Advance as a Disciple

Ephesians 4:11-16

Good morning, Church. If you have your Bible, I hope you do, go ahead and meet me in the book of Ephesians. Ephesians Chapter 4.

Today, is a day, we are celebrating all that God did in 2025. And He did a lot.

We’ve seen God move in tangible, undeniable ways. We filled the baptismal and watched lives go under the water and come up changed.

We commissioned and sent a team to Ecuador, trusting the Lord beyond our own zip code. We gathered for retreats and youth camps where faith was strengthened and callings were clarified.

God expanded our staff, and He’s even been at work on our campus, renewing the space where ministry happens week after week. None of this is accidental.

It’s evidence of a church that’s alive, obedient, and moving forward by the grace of God.

And church, we don’t believe God is finished.

What we’ve seen isn’t the end of the story, it’s the foundation for what’s next. I do not believe the best years of this church are in the past but are still in front of us and its all for His glory.

We want to continue to see Him move, continue to step in faith, and continue to follow wherever He leads. That’s why we’re advancing in 2026.

Hopefully you received a booklet this morning.

It highlights what God did in 2025, moments we can thank Him for and celebrate together.

But the very first page also reminds us that not every moment we mark is easy. This past year, we said goodbye to some dear saints who went home to be with the Lord: Mrs. Sharon Bruton, Patrick Bishop, and Kenny Bowen. We grieve their absence, but not without hope.

We thank God for their lives, their faithfulness, and the way they pointed us to Christ.

And even in remembering them, the booklet points us forward. It lays out how we are moving ahead in 2026 with intention, clarity, and obedience, because healthy churches honor the past, trust the Lord in every season, and step forward in faith.

And as we talk about advancing, we need to understand this: advancing the kingdom has always been about discipleship. That’s not a new idea, and it’s not our idea. It’s deeply biblical. To see that clearly, we turn to the apostle Paul and the church in Ephesus.

Ephesus was a major city in the Roman world. It was wealthy, influential, and spiritually dark. The city was dominated by the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and its culture was saturated with idolatry, false worship, and spiritual confusion. Yet God planted a church there.

In Acts 19, Paul arrives in Ephesus and immediately encounters people who are religious but incomplete. They know something about repentance, but they don’t fully understand the gospel or the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul doesn’t move on, he doesn’t just shrug and let someone else do it.

He teaches them clearly, baptizes them in the name of Jesus, and disciples them into a fuller understanding of who Christ is.

From the very beginning, we see that gospel clarity matters and discipleship starts with truth.

Paul then settles into the city and begins teaching regularly.

Acts 19 tells us he reasoned daily in the hall of Tyrannus for two years.

This was slow, consistent, Word-centered discipleship.

Luke tells us that as a result, “all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10, ESV). That happens because disciples were being formed and sent back into their homes, workplaces, and communities.

God’s power was also unmistakable.

The Lord performed extraordinary miracles through Paul, making it clear that this wasn’t human effort or strategy at work. But what’s striking is how people responded.

You ever performed a miracle? Me either.

Acts 19:11–12 ESV

And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.

Thats awesome. Closest thing I’ve ever done was send a kid home from camp.

When some tried to mimic spiritual power without knowing Christ, it backfired publicly. And that moment created a holy fear that swept through the city. The name of Jesus was magnified, not as a trick or formula, but as the true source of authority and salvation.

Then comes one of the most powerful discipleship moments in the chapter. New believers openly confessed their former practices. They didn’t hide their old lives. They brought their magic books, items tied to their past sin and false worship, and burned them publicly.

Acts 19:20 summarizes it simply and powerfully: “So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”

But discipleship doesn’t just change individuals. It disrupts culture. When the gospel started changing lives, it threatened the local economy built on idol worship. The silversmiths who made shrines to Artemis stirred up a riot.

Why? Because when people stopped worshiping false gods, money stopped flowing. The gospel exposed the emptiness of idols and revealed who was truly worthy of worship.

That’s the context of the church in Ephesus. A church born out of truth, formed through patient discipleship, marked by repentance, and willing to stand firm in a hostile culture. Acts 19 shows us that real discipleship always produces real change. It changes hearts, habits, priorities, and even the systems around us.

