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A question that seems to intrigue a number of people is this: What happens when a steward fails? On another occasion we will discuss rewards; when a steward does well, but for now let’s focus on failure. Does God address the failure or pass the entrustment on? Today we will unpack this. God may do any one of the following eight things:
Biblical stewardship is faithfully managing everything God has entrusted to us so that His purpose, not merely our potential, is fulfilled. Over the past three weeks in our Entrusted series, we have discovered that stewardship is much bigger than money. We have seen that God owns everything, that we are called to steward our time wisely, and that true stewardship flows from recognising that nothing we have ultimately belongs to us. Today we move to a deeply personal aspect of stewardship: our gifts and our calling. If our possessions are entrusted to us, then so are our abilities, opportunities, influence, and the unique assignment God has placed on our lives. One day we will give an account not only for what we owned, but for what we did with what God deposited within us. Your calling and gifts are God's investment in you; your stewardship of these gifts and calling is your return on His investment. This message is about discovering, developing, protecting, and faithfully deploying what God has entrusted to you. Because the greatest tragedy is not dying with unused potential—it is living without ever stepping fully into God's purpose for your life. Your gift explains what you can do. Your calling explains why you must do it.
Over the past few weeks in our Entrusted series, we've discovered that nothing we have truly belongs to us—it all belongs to God. We are not owners; we are stewards.We have already seen that we are called to steward our resources and then our time. Today we move to something far more personal and, perhaps, more easily overlooked: our peace. Many people think of peace as something that simply happens to them. They believe that if circumstances are favourable, relationships are healthy, and life is going well, then they will experience peace. But Scripture presents a very different picture. Peace is not merely an emotion to enjoy; it is a treasure to guard, a gift to cultivate, and a responsibility to steward.
The secret to greatness is hidden in your daily routine. When you have a revelation that God loves you and that you belong to Him, it changes everything. It’s the starting point of relinquishment from ownership to stewardship. You realise that He looks after that which is His, so you worry less and in the process save a lot of time. This is simply because worrying is one of the biggest time wasters. When you worry less you become more productive and ultimately a better steward of each day. When we talk about stewarding your day we are not just focused on the what but the how, the quality of life you live.
Throughout history, there have been many remarkable leaders who have shaped nations, organisations, churches, and generations. We think of men and women such as Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, and John Maxwell. Each is remembered for something unique—courage, vision, compassion, influence, resilience, or the ability to inspire others. We are grateful for the lessons we can learn from their lives.Today, however, I would like us to turn our attention to Jesus- the perfect Leader.
The big idea of this series is that everything belongs to God. Stewardship is faithfully managing and multiplying what He entrusts to us for His purposes, His glory and the good of others. We will explore what stewardship is. Then we will examine how to form the stewardship mindset; how stewards think. In this series we will also spend time applying stewardship to all aspects of life. Parenting, leadership, finances, knowledge, your body…. What would change in your life is your were always conscious of the fact that you own nothing—you manage everything?
And perhaps the most remarkable thing about Scripture is that God never promises us a life free from suffering.Instead, He promises us something far greater.His presence.
God as mighty warrior is one of the communicable attributes of God. He becomes the mighty warrior within us.
Jesus was an absolutely masterful storyteller. His use of parables to convey meaning is, to my mind, completely unmatched. I have never heard of a person living or dead who is able to take simple stories and bring about such deep revelation and provoke such reflection as Jesus Christ. Is that surprising though, this is God after all! He is the very author of creation.The story that we will spotlight today is that of Jesus and a man named Jairus. Through it, trust that the Holy Spirit will take the faith that we have, even as small as a mustard seed and grant that we begin moving mountains. Amen.
Joshua 10 opens with a significant shift in the battle for the Promised Land. Up until this point, Joshua and the Israelites had faced isolated battles—Jericho, Ai, and smaller strategic engagements. But at this point something shifts. The victories of Israel have begun to ripple through the land, and the surrounding kings realize that this is no longer a local problem. Israel is advancing. Territory is being lost to them. And fear is spreading.When the king of Jerusalem hears that Gibeon has made peace with Israel, he understands the threat immediately. Gibeon was not a small village—it was a powerful city with strong warriors, strategically positioned in the heart of the region. Its alignment with Israel changed everything and posed a threat to his city and the region. So instead of responding alone, five Amorite kings unite together in opposition.What began as one battle suddenly became a coalition war.Joshua was now facing his greatest military challenge yet. A regional alliance had formed. Opposition was multiplying. The pressure was escalating. And the enemy was no longer waiting behind fortified walls—they were mobilizing together.But what appeared to be a moment of overwhelming threat would become one of the greatest demonstrations of the power of God in the entire book of Joshua. Because Joshua 10 is not merely about war—it is about what happens when opposition rises, when pressure intensifies, and when the people of God discover that heaven still fights for those who walk in obedience to Him.
When you step into Joshua chapter 8… you’re stepping into a moment that comes after failure. And that matters. Because chapter 7 left Israel in a place they had never been before. Defeated. Confused. Exposed. They had just seen Jericho fall… walls collapse… God move in power. And then suddenly—Ai. A small city. A simple battle. And yet—they are routed. Not because God had changed. But because something had shifted in them. There was compromise. There was disobedience. There was something hidden beneath the surface. And once that was brought into the light… once it was dealt with… Joshua 8 begins.
Sometimes the greatest testdoes not come before victory…doesn’t come when we are struggling…or when we are weak and totally dependent upon God…it comes after it.When we have just succeeded. When we feel strong and able and up for the challenge.Because success can quietly introducesomething far more dangerous than opposition ever could:Complacency. Pride. Independence.Trust in self, in my own wisdom, ways, understanding and strength. A subtle shiftfrom dependence on Godto confidence in self.
In this message we will examine 6 dimensions of watching in prayer. There are different types of watchmen. We are not limited to a single aspect of watching. I believe that as we gain understanding of various dimensions it will help us to walk in at least some of them. When it comes to spiritual things, ignorance is not bliss. As I share with you, you will see that you are already doing some of these things. This message will help you to be intentional about watching.
On this Easter Sunday, where we commemorate the greatest victory of all time, it’s my purposetoday to take the Word of God, the chisel of the word of God, and apply it to hard, stoney hearts.God willing, His Word will soften our hearts towards the unsaved and open our eyes tosee that Jesus died not for a selected few, but He died for us all - the more improbable,the better!
In this third part of Overcoming Immaturity in Prayer, we move from foundational understanding into deeper spiritual alignment. This message challenges subtle but dangerous forms of immaturity that often go unnoticed—treating prayer as optional, praying without the Holy Spirit, lacking expectation, and failing to watch spiritually. True maturity in prayer is not just about activity, but about alignment with God’s heart, sensitivity to the Spirit, and disciplined spiritual awareness. This teaching calls us higher—from casual prayer to intentional, Spirit-led, expectation-filled intercession.
In Part 1 we examined several signs of immaturity in prayer and how they hinder spiritual effectiveness. In Part 2, we go deeper by examining subtler patterns that reveal whether our prayer lives are governed by spiritual maturity or by human tendencies. Mature prayer is not simply about praying longer or louder—it is about praying with understanding, alignment, and spiritual authority. As believers grow in Christ, their prayers shift from being reactive and self-driven to becoming Spirit-led, purposeful, and aligned with the heart of God. Continuing from point 9, today’s message will challenge us to examine whether our prayer lives reflect spiritual maturity, discernment, and Kingdom alignment.
Many times, I have seen people desiring breakthrough and praying, but their prayers do not get answered. In 1999, I went to a particular country and I was wondering what was going on in the nation as they were going through challenges but there were strong intercessors. On the outside, these intercessors were powerful, but God told me that many were praying the wrong prayers. If people are immature in their prayers, they may pray hard but fail to get results.
Prayer carried by a handful of intercessors but that does not make you a praying church. In this sermon I will outline 9 core characteristics of a praying church and propose some shifts that are necessary to take the prayer life of local churches to another level. is one of those Christian disciplines that is taught a lot but practised little. It’s one thing to have a few prayer meetings
We have walked with Israelfrom wildernessinto promiseinto preparation.They crossed the Jordan (Joshua 3).They restored covenant (Joshua 5:2–9).They encountered the Commander (Joshua 5:13–15).Now the first battle stands before them
Today we continue our Armed for Battle series.We move from the crossing…to what happens after the crossing.
Church, we are now in Week 3 of our Armed for Battle series, and today we arrive at a threshold moment — not only in Israel’s journey, but in ours.Israel has left the wilderness.The promise is in sight.¬Jericho is visible.The enemy is aware.And yet — no battle is fought.Why?Because God does not rush His people into warfare until they are spiritually positioned.Before external battles, there must be internal alignment.Before warfare, identity.Before strategy, surrender.Before victory, consecration.Because warfare in the kingdom of God never begins with swords. It begins with surrender.
Today we move from the first weapon to the second: fasting.If prayer is the weapon that aligns us with God’s will, fasting is the weapon that sharpens our spiritual focus and strengthens our capacity to engage in warfare. Fasting is not about deprivation for its own sake. It is about consecration, humility, sensitivity, and alignment.Fasting does not twist God’s arm.Fasting does not make God more willing.Fasting prepares us to hear, respond, and obey.So today we move from the first weapon to the second: fasting.If prayer is the weapon that aligns us with God’s will, fasting is the weapon that sharpens our spiritual focus and strengthens our capacity to engage in warfare. Fasting is not about deprivation for its own sake. It is about consecration, humility, sensitivity, and alignment.Fasting does not twist God’s arm.Fasting does not make God more willing.Fasting prepares us to hear, respond, and obey.
Today we are beginning a new message series entitled Armed for Battle. The purpose of this series is to equip God’s people to recognise the spiritual realities of the season we are in, to stand with clarity and faith, and to engage the battles of our day with the weapons God has given us. This is not a series about fear or striving. It is a series about readiness, maturity, and partnership with God. Scripture teaches us that entering God’s promises often requires a shift—not because God changes, but because seasons change and what is required of us changes. Today I want to lay a foundation for that truth and begin to equip us with two essential weapons for engaging in inevitable battles: prayer and fasting.
Before we talk about what we are called to do, we must first settle why we exist and for whom our lives are ultimately meant. Scripture makes it clear that our purpose begins and ends with Christ. Colossians 1:16 “For in him all things were created… all things have been created through him and for him.” What would change in your life if you were always conscious of the fact that you were created through Christ, in Christ and for Christ?God designs us with our purpose in mind. Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…”God has prepared the details of your life in advanceJeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Each year, as this season arrives, people express their expectations, emotions, and hopes for what lies ahead. The atmosphere is often filled with mixed feelings. For some, there is genuine excitement—still savouring the victories of 2025 and looking forward with anticipation to how the new year will unfold.Some approach the new year with caution, determined to tread carefully and avoid setting their expectations too high. They strive to ensure that nothing goes wrong, doing all they can to manage what lies ahead. Others carry disappointment and discouragement from the past year—2025 may have been especially painful, marked by loss in the family or the burden of chronic medical diagnoses affecting loved ones.Perhaps 2025 brought its share of financial struggles, leaving you feeling as though you barely made it through, surviving by the skin of your teeth. Maybe you faced trials at work, encountered obstacles in your business or studies, or dealt with health challenges. For some, the year was marked by battles with depression or anxiety. The challenges can seem endless, and the list often feels like it never stops.I’m not sure where you find yourself along this spectrum.
As we go into this new year it is important that we have a revelation of God’s jealous nature. It is important to understand that there is a righteous jealousy that is appropriate for God to have. His love and concern for us must come with a jealousy over us. He wants to be first in our lives and He wants us to have nothing else competing with Him. He is perfect and knows that any other focus we have will take us away from what’s best for us. Often when I counsel couples, there is a common complaint: “He procrastinates when I ask him to do things for me, but the moment his mother or siblings or friends ask, he drops everything and does it. I don’t feel like I come first in his life.” This is an appropriate desire for a spouse to have. There is a type of jealousy that is appropriate. Let’s unpack what this word jealous, in reference to God, means:
Today I want to stand on that foundation and look more closely at what Scripture actually says about God as our Rewarder. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that faith is not complete until we believe not only that He is, but that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. So we’re going to ask: What does God reward? How does He respond to secret generosity, hidden prayer, quiet fasting? How does He weigh our works, our kindness, our service, our endurance, our sacrifice and even our suffering for Christ? What can cause us to forfeit heavenly reward by living for human praise? Let’s allow His Word—and the lives of people like the widow, Hannah, Esther, Wilberforce, and Jim and Elisabeth Elliot—to answer those questions for us.
Today I want to speak to you about something every believer encounters at some point in their walk with God — the tension between what we believe about God and who He is, and what we are actually experiencing in real life. Many of us, especially in our African context, have been shaped by extremes of the prosperity gospel or have come from cultures where expressing pain, confusion, or raw emotion feels uncomfortable or even taboo. Because of this, when life becomes difficult, when prayers seem unanswered, or when God feels silent or distant, we don’t always know how to process it. We can feel alone, confused, disappointed, or even frustrated — unsure of how to express what’s really happening inside us and how to process who God is, experientially.
Today we are continuing to look at antidotes for anxiety. Anxiety doesn’t just affect the mind; it can profoundly impact the body, often manifesting as physical illness or chronic symptoms. We will explore the importance of understanding the physical consequences of anxiety, specifically common sicknesses that stem from anxiety. In the second part of the message we will also examine practical things one can do in order to alleviate anxiety. This will come in the form of an anxiety alleviation toolkit.
Many of us have made friends with fear. We have become so used to our state of anxiety despite many warnings in scripture that we should not remain in that state. Sadly, many people are not aware that they have an anxiety problem. Chronic anxiety is not good for your body. Accurate diagnosis will result in accurate solutions. Isn’t it interesting how we are comfortable being labelled with various chronic illness like high blood pressure but when it comes to mental health issues like anxiety disorders people reject it like it means they are “mad”. Unfortunately, it ends up going untreated and many people around us are negatively impacted. Imagine how your life would have been different if your cheeky aunt or grandmother had actually been diagnosed and medicated for bi-polar. Some of you might be thinking this topic is not relevant to you, but the reality is that you are your brother’s keeper and mental health issues are so prevalent we cannot ignore them. We need to know how to minister to people in these situations, and we also need to know how to respond appropriately to them and not from a place of victimstance.
In our previous discussion on biblical anxiety, we saw that even God’s servants wrestled with inner turmoil, fear, and distress. Today, we turn our attention to two kings—Saul and Herod—men of influence, power, and potential who both allowed anxiety to shape their destiny in tragic ways.The accounts of these two rulers are not just ancient history; they are mirrors reflecting what happens when spiritual disconnection and inner insecurity are left unhealed. King Saul shows us what occurs when the presence of God is forfeited through disobedience—how anxiety and torment rush in to fill the void. King Herod reveals how anxiety rooted in insecurity and control can twist into paranoia, manipulation, and even violence.Both men had access to divine intervention—Saul through David’s anointed music and Herod through prophetic revelation of the true King. Yet both missed their moment to turn inward and upward. As we unpack their stories, we will see that anxiety is not simply an emotional condition but a spiritual battleground—one that reveals where our trust truly lies. Try to see how you can relate to what I am sharing about these kings, perhaps in your leadership roles or even within your household.
As KINGDOM CITIZENS we owe our allegiance to Jesus Christ because without His sacrifice on the cross the divide between ourselves and God would still exist today. He is THE DOOR. He is the WAY MAKER. He is the TRUTH and the LIFE. He gives us permanent access to the Kingdom, for those who choose to repent, believe and follow Him. I am always amazed that Christ chose to die for us while we were still completely lost and completely a far off. Once completely alienated and now we are brought into son-ship, we are made co-heirs with Him. The scripture says that we were without hope and without God and in the world. We cannot choose the world that we live in but we can choose Christ and by choosing Christ we can be filled with hope that does not disappoint.
Anxiety is not a modern invention. Though our vocabulary and psychology may be more sophisticated today, the human heart has wrestled with fear, uncertainty, and inner turmoil since Eden. Scripture gives us more than just commands like “Do not be anxious” — it gives us people. Real people, with real fears, who faced real threats. From Elijah’s exhaustion under the broom tree to Paul’s daily pressure for the churches, the Bible paints anxiety in all its shades. In this message, we’ll explore how Elijah, Saul, Herod, and Paul each encountered anxiety in different “degrees” — from despair and torment to control and compassion — and how God responded to each with both truth and tenderness.
In this message we will explore anxiety producing patterns in others and also the anxiety-maker within. Part of EQ is emotional self-awareness and a subset of that is knowing the impact you have on those around you. Research in psychology shows that certain interpersonal styles and personality traits can indeed make others feel uneasy or anxious. It’s true that context matters. Sometimes we react more anxiously when power dynamics are present. For example, a boss subordinate dynamic tends to amplify these effects. Personal history is also a factor. People with social anxiety or trauma histories may be more reactive to the traits I will describe in this message. It is important that we create protective strategies to guard our hearts when dealing with these people who are anxiety-makers. We need clear boundaries, emotional regulation skills, and supportive relationships as these can reduce the impact. Here are some key findings and also scriptures describing these categories of anxiety producing behavioural patterns.
Accurate diagnosis results in accurate treatment. When we figure out how we have learned certain reactions it becomes easier for us to unlearn them. I spoke to a client of mine recently. She lives on a small- holding with lots of rescue dogs and various kinds of animals. This is someone who's not afraid of animals in general, however she shared with us a story about how she's afraid of frogs. She described how her father used to taunt her as a little girl using frogs. The result of this is that she has a phobia when it comes to frogs. Apparently, her husband now does the same thing to her. The good thing is she's able to explain it and I believe this is one of the keys to her overcoming this phobia. Ladies and gentlemen, it's very powerful when you are able to trace the roots of your anxiety. Academic research identifies multiple, interacting sources of anxiety, showing that it can arise from both early experiences and biological predispositions. Anxiety is not a modern invention. It is as old as the human heart. Psychologists and medical researchers tell us that anxiety rarely comes from just one place—it’s like a river fed by many streams. This is an important point because there's something about us as human beings that loves to identify one thing as the root issue that causes something else; often it's a bit more complex. Childhood adversity, trauma, genetic vulnerability, even the anger we bury deep inside can all feed that river. Studies show that family conflict, neglect, and ongoing stress can shape a child’s brain so that the world feels unsafe. Scientists have even discovered that patterns of stress can be passed down through our DNA. Therefore, when you are counselling people or trying to figure out things about yourself, rather ask questions like, “what are the ingredients that have contributed to my current anxious state?” In this message I will also show you how Scripture has been naming these sources for centuries.
One of the major growth steps for a lot of people in the corporate world, in civic society and even in churches, is learning how to speak up. Many people were raised in households where they were told children must be seen not heard. In psychology there's what’s called transference; very often the experiences we have in childhood with our primary caregivers are transferred on to our current relationships as adults.
Whether you are a concert pianist, sports enthusiast, or a young professional who needs to give presentations at work, this same pattern often presents itself. The enemy’s strategy is to get us to focus on something else other than God’s goodness and presence with us. This is one of the reasons Jeus instructed His disciples saying, “Abide in me, Remain in me”. Isaiah 26:3 states, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” In the ESV it reads “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” You might be thinking, “Paul, I am not a high performance person.” The reality is that many of us have got children who are doing sport or stage performances and we don’t know how to support them when they are anxious. This message will help you to see how you can apply your knowledge of God to everyday performance situations. This week we will focus on sport and music and next week we will spend time discussing stage fright, one of the most common manifestations of anxiety. Regardless of the type of anxiety you are experiencing, you can apply the word of God to it. For some of you its trait anxiety where you feel anxious in many aspects of your life, whilst for others it is state anxiety which is temporary and only in specific circumstances.
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Whether it’s a parent, leader, pastor, athlete, or salesperson, anxiety often drives four major areas: Over-control (micromanaging, over-preparing); Avoidance (not taking necessary risks); Perfectionism (overworking to avoid mistakes) and People-pleasing (excessive concern about approval).In this message we will explore the anxious parent and the anxious child, highlighting how this dynamic affects families. As parents we have the privilege of imparting many good things to our children. Sadly, often out of ignorance, we pass on negative things, one of which is anxiety. If many parents knew that anxiety is contagious, they would take ownership and address it. The Anxious Parent is generally overprotective, micromanaging every detail of a child’s life. This is often perpetuated by the fact that such an approach is often highly regarded and rewarded by those around them. They are envied by other parents as the model parents who are deeply involved in the child’s world. They have difficulty allowing children to take age-appropriate risks. Their children, as they get older, begin to clash with them as they feel they are being babied all the time. They constantly check on children’s whereabouts, grades, or friendships. They also have frequent “what if” scenarios about their safety or future. This is how anxiety works, they meditate on the worst-case scenario and then live in that emotional state. They typically feel like they are going to fail or have failed as a parent. Their sense of personal worth is tied to child’s success or safety. This results in a lot of anxiety, particularly because a lot of the child’s behaviour is beyond their control. They tend to ruminate by multiple mental replays of past parenting mistakes. They also have a fixation and extreme fear of having regrets later in life. This fuels their behaviour. Their lives are riddled with “Shoulds” and they have no revelation of guilt free motherhood or fatherhood. A powerful self-coaching question for them to ask is, “What shoulds have a placed on my parenting that Jesus hasn’t?”
In this series we are taking a deeper look at anxiety by integrating the neurobiology, neuroscience, psychology and theology of anxiety. I will also illustrate the different sources of anxiety, ranging from chemical imbalances and psychological factors to demonic spirits that come to torment with a spirit of fear. In this first message I will give a rationale for this study and also lay a foundation with regards to various Hebrew and Greek words associated with anxiety. I'm also going to contrast anxiety with fear, explaining the difference.
Many have grown comfortable in salvation, losing zeal for God. In safe, familiar settings, the fire dims, leading to spiritual slumber. The only way to reignite it is to return to the cross, truly grasping that we faced God’s wrath and deserved death. Jesus, sinless, took our punishment, giving us forgiveness and righteousness, stirring hunger for God again.
Romans 8:11 – “The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you...” This is one of the most powerful revelations for a believe to fully embrace. God is manifest within you too. 1 Corinthians 6:19 – “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit...” Paul emphasises identity in a lot of his narratives. It’s one thing to be something it’s another thing to really know and believe you are that thing. John 14:17 – “...He lives with you and will be in you.” Who is being spoken of here? Look at the full scripture, John 14:17 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you. And then here is the icing on the cake to top it all off, Galatians 2:20 – “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me...” The big game changer when you get saved is that the Holy Spirit comes and regenerates your spirit. He is the Seals and assurance in believers. Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. This is part of the salvation package. It is not for a chosen few.
