WELCOME
Good morning First Baptist. We welcome you to worship this morning. Be sure to remember your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the week as you pray for them, and as the Holy Spirit brings their faces to your mind. Be sure to also connect with them in the ways that are possible. And if you have any questions or would like to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to contact the church through the church telephone and leave a message. (519-733-4144)
Songs
Call to Worship
Here’s the invitation we answer today to Come, and to bring with God everything in your hands, your work, your worries, your hopes. On this Labour Day weekend, we remember the gift of work, and we also honour the call to rest. So, for this time you’re invited to set down your tools, your schedules, and the weight you carry. Bring your briefcases and backpacks, your work and your studies. Come from the fields, the highways, the seas, and the city streets.
God sees your labor. The Spirit is alive in every moment. And Christ is calling, calling us to follow, and that means to follow in our work, our rest, our play, and our praise.
Songs
Prayer
CONFESSION:
God, you’re the giver of both work and rest. We admit that we don’t always get the balance right. We push ourselves too hard, or we measure our worth by what we produce. Sometimes we forget to pause, to breathe, and to be with you. Other times we fail to notice or appreciate the work of others, in our homes, in our communities, and in the world.
Forgive us for the ways we misuse the gifts of time, energy, and ability. Lord, remind us that who we are is not about our job title, the classes we take, our pay cheque, or how busy we are, our true identity is found in being yours.
Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
Here’s the good news: God delights in the work of your hands, but even more, God delights in you. In Jesus, we are forgiven, renewed, and set free. So let’s live as people who are loved, and let that love shape the way we live, work, and care for others.
Thanks be to God!
From Dread to Blessing
Transforming How We See Work
Today's Message: Pastors Marlee Page and Dave Page
Introduction: Worst Job Ever
What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
Introduction: Lessons from the Barn
Good morning, everyone.
I want to start with a story from my own life. We, both of us, grew up on a dairy farm, and summers were not the relaxing kind you see in postcards. In fact, some of our earliest summer memories are of shovelling manure out of the calf pens in the barn on hot summer days. They were hot, it was humid, and they were long days.
One of my least favourite chores if I’m being honest was shovelling calf pens in the barn. The smell, the sweat, the back-breaking labor; I hated it. Every day, when we had to do that, I felt like I was just enduring it, counting down the minutes until I could escape.
But here’s the thing, over time, I began to notice something. Even in those hard, hot, sweaty hours, there was value. Not just for the farm, but for me. I learned discipline, patience, and the satisfaction that comes from completing a hard job well. What I once saw as a burden slowly became something I could approach with a sense of purpose, even joy.
Maybe you’ve had work like that, hard, exhausting, seemingly endless. Work that makes you long for the weekend or dream of the day you’ll retire. It’s easy to think: Work is a curse.
But here’s the question we want to wrestle with today: Is work really a curse? Or could work actually be a blessing from God?
Point 1: God Works — and So Do We
When we open scripture, we discover that work itself isn’t the curse.
Genesis 1 says:
Scripture Reading: Genesis 1:27–28
So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every living thing that moves upon the earth.
Notice: God works. He creates, He forms, He blesses. And then He makes us in His image and immediately gives us work to do. Before sin ever enters the picture, God tells Adam and Eve: work the garden, care for creation, be fruitful, multiply.
Work is not a curse it’s part of God’s good design.
The curse comes later, in Genesis 3. Sin twists work into sweat, toil, frustration, and futility. But the original calling remains. We were created to work alongside God, as co-creators, stewards, image-bearers.
And here’s the good news; in Christ, even work is being redeemed. Paul says in Colossians 3:23:
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for people.”
In Jesus, work is no longer meaningless. Even the hard, messy jobs like cleaning out calf pens can be holy.
Point 2: The Futility of Work Without God
Of course, without God, work can feel meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 2 says:
“What do people get from all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 2:22–23)
Have you ever felt that? You work all day, you lie awake at night thinking about work, and it feels endless. Or maybe you’ve worked hard for something, a promotion, a degree, a pay cheque, and when you finally get it, it doesn’t satisfy.
There’s an old Russian legend about a peasant who was promised as much land as he could cover in a single day of running. He ran fast and far, desperate to claim more and more. But by the time he returned, exhausted, he collapsed and died. He never got to enjoy it.
Isn’t that the way it is sometimes? We chase achievement, wealth, status, and at the end of the day, we can’t even enjoy it. Work without God leaves us empty.
But Ecclesiastes doesn’t leave us there. A few verses later it says:
“A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” (Ecclesiastes 2:24–25)
Work apart from God is meaningless. But work with God becomes joy.
Point 3: Vocation Is About Who You Are, Not Just What You Do
That’s why we need to understand vocation.
The word vocation comes from the Latin vocare, meaning “to call.”
A vocation isn’t just a job, it’s a calling. Our first calling is not to a career or a title or a pay cheque. Our first calling is to Christ. The Catholic Catechism says: “Love is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being.” Because God is love, and we are made in His image, our deepest calling is to love God and love neighbour. Everything else, our jobs, our studies, our families, our retirement projects, flow from that first call.
That means your job is not your identity. Your pay cheque is not your worth. Your title is not your true name. Your identity is in Christ, and that frees you to work in a whole new way.
Point 4: Standing Firm in a Culture of False Identities
Here’s where it gets hard. We live in a world that constantly tries to define us by other things, by our careers, by our achievements, by our politics, by our social standing and by the things we have.
Rod Dreher tells the story of Father Kirill, who grew up under Soviet totalitarianism. As a young man, he was offered the chance to travel the world, but only if he joined the Communist youth league. He said no. He sacrificed career opportunities, travel, and prestige because he knew his first calling was to Christ.
That story resonates with what Paul told the Thessalonians. In their culture, to work often meant joining a guild, and to join a guild meant worshiping idols. To climb socially meant entering patronage systems, chasing influence, playing political games.
But Paul tells them in 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12:
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: you should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
In other words: Don’t play the world’s game. Don’t chase false identities. Do your work faithfully. Love each other deeply. Let your quiet, steady, faithful life point people to Jesus.
Conclusion: Living Out the Blessing in Our Work
As we wrap up today, I want us to really think about this: work doesn’t have to be a grind or something we just “get through.” God wants to take even the hardest, hottest, messiest jobs and yes, even the ones that make us groan and turn them into moments of blessing.
Ask yourself: How do I usually feel about my work? Do I dread it, or could I start seeing it differently as a way to honour God, help others, and even grow myself? Here’s the thing: that shift in focus starts in your heart.
So what does that look like practically?
- See your work as worship. Whatever you’re doing shoveling, typing, teaching, caring for someone, do it as if you’re doing it for God. Even the small, messy tasks matter.
- Serve others through what you do. Your patience, your kindness, your integrity, these are blessings to the people around you. You may not always notice it, but God sees it.
- Invite God into your day. Take a moment before you start your tasks to pray for guidance, energy, and joy. Ask Him to show up in even the ordinary moments.
Here’s a little challenge for you this week:
Pick one task you’ve been dreading and approach it differently. Offer it to God. Ask Him to help you see it as a chance to grow, to bless someone else, or simply to honour Him. Pay attention, you might be surprised at the joy and peace that comes. And if you feel like it, share that experience with someone, it might inspire them too.
As we’ve talked about today, God calls us to see our work not as a burden but as a blessing. He invites us to step into each task, each responsibility, each moment, with His purpose and joy in mind. We know that sometimes, even with the best intentions, we get tired. We get discouraged. We wonder if what we do really matters and that’s okay. God sees every effort, every small act of care, and every sacrifice we make. He notices when we show love and dedication, whether in a classroom, at home, on the farm, or in any job. And today, we want to pause, to bring all of that to Him, our work, our weariness, and our hopes, so He can refresh us and remind us of our purpose.
Let’s pray together, asking God to renew our hearts, strengthen our hands, and help us leave here ready to live out the blessing in every part of our day.
Prayer
Father, we come to You today with hearts full of gratitude. We thank You for the gift of work, whether it’s in a classroom, on a farm, in an office, behind the scenes, or on the road. We know that every act of service, every hour spent caring for others, every small, unseen effort matters to You.
We think about all those going back to school this upcoming week. We thank You for the teachers who have poured their lives into students, who have gone the extra mile to show that each child is valued beyond grades and assignments. We thank You for the bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria staff, and all who work behind the scenes, often unnoticed, yet faithfully giving their best. Lord, we thank You for those who labor in love, believing that what they do makes a difference and reminding us that with You, it truly does.
Lord, we admit that sometimes our work feels heavy. We get tired. We feel worn out, burned out, and unsure if we have more to give. But You, God, see us. You know our hearts, our struggles, and our sacrifices. And You remind us that our worth is not measured by the burdens we carry but by the love we put into all we do.
Today, we ask for Your strength. Refresh our minds when they feel weary. Restore our spirits when they feel drained. Renew our hearts so that we can see the purpose and blessing in every task You place before us. Help us to do our work not just for ourselves, but as an offering to You knowing that even the smallest effort, done in love, matters in Your kingdom.
Father, we lift up those among us who need encouragement, direction, or rest. Surround them with Your presence. Let them feel Your care deeply. And as we step into the week ahead, help us to carry Your joy into our work, to see every day as an opportunity to serve You and others with glad hearts.
Lord, remind us that every act of service, no matter how ordinary it may seem, can be transformed into a blessing, both for ourselves and for those around us. Teach us to live that truth. Let us leave here ready to embrace our work, our responsibilities, and our lives with renewed purpose and energy.
We give You all praise, all honour, and all thanks. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Song
Benediction
Lord, we bring before you today the fruit of our labour, the work of our hands.
We confess that more often than not, we take pride in our work to a fault, doing what we can to draw attention to ourselves and to our own abilities. We ask today that you would re-orient the direction of our praise lifting our eyes to the One who brings forth every good and perfect gift.
Take the works our hands, both big and small, and use them for your kingdom
purposes. Thank you that you join us by your Spirit in our work. Thank you that because of your grace, our labour is never in vain.
We ask that you continue to teach us how to be workers in your Kingdom; ever mindful of the rhythms of grace that you kindly invite us into. We pray these things in the name of the One who is worthy of our work, Amen.