And that’s why when Paul later writes to this church in Ephesians, urging them to grow in unity and maturity, he’s building on what God already began. He had seen firsthand what happens when disciples are made, equipped, and sent.

That’s where Ephesians 4 comes in.

Paul reminds them that Christ Himself gives the church specific people with specific roles, not to elevate individuals, but to serve the body. He frames the heart of discipleship with three essential phrases: to equip the saints, for the work of ministry, and for building up the body of Christ. In other words, leaders are called to equip, believers are called to serve, and the goal is a mature, unified church.

Paul makes it clear that discipleship is not a spectator sport. The church does not grow when a few people do all the ministry while everyone else watches. The church grows when leaders disciple and equip believers, and when every member steps into their God-given role. Using the picture of the body, Paul reminds us that every part matters, and that true spiritual maturity, the fullness of Christ, is experienced only when the whole body grows together in unity.

But don’t take my word for it— lets read Ephesians 4:11-16

Ephesians 4:11–16 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Lets prayer

Paul frames this calling with three essential truths: Every believer is a disciple. Every disciple is a disciple-maker. Every leader is responsible for raising a new leader.

Truth #1: Every Believer Is a Disciple

When Paul says in Ephesians 4 that Christ gave leaders “to equip the saints,” he’s making a foundational assumption.

Every believer is a disciple. A disciple is not just someone who believes in Jesus, but someone who follows Jesus.

In the book of James, we’re told that even the demons believe in Jesus. James says they believe, and they shudder. So belief alone isn’t the marker of genuine faith. Congratulations, you’ve got the same theology as demons.

But here’s the key difference. Demons believe in who Jesus is, but they do not submit to Him. They acknowledge His authority, but they do not follow Him. Biblical faith is not just intellectual agreement, it’s surrendered obedience. A disciple doesn’t just say Jesus is Lord. A disciple lives like Jesus is Lord.

And Adrian Rogers used to say he is either Lord of all of not at all.

There are no spectators in the body of Christ.

If you belong to Jesus, you are called to follow Him, grow in Him, and walk with Him daily.

Dallas Willard used to say “Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if He were you.”

That means discipleship isn’t just something we talk about from the stage. It’s something we live out in everyday life. And church, that’s why we put practical next steps in the booklet you received this morning. Discipleship has to be tangible, or it stays theoretical.

The booklet, on pages 23-24, reminds us that disciples read the Word and pray daily. That’s not busywork. That’s how disciples are formed. And one of the best ways to stay consistent is to be in a Bible reading plan.

My recommendation is simple. Be in a plan. As a church, we started the F260 foundational Bible reading plan on January 1. Now listen, if you’re already behind, don’t play the guilt game. This isn’t about checking boxes. You don’t have to catch up. Just jump in right where we are.

There are copies available in the foyer if you want to grab one on your way out. And if F260 isn’t the plan for you, that’s fine. There are plenty of solid Bible reading plans out there. The point isn’t the plan. The point is that you’re in the Word.

Brother Elmer says it almost daily on social media: Get in the Word so the Word will get into you. Disciples are shaped by what they consistently take in, and nothing forms us like Scripture.

If we really want the Word to get into us, we have to engage it intentionally. One simple and effective way to do that is the HEAR Bible Reading Method. I’d encourage you to keep a journal as you read. This isn’t about writing a commentary. It’s about slowing down and listening.

H — Highlight

Highlight one or more verses or phrases from your reading that stand out to you. Write the verse out. Circle key words. Put it at the top of the page.

Ask yourself: What caught my attention? Why did this verse stand out to me today?

E — Explain

Explain what the verse meant in its original context.

Consider: What’s happening in the passage? Who is speaking? What is being taught? Why does this matter?

Ask yourself: What did this mean then?

A — Apply

Now bring the verse into your life today.

Consider: What does God want me to do? What sin must I confess? What truth must I believe? What obedience is required?

Ask yourself: What should I do now? What does this call me to change? How can I apply this rightly into my life?

R — Respond

Turn your application into a prayer or a specific action step.

