NorthStar Church Blog

 

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8 (NLT)

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EMPOWERED TO LIVE SENT

Jesus does not just call us to a mission; He also gives us the power to fulfill it. When we think about sharing our faith, serving others, or making disciples, it can feel overwhelming. But God never intended for us to do this in our own strength.

To “live sent” means understanding that our daily lives are integral to God’s greater plan. Every relationship, every responsibility, and every place we go is a mission field. The power of the Holy Spirit enables ordinary people to live with extraordinary purpose.

Years ago, a UPS driver in Texas delivered packages in the same neighborhood for over a decade. One day, he stopped to help a woman whose groceries had spilled in the street. That small act led to a conversation. Over time, neighbors came to trust him with their struggles. Eventually, he began praying with people on his route and even led two neighbors to Christ. His delivery truck became a mobile mission field.

How can you “live sent” today, right where you are? Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you with boldness, compassion, and clarity.

 

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Steve Roach serves as the Pastor of Spiritual Growth at NorthStar Church. He and his wife, Amy, live in Acworth and have three girls, Olivia, Sydney, and Hayley and one son, Colton.  He enjoys watching sports and spending time with his family.

 

Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised… In just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 1:4-5 (NLT)

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WAITING ON GOD

Jesus had just risen from the dead. The disciples were eager. The world was in need. But Jesus said, “Wait.”

That may sound surprising. Why wait when you have the greatest news in history? Because Jesus knew the mission was impossible without the Spirit. The gospel cannot be lived out or shared effectively without God’s power.

Waiting on God is not about inactivity; it is about preparation. It is about learning to trust God’s timing more than our impulses or feelings. The temptation we face is to rush into decisions, relationships, or conversations without seeking God’s direction. But Jesus modeled a different way of living. He made sure to include time alone with His Father in prayer. He was never in a hurry. In fact, He even delayed a day when His friend Lazarus was close to death. Jesus never made a move without considering His Father’s will.

During World War II, General George Patton was told to wait before advancing his troops. Instead of pushing forward out of impatience, he followed orders. Days later, he learned that his delay had prevented his men from walking into a deadly ambush. What looked like wasted time turned out to be divine protection.

Waiting isn’t weakness when it’s obedience. Where do you need to slow down and wait on the Spirit before moving forward? Ask God to prepare your heart and equip you as you wait.

 

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Steve Roach serves as the Pastor of Spiritual Growth at NorthStar Church. He and his wife, Amy, live in Acworth and have three girls, Olivia, Sydney, and Hayley and one son, Colton.  He enjoys watching sports and spending time with his family.

 

“…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 

Matthew 28:20b (NIV)

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RESTING IN HIS PRESENCE

 

The Great Commission ends with a promise—not a command.

After calling His followers to go, to make disciples, to baptize, and to teach, Jesus offers this final word: “I am with you always.” Not sometimes. Not if you get it right. Not when you feel strong. Always.

It’s easy to read the Great Commission and feel the weight of it. We hear the call and start asking ourselves:
Am I doing enough?
Am I going where I’m supposed to go?
Am I equipped to make disciples?
What if I mess it up?

But Jesus knew that. He knew we would wrestle with fear, insecurity, doubt, and weakness. That’s why He ended not with pressure, but with presence.

This isn’t a mission we were meant to fulfill on our own. From the moment He spoke these words, Jesus made it clear: You’re not doing this by yourself.

As someone who’s lived out ministry in both vibrant seasons and deeply vulnerable ones, I can tell you—this promise has become my anchor.

There have been times when I’ve felt strong and sure, walking confidently in the work God called me to do. But there have also been long stretches—especially in this current season of chronic illness—when I’ve felt completely poured out. On those days, it’s not the commission that carries me. It’s the presence.

I may not have the same physical capacity I once did. I may not be able to go, serve, or lead in all the ways I used to. But Jesus is still with me. Still leading me. Still using me.

His presence is not dependent on my performance.
It’s not tied to how “productive” I am for the Kingdom.
It’s just… true. Always.

And that has changed the way I measure faithfulness—not by what I do, but by how I walk with Him.

Wherever you are today—whether you feel energized or exhausted, bold or broken, ready to lead or barely hanging on—know this: You are not alone. The same Jesus who called His disciples on that mountaintop is walking with you right now.

You don’t have to muster up strength you don’t have. You don’t have to figure it all out before you take the next step. You just have to trust that He is with you—empowering, equipping, and encouraging you every step of the way.

The Great Commission was never about what we can do for Jesus. It’s about what He can do through us—when we go with Him.

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Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for never sending me alone. Help me live in constant awareness of Your presence. When I feel afraid, remind me You are near. When I feel weak, strengthen me by Your Spirit. May I walk in confidence—not in myself, but in You.

Reflect:

• Where do you need to be reminded that Jesus is with you?

• What changes when you remember that you’re not walking out your calling alone?

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Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

 

 

“…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Matthew 28:19b-20a (NIV)

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Baptizing and Teaching – Sharing the Whole Gospel

 

Yesterday, we looked at the slow, patient work of investing in people—building trust, laying a foundation, and discipling long before you ever open a Bible together. Today, we turn to what happens after that foundation has been laid.

Because there comes a moment in every disciple-making journey when the seeds planted in relationship begin to grow toward transformation. But here’s the beautiful—and sometimes challenging—truth: we don’t always get to see the harvest.

Sometimes we plant. Sometimes we water. Occasionally, we get to witness the moment that fruit begins to bloom. But every step is sacred, and all of it is God’s.

In 2018, I began working with a local girls’ high school basketball program. I was not a basketball player. I wasn’t even an athlete. I felt confident talking to the girls in the locker room before games—but when it came to building relationships with the coaches, I was completely out of my comfort zone. Still, I felt the Lord calling me to show up. To listen. To invest.

One of the coaches I met was a former player at that same school—young, newly in a leadership role, and figuring it all out in real time. We connected easily. She opened up. I listened. I didn’t push. I didn’t preach. I just showed up, week after week.

Then one morning, everything shifted. I got a 6 a.m. text: “Can we talk?”

In that moment, I knew—this was what the Lord had been preparing our relationship for. From that day forward, we began walking through some incredibly hard and deeply personal circumstances together. And slowly, we opened God’s Word side by side. We prayed. We studied. We asked big questions.

A few summers later, while walking the track between games at a tournament, she looked at me and asked if I would baptize her. It was one of the greatest honors of my life. And the transformation didn’t stop there—she joined the church, got involved in a small group, and started leading her team with faith and boldness. I watched as she became a woman who wasn’t just coached by me—but discipled by Jesus.

Moments like these are holy reminders that the gospel isn’t meant to be kept to ourselves—or halfway shared. Jesus called us to baptize and teach—to lead people into full relationship with Him, not just casual connection. That includes sharing the full truth of who He is, what He has done, and what it means to follow Him with our whole lives.

Let’s be honest: that can feel intimidating. Especially when the person you’re investing in has become a friend. We don’t want to pressure or offend. We don’t want to be “too much.” But the gospel, shared with love and grace, is never too much—it’s exactly what people need most.

Discipleship isn’t just about walking with someone through the hard parts of life. It’s also about walking them into the transforming power of Christ. It’s both/and—relational investment and gospel invitation. Trusting that when we’re faithful to share, the Holy Spirit is faithful to move.

So whether you’re planting seeds, watering them, or watching them bloom—keep going. Keep speaking. Keep sharing. You never know when you might get a glimpse of heaven right here on earth.

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Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for the privilege of walking with others in both the quiet and the bold moments. Give me courage to share Your whole truth with love, patience, and joy. Use my story and my obedience to reflect Your grace and invite others into Your kingdom.

Reflect:

• Have you ever stopped short of sharing the whole gospel with someone because of fear or discomfort?

• What would it look like to take one small step of obedience this week—whether through conversation, invitation, or prayer?

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Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

 

 

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…

Matthew 28:19a (NIV)

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Make Disciples – Investing in Others with Patience and Presence

 

Let’s be honest—people can be very… peopley.

Every single one of us comes with baggage. Some of it’s obvious. Some of it we keep tucked away, hidden under layers of personality, performance, or pain. And whether we realize it or not, that baggage affects how we show up in the world. It can make us short-tempered, distant, guarded, or inconsistent.

In short: we’re complicated. All of us. And yet, this is the world Jesus stepped into. These are the people He called—including us.

When Jesus said, “Go and make disciples,” He wasn’t just speaking to a squeaky-clean crowd. He was commissioning flawed, overwhelmed, imperfect people to invest in the lives of other flawed, overwhelmed, imperfect people. And that’s still the call today.