In our walk with the Lord, we often experience Him quite tangibly in our corporate meetings. Our challenge is that not many of us know how to sustain the presence as we go about our daily lives. In this message I will share some of the core teachings of Brother Lawrence and also integrate my own experiences and relevant scriptures.
Scripture shows that demonic spirits (unclean spirits) are drawn to — or given legal access by — certain attitudes, behaviours, or spiritual conditions in a person’s life. These are the things that invite their counterfeit presence rather than God’s true presence. We are living in times where people rejoice over atmospheres that seem positive but are not actually God’s presence.
Grieving the Holy Spirit“We often neglect or insult the Holy Spirit by ignoring Him or living contrary to His promptings, and then we wonder why there is no power in our lives.” Francis Chan (Forgotten God). We short-circuit the manifest presence of God by grieving the Holy Spirit. In this message we will explore what entails grieving the Holy Spirit and examine the various things that repel God’s Spirit. It is important to note that God’s manifest presence is essentially the presence of the Holy Spirit. It behoves us to study what the Holy Spirit likes and is attracted to, which we have been doing in this series thus far. It is not enough for us to know just what activates the presence without exploring what deactivates the manifest presence of God.
How we should show up when we are in the manifest presence of God. Is there a code of behaviour for His presence? When God is tangibly present and experienced are there any guidelines from scripture regarding how we ought to be? These are important questions for believers to answer because many have short circuited his presence because they were ignorant concerning these matters. “Our pursuit of God is successful just because He is forever seeking to manifest Himself to us.” — AW Tozer, The Pursuit of God
Have you ever found yourself saying, “God, I know You’re real, but I want to experience You—right here, right now”? The Bible teaches that God is omnipresent, but there are moments in Scripture—and in our lives—when His manifest presence becomes real, tangible, and transformative. Moses refused to move without it. The early church gathered until it came. Prophets, priests, and ordinary people aligned their lives to make room for it. Today, we’re going to explore how we can activate the manifest presence of God—not through formulas or hype—but through intentional choices: obedience, unified worship, fervent prayer, sacrificial living, and deep communion with God. These are not performances to earn His presence—they are invitations that align our hearts with Heaven’s reality.
The manifest presence of God refers to instances where God’s presence is not just acknowledged, but His attributes are vividly experienced by individuals or groups. It is when God reveals Himself tangibly and relationally. When we speak of His manifest presence we are talking about God on assignment, He goes with you with a specific purpose. It is similar to a commanded blessing as opposed to a general blessing. Sometimes it is referred to as the glory of God. God’s manifest presence is not static. It can increase or decrease in intensity.
Today, I want to introduce you to a powerful framework called a Relationship Grid—a tool that maps how we show up in our relationships: in friendship, marriage, parenting, work, and even in our relationship with God. This particular grid we will focus on spans a continuum from unhealthy enmeshment and co-dependency to healthy interdependence, and all the way to emotional detachment and avoidance. Somewhere on this spectrum, you and I live every day. You’ll recognize yourself in some of these patterns—like the Doormat, the Rescuer, or the Controller. Others of us might identify with the Avoidant, the Cynic, or the Ghost. These aren’t just labels; they reflect deep beliefs, unmet needs, and relational habits shaped by our past.
Welcome back to EQ God’s Way. Earlier in the series we explored the emotional intelligence of Jesus and how it shapes our own lives. We looked at how Jesus embodied EQ—his deep empathy, his emotional self-awareness, and His relational wisdom. Today, we shift the focus from observation to instruction. Jesus didn’t just model EQ—he taught it. In fact, his teachings are like relational guardrails—twelve practical, powerful principles that protect and direct us in our relationships. These aren’t soft suggestions. They’re Kingdom mandates for emotional maturity. They teach us how to love well, confront wisely, forgive radically, and choose our relational investments strategically. Jesus didn’t just model EQ—He mandated it.
In Part 1 of this series, we laid the foundation by exploring what the Bible says about alcohol, the cultural and historical context of its use, and the spiritual principles that should guide our choices. Now, in Part 3, we turn to one of the most critical aspects of this conversation: addiction. This is where we confront the stronghold that alcohol—and other substances—can have over a person’s life. We will define the bondage of addiction through both scientific insight and biblical truth. We examine how different substances create dependence, including alcohol’s unique grip as a socially acceptable but chemically addictive drug. We will identify the signs of alcohol dependency, including behavioural, emotional, and physical indicators. We will explore the risk factors—from genetic predisposition to environmental triggers—that increase vulnerability to addiction.
David was anointed by the prophet Samuel as a young teenager, likely between the ages of 10 and 15, as recorded in 1 Samuel 16. He became king at the age of 30, as stated in 2 Samuel 5:4. Therefore, approximately 15 to 20 years elapsed between his anointing and his ascension to the throne. During this period, David experienced significant trials and growth. He served in King Saul's court, became a renowned warrior, and spent years fleeing from Saul's attempts to kill him. These experiences prepared him for his future role as king. David's journey from anointing to kingship exemplifies the importance of patience and faith in the fulfilment of God's promises.
This message encourages endurance through trials and challenges transactional views of faith. In contrast, the biblical journey includes suffering, perseverance, and spiritual growth. This message aims to encourage those facing unexplained hardships to hold on and keep the faith.
Drunkenness refers to the state of being intoxicated or impaired due to the consumption of alcohol or other intoxicating substances. It occurs when the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) reaches a level that significantly affects physical and mental functions. The effects of drunkenness vary depending on the individual, the amount of alcohol consumed, and the person’s tolerance, but it generally involves a loss of coordination, impaired judgment, and altered behaviour. This scripture is powerful because it emphasizes that the goal is not just to avoid drunkenness but to pursue the alternative. This is the great displacement. I want to be filled with the Spirit. I want to be led by the Spirit. I desire to be emboldened by God’s spirit and not any other spirit. I want to be dependent on His Spirit and no other. Both the phrases “get drunk on wine” and “be filled with the Spirit” are in present continuous tense. So these are ongoing experiences. Instead of continually getting drunk, continually be filled with the Spirit. It’s the present passive imperative; keep being filled with the Spirit. This scripture also shows that drunkenness leads to debauchery. Debauchery is dissipation, reckless living, wastefulness, excess, and moral ruin. It’s the same word used to describe the prodigal son. The verse contrasts worldly intoxication with spiritual saturation. We know that excessive drinking also leads to other things which we will talk about in this message. Website: https://gochurch.co.za/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gochurchsaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gochurchcenturion/
1 John 5:4 – 5 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.There are breakthroughs that I desire that require me to overcome things in this world. My only route to victory is what I have as a result of being Born of the Spirit, having God’s DNA. I have to come into situations with a different life form in order to overcome. I need a higher order life form to have victory. The vehicle for this is faith. I need to believe there is this other life and that his life is now in me as a result of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The difference between making and begetting is this: when you beget something, you beget something of the same kind as yourself… A man begets a man, God begets God. That which is begotten is Zoe.” C.S. Lewis – Mere Christianity
I find it interesting that joy is often seen as an optional extra. We love to quote the fruit of the Spirit and see the qualities as spiritual virtues to strive for except for joy. The Bible speaks of the joy of my salvation. Joy is a spiritual quality, a mindset and disposition that has the emotion of happiness as a by-product. Rejoicing is a biblical expectation. It is part of the fruit of the born-again spirit. The anatomy of joy is fascinating as many who have researched happiness and joy, combine insights from psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy. In our case today we are also examining the scriptures to see what they teach on Joy
Gratitude and emotional intelligence (EQ) are deeply connected, as gratitude enhances key components of EQ, such as self-awareness, empathy, and relationship management. If your self-awareness is low, you will not be aware of the things for which to be grateful due to your lack of reflection. Gratitude requires reflection. Practising gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack to what we have, which in turn increases self-reflection and positive emotional awareness. People who regularly reflect on gratitude tend to recognize and regulate their emotions better. Gratitude reduces stress and negative emotions such as envy, resentment, and frustration. Gratitude helps individuals recognize and appreciate the efforts and emotions of others, leading to stronger social connections.
Proverbs 25:28 – "Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control." The inability to control one’s emotions is like a defenceless city. A city without walls is defenceless, and so is a life without self-control. Sadly, many believers think they are being authentic when they allow themselves to keep feeling a certain way. Our emotions send messages to us and it’s up to us how we use them. However, if we are passive about the emotional state we remain in, those emotions can become toxic resulting in negative consequences for ourselves and others. We need to be careful of “fleshly emotions," which are destructive and toxic. These include malice, envy, selfish ambition, bitterness, overpowering lusts, and hatred. Such emotions are tied to the works of the flesh and lead to spiritual death. The purpose of this message is to demonstrate how we can take charge of our emotions and allow them to be used for good and not evil. One of the differentiating characteristics between a wise person and a foolish person is the ability to manage one’s emotions.
Today we are exploring the second section (Eph 5:8-14) which is living as children of the light.
Last week we looked at a broad strokes overview of the book of Ephesians. We discovered that the book is typically divided into 2 halves. Ephesians offers a detailed synopsis of the Gospel, moving from worship and reflection on God’s redemption to describing God’s ongoing work through the Holy Spirit and a vision for the Church.
Will be studying a pericope or passage in Ephesians. Before we get there will look at the context within which the pericope is positioned to ensure we understand the message being conveyed correctly. To begin with will briefly look at a few concepts to assist as we approach the Bible desiring to rightly divide the word of God.
The words we speak hold great power, influencing our spiritual lives and relationships. The Bible emphasizes the importance of guarding our mouths, as our words can build up or tear down. By filling our speech with praise and aligning our words with God's truth, we can avoid negative influences and strengthen our faith. Faith-filled declarations, like the centurion's trust in Jesus' authority, demonstrate the power of speaking with conviction. Finally, we must reject the world's lies and align our speech with God's promises, declaring life and truth over ourselves and others.
The sermon highlights the importance of evangelists in the church, emphasizing their role in spreading the gospel, engaging in public discourse, and guiding believers. It underscores the need for dedicated individuals to reach out to non-believers, strengthen faith communities, and expand the church’s influence. Evangelists are seen as essential workers who inspire others, overcome challenges, and contribute to the growth and impact of the Christian mission.
Many people have been wounded. For them, the world is not a reliable place. Some of you are in a space where you have to learn how to trust again. The reality is that if you dont trust people you will limit your world to only what you can do. You never get to the top by yourself. Interdependence is a mark of maturity. If you dont trust people you will never pass the ball in sport. If you don`t trust people you will never make yourself vulnerable. You cannot build emotional intimacy without some degree of vulnerability. You always have a choice: Trust vs Suspicion. In this message I will outline how Jesus modelled the power of trusting others in how He related to His disciples. From there I will also expound on various scriptures that caution us not to trust everyone and everything.
The anatomy of trust is central to EQ. The first pillar of emotional intelligence looks at emotional self-awareness. Often, I ask people to reflect on the degree to which they are trusted by others and often they don’t know. Part of emotional self-awareness is knowing the impact of your behaviour on others. Is what I am doing or saying building trust or eroding it? It is good to be trusted. When people trust you, it will open doors for you. We all need to be trustworthy people just as God is trustworthy. The consequences of mistrustoccur where the world has not been reliable. What are some of the consequences of mistrust? Isolation, Paranoia, Violence, Demotivation etc. I would like to be a trusted person and also a trusting person. Let’s explore both concepts in this message. What words come to mind when you think of someone who you trust? For many of us it’s words like reliable, competent, caring, safe, honest, transparent, direct, etc. These words do not have the same meaning but all result in trust.
I can either read some books; ask a fellow brother in Christ or mine God’s Word for myself to get a better understanding of the Father Heart of God. In this way I can emulate what I see and what I read. Of course, as a child of God I also have the benefit of experiencing God the Father for myself in a very real and practical way. When we pray, we pray Our Father who art in heaven.
You will only be successful to the degree to which you remain motivated to complete your assignment. Many people are failing today, not because they lack skill or smartness; many are failing due to lack of motivation. Many of us come into the year with great aspirations but at some point, we lose motivation. We see gyms full of people and we know they make a lot of money by hooking people into contracts at the start of the year. It’s not uncommon to see many people out running on New Year’s Day, but are they still there after two months? Many years ago, I preached a message called “Living Beyond Good Intentions” because I realised that the majority of us start with good intentions; we create wonderful goals, but few have mastered the art of following through and sustaining their success. To be effective in life, we need to master the art of staying motivated. What was last year like for you? Did you stay motivated in all aspects of your life or did things change along the way? In this message I will share with you some tools from both the science and theology of motivation so that you can stay motivated this year.
Aim to achieve the goal God has set for you. Spare no cost in the quest. Spare no effort as you press toward the mark of knowing Christ. Pursue intimacy with God. One measure of maturity is the degree to which this pursuit becomes our consuming focus and desire. Nowhere are we more challenged to become a man/woman after God’s own heart than here.
God listens to our prayers. He pays attention to them. God is a good listener.1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer,but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”James 1:19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,John Vawter said, “The truth is, I interrupt because I like to control conversations. I want them to follow my agenda, to proceed at my pace, to end where I would like them to end. Because of that I am quick to speak…slow to listen.”
The enemy’s strategy has always been to tarnish that image. This is significant because we always live up to our self-concept. If I believe I am a cow, I will eat grass and “moo”. In doing life, it is important for us to have a healthy sense of identity. Many leaders fail because they lack self-awareness and are not in touch with who they are. It is important to understand that although we have different temperaments or behavioural profiles, we are still called to be Christlike. Many people make the mistake of glorifying their personalities. They continuously reject Christlikeness on the basis of their temperament or personality. Ephesians 4:15-16 "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." We need to understand that the Holy Spirit helps us to manifest the emotions of Christ appropriately in the context of our own individual style. Throughout scripture we see people of different personality types being used greatly by God, some of them operated from their flesh whilst others were spirit controlled and led most of the time. In this message, I will give us an overview of the different behavioural preferences and temperaments demonstrating how to safeguard ourselves from the vices associated with them.
As mentioned in part 1, Cynicism is a defence mechanism our brain uses to actively protect us from disappointment and pain. I mentioned that a cynic tends to be sceptical, pessimistic, and distrustful of people's intentions, often expecting the worst in others and believing that people are likely to act in their own self-interest, even if it means harming others. The result of this is often, less satisfying relationships, anticipation of pain, resulting in anxiety and depression. We spoke about how our goal as believers is to remain in the Word and to abide in the truth. Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." In this message I will highlight the consequences of cynicism, including how it affects our relationships and the decisions we make. I will also explain how one can be free from cynicism.
It is important that every mindset and emotional state is viewed from a scriptural perspective and through such a lens. Cynicism is a toxic emotional state, which if left unchecked can become lethal. We need to know how to identify it in our lives and as leaders we need to know how to uproot it in our teams. 2 Corinthians 10:5: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." I am not suggesting that we go to the extreme of toxic positivity (denial about negative emotions – ignore and overide), but we are called to embrace truth in our inward parts and renew our minds to have an accurate view of God, ourselves, others and how the world works.
I keep emphasizing the importance of EQ. I was reflecting the other day how even the Incredible Hulk was somewhat aware of the impact his anger had on others. When David Bruce Banner would start turning into the Incredible Hulk he would say to his boss, “Mr McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. That’s self-awareness. Technically speaking when he became Hulk he was not that self-aware I guess. So we wont use him as our standard. I am grateful that Jesus modelled and taught high emotional intelligence. Jesus consistently demonstrated high emotional intelligence (EQ) in His teachings and interactions. In this message we will unpack verses where Jesus models and teaches emotional awareness, emotional expression, emotional management, social awareness, relationship management and motivation.
I will spend the first part of this message talking about the importance of EQ in scripture and also its complexity in order to build my case for starting with God’s EQ. When the Bible commands you to practise empathy there is no qualifier saying that it depends on your personality. Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." This is a command to practise empathy, not a suggestion. EQ is an essential capability for success in all aspects of life. Biblical EQ is a part of Christlikeness and something you can put on. You clothe yourself with it.
I was running a seminar the other day and went up to speak after being given a wonderful intro. I was greeted with silence as I took up my space so I said to the audience, who were leaders of a very significant organisation, “This is where you guys start clapping.” I then said, I guess this is why I am teaching on EQ. A lot of times we don’t know what to do socially. Sometimes we feel awkward giving or receiving complements. All of this relates to our emotional intelligence. John 11:33-35 "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled... Jesus wept." We live in a world that taught us, “cowboys don’t cry”, yet the King of the universe cried. We need to examine EQ God’s way. Luke 22:44 "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." Jesus could make Himself vulnerable by expressing emotion. If we want to be Christlike, we need to embrace this too. If you study the science of likeability, vulnerability makes you more likeable. You don’t have to always put your best foot forward.
As we come to an end of this series it is important for us to understand that warfare fails when we have no back bone. The person who is effective at spiritual warfare tends to have tremendous resilience and grit. Proverbs 24:16 “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” This verse shows us that one of the core characteristics of a righteous person is resilience. Resilience is positive adaptation in the face of adversity. Resilience is the ability to bounce back quickly from setbacks. There is psychological resilience, emotional resilience, physical resilience and community resilience. Many families in our church have been resilient through some of their worst times. The community in KZN was very resilient after going through looting followed by floods. The church in China has been resilient learning how to do church differently during times of persecution. Many churches demonstrated resilience during Lockdown and seasons of COVID. In this message I will highlight the power of resilience and outline three things that resilient people do differently.
In this next section we will explore how the enemy attempts to get us to violate a universal law that God has put in place. This is the law of submission to authority. God has created this world by His authority and has established various houses of authority for our own protection and blessing. How we relate to this system is crucial in warfare and life. Can you confidently say that you respect authority? Are you fully submitted to God; His ways and His Word? Do you often usurp the authority you have delegated? Do you punish your bosses by procrastination, gossip or a closed heart? Remember that submission is tested in disagreement. It is easy to say that you are submitted to authority until you disagree with that authority. In this message I will share with you 12 key points describing the technology of this universal law of submission to authority.
In this next part of our series, we will be exploring the various strategies the enemy uses against believers. Part of knowing our enemy is knowing his assignments against us. When you are aware of these strategies you are better positioned to deal with them.
In this next part of our series, we will be exploring the various strategies the enemy uses against believers. Part of knowing our enemy is knowing his assignments against us. When you are aware of these strategies you are better positioned to deal with them.
Today I will be teaching regarding 2 of the corporate weapons of our warfare. That includes corporate prayer and corporate fasts. Unfortunately for the church today, we have not yet tapped into the fulness of the power of these corporate weapons. You see, many come from collectivist backgrounds, but by and large, when it comes to church the predominant mentality is an individualistic consumerist one.
It is crucial for the Church to teach on the subject of spheres and jurisdictions for spiritual activities. We must recognize that God our Creator was very intentional when He set out which realm we would operate in. Ps 115:16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to mankind. We will examine the geography of the spirit realm, outlining its different sectors. In this message my goal is to also outline a type of “organogram” for the spiritual realm. It is important for believers to understand the various levels and roles in the spirit realm so that we relate correctly to these varying dimensions. It is also important to note that the devil does not originate, but he produces counterfeits of what God has created. We will therefore also look at the ranks and levels in the kingdom of darkness. We need to know our enemy and his strategies.
It is crucial for the Church to teach on the subject of spheres and jurisdictions for spiritual activities. We must recognize that God our Creator was very intentional when He set out which realm we would operate in. Ps 115:16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to mankind. We will examine the geography of the spirit realm, outlining its different sectors. In this message my goal is to also outline a type of “organogram” for the spiritual realm. It is important for believers to understand the various levels and roles in the spirit realm so that we relate correctly to these varying dimensions. It is also important to note that the devil does not originate, but he produces counterfeits of what God has created. We will therefore also look at the ranks and levels in the kingdom of darkness. We need to know our enemy and his strategies.
Jesus walked in authority and He expects us to do the same. 1 John 3:8 "The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work." We have been sent with the same mission, to reinforce what Jesus started. To destroy the works of the devil. John 20:21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 1 John 4:17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. NKJV Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. This is a powerful statement. This speaks of the extent of our oneness with Christ. In this message we will study Jesus’ dealings with the kingdom of darkness and get tools for how we too can engage the enemy.
C.S. Lewis: "There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them." When people have been exposed to different extremes, they sometimes develop a reactionary theology. Therefore, it is important for me to lay down foundations from scripture so that we know what we believe and why, with regards to spiritual warfare. Luke 11:20 (NKJV) "But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." NIV "But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." The central theme of New Testament theology is the reign of Christ and the establishment of God’s Kingdom. This verse shows us that the displacement of darkness by way of warfare is a core activity in the establishment of this Kingdom. The Old and New Testament are connected in this way. God gave the promised land to the Children of Israel and then they had the responsibility to go and take the land. In the same way, Christ’s death and resurrection disarmed the enemy and now we are called to enforce that victory and take back what belongs to us. We have been saved (justification), we are being saved (sanctification) and we will be saved (glorification). In this message I will share with you some foundations that ground believers in warfare. It is important to know these before one gets into the tactical aspects of warfare.
Today's message is about what is probably the most fundamental belief we hold as Christians. Today we will be talking about the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We are in drawing the close of a series on worldviews. We have recognised in this series that all of us have a worldview, formed consciously and less consciously. It forms the lens through which we view, understand and make sense of the world and thus ultimately determines how we live. Today I would like to take a Biblical worldview and apply it to the domain of the arts and entertainment. What I do with this domain, can be done for each domain in life.
So the topic today is that of the different types of apologetics that are commonly used in defending Christianity. It's important to understand that when you defend Christianity, no matter how you want to slice or dice it, you will always draw upon something to explain why you believe what you believe.
In our current series in church, we have been studying a biblical worldview, what we believe and why, and the application of our beliefs to everyday life. In the messages I have shared, I have been looking primarily at the first 3 chapters of Genesis. Today, we will be looking at Genesis once again. I want to explore truths foundational to the Christian Worldview found in the first three chapters of Genesis, and compare aspects of them to unbiblical worldviews that are commonly held today. And then look at the implications of these worldviews. At a simple level, I am wanting to show you how our belief systems and worldviews are crucial and impact our lives. We will look at truths concerning God, creation, man and sin.
The Biblical Christian Worldview finds part of its coherency in the fact that it has answers for the question of morality. Our worldview gives us a framework for our lifestyle. Your theology will affect your morality and discussions on apologetics will need to include an examination of the robust nature of Christian Ethics. When we are grounded in Christian Ethics it helps us to make wise moral choices in a world of moral relativity and subjective reasoning. We are then able to speak up on issues to do with contemporary error and give a Christian response to the issues of our day such as HIV AIDS, abortion, unrighteous wars and strikes, corruption, child trafficking, drug abuse, and questionable medical practices. I have observed that many believers do not have a clear code of conduct for all areas of life. Sometimes they do not practise the principle of moral unity. In other words, they have certain standards for homelife and a different set of values for business life. I have observed that there are some unbelievers who seem to have a code of conduct and philosophy for their approach to life. It is important for us to know what we believe and why when it comes to our morality. In this message I will outline major theories of ethics and then go on to describe the epistemological foundations of Christian Ethics.
