Agape SLO Podcast

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Follow us on:

Facebook: agapechurchslo

Instagram: @agapechurchslo

Website: agapeslo.church

Follow us on:

Facebook: agapechurchslo

Instagram: @agapechurchslo

Website: agapeslo.church

Key Scriptures:

Exodus 3:1-5

John 15:14-16

Acts 4:13

GROW: Five Essentials Every Christian Needs

Over the past four weeks, we have explored four essential disciplines of spiritual growth.

Growing Through the Word of God – as it reveals the true nature of God and His wisdom, principles and purposes for living a fruitful and faithful life. We grow through the Word as we hear, trust, and obey what God has said.

Growing Through Our Prayer Life– to live in communion and communication with Him, – to grow in gratitude and thanksgiving; to learn about the authority God has given us; to trust His promises and bring the power and revelation of God’s kingdom into our own living situations; to release God’s wisdom, healing and peace into our world. 

Growing Through Service  - Serving develops us, builds relationships, opens the door for reciprocal help and assistance; - expands our skills, and produces joy and gratitude within us and in others. 

Growing Through Stewardship – We discover that we have been blessed to be a blessing. God has given  us gifts and talents according to our designed purpose. We grow through stewardship as we faithfully manage everything God has entrusted to us.

Today, we come to the fifth essential: WORSHIP  And worship brings every other essential together.

Reading the Bible can be worship.

Prayer can be a form of worship.

Service can be worship.

Giving can be worship.

In Addition:

Singing can be worship.

Obedience can be worship.

Forgiveness can be worship.

Waiting can be worship.

SLIDE #3

Worship is not merely one part of the Christian life. Worship is the orientation of the entire Christian life toward God.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN – EXODUS THE “OVERARCHING STORY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

PASTOR JAMES COVERED SOME OF THIS LAST WEEK - IN THE BEGINNING, God desired a family on earth – to reveal Himself to the rest of humanity – he chose the children of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. In the course of time, they found themselves enslaved and abused under the control of Egypt – for 400 years. And God said, “enough” and brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. Next ,He began transforming them by getting the culture of Egypt out  of them. 

1. GOD BROUGHT THEM OUT — SO HE COULD BRING THEM TO HIMSELF

Exodus 3:12 NASB And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

Pharoah said – You belong to me

But God said, No, You belong to Me – and I am going to bring you to Myself through worship

Worship is the pathway of freedom and deliverance into a true relationship with God. Worship is not God demanding attention because He needs our praise; Worship is God inviting us into relationship because He desires our hearts.

Exodus 19:4–6

“You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

Key thought:

Deliverance has a destination — His presence.

God wasn’t merely interested in changing their circumstances. He wanted to reveal Himself to them and establish relationship with them.

Through the wilderness, God gave them the design for a Tabernacle – a Dwelling place so He could go with them and lead them. He would manifest His Presence there. Moses would go there nightly and stand before him. He would linger in his Presence.

Through dwelling with God and encountering Him through worship, Moses became a friend of God. Moses declared in Ex 33 – If your presence doesn’t come with me, I don’t want to go anywhere.

Sometimes we come to God primarily because we want Him to change something:

Change my circumstances.

Heal my body.

Fix my family.

Provide financially.

Give me direction.

And God certainly cares about those things. But eventually, mature faith learns to say:

“God, I don’t just want what You can give me. I want You.” 

How about our Heavenly Father – He rescued you and me from a mess so we could have fellowship – a relationship with Him…. But we often only go to Him with problems more than gratitude or appreciation for who He is

LET’S DIVE DEEPER INTO THE DEFINITION

2. Worship Begins by Recognizing the Value and Ultimate Worth of God

The English word worship comes from an older expression related to worth or worthiness.

Worship is the acknowledgment of worth. To worship God is to declare:

“You are valuable beyond comparison.”

“You deserve my attention and affection.”

“You deserve my trust and my obedience.”

“You deserve my whole life.”

The great commandment can be our instruction for worship: to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” Jesus quoted it from the Old Testament in Mark 12:30. 

Meaning of the Commandment

• Heart: Your core emotions, desires, and deepest affections. 

• Soul: Your life force, spiritual identity, and essential existence.

• Mind: Your intellect, thoughts, and understanding applied to learning truth. 

• Strength: Your physical energy, resources, and active service is to love t

3. Worship is not only a religious activity. Everyone worships something.

Worship is what happens when we assign ultimate value to someone or something.

Whatever receives your highest devotion, deepest trust, strongest affection, and greatest sacrifice is functioning as an object of worship.

Some people worship success. - They sacrifice health, relationships, integrity, and peace to achieve it.

Some worship approval. - They change who they are depending on who is in the room.

Some worship comfort. They will obey God as long as obedience does not become inconvenient.

Some worship control. - They struggle to trust anyone—including God—with an outcome they cannot manage.

Some worship money. - It becomes the place where they seek security, identity, and power.

Some worship themselves. - Every decision revolves around personal preference, personal pleasure, and personal advancement.

The question is not whether you worship. The question is What holds the highest place and gets greatest priority in your life?

4. So How Are We Supposed To Worship?

The Old Testament Hebrew word shachah carries the idea of bowing down, prostrating oneself, showing reverence and submission.

The New Testament Greek word proskuneō likewise carries the idea of bowing before or reverencing someone.

So worship is much bigger than singing.

A working definition:  Worship is the response of our whole being to the revelation of who God is. (repeat) 

God reveals Himself. Our hearts respond in awe. Our lives yield and we bow in respect and honor.  Our souls worship.

That response may involve:

Singing

Raising our hands

Kneeling

Silence

Prayer

Surrender

Serving

Giving

Thanksgiving

Serving

But none of these actions automatically constitute worship.

We can sing without worshiping.

We can raise our hands without surrendering our hearts.

We can say the right words while our hearts are somewhere else.

WORSHIP IS ULTIMATELY ABOUT THE HEART RESPONDING TO GOD.

Illust - CAMBODIA 2007 – youth from surrounding villages – teaching on worship for 3days- – P James &  Jeff B… The Holy Spirit Fell – and we saw young people singing, kneeling, praying, weeping , confessing -  with  hands extended for a couple hours – then breakthrough came – a HS refreshing - rejoicing, jumping and dancing – All the expressions of worship through  young people newly exposed to the Presence of God for a couple hours

5.Worship is more than the songs we sing; it is the daily surrender of our whole lives in response to who God is and what He has done. Worship is aligning our values and actions so people see Jesus in us.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1; NIV

Worship is honoring Jesus for who He is and all He has done and is doing.

Worship does not begin when the first note is played and does not end when the final song is over.

Worship is honoring Jesus by reflecting Him. His life radiates from us and is contagious. In Acts 4 the religious leaders could recognize the disciples had been with Jesus – they saw the boldness and courage

6.Worship effects our lifestyle and impacts those around us

When you leave this building, worship continues in the way you speak to your family.

Worship continues in the decisions you make when no one is watching.

Worship continues in the way you conduct business.

Worship continues in how you respond to disappointment.

Worship continues in the way you manage your body, your time, your relationships, and your resources.

It’s a Lifestyle

Worship can involve sacrifice as we yield to circumstances inconvenient and uncomfortable – obeying what is right versus what is easy

Worship continues when obedience costs you something.

Worship continues when God’s plan is different from yours.

The real test of worship is not only whether you will sing when the music is playing.

The real test is whether you will surrender when life is not going according to your plan.

This is where worship leads us - so we can surrender control and welcome God’s active presence, power, and transformation through the Holy Spirit into our daily lives.

Away from distraction. Away from self-reliance.

Away from the need to control everything.

Away from living with ourselves at the center.

Worship puts God back in His rightful place.

And when God returns to the center, everything else begins to find its proper place.

II. GOD SEEKS TRUE WORSHIPPERS – THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

Slide #10

A.TRUE WORSHIPPERS  - John 4:23–24:“The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true  worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth,

In John 4, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well.

This encounter is remarkable because of the barriers Jesus crosses to speak with her.

She is a Samaritan. He is Jewish.

She is a woman speaking publicly with a man who is not a relative.

Her personal history has likely made her the subject of judgment and social isolation.

She arrives at the well during the heat of the day, when most people would have avoided the journey.

Jesus begins talking with her about the water in the well, but the conversation quickly moves toward the deeper thirst in her life.

He reveals that He knows her story. He knows about her relationships.

He knows what she has been searching for. 

He knows the broken places she has tried to fill.

When she realizes Jesus is a prophet, she raises a religious question.

In John 4:20, she says:“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”( Mount Gerizim (where the Samaritans worshiped) and Mount Zion in Jerusalem (where the Jews worshiped)

She wants to know which location is correct. This mountain or Jerusalem?

Which place is sacred? Which tradition is right? Where does real worship happen?

Jesus responds: “The hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.”

Jesus is announcing that worship will no longer be defined primarily by geographical location. Through His death and resurrection, access to God will not be restricted to one mountain or one building.

Jesus continues in John 4:23–24:“The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true  worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The woman is focused on the correct location. Jesus is focused on the condition of the worshipper.

She asks: “Where should we worship?” Jesus answers: “What kind of worshiper is the  Father seeking?”

You can be in the correct building and have your heart in the wrong place.

You can stand during every song while remaining spiritually disengaged.

You can lift your hands while withholding your life.

You can physically attend worship while your heart remains far away. The song does not automatically make us worshipers.

Life Point: Worship is not defined primarily by where we stand or kneel, but by the worth we assign to God in our hearts and lives. The Father seeks people whose hearts are truly directed toward Him.

2. TRUE WORSHIP ENGAGES BOTH SPIRIT AND TRUTH

Jesus says true worshipers worship: “In spirit and truth.”  Both matter.

   a.WORSHIP IN SPIRIT

To worship in spirit means our worship comes from within.

It is not merely external movement. It is heartfelt.

Sincere. - Genuine. - Spiritually alive.  Our hearts are engaged with God.

We are not simply repeating lyrics. We are responding to the reality of who God is.

There can be a great distance between our lips and our hearts. 

Jesus quoted Isaiah in Matthew 15:8: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”

Most of us in this room have had a born again experience and started walking with the Lord in a personal way… but this scripture could apply to us, too

We can say the right things without giving God our hearts.

We can sing: “I surrender all,” while continuing to protect the one area we have refused  to release.

We can sing: “You are all I need,”while depending on everything else for identity and security.

We can sing:  “I trust You,”while our decisions reveal that we only trust ourselves.

  God is not impressed by words that our lives consistently contradict.

HE DESIRES SINCERITY.  That does not mean our emotions must always feel intense.

Worship is not valid only when we experience chills, tears, or overwhelming feelings.

Emotions are a gift from God, but they are not the final measure of worship.

There will be times when worship feels joyful.

There will be times when worship requires effort and feels costly.

Sometimes worship is expressed through celebration.

Sometimes you worship while feeling God’s presence strongly.

Sometimes you worship by faith when you feel very little.

TO WORSHIP IN THE SPIRIT includes worshipping through the gifts of the Spirit

The apostle Paul instructed the early church after Pentecost - 

1 Cor 14:2 For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. 3 But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. 4 A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

REGARDING WORSHIP

18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. 19 But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language. 

WORSHIP IN SPIRIT means we bring God our real hearts—not a performance.

If you are grieving, bring your grief and exchange it for joy! 

If you are thankful, bring your gratitude for all He has done!

If you are confused, bring your questions and listen for answers! 

If you are tired, bring your weakness and let Him strengthen you!

If you have sinned, bring repentance and receive cleansing and a fresh start!

God doesn’t shun you in times of trouble and turmoil – He is your helper – He draws close in times of trouble.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

We engage and invite the Holy Spirit to intervene in life’s circumstances when we pray open and honest prayers from our heart and likewise, we can pray in our Spirit- empowered prayer language when we don’t know how to pray.. 

Rom 8:26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

WORSHIP IN TRUTH

Our worship must also be grounded in truth. Worship is not simply sincere emotion directed toward our personal idea of God. Sincerity alone is not enough. A person can be sincerely wrong. We worship God as He has revealed Himself. 

Jesus told the woman at the well: “You worship  what you do not know; we worship what we know.”

Worshipping in Truth – worship that affirms His victory on the Cross; scriptures retelling the defeat of His enemies; Songs declaring His Lordship; Psalms about His nature – His goodness, His faithfulness and His patient loving kindness. 

Not just songs about our suffering, desperation or neediness -

Some Christian songs sound like the Cowboy Laments – someone has done me wrong, I lost it all, I miss my wife, and my horse and my dog Left me, TOO – HELP ME JESUS-  My campfire is going out…( YOU THINK THAT SONG COULD MAKE IT ON THE VOICE?)  This not praise nor worship

Often the Psalmist would start with the challenges of discouraging circumstances – a season of about hard-times, which we all go through. 

But there is higher, encouraging truth. The psalmists would declare “BUT GOD”- declaring God’s delivering power, His faithfulness and loving-kindness which was ultimately seen in Jesus Christ.

Our Worship Must Be Shaped By Scripture. He is not whatever we prefer Him to be. He is not a larger version of ourselves. We do not worship a God we invent. That is left to the mythology of pagan religions. The Bible tells us who God is. – 

He is holy. - Faithful. - Just.

Merciful. - Patient.  - Powerful. 

Wise. - Compassionate. and Unchanging.

He is Creator. - Sustainer. -Redeemer.

He is Father - Son. - Holy Spirit.

We worship the God who has made Himself known. That is why growing in the Word strengthens worship. The more clearly we know God, the more deeply we can worship Him. Without truth, worship can become vague sentiment.

We may say the same flattering things about God that we would say to anything else we admire. But true worship is specific.

“God, You are faithful because You keep covenant.”

“You are holy and there is no darkness in You.”

“You are merciful because You did not treat me as my sin deserved.”

“You are Redeemer because Jesus carried my sin to the cross.”

“You are powerful because death could not hold Christ.”

“You are present because Your Spirit lives within Your people.”

This is worshipping in Spirit and Truth  

PRAISE VS WORSHIP - We see in Scripture that there is a distinction between praise and worship. Both are honoring to God.

An important distinction is praise give thanks to God for what He has done;  and worship inspires adoration for who He is. 

We should not separate them too sharply because biblical praise includes both God’s works and His character. But the distinction helps us understand spiritual depth.

It is good to thank God for His generous hand.

“Thank You for providing.”

“Thank You for healing.”

“Thank You for opening the door.”

“Thank You for answering prayer.”

But Worship also seeks His face…. Not just “His Hand”

It says:

“Even if the circumstance has not yet changed, You are still good.”

“Even if I do not understand, You are still wise.”

“Even if the door has not opened yet, You are still faithful.”

“Even if the provision looks different from what I expected, You are still my source.”

“Even if I am walking through the valley, You are still my Shepherd.”

PRAISE THANKS GOD FOR THE GIFT. WORSHIP TREASURES THE GIVER.

Life Point: True worship rises from a sincere heart and is anchored in the truth of who God has revealed Himself to be.

WORSHIP REQUIRES A PREPARED HEART – Let’s Look at the Progression

Coming before the King – Pastor Mony Mok In Cambodia - Protocol

Psalm 100  - Psalm 100 says: A psalm of thanksgiving.

1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!

2     Worship the Lord with gladness.

    Come before him, singing with joy.

3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!

    He made us, and we are his.[a]

    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

    go into his courts with praise.

    Give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the Lord is good.

    His unfailing love continues forever,

    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Vs 2 “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing!”

Verse 3 says:

“Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his.”

Verse 4 continues:

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!”

Psalm 100 gives us a picture of intentional approach.

Come.

Enter.

Give thanks.

Bless His name.

Know that He is God. – his unfailing Love continues

The psalmist does not describe worship as something we casually stumble into.

There is preparation.

Not because we must earn the right to approach Him.

Through Jesus, we have bold access to the Father.

But access should not produce carelessness.

Grace gives us confidence, but grace should also produce reverence.

We are approaching Almighty God, King of Glory

The One who made us.

The One who sustains us.

The One who has loved us with an everlasting love.

Worship deserves our attention.

Many times, we enter the worship gathering physically while our minds are still carrying everything from the week.

The argument from the car. - The unfinished assignment. - The email we forgot to send.

The bill that needs to be paid. - The social-media notification. - The plans for lunch.

The difficult conversation waiting after church. - The responsibilities of the coming week.

We are present, but distracted. - That is why preparation matters.

Preparation does not mean pretending our concerns do not exist. It means intentionally placing them before God so we can direct our attention toward Him.

Before worship, we can pray:

“Holy Spirit, quiet the noise within me.”

“Help me release the concerns I am carrying.”

“Restore my awareness of Your presence.”

