Jude: Contending for the Faith

Don’t Trash This Treasure

John Ojewole, 2012

Sermon preached on August 26, 2012

Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NKJV) ¹³ Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

Read Jude 1-7

Support by the Holy Spirit

Strength for the Journey

Support by the Holy Spirit

August 12, 2012

Memory Verse: John 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

TEXT:

John 14:15–31; John 16:5–15 

What God Wants of Me

What God Wants of Me

Memory Verse: Romans 12:1 (NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Text: Isaiah 6:1-9

Sustenance Through Supplication

Strength for the Journey

Sustenance Through Supplication

Memory Verse: Isaiah 65:24 (NKJV) “It shall come to pass

That before they call, I will answer;

And while they are still speaking, I will hear.

Text: Psalm 20

Strength from Scriptures

Series: Strength for the Journey

Strength from Scriptures

By

Dr. John Ojewole ©2012

Memory Verse:

Psalm 119:28 (NKJV) My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.

Text: Joshua 1:5-8; Matthew 7:24-27

Introduction: Psalm 23:1–4; John 16:33

When You Seem to be Unsatisfied with What You’ve Got

Hijacked: What’s Taking You Captive?

HIJACKED BY LUST

When You Seem to be Unsatisfied with What You’ve Got

Memory Verse: James 1:13–15 (NKJV) ¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Text: 2 Samuel 11:1-17, 26-27; 12:1-13

What to do When You Cannot Undo the Done

Hijacked: What’s holding you captive?

What to do When You Cannot Undo the Done

Memory verse: Philippians 3:13 (NKJV) ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

Text: Matthew 26:30–35; 69-75

When A Nation Turns Its Back on God

AGAPE USA DAY

When A Nation Turns Its Back on God

Memory Verse: Isaiah 1:3 (NIV)

³ The ox knows its master,

the donkey its owner’s manger,

but Israel does not know,

my people do not understand.”

Text: 2 Chronicles 33:1–25; Romans 1:18-32.

When You Can’t Find Something Nice to Say

HIJACKED: What’s Holding You Captive

When You Can’t Find Something Nice to Say

Memory Verse: Matthew 7:1–2 (NKJV) “Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

  

Breaking free from the Bondage of Bitterness

HIJACKED: What's Holding You Captive?

Breaking free from the Bondage of Bitterness

Memory verse: Ephesians 4:31–32 (NKJV) ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Text: Ephesians 4:30-5:2

A WINNING MAN

Happy Fathers Day

A WINNING MAN

Memory Verse: 

Proverbs 23:22 Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. 

Introduction:  1 Corinthians 9:24

HOW TO APPREHEND YOUR ANXIETY

Hijacked: What’s holding you captive?

HOW TO APPREHEND YOUR ANXIETY

Memory Verse: Proverbs 12:25 (NIV) Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

Text: Matthew 6:25–34 (NIV)

How to Beat a Lie Detector

Hijacked: What’s Holding You Captive?

How to Beat a Lie Detector

Memory Verse: Ephesians 4:25 (NKJV) ²⁵ Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

Text: Ephesians 4:17-25

THE GRAND FINALE OF WATCHMEN ON THE WALL EVENT (written May 25, 2012)

THE GRAND FINALE OF WATCHMEN ON THE WALL EVENT (written May 25, 2012)

Please be advised that I did not do much editing of this blog. Please bear with me.

When You Constantly Lose Your Cool

Series: Hijacked: What’s holding you captive?

When You Constantly Lose Your Cool 

Memory Verse: Ephesians 4:26–27 (NIV) ²⁶ “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold.

Watchmen on the Wall & Prayer Walk to Strategic Points in Washington DC

Watchmen on the Wall & Prayer Walk to Strategic Points in Washington DC

It’s been a very long day that is filled with enormous and impacting spiritual activities. The day started with an hour of Prayer for the nation and for pastors from 6am to 7:00am. There were many guest speakers today. Two of them stood out because they are well known names in evangelical circle. I will share about some of their speeches before the end of this blog.

Some of the programs planned for today include a meetings and prayers with our state congressional officials. As it happened, our California Congressional officials did not respond to our request to meet with and pray with them. I suspected that this could be because it coincided with the visit of President Obama to California. Another program that was planned for the day was prayer walk around the strategic points of Washington DC. I was a part of a group that went on the prayer walk to the area of the Whitehouse, ACLU headquarters, Planned Parenthood headquarter, Treasury Department, FBI headquarters and National Museum. One remarkable thing in this prayer walk is the unity by which we prayed for the president, the elected officials, and the nation in general. The focus was not on painting one party as saints while the other is of the devil. That is remarkable. It is an inspiring exercise as we also sang some historical national songs like Battle Hymn of the Republic and the like.

         

As indicated earlier, two noted speakers spoke, in addition to a host of others like, Dr. Johnny Hunt, Ken Ham, Dr. Kenyn Cureton.

Dr. David Jeremiah who spoke on the Biblical Perspective of the America’s Debt shared talked about 4 things that we could as Christians during this time of financial crisis. Here are his suggestions:

1. Keep your head in the game. 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Romans 13:1; 1 chronicles 12:32; Matthew 16:3.

2. Keep your house in order.

Take a personal inventory. Minimize your indebtedness.

Cf. Crown ministry is very helpful with debt and financial education.

3. Keep your heart in your faith. Daniel 8:27; 11:32-33.

GOD can still do great things.

4. Keep your hope in GOD. Job 17:15, Jeremiah 17:7-8. Lamentation 3:21-26.

Nothing is too difficult for GOD.

Dr. Ravi Zacharias spoke on the topic: convincing your church to engage culture. He was a very powerful speaker. He captivated the audience throughout the time given to him. He used the story of Nehemiah to motivate pastors to action.  He said that when there was a need, Nehemiah rose up to the occasion. He gave us a few suggestions as follows:

1. Nehemiah felt the pathos for his people. You will never lighten any load until you feel the pressure in your own soul.

2. Nehemiah prioritized his mission in prayer. Eleven times in the book of Nehemiah, he fell on his knees to pray. He shared a popular quote of Chrysostom on prayer. I remember sharing the same quote in our church before.

3. Nehemiah got close to the situation. You cannot address the problem in a distance. We must understand that we are dealing with people and people have feelings and needs.

4. Nehemiah prepared for the task ahead.

5. He avoided the paralysis of pessimism and we should do the same.

6. Nehemiah built the build the wall in 52 days and returned to Persia.

In conclusion, we are advised to do what is bright and we will be able to help the people.

Before concluding this brief blog for today, I must say that we also had a great worship experience throughout the event. Charles Billingsley, worship leader for Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA led us in a rejuvenating and inspiring worship time.

We ended the day with an hour of night watch prayer for our nation. I am now getting tired and needs to go to be because we are starting out by 5.00am tomorrow morning. See some of the pictures and videos below: