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At EPIC, during one of our gatherings, Senior Pastor Frank Henderson shared a message about platforms. This reflection grows out of that teaching and is offered as a way to continue, support, and extend what he shared, for the good of our church family and for the glory of God.  

In this season, Pastor Frank has been leading us in teachings on discipleship. During our April gatherings in particular, he has been speaking about platforms, the places where our lives are seen and heard, whether on social media, in speaking opportunities, at work, in classrooms, in community spaces, or wherever our influence reaches. This reflection is one way of sitting with those teachings and asking what it means to follow Jesus with whatever platform we have.  

In our Come To The Table: Let’s Talk series, we have been exploring both the inner tables of our hearts and the literal tables where we meet others. As I have prayed and reflected, I am seeing more and more that our platforms are also places where God creates community and reveals His purpose through our lives. Each table and each platform is a God-given space to serve, connect, and point people to Him.  

The story of Joseph models this truth. From the ditch to the prison to Pharaoh’s palace, Joseph’s visibility was never self-made. It was shaped by God’s favor, timing, and purpose. At every stage, Joseph lived the question, “What do I really have, and what has God placed in me to give?” Using his God-given wisdom and the gift of interpreting dreams, Joseph became a vessel of provision and redemption. His platform helped create a community of survival and hope in a time of crisis, much like the days we are living in now. Yet before that season in the palace, there were hidden years in the pit and in prison, where God formed humility, integrity, and dependence. Those unseen places built the character needed for the visible ones. God still works that way today, shaping our inner life before broadening our outward influence.  

Pastor Frank stated, “If we want to get out of where we are, let out what is in us.” This simple yet powerful wisdom calls us to move from waiting to faithfully using what God has already placed inside us. If we are speakers, then speak. If we are writers, then write. If we are singers, then sing, not in arrogance, but in humble confidence that we are offering what God has placed in us. Whatever table or setting we are given becomes sacred when we bring our gifts before God and others. This is the heart of servanthood and discipleship: following Jesus by using what He has given us to humbly serve others, rather than seeking position for ourselves.

This is what Pastor Frank calls our “divine placement”: God positioning His people, in His perfect timing, to reveal His movement in the earth. A God-given platform is not a trophy; it is a trust. Such opportunities are never meant to be self-made, self-motivated, or self-serving. We have all seen public platforms become places of hurt when character has not kept pace with visibility. That is not ours to judge in others, but it is a sober reminder to let God shape our hearts before we pursue broader influence. In God’s order, formation always comes before promotion, because He entrusts influence to those whose character has been shaped for His purposes, not their ambition. Our call is to use what we have been given for the good of others and the glory of God.  

There is also a warning here. Jesus said that no one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. Our call requires undivided commitment, attention, and faithful practices, with no looking back to comfort, fear, or old identities. We must guard against pride, which makes the gift about us. We must also guard against discouragement and comparison, which make us doubt the value of what God has placed in us. Some people bury their gift because of fear or perfectionism, yet God calls us to faithful obedience, to let out what He has placed within.  

The heart battle is quiet but real. Numbers, applause, or recognition cannot define our obedience. Keeping our eyes on Jesus alone keeps motives pure and spirits steady. Like Joseph, we learn that God shapes character in private before He broadens influence in public.  

Another important reminder is that we are not meant to carry our callings in isolation. God places us in community, with spiritual family, mentors, and friends, to help us discern His voice, test our motives, and stay healthy. The same platform that gathers people can also be strengthened through community, where accountability and encouragement run in both directions.  

Here is the truth: whether we speak or stay silent, God’s purpose will move forward. Our silence cannot stop Him, but it can cause us to miss the joy of partnering with what He is doing. If we love God as we have confessed, then let us keep our hands to the plow and move forward in obedience. This is what everyday discipleship looks like: a long obedience of learning, serving, and loving with the humble heart Jesus modeled.  

So, Come To The Table. Look at the platform before you, the inner table of your heart, and the literal tables where you live, work, and gather. Ask, “What has God placed in me to share?” In a world where voices are needed, and hope often feels thin, it is time to let out what is in you so your platform can help build a community of hope, worship, and witness that points our weary world back to Him.  

If you would like to read Pastor Frank’s full April 2026 messages on this theme and platforms, you can request the written notes by sending an email to thrive@epicfc.org.  

I hope you will come back, keep a seat ready, and walk this Come To The Table journey with me, one conversation at a time.