“Let me see Jesus clearly.”

“Help me worship with an undivided heart.”

Preparation may also mean arriving with enough time to settle your heart.

It may mean putting your phone away.

It may mean refusing to treat the opening song as background music while you finish conversations.

It may mean coming expectant rather than evaluating everything as a consumer.

A consumer asks:

“Did they sing what I like?”

“Was the volume right for me?”

“Did the service meet my preferences?”

A worshiper asks:

“Did I offer God my heart?”

“Did I declare His worth?”

“Did I respond to His truth?”

“Did I encourage the people worshiping around me?”

Life Point: We do not prepare our hearts because God is reluctant to meet us; we prepare because distraction can keep us from recognizing that He is already present.

The Heart of Worship Is Surrender

Romans 12:1 says:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Paul spends the first eleven chapters of Romans explaining the mercy of God and His plan of redemption for us. .

Then Romans 12 begins:

“I appeal to you therefore… by the mercies of God.” In view of everything God has done, -It’s time to respond.

How? -“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice.”

Paul moves worship beyond a song and places it into the whole body.

Your hands. - Your feet. - Your mind. - Your mouth.

Your sexuality. - Your energy. - Your schedule.

Your abilities. - Your decisions.

Offer all of it to God.

Under the old covenant, worshipers brought sacrifices to the altar.

The sacrifice was killed and offered to God.

Paul says the Christian is a living sacrifice.

That creates a challenge. A dead sacrifice remains on the altar.

A living sacrifice can crawl off.

We can surrender on Sunday and take control back on Monday.

We can release an area during prayer and reclaim it when the answer becomes uncomfortable.

But partial surrender is not total worship. Worship is offering ourselves totally to  God.

The heart of worship is not music. The heart of worship is surrender. 

Surrender says:

“God, You have the right to lead me.”

“You have the right to correct me.”

“You have the right to redirect me.”

“You have the right to say no.”

“You have the right to interrupt my plans.”

“You have the right to ask for obedience before I understand every detail.”

Biblical surrender means yielding our will to God’s will.

It means we stop fighting God for control of a life that already belongs to Him.

ILLUSTRATION – FRESHMAN YEAR – THE THRONE ON THE CHALKBOARD – I COULD NOT SURRENDER THEN – little by little

The clearest picture of surrender is Jesus in Gethsemane.

.In Matthew 26:39, He prays:

“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Jesus does not hide His anguish. He honestly expresses His desire.

“If it is possible, let this cup pass.”

Surrender does not require pretending that the cost does not hurt.

Surrender does not deny what we want.

It places what we want beneath what God wants.

He surrendered because he knows the love of the Father, He understands the plan and purpose of His life , and that God will be with Him through everything!  We Can Know those same things too! And we keep that connection through worship! 

Life Point: Worship becomes real when our declaration, “You are worthy,” is followed by the decision, “Your will be done.”

A Surrendered Life Produces Obedience, Peace, Freedom, and Power

How do we know surrender is becoming real?

Not merely because we had an emotional moment.

Not merely because we sang with passion.

Surrender produces evidence.

Surrender is demonstrated through obedience

Jesus says in John 14:15:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Obedience does not earn His love. Obedience responds to His love.

SURRENDER PRODUCES PEACE, FREEDOM, AND SPIRITUAL POWER

Galatians 2:20 says: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” The surrendered life is not an empty life. It is a life filled with Christ.

We release control and receive His leadership.

We release self-reliance and receive His strength.

We release our limited perspective and receive His wisdom.

We release the burden of being our own god and receive the freedom of being His child.

Life Point: Surrender is not proven by what we feel in a worship service, but by how faithfully we obey when our will is tested.

Four Quick Practical Tools for Growing Through Worship

How do we build worship into daily life?

Here are four tools that can strengthen this essential discipline.

1. Prepare Your Heart Before You Enter the Gathering

On Saturday night or Sunday morning, take a few moments to pray.

I AM GOING TO MEET WITH GOD IN THE MORNING

“Holy Spirit, prepare my heart.”

“Help me release the worries I am carrying.”

“Give me expectation.”

“Help me come ready to give, not merely receive.”

Arrive with enough time to settle. Put away unnecessary distractions.

Begin thanking God before the service starts.

AS WORSHIP STARTS

Consider the effect your participation has on others.

