“Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;” ‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 4 really hit because he’s not talking to new believers, he’s talking to people who are already walking with God. He’s basically saying, “Don’t get comfortable.” When he says to “abound more and more,” he’s calling us higher, not just to maintain our faith but to grow past where we are. Like Pastor Rich said during yesterday’s pre-service, the real question is, what actually pleases God? And according to Paul, it’s not doing the bare minimum—it’s overflow. It’s seeking His presence more and more, getting into His Word more and more, praying and crying out to Him more and more. That word “abound” in the Greek literally means to overflow and go beyond what’s expected, and that’s what stood out to me. Pleasing God isn’t about checking boxes; it’s about a life that keeps leaning further into Him. We’re not called to stand still—we’re called to keep growing, keep pressing, more and more.

Because God’s goal isn’t just to accomplish tasks — it’s to reveal His glory, His power, and His grace, and using the “unqualified” removes human credit and forces dependence on Him. Biblically, this pattern happens over and over: - God used Moses (stuttered, ran from calling) → to confront Pharaoh. - God used David (young shepherd, overlooked) → to defeat Goliath and become king. - God used Gideon (fearful, hiding) → to defeat an army with 300 men. - God used Peter (impulsive, denied Jesus) → to lead the early church. - God used Paul (persecuted Christians) → to write much of the New Testament. Core spiritual reasons: 1️⃣ So faith stays in God, not people 1 Corinthians 1:27 — God chose the weak things to shame the strong. 2️⃣ So intimacy is required Qualified people rely on skill. Called people rely on God. 3️⃣ So transformation becomes the testimony The miracle isn’t just what God does through them — It’s who they become. 4️⃣ So no one can say “I could never be used.” If God only used polished people, most believers would disqualify themselves. Kingdom Pattern: God doesn’t call the qualified — He qualifies the called.

Did you know that King Saul’s name literally means “asked for”—and the tragic irony is that the king called “Asked For” stopped asking God, while David the fugitive wouldn’t make a single move without inquiring of the LORD. In 1 Samuel 23, David faces life-or-death decisions constantly—should he fight the Philistines? Will Saul hunt him down? Will the people he just saved betray him? And every single time, David does something revolutionary: he asks God first. The Hebrew word is sha’al—“to ask, inquire, request”—the exact same word that forms Saul’s name (Sha’ul). The man whose identity was built on being “asked for” had completely stopped asking. Meanwhile, David—hiding in caves with 600 outlaws—won’t take a step without permission from heaven. But here’s what will blow your mind: David wasn’t waiting for a voice in his head or trying to interpret his feelings. He had an actual, physical, God-ordained system for hearing directly from heaven. He would call for Abiathar the priest and say, “Bring the ephod here.” Abiathar would approach wearing the sacred priestly vest with a breastplate embedded with twelve precious stones representing Israel’s tribes. Hidden inside a pocket in that breastplate were the Urim and Thummim—two sacred objects (most likely stones with different colors or markings) that functioned like divine yes/no answers. David would speak his question out loud before the LORD: “Will Saul come down to Keilah? Will the men of Keilah betray me?” The priest would reach into the breastplate, consult the Urim and Thummim, and one would be revealed—giving God’s direct answer. This wasn’t mysticism or guesswork. This was covenant communication. God speaking definitively through the mechanism He established. And David submitted to whatever answer came—even when it was terrifying. Here’s the game-changer for us: we don’t need a priest with stones anymore because we have something infinitely better—the Holy Spirit living inside us 24/7. Under the Old Covenant, access to God was mediated and limited. Only priests, prophets, and kings heard from God directly. Everyone else had to go through someone. But at Pentecost, everything shifted. Now every believer carries the presence of God internally. We hear from God through six primary ways: the Holy Spirit’s inner voice and leading (John 14:26 says the Helper will teach us all things), the written Word of God (which is God’s revealed will and answers most of our questions), the inner witness of peace or disruption in our spirit (Colossians 3:15 says to let God’s peace act as an umpire in our hearts), prophetic words and spiritual gifts operating in the Church (tested against Scripture), the counsel of mature, Spirit-filled believers who know us and carry proven character, and circumstances with open or closed doors that God sovereignly orchestrates. The process is simple but requires discipline: search Scripture first to see if God has already spoken on the matter, pray and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom (James 1:5 promises God gives liberally to those who ask), listen for the inner witness of peace or unrest in your spirit, test everything against the written Word, seek confirmation through godly counsel for major decisions, and then move forward in faith and obedience. Most believers don’t lack God’s voice—they lack the discipline to quiet themselves, read the Word daily to recognize His voice, and obey what they already know. God is speaking. The question is: are you tuned in?

Glory to God grateful to be here. My names Alex, I’m located in NJ. The Lord knows how strongly I was looking for community to keep growing in faith, in obedience and in character. I prayed on this before joining, praise God for directing me here 🕊️🙏🤍 “ Because of that, you should help each other to become stronger as believers. I know that you are already doing that.”- 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ ‭

On our way back from celebrating our six-year covenant anniversary retreat in the mountains, my wife and I found ourselves deeply reflecting on what the Lord did in us and through us during that time. We intentionally stepped away from the noise of life, ministry demands, and daily responsibilities, and in that place of separation, the Lord met us in supernatural and deeply personal ways, confirming direction, healing places in our hearts, and strengthening our covenant. During that time, we laughed together, we wept together, we prayed together, we worshiped together, we sat in the Word together, we rested together, and simply learned each other again in fresh ways. When you are raising four children and carrying the weight and assignment of ministry, extended time alone as husband and wife is rare, but we were reminded that covenant must be continually cultivated, not assumed. Marriage is not sustained by proximity — it is sustained by intentional pursuit, sacrifice, and time set apart before the Lord. Every married couple, in every season, should prayerfully make space to step away and invest in their covenant, because a strong marriage is not only a blessing to the home, but it is a foundation for legacy, ministry, and generational impact. Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NKJV) “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”