North Cities

More Than You Know and Less Than You Think | Jonathan Follmer

Vince Stegall — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:12:20 +0000

In John 6:5-13, the disciples saw only a hungry crowd and not enough food, but Jesus already had a plan. Missionary Jonathan Follmer reminds us that Jesus already has a plan when we face needs beyond our ability to meet.

There are moments when the need in front of us is obviously greater than what we have available.

The problem is bigger than our resources. The responsibility feels greater than our ability. We look at what needs to happen, then look at what we have to work with, and the numbers simply do not add up.

John 6:5–13 brings us into one of those moments. Thousands of people had followed Jesus, and the crowd needed to eat. The disciples could see the need clearly. They could also see their limitations. What they could not see was that Jesus already had a plan.

In “More Than You Know and Less Than You Think,” Missionary Jonathan Follmer reminds us that the same is true when we encounter needs beyond our ability to meet. We often know less about what God is doing than we realize—and God may require less from us than we think.

Our responsibility is not to become the source.

Our responsibility is to trust the One who is.

Jesus Already Knows What He Is Going to Do

One of the most encouraging details in John 6 appears before the miracle ever begins.

Jesus asks Philip, “Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But John immediately explains that Jesus was testing Philip, “for he himself knew what he would do.”

The disciples were trying to solve a problem Jesus had already accounted for.

They saw thousands of hungry people. Jesus saw what was about to happen.

They saw insufficient resources. Jesus saw an opportunity for multiplication.

They were calculating what they did not have. Jesus already knew what He was going to do with what was available.

That truth reaches far beyond this particular miracle. There will be seasons when we do not understand what God is doing. We may be praying about our family, finances, future, ministry, health, or a decision that seems beyond our wisdom. We see the immediate need, but we cannot see how God intends to meet it.

Not knowing God’s plan does not mean God doesn’t have one.

The disciples did not know what Jesus was going to do.

Jesus did.

Sometimes that is enough.

We Usually Start by Calculating What We Don’t Have

Philip’s response is understandable. He starts doing the math.

Even two hundred pennyworth of bread would not be enough for everyone to receive a little.

Philip wasn’t wrong about the size of the problem. His calculation may have been perfectly reasonable. The problem was that his calculation did not account for Jesus.

We do the same thing.

We calculate our income against the need. We compare our experience with the opportunity. We measure our strength against the responsibility. We look at our schedule, education, connections, personality, age, past, or resources and conclude, I don’t have enough.

Sometimes our assessment is accurate.

We really don’t have enough.

And that may be precisely the point.

Faith is not pretending five loaves are enough to feed thousands. Faith is recognizing that five loaves in the hands of Jesus are no longer limited to what five loaves can ordinarily accomplish.

God May Be Asking for Less Than You Think

Andrew eventually finds a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. Even then, his response reveals how inadequate the offering appears: “But what are they among so many?”

That question captures the way many of us feel about what we have to offer God.

What difference could my ability make?

What could God possibly do with my resources?

How could I help when the need is this great?

We can become so intimidated by the size of the assignment that we assume God expects us to personally possess everything necessary to accomplish it.

He doesn’t.

Jesus did not ask the boy to feed the multitude.

He asked for what the boy had.

You Don’t Have to Be the Miracle Worker

This is where the miracle becomes deeply personal.

The boy did not need enough bread for thousands of people. He only needed to surrender the lunch already in his hands.

The disciples did not have to create food. They simply had to follow Jesus’ instructions and distribute what He provided.

And the crowd did not have to understand the process. They simply received.

We can place enormous pressure on ourselves when we confuse God’s role with ours. We think we have to produce the answer, change the person, create the opportunity, finance the entire vision, fix the family, or somehow guarantee the outcome.

But God never asked us to become God.

Sometimes obedience is much smaller than the miracle we are asking Him to perform.

What God asks from you may be less than you think because what He can do with it is more than you know.

Stop Disqualifying What Is Already in Your Hands

Five loaves and two fish did not look impressive beside the need.

But Jesus did not despise the small offering.

He received it.

That should challenge the way we think about what God has placed in our hands.

We tend to notice what other people have. Someone else is more gifted. Someone else has more experience. Someone else has more money, influence, education, confidence, time, or opportunity.

Meanwhile, God may be asking, What have I already put in your hands?

Perhaps you can encourage someone.

Perhaps you can teach a Bible study.

Perhaps you can open your home.

Perhaps you can pray.

Perhaps you can give.

Perhaps you can serve.

Perhaps you can share your testimony.

Perhaps you can invite someone to church.

None of those things may seem significant enough to address the enormous spiritual needs around us. But the miracle of John 6 teaches us not to judge the potential of something merely by its size before it has been placed in the hands of Jesus.

The Need Is Greater Than Us, but It Is Not Greater Than Jesus

This truth is particularly important when we think about missions and evangelism.

A missionary can look at an entire nation and become overwhelmed by the need. A pastor can look at a city and wonder how one congregation could possibly reach it. A parent can look at the pressures confronting the next generation and wonder whether they are equipped to raise children who will faithfully follow Jesus.

