Waterstone Church Sermon Podcast · Waterstone Church

Process Over Product

February 1, 2026·46 min·4 clips

Christians are great at saying 'I used to struggle' but terrible at admitting 'I'm struggling right now.'

This sermon from Waterstone Church examines the story of Zacchaeus from Luke 19 to explore the nature of spiritual growth. Pastor Mike uses the narrative to challenge common expectations about the Christian life. He argues many believers expect a linear, upward trajectory of improvement after choosing to follow Jesus. The reality of personal growth, however, is often a non-linear process with setbacks and recurring struggles. This discrepancy can lead people to hide their ongoing messes and present a polished, inauthentic self to both God and their church community. The speaker confesses he also feels this pressure as a pastor to conceal his internal turmoil. The central claim is that faith is less about mastering a perfect life and more about a formative process of walking with Jesus, which can look clumsy and uncertain. The sermon introduces Zacchaeus, whose name means "clean" or "pure," yet he is identified as a wealthy chief tax collector despised as a traitor by his community. Despite his status, Zacchaeus is curious about Jesus but is physically blocked by the crowd, leading him to run ahead and climb a sycamore-fig tree for a view. Jesus stops, calls Zacchaeus by name, and invites himself to the tax collector's house, showing urgency and initiative. The crowd mutters in judgment, labeling Zacchaeus merely as a "sinner" and expressing shock that Jesus would associate with him. During the encounter at his home, Zacchaeus stands and pledges to give half his possessions to the poor and repay anyone he cheated fourfold. Jesus declares that salvation has come to Zacchaeus's house, re-identifying him not as a sinner but as a "son of Abraham." The pastor emphasizes that Jesus sought out Zacchaeus while he was still in his mess, demonstrating that grace meets people where they are, not after they clean themselves up. This leads to the church's stated value of pursuing "process over product," meaning they welcome people in the midst of their spiritual journey rather than expecting a finished product. The sermon explicitly states that "everyone means everyone" is welcome, listing examples including saints, skeptics, sinners, various political identities, and people of all backgrounds and lifestyles. The value concludes with "but no one stays the same," asserting that an encounter with Jesus inherently leads to transformation and change, as seen in Zacchaeus's radical repentance. The tone is pastoral, instructional, and intentionally inclusive, blending biblical exegesis with practical application and personal vulnerability. Listeners wrestling with feelings of spiritual inadequacy or a non-linear faith journey would find this message affirming and encouraging. Those seeking a sermon focused strictly on theological doctrine or a more confrontational call to repentance might find its emphasis on unconditional welcome and process less aligned with their expectations.

As heard by us

A patient sermon on being named, welcomed, and changed before the crowd gets the last word.

This episode tracks Zacchaeus from the crowd to the tree to the table, and it keeps returning to one question: what changes when Jesus names someone before anyone else does? Luke 19 is used plainly and with enough warmth to keep the point close to ordinary life.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a Luke 19 sermon on Zacchaeus, welcome, and the danger of labels, start here.

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