Examples: “Lord, help me forgive ______ today.” “I will share this verse with my spouse tonight.” “I commit to speak gently to my kids this week.”

Ask yourself: How will I obey this today?

Church, this is how disciples are formed. Not by rushing through Scripture, but by sitting under it. When we highlight, explain, apply, and respond, we’re not just reading the Bible. We’re letting the Bible read us.

You have to understand that— The Bible isn’t just a collection of stories. It’s 66 different books, written in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents, over 1500. The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.

Meaning— the Bible is God’s inspired Word, completely trustworthy and without error, and it stands as our final authority for faith and life.”

Scripture is God revealing Himself so that we can know Him personally. God did not have to make Himself known to us. He was under no obligation to reveal His character, His will, or His plan. But in His grace, He chose to speak. He chose to reveal Himself, not so we would just know about Him, but so we could know Him, deeply and intimately

As we open Scripture each day, God shapes our thoughts, our words, and our actions. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” and understand that if our opinions and views are different from Scripture. It’s not Scripture that’s wrong.

But we can only know we have wrong opinions if we read and learn God’s Word. Charles Spurgeon famously said

The Word of God is the anvil upon which the opinions of men are smashed.

And while God speaks to us through His Word, prayer is how we speak to Him. A disciple listens to God and responds to Him in prayer. Sometimes someone will say, “Well, God is sovereign, so I don’t really need to pray.” That sounds spiritual, but it’s actually a misunderstanding of sovereignty.

God’s sovereignty does not cancel prayer. God’s sovereignty invites prayer.

Let me put it this way. I love my son— my little image bearer. There are things I already know he needs before he ever opens his mouth. There are things I’ve already decided I’m going to do for him before he even thinks about wanting it.

But I still want Judah to come talk to me. Not because I need the information, but because relationship matters.

When Judah asks me for something, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m his father. It doesn’t make me more willing to love him. But it does deepen our relationship. It teaches him dependence. It builds trust. It keeps our connection close.

In the same way, God doesn’t call us to pray because He’s unsure what to do. He already knows. Jesus says, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8). God calls us to pray because He wants communion with His children. Prayer doesn’t inform God. Prayer forms us.

That’s why God’s sovereignty doesn’t eliminate prayer. It actually gives prayer meaning. We pray not to change who God is, but to align our hearts with Him. A disciple listens to God through His Word and responds to Him in prayer.

Think of it this way— Think about it like a king and a prince. Imagine a king sitting in his throne room, surrounded by guards, advisors, and officials. Everyone else has protocol. They bow. They wait. They get screened. They hope for a few moments of the king’s attention.

But then the prince walks in. No announcement. No permission slip. He tugs on the king’s robe and starts talking about something that happened earlier that day. He hops on his lap, And nobody panics, because he belongs there. He has access not because of his behavior, but because of his relationship. Because he is the son of the king.

Now imagine anybody else trying that. A random citizen strolls past the guards, hops onto the throne, and says, “Hey king, I’ve got some thoughts.”

That man is not leaving in peace. He’s probably leaving in pieces.

Here’s the point. Prayer works because of relationship. We don’t come to God as strangers trying to get an audience. We come as sons and daughters. Hebrews says we can “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). Not because we’re important, but because we belong.

That’s why prayer matters. God’s sovereignty doesn’t shut the door. It opens it. A disciple listens to God through His Word and responds to Him in prayer, not as an outsider, but as a child with full access.

We, as disciples, also commit to corporate worship. We gather weekly to declare the gospel, to sing, to sit under the teaching of God’s Word, to celebrate communion and baptism. Showing up matters. Hebrews 10:25 reminds us not to neglect meeting together, because the Christian life was never meant to be lived in isolation. A disciple prioritizes gathering with the body because growth happens in community.

The booklet also highlights the importance of getting connected. You were created for community and called to be a disciple-making disciple. Discipleship happens best in relationships where we pray together, study the Word together, and challenge one another to grow. Whether it’s a men’s Bible study, a small group that multiplies, or serving, getting connected moves us from attending church to being the church.

