The Week of September 27, 2026
Leader Dashboard
In week three of the SENT series, Pastor Jared Fabac challenged One City Church to understand that followers of Jesus are not placed in their circumstances by accident — they are carried there by God with purpose. Using Matthew 5:13-16 and Jeremiah 29:4-7, Pastor Jared painted a picture of what it looks like for everyday believers to be salt and light in the specific sectors of society where God has placed them.
Weekly Leadership Lesson
From this week's messageRemoving Your Bowl to Shine Brightly
Leadership effectiveness relies on identifying and removing the personal 'bowls' of pride or fear that suppress your influence and dim the light of Jesus in your sphere.
During your small group meeting, lead a transparent conversation about what might be 'covering' your members' light, such as fear of judgment or pride in their specific sectors of society. Challenge each person to identify one specific barrier they are facing and commit to one act of 'leadership evangelism' by reaching out to one of their 'three' people this week.
Leader Encouragement
Caring for Your Group"If someone brings a crisis, pause the curriculum. People over program, every single time."
Key Insights
- 1
Jesus gives identity before assignment — He calls believers 'salt' and 'light' before sending them out, which means receiving your identity in Christ must come before pursuing your calling.
- 2
A covered light welcomes darkness — Just as a bowl placed over a lamp suffocates the flame, anything suppressing the light of Jesus in a believer's life allows darkness to exist where light was meant to shine.
- 3
God carries us into hard places on purpose — Drawing from Jeremiah 29, Pastor Jared emphasized that God told the exiled Israelites He had carried them to Babylon, and that their blessing was tied to the prosperity of the very city they wanted to leave.
- 4
Obedience always produces more than comfort — The enemy's primary strategy is to make believers uncomfortable in their obedience, causing withdrawal from the very places God has sent them.
- 5
The strategy is salt — One City Church's mission is to reach 10% of Hampton Roads (180,000 people) through leadership evangelism in eight sectors of society, believing that changing the people who shape the city will ultimately change the city.
Bible Study
Scriptures referenced in this week's message
Application Points
Identify your bowl this week — Spend time in prayer asking God to reveal anything suppressing the light of Jesus in your life. Name it, confess it, and take one practical step to remove it.
Lead your three — Write down the names of three people in your life who are connected to one of the eight sectors (business, education, government, nonprofits, entertainment, media, sports, healthcare) and commit to intentionally investing in at least one of them this week with the goal of inviting them to church.
Reframe your environment as your assignment — Instead of asking God to change your circumstances or get you out of a difficult situation, begin praying for the prosperity of the place God has carried you into, just as He instructed Israel in Jeremiah 29:7.
Practice 'leadership evangelism' in your sphere — Look for one opportunity this week to lead a conversation, a meeting, a team, or a relationship in a way that reflects the character and values of Jesus, even if you never say a word about church.
Choose obedience over comfort in one specific moment — Identify one situation this coming week where you know the obedient thing to do is also the uncomfortable thing, and choose obedience, trusting that God's blessing is tied to that place and that moment.