Commitment Issues | Week 1 | Pastor Ben Pierce

Welcome. Pastor Ben Pierce here from Generation Church in Jupiter, Florida. In this message, I unpack what I call “commitment issues,” not just the kind that make dating awkward, but the spiritual commitment issues that keep people from planting roots and growing in Christ. If you watched the talk, this article follows the same heart and tone: honest, a little humour, lots of care, and clear, practical steps to help you move from hesitation to devotion.

Why This Series and Why Now?

Several months ago, I felt the Lord asking me to speak into what seems to be a growing problem across our culture: a widespread inability to settle. We live in a world of options, apps, endless streaming, and constant newness, and that mentality leaks into our spiritual lives. Read the news, spend a little time online, then open the Bible, and you’ll see how quickly the days demand a people committed to the work of Christ.

This series, Commitment Issues, is not a dating series, though it borrows the analogy. It’s a call to examine whether we’re fully committed to Jesus, the Bridegroom, and the local Body He died for. The Bible pictures the church as a bride and household; both images demand intimacy, loyalty, and sacrificial love. If we’re going to be the generation God wants, we can’t be casual about it.

Big Idea: Commitment Begins With Belonging

The core idea of the message is simple and directional: commitment begins with belonging. You can belong before you believe. For some of you, that means trying out being present in a body of believers even while you’re still asking big questions. For others, it’s a reminder: belonging is the first step toward producing spiritual fruit if you’re a follower of Christ who hasn’t found a place to belong.

Belonging is different from bouncing. God wants you to belong, not bounce. The practical difference matters: a plant left in a small pot will remain limited; a plant placed into good soil will put down roots and bear fruit. That image drives the rest of the message.

Meet Seymour: The Experience-seeker (You Might Know Him)

Seymour Churches (yes, that’s his full name in our story) is the person who never plants his life anywhere. He moved from church to church because every congregation offered something attractive: worship, coffee, a speaker, and a kids’ pastor, but none satisfied him long-term. Seymour believes variety is the growth path. He thinks he’ll catch the next big revival or miracle if he keeps sampling churches.

We need to be honest: experiences are not a substitute for planting. When you constantly uproot yourself, you never let your roots go deep. Psalm 92:13 says, “Those planted in the house of the Lord will flourish.” It’s a reality: planted things flourish; potted things grow only to the size of their container.

There’s a reason fruit trees often take four years to produce fruit. Growth, maturity, and ministry fruit take time. If you jump each time a new “spiritual event” or online personality looks promising, you’ll remain shallow, perpetually chasing the next thing instead of staying to be transformed. Paul addressed a similar problem in Corinth: giftedness without the fruit of character proves immature. Chasing experiences is not maturity; community and consistent discipleship are.

Practical words to the Seymours of the world

• Plant yourself in a local body for a season, give it time to form you.
• Take the next step with your church’s entry points: Next Steps, Alpha, or a newcomer group.
• Be wary of letting curiosity about every new speaker, event, or trending worship leader keep you from committing locally.

Some people think commitment will limit them. It’s actually the opposite: commitment enlarges you. Your roots go deeper; you carry fruit that can bless others for generations.

Meet Bill Dewalls: The Wall Builder

Bill comes to church like he’s at a museum: arms crossed, observational, distant. He listens to the sermon and never returns a phone call from staff or volunteers because he’s afraid engagement will force vulnerability and change. He’s built walls to keep people out and protect himself from hurt.

But God didn’t design us as isolated stones. 1 Peter 2:5 calls us “living stones being built up as a spiritual house.” A wall made by living stones is not meant to exclude; it’s a temple structure where people meet God. The problem is when walls become fortresses that keep grace, community, and accountability from reaching the places inside us that need healing.

Why walls feel safe and why they’re harmful

Walls feel protective because vulnerability risks pain. But unchecked walls also keep you stuck and stagnant. You may think staying aloof prevents disappointment; in reality, it prevents growth. You were created for connection, not performance, not mere attendance.

So what dismantles walls? Concrete choices:

1. Step into a small group or Life Group.
2. Try a ministry where you can serve regularly, even if you’re nervous.
3. Attend targeted ministry spaces like Freedom groups or Celebrate Recovery if you carry hurts.

Small steps break down walls: the awkwardness of showing up is always less painful than a lifetime of isolation.

Meet Nemo: The Consumer (He Wants More; the Church Can’t Supply His Expectations)

Nemo always feels overlooked. No one texted back quickly enough, and the volunteer coordinator didn’t ring the bell. He wants people to anticipate his needs and provide emotional proof that he matters immediately. Nemo views the church through a consumer lens: “What can this church do for me?”

Consumer Christianity is contagious. If everyone saw church as a shopping mall, resources would be drained, and ministries would not survive. Jesus came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45). The invitation is to become contributors, not just consumers.

Transitioning from consumer to contributor

There’s a healthy season of receiving when you’re new in faith or new to a church, you need to be poured into. But every Christian is called to grow into service. Paul models this in 2 Corinthians 12:15: “So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and I will expend myself as well.” Contribution changes you.

• If you’re new, drink deeply at first but plan to serve soon after.
• Identify your gifts and try one way to serve for the next three months.
• Remember: what you give will often return to bless you in unexpected ways.

The two greatest days, as Mark Twain put it, are the day you are born and the day you figure out why. When you discover your why, you stop asking “what’s in it for me?” and start asking “how can I help?” That’s when you stop being Nemo and become a valuable part of the Body.

Stories That Prove the Point: Planting Over Wandering

Let me give you an example from our church. Josh and Wendy Brown have been at Generation Church since nearly the beginning. They weathered awkward moments with us, bad jokes, growing pains, and even a Christmas Eve when our little paper-bag lanterns caught fire in the wind. They could have left. They stayed.

Today, their family is flourishing in ways you can’t measure in likes and comments: their son Noah is headed to Southeastern University to study ministerial leadership, and their younger son Wyatt leads worship with the youth team. This fruit didn’t happen overnight. It came from years of being planted in an imperfect, human, but present community.

Family practices that translate to church life

I often talk about the little things that shape a people. Our family has one humble, plastic Amazon table where we eat together. We could sit in the dining room, but we chose the plastic table because everyone helps to prepare, set the table, cook, and clean. The quality of the meals is not related to the furniture; it’s about contribution and shared labour. The church works the same way. If you’re not in the kitchen, not serving, not preparing, eventually it will feel bland and irrelevant.

Concrete Next Steps: How to Move From Hesitation to Devotion

If you’re ready to move even a little, here are clear, biblical, practical steps to help you plant, dismantle walls, and stop consuming:

1. Belong before you believe: If you’re exploring faith, don’t wait to belong. Come to the community, ask questions, listen to testimonies. Faith is often found in relationships.
2. Take the Next Steps: Most churches have an entry class or way to connect; take it. It’s the spade that helps you dig in.
3. Join a small group or Life Group: This is where walls come down and roots go deep.
4. Serve somewhere for a season: Try something for three months; you don’t have to commit forever to discover your gift.
5. Try Alpha, Freedom Groups, or Celebrate Recovery: If you carry specific questions or hurts, find targeted spaces that help.
6. Be patient. Fruit takes time. Expect seasons of learning, growth, correction, and fruit-bearing.

These are not just church activities but spiritual disciplines that lead to transformation. The more you choose to belong, the more willing you’ll be to give, repent, forgive, and love like Jesus.

Scripture Anchors: Reminders to Hold Onto

The message is rooted in biblical truth. Here are the passages that formed the backbone of this talk:

• Matthew 7:13: “Narrow is the way that leads to life, and wide is the way that leads to destruction.” Commitment follows the narrow way.
• Psalm 92:13: “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish.” Planting in good soil matters.
• Ephesians 5: The church is pictured as the bride for whom Christ laid down His life.
• 1 Peter 2:5: We are living stones fit together as a spiritual house; community is the structure God intends.
• Mark 10:45: Jesus came to serve; our posture should be sacrificial contribution.
• 2 Corinthians 12:15: “I will very gladly spend and be spent for you.” Ministry is costly love that produces a harvest.

Common Objections and Real Pastoral Answers

“But I’ve been hurt by the church, how can I trust again?”

Hurt is real and valid. Walls form because of real pain. But remaining walled off prevents healing. Grace looks like cautious, accountable steps, a small group with clear leadership, a recovery group, or a one-to-one conversation with a pastor or elder. Trust is rebuilt in a relationship and service, not isolation.

“I don’t have time.”

Time is the currency of discipleship. Planting doesn’t always require huge time commitments. Start small: Serve monthly, join a weekly group for 60–90 minutes, and grow compounding. A little consistent investment yields fruit.

“What if I find the ‘perfect’ church?”

There’s no perfect church, and thank goodness. Our humanity would spoil perfection. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s faithfulness. Be the kind of person who builds, not the critic who leaves at the first sign of imperfection.

“I’m still figuring out theology, can I still belong?”

Yes. Belonging before believing is often how belief forms. Come with questions. Let the community help you explore. That’s why Alpha and Next Steps exist.

Invitation: A Moment to Decide

In the message, I invited people to pray a simple prayer of surrender: asking Jesus to come into their hearts, forgive sin, and make a home in them. If you feel stirred by this message, whether you’re ready to step into faith for the first time or to renew your commitment, prayer is a practical way to begin. After praying, stick around. Connect with the team. Let someone walk the next steps alongside you.

Final Encouragement: Belong, Plant, Flourish

Let me leave you with three simple application points that came straight from the talk:

• Don’t just bounce, belong. Plant yourself in a local body and give time to grow.
• Step up, don’t seclude. Dismantle walls by getting into groups and serving; vulnerability brings life.
• Contribute, don’t consume. Move from taking to giving; your gifts are needed, and they will change you as you use them.

The world needs committed, devoted, sacrificial followers of Jesus. If you’re willing to put down roots, God will nourish, grow, and use you to bless others. If you’ve been hopping, hiding, or shopping for the perfect church, try planting for a season and see what God does. If you’re on the edge of faith, belonging is a faithful first step toward believing.

If this message resonated with you and you want to take the next step with Generation Church, whether you live locally or are watching online, look for entry points like Next Steps, Alpha, Life Groups, and serving teams. Find people who will pray with you, walk with you, and help you plant.

Thanks for reading. I’m excited for what God will do when we stop having commitment issues and begin to belong, plant, and flourish together.

“Those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish.” – Psalm 92:13

– Pastor Ben Pierce, Generation Church FL