And finally, disciples grow by putting faith into action. Growth happens when we serve, when we study the Word with others, and when we walk alongside someone else to help them grow in their faith. We believe every believer should have someone discipling them and be discipling someone else. That’s how maturity multiplies. As Peter says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10).

Church, this is what it looks like to live out the truth that every believer is a disciple. Not perfectly but engaged. And when discipleship becomes normal, the church becomes healthy, unified, and ready to advance.

Jesus makes this clear when He says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Following Jesus is daily, not occasional. Every believer is a disciple, learning to obey Christ in their home, workplace, relationships, and decisions.

Because A disciple is not just someone who believes in Jesus, but someone who follows Jesus. and because of that, Every Disciple is a disciple-maker.

2. Every Disciple Is a Disciple-Maker

If a disciple is a believer who follows Jesus, then discipleship is the active process by which that believer grows into maturity and helps someone else do the same. It’s intentional. It’s relational. And it never stops. Discipleship is how new believers are formed into mature followers of Christ who then turn around and walk with others.

That’s why Paul is so clear in Ephesians 4. He does not say leaders do all the ministry. He says Christ gave leaders to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12). In other words, discipleship multiplies. It never terminates on us. If we are being discipled, we are also being sent. Growth in Christ always leads outward.

This lines up perfectly with the Great Commission. Jesus doesn’t say, “Go and make converts.” He says, “Go therefore and make disciples… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). The goal isn’t just belief. The goal is obedience. Disciples learn the teachings of Jesus, live the way He lived, and help others do the same.

Paul reinforces this pattern when he tells Timothy, “What you have heard from me… entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). That’s discipleship that reproduces.

The gospel was never intended to stop with you. It was never meant to terminate on one life or one generation. We are not reservoirs meant to store it up. We are conduits meant to pass it on.

That’s exactly what we see in Scripture. Paul pours into Timothy. Timothy invests in faithful men. Faithful men teach others. This is how the gospel advances. It moves from life to life, from home to home, from generation to generation. God’s design has always been multiplication, not containment.

But we ,as Christians in this country, have not done that very well.

50 years ago 90% of the country identified as Christian. Now- a third of our nation is none. Over 60% identify as Christian. But Islam is the fastest growing religion in the Unites States, and in the world.

A Pew Research Center study has projected that Christianity may no longer be the majority religion in the United States by the year 2070. That’s less than fifty years from now. One generation. That projection should not make us panic, but it should wake us up. Christianity has never declined because the gospel lost its power. It declines when God’s people stop proclaiming it and stop discipling others.

Charles Spurgeon understood this urgency. He once said, in essence, If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.

Spurgeon’s point was simple and piercing. Silence is not love. Apathy is not faithfulness. If we truly believe the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, then we cannot sit comfortably while people around us perish without Christ.

Church, the answer is not retreat. The answer is not anger. And the answer is certainly not nostalgia for a Christian culture that no longer exists. The answer is obedience. We must spread the gospel clearly and make disciples intentionally. That means opening our mouths, sharing Christ, teaching Scripture, and walking with people patiently as they learn to follow Jesus.

The gospel was never meant to be preserved by demographics or protected by tradition. It advances through faithful disciples who live it, speak it, and pass it on. If Christianity is going to endure in this nation, it will not be because of political power or cultural memory. It will be because ordinary believers took seriously the command of Jesus to go and make disciples.

Church, the future of the faith does not rest on studies or projections. It rests on whether we will be faithful. The gospel still saves. Christ is still building His church. The question is whether we will carry the message forward or let it stop with us.

A disciple receives the gospel, but a disciple-maker releases it. We take what Christ has done in us and allow Him to work through us so others can know Him too. Church, we don’t exist just to be changed by the gospel. We exist to carry the gospel forward.

And hear this, disciple-making doesn’t require a title or a position. It doesn’t even require being inside a church building. It happens in living rooms, over coffee, in text messages, and through intentional relationships. It looks like walking with someone, opening Scripture together, praying together, and helping them take their next step of obedience.

Discipleship is not a class you graduate from or a box you check. It’s a lifelong journey of becoming more like Jesus while joining Him in what He’s already doing. There is no finish line on this side of heaven. As long as we are following Jesus, we are growing in Him and helping others follow Him too.

