A TFB Lament Based on Psalm 130

by Jeff B

Out of the depths, O Lord, we cry to You.  

Our hearts are heavy, our strength is thin,  

and the brokenness around us feels louder than our hope.  

Hear the voices of Your people at TFB—  

those who whisper prayers through tears,  

those who wait in silence,  

those who feel forgotten,  

and those who don’t know what to pray anymore.

Lord, if You kept a record of our sins, who could stand  

We confess that we have wandered,  

trusted our own wisdom,  

and tried to carry burdens You never asked us to bear.  

Yet with You there is forgiveness—  

mercy that humbles us,  

grace that lifts us,  

love that refuses to let us go.  

Teach us to fear You with awe-filled hearts  

and to rest in Your compassion and love.

We wait for You, Lord—more than watchmen wait for the morning.  

We wait for Your healing in our relationships,  

Your peace in our city,  

Your renewal in our church,  

Your presence in our weariness.  

We wait because You are faithful,  

because Your Word is true,  

because Your promises have never failed Your people.

O God of steadfast love, redeem us again.  

Redeem our fears with Your nearness,  

our failures with Your forgiveness,  

our sorrow with Your joy,  

our waiting with Your unfailing hope.  

Gather us as one family—  

young and old, strong and weak—  

and let TFB be a people who trust You in the dark  

until Your light breaks through.

For with You, Lord, there is unfailing love,  

and with You is full redemption.  

We place our hope in You alone.  

Amen.

Abiding Toward Hospitality

Key Passages: Leviticus 19:33-34; Matthew 10; John 15; Romans 12:9-13; 1 Peter 4:7-11

Key Idea: Abiding in Christ should fill us with mercy and grace that overflow into acts of hospitality and kindness toward others. Yet many of us struggle to do so because we distract ourselves with other good things. How can we help one another spend time with Jesus so we can see others deeply, minister well, and form deep connections with our brothers and sisters in Christ? 

Everything starts with abiding in Christ, but what does that mean? The other day, I (Laura) was listening to a podcast, and they illustrated abiding using our relationship with our cell phones. Even if we’re not looking at them, we are thinking about them. We reach out and touch them. We look to them for answers. We look at them when we’re bored. 

Do we ever think about Jesus this way? I know that I rarely do. It is no wonder, then, that giving away kindness and welcome to others through acts of hospitality can be challenging: we are not filling ourselves with Jesus. We know from John 15 that the only way to bear fruit for God is to abide in Christ like the branches abide in the vine. We know that abiding in him provides us with resources that overflow into a life of service for others. We know that his love for us gives us everything we need to love others. So why are we better at abiding with our cell phones than we are with our Lord?

Take a look at your spaces and your schedule. What is the centerpiece of your living space? Is the seating arranged so that people can see each other? How about the front porch or front patio? Can you sit out there and greet the people who walk by? Do you smile or give a nod to the people in line at the DMV? When you see people you don’t know, do you greet them and introduce yourself? When you’re at dinner with friends, where is your cell phone? Are you giving someone a good word during the Sunday morning greeting time? We put up so many barriers to connection, and our culture doesn’t help. It’s too easy to hang out watching a movie rather than inviting someone over for a meal. It’s too easy to convince ourselves that we don’t have time rather than make space in our calendar to hang out with our sisters and brothers in Christ. If we are to help one another abide in Christ, we need to spend time with one another.

Every Christian has been called and empowered for ministry. Every Christian can generously share the overflow of Christ’s grace and mercy through hospitality. Now, when we hear the word “hospitality,” we may first think of a desk at a hotel or the person who arranges fun events at school or work. But that’s not it. Hospitality is an attitude of kindness and welcome that overflows into the spaces we live in and the moments of our days. 

Now, I have no doubts that there are people in our midst who are very good at hospitality, but there are some of us who are pretty poor at it. We need to spend time with one another, practicing hospitality and pausing our busyness to spend time with Jesus and one another. We can help one another point our lives toward Christ, getting ever closer to that point when we reach for him when we’re bored, turn to him when we have questions, and think about him when our minds wander. Let us help one another see others deeply, minister well, and form deep connections with our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band.  Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

Serving as Family

By Jeff Barnhart with Laura Springer

Key Passages: Luke 10:25-37; John 15:5; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 4:13; Zechariah 7:9–10; Micah 6:8; Isaiah 1:17

Key Idea: God commands his children to serve those he has placed along the way on our journey.


God’s children are commanded to serve the people he has placed on our journey. This includes our spiritual siblings and our neighbors. He has equipped every one of his children for good works, which he set forth before the foundations of the world. Our responsibility is to discern the good works he has given and implement them to the best of our abilities for his glory. The good news is that these good works are based on the drives, passions, skills, and knowledge he has instilled in us and confirmed by the spiritual siblings on our path. The beauty of the family of God is that there is diversity across 8believers’ individual journeys, drives, passions, skills, and knowledge. This is the way God uses to advance his kingdom.

We need to remember that as we serve, we need to abide in Him by praying and chewing on the truths of Scripture. Only by being connected to him will our service for his kingdom be fruitful, for when we are doing service apart from him, we can do nothing. Messiness in service occurs when we lose sight of Jesus and start focusing on ourselves. We dishonor him when we are focused on our needs and desires and disregard the needs of our neighbor. Loving God first is the only way we are capable of loving others. Dying to self and putting into practice the sacrificial love that Christ gave to us is vital.

We first serve our spiritual siblings. We do this by participating in and doing the “one anothers” of Scripture. Unshockingly, loving one another is the most used one. According to Jesus and Scripture, believers are lying to themself when they say they love God while hating their sibling. All the “one anothers” of Scripture focus on the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of our siblings with the end intent of sharpening and maturing their and our lives and wills, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to that of Jesus—the one who loved God and others perfectly.

We always serve our neighbors. Jesus tied the love of God and the love of neighbor to each other. In Luke, we see who the neighbors are: they are not only our siblings but also all our neighbors, especially the sick, the poor, and those marginalized by society. We are not only called to proclaim the Good News to them but also to take care of their physical and emotional needs on this side of eternity. Luke mentions this throughout his Gospel as well as in the parable of the Good Samaritan when the one who showed mercy was the neighborly one—echoing and expanding on the Old Testament prophets of Micah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah. Putting the needs of others before ourselves will become increasingly easy as we ingrain our Father's proven care in the depths of our souls, knowing he cares for us just as he has taken care of the birds of the air and the grass of the fields.

So how do we do this? Learn how to abide in the presence of God and see through his heart while serving. Brother Lawrence learned this while peeling potatoes in the kitchen. Find a phrase or a short prayer (breath prayer) that helps you focus on God. Throughout Church history, Christians have used the phrase “Lord have mercy,” but a phrase can be tailored to the uniqueness of your passions and desires. I (Jeff) found mine to be, “My child, sit at the table.” Finally, making time for both siblings and neighbors is vital. We must be present with each other, putting aside distractions and being attentive to each other's needs.

Who writes Academy? Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper. Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band.

Training to See and Help Like Jesus

By Laura Springer

Key Passage: 1 John 3:16-18

Key Idea: Training together to see and help like Jesus involves shared responsibility, nurturing connections, and mercy-soaked perspectives, combining our full range of skills and knowledge to love one another and our neighbors well.

In today's world, where reliance on machines for assistance grows, it's crucial to cultivate a community of Jesus-followers who prioritize genuine friendship and practical love. Our world needs love infused with mercy and kindness, capable of flexible responses that adapt to diverse situations. While machines can offer substantial help, they lack a human touch. A world looking to machines for help and gathering over digital devices needs a community of servants trained by Jesus to love face-to-face. 

Let us train together to serve others by seeing them as Christ does. See others by building meaningful relationships within nurturing partnerships and friendships with fellow believers. Care for each other as siblings and friends. Care for our neighbors through mercy-soaked eyes that recognize each person as an image bearer of God and interpret everything through his grace and compassion. 

Let us train together to serve others by helping those we see. Embrace the shared responsibilities he has given. Take up the duty to serve with the skills and knowledge he has provided. Hold fellow believers and the church community accountable for how God has equipped us to serve those around us. Learn the basics and the advanced things in your skills to train for adaptable service that can address diverse needs using our congregation's varied skills and knowledge. Design activities that engage all the siblings in Christ-centered ministry. Embrace life together as siblings in God's family, commanded to love and share Jesus with fellow believers and our neighbors. 

When people in the neighborhoods near Carson Street and Manuel Avenue see our church buildings, we want their immediate thought to be, "The people who worship there genuinely love Jesus, each other, and our community." Let's train together to be that family of believers, demonstrating love through kind actions and mutual support. In today's tech-dominated world, let's prioritize face-to-face and soul-to-soul relationships, for just as Jesus came as a human to save humanity, so we ought to come alongside others as fellow humans and walk with them in their journeys.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper. 

Training for Worship and Service

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 12:9-13

Key Idea: Training to worship and serve God in a way that honors him and respects others equips us to live like the one family of God that we already are, spread God's love by serving one another and our neighbors, and keep adapting to show his love more clearly through our diversity of giftings in the context of our unity.

Over the past fifteen years, the proportion of US adults describing themselves as “atheists, agnostics, or ...nothing in particular” (the Nones)  has doubled. While the growth of the Nones may have slowed, the culture in which we minister as Christians has changed dramatically. How can we love deeply and proclaim winsomely in this context? How can we put our skills and knowledge to work in serving others and proclaiming God’s kingdom well in ways that our neighbors understand? 

Training to worship and serve God equips us to live like the family of God that we already are. We are brothers and sisters, the children of our Father; learning to love each other well and without favoritism is essential. As we live like God's family, serving with our whole hearts, sharing our words, actions, and love, and knowing that Jesus is always with us, we display Christ's love and grace before one another and our neighbors. We live as his followers, serving and proclaiming with courage. By doing this, we share Jesus' grace and mercy, remembering that he is among us, helping us serve others even in tough times, and putting his honor first.

Training to worship and serve God equips us to spread his love by serving each other and our neighbors. Jesus commanded us to love one another and our neighbors, so we put love for God and each other at the heart of our church life and work together to spread that love to our neighbors.  We learn together what excellence looks like and work toward it to form us as a family of worshiping servants who prioritize Christ's mission to make disciples and help each other grow as disciple-priests. Love helps us focus on Christ's mission. It helps us learn to see each other and our neighbors through Jesus' eyes, be present with others as he is, and boldly live and share his message respectfully.

Training to worship and serve God equips us to keep adapting to show his love more clearly through our diversity of giftings in the context of our unity. We are a diverse group of God's children, and our service should reflect his love through this diversity. We understand ourselves as family, our location as a community of neighbors, and our skills and knowledge as equipment God has given for his work. We learn to serve right now, right here, with what we have. We learn to see and be present with one another and our neighbors. We train to worship always and serve actively because Jesus has sent us on his mission here. We focus on serving in ways that fit our community, knowing that Jesus has placed us here to make a difference. We aim to reflect his glory through our diverse gifts and perspectives, centered on Jesus and dedicated to honoring his name.

