Series Archives

March 19, 2023April 29, 2023

Faith Revisited Pt. 5: The Diligent Seekers

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He taught many important things, but He often spoke in parables. These parables are filled with Truth and wisdom, but unless you understand the parable and why Jesus told them, the parables become useless to us. Knowing and understanding parables are the first steps, but after that, you have to put that knowledge and understanding into action. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of The Parable of The Sower in his message, Faith Revisited Pt. 5: The Diligent Seekers.

Luke 8:4-8
Luke 8:1b
1 Corinthians 4:20 (NIV)
Matthew 13:1-3
Mark 4:1-3
Mark 4:10-12
Hebrews 4:2 (NKJV)
Mark 7:13
John 8:31-32
John 14:6
Luke 8:11-12
Hebrews 10:29
Luke 8:13-15
Mark 4:33-34
Luke 8:16-18
Acts 4:20

The Diligent Seekers

The Parable of The Sower

¹ That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ²Such large crowds gathered around Him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³Then He told them many things in parables, saying:

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

¹⁰The disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” ¹¹He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹²Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
¹⁴In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’

¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Matthew 13:1-17 (NIV)

Jesus spoke in parables so that He could separate those who weren’t diligently seeking Him and the things of God. If He spoke plainly to everyone, all would have the wisdom of God, but if He spoke in parables, then only thought who were diligent seekers of the Truth would find the Truth. They would find wisdom and understanding. This is all so that we might build our faith because, without faith, it’s impossible to please God.

Faith Revisited Pt. 4: Hidden Faith

Jesus told the parable of the talents. Each person was given a certain amount of talents and was later judged by what they did with those talents. This begs the question of what that parable means and what that has to do with us (the Church) today? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the necessity of faith in his message, Faith Revisited Pt. 4: Hidden Faith.

Matthew 25:14–30
Romans 12:3
Luke 18:8

Hidden Faith

¹⁴For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. ¹⁷So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. ¹⁸But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ ²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²²And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

²⁴He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ ²⁶But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Matthew 25:14–30

Faith Revisited Pt. 3: Mustard Seed Faith

Faith is the catalyst of our salvation. In fact, the Scripture goes as far as to say that no one can even please God without faith. So, faith is important for us to have, but we don’t have to have a lot of faith. According to Jesus, we only need a mustard seed of faith to move mountains, yet we aren’t seeing mountains being moved. Why? What does it mean to have a mustard seed of faith? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Truth behind the faith in his message, Faith Revisited Pt. 3: Mustard Seed Faith.

John 15:8
Matthew 17:14–20
2 Timothy 2:16
2 Timothy 2:23
1 Corinthians 4:20
Matthew 17:20
Mark 4:30–32
Acts 19:13–15
Acts 3:6

Mustard Seed Faith

¹⁴And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before Him, ¹⁵said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. ¹⁶And I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not heal him.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” ¹⁸And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. ¹⁹Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁰He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:14-21

Faith Revisited Pt. 2: Where is Your Faith?

Many Christians today are living with faith that has no hope because of doctrine that teaches that there are no more healings, miracles, signs, wonders, or words from God. So, if these doctrines remove the hope of people, why do we teach and preach these kinds of doctrines? Are they for our own good, or do they contradict the Word of God? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Truth about a hopeful faith in his message, Faith Revisited Pt. 2: Where is Your Faith?

Luke 8:22–25
1 Timothy 6:3–5a
Romans 10:14–17
Acts 8:9–13
1 Corinthians 4:19–20
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
John 14:12–14
1 Corinthians 1:4–9
Mark 16:15–18

Where is Your Faith?

²³And when he got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. ²⁴And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. ²⁵And they went and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” ²⁶And He said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?”

Matthew 8:23-27

¹⁸While He was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹And Jesus rose and followed Him, with His disciples. ²⁰And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, ²¹for she said to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will be made well.” ²²Jesus turned, and seeing her He said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

Matthew 9:18-22

Faith Revisited Pt. 1: The Catalyst

We’re saved by faith. Jesus said that we only need faith as small as a Mustard Seed to move mountains, yet there are Christians that are plagued with suicidal thoughts and depression that they just can’t seem to overcome. Others are dying of cancer and disease that, no matter how hard they pray and believe, they don’t get their healing. Miracles are seemingly becoming more and more scarce. Why? Why does it seem that no matter the amount of faith we seemingly have, prayers aren’t answered, healings aren’t taking place, and darkness seems to overcome? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes in his moving message entitled, Faith Revisited Pt. 1: The Catalyst.

Hebrews 11:1–2
Hebrews 11:1–2 (KJV)
Romans 8:23–25
Hebrews 11:2
Hebrews 11:6a
Matthew 8:8–10
Matthew 9:1–2
Luke 7:48–50
Romans 10:17
Matthew 9:1–2
Hebrews 11:3
Hebrews 11:39

The Catalyst of Faith Revisited

Matthew 17:14-21

The Vine and The Vinedresser Pt. 2: The Vinedresser

Jesus told many parables explaining who He is, who the Father is, and who we are. The parable of The Vine and The Vinedresser is no different. Jesus tells us that He is the Vine and that the Father is the Vinedresser, but what does that mean for us? What does the Vinedresser really do to the Vine and the Branches? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of the Vinedresser in the second part of his two-part series, The Vine and The Vinedresser Pt. 2: The Vinedresser.

