A People on Mission: Grace Sends Us into the World What We Believe | A Wesleyan Perspective — Week 5

By Pastor Rick Carder | Lancaster Wesleyan Church

Primary Scripture: Matthew 28:18–20

Sermon Audio.

Somebody prayed for you. Somebody spoke a word of encouragement, invited you to church, opened the Bible with you, or showed you what following Jesus could look like.

Perhaps it was a parent, a Sunday school teacher, a pastor, or a faithful friend. Through that person’s love and obedience, you encountered the grace of God.

Now consider this: somebody’s story of coming to Jesus may someday include your name.

That is where our journey through What We Believe leads us. We have considered the grace that reaches us, our response to God’s invitation, the Spirit’s transforming work, and holiness expressed through love and service.

Now we ask: Where does all of this lead?

Grace sends us.

The grace that reaches us also sends us to reach others.

Our Confidence Begins with Jesus

In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus commissions His followers to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey His commands. Before giving that assignment, He declares that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him.

The mission begins with who Jesus is.

Those first disciples had limited resources. Some had recently failed Him in painful ways. Yet Jesus entrusted them with a mission that would reach the nations. Their confidence had to rest in Him.

We need that same confidence. When we consider reaching our community or participating in missions around the world, our limitations can quickly fill our thoughts.

“We are a small church.”

“I am getting older.”

“I would not know what to say.”

Our limitations deserve honest attention. Jesus deserves our deepest confidence.

Ephesians 3:20–21 reminds us that God can accomplish beyond what we ask or imagine through His power at work within us. We can bring Him bold prayers: Lord, whom would You have us reach? What step of obedience are You placing before us?

Making Disciples Happens Through Relationships

A disciple is someone learning to follow Jesus. Making disciples includes introducing people to Christ and walking with them as they grow in obedience.

An invitation to church can be a beginning. A conversation about faith can be a beginning. A decision to trust Christ is a wonderful beginning. Then comes the patient work of growing together.

We help someone learn to pray. We open Scripture together. We encourage them when obedience is difficult. We show them how to forgive, serve, give, and share their faith.

Often, this begins with ordinary words:

“Sit with me.”

“Let’s read this passage together.”

“Come along while I visit this person.”

“You can help me with this ministry.”

Years of following Jesus give us experiences we can share. Lessons learned through grief, perseverance, mistakes, forgiveness, and answered prayer can become gifts to another believer.

You do not have to know everything to help someone take the next step. You need a willingness to listen, love, open Scripture, and keep pointing toward Jesus.

Imagine each of us prayerfully investing in one person—and that person eventually helping someone else follow Christ. That is how multiplication becomes personal.

The Spirit Gives Us Compassion and Courage

In Acts 1:8, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit’s power so His followers can become His witnesses—from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

The circle keeps widening: people close to home, people beyond familiar surroundings, people across cultural boundaries, and people in distant places.

The gospel is for all of them.

We can care deeply about Lancaster and participate faithfully in God’s work around the world. Our neighbors need Christ, and so do people whose language we do not speak and whose country we may never visit.

In our Wesleyan understanding, the Spirit who transforms our hearts also empowers our witness. He helps us love with compassion and speak with courage.

We need both. Courage without compassion can become harsh. Compassion without courage may leave important words unspoken.

Being a witness means honestly pointing people toward Christ. It can be as simple as saying, “Here is how the Lord has helped me,” or asking, “Would you be comfortable if I prayed with you?”

We listen, respect the person before us, and trust God to work.

We Represent the Savior Who Sends Us

Second Corinthians 5:17–20 connects new life in Christ with the ministry of reconciliation. Paul describes believers as ambassadors for Christ.

We represent Jesus. That responsibility should shape our words, attitudes, conduct, and treatment of others.

When we speak about Christ, do people hear grace and truth? When we disagree, do they see humility? When someone is struggling, do we move toward them with compassion?

Our conduct can help people listen to the message we carry: through Jesus Christ, people can be reconciled to God. Sin is real. Forgiveness is available. Christ died and rose again. Through repentance and faith, people can begin a new life with Him.

Every person we hope to reach has a name, a history, questions, wounds, and concerns. We begin by caring enough to listen.

The gospel we carry should be recognizable in the grace we show.

A Simple Beginning: Care, Pray, Share

How can we put this into practice? Three familiar words give us a place to begin.

Care. Pay attention to the people God has placed around you. Learn a neighbor’s name. Check on someone who has been absent. Offer practical help to a family under strain. Give your time and attention sincerely, whatever their response may be.

