Microchurch Minute
I’m grateful for each opportunity I have to be in the presence of Professor Smith. Sunday’s discussion delivered, once again. As we dove into the parable of the giving of talents, we started off with the impact that acquiring knowledge has on our wisdom. Jesus spoke to us in parables, an analogy in a story, as a way for God’s truth to be revealed to those who are ready to receive it. Analogical use of language is one of the four principals that are essential for knowledge. Because we are made in God’s image (Gen. 1:26) we are able to understand and receive the knowledge that He chooses to reveal, even though He is fully beyond us. As a basis of the Christian faith, we believe and accept that the bible is the written Word of God. By extension, this means that the bible itself is knowledge. Much in the way we can gain mathematical knowledge from a textbook in school, the bible is our starting point for understanding what our heavenly Father has bestowed upon us. Your math textbook will teach you that 4+4=8, but when you take that a step further, we can deduce that 8 is equal to, not only 4+4, but also 6+2, 9-1, 16/2… the way that we apply our knowledge in practical situations is wisdom.
Jesus wanted to impart wisdom to His believers, and therefor chose to tall parables, these stories that easily related to what they could understand, so they could use the lessons learned as applied knowledge and live it out in their everyday lives. The story of the giving of talents goes as follows. A wealthy man is going to leave for a time. He called in three of is servants and distributed talents (to put this in perspective, one talent was the equivalent of 20 years’ wages) according to the servant’s abilities. One received five talents, another received two and the final servant received one.
Can you imagine receiving 20 years wages all at once? Wow, that is a pretty remarkable about. Do you think the third servant was still impressed when he heard of the first servant that received five times that? It’s easy to imagine the temptation to compare. I wonder how often we get trapped into the lies of comparison among our spiritual giftings and the giftings of others. What the master gave each of the three servants was not a laughable amount. It was a significant investment on three different levels that each of them were trusted to guard and invest properly during the masters absence. God has entrusted you with “wages” of your own. This can be viewed in the form of your finances, time availability and talents. The question is not what do others have? but what am I doing with what I’ve been given?
Just as Jesus will one day return to us here on earth, the master in the parable eventually returns to his servants to settle accounts. He takes this time to make a judgement on how they handled themselves and the wealth that he left to them. Our assessment day is coming, too. The servant who was given five talents doubled it, awesome. The servant who was given two talents did the same, amazing. The master is pleased with his good and faithful servants, they are invited to share in their master’s happiness. But then comes in the third servant. Acting out of fear, he took no action with his one talent. The master is displeased and gives the wasted investment instead to his servant that as earned the most. With great disappointment and frustration the master casts out the third servant – outside his presence, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. The message is clear: we are accountable. God honors obedience and effort, not comparison or outcome.
Tell me you see the simile here. When Jesus returns to reconcile His children, there will be a day of assessment, we will answer for the way we’ve chosen to live our lives and use what God has gifted us. When that day comes, will you proudly step forward with the results of your active stewardship, or will it be a day of distress when you are called to answer for your passivity? God will honor the fruits of the effort that come from honoring a purpose above ourselves in the same way that He will handle consequences for inaction, as the fair and just Judge that He is. While your giftings will likely be different of the giftings you see in other believers, you are still personally responsible for the maximizing the potential of what YOU have. Divine gifts only have the opportunity to grow when you are serving others. So the question becomes, how are you serving others?
A practical place to start is with stewardship of finances. A helpful guideline is the 80-10-10 principle: give 10% back to God, save 10% for the future, and live on the remaining 80%. It’s a tangible way to practice faithful management of what you’ve been given.
I pray that as we each move throughout our week, the severity of responsibility, and the privilege, sits heavily with us all. It’s not about comparison, it isn’t about the end total, it’s about responding to the Holy Spirit and living in a way that honors our Heavenly Father with everything we’ve been entrusted with.
