03/04/2025
Jean Morrison
“Building your brand” is a familiar concept — it’s often seen as a way to establish your reputation and highlight your expertise. As Christians, this isn’t a bad thing. The real challenge isn’t whether we build a brand—it’s how we do it.
When Jesus began His ministry, His brand and influence grew rapidly. Crowds followed Him everywhere as word spread about His miracles, provision, and healings — even raising the dead. For His disciples, witnessing His growing fame must have been exhilarating. Yet, despite the crowd’s admiration, Jesus never lost sight of His mission — to go to the cross and fulfill His Father’s will.
The disciples couldn’t grasp Jesus’ final destiny, but instead relished and basked in His temporary fame among the people. No matter how many times Jesus tried to prepare them for His death, they were fixated on Jesus establishing His earthly Kingdom, hoping He’d overthrow the Romans and reign in Jerusalem. Their desire was made evident when the mother of James and John asked Jesus to place her sons at His left and right hand when He sat upon His future throne. This request enraged the other disciples and even Jesus had to shut it down immediately.
Matthew 20:20-24 gives us a picture of this. “When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”
Jesus made it absolutely clear to them and now us: As His followers — Kingdom Revolutionists — our goal shouldn’t be about seeking to become great, but exercising humility, and become a servant to others.
Maybe you’ve seen evidence of someone who builds their brand the wrong way — outside of Jesus. They get caught up in their celebrity status, become distant to those they knew, or even become arrogant. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase, “They forgot where they came from.” Even as Christians, it’s so easy to get caught up in the lure, glitz and glamor of fame, so it’s important to know how we can avoid this trap at all costs.
Here are three Kingdom perspectives to move you in the right direction.
Kingdom Perspective #1: Kingdom Revolutionists embrace humility.
Jesus said that to truly be great, we must humble ourselves. This isn’t always easy, especially when we gain influence, authority, or wealth. But true greatness in God’s Kingdom requires humility.
Kingdom Perspective #2: Kingdom Revolutionists serve willingly.
Christ is our model. Jesus didn’t come to be served — He came to serve others. He left the Glory of Heaven, even setting aside His divine privileges, to become human and redeem us from sin. He became a servant, and so should we. We must remember as Kingdom Revolutionists we are not here on earth to build our own brand to further our causes, but Christ’s.
Kingdom Perspective #3: Kingdom Revolutionists live sacrificially.
Jesus never sought a life of luxury. If He were here today, you wouldn’t find Him flying first class, driving an exotic car, living in a multi-million dollar home, wearing expensive clothing, joining inclusive clubs, and trying to be relevant, cool, or appear super intelligent. Instead, Jesus would be among the forgotten and overlooked, serving those in need both spiritually and physically. That’s not to say that God doesn’t want us to have nice things, but that shouldn’t be our main goal to build our brand to obtain wealth or an elevated status. God wants us to live out a life that serves others whether we are rich, middle class, or poor. That’s the kind of sacrifice He calls us all to do, no matter our vocation — whether we are volunteers, pastors, CEO’s, managers, college students, or stay at home mothers or fathers.
So, here’s the bottom line: As Christ-followers and Kingdom Revolutionists, our brand must reflect humility, service, and sacrifice. We’re not here to achieve more power, wealth, or acclaim — we’re here to live righteously, bear fruit, and bring others into God’s Kingdom.
In the next 30 days, I challenge you to do the following: Pray and ask God, “How can I build my brand to serve others and bring more people into Your Kingdom?” When you do, expect God to expand your territory so you can use the gifts and talents He’s given you, and see your life and others changed for His Glory!
Want do dive deeper? Watch Pastor Rhedrick's Sermon, Build Your Brand, below.
