Jesus First, Mission Always – Pastor Brian Cassell

Series: Rooted

August 2, 2025

Full Service

VIMEO - Full Service BULLETIN

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Briefing Document: Spring Meadows Seventh-day Adventist Church – July 26, 2025 Service

Date: July 26, 2025

I. Overview of the Service and Key Themes

The Spring Meadows Seventh-day Adventist Church service on July 26, 2025, focused heavily on the concept of spiritual gifts, their purpose, and their application within the church community and for wider mission. The overarching theme, articulated by Pastor Brian Cassell, was “Jesus First, Mission Always,” emphasizing that genuine service and the effective use of gifts are rooted in a relationship with Christ and a selfless love for others.

The service included:

Welcome and announcements by the Harter family, including Pastor Alex.
Praise and worship led by the Praise Team.
Prayer for the People by Dr. Freddie Nieves.
A presentation on the recent Belize Mission Trip.
Invitation to Give led by Dr. Freddie Nieves.
The sermon on spiritual gifts by Pastor Brian Cassell.
Congregational hymn and pastoral blessing.

II. Main Themes & Important Ideas

A. The Nature and Purpose of Spiritual Gifts

Definition: Pastor Cassell defines a spiritual gift as “A supernatural empowerment given by the Holy Spirit for the building up of the church.” He clarifies that these are “not simply a talent or a developed skill” but are “a supernatural gift from God and they fuel the body of Christ.”
Source – Triune God: Spiritual gifts originate from the Triune God. “Diversity flows from the unity of the triune God and his unified purpose.”
Spirit: “distributes diverse gifts.” (1 Corinthians 12:4)
Jesus (Lord): “defines the diverse ministries” for these gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:5)
Father (God): “empowers the activity by sending his strength and his power to work through God’s people utilizing the gifts.” (1 Corinthians 12:6)
Universal Possession: “But the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one.” This means “Everybody has been given a gift.” Pastor Cassell emphasizes, “You are gifted by God. You don’t have to ask God to give you a gift… because he already did.”
Purpose – Common Good: Gifts are not for personal benefit or fulfillment. “Remember that your spiritual gift were not given to you for your own benefits. These spiritual gifts were given to you to help others.” Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 12:7 is cited: “the manifestation of the spirit is given for the common good of others.” The ultimate purpose is “to take this mission to the next level and to hopefully see Christ come back for all of us and those that we touch with our spiritual gift.”
Not Random: Gifts are “not random. They’re not an accident. They’re not haphazard.” God “has set the members each one of them in the body just as he pleased,” indicating intentional placement and purpose for each individual within the church.
Equality of Gifts: All spiritual gifts are “equal of importance.” While they may have “not have the same function,” they are all “equally important.” This directly addresses the issues of division and comparison seen in the Corinthian church.

B. Challenges and Misuse of Spiritual Gifts (Lessons from Corinth)

Ignorance and Misunderstanding: Paul wrote to the Corinthian church because “they had gifts but Paul says you are not understanding them appropriately and you’re not using them appropriately.”
Division and Comparison: The church in Corinth was “divided” with people “arguing over who had the best gift,” comparing gifts, and seeking “popularity or more notoriety.” This led to “jealousy, division, pride.”
Self-Serving vs. Body-Serving: Pastor Cassell warns against making gifts “about me” or using them to “build our personal our personal agenda.” The question posed is: “Are we building a fan base with our gift, are we building up the body of Christ?” And “Are we using our gifts to impress or to bless?”

C. The Essential Role of Love

“A More Excellent Way”: Paul’s transition from gifts (1 Corinthians 12) to love (1 Corinthians 13) is highlighted. Love is presented as “the substance of everything,” surpassing all other gifts.
Fuel for Function: “The gifts of the spirit are the functions of the church but love is the fuel behind the function.” Without love, exercising spiritual gifts is “like an hollow shell” and accomplishes “not anything.”
Grounding in Love: Love must “shape why we desire them and then how we use them.” If not, motivation will be rooted in “self-seeking, in division, in comparison and in strife and maybe even a little nepotism and self-s serving.”

D. Discovering and Activating Spiritual Gifts

Pastor Cassell provides practical steps for discovering and activating one’s spiritual gift:

Spend time in prayer: Ask God to reveal the gift.
Study the Bible: Specifically on the topic of spiritual gifts.
Complete a spiritual gift survey: A paper form is available at the welcome desk, and online options exist.
Ask others: Inquire how others “see Jesus working in your life” through you.
Jump in and serve: Often, gifts are revealed through active participation and service, even without prior clarity.

E. “Jesus First, Mission Always”

This slogan, adapted from the Air Force’s “People First, Mission Always,” is the core message.
Jesus First: When Jesus is “Lord of our lives,” He transforms priorities and how one views others. “We put Jesus first. Others will always be the priority.”
Mission Always: The ultimate purpose of gifts is to serve “in love. The community of faith but also the kingdom outside the walls of this building.”
Interconnectedness: “We can have all the right components of the mission but if we don’t have Jesus, we don’t have love, the mission will ultimately always fail.”

III. Key Activities and Announcements (July 26 – August 10, 2025)

A. Church-Wide Events:

EMU Event (Everyone Meeting Up): Wednesday (July 30) at Kit Nelson Park in Apka. Contact Pastor Alex for details.
Church Potluck: Next Sabbath (August 2) at 12:30 PM. Attendees are encouraged to “bring your favorite picnic meal.”
Camp Kulaqua Church Retreat 2025: November 7-9. Registration forms available online and at the welcome desk.

B. Youth & Family Focused Events:

Youth Lake Day: Tomorrow, Sunday, July 27. Contact Pastor Oso for details.
Family Sunday Beach Day: August 3 at Ormond Beach. Sign up with Pastor Alex.
Dwell (Young Adult Vespers): Friday, August 1, 8:00 PM in the Boggess Chapel.
YA Home Gatherings: Sabbath, August 9, 1:00 PM for lunch at a church member’s home. RSVP via text to Pastor Oso.
Adventurers Registration: Now open for 2025-2026. Online registration available.

C. Senior/Older Youth Events:

JOY (Just Older Youth) 55+ Voting Day: August 10. RSVP with Kathy Ottotty or Mary Curtis by August 3. (Note: Bulletin states “River Boat Tour and a potluck picnic” on August 10, indicating a potential update or alternative activity.)

D. Community Engagement & Outreach:

Belize Mission Trip Presentation: High school mission team shared their experiences, including VBS, tutoring (English, Math, Computer), construction (cafeteria, play area), radio outreach, and cultural immersion.
Key Takeaways from Teens:Perseverance: Faced challenges like bus breakdowns, extreme heat, and language barriers, but God always “made it work out.”
Gratitude/Blessings: Realized “how good I have it, how blessed I am until I went there.” The local people, despite having little, showed “joy and energy [that] almost doubled the energy that we brought to them.”
God’s Perfect Timing/Trust: Experiences like the bus breaking down and receiving needed supplies highlighted God’s timely provision. “We may not know why things happen but we can always trust God to work it out.”
Personal Transformation: Mission trips help “re-engage” spiritually. Participants experienced personal growth and a deeper appreciation for their own blessings.
Impact: One teen was particularly moved by a local girl gifting “pineapple bread,” symbolizing profound gratitude from those with little to give.
Offering Designation: Loose offering is designated for the “Florida advance.” Tithe is sent to the Florida Conference.

E. Church Leadership and Structure:

Church Staff: (from Bulletin)
Senior Pastor: Brian Cassell
Associate Pastor for Mission and Discipleship: Shane Davis
Associate Pastor for Family and Children: Alex Harter
Associate Pastor for Middle School, High School and Young Adult: Jonathan Osorio
Head Elder: Michael Fogg
Finance Committee Chairman: Brad Hillmon
Treasurer: Berkley Moss
Church Administrator: Miriam Cassell
New Members: Carmen and Mihi Shuresu were welcomed into the church family via second reading of their transfer from Forest Lake SDA Church.

F. Financial Update:

As of July 1-25, 2025, the church budget needed $83,025 but received $70,358, resulting in a -$12,667 shortfall for the month and a -$86,884 year-to-date shortfall.