Let us train so we can love one another deeply and share our faith winsomely. When things are tough, remember that the church is our forever family, and invite others to join us. When things get too theoretical, find practical ways to worship and serve better. When life gets complicated, remember that love for God and each other is our heart. When pulled in too many directions, refocus on being a church family that loves. When the new and shiny distract us, put our energy into the things that help us serve. When you think too little of yourself, remember that every believer is equipped to serve. Everything else flows from love--a God worshiping and others serving love that declares Jesus to our neighbors and the Nones in their midst.

Information on the Nones from: Has the rise of religious ‘nones’ come to an end in the U.S.?

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper. 

Training Toward Practical Love

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Psalm 19:1-6; Proverbs 1:1-7; Romans 1:18-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Key Idea: Training toward practical love by learning from Scripture and Creation fine-tunes what we enjoy and already know how to do so we can share with one another and our neighbors, developing a culture of service in which members are honest about their own needs and generous in their care for others.


Studying the Bible is good; more than that, studying the Bible is necessary. It is also insufficient. Our actions and words must live out in practical love. If our training is from the Bible alone, we will struggle to apply Scripture well. The Bible is God's self-revelation in human language. It points us to the Messiah, God with us, and calls all who trust him to live boldly as they follow and worship with holy fear. Creation is God's self-revelation in the products and processes of nature. It reflects his rule and care by refracting his glory in its many colors and pointing all with eyes to see to his power and deity. Everything humans make and know outside the Bible is part of creation. So, baking cupcakes, helping someone with algebra, changing an oil filter, building cabinets, or organizing a work team are all opportunities to serve God.

Learning from Scripture and Creation trains us to take what we enjoy and already know how to do and equips us to share with others. It aligns our service with Jesus and his ways, whether we are gathered together or dispersed into daily life. Learning theology alongside lessons from nature and regular life sharpens our skills and knowledge. We learn to serve regular people in regular and extraordinary ways. We work together to develop a culture that loves first, focuses on God's glory, and lives as this particular family of faith that shows love in our work together. We help our brothers and sisters uncover their skills and knowledge and ponder how these gifts might mature the church toward Christlikeness and share grace and love with others.

Learning from Scripture and Creation fine-tunes spiritual gifts and ministry assignments for greater skill and broader service. Fine-tuning our abilities and knowledge prepares us to serve at a moment's notice. It helps us see that every skill and all knowledge can channel God's goodness through us to others. We begin to serve the people around us rather than simply performing duties. We prepare ourselves for practical love and service on Sunday and in daily life.

Learning from Scripture and Creation prepares a culture of service for action. Preparing a culture of service maintains programs and systems that move members toward God’s mission. It creates a safe place where we can be honest about our needs and generous with our care.  It encourages us to work toward excellence as an offering of worship. It requires ministry and administrative structures that fit needs and equip members to serve. It emphasizes simplicity and impact.

Let’s make sure our discipleship activities train believers at the intersection of Scripture and regular life so we can better live as God’s children every day. Let’s be the sort of Christians who see a need, figure out how we can help, and train to do so more effectively. Let’s help each other recognize our God-given skills and knowledge, remembering that Jesus showed us what practical love looks like: it touches souls and meets real needs in tangible ways.


Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

Training Together to Serve Well

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Ephesians 4:7-16; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Key Idea: Service training that equips the church toward maturity in Christ, God-honoring culture, and service excellence develops capacities to serve well, forms a culture of truth and love, and teaches believers to value Jesus, siblings, and others.

We are surrounded by many needs and supplied with much knowledge and skill, yet fitting all this together can be tough. Sometimes, we group needs into categories to the neglect of specifics. Other times, we put ministry in the church-stuff box and forget about regular life. Both situations can hinder effective service. This is where practical training comes in. Figuring out how the truth of Scripture puts on shoes and heads out to serve helps the church to live love like Jesus. Serving and learning alongside one another strengthens family connections that honor God by prioritizing truth and love. Training while we serve others exposes gaps and highlights strengths, and working on both moves us toward service excellence.

Train as a community to become increasingly Christlike. As Paul teaches in Ephesians 4, Christians who are equipped for ministry work together to mature the church toward unity and Christlikeness. Unity binds us to Christ and one another. It forms us as one family of brothers and sisters who actively love one another. Unity lives out the fact of oneness in Christ through life together in harmonious, mutual understanding. Even more, Christlikeness sinks us deep in God’s truth, strengthening us against the deceptions of false spirituality and developing in us the capacity and desire to act upon God’s truth in love with boldness. 

Train as a community to develop a culture of truth and love. When truth and love are at the heart of our community, we naturally proclaim Jesus through love-based actions and tend our hearts to the needs of others. Our life together remains centered on Jesus, and we design our events, practices, and structures to glorify him. He becomes the measure of our quality and the goal of our work. We confirm him as our one Head and most significant influence. We commit ourselves to being honest about our weaknesses and failures, giving Jesus all the glory while never downplaying our participation in his work. We become a people grounded in God’s Word and living it out in acts of love toward others. 

Train as a community to develop the abilities we already have. We need not search for particular skills. We must not wait for our hearts to be moved to serve. We must serve. Let us train while we serve with the abilities we have, becoming ever more committed to excellent service that loves others through actions and words. Let us make the needs of others more important than how we prefer to use our knowledge and skills. Let us train to speak, live, and hear the truth more clearly and deeply. Let us train to be open about hard things without blurting them out in harmful ways. Let us train to help, share, and work alongside others for their good and God’s glory. Let us train so that our thoughts, actions, and affections align with God as we work from love.  

