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From a message by Jon Alsdorf
One of the deepest needs every person carries is the need to belong. Not just to be in a room full of people, but to actually have a place. A real place. And the good news of the gospel is that Jesus has already made one for you. Why Do So Many People Feel Like They Don't Belong? Studies continue to show that people are more isolated today than ever before. Technology has exploded, screens are everywhere, and yet real connection seems harder to find. Scrolling through social media is not the same as genuine friendship. An AI conversation is not the same as a real relationship. And yet, deep down, most people still believe that belonging is possible. We believe there is a place for us out there, even when everything around us seems to say otherwise. That tension, between the longing to belong and the struggle to find it, is one of the defining experiences of our time. From the very beginning, the church has always been about relationships. Two thousand years of technological change, and the one thing that has never changed is our need for real connection. God made the church for us because He made us for each other. What Does the Bible Say About Finding Your Place? Think back to middle school gym class. The schoolyard pick. Nobody wanted to be chosen last. Everyone in that line was silently hoping to be seen, to be valued, to be wanted. That feeling does not go away when we grow up. We carry it into our families, our workplaces, our churches, and our relationship with God. The gospel answers that longing directly. Because of Jesus, there is a place for you in His family. Not because of what you have done. Not because of how good you have been. Your place in His family has nothing to do with your performance. That is one of the most beautiful truths in all of Scripture. Four Places Jesus Invites You Into 1. Jesus Invites You to a Place of Rest So many people spend their lives trying to measure up. In families, in workplaces, in religion. The message is often the same: earn your place, perform well enough, and maybe you will belong. That cycle is exhausting. Jesus spoke directly into that exhaustion. In Matthew 11:28-30, He says: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30 A yoke, in Jesus's day, was placed across two oxen to help them pull together in the same direction at the same pace. If one pulled faster, the yoke would bind and slow them down. The other would work harder to keep up. Together, they stayed on course. When Jesus says, "Take my yoke upon you," He is not asking you to carry more. He is inviting you to come alongside Him. And if you are yoked with Jesus, He is the one doing the heavy pulling. He is carrying your weight. That is exactly what He did on the cross. He took all of our sin upon Himself and paid the full price. The work is done. The debt is paid. You can stop trying to earn what He has already freely given. When someone asked Jesus what the most important commandment was, He answered clearly in Mark 12:30: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." - Mark 12:30 And He added a second: love your neighbor as yourself. The foundation of what God calls righteousness is not a checklist of religious performance. It is love. Jesus made it that simple. 2. Jesus Invites You to a Place of Partnership Following Jesus is not something you can do on your own. That is not a discouraging statement. It is actually one of the most freeing truths in Scripture. You were never meant to do it alone. In Galatians 5:25, Paul writes: "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." - Galatians 5:25 Before Jesus ascended, He promised His disciples that He would send a Helper, the Holy Spirit, to be with them. About fifty days after the crucifixion and resurrection, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the gathered believers. The church was born that day, and God has been giving His Spirit to those who receive Jesus ever since. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside every believer. That is not a small thing. The Holy Spirit teaches you, leads you, and brings things to your mind that you would not arrive at on your own. Those moments when a person suddenly comes to mind and you feel prompted to call them or pray for them? That is not coincidence. That is the Holy Spirit at work. Jesus illustrated this partnership beautifully in John 15:5: "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5 A branch cut off from the vine cannot produce fruit. But a branch that stays connected receives everything it needs. Jesus provides the life. You get to experience the growth. That is the partnership He is offering. 3. Jesus Invites You to a Place of Belonging Walking into a room where you do not know anyone is uncomfortable. There is that searching feeling, that quiet question: is there a place for me here? Every person who has ever walked through the doors of a church has asked that question at some point. The answer the gospel gives is not based on what you bring to the table. It is based on who Jesus is and what He has done. In Ephesians 2:19-22, Paul writes: "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." - Ephesians 2:19-22 You are not a stranger. You are not an outsider. If you belong to Jesus, you are a son or daughter of Almighty God. That is your identity. That is your standing. Paul also writes in 1 Corinthians 12:27: "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." - 1 Corinthians 12:27 Our culture prizes independence. But Jesus did not set us free from sin so that we could be independent of everything and everyone. He calls us to something better: interdependence. You are a member of a body. The church is not the same without you. What you bring to the body of Christ, no one else can bring. That makes you valuable. That makes you necessary. 