Introduction

Some of us come in today with calloused hands and tired hearts. You’ve folded laundry at midnight, sat beside hospital beds, raised kids and grandkids, held a flashlight while someone else turned the wrench. You’ve prayed through storms and sung through tears. And maybe, just maybe, you’ve wondered, “Does it matter? Do the quiet tasks and hidden sacrifices really count?” Hear this: heaven keeps better books than we do. God sees what Monday forgets.

We stand as a church family on the shoulders of saints who have said yes to Jesus over seventy-three years. Think of it—decades of faithful teachers and faithful ushers, faithful intercessors and faithful givers. Sanctuaries filled with sowers of kindness. Kitchens warmed by casseroles and conversations. Classrooms humming with Scripture and songs. There have been seasons of soaring and seasons of slow plodding. Yet here you are, still showing up, still serving, still believing that Christ makes our ordinary obedience glow with eternal weight.

E.M. Bounds once wrote, “God shapes the world by prayer.” If that is true—and it is—then countless whispered petitions from this church have been shaping lives, homes, and neighborhoods more than we know. The prayers before sunrise, the prayers after setbacks, the prayers offered in the car line and the checkout line—God has gathered them. He has woven them into His work. And He invites us again today to lift our eyes and steady our hands.

Before we open our hearts to what the Lord has for us, hear the banner that flies over this message. It’s just one verse, but it’s a sturdy bridge from the empty tomb to everyday tasks. It carries the thunder of resurrection into the thin places where you and I live:

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV) “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Did you catch the tender address? Beloved. Paul knows the aches of ministry, the misunderstandings, the long hours. Yet he calls the church beloved. And then he sets a cadence for our days: be steadfast. Be immovable. Always abound. This is the language of anchors in high winds, of oaks that outlast storms, of baskets overflowing with harvest. It’s the language for parents holding on to promise, for caregivers who refuse to quit, for students who choose integrity, for saints who pray when no one is applauding.

“Therefore,” Paul says. Therefore—because Christ has been raised. Therefore—because death has lost its sting. Therefore—because grace will have the final word. The resurrection is not a footnote; it is the fountain. It is the reason your small act of service has mighty meaning. It is the reason a cup of cold water, a word of encouragement, a faithful tithe, a patient conversation, and a quiet sacrifice all ring with eternity’s echo. The risen Christ stitches significance into what the world shrugs off. He turns mundane minutes into meaningful ministry.

For seventy-three years, this church has been learning that truth in real time. Where others might see a potluck, heaven sees provision. Where some might assume a simple song, heaven hears a battle cry. Where a neighbor might notice a gentle visit, heaven marks a holy appointment. God has been writing a story—one prayer at a time, one act of kindness at a time, one open Bible at a time.

So be encouraged. Your work in the Lord is not wasted. When you hold a nursery baby, you hold a future testimony. When you teach a child to sing “Jesus loves me,” you plant a tune that will outlast the night. When you bring a meal, you bring more than food—you bring fellowship. When you lead a small group, you aren’t filling time; you are filling souls. When you kneel to pray, you are standing with the King.

Today, as we step into this verse, we’ll consider the steadying power of hope that anchors our labor. We’ll consider what it means to stand unmovable in a shifting world. And we’ll lift our eyes to the abounding work that builds a Kingdom legacy across seventy-three years—and, God willing, beyond. Are you ready for your heart to be strengthened? Are you ready for your hands to be steadied? Are you ready to believe again that the Lord wastes nothing offered to Him?

Let’s pray.

Father, we thank You for the risen Christ, our Cornerstone and our Captain. Thank You for every unseen act of love, every quiet prayer, every cup of water given in His name over these seventy-three years. Breathe fresh courage into weary servants. Plant steadfast hope in our hearts. Give us unmovable resolve when the winds rise. Make us abound in the work of the Lord with joy that cannot be quenched. Open our ears to Your Word and our eyes to Your work. Take our ordinary offerings and make them instruments of Your eternal purpose. In the strong name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Steadfast hope that anchors our labor

Hope steadies our hands. It steadies our pace. It rises from the risen Lord and the promise that follows him. He lives. He reigns. He is coming. That truth gives weight to today. It gives courage to keep at the work in front of you. You can act with a settled heart because the ending is sure. You can hold your post because the King holds you.

Paul ties that hope to real life. He gives a clear call. Stand firm. Stay put in the calling God has given you. Keep leaning into the work that bears his name. Do it with the deep calm that comes from what you know, not from how you feel in a hard week. Do it with your eyes on Jesus. He is the reason your effort carries meaning that lasts.

The word “steadfast” points to a fixed stance. Think of setting your feet before a task that will take time. You plan for the long haul. You decide ahead of time. You let truth decide your schedule and your tone. You hold to Scripture when plans change and when your energy runs low. You choose a steady path and you keep walking.

This kind of steadiness grows in simple ways. Start your day with the Word before the world speaks. Speak a short prayer before you start each task. Keep a short list of people you serve by name. Put your hand to one thing at a time, with care, with patience. You will find your heart less tossed around. You will find a quiet strength meeting you in small steps of faith.

God uses this steady heart to hold a home, a team, a class, a ministry. People draw strength from someone who does not give up when the pace slows. They learn what faith looks like when it keeps showing up. Steadiness becomes a gift you hand to others. It is a quiet yes that gets repeated. It is a faithful tone that sets the room at ease.

“Immovable” adds another layer. You do not drift from the hope you have. Pressure may press, but you hold to what God has said. Trends rise and fall. News cycles stir and fade. Your soul sits down on Christ. Your story takes its cue from his story. Your value is set by his love, not by ranges of likes or frowns. Your next step is set by his call, not by fear.

This settled place comes with wise guardrails. Limit the voices that spin you up. Fill your mind with Scripture that answers the week you live in. Keep close friends who tell you the truth with kindness. Let them pray with you. Keep short accounts with God. Confess quickly. Receive grace quickly. Put your pain in his hands before it turns into a script in your head.

When you live this way, you become hard to move off mission. You do not chase every new thing. You do the next right thing. You carry peace into rooms that have lost it. You keep serving when plans get messy. You hold hope when others have run out. Your feet stay under you because your heart stays under Jesus.

Paul also says, “always abounding in the work of the Lord.” That means a full measure. It means more than bare minimum. It means a willing spirit that gives itself to God’s assignments, both big and small. The “work of the Lord” stretches across your week. It includes the tasks at church. It also includes the errands and emails that become holy when done in love for him.

Think of candid words that heal a sore spot between friends. Think of a ride given to a neighbor who needs a lift. Think of a kind note placed on a desk at the right time. Think of a visit with someone who feels alone. Think of the steady hands that keep things in order so others can flourish. When you do these things for Jesus, they carry his name. They shine with his light. They help people taste his care.

“Always” speaks to pace. You build a pattern that keeps going when the rush fades. You resist the pull to coast. You ask God for fresh energy and fresh ideas. You keep a soft heart and a ready hand. You say yes when he nudges. You give thanks when he carries you through. Your life starts to pour, and God keeps filling the cup.

Then comes the promise: “knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” God gives you a sure word here. He attaches meaning to your work when it is joined to Christ. None of it slips through his fingers. None of it falls to the floor and is lost. He takes it up into his plan. He keeps it safe until the day you see him.

This knowing sinks deep. It changes how you face slow growth. You can keep teaching when attention spans are short. You can keep mentoring when progress crawls. You can keep serving when thanks are rare. You can keep praying when answers take time. You can keep giving when budgets pinch. You can keep singing when the room feels heavy. You know the Lord sees. You know he will complete what he begins.

Notice the phrase “in the Lord.” That sets the frame. Work finds lasting weight when it is done with him, for him, and like him. With him means you ask for his help and depend on his power. For him means his pleasure matters most. Like him means you take his way of humility, truth, and love. This makes the office desk an altar. This makes the practice field a place of worship. This makes caregiving a holy trust.

This promise also guards your heart from measuring the wrong way. You may never see charts and counts that match the hours you gave. God measures with eternity in view. He sees seeds beneath the soil. He sees tears that water them. He sees choices that few will notice. He sees faith that keeps its hand on the plow. He will bring a harvest in his time.

So set your heart on what you know. Christ is alive. His kingdom is sure. Your work in his name is heavy with worth. Keep your place. Keep your peace. Keep your hands busy with love. Keep your eyes open for his help. He will hold you steady. He will make it count.

Unmovable resolve in a shifting world

Paul adds a strong word in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “immovable ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO