Serving When It's Inconvenient

Key ideas· repeated words and phrases

Scripture references · 4 citations

Rhetorical fingerprint · per 1,000 words · click to see examples · 18 scripture readings excluded

Repeated openers: “we pray” (5), “so i” (5), “so the” (5), “we don't” (5), “and the” (4), “we're going” (3)

Recurring structural signatures — click to read examples:

Argument map · logical progression through the sermon

Each step is a rhetorical move; the line follows the argument in order — click to read.

1. Conclusion

   It is our desire for you to grow as a result of the resources we provide here.

2. Condition ×2

   Me and my wife Melinda and I we went to Lewis Beach Delaware with our close friend and her kids And listen I was so excited about this like I was looking forward to it all year and I just wanted to relax in the Sun dip my toes into the sand and Read my favorite one of my favorite books the Hardy Boys Now if you don't know what that book is I encourage Pick one up and prepare yourself for an adventure of a lifetime And you might be wondering, like Tim, how did you go to the beach and read with your kids around?

3. Contrast ×3

   So I thought yes, the sand is calling my name back.

4. Cause

   Because after all, we came to the beach because it is my birthday.

5. Condition

   Like even if it wasn't her birthday, I should have served her without complaints.

6. Contrast ×2

   But then we realize that serving is inconvenient and no longer is attractive.

7. Condition

   So if we read this verse by itself, it makes complete sense, right?

8. Contrast

   But when we read the Bible, we need to read the entire context of the Bible to see the full picture.

9. Cause

   So Jesus didn't just see the large crowd He was actually interrupted by this crowd because he was grieving the loss of his cousin and this large crowd followed him on a full, like paparazzi to get his time.

10. Condition

    And if you stay at home with your kids, you may not even have that to yourself.

11. Contrast

    But that's not what he did.

12. Cause ×4

    Financially, you can't afford to serve because while you spend every waking moment trying to work to make ends meet.

13. Contrast ×2

    So how do we reconcile this tension of, Jesus calls us to serve, but serving is inconvenient.

14. Condition

    Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground.

15. Contrast ×3

    I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.

16. Example

    Imagine with me, you're in a meeting with a group of people, and you're planning a conference to accommodate 20,000 people.

17. Contrast

    But what you're really going to be thinking is, one, this kid needs a can opener.

18. Cause

    Because we have legitimate reasons for not serving, right?

19. Contrast

    We don't have enough skills or energy or time or money, but Jesus is asking us today, what do you have?

20. Cause ×2

    Because let me tell you, no matter what you have in your hand, you know what Jesus is going to say?

21. Addition

    The number of those who ate was about 5,000 men besides women and children.

22. Contrast ×2

    But in Mark Luke and John's account it actually says that Jesus directed the disciples to split the people.

23. Cause ×3

    Because that would have been so much easier, right?

24. Contrast

    This is great But that's not what happened Jesus gave them the direction first and Then he blessed them Once they obeyed I'll say it another way God's direction often comes before his blessing works often.

25. Cause

    As the people sat down, they had no idea what Jesus was going to do because he was just holding on to a boy's lunch.

26. Contrast

    It's really difficult, especially today, when we have access to information like whenever we make a big purchase like we can see reviews and watch videos about it we can test drive it like before we commit to a streaming service we have seven days to try it out but God doesn't give us trials he doesn't always give us a test drive he just says bring your lunch and sit God's direction often comes before his blessing and It seems like God is far away.

27. Example

    God's not helping us the way we imagine He would.

28. Contrast ×2

    So instead of making excuses about what you don't have, start using what you do have.

29. Cause

    And that's only because of the grace of Jesus and how he's used it.

30. Contrast ×5

    Or maybe God's telling you to sit, 'cause you've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off just trying to make things work and you're beating yourself up for not accomplishing enough or you're comparing yourself to people that you see online because they only post the highlights of their life and you know it, but you still scramble to be like them.

31. Condition

    If you want to gain some time during the week, here's an idea.

32. Contrast

    It's about bringing to Jesus what you already have, because guess what, serving and not about what you have, but trusting what Jesus can do with it.

33. Cause ×2

    We don't know what he was thinking, because I don't know.

34. Contrast ×3

    No one else gave, there might have been a family there amongst the crowd that had a lunch for their family but they didn't give it because it was inconvenient but the boy had an affay to believe that his lunch in the hands of Jesus would go a lot farther than if it remained in his hand.

35. Cause ×2

    I think the Lord for them because the So far, there could be a single mom that comes to our church and she's able to come here on a Sunday Checking her kid know that her kid is safe and she can sit here and receive God's word and worship God And be encouraged for the week to come So that individual who is rocking her baby is doing something very small Or at least it may seem like it's small and it creates massive impact on the kingdom of God because that single mom can now be a blessing to others.

36. Contrast ×2

    The lesson Jesus was teaching the disciples is this serving is not just about what you have, but trusting what Jesus can do with it.

37. Addition

    And what's so cool about serving here is that not only do you serve, you actually get placed on a team and that just makes all the difference.

38. Cause ×2

    And this is gonna be great and you can join in because we're going to be asking questions, and I'll be interviewing different people on staff, and they'll be answering your questions real time.

39. Contrast

    But when we lean into that, God can use it in such a miraculous way.

40. Cause

    I've been coming to Faith's Church since 2013, and for the first three years, I didn't have any inclination to choose to volunteer.

41. Contrast ×3

    I really didn't want to do that either, but I figured I ought to do something.

42. Cause

    I've started to love it so much that in 2020, when church shut down because of the pandemic, I really missed it.

43. Condition

    If you're like me, you're probably wondering, well, why would a church this size need my help?

44. Contrast

    But in looking back and seeing what the last number of years have been for me out in the parking lot, I'm just happy to be a small part of what goes on here every Sunday morning.

45. Condition

    If there's one thing I've learned, is that sometimes God is asking you to step out of your comfort zone.

46. Contrast ×2

    God, it's one thing to preach about serving and listen to sermon about serving and reading it in your word and being encouraged by this boy who gave his lunch, but it's another thing to actually do it.

Style & content · click a tile to see examples

Pitch (Hz)

Loudness