Prayer transforms when we understand the true power behind praying in Jesus' name. This isn't simply a religious phrase to end our prayers, but access to the full authority and character of God Himself. When Jesus introduced this concept to His disciples in John 16, He was revealing a revolutionary new way to connect with the Father - not through personal sacrifice and law-keeping, but through His name that carries authority over every situation. The key difference lies in knowing God's ways versus just His acts. Moses understood God's character as a provider before seeing the provision, while the Israelites needed to witness miracles before believing. This distinction changes how we approach prayer and faith. When we understand the covenant names of God - Jehovah Jireh (Provider), Jehovah Rapha (Healer), Jehovah Nissi (Banner of Victory), Jehovah Shalom (Peace), and others - we can pray specifically according to His revealed character rather than hoping He might act. Each situation in life has a name, but Jesus has been given a name above every name. Medical diagnoses, financial struggles, and family problems all have names, but God's name supersedes them all. The practical application involves identifying specific areas where we need God's intervention, researching the corresponding name of God, and praying with understanding rather than just familiar words. This approach moves us from fear-based prayers asking 'what if' to faith-filled declarations of 'even if,' knowing that God's character remains constant regardless of circumstances.

In a world filled with uncertainty and spiritual darkness, believers often struggle with feeling powerless despite knowing that God is all-powerful. The key to accessing divine authority lies not in simply knowing about Jesus, but in truly understanding what it means to live under His supreme authority. The name of Jesus is the name above every name - at His name, every knee will bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. This isn't a future reality but a present truth that believers can walk in today. However, using Jesus' name without genuine relationship is powerless, as demonstrated by the sons of Sceva in Acts 19 who attempted to use His name without knowing Him personally. True authority comes through four essential principles: understanding the supreme power of His name, recognizing our citizenship in heaven rather than earth, practicing submission to His authority, and praying in alignment with His will rather than our own desires. Living under Jesus' authority means we don't make decisions about careers, relationships, or daily situations independently. Instead, we partner with God first, asking for His perspective and aligning our actions with His purposes. This transforms us from passive believers into active ambassadors of His kingdom, capable of shifting spiritual atmospheres and accessing His power to transform both our lives and the lives of those around us. The challenge is to surrender our own authority and truly live as citizens of heaven, operating under the ultimate authority of the name above every name.

This sermon explores the power and authority found in the name of Jesus, emphasizing that being baptized into Christ means having access to all that He is. Pastor Charlotte teaches that calling on the name of the Lord is not merely asking for help, but rather appealing to the supreme authority of the universe and submitting to His lordship. The message highlights that Jesus is not just Savior but Lord - meaning supreme authority and master - and that true faith requires complete submission to His authority. Using the example of the centurion who recognized Jesus's authority, the pastor explains that we cannot access God's power without submission, and that many struggles in life stem from trying to maintain control rather than surrendering fully to God's Lordship.

In our fast-paced society, we're trapped in an endless cycle of tasks, worries, and responsibilities that keep our minds in perpetual fight-or-flight mode. Our brains are naturally designed to scan for danger - a survival mechanism that once protected us from real threats but now registers everything from difficult emails to traffic jams as danger, creating constant stress and anxiety. Medical research reveals that gratitude isn't just a pleasant sentiment but actual therapeutic medicine for our minds and bodies. Studies show that practicing gratitude enhances emotional regulation, builds stress resilience, improves social connections, boosts immunity, reduces chronic pain, and improves sleep quality. It's remarkable that when God commands us over 200 times in Scripture to be grateful, He's not just seeking what He deserves but giving us instructions for optimal functioning since He designed our bodies and minds. The danger comes when we forget God's goodness and begin worshiping created things instead of the Creator - whether through workaholism, materialism, or self-reliance. These become hard taskmasters that are never satisfied and ultimately harmful to our wellbeing. The solution lies in the four A's of gratitude: Attention (deliberately focusing on daily blessings), Acknowledgment (recognizing that blessings come from God and others), Appreciation (truly feeling grateful rather than just thinking about it), and Action (expressing gratitude relationally through prayer, worship, or service). When we practice these steps daily, we break free from life's exhausting race and find genuine peace grounded in the reality of God's faithfulness.

