THE LEAST OF THESE
Adam Bell
Woodland Church
Sunday, August 30, 2026
(Matthew 25:34-40) “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
THE CALL
(Psalm 82:3-4) “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
(Proverbs 31:8) “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.”
(Isaiah 1:17) “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”
(Matthew 25:41-45) “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”
THE STATS
350,000 children in foster care in the U.S.
100,000 children are waiting to be adopted
20,000 children age out each year
10,000 children in foster care in Michigan
THE STATS
50% of those who are homeless…
60% of women rescued from SEX trafficking…
75% of those who are incarcerated…
…spent time in the child welfare system
(James 1:27) “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”
THE SOLUTION
The local church is the solution to the child welfare crisis.
(Matthew 16:24) “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”