The eternal value of Jesus, our Christian siblings, and others requires the best from us, so let us train to learn what is best and how to carry it out. Serving with our best puts people before tasks. It develops capacities and fits those capacities to the needs of others because we love people as we love God. Giving our best grounds our service in truth from both scripture and creation and fits that service to the practical needs in the everyday lives of regular people. So, let us continue to know God and others more deeply, understand contexts and cultures more broadly, and train as servants steadfastly on this side of heaven.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

Equipped to Live as Servants

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Ephesians 4:11-16

Key Idea: Opportunities, knowledge, and skills given and arranged by God for all his children equip all believers to help each other follow Jesus, love others well, and serve on a mission to glorify Jesus, all serving as a church and a few serving within the church. 

God’s free gift of abundant grace compels us to serve, but sometimes we get stuck. We wonder what we have to offer or where he wants us to minister. We focus so much on serving one another that we forget to look outside the walls. We assume the professional ministers have everything handled. But God expects each believer to serve him by loving others well and has already given us everything we need to start right now. 

God gives and arranges opportunities, knowledge, and skills so that all his children can serve. Every encounter, everything we know, and everything we can do comes from God, and he brings all of this together to create ministry assignments for his children. There is no need to fill out gift inventories or wait for God to deliver our spiritual gifts, for he is already at work. Instead, we must keep identifying and sharpening what he has already given so that we are ready to meet the needs before us. As a church, let us consider every member’s knowledge and skills and spend time with one another in homes and the community, even as we continue life groups and worship service. 

Equipped believers help one another follow Jesus and love others well. God gives the gifts of opportunities, knowledge, and skills so the church might build herself up in love toward Christlikeness. As we minister to and alongside one another, we become better at trusting and obeying Jesus and learn how to share our hearts, time, and resources with others. As a church, let us infuse the expectation that being a Christian means following Jesus and serving others. All members are ministers, called and equipped by God to serve. He has called a few whose primary ministry is within the church, but all serve as the church. Let us make following Jesus and loving others simple to begin and rigorous enough to strive for. Let us commit to coming alongside one another so that, individually and communally, we learn to follow Jesus and love others well. 

Equipped believers are on a mission to glorify Jesus. Service must point outward, for Jesus commanded us to make more and better disciples. We do this by serving Jesus in the mission field of daily life, and everything we do in our gatherings must prepare us for our dispersings. Let us work to know one another and our neighbors well enough to understand real needs and allow those needs to focus our ministry. Let us help one another open our eyes and hearts to those around us, for as we serve others, both within the church and out in the world, we glorify Jesus. 

Since God has given us everything we need to serve him well, let us help one another discover God’s supply of opportunities, knowledge, and skills to love him and others through our resources and reflect Jesus in our work and play. Let us help one another better recognize Jesus’s guidance so that our love for him grows and becomes apparent to others, whether we are gathered as a family or dispersed into the mission field of daily life. Let us learn from the men and women God has given as shepherd-teachers so that together, we grow as the lived image of our Lord Jesus. 

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper. 

Expected to Live as Servants

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Romans 12:9-13; Ephesians 6:1-9; 1 Peter 4:7-11

Key Idea. God expects all his children, regardless of age or status, to live a life of service. He generously provides divine grace that compels all believers to offer presence and practical action to one another, fueled by overflowing divine love and leading to ongoing, others-focused sacrificial service.  


Needs surround us. Sometimes, these needs escape our awareness. Other times, we hesitate or blatantly ignore the needs we see. We may assume that ministry professionals are taking care of the problem. The situation feels too complicated, or we presume everything requires special skills or knowledge. But what if these assumptions are all wrong? What if most ministry opportunities are the everyday acts of love God expects of all his children?

God expects all his children, regardless of age or status, to live lives of service using the knowledge and skills they already have. God places Christians in specific locations and churches, and it is every believer’s duty and honor to move through life and toward Jesus in ways that show his love and grace to those we meet. He has placed us in this village of Torrance and in this local congregation called Torrance First Baptist to carry out specific acts of service. Being service-minded is insufficient because serving is actively loving the person before us or the community surrounding us. Serving combines our know-how as a family of God’s people in this place such that needs are met, disciples are made, and God is glorified. Every believer must open their eyes and hearts to people and events, direct attention to Jesus, and show his love through practical action. It is our honor to love the children of God and followers of Jesus and consider one another more important than ourselves, all for God’s glory.

God's generous provision of divine grace compels believers to offer presence and practical action to one another. Just as God graciously gives us his presence, so are we to bind ourselves to one another, working together as individuals and a church family to serve God where we are by actively loving the people we are with. God’s gift of grace moves us toward one another in Christ-centered mutuality, loving one another as he loves us. God's generous provision of divine grace also compels us to offer practical action. Coming alongside one another is the necessary starting place. Acts of love must follow: we must use the knowledge and skills God has given us to love one another as God has loved us.

God's overflow of divine love fuels ongoing, others-focused sacrificial service. God, who is love, has given us his eternal love, which naturally flows out toward others. We can choose to stop the flow, but God’s love presses upon us and will either break through or break us. Sometimes, we may think that feelings of care are sufficient, but feelings are add-ons. Love is action that works for the good of others, whether we like them, are annoyed by them, or even hate them. It does not put up a false front or display insincere behavior. Love reaches across differences and gives of itself to point others to Jesus. Those who choose to love receive others with affection and invite them in to share life.

