Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

Our topic today is “The Blessing of Faithfulness.” Reading Psalm 101:6, David wrote: “My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,That they may dwell with me;He who walks in a perfect way,He shall serve me.” The New Living Translation reads this way: “I will search for faithful people to be my companions.Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me.” Let me also read Psalm 36:5: “Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” David describes the type of people that God will use greatly. He also expressed his preference for people who would serve with him. He stated that God wants—and he wants—faithful people as companions. He wasn’t looking for the famous, the wealthy, the powerful, or the self-promoting. Our faithfulness can only proceed from God’s faithfulness. As we read, God’s faithfulness reaches to the clouds. It is never about how many people you can count. It is always about who you can count on. What we want to settle in our hearts is this: We want to be faithful because God is faithful. Even giftedness is no shortcut, because giftedness without faithfulness becomes a liability. Walking with God and walking with others is beyond a casual association. Only faithfulness qualifies people for nearness and trust. Of all the characteristics required to serve God and serve others, being faithful is at the top of that list. Proverbs 28:20 reads: “A faithful man will abound with blessings,But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” So achieving blessing in life isn’t difficult; it is connected to faithfulness to God and faithfulness to others. When it’s all said and done, we want to hear the words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 25:21: “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant;you were faithful over a few things,I will make you ruler over many things.Enter into the joy of your lord.’” Let me encourage you to listen to my message from last Sunday, which is part two of the series “Rooted and Grounded.” That message was entitled “Agency: The Power Working Within.” Never underestimate the power of God in you to give you the ability to act, to make things happen, and to influence your environment—and not just be influenced. That’s called agency. God bless. Have a great day, and be encouraged.

DOWNLOAD KEYNOTE SLIDES BRIEF SUMMARY: In Rooted & Grounded, Part Two: The Power Working Within, Pastor Bryan Hudson teaches from Ephesians 3:14–21 that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think because His power is working within believers. Being rooted and grounded in love gives us stability, while God’s inner power gives us strength, confidence, and responsibility. The sermon emphasizes that believers are not powerless, even when they feel weak or overwhelmed. God’s power within us gives us agency—the ability to act, choose, make decisions, resist oppression, and make a difference. Pastor Hudson connects this spiritual truth to personal life, ministry, history, and justice, showing that God’s power is not only for personal blessing but also for serving others and impacting systems. The main message is: God’s power within us enables us to live in victory, bless others, and use our God-given agency to make a difference in the world. DETAILED SUMMARY Series Title: Rooted & Grounded   Part Two: The Power Working WithinPastor Bryan Hudson, D.Min.Main Text: Ephesians 3:14–21 Key Verse: Ephesians 3:20,  “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…”  Central Theme This sermon teaches that God’s power is not only above us or around us, but working within us. Pastor Hudson connects Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 to the believer’s personal life, the church’s corporate mission, and the broader responsibility to use God-given power to bless others and confront unjust systems. The message moves from personal encouragement to social responsibility. God’s power within believers is not merely for feeling better, receiving blessings, or personal success. It is also for agency, dominion, service, courage, justice, and community impact. 1. Review of Part One: Rooted and Grounded Pastor Hudson begins by reviewing the first part of the series. He explains that the phrase “rooted and grounded”combines two images: Rooted is an agricultural term. It pictures a tree planted deeply in soil, drawing life, nourishment, and stability from its roots. Grounded is an architectural term. It pictures a building resting on a strong foundation. The point is clear:There is no growth without roots, and there is no structure without foundation. Believers must be rooted in God’s love and grounded on a solid spiritual foundation. This foundation prepares them to understand and experience the power of God working within them. 2. Paul’s Prayer in Ephesians 3 The sermon centers on Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14–21. Pastor Hudson highlights the major blessings Paul prays for: The believer is strengthened with might through the Holy Spirit in the inner person. Christ dwells in the heart by faith. The believer is rooted and grounded in love. The saints are able to comprehend the width, length, depth, and height of Christ’s love. They come to know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge. They are filled with all the fullness of God. Then Paul reaches the powerful conclusion:“Now to Him who is able…” Pastor Hudson emphasizes that the words “He is able” summarize the confidence of the passage. God is able to do what we cannot do. He is able to work beyond human weakness, limited resources, opposition, uncertainty, and difficult circumstances. 3. God’s Ability Works Through God’s Power in Us A major point of the sermon is that God’s ability is not disconnected from believers. God does exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or think according to the power that works in us. This means God’s power is not only external. It operates internally through believers. Pastor Hudson stresses that life contains situations, circumstances, opportunities, and uncertainties. In all of these, believers need the mindset that God is able. But they must also understand that God often works through the power He has placed within them. This power is not only for indi

Message from Sunday, May 3 Rooted & Grounded Part One: Strengthened With Might   2 Kings 4:1 A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”So Elisha said to her, 2“What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. 4 And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. 6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

Message from Sunday, May 3 Rooted & Grounded Part One: Strengthened With Might   Romans 5:2 (NLT), Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory."   

DOWNLOAD KEYNOTE SLIDES This sermon by Pastor Bryan Hudson, D.Min., begins the series “Rooted and Grounded” with the message “Strengthened with Might,” based on Ephesians 3. The central idea is that believers must be deeply rooted and firmly grounded in the love of God in order to live with spiritual strength, purpose, and endurance. The message emphasizes that there are kingdom prerequisites—foundational habits, principles, and depths of relationship with God—that cannot be skipped. Just as students need prerequisites before advanced courses, believers need to be established in God’s love before they can fully serve others and walk in God’s purpose. A key theme is the wise use of time and attention, described as non-renewable resources. The sermon warns against being distracted by things that may look good but are spiritually obsolete or irrelevant to God’s purpose. Instead, believers are called to invest their focus in Christ, His Word, and His love. The sermon explains that being rooted is an agricultural image, like a tree planted deeply, while being grounded is an architectural image, like a building on a solid foundation. Both point to the need for a stable life built on God’s love. The source of spiritual strength is the inner life: being strengthened by the Holy Spirit in the inner person, allowing Christ to dwell in the heart by faith. The love of Christ is described in four dimensions: wide, long, deep, and high—reaching all people, lasting eternally, going into human brokenness, and lifting believers into God’s higher purpose. The sermon concludes with an affirmation that believers will make God’s kingdom a priority, use their time and attention wisely, and allow Christ to deepen their relationship with Him so they may be strengthened with might by His Spirit.