2,000 years ago, Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. He didn’t come riding in on a White Horse with a sword ready to take on the Roman Empire. He didn’t come riding in on solid gold. Jesus came riding in on a donkey as the people threw down palm branches for the donkey to trot on. But why? Does it even matter? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he explains the Triumphal entry in his eye-opening Palm Sunday message, ‘A Donkey and A King.’
John 12:12–19 Zechariah 9:9 Leviticus 23:40 Matthew 2:3 John 12:19 John 11:49–52 Psalms 118:22–29
A Donkey and a King Verses
The Triumphal Entry
The Prophecy
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah 9:9
The Fulfillment
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him.
John 12:12-16
Our king didn’t abandon us, he has come riding on a donkey. He didn’t come riding in on an elegant pure white horse. He came humbly on a donkey. Because He lowered Himself, He was raised higher than all. He is seated at the right hand of the Father of Lights with the name above all names. Our savior has come, and He lives.
From the very beginning, mankind has always given in to carnal desires. We’re willing to trade everything God has given us for a moment of pleasure. We’re no better than Esau, who sold His birthright for a morsel of lentil stew. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he shares exactly what we’re exchanging our soul for in his fiery message, The Great Exchange Pt. 4: Sell Me Your Birthright.
Many people don’t believe that we can sell our soul, but Jesus asks what would mankind be willing to exchange for our soul. Today, we exchange our souls for fame, fortune, power, etc. What are you willing to sell in exchange for your soul? What is worth your soul?
16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:16-21
15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.
Hebrews 12:15-17
Reclaiming Our Soul
If we sell our soul is it possible to get it back? Is there anything we can do to get our soul back, or are we doomed for all eternity?
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:13-14
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him.
Colossians 2:13-15
There is nothing we can do to get our soul back except turning to God in repentance. We have to humble ourselves before God because only He can take our soul back. Only God can blot out our sins and pay our debt.
We are made up of body, soul, and spirit. We are spiritual beings placed in a physical body. In our previous message, The Great Exchange Pt. 2: The Body, we answered the question, ‘What is the body?’ Yet, we still have our two main questions to answer:
1. What died the day Adam & Eve ate the fruit? 2. Are we able to get it back?
Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he preaches part three, The Soul and Spirit, of his eye-opening message series, The Great Exchange.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 Mark 15:37 Matthew 27:50 Matthew 8:16 Mark 6:7 Mark 6:13 Luke 4:41 Luke 11:20 Acts 19:13–16 Matthew 12:43–45 Isaiah 5:20 John 3:5–8 1 Corinthians 2:14 Romans 8:6 Ephesians 1:17 Romans 8:16 Psalms 51:10 Ezekiel 11:19b Galatians 5:22–24 1 Corinthians 6:19 1 Corinthians 2:11–13 1 Corinthians 2:14 Romans 8:6 Ephesians 1:17 Romans 8:16 James 2:26 Genesis 5:3
Soul and Spirit Verses
The Soul
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in Hell.
Matthew 10:28
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Matthew 16:26
37 And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
Matthew 22:37
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20
8 Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.
Acts 2:27
The Spirit
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.”
Matthew 26:40-42
24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
John 4:24
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
Romans 1:9-10
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.
Romans 8:15-17
Spirit vs. Soul
18 Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon Him, and He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
Matthew 12:18
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.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;”
Luke 1:46-48
The soul and the spirit are two different parts that makeup who we are. We are spiritual beings with a soul, a spirit, and a body. Our soul is who we are; it is what is judged on Judgment Day. Our spirit is our connection to the spiritual realm around us. This is where we get our spiritual gifts, how we communicate with God and other spiritual beings, etc. Then we have the body, which holds both our spirit and our soul. This is what is perishable which is why we are given a new imperishable body when Jesus comes back.
Our bodies were made from the dust; they are a temporary holding cell, if you will, for our inner person. One day our bodies will die, but our souls will continue to live somewhere. Since we were made from the dust, our bodies will return to the dust when we die. But what does that mean? Is that why we need a new body? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he answers all of these questions and more in his fiery message, The Great Exchange Pt. 2: The Body.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 Genesis 2:7a John 6:63 John 3:6 John 6:28-29 James 2:26 Ezekiel 37:3 Matthew 27:50 Galatians 5:16–18 Galatians 5:19–21 1 Corinthians 6:18 Psalm 51:10 Psalms 23:3 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 Philippians 3:20-21 Psalms 103:14 Numbers 35:33 2 Corinthians 4:7
The Great Exchange of Our Body
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 2:16-17
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 3:22-24
When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, they didn’t immediately drop dead and stop breathing. So, what died the day they ate the fruit? What was the great exchange of our body?
The very first law God gave to mankind was to not eat of the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil, or they would die. We all know the story, Eve ate, then Adam ate, but neither one physically died. Why? Did God make an empty threat? What kind of death was God speaking of? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he answers all of these questions and more in his fiery message, The Great Exchange: Where It All Began.
Genesis 3:1-7 Revelation 2:24 Genesis 1:26 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Isaiah 6:5 Matthew 7:21–23 Matthew 6:22–23 Job 31:1 Matthew 6:22–23 Genesis 8:21 Psalms 34:8 Genesis 8:21 Leviticus 1:8–9 2 Corinthians 2:15–16
Where It All Began Verses
The Command
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 2:15-17
The Sin
Adam and Eve didn’t just sin; they made an exchange. They exchanged their soul for knowledge.
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Genesis 3:6
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
1 John 2:16
The Consequence
Adam and Eve’s innocence was taken from them the day they ate the fruit from the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil in the midst of the Garden of Eden. They didn’t die physically but spiritually. This is where it all began. This was the beginning of sin.
How much time do you spend in prayer? How often do you spend quiet time with God? I once heard someone say, ‘I don’t think I need to read my Bible every day.’ They weren’t preparing for the battle up ahead. They weren’t preparing for the obstacles to come. Why? Because what you do in private will be made public. Join Reverend Kenny Yates in his fiery message, To Be or Not To Be, as he explains the importance of quiet time with God.
17 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
Luke 8:17
2 Samuel 11:1-4 Proverb 24:33–34 Genesis 4:7 I Samuel 17:32-37 Jeremiah 9:24
Quiet Time Verses
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:6
8a Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.
James 4:8a
2b The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
2 Chronicles 15:2b
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:12-13
If you want to be a body builder, you have to train as a body builder. If you want to be a athlete, you have to train as a athlete. This is the same with your faith. If you want to be a Christ Follower in public, then you have to train in private. You have to have your quiet time with God. You have to decide whether you want to be or not to be.
Divorce has become more and more prevalent in our culture. But why? Why has divorce skyrocketed so much? Have we forgotten how to love? How can you protect your relationship? There are five love languages, according to Gary Chapman:
Words of Affirmation
Quality Time
Receiving Gifts
Acts of Service
Physical Touch
According to Gary Chapman, each person expresses and feels love according to one of these five love languages. Do you know what your significant other’s love language is? Do you know how to make it through difficult situations together? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he shows us how to have a lasting relationship in his love-filled Valentine’s Day Message ‘Protect Your Relationships.’
Song of Solomon 2:15
How To Protect Your Relationships Verses
Marriage
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Ephesians 5:22-33
Divorce
3 And Pharisees came up to Him and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”
Matthew 19:3-9
Love
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8a Love never ends.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Summary
In order to protect your relationship, you have to fight for your relationship. You have to decide that no matter what happens, divorce is NOT an option. You have to fight for your relationship if you want to keep it. Love is an action. Live your life as if you can’t live without your significant other.
Lately, the world has screamed, ‘Unity, Unity,’ but with whom are we unifying and why? As the Church, are we supposed to fight to unify as one with everyone? Are we supposed to fight for peace? Should the Church try to unify with the world? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he brings his latest fiery message addressing the Church’s role in the world today.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Luke 19:1–10 Exodus 32:25–29 Hebrews 4:12 Matthew 10:34–39 John 15:18–25 1 Peter 4:12 1 John 3:13
More Verses on Unity With The World?
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
1 John 1:5-6
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Ephesians 5:6-11
21 You cannot drink the cup of the LORD and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the LORD and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the LORD to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
1 Corinthians 10:21-22
In other words, Paul is saying that we cannot be a part of the world and a part of the Church. We can’t support sin and call ourselves righteous. We can’t fight for unity with the world and fight for unity with God.
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; 5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.”
Revelation 18:4-5
If we fight for unity with the world, are we fighting for discord with God? We cannot stand for darkness and call ourselves a Christ Follower. We cannot fight for justice for wickedness and call ourselves righteous. The time is coming when we will all be forced to choose a side when we will all be forced to draw a line in the sand. Will you be on the side of God or the world? Will you recognize the light from the darkness?
Throughout history people have claimed to be Christians, but does that mean that they are Christians? What does it mean to be a Christian? What does it mean to be a Christ Follower? We all know that we are not saved by works, but by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. BUT are there any specific pre-requisites to enter Eternal Life other than faith? What about false prophets?
15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
Matthew 7:15-20
We see many Christ Followers today living their lives according to how they feel and according to their OWN happiness, but is that right? Are they the false prophets in sheep clothing that Jesus was warning us about? How do we know the difference between wolves in sheep clothing and actual sheep? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he brings a powerful new message entitled ‘What Does It Mean To Be A Christ Follower?’
Ephesians 2:8-9 John 14:15 James 2:19 James 2:14-18 Hebrews 9:22 Acts 4:12 John 14:6 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 Hosea 6:6 1 John 4:19–21 Ephesians 5:1-6 1 Corinthians 6:18 James 2:10-13, 24 Matthew 7:21-23
Verses On Being A True Christ Follower
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22-24
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Romans 12:9-13
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
God has given each of us a call on our lives. He has bestowed purpose upon our hearts. He set out a plan and a path for us to take, yet many of us feel purposeless. We feel useless, and the road ahead of us feels overwhelming and too difficult to maneuver. Why? In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded with rubble. We’re hit from all sides with problems, obstacles, persecution, hatred, and all that the enemy can throw at us. Does that mean we won’t be able to fulfill our call? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he teaches us how to deal with our lives when there is ‘Too Much Rubble.’
Nehemiah 1:3 Nehemiah 4:10 Nehemiah 2:2 Nehemiah 1:3b Nehemiah 2:3b Matthew 6:33 1 John 4:18a Palms 103:2 Psalm 77:12
