1 Timothy 3: The Hidden Weight of the VestThe grind behind the glory.
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES
Al Gleason Guest Teacher
Good morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with a worldwide impact. My name is Al Gleason, and I will be teaching today. Thank Pastor Rory Clark for sharing the pulpit with me, as it is always a privilege and an honor to get the opportunity to do so. For those that are here, thank you for coming and to everyone, thank you for listening to this Bible lesson!
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON The Hidden Weight of the Vest
LESSON INTRODUCTION
Imagine an athlete alone. It’s the off-season. No crowd, no lights, no game day jersey, just a weighted vest that they wear for every workout. While others are on vacation, this athlete is up at 5:00 a.m., running hills, lifting weights, and fine-tuning their form. There's no coach yelling plays. No cameras filming highlight reels. No applause. Just sweat, soreness, and silence.
People on the outside don’t always understand. Some criticize: “Why are you doing all of that?” “You’re not even starting.” “Why spend hours training when you might not even get in the game?”
But the athlete keeps working. Keeps studying. Keeps preparing. Why? Because they have faith that others don’t.
Then one day, the starter gets injured. The moment comes when the coach calls their number. The work they did when things were not certain and because of everything they did when no one was watching, they are ready.
This is similar to what spiritual leadership looks like. It’s often not glamorous. No one sees the late-night prayers, the temptation resisted in silence, long hours of studying the Word when you’re tired, or the way you treat people when no one gives you credit. Just like the off-season athlete, you have a heart full of faith, and you prepare in private for a call you don’t know you will ever receive.
David was faithful with no expectation of any call. He was considered less than because he was the youngest and he tended to his dad’s sheep. He took his job seriously though. David trained in obscurity. He was worshiping God, writing psalms, fighting lions and bears to save the sheep he was responsible for. He had no idea what was coming. But when Goliath appeared, he was ready.
Joseph was a dreamer that was persecuted by those closest to him simply because he had a dream and shared it. On the surface, it looks like he was betrayed, made a slave, and thrown in prison for no good reason. The bible says he stayed faithful. Eventually, he became second in command in Egypt. He wore his vest regardless of what was going on around him.
Moses carried wore his vest for 40 years while he was tending sheep in Midian before God called him to free His chosen people.
Paul says in 1 Timothy 3 that leaders must be “worthy of respect,” “self-controlled,” “not pursuing dishonest gain,” “tested.” These are not public traits you earn on a stage. These are built in the private based on decisions you make in your daily life.
One scripture that comes to mind is Matthew 25:21:
MATTHEW 25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’
This passage is referring to a servant managing the master’s money, but the principle is universal. At every stage of life, we are given a few things to manage. When we manage them well, we will have opportunity to manage more.
Whether you have a dream like Joseph, or like Moses in the wilderness not knowing what will happen next, being faithful over what you have been given will pay dividends. The last part of Matthew 25:21 says …”enter the joy of your master”. The reward of being faithful is the ability to enter into joy. Today we will study the final requirements Paul describes in First Timothy 3. Regardless of your call, God has a plan that requires us all to be faithful with what we have been given so we will be ready for what He has in store for us.
OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION
As we prepare our hearts to receive the Word, let’s pause for a moment of reflection. True spiritual leadership isn’t about position or praise. It’s about character. It’s about being refined in the quiet, behind closed doors, before you're ever handed a microphone or a ministry. Paul outlines that leaders must be dignified, not double-tongued, faithful, and tested. That kind of character doesn’t come without fire. Readiness is forged in the unseen spaces of obedience. This next song, “Refiner,” is a prayer for God to do the deep work in us. To make us ready for whatever He’s called us to carry. Let’s worship as we enjoy the song Refiner, by Maverick City Music.
MUSIC OPENING SONG
Refiner Maverick City Music & Chandler Moore
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray…
Heavenly Father…we thank you for the opportunity to fellowship in your presence once again. In first Timothy, your word reminds us that leadership in Your house is not about status, but it’s about stewardship before we can serve publicly. We must be refined privately so that we are ready for whatever you may call us to do.
