Growth Is Fostered by Unity
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 1/30/2024to-Give: Send a text with the message TFCGIVE to 877-770-4416.
Loading…
0:00
51:18
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez challenges believers to pursue holistic growth by supplementing their faith with discipline, emotional maturity, and deep unity within the church community.
Key points
- •Growth is a deliberate choice that requires discipline, moving beyond just attending church to developing spiritual, intellectual, and emotional maturity throughout the week.
- •True spiritual maturity is evidenced by self-control and 'soft answers' in the face of conflict, rather than reacting out of fleshly emotions.
- •Isolation is a tactic of the enemy; believers need the community of elders, peers, and even professional counseling to foster health and growth.
- •Faith must be 'supplemented' with virtue, knowledge, and brotherly affection, following the pattern in 2 Peter 1:5-7 to build a complete Christian character.
- •Unity in the family and the local church is the essential environment for building generational wealth, successful businesses, and a thriving ministry.
Scripture
Spiritual Growth
Community
Discipleship
Character
Leadership
Life application
This week, identify one area - spiritual, personal, family, career, or financial - where you have been isolating yourself, and reach out to a trusted mentor, elder, or professional to invite their wisdom into your situation.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life have you been relying on only 45 minutes of 'spiritual food' a week while trying to fight 24/7 battles?
- How can you practice 'supplementing' your faith with self-control the next time you face a frustrating situation at work or home?
- Are there any 'toxic' environments or isolated mindsets you need to leave behind to embrace the growth found in community?
- How does your current level of unity with your spouse or family affect your ability to build a lasting legacy?
Have a question about this sermon?
Ask our AI and get an answer with citations.
Full transcript
0:00[Applause]
0:01[Music]
0:02[Applause]
0:08hallelujah thank
0:12you thank
0:15[Applause]
0:19[Music]
0:24[Applause]
0:28you
0:31[Applause]
0:34thank
0:35[Applause]
0:41[Applause]
0:44you
0:46[Music]
0:48Hallelujah if you don't mind let's all
0:51stand for
0:54prayer as we are prepared to
0:57hear the word of the Lord that song
1:01was so
1:04prophetic because we do know at the name
1:07of
1:09Jesus every
1:10knee shall
1:13bow at the name of Jesus our
1:17family come on all of our families are
1:19covered by the blood of
1:22[Music]
1:26Jesus and then the part that I love is
1:30Shou in Jesus in the
1:34darkness cuz we're living in
1:37it we're living in a time where men
1:41according to the Bible love
1:44Darkness rather than the
1:47light so this morning I have come to you
1:51with just a brief word of
1:55encouragement about all of us taking our
1:59right rightful place in the kingdom of
2:02God and doing what we need to
2:07do to shout this name
2:10Jesus in the
2:13darkness and how we're going to do we
2:15have to
2:17grow as a
2:19church we have to
2:22grow it is impossible to preach the
2:25gospel and share the love of Jesus
2:28Christ and his kingdom is not
2:30growing it's
2:33impossible but it's going to take a
2:36collective effort from all of us to grow
2:40his church so I want to talk to you this
2:45morning
2:46on the uh subject of growth is fostered
2:53by
2:55unity if we're going to
2:58grow it's not going to take the
3:01pastor if your family is going to get
3:05into the kingdom of God it's going to go
3:08beyond just the
3:11ministers you have to play your
3:14role the church together collectively
3:17all of you here this morning those of
3:19you in the
3:20balcony we we have to play a part of
3:24this so we're going to talk about growth
3:27is fostered by by
3:31Unity by
3:34unity your family will not grow in love
3:40financially and grow as a unit to be
3:43successful if you're not
3:46United your business will not grow if
3:50the employees are fighting one another
3:52and the environment is
3:55toxic you will only
3:57grow when there's you there so father I
4:00thank you for the word today that you're
4:03going to speak into the life of your
4:04people may you bless and anoint and
4:09speak through your people now in the
4:12mighty name of Jesus we pray amen would
4:15you give God a praise and please be
4:19seated please be
4:23seated one would
4:26think in order for one to grow
4:30it only requires learning
4:34and acquiring
4:37information information could we kind of
4:39keep the noise backstage quiet for me
4:42please but if the truth be told a lot of
4:46people struggle to
4:48grow and they struggle to grow not
4:51because they don't have information not
4:53because they are not learning but I
4:55believe it is simply because watch this
4:58they lack the discipline
5:01to be if you will in the right place
5:06with the right frame of
