Pastor Corner
WORLD CHANGING FAITH
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith.” 1 John 5:4 (NKJV)
Two things are crucial for a believer’s victorious living as we journey in God. Faith and Love! Paul the Apostle in most of his epistles to the early church always commending these two things in the churches. We learn from the anchor scripture that achieving victory is dependent on our faith. However, we must not forget that according to Galatians 5:6, faith works through love.
What is so important about faith someone may be asking. Why does it look like we make a big deal about faith? I will tell you the following reasons;
— We live by faith. Romans 1:17, Heb 10:38, Gal 3:11.
— We walk by faith. 2 Cor 5:7
— We please God by faith. Heb 11:6
— We obtain our inheritance by faith. Heb 6:12. Acts 26:18
— We exact the enemy’s defeat by faith. Ephesians 6:16-17
— We change our world by faith. 1 John 5:4.
I believe the above six reasons which are not in any way exhaustive should convince you of the need to understand the subject of faith and how to live by it. Good news is that according to Romans 12:3, we all as born again children of God have the measure of faith in us. Truth is that you are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). That tells me that you have faith! All you need to do is to feed it and exercise it.
Three crucial things we all must know about faith are;
- What Faith is
- How Faith Comes
- How to release our Faith
What is Faith? According to Hebrews 11:1, it is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. While hope is integral to faith, we must first know that Faith is not Hope! This confusion is the reason why many miss it when walking by faith. Hope is in the future while faith is now. Whilst hope says I will be healed sometime, someday, Faith says I am healed already. Faith is firm persuasion and conviction that what we hoped for is already ours.
How does faith come? Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. This means that the raw material by which faith is manufactured is the word of God. We have to make a habit of consistently feeding our faith by feeding our spirit man with God’s word so that we won’t have a weak faith. Remember that a weak faith is a cheap prey for the enemy. Meditating on the word of God is what really releases the nutrients of the word into our spirit man.
Lastly, how do you release your faith? We can have the knowledge of faith and feed our spirit on a regular basis and still not get the desired result because we don’t know how to release our faith. Faith is released by words and actions. In the temptation of Jesus is Luke 4, we will notice that Jesus didn’t wish the temptation away neither did he ignore it but responded with what God said. When sickness or poverty or storm comes against you, your words are your way out.
When we live by faith, I believe we are set to register our names alongside the patriarchs in Hebrews 11 because the chapter is not yet closed. The time has come for us to change our world through the power of faith from within. Know it, Feed it and Release it.
I call you blessed.
Children’s Corner
I Can Do All Things
Hello, Children of God, are you ready to learn something amazing today? My name is Elizabeth, and my friend Jumoke is here too. Grab your Bible and let’s explore a special verse together, turn to Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) and Say it Out Loud
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Awesome, let’s dive in.
Elizabeth: Jumoke, do you know what this verse means?
Jumoke: Hmmm… does it mean I can do absolutely anything? Like fly to the moon without a rocket or lift a car?
Elizabeth: Not quite, Jumoke. Let me explain. When Paul wrote this, he was actually in prison. He wasn’t talking about becoming a superhero or doing the impossible. Instead, he was saying that no matter how hard life gets, Jesus gives us the strength to keep going.
●When Paul says, I can do all things, he means he can face good times and hard times because God is always with him.
●Imagine if you had a tough math test or needed to help clean the house, it might feel hard, right? But Jesus gives us the strength to try our best, no matter how difficult it seems.
Jumoke: Ohhh, so it’s not about being able to fly or becoming super strong, but about knowing Jesus is with me when life gets hard?
Elizabeth: Exactly, Jumoke… Let’s think of it this way: Jesus is like a coach, always cheering us on and giving us strength to keep trying.
Jumoke: So, when I face challenges, I can remember that Jesus gives me strength. I will think of Philippians 4:13 next time I feel stuck.
Elizabeth: That’s right, Jumoke, let’s say a prayer to thank God for always being with us.
“Dear Jesus, Thank you for giving us strength in good times and hard times. Help us to trust in you and do our best in everything we face. Remind us that we can do all things through Your strength. Amen.”
Key Learnings
1.Pray: When things feel tough, pray and ask God for help.
