Our sermon this past Sunday was titled the Message is There – Are the Messengers?  As I listened to this message, I felt that feeling we all know well – the feeling of “Are you listening”?  I am talking to you!  - How many of you can relate to having that feeling come over you when you are listening to a sermon or a message?

We have been talking the past few months about being the messengers – Tulip Festival, Ranch Fest, our Department Service Projects.    As I listened to this sermon in church and then continued to think about it throughout the afternoon, my mind started thinking about how I am the Messenger on a daily basis through my role within Pizza Ranch.

The Scripture that we focused on for this sermon was Romans 10: 14-15

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"

Paul reminds us that the message of salvation is already present, already powerful, and already available. But it becomes real to people only when a messenger carries it with clarity, conviction, and compassion.

In our day to day within Pizza Ranch, your "feet" - (Remember – How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news), are your emails, meetings, tone, ethics, leadership, and daily interactions. That’s where the message travels.  We are all the messengers – even if we have never really thought of it that way.

Paul highlights a simple but profound truth: the message is perfect, but God chooses imperfect messengers to carry it.  There may be people hearing or reading this message that may never walk into a church, but they will walk into your office, your Zoom call, your team huddle, or your guest interaction in the restaurant. This is your pulpit.

So I started to ask myself – How do I become a better messenger when I am at work and interacting with people both in the office and out in the field.   Think about the following things and how are you becoming a better messenger?

1. Lead with Integrity

Integrity is the loudest sermon in the marketplace. When your decisions match your values, people notice. Your consistency builds trust, and trust opens doors for deeper conversations.

2. Practice Intentional Listening

Listening communicates dignity. It tells people they matter, mirroring Christ’s posture toward others. In business, listening well can be a powerful ministry.

3. Speak with Grace and Truth

Not flattery, not harshness-grace that encourages and truth that anchors. Your words can be a lifeline to someone who is struggling.

4. Model Calm Under Pressure

Peace is a testimony. When others panic, your steadiness becomes a witness to the hope you carry.

5. Honor People’s Time and Work

Respect builds trust. Trust builds influence. Influence carries the message.

6. Pursue Excellence

Excellence earns credibility. Credibility earns influence. Influence carries the message.

7. Pray for Opportunities

Not for forced conversations, but for natural moments of encouragement, hope, or truth.

8. Share Your Story

People may debate theology, but they rarely debate your lived experience. Share what God has done in your life when the moment is right.

God has placed you in your work at Pizza Ranch on purpose-not just to complete tasks, hit goals, or manage teams, but to carry His message into spaces where pastors may never go.

Every interaction is a seed. Every decision is a testimony. Every challenge is a chance to show the difference Christ makes.

You don’t need a microphone. You don’t need a title or a degree. You don’t need a platform.

You just need to be faithful with the moments you’re given.

Let your emails be seasoned with grace. Let your leadership reflect humility. Let your conversations carry hope. Let your work ethic reveal who you serve.

The message is there. The question is: Are the messengers using it?

I am going to leave you with three questions to think about today around that very question – Are the messengers using it? :

1. Where in my daily work do I have opportunities to be a messenger of hope?
2. How can I better reflect Christ in my leadership and interactions?
3. What habits can I build that strengthen my witness in the work I do at Pizza Ranch?

Each Tuesday morning when we sit around the table with the Barnabas team, someone always prays a prayer of Thanksgiving that we are able to have Barnabas each week and to have a group of people that gather to pray for each other, our team members, or restaurants, complete strangers and the world around us in a business setting.  When you stop and think about it, how many people can say that in today’s world?   How many people can do the very thing that we are doing right now?  We are the messengers!   How amazing is that!