The One Matters

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Hello & Greeting

Prayer Requests

Pastoral Prayer & The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

Introduction

I want to begin this morning with something that I think is really exciting. When I first got here just a few months ago — the average attendance on a Sunday morning was 81. Today, the average attendance is 154. That is a net increase of 50 people every Sunday morning.

That’s huge! And so many of you have been so kind to say to me that you’re grateful I’m here and that this season has been such a blessing for The Turning Pointe — but really — this growth has happened because of each of you. There is so much excitement for the future of this church and where we’re headed.

Me

I think it’s safe to say that most — if not all — of us want to see The Turning Pointe grow. I’ve heard the stories about the glory days when there were three services — and the impact this church had on the community.

I want to see more people walk through our doors — and more importantly — to see more stories of lives changed. Of baptisms — and healing — and restoration — and more people finding and following Jesus.

But what I don’t want is growth that stops at attendance.

If I may be totally blunt — I’m not interested in just putting butts in seats. I’m interested in seeing lives changed for the Gospel. Because a full room doesn’t automatically mean a healthy church. And excitement doesn’t always equal transformation. There are plenty of churches out there who are a mile wide and an inch deep. My hope for us is not just more people in the building — but more people who are on fire for Christ.

And that kind of growth doesn’t come from better marketing or bigger programs alone. It comes from changed hearts. It comes from people encountering Jesus and following Him.

That’s why this new series we’re starting this morning matters so much to me. In fact — I’ve been looking forward to this since I got here a few months ago. And in fact — every Sunday morning message since I began on October 5th has been leading up to this moment.

From our “Why Church” series that we kicked off back in October — through learning to recognize CROSSROADS moments with Jesus — to Making Room for Him and others around us… through renewing the vision and mission of our church — and last week — understanding what it truly means to be a disciple — we have been walking a journey that has led us to this moment this morning.

We’re beginning something this morning that’s not just another church initiative. It’s not about checking a box or running a campaign. It’s about shaping who we are as disciples.

It’s about moving us away from the idea that evangelism is something the church does — and toward the truth that evangelism is something believers live.

I’ve learned in my own life that it’s easy to want the results of Gospel impact without always leaning into the process that leads there.

I want the stories.

I want the celebration.

I want the transformation.

But the truth is — those moments almost always begin quietly.

With one prayer.

With one relationship.

With one faith decision.

And with one act of faithfulness that nobody else sees.

That’s where real Gospel growth begins.

Not with hype.

Not with pressure.

Not with programs, alone.

But with ordinary people being faithful to love just one person at a time.

So beginning today — instead of asking the question, “What can we do to grow our church?” I want to propose a question that is incredibly simple — but has the power to be incredibly impactful:

SHOW “WHO’S YOUR ONE MAIN TITLE GRAPHIC”

Who’s Your One?

Who is one person — in your life — right now — that you can begin praying for? Who is that one person you could take to lunch — or have a conversation with — or simply invite to church? Who can we begin bringing to the feet of Jesus so they can experience the life change that we have experienced?

We

The problem is that in American Christianity — we’ve been shaped by a version of church growth that puts almost all of the responsibility on the church as an organization. We start asking questions like:

What programs will attract new people?

What events will draw a crowd?

What can the church do to bring people in?

But we quietly assume that somebody else will do the inviting — and the praying… the conversations — and the awkward moments.

And I get why. Because personal evangelism feels intimidating. Because nobody wakes up hoping for an awkward conversation — right? Evangelism can feel messy. It feels uncertain. It involves relationships we don’t want to damage and conversations we don’t feel qualified to navigate.

So instead — we settle for something safer. We hope people will just show up. We hope they’ll wander in. We hope they’ll hear the Gospel from somebody else.

But Scripture paints a different picture.

The early church didn’t grow because they had perfect systems. It grew because ordinary people took responsibility for loving people and pointing them to Jesus.

And that’s where this series is meant to challenge us.

“IF WE SAY WE WANT” GRAPHIC

Because if we say we want lives changed by the Gospel — then at some point the Gospel has to move through us.

Not through pressure. Not through guilt. Not through manipulation. But through prayerful — intentional relationships.

Here’s the reality most of us live in: God has already placed people in our lives who don’t know Jesus. Family members. Friends. Neighbors. Coworkers. People we already care about.

The question isn’t whether lost people exist around us… the question is whether we’re willing to see them as people God might want to reach through us.

And that’s why focusing on one matters so much.

Because when we think about everyone — we feel overwhelmed. But when we think about the one — we can pray. We can care. We can show up. We can be faithful.

This isn’t about becoming bold overnight or having all the answers. It’s about becoming intentional where we already are.

And if we’re willing to do that together — not perfectly — but faithfully — something begins to shift.

Church growth stops being about filling seats. It becomes about forming disciples. It becomes about stories of real people encountering Jesus because somebody loved them enough to take a step.

And that’s the kind of growth worth praying for.

God

This morning we’re going to be in the Book of John — Chapter 1. If you’re new to the Bible — John is the 4th book of the New Testament. This passage is also available in the Sermon Notes if you’re using the Bible App and you’ve got The Turning Pointe set as your church.

This morning — we’re reading about one of the disciples of Jesus who doesn’t get as much written about him in the Gospels — but he’s no less important. He was the first-called disciple of Jesus Christ — and he’s also where our son Judah gets his middle name.

Let’s take a look — John Chapter 1 — verses 40 through 42:

John 1:40–42 CSB

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated “the Christ”), 42 and he brought Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated “Peter”).

Exposition

There’s a lot happening here in just three verses — and it gives us a beautiful picture of how God often works. You see — in this passage — we see Peter meeting Jesus for the first time. And Peter often gets most of the fanfare. He’s a loud-mouth — and he’s dramatic — and he’s somebody a lot of us can relate to when we’re being over-the-top about something. But before there was Peter — there was Andrew. And there are three things I want us to notice that Andrew did — that helps us understand our role with our one.

v. 40

“ANDREW MET JESUS” GRAPHIC

First — Andrew Met Jesus before He ever spoke about Him.

Verse 40 tells us that Andrew was one of the first two who heard John the Baptist point to Jesus and decided to follow Him. Before Andrew ever said a word to anybody else — He had already encountered Jesus for Himself.

That matters. Because evangelism doesn’t begin with obligation. It begins with encounter.

Andrew didn’t go looking for somebody to invite because he felt pressured or guilty. He went looking because something had changed in him. He’d seen something. He’d heard something. He’d experienced something that mattered.

This echoes what we see later in Acts Chapter 4 verse 20, when Peter and John say,

Acts 4:20 CSB

20 We are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

People don’t share what they don’t value. And when Jesus becomes real to you — sharing Him becomes a natural overflow — not a forced assignment.

Has anyone here ever been to MOD Pizza? In case you’re not familiar — it’s kind of like Azzip or one of those other places where you can choose all your own toppings — and crust — and you get your own — personalized pizza. It’s great.

But I have one friend — who finds a way to work MOD Pizza into what I swear feels like every single conversation. He doesn’t even do it in a sly kind of way anymore either. It’s just anytime there’s a lull in conversation — or even just a slight pause, he’ll say, “Hey, have you ever had MOD pizza?”

And finally one day I was like, “Are you on the payroll or something buddy? Like why do you keep bringing this up?”

It’s because he loves it so much! He thinks MOD is the greatest thing and he wants everybody else to experience how great it is too!

Nobody had to train him about it — it just came out

And that’s how we should be with our faith!

v. 41

“ANDREW FOCUSED ON ONE PERSON” GRAPHIC

The second thing Andrew did — was focus on one person — not everyone.

Verse 41 says:

John 1:41 CSB

41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated “the Christ”),

Andrew didn’t try to reach the crowd. He didn’t organize an event. He didn’t start a movement.

He went to one person he already knew: his brother.

That word first is important in that verse. It tells us something about Andrew’s priorities. The very first thing he did after encountering Jesus was to look at his own life and ask, “Who do I already have a relationship with?”

This is so encouraging — because it tells us that evangelism doesn’t start with strangers. It often starts with people God has already placed close to us.

Family. Friends. Coworkers. Neighbors.

And notice how simple Andrew’s message is:

He doesn’t preach a sermon.

He doesn’t explain theology.

He doesn’t argue doctrine.

He simply says, “We have found the Messiah.”

That’s it.

In other words, “I’ve encountered somebody — and I think you need to meet Him.”

This mirrors what the Samaritan woman does later in John 4:29, when she says:

John 4:29 CSB

29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”

This woman didn’t have all the answers. She just invited people into her experience.

And that’s important for us to hear.

You don’t have to know everything.

You don’t have to explain everything.

You don’t have to win an argument. Which is good — because nobody’s ever argued their way into the Kingdom.

You just have to be willing to point somebody to Jesus.

v. 42

Look at Verse 42 again with me:

John 1:42 CSB

42 and he brought Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated “Peter”).

Before Simon gets his identity affirmed and his name changed by Jesus. Long before he becomes the leader among Jesus’ disciples — Andrew brings him to Jesus.

That’s it! That’s the whole role.

Andrew didn’t change his brother. Andrew didn’t save his brother. Andrew didn’t transform his brother’s life.

He simply brought him to Jesus. And Jesus did the rest.

The moment Simon Peter meets Jesus — Jesus speaks identity over him. He renames him. He begins shaping him into the person he will become. Andrew couldn’t do that. Only Jesus could.

This is such an important reminder for us.

Our responsibility is faithfulness. God’s responsibility is transformation.

Paul says it clearly in 1 Corinthians 3:6:

1 Corinthians 3:6 NLT

6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.

We are not responsible for outcomes. We are responsible for obedience.

We pray.

We invite.

We love.

We share.

And we trust Jesus with what we can’t control.

That’s why this one-at-a-time approach is so powerful. It removes pressure and restores faithfulness. It reminds us that evangelism is not about producing results — but about pointing people to Christ.