5:08mind to allow the collective effort of
5:13the
5:14community to help them to
5:19grow one of the dangerous things that's
5:21happened to a younger generation today
5:24is that they think they can be
5:26successful without the help of their
5:28seniors
5:32and I've got to tell you as a young man
5:34myself yes I'm young Praise
5:38Jesus that the reason why I got to where
5:41I am today is because I had sense enough
5:44to lean on the community of my
5:49elders even though when I didn't really
5:51want to gain their
5:53wisdom I recognize that they've been
5:56there done that they've got a t-shirt to
5:58show they've got scars to show that
6:01they've been through the process so
6:03therefore it would be to my advantage to
6:06make
6:07sure that I listen to them and that I
6:12use them to help Foster growth in my
6:15life as a young man even as a young
6:18preacher when I started this church 33
6:22years
6:23ago so last Wednesday I spoke at our
6:26midweek
6:28service and I spoke on the subject of
6:30choosing to grow spiritually
6:33intellectually and emotionally it's a
6:37choice that you have to choose to grow
6:41spiritually and your spiritual growth is
6:43not just going to come by you coming to
6:46church on a Sunday morning just for two
6:49hours it's not going to happen when you
6:52come on a Wednesday for an
6:54hour your spiritual growth is going to
6:57take place when you make a decision
6:59decision to say Okay God when I leave
7:03the temple when I leave the church
7:05property and I go to to my various home
7:10my workplace when I go into the
7:12marketplace I have to make a decision to
7:15develop my life
7:17spiritually that I have to make sure
7:20spiritually that I read the word of God
7:23I read books and then I get into my
7:25worship or whatever I need to do I need
7:27to do that in order order to develop my
7:30spiritual life why because the more I
7:33develop my spiritual life what will
7:35happen is my spirituality when it's
7:38mature will help me to think
7:42intellectually
7:44sound
7:46sound reason why people are talking
7:48stupid stuff and trash is because
7:51they're not developed spiritually amen
7:54the reason why we flip out so easily and
7:57the reason why our emot tions get in the
8:00way is simply because we're not trained
8:03by the word of God because when we're in
8:05the word of God the Bible also tells us
8:07a soft answer that means people are
8:10going to aggravate
8:12you people are going to push you when
8:15the Bible says a soft
8:18answer it pushes away
8:21wrath that means you're going to be in
8:24conversations you're going to have
8:26altercations with people your spouse
8:30your children people on the job in your
8:34place of business even in church you're
8:37going to have altercations where people
8:39are going to upset you to the point
8:42where the flesh man wants you to answer
8:45based on your
8:47feelings but the scripture says a mature
8:51person will turn around and respond in a
8:55soft that word soft is talking about int
8:59intelligent
9:03way so many of us have messed up our
9:06lives and our future because we couldn't
9:08control our
9:10emotions we
9:12couldn't so Wednesday I dealt with that
9:15that we need to learn the before you can
9:17control your emotions you have to
9:20develop spiritually you have to grow
9:22spiritually you got to stay in your word
9:25it is impossible listen to me it is
9:27impossible to be living 24 hours a day 7
9:32days a week and to go through the cycle
9:35of life and
9:38thinking it takes three
9:41hours to fight
9:44that two on a Sunday one on the
9:47Wednesday and let's be
9:51truthful 90% of you don't show up on
9:54Wednesday so that means you are trying
9:57to fight life
10:00with two hours well let me break that
10:02down yeah it's two hours okay but then
10:05some of you come 9 I mean 10:30 so it's
10:07not really two hours it's it's it's it's
10:10it's it's it's an hour and a half and
10:13then within that one and a half hour
10:15there's so many
10:19distractions so really you're operating
10:22on about 45 minutes of
10:27word all
10:31weak and we ask ourselves why are we not
10:34winning come onop cuz we're not
10:39growing you're not
10:42growing if you're a boxer you cannot
10:45just sit down every
10:47day and be eating all kinds of stuff and
10:51not go to
10:54training what makes us Believers think
10:57that we can fight life and win in life
11:00if all we do is take care of everything
11:03else but when it comes to God we don't
11:06even know him we don't even know his
11:07word so of course that's why when we get
11:10into an argument we curse rather than
11:12saying
11:16H I'm going to walk
11:19away it's not that I a coward it's not
11:22that I'm afraid of
11:23you I'm going to walk away why cuz I'm
11:26under the influence of the Holy Spirit
11:28not My
11:30[Applause]
11:36Flesh see when you're in the word you
11:40will
11:40grow but what the enemy wants to do is
11:43to take you away from the
11:47environment that will grow
11:50you you see it is crucial to
11:55recognize that personal success hangs on
11:59on continuous
12:01growth continuous growth not just one
12:05week not just one day but continuous
12:09growth assuming you don't need to push
12:12beyond your current limits is a
12:16significant mistake to assume that you
12:20don't need to grow and you don't need
12:24the company of fellow brothers and
12:26sisters is a huge mistake you're make
12:30it huge
12:32mistake you know what the enemy does he
12:34tried it with
12:35David David was going through a very
12:38difficult time in his life in the Bible
12:40and the last thing listen to me ladies
12:42and gentlemen the last thing the devil
12:45wants is when your back is against the
12:47wall and you feel like thrown in the
12:49towel the last thing he wants you to do
12:52is to reach out for
12:56help you know what he he'll do he'll say
12:59hey hey hey hey no no and like David the
13:05Bible said
13:07David hid
13:13himself hid
13:16himself here's the thing about somebody
13:20hiding you can see
13:25others but the help that God has for you
13:29can't see
13:35you David hid
13:39himself perhaps because he was
13:42embarrassed perhaps because he was
13:44feeling the pressure perhaps because he
13:47felt all alone see isolation with the de
13:51this is what he's doing to the
13:53church this is what he's doing to the
13:55church he brings tensions with brothers
13:58and sisters SS he allow watch this the
14:01unchurched people to cast judgment on us
14:04and label our sins and and blast us and
14:08allow us to feel insecure that we cannot
14:11trust the church so that we can go and
14:14hide ourselves because as long as we
14:17hide
14:18ourselves there's no room for
14:23growth anybody who's suffering
14:26depression your greatest way out of depr
14:28impression watch this is to go to the
14:32source where you can
14:36release that's why I strongly support
14:38Christian
14:39Counseling I strongly support that when
14:42somebody's pressured when somebody your
14:45back is against the wall there's such a
14:47thing as overload David was was being
14:51overloaded with the issues of life I
14:54strongly support yeah coming to the
14:56preacher God bless you I'll pray for you
14:58for you but sometimes we need more than
15:02just
15:05prayer woo this is good
15:08man sometimes what we need it is prayer
15:13but we also
15:14need the community of Believers someone
15:18that you can go to someone watch this
15:20who is a
15:23licensed therapist or a licensed
15:26psychiatrist who can go to you and say
15:29to you based on my training it is also
15:34based on biblical principles let me walk
15:36you through
15:38[Music]
15:42life you make a huge
15:44mistake when you start isolating
15:48yourself from the system that was
15:52designed to mature
15:55you the Apostle Paul was given the
15:58instru instructions to tell Timothy that
16:00there's a five-fold Ministry
16:03gift that is there for the perfecting of
16:06the
16:07Saints God is expecting us to be
16:12perfected and the only way you can be
16:14perfected or in another word to be
16:16mature you have to
16:18grow you have to grow if you're not
16:22growing you're not
16:25maturing and I'm challenging every one
16:28of you
16:29to grow in your
16:31faith to grow in your faith pick up your
16:36Bible pick up your B you will not know
16:40if this guy is preaching the truth to
16:43you you would not know if this guy is
16:47biblically sound if you don't know your
16:51Bible for
16:55your it is impossible for you to be be
16:58led astray by any preacher when you know
17:02your word when you study your word
17:05yourself the preacher is only there to
17:08confirm what you already
17:11[Applause]
17:12know know your word get into the word of
17:17God I want to turn your attention to
17:21Second Peter chapter
17:251 and let's begin at verse five it says
17:29for this very reason I make every effort
17:32I I make every effort Peter is saying
17:35for this very reason I make every effort
17:38to supplement your faith with
17:41virtue to supplement your faith with
17:45virtue in other words a supplement is
17:49something to be added to what you
17:51already have how many you take
17:52supplements every day I did this
17:56morning why why why do you do that in
17:59order as a man I am 60 in order for me
18:03to grow at my age I am told that that
18:08because of my age I have to supplement
18:10the food that I'm eating so that I get
18:14the proper nutrients or vitamins or
18:17whatever I'm not a doctor I'm just
18:19telling you what the doctor told me I
18:21need all those things in me to help
18:25Foster growth in me so every day I have
18:29to take the supplements and trust me I
18:32don't like
18:34it I don't like it every day I have to
18:37take these immune tablets to build up my
18:40immune system I am vitamin D
18:44deficient I am I'm telling you my
18:47business and every day I have to take
18:50vitamin
18:52D cuz I don't go out in the sun a lot
18:55that's what they tell
