Every year we celebrate Memorial Day in honor of our fallen soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom, but is that freedom slowly being taken away? Are those with power and authority in our government looking out for our best interest? Are we repeating mistakes of the past? How do we differentiate between good and evil? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the true destination our current course is leading us to in his Memorial Day message, They Died For Freedom.
Matthew 7:13–27 Matthew 10:14–15 Matthew 11:20–24 1 Thessalonians 5:2–3 Matthew 15:12–14 John 3:16
They Died For Freedom
Standing Up For Freedom
There are some who don’t believe that we should honor those who died for our freedom, but according to Jesus, this is no greater love than to die for another.
13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:13
It’s because of their sacrifice that we are able to enjoy the freedoms we have today. It’s because of their sacrifice that we aren’t murdered for our faith as the early Church was. It’s because of their sacrifice that we don’t have to live in fear that we will be killed for our faith, as those in different parts of the world are today. They died for our freedom so that we can freely make a stand for Christ without the fear of punishment that Peter and John endured.
18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
Acts 4:18-20
So, this Memorial Day, don’t forget the fallen men and women that gave us the freedom we have today in America. Honor their memory by standing up for freedom. Honor their memory by making a stand for your faith.
In a world that seems to continue to hopelessness, how can we, Christians, have faith? How can we continue to believe that God will fulfill every promise even when everything around us seems to say otherwise? What kind of faith do Christians need to be able to see the promises of God fulfilled, and how do we get that kind of faith? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the power of the Storm Calmer (the Prince of Peace) in his message, What Manner of Man is This Pt. 1: Master of the Storm.
Matthew 8:23-27 (KJV) Matthew 9:9 John 1:40–51 John 1:29–34 Matthew 8:8–10 2 Corinthians 5:7 Hebrews 10:38 Romans 10:17
Master of the Storm
What Manner of Man is Jesus?
Jesus is the Storm Calmer
23 And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep. 25 And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!
Matthew 8:23-27
Jesus is The Prince of Peace
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:5-7
Jesus didn’t leave us alone; He has given us His peace that we might overcome every obstacle in our way.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27
Promises of God
God promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He promises that He will always be with us, and when a storm comes our way, He is our strong tower, for He is the master of all storms.
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
Proverbs 18:10
24 Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
Matthew 7:24-27
5 …He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5-6
Don’t allow the storms to overcome you. Hold tightly to your faith in The Storm Calmer, The Master of the Storm.
The world around us is constantly getting darker and darker. It feels as though the dreams and calls of the Church are getting harder and harder to reach, but is that what the LORD intended for His people? How can we overcome the obstacles in our way? How can we encourage ourselves in the LORD? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the strength we have in Christ Jesus in his message, Standing on the Promises of God.
Joshua 21:43–45 John 3:16 Matthew 11:28–29 Jeremiah 29:11 NIV 1 John 1:9 1 Peter 2:24 Matthew 11:12b 2 Corinthians 1:15–22
Standing on the Promises of God
How to Encourage Yourself In The LORD
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29
5b …for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5b-6
How to Overcome
The only way we can overcome the obstacles and trials of the world is if we stand on the promises of God. We have to quote the Scriptures to build up our spirits. Here are some encouraging Scriptures to remember and quote.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:5
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:4-5
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
Happy Mother’s Day. In today’s society, it’s easy to overlook mothers and their importance in the family when society continuously tells us that to be a mother is an easy and/or pointless job. But what exactly is a mother? And what is the role of a mother? And is a mother important in the family? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of mothers in his Mother’s Day message, Carry Him to His Mother.
Carry Him to His Mother
18 When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.”
2 Kings 4:18-19
During the time of Elisha, there was a Shunammite woman who had no son, and her husband was old, but every time Elisha was in her area, she fed him and even built a room special for him. So, as a thank you, Elisha blessed her with a son. Now, when the child had grown, one day he hurt his head, immediately the father told the servant to carry him to his mother. Why? Because the father knew that mothers had the intuition from God about what to do for their children and how to take care of them. It was because of this that Elisha was able to raise the boy from the dead and give the woman her son back.
Today Jesus is painted in many different ways. Some say He was a good man, while others say that He was a rebel. Some say He was a prophet, while others say He was God incarnate. 2,000 years ago, Jesus asked His disciples the same question, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” Who is Jesus? How important is that question? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of this question in his message, Who Do Men Say That I am?
Matthew 16:13–20 NKJV Joshua 11:16–17 ESV Joshua 12:1 Romans 10:8–10 James 2:19 Matthew 22:14 John 3:16–17
Who Do Men Say That I Am?
27 And Jesus went on with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told Him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Him, “You are the Christ.”
Mark 8:27-29
The Importance of Declaring Who Jesus Is
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
The Scripture says that the world is the LORD’S, yet the world has turned its back on the LORD. The world hates Jesus Christ and His teachings and any who follow Him. They took Him out of the schools, workplaces, communities, cities, and governments. They are trying to get rid of God completely; why? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the signs all around us in his message, The Price of Doing and the Cost of Ignoring Pt. 3: We Do Not Want This Man To Reign Over Us.
The Price of Doing and the Cost of Ignoring
We Do Not Want This Man To Reign Over Us
The World Hates Jesus Christ
The whole world is currently shouting, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
11 As they heard these things, He proceeded to tell a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”
Luke 19:11-27
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.
John 1:9-11
Why is the whole world shouting, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us;’ because they want to remain in evil instead of entering the light. They don’t want to change or turn from their wicked ways.