When we talk about Christianity we are talking about faith in Christ Jesus. When we make reference to believers we are talking about true Christ followers. This is important because many people argue against Christianity from the incorrect frame of reference. They tend to cite individuals who misrepresent Christianity. Let’s talk about Jesus and not those who falsely use His name. Jesus has already said in Matt 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" In this message I am building a case for why raw Christianity as defined by God, is the only way.
Last week we embarked on a journey exploring this crucial question in Christian Apologetics; if God is omnibenevolent (all loving), omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful) why is there evil and suffering in the world? We highlighted that many have turned from the faith because of unanswered questions in this area. We examined the tension between the good world God created and the cursed world we live in and the new world we anticipate. I find it interesting that many people expect us to be in a perfect world right now despite the consistent rebellion against God and His ways. Romans 1:18 "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness." We need to explore what this wrath looks like. We explored the concept of theodicies and I promised to explore this in more depth. I highlighted how Jesus identifies with our pain and suffering, and we examined how early apostles responded to trials and tribulations. We also looked at the limits of evil and the role of prayer as Jesus instructed. Our key verse for this subject remains John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”Throughout the scriptures there seems to be two prevailing ideas around evil and suffering; the first is that they will both remain in the world until Jesus returns and establishes a new heaven and new earth and second, He has overcome them already. The fact that Jesus states that He has overcome the world, implies that we too have overcome the world. The complexity comes when we have to explore what He means by “the world” and what He means by “overcome”. Nevertheless, in this statement there is still the sound of victory and dominion over certain things, despite the inevitability of “trouble”. That is also something for us to unpack, what is “trouble”? There are two major types of evil and suffering in this world; natural and human. The natural kind is associated with earthquakes and other natural disasters. The human kind of evil is to do with armed robberies, wars, abuse and the list is endless. It is important to note that one could argue that some natural disasters are caused by human behaviour. Key questions people ask today, “If God is Good, why does He allow evil and suffering in the world? If God is all powerful, why does He not stop it?” People seem to use the lack of clear answers to these questions as a reason for rejecting God and the Christian faith. It is important that apologists articulate a coherent Biblical theology with regards to this topic. A key word in this theme is theodicy. Theodicy is an argument that seeks to vindicate God’s omnipotence and omnibenevolence despite the evil and suffering in the world. Over the next few weeks, when I explain what every believer should know about evil and suffering, I will be using expository apologetics in a series of theodicies.
Last week we looked at the importance of the creation narrative with respect to many of our foundational doctrines. Today I would like to pick up where I left off in the creation narrative, namely that death, millions of years, fossilization and evolution cannot be mixed into the creation narrative before God created Adam and Eve. Today I will endeavour to look at evidence around dinosaurs and fossilization, Noah and the flood and the age of the earth. Referenced Videos:Video 1: https://streaming.answersingenesis.org/vid/ondemand/creation-museum/flood-geology/mt-st-helens.mp4Video 2: https://streaming.answersingenesis.org/vid/ondemand/creation-museum/flood-geology/fossilization.mp4
Refrenced videos:Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVrr_BbEtJEVideo 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slvR1QJIpjwVideo 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5FOs5hTK3EWhat we are seeing today is a collapse of the Christian worldview, both outside and inside the church. The first attack on God’s word was in Genesis 3: “Did God really say?” This questioning has continued throughout history, particularly through the teaching of evolution, "ape-man" theories, and the concept of the age of the earth being billions of years and so forth. These ideas can cause Christians to doubt God’s word and ultimately reject it, undermining the authority of the Bible and the Gospel based upon its authority.If we cannot believe the Bible’s history (Genesis 1:1), how can we believe what it says about salvation (John 3:16)? As Jesus said, "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (John 3:12, NKJV). If we can’t trust the Bible regarding our origins, how can we trust what it says about morality and salvation? This stumbling block prevents many from receiving salvation.
Today I want to talk about this magnificent Word. Let me start off by saying that I went through a journey over a number of years where I really dived deep into the historicity of the Bible. Ps Paul knows how many times I asked him about various books or advice on tracking and understanding how the Bible came to be, and what lends it so much credence. I must be entirely honest, I went through a phase myself where I was extremely anxious about the Bible’s authenticity, and this was because I had been challenged by very persuasive atheists who presented strong arguments against the Word. Suffice to say, by the time I had reached the end of that particular journey, I was more thoroughly convinced in scripture than ever before. If you doubt God’s scripture, don’t worry, there is sufficient grace for you, and if you ask the Lord and allow him to lead you, He will guide you to a place where you can be assured of what you believe in.
There are many reasons why people on the African continent have resisted the Gospel. Whilst many have appreciated the idea of needing salvation, they have found it difficult to break away from their traditional African worldview which values the role of intermediaries between God and man. This has resulted in syncretism where many have happily mixed Christianity with traditional African religion and ancestral worship. Others have resisted the Gospel because they perceive it to be from the West. They see Christianity as the religion of the colonialists and essentially the White man’s religion. The truth is that all men everywhere need a saviour because all men everywhere have sinned. The Gospel is not just for the West because the depravity of man cannot be compartmentalised into certain regions of the world. Sin is a human problem. In this message I would like to answer the question; Is Christianity the White Man’s Religion?
In this message my goal is to highlight the overarching belief system of agnostics and also the post-modern worldview. I will also show you how the Bible has scriptures that speak directly to these beliefs. My aim is to also show you the logical end of these beliefs and the incisive questions one can ask those who hold such views. As we build a skill set for dealing with various faces of unbelief and scepticism, it is important to remember God’s heart for the unsaved and make sure that we carry that heart in all our conversations. Ezekiel 18:23: "Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" 1 Timothy 2:3-4: "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
In this message I would like to categorize various forms of unbelief and scepticism towards Christianity. I also aim to demonstrate that the Bible has something to say about each of these states. We will focus on atheism. Next week I will explore other forms of unbelief such as agnosticism and the postmodern worldview. After that we will look at the Afrocentric idea that Christianity is a western religion. It is important for us to be grounded in scriptures and know what we believe and why as we begin to engage with society.
Apologetics is that branch of Christian theology which answers the question, Is Christianity rationally defensible? One of the central themes of apologetics is to do with the existence of God. Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." In this message I aim to provide for you the logical necessity of a transcendent, eternal being as the ultimate explanation for the existence of the universe. Believing in God is fundamental for anyone who wants to tap into a faith filled life. Many people are religious but do not live like God exists.
1 Peter 3:15 urges Christians to revere Christ and explain their hope with gentleness, forming the basis of apologetics. Despite this, many avoid it due to fear of doubt, the belief in faith alone, or the perception of complexity. However, apologetics is essential for all believers to fulfill this scriptural command and effectively share the gospel, breaking down barriers to faith.In this series, What We Believe and Why, my assignment is to prepare you to give such answers. If we truly love those who are still unsaved, we must be willing to study the field of apologetics so that with God’s help we can break barriers that are hindering people from getting saved.
This is a messianic Psalm which discloses the heart of God toward His own Son. This conversation introduces an amazing declaration that all the nations of the world are intended to come under the protection of His Son’s rule. However, the qualifier is, ask. Jesus came to inherit the nations, not some, all. He came to possess the ends of the earth. To infiltrate power centres through His influence. To establish the Kingdom of heaven on this earth. To show that God has a personal interest in the in all the people groups of the earth. Jesus made it very clear that part of His mission was to equip His disciples so that His message, the message of the Gospel would spread into the world.
People will reward and relate to you based on your reputation. Think of how you choose to work in certain companies or deal with specific people because of their reputation. Sadly, something has crept into Christians where we have emphasised so much how other’s opinions don’t matter, only God’s. As a result we have developed a misbelief that “What other people think of me and how they see me doesn’t matter.” So what’s the balance between how I know I am in my heart and what others see? A good way to look at it is like this: Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. Abraham Lincoln. Many people in pride think they can do anything, and the consequences will disappear. They tell their minions, “Make it go away!” but sadly, some things won’t. So, let’s explore what the Bible actually says about our reputations.Website: https://gochurch.co.za/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gochurchsaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gochurchcenturion/
"The resurrection is at the core of our beliefs as Christians. Without it, our faith is meaningless." - Joseph B. Wirthlin. In his book, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism", Tim Keller states, "If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead." In this sermon we will focus on a well-known passage of scripture, and I will start with the end of the passage which is one of my favourite verses.2 Cor 5:21 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.Website: https://gochurch.co.za/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gochurchsaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gochurchcenturion/
Website: https://gochurch.co.za/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gochurchsaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gochurchcenturion/
When I say to you ‘the fear of God’ it probably conjures up a wide variety of thoughts and emotions in different people. Possibly even questions around God. Today I would like to do a dive into this important uncommon virtue which is the fear of the Lord. I am going to unpack what it is not and explain what it is and of course, why it is so important for us as believers. I will also look at how we can grow in the fear of the Lord.
Gen 1:28 – God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”God invented sex and thought it was good. In fact, it was the first thing God referred to in the blessing. In the right context (marriage) this is true. Outside of God’s protective boundaries there are negative consequences.How do you view sex in general?How do you view sex in the context of marriage?Do you feel awkward talking about sex?What and who has influenced and shaped your view of sex?It is important to thoroughly examine this subject so that we embrace the blessing God has intended and avoid the negative consequences of violating His principles in this area.
Gentleness is of great worth to God. There are virtues that God values greatly. Gentleness is one of them. We have a choice. What will we make of great value to ourselves? How much time do we spend working on our outward selves compared to the inner self. It is essentially a spirit. Why is a gentle and quiet spirit worth a lot to God? I believe that when we don’t walk in gentleness, we short circuit the anointing. Often God can only use us when we are in this state of a gentle and quiet spirit. Gentleness is enhanced by other attributes.
We all know that love is the chief of all virtues. But the question is, what is love?The biblical ideas of love referred to: A desire for the best for another, even if it cost us something. A shorter way of saying this would be to say that biblical love is "Sacrificial Love". Obtaining the best for another, even an enemy, at our cost.When we talk about Agape love, we are talking about a much deeper dimension of love, a virtue so supreme that it distinguishes Christians from everyone else. Love is so important to the Bible’s teachings that John tells us “God is love”
Wisdom:It is the understanding and attitude that result in true piety and godliness. Wisdom is insight that leads one to make good decisions in life. God’s wisdom protects us from taking a detour into humanistic ideas and hopeless error.
2 Tim 2: 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.God is faithful. We can only be faithful because He is. This is one of His core characteristics and He calls to be likewise. Faithfulness is a key virtue because the degree to which you walk in it will determine your promotion in God’s Kingdom. There are various manifestations of faithfulness that I will outline in this message
A portrait is a verbal picture or description of a person. We tend to be familiar with portraits when we are referring to just the picture of an individual, that captures their shoulders and above including their facial features and so on. Sometimes however, when we are referring to the description of a particular entity we also call that a portrait. Mt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Jesus described Himself as humble. Many people talk about being humble and humility, but what does that actually look like? Is being humble using everyone’s title and calling them “Chief”? Is being humble muttering, and crouching down in deference, before you do whatever you have to do in relation to the people around you? It is so important for us to define humility so that we understand what the Bible means when it says that, “God resists the proud, But gives grace [shows favour] to the humble.”” James 4:6 NLT. Grace and favour are when God raises you up but it is unmerited. You can pray as much as you want for favour and breakthrough but the Bible gives us this “key” where it tells you that you ought to be humble.
Inheritance can occur at multiple levels. There is the inheritance we have as believers but there is also the individual inheritance we experience based on God’s promises to us. In addition, our focus today is on a spiritual inheritance we have as a community of faith.
Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus.Regardless of which path we each walk down; God is always with us and inevitably always at least, one step ahead of us. No matter what mountains you come up against, just know He has already climbed them. No matter what journey of uncertainty you encounter, God is faithfully walking ahead of you. Sometimes, it can be easy to make the mistake of thinking that we are walking through this world alone, especially when life happens or when our current reality does not match up with what God has spoken over us. Please do not allow temporary realities to sway you from the knowledge that God is with you. He is leading and guiding you, ordering your footsteps, preparing the way for you and going ahead of you to make every crooked path straight. I encourage you to be attentive and listen for his voice, listen for his leading, consult Him in everything before you make your next move.
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.We are called to value the words of Jesus. His words are lifegiving. In the sermon on the mount, He picks out specific characteristics and virtues and highlights that those who walk in them are blessed. One of these is being a peacemaker. It is important for us and behoves us to study what this really means so that we may walk in this blessing. The word “maker” here comes from a word meaning to manufacture, construct or cause. The word “blessed” is Makarios which means “to be envied, fortunate, one who has God’s favour extended in their lives. God’s benefits are made long and large in their lives.” The word peace means to tie together as a whole or wholeness, when the essential parts are tied together, rest and quietness. It has connotations of unity. So when someone gossips and causes division they are doing the opposite of this. When I speak to you words that refresh and quiet your soul I am being a peacemaker. Peace here is God’s gift of wholeness. Being a peacemaker is a core characteristic of a child of God. Elsewhere Jesus teaches that if we walk in love for each other, they will know we are His disciples. Here He is saying that if we are peacemakers, we will be called children of God. By whom I wonder. I believe that people will recognize Christ in us, but heaven will also identify us. When you are a child of someone it means you have their DNA. You are like them. When we are called children of God because we are peacemakers it means that God is that too. We are that because He is. This must always be our starting point. God is described as the God of Peace. Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace.
Morning is my favourite time of the day:•The whole day stretches out, with opportunities and possibilities. •His mercies are new every morning.•It’s an opportunity to reset. We got a smart exercise bike in the holidays. It is in need of calibration! The readings and measures it gives me are not accurate indications of reality. And so it is with us. Morning reset time was wonderful during the holiday.We have a chance right now – the beginning of the year on a much grander scale. It’s an opportunity to recalibrate our lives. To hit the reset button, to make sure we are measuring things accurately and with the correct measures. So that we have an accurate indication of reality.
This message is a continuation from what we started last week,. Today we will continue to explore how to activate God’s glory in our midst. As mentioned before, the key is to glorify Him. There are many ways of glorifying God, beyond just saying, “Lord I glorify you.” We mentioned that the Holy Spirit is a person and therefore has preferences. There are things that grieve Him and things that He is drawn to. He becomes more manifest in such environments. Let’s continue with our study.
The Holy Spirit is a person. There are environments He likes and others He does not like. He is grieved by certain climates. I need to find out what activates His glory and do it more. Jesus manifest. Skia – Shadow of God’s light.The Glory manifests to the degree to which we glorify Him. If we want to experience the glory (all His attributes) we need to glorify Him.What would the Church look like if each member was consumed with the sole purpose of glorifying God every minute of their lives?
This week we will conclude our sermons on being positioned in love. I encourage you to listen to the previous 2 if you have not done so as I build upon that foundation. We will be studying the last 5 of the ten commandments today and exploring their application to our everyday lives.
We saw last time that in order to be positioned in His love and remain in His love, we need to walk in obedience to His commands. We looked at God’s heart behind His commandments and the interpretive principle we need to apply when looking at these commandments. If you haven’t listened to the message, I encourage you to do so. I explained how the Mosaic law was fulfilled in Christ and so has no bearing on the New testament believer. Yet there are many other types of “law” mentioned in the Bible, including God’s moral law. Because God is perfect and unchanging, his moral law remains the same. This law or these commandments have great value for us as believers, providing a form of guidance and instruction for our lives. It is these commandments that we will explore today in deeper detail and their implications for our everyday life.
Why do I need to be Fully Devoted to Jesus, as opposed to just being devoted? You may think it is just semantics, and you could even be 100% correct, but, I think you will agree with me that being partially devoted to something or someone is simply not devotion at all.Living a life that is Fully Devoted to Jesus is one of those All or Nothing decisions that we have to make. Because if we are only halfway in or partially in, we may be surprised to find out one day that when we stand in front of Jesus, He says: depart from me, you were never Fully Committed.
We will be continuing our series on spiritual positioning. Today I will be starting a few messages on positioned in love. Positioned in love. I need to take a few messages to unpack this so that we understand the context and the principles for what I'm going to be sharing regarding being positioned love.
What is faith?Heb 11:1 (NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.So, faith is like a spiritual currency. Faith is based upon our persuasion and conviction of. It is the response of obedience to God’s word. God’s Word is critical. Without God’s Word, there can be no faith.
It’s one thing to make a decision, it’s another thing to commit heart and soul to the implications of those decisions. For example, I can decide to get married, but have I truly committed heart and soul to serve and sacrifice for my wife’s dreams. There are degrees of decisiveness. It is difficult to become successful in something you are not willing to fully commit to. Reflect on your life and think of the most important decisions you have made. Were they made for you? Were you forced to make these decisions or were they an act of your will? I believe God is in the business of restoring the will and He wants to show us that we are powerful and can decide. To whom have you abdicated certain decisions in your life? I remember asking my former VC at varsity where he thought I should study a specific postgraduate course. He responded by asking me what I wanted to do. I was surprised as I thought he would just tell me. It’s important for us to understand the benefits of decisiveness and how central it is to Godly leadership. The ability to make wise decisions and timeously align others in the same direction is one of the most important leadership capabilities. Jesus’ ministry was embedded in this.
For relationships to go deeper, for us to really know God, we have to be in communication with Him. We have to be able to hear, recognise and understand what He is saying. We can determine the level of our own relationship with the Lord. And relationship is not about appearances. Appearances can say one thing… for a time, but we can never pull the wool over God’s eyes. Often hearing is about positioning. This is especially true when there is other “noise” in our lives. This is why positioning ourselves to hear is so important.We can very easily find ourselves in a place where our hearts our dull of understanding, our spiritual eyes are blind and our spiritual ears are deaf to God. Today I am going to look at 5 things that I believe will help us position ourselves to hear God. – Tracy Joy Nyamuda
We have been discussing and exploring various spiritual positions in life. We've looked at the power of being positioned in thanksgiving, being positioned in praise, the importance of the position of forgiveness, and last week we looked at how crucial it is for us to be continually positioned in worship. Today we are going to explore the importance of being positioned in purpose. Positioned in purpose.
We will discover as we look at this spiritual position that God is seeking those who are positioned in true worship. Joh 4:23-24 (NKJV) But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. [24] God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."Isn’t it interesting who Jesus taught this to? And where He was?Worship is not about a geographical place, it’s not about culture or nationality or status, or even religious qualifications of the person. The worshippers God is looking for are those who worship in spirit and truth.
God is taking His Church to a place of greatness. Jesus is coming for a powerful bride. We know the destiny of the Church is great but we need to figure out how to unlock this greatness. It is clear in God’s Word but many are not walking in this dimension. My passion in life is to see greatness unlocked. There are keys to greatness. There are keys to spiritual promotion. Many people use worldly methods. You can pursue greatness through self-promotion. You can pursue greatness through coercion. You can pursue greatness through manipulation and domination. Many have taken the carnal route because they not entrusted themselves to God’s methods of elevation. In this message I want to share with you keys to unlocking greatness as I believe this is your portion. Some of you have been discouraged and stopped dreaming. It’s time to dream again.
Last week we spoke about how generally in life, positioning is important. And we spoke about how just as positioning in the natural realm is key, so spiritual positioning is key. We need to be constantly checking that we are positioned aright for God’s next move. Positioned aright for the season we are in. Positioned in belief, because belief positions us aright for the next God move. We need to take responsibility for our spiritual positioning. We can’t be passive. Eph 2:4-6 (NKJV) But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, [5] even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), [6] and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,I am saved and forgiven. Redeemed from death. Found in Christ Jesus, seated in heavenly places. FB Meyer says: In the purpose of God we have been raised from the grave of sin and are seated with the risen Lord in the place of acceptance and victory. We were one with Christ when He lay in the grave and arose. In God’s thought we have already taken our seat with the glorified Christ upon the throne; only the pity is that we do not believe this or act as if we had done so. We need to live as believers seated in heavenly places in Christ. We need to position ourselves regularly. By using the terms spiritual positioning, I am referring to your heart disposition, the disposition of your spirit, how you show up in the spirit realm. How are you positioned in terms of spiritual attributes and qualities?Last week we looked at positioned ourselves in thanksgiving and the power of that. Today we will look at 2 more positions we can and must assume.
In life in general, we know that positioning is important. For instance, when you buy a new bicycle, you have to take it to someone who can do a bike fit for you to ensure that when you cycle you are positioned correctly. This is to protect you from unnecessary injuries and to ensure you get the best out of your body and bike. In a similar way, we are all familiar with the saying, “you have to be present to win”. It sounds obvious, right? You have to position yourself in the correct place (i.e. enter the race and show up on race morning), and of course follow the rules, in order for “winning” (whatever that is in the instance) is a possibility. I remember a number of years ago watching one our boys playing a soccer match. He was playing right wing. He got the ball quite near the back and passed it to a central player. He then stopped running and started walking. We shouted for him to run up and support his player who was alone. I could see by the set of his shoulders and the way he was walking, he didn’t believe they would score a goal, or that there was any point in him running up for support. And you know what? They didn’t score that goal. But the Holy Spirit spoke to me in that moment when we were shouting for him to run up and support his player…He said to me, “belief positions you aright for the next move”. Positioning. It’s so important.
Positioning. In the same way we need to be positioned correctly in life, in the spirit, we need to be constantly checking we are positioned aright for God’s next move. Positioned aright for the season we are in. In the same way poor positioning in the natural negatively impacts us, so poor positioning in the spirit impacts us. We need to position ourselves correctly. Let me say that again, we need to position ourselves correctly. We need to take responsibility for our spiritual positioning. We can’t be passive.
We often quote Mt 6:33 “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” Seeking first the kingdom will often be seen in how you relate to the local church. The church is God’s vehicle for the extension of His Kingdom.
A lot of human behaviour is controlled and shaped by the fear of rejection. Think of the number of times you reject yourself before you can be rejected; that’s the source of a lot of shyness. The enemy wants us to remain in a state where we are stung and wounded by rejection so that we end up socialising along the lines of least resistance. When you have been wounded you tend to make inner vows, based on self protective mechanisms, that ultimately control your decision-making processes. This is the safest route for me to go. God, on the other hand, is taking us to a place where we have bullet proof self-images that are straightened towards Him and not bent towards man. When God is our centre, everything we do flows from the blue print in heaven. Rejection will happen but being permanently wounded by it is not your portion. Therefore, the title of my message today is Rejecting Rejection, where we will explore how it is possible to be free from the wounds of rejection. When I speak of rejecting rejection I am essentially talking about rejecting the sting and the wound of rejection that the enemy wants you to live with.
