May 31, 2026
OPENING
Hebrews 13:15 (NLT) — “Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.”
INFORMATION: More Than a Song
Isaiah 58:6-8 (NLT) — “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned. Lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.”
1. God sees past the performance to the motive. The people were doing all the right religious things — but their hearts were self-serving. John 4:24 (NLT) — “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
2. The worship God actually wants looks like sacrifice toward others. True worship costs you something — not just in private devotion, but in how you treat the people right in front of you. Romans 12:1 (NLT) — “Give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”
3. The breakthrough follows the sacrifice — not the other way around. God is not withholding breakthrough to punish you — He’s waiting for the sacrifice to be real. 1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT) — “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”
INSPIRATION: The Thing We’ve Made It
1. Worship is a lifestyle, not just a Sunday posture. Paul’s word for it is latreia — the daily, ongoing offering of your life to God, at work, at home, at the pool this summer, on vacation. Romans 12:1 (NLT) — “This is truly the way to worship him.”
2. The worship flows from gratitude, not performance. Not guilt. Not obligation. Because of what Jesus has done for you — that’s the only starting point that makes it real. Romans 12:2 (NLT) — “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
MOTIVATION: Removing Obstacles To Worship
Obstacle 1: “My life is too busy to worship right now.” That’s exactly why worship in sacrifice matters — Paul wrote Romans 12 to people in hard circumstances and challenged them to press beyond their feelings. Romans 12:1 (NLT) — “I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.”
Obstacle 2: “My life is too messy to worship right now.” God doesn’t need your life cleaned up first — He wants to transform you from the inside out, starting right where you are. Romans 12:2 (NLT) — “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
TRANSFORMATION: Nothing Else
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) — “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Identify — This week, name one area of your life where worship has become about the feeling instead of the Father.
- Practice — Choose one specific act of sacrifice toward someone else this week — let that be your worship.
- Daily — Before you start each day, give Him your worship first. Not after the to-do list. Before it.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community