Today we offer ourselves to your refinement like metal; burn away what doesn’t please you. Purify our motives and cleanse our hearts. We thank you that we have character that we can only achieve in you. We thank you for patience to walk through the process and not be discouraged. We rejoice ahead of time for the amazing things that you’re going to do in our life after.
…we ask for these things through the power of God the Holy Spirit in Christ’s name… Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON The Hidden Weight of the Vest
LESSON PART ONE
I want to remind everyone of the context of what’s going on during this time. When Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy, the young leader was stationed in Ephesus, a wealthy and influential city in the Roman Empire. It was the equivalent of a modern-day New York. Ephesus was home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was a cultural hub filled with pagan worship, mystical practices, false teachings, and moral confusion. Idolatry, materialism, sexual immorality, and spiritual manipulation weren’t fringe activities, they were mainstream. The spiritual atmosphere was loud, chaotic, and deeply deceptive. Many believers in the city had been saved out of this culture, but old mindsets and influences were creeping back into the church.
Paul’s letter was not just a letter. It was, and currently still is, a spiritual strategy. Timothy was young and timid by nature, but God gave Him the weighty responsibility to shepherd a growing, struggling, and sometimes divided church. He was facing false teachers, gender disputes, power struggles, and even public disrespect of leadership roles. Paul writes not only to correct doctrine but also to establish structure, integrity, and godly leadership. He outlines what godliness looks like not only from a theological standpoint, but also in behavior, leadership, and lifestyle. These were not casual suggestions; they are necessary boundaries for preserving the witness of the church in a corrupt city.
God had given Paul an understanding of what happens when the church looks just like the culture… Its message loses power. He called Timothy and the church to rise higher. He reminded them that spiritual leadership is not about position, but about proven character, tested integrity, and obedience to God overtime. Paul’s charge still relevant today. When leaders carry themselves with honor and purity the church becomes a lighthouse, even in the dark cities.
In this lesson, we will see how Paul continues to lay the foundation to ensure Timothy was equipped to effectively run God’s household. He outlines another critical role for the effective function of the church, the deacon.
The word deacon is a direct transliteration for the Greek word diakonos, which means “servant”. It is believed that the origins of deacon were when it was 1st recorded in Acts chapter 6. The original deacons were appointed to be assistants to the apostles. Today they serve a similar role, relieving passes and elders of other task around the church so that they may concentrate on ministry the word, prayer and spiritual oversight. Generally speaking, deacons do not have the authority of elders but those appointed must still meet similar requirements to become one.
Like the athlete in my opening story, deacons wear a weighted vest. Because they have a heart for God, the work of the Kingdom in silence. They bear the burden that Christ gives, the burden to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Let’s look at the requirements of a deacon by first reading First Timothy, Chapter 3, Verses 8 to 13...
FIRST TIMOTHY 3:8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not insincere, not prone to drink much wine, not greedy for money,
FIRST TIMOTHY 3:9 …but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
FIRST TIMOTHY 3:10 These men must also first be tested; then have them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.
FIRST TIMOTHY 3:11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.
FIRST TIMOTHY 3:12 Deacons must be husbands of one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.
FIRST TIMOTHY 3:13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
The requirements for deacons, like those for a pastor, is a call to every believer to live lives that reflect the character of Christ. Today, God is still calling His people to rise above culture and walk in purity, humility, and self-control. The enemy’s tactics have not changed, which is evident when realize society today closely mirrors what it did back then. With the exception of a car here and a computer there, not much has changed but the names. So, when we return from the break, let’s investigate these verses with open hearts, asking the Lord to help us not only to understand the requirements but also to embody them as we pursue lives that honor Him.
Take a five-minute break.
FIVE-MINUTE BREAK
NOBODY Casting Crowns
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON The Hidden Weight of the Vest
OFFERING INTRODUCTION
Part of us living in faith is also giving in faith. It is a quiet act of obedience that signifies you trust God. Even when no one sees about him, our generosity plants seed in silence that brings harvests in due season. When you give today, know that God sees you doing your part and he will do what he’s promised to do as a result of your giving. Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with another inspiring offering message.
