The Shed
2/8/26
- I'm covered
- power in the blood
- Are You Washed in the Blood
- Look what the lord has done
- victory in Jesus
- Take up missions offering - adding Project Rescue as a monthly missions partner in 2026Explain why we are doing this and the Lounge (an international support addition and a local project) at the first of the year.Welcome to 2026!I believe this year will be a year of Harvest at the Shed, but not just at the Shed.I believe this year we will see a continued surge in line with the momentum we have seen begin to build over 2025.New research from Barna Group, as part of their ongoing State of the Church initiative with Gloo, reveals a surprising shift: Millennials and Gen Z are driving a resurgence in church attendance.According to Barna’s latest data, 66 percent of all U.S. adults say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important in their life today. That marks a 12-percentage-point increase since 2021, when commitment levels reached their lowest in more than three decades of Barna tracking.Put simply, this equates to nearly 30 million more U.S. adults who claim to be following Jesus today than just five years ago in 2021.Weekly bible reading has increased 12 points just since 2024 with the largest increase being seen in Gen Z and Mellinials. Among those age groups nearly half of both generationsnow read their bible weekly.Among those same generations, what was a steady fall in church attendance has seen a spike to all time highs, nearly doubling since 2020.Globally, Christianity is growing at a rate that outpaces the natural population growth, especially in pentecostal and charasmatic movements.This momentum represents both an opportunity and a challenge for the church today.The opportunity is that there is a resurgence of interest and a rise in the answer to the call of God.The challenge is this: that we as a body are responsible for the discipleship that comes with this rise in interest.This is what the harvest of 2026 is going to look like, it is a harvest of discipleship that can only happen in the context of relational connectivity.Why did we add another mission to support and start the year off with a project like the lounge?Because I believe there is a harvest coming and we have already begun to see the first ripening in the momentum that has been building here at the Shed.In the scriptures, when there was harvest, the first thing that God instructs is that there should be an offering of first fruits brought to God.This is a principle that predates the law, it carries through the Old Testament and is revealed again in the New Testament…When Cain and Able brought their sacrifices to God they were described this way:
Genesis 4:3–4 NASB95 3 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering;Notice what the author contrasts in their offerings… Cain brought his offering in the course of time, but Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock…It wasn’t the leftovers God wanted. It was the first of Abels flock that pleased him…It wasn’t about whether it was from the flock or from the crops, it was the order in which it was done.In fact, this teaching is often connected with money, but giving monitarily is only one way to engage with this principle…For Abel it was his flock…For Abraham it was the spoils of battle…In Genesis 14, Abraham won a battle and with it all the goods of the enemy, but before he even went home, he gave 10% as an offering of firstfruits to God through Melchizedek.In Deuteronomy, it’s even the first wool from the shearing of the sheep:Deuteronomy 18:4 NASB95 4 “You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep.In the Law there were at least three different first fruit offerings that were given, one for the barley, one for the wheat, and one for the fall fruits…Exodus 23:16 NASB95 16 “Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field.There was another kind of first fruits described in Numbers 15:19-21Numbers 15:19–21 NASB95 19 then it shall be, that when you eat of the food of the land, you shall lift up an offering to the Lord. 20 ‘Of the first of your dough you shall lift up a cake as an offering; as the offering of the threshing floor, so you shall lift it up. 21 ‘From the first of your dough you shall give to the Lord an offering throughout your generations.Leviticus says it this way:Leviticus 23:17 NASB95 17 ‘You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the Lord.Chronicles describes it like this: 2 Chron 31:52 Chronicles 31:5 NASB95 5 As soon as the order spread, the sons of Israel provided in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of all.Solomon taught about it:Proverbs 3:9–10 NASB95 9 Honor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.Nehmiah mentioned it:Nehemiah 10:35 NASB95 35 and that they might bring the first fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all the fruit of every tree to the house of the Lord annually,In the New Testament Paul utilizes the metaphor of firstfruit in 1 Cor. 15:201 Corinthians 15:20 NASB95 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.Jesus was a type of first fruits, the first of a harvest, the first representative of what was to come…Because one of these days, we will rise like Jesus rose with new bodies to live and be with Him forever!And we know this because He rose