What does a fire tower have to do with being part of a local church? More than you might think.
Using the tree metaphor from Jeremiah 17 — the tree planted by water that doesn’t fear when heat comes — Pastor Josh White picked up where week one of the Planted series left off. If the roots represent where we are planted (the truth of God’s Word and our hope in Christ), and the branches represent where attention goes (the fruit we bear), then the trunk represents something critical: us — the local body of believers, the fellowship of God’s people gathered together.
The Trunk: A Firm Foundation
The trunk has one defining quality that allows the whole tree to thrive: it is unselfish. It doesn’t hoard the water and nutrients from the soil. It passes them through.
That is precisely what God designed the local church to do. It is a place where God’s power, truth, and Spirit flow through His people — not to keep blessings for themselves, but to pass them along to others.
Two Words: Self-Centered vs. Selfish
Before diving into Scripture, Pastor Josh distinguished between two concepts on a continuum: self-centered and selfish.
Self-centered is not wrong. It is simply how we as human beings experience life — we view the world from our perspective. We check the weather and ask how it will affect us. We consider policies and ask how they’ll impact our lives. We take care of ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Self-care is healthy and necessary.
The problem comes when self-centeredness slides into selfishness — when we become so focused on ourselves that we no longer care about the needs of others. The Bible teaches us both: to practice healthy self-care and to not be selfish.
Philippians 2:1-4 — The Key Passage
“Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
— Philippians 2:2-4
From this passage, two things to avoid:
- Selfish ambition — The Greek word (eritheia) describes electioneering or contentious self-promotion. It’s putting all your effort into promoting yourself for your own gain, at the expense of others and the community.
- Conceit — Pride. Thinking you are better or more important than others.
And two things to pursue:
- Humility — A deep sense of one’s littleness. A humble person recognizes they are just one among many, all equal in value in God’s sight, all with needs.
- Looking to others’ interests — The Greek word for “look” (skopeo) means to fix your eyes on something intently, like looking through a scope. It is specific and intentional focus. Believers are to put one another in their scope — marking others, paying attention to them, meeting their needs.
The Fire Tower Vision
Pastor Josh then introduced a picture that ties the sermon together: a fire tower.
Forest fire towers are built high up, giving watchers a panoramic view. Someone climbs to the top and looks — constantly and intently. When smoke appears, they focus in, put it in their scope, and coordinate a response.
That is what Grace Bible Church is being called to do for one another. The church recently formed a Care Team, led by elders Travis Sanders and Colin Brown, as an organized way to intentionally look at one another — to ask how people are doing, to learn what their needs are, and to respond.
“We want to care for the needs of the people of this church. You matter a lot to us. We want to get to know you and meet your needs. But we need to know what your needs are before we can meet them.”
— Travis Sanders, Care Team Leader
The Care Team has already been visiting people in the hospital and in their homes — week two of October and the mission is already in motion.
The Church Is the Answer
One of the greatest benefits of the local church is that it keeps us from becoming selfish. It places us in a community where we are aware of one another’s needs — and where God’s blessings can pass through us to others.
“Like a tree planted by water, you send out your roots by the stream. You don’t fear when heat comes. You don’t cease to bear fruit.”
— Jeremiah 17:8
When we are planted in a local church — when we are the trunk, not hoarding but passing nutrients through — we grow. We thrive. And others are blessed.
The question this week: Are you looking? Are you putting others in your scope?
Scripture References
- Jeremiah 17:7-8 — The tree planted by water
- Psalm 1 — The tree by the streams
- Philippians 2:1-4 — Selfish ambition vs. humility
- Philippians 3:17 — Mark those who walk by good example