Good morning. It’s the first time I’ve said hello to you since the calendar turned to 2026. Happy New Year. Great to see you guys today.

I like Christmas, but I also think this may be one of my favorite times of year. People are starting to get back to routine and schedules — I’m a total routine guy. People are still pulling out some new Christmas clothes they got for presents. And I love this time because it is football playoff season, everybody. If you don’t know, tomorrow night the college football championship is on. There’s already been a few NFL playoff games, and there are a couple going on today. Man, I don’t even care who’s playing — the fact that it’s playoffs is pretty darn exciting.

But here’s the deal. Some of you may hear about playoffs happening in the NFL and begin to loathe life because you know you may have lost your spouse to the couch for the entire day. Did you know that on New Year’s Day you can watch football from like 9:00 until about 8:30 p.m.?

You may ask, “Ben, how do you know this?” Well, I have to admit something, and I feel silly even saying it. My wife and I have been married about 28 years now, and one of the things we enjoy is updating our house and adding certain things. She said, “Babe, I’d really love to update one of the walls in our bedroom” — that board and batten thing. We talked about doing it around New Year’s since we had a few days off.

New Year’s Eve comes along, I get home from work, grab a few snacks, sit in my chair, because the first college football playoff is beginning. A commercial comes on and shows the schedule for New Year’s Day — all the bowl games. I thought, “This is amazing.” I have a goal: sit in my chair from 9:00 until about 8:30, alternating snacks. Salty, sweet, salty, sweet, salty, sweet.

Right about the time I saw that commercial and was making my plans, Aim peaks her head around the corner and says, “Hey, remember we talked about doing the updates? What if I got coffee with Karen, and after that we can meet at Home Depot and get started?” And I said, “That sounds great.”

The next day, New Year’s Day, it’s about 12:30. I’m ending the first game, getting ready for the second, kind of thinking — maybe she forgot. Maybe she won’t text. Nope. All of a sudden I get a text: “Hey, I’m all done. You want to meet me at Home Depot or drive together?” I said, “I’ll meet you there.”

I wish I could say I did a 180. I didn’t. I was acting like a baby. I didn’t want to be there, but I went because I said I would. We start in the trim section. She’s asking about size, width, how high it should go, whether there should be a ledge — and I’m doing my best to be engaged, but my face and body communicated that I did not want to be there.

We move to the paint section. Somewhere in there, I realize I forgot my glasses in my truck. I can’t tell the difference between alabaster white, snow white, Swiss coffee white, off-white. I’m thinking, maybe this is my way out. I say, “Baby, I can’t see, I forgot my glasses, and my head is starting to hurt a little.” Instead of saying, “Let’s just go home,” she says, “Oh, I know — you can wear my glasses.” Sure enough, I’m walking around Home Depot with pink glasses on, and all I want to do is watch football.

The point of the story is that I was kind of a failure that day. While I said I was available for Aim, I really wasn’t. I wasn’t free and willing to be engaged in what was taking place.

Now, this is not going to be a message on marriage today — we do have a marriage class beginning February 20th, you can find more on the BBG news site. But today I’d like to focus on the greatest relationship we can have: our relationship with the Lord.

Right up front, I want to give you the challenge: to be available to him. To be free and willing to be used by God for his glory, his purpose, and his will. That’s why we were designed. That’s why God knit us together, as it says in the Psalms.

If you’re like me, you may hear that and feel a little uneasy. I’ve got a lot of responsibilities. I’m juggling a lot. Sometimes when someone says “be free and willing,” I start to feel guilty, and I don’t want church to feel like guilt. But as we look at this passage, I think we’ll find out why we can be available, how we can be available, and understand that God is in the midst of using busy people. That’s just what he does.

So we’re going to look at Acts chapter 16, starting in verse 25. A little background: Paul and Silas are traveling, making themselves available for the Lord to use them as the gospel unfolds to humanity after Jesus has risen and ascended. They’re in the city of Philippi — which may sound familiar because further in your Bible is a book called Philippians, a letter Paul later wrote to the church there.

In Philippi, God is doing great things through them. But every time God does great things, there is opposition. The enemy always seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. An angry mob came, stripped Paul and Silas of their clothing, beat them with wooden rods, then threw them into prison. That’s where our story picks up.