2.Trust: Believe that Jesus is there to guide and strengthen you.
3.Do Your Best: Work hard and trust God with the rest.
Fun Challenge
1.Write down a challenge you’re facing this week.
2.Next to it, write: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
3.Say it out loud and believe it 🙂
Health Corner
Made perfect by my imperfections.
Vitiligo (vit-ih-LIE-go) is a non-contagious skin condition characterized by the loss of skin color, resulting in the appearance of white or discolored patches. This depigmentation can occur on any part of the body, including the skin, hair, and mucous membranes such as inside the mouth and nose.
It arises from the destruction or malfunction of melanocytes, the specialized skin cells responsible for producing melanin. Melanin is the pigment that gives our skin, hair, and eyes their color. When melanocytes cease to produce melanin or are destroyed by the body’s immune system, the affected areas lose their pigmentation, leading to the characteristic white patches.
Vitiligo affects individuals of all races and ethnicities, but it tends to be more noticeable in people with darker skin tones due to the stark contrast between pigmented and depigmented areas. While vitiligo can manifest at any age, it often appears before the age of 30.
The exact cause of vitiligo remains unknown, but current research strongly suggests that it is an autoimmune disorder. A family history of vitiligo or other autoimmune diseases may increase an individual’s risk of developing vitiligo, although it is not directly inherited.
This skin disorder may appear or worsen following certain triggering events, such as exposure to specific toxins or chemicals, childbirth, skin damage from severe sunburn or cuts, puberty, liver or kidney problem. Vitiligo is not contagious and cannot be contracted from others. It is not caused by any form of infection.
Diagnosing Vitiligo involves a doctor’s physical examination of white skin patches, review of medical history and potential triggers like sunburn, injuries, or stress. A skin biopsy may confirm the absence of melanocytes, and blood tests can screen for associated autoimmune disorders like thyroid disease or type 1 diabetes.
Vitiligo, a condition without a current cure, is managed through treatments restoring skin pigment or stabilizing the condition. Medical options include topical and oral medications, and phototherapy. Surgical methods like grafting and transplantation are used for stable patches when medical treatments fail. Sun protection and cosmetic camouflage are also beneficial.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53: 4-5 KJV
Development Corner
Measure your Faith
The first time I saw mustard seed, I was on my way to school. Not too long after the trip had started, this man stood up to market his goods. As usual I frowned, here goes the solitude I thought I would have.
I didn’t listen to him till he started talking about the seeds he had for Sale, one of them being mustard seed. He made reference to that very popular text (Matthew 17:20) about mustard seed and asked that the passengers pass it around so we can see how tiny it is.
Oooh, I was thoroughly amazed that Jesus had said if my faith was as tiny as this very tiny thing called mustard seed – I could tell the mountain “uproot yourself and go into the sea”
Since that moment, I’ve learned to measure my faith by the size of a mustard seed and oftentimes it feels smaller.
When God senses my doubts, he asks “how big is your faith?”
I’d sometimes reply “ I believe it’s a quarter the size of a mustard seed or maybe less”.
Imagine the possibilities you can achieve if you had faith just the size of a mustard seed.
Today, I want you to start something new- learn to measure your faith, with your yardstick being the mustard seed. When you realize that your faith isn’t up to that size, you would be moved to work on your faith.
Sudoku
Instructions: The objective is to insert the numbers one to nine into a grid consisting of nine squares subdivided into a further nine smaller squares (sub-grid) in such a way that every number appears once in each horizontal line, vertical line, and sub-grid.
| 8 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 2 | ||||
| 9 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 3 | |||
| 3 | 6 | 5 | 2 | |||||
| 5 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 1 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 4 | ||||
| 3 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 7 | ||||
| 4 | 7 | |||||||
| 4 | 8 | |||||||
| 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Biblical poetry
Obedience in the dark
Obedience, based on faith
Can you do it?
Can you obey when there is no supporting evidence
Nothing physical to reassure you that your actions will yield results
When your motivation is believing that you have been directed by God
Can you be obedient when it doesn’t make sense?
When what is being proposed by God, seems supernatural
Can you do it?
I tell Him I have lost my job
He told me to rejoice, rejoice.
I have no idea how I am going to pay my house rent and you want me to rejoice?
