Thesis
Pastor Bill calls Rock Point to stop merely attending and start fully showing up — financially, sacrificially, and missionally — for the church's building campaign and gospel mission. Drawing on Matthew 22 and Matthew 9, he argues that Jesus has already prepared a plentiful harvest; the only limiting factor is whether His people will get in the game. Using Paul's words in 2 Corinthians and his own father's coaching wisdom, he makes the case that life is hard no matter which path we choose, so we should choose the hard that leads to victory — the hard of trusting God, giving generously, and being the church.
Key points
- 1
The greatest commandments — love God and love others — form the foundation of Rock Point's mission and define what it means to be the church.
- 2
The harvest is already plentiful; the problem has never been a lack of opportunity but a lack of workers willing to show up.
- 3
Showing up means more than physical attendance — the player inside each of us has to show up, ready to sacrifice and play our position.
- 4
Life is hard no matter which direction we go; we must choose the hard that leads to victory by following Jesus forward rather than retreating.
- 5
Paul's example in 2 Corinthians shows that enduring hardship in gospel ministry produces joy, spiritual riches, and true victory — and Rock Point is called to that same all-in commitment.
- 6
Equal sacrifice — not equal amounts — is what God asks; every person is challenged to give at a level that is genuinely scary and trusting.
- 7
The hundreds of life-change stories at Rock Point — salvations, baptisms, special-needs ministry, youth on fire — prove that Jesus keeps showing up, and our showing up multiplies that harvest.
Outline
The 'Here We Go Again' Problem
Pastor Bill shares a lunch conversation with pastor Gene Apple that reframes exhaustion over repeated building campaigns: instead of 'here we go again,' the church should celebrate 'here we get to go again' because the problems are signs of Jesus showing up.
The Mission: Love God, Love Others
Using Matthew 22, Pastor Bill traces Rock Point's mission statement — 'point people to Jesus by loving them like Jesus' — back to Jesus' declaration that loving God and loving others is the whole of the law.
The Harvest Is Plentiful, but Workers Are Few
Drawing on Matthew 9, Pastor Bill explains that Jesus has already prepared a harvest; the church's challenge is not scarcity of opportunity but a shortage of people willing to show up and be harvesters.
The Baseball Dugout: Show Up and Play
Through a story about his father coaching his baseball team, Pastor Bill illustrates the difference between merely being present and actually showing up to play — and calls the church to get in the game financially and sacrificially.
The Campaign Ask: Equal Sacrifice, Not Equal Amounts
Pastor Bill explains the need for an additional $6 million for campaign phases two and three, challenges every family to pray and pledge something that genuinely stretches them, and encourages high-capacity givers to consider unprecedented generosity.
Choose Your Hard
Connecting his father's combat wisdom to the Christian life, Pastor Bill argues that both following and not following Jesus are hard — so choose the hard that leads to victory, moving forward with Jesus rather than retreating into defeat.
Paul's Call to Corinth — and to Rock Point
Pastor Bill reads from 2 Corinthians 6, paralleling Paul's hardships in ministry with his own, and closes with Paul's plea — 'Open your hearts' — readdressed directly to Rock Point as a loving pastoral challenge to show up for the mission.
The Victories: Why We Show Up
Pastor Bill rapidly recounts 2024 ministry wins — thousands of salvations, hundreds of baptisms, church plants, outreach events, youth and kids growth, special-needs breakthroughs, and individual stories like Julia and Cheyenne — as evidence that Jesus is already at work and the harvest is real.
Memorable moments
Instead of it, here we go again, we need to celebrate that here we get to go again
We can't stop showing up because he keeps showing up
You're all here, but the player hasn't shown up yet
Jesus never promised easier. He promised better
Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, yet we have everything
She mainly will only repeat a couple lines from a song or a couple one word responses when prompted. But she's been coming here. Cheyenne is her name, and Don's been bringing her. And just recently, Don was woken up to her 26 year old special needs daughter who doesn't speak spontaneously, shoving her and saying, it's gonna get church
Application
Pastor Bill's challenge is direct and personal: stop just showing up in body and start showing up in full — with your sacrifice, your finances, and your heart. Every person who calls Rock Point their church is asked to pray, take a pledge card, and commit to the We Are Rock Point campaign at a level that is genuinely scary. For some that means giving for the first time; for others it means increasing an existing gift; for high-capacity givers it means asking God whether now is the moment for radical, life-changing generosity. The deeper invitation, though, is to embrace the truth that life is hard either way — so choose the hard that ends in victory. Trust that the harvest Jesus promised is already there, that He will never fail, and that when you move toward Him in obedience, you will find joy on the other side of the fear. Show up, because Jesus keeps showing up.