The name of Jesus represents far more than just a word we say during prayer or baptism—it embodies His complete character, authority, and nature as the supreme Lord of all creation. When we are baptized in Jesus' name, we aren't merely joining a church or denomination; we're dying to our old selves and rising to new life in Christ. Calling on the name of the Lord means entering a relationship with Jesus through repentance and baptism. Understanding the true power in Jesus' name transforms how we approach spiritual warfare, prayer, and daily living. As believers baptized into Christ, we have access to the authority of the King of Kings, enabling us to live in victory rather than defeat.

Baptism represents a profound spiritual transformation where believers symbolically die to their old selves and rise to new life in Christ. Through full immersion, we physically enact the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. While not required for salvation, baptism follows a consistent biblical pattern where people first believe in Jesus and then are baptized as an act of obedience. This ordinance marks a significant shift in identity, empowering Christians to reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God. Though challenges remain after baptism, believers now possess the spiritual authority to resist sin and live in their new identity.

The Simple Gospel: What Christianity Is Really About In today’s world of information overload and constant distractions, it’s easy to lose sight of what Christianity is truly about. With so many churches, denominations, and varying expressions of faith, people often wonder what makes one church different from another or what Christianity actually stands for at its core. The truth is, beneath all the different expressions and styles of worship, there is a simple, pure gospel that unites all true believers.

Devoted: A Life of Significance and Surrender In a world that seems increasingly chaotic and divided, there’s a call rising for believers to move beyond casual Christianity. This call isn’t just about attending church or identifying as Christian—it’s about living a life fully surrendered and devoted to God. What Does It Mean to Be Devoted? Devotion means steadfast perseverance, total commitment, being set apart, consecrated, and constantly diligent. It means adhering closely to something or someone. It’s an all-in kind of word. The opposite of devotion includes being disengaged, detached, disconnected, withdrawn, disentangled, neglectful, and disregarding. These are the things we want to avoid in our spiritual lives.

Set Up for Success: Embracing God’s Path for Your Life As we enter this season of new beginnings, there’s a natural pull toward fresh starts. Whether you’re starting school, a new job, or simply feeling the need for change, September often feels like a second New Year—a chance to reset and begin again. But how do we ensure these new beginnings lead to success? How do we position ourselves to experience the fullness of what God has for us?

Esau sold his birthright as the firstborn of Isaac to his brother Jacob for a bowl of stew.   This story helps us see the difference between someone who COVETS the inheritance so much they would risk anything to have and keep it, and someone who disregards the value of that inheritance when faced with pressure.   In Jacob we see someone who was willing to risk it all to have the inheritance of the first born, and while he went about obtaining his brother's blessing in underhanded ways, he was finally confronted by God Himself, Who commended him for wrestling with God and with man, and for being so tenacious about the promise of God to his father and grandfather, Isaac and Abraham.   On the other hand we see Esau. When faced with hunger and pressure from the outside, he lost sight of the unmatched value of his birthright in the lineage and the promise of God. The promised Messiah came through Jacob rather than Esau, and it was JACOB who now bears the name of Israel forever because he persevered in his wrestle with God and man.   We can learn so much about our inheritance in Christ Jesus from this story and example in scripture, and we learn from THE WAY OF ESAU what we should NOT DO and how we can guard our hearts against the things that come to steal that glorious inheritance as we are united with Christ Jesus, the First Born from heaven.

Family is designed by God to reflect His love and security. There is no greater legacy and inversely no greater failure than what is established or neglected in our homes. When children have the security of a healthy family the statistics prove unequivocally that they are afforded high likelihood of reproducing stability and living an effectual life in society. When the security of a healthy home is not given to children, they often reproduce instability and brokenness in their own lives and in society. We have FAMILY set before us and modeled for us through Jesus Christ, who embodied God and exercised His great love.   Ex 3:14-15   Intention   Prov 22:6 amp   Judges 13:8 and 13:12   Inheritance

 Bold for battle   1) We can’t lead others if we don’t lead ourselves well - Others are depending on us!    “A great danger to good leadership is the temptation to try to change others without first making changes to yourself” John C. Maxwell      Joshua 1:1-5    Acts 16:25-35    2) We can’t lead ourselves well if we aren’t being led    Joshua 1:5   Judges 6:16   Mt 28:18-20   3) There will be resistance    Heb 13:5&6   Acts 4:18-20   Acts 4:23&29   4) There is victory in Jesus      Eph 6:10-13    2Cor 2:14 

The Lord called Joshua to lead Israel after the death of Moses, exhorting him over and over "be strong and very courageous."   Our calling in Christ is a mirror image of this transition, where the deliverer sent to us by God is "taken away" and the SPIRIT that empowered the ministry given to Moses/Jesus has now come to empower Joshua/us to walk in the way God has prepared for us, to INHERIT the promise.