Discipleship is not a drive-by act of kindness. It’s not a one-time conversation or a check-the-box good deed. It’s a life-on-life investment—one that requires time, patience, and intentionality.

In my work as a domestic missionary to coaches and athletes, I’ve had the privilege of discipling people in both structured and unstructured ways. Sometimes it looks like a weekly Bible study—knee to knee, Scripture open, lives being shared and sharpened. Those moments are powerful, and I treasure them.

But some of my most meaningful discipleship relationships have started before the Bible was ever opened.

There were a couple of years when I had athletes who regularly excused themselves from team devotionals. It would’ve been easy to write them off, to focus only on those who stayed. But instead, I felt drawn to invest differently—to show up in the ordinary moments: sideline chats, hallway conversations, casual celebrations, and shared disappointments. And slowly, a foundation began to form. No judgment. No pressure. Just presence.

One of those athletes never did sit through a full team devotional. But she graduated having seen Jesus in how we lived and loved each other—and in how I treated her with consistency and grace. That’s discipleship, too.

There’s a kind of disciple-making that’s structured and intentional. It involves Scripture, prayer, accountability, and shared spiritual growth. It’s beautiful. It’s needed.

But there’s also a kind of disciple-making that happens before conversion—before the Bible is opened. It’s slower. Quieter. It involves building trust, earning the right to speak into someone’s life, waiting for the Spirit to soften hearts and open doors. And it’s just as holy.

Discipleship is both/and—not either/or.

So let’s be bold in the discipleship that looks like opening the Word and walking alongside a brother or sister in faith. And let’s be just as faithful in the kind that begins with presence, patience, and prayer—with planting seeds we may never see harvested this side of heaven.

Jesus never shied away from the mess. He moved toward it. And He invites us to do the same.

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Prayer:
Lord, thank You for calling me not just to believe, but to invest in others. Give me patience when it’s slow, grace when it’s messy, and boldness to walk alongside others even when I don’t see the fruit right away. Help me trust that You are always working—sometimes in ways I can’t yet see.

Reflect:

• Who in your life might need more than a quick word of encouragement—someone who needs you to stay, to walk with them, to listen first before speaking truth?

• What kind of discipleship is God inviting you into right now—structured or slow-burn, or maybe both?

 

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Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

 

 

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…

Matthew 28:19a (NIV)

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LIVING SENT WHERE YOU ARE

 

“Go.” It’s such a short, simple word—easy to understand and hard to ignore. It implies action. Movement. Response.

When someone says “go,” you don’t sit back and wait—you move. As kids, many of us heard that word while lined up at the top of a hill or the edge of a sidewalk, racing friends on bikes or on foot. On your mark. Get set. Go. It launched us into motion, filled with energy and anticipation.

That’s what Jesus was doing with the disciples in this passage. He wasn’t just offering them a good idea—He was giving them a mission. A purpose. A holy push forward.

At Northstar, we often use the phrase “Live Sent.” It’s a modern-day way of saying what Jesus said at the end of Matthew: Go. Make disciples. Live intentionally.

But here’s the thing—“going” looks different in every season of life.

When I first began walking with the Lord, my “go” looked like serving in the preschool ministry—reading Bible stories to toddlers and learning alongside them about who Jesus is. Later, I was called into vocational ministry. “Going” then meant leading Bible studies with coaches and athletes, sharing God’s truth in locker rooms, gyms, and on the sidelines.

Now, I find myself in a different kind of season. Chronic illness has changed what “going” can physically look like for me. There are days my feet can’t take me far—but my voice still can. I’ve learned that going isn’t always about crossing physical borders. Sometimes it’s about crossing internal ones—fear, fatigue, or the comfort of routine—and being willing to speak truth and encouragement even from a place of limitation.

The call to “go” can challenge us deeply—because let’s be honest, we’re busy. We’re tired. Our lives are full. And the idea of adding one more thing to the calendar can feel overwhelming.

But what if going isn’t about adding something?
What if it’s about reframing what’s already in front of us?

You don’t have to go overseas to live sent (though maybe one day God will call you to). You can “go” right into your office, your classroom, your gym, your neighborhood. It could look like showing up early once a week to lead a devotional with coworkers. Or choosing to show up to your regular life with an intentional posture—looking for ways to reflect Jesus in word and in deed.

Yes, that kind of “going” might feel uncomfortable at first. But that’s part of the beauty. Obedience rarely happens in comfort zones. It’s in the stretching that we grow—and in the going that others come to know Him.

