River Valley Church Podcast

Episode: Message | The Truth That Transforms – Pastor Kirk Graham
Date: August 31, 2025
Host: River Valley Church
Speaker: Pastor Kirk Graham

Overview

This episode marks the final message in a summer Bible series, focusing on the shortest book in the New Testament: Third John. Pastor Kirk Graham explores how truth transforms lives, drawing from the themes of biblical hospitality, spiritual legacy, and removing obstacles ("clearing the runways") for the advancement of the Gospel. Through practical stories and scriptural insights, he challenges the community to live congruently with the truth and actively disciple others by making space for God’s work in and through their lives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Series Recap and the Context of 3 John

• Recap of 1 John & 2 John’s lessons, including:
  • Fellowship with God starts with confessing sin (01:03)
  • Authentic faith is lived by abiding in Christ (01:11)
  • Discerning truth, letting love cast out fear (01:21)
  • Guarding against false teaching
• Four main people in 3 John:
  • The Elder (Apostle John, writing in old age)
  • Gaius: “A good church leader, faithful and beloved”
  • Diotrephes: “A bad church leader” (02:48)
  • Demetrius: An itinerant minister (02:52)
• John’s undercover language to protect church members due to persecution.

2. Reading and Unpacking Third John

• Pastor Kirk reads the entire book aloud, emphasizing John’s repeated love for Gaius (“beloved” four times).
• The essence: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (03:36)

3. Theme of Spiritual Parenting & Walking in Truth

• Spiritual fatherhood/motherhood: John’s joy in seeing spiritual children “walk in the truth” (07:01)

• Personal illustration: Pastor Kirk’s son Roger and the value of honesty, demonstrating the transformative power of truth even for young children (09:29)

  “At a young age there’s this conviction of the Holy Spirit… He knows I didn’t fully tell the truth. He’s responding… going, I gotta make this right. I gotta get right. I’m gonna walk in the truth. And I can tell you, just like John wrote, there is no greater joy when your children walk in the truth.” — Kirk Graham (09:34)

• Congruence: True discipleship is not just right belief, but belief that matches the way you live (“what Eugene Peterson calls congruence”) (10:17)

  • “The Word of God, what you believe, how you live—those all need to be aligned.” (10:17-10:29)

• “Disciples make disciples”—not just following Jesus, but leading others to do the same (11:40)

4. Call to Discipleship and Investing in Others

• Assessing spiritual investment: “Who are you investing into spiritually?” (16:27)
• Biblical models: Multiplication and generational faith (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; 2 Timothy 2:1–2) (15:31)
• Notable quotes:
  • Billy Graham: “The greatest legacy one can pass on… is a legacy of character and faith.” (16:15)
  • Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “Discipleship is not an option for the Christian, it’s the mission.” (16:20)
• Encouragement to join and lead small groups for deeper community and discipleship (13:54)

5. Clearing the Runways: Hospitality and the Advancement of the Gospel

• Metaphor: The church (and individual lives) as “runways” for the Gospel to “take off and land” (16:57)

• Story of Sue Aiken (“Life Below Zero”): Committing to clear a remote runway in Alaska, regardless of obstacles—parallel to how believers must clear obstacles for the Gospel (19:32)

• Elevated hospitality: More than meals; it’s “the practical outworking of this huge command to love one another… [it] takes strategy, resource, whole-life intentionality.” (18:26)

• “Sometimes we elevate missionaries as the heroes… but John calls Gaius, the one being hospitable, a fellow worker. Without those clearing the runway, the mission can’t take off.” (23:54)

• Personal challenge: Examine your own “runway” – what blocks might be keeping the Gospel from advancing through you?

  “During worship, I just sensed… there is the power to change family trees in this room tonight… The Holy Spirit is going to speak… something that may be in your runway that is inhospitable to the advancement of the gospel.” — Kirk Graham (21:12)

6. Two Models: Gaius vs. Diotrephes

• Gaius: Clear runway, living for the sake of Jesus’ name, supporting others’ ministry.

• Diotrephes: Prideful, puts himself first, rejects authority, blocks others’ hospitality – puts roadblocks on the runway (24:04, 27:20)

  “He was not clearing the Runway. He’s setting up roadblocks. He committed the sin of Satan — pride. Diotrephes, he likes to put himself first.” — Kirk Graham (27:20)

• The danger of pride: C.S. Lewis—“Pride… is the complete anti-God state of mind.” (28:40)

• Call to examine your life for sources of pride, control, or self-focus—anything that blocks the Gospel’s mission.

7. Living for “The Sake of The Name”

• John’s repeated phrase: “For the sake of the name.” Who are you living for—yourself and comfort, or for Jesus and the advancement of the Gospel? (29:59)
  • “Don’t live your truth. Live the truth.” (28:40)

8. Closing Challenge and Prayer

• Stand, clear your own life's runway for the work of Jesus. If you haven’t decided to follow Christ, now is the moment—don’t let anything keep you back (31:06).

• Scripture: Philippians 2:9–11, exalting the name of Jesus (31:35)

• Prophetic declarations and passionate prayers for individual and city-wide spiritual breakthrough:

  “Lord, I pray that revival would come to the Twin Cities because we’re walking in the truth and the Twin Cities is a clear runway for the advancement of the gospel.” — Kirk Graham (33:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There is no greater joy when your children walk in the truth.” — Kirk Graham (09:51)
• “The Word of God, what you believe, what you live—congruence is the call.” (10:17)
• “Discipleship is not an option for the Christian, it's the mission.” — Bonhoeffer (16:20)
• “Let’s elevate hospitality. It’s not trivial to God—it’s the framework of love in action.” (18:26)
• “The Holy Spirit is gonna speak… The power to change family trees is in the room tonight.” (21:12)
• “Don’t live your truth. Live the truth.” (28:40)
• “Lord, I pray that revival would come to the Twin Cities because we’re walking in the truth…” (33:40)

Key Timestamps

• 00:29 – Introduction to 3 John and its background
• 03:09–05:17 – Complete reading of the Book of 3 John
• 07:01 – Theme of spiritual fatherhood/motherhood and “no greater joy”
• 09:29–10:14 – Story about Pastor Kirk’s son and honest confession
• 10:17–11:40 – What “walking in the truth” means; congruence explained
• 13:54–15:31 – Practical call: Small groups, spiritual investment, discipleship
• 16:57–17:32 – Runways metaphor explained
• 19:32–20:18 – Story of Sue Aiken, commitment to clearing the runway
• 23:54–24:04 – Gaius as “fellow worker”—the unseen support roles are critical
• 27:20–28:40 – Diagnostic on pride (Diotrephes), warning against being a roadblock
• 29:59–30:40 – Living “for the sake of the name” of Jesus
• 31:06–32:02 – Invitation to respond to the Gospel, exalting Jesus’ name
• 33:36–end – Prayer for personal and city-wide revival, breaking pride

Takeaway

This message centers on the transformative power of walking in the truth, the biblical charge to hospitality and discipleship, and the urgent call to remove anything that blocks God’s work in and through your life. Pastor Kirk Graham exhorts listeners to examine their spiritual “runways,” live a life marked by intentional love, and create space for the Gospel to advance, both within families and across communities.