God's expectation, provision, and love compel us to serve him by serving others with his resources and in his ways. Ministry is the act of loving others, and God commands each Christian to love. This love is most often the stuff of ordinary life, housed in the mundane and small. Since all those who trust Jesus have been commanded to love others, they have also been called to ministry and are expected to live out that ministry in loving service.

In March, we will look at some of the ways God has equipped his people to follow and love well.

Every Member Ministry: One Church, Serving

By Laura Springer

Key Passages: Acts 6.1-6; Romans 1:11-12; 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 1:4-9; 7:7-11; 12:4‭-‬7, 12:27-30; 2 Corinthians 5:17-‬21; Ephesians 4:7-‬16; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:3‭-‬7; 1 Peter 4:7-‬11

Key Idea: Every-member ministry is the practice of serving God and loving one another using God-given spiritual gifts, which we sharpen and deepen through discipleship, in order to form the church as a community and culture that images Jesus.

In the church, ministry is part of the deal, but what is ministry? Who ministers? How are ministers equipped? What is ministry for? During 2024, we will consider what ministry is, who should minister, how believers might be prepared for ministry, and why every-member ministry is important.

Ministry is the practice of loving one another by serving with the gifts God has already given. God has given each Christian opportunities, knowledge, and skills that fit them and their community, and these gifts are most often recognized in the moments when our skills meet a need. These gifts are the overflow of the Father's generosity toward his children, given so they might serve him well. Through these grace-gifted ministry assignments, every believer ministers.

Every believer has been equipped by God for every-member ministry. As Christians in a congregation focus on Jesus, they learn to love one another better through words, actions, and intentions. Love commits to coming alongside others within our diversity and across barriers. Love dwells in unity, with hearts leaning toward one another's good. Love serves from personal uniqueness and through mutual generosity. Love thrives in a church that supports Christ-focused differences through which believers' generous giving of self, resources, and time can be seen in speech, actions, and plans.

Believers are prepared for ministry through an all-church discipleship culture that teaches from Scripture and Creation. Along with spiritual gifts, God gives believers the responsibility to learn to serve Jesus better. We learn first by soaking in Scripture, for it teaches us what Creation cannot: that our mighty God is Creator, Lord, and Savior, and his truth is everywhere. Second, we improve our knowledge and skills by studying his Creation, which not only testifies to God's divinity and power but also teaches us knowledge and skills for wise, practical living. Both of God’s books, Scripture and Creation, train us to love well in ways that fit the needs around us. His two books teach us that loving one another as a family is hardwired into our needs and only complete in our relationship with Jesus. 

Serving God by actively loving one another creates a culture of unity, towardness, diversity, and generosity that images Jesus. Loving one another as Jesus loves us puts first what Scripture puts first: love God, love people, and teach others to do the same. By loving one another, we become a family in which every member serves, and every member gives and welcomes honest evaluation. In this way, we become a congregation that supports particular people serving Jesus in particular ways as siblings in God's one family. We become a community serving those around us in ways that fit our lives, locale, and limits.

We are commanded to love one another, and we can all love others by filling the needs we see. God expects us to strengthen and encourage one another toward Christlikeness, and we can all help one another know Jesus and his creation better. God expects us to serve one another, and every believer, from youngest to oldest, newest to most mature in Christ, can actively love their siblings in Christ. God expects us to be a ministering community. 

One Church, Serving

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Ephesians 4:1-6, and Romans 12.4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4‭-‬7; 12.27-30; 1 Peter 4:7-‬11

Key Idea: Our service to the one God as his one church is resourced by investments of grace given by Christ through the Spirit. These investments of grace line up with who we are and when and where we live; they are designed to meet the needs of those we serve so that the church may develop as the one family of God.

Amid cultural division and a widespread entitlement mentality, the church must stand as God's one church, a community of servants and a family of siblings who love God and people. What can TFB do to be God's one church in this place right now?

Christ invests his grace in his one church through opportunities and supplies to particular persons in specific places. While the church includes all who trust Christ across time and culture, the church manifests as local congregations. Just as the global, timeless church is one, so is each congregation united. Christ invests his grace in local congregations through opportunities and supplies that fit the locations and methods of individuals within each local culture and circumstance. His investments of grace help us serve him and one another in ways that mature this congregation as the one body of Christ, filled with portrayers and embodiers of him.

Christ's investment grace lines up with who we are, when and where we live, and those we serve. While Christ's investment of grace always aligns with his intention and will, he also conforms these investments of grace--these spiritual gifts--to our relationships, life settings, and places of service. He matches his gifts to how his people minister in their communities and cultures so believers can do his will. He equips all Christians so that everyone can minister. In addition, the local body partners with Christ, educating all as ministers and instructing all concerning God's truth revealed in Scripture and Creation. By this, the people of God deepen their unity and better worship their Savior. 

Christ's investment of grace enables us to develop as the one family of God. As every member ministers, the local congregation can better live as one family toward Christ, the Lord of Heaven and Earth and Head of the Body. Serving as one church and serving one another deepen our life together as siblings who are the children of one Father and the servants of Jesus. As ministry together moves toward Jesus, the source and measure of the church and the one who directs her life, we come closer to one another. These spiritual gifts, or ministry assignments, are tools by which the church grows in size and matures as the family of God in Christ. Ministering as one church lives out our unity in Christ, centers us on truth, and maintains our affection for God and one another. As we share ourselves as a community, we mature as a church characterized by unity, mutuality, diversity, and generosity. 

Being God's one church requires learning his ways so we might love one another well through service and live wisely as the one family of God. (1) The more we know about Jesus and his investments of grace in us, the better we can serve one another as his ministers. We must use our time in gatherings like life groups and worship services to teach one another God's ways. (2) The more we serve God together, the more we grow as a family of loving siblings. We must use our participation in service events and ministry teams to care for one another from hearts of affection. (3) The more we serve others using God's resources, the more we can minister in, for, and as a family. We must actively love one another as we eat, play, and work together, using our gifts to serve others and strengthen family unity. Let us decide now to be God’s church: a community of servants and a family of siblings who love God and people and teach others to do the same. 

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper. 

Being the One Church of the One God

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Exodus 6:7; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:16; 12:46-50; 19:29; John 1:12-13; 13:34-35; Romans 8:26-30; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 8:5-6; 12:12-30; Galatians 3:23-29; 4:4-7; 5:13; Ephesians 1:5; 2:19-22; 4:1-6; 4:32; 5:15-21; 2 Timothy 1:13-14; Hebrews 10:19-25; 12:1-4; 13:1-6; James 5:16; 1 Peter 4:9; Revelation 21:3

Key Idea: The one church of the one God lives out an identity grounded in Jesus and practices an eternal unity centered on him.

When TFB's neighbors see us gathered on the church campus or dispersed into the community, what do they see? How would they describe our relationships with one another? What would they list as our priorities? What would they think about Jesus? What would they think about how we treat those who are different?

The one God has given his one church an identity grounded in Jesus. He has equipped us to live out this eternal identity by revealing himself and his truth in Scripture and Creation. Through Scripture, he teaches us the eternal truth about Jesus, and through Creation, he teaches us knowledge and skills to live as his people in our communities and cultures. 

Creation and the Word resource us to live as God’s one church, composed of all who trust Christ and are chosen by his sovereignty. We have been chosen to live as God’s people and Christ’s body, showing the world who Jesus is: the sovereign and holy Savior and Lord. We have been chosen to form the dwelling place of God in the world; whether gathered for worship, service, and learning or dispersed into our daily lives, we reflect and proclaim him. Everywhere we are, every moment of every day, we are the temple of God, the place where God's glory is exalted.

The one God has made his one church to live in unity. Our unity is expressed as we love God and others and live as his family. Centering our minds and practices on God's truth and dwelling in his presence work together to strengthen our unity and make the family of God increasingly important to us. Indeed, our eternal unity in Christ means that our eternal family should come before everything else on earth. 

We center our shared life on truth by basking in Jesus and his Word to develop our family resemblance, sharpen our ability to perceive God's work, and deepen our affection for one another. By loving one another, we show ourselves to be God's children and the family of siblings making up his house. We commit ourselves to maintaining deep affection for God and one another, thereby proving our unity. We channel our love for the ever-present, sovereign, and holy God to our siblings and learn to live in the world as his dwelling place. We put our eternal relationships first by maintaining deep loyalty to God and one another.

When TFB's neighbors see us gathered on the church campus or dispersed into the community, they should see a unified church that considers all who trust Christ to be brothers and sisters. They should describe us as siblings of one another, different from each other yet the children of one Father, tending our hearts toward feeling at home, being responsible, and acting with compassion. They should understand that we trust the one God, the Creator and Lord of all, worship him alone and align ourselves to his standards. They should look at us and see Jesus as the ultimately trustworthy and only Savior of all those and only those who trust him. They should see him as the one head of the church and the unique Son in God's family. They should look at how we treat those different from us and see a community with a profound unity in Jesus, loving others as he does and living as a family with Christ as our center. 

So, let us bask in Jesus and his Word to learn who we are and strive together to live out that identity, tending our hearts toward feeling confident, centered, and connected in him. Let us trust Jesus, understanding unity and diversity from his perspective, striving together to maintain oneness, and tending our hearts toward sibling love, purposeful motivation, and sacrificial generosity.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper. 

Living as a Worshiping Family

By Jeff Barnhart with Laura Springer

Key Verses: Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Luke 11:28, Luke 9:34-35; Eph 1:3-14, 4:2, 4:32; Jn 13:34; 1 Cor 12:25; Gal 5:13; 1 Pet 4:9; Jam 5:16

Key Idea: Christians who know they are family live in community as they worship and serve together. They hear and obey their Father and actively participate in life with their siblings by doing the one anothers and sharing God’s love with the world.

We live as family by listening and obeying the Father and imitating our head brother and redeemer, Jesus, in words and deeds. We train every time we are gathered together as a spiritual family. Here, we sharpen each other to become more like Christ before we disperse to our various mission fields: at work, home, hanging with friends, gathering at a local restaurant or pub, or in the rhythms of everyday life. While dispersed, we proclaim the excellent news of redemption and restoration to our Father and declare the great mercies, blessings, and grace he has bestowed upon his children through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

We love God as a worshiping family by listening and obeying our Father. Both the Old and New Testaments see obeying God as hearing Him and walking in his ways. In biblical times, genuinely hearing God's Word implied obedience and action instead of simply acquiring additional head knowledge. Today, we must listen by making time with God throughout our busy day by spending time in the Word and continually conversing with the one who has chosen us. We must desire and do everything with God, even in our dark places and messiness. Since God has told us to listen to Jesus, we must obey and do what he has commanded: love God, love people, and teach others to do the same.

We love our siblings as a worshiping family by imitating Jesus. Like Jesus, we must put the needs of our spiritual siblings before our own. What would it look like if everyone put one another's needs before their own? We would love, care for, offer grace and hospitality, and encourage and remind each other of our true identity in Christ. We would not hold grudges but would forgive each other and confess to one another when we have done wrong. Unify God's family! The New Testament commands us to do the one anothers 59 times. That’s a lot. All of these were modeled by Jesus. As we listen to and imitate Jesus, we dare not pick and choose the things we want to obey. All his commands are critical for us to work out our salvation and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, transform us to be more like Him, thereby being the light and showing Christ to those on our mission field. 

We share Jesus's love with the world by loving our neighbors in Word and deed. We love those in our mission field by listening to and meeting them where they are as well as providing for their physical needs. We must not forget that we were once enemies of God, and only by his grace did he save us from our sins. From this position of grace, we speak God's truth with love by recognizing that everything stems from Him and explaining why He is our ultimate love.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and a Certificate in Spiritual Formation and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

Living as Worshiping Priests

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Exodus 28; Luke 10:11

Key Idea: Praising and praying together as God's priests requires aligning ourselves with Scripture and sharpening our Spirit-supplied abilities to glorify him better in and as his church. 

We have received from God more blessings than we could ever imagine, yet sometimes, our worship response is a bit flat. Our beliefs may line up perfectly with Scripture. Our practices may show the world what Jesus is like. Proper beliefs and practices are necessary but insufficient, for we are commanded to be a people overflowing with love for God and one another. Our lives ought to be filled with uncontainable gratitude, but something holds us back. God has given us all we need to be priests who shine with his glory, yet sometimes, our light is under a bushel.

Christians serve God as priests whenever we use our abilities to bring him glory. Whether setting up tables together or sitting with a brother or sister in distress, we act as God's priests by bringing his love to others. We act as his priests when we lean in with compassion rather than standing back with critique. We act as his priests when we give ourselves to others generously rather than holding back to keep ourselves safe. 

The priestly activities of praise and prayer are essential elements of every Spirit-supplied ability. Serving as priests is hard, for we are messy people who serve messy people. We can only carry out God's command to serve by praising him always and remaining in constant prayer. As we pray and praise together, we help one another love Jesus and bear with one another even when that is hard. Infusing everything with praise keeps our hearts on God rather than on our messy selves. It fills life with gratitude even when gratitude is hard. Soaking everything with prayer reminds us that we cannot serve without the Spirit, who is here among us. 

Training our perspectives to align with Scripture develops us as praising and praying priests. Priestly ministry is from God and for God. Since our view of things is always skewed, we must let his Word determine the right goals and proper means for our priestly work. His Word measures correct belief, so we must study and rely upon Scripture. His view of reality is accurate, so we must submit our filters and lenses to him for correction. Maturing our understanding of Scripture and calibrating our discernment occurs as we minister together as a community of priests. As we learn the Word and speak the truth to one another, we come to know God and his priorities more accurately, allowing us to align ministry to his will rather than our preferences. But aligning with Scripture is only step one. 

Sharpening our Spirit-supplied abilities helps us better glorify Jesus as his Body and in our communities. Aligning our perspectives with Scripture is necessary, but we must not stop there. Our Spirit-equipped human abilities need sharpening as well. If you bake, become a better baker. If you preach, become a better preacher. If you listen, become a better listener. You get the idea. Sharpen what God has given rather than envying or waiting for what he has not. Glorify God to the best of your ability, and keep raising the bar.

So, let us know the Scripture more deeply. Let us pray more bluntly. Let us praise more descriptively. Let us learn to do all of this with overflowing, extravagant gratitude. It will not be easy, and we will fail. But the Spirit is right here. Our siblings in Christ are right here. Let us remind one another of God's amazing grace. Let us minister to one another with that same grace. Let us live as priests.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and a Certificate in Spiritual Formation and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper

Living as Worshiping Disciples

By Laura Springer and Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Psalm 27; Matthew 18; Ephesians 5:15-21; 2 Timothy1:13-14; Revelation 5:10–12

Key Idea: The church is God's community of worshiping disciples who live the whole of life learning and loving together as they serve Christ by filling their gatherings and daily lives with his truth and presence.


Worship is much more than a meeting on the church calendar. Worship is how we live in the world as followers of Jesus, and living as disciples is one way to look at worship.

As God's community of worshiping disciples, Christians learn together as we love one another. We are follower-learners who live alongside one another in God's presence, knowing he is always with us, no matter the situation. We know he loves us, and we are safe in him, so we help one another follow Jesus. We help one another come to him just as we are, trusting him to transform us. We know that his kindness and overabundant supply of grace will continue to transform us into the image of Christ.

Christians act as worshiping disciples when we fill our gatherings with God's truth and presence. Together, we learn the Word and practice God’s ways, training our minds, wills, and emotions to recognize and carry out his grace. We learn to value what God values through honest conversations in life groups and patio time. We learn to respect one another by bearing with one another, speaking honestly, and acting for one another's good. Let us submit our preferences and priorities to God's call to unity, dedicating ourselves to kindness and respect. As a church community, let us support discipleship by creating events and programs that connect intellect, emotions, and daily life. Let us design physical spaces that invite person-to-person connection. Above all, let us focus ourselves, programs, and events on Christ.

Christians act as worshiping disciples when we fill our days with service that puts God's values into practice. Each day, we can take what we have learned about God and his ways and figure out how that works in daily life. Let us put knowledge, skills, and passions to work in the everyday stuff of life: home, work, school, and play. When we meet people along the way, let us choose to connect, whether with a simple nod of greeting or a good word. As a community of worshiping disciples, let us point others to Jesus by loving one another in public and proclaiming the one who made such love possible.