Here’s the truth: every follower of Jesus is commissioned to go. Not necessarily to faraway places, but always to people. Our neighbors. Our coworkers. Our families. Our teammates. Our communities.

Wherever you are, there is your mission field.

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Prayer:
Jesus, help me not to miss the opportunities right in front of me to live sent. Show me what “go” looks like in my current season. Give me boldness when I feel timid and faithfulness when I feel tired. Use me—right where I am—for Your glory.

Reflect:

• Where has God already placed you that could become your mission field?

• What small, intentional step of “going” could you take this week?

 

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Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

 

 

Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘”All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Matthew 28:18 (NIV)

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ALL AUTHORITY — TRUSTING IN JESUS’ POWER

 

There’s something remarkable about the way God weaves moments together with such intention that it can’t possibly be coincidence. A certain message, a Scripture passage, a conversation—lined up so specifically that it feels like it was handpicked just for you.

For many, the phrase “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” might sound like a theological statement—true and powerful, but somehow distant. It’s one of those verses we’ve heard enough times to nod in agreement without really stopping to ask: What does that mean for my actual, everyday life?

But this verse from Matthew 28 hits differently when life feels out of your control.

For those walking through a difficult diagnosis, an extended season of caregiving, or the heavy grief of loss…
For those who have stepped away from a career they once loved or are living with limitations they never expected…
For anyone who has had to release the life they thought they’d be living—this verse becomes less of a concept and more of a lifeline.

Over the past several months, I’ve been walking through a season of chronic illness—a slow, exhausting wilderness that has stretched longer than I ever anticipated. It’s challenged everything I thought I understood about control, strength, and trust.

In the past, I could push through hard things. I could power my way out of discomfort with determination. But now, my days often begin and end with physical limitations I can’t “will” my way out of. I’ve grieved the version of myself who once operated with energy, ease, and independence—and I’ve had to ask: If You, Jesus, have all authority, why this? Why now? Why still?

And yet—this slow surrender is reshaping me. In the stripping away of what I once relied on, I’m being drawn closer to the One who truly holds my life in His hands. My grip is loosening. My dependency is growing. I’m learning—however reluctantly at times—that trusting His authority means trusting His timing, His pace, and even His silence.

There are seasons when trials come like waves—brief and forceful, but eventually passing. And then there are seasons when it feels like the waves never stop, when the storm isn’t just a moment but a new reality. In those places, trusting that Jesus holds all authority becomes more than a Sunday school answer—it becomes the foundation we cling to when nothing else feels stable.

Many of us know what it’s like to say we trust God’s authority while still quietly gripping tightly to our own plans and expectations. But prolonged struggle often reveals just how much we’ve been relying on ourselves. And in the unraveling, we’re invited into a deeper dependence—not a defeated one, but a holy one.

There’s beauty in that kind of surrender. Because when we’re no longer striving to manage everything, we’re finally free to sit at Jesus’ feet—open-handed, open-hearted, and ready to be filled. Sometimes, the most faithful thing we can do is simply show up in His presence—not with a to-do list, but with a quiet willingness to be led.

This isn’t the version of discipleship many of us imagined. It’s slower. It’s more dependent. It’s quieter. But it’s real. And it’s holy.

Because if we’re to be disciples who make disciples, we must first be people who know what it is to trust Jesus fully—not just with our salvation, but with our suffering. With our unknowns. With our today.

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Prayer:
Jesus, help me not just to believe You have all authority, but to trust You with the parts of my life I can’t control. In the places where I feel powerless, remind me of Your power. In the waiting, be my peace. In the letting go, be my guide.

Reflect:

• Where in your life are you being invited to trust Jesus’ authority more deeply?

• What might it look like to loosen your grip and lean into His?

 

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Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

 

 

Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 

John 20:26

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GOOD GOD!

 

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Quite simply, Dave Griffith loves getting to know Jesus better by studying His Word daily and is passionate about teaching his siblings in Christ how to study His Word as well. He is passionately in love and like with his helpmate, Jackie; and is most fulfilled when he is hanging with his 10 kids (3 of his, 2 of Jackie’s, 3 are married, 2 more spiritually adopted) and 9 grandkids. He is a small group leader and a men’s group leader. He is a serial entrepreneur owning or having owned numerous businesses. He also enjoys naps!