At North Cities, we can look at Garland, Texas, and the surrounding communities of Murphy, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett, and Wylie and see thousands upon thousands of people who need hope, biblical truth, community, and an encounter with Jesus.

The need throughout Dallas County, Collin County, and Rockwall County is bigger than any one church.

That’s not discouraging.

That’s reality.

The disciples were not capable of feeding the multitude either.

The question isn’t whether North Cities possesses enough resources to meet every need in North Texas. The question is whether we will faithfully place what God has given us into His hands and trust Him to multiply our obedience.

The church was never intended to be the source.

Jesus is the source.

Don’t Let the Size of the Crowd Make You Miss the Lunch

When we focus exclusively on the magnitude of a problem, we can overlook the small opportunity for obedience sitting directly in front of us.

There were thousands of hungry people, but the miracle began with one available lunch.

This is how God often works.

We pray for revival but overlook one person we could invite.

We pray for our community but don’t introduce ourselves to our neighbor.

We want God to use us in significant ways but dismiss ordinary opportunities to serve.

We want clarity about our calling but hesitate to obey the last thing God placed in front of us.

There is nothing wrong with believing God for something great. But sometimes the pathway toward something great begins with something that feels remarkably small.

One conversation.

One prayer.

One offering.

One invitation.

One act of generosity.

One surrendered lunch.

The small thing becomes significant when it is surrendered to Jesus.

Jesus Can Multiply What We Surrender

John tells us that Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them. The people ate “as much as they would.”

The story begins with scarcity and ends with abundance.

That transformation did not happen because the disciples discovered resources they had previously overlooked. Jesus multiplied what was surrendered to Him.

This is one of the great tensions of faith. God expects us to participate, but the outcome ultimately depends upon Him.

We work, but God gives the increase.

We speak, but God changes hearts.

We pray, but God performs what only He can do.

We give, but God determines how far the gift reaches.

We obey, but God produces results beyond our ability.

Understanding that does not make us passive. It makes us dependent.

We should bring God our best. We should prepare, work, plan, serve, give, and pursue excellence. But after we have done everything within our ability, we can release the crushing pressure of believing everything depends upon us.

It doesn’t.

There Is More in Jesus Than the Situation Requires

The conclusion of the miracle is easy to overlook.

Everyone ate.

Everyone was filled.

And then Jesus instructed the disciples to gather what remained.

They collected twelve baskets of leftovers.

The story began with the disciples believing they did not have enough. It ended with more remaining than they had possessed when they started.

That’s the kind of Savior we serve.

Jesus was not barely enough.

He was more than enough.

Whatever you are facing today, this story does not promise that God will always solve the situation exactly as you expect. It does remind us that the limitations we see are not limitations on Jesus.

He knows things we don’t know.

He sees resources we don’t see.

He understands tomorrow while we are still trying to navigate today.

And before the disciples ever knew how the crowd would be fed, Jesus already knew what He was going to do.

More Than You Know and Less Than You Think

Maybe the need in front of you feels impossible.

You have run the numbers. You have considered the options. You have looked at what you possess, and it simply doesn’t seem like enough.

You may be right.

What you have may not be enough.

But what you have was never supposed to replace Jesus.

Bring Him what is in your hands.

Give Him your availability. Give Him your resources. Give Him your abilities. Give Him your uncertainty. Give Him the small thing you have been tempted to dismiss because it doesn’t seem capable of making a difference.

Then trust Him with what happens next.

Because there is more happening than you know, and what God is asking from you may be less than you think.

Jesus already knows what He is going to do.

Our responsibility is simply to trust Him enough to put what we have in His hands.

Join us for a worship service on Sunday at 9:00 or 11:00 AM and Wednesday at 7:30 PM. Learn more about service times, locations, and language options by clicking here. You may also watch LIVE by clicking here.

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The post More Than You Know and Less Than You Think | Jonathan Follmer appeared first on North Cities.

Greater Is He That Is Within Us! | John Hargrove

Vince Stegall — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 02:54:08 +0000

There are moments when life feels louder than faith.

We walk into church carrying responsibilities, questions, grief, financial pressure, family concerns, unanswered prayers, and thoughts that have been running all day. Sometimes the battle is external. Other times, the greatest battle is happening in our own minds.

In “Greater is He That is Within Us!” Pastor Johnny Hargrove reminds us of a truth that is simple enough to memorize but powerful enough to carry us through every season: the God who lives within us is greater than anything that can come against us.

First John 4:4 says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

That verse is not motivational language. It is a declaration of spiritual reality.

Our victory does not come from our intelligence, talent, discipline, personality, or ability to hold everything together. Our victory comes from the One who lives within us.

The Greater One Lives Within You

John does not tell believers they overcame because they were unusually strong. He tells them they overcame because the One within them was greater than the opposition around them.

That distinction matters.

There will always be something trying to convince us that what we are facing is bigger than what God has placed within us. Fear will exaggerate the size of the problem. Discouragement will tell us we are not strong enough. Shame will remind us of our failures. The enemy will try to convince us that we are defeated before the battle is over.