And here’s the hard truth. A disciple who is not making disciples is spiritually stagnant. But a healthy disciple is always looking ahead, asking, “Who can I invest in next?” That’s the heartbeat of biblical discipleship.

A healthy disciple is always looking ahead, asking, “Who can I invest in next?” That’s the heartbeat of biblical discipleship. It’s ongoing. It’s relational. And it multiplies. But the natural question is, How do I actually do that? What am I supposed to be doing?

Making disciples is not complicated, but it is intentional.

First, pray and ask God to show you who to invest in. Discipleship begins with dependence, not strategy. Ask the Lord to put one or two people on your heart. Jesus prayed before choosing the twelve. We should do the same. Discipleship starts when we stop waiting for a program and start listening for a person.

Second, invite them into your life. Discipleship doesn’t happen at a distance. It happens in proximity. Invite someone to coffee, into your home, or into your weekly rhythms. Let them see how you follow Jesus in real life. Paul said, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). That only works if life is shared.

Third, open the Word together. You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to be faithful. Read Scripture together. Use something simple like the HEAR method. Ask questions. Talk about what God is teaching you. Discipleship is anchored in the Word, not opinions.

Fourth, pray together and for one another. Prayer deepens trust and dependence on God. Pray for their struggles. Pray over decisions. Let them hear you pray honestly. Teach them that prayer is not performance, but relationship.

Fifth, help them take their next step of obedience. Discipleship is not just about knowledge, it’s about obedience. Encourage them toward baptism, serving, forgiveness, sharing their faith, or stepping into community. Celebrate progress, not perfection.

Sixth, model repentance and humility. One of the most powerful discipleship moments is when someone sees you confess sin, ask forgiveness, and depend on grace. Disciples are not perfect people. They are forgiven people learning to walk in the light.

Finally, encourage them to disciple someone else. From the beginning, help them see that discipleship doesn’t stop with them. Paul told Timothy to entrust what he had learned to faithful people who would teach others also. Multiplication is the goal.

Church, this is how disciples are made. Not through programs, but through people. Ordinary believers, faithfully following Jesus, inviting others to do the same. And when that’s happening, the church stays healthy, faithful, and advancing.

Every Believer is a disciple, every disciple is a disciple-maker and 3rd truth.

3.Every Leader Is Responsible for Raising Up Another Leader

Leadership is about stewardship and multiplication. Christ gives leaders to the church to build up the body. Paul says the goal is maturity, unity, and stability, so the church is no longer tossed around, but growing strong and steady (Ephesians 4:14–16).

That kind of church doesn’t happen when leadership is centralized. It happens when leadership is multiplied.

Every deacon, small-group leader, tech person, ministry leader should be developing someone who can eventually take their place.

We are supposed to lead with open hands. But here’s the problem we have to confront honestly. Some of us treat our ministry or our position like we’re fighting off a band of wolves. We guard it. We protect it. We act like if someone else steps too close, something is going to be taken from us. That mindset is not biblical leadership. That’s fear dressed up as faithfulness. If you think this place will fall apart because you aren’t here, I got news for you. You ain’t that important. I’m included in that statement.

This place will fall apart if God leaves and wills it.

When we clutch our role too tightly, we reveal that we’re more concerned with control than calling. Healthy leaders don’t protect positions. They prepare people. They don’t guard ministry like it belongs to them.

We better understant ministry is not something you defend. It’s something you steward. Positions are not possessions. They are assignments. God never gave leadership so we could hold it tightly. He gave it so we could hold it loosely and pass it on. When we cling to control, we stunt growth. When we refuse to train others, we choke multiplication.

When we think about leadership in the church, we don’t have to guess what it’s supposed to look like. Jesus showed us. From the very beginning of His ministry, Christ was intentionally raising up leaders.

Mark tells us that Jesus “appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach” (Mark 3:14, ESV). Notice the order. First, they were with Him. Before they ever did ministry, they watched Him. They listened to Him. They learned His heart, His priorities, and His way of life. Jesus didn’t just teach content. He modeled character.

The disciples watched how Jesus prayed. They watched how He treated people. They watched how He handled pressure, conflict, and opposition. And then, little by little, He let them participate.

