Pastor Corner

Welcome to a beautiful year!

Congratulations! You made it to a new year. Entering a new year has been a fascination for me since childhood. My sentiment is shared universally, of course. My earliest memories are that of entering the new year in our village (Odo Ere) in Kogi State, Nigeria. I always looked forward to the family reunion as we would enjoy the love of our grandparents, uncles, and aunties and particularly, play with our cousins again. Our rusty, hospitable village played host to thousands of returnees and buzzed with so much life during the Christmas season of the year. Our religious minds wanted to set the tone for the new year by gaining heaven’s favour through church attendance. ‘’If the new year meets you in the house of God, then God would honour our prayers in the new year’’, we thought to ourselves, as many still do. As I grew older, the novelty of entering a new year with so much excitement and anticipation waned. It is certainly not attendance in church nor a change in the calendar that determines the realisation of new hopes and dreams. The outcome of every year apart from God’s occasional sovereign acts is determined mostly by our ability to build the capacity to receive all that is on offer for us by God.

One of the greatest privileges of my life is discovering heaven’s calling upon my life into the pulpit ministry as a teenager. Living in the direction of the flow of the grace of God in my life has made life so much easier than otherwise. Learning from more skilful surfers to jump a few waves to go further into the ocean only to spread my arms and flow with a large wave and be transported effortlessly back to shore is a thrill I have enjoyed. Several visits to the beautiful beaches of Mahe during a couple of ministry visits to the lovely islands of Seychelles always turned out to be a mixture of work and pleasure. I pray the Lord will show you His plan and purpose for your life if you do not know it and particularly His mind for this season and more so for 2025. Nothing trumps being in the centre of the will of God and partnering with Him. You will be divinely energized like Paul described in 1 Corinthians 15:10 and cared for as David described in Psalm 23.

God has designed every human being to attract the material equivalent of his dominant thoughts (Proverbs 23:7). Everything in the universe responds to human thought. The human heart is to be guarded against negative thoughts for out of it are the forces that govern human life according to Proverbs 4:23. The admonition of verses 20-22 is to pay attention to God’s Word and intentionally employ the 3 main gates to the heart to plant the right seeds into its soil so that it can produce the fruits of its material equivalent in our lives and our health. If you plant the promises of the Word of God in your heart and attach them to your faith goals for the year, rehearsing them daily or as often as you recollect in the new year, you will attract them into your life.

It is amazing that as the universe responds to our words, so does the Almighty God! When we speak the Word of God as our reality, even angels act upon them (Psalm 103:20). Our speech must be filled with God’s promises and positive words that line up with them (Hebrews 13:5-6). God has put the power of life and death in the human mouth (Proverbs 18:21). You can have what you say if you believe it according to our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 11:13).

A barren woman was kind to Elisha the prophet and as a result, got the blessing of a child from God. The boy died on the farm one day and the woman simply made her way to the prophet with only one word on her lips before she got to him and it was “It is well”. She remained positive in the face of death and got her son revived back to life. In the face of adverse circumstances, keep speaking out your faith goals and your favourable outcome this year and you will have what you say.

Practicing gratitude is my final admonition. Being grateful for what you have instead of moaning about what you do not have, attracts more kindness into your life. Affirmed children are known to turn out better performers than criticised ones. So is God able to bless more when we take the words of Paul seriously and give thanks in all circumstances (Colossians 3:17) and for everything (Ephesians 5:20).

Gratitude unlocks supernatural power and releases favour in our direction. You will rejoice abundantly by this time next year and you will never let this lifestyle go ever. It works wonders to live this way. You will relieve your childhood fantasies and excitement about the new year again and again and again.

 

Children’s Corner

Hello, children, welcome to our first Sunday of 2025. We trust you had an amazing cross-over. This Sunday, we want you to open your Bible and turn to Ephesians 4:32.

Have you found it? Great! So what does it say?

This Bible verse teaches us the importance of kindness and forgiveness. God wants us to treat others with love and care, just like he shows us. Even when someone hurts us, we are called to forgive, just as Jesus forgives us. Remember, being kind means helping others and being gentle in how we treat them. Now it’s time for a role play:

Adebisi: Chinedu, guess what I read in my Bible today!

Chinedu: What did you read? Tell me!

Adebisi: Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Chinedu: Hmm, what does it mean to be tenderhearted? Is it like when someone’s heart is soft?

Adebisi: Kind of! It means being gentle and caring toward others, even when they annoy you. Like, yesterday, when Ayo pushed me by mistake, I was angry. But then I remembered this verse and forgave him.

Chinedu: Oh, I see! So, it’s like how Jesus forgives us when we do wrong.