THE OFFERING
Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
1 JOHN 2:6 …the one who says that he remains in Him ought, himself also, to walk just as He walked.
OFFERING SONG
More Than Anything Lamar Campbell
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON The Hidden Weight of the Vest
LESSON PART TWO
Welcome back!
Now let’s study First Timothy, Chapter 3, Verses 8 to 13.
As we study First Timothy, Chapter 3, Verses 8 to 13, let’s keep three things in mind like we did in the other lessons of First Timothy:
KEEP IN MIND THREE THINGS
1 What was happening in the church at Ephesus at the time
2 Why Paul wrote the letter the way he did
3 How the letter applies to us today
Let’s study First Timothy, Chapter 3, starting with Verse 8…
FIRST TIMOTHY 3:8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not insincere, not prone to drink much wine, not greedy for money,
Paul is saying the deacons, as indicated above, have requirements to. They should be worthy of respect and a person of Christian character that is worth imitating. They should take their responsibilities seriously and use the office, not just have the title. If you are a deacon, you should work and fulfill the responsibilities of that title and not just be a placeholder. The king James version uses the word double tongue instead of insincere, but it means that a deacon does not gossip or tell tales from house to house. He does not say one thing to one member and something entirely different to another member. You can depend on what he says, his word is bond. This is also a standard of living for a believer. Jesus says it this way in Matthew, Chapter 5, verse 37:
MATTHEW 5:37 “But make sure your statement is, ‘Yes, yes’, or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil origin.”
Give a clear yes or no, otherwise your communication has evil intentions or from the evil one.
“Not prone to drink much wine” is the same as the requirement for a pastor that we learned in the first part of this chapter. Not greedy for money speaks to an individual that may be dishonest with money because of their strong desire to have more of it. This is an important one because deacons collect tithes and offerings, and distribute money to needy people in the church. It may be tempting to steal or use funds in selfish ways.
FIRST TIMOTHY 3:9 …but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
The word mystery here means the truth once hidden but now revealed by God. Specifically, Paul is referring to God’s plan of salvation that was previously veiled but now has been graciously unveiled to the apostles. Mystery also has linkages to how the church works. Deacons are to hold onto the faith with a clear conscience is referring to the fact that it has been cleansed by God so that the individual is free to serve God. With this clear conscience deacons must persevere in the apostolic faith in the knowledge that they have been saved based on God’s grace in Christ and therefore lead lives of sincere faith. Their life decisions must be based on the Word of God.
Let’s look at First Timothy, Chapter 3, Verse 10…
FIRST TIMOTHY 3:10 These men must also first be tested; then have them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.
Proved refers to deacons must first model the qualities listed in the previous verses. The Greek used here translates as tested. These words have also been used to speak of vetting an individual to judge if he or she had the required virtues to belong in the position. Those who were observed were considered proved, blameless, or beyond reproach if they met the standards set by Paul. In that case, they were recommended to be deacons.
Earlier I mentioned a few of the famous leaders in the Bible. As Paul laid out the requirements in first Timothy chapter 3, these leaders were proved through different challenging situations and time frames. The testing process is designed to make sure that a person is ready for what God is calling them to do. An individual that is not could possibly cause much more damage than good. Let’s read Romans chapter 5, verses 3-5 from the amplified version:
ROMANS 5:3 And not only this, but with joy let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship (distress, pressure, trouble) produces patient, endurance;
ROMAN 5:4 And endurance, proven character (spiritual maturity); and proven character, hope and confident assurance [of eternal salvation].
ROMANS 5:5 Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly, poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who was given to us.
We should be excited when we go through trials. That is counter to what the world does, but we can rejoice because we know what Christ has done for us and what the end is going to be.
When a player is young, a coach will ask them to do some things that make zero sense to them. They might ask them to run up a hill or do a certain number of push-ups for example. Because of the athlete’s inexperience it doesn’t make any sense. They might think, “This is causing me a bunch of pain for no reason.” This is the equivalent of someone young in the faith.