Take the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus performs one of the most visible miracles in all of Scripture, but He doesn’t do it alone. He blesses the bread and the fish, but then He hands it to the disciples and tells them to distribute it (Mark 6:41). The miracle flows through Jesus, but the ministry flows through the disciples. They don’t create the provision, but they participate in the work. Jesus lets them be part of what God is doing, even while they’re still learning.

That’s leadership development. He gives them responsibility without giving them control. He keeps them close, but He puts something in their hands.

Then, as they grow, Jesus increases the responsibility. Luke tells us that He sends them out two by two to preach, heal, and cast out demons (Luke 9:1–6; Mark 6:7). They don’t go alone. They go together. They rely on one another. They depend on the Lord. And after they return, they report back to Jesus. He listens, He teaches, He corrects, and He continues shaping them.

Jesus models it. Jesus practices it with them. Then Jesus sends them to do it.

And eventually, after His resurrection, He fully entrusts them with the mission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19–20). The same men who once argued over who was greatest are now entrusted with the gospel going to the ends of the earth. Why? Because Jesus invested in them patiently and intentionally.

That’s the pattern. Proximity. Participation. Practice. Then sending.

And church, that pattern still applies.

Part of my responsibility as pastor is not just to preach sermons or lead meetings. It’s to raise up leaders. It’s my job to get Bob ready to one day be a head pastor. That means walking closely with him, letting him see how decisions are made, giving him responsibility, correcting him when needed, and preparing him to carry weight before he ever has the title.

Thats why he preached last week. That’s why he will preach again. and he did an amazing job. So much so, that one of somebody said as they were leaving, “you better watch out, he might have your job one day.”

And I want you to hear this clearly. If that’s the case, it would be my honor and my privilege to make sure he’s ready for it. That’s not insecurity. That’s faithfulness. My job is not to protect a title. My job is to prepare the next shepherd.

And this isn’t just theory. This has real implications for our church right now.

I believe we are ready to expand. I believe we are ready to launch another small group class on Sunday mornings. The need is there. The people are there. The hunger is there. But the reason we can’t do it right now is simple. I don’t yet know who would lead it.

That’s not a staffing problem. That’s a discipleship opportunity.

Somewhere in this room is the person God wants to use to lead tht group. But leadership doesn’t appear overnight. It’s formed through faithfulness, training, and obedience. And that’s why discipleship matters. That’s why leadership multiplication matters. When leaders are developed, ministry expands. When leaders aren’t ready, ministry stalls.

Jesus never led in a way that made Himself indispensable. He led in a way that made multiplication inevitable. And if we want to lead like Christ, we don’t guard our roles. We give people bread to pass out. We send them two by two. And we prepare them to carry the mission forward when we’re no longer holding the reins.

That’s biblical leadership. That’s discipleship. And that’s how the church advances.

Church, these three truths reveal what God has always intended His church to be. Every believer is a disciple. Every disciple is a disciple-maker. Every leader is responsible for raising up another leader.

That’s not a trend. That’s the design. When those three truths are lived out, the church stays healthy, faithful, and advancing. Disciples grow. The gospel spreads. Leaders multiply. And the body builds itself up in love, just as Paul described.

And that’s why the booklet you received this morning matters. It’s not just a recap of where we’ve been. It’s a guide for where we’re going. We’ll be using it over the next two weeks, so bring it back with you. Read it. Pray through it. Write in it. Let it help you take your next step as a disciple and a disciple-maker.

In just a moment, we’re going to sing one final song together. And this is your time to respond to what God has been saying to you. There’s no single right way to respond. For some, that response begins with salvation, trusting Jesus for the first time. For others, it may be surrender, obedience, repentance, or a renewed commitment to disciple someone or step into leadership with open hands.

You can pray where you are. You can come forward. You can kneel. You can stand and sing. The posture matters less than the obedience. Don’t leave this moment unchanged.

Church, the gospel was never meant to stop with us. We are conduits, not containers. And as long as God gives us breath, we will keep following Jesus, making disciples, and raising up leaders for His glory.

Let’s pray and let’s respond.