Verse 25: “About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”

That’s not my typical response to hardship. If I were wrongfully imprisoned, I don’t think I’d be singing. But notice — it’s midnight, which first of all is a victory because I can’t make it that late. New Year’s Eve I made it to 9:45. But more importantly, the prisoners were listening to them.

When you profess Jesus as your Lord and Savior and your desire is to live for him and honor him, people are always watching. People are always listening. They want to see if your walk matches your talk.

Verse 26: “Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and everybody’s chains came loose.”

I was at a 50th birthday party a few weeks ago — I’m at that age when we’re all turning 50, it’s very exciting — and someone mentioned the 1989 earthquake. Immediately, everyone shared exactly where they were and what they were doing. I was 13, playing Pop Warner football, on the ground stretching. You remember the feeling of an earthquake — completely vulnerable, no idea when it starts or ends, no real place to go.

The prisoners were all listening to Paul and Silas when this violent earthquake hits. All the doors fling open. Chains come off. It’s a divine intervention — of the Lord. So often in Acts and throughout the Bible, when God is about to do something, he makes it obvious.

Verse 27: “When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew a sword and was going to kill himself since he thought the prisoners had escaped.”

In Roman law, if a prison guard was responsible for prisoners and one escaped, that guard would have to endure the same penalty as the escaped prisoner. So when the jailer thought everyone had escaped, he figured he’d be in prison so long he’d die there. Rather than face that, he decided to end things himself.

That’s when human involvement enters the story. Verse 28: “But Paul called out in a loud voice, ‘Don’t harm yourself because we’re all here.’”

Paul had options. He could have stayed quiet. The jailer might have taken his life and Paul, Silas, and the others could have walked right out. But instead, Paul speaks up.

I wonder — in our own lives, when someone’s foundation is shaken and they know you go to church, they’ve heard you mention God and Jesus — do you speak up? Or do you stay quiet? It happens in odd moments, unexpected times. Someone at work comes up and says, “I know we don’t talk about these things much, but my wife and I have been struggling. We’re always fighting. I’m wondering if it’d be easier to just go our separate ways.” You have an opportunity to speak up or remain quiet.

Maybe at your kid’s sporting event, someone sitting next to you says, “I just feel like nothing has ever gone right. I’m always losing. There’s no more hope. Sometimes I think maybe it’s easier if I’m just not here.” Will you speak up? Don’t harm yourself. There’s hope.

My son wears a sweatshirt that says on the back, “Dear person behind me, the world is a better place because you’re in it.” Sometimes we need to say that to people.

Verse 29–31: “The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. He escorted them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house.”

Paul and Silas were not anticipating an opportunity to share Jesus while in prison. Likewise, our opportunities may not come when we expect them.

There are moments when people come to us when the foundations of their life are shaken and the only appropriate answer is Jesus Christ. It’s Jesus. That may make you a little nervous — it’s not always a name we talk about freely. But it’s the only appropriate response when someone needs hope, when they’re looking for a reason to continue, when the problems seem unsolvable. Believe in Jesus.

And what I love is that Paul and Silas didn’t stop there. They went on and spoke the whole word of the Lord. They explained what Jesus accomplished. Not just “believe in Jesus” — but here’s who he is and what he did.

I wonder — do we know the whole story? Can we explain it? Someone may come to you and say, “I’ve lost everything. My marriage, my kids don’t want to be around me, I’m living alone, this addiction has taken it all.” You can say: it starts with Jesus. God created you to know him. In our life, we choose other things, and that leads to heartache. But God in his great love sent his son Jesus to live a perfect life and die on a cross. Three days later he rose from the dead — proving he has the ability to transform our lives from addiction to dependence on him, where we find life and life abundantly.

Does it have to be word for word like that? Nope. Ultimately, what you’re communicating is: I was once blind, but now I see.

That can feel like a lot. It’s hard. It’s a little scary. I’ve been a pastor for most of my adult life, and yet when I’m at my wife’s Christmas teacher party — she’s a teacher — and I’m talking with her coworkers, I get really nervous trying to explain who Jesus is. That’s not my normal environment. And that nervousness is actually good, because it forces us to rely on the Lord.

If you’re not sure how to share the story, I talked with Lisa, who you saw praying this morning. She has something called “The Story” — it used to be called a tract, this one’s a little fancier. It’s a guide for those moments when you’re not sure what words to say. You can hand it to someone and say, “Here, take it and read more.” They’ll be out on the information desk when you walk out of the sanctuary.

