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To properly understand the Incarnation of God, we must know what necessitated it- sin.

From this teaching, we learn that man cannot pay for his sins even if he tries because he is helpless.

Every man needs the intervention of a saviour who is without sin, who is human, and of infinite worth.

The following are some points to note about the incarnation:

1. God had always announced his plan to save the world.

2. The incarnation did not stop Jesus from being God.

3. The virgin birth was necessary for salvation

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. It confirms His lordship and assures believers that death is not the end. Because He rose again, those who die in Christ have the hope of eternal life.

What distinguishes Christianity is not just reverence for Jesus, but an understanding of who He is. What you believe about His identity is important.

There have been several incorrect teachings about Christ’s eternal existence, including Arianism, Adoptionism, Unitarianism, and Modalism. These doctrines misunderstand or deny key aspects of His divine nature and pre-existence.

The concept of Theophany helps in understanding Christ’s identity. A theophany is when God, who is invisible, reveals Himself in a visible form that humans can perceive. In Scripture, this is seen in two main ways: God revealing Himself as the Word, and God appearing as the Angel of the Lord.

These truths point to the eternal nature of Christ and affirm that Jesus is not just a figure to be honoured, but the divine Son of God who reveals God to humanity.

In this sermon, we learn that reverence for Jesus is not what makes you a believer but what you believe about him. 

Jesus asked the disciples, "Who am I to you?" because it matters to Jesus who He is to the believer. 

The disciplined study of who Christ is is known as Christology. This shapes our doctrine, the lens through which every other doctrine must be considered.

Three terms that reveal what Jesus does to our relationship with God: 

1. Jesus is the Logos of God 

2. Jesus is the Eikon of God 

3. Jesus is the face of God.

It is possible to have money and still love the Lord. There is an increase that comes with money, which serves God, rather than replacing Him in your life. The answer is a prepared heart.

You can get to a point that money does not move you, and the bible gives us examples of such people– Zacchaeus, Abraham, Lydia, Joseph of Arimathea. Therefore, your worth should not come to a point where lack or abundance will determine your allegiance to God.

Also, if you are truly a steward of God’s money, then He can direct how you spend your money. He can instruct you on what to do because there’s a way God expects you to manage your resources.

The Christian faith is a faith of results. And there are certain results you would not get without prevailing prayers.

We are taught that our prayers can transform what the word of God says into power in our hands.

Every work of God- present, past, and future- operates through a consistent principle, His word preceding, and His power confirming. 

We are made to understand the following:

1.  God is not separate from His word.

2. God's power backs His word.

When you are faced with obstacles, you don't have to wait for the sovereignty of God to show up through prevailing power and faith. You can also yield results in prayer.

In this morning session of Leaps and Bounds, we learn that the Salvation experience was not an upgrade; it was a whole new being created from a different source entirely.

We also learn that one of the ways to birth results is through prevailing prayers- prayers that are consistent, insistent, continuous, unending, and perpetual. It does not rest and never ends until you see results or hear the voice of God.

As great and as sovereign as God is, He has created a strategy through which man can persuade him in the direction of results.

The CHEQUMATE series rounds off with an exposition on tithing and giving the Biblical way.

We discover that not many believers know how to separate which parts of the Old Testament laws still apply today. This is due to a lack of understanding of the context of the law.

When it comes to the subject of tithing, the wrong understanding would cause you to fall into two possible ditches, which are:

1. A ditch of pure compliance following the law of tithing, regardless of context, heart, or understanding.

2. A ditch that swings so far towards the essence of the law that compliance disappears altogether.

However, when we look at the act of giving in the New Testament, we see that it was purposeful, frequent, sacrificial, and structural. It was also done as a form of worship to God.

God is sovereign and at the same time a father. In His sovereignty, He has established systems and yet still chooses to intervene in favour of people and places according to His will.

We are stewards of the resources we have. Just like in a game of chess, where there are moves to protect the king, you must “Guard your heart with all diligence...”, as the Bible instructs.

Work hard, but also examine your motives.

If the King falls, you fall—so you must protect the King.

The life of Solomon, who is said to be the wisest man who ever lived, was examined in this teaching. We discover that most of his life choices did not align with the true wisdom of God after all.

His final position on how we should perceive wealth and riches is one to note, as he had acquired all there was in relation to money.

We are reminded that the money we possess is only a tool that should be stewarded rightly, and Jesus must be Lord over it all.

One of the most misleading ideas about the Bible is that it teaches you every single thing you need to know about life. The central theme of the Bible is Jesus and the salvation plan. And even though God can bless us financially, that is not the promise of the gospel.

These are a few points we learn about the gospel and money:

1. Jesus did not die to make us rich.

2. Being saved does not make you rich.

3. The blessings of God are not always money and riches.

4. The Word of God does not teach us how to make money. It teaches contentment and what to do with money.