WE PUT PEOPLE FIRST | Discover Church Value #3

Jul 21

⛪️ MONDAY MORNING CHURCH ⛪️

Hey Discover Church,

Welcome to week six of Monday Morning Church as we are 62 days away from the Grand Opening of Discover Church. Here at Discover Church we have five main values as we get ready to launch this brand new church on September 21st. Five things that shape who we are and how we live as a church:

We Believe in Jesus.
We Teach the Bible.
We Put People First.
We Have Lots of Fun.
We Care for the Family.

I’ll never forget growing up as a pastor’s kid in a military town in North West Washington on Whidbey Island (NAS Whidbey). Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, we’d sit down for our holiday dinner, and there would always be “extra” people at the table. Sailors, pilots, enlisted kids and officers all sitting at our table. People who just needed a place to belong. My parents taught me something in those moments that has stayed with me to this day:

We PUT PEOPLE FIRST

Why? Because that’s exactly what God does.

In the six days of creation, God called the light, the land, the stars, the animals, all of it: good. But when He created people? Genesis 1:31 says He saw everything He made, and when He looked at humanity, He called it “very good.” You and I are the only part of creation made in His image, the only ones who carry His breath, and the only thing Jesus died to redeem. People are the only thing that will last forever, the currency of heaven.

At Discover, we refuse to treat people like a number or a nuisance.

People are the mission.

Our church won’t just have programs for people, we will build our lives around loving them, seeing them, and calling out the very good that God sees in them.

“People matter to God. If they matter to Him, they better matter to us.” — Bill Hybels

So today, this week, let’s be the kind of church that notices people. Make room at your table. Invite someone into your life. Pray with someone on the spot. Call out the very good you see in someone this week.

One of the greatest ways that we will ever LOVE PEOPLE is by inviting THEM to this brand new church.

If you want to start living with “people first” eyes, here are a few ways to practice it this week:

How to Put People First This Week

1️⃣ Slow down and notice

I grew up playing soccer. For hours my coach would have us dribble a soccer ball with our head up. Eventually you got used to where the ball was without looking. We miss people when we hurry, look down at our own lives. Take time this week and look up. Make eye contact. Smile. Ask how someone’s doing and… wait for the answer.

Jesus was known for noticing people even when he was on his way to do something else. In Luke 19:5, Jesus spots a man by the name of Zacchaeus - not only does he notice him, he connects with him, and then carves out time to stay at his house.

📖 Jesus slowed down, looked up, and noticed someone others overlooked.

2️⃣ Listen more than you talk

Putting people first means valuing their story. I’ll put it this way. Have you ever asked someone their name and then immediately forgotten it? When you’re with someone, fight the urge to jump in with your own story or advice. Just listen. Let them feel heard.

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” - James 1:19

3️⃣ Look for who’s left out

We are friends with a UFC fighter. She explained to Kara and I that it was scarier walking into church than getting locked into a cage with another human. At work, at the park, at church — there’s always someone standing alone or feeling invisible. Be the person who notices and includes them.

In John 4:9–10, we read about a woman who Jesus comes up to and asks for water at a well. She is a Samaritan—an excluded race that was ignored by Jews because of cultural beliefs. After Jesus speaks to her, “The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’… Jesus answered her…”

📖 Jesus intentionally included the socially excluded and crossed cultural lines to do it.

4️⃣ Speak life into someone

Everyone you meet is fighting battles you can’t see. Take a moment to say something encouraging, even if it feels small — you never know the impact.

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” - Proverbs 18:21

📖 Your words can build up or tear down—choose to speak life.

5️⃣ Invite someone in

Don’t just be friendly — be a friend. Whether it’s inviting someone to sit with you on Sunday, grabbing lunch, or asking them to join your circle, take that step.

When you have eyes for others, you’ll start to see what God sees — His very good creation, worth your time, your love, and your invitation.

📖 Jesus didn’t just teach in crowds—He invited individuals into relationship and purpose.

”‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’” - Matthew 4:19