I have entitled this message the Law of Love because many people associate love with an emotion one feels but it is essentially a law or command from God and also a spiritual law that works as a potent force in this life. When it comes to the different faces of rejection we experience, many of us are bound by the fear of rejection. Love is the antithesis of fear. Love is an antidote for the fear of rejection. Much of our behaviour is determined and shaped by our fear of rejection. My goal is to demonstrate in this message how when we walk in the fulness of God’s love, the law of love obliterates the fear of rejection.
Last week we began to explore the concept of spiritual warfare in the context of relationships. We highlighted the fact that it is more to do with obedience than pseudo spiritual formulae. We stated that you cannot separate deliverance from discipleship. We went on to discuss the various strategies the enemy uses against us. It is important to note that the Devil has power (Dunamis) but has no real authority (Exousia). His authority is limited to what we allow him to do in our lives because of the legal right we give him through our lifestyle. This is why the Bible instructs us not to give the Devil a foothold. The enemy has been disarmed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He uses various strategies and trickery to affect the lives of believers. We mentioned in Part 1 that he will try to intimidate us; he thrives on our ignorance; he attempts to influence us to violate universal laws and he uses the element of surprise. This week we will continue to look at these strategies and how to overcome them.
Family is God’s Primary Shield. Man was created in God’s image and the enemy’s strategy is to distort that identity. Jesus is the identity activator. My job is to see my wife how God sess her and reinforce that. Healing takes place in community. Some men are called to restore and some women are called to restore. Families are that primary community God has given us to produce whole people. We are called to reinforce all the good things God wants to say to our loved ones.
Any area that we can exhibit influence in is an area we can lead in. Leadership does not always look like an office with a title on the door. All of us have people we influence, lead, shape, and are¬ role models for. We can all lead in one area or another, on relationship or another. We can lead amongst our siblings, friends, colleagues, teams, families, social groups, and so forth. Therefore, this is a message for all of us.
Today we will be drawing 3 leadership principles out of that juncture in Jesus’ life where he feeds the 5000 and then crosses the sea and confronts and challenges the crowds and people in Capernaum. We will be looking at this account in various of the gospels to gain a more complete picture of all the events at this time. We will also draw on other events in Jesus’ time on earth to consolidate these principles. We will be primarily using the account in John chapter 6 today.
Eugene Merrill speaks of how the history of the Old Testament is biographical. He notes that although it is related from God's viewpoint, not humanity's, ironically it is relatively absent of any story about God. That God is the principle actor - the protagonist - but that God always tells the story about himself through the lives and lips of his people. So one learns about God primarily as one observes God in events and persons. Merrill puts it like this: "The theocentricity of the Bible is ultimately observable in His anthropocentricity". We see, hear and learn about God as we observe Him working in and through the lives of His people. I see this portrayed so beautifully in the account of Esther and Mordecai in the Bible. The main character is never named, and His speech is not recorded per se, but He is obviously present and very active. Esther is an important and pivotal figure in this book. As is Mordecai, but the way I see it, God is the principal protagonist.
Our lives are busy. Very full. For many, being reflexive is a luxury, or something not often done intentionally. Questions are powerful. My husband often says when you have been asked a question you’ve not been asked before, it helps you, you think how you’ve not thought before. And when you begin to think how you haven’t thought before, you say things you’ve never said before. And your tongue is a rudder and so when you begin to think and speak anew, you get to do things you’ve never done before. Questions are powerful influencers of our thoughts and actions. I would like us to look at 4 accounts in the Bible today: in three of them, God asks man a question. He asks the question not because he needs to know the answer,- He already knows, but more for the person to whom the question was addressed. The last account, aaa, I will leave that to the end . As we look at these accounts today, I would like to challenge you to take time to prayerfully reflect on these with respect to your life and your walk with God.
Sometimes the as we journey through life, the horizon may look clear and certain, and it may appear that we know how navigate our way through the ins and outs of our circumstances. However, we need to open our eyes and trek with God. God’s presence is our surest guide.
Committing suicide is the most extreme form of escaping from pain. Many men are in deep pain today. Among all age groups, male deaths by suicide outnumber female deaths by 4:1. The other most common suicide victims are divorced and/or estranged fathers. In fact, a divorced father is ten times more likely to commit suicide than a divorced mother, and three times more likely to commit suicide than a married father. We are experiencing a crisis of masculinity and manhood in our society today. In order to truly understand someone we need to understand their pain, fears and proclivities. Often when you see that someone’s behaviour is fear driven, you are not as intimidated by them. You understand where the apparent aggression is coming from. You begin to empathize with them and are able to minister to their wounds. In this message we will explore the fear of rejection that many men face today. We live in a society where men in general and fathers in particular are not allowed to be afraid. 2 Cor 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. We experience God’s strength to the degree to which we are willing to acknowledge our weakness. Men have been socialized into internalizing their stress and never talking about it. As a result we have a lot of men today causing harm because they are overcompensating for their fears. Often this silence alienates them from their loved ones.
The Gospel redeems children and their role in society. Pagan societies abused children and sacrificed them. Biblical Christian societies restore honour to children. The enemy’s strategy is to inflict wounds of rejection on children so that they grow up into adults who are broken and in turn wound others. Research has established over the years that parental neglect has severe consequences on children and a great impact on their adult lives. The effects of parental neglect on children include consequences in their health and nutrition, psychological health, academic performance, behavioural issues (aggression, delinquency, social withdrawal, substance abuse etc) and long-term effects such as mental disorders, criminal behaviour, and relational stability. In this message I will highlight some sources of rejection for children and then outline the antidote to this by giving practical guidelines for accepting and receiving children. In addition to learning how to be more effective with the children around you, reflect on your own childhood and use this information as a tool to help you to understand yourself better.
Today we will be reflecting on a subject that should resonate with every believer hearing this message today: God’s faithfulness in times of adversity. To say that life is full of challenges, trials, and uncertainties is probably an under-statement. And, despite what you read in the papers or watch on the news, I promise you that adversity is not unique to South Africa. It may sometimes feel like Adversity is a Proudly South African product but I promise you it is not. Please take courage and be of good cheer: in the midst of it all, you can find solace and strength in the unwavering faithfulness of our Heavenly Father. In good times and in bad times His faithfulness remains unchanging. So, let us explore together the transformative power of trusting in God’s faithfulness, even in the face of the most challenging and adverse headwinds.
The one thing we can be guaranteed of in terms of the promises of God is that before receiving them there will be a period of waiting. That period of waiting is usually the hardest for most of us. Q: Is it possible that we can do the will of God, that we can be obedient and still not receive the promise? A: Yes! We have need of patient endurance so that after we have done God’s will we receive His promise. We need to do the will of God, and then continue with endurance while we wait however long it take before we into the promise of God.
As I reflect on many in our congregation and community and our church in this season, I want to encourage us all regarding standing firm in faith. Continuing to stand and believe and trust God through whatever challenges come our way. We have national challenges, power challenges, work place challenges, school challenges, relational challenges, family challenges, personal challenges, financial challenges, church challenges. None of us are immune or exempt from facing challenges in this life! It is important that we learn to standing firm in the face of resistance and opposition. Stand firm when things don’t go as we thought they would or even should. Stand firm in the face of difficulties and trials. Stand firm in the face of sorrow and loss. Stand firm in the midst of the battle. Stand firm when what we thought would transpire didn’t. Stand firm when we face infirmity or delay, disappointment or heartbreak. Stand firm when we are waiting for the breakthrough or victory.
As we think of mothers this Mothers’ Day, I believe it is useful to reflect on the nature of the rejection they experience. It is important for mothers to process this rejection effectively and for the rest of us to minimize the rejection we inflict upon them. We live in a society where there are many social ills amongst young people, but there seems to be a paucity of research around the impact this has on the mothers of these young people. High risk behaviour amongst young people today is causing extreme anxiety in mothers. Disrespectful egalitarian mindsets have resulted in a lot of mothers feeling frustrated, hurt and drained. Teenagers often withdraw socially from their families and start spending more time with their peers. The result of this is a deep sense of loneliness and even fears of complete abandonment on the part of the mothers. In this message I am going to highlight some research findings with regards to the impact of rejection on mothers today. I will also share some biblical principles that will equip us in relating aright to our mothers and mothers in society. I exhort you to repent if you see that you have not been relating in a biblically honouring manner to your mother and mothers in general.
We cannot talk about rejection without unpacking what it means to be accepted by God. The degree to which we have a revelation of God’s love and acceptance determines the degree to which we experience freedom from the fear of rejection from man.Ps 27:1-2 The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?Ps 56:11 In God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?When we are afraid of someone, we are afraid of specific things. It’s useful knowing what these things are. Often we fear their indifference, disregard, disapproval, or their judgment. We are free from the fear of rejection when we make God our light, our salvation, and our stronghold. So, we are not just saying to them, “you don’t define me!” but we are also saying, “God defines me.” This happens when we hide in God, as shown in verse 6.Ps 27:6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.
One of our goals when dealing with people, is to reinforce to them how God sees them. When they interact with us, they should quickly realise that “I am loveable”, “I am accepted for who I am”, “I belong”. Their self-concept is their own responsibility, but I am accountable to God for the degree to which I reflect His heart towards them. There are different types of rejection people face. Rejection by family, rejection because of ethnicity, rejection at school, rejection for their faith, rejection in ministry, rejection because of age, and rejection in the corporate world. Acceptance from man is often fickle. I have experienced many types of rejection but through it all have known and experienced God’s delight.
Research has shown that rejection is the root cause of a lot of depression, anxiety and many other mental health challenges. Prolonged rejection and social isolation often results in low self-esteem which is a precursor to drug addiction, violence and other social ills. When we examine the prevalence and the consequences of rejection like this, it becomes very clear that the Church needs to give people tools to deal with it. Firstly, we must not be the perpetrators and secondly we need to know how to process it when it comes. Some people have become mature in how they deal with rejection whilst others have very low emotional intelligence in how they process it. It’s important to note that we all have different levels of need for inclusion. Instruments like FIRO-B actually measure such levels and help us to be gracious towards those that have this need more deeply ingrained in their personality than we do. I am a big includer but have a very low need for inclusion. The result is that I tend to process rejection and exclusion positively whilst someone else can be stung by similar events. As we do this study we will examine various faces of rejection, such as betrayal, abandonment, neglect, disapproval, exclusion and disregard in everyday life. It’s important for us to also examine the traits that develop in many people as a result of rejection experiences. Some develop a mental stronghold that causes them to reject themselves before they can be rejected. This person becomes socially isolated and detached. Others struggle with a persecutory super ego (intense feelings of guilt, shame, and self-blame for trivial things), where they are self-critical and obsessed with the misbelief that the whole world is against them. If this persists, one can become oppressed by a lying spirit of rejection. We will discuss this in the course of this series. Some become vulnerable narcissists who are fixated and obsessed with the number of imaginary enemies they have. The point is that the way we process rejection affects our levels of Christlikeness and the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. This series seeks to help believers develop a robust theology of rejection, and life skills to process it when it occurs.
In his book, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism", Tim Keller states "If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead." In my message today we will focus on a well-known passage of scripture that has even been called “the resurrection creed” because of its creed-like structure. It is one of the earliest and most significant confessions of faith in the Christian tradition.
In this message we will focus on three frequently asked questions with regards to the Last Days and Eternal Judgement. 1. What will our resurrection bodies be like? 2. Who is the Antichrist? 3. Why would a loving God send people to hell?Referenced links:Bill Scheidler, Basic Doctrine 2 Lessons 19-24:http://www.churchleadershipresources.com/Curriculum/Basic_Doctrine_2/Notes/Basic_Doctrine_2_Teacher_A4.pdfThe End of the World. Teaching Series by Gareth Lowe:https://gochurch.co.za/end-time-series/Alan W. Gomes. 40 Questions about heaven and hell:https://www.amazon.com/40-Questions-about-Heaven-Hell/dp/0825442761John Blanchard. Whatever happened to hell?:https://www.amazon.com/Whatever-Happened-Hell-John-Blanchard/dp/0852343035DOCS:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FP-Mqt2qQmTSka_CGLddjSd9QfkcT-2mVt-iws_P_-Y/edit?usp=share_link
Eschatology, the study of end times, is one of the most debated topics in Christianity. Many believers hold different positions on this and sadly it has divided the Church unnecessarily. These differences are typically to do with the timing of the “rapture” and which aspects of the last days are symbolic and which ones should be taken literally. Another major area of contention is to do with the nature of the great tribulation and the role of the Church and Israel in that time. Nevertheless, it is important for us to know what the Bible actually says about these things and not to become sensationalist based on the latest conspiracy theory, novel or movie we have watched on the topic. It’s crucial for us to rightly divide the Word of God and remember to interpret it based on what the author was saying to the initial recipients, the historical context and also in alignment with other passages that may be clearer. Sometimes we have an inflated view of the importance of our own generation that we assume everything written will manifest in our day. In philosophy people speak of the teleological question. This is to do with where we are ultimately going. Teleios is the Greek for “brought to its end, complete or finished.” The teleological question is to do with ultimate destination and how things will end. In essence, how will this earth as we know it, be wrapped up? In this message we will be answering some key questions to do with last things. These are questions that even the disciples asked Jesus.Mt 24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” – Paul Nyamuda
Last week we started looking at the rationale for prayer, and understanding the why behind prayer. When I don’t understand why I should do something or if I should do it, or whether there is any perceivable value for me in doing it, I am less likely to do it! We started looking at the answers to some of the questions that echo in the hearts of any people around prayer.Whenever doctrine is to be established, a great rule of thumb is for us to look at what Jesus taught on it, how we see that thing modelled in the book of Acts, and how we see it taught on or modelled in the epistles. We have looked at what Jesus taught and modelled on prayer. This week we will continue and look at prayer in the book of Acts and in the epistles.
Why should I pray? If we don’t understand the why, we remain relatively prayerless or faithless in our prayers. It doesn’t matter how many times we are told to pray, or invited to pray, or even how many times we commit ourselves to a new prayer regimen. If we don’t understand why, we probably won’t see the difference it can make. In our busy schedules, if prayer doesn’t promise a tangible reward/fruit of the time and labour,…well… let’s be honest, the logical outworking of that for any intelligent person is that they won’t pray.We need to have clarity on the answers to our questions regarding prayer from the Word of God. The Word of God is our standard, our measure of truth. It is the only place we find infallible answers. Clarity will help us to pray with faith, accuracy, fervency, understanding and without presumption and foolishness. If there is doubt around its power or necessity, then put quite simply, prayerlessness will result.
1 Tim 4:1-2 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. Sadly, many cults and sects have emerged that are leading many astray. The one area that seems to always deviate from the Bible is specifically the theology to do with the afterlife. Many people with a Christian background have become universalists, believing that everyone will be saved one day. Even within this belief there are some that have become pluralists, believing that God has made multiple means by which people can be saved. Another growing belief is that of the annihilationist who believes that God condemns the wicked by causing them to cease to exist. In this message I will start by outlining contrasting views of the afterlife from world religions and sects. As I share these with you, ask yourself what the implications of each view point is. How does it affect how people live today? From there we will examine what the Bible says about hell and heaven. I want to end on a good note so that’s why I will talk to you about hell in the middle. The decisions that we make on earth are so important because death is final and (contrary to what some believe) there are no second chances after we die. Our eternal destiny is determined on the basis of what we do in this life.
Last week we began to talk about Eternal Judgement. This week we are going to explore 8 different types of judgement that the Bible speaks of. It is important to be aware of these and clear about what we believe and why.
In everyday life we want to know what the rubric is for our exams. When I have marked assignments, some of the people who do the best are the ones who triple check with me how I am going to mark the work. We want to know how we will be assessed and what the relevant rewards and bonuses will be. It interests me how when it comes to life, there is very little interest or research carried out by individuals with regards to eternal judgement. Could it be that we have been focusing on things that are not actually important to God? It is important to thoroughly examine the teachings of the Bible to live our lives in light of this eternal judgement.
In the charismatic church we can become very unclear and hazy in our thinking around what the Lord expects of us in terms of relating to others. His Word is clear on His principle, standards, and will. The measure of our love, is our day-to day obedience in everyday situations to the principles and teaching as revealed in the Bible, his Word. What does God’s Word say about how I should relate to others? How do I obey His Word and in so doing, love God and love others?
In the current series we have been doing, we have been looking at building God’s way. Today I want to make it personal and look at how we should build our personal lives, God’s way. If we look at how Jesus indicated we are to build our lives, we discover that He clearly specified the most important foundation and principle for us to build upon and with. Love. The foundation upon which we build our lives, if we are to build God’s way and live in His will, is love. Love never fails.
In this message we will focus on the importance of apostolic foundations. In essence, this is to do with being radically devoted to the Word of God. 1 Corinthians 12:28; “And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues”. Apostles play a primary role in the foundation of a church. Apostles are called to teach foundational truths. Acts 2:42-44; “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They were constantly in the teachings of the apostles. Being devoted means you are resolute. The Apostles were devoted to the ministry of the Word and they were single-minded. The main thing the believers were feeding on was the apostolic teaching. They were determined to learn and follow it. They did not drift or swerve from it. The teachings produced what they were supposed to, a strong foundational base on the person of Jesus Christ.
This will be a year of building. We are all called to be builders. All of us are in the construction industry.The difference between us lies in what we are building and how we are building. You are buildingsomething whether you like it or not. Are you building by design or by default? Who is building into yourlife and your children’s lives? When we explore Jesus’ life and teachings there is a lot He says aboutbuilding. In scripture we learn that we have been called to build carefully and with great wisdom. The Bibleteaches that it is with wisdom that a house is built. This shows us that the building material we use is ofparamount importance and determines the quality of what we build. Two people can be doing the sameactivity but building different things. One can be building a name for themselves whilst another is buildingthe Kingdom of God. What are you building this year? Building occurs beyond the material and naturalrealm. Strongholds in one’s mind can be erected and built up. Prayer altars in homes can be built up.Spiritual authority in a region can be built up through one’s disposition and labour. Roots of bitterness canbe built up by default when we don’t forgive. With whom are you building? With what materials are youbuilding? These and many other questions will be explored over the next couple of weeks as we endeavourto build God’s way. In today’s message we will explore 6 dimensions of the technology of Building God’sWay.
Research was carried out on what people look for in leaders and what came out number 2 was “a long range view of things”. Sadly, this is the thing leaders find most difficult. The Chinese think in centuries but on our continent we tend to focus on the present and the past. What would happen if your wise grandparents had written books? Africa needs to shift from just an oral tradition. What would have happened to you if your wise grandparents had written books? Africa needs to shift from just an oral tradition. Why is it that some people just know that your success sometimes only manifests after you die whilst others seem to measure themselves on their current results? In this message I will share with you some key scriptures that inspire us to leave a legacy. We will also explore what leaving a legacy entails and how best to choose what legacy one will leave. Vincent Van Gogh only became famous after his death. The artist died in 1890 having sold only 1 painting (It sold for the equivalent of about $109. Popular recognition of his work only came after 1910. After his death about 2000 pieces of his work were discovered valued in millions today. Similar stories are Bach (after a revival of interest in his music in the 1800s) Henry David Thoreau and Emily Dickinson. Don’t measure your success only by your current impact. Think of how you can impact generations to come.
Hebrew: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute. Greek: Confidence, daring. This is an apt topic because of the environment we are in: complexity, ambiguity, turbulence etc. I want to know how to love difficult people, how to walk in joy when adversity comes. A lot of these factors have been limited to exploits and endeavours, but we need to apply courage to multiple dimensions. We need moral courage and relational courage. In order to establish yourself as a leader find out what everyone in your industry is afraid of and make sure you are courageous in those areas. This is what is missing in a lot of leaders today. Look at the liberation struggles. What made people heroes? Courage. It’s not about being emotionally dishonest or pretending. You are very in touch with your emotions and self-aware. But you are more conscious and desirous of the goal. Courage is a key leadership factor. Many leaders are established when they are courageous in areas where others are fearful.
It’s one thing to know your calling; it’s another thing to maximize it. When God calls you it’s not a secret in heaven. When He calls you, He also instructs heavens resources to be released on your behalf. The angels have to know about your calling if they are assigned to assist you in it. Two people can have the same gift but it manifests differently. Some people have received their calling but are using the incorrect platform. In this message we will examine some keys to understanding and maximizing your calling.
By implication, understanding what God’s will is involves understanding purpose. In essence it is more accurate to talk about purpose management than time management. Redeem your time means to reclaim, recover, retrieve, rescue and regain it. Elizabeth George, speaking of how we have to make the most of our time says “We cannot manage time. We can only manage our self”. People often ask me about my productivity. They wonder whether I sleep at all. My answer is, “Yes I do sleep very well.” I also tell them that the key to my productivity is MY USE OF TIME. We have all been give 24 hours in a day, the difference between us is how we use that time. Many of us are good at keeping appointments with others, few of us are good at keeping appointments with ourselves. When one is able to practise self-respect by keeping appointments with oneself, then one is on their way to a highly productive life. This will be seen in all aspects of your life including your rules of engagement when it comes to social gatherings. In this message, I will give you tools to enable you to master your management of time.
Last week we examined the importance of facing reality, taking responsibility, and developing a growth mindset. This week we will continue to answer the question, what do successful people do differently? Our focus, this time, is going to be on some of the visioneering themes. We tend to struggle with vision because of all the time we spend putting out fires. It is important to see that God has vision, God has goals and so must we. The good news in all of this is that God is a God of second chances and for some people it is time to re-dream.
Personal mastery involves a set of tools and strategies to help individuals to live and work at their peak. It is about optimizing and maximizing your potential. In life we often experience a creative tension between vision and current reality. True personal mastery involves optimizing your personal assets (those strengths that no one can take from you) and inner resources towards goal attainment. Some people recoil when we talk about success, assuming it is the same as selfish ambition. However, personal mastery God’s way is to do with desiring to maximize your fruitfulness. God is glorified when we are fruitful. John 15:8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. I like to say, personal mastery is the science of replicable success. It is one thing to be successful, it is quite another thing to know why you are successful and replicate your success in a predictable manner. This is crucial if you are a disciple making believer, because you want to pass on your success habits to others in a way that they believe they can replicate. I like Paul J Meyer’s definition of success: Success is the progressive realisation of predetermined, worthwhile personal goals. Therefore, the question we are asking in this series is, “What do successful people do differently?”