first, as a first fruits, a representation of what was to come…That’s what this principle of firstfruits is all about.It’s not about taking up a good offering. This principle is about prioritizing the Kingdom of God first and representing that prioritization by giving of the first fruits…The first fruits were given before the rest of the crop was touched…This was before they knew it would all work out, it was before they started in on it themselves…It was before they divided it up to make sure they had enough.It was before they calculated how much was gained or lost.It was FIRST.Matthew 6:33 NASB95 33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.Matthew 22:37–38 NASB95 37 And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and first commandment.So why did we begin the year with a project that benefits the community rather than doing something for us? Because we as a church want to start by giving FIRST, in anticipation for the harvest we believe is coming this year.Again, this isn’t just about money, it applies to every area of life.When put into practice, what this principle does is twofold:1. It shows your trust in God.In order to give to God first, you have to trust that He will provide the rest.Psalm 9:10 NASB95 10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.Psalm 56:3–4 NASB95 3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. 4 In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?Psalm 37:5 NASB95 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.This is what dedicating your first, highest, and best does! It shows your trust in God!The second thing this principle does when you put it into action in your life is…2. It Dethrones Idol KingsSome of you remember me mentioning the three kings that are dethroned when I talked about fasting last time, but over the next three weeks I will expand on three areas this principle applies to and the three kings that we will dethrone in our hearts by putting this into action:The first is King Appetite…Next week, I will be teaching about fasting, because we are beginning the year with a fast.If you were here when I taught about fasting several months ago, you can join me in fasting starting this week.If you haven’t heard me teach about fasting yet, I encourage you to be here next week and listen and get on the same page before you start your fast.If you want to fast track that and start with us this week, you can go back and listen to that sermon on our website or youtube.We are dedicating these first weeks of the year back to God as a time of firstfruits in every area. This fast is a dedication of firstfruits and the dethroning of king appetite…The following week we will talk about dethroning King Busyness. When we prioritize what God prioritizes rather than our worldly cares, we actively dethrone the idol of busyness…When we dedicate the first fruits of our time back to God as we are doing in this first month of the year, we are showing our Trust in God that He will direct our paths and give us the time we need to accomplish what He wants…And the last week of the month we are going to finally talk about a firstfruits offering in finances.Before we get there, however, we are starting the year off beginning this Friday, with an arrangement of our finances through Financial Peace University…If this year is to be a year of Harvest, we can only be effective if we aren’t drowing in debt, always just catching up, and living paycheck to paycheck, so this grow group will spend the first ten weeks of the year aligning us with God’s mission in our finances.If you would like to sign up for that, you can do so on Church Center. We believe in this so much that Jimmy will be leading the group and the church will pay for your license if you will come.We will start that this Friday night at 6pm, then on the last Sunday of this month we will be talking about Dethroning King Mammon by dedicating the firstfruits of our finances to God.Again this shows our trust in Him to provide what we need because He is our source and provider.That last Sunday we will take up a firstfruits offering where we will put our faith into action and start the year off with a dedication to God.That will also be the Sunday we break our fast together at Meet’n’Eat. At that Meet’n’Eat, we will take communion together, share a meal, then present the Lounge that we are working on now.This is our month of Firstfruits…There’s one more thing we are going to do this morning and I can’t think of a better way to start off the year, but with worship and with a baptism.We are going to worship together and in just a few minutes we are going to have our very first baptism of 2026! - Way maker
- trust in God
- fight my battles
- Wouldn't it be like You
- Introduce the Book of EphesiansEphesians is one of my favorite books. I have several favorites…Genesis is my favorite to study because there is so much depth and richness in the original language that reveals much of why things are the way they are today…Hebrews is my favorite to read because it’s written like a sermon and I can almost hear the author preaching through the letter…But Ephesians is probably my favorite to preach out of because in it Paul paints an intricate picture of the relationship between the believer and Christ and the Church…In the process of writing this theological breakdown, Paul defines for us who we are in Christ and what the power of Christ does in us when we become a believer and declare Him as Lord…