Microchurch Minute
On Sunday we began a series on the parables of Jesus. It’s important to understand that Jesus spoke in parables as a way to relate to His audience and use language and imagery that they were familiar with. These stories helped those with ears to hear stretch their minds and apply these principles to their lives. Crowd think can be a dangerous pit to fall into, we are blessed with the gift of discernment as God encourages us to think for ourselves while fully relying on Him. It’s a beautiful balance of empowerment, guidance, trust and freedom all at once.
“Ears to hear” is a funny saying, isn’t it? Because what else would our ears be used for? But let’s dive deeper. Jesus uses this phrasing throughout His speaking in regards to those that are spiritually open to receive and understand His lessons. All can hear, but not all will understand.
This is what we find in the parable of the Sower. Some seed falls onto the path and are eaten up by the birds. When the Word hits the ears of those with hardened hearts that don’t want to see or understand the Lord, there is nothing for the lesson to take root in. The enemy swoops in and takes these nuggets of wisdom away. But then seeds fall into the rocky ground. Sure, there are crevices for it to dive into and begin to sprout. But as one who hears Jesus with initial excitement and joy, the lesson can soon be lost in the midst of questioning or religious persecution that may come their way, just as the poor plant withers in the elements without deep roots. Enthusiasm about the gospel is not the same as repentance. Now we see that more growth comes from the seeds that fall into thorny ground. We hear the word and receive it well. But this time the distractions come in worldly focal points like money, anxiety or greed.
Even strong beginnings can be overtaken when we allow anything to take God’s place. Faith was never meant to promise earthly ease, but something far greater: eternal life with Him.
It feels like a relief when we get to the final set of seeds distributed in good soil. There, the seed finds nourishment that it needs to thrive. It grows and prospers and produces a crop that exponentially exceeds the initial plant.
This means regularly surrendering, examining, and removing anything that competes with God. It calls us to personal responsibility in our relationship with Him. He is always there, ready to pour out His Spirit into the hearts of believers and constantly pursuing the prodigal. The lessons of the Lord are concealed from hardened hearts, those that are full of pride and arrogance, believing they have achieved their salvation through their own works – or worse, that they don’t even need to be saved. So soften your hear. With the help of the Spirit, create in me a clean heart! Prepare your hearts by emptying yourself of all that is not God. Put to death that which is not allowing you to pursue Him fully. Those dead things can make the most fertile soil.
This week I pray that you have a chance to sit with God and seek His words. Lord, allow me to be good soil for Your Word. Help bring to light all that needs to be put to death to provide that space for You. Reveal to me wherever I have hardened my heart to You and Your teachings. Shine a light on it, let it be a glaring call to change! Lord I believe that with Your Holy Spirit, these changes are not only possible, they’re already divinely orchestrated. I long to be like the good soil that reproduces good fruit by the thousandfolds!
When we make space for the Lord to take over in us, the fruit that comes from it won’t just change us, it will overflow into everything around us.
Microchurch Minute
“Jesus paid it all. All to Him, I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.”
“He is risen. He is risen, indeed!”
Traditional sayings and phrases in the traditional church. But why do we say them? Why do we praise Him? Why do we celebrate Good Friday when it was the day that our Savior was nailed to a tree?
Friday is only good because Sunday was coming! We know now what the people in Jesus’ time did not know. His sacrifice was required to allow Him to fully conquer death. Imagine following Jesus then. You’ve heard the prophecies, believed a Savior was coming, and then you see Jesus beaten, bloodied, and lifted onto a cross. In that moment, it must have felt like everything had fallen apart… like death had won. God allowed Judas to be tempted to the point of betrayal. God allowed Jesus to be captured, tortured and killed. But what the enemy saw as his victory was just a necessary step in Jesus living out the biggest comeback story yet.
Do you find yourselves in those seasons? Your circumstances or the life that has been dealt to you looks dismal. I thought God was the ultimate protector and Savior. You think. How could He be letting this happen to me? Why is He allowing harm to come to my family? Why has death, pain and hardship been winning the war that it is waging in my home?
