This is the final in the series about the church (a militant force). This message contains many practical things we can do to let our light shine.

Jesus has called the church to be a militant force on the earth. We have been e powered by God Himself to push back darkness and set captives free. This is the 2nd part of a series.

When Jesus introduced the concept of the "church" in Matthew 16, it wasn't as a social group or even as something that had weekly meetings. There are plenty of other Scriptures that reference the importance of gathering together. He introduced it as a militant force in the earth that the gates of hell would not be able to resist. He introduced it as a force that would release the Kingdom of God into the earth.

Ernie Salinas sharing a message with us about the importance of fighting for our families. Fighting for their salvation and for their eternity. This is a powerful message to cry out to God for our families.

The prayer that Jesus taught His disciples reveal to us what our assignment is while we are here on the earth. We are to prayer. Prayer invites God to invade our world. We are to pray very specifically that God's Kingdom would come, so that His will is done on earth as it is in heaven. This message is about fulfilling our assignment while we are here on the earth.

Jesus paid an amazing price on the cross for us. He didn't pay such an costly price just to get us into heaven. He also paid that price to get heaven into us right now. He paid that price so that the Holy Spirit of God could come and live inside of us right now. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in ( Romans 8:11 ). He has come to empower us to live for God and he enables us to walk in the power of God.

The way God changes things is He speak (Genesis 1). Authority is voice activated. In Mark 11 Jesus invited us into changing things through speaking to the mountain. There are mountains (obstacles) that every person faces that must be addressed. They are not addressed by praying about them (even with fasting). They must be addressed by words directed at them. This is a message about walking in the authority that God has given us in Jesus Christ.

One of the truths that God wants us to renew our minds with is the Presence and Reality of God. God said to Jeremiah, "Do not I fill heaven and earth?". God is omnipresent and able to be everywhere at once. As a believer, you are always in His presence. This message is about how to cultivate that reality in our lives.

God wants to be the influencing force of our thoughts. God's thoughts and ways are found in His Word (Isaiah 55:8-11). The more God's Word fills our mind, the more the Leaven of the Kingdom is affecting our thoughts and thought processes.

Jesus spoke about 3 different influences on the mind (the leaven of Herod, the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of the kingdom). One is an atheistic influence, one is a religious influence and the other one is a kingdom influence. Just as leaven permeates the whole loaf, so these influences permeate our thinking. This is a message on understanding these influences so that one can cultivate a kingdom mentality.

Various people from the Grace congregation sharing a SOAP (scripture, observation, application, prayer) from their personal devotions.

This message is about the Presence of God and how important His Presence is in our lives. Moses valued the Presence of God so much that he was unwilling to take Israel into the promised land unless God's Presence went with them.

Worship is so much more than singing songs to God. It comes from a surrendered heat that has a desire to OBEY God. However, the power of SONG is something the Bible says a lot about. We are encouraged to come before His Presence with singing. This message explores 3 kinds of songs the Bible talks about (Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs).

One of the greatest things that we can do is worship the Living God. But worship is more than singing songs. Obedience is a form of worship to God. Jesus said that we must worship the Father in SPIRIT and in TRUTH.

Various people from the Grace congregation sharing a SOAP (scripture, observation, application, prayer) from their personal devotions.

The Holy Spirit is the person of the Godhead that lives inside of us. Why do we ignore Him? He has to come us to be our Helper. He is the One who will guide us into all truth. We have been given the opportunity to cultivate a relationship with Him. We are invited into the communion of the Holy Spirit. 2 Cor 13:14

In Mark 4 Jesus shares several parables that are designed to open up our understanding to the Kingdom. In one of the parables, Jesus admonishes us to listen and understand. To the one who is hungry and wants to understand, more revelation will be given. It is a powerful invitation to receive insight and understanding about the kingdom of God.

God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. There is reward for pursuing God. This is a message about the place our faith plays in our pursuit of God.

Various people from the Grace congregation sharing a SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) from their personal devotions.

Have you ever thought about how valuable you are to God? He expressed that value when He sent His only Son into the world to die on the cross for you. God expressed your value by sending His Son to purchase you (to redeem you).