Ephesians 1:7 NASB95 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His gracethen a few verses later:Ephesians 1:18–23 NASB95 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.Ephesians 2:1–10 NASB95 1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.If that don’t do something for you, you might need to check your pulse!Paul begins with this thought after addressing the believers, that Jesus is positioned in a place of power and victory because the war was won at the cross…There will come a day when Jesus will show up again, this time not as a babe in a manger, but as a King riding on a war horse with fire in His eyes and a sword in his hand…In that Day He will finally bring to heel all the evil in the world, casting the enemy into the Lake of Fire and restoring what was lost in the Garden all those millennia ago…But until that time, the representation of that victory on the cross is found in His Body… the Church…That’s why after taking the first three chapters to remind the believers who they are in Christ and the power that works in each one of us through Him, Paul then launches into a detailed explanation of the importance of Unity in the Body and the function of the Church…He reminds them to love one another, build one another up, don’t live like the world, tell the truth, speak in a way that is good for edification and filled with grace…In other words, ACT LIKE WHO YOU ARE!Don’t act like the world because you’re not of the world, you’ve been made into something new altogether…2 Corinthians 5:17–18 NASB95 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,When you are redeemed by the blood, you no longer belong to the world and you are no longer a slave to sin…You’ve been set free and given the power to overcome! Victory is available because the war on sin has already been won!Yet we live in a broken world until Jesus comes back again… therefore the battle rages on all around us…The victory is available, but it is the church who carries it in the world today…It is the most potent trick of the enemy to convince you that you are something less than you really are in Christ…I believe this is where the Church needs to regain her diligence, because…Romans 8:37 NASB95 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.This is why it’s so important we are prepared for battle…If you are unprepared for battle when you begin following the mandate of Jesus for the church and all believers:Matthew 28:19 NASB95 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,What you will find is that the enemy has encamped in the harvest fields where God has called you to make disciples…And that same enemy is ready to fight you tooth and nail for influence and territory…It is not an option for the believer to run from the battle, stick your head in the sand, and pretend the enemy is not sitting on ground that isn’t his…Here’s the thing you must realize, no matter where the enemy is, he is trespassing on ground that doesn’t belong to him…It’s high time the Church decide, there’s nowhere he can stake claim as his own, there’s no corner of culture, no sector of society where he is allowed to rule…No, we have been given this mandate to make disciples of ALL NATIONS…There’s nowhere the enemy is allowed to have the victory…There’s no harvest field he is allowed to squander…There’s no family member he is allowed to hold on to…There’s no curse he is allowed to enact…There’s no weapon he can form that will prosper…He has no authority…He has no dominion…He may come in one direction, but he will flee in seven…We will not hide… We will not back down… We will not back off… we will not cower or even flinch…Wherever a believer is… Wherever the church of the living God resides… We claim that territory for Christ…In fact, I claim the promise God gave to Moses and Joshua… EVERYWHERE THE SOLE OF MY FOOT TOUCHES IS MINE!The enemy can’t have one square inch of what God has promised we have victory over…VICTORY IS MINE! VICTORY IS MINE! VICTORY TODAY IS MINE! I TOLD SATAN, GET THEE BEHIND! VICTORY TODAY IS MINE!It’s no wonder the enemy has tried so hard to keep you down on yourself, to keep you convinced you’re nothing and you’ll never do anything of influence…Because he knows if you ever realized the victory you already have on the inside of you, there’s no shadow he could run to, no door he could hide behind that you couldn’t kick down and claim for the Kingdom!Ephesians 6:10–13 NASB95 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.Paul makes this assumption, that once you realize who you are in Christ, the question is not whether you will enter the battlefield, but will you be prepared when you get there?How does he say to prepare?First is to recognize that the strength belongs to the Lord…Ephesians 6:10 NASB95 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.Be strong IN THE LORD and the strength of HIS MIGHT.I just wonder how many of you are intimidated in this type of conversation because you’re convinced you can’t do it. You’re not strong enough to do it… You’re not good enough to do it…I’m here to tell you, you’re not good enough, but HE IS! And He will provide you with everything you need!1 Corinthians 15:57 NASB95 