Don’t forget what Easter showed us. In this fallen world that we live in, God may allow pain, hardship and even the schemes of the enemy, but He uses it all to showcase His redeeming glory and majestic power! You might not see the redemption on this side of Heaven, you might not know the impeding victory that is coming from your dire circumstances. But we know that our Savior lives! Even in the silence, even in the doubt, He is working. The same Jesus who conquered the grave is still moving, still redeeming, still writing comeback stories. The enemy does not get the final say. My God is bigger than the schemes of the enemy. The enemy will not overtake me. He will not overtake my family.
Because Jesus died and came back to life:
We are forgiven and redeemed. Like a slave up for auction in a crowded marketplace, we were living slaves to sin. Jesus was able to take our place. He bought us and stands in our place.
Our future is now secured. Through Christs’ perfect sacrifice, He bridged the chasm that had been created between man and God. When we trust in Jesus and His redeeming love, our eternity is sealed. Jesus had to depart so that believers could receive the Holy Spirit.
Before, the Spirit would come upon believers and then depart. But now we get to enjoy the full presence of the Spirit every single day! The question isn’t what can the Holy Spirit do? It’s what can’t He do through a life that’s fully surrendered? It fills us up and gives us power. Wonder working power in truths and discernments. Does your life taste like the fully incorporated syrup in a glass of cold milk? There’s a difference in how you let Him be used in you. It’s a challenge, are you fully plugged in?
It’s pretty frustrating to jump on your tablet to play a game, only to realize that it wasn’t charged. If we aren’t regularly pouring into our time with the Lord, our spiritual lives can look a lot like that dead tablet. So much potential, so many capabilities, but powerless. We need to be regularly plugged in to the Word of God, not just sitting next to it. Because Sunday already proved it:
The grave is empty.
The victory is won.
And Jesus is still bringing dead things back to life.
Microchurch Minute
Imagine living Palm Sunday as it happened. You’ve made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem with your family. It is Passover, the sacred remembrance of when God led the Israelites out of Egypt. The city is full, buzzing with anticipation. You are busy preparing for the meal, carefully selecting your sacrificial lamb. It must be pure, without blemish. You’ve chosen well, spotless, the right size, set apart. There’s talk in the streets about a man named Jesus. Some say He heals the sick. Others say He casts out demons. Whispers grow louder: Could this be the Messiah?
Then suddenly, commotion. “Hosanna!” “Save us now!” You rush outside, pressing through the crowd, palm branches waving, cloaks thrown onto the road. And then, you see Him. Riding on a colt. Your heart catches. You remember the words of the prophet Zechariah. You learned them as a child. This is how the King would come. Could it really be? “Hosanna! Hosanna!” you cry out with the others. At last, the One who will rescue us. The One who will overthrow Rome. The One who will restore our people. But… He doesn’t look like a warrior. No armor. No army. No force. Just a humble man on a donkey.
They were waiting with expectation, full of hope for a Savior. But they had already decided what that Savior should look like. A conqueror. A king of power. A deliverer on their terms. Instead, Jesus came in humility. Not to conquer Rome, but to conquer sin.
Not to overthrow governments, but to overthrow death itself. He is King—just not the kind they expected.
And how often do we do the same? We celebrate when God moves the way we hoped. We praise when His plans align with ours. We shout “Hosanna” when the outcome feels like victory to us. But when He doesn’t… When He’s quieter than we expected, slower than we wanted, or working in ways we don’t understand. Do we still trust Him? Do we still follow?
Jesus didn’t come to meet expectations. He came to fulfill promises. He turned the world’s idea of power upside down, choosing humility, sacrifice, and grace. And in doing so, He secured the only victory that truly matters.
So the question Palm Sunday leaves us with is this: Do you praise Jesus for who He truly is or only for who you hoped He would be?
Microchurch Minute
We previously learned about the fruit of the Spirit in our study of Galatians. As we continually strive to be more like Christ, these characteristics should become evident in every aspect of our lives. On Sunday, we took a deeper look at how the nine characteristics we bear when the Holy Spirit lives within us fit beautifully into three outwardly observable categories.
