Here is a recap of our message from this weekend...

CROWNED: THE CROWN OF APPROVAL

This week, One City's Executive Pastor, Pastor Adam, tackles the often-overlooked trap of people-pleasing. He challenges us to stop living for the crowd’s applause and return to living for the audience of One — God. Pastor Adam reminds us that while man’s approval is fleeting and fragile, God’s approval is steady, eternal, and freely given through Christ.

Weekly Bible Study List

1. Galatians 1:10 (Main verse) - “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? ... If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
2. Proverbs 29:25 - “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”
3. 1 Samuel 15:24 - “I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them.”
4. Colossians 3:23-24 - “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
5. Matthew 3:17 - “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

The Sunday Outline & Notes

Pastor Adam opens with a lighthearted take on flickering lights and relocation updates, then pivots to a powerful truth: God still has work for us to do right where we are — both physically and spiritually. The new building may be exciting, but the mission isn't over.

1. The Trap of Approval

Approval from people looks enticing — like Tom and Jerry's cheese — but it's a trap that leads to bondage. Pastor Adam reminds us that chasing affirmation often leaves us captive, exhausted, and spiritually misaligned. You can’t seek God's will while chasing human applause.

2. The Cost of Pleasing People

Approval-seeking doesn’t just distract — it costs us. Pastor Adam walks us through three major costs:

1. Obedience – We end up saying "yes" to people and "no" to God.
2. Identity – Our self-worth becomes fragile, tied to the ever-changing opinions of others.
3. Peace – Like running on a treadmill we didn’t start, we end up exhausted, striving for something that can never satisfy.

3. God’s Approval > Man’s Applause

Referencing Colossians and Matthew, Pastor Adam emphasizes that Jesus didn’t live for approval but from it. Before His ministry began, God already declared His pleasure in His Son. That same identity and approval are available to us through Christ.

Application

The message closes with a strong invitation to return — not to religious performance, but to God's open arms. It’s never too late to lay down the temporary crown of approval and pick up the eternal crown given by our King.

Worship Setlist

1. You Are Good
2. Be Enthroned
3. Who Else

Quotes Worth Reposting on Social Media

1. “You can't wear the crown of Christ and chase the applause of people.”
2. “If I live for their ‘yes,’ I will miss God’s ‘well done.’”
3. “People’s approval is rented. God’s approval is eternal.”
4. “Pleasing people might keep you popular, but only pleasing God keeps you purposeful.”
5. “You can't walk two paths at the same time — the path of people’s praise or God’s purpose.”
6. “The fear of rejection will make you disobey God.”
7. “Living for the audience of One frees you from the expectations of everyone else.”
8. “God’s voice is steady — the opinions of people are not.”
9. “We may lose ourselves chasing the world’s applause, but we always have a way back.”
10. “You’re not striving for approval — you’re living from it.”

WATCH SERMON

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