Prepare to Prepare - Joseph Thompson | 24 May 2026
- Peak Media
- May 26
- 3 min read
In this gathering, we hear from Joseph that being part of the church isn't just about showing up — it's about being genuinely prepared for what God has called us to.
Drawing from the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25, Joseph unpacks the sobering reality that all ten were invited:
All ten knew the assignment,
but only five actually prepared for it.
Using a brilliant real-life story of getting locked out of the Harvest Crusade because he had no shoes, Joseph brings the parable home in a way that's hard to shake — expectation without preparation doesn't get you through the door.
The challenge to us is clear:
The door is still open,
the time to prepare is now,
and that preparation starts with a real, active, on-fire relationship with God — not just the words we sing on a Sunday.
Chapters:
0:00 Welcome & Introduction
1:35 What This Church Is About
3:21 The Harvest Crusade Story Begins
6:16 Locked Out — The Moment It All Clicked
7:24 Matthew 25 — The Ten Virgins
8:20 First Century Weddings Explained
10:52 Wise vs Foolish — What Really Separated Them
15:44 This Parable Is About the Church
19:33 What Does Preparation Actually Look Like?
24:36 The Door Is Still Open — Altar Call
📖 BIBLE STUDY
Title: Prepare to Prepare
Key Passage: Matthew 25:1–13 (NIV)
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. 'Lord, Lord,' they said, 'open the door for us!' But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."
Context: Jesus tells this parable as one of his final teachings before the cross — a direct word to his people about what it looks like to be truly ready for his return. This isn't a warning to outsiders. It's a word for those in the room, already calling him Lord.
Discussion Questions:
Have you ever shown up to something totally unprepared? What happened? How did it feel?
All ten virgins were invited and all ten called the bridegroom "Lord" — so what actually separated the wise from the foolish? What does that tell us about faith?
Joseph said, "You can't ride on your mum's (or your families) faith or your spouse's faith." What does it look like to have your own oil — your own personal, active relationship with God?
If the door is still open right now, what's one thing you could do this week to move from just attending to actually preparing?
Application: Preparation isn't about being perfect — it's about being intentional. In our region, it's easy to turn up to church week after week and tick a box without ever letting the word of God actually change how we live on a Monday. The challenge from this message is to close the gap between what we say and how we actually walk it out — in our homes, at work, in our whanau, in the way we treat people around us.
Takeaway Thought: The door is still open — but open doors don't stay open forever. Prepare now.
Further Reading: Matthew 25:1–13 · Matthew 1:19 · John 14:2–3
Comments