But the Holy Ghost within a born-again believer is not a small resource reserved for emergency situations.

It is the power of God dwelling within His people.

Pastor Johnny reminded North Cities that the same Spirit that sustains us, directs us, strengthens us, corrects us, comforts us, and gives us overcoming power is already at work within us. We may not always feel victorious, but our feelings do not determine the truth.

If you have been born again of the water and Spirit, you do not have to manufacture victory.

You have to learn to trust the God who has already placed His Spirit within you.

God Is Not in Competition With the Enemy

One of the most important reminders in this message is that God and Satan are not equals competing for control.

God is in a category all by Himself.

He was God before the enemy ever existed. He will still be God when every battle is finished. Scripture never presents God as nervous, threatened, or uncertain about the outcome.

That should change the way we see spiritual opposition.

The enemy is real. Temptation is real. Spiritual warfare is real. Trials are real. But none of those things should ever be elevated until they appear equal to the authority of God.

The story of Job reminds us that even when the enemy attacked aggressively, he still operated within limits established by God. He could not move beyond what God allowed.

That does not mean we will never hurt, struggle, grieve, or experience loss. It means our circumstances are never outside the reach of God’s authority.

The God who lives within you is greater than the fear around you, greater than the temptation fighting you, greater than the disappointment behind you, and greater than the uncertainty ahead of you.

Your Struggle Does Not Cancel Your Identity

One of the most freeing truths Pastor Johnny shared is that struggling does not mean you no longer belong to God.

The Bible is filled with imperfect people.

Moses struggled. David failed. Peter stumbled. Elijah became discouraged. The apostles misunderstood Jesus repeatedly. Yet God continued working through imperfect vessels.

That pattern should encourage us.

Sometimes Christians assume that if they are still battling weakness, temptation, discouragement, or an area of personal brokenness, then something must be fundamentally wrong with their relationship with God.

But spiritual maturity is not the absence of struggle. It is learning where to turn in the middle of the struggle.

Pastor Johnny reflected on seasons early in his walk with God when he would fast, pray intensely, and feel especially close to the Lord. Yet after those seasons, he could still stumble. And in moments of weakness, he discovered something surprising: the love of God met him there too.

The lesson was clear.

God’s love was never something he had earned through fasting, prayer, or spiritual performance.

It was grace.

God Is Working in You, Not Waiting for You to Earn Him

Philippians 1:6 says that He who began a good work in us will continue that work.

God does not begin transforming a life and then abandon the project the moment the person struggles.

He keeps working.

That does not give us permission to become careless about sin, but it should deliver us from the exhausting belief that God’s love rises and falls with our spiritual performance.

Prayer matters.

Fasting matters.

Holiness matters.

Obedience matters.

But none of those things purchase God’s love.

We pursue God because He first loved us. We obey because His grace is already at work in us. We grow because the Spirit within us continues shaping our lives.

The Christian life is not about becoming good enough for God. It is about surrendering deeply enough for God to keep doing His work within us.

Come Boldly to the Source

Hebrews 4:16 calls us to come boldly to the throne of grace so that we may obtain mercy and find grace in the time of need.

That means when we are weak, our instinct should not be to run away from God.

We run toward Him.

When we are confused, we come.

When we fail, we come.

When we need wisdom, we come.

When we are overwhelmed, we come.

Grace is available, but we have to go to the source.

Pastor Johnny emphasized that one of the greatest dangers for believers is learning to depend on everything except God.

We seek opinions. We search online. We ask friends. We look for experts. We ask someone else to tell us what to do.

There is wisdom in godly counsel, and Scripture certainly supports receiving guidance from others. But human counsel can never replace a personal relationship with God.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.”

He did not say only pastors hear His voice.

He did not say only counselors hear His voice.

His sheep hear His voice.

Every believer must cultivate enough prayer, Scripture, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit to recognize when God is leading.

The Spirit and the Word Must Work Together

The early church was powerful because it was grounded in two things: the Spirit of God and the Word of God.

We need both.

Word without dependence on the Spirit can become merely intellectual. Spiritual passion without the foundation of Scripture can become unstable.

But when the Spirit and the Word work together, believers become deeply rooted and powerfully led.

The book of Acts church did not merely study truth. They were led by the Holy Ghost.

They prayed.

They listened.

They obeyed.

They preached the Word.

And God confirmed His Word with signs following.

That same pattern still matters for the church today.

At North Cities, we want to be a church that loves biblical truth and remains deeply sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit. We do not want to simply know what Scripture says. We want the Spirit of God to take that truth and shape the way we live Monday through Saturday.

Stop Trying to Force What God Is Not Building

Hebrews 13 reminds us to live with contentment because God has promised never to leave or forsake us.

Contentment is not laziness.

It is trust.

Sometimes we exhaust ourselves trying to force outcomes God has not asked us to create. We want a door open now. We want an answer now. We want a relationship restored now. We want the career, opportunity, healing, provision, or next step to happen on our timeline.

And sometimes God’s greatest gift is a closed door.