A seasoned athlete gets excited about hard workouts because they know that the pain and suffering not only changes their mindset to help them have endurance, but it also produces a much stronger physical version of themselves. Often athletes will say that a workout was “good pain.” Likewise, those mature in the faith know that what they are going through will help them develop and be a better version of themselves. If an athlete can believe in what their coach is asking them to do, and obey, how much more should be able to trust the Lord with our life? This is the attitude we all should have when we face trials.
FIRST TIMOTHY 3:11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.
There are different schools of thought as a relates to what women Paul was talking about here. There are different viewpoints because the word used for women is the same for wife in the Greek. I believe he was referring to deaconess’s and not the wives of deacons for several reasons.
It is more likely that Paul is saying women who are being considered for the office of deaconesses have a similar requirement also. The women that are to be considered for the role of deaconess should be worthy of respect, not slanderous or given to slander talk. The Greek word here literally means not devils, because the word devil means slanderer or false accuser. Women must also be considered self-controlled and thoroughly trustworthy.
FIRST TIMOTHY 3:12 Deacons must be husbands of one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.
This requirement is similar to that of an overseer that Paul described in First Timothy 3:2. Some think that the scripture refers to a deacon only being married once, meaning if a person has been remarried, they will be disqualified. Recalling what we discussed on that verse during our last session, the wording here points more to a man that only has one wife and that he is faithful to her. He also must be, like a pastor, someone who manages his household well.
We talked about cultural norms, inflating the church when Paul was writing this letter to Timothy. Today, the same thing is happening as a relates to raising our children, a disturbing trend to me personally. As a coach, father, and a husband, I have seen first-hand how it’s hurting our children and literally setting them up for failure. Aside from not following God’s plan, there has been a significant departure from tried-and-true methods of raising children.
In today’s U.S. culture, there is a growing trend to raise children with an emphasis on self-expression, individuality, and personal comfort, often avoiding discipline or correction for fear of damaging a child’s self-esteem. The culture promotes affirming every feeling and shielding children from struggle or structure. Many are following these beliefs without investigating where they come from or considering how these methodologies will affect their children.
A few of the major influences behind these practices may shock you.
But the biblical view takes a different approach. Scripture teaches that love is shown through discipline, guidance, and the intentional shaping of a child’s character. Here are a few scriptures to consider:
PROVERBS 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he grows older he will not abandon it.
PROVERBS 22:15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
HEBREWS 12:6 For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He punishes every son whom He accepts.
HEBREWS 12:11 For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
EPHESIANS 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
We can get into more detail on these scriptures when we have the parenting class, but I just wanted to demonstrate a clear difference: while culture encourages catering to the child, the Bible emphasizes cultivating the child. One path leads to self-centeredness and denying God, the other to spiritual maturity and strength. Let’s look at Paul’s final thoughts on deacons:
FIRST TIMOTHY 3:13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
Paul encourages those who want to work in the capacity of a deacon to do their job well. They will obtain a high standing or be promoted by God. The words Paul used here refer to leveling up in rank like in the military (Paul loves the military references), or up a step or step up a rung on a latter.
The qualifications that Paul describes are part of the weighted vest they must carry. As I referenced earlier in this lesson, we all are required to carry our own weighted vest, no matter what position we have in the church. The requirements for leadership are essentially the same requirements for the body is a hole. Those eventually call to leadership are the ones who have demonstrated, or who have been tested in those requirements.
The vest may seem like a simple garment, but its origin and evolution tell a different story. Originally known as a “waistcoat,” the vest first gained popularity in 17th-century England as a formal piece of clothing worn under coats. Over time, it evolved. It was no longer just for show, but for function. Military personnel began wearing tactical vests to carry gear. Weighted vests were developed to build endurance in training. Bulletproof vests were engineered to protect lives in dangerous environments. While from the outside it may still look like a normal piece of clothing, what’s inside the vest reveals its true purpose.
