If God calls a man to preach His Word, that calling was never meant to be confined to a building.

Jesus didn’t say, “Go into the sanctuary.” He said in Matthew 28 to go into all the world and make disciples. That command has never been limited by geography, architecture, or comfort. From the very beginning, the gospel was designed to move outward. It was never meant to stay contained.

When I look at what God is doing at Northern Light Church, I’m reminded of that truth constantly. God is sending people here—people from all walks of life, different backgrounds, different stories, different struggles. And when I step back and honestly reflect on how He is doing it, the answer is simple and humbling: He is doing it through His people.

The people of this church invite. They encourage. They share. They love. They show up for one another without being asked. I watch people give their time, their energy, and their care to others simply because they see a need. No prompting. No program. Just obedience. It’s exactly what Hebrews 10 talks about when it says we are to stir one another up to love and good works. It’s a beautiful thing to witness as a pastor, and it’s a reminder that the church is alive when the people understand their shared calling.

That calling doesn’t stop at the church doors.

Scripture tells us in Romans 10, how will they hear without a preacher? That verse doesn’t specify the platform. It doesn’t restrict the distance. It simply assumes that hearing requires someone willing to speak. Today, many people are listening through screens. That doesn’t diminish the message—it expands its reach.

We absolutely use social media, and we don’t apologize for it. Not because we love the platform, but because we love people. Just one short devotional I shared at The Lion’s Den last week resulted in over 6,500 “like” reactions. That’s not a vanity metric to me. Those are people—real people—from all over the globe who paused long enough to hear the Word of God. On Facebook alone, our ministry is averaging over 100,000 views in a month. Again, that’s not about numbers on a screen. That’s people hearing Scripture, encouragement, and truth who may never walk into our building but still desperately need Jesus.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3 that one plants and another waters, but God gives the increase. That truth keeps me grounded. Our responsibility is faithfulness. God handles fruit. The soil may be a pew, a prison, a living room, or a phone held by someone thousands of miles away. The seed doesn’t change. The gospel doesn’t lose power because of distance.

Some will say social media is full of hate, immorality, and vulgarity. They’re right. I can’t stand it either. But so is the world. Jesus never avoided broken places. He stepped into them. John 1 tells us the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Light doesn’t retreat because darkness exists. Light enters it.

If the presence of sin disqualified a place from ministry, then Jesus should have stayed in heaven.

The danger has never been the tool. The danger has always been the heart. Tools are neutral. Roads were neutral. Letters were neutral. Pulpits are neutral. What matters is how they’re used and why. Scripture warns us in 1 John 5 to guard ourselves from idols, and that warning applies just as much to pride, comparison, and fear as it does to success.

I don’t see what God is doing through Northern Light Church as something to boast in. I see it as something to be humbled by. I am deeply aware that this is affirmation—not of talent or strategy—but of obedience. God is using us, and yes, He is using me, and that is both a privilege and a weight I take seriously.

Our job as pastors is not to chase attention or control outcomes. Ephesians 4 tells us we are to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. When the Word is preached and people are equipped, a ripple happens. They invite friends. They encourage family. They speak truth where they live and work. The gospel moves farther than any one pastor ever could.

I have been posting what I have learned since the day my eyes were opened. Northern Light Church will go into the trenches for Christ. Not because the trenches are comfortable, but because that’s where people are. And if people are listening online, then that is where we will speak. Not for applause. Not for recognition. But because the world still needs Jesus, and the Word of God is not chained, as Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 2.

Walls don’t define the church…obedience does.

And wherever God opens a door for His Word to be heard, we intend to walk through it.