18:57me
18:59so I have to take it it's a supplement
19:01Paul says for you to
19:04grow he said go back to verse verse five
19:07for every reason or for this very reason
19:10I should say make the effort to
19:14supplement your faith Journey with
19:18virtue and virtue
19:22with
19:24intellect that while you're on this
19:27Faith Journey and you call yourself a
19:30Christian I am a Christian I'm filled
19:32with the Holy Spirit I've got God in Me
19:34okay can we see can we see something
19:37behind all of that what's feeding
19:40you do you have love in your heart cuz
19:44I'm telling you you can say you're a
19:46Christian but you can be a mean
19:52one does anybody know any mean Christian
19:55okay put your hand down don't don't
19:57raise your hand don't do that cuzz you
19:59may be sitting right to the person that
20:01right next to the person that's
20:04me Paul's Peter
20:07said you ought to supplement your faith
20:11with
20:12virtue and with that virtue he says you
20:15are to supplement it he says with
20:19knowledge and then he says self-control
20:23self selfcontrol
20:28the only way you're going to grow and
20:31have
20:31self-control is when you're in a setting
20:35like this you came to church you logged
20:37on and with the community of people the
20:41pastor is preaching and this word is
20:44going to get into your heart and
20:47sometimes it's not going to be nice the
20:49pastor is going to say things that you
20:51really don't like and this is where you
20:53cannot get into your feelings now cuz if
20:56you get into your feelings you you then
20:58develop pride and God's trying to use
21:01the power of the word to transform you
21:05and because you are upset and you're
21:08angry you will leave church getting mad
21:11how dare that man preaching that way to
21:13me well if you're going to grow it's
21:16going to take the strength of the word
21:18of God to get you to grow in other words
21:21you've got to learn to control yourself
21:23you've got to learn to shut your mouth
21:27when you want to open your mouth you
21:29going to have to learn to give a smile
21:32when your body language want to tell
21:35somebody don't mess with me
21:38[Applause]
21:44today you know how many people would win
21:47to God and bring them in the Kingdom if
21:51you would just preach the message of
21:54having a good
21:56attitude don't tell me you save
21:58Sanctified you love God show
22:04it show it in your self-control show it
22:07that you have
22:09self-constraint show it that you can
22:11control yourself on the
22:13job when you have every right to turn
22:16over tables and knock people out is
22:19there anybody in this room or those of
22:21you streaming who come can I know we're
22:23saved I know we're saved but it's just a
22:25question how many of you at times felt
22:29you want to knock out your supervisor
22:33you want to knock out your coworker come
22:35on can I I mean it's it's just a thought
22:38don't do it it's just a
22:43thought we've all been
22:46there and the rest of you looking like
22:48me I can't believe that pastor's acting
22:50like that what world are you
22:54from but because we're growing in the
22:56word teaches us to walk away be
23:01silent when you're growing in the
23:04word your ex will walk out walked out on
23:07you and treated you
23:08bad left you with all the children
23:12dogged you out set all kinds of stuff
23:15against you when you grow in the word
23:18and you supplement your
23:22Christianity with virtue and
23:25knowledge and you say you know what I'm
23:27not even going to
23:29respond I'm going to take my kids and
23:32I'm going to do my part I'm not even
23:34going to speak evil of him I'm not going
23:36to speak evil of
23:38her I'm not going to speak evil of my
23:40children who disrespect me after all
23:43those years of me sacrificing my life
23:46for them and now they literally spit in
23:50my
23:51face I'm not even going to argue with
23:53that person who was broke and didn't
23:55have no money and I loan them money
23:58and now the way they are dogging me out
24:02is as if I did nothing for them you see
24:06when you're in the word and you're
24:10mature you walk away it's
24:14hard it's hard to do that but when
24:17you're in the word it's easy to do it
24:21because then you know leave your enemies
24:24to God oh leave your enemies to God
24:29man he continued to say a knowledge with
24:32self-control and self-control with
24:36steadfastness self-control helps you to
24:38grow firm in your faith where you're not
24:43wobbling you're firm and steadfastness
24:47and godliness because when you are firm
24:49in your word it leads you to
24:52righteousness to act right before God
24:55verse seven and godliness watch this the
24:59community the Community Church listen
25:03you really want people in this
25:05building you really want people to come
25:07know about your god let's not forget the
25:11human factor of
25:13life I swear some of us man are so deep
25:16and spiritual we have lost our human