Many believers fail to excel in their prayer lives because they underestimate the power of prayer. In this message I will outline 6 areas where we need to break common limitations in our understanding of prayer. Once we change our mindset in these areas we will see a shift in the results of our prayers.
The Word of God is powerful. It is a weapon to be used in warfare. It is an anchor for our souls and a foundation upon which we build our lives. We are to use it as a light to direct our steps in everyday life. It is also alive and active. It is creative in nature, and always accomplishes the purpose for which God sends it. The Word encapsulates God’s will. The degree to which our thoughts, heart’s cries and prayers are shaped by the Word is the degree to which our prayers will be answered.
Look at King David in the prime of his reign. I heard a message on this many years ago by a prophet. I have never forgotten it. It inspired the basis of this message.
Ecc 10:8 (NIV) Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
At this juncture in David’s life, he made certain errors that changed the season for him, and had a negative impact on his family and the generations to come. We see from this point in his life that things started to decline for him.
What can we learn and implement as we come into a new season of fruitfulness? Far easier to learn from others’ mistakes than to make them ourselves in ignorance and live with the consequences.
Last week we looked at the account of the disciples crossing the sea to Capernaum. Jesus came to them in the early hours of the morning walking on the sea. For the disciples, it had been a stormy boisterous hard night of rowing. There was a moment when Peter and Jesus climbed into the boat where the season changed for the disciples. We are told that as soon as Jesus climbed into the boat immediately they were at their destination, the other side of the sea. I see this as a picture of the season change. It's a picture of a suddenly of God. Which is never really a suddenly at all. I believe we are in a change of season as a church. Last week we looked at how we are required to position ourselves differently in a season of change. This week I would like to continue exploring this thought. Specifically I would like to explore how we can expect things to change when the season changes from a type of wilderness or winter to a type of spring or promised land. I would like us to look at the children of Israel to gain insight into this.
Ecc 3:1-8 (NKJV) To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: [2] A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; [3] A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; [4] A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; [5] A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; [6] A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; [7] A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; [8]
A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. We read through this as though it is obvious, we see it all around us in the natural seasons: Winter, spring, summer, autumn. And yet somehow as Christians we think we should be at the same level of fruitfulness and in the same place throughout our spiritual walk with Christ. This is not the case. We do go through spiritual seasons. It helps when we can identify what the season is, or what God is doing so that we can position ourself appropriately and work with God.
To guard is to watch over something or someone in order to protect. One of the challenges we face as believers is that very often we don’t value the things God values. Because of this, we fail to protect that which is essentially precious to God. When something is precious, you will invest in securing it so that it is not stolen or damaged. In this message I will outline what the Scriptures describe things that need to be guarded and also what the Scriptures simply state as being precious therefore by implication, they must be guarded. Intercessors and prayer warriors are forfeiting their eternal rewards today partly because so much has been added to them, but they have not guarded these precious things. Whilst it is important get tools for growing in prayer, in this message I am emphasizing how crucial the character of prayer warrior is.
Last week I shared with you six signs of immaturity in prayer and how to overcome them. This week I will continue with the next six. It is crucial for us to identify immaturity in our lives. We tend to do this in other aspects of life and as a result we develop solutions. However, when it comes to prayer, many see it as something very personal that people can express in whatever form. However, there is a scriptural standard for maturity in how we relate to God and in these sermons, we are attempting to highlight this. By God’s grace we will go to our next level of prayer as we put away childish ways. Let’s remember that whilst we are called to have a childlike faith we need to do away with childish behaviour.
Last week I shared with you six signs of immaturity in prayer and how to overcome them. This week I will continue with the next six. It is crucial for us to identify immaturity in our lives. We tend to do this in other aspects of life and as a result we develop solutions. However, when it comes to prayer, many see it as something very personal that people can express in whatever form. However, there is a scriptural standard for maturity in how we relate to God and in these sermons, we are attempting to highlight this. By God’s grace we will go to our next level of prayer as we put away childish ways. Let’s remember that whilst we are called to have a childlike faith we need to do away with childish behaviour.
When it comes to prayer, there is need to do away with immature ways. When you are immature in your prayer life, it is a reflection of your general immaturity spiritually because prayer is central to our walk with Jesus.
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
Over the next 3 weeks, Pastor Paul discusses about eighteen areas that reveal immaturity in prayer and he then gives us tools develop maturity in this area.
This week we will continue to look at some uncommon prayers. We will start off by examining the prayer of vows. Vows were made in both the Old Testament and New Testament. Some were made foolishly, and some are unbiblical. Because of the prevalence of vows in scripture it is important for us to understand the power they can have and to recognize them as a type of prayer. It is also crucial that we are aware of the consequences of breaking them and at the same time, the blessing that goes with fulfilling them. From there we will explore meditative prayer. Biblical meditation is very different to Eastern meditation. Whilst meditation in and of itself is not prayer per se, prayers that stem from a meditative heart tend to be extremely powerful. Believers who know how to effectively pray in this manner demonstrate a maturity in engaging heaven. 5. Prayer of vows
Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
In this scripture we see the importance of praying with different kinds of prayer. Our prayer lives go to another level when we learn how to appropriately use different kinds of prayer on different occasions. In this series I have mentioned that there are some kinds of prayer that are typically taught in the church, namely, the prayer of thanksgiving, the prayer of binding and loosing, the prayer of agreement, the prayer of faith etc. These are all very powerful, but in this season, I would like to emphasize some of the prayers that are uncommon in many parts of the church today. Last week I began to teach on the prayer of consecration, the prayer of confession and the prayer of relinquishment. Today I will continue with a fourth uncommon prayer, the prayer of impartation.
Towards the end of my sermon last week I mentioned the importance of praying with all kinds of prayer. I spoke about the importance of asking yourself whether it is time for thanksgiving or the prayer of agreement or the prayer of faith. It is important to ask these questions; Is it time to petition or is it the prayer of binding and loosing now? This is warfare prayer. When you do this, it allows you to shift gears in your prayer. When you don’t do so, it can become like you are driving a 5 – gear vehicle but only remaining in gear 1. We have been taught about many of these types of prayers but over the next couple of weeks I would like to focus on some uncommon prayers that need to be prayed by believers today. They are not uncommon in scripture but somehow have become uncommon in many circles today. In this sermon I will start with the first three and then next week I will continue with the rest.
Last week we began to discuss the concept of having extended times of prayer. I shared with you that the starting point is facing yourself. This involves self-assessment and having a sober view of your prayer life. I also mentioned the importance of being absolutely persuaded that prayer makes a difference. I went on to describe how prayer is often a discipline initially but then later becomes a great delight. We examined how extended hours of prayer should not be seen as weird or extreme as we looked at a few examples in scripture. I ended by sharing a couple of accounts to inspire us from church history, specifically Count Zinzendorf and David Brainerd. Today we will continue with this theme as I share with you 10 more ingredients that will help you to extend your prayer times.
I urge upon you communion with Christ a growing communion. There are curtains to be drawn aside in Christ that we never saw, and new foldings of love in Him. I despair that I shall ever win to the far end of that love, there are so many plies in it. Therefore dig deep, and sweat and labour and take pains for Him, and set by as much time in the day for Him as you can. We will be won in the labour.— Samuel Rutherford (Scottish Pastor in the 1600s). It is the desire for many believers to grow in their prayer life, and this is often seen in the duration of their time spent with God. Some people will say that it is not about quantity, but it is about quality. The reality is that the quality of a relationship often increases when the quantity of time spent with that person increases. Quality and quantity therefore are not mutually exclusive. I find it interesting that in our intimate relationships we value time spent with someone as a positive but often with time spent with God people are hesitant to measure it. It easy to understand why one’s spouse would be upset if they are taken to the Maldives for holiday but then told it will just be for 30 minutes. They understand that such brevity will affect the quality of the holiday. I believe we can apply this to our prayer lives. Not all rules are bad. You have empowering rules and debilitating rules. When a couple has a date night each week, that is an empowering rule to ensure that they spend time with each other. It is no different in our relationship with God. Mt 26:40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. This statement from Jesus shows me that He was conscious of a time period spent in prayer and He was surprised that the disciples could not last for that time period. This statement also shows me that Jesus confronted them about it. Therefore, in this message I will also challenge you with regards to the time you spend in prayer and give you some practices that will take your prayer life to another level.
scripture particularly because of the promise embedded in it. I completely understand this, and that is why it behoves us to study and unpack what taking delight in the Lord entails. I can pray many prayers making petition for the desires of my heart to manifest, but if I have not first come to place of delighting myself in the Lord then perhaps I am praying amiss. Ps 37:23-24 is similar and it reads, The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand. Delight here comes from a Hebrew word meaning soft, delicate and dainty. It speaks of being soft, pliable or spending time in enjoyment. The result of being like this toward the Lord is that He grants me my requests and petitions and causes me not to fall. It is essential that our prayers are packaged with this mentality and heart. I have learned that prayer is not so much about how you put your words together. It is not about getting the right formula. It is more about how you come to God. Someone who delights themselves in the Lord and then comes before God with a few groans will get more results in their prayer than someone with great eloquence who seems to be praying the well put together prayer. In this message I will exegete the passage further to give you a picture of delighting in the Lord from one passage. After that we will look broadly in scripture to ascertain 9 dimensions of practically delighting ourselves in the Lord.
Prayer is one of those Christian disciplines that is taught a lot but practised little. It’s one thing to have a few prayer meetings carried by a handful of intercessors but that does not make you a praying church. In this sermon I will outline 9 core characteristics of a praying church and propose some shifts that are necessary to take the prayer life of local churches to another level.
Throughout scripture we see that there are certain things that get heaven’s attention. Angels are not just deployed for anything and everything. There are specific activities on earth that appear to trigger some kind of reaction and response in heaven. When believers discover what these things are and begin to do them, we will see greater results in all our endeavours. In order to do supernatural exploits on earth we need the assistance of heaven, therefore the believer who knows how to engage heaven is more effective on earth. In this message I will outline some of these activities and trust that the Holy Spirit will continue to teach us and impart revelation with regards to these mysteries.
Those of you know me will know that I have a love and a passion for music generally; it has always been that way. As a Christian musician, I have a deep love and passion for Christian music in particular. Many praise and worship songs that we sing speak directly or indirectly about surrendering to God.
One of the likely reasons that songs about surrender are such a major feature in Christian communities is because for every single one of us, our relationship with Christ started the day we decided to surrender our lives to Christ, to become followers of Jesus Christ. Every song we sing about surrender reminds us about the day we formed the most important relationship in our lives, our relationship with Christ.
I find it fascinating that the first thing Jesus is recorded to have shared after his resurrection was this: [16] Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). [17] Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' " (Jn. 20:16-17). He was addressing Mary Magdalene. His earth shattering news, the first news He wanted His disciples to hear after his death and now resurrection (they weren’t aware he was alive)… was this. Jesus and His disciples now shared the same Father. This was, and is world altering news! In this message we be looking a bit more deeply into this concept, that God is our Father, and what it actually means for us as believers. We will be looking truths from Ephesians. Paul wrote this epistle to the believer at and around Ephesus, and it appears the letter is primarily addressed to the Gentiles in Ephesus. This revelation that he was sharing with them was awesome! The revelation and truth that Gentiles now along with Jews were fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God!
Often during revival, people are prayed for, miracles take place, people get goosebumps and shake, but sadly it does not always translate to personal growth. When revival comes, what was dead comes alive and we grow. The key question with all the revival taking place is - are you growing as a Christian? 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. One of the outcomes of experiencing His glory in times of personal revival is that we are transformed. As you look at Jesus, you become like Him to the degree to which you behold Him. You might not be where you want to be, but you are certainly not where you were before. That is transformation. I will ask again – are you growing? One of the gaps in the body of Christ today is a clear theology of growth and personal transformation. Does God have an expectation about your current rate of growth and personal transformation? The answer is, “Yes”. What is your current growth trajectory? Are you becoming more like Jesus or less and less like Him? If you compare yourself today with last year, can the people around you see more of Jesus this year than they did last year? Someone once said that being a Christian is like riding a bicycle, you have to keep moving or else you will fall. Growth doesn’t happen by itself. Many people think they are patient and yielding to God’s process buy unfortunately they are passive and not taking ownership of their learning and growth. If I want to develop as a distance runner and desire to run certain distances at a specific pace, I need to get a training plan from a coach to get me there. It is the same in all aspects of life. Do you have a personal development plan for your Christian growth? Therefore, in this message I will highlight the importance of growth as a fundamental of Christian discipleship. I will then explain different areas in which we are required to grow. Finally, I will take you through some incisive questions that help you to develop a growth plan.
God has designed our biology and physiology to make us happy. Happy hormones generally refer to endorphins, and research shows that serotonin in particular, lingers in your system after exercise and can be released by maintaining a positive mood. Dopamine is released when you move toward a goal, and oxytocin is activated through physical contact, intercourse, childbirth. These are actually neurotransmitters and your body’s natural pain killers. Work is being done where they are increasing people’s happiness and seeing their productivity going up by 31%. It’s a predictor of longevity just like smoking, high blood pressure and obesity have correlations with premature death. Happy people feel more secure, decide easier, have more cooperative behaviour and finally have a satisfying life in today's dynamic and changing environment (Vinhoven, 1993).
It is resilience. Resilience is positive adaptation in the face of adversity. Resilience is the ability to bounce back quickly from setbacks. There is psychological resilience, emotional resilience, physical resilience and community resilience. In this message I will highlight the power of resilience and outline four things that resilient people do differently.
In this difficult season, I want to assure you that it's very clear that God hasn't abandoned us. If you look at the past couple of messages Ps Tracy has preached, and the one that I'm going to share, God still has a word for us in this time. He still has a word of hope for us. And the encouragement is really focused on trusting Him and waiting on Him. Last week Ps Tracy took us through Wait on the Lord P1. This week I’d like to continue in that vein with another message on waiting on the Lord.
In life, there are seasons of waiting. Waiting for the breakthrough. Waiting for the door to open. Waiting for the vindication. Waiting for the relationship to be restored. Waiting for the promise of God to be manifest in or through you. Waiting for the answer to your prayer to manifest. Waiting to be seen. Waiting for clarity. Waiting for healing. Waiting…. Who likes waiting? Not many of us. I hate queues. I hate waiting. In fact I avoid the shops and malls when they are busy. I am task-oriented. I like to go in, get what I need and leave. But there is something about waiting which God likes. He likes to help us to wait. He uses the waiting to shape us and mould us. You see, faith is important. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. When we wait and wait on Him in hope, faith grows, endurance and patience grow,…we mature.
The grace to mother is central to any community. Communities need mothers, but what do mothers do differently? The enemy wants to hinder effective mothering through dishonouring the function and role that mothers play. It is primarily a function and role that many women play but I believe that it is important to understand the spiritual dimension of mothering as a capability beyond its gender expression. Therefore, in this message I will outline five major aspects of mothering. If you are a biological mother to someone or care for children in any way then this applies to you. In addition to this, there are mothering principles that can be extrapolated to all of us spiritually if we are going to be effective in our Christian walk. After this, I will outline what our response to mothers and motherhood should be. How we respond to mothering enables mothers to be the best version of themselves. This is crucial as the Bible has a number of guidelines for how we should relate to mothers and mothering. 1 Tim 5:1-2 Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, 2the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity. This is a powerful scripture because it shows me that there must be a way to relate to mothers. Paul assumed that Timothy knew what this was. It also shows me that if you are an older woman then you must be ready to be treated as a mother.
If you find yourself in a valley of sorts, and are reaching the end of your strength… If you find yourself at the end of your tether, weary and worn out, you’ve tried everything you know and still things are not changing for the better… If you feel like you are in relentless warfare , one battle after another without respite… If you feel like the heavens are brass and all around you is wilderness and desert… If you find yourself in a dungeon of sorts… a prison… and you can’t seem to get out… If you feel like it’s dark, so dark right now and you are wondering if God is seeing you, cognisant of you, cares about what you are going through, or even is powerful enough to change your circumstances, then this message is for you. In life there are seasons where we are led right into the alley of Achor,… the valley of troubling. There are seasons where the Holy Spirit leads us into the wilderness, the desert. And in the desert, there isn’t much of anything happening except the heat and cold. There are times when God allows difficulties, and there are times when maybe they aren’t his intention, but they happen because we live in a fallen world and He is big enough to use them for our good and his glory and help us through them. But the reality is, there are times when we have done everything that we know to do, and the situation does not change. What do we do then? What do we do when we have utilised every form of spiritual warfare we know to use, and nothing has changed? What do we do when the situation is desperate with no end in sight? Where do we go when we have run to God for help and it seems like no help is in sight? Who do we turn to when we have turned to God and we still wait some change or breakthrough? Who do we trust in when trust in God hasn’t resulted in what we thought it would? How does God require us to proceed? What do we do when it seems like all else has failed?
Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. The word accept here (proslambánō) means, to take in addition, to welcome, to take to myself, lay hold of with initiative, aggressively receive, with strong personal interest. Think of someone who truly accepts you for who you are. You never feel stressed around them do you. You never feel like you have to pretend when you are in their presence. There are no airs and graces when you are around them. You can be yourself around them. What is it about this person that allows you to be like this? Are you that person for others? Is there someone out there who would choose you in this exercise? If this is true of you, are there more people you can extend this to? In order to build authentic community, we need to have a critical mass of relational dyads that epitomize true acceptance. In this message I will share with you some keys that will help you to be accepting of others. It is important to note that acceptance of a person does not equate to condoning sin or ungodly lifestyle. Jesus accepted and delighted in people, whilst simultaneously challenging them to a new lifestyle. The essence of accepting someone is seeing them as Christ sees them.
Central to Christ’s work at Calvary is the fact that He accepted us. Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. One of the main results of Christ’s acceptance of me is my self-acceptance. Self-acceptance is one of the pillars of self-esteem and a game-changer in relationship building. Nathaniel Brandon wrote in, The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, “Self-acceptance is my refusal to be in an adversarial relationship with myself.’ In other words, I am literally saying, “No, I’m not against myself.” True self-acceptance means you leave self-hatred alone. If I have not truly accepted myself, I will project rejection onto the people around me. I will always adjust my view of the environment to match my inner world. I end up with a persecutory super-ego where I believe the whole world is against me, yet it’s me who is against myself. The refusal to regard any part of ourselves, our bodies, our emotions, our thoughts, our actions, our dreams, as alien, or “not me.” There are many people who are divided against themselves. So, part of self-acceptance, is embracing all aspects of yourself. If you are part of a community but have to keep suppressing parts of yourself that are very real you will always be conflicted. You never truly feel like you belong if you have to pretend in order to belong. In Christ I can come just as I am. In an authentic community we must create that same climate of acceptance. Otherwise you also end up continuously wondering whether you would be accepted if you were truly known. The only reason why I can accept myself as a Christian is because Christ has accepted me. Heb 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
In an authentic community people feel accepted for who they are. They don’t need to pretend or project an ideal image in order to belong. In order for this to take place, three things need to happen; firstly, dealing with the spirit of rejection, secondly, embracing self-acceptance, and thirdly, learning to accept others for who they are. In this sermon I will cover the first one; dealing with the spirit of rejection and trust that the Lord will help us to activate a community characterized by acceptance.
Many smart people today are known as “the brilliant jerk” because no one wants to work with them. This is often because they had a misbelief that their smartness alone will get them to the top. Thankfully some of them are beginning to learn that they need other tools. Social Awareness is that other capability. In order to be effective in the workplace and to activate authentic community we need to be socially aware. Social awareness is one of the pillars of emotional intelligence. Social awareness is the ability to get outside yourself and be in tune with what another is going through. Social awareness requires you to get outside yourself and focus on others. Sadly, we live in a society where self-absorption is the norm. So many people are caught up in Me, Myself and I. We are preoccupied with self. We may be Christians but often our worldview is riddled with what I call humanistic me-ology. We may sing, “Jesus be the centre of it all” but if we are honest with ourselves many of us dread such a life. We much prefer being the centre of our own universe. What would your life look like if you were more socially aware? Central to social awareness is empathy. Empathy comes from two Latin words meaning “feeling into”. Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. In this message I will discuss the different types of empathy and why they are important. I will also highlight some barriers to social awareness and leave us with practical tools that can help us to become more socially aware. Social awareness comes when you get out of yourself. Social awareness affects all aspects of life. For example, deliverance from self-centredness and selfishness is a major key to marital bliss. In essence, social awareness is an antidote for selfishness.
Vulnerability has been defined as the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, physically, emotionally, socially, environmentally or economically. One can end up in vulnerable situations by default or by choice. In essence, vulnerability has to do with risk. When you make yourself vulnerable you are placing yourself at risk; the risk of being rejected, the risk of being misunderstood, and the risk of being harmed emotionally, economically or physically. This is why many people avoid this state. Our behaviour is often influenced by the avoidance of specific emotional states that bring discomfort. Sadly, when we fail to make ourselves vulnerable, we also miss out on some of the greatest blessings of human relations. Someone once said that vulnerability opens us up for both wounding and pleasure. I believe that one of the biggest hindrances to activating authentic community is the failure to make ourselves vulnerable. What many have failed to realise is this: You cannot build emotional intimacy with another human being without some degree of vulnerability. Emotional intimacy is built one conversation at a time and in each conversation we can make a choice with regards to the degree of vulnerability. Emotional intimacy is a core pillar of relational trust which is a foundation of authentic community. In this message I will present a portrait of vulnerability with particular focus on the life of Christ. I will highlight some of the barriers to vulnerability and also unpack the consequences of the lack of vulnerability and some benefits of vulnerability. It is important for me to highlight that there are different types of vulnerability; physical, economic, environmental and social. For the purpose of this message our focus will be on psycho-social vulnerability. Embracing vulnerability is synonymous with maturity.
The Bible refers to praise as a garment. In other words, it is more than a piece of clothing usually thrown over our shoulders but rather one that is used ‘to wrap’ or ‘cover’ ourselves. This garment of praise is to leave no openings through which hostile elements can penetrate. This garment of praise repels and replaces the heavy spirit.
Many people talk about community but few people know the ingredients necessary to activate it. What are the ingredients the Holy Spirit works with when helping us to develop authentic community? In this series we will discuss some of these powerful constructs that come in the form of attitudes, values, behaviours and virtues. It is one thing to passively long for community, it is quite another thing to intentionally create it. Our focus is on transforming what we currently have and building something new. Many people don’t have this mindset, so their focus is on searching for something that already exists out there. There is nothing wrong with that, however, we need to be equipped to create Kingdom culture. The first activator of authentic community that we will explore is MUTUALITY.