Your worship encourages the person beside you.

Your attentiveness teaches your children.

Your gratitude helps create an atmosphere of faith.

You are not simply attending.  You are contributing.

Practical Question

What can I do before Sunday worship to arrive spiritually attentive rather than mentally scattered?

2. Build a Daily Rhythm of Praise and Thanksgiving

Do not limit worship to Sunday.

Begin each day by naming specific reasons to thank God.

Psalm 92:1–2 says:

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord… to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.”

Create a short worship playlist. – Mine Acoustic Worship

Sing while driving.

Or begin by Reading  a psalm aloud.

Write down three expressions of gratitude.

MY PRACTICE – OK SPARROW – 5 THINGS YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR TODAY

Thank God not only for what He has provided, but for who He is.

Thank you for being my heavenly Father

“God, You are faithful.” - “You are holy.” - “You are patient.”

“You are my refuge.” “You are my wisdom.” “You are my peace.”

Gratitude redirects attention. It helps clear the heart of complaint, entitlement, and anxiety.

You cannot always change the situation immediately.

But worship changes what receives the greatest focus within the situation.

Practical Question

What truth about God’s character do I need to declare over my life today?

3. Turn Ordinary Responsibilities into Acts of Worship

Colossians 3:17 says:

“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Worship is not restricted to explicitly religious activity.

You can worship God through honest work.

Patient parenting.

Faithful marriage.

Ethical leadership.

Compassionate service.

Before beginning an ordinary responsibility, pray:

“Lord, I offer this to You.”

“Help me do this with integrity.”

“Let my attitude honor You.”

“Let the way I treat people reflect Jesus.”

A task becomes worship when it is offered to God through faith, love, and obedience.

Practical Question

What ordinary responsibility can I intentionally offer to God as worship this week?

4. Identify and Surrender One Area of Control

Worship grows as surrender becomes specific. Do not only pray: “God, I surrender everything.”

Ask:

“What is the one area I am trying hardest to control?”

A relationship?

A child?

A financial outcome?

A career decision?

A timeline?

An unresolved offense?

A personal ambition?

Write it down.

Pray honestly about what you want.

Then use the language of Jesus:

“Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Surrender does not mean you stop praying about the situation.

It means you stop demanding that God solve it only according to your script.

Take the obedient step that is yours.

Release the outcome that belongs to God.

Return to that prayer whenever anxiety or control attempts to take over again.

Practical Question

What am I holding so tightly that it has become difficult for me to say, “Your will be done”?

CLOSING

Let’s return to the question from the beginning.

What happens when the music stops?

Worship continues.

We will walk out of this room.

But the offering God desires will still be in progress.

Because the offering is us.

Paul says:

“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice.”

Your Monday can become worship.

Your workplace can become a place of worship.

Your home can become a place of worship.

Your response to disappointment can become worship.

Your obedience can become worship.

Your generosity can become worship.

Your service can become worship.

Your decision to forgive can become worship.

Your choice to trust God while you wait can become worship.

He seeks people who will worship in spirit and truth.

People whose hearts are engaged.

People whose minds are anchored in Scripture.

People who know who He is.

People who will declare His worth with their words and demonstrate His worth through their lives.

Some of us need to clear away distraction.

Some need to move beyond attending worship and become worshipers.

Some need to stop evaluating worship primarily through personal preferences.

Some need to know God more deeply through His Word.

Some need to stop trying to control an outcome.

The invitation is:

Surrender deeper.

Because worship is not just the sound that comes from our mouths.

Worship is the life that rests on the altar.

FINAL DECLARATION

God alone is worthy of my highest love, trust, and devotion.

I will worship Him in spirit and in truth.

I will prepare my heart, engage His presence, and anchor my worship in His Word.

I will not only honor God with songs; I will honor Him through obedience.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, I will live as a surrendered worshiper—on Sunday and every day.