And here’s the part that’s easy to miss: Andrew never becomes the most famous disciple. He doesn’t preach at Pentecost. He doesn’t write books of the Bible. He rarely takes center stage.

But Andrew brings Peter to Jesus.

And Peter becomes Peter.

Sometimes the greatest impact we’ll ever have for the Kingdom comes through one faithful, unseen act of obedience.

One prayer — one conversation — one invitation — and one step of courage.

That’s how God changes the world. Not through crowds first — but through one person at a time.

You

So here’s where this comes home to us. Because Andrew’s story isn’t in the Bible so we can admire him. It’s there so we can see ourselves in it.

Andrew wasn’t a professional evangelist. He wasn’t the loudest voice in the room. He wasn’t the most visible disciple. He was just faithful with the relationship God had already given him.

And that’s the invitation in front of us today. Not to reach everyone — not to fix people — not to carry the weight of results. But to ask one — simple — honest question:

BACK TO MAIN TITLE GRAPHIC

Who is my one?

Who is the person God has already placed in my life who doesn’t know Jesus? Who’s the name that keeps coming to mind — even right now in this moment? Who is the face you thought of the moment this series was introduced?

Because that’s usually not accidental.

For some of us here — our one is a family member who we’ve already been praying for quietly for years.

For some — it’s a co-worker you see every day but have never had a spiritual conversation with.

For others — maybe it’s a neighbor — or a friend — or a classmate — or somebody you’ve slowly stopped believing could ever be open to Jesus.

And I want to say this clearly:

This is not about pressuring them. This is not about forcing conversations. This is not about winning arguments or saying everything perfectly.

This is about faithfulness.

It’s about committing to pray for one person consistently. It’s about asking God for opportunities instead of trying to manufacture moments. It’s about being present — and patient — and obedient when the door opens.

Because evangelism doesn’t happen in one big moment. It happens over time.

Through trust.

Through care.

Through listening.

Through prayer.

Through ordinary conversations that God uses in extraordinary ways.

And you’re hearing all this and you’re just feeling more weight — and pressure — I want to free you from something you’ve been carrying. You are not responsible for saving your one. You are responsible for loving them — and pointing them to Jesus.

That’s it!

Andrew brought Peter to Jesus. And Jesus changed Peter’s life.

And God still works that way.

So here’s what I’m inviting you to do today.

Not forever. Not all at once. Just start here.

Identify your one. Write their name down. Begin praying for them daily. Ask God to soften their heart and give you wisdom — and courage — and patience. And trust that Jesus is already working in ways that you can’t even see.

Now — for some of you — there’s another layer to this.

Some of you are here today and you realize YOU are the one.

You’re the person somebody prayed for.

You’re the person somebody invited.

You’re the person Jesus has been drawing closer to Himself.

And if that’s you — I want you to know this. Jesus sees you. He knows you. And He’s inviting you — just like Andrew invited Peter — to come and see for yourself.

This isn’t about just joining a church — it’s about encountering Christ.

So today whether you’re identifying your one — or you’re realizing you are the one — the invitation is the same:

“TAKE A STEP TOWARD JESUS” GRAPHIC

One prayer. One conversation. One act of obedience.

Because God often changes lives in the same way He always has — one person at a time.

We

Guys — this isn’t something we’re being asked to do alone. This is something we’re stepping into together.

Imagine what could happen if we all took this seriously. Not perfectly. Not loudly. But faithfully.

Imagine a church where prayer becomes personal again. Where names are spoken regularly before God. Where people aren’t projects — but people we genuinely love.

Imagine the ripple effect if every person here committed to just one.

One prayer prayed consistently.

One relationship approached with patience.

One invitation offered with humility.

And one conversation guided by the Spirit.

That’s not a strategy for quick growth. It’s a pathway to lasting transformation.

That’s how the Church has always grown. Not through crowds first — but through obedience first.

And I want you to hear this clearly: this isn’t about measuring success by numbers or outcomes. We’re not keeping score. We’re not creating pressure. Faithfulness is the win.

Our role is to pray. Our role is to love. Our role is to invite. Our role is to trust God with what we can’t control.

And when we do that together — something beautiful happens. We stop outsourcing evangelism and start embodying it. We stop waiting for the church to reach people and start realizing that we are the church.

So as we step into this series — let this be our shared posture:

We will pray intentionally.

We will love patiently.

We will speak honestly.

And we will trust God fully.

Not because we’re trying to build something impressive — but because we believe Jesus is still changing lives.

And listen — when I say I don’t want you to go into this alone — I mean it. We’ve created a lot of great resources for you as you begin considering and praying for your one.

WHO’S YOUR ONE QR CODE

If you go to ttpevv.com/YourOne — or scan this QR code — there are some conversation starters — prayer guides — devotions — and lots of other things for you to help you on this journey. These will be available all year long as we seek to live this out together — and pray for our one.

One heart.

One story.

One prayer.

One conversation.

One step of obedience at a time.

That’s all it takes.

And by God’s grace — we will watch Him do what only He can do — together.

Praise be to God.

Prayer

Communion