Title: Real Significance
Series: Growing Generosity
Readings: Matthew 5:13-16 & Micah 6:6-8 Preacher: Phil Swain
This Sunday is the second week in out Growing Generosity program — a three-week journey exploring what it means to live with generosity. Our theme this week is “Real Significance” – building on last week’s idea of God’s blessings to us, we will explore how we can find true meaning and fulfilment in life. We will also be looking at the second pillar of our Vision 2030 — Relational Community — and how we see this taking shape in our church. We believe church is not an event but a shared life—and that relationships are the soil in which faith grows best..
Sermon Text
What a powerful service it’s been so far! There’s something deeply moving when a person stands before their church community and declares, “Yes — I believe. I have been, and I will continue, to follow Jesus in all I do.” When Nicole shared her personal statement of faith and made her promises to grow as a disciple and participate in the mission of God, it was such a good link into what this whole Growing Generosity journey is really about.
Our Growing Generosity journey is about being reminded of the example and way of living that Jesus offers and making a commitment to reflect this in our own lives and in our church. It’s about catching a glimpse of what God is doing among us, and then responding with our hearts, our energy, and our lives.
The topic of today’s sermon is “Real Significance.” It’s tied to a question that most of us have asked at some point: “Does my life really matter?” The prophet Isaiah wrestled with this when he said, “My work all seems so useless. I’ve spent my strength for nothing and for no purpose at all.” (Isaiah 49:4) If we think our lives have no purpose, then life stops making sense. We all want to believe that our lives count for something.
I guess our answer to that question depends on how we see life. For some people, there isn’t time or headspace to ponder life’s purpose — they’re just trying to get through each day. Life becomes about survival — keeping the calendar full, meeting obligations, doing what needs to be done.
For others, meaning is found in success — climbing higher, achieving more, proving themselves. They chase comfort, recognition, and the things the world calls achievement
— a home, a good job, the right possessions. Yet many successful people still ask, “If I’ve achieved all this, why don’t I feel fulfilled?” It takes more than success — it takes more than status — to satisfy the soul.
Jesus takes us to a deeper level — beyond survival and success — into significance. People who live with a sense of significance know that they are contributing to something larger than themselves. They want to make a difference.
Does that resonate with you? Do you want to know that the things you do in life are significant — that you’re not just going through the motions, but actually making a difference? Isn’t that what we want for our church too? That everything we do — in worship, in service, in mission — is making a difference in people’s lives, in our community, and across the world.
I think this is exactly what Jesus was saying in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. Last week we explored the Beatitudes — Jesus’ surprising picture of who is blessed. And straight after that, in the passage we heard today, Jesus speaks about significance:
“You are the salt of the earth.”
“You are the light of the world.”
In Jesus’ day, salt was precious — used to preserve, to protect, to bring out flavour. Jesus is saying: your life matters. You have something special to bring to the world. You can make life richer and more whole for others.
And when he says, “You are the light of the world,” he’s saying, “Don’t hide what you have found in me.” Don’t cover it up. Let your light shine so that others might see God’s goodness through you.
Jesus is challenging us that part of our discipleship is to make a difference in our communities and our world.
So how are we doing this here at TUC? How are we making a difference? I think it is linked with the two key pillars or focus items that emerged from our mission planning process.
I mentioned last week in my sermon that about this time last year we started a long conversation about how we might strengthen our church so that it continues to be vibrant, growing, life-giving and fruitful throughout the 2030’s. As part of this mission planning process we met in small and large groups, talked to others churches, we prayed and discerned and talked more. And in all of this, three key points or focus areas kept coming up over and over again.
That we believe God wants us to continue to be a church that is:
• Grounded in transformational discipleship
• Connected in genuine, relational community
• And that is both growing and sustainable
Last week we introduced the first of our three mission pillars — Discipleship. Today, we move to the second — Community.
But really … the two are deeply intertwined … discipleship grows best in community and community forms our discipleship. We learn, pray, and serve together — because discipleship is not meant to be a solo journey.
Last Sunday I read out our value on Discipleship … here is our value on Community
3. Relational Community
We are a church where people feel known, loved, and deeply connected. Our relationships are more than surface-level; they are places of mutual support and shared life. This value drives our emphasis on welcoming newcomers, nurturing belonging, and growing a community that spans generations, cultures, and life experiences. We believe church is not an event but a shared life—and that relationships are the soil in which faith grows best.
A strong, encouraging, connected Community is so important for people to grow in their faith. When people find a church with a deep sense of community … it makes all the difference. It is life changing.
I saw that truth yesterday. Marion and I drove eleven hours round trip to celebrate a good friend’s 60th birthday. Why would we drive that far for a four hour party? Because it was with friends from the Bible study group that shaped my faith in my twenties. This was the community which nurtured me on my early discipleship journey … and also Marion when she moved to Coolamon. It was their friendship, encouragement, support and prayer that made such a difference … and 25 years later, those relationships still matter. They formed me. They were our community. And of course we were going to be there.
And today, we saw that again as we stood with Nicole. We want to be that community type of community for Nicole and all of us here, don’t we? We want to be a community that supports each other, walks alongside each other in good and tough times! We want to be a community that helps each other and makes a difference in other’s lives … actually not only other’s lives here at TUC but also in the lives of those in our local community or those in need.
I talk more about this in the inspiration nights, but one of the most powerful ideas that has emerged from the mission planning process is the idea of creating a “What’s next” culture. For all people connected with TUC … whether that is a first time experience or a long term member … we want to make a difference by helping them take another step on their faith journey or become a little more connected with our church community. The idea is simply to ask the question, “What’s next”
Imagine if every group, every event, every program at TUC asked:
- What’s next for this person?
- What’s the next step in their journey of faith or connection?
- What’s next for the mum at playgroup, or the 800 people who come to Carols? Or for the person sitting here in the 9am worship service?
If we started asking that question — and created the pathways to help people take that next step — the impact would be transformational. People would feel more connected, discover faith, and grow deeper in their walk with God. That simple question — “What’s next?” — could become one of the most powerful discipleship tools we have.
Making a difference is also what generosity looks like. This program is challenging us to create a culture of generosity within our church (or to strengthen the culture of generosity which is already there). We want to do this because a Generosity culture makes a difference.
When we give — of our time, our energy, our resources — we are joining in God’s work of renewal and hope. Think about it:
- When our young adults lead on Friday nights — they’re making a difference.
- When Alan Williams left a bequest that continues to support ministry — he made a difference.
- When our tech and music teams serve each week, or our hospitality teams create spaces of welcome — they are all making a difference.
That’s what happens when generosity grows. We become a church that shines like salt and light in our community.
In our reading from Micah, God challenges people who think faith is just about ritual or duty. God reminds them that what really matters is how we live — to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God. That’s what true significance looks like.
In a few moments, we’ll share in Communion — the ultimate act of generosity. Jesus giving himself for us. It reminds us that our significance isn’t earned; it’s received. And from that place of grace, we are invited to shine, to serve, and to make a difference.
So may we be people of salt and light — generous in love, courageous in faith, and committed to shining Christ’s light and making a difference in our community and beyond.
Amen.