25:21sensitivity lost
25:24it we're Christians we're so deep
25:26spiritual but we have no human
25:29affection none whatsoever Paul says and
25:33godliness with brotherly affection
25:36brotherly affection and brotherly
25:38affection with love in other words the
25:42power the thing about the Middle
25:44East that I am attracted to I had the
25:48privilege of being to Israel have the
25:49privilege of being to Dubai and so I've
25:51seen how the Israelites operate versus
25:55against the Arabs and the all have one
25:58thing in common it's the human
26:01affection in the Western Hemisphere our
26:05minds are so messed up messed up the way
26:10we think come here CB the way we think
26:12our minds are so messed up so any little
26:15thing that we see
26:17different the
26:19negative interpretation of it is
26:24crazy in the Middle East when they
26:27greeting each
26:29other they greet each other not like us
26:32especially cuz we're smart people man
26:35when you don't really like a person or
26:36you don't really want it you know come
26:38the person is coming to hug we first
26:40thing we do we just like don't no no hug
26:43today in the Middle East they in the
26:46Middle East they don't really do this
26:47they don't really do
26:49this this is how these people operate in
26:51the Middle
26:54East
26:56now in North
27:01America we try
27:05this two
27:08[Applause]
27:10men come on now you know I'm telling the
27:14truth they were affectionate people
27:19because that's how God loved
27:22us the because we have lost that
27:25spiritual human
27:28affection that's connected not with
27:30perver uh uh
27:33perversion but with
27:35love notice he says with love not
27:41perversion because we've lost it what
27:45happens we can't grow as a community we
27:48can't grow as a people because we're so
27:50suspicious of each
27:52other we're so hurt and
27:56broken that we we we choose how we'll be
28:03affectionate to one
28:05another and we're no longer governed by
28:07the
28:09word we're no longer governed by the
28:11word
28:13says that we must mix with our faith
28:17brotherly affection and with that
28:20affection it must be fueled by
28:25love so when when we hug just like like
28:30this it doesn't mean that there's
28:32something strange it is it is the human
28:37affection thank you God thank you he
28:40just told me something this is good he
28:43just hit me with
28:44it loving this way according to
28:48Peter is
28:50risky watch me I know that's why we
28:54don't do it it's risky
28:58because it requires your full
29:02commitment and because we don't want to
29:05get hurt we don't love this kind of way
29:09and Jesus showed us that in spite of
29:15betrayal in spite of people targeting
29:18you let Brotherly Love mixed with
29:22affection because Jesus himself because
29:25he was practicing what I just showed you
29:28Judas walked up and did the same
29:35thing yes you're going to be betrayed
29:38even when you do
29:40it but you have to control yourself like
29:44Jesus that even in showing brotherly
29:48affection some people are going to be
29:50genuine but you must understand that
29:53some people are going to betray you but
29:55wait a minute some sometimes you need to
29:58understand this betrayal is a part of
30:01the process to your
30:04greatness God will let people betray
30:08you to one reveal who they are but also
30:13to get you on the path that he has for
30:15you in the future oh somebody ought to
30:18give God a praise thank you
30:22sir so let me quickly mention this and
30:24I'll try to get out of your way here
30:28understanding that any form of growth
30:31leads to productive
30:35success I have to outline to you five
30:39essential areas of
30:41growth want to um lay this out to you
30:45actually six six essential areas of
30:48growth you have your spiritual growth
30:51your personal growth your family growth
30:54career
30:55business and your your
30:58finances those six areas you need to
31:01grow in but it's going to take a
31:03community to do it it's going to be
31:05fostered by
31:09unity when you come here every week my
31:12job is to empower you and to strengthen
31:14you and to help you to grow you have
31:17personal growth you take what you've
31:20heard today build on that throughout the
31:22week and get into the word yourself pray
31:24every day and so forth if you can make
31:26it to m week service you do that get
31:28yourself around the right people be
31:30careful of the company that you keep
31:33feed your mind with the word of God and
31:36then family growth your job is to grow
31:39your family your job is to deposit in
31:43your
31:44spouse depositing your spouse you heard
31:46me
31:47correctly Every Woman your wife your job
31:50is to support your
31:53husband your job is to stand with him
31:56and and to grow gr with him because it's
31:58going to take Unity listen to me all
32:01satan wants is to come into your house
32:03and separate you too and if he can
