Wednesday Nights and Starting Spots
OPENING PRAYER:
Father, search my heart and reveal the places where I've prioritized comfort or achievement over the communities that truly form souls. Give me the wisdom to choose what matters most, even when it costs something I value.
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Jesus spoke these words during the Sermon on the Mount, addressing a crowd anxious about provision, what to eat, drink, and wear. His command to "seek first" the kingdom wasn't a suggestion to add one more thing to a busy schedule, but an invitation to reorder everything around what matters most. In a culture obsessed with accumulation and security, Jesus offered a radically different priority system.
REFLECT:
Pastor Jarred shared a deeply personal story that probably made some parents squirm. His daughter Emerson is a gifted soccer player, good enough to compete on one of the top teams in Kansas, good enough to start against eighth graders as a fifth grader. When spring season came, practice was scheduled on Wednesday nights, the same night as Pathway’s mid-week program IGNITE for incoming sixth graders. On the surface, it's a small decision. But Jarred and his wife, Andrea, stepped back and asked the goal question: Are we raising her to be the best soccer player possible, or are we raising her to know, trust, and follow Jesus?
They called the coach and said Emerson wouldn't be at Wednesday practices anymore. That's not anti-sports or anti-achievement; it's pro-priority. Jarred acknowledged that it communicated something powerful to Emerson: this community, these trusted voices, this place where you're known and can belong and will be pointed to Jesus, it matters more than a starting spot. It matters more than skill development or team rankings. Here's what strikes me about that story: it wasn't easy, and Jarred didn't pretend it was. But by making that choice, they weren't just telling Emerson what they valued; they were showing her. And as Jarred said earlier in the message, kids will eventually figure you out and decide whether they want to be like you or nothing like you based on the example you lead.
APPLY:
Take an honest inventory of the week ahead for the young person in your life. What are the non-negotiables on the schedule? What has become a priority by default rather than by decision? Ask yourself, and if they're old enough, ask them, whether the current rhythm is building them toward knowing, trusting, and following Jesus. If something needs to shift, have the courage to make one change, even if it feels uncomfortable.
I WILL STATEMENT:
I will take one step to help the kid in my life discover community.
CLOSING PRAYER:
God, give me the courage to choose Your kingdom first, even when it means saying no to good things. Help me to model for the young people in my life that You are worth rearranging everything around. Let my choices reflect what I say I believe.
PRAYER REQUEST:
Share your prayer request and pray for others.