As the vest became more than just an accessory, it also became a symbol of readiness, strength, and responsibility. And the most important vests? They're the ones that are heavy. Why? Because they are used for preparing, protecting, or carrying something important.
In the same way, spiritual leadership is often hidden in plain sight. From the outside, it might look ordinary. The deacon at the back of the church. The servant who shows up early and stays late. The one who listens more than they speak. But beneath the surface, they are carrying the weight of responsibility. The burden of faithfulness. The pressure to lead by example, even when no one’s watching.
Like a weighted vest in off-season training, leadership requires strength, discipline, and consistency in secret. Others don’t see the hours spent in prayer, the character formed through trials, or the decisions made with trembling hands. But that hidden weight? It’s not wasted. It’s preparing you for the moment your number is called, when God says, “Now. I want to use you.”
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can wear our weighted vest and live the life to the fullest. The ultimate example is Jesus who carried a weight above and beyond anything we could image. Let’s look at how carried His weighted vest.
PHILIPPIANS 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
PHILLIPIANS 2:6 …who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
PHILLIPIANS 2:7 …but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.
PHILLIPIANS 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.
Jesus is amazing! Even though He was with God in heaven, He didn’t consider His status as something He had to identify with. He willingly emptied Himself to become a man, then submitted to the will of the Father and gave up life. Jesus was at the pinnacle of existing then significantly lowered His status to became human. Then He worked as a carpenter like a regular person, fully knowing who He was the entire time. He had to wait 30 years before He could start the ministry He was sent here to do. His waiting was not wasting, as He prepared for the work that was before Him:
LUKE 2:52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and people.
At this time in His life, Jesus was a child that was subject to His mom and dad. While He was waiting, He was preparing. For 30 years He was waiting. Knowing all the answers but had to keep quiet.
If you are a man, you can’t image how hard that must have been. It’s hard to sit through a conversation with your wife without giving her answers and trying to fix it…
Having the ability to perform miracles, but He had to withhold that power. 30 years of yearning to do what He was called to do but he was patient. Never letting go of the mission.
Before Jesus went to the cross, He humbled Himself to wash the disciples’ feet:
JOHN 13:5 Then He poured water into the basin and began washing the disciples’ feet and wiping them with the towel which He had tied around Himself.
He knew He would face some resistance from Peter. He knew Judas was going to betray Him. He knew He was moments from going to the cross, but He didn’t let that interfere with the work He was called to.
Throughout His ministry on earth, He looked like any other man, but He bore the full burden of humanity’s brokenness. Yet He walked with purpose, grace, and obedience, never letting go of the mission. His endurance reminds us that while the weight may not be visible, it’s real, and those who carry it are not alone.
On the cross, Jesus carried the invisible but immense weight of our sin, sorrow, and shame. Isaish 53:4-5 says this:
ISAIAH 53:4 However, it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore, and our pains that He carried; yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted, struck down by God, and humiliated.
ISAIAH 53:5 But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.
He looked like any other man, but He bore the full burden of humanity’s brokenness. Like the weighted vest presses into the chest, back, and shoulders of the one wearing it, the weight of the cross pressed down on Jesus, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
As we close, let’s reflect on Hebrews 12:2:
HEBREWS 12:2 …looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus wore the ultimate weighted vest—not made of fabric or iron plates, but of our sin, shame, and suffering. Yet, with every heavy step, He pressed forward. Not because it was easy, but because He saw the purpose on the other side of the pain. Jesus saw the joy that was waiting on the other side. Just like an athlete trains with unseen resistance, we are being shaped and prepared in our private obedience for public assignment. We stay encouraged and do it, not because it’s easy, but because there’s joy in knowing that God is shaping us. The weight is real, but so is the reward. So we fix our eyes on Jesus and keep going, knowing that the hidden weight is proof that God is preparing us for something greater.
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
The closing moments of this lesson could be the ten most important minutes of your life. You’ll be introduced to the good news concerning how you can spend all eternity in heaven when you close your eyes in this life. We want you to know that…
GOD WANTS YOU! He Wants You to Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
…and what He wants for you is that you make the most important decision of your life.