But I rejoice, whilst updating my CV
I rejoice whilst sending out job applications.
He tells me to relocate, to book my flight
I ask him how am I going to take care of myself
He responds with ‘silence’’
So I book the flight, understand that this is a test of faith
And as I draw closer to my travel date,
I get offers that I didn’t think were possible
Whilst I applied for external positions,
he was working on the internal opportunities
Obedience, is shifting my dependence from myself onto Him
Obedience is letting go of control and surrendering to his will
Obedience is doing the hard work, without any reward in sight
Obedience is asking him for guidance before taking action
Obedience is aligning with God’s timeline
Obedience is putting aside your pride
Being obedient, is easier when you know God’s word,
When you are able to recognise his voice, follow his directions,
and seek counsel from those ordained to bring you closer to Him
My obedience has delivered me into a place of Grace
A sense of complete reassurance of God’s love for me
Look at me now, just look at me
That glow you see, that is the halo he placed over me
I shine bright because I sit under his shadow
I humble myself understanding that he has authority over me
And every time I admit that I can’t do it alone
and put aside my ego to let God have his way,
He always finds a way to answer my needs.
You see me standing firm not knowing I am held upright by his mercy,
But at a minute notice I will crawl to his altar
Because the success I experience is attributed to him.
I move with Faith, it’s part of me, a habit unaffected by seasonal trends.
I release faith seeds sugar coated with spiritual toppings
Planted with the prayer of alignment to God’s will.
So that all I have achieved, all I possess is a manifestation of my obedience
when moving from darkness to light.
Conclusion:
As believers, we are called to live a life filled with the joy of the Lord. This joy is not just a fleeting feeling, but also a deep-seated sense of contentment and satisfaction that comes from knowing and experiencing God’s love and presence in our lives.
The Bible tells us, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV). This means that when we are filled with the joy of the Lord, we are empowered to live a life that is victorious and overcoming. The Psalmist writes, “In Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” Psalm 16:11. This verse reminds us that true joy is found in God’s presence and that when we seek Him, we will experience the fullness of joy.
The Bible commands us to “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4. This is not just a suggestion, but also a command that is rooted in the character of God. When we rejoice in the Lord, we are acknowledging His goodness, love, and sovereignty over our lives.
When we are filled with the joy of the Lord, we experience a range of benefits, including strength in times of weakness, peace amid turmoil, and hope in times of uncertainty. Romans 15:13 says, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
So, how can we be filled with the joy of the Lord?
●Seek God’s presence through prayer and worship.
●Focus on God’s goodness and love.
●Choose to rejoice in the Lord, even in difficult circumstances.
●Cultivate a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving.
Go in this strength this month, be joyful always, and you will be amazed at the results that will come forth.
We now have Missional Communities in 16 locations and encourage you to find one near you or start one in your local area.
We now have Missional Communities in 16 locations and encourage you to find one near you or start one in your local area.
| Opic; Isheri, River View Estate | Oworo, Olorunfunmi Street. | Surulere, Iponri Estate. |
| Lambe, Korede Balogun | Unilag, Akoka | Federal College of Education, Akoka |
| Lekki Phase 1 | Victoria Island, Ligali Ayorinde | Ikoyi, Awolowo Road |
| Victoria Island, Oniru | Victoria Island, Chicken Republic, Oniru | Abijo, Destiny Homes Estate |
| Ogunfayo, Off Palace Way | Victoria Island, Kofo Abayomi | Southdrift Court Estate, Ilaje, Ajah |
| Four Points by Sheraton (Teens MC) |
Upcoming Events
July and August 2025
Activities outside of the regular Mid-week and Sunday services
July
●1-7: Seven Days of Glory
●12: Leaders Immersion (Pastorate)
●26: Prayer Conference (Pastorate & Leaders)
August
●1-3: Three days of Glory
●9: Leaders Meeting (Pastorate)
●30: Hour of Grace & Evangelism
Authors:
PD
Children’s Corner: Elizabeth Okokon
Development Corner: Omowunmi Odufuwa
Biblical poetry: Bunmi Owope
Health Corner: Oluwatobi Adewuyi
Conclusion: Samson Onibokun
Design: John Afe