We began this series by establishing that the Holy Spirit is God. Last week we looked at the fact that the Holy Spirit is a person, and not an “it”. He is not an ethereal vapour, or some kind of cosmic influence. Jesus referred to Him as a person. Today we will look at what the Holy Spirit does. We will start by looking at the Holy Spirit in the life of Christ when He walked this earth, and progress to the Holy Spirit and what he does in the lives of people today.
Last time we looked at the Holy Spirit we looked at the fact that He is God and that He is part of the Trinity. Today we are going to look at the fact that the Holy Spirit is a person.
God’s desire for our lives is that we walk in the fullness of what He has destined for us. Therefore, it is crucial that we fully stand on the promises He has given us in all seasons of our lives. This message is an exhortation to revive the very Word, prophecies and promises that God has spoken to us and to stand on them even amidst the obstacles that we may face.
In the course of my theological studies I recently had to come up with a questionnaire regarding the Holy Spirit and interview three people from different church traditions/backgrounds. This was to provide me with a small snapshot in of the varied beliefs in the body of Christ regarding the Holy Spirit. I will use 2 or 3 sermons to teach around the Holy Spirit and help us to understand a little more who He is.
The goal of this message is to prepare you for an encounter with Jesus. Many Christians anticipate God’s presence. We long for Him to come and manifest Himself in our midst, but sadly we don’t always know what to do and how to be when He comes. Feeling goosebumps whilst enjoying your favourite worship song does not mean you have had an encounter with Jesus. In this message I will show you moments when Jesus stepped into a situation. I will highlight various things He did and the impact this had on the people He encountered. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and I believe we need to be prepared for such encounters. Sadly, we often become too familiar with the presence of God. When you have a revelation of how mighty and preeminent Jesus is, you begin to see that it is impossible to have an encounter with Him and remain the same.
Knowledge is a good thing. In scripture we see that ignorance is not bliss. The consequence of lacking knowledge is dire. Prov 1:28-29 Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, 29Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD. Do you love knowledge or do you hate it? Are you perhaps indifferent towards it? Knowledge can be accepted or rejected. Knowledge can also be forgotten. Knowledge is useless if it cannot be retained. The bible speaks of nations that forget God and we are warned not to forget His commandments. Are there things you once knew but have since forgotten? What’s your relationship with knowledge? Knowledge will protect you from danger. The Bible is clear that knowledge preserves us. Eccl 7:12 Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it. I want to encourage you today, to aspire to be full of knowledge. It will be a game-changer for you. Prov 20:15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel. The good news is that regardless of where you are today in your relationship with knowledge, if you have the Holy Spirit, He is the Spirit of knowledge. The Spirit of Knowledge is the dimension of the Holy Spirit that gives the believer access to the knowledge of God. This message will focus on how to activate the Spirit of Knowledge in your life. Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
What are SINarios? It’s a word that came to me describing scenarios where we come into contact with sin. I believe that God is calling us to develop a clear theology of restoration. One of the challenges in the Body of Christ today is that many of us don’t know what to do with sin when we come into contact with it, in ourselves and in others. In this message I will explore specific scenarios or SINarios where we interface with the sin of another. We will also examine Jesus as He role modelled this. How did He deal with it? Did He deal with sin differently, case by case, or is there a pattern we see? What instructions are we given in scripture with regards to our response to the sin of another and what are the guidelines for the restoration process? As we encourage the church to grow in both evangelism and pastoral care, it is crucial for us to have a clear theology and philosophy of ministry with regards to how we deal with the sin of others. John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Everything Jesus said and did was underpinned by Grace and Truth. The two are not mutually exclusive. As we examine the following SINarios, let us keep this in mind.
It is a new year and many of us have entered with renewed determination to fulfil those goals, chase those dreams, meet those commitments. There is a new vigour and energy in the air. You can almost feel it. You can feel it with our children as they embark on their new year at school. You can feel it as you drive into the gym parking lot - you only have to try and find a parking at the gym at peak hours to experience this. At the same time of day its more difficult to find parking than at the end of last year. Why? Somehow it’s easier to turn a new page and start again. Somehow it’s easier to recommit at the start of the year. Somehow once we have paused, reflected, taken stock of what is most important to us and recalibrated, we have renewed energy to begin again. And this is wonderful. Such a gift from God. We have an opportunity to do this every day too. God’s mercies are new every day!
As we embrace 2022, I believe that the big game changer in the science of success is personal responsibility. When we look at personal mastery, what I call the science of replicable success, I believe that people who take personal responsibility for key aspects of their lives have a greater chance of goal attainment. A lot of children are growing up into adults who don’t take responsibility for their lives because they were never given such responsibility in the first place. 1 Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. One of the marks of adulthood is taking responsibility. At some point, we must realise that we are responsible for our lives and God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. This is going to be a year of taking responsibility. It might be challenging to do so, but it is only when we start taking responsibility that we start truly living with dignity. We shift into adulthood. The reality is that success is not going to be handed to you on a silver platter. Gal 6:5 for each one should carry their own load. Find out what your load is in this life, and then carry it. 2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
We have been looking at a couple of pericopes from 2 Timothy. I encourage you to listen to the pervious messages as they paint a vivid picture of the context within which we find the portion of scripture that we are going to be studying today. To recap briefly, 2 Timothy was a personal letter written by Paul to his spiritual son, Timothy. Paul was writing from terrible conditions in prison (2 Tim 1:8,12), cold (4:13), alone except for Luke (4:9-11), bound in chains (2:9) and awaiting certain death (4:6). Paul desired to see Timothy and Mark (all the others had deserted him), and requested that they visit him, and that they come quickly (4:9), and bring some of his personal effects with (4:13). At the same time as being concerned with his own needs, Paul was concerned for Timothy, especially as Timothy faced serious challenges around false teaching and the fruit thereof within the Church in Ephesus. It seems as though Paul was more concerned with Timothy, the Church in Ephesus, and the safeguarding of the gospel than himself, as Paul spends most of his letter encouraging and instructing Timothy around being faithful in his ministry and persevering in the face of difficulties. Although Paul hoped to see Timothy soon, it was written as though Paul was not going to see Timothy again before death. In this way it was his last recorded will, words and instructions for his spiritual son.
This series has been an invitation to seek God more diligently through studying His attributes. Ps 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. We have only looked at 7 attributes of God, but there are many more, so I encourage you to dig deep by yourself or in groups, to study this wonderful God. To truly know someone, it is important to be curious about them. The secret to someone’s greatness is hidden in their daily routine. Don’t settle for the headlines but dig deep and then become that which you behold. Emulate that which you see, particularly with God’s moral attributes. I remember dealing with a team and asking whether the team members had ever been exposed to excellence. Had they ever seen what that high standard looked like. Many believers are trying to live out a Christian life that has not been exposed to a comprehensive study of the nature and character of God. In fact their exposure has been to authority figures that displayed the opposite of God’s heart.
We began to look at a couple of pericopes from the book of 2 Timothy a couple of Sundays ago. I touched on the purpose of 1 Timothy as the backdrop to 2 Timothy, and explored how 1 Timothy was a personal letter written by Paul to encourage and instruct his spiritual son Timothy in his challenging task of overseeing that church. There were false teachers, doctrinal errors and the fruit of these false teachings that needed to be addressed. Paul did so in 1 Timothy, practically outlining some steps that Timothy could take in addressing the specific challenges that he faced at that time and within that context. Basically, the apostle instructed his spiritual son on how to combat false teachers, and how to bring order, the qualifications required for elders and deacons, and how to deal with the different groupings of people within the church. All the while, he wanted Timothy to continue to teach sound doctrine and lead an exemplary life.
2 Timothy is the last letter written by the Apostle Paul. It was written by the Apostle Paul whilst he was in prison in terrible conditions awaiting death. He was aware that his death was imminent and the pressing burdens on his heart were for Timothy, his spiritual son, the church in Ephesus and the safeguarding of the gospel. We will be looking at a couple pericopes from 2 Timothy over the next 2 weeks.
Throughout this study we will discuss both God’s mercy towards mankind and the mercy of people toward other people. We see God’s mercy in this passage as He is the initiator of the covenant. Lot did not go out seeking after God. In fact, he was hesitant to leave Sodom. We see this with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God’s mercy is the foundation of the covenant He makes with His people.
The great Puritan preacher and author, Thomas Watson said, “God’s centre is everywhere, His circumference nowhere”. The definition I like of this crucial subject that we can’t really fully grasp is this: To be omnipresent is to be present everywhere simultaneously and indivisibly. I believe that God is fully present in all His creation whilst no part of that creation can contain Him fully. There is no place in all of creation that God is barred from. This means that God does not just observe from afar but He is there. Yahweh Shammah, the Lord who is there.
Omniscience is the state of knowing everything. It comes from the Latin omni, meaning all or every and sciens meaning to know or conscious. This attribute belongs only to God. God’s knowledge and understanding is limitless. He doesn’t just know everything but has unlimited wisdom, hence the application of His knowledge in every situation is perfect. His knowledge is both immense and universal. This means that He knows all the details of all creation and this knowledge is widespread including every corner of the universe and every person and animal that ever existed. God knows about the future just as well as He knows the past. For Him everything is present tense. He doesn’t wonder about the future like we do. In summary, when we say God is omniscient, we are saying that God knows everything perfectly, exhaustively, and absolutely.
Often when topics are taught pastorally, we tend to focus on aspects that will encourage people based on their needs. However, the goal of this series is to examine the attributes of God theologically. The result might be pastoral comfort and encouragement but in some cases it might be the fear of the Lord. Today we will examine the love of God and include those aspects of the love of God that require a response from us that is not necessarily comfortable. I believe that when a believer has a revelation of the love of God, it is that one attribute of God that has a profound impact on the way one goes about life. There are many things I can say to you about myself, but there are probably just a few that have great impact on how you relate to me and the course of your life. The love of God is one such attribute. When I know how much you love me, it affects my confidence levels when I ask you for something. It will influence how I react or respond to your behaviour toward me. Knowing that God loves you becomes a filter through which you interpret life events. Love is a basic need. Every human being was created to be loved and to love. Every human being has been blessed with the capacity to love and be loved. When we are not functioning in this manner there are things in us that begin to die. The starting point of living such a life is to study the love of God and then receive it aright. It is very significant.
Loyalty; Steadfastness; Staying Power; Remaining even in the midst of opposition or adversity; More than enough; Always available regardless of the situation; Constant and consistent.
Seasons are divinely orchestrated cycles in our lives that if managed with discipline and wisdom have the power to mature and shift us into the next level of our relationship with God.
El Shaddai is often translated The Lord Almighty. Each time we make reference to the almighty we are acknowledging His omnipotent nature. Omnipotence means unlimited authority, influence and power. When we have a complete revelation of this it changes how audacious we are in prayer. There is a way I make a request to you when I know that you can make things happen as opposed to when I am just chancing. From God’s perspective, anything He desires, He has the ability to make happen., Many people desire things but don’t have the power to effect that which they desire. What’s amazing about His unlimited power is that it exists and is expressed in the context of His unlimited love.
In this series we will discuss the nature of God and also outline some of the counterfeits that we have created to distort how God has actually revealed Himself. We will also go into the implications on us the created beings. If God is a certain way then what are the implications for us? How then shall we live? In this message we will focus on the Holiness of God. The word Holy as pertaining to God means different, other or distinguished. The Greek word Hagios as pertaining to our holiness means set apart by God or for God, special to the Lord and wholly His for specific use.
My heart is that as you listen to this message, something would shift in your heart, that you would be recharged, your passion for God would be rekindled, that you would be encouraged to rise from every slumber, sloth, inaction regarding your relationship with God. That you would be reinvigorated to RESET YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD in areas that you need to.
The accounts of the lives of men and women in the Bible are a gift to us. There is so much that we can glean about God and his heart, his priorities, his purposes, and processes in dealing with us. We have been walking through the pages of the life of a great leader in the Old Testament, - Moses. We will continue to look at His life today, and the dealings of God with him and through Him. I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you and to apply what you learn from the life of this great man.
Question - where do you turn when things get complicated and the journey gets rough and you experience that bump in the road? Who or what do you put your trust in?
The accounts of the lives of men and women in the Bible are a gift to us. There is so much that we can glean about God and his heart, his priorities, his purposes, and processes in dealing with us. Last week we began to walk through the pages of the life of a great leader in the Old Testament. Moses. We will continue to look at His life today, and the dealings of God with him and through Him. I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you and to apply what you learn from the life of this great man.
The accounts of the lives of men and women in the Bible are a gift to us. There is so much that we can glean about God and his heart, his priorities, his purposes, and processes in dealing with us. Today we begin to walk through the pages of the life of a great leader in the Old Testament. A deliverer. His name was Moses. As we look at the context of his birth, his life, the mistakes that he made, his calling, destiny, and purpose, we will learn and grow. I encourage you to apply what you learn from the life of this great man.
This message is about Mary Magdalene. Although they were great women the message is not about Mary the mother of Jesus, nor is it about Mary the Mother of James and Joseph, or Mary the wife of Cleopas, or Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Sadly, there are many things that have been attributed to Mary partly because there were evidently a number of Marys (Most popular name at the time with one in four women called Mary) and also because there are three unnamed women described as sexual sinners that people have sometimes assumed to be Mary. In a sense this has affected her brand and also our understanding of the weight she carries in scripture. I will address this at some point in this message.
Mt 16:15-18 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
Wow, Peter had this powerful revelation and this revelation was the Rock upon which Christ would build His church. Peter, the Apostle was definitely one of a kind. The 12 Apostles are listed four times in the New Testament and in every listing Peter is mentioned first. There is a clear leadership role he played and in many ways was the de facto spokesperson for the Apostles. He was probably the oldest of the Apostles based on his status as a married man. The Lord Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter. In Greek the name Peter is Petros, meaning rock. In Aramaic this name is Cephas. Unlike Samuel, John and Jesus, we have no information with regards to Peter’s birth. We just know that he was a Galilean fisherman. We know from Mt 16:17 that his father was called Jonah.
We discover more things about Peter’s theology and thinking through his Epistles; 1st and 2nd Peter (written in AD 60s). We know that Peter was outspoken, excitable, impulsive at times, headstrong, all-or-nothing and extremely passionate. As a psychologist, I find Peter’s personality traits really fascinating and I think it gives encouragement to all of us who have certain proclivities that are sometimes seen as weaknesses but are really strengths overextended. He lived a radical Christian life right up to his martyrdom in about AD67. In this message, we will explore these characteristics of Peter and examine why he became such a great leader of the Early Church.
Daniel means God is judge. His Babylonian name was Belteshazzer meaning Bel protect his life. He was born in about 620BC and taken to Babylon after the siege of Jerusalem ended (it started in 605BC and by 597BC they had taken over Judah). He was probably 15 to 18 years old, when he was forced to leave. Daniel was both a prophet and a statesman who lived in Babylon for over 60 years, right into his eighties. When he was taken into captivity he started out as a young man of nobility who consistently rose to the top as he served under four or five different monarchies and administrations. Daniel 1:19-20 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. After telling the king his dream and also interpreting it he was made an overseer over a province of Babylon (unusual for a foreigner) and also placed over the wisemen. He was also one of the three Satraps that ruled over the Persian Kingdom. In October 539 BCE, the Persian king Cyrus took Babylon, the ancient capital of an empire covering modern Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. In a broader sense, Babylon was the ancient world's capital of scholarship and science. All of this is significant because Daniel started out as a slave, just like Joseph. Imagine becoming like a governor or prime minister, yet you started out as a captive. Daniel was a prophet for Israel and of the nations of the world, with God giving him very significant visions of the future of the world. This type of success is not the norm, therefore, there are many leadership and character lessons we can gain from studying the life of Daniel.
Samuel was born around 1100BC and his hometown was Ramah, located in the hill country of Ephraim. He was a Levite from the descendants of Kohath. Samuel was the last of the judges, the first of the (major) prophets and the anointer and counsellor of Kings. Acts 3:24 Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. Acts 13:20 All this took about 450 years. “After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. Samuel literally ushered in a new day for Israel. Imagine God trusting you to be that person. Could it be that there is a new day coming for your entire family, industry or your nation and God is entrusting you to transition his people into this? In this message we will study key events in Samuel’s life and see why God could trust Him with such a responsibility. In Eph 4:1 Paul states: As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Our lifestyle should match our calling. When more believers understand this, there will be more people that God can trust with specific assignments for this generation. Heb 11:32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets. There is a reason why Samuel is included in the great hall of faith mentioned in the book of Hebrews and in this message will explore why he was one of a kind.
Carolyn Miller stated that “Unforgiveness is a poison that shrivels the heart. It means a person cannot truly live in the present as they're always thinking about the past.” For family life to thrive we must be fully enjoying the present. In family life there will always be many opportunities to let go and forgive. Common ones are breaking trust, violation of boundaries, emotional and sexual abuse, bullying, favouritism, financial neglect and emotional distance. Sometimes it is in simple everyday matters where we have to learn to forgive; unresponsiveness to texts or calls for dinnertime, a spouse who is consistently late for dates or church, our loved ones forgetting what our preferences are with regards to food or movies, and the list goes on. Have you ever wondered why some people struggle with letting go more than others? In this message I will suggest things you can do to make letting go easier. I don’t want to minimize your pain, but my aim is to show you practical things you can embrace that make forgiving family members a little easier. First make a decision to forgive, and then see the rest as a process. You will have to choose to let go on a daily basis. There will always be opportunities to take offence, but keep choosing to let go. Forgiving and letting go does not excuse the behaviour of the perpetrator, but let’s make sure that even when we cry out for personal and social justice, we do so from a pure heart. In the words of Wayne Gerard Trotman, “Cries for justice are often the bitter laments of the vengeful.” My primary focus in this message is the state of your heart. This is not a message about those that are hurting you, rather the essence of this sermon is, “How do I make sure I am not controlled negatively and ultimately destroyed by my immature, infantile, and fleshly reactions to my pain?”
In the Greek listen is the word akouó which means to hear, to comprehend by hearing, to understand, to take heed. It is the same root for the English word, acoustics. In Hebrew it is the word sama which means to listen, to obey and to yield to. Attentiveness is the word, Ekkremamai in Greek which means to hang upon the lips of a speaker. It is an attitude of concentration or readiness. James 1:19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, Everyone includes leaders, husbands, fathers, children and wives. All family members must be good listeners. In the Bible and also in our local cultures there positive correlation between listening and good behaviour. For example, in Shona, my home language, the term Musikanzwa (non-listening) is the word for naughty. The naughty child is the “non-listening” child. If we want to raise up a righteous generation we must train our children to listen to and obey the voice of their parents.
In order to truly understand someone we need to understand their fears. Often when you see that someone’s behaviour is fear driven, you are not as intimidated by them. You understand where the apparent aggression is coming from. You begin to empathize with them and are able to minister to their wounds. We live in a society where men in general and fathers in particular are not allowed to be too afraid. 2 Cor 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. This is the technology of spiritual strength. We experience God’s strength to the degree to which we are willing to acknowledge our weakness. Men have been socialized into internalizing their stress and never talking about it. As a result we have a lot of men today causing harm because they are overcompensating for their fears. Often this silence alienates them from their loved ones. Whatever you resist will persist. It comes out in other ways. It is time for people to realise that there is what’s called the fragile nature of the masculine ego. A powerful coaching question I like to ask is, “Of what are you afraid?”. In Christian circles many people get into unbiblical coping mechanisms like hyper-faith or meta-physics where they think that stating your fear is a sign of lack of faith or agreeing with the enemy. You greet them and ask them how they are really doing, and they just respond with a faith statement yet you can see many ways in which they are overcompensating for their fear. It is important to understand your emotions, particularly fear. Someone once said that the only fear that babies have when they are born is the fear of loud noises and the fear of falling, all other fears are learnt. It is important to understand that our emotions send messages to us. We need to be able to explore where the fear is coming from and then displace the stinking thinking with God’s truth. We can’t do this if we are in denial. We must be able to talk about our fears and then let God have the last word. “I am feeling afraid that my children will abandon me by seeing me as irrelevant in their lives, but I know that God is for me and not against me.” In this message I will unpack some of the major fears father’s face today; how they tend to overcompensate as a result of their fear in order to cope; the biblical wisdom they should apply instead; and what those around them can do to minister to the insecurities.
In Jesus’ life and ministry at key moments we see the significance of the Voice of the Father. Baptism: Mt 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." This was going to be dominant in Jesus’ life and ministry. He was assured of the Father’s love and delight. He would need this when the devil was trying to tempt Him to perform in the wilderness. Knowing the Father’s voice today will help you when the trials and tribulations come.
In God’s Kingdom we are called to pursue peace with others and remain in a state of internal peace. In this message we will explore what this really means and how to avoid losing our peace. Col 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
By implication we see that when we are continuously fretting and anxious it means that the peace of Christ is not ruling in our hearts. Peace is internal first and then it manifests relationally. Many people today are struggling relationally because they are not at peace with themselves. Prov 17:1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. This is the state of many families today; they may be affluent but they are full of strife. We are called to value peace more than feasting.
In this message we explore how peace is not the avoidance of conflict and pain. Sometimes we need to go through seasons of pain to get to a place of peace. If God is the ultimate source of true peace, have you received this peace and are you faithfully stewarding it? Peace can be received by you, passed on by you and it can also be robbed from you. Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. What does the life of a peacemaker look like? What would your life be like if you consistently valued and guarded your peace?
We live in a society where convenience rules. Where Machiavellian thinking prevails (the end justifies the means). Where time is of the essence and essentially, we are self-serving. We tend to look after number one (that’s you and I) first and foremost. We demand our way and stamp our feet when we are babes, and as we grow in Christ, many of us remain at that same level of maturity. We seem to have gotten stuck in a default drive that’s hardwired on selfishness. We live as though we are the centre of God’s world. It’s about me. Even many of our worship songs are written with a prolific number of me, my, and I pronouns. When did corporate worship move from being about us worshipping and focusing on God corporately to me singing about myself and His ministry to me? God is actually meant to hold centre stage. In my life. In your life. In the Church. And ultimately through the church into the world. He is the head of His body, the church, of which we are a part and to which we belong. In this message we explore the power of spiritual family as one of God’s antidotes to the prevailing consumerist me-ology that is becoming so prevalent in contemporary society and the church.
We set boundaries to protect what is important in our lives and avoid the stress that comes from collapsed boundaries and enmeshment. Children feel secure when they have boundaries. Our goal is to have healthy boundaries. Boundaries keep the bad things out and the good things in. Lori Radun said “Boundaries are essential to helping us identify who we are, what's important to us and how we want to live our lives. Without them, other people will decide these things for us.” The challenge is the tension between being a collective unit with common values whilst still trying to celebrate differentiation and individuality. In this message I highlight different types of boundaries to be set and respected in the family setting. Our goal is to develop healthy boundaries as opposed to collapsed ones or rigid ones.
