Class Lesson October 4, 2026

 Series: Encounter

Sermon Recap

Acts 11 introduces us to a church that understood the gospel was not meant to stop with them. As believers were scattered because of persecution, they carried the message of Jesus with them and began reaching people who were different from them. The church in Antioch became a picture of what happens when ordinary believers take the gospel seriously: people hear the good news of Jesus, lives are changed, disciples are made, and sending is celebrated.

But the story didn’t stop with them. Barnabas arrives and sees the grace of God at work. He encourages the believers to remain faithful, then goes to find Paul (Saul) and brings him to Antioch. Together, they spend a year teaching and discipling the church. The result is significant: the disciples are called Christians for the first time.

A healthy church doesn’t simply gather people, it reaches one more, makes disciples, surrenders everything, and sends people out.

 

Acts 11:19-30

[19] Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. [20] But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. [21] And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. [22] The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. [23] When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, [24] for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. [25] So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, [26] and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

[27] Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. [28] And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). [29] So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. [30] And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. (ESV)

 

Acts 13:1-3

[1] Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. [2] While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” [3] Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. (ESV)

 

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you most in Acts 11:19-30 and Acts 13:1-3?
2. Which of these five Upstate Church Commitments most challenges you right now? Why?
3. Why do you think it can be difficult to share the gospel with people who are lost?
4. Who is one person God has placed in your life who needs to hear the gospel?
5. How can we speak truth to someone without losing grace?
6. What’s the difference between helping someone attend church and helping someone follow Jesus?
7. Who are you intentionally discipling?
8. What makes surrender difficult for you?
9. Why would sending out some of their key leaders require faith?
10. What is one specific step God is asking you to take this week?

 

Closing Thoughts

The believers in Antioch were willing to reach people who were different from them, speak the truth with grace, invest deeply in discipleship, give generously to meet needs, and ultimately send their own people to take the gospel somewhere else.

We should ask ourselves:

Who is the “one more” God may be putting in front of us?

Who needs to hear the gospel from us?

Who needs someone to patiently help them follow Jesus?

And what might God be asking us to surrender so that someone else can encounter Christ?

 

END

Class Lesson September 27, 2026

 Series: What does it mean to put God first?

Sermon Recap

Matthew 25:14–30 reminds us that God has entrusted each of us with resources, abilities, opportunities, and responsibilities that are ultimately His. The servants were given different amounts, but each was expected to faithfully manage what had been placed in his hands. The faithful servants understood that what they received was not theirs to simply preserve or consume; it was theirs to use for the purposes of their master. The warning of the third servant shows that faithfulness is not merely avoiding failure — it requires actively putting what God has given us to work. And because the master eventually returned to settle accounts, Jesus reminds us that our stewardship has eternal significance. We will not be held accountable for having what someone else had, but we will give an account for what we did with what God entrusted to us. The goal of stewardship is not to accumulate more, but to faithfully invest what God has given us for His glory.

 

 

Matthew 25:14-30

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Matthew 25:14-30.

 

Discussion Questions

1. What has God entrusted to you that you sometimes view as simply “yours”?
2. Why is it important that the servants were given different amounts?
3. What does faithfulness look like when your assignment is different from someone else's?
4. What does it mean to invest what God has given you?
5. What keeps people from using the gifts and opportunities God has given them?
6. Why should the reality of giving an account affect how we live today?
7. What is one thing God has entrusted to you that you could use more intentionally for His kingdom?
8. If Jesus returned today, what would you want Him to find you doing with what He has given you?

 

Closing Thoughts

Faithful stewardship means recognizing that people are one of God's greatest assignments given to us. We are called to invest in the people God has placed around us — not simply by meeting their physical needs, but by helping them take steps toward Jesus. This may mean slowing down to listen, walking with someone through a difficult season, sharing what Christ has done in your life, or intentionally discipling someone in the faith. Who is someone God has placed in your life that you can intentionally invest in for the sake of the gospel?

 

END

Teacher Notes:

We've spent the last three weeks talking about

putting God first.

We've talked about our possessions, our giving, our trust, and the fact that everything ultimately

belongs to God.

 

Today, our lesson asks us to take

one last look at:

How do we measure a person’s life?

Jesus gives us the answer in

Matthew 25.

Matthew 25:14-30

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Jesus deliberately tells us that the servants didn't receive equal amounts. That keeps the focus from being on how much someone has and puts it on what they do with what they've been given.

It reminds us that God doesn't give everyone the same gifts. God's distribution isn't identical, but His expectation is the same: faithfulness.

It shows that God measures faithfulness, not possessions.

It means the person with less isn't less valuable. A person with one gift may be just as valuable to the body of Christ as someone with five gifts.

Faithfulness can look different from person to person.

For one person, faithfulness may mean: Leading a ministry, teaching a class, giving generously, or starting something new.

For someone else, it may mean: Praying faithfully for their family, encouraging a lonely neighbor, mentoring a grandchild, sharing wisdom with someone younger, caring for a spouse, being faithful in a difficult season, or simply being available when God opens a door.

Different assignments. Same Master. Same call to faithfulness.

Faithfulness isn't doing what someone else is doing. 

Faithfulness is doing what God has entrusted you to do.

To invest what God has given you means to take what He has entrusted to you and intentionally use it in ways that serve others, advance His purposes, and produce spiritual fruit.

Put it to work. The first two servants didn't simply protect what they received — they used it. Investing means asking: “How can I use what God has given me to make a difference for Him and for others?”

Invest your time → spend it encouraging, serving, mentoring, or helping someone.

Invest your wisdom → share what you've learned with the next generation.

Invest your experience → help someone avoid mistakes you've already made.

Invest your relationships → introduce people to Christ or encourage someone who is struggling.

Invest your influence → use your voice to build people up.

Invest your resources → give generously where God is working.

Invest your spiritual gifts → serve the church and others.

Invest your testimony → tell someone what God has done in your life.

Invest your prayers → faithfully intercede for others.

 

Look for a return that matters to God. The servants' investment produced something. In the same way, God wants what He has given us to produce fruit. Jesus said, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” -  John 15:8 The "return" doesn't necessarily mean more money or greater success. It might be a person encouraged, a relationship restored, a young person mentored, someone coming to faith, a need being met, or another person learning to trust God.

 

God doesn't give us things simply to possess. He gives them to us to put to work for His purposes.

Jesus' words in Matthew 25:26 give us more insight than simply saying the servant was "afraid." “You wicked, lazy servant!” — Matthew 25:26 (NIV)

Jesus identifies the problem as more than fear — it was unfaithfulness. The servant says: “I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground.” (Matthew 25:25) Fear was his explanation, but Jesus' response was “wicked and lazy.” That tells us his problem wasn't simply that he was nervous about taking a risk. He allowed fear to become an excuse for doing nothing with what his master had entrusted to him. Fear may explain our inaction, but it doesn't excuse our unfaithfulness.

He had been entrusted with something valuable — and he did nothing with it. God doesn't simply give us things to keep. He gives us things to use. Our time isn't simply ours to protect. Our experience isn't simply ours to enjoy. Our wisdom isn't simply ours to keep. Our testimony isn't simply ours to remember. Our resources aren't simply ours to accumulate. They are opportunities for faithfulness.

“Wicked” seems to address his attitude toward the master. Look at what the servant says: “I knew that you are a hard man…” (Matthew 25:24) His perception of the master influenced his behavior. He apparently viewed the master as someone to be feared rather than faithfully served. What we believe about God affects how we respond to what God has entrusted to us. If I see God primarily as someone waiting to punish me when I fail, I may become paralyzed. But if I understand that He has entrusted something to me because He wants me to participate in His purposes, I can step forward in faithfulness.

“Lazy” is especially significant. The word Jesus uses isn't simply describing someone who was physically tired. The idea is slothful, negligent, inactive. The servant didn't squander the talent on sinful living. He simply did nothing with it. That's sobering. Sometimes we think the greatest danger is doing something wrong. Jesus' parable suggests another danger: Doing nothing with what God has given us.

 

Some people don't use what God has given them because they're afraid. Some because they don't feel capable. Some because they're comfortable. Some because they've become discouraged. And sometimes, quite simply, it's because they don't care enough to do anything with it. That's uncomfortable — but I think Jesus wants us to wrestle with it.

God doesn't simply give us things to keep.

He gives us things to use.

The fact that the master eventually returned changes stewardship from simply being about what we do with what we have - to living with the awareness that one day we will give an account.

What we do today has eternal significance. Our lives aren't just a series of unrelated days. Every day is an opportunity to faithfully use what God has entrusted to us. That should affect how we spend our: Time, resources, abilities, relationships, opportunities, and influence.

 

Accountability changes how we view what we have. We aren't ultimately owners. We're entrusted.

 

It keeps us from wasting the opportunities we have today. Sometimes we aren't doing anything obviously wrong — we're simply not doing anything with what God has given us.

 

We don't know how much time we have. James 4:14 reminds us: “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” That's not meant to frighten us. It's meant to help us value today. Don't wait for the perfect opportunity. Don't wait until retirement. Don't wait until you're less busy. Don't wait until you have more money. Use what God has put in your hands today. If I knew I would give an account to God for how I used my time, gifts, relationships, and resources, what might I do differently this week?