Come Boldly   “Our beliefs about God - about His character, His attitude toward us, His value system, His desires - shape the premises for our prayers. In other words, the way we see God determines the way we approach Him?” Chad Veach    James 1:17   Matt 7:7-11   Heb 4:15-16    1) Jesus prayed as a discipline    Mark 1:35   Luke 5:15-16   2) Jesus prayed before He made decisions   Luke 6:12   3) Jesus prayed for direction   Jn 12:49   4) Jesus prayed for others   Luke 23:31-32   Heb 4:16    Psalm 91 

 In Him - From Him - For Him    ~Our revelation of our position IN Him - affects our experienced relationship WITH Him~   Mt 6:25-33   Joshua 21:43-45   Judges 2: 7-13   Jn 4:20-21   Rom 8:14-16   “Our beliefs about God - about His character, His attitude toward us, His value system, His desires - shape the premises for our prayers. In other words, the way we see God determines the way we approach Him” Chad Veach       “Prayer reminds us of the sufficiency of Christ. It helps us realize who we are in Him. It assures us that the blessings of Heaven are ours. It reaffirms that God has brought us this far and isn’t giving up on us” Chad Veach     Truth to pray from:   1) I am a child of God   2) I am loved   3) I am redeemed and forgiven   4) I am accepted   5) I have full access to help from God    6) I live by faith and I live in Christ    7) I am blessed   8) I am at peace    9) I can hear God’s voice   10) I am more than a conqueror   

 Citizens and Sons    Luke 15:11-32   Phil 3:20   Jn 1:12-13   Rom 8:14-17   Orphan Spirit says: DO something > HAVE something > BE something   “You are an image bearer with work to do, not a work doer with an image to maintain” Ian Simkins   Who you ARE and what you DO are not the same thing   We can live FOR God or FROM God   2Cor 5:17   Spirit of Adoption says: I AM > I HAVE > I DO    Eph 3:14-15   “Orphans live in an atmosphere of fear - but sons learn to find their place at the family table” Leif Hetland   

Heart Smart   Pr 4:23   Prov 16:1-9   1) Preparing the heart is man’s job    Preparations: the arrangement, disposition, to array, to set in a row   “Suddenly happens one day at a time on repeat…day after day” Al Purvis    “You haven’t failed if you haven’t failed in your heart” Al Purvis   Suddenlies land on a heart that is prepared to handle them   2) The heart plans the way   Pr 16:9 NKJV & MSG   Pr16:3   MY Heart is MY responsibility!   Ps 27:8   “Wherever you go - there you are” Confucius   3) When the way pleases God - there is peace   Pr 16:7 NKJV & TPT   PR 16:2       4) A prepared heart can be directed by God   Vs 9 again   Pr 19:21   Ps 90:12  

Drawing on the story of David and Goliath, Sheldon Oakes shares how faithful stewardship of the small things entrusted, and incredible discipline had much more to do with God's preparation of His chosen King in SECRET than we often give credit and recognition for. When reflecting on the young anointed one and his destined battle with the giant, we sometimes fall into the erroneous thinking that David's preparation was an instantaneous deposit of faith and display of miraculous power, when in reality this climactic fight between David and Goliath only served to reveal what God had formed in the young man over the course of years of faithfulness. What a revelation and exhortation! Faithfulness and anointing begins NOW, not Infront of the masses, but in the secret place with God.

Follow Me?   Our Mouth - luke 6:45   Our Money - Mt 6:21   Our Time - Eph 5:15-17   1) What is the greatest love in my life?   “Show me where you spend your time, money, and energy, and I will show you what you worship” John Wimber   2) What is the greatest message of my life?   Phil 4:9   3) Who am I influencing with my life?   1 Cor 10:32 - 11:1     4) Who is influencing my life?   Jn 15:25-26   Isa 40:28-31

Made For Mission “Acts of true compassion are more than just good deeds - they are expressions of love to God” Passion and compassion come from the place where the heart has been impacted Mk 16:15-18 Matt 28:19-20 RELATIONSHIP gives birth to ACTION! Mt 10:7-8