The Marben Bland Podcast

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These are the five signs that you're aging with power, purpose, and promise. So if you can still

pray like Simon, you're aging with power. If you can still climb mountains like Jacob, you're aging

with purpose.

If you can still learn like Apollos, you're aging with promise. If you can still think like Daniel, you're

aging with wisdom. And if you can still love like Jesus, you're aging with Christ.

Saints, our hair may turn gray. Or in some of our cases, we don't have any hair at all. Your pace

may slow down a little bit.

Your body may change. As much as you want to think you have a six pack, you don't have one

no more. But if your prayer life is strong, if your purpose is alive, if your faith is growing, if your

mind is engaged, if your love is expanding, then age is not going to defeat you.

Because you're aging with power, you're aging with purpose, and you're aging with promise.

Amen.

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Are your best days behind you—or could God still have greater things ahead? In this inspiring 28-minute sermon, Pastor Marben Bland explores five biblical signs that reveal whether we are aging with God's power, purpose, and promise. Drawing from the lives of Simeon, Caleb, Apollos, Daniel, and John, Pastor Bland challenges us to ask: Can you still hear from God? Can you still move with purpose? Can you still grow spiritually, think clearly, and love like Jesus? Rooted in the power of the Holy Trinity and the work of the Holy Spirit, this message will encourage believers of every age to live with faith, hope, and expectancy. 

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Growing older is not about what we lose but about how God continues to shape and use us for His glory. Through the Holy Spirit, we can still pray faithfully, move with purpose, grow in God’s Word, and remain mentally sharp. 

The Holy Trinity reminds us that the Father loves us, the Son redeems us, and the Holy Spirit empowers us. Aging with God is not a season of decline but a season of promise. As Isaiah 40:31 declares, “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.” 

Join us tomorrow at Greater Bethel for Church School and breakfast at 9:30 a.m. and worship at 11:30 a.m. If you cannot attend in person, join our livestream on Facebook, YouTube, or at www.gbaathens.org.

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Jesus commanded His disciples: "Do not leave Jerusalem until you receive power." God never intended His people to live powerless lives. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you, providing power for identity, discernment, impact, and witness. 

Yet many believers live far beneath their spiritual potential, settling for religious activity without supernatural empowerment. 

Today is your personal Pentecost invitation. Stop striving in human strength. Wait on God. Hunger for more. The Holy Spirit wants to fill you afresh with power that transforms how you think, love, lead, and serve. 

This power is not for personal glory but for kingdom advancement. Spend extended time in prayer today, asking God to baptize you anew with His Spirit. Surrender every area of resistance. Open yourself completely to His empowering presence. Then rise and walk in the authority He has given you.

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 At Pentecost, the Spirit granted supernatural understanding—people heard God's message in their own language. 

Today, believers urgently need Pentecostal discernment.

 We live in an age of sophisticated deception, where truth is manipulated and motives are concealed. The Holy Spirit offers wisdom beyond human learning, helping you see what others miss. 

Ask God today for discernment in your relationships, decisions, and the way you consume information. 

The Spirit reveals hidden agendas, protects you from schemes, and guides you toward truth. 

You need not be a victim of manipulation or confusion. Jesus said, "Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

My prayer for you is that the Holy Spirit grant you eyes to see beyond appearances and the wisdom to navigate today's complexities with both compassion and intelligence.

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Before God can use you publicly, He must settle you privately. The Holy Spirit's first work is establishing your identity—not in your accomplishments, failures, or others' opinions, but in God's sovereign choice. You are chosen, royal, holy, and belonging to God. This is not arrogance; it is biblical confidence. When you know who you are in Christ, the enemy's accusations lose their power. Today, reject every false narrative about your worth. You are not defined by past mistakes or present circumstances. You are defined by divine selection. Speak this truth aloud: "I am chosen by God, called for His purpose, and empowered by His Spirit." Let this identity transform how you walk through today's challenges.

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Physical and spiritual health are both gifts from God that require intentional care and daily stewardship. The Apostle Paul reminds us in First Corinthians 6:19 that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Just as prayer, worship, and Scripture strengthen our spirit, movement, rest, healthy eating, and meaningful relationships strengthen our bodies. God desires wholeness for His people, not just survival, but abundant living. A healthy spirit helps us trust God through life’s challenges, while a healthy body gives us strength to fulfill our calling and serve others faithfully. Today, ask yourself: Am I nurturing both my soul and my body? Honor God with your mind, body, and spirit, and remember that caring for yourself is also an act of worship.

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Everybody wants power. Politicians spend millions chasing it. Corporations fight for it. But Pastor Marben Bland reminds us this Pentecost Sunday that there is a power money cannot buy—the power of the Holy Spirit! In this dynamic 27-minute sermon, Powered By The Holy Spirit: Four Ways God Empowers You, Pastor Bland of Greater Bethel AME explores how God empowers believers with identity, discernment, community impact, and bold witness, drawing on Acts 1–2 and 1 Peter 2:9. Discover why Christians are not called to be weak, silent, or powerless, but chosen, Spirit-filled agents of transformation in today’s world. This message speaks directly to the challenges of fear, deception, injustice, and the need for spiritual courage in 2026. Watch and listen today—and prepare to shout, “POWER!”

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Grace and peace to the Athens community. I am Pastor Marben Bland of Greater Bethel AME Church. After prayer, careful study, and a unanimous church vote, Greater Bethel has decided to demolish the Maddox Center building within the next 60 days.

For more than 40 years, the building has remained vacant, and time and deterioration have left it beyond practical restoration. It is also uninsured and uninsurable, creating serious legal and financial risks.

While the Maddox Center carries deep history and memories, God’s mission is greater than any one building. As Matthew 16:18 reminds us, the church is built upon people and faith.

We invite the community to help shape the future vision for this property by attending listening sessions we are hosting at the church on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 26 and 27, at 6:00 PM, and on Saturday, May 30, at 1:00 PM.   Details about these sessions are available on our website, gbaathens.org.

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This Mother’s Day, we celebrate the power of a mother who plants her children in the right place. In 1 Samuel 2:11 (NRSV), the Bible says, “The boy was ministering to the Lord.” That didn’t happen by accident—Hannah placed Samuel in an environment where he could grow in God’s presence.

And in John 8:31, Jesus reminds us that disciples are those who “continue in my word.”

Mothers make disciples by creating spaces where faith can grow—through church, prayer, and the Word.

If you want strong faith, you need deep roots.

This Mother’s Day, thank God for the mothers who kept us planted.

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