 

Who do I need to encourage? Who do I need to forgive? Who needs my wisdom? What opportunity have I been putting off?  What gift have I been burying? What resources could I use to bless someone else? Where is God asking me to be faithful right now?

We have spent much of our lives being measured by performance: 

How well did you do at your job?

How successful was your career?

How much did you accomplish?

How much did you earn?

But eventually, those measurements become less important. The question becomes: “Was I faithful?” Did I love God? Did I love people? Did I use what He gave me? Did I encourage others? Did I pass along what I learned? Did I finish well? 

There's a scene later in The Bucket List where Carter asks Edward two questions.

These aren’t the questions that Jesus asks in Matthew 25.

But they do make us think.

 

Jesus tells us that the Master will return and settle

accounts.

 

He won’t ask you, how much did you have?

But He will ask you, what you did with what He gave you?

When our life is measured, may we hear

those precious words…

 

“Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Matthew 25:21

Class Lesson for September 20, 2026

 Series: What does it mean to put God first?

Sermon Recap

Malachi 3:6–15 challenges us to examine what our giving reveals about our trust in God. God begins by reminding His people, “I the LORD do not change,” establishing that His faithfulness remains constant even when His people are unfaithful. The tithe was an intentional portion given within Israel's covenant relationship with God, and their refusal to give revealed a deeper problem of misplaced trust. They were withholding from God because they had forgotten that everything they possessed ultimately came from Him. God calls His people to return to Him through faithful obedience and invites them to trust His provision. While we do not live under the same covenantal system, the question for us is why would we ever want to give anything less? We give because He has given to us, and we can live generously because our security rests not in what we possess but in the God who faithfully provides and saves.

 

Malachi 3:6-15

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. And thereby put Me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. 13 “Your words have been hard against Me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against You?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping His charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Malachi 3:6-15.

 

Discussion Questions

1. What does the word “tithe” mean, and what was its purpose in Israel's covenant life?
2. Why does God describe withholding the tithe as “robbing” Him?
3. What can our giving reveal about what we trust?
4. How should Christians understand Malachi 3 considering the New Testament's teaching on generosity?
5. Why is God's faithfulness essential to our willingness to give?
6. What is the difference between giving to get from God and giving because we trust God?
7. What fears can make it difficult to trust God with our finances?
8. How does the gospel motivate us toward generosity?

 

Closing Thoughts

God's resources are not given to us merely for personal consumption. Generosity allows us to meet tangible needs, practice hospitality, support gospel ministry, and create opportunities for relationships that point people toward Christ.

We can hold our resources with open hands because our security does not ultimately come from what we have; it comes from the God who faithfully provides. Look for opportunities this week to use something God has entrusted to you — your money, time, home, skills, or influence to serve someone else. Furthermore, tithing is a discipline every believer should practice for the sole reason that we should delight to do so.

Why would we not want to give generously to the God who made us and saves us by His grace?

 

END

Teacher Notes:

Click Play to Watch

What do George Bailey and Mr. Potter

believe money is for?

Potter sees money primarily in terms of business, profit, and personal advantage. George sees the Building & Loan as a way to help ordinary people obtain homes.

 

Which man's philosophy is closer to the way we

sometimes think about the things

God has given us?

At first glance, this clip sounds like it’s all about money. But it's really a picture of the heart. And that's exactly where Malachi takes us this morning. The issue isn’t just what we're giving, it’s what our giving says about what we really believe.

Who owns what I have?

Where is my security?

And what am I willing to do with what God has placed

in my hands?

Malachi 3:6-7

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers, you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 

 

Malachi 3:8-10

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. And thereby put Me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.  

 

Peter Bailey “never once thought of himself,” he didn’t save enough to put his kids through college, but he helped the community get out of Potter’s slums.

So, if giving reveals what we trust, what does God want us to do with what we've been given?

 

This is where our third point comes in.

Malachi 3:11-12

I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

In 1985, some of the most famous musicians in the world came together to record a song. They gave their voices, their time, and their influence to help people they would probably never meet. And there was a message over the door waiting for them when they arrived. “Check your ego at the door.”

They weren't there to see who could sing the best. They weren't there to promote themselves. They weren't there to compete for the spotlight.

They were there to take something they had been given and use it for the benefit of someone else.

Click Play to Watch

Harry Belafonte originated the idea. Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson wrote the song, and Quincy Jones produced the recording.

The original recording generated more than $63 million for African famine relief and related humanitarian work.

One man had an idea. Forty-plus artists had gifts. And one producer brought them all together.

They each brought what they had.

Conclusion

God doesn't ask you to have somebody

else's gift.

He asks you to faithfully use the gifts He has

given you.