Pastor Johnny reminded North Cities that there are moments when God closes doors no person can open and opens doors no person can shut.

When that happens, faith says:

I don’t have to manipulate this.

I don’t have to force it.

I don’t have to panic.

I can trust the orchestration of God’s Spirit and His Word.

If God wants something in your life, He is capable of making the way.

If He does not want it, you do not need it.

That kind of confidence brings enormous peace.

God Is Still the God of Provision

This message was not merely theological. Pastor Johnny shared a fresh reminder of God’s provision.

After praying with a young man in the church who was walking through financial need, someone approached Pastor Johnny almost immediately and asked whether he knew anyone who needed financial help.

The need had been prayed over, and provision appeared.

Those moments remind us that God is not only interested in the abstract spiritual parts of our lives.

He sees real needs.

He knows real pressure.

He understands financial burdens, family grief, uncertainty, heartbreak, and questions we do not know how to answer.

We may not always know how He will respond. We should never reduce faith to a formula in which every request produces the exact answer we expect.

But we can know this:

God sees. God knows. God provides. God remains faithful.

Jesus Is Our Source

As we mature spiritually, we begin realizing how little we can accomplish without Him.

Acts 17 says, “In him we live, and move, and have our being.”

That is more than beautiful language.

It is reality.

Jesus is not one resource among many.

He is our source.

He is the source of spiritual strength.

He is the source of wisdom.

He is the source of peace.

He is the source of hope.

He is the source of grace.

He is the source of direction.

The older we become in God, the less impressed we should become with our own ability.

When we look back over our lives and see doors that opened at the perfect time, conversations that happened when we needed them, people God connected us with, prayers He answered, dangers He protected us from, and moments when His grace carried us beyond our own strength, we eventually have to admit:

This was God.

You Can Live With Confidence

There is a difference between arrogance and spiritual confidence.

Arrogance says, “I can handle this.”

Faith says, “God is with me.”

Arrogance trusts personal ability.

Faith trusts the Spirit within us.

The confidence of a born-again believer is not confidence in self. It is confidence that the God who began the work will finish it.

That is why Scripture tells us not to cast away our confidence.

When we remain close to God—face to face with Him in prayer, anchored in His Word, sensitive to His Spirit—we begin living with greater clarity.

We do not have to second-guess every step.

We do not have to live terrified that one mistake will destroy God’s plan.

We can listen.

We can obey.

We can trust.

We can keep moving.

Stir Up What God Has Put Within You

There is a difference between having once experienced the Holy Ghost and learning to live continually full of the Holy Ghost.

We can become content remembering an encounter from years ago.

But Scripture calls us to stir up the gift within us.

The Spirit is not merely a memory from an altar.

It is the daily power of God within the believer.

That means every day we return to prayer.

Every day we return to Scripture.

Every day we surrender our attitudes, thoughts, decisions, desires, and plans.

Every day we lay aside whatever weight is slowing us down.

And every day we remind ourselves again:

Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world.

A Word for Garland and North Texas

For those searching for a church in Garland, TX, or a Spirit-filled church serving families throughout Murphy, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett, Wylie, and communities across Dallas County, Collin County, and Rockwall County, this message speaks directly to the kind of faith we desire to cultivate at North Cities.

We believe the Christian life is more than attending a weekly service.

It is learning to live Spirit-led.

It is knowing God’s Word.

It is trusting Jesus when the outcome is uncertain.

It is allowing the Holy Ghost to transform our homes, relationships, decisions, and daily lives.

And it is remembering that believers do not face life alone.

The Greater One lives within us.

Greater is He That is Within Us

You may be walking through grief.

You may need financial provision.

You may be fighting an old struggle.

You may be confused about the future.

You may feel spiritually tired.

You may have failed yourself again.

None of those things change who God is.

And they do not cancel who you are in Him.

You are His son.

You are His daughter.

You have been washed.

You have been made new.

And if you have received His Spirit, the power of God is not merely around you.

He is within you.

So do not measure your future by the difficulty of your present circumstances.

Do not give the enemy more authority in your thinking than Scripture gives him.

Do not depend on your own ability to carry what only God can carry.

Come boldly to the throne.

Stay full of His Spirit.

Stay anchored in His Word.

Let Him direct your steps.

And when fear tells you the battle is too great, remind yourself of what God has already declared:

“Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

That is not simply a verse to quote.

It is a truth to live.

Join us for a worship service on Sunday at 9:00 or 11:00 AM and Wednesday at 7:30 PM. Learn more about service times, locations, and language options by clicking here. You may also watch LIVE by clicking here.

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The post Greater Is He That Is Within Us! | John Hargrove appeared first on North Cities.

The Value of a Voice | D. G. Hargrove

Vince Stegall — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 19:34:40 +0000

Every day, we are surrounded by voices.

Some voices inform us. Some entertain us. Some encourage us. Others create fear, confusion, anger, or doubt. Between conversations, social media, news, podcasts, entertainment, and our own internal dialogue, we live in a world where countless voices compete for our attention.