Pray. Pray for people by name. Ask God to meet their needs, reveal His love, and draw them toward Christ. Ask Him to prepare your heart, too: Help me listen. Give me patience. Help me recognize an opportunity. Give me courage to speak.

Share. When an opportunity comes, speak about Jesus. Tell an honest part of your story. Explain what His forgiveness means to you. Share a Scripture that has given you hope. Invite someone to sit with you at church.

Choose one person you will intentionally care for, pray for, and seek an opportunity to share Christ with. Write down that person’s name. Then ask God to help you take one faithful step.

A Heart for Community—and for God’s World

At Lancaster Wesleyan Church, we speak of having “A Heart for Community.” May that heart be visible in the way we welcome people, serve our neighbors, and help others follow Jesus.

Our mission also reaches beyond our community. Through Global Partners and other ministry relationships, we can pray, give, encourage, and participate in gospel work in places we may never go.

As we consider missions and Faith Promise giving, each of us can ask: Lord, how do You want to involve me?

A heart shaped by Jesus keeps making room for the people He loves.

Your Next Faithful Step

The next step may seem small: a telephone call, an invitation, a prayer with someone, a conversation about Jesus, or an offer to help another believer grow.

Small acts of obedience matter when placed in God’s hands.

Jesus closes the Great Commission with the promise of His continuing presence. As we respond to His call, we go with Him.

We are saved by grace, made holy by grace, and sent by grace.

Who is one person God is asking you to care for and pray for? What could you do to help that person follow Jesus? How might God be inviting you to participate in His mission locally and around the world?

Perhaps your response begins with receiving Christ yourself—turning to Him in repentance and trusting His forgiveness. Perhaps it begins with a renewed surrender after many years of faith.

Either way, this is a prayer we can offer together:

Listen to prior message song. 

What us the detail about how 

Father, thank You for the grace that came looking for us. Open our eyes to the people around us. Give us compassion to care, faithfulness to pray, and courage to share. Fill us with Your Spirit and help us walk patiently with others as they learn to follow Jesus. Give us a heart for our community and for Your world. We are Yours, Lord. Send us where You want us to go. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

All Saints’ Day: Remembering Faithful Lives, Following Jesus Today

By Pastor Rick Carder | Lancaster Wesleyan Church

Some people leave behind more than memories. They leave examples of faith that continue to shape our lives—a grandmother’s prayers, a teacher’s kindness, a pastor’s encouragement, or a friend’s steady trust in God through difficult days.

November 1, All Saints’ Day, gives us an opportunity to pause and thank God for those faithful witnesses, especially those who have died. Their lives remind us that faith can be seen in the way we love, serve, forgive, and persevere.

Where did All Saints’ Day begin?

The observance grew from the early church’s remembrance of martyrs—Christians who were killed because of their faith in Jesus. By the fourth century, Christians in the East were holding a shared observance honoring these witnesses. Over time, the remembrance expanded to include other faithful Christians. November 1 was observed in England and Ireland by the eighth century and adopted in Rome during the ninth century.[1]

Behind that history is a simple desire: to remember those whose lives pointed others toward Christ.

Who are the saints?

In the New Testament, “saints” refers to God’s holy people—those who belong to Jesus Christ. Paul used this language when addressing the believers in Corinth, connecting their identity with God’s call to holiness.[2]

From our Wesleyan perspective, that calling invites us to welcome God’s transforming grace and grow in love for God and our neighbors. Faithful living becomes visible through everyday choices: keeping our word, caring for someone in need, forgiving an offense, and continuing to trust God.

Remembering martyrs and everyday witnesses

Stephen gives us a powerful biblical example. As he faced death for his witness to Jesus, he prayed for those killing him. His faithfulness included both courage and forgiveness.[3]

We also remember believers whose names may never appear in a history book: parents who taught their children to pray, missionaries who served far from home, church members who quietly met others’ needs, and neighbors who made Christ’s love tangible.

Their circumstances differed, but their examples can encourage us to follow Jesus faithfully in our own circumstances.

How can we honor their example?

This November 1, remember someone whose faith helped shape yours. Thank God for that person. Tell a child, grandchild, or friend a story about what you learned through their life.

Then choose one way to put that lesson into practice. Encourage someone. Offer forgiveness. Serve a neighbor. Pray with a person who is struggling.

Hebrews 12:1–2 calls us to persevere in the race before us while keeping our eyes on Jesus.[4] As we remember faithful witnesses, we follow the Savior who sustained them.

Lord, thank You for those who have shown us Your love. Help us learn from their example, remain faithful to You, and pass the hope of Jesus to the next generation. Amen.

Footnotes

[1] Vatican News, “Solemnity of All Saints,” historical introduction. (vaticannews.va)

[2] 1 Corinthians 1:2. Scripture references in this article are summarized rather than quoted.

[3] Acts 7:54–60.

[4] Hebrews 12:1–2.

Faith Today in History - October 29

TRUE STORIES OF GRACE, COURAGE, AND WITNESS

Faith Today in History

October 29

Some dates hold more than one witness. On October 29, we remember three men in three very different settings: a missionary who remained faithful under persecution, an Indian scholar whose opposition to Christianity gave way to baptism and Christian service, and a pastor whose concern for overlooked people grew into a worldwide missionary movement. Their stories remind us that the gospel can steady a suffering heart, change a searching mind, and send a willing life into service.

OCTOBER 29, 1885 · UGANDA

James Hannington: Faithful on the Hard Road

James Hannington, Anglican missionary bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, was seized while approaching Uganda by an eastern route. After about a week in captivity, he and many of his companions were killed at Kyando on October 29, 1885. His surviving journal from the ordeal records his continued reading of the Psalms and his reliance on God while facing fear and uncertainty.

The gospel connection: Hannington’s witness is not a romantic tale about danger. It is a sober testimony that Scripture, prayer, and the hope of Christ can hold a believer steady when obedience becomes costly.

Historical event: October 29, 1885.

Sources: Uganda Media Centre press release, published October 23, 2026, confirming the date and setting; Church of Uganda organizational account, accessed October 29, 2026, confirming his capture and death; Dictionary of African Christian Biography, accessed October 29, 2026, biographical account based on published historical sources.

OCTOBER 29, 1895 · INDIA

Nehemiah Goreh: The Opponent Who Became a Witness

Born Nilakantha Goreh into a learned Brahmin family, Goreh was trained in Sanskrit philosophy and became a public opponent of Christianity. Yet sustained engagement with Christian teaching gradually changed his course. He was baptized on March 14, 1848, later entered ordained ministry, wrote works of Christian apologetics, helped revise liturgical texts, and served in Christian mission. He died on October 29, 1895.

The gospel connection: Goreh’s change was neither shallow nor merely emotional. His story shows that honest examination can lead from resistance to repentance—and that a transformed mind can become an instrument for sharing Christ with others.

Historical event: October 29, 1895.

Sources: Dictionary of Indian Biography, published 1906, entry recording his baptism, ministry, and exact death date; Jon Keune, “The Intra- and Inter-Religious Conversions of Nehemiah Nilakantha Goreh,” Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies 17, published 2004, academic study of his transition from public opposition to baptism.

OCTOBER 29, 1919 · NEW YORK

A. B. Simpson: The Gospel for the Overlooked

Albert Benjamin Simpson left a prominent Presbyterian pulpit to pursue ministry among immigrants, poor families, prisoners, sailors, and others often overlooked by established churches. In New York he led evangelistic services, rescue missions, compassionate ministries, and a missionary training school. The organizations he helped form became the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Simpson died at Nyack, New York, on October 29, 1919.

The gospel connection: Simpson joined proclamation with compassion. For him, announcing salvation in Jesus also meant opening doors, training workers, and going toward people who had been neglected.

Historical event: October 29, 1919.

Sources: The Alliance Canada, undated institutional history accessed October 29, 2026, documenting Simpson’s ministry and exact death date; U.S. Christian and Missionary Alliance, undated heritage timeline accessed October 29, 2026, documenting the Gospel Tabernacle, missionary training, and outreach to marginalized people.

A SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy … to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

— Acts 20:24 (KJV)

The grace these men received is not confined to history. Jesus Christ still forgives sinners, changes hearts, and gives new purpose. If you have resisted Him, bring Him your honest questions—and your honest sin. Turn to Christ, trust His death and resurrection, and receive the mercy He freely offers.

May the Lord make us faithful witnesses in our own time.

In Christ,
Pastor Rick Carder

Faith Today in History · Verified stories of Christian witness tied to this calendar date

Holiness With Sleeves Rolled Up

Prepare yourself by listening to this video before reading further. 

What We Believe | A Wesleyan Perspective | Week 4: A People Who Love and Serve.

WATCH WORSHIP VIDEO.

What does holiness look like on Monday?

On Sunday, we sing about surrendering our hearts to God. We pray for His Spirit to transform us. But what does that transformation look like when we leave the church building and return to our families, workplaces, classrooms, and neighborhoods?

It might look like listening when we would rather hurry. Preparing a meal for someone who is struggling. Welcoming a person others overlook. Giving our time when writing a check would be easier—or giving generously when we would rather hold tightly to what we have.