When people say they have a support structure, what type of support are they talking about? What makes them keep going back to it? Often people protest when they feel like no one is there for them and they feel lonely and abandoned. Sadly, many of them are not able to clearly articulate what they want in terms of support at a behavioural level. In this message I will highlight and unpack the dynamics around three types of support that are crucial in the family context. I will also illustrate the biblical basis for these dimensions of a supporting environment. As we examine these, reflect on your need for them and also assess yourself with regards to the degree to which you are currently practising them.
This message is a message for mothers. For natural mothers, spiritual mothers, adoptive mothers, step-mothers, single mothers, working mothers, stay-at-home mothers, grandmothers, mothers of nations, mothers of entities, any type of mother. It is a message, in fact, for single women and girls too. And more than this, it is a message for men and boys. It’s a message that I hope will encourage you all to see the gift in “woman”. It is a challenge set out before us all to call this woman forth and allow her to function in all that God created her to be.
1 Tim 3:4-5 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full a respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)
This powerful scripture highlights some of the qualifications of an overseer of a church. In addition to this it shows us what we need to pay attention to. If how I manage my family life is part of the criteria used in my spiritual promotion, then I want to pay close attention to it. In this series we are going to share some practical virtues that will help to boost your family life. I have called these, family life boosters.
Often when we talk about habits we tend to focus on so called bad habits. These bad habits are disempowering. Good habits are empowering. A lot of what we talk about is how to break bad habits but ultimately bad habits need to be displaced with good ones. Successful people have habits that average people don’t have. Healthy and fit people have habits that unhealthy unfit people don’t have. When we make disciples we are teaching people to obey the Word and in many ways to displace bad habits with good ones.
People tend to be negative about rules but a lot of good habits are empowering rules (not debilitating rules) that we choose to live by. Habit formation tends to be slow and it requires discipline. Discipline is following through on what you have pre-decided is best for you to do despite your current emotional state. But once the habit is formed it is almost automatic. So this message focuses on how to develop empowering habits.
As we talk about giving examine your heart and ask yourself, “What is thwarting my generosity?” Conduct that generosity audit on yourself. Is it fear of lack, past abuse, a judgmental mindset or just indecisiveness? What stops you from giving? What stops you from giving in the right manner?
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1Th 5:16-18, NKJV) • One of God’s universal wills for all of us is to give thanks in everything. Not for everything, but in everything. It is a key He has given us. Do you think He wants us to do it for Him? Do you think the perfect God needs our thanks? Or do you think we need to give thanks for our own benefit?
As we talk about giving examine your heart and ask yourself, “What is thwarting my generosity?” Conduct that generosity audit on yourself. Is it fear of lack, past abuse, a judgmental mindset or just indecisiveness? What stops you from giving? What stops you from giving in the right manner?
In Acts 20:35, Paul quoting Jesus: “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” The natural tendency for a human being is to feel blessed when they receive a gift. However, by implication Jesus is suggesting that the giver of the gift has more reason to make the statement that they are blessed. Jesus was challenging our mentality and He was helping us to renew our minds so that we have the Kingdom mindset that it is more blessed to give than to receive. This applies to all kinds of giving, whether you are giving a compliment or giving a financial gift.
A lot of people today are weak-willed. They seem to struggle to follow through and do what they intend to do. They hardly ever live beyond their good intentions. At the root this behaviour is often mental passivity. Most dictionaries will describe passivity as one of or a combination of the trait of remaining inactive, a lack of initiative, passiveness, inertia, inactiveness, inactivity – a disposition to remain inactive or inert; "he had to overcome his inertia and get back to work", spiritlessness, numbness, apathy, indifference - the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally, torpor, listlessness, torpidity - inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of vigour or energy. In order to be people that live beyond good intentions we need to deal with passivity in our lives. Passivity is the acceptance of what happens to you without any reaction or response. Many people are entrenched in a worldview of fatalism which asserts that events are fixed in advance so that human beings are powerless to change them. This mindset breeds passivity. I believe that passivity begins in the mind. We are essentially dealing with mental passivity. The enemy has besieged the minds of many believers. The Devil has limited access to our human spirits but entices our minds to passivity. The result is that believers end up living like they have not been saved. In essence, they become fruitless and useless. Your mind is a powerful gate that impacts the quality of your will and your emotions. These in turn influence the theme of this series; getting things done.
Last week we looked at inner conflict. In today’s message our focus is on Me-You Conflict. Essentially, we are talking about leveraging and resolving external conflict. The reality for many people is that because they do not know how to resolve conflict a lot of time is wasted, and they fail to get things done in their lives. Think of how much time is wasted at home and at work because of unresolved conflict. What is your relationship with conflict? What difficult conversations do you need to have in order to advance action in your life? I believe that conflict is something we can leverage off. It is not something to just manage, but relationships can grow through conflict. Research was carried out on marriages that were struggling. Some ended up surviving whilst others ended in divorce. The ones that ended up surviving had one common denominator; the couples knew how to fight properly. In life we cannot avoid conflict, so we need to know how to engage in it effectively and biblically. If you examine the moments of conflict you have with people around you, you will observe that they tend to fall into one or two categories with each person. Our key focus in this message will be on identifying the various sources of conflict and establishing how to resolve what stems from them. We will look at 10 reasons why people fight and what we can do about it.
I believe that one of the greatest causes of inaction is what is known as inner-conflict or internal conflict. There are 3 types of internal conflict that I will share with you in this message. These are the Me-Me Conflict, The Me-Flesh Conflict and the Me-Work Conflict. It is important to understand why you have these inner-conflicts and to get tools to resolve them. This is the kind of message that you might need to listen to a few times to get it into your spirit. When you do so the results are phenomenal.
Your action starts with a decision. The birthplace of actions lies in decisions. Sadly, we see many Christians with great ideas and theology but very little action. Great leaders have a bias towards action. “Chronic indecision is not only inefficient and counterproductive, but it is deeply corrosive to morale.” ― Robert Iger, The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company. What decisions are currently pending in your life? We don’t like it when decision-makers take too long yet we are in that same pending state for many decisions that we need to make. One of the biggest causes of inaction is indecisiveness. Decisiveness ignites action in your life.
One of the most common phrases in scripture used by God and angels when engaging with people was, “Do not be afraid.” God hasn’t changed. He is still saying that to us today, even when we look strong on the outside and are doing all sorts of things overcompensating for the fear within us. A lot of people today have become friends with fear. So many sicknesses are rooted in fear and anxiety. We need to call out fear for what it is and understand that it has negative consequences. Sadly, many people have embraced fear as part of their identity and personality. Therefore, we need to neutralize the power of debilitating fear in our lives. Debilitating fear is fear that stops us from getting things done. The good news is that there is no fear from which the Lord cannot deliver you. The key is that we must seek Him and see Him as our solution.
What is Grit? Grit is a non-cognitive trait which combines individual perseverance and passion to achieve an end state. Grit is the commitment to long-term goals despite the obstacles. Grit is the ability to maintain high levels of motivation and determination for extended periods despite setbacks and adversity.
Grit is a mindset and mode that can become a habit to help you to finish strong everyday.
Although grit is primarily defined as a trait and other constructs like resilience are dynamic processes, I believe that it is something one can develop. I believe that Grit is part of Christlikeness and we can develop it through sanctification. I believe it is part of the new creation.
Colossians 1:29 (BSB) 29To this end I also labour, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.
That’s the goal. God has called us to be active, energetic, industrious and diligent people. This is part of our Christian character. It is important that we do so with Christ’s strength at work in us. This is not a message about striving in the flesh or being busy in the wrong direction. I remember coaching a guy who feared that he would be perceived as being lazy so he would stay on late at work pretending to be busy. He couldn’t leave before others. I am not talking about working hard due to guilt and obligation. I am talking about true godward diligence. The opposite of this is the spirit of laziness. In this message we will unpack what laziness is, the consequences and benefits of laziness and steps to overcoming laziness.
Prayer and Fasting resources – http://gochurch.co.za/prayer-and-fasting/ The Power of fasting by Paul Nyamuda – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVt_7s9vJa8
Managing Your Priorities.
Prioritizing is important when it comes to getting things done because we want to make sure we are getting the right things done. It’s one thing to be busy, it is another thing to be productive. You want to make sure you are busy in the right direction. Sadly, many people are active but in the wrong direction.
Prioritising produces focus and focus will cause you to get the right things done. There are some things more important than others. When you don’t realise this then the not so important things will drain, distract and misdirect you so you don’t have energy for the more important things. Paul Nyamuda
Procrastination is the action of delaying or postponing something that must be done, often because it is perceived to be unpleasant, boring, or overwhelming. Our goal is to do things at the right time, efficiently and effectively, without unnecessary delays.
We have assumed that people will automatically do what they have come to know. Unfortunately, many people have deluded themselves into thinking that because they know and even teach, it means they are practising it.
Acts 2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
What was the key to the Early Church Revival? I believe that one of the keys was Responsiveness to the Word.Your responsiveness to the Word is seen in the degree to which you repent and renew your mind to a new way of life. True learning is the acquisition of knowledge with a resultant change of attitude, values and behaviour. It’s not enough to just know the Word. WE NEED TO DO THE WORD WE HAVE COME TO KNOW.
To prepare: to plan the details beforehand. It is so linked to discipline. What is discipline? It is following through on what you have pre-decided is best for you despite your emotional state at the time. You can’t talk about discipline without talking about planning and preparation. Why don’t you plan the details beforehand, so you don’t get taken off guard and suffer the consequences?
Grateful people are happier than ungrateful people. We live in an ungrateful culture.There are many reasons why people do not communicate appreciation.You are powerful. You have the power to aspire. The principles I am sharing today are weapons of righteousness that shift the climate. You are a social architect.
It is important for us to understand why we get sick so that we renew our minds with regards to these causes. The problem is that many people get healed but then soon afterwards the sickness returns and they end up often in a worse state. We need to include this discipleship process so that this doesn’t happen. Many people like the formulae, and yes we will talk about healing methods, but for now we need to understand why people get sick in the first place.
It is important for us to understand why we get sick so that we renew our minds with regards to these causes. The problem is that many people get healed but then soon afterwards the sickness returns and they end up often in a worse state. We need to include this discipleship process so that this doesn’t happen. Many people like the formulae, and yes we will talk about healing methods, but for now we need to understand why people get sick in the first place.
When we understand how something came about, it helps us to find the solution. It is also important that we accurately diagnose sickness so that we can give it the correct remedy. We have lost loved ones not because they did not receive any medication but because they were inaccurately diagnosed and as a result received the wrong medicine. It is the same spiritually. If you think something requires medicine yet the root cause is demonic, you will probably miss out on the complete healing because of how you have diagnosed it.
In order to effectively heal the sick, it is important to understand the various arguments against divine healing. Sometimes people may be healed miraculously and instantaneously but then they begin to believe these unscriptural arguments and the sickness returns.
In this series we will explore the rationale for divine healing; why we believe in it. We will talk about why people resist this teaching and divine healing in general. We will discuss the various methods for divine healing and how to be effective practitioners of it. For example there is the laying on of hands, there is the sending forth of the Word, there is ministering through the healing gifts, there is also healing that comes as a result of the glory or manifest presence of God in a meeting. This series will empower you to go to a higher level of faith for healing and other areas of you life. My desire is for you to be so grounded in faith for healing so that when the storms come you will withstand them. Sadly. There are many people today who are always in healing meetings and are healed for some time but they keep losing their healing because they don’t have a coherent theology of divine healing. So what is the biblical basis for divine healing?
When you understand your identity, you begin to unlock it. In creation order it is interesting to note that part of the reasoning behind being created in His image was dominion. Because mankind was made in God’s image mankind had the ability to rule. This is embedded in God’s DNA. Is there something in your life over which you don’t have dominion? A habit, money etc. Your were created to rule. When we meditate on God’s nature and realise that we were created in His image, we begin to take charge instead of living like victims. When Adam fell, this image was eroded. Christ came to redeem this.
The destiny of nations is often linked to the activation of certain individuals. What would happen to your community if you were longer there? What would happen to this nation if our church was no longer here? What would happen to your church if you were no longer there? Are we making a difference?
To activate is to make active or intensify. It literally means, to put into action. The etymology of the word activate: 1620s, "make active, intensify;" Meaning "put into action" is from 1902, originally in chemistry. We already have an identity from God. Jesus comes activate that identity.
Work Rest Balance Course: https://bit.ly/2ECYulS The End of the World Series by Gareth Lowe : https://bit.ly/3cwLQBn
This week’s message is the 5th and final installment on the series "Identity Formation - What Every Child Needs by Ps Paul Nyamuda. Paul breaks down the three final points which are Recreation, Age appropriateness and Spirituality.
For this weeks prayer points, follow the link to the sermon's resources on our website below: http://gochurch.co.za/sermons/identity-formation-what-every-child-needs-pt-5-paul-nyamuda/
Crafted prayer on parenting: https://youtu.be/288dyiA87w0 Crafted Prayer Digital Book: https://amzn.to/32H6dIS
The word discipline means to train or teach and this should be evident from the approach we have to disciplining our children. The type of discipline needs to be appropriate for the misdemeanour. At the same time misbehaviour needs to be dealt with. Some parents are inclined not to set boundaries for their children because they don’t want their children to grow up with strict parents, like they may have experienced. Having the resultant approach that would be termed ‘compensation parenting’. You, as the parent, are compensating for the childhood you had. God didn’t call kids to raise themselves. Child headed households was not His idea.
Your identity is primarily formed in your formative years and parents play a crucial role in this. Identity formation is also known as individuation, which is the development of the distinct personality of an individual. You identify your uniqueness apart from others. A study found that for boys and girls, identity formation is positively influenced by parental involvement specifically in the areas of: support, social monitoring and school monitoring.[Sartor, Carolyn E. & Youniss, James. (2002). The relationship between positive parental involvement and identity achievement during adolescence. Adolescence, 37, 221-234.] In contrast, when the relationship is not as close and the adolescent fears rejection from the parent, they are more likely to feel less confident in forming a separate identity from their parent(s). A central part of your identity is what is known as Personal Continuity. This is the process of ensuring that your self-awareness, sentience (capable of knowing things through your senses), sapience (Latin Sapienta: wisdom, thinking, intelligence, good taste), and the ability to perceive the relationship between oneself and one's environment, are consistent from one moment to the next. When people don’t have this the result could be very concerning. The extreme of this could be Dissociative Identity Disorder, what was previously called multiple personality disorder. This is a disorder characterised by the presence of two or more distinct personality states. It is usually a reaction to trauma as a way to help a person avoid bad memories (e.g. Dissociative Amnesia). Dissociative identity disorder is characterised by the presence of two or more distinct personality identities (on average its actually 3 – 16 alters with different heart rates etc). Each may have a unique name, personal history and characteristics. I am highlighting these things because we are underdiagnosed in this country and our mental health is crucial to our functioning as human beings.
Your identity is primarily formed in your formative years and parents play a crucial role in this. Identity formation is also known as individuation, which is the development of the distinct personality of an individual. You identify your uniqueness apart from others. A study found that for boys and girls, identity formation is positively influenced by parental involvement specifically in the areas of: support, social monitoring and school monitoring.[Sartor, Carolyn E. & Youniss, James. (2002). The relationship between positive parental involvement and identity achievement during adolescence. Adolescence, 37, 221-234.] In contrast, when the relationship is not as close and the adolescent fears rejection from the parent, they are more likely to feel less confident in forming a separate identity from their parent(s). A central part of your identity is what is known as Personal Continuity. This is the process of ensuring that your self-awareness, sentience (capable of knowing things through your senses), sapience (Latin Sapienta: wisdom, thinking, intelligence, good taste), and the ability to perceive the relationship between oneself and one's environment, are consistent from one moment to the next. When people don’t have this the result could be very concerning. The extreme of this could be Dissociative Identity Disorder, what was previously called multiple personality disorder. This is a disorder characterised by the presence of two or more distinct personality states. It is usually a reaction to trauma as a way to help a person avoid bad memories (e.g. Dissociative Amnesia). Dissociative identity disorder is characterised by the presence of two or more distinct personality identities (on average its actually 3 – 16 alters with different heart rates etc). Each may have a unique name, personal history and characteristics. I am highlighting these things because we are underdiagnosed in this country and our mental health is crucial to our functioning as human beings.
Your identity is primarily formed in your formative years and parents play a crucial role in this. Identity formation is also known as individuation, which is the development of the distinct personality of an individual. You identify your uniqueness apart from others. A study found that for boys and girls, identity formation is positively influenced by parental involvement specifically in the areas of: support, social monitoring and school monitoring.[Sartor, Carolyn E. & Youniss, James. (2002). The relationship between positive parental involvement and identity achievement during adolescence. Adolescence, 37, 221-234.] In contrast, when the relationship is not as close and the adolescent fears rejection from the parent, they are more likely to feel less confident in forming a separate identity from their parent(s). A central part of your identity is what is known as Personal Continuity. This is the process of ensuring that your self-awareness, sentience (capable of knowing things through your senses), sapience (Latin Sapienta: wisdom, thinking, intelligence, good taste), and the ability to perceive the relationship between oneself and one's environment, are consistent from one moment to the next. When people don’t have this the result could be very concerning. The extreme of this could be Dissociative Identity Disorder, what was previously called multiple personality disorder. This is a disorder characterised by the presence of two or more distinct personality states. It is usually a reaction to trauma as a way to help a person avoid bad memories (e.g. Dissociative Amnesia). Dissociative identity disorder is characterised by the presence of two or more distinct personality identities (on average its actually 3 – 16 alters with different heart rates etc). Each may have a unique name, personal history and characteristics. I am highlighting these things because we are underdiagnosed in this country and our mental health is crucial to our functioning as human beings.
Last week we began to look at the man called Nehemiah who God used to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Nehemiah provides us with a clear picture of the heart of the type of nation builder that I believe God is wanting to raise up at this time. He was a man of prayer. A man who allowed God to touch his heart with the things that were on God’s heart. When he heard the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the gates of the city were burned, he took it to God in prayer and fasting. He returned to his homeland and became part of the answer to his prayers and set himself to rebuild the wall and gates of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah was a man of prayer. This image is clear at the start of the book. I believe God is raising up an army of men and women who will be like Nehemiah. He was a man who allowed what was on the heart of God to touch His heart. And not only touch His heart, but break his heart, moving him to pray for the situation.
Praying With Purpose series link: http://gochurch.co.za/sermon-series/prayer/ Go Church Online: https://linktr.ee/gochurchsa
I love prayer. Prayer that is focused. Prayer that is effective. Prayer that gets results. Unfortunately, when it comes to prayer, many of us believe we do not have the time to study and find out what God’s will or Word is for various situations. We think we can’t hear Him or He isn’t speaking.
If my prayers remain the same year in and year out and I don’t grow or go deeper in the Word in the subjects of my passion with my prayers, then I am stagnating. Each one of us is called to prayer, maybe not the same domains, areas, topics or depths, but all of us should be committed to developing a prayer strategy for ourselves and growing in prayer in these areas.
Prayer is essential for all believers.
Prayer is not for some few select called out watchmen and intercessors. How can his house be a house of prayer, if prayer is relegated to a few? No. His church is to be characterized by prayer. He desires His church to be house of prayer. He is building a church that is becoming a house of prayer and He wants you to be part of it. He is calling you. He wants to include you. You make a difference. He can’t include you, if you don’t stand up, awake, avail yourself. `Zoom Prayer Meeting:
Prayer times- Mon: 7-8pm Tues: 12-1pm Wed: 12-1pm Thurs: 12-1pm Fri: 12-1pm & 7-8pm Sun: 9:30-10am
Email: tjnyamuda@gmail.com
Course Link: https://bit.ly/2WU1dNv Go Church Website: http://gochurch.co.za/
2 Tim 1:7 (KJV) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Sóphronizo = sound mind, sound reasoning, truly moderate, safe thinking, sober reasoning, controlled, disciplined The reality is that we all have core beliefs. These core beliefs influence our immediate beliefs (rules, attitudes and assumptions). These in turn result in automatic thoughts that we have as we react to the world around us. In order to have a sound mind we need to examine, evaluate and record our thought life; mental audits. In this message we will examine these common cognitive distortions and attempt to replace them with healthier alternatives.
2 Tim 1:7 (KJV) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Sóphronizo = sound mind, sound reasoning, truly moderate, safe thinking, sober reasoning, controlled, disciplined The reality is that we all have core beliefs. These core beliefs influence our immediate beliefs (rules, attitudes and assumptions). These in turn result in automatic thoughts that we have as we react to the world around us. In order to have a sound mind we need to examine, evaluate and record our thought life; mental audits. In this message we will examine these common cognitive distortions and attempt to replace them with healthier alternatives.
2 Tim 1:7 (KJV) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Sóphronizo = sound mind, sound reasoning, truly moderate, safe thinking, sober reasoning, controlled, disciplined The reality is that we all have core beliefs. These core beliefs influence our immediate beliefs (rules, attitudes and assumptions). These in turn result in automatic thoughts that we have as we react to the world around us. In order to have a sound mind we need to examine, evaluate and record our thought life; mental audits. In this message we will examine these common cognitive distortions and attempt to replace them with healthier alternatives.
2 Tim 1:7 (KJV) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Sóphronizo = sound mind, sound reasoning, truly moderate, safe thinking, sober reasoning, controlled, disciplined The reality is that we all have core beliefs. These core beliefs influence our immediate beliefs (rules, attitudes and assumptions). These in turn result in automatic thoughts that we have as we react to the world around us. In order to have a sound mind we need to examine, evaluate and record our thought life; mental audits. In this message we will examine these common cognitive distortions and attempt to replace them with healthier alternatives.
By definition identity speaks of uniqueness. No one else has the same fingerprints as you. No one else has the same ID number as you. One of the signs of a clear identity is that your boundaries are clear and not collapsed. It’s important to know where you end and the next person begins. Sadly, today many believers struggle with enmeshment. Enmeshment is a description of a relationship between two or more people in which personal boundaries are permeable and unclear. In His ministry, Jesus would continuously reinforce His identity by asserting His boundaries. He knew who He was. This is why He could say the “I Ams”. I am the bread of life, I am the Light of the World, I am the Resurrection and the Life, I am the door, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life… Do you know who you are? In our journey with regards to our identity it is also important that we know who we are not. Many marriages are failing today because people are getting married not knowing who they are in the first place. I can ask a Mom, “What is your favourite food?” It can be difficult to get an answer because she doesn’t know where she ends and the next person begins. When God created you, He broke the mould. There is no replica of you.