Adebisi: Exactly! And being kind too. Like when I shared my snack with Bola last week, even though I wanted to eat it all.

Chinedu: Wow, I should try that. Sometimes, I get upset with my little sister when she takes my toys. But maybe next time, I’ll forgive her and share instead of shouting.

Adebisi: That’s it! We’re trying to act like Jesus, showing love and kindness to everyone. It’s not always easy, but it makes God happy.

Chinedu: You’re right, Adebisi. Let’s both try to remember this verse. Maybe we can remind each other to practice kindness and forgiveness every day!

Take-Home Lesson: God wants us to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving because that’s how Jesus treats us. Whenever someone upsets you, take a deep breath, remember this verse, and choose kindness and forgiveness.

Assignment: This week, do one kind thing for someone and forgive someone who upsets you. Write it down and share what you did with your family or friends.

Development Corner

New Year, New Me?

 

Yaay, it’s the start of another beautiful year. The year 2025 has a nice ring to it, don’t you agree? Let’s make it even more beautiful by being more intentional about our growth and development this year.

 

I want you to envision how you would like to feel about yourself at the end of this year. Would you like the feeling of satisfaction over regrets? Would you love to have ticked the right boxes? I want that for me, how about you?

 

Recently, I came across a post on Instagram that said “If your habits don’t change, you won’t have a new year, you will have just another year.” That hit me!

 

The new year usually comes with lots of resolutions, promises and determination. When people make plans, they do it in their quest for change; increased income, physical fitness, increased family time, spiritual growth and the like. The question this time is not “How do you intend to get there?”. I know you are conversant with making actionable plans.

 

The questions I want you to think about as I wrap up this article would help you and me do things more strategically this year. So whilst we write our plaourself these two questions:

• “How do I intend to make 2025 stand out?”
• “How do I intend to rise above unforeseen challenges that might come my way this year?”

 

When you do this, create multiple solutions. If plan A doesn’t work, plan B or C should.

 

Growth is more achievable when we maximize our resources and capabilities.

Sudoku

 

Instructions: The objective is to insert the numbers one to nine into a grid consisting of nine squares subdivided into a further nine smaller squares (sub-grid) in such a way that every number appears once in each horizontal line, vertical line, and sub-grid.

 

5						4	2
		2	6	8		9		5
		7		5			8
	8	5	4		9	1
7		4			2		9	8
2	1			3				4
4	7		8		1	2
		1				3	4
	2		3		5	8	7

 

Biblical poetry

Turning my back on Fear

Fear is always knocking at my door

However, I treat it like a new guest each time

Unaware of the toil it would have on my perspective

With my defences down I approach my front door

I greet it with an innocent smile,

Wondering what news this Jehovah’s-Like witness wants to tell me today

You see it always comes looking presentable

Looking like a well-put-together somebody

Standing tall with confidence as it tries to engage with my way-of-thinking.

 

It tells me that my idea is for someone more capable

That my experience level would lead to me being cheated, taken advantage of

It tells me that the cost of starting will limit my take-off

That my savings need to build up more before I take the first step

It tells me that I won’t be able to balance being a wife,

mum, career woman, entrepreneur & mentor

That 24 hours in a day would never be enough, and I need 3 of me to succeed

It tells me all my concerns that I have been masking under my smile,

until my mind becomes clotted with doubt.

 

So whilst I stand at that front door

My confidence starts to leak away from me like an upside-down bottle of peak milk punctured on one side only

I stare back at Fear, wondering how come I never recognised you before I opened the door

Why did I allow you a chance to get this close to me again?

 

I eventually shift away my gaze from Fear down to my feet.

My feet that have carried me through my life

My feet that have never departed from me

My feet that know every step I have taken

My feet that have been washed with God’s love

My feet are ready to take the next steps forward

My feet that is reabsorbing the confidence that leaked out unwillingly

 

I shift my gaze up so that I am eye-to-eye with Fear, and tell it,

Everything you tell me will disintegrate like McVities Biscuits in a cup of tea

Your words need a foundation to build on to grow,

and they won’t be able to find a resting place in my mind,

because I am attached to a God that promotes my growth

I am attached to a God who knows my weaknesses and teaches me how to replace them with strengths

I am attached to a God that heals me through the stickiness of my faith

I am attached to a God who is capable of changing my circumstances

When I apply effort and a high level of persistence and perseverance.

 

Whilst Fear might be a regular visitor, its stay is not welcomed.

As I step forward into 2025, I will improve at recognising Fear,

chasing it away before it gets close.

