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Today I want to talk about where we're going and how we're going to get there — our vision and our values. Inside your own home, do you have family values, whether you talk about them or not? In the McDermott house, there are some things that are just realities when you walk in. If y'all come over for dinner at my house anytime, there's going to be music playing because we love music — it's a part of who we are. There are other things too. I have little kids, and I tell them, "McDermotts don't do that" or "We work hard, we never quit, we love God, we love others." These are family values. They forecast your future. You have a vision for your family's life, and those values help direct your course to achieve that reality.
Jesus commanded us in John 15 to love one another. So today I want to unpack how our family values help us express love for God, love for each other, and love for the world around us.
We've talked about our vision: we want everyone, everywhere to have an everyday relationship with Jesus. This destination is too large for us to do in one generation. It is the Great Commission and the Great Commandment rolled into one — loving God and going on mission with Jesus to see the world transformed.
For those who've been around New Spring a long time, we used to have a huge vision identified by a number — 100,000. Everyone, everywhere, every day is a whole order of magnitude beyond that. These values I'm going to unpack are the vehicle that we hop into and ride down the highway of God's will toward that destination.
You and I were made for friendship with God. That's what having an everyday relationship is all about. God has given us this growth plan, this trellis to affix our lives to, so that we might bear abundant fruit for his glory.
Our unique expression of the body of Christ was born out of a question in 2017. Our leadership team got away and sought God's will for the future, and this question emerged: What kind of church do we want to hand to our children and to our grandchildren?
As the story goes, they had several hours prepared to labor over these values, but God made it so clear within 15 to 30 minutes. This vision — everyone, everywhere, every day — is too large for one generation. That's why we get the joy of establishing something that could live well beyond us.
These five values are both actual and aspirational. They are in place, and you should be able to feel them right now, today. But we are not perfect, and we have a long way to go on each one. They are present, and we are aiming at them for the future.
We believe the Bible and listen to the Holy Spirit.
This means I read, memorize, and meditate on the scriptures. I submit to live by what God says is true. Whether you've been a Christian for 40 years or two weeks, this is something God invites you into by his power — we just begin where we are.
Why do I believe the Bible is true and authoritative? Not because I went to seminary, and not because it's what I was taught growing up. I believe it because the man who went to the cross and came out of the tomb on the third day believed the Bible was true and authoritative.
"Father, sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth." — John 17
Jesus believed it. That's why we believe it. I let the Bible define how I interpret culture — I do not let culture define how I interpret the Bible. The Bible is our authoritative standard for truth, not Fox News, CNN, Instagram, Facebook, or the group chat.
All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correcting, training in righteousness, so that the men and women of God might be complete, fully equipped for every good work. — 2 Timothy 3
Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God — Jesus said that, quoting Moses. This book is our foundation, the beginning point for how we hear God in every other way — through prayer, through discerning his movements in nature, through a life of conversational intimacy with him.
Jesus taught that love first begins in loving God, then loving others as we love ourselves — the great commandment. This is a love that is sticky and rooted; it doesn't quit. It's not the easy romanticism of the world. It's a love that lays down its life.
Greater love has no one than this, that they lay down their life for their friends. — John 15
We show God's love to others through our words and our actions. The kingdom of God is not about talk — it's about power. We put this on display by giving generously — tithing, giving to things like our overflow offering. Any time my family gives, it is an offering of love to God first, before it has anything to do with people.
We encourage and serve others. When you walk into New Spring, we want you to feel welcomed and loved. We also connect people into life-giving relationships through groups, classes, and serving. This value reaches into our communities too — every campus has regular initiatives to meet local needs. In the years ahead, we're aiming to see South Carolina transformed in areas like recovery and addiction, adoption and foster care, and serving women facing unplanned pregnancy.
We invite everyone, everywhere into peace with God, which leads to peace with one another in the pursuit of a multiethnic, multi-generational church.
Where do we find this in scripture? Take a drive through Paul's letter to the Ephesians. There, Paul unpacks God's grand purpose to unite all things in heaven and on earth — Jew and Gentile reunited, unity among all kinds of people, unity in marriage. This is not a popular political trend; it is a biblical reality.
Every tribe, tongue, nation, and language all joined together, singing blessing, honor, glory, power be unto our God forever. — Revelation 7:9
We're all headed there. God's plan and purpose is unity for his glory, and it's our plan and purpose too. I show honor to everyone. I pursue relationships with people who are not like me. I am a person of forgiveness.
We help everyone discover who God is, who he's made them to be, and the life he has for them. This means I develop under godly authority, I say yes to being known by others, and I use my gifts to develop others. We are a church that serves — serving is so much more than a simple task; it's part of becoming a bold disciple.
I equip disciples to go. We are a sending church, whether God calls you to go to another nation or to send someone else there. In the book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, the common characteristic that emerged was boldness — an unafraid, peculiar courage. Making bold disciples is what we're about, and while it's an actual reality now, it's something we didn't emphasize enough in years past.
This means we work with others in our church, our communities, and around the world to help everyone know Jesus. Honestly, in our past we cared more about New Spring's name than about the kingdom of God's name wherever we would find it. I'm thankful God has helped us understand that the kingdom is so much bigger than just us.
I think of Florence, with Pastor Billy Dillard's team. During their 21 days of prayer in August, they take a week at New Spring, a week at the Presbyterian church, and a week at the Pentecostal Black church down the road — praying together, sharing, supporting one another as a city, as a family. That's what it means to have a kingdom mentality.
This value means I acknowledge Jesus alone as my king. I give my best because the kingdom is worth fighting for, serving for, giving for. I sacrifice for the kingdom's advancement, and I praise God in all circumstances — because Jesus Christ has come, he is king, and he will not stop until his work is completed. No matter what difficulty comes, I am a citizen of the kingdom of God, and my inheritance is him and all of heaven.
South Carolina will not enter renewal based on one church's impact. It will take every Christian, every believer in our state coming alive in an everyday relationship, linking arms together to see God's kingdom come.
These are our family values — actual and aspirational vehicles toward seeing everyone, everywhere in an everyday relationship with Jesus. The purpose of this whole series has been to invite you into membership at our church. This is not a new thing but a renewed thing.
Being a member is not like joining a country club — it's a biblical reality. Look at Ephesians: we are members of a family, members of a body. This helps ensure no one falls through the cracks. Being a member simply means saying yes to Jesus, yes to baptism, yes to giving, serving, and being part of fellowship and community in a group. You don't have to have it all together to begin the process — you just take a step in.
We will get to our vision by trusting God's word, showing visible love, pursuing uncommon unity, making bold disciples, and having a kingdom mentality.
As we close, I want to give three simple action steps:
Here is the gospel: all people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
God demonstrated his great love for us in this: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
If you've never given your life to Christ, as soon as I say "amen," I want you to get up out of your seat and let one of our ministry team members pray for you. Someone will help you take your next step as a child of God, born again and saved by the grace of Jesus Christ.
Father, what a joy it is to be friends with you. I want to recommit myself to you, God — we as a church are headed where you're headed, to see everyone, everywhere enjoy an everyday relationship with Jesus. Thank you for the gift of these values, this vehicle that will help us get to that destination. Enable us by your grace to trust your word, to show visible love, to pursue uncommon unity, to make bold disciples, and to have a kingdom mentality. There is no king but you, Jesus. We await in tremendous anticipation the outpouring, the wonders, the renewal you're going to bring in the days ahead. We love you, God. In Jesus' mighty name, amen.
