Sunday Sermons

Series: “Thus Saith The Lord” Sermon: “Listening To The Spirit”The good news is not Jesus and it is not that you get to go to heaven. The good news (GOSPEL) is that God became a man to establish His kingdom on earth.John 8:47 (AMP) “Whoever is of God listens to God. [Those who belong to God hear the words of God.]”The greatest qualification for the next season may not be talent, knowledge, or influence—but the ability to hear.God governs His kingdom through revelation knowledge. Heaven's agenda reaches earth through hearers who SPEAK.1 Timothy 1:18 “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,…”Prophecy (prophēteuō):— to speak forth by divine inspiration.Prophecy is simply heaven revealing itself through human vessels.It is God's thoughts becoming audible in the earth.Genesis 1:26 (AMP) “...let them have complete authority ...over all of the earth,…” Matthew 6:9-10 “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”Psalm 115:16 “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men.”Psalm 8:6 “You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,...”1 Corinthians 14:1, 39 “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.”“Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.” 1 Corinthians 14:3 (NLT) "But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.”2 Peter 1:21 "For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." Is there a difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant?Is the a difference between the OT priesthood and the NT priesthood?Is there a difference between the OT king and the NT king?Is there a difference between the OT prophet and the NT prophet?Exodus 20:19 “Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’”God wanted to speak directly to his people. The people wanted a mediator.Matthew 11:13 “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.”Old Testament prophecy pointed forward to the mystery. John the Baptist said, “Here He is!”Matthew 11:11 (NLT) “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!”Example Of NT Prophets:Acts 15:32 “Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.”Acts 11:28 “Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.”OT Prophets were God’s voice to the people.NT Every believer has the innate ability to hear God’s voice. Prophecy acts as a witness.Operating in the wrong model often expresses unhealthy sense of importance.OT Prophets were often lone rangers.NT Prophets are a servant ministry in the body of Christ. TEAMWe need each other for clarity.Operating in the wrong model causes isolation and pride … “I have a hotline.”Dueteronomy 18:20 “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.”No room for error.OT Prophets had to be exact.NT Prophets submit there words for the others to judge. Prophesy in part.1 Corinthians 14:29 “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.”Operating in the wrong model breads deception and disappointment.OT Prophets operated in period of law and judgement.NT Prophecy is consistent with the revelation of Jesus, nature of Father.It’s goal is rooted in redemption.Operating in the wrong model is rooted in condemnation and judgement.Matthew 16:15-19 (MSG) “He pressed them, ‘And how about you? Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter said, ‘You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus came back, ‘God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock (Petros). This is the rock (Petra) on which will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out. And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, (keys of NKJV) keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.”Aligning yourself with the revelation of Jesus as King puts you in a place of privilege, trust, and authority and provides keys to ignite, lock, and loose, resulting in the manifestation of His Kingdom.1. Authority -- Keys are for authorized people. Not waiting outside for the blessing to be opened. Keys are only useful if you know what they correspond to!!!2. Access -- Keys Of The KingdomEnjoy all the benefits of the Fathers house. Fridge privileges! Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”3. Ownership -- It’s mine!!! I never beg for what I own. Luke 12:32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." 4 basic types of NT prophecy:1. Spirit of Prophecy — an atmosphere of prophetic revelation.2. Gift of Prophecy — a gift of the Spirit (not reward) functioning through a believer.3. Office of a Prophet — a gift of a person given to the church to serve and to edify.4. Company Of Prophets — Kingdom Life.1. The Spirit of ProphecyThe Atmosphere of RevelationIn the manifest presence of Jesus People suddenly see:Who God really is — Who they really are — What God is doingA realm where heaven becomes discernible.2. The Gift of Prophecy"To another prophecy..." 1 Corinthians 12:10It is a manifestation of the Spirit not a reward for maturity. Source — Holy SpiritA new believer or a mature believer may prophesy.Paul teaches that the gift of prophecy brings: strength encouragement and comfortThe gift of prophecy turns ordinary conversations into divine encounters: In schools. In businesses. In homes. In grocery stores.The Kingdom advances whenever heaven finds a voice.Prophecy is heaven interrupting earth with encouragement.3. The Office of the ProphetAn Ascension Gift (Person) Given to the Church."He gave some to be apostles, some prophets..." Ephesians 4:11A prophet carries: vision / direction / alignment equippingNot merely revelation, but formation. They create a hunger for the voice of God.Prophets help align the church with heaven's agenda.A prophet is not God's favourite child; a prophet is God's servant to His people.True prophets do not gather followers around themselves; they gather people around Jesus.4. The Company of ProphetsThe entire Church becomes a prophetic community."Would that all the Lord's people were prophets." (Numbers 11:29)What Moses desired, Pentecost accomplished.This is the Company of Prophets functioning:A father speaks life over his children.A wife speaks hope over her husband.A business owner declares Kingdom purpose over employees.A believer prays over a neighbourhood.A church speaks God's destiny over a city.A people whose mouths agree with heaven.The Church is not called merely to observe history.The Church is called to announce heaven into history. We speak:Life over death / Hope over despair / Blessing over curse / Christ over chaos Reconciliation over divisionGod’s promise is looking for a believing voice.The Church is God's prophetic embassy in the earth.We do not speak in order to make God act; we speak because God has acted in Christ.The Kingdom is not coming into force—it is already in force. Prophecy is the announcement of its victory.

Sermon Series: “US - Loved People Love People” Sermon #3: “Us AndThe World”1 John 4:19 (NIV) “We love because He first loved us.”John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”I love Impact church because its the first church ive stepped into & I wasnt judged. No one cared about my tattoos, my piercings. Everyone was so sweet & so welcoming to me. This made a huge impact on me. I was so worried about attending a church again because of my appearance. But no one cared - since that day, this has been the only church I follow! Ashley“A substantial majority of Millennials (1981- 96) who don’t go to church say they see Christians as judgmental (87%), hypocritical (85%), anti-homosexual (91%) and insensitive to others (70%).”“A study of people ages 16–29 in the United States found that nearly 90 percent of respondents articulated the opinion that Christians are Judgemental.” Barna Research When you Judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself. Wayne DyerIf you judge people, you have no time to love them. Mother TerresaJohn 3:16-17 (NLT) “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”John 1:29 (NLT) “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”2 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT) “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.”What is Jesus agenda for sinners?Not to harm but to help. Not to judge but to justify.Not to condemn but to convert. Not to hate on but to heal.The Church is not called to be culture’s critic. The Church is called to be heaven’s government.We are not called to criticize the world.We are called to manifest a verdict that has already been rendered.1. The Verdict Is InThe cross was heaven’s courtroom. The enemy doesn’t await defeat. He is operating under defeat. We are not trying to get victory. We are enforcing the victory.John 12:31-32 “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” John 16:7-11“I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict (Convince) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”2. The Flesh Messes It UpThe flesh sees behavior. The Spirit sees identity.The flesh sees what someone did. The Spirit sees what Christ did.The flesh magnifies sin. The Spirit magnifies the Saviour.John 7:24 “Do not judge according to appearance (What you see), but judge with righteous judgment.” 2 Corinthians 5:16 “From now on we regard no one according to the flesh.”3. We Govern In RighteousnessCritics point fingers. Ambassadors open doors.Condemnation announces failure. The gospel announces victory.If our judgment doesn’t sound like reconciliation, it’s not righteous.1 Corinthians 6:2 “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?”John 7:24 “… but judge with righteous judgment.” Matthew 5:44-45 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”When the Church governs like Jesus, chaos and brokenness meet Divine order.Judges 6:11-24 “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!’ Gideon said to Him, ‘O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles.’” …’Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?’ So he said to Him, ‘O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.’ …. Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.”John 8:6 “But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger.”“Wrote” (katagraphein):— a compound word, to write against, as in framing an indictment. Just used once in the NT.Jeremiah 17:13 “O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. ‘Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the Lord, The fountain of living waters.”Judgment is Love removing what is not Love. 1 John 4:16-19 “We have come into an intimate experience with God’s love, and we trust in the love he has for us. God is love! Those who are living in love are living in God, and God lives through them. By living in God, love has been brought to its full expression in us so that we may fearlessly face the day of judgment, because all that Jesus now is, so are we in this world. Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love’s perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts. Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment has not reached love’s perfection. Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us.”

