Theme for the Year of 2025
Discipleship
Equipping the Saints – Edifying the Body
Ephesians 4:11-16
Fasting every Thursday from 01/02 to 01/23
Daniel’s Fast
Fasting
Daniel’s Fast
Thursday Focuses
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Seeking God – 01/02/2025
Elder Julie Whitehead
Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. (1 Chronicles 22:19)
… and those who seek Me diligently find Me. (Proverbs 8:17)
Seeking means attempting to find; attempting or desiring to obtain or achieve; asking for; searching for and finding…
The origins of the word seek go back to the Latin word sagire, which means “to perceive keenly by scent.”
Thus, to SEEK we must SMELL.
The ability to smell takes place when one is born again… This is where you become a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17) and receive the breath of God and the Spirit of God (Genesis 2:7). This act of confession immediately equips you to SMELL God and begin transformation/metamorphosis (Spirit/ Romans 12:2). We push through the flesh and its carnal desires, emotions, and intellect (Soul/ James 4:8) and pursue/seek God until we become the manifestation of Him in the earth (Body/ Psalm 37:4, Ephesians 2:10, 1 John 3:9AMP).
Psalm 37:4 – as you delight in/seek God, your desires transform to His desire. As such you receive the desires of your heart which is an alignment of The Will of God
… the TWO have now become ONE (Galatians 2:20) – This ONLY happens through
a lifestyle of Seeking/Searching for the Scent that we become the Fragrance
ascending to the nostril of God (2 Corinthians 2:15AMP). This is where seeking
becomes a life of worship
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The Power of Repentance – 01/09/2025
Elder Trudy Doleman
Repentance is one of the most powerful actions a believer can do to live and grow in Christ. We must be willing to take ownership of our actions. John 1:9 (KJV) helps us understand how important confession is to God for our lives. Truth identified we must understand the hurt or damage we caused. Apologize from a sincere heart. Godly sorrow comes from your spirit, it creates the space for repentance.
Repentance is not about giant promises to God (BTW you cannot negotiate with God) saying we will do this or that if He will forgive us. Our apology is not about grand gestures. Our prayer is about recognizing we missed the mark. Why it was wrong and we are ready to try again, on God’s terms. After we have prayed, what next? It is time for more action. Identify the resources to help us walk away from (stay away) the behaviors that cause the damage—finally, forgiveness.
Forgive yourself. God has forgiven you. Need proof? I will leave Psalm 103 right here. Read all of it, but slow down when you get to verse 8. Let it sink in.
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The Power of Prayer – 01/16/2025
Elder Vivian Jackson
Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus taught his disciples this prayer when they asked him how to pray. It is important to walk in full power of the God given authority we have as heirs of the kingdom of God.
Prayer is a result of God’s established authority structure between heaven and earth, as well as a result of his faithfulness to His Word.
Prayer is the power on earth that moves the power in heaven. Prayer is man giving God the legal right and permission to interfere in earth’s affairs.
The most powerful people on the face of the earth are those who have learned how to pray. Prayer is the holy communication with heaven that creates an atmosphere for God’s presence. OUR GREATEST WEAPON IS PRAYER.
Matthew 16:19-20 says, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”.
John Wesley quoted “God does nothing but in answer to prayer”.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we worship you on this day. We know and believe that prayer is the most powerful weapon that you have given us. We ask that you hear our prayers and answer. We know and believe that we are moving heaven towards earth as we pray in Jesus. We know that your power on earth is released through praying your hoy word. We thank you in advance for answered prayers
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The Power of Worship – 01/23/2025
DIT Torrie Blackwell
Worship transforms our hearts, aligning us with God’s presence and purpose. In moments of worship, we reverence and invite His peace. John 4:24 reminds us that God receives our worship—in spirit and in truth. Worship is surrender, gratitude, and trust. It unifies and grounds us-creation to creator, because worship is not just what we do; it is who we are. Today, take time to worship Him wholeheartedly, and experience His power in your life.
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Here are the focuses for January 27 – 31
Day 1 – January 27
Joshua 3:5 NIV
“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”
In Joshua chapter 3 the Lord, through Joshua, was getting ready to finally lead His people to the Promised Land. He commanded Joshua to tell everyone to “consecrate themselves.” In other words, “prepare yourselves because I am going to do something incredible and I don’t want you to miss it.”
