Project: Culture Changers- Utah Devotional (March 28)

As we leave and begin the journey back to Newberg, there are a few different routes we could take to get home. Some are longer. Some are more scenic. Some are the quickest way back. And depending on who you are, you might be ready to get home as fast as possible… or you might wish this trip could last just a little bit longer. But in the end, there are really three kinds of routes:

1. Dreadful Route - long, boring, and all you can think about is getting home.

2. Scenic Route -  full of great views and memories, but still just a trip you eventually move on from.

3. Mission-Oriented Route - the most direct, focused on getting where you’re going with purpose.

As we head home, you’re not just choosing a route physically—you’re choosing what this trip will mean for your life. Whether you enjoyed this trip, it changed your life, or you are leaving "feeling mid" about it, you can go down one of three routes:

1. Dreadful Route - leave everything here, forget about it, and slip back into normal life.

2. Scenic Route - hold onto the memories, talk about how great it was, but let it stay in the past.

3. Mission-Oriented Route - allow this trip to shape you, change you, and propel you into a life of following Jesus more intentionally.

And yes, I hope you choose the mission-oriented route. But more than that, I hope you don’t make the mistake I made. When I was in high school, my mission trips became nothing more than Snapchat memories. Moments I could look back on—but not moments that changed how I lived. They didn’t move me forward. They just stayed in the past.

I left differently when I came home from Uganda. Here was my mindset:

On the long flight home, I remember thinking, “How do I take what I experienced here… and actually live it out back home?” Because Uganda looked nothing like Newberg. The culture was different. The needs were different. Everything felt different.

But then it clicked: The mission didn’t change, only the context did. I might not come home and dance in worship like they did, but I could live with that same passion. I might not serve in an orphanage, but I could love and serve people who feel unseen. I might not see poverty the same way, but I could still walk in humility. And I could absolutely live as a mission-oriented disciple of Jesus right where I was.

And honestly, without that trip, this trip wouldn’t exist. God used that moment to change me… and now He’s using this moment to shape you. So don’t let this trip pass by. Not as something dreadful. Not as something distant. But as something that propels you forward. Because following Jesus was never meant to stay in one place.

That’s why I want to invite you into something bigger. Something intentional. Something that helps you actually live this out when you get home. It’s called: Project: Culture Changers.

We’ve spent this year talking about “Come & See.” Inviting others to know Jesus. But along the way, something else has happened: You’ve been invited to know Him more deeply yourself. And when Jesus changes your life, He doesn’t just leave you there— He sends you out to change the world around you. That’s what this is about. Not in some overwhelming, unrealistic way. But in a faithful, daily, intentional way.

Project: Culture Changers is a simple, year-long invitation based on the book, Radical. Here’s what you’ll do:

• Read the Word every day

  • Stay rooted in truth. Let God shape how you think, live, and love.

• Pray for the world every day

  • You may feel small, but you are praying to a God who is not. He moves in ways we never could.

• Sacrifice your money

  • Not out of obligation but out of trust. Let your generosity reflect the heart of Jesus.

• Spend time in another context

  • Step outside your normal world. Go where you wouldn’t usually go. See people. Love people. Learn.

• Join a discipleship group

  • Don’t do this alone. You need people who will walk with you, challenge you, and remind you of the mission when you forget.

This isn’t about doing something huge. This isn’t about becoming someone you’re not. This is about being faithful with what’s in front of you. Because you’ve already seen it: You can pray. You can serve. You can share the gospel. You can love people well. And you don’t have to leave that here. You get to take it home.

So as we go back, don’t just remember what happened. Live in light of what God has done. Take the same mission you had here: To invite others to come and see Jesus… And to change the culture around you for His glory. So choose your route. Not just for the drive home but for your life. And by God’s grace… Be a culture changer.

Suggested Prayer:

Lord, send us out with purpose as we return home. Help us to be faithful with what You’ve placed right in front of us and to live on mission in our everyday lives. Give us boldness, consistency, and hearts that reflect Yours. Use us to change the culture around us for Your glory. Amen.

Scripture:

• Matthew 28:16-20

• Mark 8:34-38

Questions to Ponder:

• Group Questions

  • Devotional:

    • How can you take the mission-oriented route back home? Although this mission trip is ending, how can it propel you to live on a mission for Christ daily?

    • What part of Project: Culture Changers excites you the most? What part is the most intimidating?

  • Matthew 28:16-20 & Mark 8:34-38 -

    • The disciples were said to have worshiped and doubted. Most likely, they doubted themselves about the mission before them. How do you doubt yourself about living "on mission" back home?

    • How can you trust Jesus’ authority when going home and making disciples? 

    • What social pressures are preventing you from “losing your life”? How can you hand those over to Christ?