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.He is my strength! His power resides in me! My victory is found in HIM!That word strength there is the Greek is kratos which can be power or might, but most of the time it is translated DOMINION… because this strength is not just physical, it is influential…This victory isn’t resting on your physique! This victory is based in HIS dominion, rule, and reign…That is the strength of His might!That’s why Paul can confidently say in Romans 6:14Romans 6:14 ESV 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.Sin has no dominion over you any longer because you stand in the strength and dominion of His might, not the dominion of sin!You’re not in enemy territory! He’s encroached on your God given mission and it’s time to put him down!Can I just talk to the dads for a minute? If someone were breaking in your house with your family inside, what would you do?Exactly, send a coroner an ambulance won’t be necessary…Because God has given you the innate understanding that your family is yours to protect and provide for and my family is my dominion, that’s my territory, and the enemy comes not but to steal, kill, and destroy…So if we would physically protect our family, why then do we not put the same gusto behind spiritually protecting our families?The enemy is infiltrating the culture all around us, he’s in politics and the media and the school system… He’s trying any way he can to find a point of influence in your family… and it’s time we say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!I’M TAKING BACK WHAT THE ENEMY THOUGHT HE STOLE!This isn’t your territory, you have no dominion here, you’re trespassing on Kingdom property and it’s time for an eviction notice on the enemy!Here, we win.Here, we live in victory.Here, we don’t believe the lies of the enemy.Here, we live on the promises of God so that we can live…1 Timothy 1:18 NASB95 18 …in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,Here, we bear weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left…Here, we recognizeRomans 13:12 NASB95 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore we lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.2 Corinthians 10:3–5 NASB95 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,This isn’t just a battle against sin, it’s a battle for territory, disrupting the camp of the enemy, destroying his fortresses, dismantling speculations, and bringing to realization the words of Jesus…Matthew 16:18 ESV 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.We aren’t running, we are attacking! This armor isn’t just defensive, it is for moving forward, it is for offence!Ephesians 6:11–12 NASB95 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.I watch as people have drifted so far from sanity in the last few years to the point where they no longer believe there is a truth, but only your truth and my truth and their truth where people are free to be whoever or whatever they want including identifying as animals…But it’s not the media that’s the problem… It’s not the liberals that’s the problem… It’s not the president that’s the problem… It’s not even hollywood that’s the problem…No the problem is rooted here in verse 12:Ephesians 6:12 NASB95 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.The problem is that the enemy has taken too much territory and the Church has conceded too much for the sake of political correctness…Now is the time when the Church of God must stand against the schemes of the devil, dressed in the armor of God, with a shout of victory in our mouths!It’s time we put our foot down and stand firm on what this word teaches!Ephesians 6:13 NASB95 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.Stand firm on the teachings of Jesus!Stand firm on the promises of scripture!Stand firm on the Gospel that gives us power to overcome!Stand firm as more than conquerers!Stand firm!Call Worship TeamIn the next few verses, Paul gives us a snapshot into the armor we must carry into battle to be successful…For the next several weeks we are going to talk about the armor, the pieces and elements of the armor… the prophetic origin of the armor, and why each element is important, as well as the importance of what isn’t mentioned in the armor…But today I want you to take my words to heart…Victory is YOURS.Tell the person next to you, “WE WIN.”As you follow the mandate of Christ and MAKE DISCIPLES, you win. He will empower you to fulfill your mission.He’s called YOU to make disciples.What part are you playing? What is your role in making disciples?What area do you need more confidence in when it comes to making disciples?Let me ask it this way… If you knew that you could lead the next person you speak with to Christ, who would you call?Don’t let the enemy intimidate you with his posturing.You’ve been given the victory. It’s your job to lay hold of it and do what God has called you to do.Go after it. Make disciples. Embody Jesus. Ephesians 1:7NASB95
Ephesians 1:18–23NASB95
Ephesians 2:1–10NASB95
2 Corinthians 5:17–18NASB95
Romans 8:37NASB95
Matthew 28:19NASB95
Ephesians 6:10–13NASB95
Ephesians 6:10NASB95
1 Corinthians 15:57NASB95
Romans 6:14NASB95
1 Timothy 1:18NASB95
Romans 13:12NASB95
2 Corinthians 10:3–5NASB95
Matthew 16:18NASB95
Ephesians 6:11–12NASB95
Ephesians 6:12NASB95
Ephesians 6:13NASB95