But Scripture shows us that a voice can be much more than noise. One voice, surrendered to God, can change a person, influence a generation, speak courage into fear, and carry the Word of God into a situation that desperately needs to hear it.

In “The Value of a Voice,” Bishop D. G. Hargrove challenges us to recognize that God has given each of us a voice—and that what we choose to do with that voice matters.

The question isn’t simply, Do I have a voice?

The greater question is: What am I using my voice to say?

A Voice Can Prepare the Way

Hundreds of years before John the Baptist appeared, Isaiah prophesied of “the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness” preparing the way of the Lord. Matthew 3:3 identifies John as the fulfillment of that prophecy.

John wasn’t the Savior. He wasn’t the Messiah. He wasn’t the answer.

He was a voice pointing people to the Answer.

That distinction teaches us something important about our own calling. We don’t have to be the solution to someone’s problem to have an impact on their life. We don’t have to possess every answer, occupy a platform, or carry an impressive title. Sometimes our responsibility is simply to use our voice to point someone toward Jesus.

A parent can do that around the dinner table. A teenager can do it at school. A coworker can do it over lunch. A friend can do it through a timely conversation. A believer can do it by sharing what God has done in their life.

John’s greatness wasn’t found in drawing attention to himself. His voice mattered because of Who his voice was pointing toward.

A Voice Can Produce Faith

Romans 10:17 tells us, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Faith involves hearing, which means somebody has to speak.

That gives enormous significance to our words. What comes out of your mouth can become what someone else hears, considers, believes, and ultimately acts upon. A conversation that seems ordinary to you may become a turning point for someone else.

We don’t always know the weight our words are carrying.

A child may remember something a parent says for decades. Someone walking through grief may hold onto one sentence of encouragement. A person questioning their faith may need someone willing to remind them of what Scripture says. Someone who believes their life is beyond redemption may need to hear a testimony of what Jesus can do.

Our culture gives tremendous value to people with the largest platforms, biggest audiences, and loudest voices. The Kingdom of God measures influence differently.

A voice doesn’t have to reach thousands to change a life. It only has to faithfully reach the person God has placed within hearing distance.

A Voice Can Speak Courage Into Fear

First Samuel 17 gives us one of Scripture’s clearest examples of the power of a voice.

Goliath had a voice.

Every day, the Philistine giant stood before Israel and spoke words designed to intimidate them. Israel listened, and fear spread through the army.

Then David arrived.

David saw the same giant everyone else saw, but he talked differently about what he saw. While everyone else was talking about Goliath, David started talking about God.

In 1 Samuel 17:45–47, David declared that he came against Goliath in the name of the Lord of hosts. He didn’t deny the size of the problem. He simply refused to let the size of the problem become greater than his understanding of God.

What Are Your Words Magnifying?

That raises an important question for every believer: What are our conversations making bigger?

We can continually rehearse what’s wrong until everyone around us becomes discouraged. We can magnify the difficulty, repeat the worst-case scenario, and give fear a microphone. Or we can acknowledge reality while reminding ourselves and others of the faithfulness of God.

A voice can complain—or encourage.

A voice can destroy—or build.

A voice can spread fear—or faith.

This doesn’t mean Christians should ignore difficulties or pretend painful circumstances don’t exist. David saw Goliath clearly. Faith isn’t denying the giant; faith is refusing to talk about the giant as though God isn’t present.

Your family needs a voice of faith. Your children need one. Your workplace needs one. Your church needs one. Our communities need believers who can look at difficult circumstances without surrendering their confidence in God.

Sometimes the atmosphere changes when one person decides to start talking about God.

A Voice Can Call Someone Back to God

Not every message God asks us to speak will be easy to deliver or easy for others to receive.

In Ezekiel 2, God sent the prophet to a spiritually resistant people. Ezekiel couldn’t control whether they listened, repented, rejected the message, or became angry with the messenger. His responsibility was to faithfully say what God had entrusted to him.

That principle still matters.

We naturally want our words to produce immediate results. We want the conversation to go well. We want the person we’re trying to help to understand. We want the child to listen, the friend to respond, or the person we’ve been praying for to turn toward God.

But obedience and outcome are not the same thing.

You are responsible for faithfulness. You are not responsible for controlling another person’s response.

There may be someone in your life whom God has repeatedly placed on your heart. Perhaps you’ve hesitated because you don’t know what they’ll say or how they’ll react. You don’t need the ability to control their response. You need the courage to faithfully carry God’s message with truth, wisdom, and love.

Your voice may be one of the ways God calls someone home.

Your Voice Can Build or Destroy

The value of our voice also means we must recognize the responsibility that comes with it.

Words create consequences.

The same mouth that can strengthen faith can spread discouragement. The same voice that can call someone toward Jesus can wound someone deeply. We can use words to encourage our spouse or constantly criticize them. We can speak identity and purpose over our children or allow frustration to define our conversations with them.

We can build the church with our words or continually tear people down.

This makes our everyday speech deeply spiritual.

