Leif Hetland, Joseph Harris, and Heidi Baker | April 22-24, 2022

Recap:
The Prayer and Presence conference just wrapped up this Sunday, and it was an important weekend that marked our church for the future. Guest speakers Leif Hetland, Joseph Harris, and Heidi Baker taught us how to move from laboring for God to living in a place with God that enables the supernatural to become a natural part of our lives.

God wants us to become more aware of His work than anything else on this earth so we don’t miss what He is doing. All we have to do is welcome Him and turn our hearts in His direction. His presence is what we need!

Dive Deeper:
This weekend, we received language for what God wants to do in our lives! So often we pray for the fire of God, but God wants to do so much more than send fire. He wants to prepare us to be a good fireplace to receive His fire!

One way God does this is by overwhelming us with His love. When we understand and are enveloped by His love, we rest in His love. We see His face and know His voice. We operate as a son or daughter of God, not an orphan. Throughout the weekend, we saw the example of three chairs being used. The first chair is the place where we will see God’s face and know His voice. We will be focused on Him. The second chair is where we are focused on our voice. The third chair is where we are focused on the world.

Put it this way: When you are in chair #1, you are operating in your covenant, an intimate relationship with your Heavenly Father. When you are in chair #2, you’re focused on fear, attempting to control everything. You operate more as an orphan rather than a son or daughter of God.

God wants you in chair #1, shining instead of whining, and we do that by spending time with Him. His presence is what we need to remain rooted in love. It is in that place we encounter God and find our identity in Him. You become an ambassador of God’s love when you are in this place, knowing that His burden is easy and His yoke is light. Your testimony will be found in God.

That’s just the beginning of what was taught this past weekend, but more importantly, what was caught during time spent worshipping and waiting and praying in God’s presence. It’s well worth your time to listen to these services more than once!

Read About It:
Ephesians 1:3–23 KJV
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Discussion Questions:
1. What ministered to you this past weekend?
2. What keeps us from living in chair #1?
3. How can we make God’s presence a priority in our lives?

Rewatch or catch up on the full sermon with the link below!

Recent Sermon Notes

FOCUS FOR EFFECT: Love | Mac Hammond

Pastor Mac taught the third installment of his series entitled, “Focus on Effect,” based upon 2nd Corinthians 4:17, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The apostle Paul said the hardships in our lives can be light and momentary. It all depends on what we place our focus upon. Paul says we are to focus our attention on what is eternal, rather than what is temporal. There are three things that are eternal: faith, hope, and love. We are to focus on that.

FOCUS FOR EFFECT: Hope | Mac Hammond

This series is all about focus, meaning where do you give your attention. This is important because whatever you give your attention to will determine how hard or difficult your life will be. And conversely, it will determine how easy and carefree it will be. Teaching on 1st Corinthians 13:13, Pastor Mac says you can gain the clarity you need to succeed in your life by focusing on matters of faith, hope, and love.

Focus on Effect | Mac Hammond

Pastor Mac began a new series entitled, “Focus on Effect.” He started off by telling us the topic of the new series is something we probably think we already know about, but in fact, we don’t know enough about it as we probably should. The scriptural reference was 2nd Corinthians 4:17–18: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Though Pastor Mac has taught on this passage before, he said he’s “gotten a glimpse of a different side of this mountain. And I’m seeing it from a perspective that has really impacted me in a positive way.” He added, “And I want it to be that way for you all as well.”

Are We in the Days of Noah? | Jim Hammond

Jesus’ disciples asked Him what the signs will be of His coming. Jesus said it will be like it was in the days of Noah: “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Fellow believers, we are in the days of Noah. All they thought about in the days of Noah was eating and drinking and the like. They were not thinking about the flood that was coming. So it is today!

A Deception of Palestine | Jim Hammond

This past weekend, Pastor Jim ministered a special God-directed message for the congregation entitled, “A Deception of Palestine.” He talked about how there is a division in the body of Christ worldwide, where believers are allowing themselves to become deceived when it comes to the present and ongoing deception regarding the Jewish people and Israel. It’s important that Christians do not allow themselves to be persuaded by worldly and ungodly leaders and news systems. It’s important they know what the Word of God says and exalt it as God’s truth.