What do you do when God tells you to go—but doesn’t give you all the details?

In today’s message, “Even Though, Go,” guest speaker Rusty Nottingham takes us into Acts 8:26–39, where Philip receives a simple instruction from God: go down the desert road. Philip isn’t given a complete plan, a timeline, or an explanation. He simply obeys—and his obedience places him directly in the path of an Ethiopian official who is searching for answers.

That divine appointment becomes an incredible reminder that sometimes God gives us clarity after we take the first step, not before.

Rusty challenges us to consider how often we may miss what God is doing because we are waiting for every detail to fall into place. We want the complete plan. We want certainty. We want to know where the road leads before we start walking. But faith often requires us to move while we are still unsure of what comes next.

As Rusty puts it, our responsibility is obedience; the outcome belongs to God.

Rusty Nottingham serves as the President of CitiReach, a ministry based in Akron, Ohio, that exists to reach people far from God with the hope of Jesus. CitiReach serves overlooked and underserved communities through outreach events, food initiatives, mentoring programs, youth programs, dinner church, creative arts, and relational ministry—walking alongside people and sharing the love of Jesus in tangible ways.

During this message, Rusty also shares how CitiReach has been living out this very principle. After sensing God calling the ministry to expand without knowing exactly where that would lead, they began preparing and saying yes. Through a remarkable series of confirmations and relationships, God opened the door for CitiReach to begin expanding its ministry into Kenya, partnering with local believers to reach children, youth, and families with the Gospel.

Maybe God has already been nudging you toward something.

Maybe there is a conversation you need to have. A person you need to reach out to. A ministry you need to serve in. A step of faith you need to take. Maybe your struggle isn’t that God hasn’t spoken—it’s that you’re still waiting for all the details.

As you listen today, lean in to what Rusty has to share. Ask God to quiet the distractions around you and speak clearly to your heart through this message.

And here is today’s challenge:

What is the “go” God has placed in front of you—and what would happen if you simply said yes?

Even though you may not understand everything.
Even though you may feel unqualified.
Even though the timing may not seem perfect.
Even though you cannot see the entire road ahead.

Go.

Take the first step, trust God with the outcome, and see what He can do with your yes.

What if church was never meant to feel like something you attend—but like a family you belong to?

In “Family System,” Part 5 of Pastor Dan Harrison’s State of the Church: Romans Series, we continue through Romans 12:9–13 and focus on Paul’s command to:

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” — Romans 12:10

Pastor Dan explains that the word Paul uses for this kind of love is rooted in family affection. It goes beyond friendliness, politeness, or simply seeing familiar faces on Sunday morning. Paul is calling believers to treat one another like family.

That message would have been especially powerful for the church in Rome, where Jewish and Gentile believers—people from dramatically different backgrounds—were worshiping together. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, people who normally would not have shared the same table were being brought into the same family.

That raises an important question for us today:

How big is our circle?

We naturally surround ourselves with people who are familiar, comfortable, and similar to us. But Jesus repeatedly challenged people to expand that circle. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, He showed that loving our neighbor often means making room for someone we never expected to include.

The same is true of the Church.

There are people looking for Jesus who may first be looking for something much simpler: a place to belong. Some have experienced church hurt. Others have little family support. Some simply need someone willing to say, “There’s room at my table for you.”

Pastor Dan also challenges the consumer mindset that can easily creep into church life. Consumers leave bad reviews and walk away when something disappoints them. Families have conversations, work through conflict, and become part of the solution.

The question becomes: Am I merely consuming church, or am I helping build a healthy church family?

Lean In

As you listen to “Family System,” lean in and ask God to speak directly to your heart. Ask Him to show you where your circle may need to grow, where a relationship needs reconciliation, or where He is asking you to move from being a consumer to becoming an active, loving part of His family.

Today’s Takeaway: Find one person outside your normal circle this week. Learn their name, invite them into a conversation, share a meal, send a message, or simply make room for them. Ask God to help you become the kind of person who makes others feel that they truly belong in the body of Christ.

The Church becomes powerful when people who normally would never sit at the same table discover that, through Jesus, they are family.

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Join us as we welcome Pastor Jaipaul Singh in his first sermon as the Next Generation Pastor at Ravenna Assembly of God. In this powerful message, “Soul Reset,” Pastor Jaipaul challenges us to rethink what true rest really means.

In a world that celebrates constant productivity, busy schedules, and endless accomplishments, Jesus offers something far greater: rest for our souls. Through the example of Christ’s own life, Pastor Jaipaul shows that biblical rest is far more than taking a vacation, getting extra sleep, or simply slowing down. True rest is found in surrendering every burden, every success, every fear, and every unanswered question to Jesus Christ.

Drawing from Matthew 11:29 and numerous examples throughout the Gospels, this message reveals how Jesus consistently withdrew to spend time with the Father before major decisions, after great victories, during seasons of grief, and even in His greatest moments of suffering. If the Son of God modeled intentional dependence upon the Father, how much more should we?

Whether you’re carrying the weight of family responsibilities, work stress, financial pressures, ministry, disappointment, or the expectations you’ve placed on yourself, this sermon will encourage you to stop striving and begin surrendering.

Key Scripture:

Matthew 11:29 (ESV)“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

In this message you’ll discover:

• Why soul rest is different from physical rest.
• The hidden danger of making productivity an idol.
• How Jesus modeled a rhythm of prayer, withdrawal, and dependence.
• Why “Rest Requires Release.”
• The life-changing question every believer should ask:
  “How is it with your soul?”

This message is an invitation to lay down the burdens you’ve been carrying and trust the One who never intended for you to carry them alone.

Lean In

As you listen today, don’t simply hear another sermon—invite the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Ask God to reveal anything you’ve been carrying that He never asked you to bear. Allow Him to replace your striving with His peace and your exhaustion with His presence.

This week’s challenge:
Take intentional time every day to step away from the noise, surrender your burdens to Christ, and honestly ask yourself:

“How is it with my soul?”

True rest isn’t found in doing less—it’s found in resting in the One who has already done everything.