When we talk about power today let’s remember that this is a power that serves and a power that’s shared. The reciprocal nature of power has no zero base. In other words the more you give away the more you get. Our heart is to enable others to become more powerful. 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. Believers that understand this scripture are not intimidated by the world in any way.
Your mind is one of your greatest assets. It’s important to get your mind working for you.
What is the mind? noús (a masculine noun) – the God-given capacity of each person to think (reason); the mind; mental capacity to exercise reflective thinking. For the believer, 3563 (noús) is the organ of receiving God's thoughts, through faith.
Why is it important for us to have the mind of Christ? People don’t like to admit that they don’t have the mind of Christ on certain matters. The reality is that unless you were intentionally discipled in a particular area your default tends to be what the world does around you.
One of the core characteristics of the born again spirit is love. When Paul is trying to encourage Timothy to step out in his area of gifting and purpose he reminds him of what he carries in his inner man. We see here that identity precedes fruitfulness. John 13: 34-35 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The word used for love here is Agape (God’s Love) Loving one another is central to our identity as Kingdom people. We must first receive the love of Jesus experientially in order to love people with that kind of love
A lot of believers are born again but not living in light of their redemption. It’s like having an automatic gate that’s functioning on manual. A lot of believers are living like Old Testament saints who are trying hard to be good outside of being regenerated. It’s important to understand redemption if we are going to understand living from a new creation reality. God relates to you as the new creation not as a sinner. It’s important that we function from this vantage point. You are operating from a life independent of circumstances. This is why we can experience peace that passes understanding, joy that ‘s inexplicable and love that passes understanding. The life of the new creation has God as it’s source. It is God’s life = Zoe = the absolute fulness of life. Adam had this and then lost it. In the New Creation we regain it.
There are different types of rejection people face. Rejection by family, rejection because of ethnicity, rejection at school, rejection for your faith, rejection in ministry, rejection because of age, and rejection in the corporate world. Acceptance from man is often fickle. I have experienced many types of rejection but through it all have known and experienced God’s delight.
To those that have been wounded by the Judge-Critic, remember that God is the ultimate Judge and He has chosen to give Himself wholly to you. “An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.” ― A.W. Tozer God warns us about what we do with our tongues because He knows the damage it can do. So God knows your pain. But remember, you are not a victim. The reality is that hurt people hurt others, and often those who have been wounded by the Judge-Critic become a Judge-Critic themselves. So this message is to the Judge-Critic that lies within many of us and often raises its head as a pseudo-identity. Instead of trying to define it this pseudo-identity of the modern day Pharisee, let’s examine a well known passage of scripture.
A victim is a person who has come to feel helpless and passive in the face of misfortune or ill-treatment. Based on life experiences, this become an integral part of some people’s personality. Unfortunately, remaining in a space of powerlessness hinders progress as one tends to be a blame-shifter that never takes responsibility for their own success. The reality is that we all have a choice. Will you turn your tragedy into a triumph? Will you turn your mess into a message? Your pain into progress? Or will you remain a victim?
You are NOT defined by your circumstances but by who you have become in Christ.
As we aim to embrace our recreated selves in Christ we all need to go through a decoupling process when it comes to identity. This involves emptying ourselves of false (pseudo) identities. Your identity is formed by a variety of things including 1. Your Upbringing 2. Education 3. Culture and worldview 4. Experiences (positive and negative) 5. Interpretation of events. Your personality is typically formed in the first ten years of your life. When you understand how certain behavioural patterns were learned it becomes easier for you to unlearn them.
Often the church has emphasized the power of our identity in Christ in the context of its benefits; what we can obtain. Whilst this is valid, it is often still centred around our needs and desires. The result is that our identity in Christ becomes a mere tool for gaining our idols. This is humanism. The Lord has shown me the importance of having an identity that is centred around the Gospel. What does a life look like when the Gospel is central? Paul was an example of this. Phil 1:20-21 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. A Gospel-centred-mindset will say, “Everything my body does results in Jesus being exalted. Everywhere I go and everything I say is to your honour and glory Lord.” Many believers are still searching for significance yet Jesus says, “You are already significant in me.”
A person’s identity is the condition or character as to who a person is that distinguish or identify that person. In essence it is the distinguishing characteristics of someone. To rehabilitate someone is to restore someone to their former capacity, standing, dignity, rank, rights, or privileges. Why is there so much identity theft? It’s because people see the power of having someone else’s identity. It brings a lot of benefits. People do this because of the power of an identity. For us believers Jesus has given us His identity and He is the heir of all things.
What have you done differently since last week? Do not just be a hearer of the Word but also a doer.
Grace is a person (Jesus) and place. The onus is on us to run to His throne of grace.
Heb 4:16 Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
When people boast about how much they seek God or how long they spent with Him they need to be careful. Why? It is a privilege to spend time with the Lord.
A generation can be characterized by seeking after God Psalm 24:6 This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face--even Jacob. Selah. Hosea 10:12-13 Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you… This is something we must do NOW. If not, we may not have the opportunity in future.
“I’ve listened to someone as young as 14 and someone as old as 100 talk about their close friends, and [there are] three expectations of a close friend that I hear people describing and valuing across the entire life course,” says William Rawlins, the Stocker Professor of Interpersonal Communication at Ohio University. “Somebody to talk to, someone to depend on, and someone to enjoy. These expectations remain the same, but the circumstances under which they’re accomplished change.” This is interesting because friendships are voluntary and informal yet so essential to many people’s happiness.
Now the name Jehovah Jireh originates from the well known episode in Genesis where Abraham takes his only son Isaac up the mountain, and is asked by the Lord to sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Now, lest we forget, God had specifically promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and that this promise would be fulfilled through his son Isaac. Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. Genesis 22:7-8 NIV Abraham had such remarkable faith in God's promise, that he knew that even if he were to kill his beloved son Isaac, God had some way of providing a resurrection so that this promise would still be fulfilled, which is why he answered that God himself will provide the lamb for the offering. He wasn’t saying this for the sake of convenience. Once Abraham placed Isaac on the altar and was about to kill him, God quickly intervened and halted proceedings, having seen that Abraham passed the test of faith before him. He then provided a ram in a thicket nearby that was used for the burnt offering. This is when Abraham named that place, Jehovah Jireh - God will provide. It literally means, God will see to it - following Abraham’s statement that God will provide the lamb. God is a God who keeps His promises. One of these promises is to provide for us!
As believers, we all know that Jesus Christ is Jehovah Jireh. Repeatedly this particular aspect of who Jesus is comes to the fore in our lives and because our needs are many, it is easy for us to identify with He who provides.
In fact, it is so easy that we can often over emphasise this particular aspect of who Jesus is, alternatively, and this is what most often happens, we can often fail to fully understand what it means for Jesus to be Jehovah Jireh in our lives.
One of the most common phrases I have found myself using over the past couple of years is: “Jesus is not your personal ATM”. One of the reasons for this is that as Christians we have often misunderstood what it means for Jesus to provide for us.
In warfare, there are numerous weapons that we have been given by the Lord. At times, it is clear which weapon or weapons we should pick-up and utilise. At times it is not as clear. Regular use and experience will help us to understand which one works in which situation, but sometimes if we can’t hear God clearly in the moment, we need to continue to stand utilising what we know to use and keep using His weapons as outlined in His Word, until we see the breakthrough. I will begin by looking at the Word of God and all the various ways we need to use it in warfare.
What does intimacy with God mean? A true, deep connection with God so as to know Him fully, know His mind, know His heart, know His character, know His purposes that we might worship and serve Him in a manner that He desires, primarily for His pleasure and for the advancement of His Kingdom.
In different times in different season he reveals different aspects and characteristics of himself to us in different ways. Today I believe he wants to reveal himself to us as the God who is with us, Immanuel. The Lord who is there where we are – he is not remote or far off. He is there. He is with us. He is with us when we are meeting in His name, but His being with us is not limited to being with us in our meetings, in our praises and so forth. He is near to the broken hearted. And He is with us where we are. He is there in the fire and in trials. If you are going through difficulties he is there. If you are going through tests, he is there.
God invented sex and thought it was good. In fact, it was the first thing God referred to in the blessing. In the right context (marriage) this is true. Outside of God’s protective boundaries there are negative consequences. “God does not ‘hate’ sex; he hates faithless sex with forbidden women, but he loves faithful sexual expressions in the context of marriage. God loves it so much that he commands, not just that it happen, but that it be enjoyed to the point of intoxication.” Heath Lambert.
Knowing God is the key to overcoming sin in your life. “Nothing has stolen more dreams, dashed more hopes, broken up more families, and messed up more people psychologically than our propensity to disregard God's commands regarding sexual purity.” Andy Stanley.
Often when we talk about habits we tend to focus on so called bad habits. These bad habits are disempowering. Good habits are empowering. A lot of what we talk about is how to break bad habits but ultimately bad habits need to be displaced with good ones. Successful people have habits that average people don’t have. Healthy and fit people have habits that unhealthy unfit people don’t have. You see this when you go to restaurants, and you also see it in what they do differently as soon as they get up in the morning. You see it in their buying habits. When we make disciples we are teaching people to obey the Word and in many ways to displace bad habits with good ones.
People tend to be negative about rules but a lot of good habits are empowering rules (not debilitating rules) that we choose to live by. Habit formation tends to be slow and it requires discipline. Discipline is following through on what you have pre-decided is best for you to do despite your current emotional state. But once the habit is formed it is almost automatic. Pay now (formation phase) and benefit later. Behaviour that stems from trauma etc tends to occur quicker. Acquired behaviour through habit formation tends to take some time to develop.
So this message focuses on how to develop empowering habits.
What do we mean when we say, let your kingdom come, let your will be done, here on earth, as it is in heaven? Do we identify the link between God’s Kingdom being manifested here on earth, in our lives and His Will being accomplished here on earth in our lives? Do we connect the dots between His Manifest Kingdom and His Will? Do we understand the connection between His Manifest Kingdom and His Kingship? After all you cannot have a Kingdom without a King, and you cannot recognise a Kingdom without recognising its King. You cannot pursue or seek after a Kingdom of a specific King and not seek the King connected to that Kingdom.
My ability to control and consecrate what comes out of my mouth is a good barometer for the health of my spiritual life.
James 3:8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
What we say about ourselves affects our perception of ourselves.
With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:20-21 NASB
This week's sermon is on The Sanctified Tongue. Listen in for a convicting message on the power of words.
This Sunday Ps Paul shared with us the Vision for Go Church for the year 2020. This is a powerful time of highlighting the plans and processes we are going to put in place this year to achieve our desired outcomes as a church. We look forward with anticipation for the year that lies ahead - watch this space, God is at work!
When our path here on earth comes to an end, each of us are going to have to give an account to God of all we have done. Having a relationship with the living God implies that there is a degree of accountability between us and Him.
We are accountable to Him for our actions and behavior, but we are also accountable to each other in many respects. Accountability ensures that we are responsible in our actions.
We live in a society where people don’t want to be accountable, but this is a reflection of the state of their hearts.
In this sermon, Ps Paul unpacks how we can create a culture of accountability in the church.
Corporate prayer is a gathering of believers who lift up their voices to God in unity, in repentance, in all manner of prayer and in worship.
Unified prayer and worship, praise and thanksgiving allow us to experience the Presence of God in a greater way. The Holy Spirit often moves in hearts and lives in these environments.
Fasting is a system in the Kingdom primarily involving abstaining from food. It is primarily designed to help believers to connect with God and disconnect from the flesh.
"Fasting acts as a catalyst that increases the efficiency and effectiveness of other spiritual disciplines." - Paul Nyamuda.
God is wanting to encourage those who have lost heart. Those who have had dreams that have died and been relegated to a tomb. Forgotten and unseen. He wants to encourage us to pick them up again. Submit in obedience to Him. Allow the anointing to conceive and bring forth that which He has placed in our hearts.
Each of us goes through trauma or times of grief and suffering. We often wonder how bad things can happen to good people, or why friends, family or relatives can pass away from diseases or through accidents. This message is for those times. As much as we are often left reeling in such circumstances, we cannot and should not question God's nature during these times. God is unchanging and faithful to His promises. We can struggle to understand why exactly certain things happen, but this should not change our faith and trust in Him, the one who knows all things and knits all things together in His good and perfect will. Our own inability to piece together a situation should not make us believe that God is anything less than omniscient.
Our lives on earth are short in the context of eternity, and can end at any time. We need to ensure that we are maximizing our time here on earth, and we do this via fulfilling our calling. The calling which God has placed upon us. Make sure that we do exactly what he has purposed, and not what we feel or hope is the best use of our time. Let us be faithful stewards of the callings God gives us.
Embrace your watchman role God is calling each of us to watch. How alert are we concerning the things taking place before us? We need to be wide awake and wary of the issues that are top of God's agenda. Let us stand strong in prayer, responding fervently to those things we see on the horizon, the dangers that are coming our way. Through this, we can effect God's will on earth through our prayers.
It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ” Mark 13:34-37 NIV
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Imagination is a crucial component when praying to God, because in order to help us believe in what we are asking for, we must first see it in our minds. This will help make what we are asking for real and tangible so that we are able to pray effectively because now we are praying for something that has been made real in our imagination
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Imagination is a gift from God, as God “used his imagination” when creating the world. God first saw the light in his mind and therefore spoke and said, “Let there be light”. Therefore, we know that our imagination comes from God because God used it first and has given it to us, to use to help us speak that which we imagine, into existence.
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We can use our imagination to prepare us for any given situation. Our imagination can help be proactive and not reactive whenever an unfavorable situation arises. How we picture or imagine our day and how we want our day to turn out can help us pray better and prepare better for when pressurized situations arise and we must address the situation in a positive manner.
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How do you see your life 5 years from now? Imagination is a powerful tool to help us to answer the following questions:
a. What type of person are you? b. What type of career do you have? c. What kind of family do you have? d. What are the things you are doing, that are fulfilling, look like?
- Judgment towards others is a hindrance to effective prayer because the same measure you use to judge others will be used against you. What you judge trumps what you pray. So, judge righteously and have mercy on others so that God, when you pray, can exert the same mercy towards you so that your prayers can be answered.
More on Prayer that Gets Results - this week we unpacked another two key points in praying powerful prayers that get God's attention:
- Pray in faith Ask yourself - "What is the action associated with my faith?", and "Are you gathering evidence for what you are hoping for?". We need to have a firm belief in God's goodness and willingness to answer our prayers, and simultaneously be active in the working out of his answer to prayer.
Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. HEBREWS 11:1 AMP
- Watch what you say We create things in the spiritual realm with what we say. We see this by how God created the world through his words. We need to watch what we say and understand the power in these words.
This week we continue our series called the School of Advanced Prayer. We continue to go deeper in the topic of Prayer That Gets Results.
Three more points which are relevant to unlocking God's goodness in prayer were focused on, and these are: 4. Guarding our heart motive in prayer 5. Putting God's kingdom first on our agenda 6. Walking in brokenness and humility
If you want to be genuine and sincere in your prayers, praying for those things that God wishes to bring about on this earth, listen to the message and put these points into action in your lives.
This week we begin our series titled School of Advanced Prayer. This will be a powerful time of unpacking the fundamentals of prayer. This week's sermon is specifically regarding the keys to praying prayers that get results. As always, we draw directly from the Word in this endeavor, as the breathed out words of God are our guide on this matter.
John 9:31 We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. John 9:31 NASB
Three of the principles covered are: 1. Making specific requests in prayer 2. Praying in alignment with God's will 3. Being single-minded and fervent in prayer
Baptism is a critical part of our new life in Christ. There are a number of reasons why we should be baptised, and prerequisites for doing so. Many Christians have been baptised in a way that is at odds with what we find in scripture. The English word "baptism" arises from the word, "baptizo", which is a Greek word that means to immerse something, dunk it into something, then lifting it up again. This demonstrates how baptism is to be performed, by immersing one in water.
This week's message goes through all these points and more. Check out the full sermon on Water Baptism.
It happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the upper [inland] districts and came down to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed [in Jesus as the Christ]?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he asked, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John performed a baptism of repentance, continually telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, [to confidently accept and joyfully believe] in Jesus [the Messiah and Savior].” After hearing this, they were baptized [again, this time] in the name of the Lord Jesus. ACTS 19:1-5 AMP
When we have a revelation that everything belongs to God, we understand that we are merely stewards. When we are stewarding something, we look after it differently, with more intent, due care and faithfulness. In this same way, we don't belong to ourselves, we belong to him. We are called to steward our lives, our bodies and our resources for the one to whom all these things ultimately belong. This week's message is on understanding stewardship.
Who are you discipling intentionally and consistently? This is our call as a church, to teach and model how our faith should manifest in our day to day lives.
Based on the evidence we see around us, it appears that we have not been making disciples. Many so-called Christians do not have a solid foundation in the Word, and thus inadequately and inappropriately represent the faith. Let us respond to this problem and look for opportunities to teach our faith and make disciples who, in turn, create more disciples.
In this world we need to find something that centers us, something that we can't stand on and find purpose and direction in. We live in times where people are looking for meaning, but they cannot seem to find it, despite have countless offerings on the table as presented by the world. Where is the real meaning in this life? We find it in the promises of our God.
Our fight in this world is not a physical one, but one within the spiritual realm. Our greatest barrier to overcoming the enemy is our flesh, which is driven by our mind and thoughts, and oftentimes the lies which we have believed. How renewed is your mind? Is it cluttered by the things of the world, or is it dialed in on those things that are at the forefront of God's mind? Let us renew our minds today through the Word of the Lord, the ultimate source of truth. God wants to take us to a place where we can see clearly, unhindered by the enemy.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. II Timothy 1:7 NKJV
Are there areas in our lives where we haven't repented? Has the Holy Spirit convicted you of something in your life, but you've been resisting the call to repent? Don't be fooled, God cannot be mocked. We must be aware of the fact that if we don't repent, there is only a certain period of grace before there are resultant consequences, which can be severe. Act now, do not delay, before it is too late.
But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. Revelation 2:4-5 NASB
This week's message is on Understanding Repentance.
Biblical Honour (Pt. 5) - The Technology Of Double Honour | Paul Nyamuda by Go Church SA
Discipleship (Pt. 2) - Rebuilding the walls of our City | Vimbai Chariga by Go Church SA
What Every Believer Needs To Know About False Ministries (Pt. 4) - Paul Nyamuda- by Go Church SA
What Every Believer Should Know About False Ministries (Part 3) | Paul Nyamuda by Go Church SA
What Every Believer Should Know About False Ministries (Part 2) | Paul Nyamuda by Go Church SA
Praying with Purpose: Marriage and Family | Tracy Nyamuda (28 Oct 2018) by Go Church SA
Moving From One Level Of Glory To Another | Stewart Bishop (26 Aug 2018) by Go Church SA
A Biblical View Of Diversity - Cultural Agility (Part 4) | Paul Nyamuda (5 Aug 2018) by Go Church SA
A Biblical View Of Diversity - Cultural Agility (Part 3) | Paul Nyamuda (22 Jul 2018) by Go Church SA
A Biblical View Of Diversity - Cultural Agility (Part 2) | Paul Nyamuda (15 Jul 2018) by Go Church SA
A Biblical View Of Diversity - Cultural Agility | Paul Nyamuda (8 Jul 2018) by Go Church SA
Resourcing Your Mandate From The Pocket Of God | Pastor Chucks Ugoihe (24 Jun 2018) by Go Church SA
A Biblical View Of Cultural Diversity (Part 1) | Paul Nyamuda (17 Jun 2018) by Go Church SA
A Biblical View Of Land Reform (Part 1) | Paul Nyamuda. (20 May 2018)mp3 by Go Church SA
A Biblical View Of Diversity - Overcoming Prejudice | Paul Nyamuda (13 May 2018) by Go Church SA
A Biblical View Of Diversity - The Effects Of Prejudice And Stereotypes | Paul Nyamuda 6 May 2018) by Go Church SA
Biblical View Of Diversity - Roots Of Prejudice | Paul Nyamuda (29 April 2018) by Go Church SA
A Biblical View Of Diversity - One Race -The Human Race | Paul Nyamuda (22 Apr 2018) by Go Church SA
Biblical View Of Diversity - Understanding Prejudice And Stereotypes | Paul Nyamuda (15 Apr 2018) by Go Church SA
Biblical View Of Diversity - Introduction To Diversity | Paul Nyamuda (8 Apr 2018) by Go Church SA
Higher Dimensions In Relationships (Part 5) - Apology & Letting Go | Paul Nyamuda (26 Mar 2018) by Go Church SA
The Sure Foundation Building With Christ | Stewart Bishop (19 Mar 2018) by Go Church SA
Higher Dimensions In Relationships (Part 4) - Sincerity & Transparency | Paul Nyamuda (12 Mar 2018) by Go Church SA
Higher Dimensions In Relationships (Part 3) - Trust & Vulnerability | Paul Nyamuda ( 5 Mar 2018) by Go Church SA
Higher Dimensions In Relationships (Part 2) | Paul Nyamuda (20 Feb 2018) by Go Church SA
Higher Dimensions In Relationships (Part 1) | Paul Nyamuda (12 Feb 2018) by Go Church SA
Higher Dimensions Of Character And Lifestyle | Paul Nyamuda (16 Jan 2018) by Go Church SA
The Biblical Basis For Freedom (Part 2) | Paul Nyamuda (19 Mar 2017).mp3 by Go Church SA
Repositioning Your Use Of Time (Part 2) | Paul Nyamuda (26 Feb 2017).mp3 by Go Church SA
Repositioning On Our Words With God's Words | Stewart Bishop (12 Feb 2017) by Go Church SA
Building A Strategic Prayer Life (Part 6) | Tracy Nyamuda (11 Dec 2016) by Go Church SA
Building A Strategic Prayer Life (Part 4) | Tracy Nyamuda (27 Nov 2016) by Go Church SA
Building A Strategic Prayer Life (Part 2) | Tracy Nyamuda (23 Oct 2016) by Go Church SA
Building A Strategic Prayer Life (Part 2) | Tracy Nyamuda (23 Oct 2016) by Go Church SA
Building A Strategic Prayer Life (Part 1) | Tracy Nyamuda (16 Oct 2016) by Go Church SA
Personal Revival (Part 4) - Set Apart By God | Paul Nyamuda (24 Jul 2016) by Go Church SA
The Rain Of Revival & Favour Is Here | Chucks Obinna Ugoihe (17 Jul 2016) by Go Church SA
Personal Revival (Part 3) - UnderstandingHoliness | Paul Nyamuda (10 Jul 2016) by Go Church SA
The Technology Of Spiritual Promotion (Part 2) | Paul Nyamuda (30 Mar 2016) by Go Church SA