32:05separate you too that house is not going
32:07to
32:09stand that's
32:11it now you're saved and you got the
32:14faith of God but the faith was not
32:16supplemented with
32:18love with
32:20virtue every every husband needs to
32:24support his
32:25wife every man needs to understand
32:28respect your wife support be there as
32:31that support system for your wife and
32:34grow because here's what the enemy wants
32:37he wants to bring tension between you
32:38and your spouse and as long as there's
32:40tension between you and your spouse the
32:43enemy knows it's impossible watch this
32:47to build an
32:50Empire it's impossible it's impossible
32:54for that house to succeed it's
32:57impossible for you to have watch this
33:00generational wealth to be
33:03transferred it's impossible for Big
33:05Dreams to be
33:07accomplished because there's no Unity
33:11there you're not
33:13growing you're just partnered together
33:16you're not
33:17growing you got each other's name or
33:19support and it's a licensed thing but
33:22guess what she has her own bank account
33:24you have your own bank account
33:28now you're in the
33:29kingdom and nobody shares
33:33information and you wonder why you can't
33:36achieve
33:37greatness cuz you're building two
33:40kingdoms within one a house that is
33:44divided this is Bible cannot
33:50stand think about that you can never
33:53build a
33:55company when Unity is not not in
33:58there you cannot build a company those
34:01of you who are leaders and supervisors
34:03you cannot build a company when you
34:05start siding with other employees
34:07against
34:09others you got to look at the vision of
34:11the company and at the end of the day
34:14everybody's got to meet in the
34:17middle this church will never succeed if
34:21we're not
34:23one if we don't come into the unity of
34:26the faith if we don't grow the church
34:29family you got to grow in your
34:32career God may have an opportunity for
34:34you to to be promoted two years from now
34:38and God is saying hey go get the
34:42training go take these courses and seize
34:45the opportunity of learning certain
34:48things so when the opportunity comes for
34:51you to be selected as a supervisor you
34:53have the
34:54experience you got to grow in your
34:56career
34:57you got to grow in your business and
34:59then you got to get your finances
35:01together if if you cannot manage your
35:04money then go to people who are trained
35:06and equipped to do
35:10so I'm first to tell you I was horrible
35:13with that one
35:14time and I had to admit that I'm not
35:17good at managing money and I had to
35:20admit that I no longer want to live my
35:22life living from paycheck to paycheck I
35:25no longer want to be struggle through
35:28life and knowing that I may work good
35:30money but yet still I can't manage it
35:33and because I could not do it on my own
35:36I supplemented my faith I'm a Christian
35:39yes I love God with all of my heart but
35:42I had to get the
35:45help I had to get the help I had to get
35:49the help let me leave you with five
35:51things that I believe that you need to
35:54do five outcomes when we are united to
35:58grow spiritually and expand our church
36:01on a whole and I pray with you this may
36:05be boring to you and this may not even
36:07apply to you but one thing I will tell
36:09you man you're going to leave this place
36:11you're going to log off and you're going
36:13to like boy that was that was something
36:15else hitting me with preaching there
36:17today cuz it's HD in the
36:20heart I don't want to come here every
36:22week just to excite you let you jump
36:24shouts speaking tongues whatever you do
36:27are you
36:28growing that's the
36:30question are you growing as an
36:33individual is your personality getting
36:37better is your wisdom getting better are
36:40you learning to control your emotions
36:42better because it will show in all areas
36:45of your
36:46life because if watch this if we can get
36:49it
36:52together if we can get it together
36:57and go out into the
36:59marketplace and mingle with those people
37:02they're going to see a Jesus in me that
37:05in all of us I should say that they
37:08haven't seen and they're going to say
37:09wait a minute there's something
37:10different about you I mean I I see what
37:13they've done to you and you didn't
37:14respond negatively I noticed the way
37:16you're talking and so forth what's
37:17different about you and so forth what
37:19church do you go to and tell me a little
37:21bit about this God because my life is
37:23all messed up and I really want to know
37:25how you're able to manage that and how
37:26you're able to respond that way I need
37:29talk to me about your Jesus let your
37:32Jesus Shine his light in my
37:36darkness so here are five outcomes when
37:40we unite to grow spiritually and expand
37:43our church number
37:45one enhance spiritual
37:48connection enhance spiritual
37:52connection please Faith Center I want
37:55you to hear me whatever we do in this