Sermon Series: “US - Loved People Love People” Sermon #1: “Us And God”1 John 4:19 (NIV) “We love because He first loved us.”John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” A.W. Tozer (The Knowledge of the Holy)Exodus 33:18 “And he said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’”I need to know what makes you, you. God reveals himself.Exodus 34:6-7 (NET) “The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…”The Lord Yahweh:— Self Existent One, whatever I am, I will be. In other words, whatever this God is like, he’s that way consistently…24/7.” Whatever he is, he always is.Colossians 1:15 (AMP) “He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation.”John 14:9 “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”1 John 4:8 “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”John 13:23 “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” Jesus Loves Me!!!John 19:26-27 “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”Tertullian (The Prescription of Heretics) Spoke of John being publicly boiled in oil by Emperor Domitian at Rome and suffering nothing from it. It is said that all in the audience of the Colosseum were converted to Christianity upon witnessing this miracle.1 John 1:1-4 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life —the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”1. Jesus Was God ManifestJohn 1:14 (NLT) “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”John 1:18 (NLT) “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.”Jesus is the clear revelation of God! He was personally revealed to me.2. We Experienced Him Fully“we have heard” (akouō):— to attend to, consider what is or has been said, to understand, perceive the sense of what is said.He didn’t talk like anyone else. He turned things around.He was gracious and kind. He prayed to His Father.“we have seen” (horaō) :— to stare at, to discern clearly, to see with the mind, to perceive, know.He did some amazing things:Turned water into wine. Fed thousands!!! Walked water and calmed storms. Miraculous catch of fish. Walked through walls.“we have looked upon” (theaomai):—to behold, look upon, view attentively, contemplate, look with admiration.Gave widow back her son. Restored Samaritan woman.Touched lepers. Healed all comers! Loved sinners. Zacheaus “hands have handled” (psēlaphaō) :— to handle, touch and feel.I used to lean on Him to eat. His hand fed me breakfast.We jumped around together. He washed my feet!Thomas touched his nail scared hand!3. Enjoy The Same Fellowship(koinōnia) :—intimacy, communion, joint participation, intercourse.Be a part of the family of God. Enter complete union with the greatest community ever!Forever experiencing UNOIN with CHRIST!!!4. Be Overwhelmed With Joy(chara) :— gladness, cheerfulness to experience exceeding great joy.A living abiding relationship with Jesus will give you JOY on the inside that will never fail no matter what is happening in your life!!!John isn’t arguing a doctrine — he’s inviting us into a relationship with his best friend.Fellowship is not something you earn—it’s something you enter. Jesus totally manifest God. I have fully experienced Him.You can have the same intimacy. It will fill you with great JOY!!!Come on and join the family!!!

Sermon Series: “Unfiltered” Sermon #3 “Recovered Identity”Creation is designed to be structured under human dominion.If I am dominated, through my senses, by this broken world, I can never exercise dominion.Adam didn’t lose his religion, he lost his right to RULE!“…it becomes the devil’s business to keep the Christian’s spirit imprisoned. (POW) He knows that the believing and justified Christian has been raised up out of the grave of his sins … Satan works that much harder to keep us bound and gagged, actually imprisoned in our own grave clothes.” A.W. TozerSeems like the church has fallen prey to a form of Stockholm syndrome. (A coping mechanism to a captive or abusive situation.) The enemy has lied to us and berated us for so long we develop a fallen mindset to cope with the trauma.1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”Romans 5:17 “For if by the one man’s offense (ADAM) death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”The life source has changed. God did not improve us, he recreated, refathered us. Our life now proceeds from a new origin, renewed and animated by the Spirit of God Himself.Matthew 11:28-30 (Message) “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”Acts 15:10 (MSG) “So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too?”Jesus teachings are EASY.Jesus is not looking for servants to send from Him. He is releasing sons from within Him.This passage doesn’t end with work to do. It ends with life to express.2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”James 1:21-22 “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness (kakia), and receive with meekness the implanted (Inborn) word (logos), which is able to save your souls (psychē). But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”Twoedged:— (distomos) from two words, twice and mouth. Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Jeremiah 1:9-10 “Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.’” Jeremiah 1:12 (AMP) “Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.” The gospel does not begin by telling us what to do—it begins by telling us who we are.Right identity produces right behaviour.1 John 3:1 (NASB) “See (Behold) how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are.”Romans 8:29-30 (Message) “God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.”Matthew 3:17, 4:3 “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God,…”“Our works don’t come from pressure to please God, but from the peace of the promise that He is already pleased.” D. R. SilvaRevelation 12:10-11 “…for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”“Accuser” (Kategoreo) :-- to accuse before a judge: to make an accusation of an extra-judicial form.Categorize:-- to arrange in categories or classes; classify, to describe by labeling or giving a name to; characterize.Genesis 3:8-11 “Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ …And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”Guilt:— I did something wrong. Shame:— I am wrong, broken (identity)Eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil infected in their consciousness with a deep sense of inadequacy,I don’t measure up. I’m worthy of death. The soul of man has been framed by the failure of Adam. Man was infected with an innate fear of God that makes us want to hide instead of run to him.1 John 4:18 (NLT) “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”“You can’t fix what you’re doing wrong until you understand who you are.” Jordan Peterson“The more you know who you are in Christ, the less you will strive to be someone you’re not.” Craig GroeschelSecure identity produces healthy behaviour.Exodus 6:30 NLT. “But Moses argued with the Lord, saying, “I can’t do it! I’m such a clumsy speaker! Why should Pharaoh listen to me?””Exodus 7:1 NLT “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet.’”Judges 6:12-14 NLT “The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!' ‘Sir,’ Gideon replied, ‘if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say,‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.’ Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!’”John 1:42 “And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).”Matthew 16:18-19 “And 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. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;”Isaiah 51:1 (Message) “Listen to me, all you who are serious about right living and committed to seeking God. Ponder (LOOK) the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were dug.” You become what you behold.For the best version of you to come into manifestation you must align yourself with where you came from. I am a child of God!“We don't have a sin problem. We have a problem with beauty and majesty. We don't realize how beautiful we are to God and how majestic His love is towards us.” Graham Cooke

“Re-fathered”1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your wholespirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you isfaithful, who also will do it.”“If the believer does not discern his own spirit he invariably is ignorant of how to commune with God in the Spirit. He easily substitutes his own thought or emotions of the soul for the work of the Spirit. Thus he confines himself to the outer realm unable ever to reach the Spiritual realm.” Watchman NeeProverbs 20:27 (AMPC) “The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately fromGod] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.”Ephesians 3:16 “… that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened withmight through His Spirit in the inner man, ”Proverbs 18:14 "The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble, but a weak and broken spiritwho can raise up or bear?.”Proverbs 25:28 "Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls."Jesus exercised His spirit.Luke 2:40 “And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God wasupon Him.” Romans 8:14-16 (NLT) “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not receiveda spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his ownchildren. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’schildren.”Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercingeven to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentsof the heart.”John 3:3-8 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannotsee the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter asecond time into his mother’s womb and be born?”Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you,unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the fleshis flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where itgoes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”Acts 2:40 “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved (Rescued) from thisperverse generation.’” skol-ee-os' ghen-eh-ah’:— crooked beggeting or birth.Peters gospel is NOT you need to behave properly.He is telling them they need to align with their true IDENTITY.Adam is no longer the governing head of humanity.Titus 3:4-6 “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christour Savior,”1 Peter 1:23 (NET) “You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed (parentage), through the living and enduring word of God.”1 Peter 1:23 (Message). “Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! “INCARNATION — When Jesus, God, took on a body, he married himself to the human race. (UNION)He gave the human body a new head, therefore changing their genes from head to toe. So God now is the biological father of all of humanity.REGENERATION:— Reproduction or reconstitution of a lost or injured part. New GenesGREEK WORD:— “paliggenesía” (from/pálin, “again, new" and /génesis, "birth, beginning") properly, thecoming of new birth because of regeneration. Being refathered, remastered.1 Corinthians 15:22 (NKJV) “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.”1 Corinthians 15:22 (Message) “There is a nice symmetry in this: Death initially came by a man, and resurrection from death came by a man. Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ.”Romans 5:17 “For if by the one man’s offense (ADAM) death reigned through the one, much more those whoreceive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (Message) “We follow this sequence in Scripture: The First Adam received life, theLast Adam is a life-giving Spirit. Physical life comes first, then spiritual—a firm base shaped from the earth, a final completion coming out of heaven. The First Man was made out of earth, and people since then are earthy; the Second Man was made out of heaven, and people now can be heavenly. In the same way that we’ve worked from our earthy origins, let’s embrace our heavenly ends.”The life source has changed.God did not improve us, he recreated, refathered us.Our life now proceeds from a new origin, renewedand animated by the Spirit of God Himself.1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (AMPC) “However, brethren, I could not talk to you as to spiritual [men], but as to nonspiritual [men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates], as to mere infants [in the new life] in Christ [unable to talk yet!] I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough [to be readyfor it]; but even yet you are not strong enough [to be ready for it],For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses].”