“Don’t miss it!” It’s so easy for us to expect the amazing. It’s so easy for us to be what I call “absently presence”, in the room but so preoccupied with other things we forget to seize the moment and say “here”.
How about you? Are you preparing for amazing signs of God, consecrating yourself, setting yourself apart from the world? I want to challenge you to ask God what you need to do to consecrate yourself for the amazing things He has planned for you. If you ask, He will respond.
When you consecrate yourself to God He will do things in you, with you, for you, and through you that will amaze you.
Additional reading: 2 Timothy 2:1-7
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Day 2 – January 28
I Thessalonians 4:1-8 NLT
Finally, dear brothers and sisters,[a] we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.2 For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body[b] and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 6 Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife,[c] for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before.7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
A soldier who has just enlisted in the army and has been issued orders and equipment is probably not ready for combat. He has to be trained and equipped to effectively carry out his missions. In the same way, as a soldier in God’s army, you must prepare for battle by training your mind, will, emotions and even your physical senses to respond to the Lord’s commands. You must be consecrated—set apart and dedicated for God’s purposes.
In order to serve as a soldier in God’s army, you must first make a clean break from everything that is corrupting or distracting your body and spirit.
It’s human nature to try to attain salvation by working on your outsideactions, but God works from the inside out. He saves your spirit and then changes your desires. Your responsibility is to yield to those new godly desires and allow the power of His Spirit to change you.
Consecration involves three steps: confession, cleansing and commitment. You confess your sin by acknowledging that you’ve sinned, and then you truly repent by renewing your mind and changing your actions. If you try to justify, explain or make excuses for your sin, then you haven’t truly repented yet. 1 John 1:10 (NIV) says, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word has no place in our lives.” When you don’t receive God’s cleansing, the devil gains ground in your life. The enemy will try to turn your sin into a stronghold within your soul and make you a prisoner of war in that area of your character. Don’t waste time condemning yourself. All you have to do to receive freedom is simply confess that your problem or issue is actually a sin.
Additional Reading: Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 2:21
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Day 3 – January 29
1 Timothy 4:1-8 (NIV) 1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
The Word of God and prayer consecrate. The word “consecrate” means “to declare something to be holy” or “to set apart something as sacred” or “to commit something to divine purposes.” Everything God created is good even though sin can corrupt, or we can mishandle His good gifts (vv. 4–5). The Word of God and prayer are thus our best tools for receiving God’s blessings in the ways He intended. They help us make holy or dedicate to godly purposes things that we might otherwise misuse or abuse.
Consecration via the Word of God and prayer ensures that we enjoy God’s gifts for His glory, not ours, and that we always value the Giver above the gifts.
Additional Reading: Psalm 138
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Day 4 – January 30
Thessalonians 5:23
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
God doing the work in us is one of the most amazing experiences you can have. As we simply present ourselves to Him he begins the work. He is the architect and contractor of our lives.
I love watching HGTV. I’m often amazed at how creative these designers are. They are simply given the keys and they allow their vision to become a reality. I challenge you to give the Master Designer the keys to your heart. Allow His vision for you to become your reality.
Declare that your body, soul, and spirit will enter into the process of becoming whole.
You are God’s Masterpiece!!
Additional Reading: Psalm 139
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Day 5 – January 31
Genesis 28:18 (NIV)
Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.
Consecration and/or dedication to God is the most important aspect of succeeding at being ourselves. We don’t even know what we are supposed to be, let alone know how to become whatever it is. But as we regularly keep our lives on the altar in consecration to God, He will do the work that needs to be done in us, so He may do the work He desires to do through us.
Jacob had left his family home in Beersheba. He stopped to rest for the night and dreamed of a stairway reaching from earth to heaven. Angels were ascending and descending on it. In the morning Jacob realized that God had been speaking to him. He named the place Bethel, which means “house of God.”
Jacob anointed the stone he had used for a pillow—to consecrate it as a symbol of his meeting with God. Anointing oil was used to consecrate—to set apart, to make holy.
I challenge you to “anoint” your future. Set your future apart for God’s glory. How? By giving God our plans, desires, and dreams. You may think “I want to but my present challenges and pass failures has such a grip on me that I can see the future or anything else. Here’s where you present yourself to God. He is waiting for you because He really has your future in His hands. Anointing your future is simply accepting His will for your life.
Go ahead pour the oil on your future!!
Additional Reading: Genesis 28:10-22, Exodus 30:22-30
Click here for additional instructions from Apostle Sterling Porter: