Weekly Messages - Community Church of Greensburg | Batesville

We’ve all said it before: “I know I should…” The problem isn’t usually knowing the right thing to do—it’s convincing ourselves we’ll do it someday. Good intentions can make us feel like we’re headed in the right direction, even when our actions tell a different story. What if the gap between where you want to end up and where you’re actually headed is smaller than you think… and easier to ignore than you realize?

Have you ever watched someone make a series of decisions and thought, How do they not see where this is headed? What’s surprising is how easy it is to recognize those patterns in someone else’s life—and how difficult it is to see them in our own. The good news? You don’t need a crystal ball to predict much of your future. Jesus taught a timeless principle that can help us recognize where our current direction is taking us before we get there.

Every one of us is following someone—or something. Success. Comfort. Money. Happiness. Culture. The question isn’t whether you’re following a leader; it’s whether that leader is taking you where you actually want to go. Jesus offered His first followers a vision so compelling they left behind careers, wealth, and even lifelong ambitions to embrace it. What did they see that was worth giving everything for? And what if His vision for your life is far bigger than the one you’ve settled for?

Most of us don’t struggle to come up with reasons not to help someone—we struggle because our reasons sound so reasonable. We’re busy. We’re tired. Someone else will step in. Jesus told one of His most famous stories to expose something deeper than our actions: the excuses we use to justify them. What if loving your neighbor isn’t nearly as complicated as we’ve made it… and what if the biggest obstacle isn’t a lack of opportunity, but the filters we use to avoid it?

Our lives are shaped by the series of choices we make throughout the years. Every time we're presented with a decision, we have the opportunity to say yes or no, and that choice impacts what happens next. So how do—or should—we respond when God is leading us into something? Do we respond with a list of questions and scrutiny, or do we simply say, "Here I am"? Today, we'll look at several biblical examples of people who said "yes" to God's call, and we'll also hear from a few people in our own church family who recently said yes to something God was leading them into.

Jesus calls every believer to make disciples in everyday life, but like Moses, we often let fear and excuses hold us back. God's answer isn't an easier path—it's His promise: "I will be with you." Through Jesus, His Spirit lives in us, and the greatest reward of stepping out in faith isn't what we accomplish, but experiencing His presence in deeper ways.

Most of us like the idea of God showing compassion—until it’s directed toward someone we don’t think deserves it. The story of Jonah is often remembered for a storm and a fish, but what if those aren’t actually the point? What if this story is really about a God whose love reaches further than we expect—and whose plans are bigger than our preferences?

Every nation has its own values, customs, and identity. Spend enough time around people from another country and the differences become obvious. But what about followers of Jesus? If someone spent a week watching your life, what would stand out? In a culture that often encourages us to put ourselves first, Jesus offers a very different way of living. What happens when the values of our King don’t always match the values of the culture around us?

As parents, mentors, and influencers, most of us are figuring it out as we go. There’s no manual. No map. No guarantee we’ll get it right. So what do we do when we know our own flaws and failures all too well? Is it better to step back—or lean in? In this opening message of Into the Wild, we’ll explore why our imperfections don’t disqualify us from influence, and why the greatest danger may not be getting it wrong, but choosing not to lead at all.

In this message from our Real Change series, we explore how God uses community to help us grow, heal, and become who He created us to be. We need people who encourage us to draw near to God, hold on to hope during difficult seasons, and challenge us toward love and good deeds. Real change is possible, but it requires intentional relationships and a willingness to grow together in authentic community.