1 Peter 2:12, what result is supposed to come from believers living honorably and doing good works? [48:48]

Interpretation questions

1. Jesus does not rebuke Martha for serving, but for being anxious and distracted. What does that suggest about the difference between serving Jesus and being consumed by service for Jesus? [44:28]
2. Romans 5 says Christ died for people while they were still weak, sinful, and even enemies. How does that reshape the way a person thinks about who is “ready” for God’s grace? [48:24]
3. Jeremiah 29:11 is often quoted in moments of disappointment. In the setting of exile and delay, what does this verse teach about trusting God when his plan feels slow, uncomfortable, or unclear? [56:31]
4. “We walk by faith, not by sight” is easy to say but hard to live. How does the rhino picture help explain what Christian trust looks like when a person can only see a little way ahead? [01:04:21]

Application questions

1. Martha was distracted by many good and necessary things. Where is the greatest temptation right now to stay busy doing good things while neglecting simple time with Jesus in prayer and Scripture? [44:37]
2. Leadership and responsibility can quietly turn into striving. Where does “I need to handle this myself” show up most often right now—at home, at work, in ministry, or in relationships—and what would surrender look like there? [45:25]
3. Christ moves toward people in weakness, not after they have cleaned themselves up. Is there any area of shame, failure, or ongoing struggle where it feels easier to hide from God than to let him meet you there? [48:08]
4. Good works are meant to help people see Jesus before they notice the person serving. In everyday life, what would it look like for conduct, tone, and attitude to point more clearly to Christ? [49:33]
5. Broken plans can become mercy in disguise. Can the group name a recent disappointment, interruption, or change of schedule that may have been an unexpected place where God was still at work? [01:00:14]
6. Faith means moving forward without full visibility. What part of the future feels hardest to trust God with right now, and what would one small step of obedience look like this week? [01:06:38]
7. “I got it” can be a dangerous way to live. When stress or uncertainty rises, what usually becomes the first thing relied on instead of God, and how can prayer become a more immediate response? [01:06:24]