We often think of “using our voice for God” as preaching, teaching, witnessing, or publicly sharing our testimony. Those things matter, but our voice belongs to God on ordinary days too. How we speak at home matters. How we talk about people when they aren’t present matters. How we respond when we’re frustrated matters.

The value of a voice isn’t limited to what happens behind a microphone.

Some of the most influential words you will ever speak may never be heard by more than one person.

God Has Always Used Voices

Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly chose people willing to speak.

Noah had a voice in a generation moving away from God. Moses had a voice before Pharaoh and before Israel. Samuel learned to recognize God’s voice and eventually became a prophetic voice to a nation. Elijah spoke when compromise had become widespread. David used his voice to confront fear and later gave generations words of worship through the Psalms.

The apostles had voices.

John the Baptist had a voice.

And the church still has a voice.

God could have chosen countless ways to spread the gospel, yet He commissioned people to go, preach, teach, testify, and make disciples. He puts His truth into human hearts and then sends human voices into families, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, cities, and nations.

That means your voice has value.

Not because everyone knows your name.

Not because you have a platform.

Not because you’re naturally outgoing or an exceptional communicator.

Your voice has value because somebody needs to hear what God has put in you.

God’s Voice Must Be Louder Than Every Other Voice

Before we can effectively use our voices for God, however, we have to learn to recognize His.

Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

We are surrounded by competing voices. Culture tells us what should matter. Algorithms continually place new opinions in front of us. Fear tells us what could go wrong. Comparison tells us we’re behind. Past failures try to tell us who we are. Other people’s expectations tell us who we should become.

But none of those voices deserves the authority that belongs to Jesus.

The greatest value of a voice isn’t merely determined by how loud it is. It is determined by whose message it carries.

Before we speak for God, we need to listen to God. We need Scripture shaping our thoughts more than culture does. We need prayer quieting the noise long enough for our hearts to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit. We need enough familiarity with God’s Word to recognize when another voice contradicts what He has already said.

The church doesn’t need to become the loudest voice in the world simply for the sake of being heard.

We need to become a faithful voice carrying the message of Jesus.

What Are You Using Your Voice to Say?

This message brings us back to a deeply personal question.

What are you using your voice to say?

Think about the words that have come out of your mouth this week. What did your family hear? What did your coworkers hear? What did your children hear? What did the people closest to you repeatedly hear you magnify?

Did your words create faith or fear?

Did they encourage or discourage?

Did they heal or wound?

Did they point people toward Jesus or simply draw attention to everything that’s wrong?

None of us gets this right every time. James reminds us how difficult the tongue can be to control. But recognizing the value of our voice should cause us to become more intentional about what we allow it to carry.

Before speaking, we can ask: Does this need to be said? Is it true? Is it helpful? Does it build? Does it reflect the heart of Jesus?

Because once we recognize that our words have influence, casual speech becomes sacred stewardship.

North Texas Needs Voices That Point People to Jesus

North Cities is a Spirit-filled, Apostolic church in Garland, Texas, but our calling doesn’t stop at the doors of a church building.

Families throughout Garland, Murphy, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett, and Wylie, as well as communities across Dallas County, Collin County, and Rockwall County, are surrounded by the same competing voices all of us encounter every day.

Our communities need believers willing to speak hope.

Our schools need young people unashamed of Jesus. Our workplaces need Christians who carry both conviction and compassion. Our homes need parents and grandparents who speak Scripture, encouragement, identity, and faith over the next generation. Our neighborhoods need people willing to share what Jesus has done in their lives.

You may never preach to a crowd.

You may never stand behind a pulpit.

You don’t need to.

God can use your voice in a living room, across a restaurant table, in a text message, during a drive to school, in an office, or in a conversation with a neighbor.

One voice can make a difference when that voice is willing to speak what God has said.

Your Voice Has Value

John was only a voice crying in the wilderness, but that voice prepared the way for Jesus.

David was one young man walking onto a battlefield, but his voice spoke faith into an atmosphere dominated by fear.

Ezekiel couldn’t guarantee anyone would listen, but he could faithfully speak what God gave him.

And now the responsibility comes to us.

There are people God has placed within the reach of your voice. Some need encouragement. Some need truth. Some need to hear what Jesus has done for you. Some need someone who will stop talking about how big the giant is and remind them how great God is.

So listen closely to the voice of Jesus.

Let His Word fill your heart.

Then use the voice He gave you.

Your voice has value because somebody needs to hear what God has put in you.

And one voice really can make a difference when that voice is willing to speak what God has said.

Join us for a worship service on Sunday at 9:00 or 11:00 AM and Wednesday at 7:30 PM. Learn more about service times, locations, and language options by clicking here. You may also watch LIVE by clicking here.

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The post The Value of a Voice | D. G. Hargrove appeared first on North Cities.

More Than Memorizing: When God’s Word Gets in Your Heart

Vince Stegall — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 19:10:25 +0000

What happens when young people don’t just hear the Word of God, but begin hiding it in their hearts?