I encourage you to do the same…

 

 

Health Corner

 

Healthy Weight Awareness: Embracing God’s Plan for Our Bodies

 

Healthy Weight Awareness refers to the understanding and promotion of maintaining a body weight that minimises health risks. A healthy weight varies per individual, as it is influenced by factors like age, sex, genetics, and lifestyle. Embracing a healthy weight is not just about appearance but about honouring God by caring for the bodies he has entrusted to us.

 

Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for preventing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. One way to measure this is through Body Mass Index (BMI), where a BMI of 18.5-24.9 is considered a healthy range. However, it’s important to remember that health isn’t defined solely by weight. The Health at Every Size (HAES) movement advocates for health-focused approaches, encouraging balanced diets, regular physical activity, and mental well-being rather than obsessing over weight.

 

God has uniquely created each of us, and we are called to steward our bodies responsibly. This includes making mindful choices about what we eat, staying active, and prioritising our overall well-being. Vaccination campaigns, such as African Vaccination Week, remind us of the importance of safeguarding our health. Similarly, Healthy Weight Awareness encourages us to protect ourselves from preventable illnesses by cultivating healthy habits and staying informed.

 

Biblical Insight:

The Bible reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” This verse encourages us to honour God with every choice we make, including those concerning our health. By maintaining a healthy weight and adopting wholesome habits, we can glorify God through our stewardship of the bodies he has given us.

 

Key Takeaways:

• Body Mass Index (BMI): A guide to determine a healthy weight range based on height and weight.
• Health at Every Size (HAES): Focus on overall well-being, emphasising health beyond weight.
• Balanced Lifestyle: Incorporate healthy eating, regular exercise, and rest to minimise health risks.
• Spiritual Care: Remember that caring for your body is part of worshipping and honouring God.

 

This week, take one step toward better health. It could be drinking more water, taking a walk, or choosing a nutritious meal. Reflect on how these small changes glorify God and help you care for the body he has given you.

 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of health and the bodies you have blessed us with. Help us honour you in all we do, making wise choices to care for ourselves and others. Give us the strength to maintain balance in our lives and glorify you through our health. Amen.

 

Fun Facts

 

Conclusion:

Loving God is a vital component of our Christian journey. It is a deliberate choice to prioritise our relationship with him, cultivate a deep affection for him, and demonstrate that love through our words, actions, and obedience.

Jesus emphasised the importance of loving God in Mark 12:30, saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This Great Commandment is a foundation for our faith, reminding us to love God with every fibre of our being.

The Bible also reminds us that loving God is not just a feeling, but a choice that requires commitment and obedience. In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commands.” Our love for God is demonstrated through our willingness to follow his teachings, obey his commands, and seek his will in our lives.

Loving God brings numerous benefits, including:

1. Intimacy with God: Loving God deepens our relationship with him, allowing us to experience his presence, peace, and joy. (Psalm 16:11)
2. Transformation: Loving God transforms us from the inside out, enabling us to become more like him. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
3. Strength and Courage: Loving God gives us the strength and courage to face life’s challenges, knowing that he is always with us. (Joshua 1:9)
4. Possessing your Possessions: Loving God helps us to obtain our inheritance. It makes us stay in alignment with God’s purposes and plans for our lives. (Jeremiah 29:11)

As we cultivate our love for God, remember it is a lifelong journey. Let us begin a new year with more commitment to God’s work, which is proof of our love for him, thereby, leading us to attract the benefits. May we continually seek to deepen our relationship with him, obey his commands, and demonstrate our love for him through our words and actions in this New Year. Amen.

We now have Missional Communities in 15 locations and would like to encourage you to find one near you or start one in your local area.

 

Opic; Isheri, River View Estate	Oworo, Olorunfunmi Street.	Surulere, Iponri Estate.
Lambe, Korede Balogun	Unilag, Akoka	Federal College of Education, Akoka
Lekki Phase 1	Igbo-Efon, Silicon Valley Estate	Ikoyi, Awolowo Road
Victoria Island, Oniru	Victoria Island, Chicken Republic, Oniru	Abijo, Destiny Homes Estate
Ogunfayo, Off Palace way	Victoria Island, Kofo Abayomi	Victoria Island, Ligali Ayorinde

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

January and February 2025

Activities outside of the regular Mid-week and sunday services

 

January

• 2-8th: Seven Days of Glory
• 11th: Leaders Immersion
• 12th: BES service resumes
• 17th: Celebrate Jesus 7.0, Ibadan
• 25th: Hour of Grace & Evangelism

 

February

• 1-3rd: Three Days of Glory
• 8th: Evangelism, led by UP family
• 22nd: Hour of Grace & Evangelism