4. Jesus Invites You to a Place of Significance There are plenty of things in life that make us feel small. The vastness of the universe. The scale of world events. The achievements of others. It is easy to look at all of that and wonder if you matter at all. But Scripture tells a very different story. God knows you by name. He knitted you together in the womb. Before the foundations of the world, He already knew He was going to make you. He knows the number of hairs on your head. He has never taken His eyes off you. In one of the most well-known passages in all of Scripture, Jesus says to Nicodemus: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him." - John 3:16-17 There is no greater price that could have been paid. God gave His only Son for you. That is not the action of someone who sees you as insignificant. That is the action of a Father who loves you completely. The things the world tells us to chase, fame, wealth, status, are all temporary. They will not follow us into eternity. But when you embrace your identity in Jesus, He gives your life eternal significance. There is nothing greater than that. You Are Not Stranded In 1914, explorer Ernest Shackleton set out to cross Antarctica on foot. Before his crew ever reached land, their ship became trapped in ice, drifted for months, and eventually sank. Twenty-eight men were stranded in one of the most hostile environments on Earth with no rescue and no communication. What made Shackleton remarkable was that he refused to let his men believe they were forgotten. He checked on them constantly. He ate last. He carried the emotional weight of the group. Every decision he made communicated the same message: we are getting home together. After nearly two years, he led every single man safely home. One of the deepest fears people carry is the fear of being stranded. Emotionally. Spiritually. Relationally. The fear that no one sees you, no one cares, and you are carrying it all alone. Jesus looks at every weary, burdened person and says the same thing He said in Matthew 11: come to me. Not when you have it figured out. Not when you have cleaned yourself up. Just come. Christianity is not about surviving life alone. It is about being carried by a Savior who refuses to abandon His people. Jesus has made a place for you. It fits only you. No one else can take it. No one else can live it out. It is there, and it is yours. Life Application This week, take one concrete step toward the place Jesus has made for you. That might mean reaching out to someone you have been meaning to connect with. It might mean showing up somewhere you have been avoiding. It might mean simply sitting quietly and asking the Holy Spirit to lead you, then actually listening for the answer. The invitation of Jesus is not complicated. It is just a matter of responding to it. Ask yourself these questions as you go into the week ahead:
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From a message by Jon Alsdorf
At the very end of his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul pauses to deliver one of His most urgent warnings. In just a few verses, Romans 16:17-20, he calls every believer to stand guard, stay alert, and take the spiritual battle around them seriously. This is not a message for pastors alone. It is a call to every follower of Jesus. What Does It Mean to "Keep Watch" as a Christian? Paul opens this passage with a striking phrase: "I appeal to you, brothers." The word "appeal" here carries the weight of a plea. He is begging his readers to pay attention. To keep watch means to faithfully stand guard. It means remaining spiritually alert to danger and ready to respond. Think of a soldier stationed at a post during wartime. It is not enough to simply be present. You have to be alert. The New Testament uses several Greek words to capture this idea:
These are military words. They paint a picture of someone who understands they are in a real conflict and takes their post seriously. What Should Christians Be Watching For? Paul gets specific. He tells believers to watch out for two types of people: those who cause division and those who teach false doctrine. How Do Divisive People Harm the Church? A divisive person is someone who separates friends, stirs up discord, and creates factions to further a personal agenda. Often, this behavior is rooted in insecurity or jealousy. And while it might seem like a lesser offense compared to other sins, God takes it seriously. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists seven things the Lord hates, and the final one on the list is "one who sows discord among brothers." The point of ending the list there is intentional. We tend to see murder or lying as obviously terrible, but divisiveness? We often let that one slide, especially when we are the ones doing it. "A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends." - Proverbs 16:28 This kind of behavior does not stay in middle school. It shows up at work, in families, and in churches. And sometimes, without realizing it, we become the divisive person because we have been hurt and we give ourselves permission to act in ways that do not reflect the image of Christ. How Can You Recognize a False Teacher? False teachers are anyone who teaches doctrine contrary to the Word of God, who misrepresents Scripture, denies or alters it, or avoids it altogether in favor of worldly wisdom. This is a real and present danger. The internet is full of false teaching. Christian bookstores carry books that are more about what sells than what is true. And when believers do not know their Bibles, they become easy targets. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits." - Matthew 7:15-16 Jesus says the standard for recognizing false teachers is fruit. And the definition of spiritual fruit does not change across the Bible. Paul spells it out clearly: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23 A teacher who is genuinely walking with Jesus will be growing in love for Him, deepening in the Word, and showing increasing reverence for Scripture over time. A red flag is a teacher who works overtime to explain away the hard parts of the Bible rather than standing on them. Four Signs of a Divisive Person or False Teacher Paul gives four identifying marks in Romans 16:18:
What Should You Do for Spiritual Protection? Be Uncompromisingly Obedient to Jesus One of the most powerful things a believer can do is move from being a hearer of the Word to a doer of the Word. When you act on what God says, even when it costs you something, you will feel your spiritual strength grow. Obedience builds spiritual muscle. Be Skilled at Righteousness, Not Evil Paul says in Romans 16:19: "I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil." The word translated "wise" here carries the meaning of being a skilled craftsman, someone who has mastered their trade. The goal is not to become an expert in evil so you can recognize it. The goal is to become so excellent at what is good that evil becomes obvious by contrast. What Happens When Believers Stay Spiritually Alert? Paul closes this passage with a promise that should stir something in every believer: "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." - Romans 16:20 God's plan for winning the spiritual battle is not a dramatic display from the sky. It is you. He intends to crush Satan under your feet, at your workplace, in your neighborhood, in your school, through the gospel that is alive and active in your life. This does not happen when we are spiritually asleep. It happens when we take our post seriously, build our strength through obedience and the Word, and stay alert to what is happening around us. Life Application This week, take one concrete step toward becoming a more diligent spiritual watchman. Open your Bible and spend time in it daily, even if only for ten minutes. Let the Word itself be your standard, not a podcast, not a bestseller, not a social media personality. If you are already in the Word regularly, ask yourself whether you are also acting on what you read. Obedience is where spiritual strength is built. Ask yourself these questions as you go through your week:
The Holy Spirit is ready. His strength is not diminished. The question is whether we are willing to take our post seriously and let Him work through us. From a message by Jon Alsdorf
Being saved by grace is just the beginning. Once we understand that salvation is a gift received through faith in Jesus Christ, the next question becomes: now what? Romans 13-15 gives us a practical roadmap for what life looks like when we choose to walk as people of light in a dark world. What Does It Mean to Live as a Person of Light? Paul spends the first eleven chapters of Romans establishing one foundational truth: we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. Not by works, not by effort, not by anything we bring to the table. His righteousness is credited to us, and we receive it by faith. But starting in chapter 12, Paul shifts from doctrine to application. The question becomes practical. What does a grace-saved life actually look like in the day-to-day? Romans 13-15 answers that with seven clear principles. 1. Wake Up: Why Urgency Matters for Believers Paul opens this section with a call to alertness. "Besides this, you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed." - Romans 13:11 The "salvation" Paul refers to here is not justification, which already happened when we placed our faith in Christ. He is pointing to glorification, the future moment when Jesus returns for His church and we are fully transformed to be like Him. Salvation has three tenses worth understanding:
There is no unfulfilled prophecy standing between now and the return of Christ. He could come at any moment. That reality should create a growing sense of urgency in how we live. We need to be awake, alert, and tuned to the fact that Jesus is coming back. 2. Suit Up: What It Means to Put on the Armor of Light Paul follows the call to wake up with a call to get dressed for battle. "The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light." - Romans 13:12 This is an active choice. We are not passive recipients here. We are specifically casting things off and deliberately putting things on. Paul develops this idea of spiritual armor in Ephesians and Galatians as well, but the principle is the same: we are in a spiritual war, and we need to dress accordingly. Nobody suits up for a battle they do not believe is happening. If we are not awake to the spiritual warfare around us, we will not bother to put on the armor. That is a dangerous place to be. Paul is also clear about what we are putting on. "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." - Romans 13:14 We do not need a stronger version of ourselves. We need to be clothed with Christ. Every one of us knows where we are most vulnerable to sin. We know where the guardrails need to be. The answer is not pride or self-reliance. Eleven chapters of Romans make it clear: our righteousness is worthless apart from Him. We need to stop leaving the gate unlocked and start taking our spiritual protection seriously. 3. Shut Up: Stop Criticizing Others Romans 14 introduces a principle that is uncomfortable but necessary. Paul addresses the tendency of believers to criticize one another over secondary issues, things that have nothing to do with salvation. In his day, the flashpoints were food (specifically meat that may have been sacrificed to idols) and the observance of certain days (like the Sabbath). These were real points of division between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Paul's response is direct. "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls, and he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make Him stand." - Romans 14:4 When we forget that we were saved entirely by grace and brought nothing to the table ourselves, pride begins to creep in. We look at believers who are newer or different from us and start to look down. That is not spiritual maturity. That is pride dressed up as discernment. "Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer." - Romans 14:13 Much of what we call "church hurt" flows from this exact problem. Before we allow anything critical to come out of our mouths about another believer, we need to ask whether we are sitting in the wrong chair. The damage pride does is not just to others. It damages the proud person deeply as well. 4. Step Up: How to Love Others Selflessly as a Christian Rather than judging, Paul calls us to something much harder: selfless love. "But rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother." - Romans 14:13 Paul introduces a powerful principle here. Even if something is not sinful in itself, if it goes against a fellow believer's conscience, we should hold back out of love. This is not about admitting we are wrong. It is about choosing love over personal preference. "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." - Romans 14:17 We should never pressure someone to do something they feel is wrong in their conscience. That kind of pressure belongs to our enemy, not to us. Instead, we are called to go above and beyond in love for those who struggle with things we may not struggle with ourselves. "For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." - Romans 14:23 If we pressure someone into something they are not at peace with, two people have now done wrong. Love means we lay our preferences down for the sake of another, just as Christ laid His life down for us. 5. Shape Up: Why Spiritual Discipline Matters for Christians Paul opens chapter 15 with a call to spiritual strength. "We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves." - Romans 15:1 Just like physical muscles weaken when they are not used, our spiritual strength fades when we neglect the disciplines that build it. We need to be in the Word consistently. We need to be feeding on spiritual truth regularly. "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." - Romans 15:4 This is a clear vindication of the entire Bible, including the Old Testament. It was all written for our instruction. The Old Testament makes no sense without the New, and the New is incomplete without the Old. We need all of it. Spiritual exercise does not require reading the entire Bible every day. It requires consistent, daily feeding on God's Word in whatever form works for your life. The goal is to build one another up and strengthen each other so we can stand firm together. 6. Sync Up: Why Christian Community and Harmony Are Essential Paul calls believers to pursue harmony with one another. "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." - Romans 15:5-6 It is easy to judge someone you do not know. It is easy to be in conflict with someone whose struggles and scars you are completely unaware of. But when we prioritize fellowship and actually get to know one another, harmony begins to grow naturally. Jesus did not design the Christian life to be lived in isolation. He called us together as a church family, knowing we would poke and irritate each other, and knowing that working through that would make us grow. Conflict is inevitable. Harmony is not. We have to work toward it. "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." - Romans 15:7 Our unity was God's plan from the beginning. In a culture that encourages people to pull away from community when it gets hard, we are called to lean in. 7. Fill Up: What Happens When We Live as People of Light The final principle is the only one that is not something we do. It is something we receive. When we orient our hearts toward God and pursue these other six things, something powerful happens. God fills us. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." - Romans 15:13 God is doing the heavy lifting here. He is the God of hope. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that causes us to overflow. When we pursue these things, hope begins to fill us to the point where it spills over onto everyone around us. The world chips away at hope. News cycles are designed to keep us afraid and watching. But God wants His people overflowing with hope, not because life is easy, but because He is faithful. If you feel like your cup is empty today, it may simply be a matter of orientation. He wants to fill you more than you want to be filled. Life Application This week, choose one of these seven principles and apply it with intention. If you have been critical of another believer, go out of your way to encourage them instead. If you have been neglecting the Word, commit to five minutes of Scripture every morning. If you have been isolating from community, reach out to someone in your church and invest in that relationship. Living as a person of light is not a passive experience. It requires waking up, suiting up, and stepping up. But the reward is a life overflowing with the hope that only God can provide. Ask yourself these questions as you reflect on this message:
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Apply it!Next Steps is a collection of articles drawn from the sermons of Pastor Jon Alsdorf, and guest speakers, written to help you connect God's Word to real life. Each post is designed to inspire, challenge, and encourage you to live out your faith in practical, everyday ways -- because following Jesus is more than words, it's actions. Archives
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