37:58church please never allow the Holy
38:01Spirit to leave
38:04us don't let him leave
38:07us it is possible to have church while
38:11God is not
38:16there it's possible to gather in such
38:19large large numbers and God's not with
38:24us so whatever this church does
38:28make sure the holy spirit is in
38:30here make sure each of us read our Bible
38:34please I I know I know it's boring
38:37today I know I know it's it's kind of
38:41different and oh this what I came here
38:45for today they told me he could preach
38:48good
38:49and you know just just basic Elementary
38:53stuff I I get it come back next week
38:55hopefully I'll get a good message for
38:56you
39:00but enhance our spiritual connection
39:04with God and if we can get it right with
39:06him then we'll get it right with each
39:13other number two personal and Collective
39:20transformation all of you are pointing
39:23fingers at people and saying get your
39:24life right and you're tell people get
39:27their house in order get their life
39:28right and da d d da do me a favor I want
39:30you to stop that for a moment and I want
39:32you to get your life right
39:35[Music]
39:35[Applause]
39:37first can can you work on you right now
39:42first you saying to yourself God clean
39:45me up first I want to work on me and
39:49then watch this now here comes the power
39:52of unity you start working with other
39:54people and you say come let's be
39:56transformed
39:58together let's be let's show these young
40:01people that sticking with God pays off
40:04young people you guys are on fire man
40:08you guys got so much at your disposal
40:10today can can you get your life together
40:13and can you network with each other and
40:16can you be on fire for
40:20God I mean be on fire for God
40:24man in conversation start are quoting
40:28scriptures instead of meeting together
40:31to smoke marijuana and do
40:34drugs or to do all kinds of crazy stuff
40:38will you be the leader to P put I mean
40:41put out pull out your Bible and just say
40:44let's just start studying the word of
40:45God
40:47[Applause]
40:52together can we start doing that yes
40:55personal and Collective
40:58transformation transforming your life
41:01number three strengthened family
41:05bonds can we make a decision that Satan
41:09is that's why the the worship team was
41:11singing that
41:12song that related to
41:15family if you don't think the devil is
41:17after your family you make
41:20what
41:23what he's got a target of on your
41:27family he doesn't want your family to
41:29succeed he doesn't want to see your
41:31family
41:32blessed so let's work in
41:37creating that spiritual strength and we
41:40grow in in the word of God so we can
41:43strengthen our family
41:45bonds that we can bring God back into
41:48our families number four advancements in
41:51career and
41:53business anytime you unite yourself in
41:56your grow spiritually I'm telling you
41:59the blessings that you're looking for in
42:01your career and business he'll just
42:03happen yes do you know that man is Body
42:07Soul and Spirit listen every one of you
42:09carry a certain Spirit right now every
42:10one of
42:12you every environment you enter in your
42:15spirit can alter that environment in a
42:17positive or negative
42:22way so on your
42:24career what spirit do you have when you
42:28go to work after church today or
42:30tomorrow What Spirit are you carrying in
42:32that
42:34workplace come on now what Spirit are
42:36you pulling away from that
42:38workplace your job is to believe God
42:43that you're going to grow
42:45spiritually where that spiritual growth
42:48is going to advance your
42:52career I I've been pastoring for 33
42:55years
42:57and the reason why I'm able to
42:59articulate the way I'm doing it now and
43:01I can preach is not because I just woke
43:04up one day and I could just teach the
43:06word of God it took 33 years of me
43:11growing
43:15growing in July of 20 excuse me July of
43:181991 when the church
43:21started I did not know what the heck I
43:24was doing
43:27I lie not to
43:29you I couldn't
43:31speak I didn't know what I was doing I
43:34was all over the place in the
43:36Bible you have a sermon and at the end
43:39of the day if you were sitting the
43:41audience you'd like
43:42oh what Seminary you went
43:46to but 33 years of staying in that
43:51word develop me in my career God if I'm
43:55going to be a a
43:57pastor my job is to come and Empower
44:00these
44:02people my job is to empower these people
44:05I can't be sitting at home or do things
44:08and and not prepare myself because
44:10that's my
44:12job why would a plumber come to your
44:15house to fix your pipe and he says I'm
44:19only a
44:22roofer would you trust a plumber on your
44:25roof and a roofer to do your plumbing
44:28not really and I know some of you are
44:29saying well you know he Mak can do
44:31little something something something no
44:33I don't want nobody to experiment on my
44:36house I want a professional why would