God wants a RELATIONSHIP with you! The Lord’s half-brother says in James, Chapter 4, Verse 8…
JAMES 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
The enemy of God, Satan wants you to be part of a RELIGION. Religion is Satan’s strategy against the human race and it is designed to make you indifferent or antagonistic to God. It works! The Bible describes religion in Second Timothy, Chapter 3, Verse 5 as…
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:5 …a superficial form of godliness (a counterfeit to Christianity) … that denies godliness’ divine power…
You have a choice…relationship or religion…what’s your choice?
Religion can’t get you to heaven! Religions propose that if you don’t do everything their “god” expects, the god will be disappointed. Regardless of your best efforts to follow religious rituals, the religion does not GUARANTEE you will get to heaven.
In Matthew, Chapter 23, Verse 27 and 28, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself expresses his disdain for religion…
MATTHEW 23:27 “Woe to you (religious) scribes and Pharisees…you hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs…which on the outside appear beautiful…but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”
MATTHEW 23:28 “Outwardly you appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (you are unrighteous unbelievers).”
The Bible is a gift from God that introduces you to the possibility of a relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Hebrews, Chapter 4, Verse 12 describes the power of Scripture…
HEBREWS 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword…and it’s piercing…even as far as the division of soul and spirit…of both joints and marrow…and it is a critic of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
God’s plan is to teach you the truth about how to have a relationship with Him through the Bible. Satan’s plan is to teach you lies that obscure the truth of the Bible.
What happens when you close your eyes in this life? If you have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, counting on Him to save you, good things happen. If are counting on religion to save you, bad things happen.
The Bible makes it clear that salvation is a gift that we receive through faith. Let read a few scriptures that illustrate this…Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verses 8 and 9…
EPHESIANS 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…
EPHESIANS 2:9 …not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Titus, Chapter 3, Verse 5…
TITUS 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
Romans, Chapter 3, Verses 23 and 24…
ROMANS 3:23 …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…
ROMANS 3:24 …being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus…
No matter how much work you do, you can’t work your way into heaven and be able to brag.
The requirement to get saved is simple. Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…
ACTS 16:31 They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved by God, you and everyone in your household who also believes."
Romans, Chapter 10, Verses 9 and 10…
ROMANS 10:9 …if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God the Father raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…
ROMANS 10:10 …for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
It is as simple as making a decision and having faith that God will do the rest. We cannot do it on our own.
When you die it is heaven or the Lake of Fire for all eternity. You get to make the choice where you spend eternity. Relationship or religion? What’s your choice?
God wants a relationship with you because He doesn’t want ANYONE to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9 says…
SECOND PETER 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation as some accuse Him of… instead, He is patient toward unbelievers…not wishing for any of you to perish (in the Lake of Fire) … but for all of you to come to repentance (a change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION
Like the athlete training in silence, or the vest hidden beneath the surface, God prepares us in the quiet for a purpose far greater than our comfort. As we close today, let this song “Available” be your personal declaration. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being willing. Willing to say yes when no one else sees. Willing to be refined. Willing to carry the unseen weight because you trust the One who called you. Because when you are, God does the rest.
MUSIC CLOSING SONG Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises
Available Elevation Worship
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
Heavenly Father…
…We thank You for reminding us today that the weight we carry is not a sign of weakness, but a signal of calling. Just as Your Son Jesus bore the ultimate burden for the joy set before Him, help us to carry our responsibilities with purpose, endurance, and grace. For every hidden pressure, every private moment of sacrifice, every unseen step we take in obedience, remind us that You see it all, and You reward those who are faithful.
Strengthen our hearts, refine our character, and help us to keep our eyes on You. Let us not grow weary under the weight, but walk boldly in the knowledge that joy, purpose, and victory are on the other side of the struggle. May we lead with humility, serve with integrity, and wait patiently until our number is called…knowing that when it is, we’ll be ready because we trusted You in the unseen.
…we ask these things through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
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