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What does it mean to truly live out our faith rather than simply carry the label of believer? This message digs into one of the most transformative truths of the Christian life: we were not rescued merely to sit still and consume, but to serve. Drawing from the story of Moses in Exodus 3, we explore how God saw the suffering of his people, heard their cries, and then chose to work through an unlikely, self-doubting man to bring deliverance. The profound insight here is that God did not need Moses, yet he chose to involve him. That same principle applies to us. God, who lacks nothing, still chooses to work through our lives, our gifts, our experiences, and our availability. The question is not whether we have something to contribute. The question is whether what God has placed in us will ever be made available through us. Service, understood this way, is not a burden or an obligation. It is the natural outflow of a life that has been genuinely transformed by grace. When we serve, something shifts. Others are helped, God is glorified, the community of faith grows stronger, and we ourselves grow in ways we could not have anticipated. This message challenges us to move from a consumer mindset, always asking what we can receive, to a kingdom mindset, asking how God can work through us to strengthen those around us.

How the Bible builds strong faith

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Website: agapeslo.church

Follow us on:

Facebook: agapechurchslo

Instagram: @agapechurchslo

Website: agape.church

CAMPFIRE: LIFE & LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE BIBLE

Week 10 | Campfire with Paul: Finishing Well with Strength and Purpose

Who is Paul?

Paul’s life is one of the clearest pictures in Scripture of what it means to be completely transformed by the grace of God and fully committed to the purpose of God. Once a fierce persecutor of the Church, Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and was radically changed. From that moment on, his life was poured out in service to Christ—preaching the gospel, planting churches, raising leaders, enduring persecution, and writing much of the New Testament. Paul knew suffering, sacrifice, endurance, and opposition, but through it all, he stayed focused on one thing: finishing the race God had given him with faithfulness, strength, and purpose.

Foundational Scripture for the Series

Hebrews 12:1 (ESV)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

[IF PAUL…] sat down at the campfire across from us, I think he would say something like this: “Starting strong may get attention, but finishing faithful is what honors God.”

Today Paul speaks to anyone who’s asking, “How do I stay faithful all the way to the end?” 

Our big idea today is this: A strong finish requires endurance, focus, and an unshakable commitment to God’s purpose. 

Some of you in this room are not in a starting season… you are in a staying season. 

You are not just asking, “What is God calling me to do?” You are asking, “How do I stay faithful? How do I keep going? How do I not get distracted, discouraged, or depleted before I get where God is leading me?”

Paul helps us answer that, so let’s take a walk through his story.

Point 1: FINISHING WELL DOES NOT HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT

2 Timothy 4:6–7

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Paul is near the end of his earthly life, and he’s not speaking with regret over wasted years. He’s speaking with the sober confidence of a man who has lived intentionally.

Paul says, “I have fought.”… “I have finished.”… “I have kept.”

The language Paul uses tells us that Paul didn’t see himself as drifting into a strong finish.

Paul’s words indicate that he feels He intentionally lived toward a strong finish in life. Paul lived with the end in view. 

Strong finishes come from daily faithfulness. 

A strong finish is not built in one dramatic moment… A strong finish is built in a thousand, faithful daily decisions.

Daily obedience… Daily repentance… Daily prayer… Daily endurance.

Daily saying yes to God when the race feels way too long.

This matters because our culture celebrates the spotlight, but rarely values the hidden faithfulness that made the moment possible.

We want: The finish without the formation… and lasting fruit without the long obedience.

[IF WE ARE GOING TO FINISH WELL…] we have live fully convinced that Today matters… fully convinced that Today’s choices matter… fully convinced that Today’s compromises matter… fully convinced that Today’s disciplines matter.

fully convinced that Today’s yes matters… and fully convinced that Today’s hidden faithfulness matters.

Finishing well is not about perfection… Paul knew, at a very deep level, that he was the benefactor of God’s amazing Grace!

Finishing well is about direction… it’s about intention

[FINISHING WELL…] is about living with a clear sense that your life is not random and your race is not casual.

Paul’s life is challenging some people in this room to make a shift from living reactively to living intentionally.

Galatians 6:9 — “And let us not grow weary of doing good…”

Proverbs 4:25–27 speaks of fixing your gaze straight ahead and staying on the path.

BIG TRUTH: A STRONG FINISH IS OFTEN THE RESULT OF LONG, QUIET FAITHFULNESS. 

POINT 2: YOU MUST STAY FOCUSED ON THE RIGHT GOAL

Philippians 3:12–14

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on… forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal…”

The phrase “toward the goal” matters… Paul had focus… Paul had a goal.

[BIG KEY] [THIS IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE…] CLARITY OF YOUR PURPOSE PROTECTS YOUR ENDURANCE. 

