On Sunday 7th June, Michelle brought a message full of warmth, challenge, and practical encouragement — one of those sermons that stays with you through the week. Starting with a simple but profound idea drawn from God’s call to Abram in Genesis 12, Michelle unpacked what it really means to be “blessed to be a blessing.” This isn’t just a nice phrase — it’s a pattern woven through Scripture and meant to shape how we live every single day.
The service had a wonderful all-age feel to it. Children were invited to taste grapes as a way into thinking about the fruit of the Spirit, families were guided through the story of Abram’s big adventure — complete with a mystery destination game and a packing activity — and the whole congregation was reminded that trusting God into the unknown is something every one of us is called to, whatever our age. By the end of the morning, there was an opportunity to come forward to receive a blessing and anointing with oil as the congregation sang Way Maker and The Blessing together. It was a genuinely moving time.
Michelle also drew on the often-overlooked prayer of Jabez from 1 Chronicles, showing that ordinary, everyday needs and longings can be brought honestly to God. The invitation was simple but searching: ask God for blessing — with open hands — and then look for ways to pass that blessing on to the people around you.
Bible References
- Genesis 12:1–2
- 1 Chronicles 4:10
- James 4:2
Key Teaching Points
1. Blessing Is Always Meant to Flow Outward
The heart of the sermon was this: everything God gives us — time, skills, resources, experiences, even our capacity for love — is not just for our own benefit. From the very beginning of the Abraham story, God’s blessing had a direction. He blessed Abram so that Abram would become a blessing to others. Michelle reminded us that this is still God’s pattern for his people today, and it reframes how we think about everything we have.
“Blessed to be a blessing is a beautiful reminder that our gifts, resources, and experiences aren’t just for our own benefit, but are meant to be shared to uplift and support those around us.”
2. Trusting God Means Moving Before You Have All the Answers
Abram didn’t receive a detailed itinerary — he was simply told to go to a land God would show him. That is an extraordinary ask. Michelle used the children’s activities to bring this vividly to life: just as the volunteer in the mystery destination game had to trust simple instructions without seeing the goal, Abram trusted God one step at a time. The encouragement for us is that God’s guidance doesn’t always come all at once, and that’s okay.
“Abram didn’t know every detail, but he trusted that God would guide him.”
3. Jabez Shows Us That Ordinary People Can Ask God for Big Things
Jabez appears briefly in 1 Chronicles, but his prayer packs a lot in. He asked for God’s genuine favour, for his influence to be expanded, for God’s guiding presence in daily life, and for protection from harm. Michelle pointed out that Jabez wasn’t a superstar of the faith — he was an ordinary person who simply brought his real needs to God. His story gives us permission to do the same, and it reminds us that the territory God expands in us often begins in our hearts.
“He discovered that ordinary, personal everyday news can be brought to God.”
4. Blessing Others Can Start Very Small
Michelle was refreshingly practical about what being a blessing looks like. It doesn’t require grand gestures or large resources. A genuine smile, a thank-you to someone doing a thankless job, a WhatsApp voice note of encouragement, a card through someone’s door — these things matter more than we often realise. The challenge is simply to stay alert to the opportunities God puts in front of us each day.
“Just giving people a lovely smile can bless them!”
5. Ask God — With Open Hands
James 4:2 was a quiet but pointed reminder: “You do not have because you do not ask.” Michelle encouraged the whole congregation to come to God honestly and expectantly, asking for blessing. But she paired that with an image worth holding onto — open hands. Hands open to receive from God, and open to give to others. Blessing received with closed fists has nowhere to go.
Going Deeper
Take some time this week to reflect on these questions:
- Is there an area of your life where God might be asking you to take a step of faith before you can see the full picture — like Abram? What would trusting him look like in practice?
- When did you last simply ask God to bless you? What holds you back from praying boldly like Jabez?
- Think about the blessings — big and small — you have received recently. Who in your life could you pass one of those blessings on to this week?
- Michelle mentioned many ordinary, everyday ways to bless people. Which one feels most natural for you, and which one might stretch you a little?
- What is one new or brave thing you can trust God with this week?
This week, why not pray the simple prayer:
Lord, thank you for blessing us — far more than we often notice or acknowledge. Give us eyes to see those blessings clearly, open hands to receive them gratefully, and generous hearts to pass them on freely to those around us. Amen.
