Well, here we stand, the last Sunday of 2024. It is
during this time of closing out the year that we take
time to reflect and review, both the good and the
bad, over the past year, and set goals for the new
year.
This is done
corporately, as businesses assess their profits and
losses.
politically, as news agencies will identify the top
ten stories of this past year.
Individually, as most of you will reflect over the
events of this past year in your lives, things that
changed, again both good and bad, and maybe you
will set some goals for the new year (most
common are weight loss and exercise), but maybe
it is to go back to school and finish that degree or
step out on you own and start a business.
Spiritually – I think this is the most important. To
do a spiritual assessment. Where do you stand in
your walk with Christ? Are you better off than you
were a year ago? If not, what do you need to do
to make improvements?
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The Apostle Paul was in a “reflective mindset” as he
penned the words to the Philippian Church. In this
first verses of Chapter 3 he talked about his “religious
pedigree” and how he had once taken pride in his
legalism and zealousness to keep the law. But then in
reflection he realizes that those things don’t really
matter.
[Phl 3:7-14 NLT] 7 I once thought these things were valuable, but
now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite
value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have
discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I
could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on
my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become
righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right
with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and
experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I
want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way
or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! 12 I
don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or
that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess
that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No,
dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on
this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what
lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive
the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling
us.
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Paul is setting a good example for us to follow as he
acknowledges that he hasn’t found perfection in
Christ yet, but he is determined to keep trying –
pressing for the heavenly prize.
This morning I want to spend some time with you
reflecting over this past year and remembering and
celebrating some of the wonderful successes we’ve
seen as SpiritLife Church. Sometimes we have to
admit that we don’t do a good enough job celebrating
our successes – and human nature is such that it is
easy to bemoan our failures. So I’ve asked some of
our church family to help me today as we become
very intentional about celebrating how SpiritLife
Church is making a huge difference in this community
and in lives.
We say that SLC is a Place to Begin, a Place to
Become, and a Place to Belong.
You are going to see that that is not just a
slogan, but a reality.
We say that SLC is not just a Church in our
Community, but a Church FOR our Community.
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And again you are going to see that that is not
just a slogan but a reality.
And we aren’t just a church that is focusing on
our city and our local community – we are a church
with a world-wide influence.
So let me start there, and then focus in on our
local ministries.
World Missions –
SLC supports a number of missionaries and missionary
organizations - Jerry Morris, Bridge Builders; Christy
Benight, Unto the Nations, Matt and Aaron Helland
and many others.
Last year you gave $91,353 to Missions – that is well
over 10% of our church income. And we are one of
the top 20 missions supporting churches in our
denomination.
But then Locally, right here, in this church and
community, we are making a big impact as well.
In addition to the $91K you gave to world missions,
before the year ends we will spend over $25,000
towards Benevolence!
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Week after week we are seeing lives changed through
the various ministries of SLC. It is just one life at a
time, but over time it really adds up.
Some Statistics:
28 new members
63 water baptisms
157 salvations
These salvations happened in all kinds of ways – yes,
our Sunday services, but also in our Spanish services,
youth and children’s services, and our outreach
events.
And I want you to hear from some of the leaders and
from some who have been impacted by SLC’s
ministries.
Celebrate Recovery – Preston and Jeanne Anson
Testimony: Austin Williams
EpicHopeHouse – Good Samaritan Every week –
Sewing, Cooking, Budgeting, Parenting Classes –
Community Garden - AND we were able to set it
up as it’s own 501c3 organization, meaning we are
in a better position to receive grants…
Living in Victory – Lindsay Newberry / Tasha
Sitsler
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Men’s Hope Center: Danny Matthews/Caleb
Johnson
Testimony: David
This past year we launched THOP into it’s own facility
after sponsoring them for 5 years. But we continue to
work with them through Monday night “Harvest”
nights and “MicroCHurch”
Gina Hall, Connections Director
Julius White
Jose Doton, Community Outreach Director
Come on Church, We’ve got a lot to Celebrate. Our
church is growing, It’s Strong, It’s Healthy. It’s
making an impact on our community and the world.
Before I close I want to focus for a moment on the
future.
There is a lot that we are already doing right, and we
don’t need to change – just keep getting a little
better.
But there are some opportunities that are before us
that we need to prepare for.
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A couple of months ago Prophet Remi Carrillo
ministered to us:
...The Lord is going to take you in an accelerated way in the next 3
years. It’s going to be scary but have to be ready for this. There’s
going to be a time that it will shake the boundaries of this church.
I’m seeing a strong revival that will take place here, a healing and
miracle revival. It’s almost like a Pentecost moment and it’s going
to start one day and keep going for 2, 3, 7 days. Revival is going to
take place. And I’m seeing that many churches are going to take
up from this. I don’t know if God is going to give you a specific
blueprint on this on how to start this revival but many other
churches and ministries connected to you are going to take up
from this and their also going to have revival in their church.
They’ve seen the numbers but they want to see the
manifestations. They want to see the gifts operating. There’s
something you are desiring even from your youth that you want
to see manifest and God’s going to give it to you in these next 3
years.
But He’s giving you the blueprint, specific plans on how this is
going to happen. I’m seeing schools that are going to be built
here for ministry and I don’t know why but I see the word revival.
That it’s going to be a revival school, a prophetic school that He
will raise up. There will be people who will help you build it and
help you establish the Kingdom of Heaven in such a way in this
house that your numbers are going to double within the next 3
years.
Don’t be afraid as well for new opportunities, don’t be afraid to
step out of the box, don’t be afraid to go against the grain and
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when I say against the grain, I’m not saying anything that will
bring sin but against the program that we’ve already been use to
for years. If you feel led in that moment by the spirit to prophesy,
don’t be afraid. If you’re led, I see healing happening right now
and you need to minister, cut your program and flow in the spirit,
don’t be afraid of that. Why? Because that’s going to cause
people to say, I need to be a part of that manifestation. That’s
going to spread the word like wildfire in people. There’s
something happening at SpiritLife that didn’t happen last Sunday
or the Sunday before, but it’s happening now. And the Lord is
telling me to tell you to be encouraged. Don’t be afraid of
stepping outside the box. Don’t be afraid to get a little crazy in the
spirit, don’t be afraid to remember the things that you had and
the manifestations that you’ve seen. … Revival, revival, and I
don’t know what the plan is but I’m seeing one revival will lead to
another and another and another. It’s going to bring a lot of
people back.
Conclusion: Musicians Come
So, as I conclude this morning, I want to ask you to be in prayer
with me that God will perform His Word…
1) Revival
2) Doubling in next 3 years
3) Getting outside the box
4) School