Now, after all this, I think we see what may be the most beautiful part of the whole interaction. Verse 33–34: “He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had come to believe in God with his entire household.”

Our first interaction with the jailer — he’s about to take his life, trembling with fear. Our last interaction — he’s rejoicing because he’s found new life. Extraordinary.

When Paul later writes a letter to the Philippian church in Philippians 1:3, he says, “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you.” I wonder if Paul was thinking of that moment when he wrote those words.

And it brings us back to where we started: the challenge. To be available to the Lord. To be free and willing to be used by God.

The difficulty lies in our motivation. I admitted at the beginning — my goal on New Year’s Day was to watch football. We make ourselves available to whatever our goal is, our prize. What is yours? What do you worship ultimately?

For some it’s power and control. For some it’s safety. For some it’s money. For some, the prize is a spouse or kids — and those things aren’t wrong. I love Aim, she’s my favorite person. But if she becomes more important than the Lord, there’s a problem. If our kids take higher priority than God’s will, there’s a problem.

When I think about Paul being available that night in the jail, it didn’t start that night. It started long before. Philippians 3:10 says, “My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death.” Paul’s goal was to know the Lord and be used by him. That was it.

You may think, “I’m not like Paul or Silas. Those guys are super Christians.” But the same God who saved Paul and Silas is the same God who saved you. The same Holy Spirit that resided in them resides in you.

And the tension grows when we say, “Ben, I’m just too busy.” My response is: that’s nonsense. God uses busy people. Paul was a busy man before and after he knew Christ. But he made himself available because that was his goal.

How might our lives change if we said, “God, you are my prize. I am available to you.” What might our families look like? Our church? Our workplace? Our schools? It’s not our schedule that determines whether God can use us. It’s our heart. And when God calls us to something, we say: I’m available.

Paul and Silas weren’t anticipating what happened in that jail cell. But when God said “now’s the time,” they were ready. I wonder if we get a little scared thinking about the whatever and the whenever. That’s actually okay — it should feel a little like an adventure.

My wife and I went to Maui last year — our first major vacation without the kids in 28 years. She wanted to swim with turtles. We literally got off the plane and she said, “Let’s go snorkel.” We walked through what felt like a jungle, stepped out into a huge bay, climbed over painful rocks, and plopped into the ocean. There were maybe two other people and they were really far away. She’s swimming around, completely in her element. I’m floating there thinking, “Please, Lord, let her see a turtle soon so we can get out.” After about 45 minutes I swim over to her and say, “We have to get out of here. We’re going to cramp up and die and no one will know we’re here.” I know — super silly. Later that night at dinner she says, “Why were you so freaked out? It’s an adventure.” And I said, “What’s your definition of adventure?” She said, “Exciting.” Mine? Exciting and scary.

And I think being available to the Lord is an adventure in the same way — exciting and a little scary. That’s actually good, because it means God is speaking through you. And there is nothing else like it. When God uses you to speak up and share Jesus with another person, time slows. You hear the words coming out of your mouth and realize they’re not fully your own. It’s like the prophet Jeremiah said — if I don’t speak up, it’s like a fire shut up in my bones. You have to get it out.

It ends with joy because the message of Jesus is proclaimed. When God is the goal of our life, we want to know him and share in his story unfolding to humanity. And when we make ourselves available, God sees fit to use us.

I’d like to give you one challenge this week. I tried it myself while preparing this message: just wake up each day and say, “God, I’m available.” At work, at home, driving, at the grocery store, getting your hair done — wherever. Say, “God, I’m available.” And watch what interaction he brings your way. When he does — speak up.

Before I pray, let me say this: you may be in a place right now where the foundation of your life has been shaken and you’re looking for hope. I’d invite you — we have a prayer room through those doors. There are good men and women who would love to pray with you about whatever you’re going through.

Father, thank you for letting us be here today. I pray for the men and women in this room — that you would encourage them, and allow us to think deeply about what we heard today, most importantly your word, and how we might be available to you. It might sting a little to peel back our lives and evaluate what the real goal and prize is. But Lord, I pray that it would be you. Moving forward, let it be you. Protect these people as they go. Keep them safe. Let them glorify you. In Jesus’ name, amen.