Scoreboard!
Pastor Jamie Self - 11/1/2026
In this sermon from Luke 22:1-38, Pastor Jamie Self takes us into the upper room on the night Jesus was betrayed, where the Passover feast, the bread, and the cup all point to Jesus Himself as the Lamb who must be sacrificed and the One who brings the new covenant in His blood. Around that kingdom table sit Judas, who will betray Him, Peter, who will deny Him, and disciples who argue about which of them is the greatest, all keeping score by the world's scoreboard. Jesus overturns that thinking by taking the place of the one who serves, giving a seat at His table to the very people who fail Him and praying for Peter that his faith would not fail. Pastor Jamie shows that in the kingdom we don't work so we can win. Jesus brings the win so we can work, and our service becomes a joyful celebration of the seat He has already given us.
Weekly Reflection
“In the kingdom you don't work so you can win. Jesus brings the win so you can work.”
Most of us know how to keep score. We measure ourselves against the people around us, and even our serving can quietly become a way to earn points with God or build a good reputation. On the night He was betrayed, the disciples argued about which of them was the greatest, and Jesus took the place of the one who serves, giving a seat at His table to the very people who would fail Him. If our seat is a gift, then serving is no longer how we score. It becomes how we celebrate the win He has already won, at the kitchen sink, in our marriages, and with neighbors who don't deserve it any more than we do.
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This Week’s Challenge:
Where am I serving to score points instead of celebrating my seat at the table? This week, pick the moment that drains you most: wiping one more nose, responding when your spouse does it again, or talking with a neighbor after Tuesday's election. Before you step in, pray, "Holy Spirit, remind me of my seat at the table." Then serve that person on purpose, with joy, without keeping score.
Scripture:
Luke 22:1-38