Riding with Faith: Stories from the Heart

# Saddle Up and Ride Together: Building the Body Like a Working Ranch

A Morning Devotion by Rev. Joseph Holmes

HC Ministries International

November 20, 2025

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Good morning, brothers and sisters in Christ!

This morning, we're going to look at Ephesians chapter 4, and I want to talk to you about something that every rancher, every cowboy, every hand who's worked cattle knows deep in their bones—you can't run a ranch alone. I don't care how tough you are, how skilled you are, how many years you've been at it. When it's time to work cattle, when there's fences to mend, when there's calves to pull, when there's hay to put up—you need your crew. You need every hand doing their part.

And that's exactly what Paul is teaching us about the church. See, we're living in a time where everybody wants to be a lone rider. Social media's got everyone convinced they can do life by themselves. Folks want the benefits of the ranch without the work. They want to show up for the BBQ but disappear when it's time to string wire. And the church? Well, too many folks treat it like a rodeo—show up, watch the show, and head home.

But that ain't how God designed it. And in Ephesians 4, Paul's about to show us that the body of Christ is supposed to work like a good ranch crew—every hand pulling their weight, working together, building something bigger than any one of us could do alone.

So grab your coffee, settle in, and let's talk about what it really means to be part of this outfit.

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## Today's Scripture: Ephesians 4:10-13 (NIV)

"He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

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## The Devotion

Now, before we dig into these verses, let me paint you a picture. Paul starts by reminding us that Jesus didn't just come down from heaven, walk around for 33 years, and leave. No sir. He descended—came all the way down, walked in our boots, carried our load, died on a cross, and went to the grave. But He didn't stay there. He rose up. He ascended. And now He's got authority over everything—every ranch, every ridge, every valley, every star in the sky. He fills it all.

Why does that matter? Because before we talk about how the church works, we gotta know who's running the outfit. Jesus Christ is the boss. He owns the ranch. He sets the rules. And what He says goes.

So what does the Boss do? Verse 11 tells us: He gave gifts to His people—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Now, these ain't fancy titles to put on your belt buckle or your business card. These are jobs. These are roles. Like having a good foreman, a bronc rider, a roper, a cook, and a vet on the ranch. Each one's got a specific job to do.

But here's where folks get it twisted. Look at verse 12: "to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up."

See, the job of leaders—pastors, teachers, all of 'em—ain't to do all the work while everybody else sits on the fence watching. Their job is to equip you. To train you. To get you ready so you can get out there and do the work yourself.

Think about it like this: when you hire a young hand fresh off the farm, you don't just throw 'em on a rank bronc and say, "Good luck, kid." No. You train 'em. You show 'em how to rope, how to read cattle, how to fix a fence, how to work the gate. You equip them. And then you send them out to do the job.

That's what's supposed to happen in the church. Leaders equip God's people so they can do the ministry. Problem is, we've turned church into a spectator sport. Folks show up, watch the preacher perform, critique how he did, and head to the truck. We've got a whole lot of fence-sitters and not nearly enough workers.

But Paul says that ain't how it's supposed to be. When the body's working right, when every hand's doing their part, three things happen:

1. We reach unity in the faith. Now, unity don't mean we all wear the same hat or ride the same saddle. It means we're all pulling in the same direction. We're all working for the same brand—Jesus Christ. We ain't divided by petty squabbles, politics, or who likes what music on Sunday morning. We're united by the gospel.

2. We grow in the knowledge of the Son of God. We ain't just learning facts about Jesus. We're getting to know Him. Like the way you know your horse—not just what color he is, but how he thinks, how he moves, what he'll do when things get tight. That's the kind of knowing Paul's talking about.

3. We become mature, attaining to the fullness of Christ. We grow up. We stop acting like green-broke colts, spooking at every shadow, bucking at every little thing. We become steady, dependable, mature hands that can be trusted when the work gets hard.

Now here's the difference between religion and following Jesus, put in terms every cowboy can understand:

Religion says: "Sit in the stands, let the professionals handle it. Your job is to show up, drop some money in the plate, and look respectable."

Following Jesus says: "Saddle up. You're part of this crew. There's work to be done, and we need every hand on deck."

Religion makes spectators. Following Jesus makes workers.

Religion keeps you dependent on others. Following Jesus calls you to step up and carry your weight.

Religion is about looking good at the Sunday rodeo. Following Jesus is about getting dirty in the week-day work.

And let me tell you something—we need this truth now more than ever. Too many folks want the benefits of the church without the sacrifice. They want community without commitment. They want fellowship without responsibility. They'll show up for the potluck but disappear when there's work to be done.

But that ain't how a ranch runs, and that ain't how the body of Christ is supposed to function. Every hand matters. Every gift matters. Every person has a role to play.

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## Application: How to Apply This to Your Life

So how do we live this out? How do we actually be the kind of crew God's calling us to be?

First: Stop sitting on the fence and get in the arena. Ask yourself, "What am I doing to serve this body?" If you're just showing up on Sunday and heading home, you're missing it. Find a place to serve. Use what God gave you. Get your hands dirty.

Second: Get trained up. Don't just listen to the preaching and forget it by Monday. Apply it. Ask questions. Find someone who's been riding this trail longer than you and learn from them. Let God develop you so you can help develop others.

Third: Work for unity, not uniformity. We don't all have to rope the same way or ride the same horse, but we do need to work for the same brand. Stop letting little things divide you from other believers. Keep your eyes on Jesus and the gospel. The rest is just details.

Fourth: Grow up in your faith. Stop acting like a green colt that spooks at every little thing. Stop getting bucked off by every controversy, every new teaching, every argument on social media. Plant your feet, dig deep, and become a steady hand that folks can count on.

Fifth: Remember who's running this outfit. Jesus is the Boss. He's the one who gave you your gifts. He's the one who's building His church. Keep your eyes on Him, not on the drama, not on the critics, not on all the noise. He's got this.

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## Conclusion

Listen, a ranch don't run on one cowboy. It takes a crew—every hand doing their part, working together, building something that lasts. And the church? It's the same way. We're the body of Christ—every one of us with a role to play, gifts to use, work to do.

And in a world that celebrates going solo, that encourages everybody to build their own little kingdom—God's calling us to something different. He's calling us to be a crew. To work together. To build each other up. To grow into maturity.

Religion will tell you to sit back and let the professionals handle it. But Jesus says, "Saddle up. There's work to be done, and I need you in the saddle."

So today, will you answer the call? Will you step off the fence and into the work? Will you use what God's given you to build up the body?

I believe you will. I'm praying you will. And I'm reminding you—this outfit needs you. Jesus has equipped you. Now it's time to ride.

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## Prayer

Lord, thank You for this crew You've put together. Thank You for the body of Christ—imperfect as we are, You're building us into something strong. Forgive us for the times we've been fence-sitters instead of workers, critics instead of builders. Forgive us for wanting the benefits without the sacrifice. Lord, we want to step up. We want to be trained. We want to serve. Help us see that we're all part of Your crew, gifted and called for a purpose. Teach us to work together in unity—not uniformity, but real, gospel-centered unity. Grow us up into maturity, steady hands that folks can count on. We keep our eyes on You, Boss. You're running this outfit, and we trust You to build what only You can build. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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## Motivational Quote

"A ranch don't run on spectators—it runs on working hands. The church is the same way. You've been equipped, you've been called, and this crew needs you to saddle up and ride."

— Rev. Joseph Holmes

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HC Ministries International

Proclaiming Truth. Transforming Lives.