At North Cities, five of our Bible quizzers—Adelyn, Arielle, Shaé, Aimee, and Carter—shared what God taught them throughout the 2026 Bible Quizzing season. All five qualified for nationals, but what they brought home was far more valuable than rankings or trophies. They discovered how Scripture shapes the way we pray, how we treat people, how we recognize God’s will, how we respond under pressure, and how we trust Him when life doesn’t unfold according to our plans.

Their testimonies reminded our church that Bible Quizzing is about much more than memorization. You don’t have to memorize hundreds of verses or compete at a national tournament to experience the transforming power of God’s Word. Every believer can develop a life in which Scripture moves from the pages of the Bible into the heart—and from the heart into the way we live.

God’s Word Was Meant to Live in Your Heart

Adelyn began with a foundational truth from Scripture: the Word of God should be loved and hidden in our hearts because it is vital to our spiritual growth and relationship with God.

Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Throughout Psalm 119, the writer doesn’t describe God’s Word as an obligation he reluctantly endures. He delights in it. He meditates on it. He values God’s law above silver and gold. He loves it.

That distinction matters.

Christianity isn’t simply about knowing enough Bible verses to produce the correct answer. God wants His Word to become part of us. Scripture informs our decisions, challenges our attitudes, corrects our thinking, strengthens us in temptation, and continually points us back toward Jesus.

For a Bible quizzer, hiding the Word might involve memorizing hundreds of verses. For someone else, it may begin with five intentional minutes in Scripture every morning. The amount isn’t the central issue. The question is whether we are consistently giving God’s Word access to our hearts.

As Adelyn reminded us, Colossians 3:16 tells us to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” God’s Word isn’t meant to visit occasionally. It is meant to dwell within us.

Scripture Becomes Personal When You Need It

Arielle described how Bible Quizzing strengthened her walk with God through prayer, relationships, and the Scriptures she had memorized. Throughout the year, she repeatedly brought struggles, stress, and questions to God. Again and again, she experienced Him answering, giving grace, changing her perspective, and bringing previously memorized Scriptures back to her mind.

That’s one of the beautiful things about hiding God’s Word in your heart: you don’t always know when you’re going to need what you’re learning today.

A passage about bitterness may return when you’ve been hurt. A verse about forgiveness may challenge you when you’d rather remain angry. Scripture about prayer may come alive when you’re facing something beyond your ability. A command to love others may confront your attitude in a difficult relationship.

Hebrews 12 warns against allowing a root of bitterness to grow. Ephesians 4 calls believers to put away bitterness, wrath, anger, and destructive speech and instead become kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. John 13:35 teaches that our love for one another identifies us as disciples of Jesus.

These aren’t merely verses to recite. They’re truths to live.

Don’t Just Memorize the Word—Let the Word Shape You

There is a difference between having Scripture in your memory and allowing Scripture to transform your character.

Aimee highlighted that distinction through Jesus’ words in John 8. Those who continue in His Word are His disciples indeed. James similarly warns against becoming hearers who know what Scripture says but fail to do it.

The goal isn’t merely to become a knower of the Word, but a doer of the Word.

Bible knowledge should change how we speak. It should influence how we treat people. It should deepen our prayer life, produce boldness, strengthen holiness, and give us courage to share the gospel.

Aimee pointed to the believers in Acts 4, who prayed until they were filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke the Word of God with boldness. Their knowledge of God wasn’t passive. It produced action.

That’s the kind of relationship with Scripture every generation needs.

You Don’t Have to Know Your Future to Say Yes to God Today

Shaé shared something many young people—and many adults—understand well: wondering what God wants us to do with our future.

What am I called to do? What is God’s will for my life? How will God use me?

Those are worthwhile questions, but sometimes we become so preoccupied with what God might ask us to do someday that we miss what He’s asking us to do today.

Shaé pointed to Moses in Exodus 4. Moses was concerned about whether he was capable of fulfilling God’s calling, but God didn’t give Moses every detail of his future. He told him to go, promising to be with him and teach him what to say.

God doesn’t require us to have our entire lives figured out before He can use us.

Sometimes God’s will is the conversation happening today. It’s the friend you feel prompted to contact, the person you notice at the grocery store, the opportunity to encourage someone, or the moment when the Holy Spirit nudges you beyond your comfort zone.

We can spend so much time praying, “God, use me,” that we fail to notice the person standing in front of us whom God wants to use us to reach.

Are You Ready Before the Question Is Asked?

Shaé connected that truth to one of the most recognizable moments in Bible Quizzing.

Before a quiz begins, the quizmaster checks with everyone involved and eventually asks the quizzers: “Quizzers, ready?”

Being ready means preparation has already happened.

A quizzer can’t wait until a question is asked and then decide to learn the verse. They don’t know beforehand whether they’ll face a two-part question, a cross-reference, or something completely unexpected. They prepare before they know the question because they know eventually a question will come.

First Peter 3:15 tells believers to “be ready always to give an answer” concerning the hope within us.

That principle extends far beyond Bible Quizzing.

You don’t know what conversation you’ll have tomorrow. You don’t know when someone will ask why you believe in Jesus. You don’t know when a friend will need hope, when your own faith will be tested, or when an unexpected opportunity will require spiritual wisdom.

