Round Rock Pride - Faith Leaders Panel

This week, we explored the challenging parable of the dishonest manager from Luke 16:1-13, examining how Jesus calls us to strategic faithfulness in public engagement. The sermon addressed the discomfort many Christians feel about political advocacy and public witness, challenging the false choice between spiritual purity and worldly engagement. Through the example of Texas Impact, we learned how to leverage our existing influence, voices, and resources shrewdly for Christ's purposes while maintaining our core values. The message emphasized that faithful engagement with imperfect systems requires wisdom that doesn't compromise our Christian values while still operating effectively within existing structures to advocate for justice and mercy.

This week Pastor addressed the challenge of faithful speech in times of tragedy and division, using James 3 to explore how our tongues can either echo God's blessing or contradict Christ's teaching. Drawing from the murders at Charlie Kirk's event and ongoing national tragedies, the sermon emphasized that the same instrument God used to declare love over Jesus and that Jesus used to teach the greatest commandments can either poison or proclaim hope. Five practical disciplines were offered: pray throughout the day, read scripture, check yourself before speaking, speak truth in love, and extend grace. The message concluded that our hope lies not in perfect speech but in redeemed people using their words to participate in God's healing work, with ministries like the Christian Resource Center modeling how collective voices can build up rather than tear down.

Isaiah invites all who are thirsty to come and drink freely, a beautiful image of salvation through God’s abundant grace. This passage reminds us that salvation is not something we earn; it is a gift. God’s ways are higher than ours, and God’s invitation to new life is open to all. In Christ, we see the fullness of this grace, as God offers salvation to the world through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow to the golden statue, even when faced with the fiery furnace. Their faithfulness is met with God's presence in the flames. Salvation here is not about avoiding suffering, but about God walking with us through it. God gives us the resilience to stand firm in faith, no matter the trial.

The valley of dry bones is a picture of despair and hopelessness—until God breathes life into what was dead. This passage reminds us that salvation is not just about deliverance, but about renewal. God's Spirit inspires new life where all seemed lost, proving that no situation is beyond God’s power to restore.

Wisdom calls out, offering the path of life. God’s salvation isn’t only about dramatic rescues; it is also about guidance, teaching us to walk in God’s ways. In this passage, wisdom is personified, inviting us to feast on truth and righteousness. Through divine wisdom, God saves us from folly and destruction, leading us into abundant life.

The Exodus story is a powerful testament to God as a deliverer. Oppressed under Pharaoh’s rule, the Israelites cry out, and God intervenes, parting the sea and leading them to freedom. Salvation in this story is not just personal but communal—God's justice overturns oppression, setting captives free. Even today, God calls us to participate in God’s saving work by seeking justice for the oppressed.

Abraham’s willingness to trust God in the most difficult moment demonstrates the depth of God’s covenant love. God provides a ram in place of Isaac, foreshadowing how Christ would one day be our ultimate provision. Salvation is not just about rescue; it’s about God’s enduring faithfulness to God’s promises, ensuring that God’s people are never abandoned.

The story of Noah and the flood is one of destruction, but also of renewal. Though sin and corruption filled the earth, God provided a fresh start—a second chance not only for humanity but for all creation. The rainbow is a sign of God’s promise never to destroy again, reminding us that salvation often comes through God’s relentless mercy and the opportunity to begin anew.