May 31, 2026
Speaker: Pastor Brandon Harris
Writer: Linda Waltersdorf Cobourn, EdD
PASSING GO
My family likes to play Monopoly. We own at least eight versions. There’s something satisfying about racing our little tokens around the board, hoping to pass GO and collect what we need to keep going. That bright corner square with the orange arrow feels like a fresh start — a place of momentum, purpose, and possibility.
But if you’ve ever played Monopoly, you know you don’t always get to GO when you want. Sometimes you land in Jail. Sometimes you get sent back to St. Charles Place. Sometimes you spend everything you have on a Boardwalk hotel and hope it pays off.
The path isn’t straight. The progress isn’t predictable. And the setbacks are real.
The disciples knew something about that.
When Jesus met them on the mountain in Matthew 28:16–20, He gave them the Great Commission:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… and surely I am with you always.”
He sent them out with authority and purpose — but not with a guarantee that every village would welcome them. In fact, earlier in His ministry, Jesus prepared them for rejection. In Matthew 10:14, He told them:
“If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.”
Not stuck. Not discouraged. Not defeated. Just moving forward with Him.
Paul echoes this truth in 1 Corinthians 3:9:
“For we are God’s fellow workers.”
We’re not lone tokens circling the board. We’re partners with God, guided by His Spirit, strengthened by His presence, and sent out with
His promise in Matthew 28:20:
“I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
So, when you and I obey the Great Commission, we’re not just going — we’re making. Making disciples. Making invitations. Making room for conversations that point to Jesus. Making peace with the truth that not every moment will feel like passing GO.
Some days will feel like Jail. Some seasons will feel like being sent backward. Some callings will cost us more than we expected.
But the mission remains. And the presence of Jesus remains even more with His Protection, His Power, and His Peace.
Passing GO in the Kingdom isn’t about collecting anything for ourselves. It’s about carrying the Good News forward so someone else can find their way home.
Where might Jesus be nudging you to “pass GO” this week — even if the path isn’t straight, and even if you’ve had to shake off some dust along the way?
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, You send us out with purpose, and You stay with us in every step. When the way feels blocked, when we are sent backward, or when we must shake the dust from our feet, steady our hearts with Your presence.
Teach us to go where You lead, to speak with grace, to love with courage, and to trust that You are working even when we cannot see the outcome.
Make us faithful workers in Your Kingdom, and remind us that we never walk alone. Amen.