John 15:1-11
John 10:1-2
Matthew 22
1 Corinthians 1:17
Ephesians 4:11-12; 5:9
Revelation 3:19a
Hebrews 12:6
Romans 8:7-8; 10:3; 6:22
Galatians 5:22-23a
Philippians 1:9-11
Hebrews 13:15

The Vine and The Vinedresser Pt. 2: The Vinedresser

Jesus is the Vine, and the Father is the Vinedresser.

¹ I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ²Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:1-5

The Vinedresser (our Heavenly Father) prunes us, trims us, and makes sure we’re healthy.

⁶If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 15:6-11

It’s the Job of the Vinedresser to make sure that the branches on the Vine produce fruit.

Part One?

More Messages?

The Vine and The Vinedresser Pt. 1: The Vine

Jesus said that He was the Vine, and we are the branches. We all know this verse; we even quote it, but do we understand it? Do we understand what it means to be the branches of Jesus and how it impacts our lives as followers of Christ? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of being the branches of Jesus in his message, The Vine and The Vinedresser: The Vine.

John 15:1-11
Isaiah 43:19
Joel 2:23
Leviticus 23:40
Deuteronomy 12:4-7

The Vine

Jesus Is The Vine

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 15:1‭-‬11

Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. We can’t do anything apart from Jesus. It’s all through His strength that we produce fruit.

Bear Fruit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22‭-‬23

Part Two?

More Messages?

Sleeping with the Enemy Pt. 2: Samson

The enemy doesn’t come as an evil man dressed in all black; the enemy comes as our deepest desires. Temptation seduces us with empty words and promises until we give in temptation and are lulled asleep by the enemy as Delilah did to Samson so many years ago. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the signs of the enemy trying to lull us into a spiritual death in his message Sleeping with the Enemy Pt. 2: Samson.

Judges 16:15–22
Judges 14:1
Judges 13:5
Judges 14:1–3
Judges 13:3
Proverbs 14:12
Judges 14:7b
Judges 16:13–16
Judges 16:19–21

Samson

Sleeping with the Enemy

The enemy lulls us to sleep so that we don’t even realize that we’ve spiritually died and the LORD has left us. Don’t succumb to your Delilah as Samson did. Don’t allow the temptation of the enemy to overcome you so that you are lulled asleep.

¹ Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her. ²The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” And they surrounded the place and set an ambush for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying, “Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we will kill him.” ³But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron.

⁴After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. ⁵And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” ⁶So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.”

¹⁸When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. ¹⁹She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. ²⁰And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him. ²¹And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison. ²²But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

Judges 16:1-6, 18-22

Part One?

More Messages?

Sleeping with the Enemy Pt. 1: Jehoshaphat

We live in a society that is ever-evolving and changing. The lies of the world are so deceiving that they even lead the elect astray. They convince you that the sins aren’t so bad. What if they’re right? What if you don’t sin but don’t stop or warn others from sinning because it’s their own life? Is it okay? Do you have to separate yourself from all sin, or is it okay to be friends with the world? Does that make you an enemy of God? Are you playing with sin? Are there dangers to playing with sin? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Truth in his powerful message, Sleeping with the Enemy Pt. 1: Jehoshaphat.

2 Chronicles 18:1–3
2 Chronicles 19:3
2 Chronicles 17:3–6
2 Chronicles 17:10–12
1 Kings 16:30b
2 Chronicles 18:1
2 Chronicles 18:2–3
1 Kings 21:25
1 Chronicles 21:1
2 Chronicles 18:3b
2 Chronicles 18:4b
2 Chronicles 18:6b (NIV)
2 Chronicles 19:1-3
2 Chronicles 22:3

Jehoshaphat

Sleeping With The Enemy

Sleeping with the enemy is playing with sin. The dangers of playing with sin can cost you everything, including your life.

³You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. ⁴You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?

James 4:3-5

¹⁴Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ¹⁷Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, ¹⁸and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Part Two?

More Messages?

False Teachings Pt. 2: Beware of the Fruit

Today in the Church, there are several denominations, each claiming that they are right. That they have the best interpretation of Scripture, but how can someone tell what church doctrine is the most accurate? Or how can someone tell who’s message is Biblically accurate or sound? Is there a way to make sure that what your pastor or denomination is teaching you is actually Biblical and True? How do you spot false teachings or doctrine? Are there teachings all Christians should believe? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Truth behind picking the right kind of fruit before you eat it in his message, False Teachings Pt. 2: Beware of the Fruit.

Matthew 7:15–27
Matthew 9:35–38
Proverbs 11:30
1 Corinthians 10:1–5

Beware of the Fruit

The Problem With False Teachings

The problem with false teachings or false doctrine is that it gives people a false sense of security. Thus, the real reason we correct false doctrine. You cannot do whatever you want or live however you feel like with no consequences. This is the kind of fruit you must beware of.

³But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. ¹³For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15

Two Ways To Spot False Teachings or Doctrines

If the fruit or doctrine trivializes the need for evangelism, it is false
If the fruit downplays or minimizes the importance of holy living, it is false

Things All Christians Should Believe and Do

Beware of false teachings of the enemy that condemn what the LORD has called us to do and embrace.

¹⁶Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷And when they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted. ¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching 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

Beware of false teachings that claim you no longer have to preach, teach, or baptize because all will one day be redeemed with Christ. According to Christ, unless you do these things, you cannot be saved.

³¹When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. ³²Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.

³⁴Then 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. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

³⁷Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰And 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

There are teachings all Christians should and must believe, as well as things all Christians should and must do. Don’t allow anyone to lead you astray with false teachings. Flee from them, lest you be disqualified from the race set before you.

Part One?

Part Three?

More Messages?

Tag: Series

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