One of the reasons many people do not finish well is they slowly lost focus.

They got distracted… Distracted by success… by hurt… by people… by offense… by comparison… by comfort.

Distracted by things that may not even be sinful in themselves, but are still heavy enough to slow your race.

[THIS BRINGS US BACK…]  to Hebrews 12:1 where the writer says: “Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely…”

Not just sin… Weights too

Some things do not have to be evil to be unhelpful.

Some things do not have to be sinful to still become spiritually costly.

Some things simply weaken your focus.

Paul refused that kind of drift… He knew where he was going… and He knew what kind of life he wanted to live before God.

Paul understood that if you keep the right goal in front of you, it becomes easier to say no to things that weaken our focus and distract us from the race.

We don’t need more options… we need sharper focus.

We don’t need more activity… we need greater clarity.

You do not need to chase everything… You need to stay aligned with what God actually called you to.

Luke 9:62 — “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

1 Corinthians 9:26 — “So I do not run aimlessly…”

BIG TRUTH: YOU CANNOT FINISH WELL IF YOU KEEP GIVING YOUR STRENGTH TO THINGS THAT WEAKEN YOUR FOCUS. 

POINT 3: STRENGTH FOR THE RACE COMES FROM JESUS

One of the great testimonies of Paul’s life is that he endured a hard road with God-given strength.

Paul faced Persecution… Imprisonment… Rejection… Beatings… Shipwreck… Misunderstanding… Pressure… Loss… And yet he kept going.

Why and How? Because he was not drawing strength only from himself.

Acts 20:24

“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course…”

Paul endured hardship because his life was anchored in God’s calling. Calling gives strength when the road gets hard.

Trouble was not called to Laurel, Nece and I were! (Trouble Don’t Last Always)

We find ourselves exhausted because we’re are trying to sustain a God-given assignment with self-generated strength.

We were never designed to life the life of a Christ follower carried by our willpower alone.

We need grace… We need the power of the Holy Spirit… and we need the strength of Jesus.

When you know your life belongs to God, when you know your race matters, when you know your course is from Him, then even painful seasons are carried differently.

And Paul knew where his strength came from… and WE DO TOO!

Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

The Lord’s word to you today is not simply, “Try harder.”

It’s: “Draw closer.” And “Receive My strength.” And “Let Me sustain what I called.”

Isaiah 40:31 — “They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength…”

2 Corinthians 4:16 — “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”

BIG TRUTH: CALLING SUSTAINED BY CHRIST CAN CARRY YOU THROUGH SEASONS YOUR OWN STRENGTH CANNOT. 

WAYS TO LIVE PAUL’S LESSON

1. LIVE TODAY WITH THE FINISH LINE IN MIND

Do not live only for the moment.

Do not make decisions as though today is all that matters.

Live today with the finish line in mind. 

Ask yourself: Is this helping me finish well?... Is this strengthening my race or weakening it?

2. REFUSE DISTRACTIONS THAT WEAKEN YOUR FOCUS

Not everything that calls for your attention deserves your energy.

Refuse distractions that weaken your focus. 

Lay aside the weights… Simplify what needs to be simplified.

Keep the goal in front of you.

3. DRAW STRENGTH FROM GOD, NOT JUST YOUR OWN EFFORT

You are not called to run this race alone or in your own strength.

Draw strength from God, not just your own effort. 

Pray… Wait on Him… Receive grace… Stay close to Jesus.

Let His strength renew you.

4. MEASURE SUCCESS BY FAITHFULNESS TO YOUR CALLING

Do not let culture define success for you.

Do you look more like Jesus right now than you did this same time last year.

CLOSING

Paul’s life reminds us that the goal is not just to begin well… but to finish well.

The goal is to keep running until the course God gave you is complete.

Do not be afraid to pour your life out for what matters most… Because a strong finish requires endurance, focus, and an unshakable commitment to God’s purpose. 

[BECAUSE…] what is poured out for God will never be wasted.

RESPONSE / PRAYER MOMENT

Maybe today your prayer sounds like this:

“Lord, help me live with the finish line in mind.”

“Lord, remove the distractions that are weakening my focus.”

“Lord, renew my strength for the race.”

“Lord, help me measure success by faithfulness, not fame.”