16 For God so loved the world,that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
John 3:16-21
This is why the world only shouts, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us’ because they desire only evil. They don’t desire the things of God, nor do they desire God Himself. Therefore, we must come out of the world, lest we fall prey to the temptations of the world and we ourselves begin to shout, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ The price of doing the work of Christ is eternal life, but the cost of ignoring Christ’s free gift of salvation is losing that chance at eternal life.
We Want This Man To Reign Over Us
Even though the world hates Jesus Christ and His teachings, we must love Christ and follow His commands and we will have eternal life. We can’t give into persecution, fear, or the temptations of this world; we must stand strong that we might receive eternal life with Christ Jesus.
12 But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12-13
15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
This is the day that we rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This Resurrection Sunday (Easter Sunday) is three days after the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. And with His death, He purchased the souls of men with His own blood, and with His resurrection on the third day, He gave us eternal life. But before He could get to the resurrection, He had to go through the death and torture on the cross. The constant reminder of the price that He would have to pay for the redemption of the souls of mankind weighed on His shoulders. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the True price Jesus paid for our sins in His Resurrection Sunday (Easter Sunday) message, Now Is My Soul Troubled.
John 12:27–36 Luke 22:39–46 John 3:16
Now Is My Soul Troubled
Jesus in The Garden of Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther He fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And He said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
If we take a moment to look at the world around us, we’d see how the world is falling farther and farther away from God. Love is growing colder in the hearts of mankind and is being replaced with a false love that leads to death. The time to look up for Jesus’ return (the rapture) is close at hand. After that comes the Last Judgment, where we will all stand before the LORD and receive a just sentencing for what we did with the God-given spiritual gifts (the Gifts of the Spirit). Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Truth in his message, The Price of Doing and the Cost of Ignoring Pt. 2: Commendation or Judgement.
2 Samuel 21:1–6 Ephesians 4:25–27 Ephesians 6:12 Acts 12:1–3 Acts 12: 4–5 Acts 12:6–10 John 14:13–14
The Price of Doing and the Cost of Ignoring
Commendation or Judgment
The Last Judgment
One day we will all stand before the Great White Throne and receive our just judgment for our actions on this earth. On that day we will either receive glorious commendation or fierce judgment.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. From His presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:11-15
What Leads to Commendation
To receive commendation rather than the fierce judgment of God, we have to do more than just believe that God exists and that Jesus died and rose again. We have to fulfill the will of God.
31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.
34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? 39 And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Matthew 25:31-40
Gifts of the Spirit
We’ve all been given spiritual gifts. Some will seem impossible or outdated, but nevertheless, they are all from God. Sometimes there’s a price for doing the will of God because of the backlash from others, but there is always a cost for ignoring the call of God with no reward.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12:4-13, 27-31
What Leads to Judgment
We’ve all been given gifts. We all have a call on our lives. To not do that call and not grow your God-given gift is to be against the Spirit of God and His gifts. This will lead us into the fierce judgment of God instead of His glorious commendation.
41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Matthew 25:41-46
When we don’t fulfill the will of God, we quench the Spirit of God. When we quench the Spirit of God we receive His judgment instead of His commendation.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good.22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-24
The Last (The White Throne) Judgment is when the Son of Man will either reward you with His glorious gifts or punish you with His righteous judgment. We still have time to choose between commendation and judgment. We still have a chance to build up treasure in Eternity for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).
2000 years ago, Jesus ascended into Heaven but promised that He would one day return. As we wait for Jesus’ return, what are we, Christians, supposed to do? Does it matter what we do? Do Christians have a call (job) to do while we wait for Jesus to return? If we do, what is that call, and what will happen if we don’t fulfill it? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of doing the will of God during these last days in his message, The Price of Doing and the Cost of Ignoring Pt. 1: Rewards and Consequences.
Luke 19:11–27 Luke 19:9–10 Proverbs 11:30
The Price of Doing and the Cost of Ignoring
The Call All Christians Have
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
All of us Christians have a call on our lives to do the will of God. The will of God is that none perish but all come to repentance. According to Paul, the only way for people to repent is to hear of the Word of God, and the only way to hear is if someone tells them. How can someone tell unless they also believe? It’s our call (job) as Christians to tell as many people as we can about Jesus and lead all who desire to Christ. If our call is our job, then to either do our job or not do our job will leave us with either rewards or consequences.
The Rewards and Consequences Set Before All Christians
The Reward of Following The Will of God
46 While He was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But He replied to the man who told Him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Matthew 12:46-50
There will be greater rewards for those who have shared the Gospel with others, and likewise there will be greater consequences for those who have refused to share the Gospel with others.
The Consequence of Not Following The Will of God
21 Not everyone who says to me [Jesus], ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Matthew 7:21-23
Believing alone isn’t enough. When God gives us a gift, we are meant to share it with as many people as we can. We aren’t meant to hide our gift and keep it to ourselves. All Christians have been given the free gift of Salvation, the most important gift, so why wouldn’t we share that gift with others?
When we pray, we expect an immediate answer. We expect God to fulfill His promises and pour out blessings on His people, but what happens when He doesn’t? What happens when certain mountains refuse to move? Do we just give up, or is there something that we’re missing? Is there something maybe that we didn’t even do that’s affecting us? Could it be a generational curse or something in our bloodline that is causing us to stay at a standstill with God? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the spiritual warfare we may be missing in his message series, The Harvest Pt. 2: Reaping Your Harvest.
2 Samuel 21:1–6 Ephesians 4:25–27 Ephesians 6:12 Acts 12:1–3 Acts 12: 4–5 Acts 12:6–10 John 14:13–14
The Harvest Pt. 2: Reaping Your Harvest
Generational Curses
4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20:4-6
Reaping Your Harvest
How To Reap Your Harvest
Spiritual Warfare
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