In our relationship with God (upward): love, joy, and peace.
We see agape love most clearly in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross—a love so great that He was willing to suffer so we could be restored to God. Throughout the Old Testament, we see that the forgiveness of sin requires the shedding of blood. How incredible that God chose to become that sacrifice for us. Because of this, we can fully experience the love of our perfect Heavenly Father, who chooses us again and again.
From that love flows joy, a deep and steady satisfaction in who God is. And when we trust Him fully, we receive peace that surpasses understanding, even in life’s storms. Be mindful to keep your focus on Him, because distractions are often used by the enemy to steal that peace and joy, whether it’s frustrating paperwork, difficult diagnoses, or conflict in relationships. Resist the urge to take control and instead lean into the Holy Spirit within you. What may feel heavy now is not the end, joy truly comes in the morning.
In our interactions with others (outward): patience, kindness, and goodness.
Patience can be especially challenging. To endure hardship and remain slow to anger goes against our natural instincts, it requires the work of the Holy Spirit in us. From patience flows kindness, a visible compassion in how we treat those around us. This extends into goodness, where our character and actions reflect integrity. Are your interactions marked by genuine care? Do people walk away feeling seen, valued, and encouraged? That kind of impact can only come from a life rooted in God.
In our relationship with ourselves (inward): faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Faithfulness is seen in our commitment to God and our consistency in living out what He has called us to do. It also shows in how dependable we are in our daily lives. Gentleness is an area many of us desire to grow in, having strength that is steady and controlled, not reactive. It’s choosing grace in both our outward responses and our inner dialogue. And finally, self-control is like a muscle that must be exercised, it allows us to manage our emotions and responses in a way that reflects Christ, even in difficult moments.
Microchurch Minute
We have been learning about the Holy Spirit and took time on Sunday to dive into spiritual gifts. These aren’t just talents or something you can produce through your own willpower. Rather, they are distinct gifts given by the Holy Spirit. We didn’t log into “theholyspirit.com” to scroll through options and choose what appeals to us. On the contrary, one of the many blessings of being indwelled by the Holy Spirit is that He equips us with supernatural power to play our part in His masterfully orchestrated plan.
Do you ever doubt your gifting? I pray that you would receive it as it has been given to you, without questioning the good and loving Father who inscribed it with your name. Just like salvation, it is not something to be earned, but a gift freely given, meant to build up the Body of Christ.
As you observe others who are active in the church, you may notice that people are gifted in ways different from you. Don’t be discouraged, this is part of God’s design. If we’re not careful, our human mindset can become self-centered when it comes to our gifts. “That leadership team is so charismatic and outgoing… maybe I don’t belong here since I’m only useful in the nursery, kitchen, or behind the scenes.” Sound familiar?
The enemy uses comparison and pride to distort your identity. Either you begin to believe your gifting isn’t enough, or you fall into the trap of thinking your gift makes you more important than others. But that was never God’s intention for spiritual gifts.
I love the comparison Scripture gives us, the Body. A foot cannot see, but it can walk. An eye cannot walk, but it can see. A hand cannot smell, but a nose can. Each part is different, yet each part is essential. Your differences are not a flaw, they are exactly what make you an integral part of the Church.
This doesn’t dismiss the natural talents you’ve been given. Maybe you’ve always been creative, or you thrive in the kitchen, or you naturally lead a room. Those characteristics may very well be the places where the Holy Spirit has uniquely gifted you. The shift happens when our mindset changes from “Look what I’m good at.” to “Lord, how can I use this to serve and build up Your Church?”
When we walk in our spiritual gifts as God intended, the focus isn’t on the person, it’s on the work God is doing through them. As believers, we are called to do everything in love. When I use my gifts, it should flow from reverence for God and love for His people.
I look forward to us continuing to grow together, discovering our gifts, encouraging one another, and strengthening the Body of Christ so that we can more powerfully carry out God’s work together.