44:38you let people who are not
44:41qualified experiment on your
44:47life
44:50Wow Lord today's only about 25% of the
44:53people with the sermon but I'm going to
44:55preach it anyway
44:56I end it with
44:58this numerical growth through unified
45:02vision and
45:05effort when we grow
45:11spiritually we will grow
45:15numerically
45:18absolutely
45:22absolutely you let us get on fire with
45:24the word of God
45:27you let us get pregnant with God's word
45:29and let it change our
45:33character we won't have room to put
45:35people in this
45:38place people are looking for
45:42Hope please hear
45:44me it's not a pretty world out
45:49there and as much as they're covering it
45:52up as much as they're saying I'm fine
45:56they are looking for
46:00Hope and I am here today to tell you
46:04Jesus is that
46:09hope he's the
46:13answer so my question to you is simply
46:18this are you willing to
46:21grow and are you willing to grow
46:24together
46:26with your brothers and sisters are you
46:29willing leaving here today logging off
46:31saying I'm going to
46:33supplement my
46:35faith with the things I need to
46:39do in order to grow I want you to buy
46:41your heads with me please and if you can
46:45just stay where you are I'd appreciate
46:47that I want to pray I want to pray this
46:51morning
46:52for those of you who are
46:57somehow kind of like
47:01Pastor I I heard you today but my
47:05goodness I don't even know where to
47:08start I don't know where to start
47:12Pastor well can I just suggest to you
47:14you start right where you're at come to
47:17God just the way you
47:19are a part of growth or growing has to
47:24do with you admitting
47:26that you're not where you're supposed to
47:29be that's
47:30it right where you're
47:33at if you would simply just say the
47:35sinner
47:37prayer and invite Jesus to be Lord over
47:39your life I promise you he will shine
47:42the light in that
47:44darkness and when you do that start
47:48growing read your Bible you pray you
47:52come to church you become a part of the
47:54community of people in fact today at the
47:57Faith Center right after service
47:59today we're going to invite those of you
48:01who'd like to become members of this
48:05church those of you who are determined
48:07to say you know wait a
48:09minute I refuse to be in the kingdom of
48:12God and call myself a Christian and I'm
48:15not attached to a local
48:17church that I can call my church home
48:21that I can call my spiritual
48:23covering that I will submit my yourself
48:25too that you're going to say today is
48:28the day that I'm going to surrender to
48:30God and I'm going to just say God here's
48:32the Fai and I've been coming here I've
48:35been hearing the word and in order for
48:36me to grow I need this community I need
48:39this church to Help Me
48:41Grow I need it this is the reason why
48:43you placed me here I feel a connection I
48:46hope today you make that decision and
48:49you'll go to that membership
48:51class without anyone forcing you and you
48:54say look today's the day I will not
48:56close the month of
48:59January and not say to
49:02God this is my
49:04leader this is my brothers and
49:07sisters we're now
49:10connected if you want to surrender your
49:12life to Christ this morning say this
49:14prayer after me say Lord
49:16Jesus today I Repent of my
49:20sins and I embrace the free gift of
49:24salvation and I declare that I'm born
49:28again in Jesus name now father I thank
49:32you for their confession this morning
49:35thank you for their willingness to
49:38embrace this new
49:41life help them to take responsibility
49:45now and supplement their faith with what
49:49it's required for them to live the faith
49:52life so that they can grow and mature
49:55and for the rest of us today we
49:58rededicate our lives to
50:00you because we want to grow and we want
50:04to see our brothers and sisters grow and
50:06we want to see people come into the
50:09kingdom of God church is not a place of
50:13entertainment it is a place where we
50:16lead people to the
50:19Cross help us to gain our passion
50:23back to become in and ambassadors for
50:26you bless each and every one of your
50:29people
50:30today whatever they're dealing with God
50:33I pray that as they seek you as they
50:35look to the hills from whence cometh
50:37their
50:38help that God you will prove yourself to
50:41them because no one who will follow you
50:45will ever be
50:46disappointed may you bless them now may
50:48you bless those in children's church
50:51dealing with our children bless every
50:53worker there bless every child that's
50:57over there as the parents will go to
50:58pick them up may your blessings be upon
51:01us even as we come back this week for
51:03service and father we'll be careful to
51:06give you the praise the honor and the
51:07glory in Jesus mighty name amen if you
51:11received that word would you put your
51:13hands together and thank God for
51:15it please stand everybody please