QUICK TAKEAWAYS

• December challenge: Fill the house (invite someone every Sunday) & fuel the mission (year-end generous offering).

• Invites matter: People are far more likely to come if you also invite them to lunch/coffee afterward.

• Idols can be anything, even power and control—things we love or trust more than God.

• The “power trip” trap: We all try to be “king of the hill” in relationships, work, politics, and even church.

• Diagnostic question: Am I willing to sin—or mistreat people—to get more control?

• Political obsession is often a power idol. Our trust must remain in the Lord, not parties or candidates.

• Jesus shows the better way: He used His power to serve, humble Himself, and ultimately conquer sin through the cross.

• Real power: grab a towel, not a title; choose service, humility, forgiveness, and trust in God’s authority.

• The same power that raised Jesus lives in you.
  

FULL SERMON SUMMARY

Did everybody have a good Thanksgiving? I know I ate way too much—I already repented, so you’re safe. I’m really glad you’re here, because as we move into December, I want to give you two challenges for the month. And yes, even if you don’t like challenges, you’re getting them anyway.

The challenges are simple:
Fill the house, and fuel the mission.

We want this house—this church—packed every Sunday in December with people you love, especially those who don’t yet know Jesus. But here’s the twist: I’m not asking you to invite someone once. I’m challenging all of us to invite someone new every single Sunday in December.

You might think, “Tony, you ask us to invite people all the time. What’s new about this?”
Well, this is different—it’s weekly. It’s intentional. And it matters more than you think.

I saw a study recently that said only about 15% of the people we invite to church actually come within six months. That’s discouraging—until you keep reading. Because the numbers shoot to 85% if the invite includes lunch or coffee afterward. That tells people, “I want you—not just your attendance.”

So my advice?
Invite them to church, then invite them to Chipotle or Mission BBQ—or coffee if you’re cheap like me.

Let’s fill the house.

The second part of the challenge is to fuel the mission through our annual year-end Generous Living offering. I’m asking you to prayerfully consider giving an over-and-above gift on December 21st as a way of ending this year strong. You’ve been unbelievably generous this year; I’m simply inviting you to continue that spirit. Every dollar—$5, $500, $5,000—fuels the mission God has given us.

So December is about fill the house and fuel the mission.

Now, let me shift gears.

When I was a kid, I loved the game King of the Hill. You find a pile of dirt, get a bunch of sweaty kids, and on the count of three everyone charges up the mound trying to knock everyone else off. If you make it to the top first, you’re king—at least for a moment. But the game isn’t over, because now everyone else is trying to take you down.

And this goes on and on—until mom calls you in for dinner, or somebody gets seriously injured.

As kids, we loved the feeling of standing on top—that sense of glory, spotlight, and power.

The funny thing is:
Some things don’t change when we grow up.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve talked about the “little g” gods—idols—that sneak into our lives. Sometimes we don’t even recognize them. And we think, “I don’t have idols.” But an idol is simply anything I prove I love, trust, or look to more than God. It’s anything I think will give me more significance, security, or satisfaction than the Lord Himself.

And that can be money. Sex. Comfort. Career. Appearance. Hobbies. Even your phone.

But today I want to talk about one that often hides in plain sight:

Power.

We love feeling in control. We love being king of the hill.

Now, most of us don’t imagine ourselves like Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars screaming “UNLIMITED POWER!” while electrocuting a Jedi. And we certainly don’t think of ourselves like Lucifer, who wanted to overthrow God and ended up getting thrown out of heaven.

But the desire for power shows up in much subtler ways—ways that are a lot closer to home.

Think about Adam and Eve. Satan told them, “God’s holding out on you. Eat this, and you’ll be like Him.” It was a temptation for power, control, independence. And that same temptation still whispers to us:
“I don’t need God telling me what to do. I want to call my own shots.”

Or think about Jesus’ own disciples arguing over who would get the special seats in the kingdom. They wanted importance. Authority. Spotlight. Position.

Sound familiar?

We do the same thing at work—jockeying for position, craving recognition, being willing to bend the rules…or even sin…to get ahead.

And that leads to a diagnostic question I’ve been giving throughout this series:

Am I willing to sin in order to get it?
To violate Scripture?
To ignore the Holy Spirit?
Just to feel in control?

If so, that’s a clue: power may have become an idol.

Let’s get practical:

Am I willing to power up on my kids just to prove I’m the boss?
Husbands, do we shut down or intimidate our wives to stay in control?
Wives, do we manipulate to get what we want?

Are we control freaks at work? In our friend groups? In our homes?

And if you look around your friend circle and don’t see the control freak…
well…you might be the one.

Let me pour a little gasoline on the fire:
How does your desire for power show up in politics?

Do you stay glued to political news all day?
Does your whole mood collapse when someone online challenges your party?
Do you defend your political tribe without question—even when they’re wrong?

Do you cut off family or friends who disagree politically?

Every election cycle, one side feels secure because “their team is in charge,” and the other side feels hopeless because “their team lost.”

Meanwhile, God is still King.

The Psalmist said, “Some trust in chariots, some in horses…”
Today we might say: some trust in donkeys, some in elephants…but we trust in the Lord.

Political parties can influence society, but they can’t save society. Only God can do that.

So what’s the better way?

Let me suggest two things:

1. Trust the God who actually holds all the power.
Not the illusion of power we scramble for.

2. Spend your days trying to become more like Jesus.

Philippians 2 says Jesus—though He was God—didn’t cling to His power.
He laid it down.
He humbled Himself.
He served.
He obeyed.
He died on the cross.

That is the ultimate power move.

He conquered sin and death not by grabbing power but by giving it away.
And then God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above every name.

And the night before the cross?
Jesus didn’t grab a throne. He grabbed a towel.
He washed His disciples’ dirty feet—an act of humility, service, and love.

So the next time I’m tempted to grab for control—maybe I should grab a towel instead.
The next time I want the spotlight—maybe I should step back and serve.
The next time I want to be king of the hill—maybe I should take a knee.

And here’s the good news:
If you’re in Christ, you already have real power.

The Bible says the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.

That’s the power to forgive when you’d rather retaliate.
The power to release bitterness.
The power to serve instead of dominate.
The power to trust instead of control.

So I ask the Holy Spirit to shine His light on us today:
“Lord, is there anywhere power has become an idol in my life? Any place I’m clinging to control instead of clinging to You?”

And then I pray we become more like Jesus—who showed us that real strength looks like humility, love, and surrender.