Faith Chapel SD Podcast

Pastor Josiah reminded us that our mission is to culture like Christ and our vision is Jesus. Last week’s message, “No Excuses,” called us to align our hearts and minds with the Lord, while this week’s sermon, “Live on Mission,” built on that as our Africa team returned. Centered on Luke 14–15, Pastor Josiah challenged us to put Jesus first, even above family and comfort, teaching that denying ourselves is truly honoring Him. The Africa team shared how saying “yes” to God transformed their lives and deepened their faith through miracles, healing, and boldness. From delays to divine encounters, they witnessed God’s abundant life (John 10:10) and saw how He moves both in Africa and here at home. As Pastor Josiah said, whether across the street or across the world, we are called to live on mission—to say “yes” to Jesus and be salt and light in a dark world.

The title of the sermon was “The Power of Agreement.” We are free to come into agreement with Christ Jesus everyday. We can say “Yes” to Jesus daily, and we are free to stand for Him in our words and actions; thus you are always on assignment for Jesus. The power of agreement with Jesus puts you in alignment with Him. Pastor Greg read from Mark about the paralyzed man whose four friends carried him to the Lord. These men evaluated the situation, decided the area was too crowded, so they climbed on the roof while carrying their friend. They opened the roof and “lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ’Son, your sins are forgiven.’” Mark 2:4b-5 “Jesus saw their faith, and He was moved by it.

Agreement turns weakness into witness and struggle into strength. The four men were in agreement that their friend needed healing, that Jesus could heal him, and that they could carry him. Pastor Greg posed two pertinent questions for us to ponder. The first one was “Who are you carrying towards Jesus right now?” The second was “When was the last time you let someone carry you?”

Several verses discussed the power of two or more. “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV) In the New Testament it says “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (NIV) Also Paul wrote, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” Romans 15:1 (NIV) We live in community, and when we do, we get to help each other. Agreement is the bridge between brokenness and breakthrough.

Pastor Erick Aguilar’s sermon was entitled “The Heart Before the Gift.” He read about Joshua and the Israelite army were to ”March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse….” Joshua 6:3-5 (NIV)Those instructions seem ludicrous to us so imagine how they sounded to Joshua and the mighty army of God. They were to march silently for six days around the city walls. Do those directions empower an army before it launches into a battle against its rival? God’s plans are higher than man’s plans. Pastor Erick’s Paramount Point was Worship is a weapon that must be coupled with obedience. Why do we worship? We worship first and foremost because we have an innate desire to adore Him who created us. “Yet God made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 We want to know our Creator. We want to know who He is and how He functions. Every human has a sense of our smallness in contrast to His grandeur and power. He is beyond our imagination, and yet we want to know Him. That is why we worship.Additionally, obedience is costly. Pastor Erick cited the life of King Saul. The Lord had directed him to kill all the Amalekites and their livestock. However, Saul saw some livestock he valued and saved the livestock and the king of the Amalekites. When Samuel the prophet confronted King Saul and his disobedience, Saul justified his behavior and stated that he had obeyed the Lord. Saul was in denial. “But Samuel replied, ’What is more pleasing to the Lord; your burnt offers and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice?’” 1 Samuel 15:22Saul wanted what he wanted including God’s approval of his disobedience. “When we put our words in God’s mouth, we are in danger,” emphasized Pastor Erick. Saul was more interested in what he wanted instead of what God instructed. Pastor Erick repeated Pastor Greg Hendrick’s words,”Failing the instructions means succeeding in destruction.” Saul continued in his path of disobedience and even went so far as to erect a monument to himself. Obedience quickly becomes disobedience when the assignment has changed

While we are in a great place of excitement for Lord and to see him move in Revival. We must first look to past moves of God to understand more about what Revival looks like, the spiritual cost that comes with it and to examine ourselves are we truly in position with the capacity to carry it out under the leading of Holy Spirit? There are 3 parts to this message: The Necessary role a BURDEN from the Lord plays in Revival, are we positioned to STEWARD it and to build an appetite for the FRUIT of Revival. Key Scripture is Zechariah 4:6 ESV "...Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD."

Jesus teaches a parable of people invited to a banquet, through they've agreed to come, excuses begin to flow once the banquet is ready.

Pastor Josiah takes us into an intrinsic look at the reasons behind their excuses and how it applies to us today. This is not a time for excuses. If we look for them, we'll find them! But if we look and stay committed, we'll never be disappointed we made that decision!

John Mark isn't a widely known biblical character however without him, we wouldn't have the Gospel of Mark! He made a profound impact on our world. Pastor Josiah shares 7 contributing factors that led to how John Mark went from a prayer house, to the mission field, to a Gospel writer. Covering the people he labored alongside - their successes and their opportunities to grow.

Don't get stuck. Making the shift to the new and beautiful thing the Lord is doing is so vital. John the Baptist was caught between two convenants and had a hard time transitioning " out of the kitchen" and onto the "dinner table" so to speak. If you're constantly cooking and never transition into time to eat, you'll be missing the whole reason you were preparing to begin with. Jesus was presenting a new wineskin and everybody needed to get their wineskin ready for the transition to receive the new wine. If you didn't, you'd miss out entirely on the new thing the Lord is doing. That'd be a loss nobody should endure if they can help it.

Furthermore, Jesus had such a heart for the religious leaders to make the transition, which is why he kept sharing meals with them even though they were trying to trap Him. What an amazing example for us to follow.

After covering John the Baptist, Pastor Josiah takes us into John the Beloved. He wasn't always perfect, but there was something about his zeal for the Lord that afforded him favor with Jesus. Jesus was cultivating something in John because of his bold yes to follow the Lord. Unlike John the Baptist, John the Beloved was able to make a transition from the ministry of preparation to intimacy. We explore benefits it brought to him as an individual and furthermore what the Lord did through him because of this powerful choice he made.

Mak shares her powerful testimony of how God had spared her life and thrust her into a passionate relationship with Himself. Lukewarm Christianity is not what God ordained. Passionate ALL IN Christianity is the only example Jesus modeled.

This tag team preaching dynamic message takes us into the personal testimony as of Britnee as well as the powerful story of the prodigal son. Personalized and applicable to all people this message reveals the heart of the Father powerfully. Then Pastor Michel takes us into the story of Absalom, David’s boy and how it ties into the this testament iconic story.