Authority, Power and Unity

Healing and deliverance are personal words spoken that can transform lives.

Partnerships involve sacrifices within fellowship, affecting not only individuals but also the entire community.

Circle the wagons to unite and protect.

God's Grace is Free

What is the grace of God?

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

I've heard it said that it is the unmerited favor of God. Have you experienced God's grace? What is it like?

• While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 
• No man comes unto the Father except the Spirit draw him. 

God's initiative reveals His grace. Our response reveals our faith/trust/belief, or lack thereof.

The gospel is declared, "Repent, for the kingdom is at hand." Jesus forgives the woman caught in adultery and tells her, "Now go sin no more". 

What is God's grace? It's not just a call to be blameless but an invitation to be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we might be set free from what? That first lie in the garden and all the lies and deception to follow, that we can decide for ourselves what is good and evil. How? By trusting the Lord with all our heart and not leaning on our own understanding, recognizing God's involvement in our life and trusting his guidance every day.

Why? For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God before ordained for us to walk in. what are these good works? Galatians 5:22-23

What is Truth?

Can Truth Really Be Known?

In a world filled with opinions and perspectives, many wonder if anything can truly be known. Philosophy reminds us that human understanding has limits. Our senses can mislead us. Our reasoning can fail. Even our best conclusions are incomplete.

So the real question becomes:
 If human knowledge is limited, where does true wisdom come from?

The Bible agrees with this concern—but it does not leave us in uncertainty. Instead, it points us to a truth that is not merely discovered by the mind, but revealed through relationship with God.

Proverbs 3:5–6 — The Foundation of Knowable Truth

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,  and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge Him,  and He shall direct your paths.”

These verses do not reject knowledge—they redefine its source.

They teach us:

• Human understanding has value, but not authority.
• God’s wisdom is not merely superior—it is essential.
• Truth is not only something we think about—it is something that guides our steps.

This is not abstract theology. This is usable truth—truth that works in real life.

Solomon: When Wisdom Becomes Detached from Relationship

Solomon is one of the greatest examples in Scripture of what happens when wisdom is misunderstood.

God gave Solomon wisdom beyond any man who lived before or after him. But Scripture suggests something deeper than intellectual brilliance: God intended wisdom to flow from relationship, not independence.

At the beginning of Solomon’s reign, his heart was humble. He walked closely with God. His wisdom was not merely sharp—it was submitted.

But later, as we read Ecclesiastes, we hear a different voice:

“I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure…’”

 “I applied my heart to know wisdom…”

 “All is vanity…”

Solomon did not lose intelligence.  He lost dependence.

Ecclesiastes is the testimony of a man who possessed extraordinary wisdom—but tried to use it apart from ongoing trust in God. The result was frustration, emptiness, and disillusionment.

This shows us something critical:

Wisdom separated from relationship with God eventually becomes powerless to give meaning.

Truth That Is Revealed, Not Manufactured

Jesus later confirmed what Solomon learned through experience:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” — John 14:6

Truth is not just a principle.  Truth is a Person.

And knowing truth is not merely understanding ideas—it is walking with God.

2 Chronicles 16:9 — The Heart God Responds To

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth,

 to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is completely His.”

This verse reveals something extraordinary about how God works:

• God is not searching for the smartest minds.
•  God is not searching for the most gifted leaders.
•  God is searching for hearts fully His.

Truth flows most powerfully not to the independent thinker, but to the dependent believer.

This is the same principle Solomon began with—and later drifted from.

What This Teaches Us About Truth

Truth is not:

• esoteric knowledge for a few,
• intellectual mastery for the elite,
• or philosophical certainty for the confident.

Truth is:

• revealed to the humble,
• given to the dependent,
• walked in by the willing.
  

This is why Proverbs 3:5–6 stands at the center of biblical wisdom: Do not lean on your own understanding—lean on the Lord.