Brothers and sisters, let us commit ourselves to live as worshiping disciples by filling life with God's truth and presence, following him as our center, and living every moment for his glory. Let us help one another pause in his presence, whether gathered together or dispersed into our days. Let us live our moments for the glory of Jesus and then recount his glory and grace when we gather together. Everything we know and can do has been given to us by God, so let’s give ourselves back to him in worship that fills our days.

One People Living as Worshipers

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart 

Key Idea: In Christ, Christians are disciples, priests, and family, and these identities form our communal life of worship, lived toward God, alongside one another, and before the world.

Key Verses: Matthew 5.16; 28.16-20; John 13.34-35; 1 Corinthians 12.12-30

Worship is not a meeting on the church calendar. It’s not even gathering for praise and preaching on Sunday morning. These are too small. Worship is living in a way that makes God’s worth evident. It is life as his family, his priesthood, and his disciples, no matter where we are.

The Church is the community of God's disciples. Disciples bring their reason, emotions, and actions to their service to Jesus. They center cultural differences on Christ so that these differences work together to reflect God's beauty and grace. They share life, learning and teaching God's Word and Ways, working out their salvation in community, and declaring Jesus to all who will listen, both inside the church and out in the world. As disciples of Jesus at TFB, let us join together in conversation centered on truth and serve alongside one another to build each other up in Christ.

The Church is the one priesthood of God. Believer-Priests display God’s many-splendored glory, a glory that disperses through the amazing variety of God’s people like white light traveling through a prism disperses into a rainbow of color. They proclaim God’s grace to everyone and stand before God in confession and consultation for themselves, one another, and the world. Christians live together as priests by gathering to hear and speak the truth. They carry one another before the throne of God and point one another toward Jesus. They live as those who know the truth about human brokenness and divine grace. As priests of God at TFB, let us acknowledge and confess our brokenness to one another and bring each others’ needs before God. As we sing together, let us sing the lyrics as prayer and proclamation. As we serve together, let us look for and come alongside any in need.

The Church is the one family of God. Christians are children of God and siblings of one another. Family relationship is foundational. They live together as a family, prioritizing their communal life above all else and carrying their family resemblance into all the moments of their days. They choose to be for one another in head, heart, and hands, whether gathered as a community or dispersed into the world. They live in a way that makes it clear to all that they are the children of God and siblings of one another by displaying love for one another and glory to their Father in heaven (Matthew 5.16; John 13.34-35). As siblings in Christ and the children of one Father at TFB, let us show up and be present for each other in our gatherings and welcome those we do not yet know.

As we meet together for praise and prayer or learning and service, whether in large or small gatherings, let us worship by living alongside one another as siblings, priests, and disciples. As we disperse to our God-given mission fields of work, school, home, or play, let us worship in the dailies by proclaiming our Lord Jesus Christ in actions and words. Let us worship our worthy God wherever we are, whomever we’re with, and whatever we are doing.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies, a Certificate in Spiritual Formation, and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner, co-lead in the Young Adult Ministry, and as TFB’s bookkeeper. 

Church is the One Family of God

By Jeff Barnhart with Laura Springer

Key Verses: Matthew 12:46–50; Mark 3:31–35; Luke 8:19–21; Matthew 19:29; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Ephesians 1:5; Galatians 4:4-7; Romans 8:29

Key Idea: Christ's intention that Christians put spiritual family first requires them to carry out God's mission as a committed family and live alongside one another as siblings who put one another before self and make space for relationship.

God is a relational being and has created humanity to be in a relationship with Him and each other. Out of all the social structures, the family is an essential and critical aspect of God's plan. Though the Western church elevates the nuclear family and the marital bond, God's design before the foundation of the world was to unite all believers into His family—the church. Thus, He elevated the spiritual sibling bond. As Scripture says, God has predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will.

Jesus states that those who follow the will of God are His family. But what does it mean to do the will of God? The will of God is the incredible plan God has implemented through Jesus' death and resurrection, in which one is called upon to participate in an ultimate denial of self and an altering of one's life to God's will. What is God's supreme will? It is to love God, love others, and teach others to do the same.

When we are adopted into the family of God and made siblings to Christ and one another, we are called/commanded to keep denying ourselves and aligning ourselves with Christ. And because we are sons and daughters, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts allowing us to cry, "Abba, Father!" We must remember we are no longer slaves but children and heirs through God. As heirs, we are promised an inheritance and a multitude of siblings. Jesus spoke of this when he told Peter that those that leave everything behind to follow Him would receive a hundred-fold of brothers, sisters, and mothers.

Jesus intended for His followers to exchange all their loyalties, including their devotion to their family, for His family, the church. What does that look like? First, it is not neglecting our biological family but being loyal to and prioritizing those of the family of God. We must reclaim this truth that our relationships with our siblings in Christ should take precedence over our biological families. Second, a conscious decision needs to be made to commit to a local church and do the one anothers of Scripture to help each other and ourselves to become more like Christ. Therefore, we need to make time in our schedules for each other to allow time for spiritual family.

We must strive for unity and love within the family. As siblings, we must choose to live with all our brothers and sisters regardless of our differences, such as age, gender, social or marital status, denomination, or our views on secondary and tertiary issues. We need to celebrate the diversity of the family while having our gaze remain focused on God and Christ. This is the only way we can radiate God's love to each other. When this is accomplished, it will attract non-believers because the love of God, which permeates throughout us, will be irresistible to them and bring ultimate glory to God our Father.


Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies, a Certificate in Spiritual Formation, and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner, co-lead in the Young Adult Ministry, and as TFB’s bookkeeper.