Title: The Power of Our Words

Description: In James 3, we explore how our tongues can direct our lives, for better or worse. Pastor Matt leads an engaging discussion on how our words can build others up or tear them down. We talk about the importance of being led by the Holy Spirit in what we say, not reacting in the flesh when criticized, and speaking life and truth to counter lies. Tune in as we dig into James 3:1-6 and examine how we as Christians should use our words to reflect Christ, impact the world around us, and align with the messages of repentance preached by John the Baptist and Jesus (Matthew 3:1-2, 4:17). We also discuss lessons from Peter taking his eyes off Jesus and sinking (Matthew 14:22-33), the power of blessing versus cursing (Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:14), and more.

Reflections on Resurrection Day
• Mary Magdalene, a woman with a past, was the first to witness Jesus’ resurrection.
• Despite her societal status, Mary played a significant role in the resurrection story.
• Jesus’ words in John 11:25 and 12:44-49 reinforce the belief in eternal life through him.
• A personal testimony: A compassionate encounter with a young teen and his mother at a grocery store further reaffirmed faith and gratitude to God.

The Power of Anointing and Operating in the Works of Jesus
• Jesus and Paul were criticized for disregarding religious laws, but the anointing of Jesus empowered their followers. (John chapter one)
• The anointing or unction given to believers is exercised through words and enables them to fulfill their calling. (John chapter one)
• The resurrection leads to salvation and empowers believers to do greater works and operate in the same power as Jesus. (John Abraham’s team)
• Believers are not alone in exercising their anointing but operate in the same Holy Spirit, wisdom, and insight as Jesus. (John Abraham’s team)
• The author shares a personal experience of witnessing the power of anointing through worship music and realizing the lack of teaching in their childhood church.

Personal Experience and Biblical Teachings
• The speaker had experienced multiple instances where music awakened him but later realized that his father was not playing music.
• The music he heard turned out to be worship songs, which made him think about the absence of worship music in his house.
• He reflects on how growing up in church did not prepare him to address personal issues like this and how he kept it to himself.
• He believes that the Holy Spirit teaches believers things not necessarily trained in church.
• The speaker then talks about the power of believers and cites Mark 16:15-18 where Jesus instructs his followers to perform miraculous acts in His name, such as driving out demons and healing the sick.
• He emphasizes that Christians must not limit themselves to only attending church and must live and act as Jesus commanded. God’s Purpose for Restoring and Reconciling Humanity
• God’s purpose is to restore and reconcile humanity to Himself.
• This includes restoring us physically and relationally to where we were before.
• The Greek word for “restore” in chapter fifteen of the Bible refers to being healed and made whole instead of just a physical restoration.
• God created us to be His children and wants us to walk with Him.
• Each of us has a calling and a purpose assigned by God.
• When we step into our calling, we will discover that it’s what we were born for and will never want to be anyone else.

The Call to Ministry
• Being in a place where you know you’re doing exactly what God designed can bring great fulfillment.
• All of us are called to the Ministry of Reconciliation, but some are called to the area of the five-fold ministry.
• Too often, people in the church think that only those with titles like pastor and evangelist are called to ministry.
• However, the truth lies in the middle, and the Bifold Ministry's primary calling is to prepare God’sMinistry’s people for works of ministry.
• We need more people to step into their calling and recognize who God has called them to be.
• Through our anointing with power, we can shape the world and be a fragrant offering of the knowledge of Christ.
• Some people will be drawn to us as we serve God, while others may not even understand why they pull toward the light.

Saturday morning message!

Jeremiah 50 Part two message!

Jeremiah 50:8-16

“But now, flee from Babylon! Leave the land of the Babylonians. Like male goats at the head of the flock, lead my people home again. For I am raising up an army of great nations from the north. They will join forces to attack Babylon, and she will be captured. The enemies’ arrows will go straight to the mark; they will not miss! Babylonia will be looted until the attackers are glutted with loot. I, the Lord , have spoken! “You rejoice and are glad, you who plundered my chosen people. You frisk about like a calf in a meadow and neigh like a stallion. But your homeland will be overwhelmed with shame and disgrace. You will become the least of nations— a wilderness, a dry and desolate land. Because of the Lord ’s anger, Babylon will become a deserted wasteland. All who pass by will be horrified and will gasp at the destruction they see there. “Yes, prepare to attack Babylon, all you surrounding nations. Let your archers shoot at her; spare no arrows. For she has sinned against the Lord . Shout war cries against her from every side. Look! She surrenders! Her walls have fallen. It is the Lord ’s vengeance, so take vengeance on her. Do to her as she has done to others! Take from Babylon all those who plant crops; send all the harvesters away. Because of the sword of the enemy, everyone will run away and rush back to their own lands. 

Jeremiah 50 Part one message!

Jeremiah 50:1-8

A Message about Babylon

1The Lord gave Jeremiah the prophet this message concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians. 2This is what the Lord says:

“Tell the whole world,

and keep nothing back.

Raise a signal flag

to tell everyone that Babylon will fall!

Her images and idols will be shattered.

Her gods Bel and Marduk will be utterly disgraced.

3For a nation will attack her from the north

and bring such destruction that no one will live there again.

Everything will be gone;

both people and animals will flee.

Hope for Israel and Judah

4“In those coming days,”

says the Lord,

“the people of Israel will return home

together with the people of Judah.

They will come weeping

and seeking the Lord their God.

5They will ask the way to Jerusalem

and will start back home again.

They will bind themselves to the Lord

with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten.

6“My people have been lost sheep.

Their shepherds have led them astray

and turned them loose in the mountains.

They have lost their way

and can’t remember how to get back to the sheepfold.

7All who found them devoured them.

Their enemies said,

‘We did nothing wrong in attacking them,

for they sinned against the Lord,

their true place of rest,

and the hope of their ancestors.’

8“But now, flee from Babylon!

Leave the land of the Babylonians.

Like male goats at the head of the flock,

lead my people home again.

Jude 1 Part two message!

Jude 1:14-25

14Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones 15to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

16These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.

A Call to Remain Faithful

17But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. 18They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. 19These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

20But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

22And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

A Prayer of Praise

24Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. 25All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

Jude 1 Part one message!

Jude 1:1-13

Greetings from Jude

1This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.

2May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love.

The Danger of False Teachers

3Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. 4I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. 6And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. 7And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.

8In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. 9But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.) 10But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. 11What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.

12When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you.  They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. 13They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness.

1 Timothy 6 Part two

1 Timothy 6:13-20

13I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

17As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

20O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

Grace be with you.