In this message, we return to the centre of our house: grace, restoration, and the calling to love one another well.
We explore what love looks like when it becomes a lifestyle: devotion, honour, generosity, and a freedom that expresses itself through service.
Ryan reminds us that biblical freedom is not independence, but the Spirit-empowered ability to live beyond ourselves. We are invited to rediscover the simplicity of the gospel: a community where people matter, where love is practiced, and where grace shapes how we show up for one another.
May this message stir your heart again towards a life marked by love, service, and the ongoing work of God’s grace.
The summary of this message has been drafted automatically from the transcript. Its accuracy may vary.
People, Not Commodities: The Mission Under God
By Pastor Ryan.
We live in a transactional world. It’s a utilitarian system that reduces people to commodities, cogs in the machinery of life. In this world, people are often treated simply as a means to an end.
But as we stand on our new land and watch the “rattling bones” of our new structure rise, I want to remind you of something critical: The mission under God is people.
The mission isn’t a meeting. It’s not a clever program. It’s not a beautiful building. It is the person sitting next to you. It is the mother in ICU. It is the son wrestling with moving out of home. It is the “stranger” walking through the door.
When Life “Happens”
This week, life “happened” to us in a big way. My own mother suffered a stroke. Several of our leaders have family members in ICU. In the middle of the excitement of building a church, the reality of human frailty hits hard.
These moments force the question: Am I being a good son? Am I being a good father? These are not questions about “performance metrics”—they are questions about relationship. Because people matter more than projects.
Redefining Freedom: From “Me” to “We”
In the world, freedom is defined as autonomy. It’s “unrestrained action”—the ability to do whatever I want, whenever I want, without anyone telling me otherwise.
Biblical freedom (Galatians 5:13) is a complete “adjustment” to that worldly lens.
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
— Galatians 5:13, NIV
- Worldly Freedom: Freedom for the individual.
- Biblical Freedom: Freedom from self and freedom to serve.
True freedom is being delivered from the “human effort” of trying to do life in your own strength. It’s being freed from the “atmosphere of sin,” which always places Me at the center.
The 4 Stages of Maturity
How do we know if we are growing up or just growing old? We can look at our level of maturity through the lens of who we focus on:
- Level 1 — Me Only:
Total self-absorption.
This is fine for an infant in nappies, but tragic for an adult. - Level 2 — Me + Others:
Recognizing others exist, but your own wants still take precedence. - Level 3 — Others + Me:
Valuing others above yourself.
This is where relationships begin to blossom and peace is found. - Level 4 — Others Only:
Completely selfless.
This is supernatural—the pinnacle of maturity found in Christ.
Source: Bill Abbate.
Love’s Hero: The Servant
We live in a culture that objectifies people and reduces love to a romantic feeling or a magazine cover. But the Bible says love is a debt. We are “indebted” to one another to keep loving.
Love’s hero isn’t the person with a million Instagram followers or the “rockstar” Christian.
Love’s hero is the servant.
— Ryan Matthews,
Love Serves, 11 Nov 2025
The perfect example is Jesus. He didn’t come to be served, but to serve. He is the “Obsession” that delivers us from ourselves. When we become obsessed with Jesus, we lose our obsession with our own needs. Why? Because we realize we have a Father who cares for us better than we could ever care for ourselves.
He is the parent who won’t forget you at the school gate. He is the one who doesn’t grow weary.
Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
— Matthew 20:28
New International Version
Our Prayer for Freedom House
As we move onto our land, let’s not just build a venue. Let’s build a House of Restoration.
- Let’s be the church that sends the voice note.
- Let’s be the people who lend the car.
- Let’s be the community that goes the extra mile for the “broken” because we’ve been bowled over by the kindness of God.
May we delight the heart of God by how we love each other.
