his Sunday’s message hit home for me. Both Sunday School and the sermon revolved around Acts 6:1-6, a passage that often gets overlooked but carries so much wisdom about priorities, leadership, and service.
Sunday School: Order Out of Conflict
The early church was growing fast, and with growth came problems. The Hellenistic widows were being overlooked in daily food distribution, and it could have turned into a messy blame game. But the apostles? They didn’t point fingers or get defensive. Instead, they took the issue seriously and responded with clarity and grace.
Here’s what stood out:
• Clear Priorities: The apostles knew their primary calling—prayer and ministry of the Word. They didn’t dismiss the problem but communicated why they couldn’t handle everything themselves.
• Shared Leadership: Instead of micromanaging, they turned the solution over to the community, asking them to choose seven men of good reputation, “full of the Spirit and wisdom.”
• Spiritual Foundation: They didn’t just assign tasks. They prayed and laid hands on the seven, affirming the spiritual weight of their service.
It wasn’t just about logistics. It was about protecting the mission, vision, and values of the church while empowering others to step up. They addressed risks, clarified roles, and kept the focus on what mattered most.
Sermon: Put the Big Things First
The sermon drove the point home with the familiar illustration of a jar, rocks, pebbles, and sand. If you fill the jar with sand first, the big rocks won’t fit. But if you start with the rocks, everything else falls into place around them.
In Acts 6, the apostles made sure the “big rocks” came first: prayer, ministry, and Spirit-filled leadership. They trusted others to handle the pebbles and sand—not because those tasks were unimportant, but because they had to stay true to their calling.
Personal Takeaway: What Needs to Go?
One challenge from the sermon really stuck with me:
“Prayerfully ask God what I need to let go of and prioritize—and give others a chance to serve.”
It’s easy to think we have to do everything ourselves, whether at church, work, or home. But Acts 6 reminds us that letting go isn’t failure; it’s faith. It’s trusting God to fill the gaps and giving others the opportunity to step into their calling.
The passage also highlighted how being willing to serve matters. The early church found “seven men full of the Spirit and wisdom” because those men were already living lives of integrity and service. Opportunities to serve are everywhere—but it takes willingness to step up.
Final Thought: Big Rocks, First Things
Just like the apostles protected their time for prayer and ministry, I’m asking myself:
• What are my big rocks right now?
• What sand is taking up space and crowding them out?
• Where can I step aside, not out of avoidance, but to give someone else a chance to grow?
If the early church had ignored the widows’ needs or let the issue spiral into division, their mission would’ve stalled. Instead, they clarified, delegated, and trusted God—and the church kept growing (Acts 6:7).
That’s what happens when you put the big things first.