INCARNATION | Light Illuminates DarknessJohn 1:4-5 (NLT) “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”John 1:14 “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”Ahmed al-Ahmed, (2025, Sydney Australia) Hugo Alfredo Tale-Ya, (2010, New York City)Khaseen Morris, (2019, Long Island, New York)Iryna Zarutska, (August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina), 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee“The Bystander Effect”Catherine “Kitty” Genovese, 28 Queens N.Y. She was stabbed multiple times outside her apartment building over the course of about 30 minutes. 38 witnesses heard or saw parts of the attack but none called the police or intervened until it was too late. Neighbours interviewed said; l didn’t want to “get involved” or assumed others had already called for help.Exodus 3:7-8 “And the Lord said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up…’”God Became Human1. He Came Down2. He Got Involved3. He Punched ThroughNo other faith or philosophy has a God who embraced human suffering and completely identified to the place of death.1. He Came DownJesus entered our mess.He didn’t subtract His deity, but He added our vulnerability. God could have sent legions of angels but instead He chose the manger, the street, the cross.Philippians 2:5-8 (NLT) “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”Christmas Asks Personal Questions:Am I staying safe upstairs?Am I elevating my personal rights?Am I radically generous?Am I sharing my life?Am I attending or engaging?“It means not that we should live one life but a thousand lives binding ourselves to a thousand souls by the filaments of so loving a sympathy that their lives become ours.” B. B. Warfield (Imitating The Incarnation)2. He Got InvolvedJesus suffered hunger. Jesus wept at gravesides. Jesus felt betrayal’s sting. Jesus endured beatings. Jesus suffered the weight of injustice. Jesus experienced the terror of pain. Jesus touched the victim on the street.Hebrews 2:14, 4:15“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity… For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”I am not alone in my pain.Someone does feel me.Jesus suffered and was tried in every way that we are.Jesus Of The Scars (Edward Shillito 1919)"The other gods were strong, but thou was weak.They rode, but thou did stumble to thy throne.to our wounds only God's wounds can speakand not a God has wounds but thou alone.3. He Punched ThroughJesus punched a complete hole right through the heart of darkness. The veil tore. The grave broke open. Resurrection light is shining.John 8:12 (NLT) “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.'”1 John 3:8 “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”Christmas is a bold invitation to come down stairs!The Incarnation is not just a story we celebrate at Christmas, it’s a mandate for how we live every day.God is not a bystander.You are not a bystander.Isaiah 60:1-3 (Living Bible) “Arise, my people! Let your light shine for all the nations to see! For the glory of the Lord is streaming from you. Darkness as black as night shall cover all the peoples of the earth, but the glory of the Lord will shine from you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see the glory of the Lord upon you.”

The Word Became Flesh | Incarnation SeriesLHSC celebrates record-breaking number of babies born in 2024. 6452. Ivy SpoonerMatthew 1:20-21 “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”Incarnation:— A bodily manifestation of a supernatural being. The conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in earthly form. An anthropomorphic form of a god.John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”The Logos:— the ultimate meaning that holds the universe together is a person—Jesus. The Son Of God.John 1:14 (NKJV) “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."John 1:14 (NLT) “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”Hebrews 2:14-15 “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”C. S. Lewis (The Grand Miracle) “The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares for this, or exhibits this, or results from this.In the Christian story God descends to re-ascend. He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity … But He goes down to come up again and bring the ruined world up with Him.”“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)“He became what we are that He might make us what He is.” Athanasius (On the Incarnation)“God recapitulated in Himself the ancient formation of man, that he might kill sin, deprive death of its power and vivify man.” Irenaeus of Lyons (130–202 AD)Recapitulated:— Christ sums up, repeats, and restores the whole human story in Himself.1 Corinthians 15:45–49 “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving Spirit… The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. (JESUS) … Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”He is like you. He loves you. He is everything you were meant to be.John 10:30 “I and My Father are one.”John 14:9 “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”“Incarnation and atonement intrinsically locked into one another constitute the one continuous movement of God’s saving love for the world.” Thomas F. Torrence“The incarnation of the Son in our humanity … reveals God as the creator and redeemer actually with us in our estranged human existence, and … brings out of our fallen and sinful existence a new humanity that is holy and perfect.”Salvific Ontology:— the being of Christ that saves.Because He is God and He became human, He unites God and humanity within Himself which heals humanity at the deepest level.He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity; down further still…to the womb…down to the very roots of the Nature He has created. He becomes an embryo, a fetus, a child, an adolescent, a young man… a son, a brother, a friend.Born of a woman, Jesus ate food, slept, experienced temptation, He could perspire, bleed, and display human emotions.He went through puberty, experienced loss, betrayal, denial, and abandonment.In one moment, one seemingly insignificant measurement on the span of time, “The Word became flesh”. The undiminished Deity became humanity.The one for whom are all things and by whom are all things, became a thing —like you and me—God with us.The invisible God became the visible, touchable, pierce-able, whip-able, nail-able, Emanuel—God with us.Divinity took on the garb of humanity so that depravity might be rendered savable.True grace appeared and we received grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.The personification of truth was revealed and now we no longer stumble in darkness.God became a man. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. The incarnation is one direction from God to man, He acts alone and of his own accord, it is God’s gracious act on our behalf. P.C.2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP) “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!”engraft or ingraft 1. to graft (a shoot, bud, etc) onto a stock so the that the two grow together as one.2. to incorporate in a firm or permanent way; implant: they engrafted their principles into.For there to be a good graft you need an identical cut.Then they must be bound together to become one.There can be no grafting without wounding.Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”1 Corinthians 1:30 (NLT) “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”Colossians 1:21-22 “...yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.”1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”Merry Christ - Mass

Riot To Rival | Drench SeriesHeavens. Two Intersecting Realms. Earth. We are the community that aligns these realms.2 Corinthians 4:6 “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shonein our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”Stephen showed them a God they had never met through his human face.Stephen announced that two things would change:1. The Location Of God. 2. How We Relate To GodYou were created to mirror heaven’s realities on earth. What you behold you worship.When you reflect God rightly, creation responds correctly.The gospel delivers you into God's unfailing and unveiled approval.The same glory that the Father has for the Son, the Father has of you.You were designed as His image bearer to be able to reflect His approval of you on your face toredeem creation.Acts 8:1-40 “At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; andthey were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Anddevout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women,committing them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching theword.”Turn Setbacks Into LaunchpadsParent eagles disturb the nest and push the young off the cliff.“Difficulties break some men but make others.” Nelson MandelaRecklessly stomping on a fire!Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes withone accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. Forunclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many whowere paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city. But there was a certainman called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people ofSamaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to thegreatest, saying, ‘This man is the great power of God.’ And they heeded him because he hadastonished them with his sorceries for a long time. But when they believed Philip as he preached thethings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women werebaptized.Grace Loves Honouring OutcastsJohn 4:4 “But He (Jesus) needed to go through Samaria.”Great Joy is on the other side of your inner transformation.Who’s on your “Wrong People” list?Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and wasamazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles who were atJerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who,when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He hadfallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laidhands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit And when Simon saw (BANG) that through thelaying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, …The Sprit In You Must Rise Upon YouActs 19:2 "Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?”“The Holy Spirit is in me for my sake. He comes upon me for the sake of others.” Bill JohnsonInward experience but no visible power.‘Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’ But Petersaid to him, ‘Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could bepurchased with money!’ You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right inthe sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought ofyour heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”Then Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you havespoken may come upon me.” So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, theyreturned to Jerusalem, …Grace Delivers And Secures Identity“The gospel dethrones pride not to humiliate, but to heal.” John StottGrace delivers from the counterfeit and imparts the REAL thing.1 John 4:4 “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” PHILIP…preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authorityunder Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come toJerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard himreading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Howcan I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justicewas taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”So the eunuch answered Philip and said, 'I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself orof some other man?' Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesusto him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, hereis water. What hinders me from being baptized?’Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believethat Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip andthe eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of thewater, …Grace Rushes Into The Desert PlaceFrom the crowd to the individual.Philip isn’t chasing opportunity he is simply following the presence.“The Spirit choreographs salvation with masterful detail.” F.F. Brucethe Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on hisway rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the citiestill he came to Caesarea.”Grace Outpaces Religious Devils“Acts shows a gospel that leaps over human barriers and outruns human categories.” Michael GreenPhilip, one person, took Good News to the uttermost parts of the earth.What looked like the end of the church was actually the launch party for the mission to thenations.Acts 8 The wind of the Spirit is going global, scattering seed.