Why the Bible Is Reliable for Those Seeking Real Truth

For anyone seeking truth that actually works, the Bible stands on three solid foundations:

1. Historically reliable — preserved with unmatched care.
2. Spiritually coherent — telling one unified story of God restoring relationship with humanity.
3. Existentially proven — changing lives wherever its truth is trusted.

But more than all this, the Bible is reliable because it consistently leads people into relationship with the living God, not merely into better ideas.

Understanding biblical truth is not primarily about intelligence.  It is about willingness.

• Willingness to trust.
•  Willingness to listen.
•  Willingness to surrender independence.

God gave Solomon wisdom.  But what sustained him at first was his dependence on God.

Scripture shows us clearly:  When wisdom remains connected to relationship with God, it becomes life-giving.  When it becomes detached, it becomes empty.

Closing Thought

Truth is knowable.  Not because our minds are sufficient,  but because God is faithful.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart… and He shall direct your paths.”

That is not a call to ignorance.  It is a call to relational wisdom—  the kind of truth that does not merely inform us,  but forms us into the people God created us to be.

Vocabulary of the Holy Spirit

There are words that communicate truth, grounded in Love and discovered in humility/desperation, that call us to change our thinking and become the person God has called us to be. The first word that I recognized God was speaking to me about was one I had never thought about before. But at the time and in the situation I was in, and because of what was heavy on my heart, God told me to be Blameless. It was the weeks of "thinking" about that word,  that gave God the opportunity to explain to me why I needed to be Blameless. It was God's grace that wouldn't let me ingnore the idea of "being blameless" and why i needed to be. 

What are these words that the Holy Spirit calls us to be?

Pursuit of Wisdom

Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

You're unique. You're social. What are your needs? 49 character traits to understand calling.

The esoteric apprentice??

To gain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding from the Bible, start with Proverbs 9-10 and Proverbs 2:6, which state that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. You can also find verses like Proverbs 4:7, which encourages acquiring wisdom and understanding, and Proverbs 3:13-14, which calls finding them a blessing.

Key Biblical Principles for Gaining Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding
Fear the Lord:
The fear of the Lord is the foundation for wisdom, providing the right perspective and a proper relationship with God.

Ask God:The Bible teaches that the Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, so you should ask Him for them.

Study God's Word:
The Bible itself is a source for gaining these qualities, with Proverbs 2:6 stating that knowledge and understanding come from the Lord's mouth.

Prioritize Wisdom:
Proverbs 4 emphasizes that wisdom is the principal thing, and it is worth pursuing at any cost.

Embrace It:
Like a person, the Bible uses "she" to describe wisdom, urging you not to forsake her but to embrace and love her.

Steps to Apply These Principles
Start with Proverbs:
Read the book of Proverbs, which contains many teachings on acquiring wisdom and understanding.

Pray for Guidance:
Seek God's help to understand His Word and to apply its truths to your life.

What You Learn:
Use the knowledge and understanding you gain with good judgment and discernment to navigate life's challenges. NO!

PROVERBS 3:5-7

THE FEED BACK LOOP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!

Think About Your Thoughts

Do you ever think about your thoughts? It is an important question to consider. Especially when you realize that your thoughts form your ideas and it is your ideas that form your beliefs and your beliefs form your decision-making. And your decision making forms your destiny?

2 Cor. 10:3-5 Modern English Version

 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, 5 casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Romans 8:5-6 [Full Chapter]

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Philippians 4:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

This is why the Bible says that we should take every thought captive to the lordship of Jesus Christ. What does that even mean? When you take someone captive, they become your prisoner, they have to do what you tell them to do. This is the idea behind taking every thought captive to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Your thoughts become a prisoner to that Lordship.

Why is this important? It's because some of your thoughts are not your own. What am I getting at? The Bible talks about a spiritual battle and we all engage in this warfare, this spiritual warfare has been going on since the beginning. Whether you believe in it or not, you cannot but be a participant.

Being Led by the Holy Spirit

Isaiah 30:21

New International Version

21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

A light to my path, a lamp to my foot steps

Walk in the Spirit