Faith That Fills The City - Pastor Will Hampton

The video captures a powerful and inspiring sermon delivered by Pastor Will at River City Church, focusing on the theme of “Faith That Fills the City.” The message begins with honoring local church leaders and celebrating the growth and impact of their church, Two Rivers Church, which started as a church plant in a movie theater and has since baptized thousands and planted multiple churches. Pastor Will draws from the biblical narrative of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish to illustrate how faith, even when it seems small or insufficient, can lead to miraculous multiplication and abundant provision.

The core of the sermon challenges believers to let go of their fears, plans, possessions, and small thinking, and to activate a faith that goes beyond personal comfort to impact entire cities and nations. Pastor Will emphasizes the importance of releasing what we hold tightly into God’s hands, trusting Him to multiply it. He calls the church to embrace a faith that builds beyond themselves by activating others, passing on leadership, and working as a community to reach the lost.

The message also addresses common hindrances to faith, such as cynicism, comparison, and a scarcity mindset, encouraging believers to trust in God’s abundance and grace. Pastor Will shares personal stories and testimonies, including a moving account of searching for his lost daughter in a crowded New York City street, symbolizing God’s heart for the lost.

Towards the end, the sermon becomes a call to action, inviting those who feel called into ministry or have not yet surrendered their lives to Jesus to step forward for prayer and spiritual empowerment. The sermon concludes with a prayer of consecration, commissioning believers to live out a faith that multiplies and transforms communities.

 Highlights  

- 🙌 Celebration of church leadership and community growth at River City Church.  

- 🍞 Biblical teaching on faith through the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000.  

- 🌱 The power of letting go: releasing possessions, plans, and control for God to multiply.  

- 🤝 The importance of activating others and passing on leadership for multiplication.  

- 🚫 Warning against cynicism, comparison, and scarcity mindset that hinder faith.  

- 💡 Personal testimony illustrating God’s heart for the lost and the call to reach them.  

- 🙏 Call to action for ministry calling, spiritual empowerment, and surrender to Jesus.  

 Key Insights  

- 🍞 Faith begins with small offerings but leads to great multiplication: Pastor Will emphasizes the child’s lunch of five loaves and two fish as a metaphor for how God uses what seems insignificant when surrendered in faith. This teaches believers not to underestimate their contributions or think they need to have “enough” to make a difference. The multiplication comes when faith is active and offerings are released to God.  

- 🙌 Letting go is essential for growth and breakthrough: The sermon stresses that faith requires believers to open their hands—letting go of control, possessions, and preconceived plans—to allow God to work. Holding tightly limits what God can do. This principle is illustrated through Pastor Will’s personal story of giving up comfort, financial security, and certainty to start a church plant. This “holy desperation” invites God’s supernatural provision and multiplication.  

- 🌍 Faith must extend beyond the individual to impact the city and beyond: A faith that “fills the city” is communal and expansive. It is not satisfied with personal salvation or comfort but is compelled to reach others, multiply ministry, and influence the broader community. The early disciples’ role in distributing food and recruiting helpers models how faith activates others rather than doing everything alone. This underscores the necessity of leadership development and team activation.  

- 🚫 Overcoming mental and spiritual barriers is critical for faith to flourish: The sermon identifies cynicism, comparison, and scarcity mindset as spiritual obstacles that can stunt faith. Cynicism breeds doubt and distrust in God’s ability, comparison fosters discouragement and distraction, and scarcity mindset limits generosity and vision. Believers are called to reject these attitudes and embrace God’s abundance and faithfulness.  

- ❤️ God’s heart is for the lost, and this should reorient believers’ priorities: The story of Pastor Will’s lost daughter in New York City powerfully illustrates God’s relentless pursuit of lost people. This narrative challenges believers to reorder their lives around the mission of reaching the lost, placing it above personal goals, comfort, or routine. The church’s calling is to be missional, intentional, and passionate about evangelism and discipleship.  

- 🔄 Multiplication requires intentional leadership handoff and activation: The example of the disciples and the story of the former psychics who became church planters demonstrate that faith expands when leaders empower others to serve and lead. The biblical principle from 2 Timothy 2:2 is highlighted: leaders must invest in reliable people who can teach others, creating a generational chain of ministry. This prevents stagnation and ensures ongoing growth and impact.  

- 🙏 Faith requires action and obedience despite uncertainty: The disciples didn’t wait for a perfect plan or resources—they took what they had and acted. Similarly, believers are encouraged to step out in faith, trusting God for the outcome even when they don’t have all the answers. Faith without works is dead; it is activated through obedience, service, and trust in God’s power. This dynamic faith leads to empowerment by the Holy Spirit and the fulfillment of God’s mission.  

Pastor Will’s message delivers a compelling call for believers to embrace a faith that transcends personal limitations and circumstances. It challenges the church to move from a faith that merely “fills a seat” to a faith that fills a city and beyond. Through biblical teaching, personal stories, and practical exhortation, the sermon encourages letting go of control, activating others, overcoming limiting mindsets, and taking bold action for God’s kingdom. The ultimate goal is the multiplication of faith and ministry that transforms communities and brings lost people into a relationship with Jesus. The invitation at the end for prayer, spiritual empowerment, and surrender underscores the transformative power of this message in the lives of individuals and the church as a whole.