You may not know the question that’s coming, but you can prepare your heart before it arrives.

That’s why we read Scripture now. That’s why we pray now. That’s why we pursue the presence of God now. Spiritual preparation before the moment determines what we have available when the moment arrives.

Not by Might, Nor by Power

Carter’s testimony brought another dimension to the lessons of the season.

He loves to compete. After more than a decade in Bible Quizzing, he entered the year determined to succeed. He studied harder, invested more time, and believed his team had the ability to compete at a high level.

Then the results didn’t match the effort.

Tournament after tournament brought disappointing outcomes. Carter described becoming so hard on himself that he kept notes on his phone filled with negative thoughts about his own performance. His effort had increased, but so had the pressure he was placing on himself.

Then Zechariah 4:6 became more than a familiar Bible Quizzing verse:

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”

Carter realized he had been trying to accomplish everything through his own ability, effort, and expectations. The verse challenged him to change the way he approached competition: instead of demanding a particular outcome, he began praying for God’s will.

The change didn’t immediately produce a win.

In one of the most stressful quizzes of the year, his team fought back from a significant deficit and still lost on the final question.

But something was different.

He had peace.

That may have been a greater victory than the result on the scoreboard.

Trusting God Is Bigger Than Winning

By the time nationals arrived, Carter’s prayer wasn’t simply, “God, help us win.” He wanted God’s will more than his preferred outcome.

North Cities ultimately had an outstanding showing. Carter and Adelyn finished ninth nationally, and North Cities was one of only two churches in the 63-team national bracket with two teams finishing in the top 20. Their coach, Christa, was also recognized as third runner-up coach in the nation.

Those accomplishments are worth celebrating.

But Carter stood before the church with a trophy and explained that the trophy was no longer the most important thing he had gained.

That’s maturity.

Faith isn’t proven only when God gives us the outcome we wanted. Sometimes faith is revealed when we can give God our best effort and still trust Him when the outcome isn’t what we wanted.

That lesson will matter long after Bible Quizzing ends.

There will be disappointments that have nothing to do with tournaments. Careers don’t always unfold according to plan. Relationships change. Financial pressure comes. People we love die. Prayers aren’t always answered the way we expected.

A trophy cannot carry you through those seasons.

The Word of God can.

The Trophy Will Fade, but the Word Will Remain

Near the end of the message, Carter acknowledged something every competitor eventually discovers: trophies don’t last forever.

They gather dust. They get misplaced. Eventually, the competition that once seemed enormous becomes a memory.

But the Word hidden in your heart remains.

The friendships formed around Scripture remain. The lessons learned about prayer remain. The ability to trust God’s will remains. The Scriptures memorized as a child can become the promises you cling to as an adult, the truths you teach your children, and the foundation that holds a family together during difficult seasons.

That is why Bible Quizzing matters.

The goal isn’t simply raising children who can quote Scripture quickly. We want to raise a generation that loves the Word, knows the Word, obeys the Word, prays the Word, shares the Word, and trusts the God who gave us the Word.

Raising a Generation That Knows God’s Word in North Texas

At North Cities, we’re grateful for young people who are developing a deep relationship with Scripture and for coaches, parents, volunteers, and families who invest countless hours helping make that possible.

For families looking for a church in Garland, TX, especially those searching for strong children’s ministry, youth ministry, Bible teaching, and opportunities for young people to grow spiritually, Bible Quizzing represents something we deeply value: helping the next generation develop a faith that belongs to them.

North Cities serves families from Garland and throughout Murphy, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett, Wylie, and communities across Dallas County, Collin County, and Rockwall County. Wherever a family comes from, our desire is the same—to see children and teenagers encounter Jesus, receive the Holy Ghost, know God’s Word, discover their place in His Kingdom, and develop a faith that will endure into adulthood.

Because the next generation doesn’t simply need more information.

They need truth written on their hearts.

More Than Memorizing

Adelyn, Arielle, Shaé, Aimee, and Carter each approached the platform with different experiences and different lessons, but together their testimonies pointed toward one truth.

God’s Word changes us when we allow it to move beyond the page.

It teaches us to love what God loves. It reminds us how to respond when emotions run high. It prepares us for conversations we haven’t had yet. It gives us boldness to share our faith. It helps us recognize God’s will in the present instead of obsessing over the future. And when our plans fail, it reminds us that our lives aren’t sustained by our own might or power, but by the Spirit of God.

So read the Word.

Study it. Memorize it. Pray it. Obey it. Teach it to your children. Talk about it in your home. Let it correct you. Let it encourage you. Let it prepare you.

And above all, love it enough to hide it in your heart.

Because long after the trophies are gone, the Word of God will still be there.

Join us for a worship service on Sunday at 9:00 or 11:00 AM and Wednesday at 7:30 PM. Learn more about service times, locations, and language options by clicking here. You may also watch LIVE by clicking here.

Service Archives

The post More Than Memorizing: When God’s Word Gets in Your Heart appeared first on North Cities.