“Holiness is not just a heart surrendered to God. It is a life made available to others.”

Throughout this series, we have followed the movement of God’s grace. Grace finds us. Grace enables our response. Grace transforms our hearts. Now we discover that grace also moves us to action.

The holiness God produces within us becomes the love we demonstrate through our lives.

Saved by Grace, Created to Serve

Ephesians 2:8–10 gives us the proper order: we are saved by grace through faith, and we are created in Christ Jesus for good works.

Our service does not purchase God’s forgiveness. No amount of volunteering, generosity, or kindness can earn salvation. Salvation is His gift. Yet receiving that gift changes how we live.

“We are not saved by good works. We are saved for good works.”

James presses this truth into everyday life. Imagine meeting someone who lacks adequate clothing or daily food. We offer kind words and spiritual encouragement, but leave without helping when we have the ability to do so. What has our encouragement accomplished?

James writes, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17, NIV).

Paul explains the source of salvation; James challenges us to examine its fruit. A living faith produces a loving response.

“What will you do with what is in your hands?”

Prayer matters deeply. We should pray for one another. But have we sometimes said, “I’ll pray for you,” while overlooking an opportunity to become part of God’s answer?

Sometimes prayer leads us to make a phone call, deliver groceries, provide transportation, offer a gift, or sit beside someone in their grief.

Love Allows Itself to Be Interrupted

In Luke 10:25–37, the Good Samaritan encounters a wounded stranger beside the road. He sees the suffering, feels compassion, and becomes involved. His response costs time, resources, and convenience.

That is where many of us struggle. We care, but our calendars are full. We intend to help, but assume someone else will. We recognize a need, but hesitate because responding might become complicated.

The Samaritan’s example asks us whether we are willing to let another person’s need interrupt our plans.

Jesus also connects service with devotion to Him in Matthew 25:34–40. Feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing those in need, and visiting the sick or imprisoned carry deep spiritual significance. People we might pass by matter to Him.

“When we see people through the eyes of Jesus, we begin to see opportunities for ministry that we might otherwise walk past.”

Our Wesleyan understanding of holy living calls us to take such love seriously. A heart being transformed by God should grow increasingly responsive to suffering, injustice, loneliness, and human need. Micah 6:8 calls us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

This is holiness with sleeves rolled up.

What Is Already in Your Hands?

Here is a question worth carrying into this week: What will you do with what you have in your hands?

Your home could become a place of welcome. Your car could provide a ride. Your skills could solve a problem. Your influence could open a door for someone who needs an opportunity. Your time could reassure a lonely person that they have not been forgotten.

Through foster parenting and ministry with young people in the juvenile justice system, I have seen the importance of people willing to walk alongside others. Compassion, accountability, encouragement, and patient presence can belong together.

Sometimes holiness looks like a family opening its home, a mentor offering another chance, or a church refusing to give up on someone.

At Lancaster Wesleyan Church, we express this through three simple words: Care. Pray. Share.

We care because people matter to God. We pray because we depend on Him. We share because the hope of Christ is too important to keep to ourselves. Practical compassion and sharing the gospel belong together.

Put Love Into Practice This Week

You do not need a church program or a special title to serve Christ. Begin where you already are.

• At home: Take responsibility for a task someone else usually carries. Put away your phone and listen. Encourage a family member, pray together, or begin repairing a strained relationship with a sincere apology.
• In your community: Check on someone who lives alone. Deliver a meal, help with yardwork, volunteer with a local ministry, or offer a ride to an appointment. Ask what would actually help before assuming you know.
• At school: Include someone who is being left out. Encourage a teacher, help a classmate understand an assignment, and speak up when someone is mistreated.
• At work: Give credit generously, treat every person with dignity, and offer practical help to an overwhelmed coworker. Let your honesty, patience, and willingness to serve make your faith visible.
• During leisure time: Notice the people at the ballfield, campground, gym, restaurant, or fishing spot. Learn names. Welcome newcomers. Listen for needs. Recreation can become an opportunity for friendship and ministry.
• With your resources: Choose one possession, ability, or portion of your budget that you can make available to God’s purposes. Consider whom you could mentor, encourage, or invite into your life.

Choose one person and one concrete action. Then follow through.

We do not serve to earn God’s love. We serve because His love has already reached us.

Holiness becomes visible through our hands, our feet, our words, and our willingness to become involved.

Lord Jesus, give us eyes to notice, hearts willing to love, and hands ready to serve. Help us use what You have placed in our care so that others may experience Your compassion and discover Your hope. Amen.