3 March 2024 - ENCS

Pastor Josh continued the series on Matthew today

Scripture without Jesus is merely words, he did say

God does want us to prosper - starting with our soul

Incorporating Jesus into our lives should be our goal

"Judge not, that you be not judged" per Matthew seven

Remember that eternal judgement comes from heaven

Focus on the plank in our eyes before other's speck

Otherwise our hypocrisy will be a visible side effect

Verse seven talks about asking, seeking, knocking

When we do, the Lord's response will not be blocking

Remember not to act before asking - and praying

We need to wait to hear what God to us is relaying

Hebrews six verse ten states that God is not unjust

In His plans and timing we should thus have trust

This requires both faith and patience, Josh said

The latter concept is one which many of us dread

Per Matthew, the golden rule Jesus does eschew

Do unto others as you would have them do to you

We need God’s love in order to truly show love

For our heart, not actions, are judged from above

21 January 2024 - ENCS

Pastor Josh Harris continued the Set Apart series today

Asking that to live out holiness, is there an effective way?

He mentioned two distinct mountains - Sinai and Zion

One was for Moses but the other points to God’s scion

Moses received the ten commandments on Mount Sinai

Those at the base could even see God’s fire from on high

Per Hebrews twelve, God’s laws without love insttill fear

That causes many an unbeliever to resist pulling near

Conversely, Mount Zion is the picture of a new covenant

Direct interaction with God is now available to a supplicant

We gain confidence knowing our names are in heaven

And our faith cannot be shaken, per verse twenty seven

God’s all-consuming fire can be destroying or refining

We must throw off all that hinders so we can be aligning

Remember that loving discipline oft seems like hardship

And loving others is following the law on our life’s trip

7 January 2024 - ENCS

Pastor Josh kicked off a new series on holiness

‘Holy" can be taken in two ways, Josh did express

It can describe God who is above all that is bad

But many view it in a judgemental way that is sad

In chapter six, Isaiah saw God sitting on a throne

The fact that King Uzziah was a kind of milestone

Reminding us that in order to obtain our inheritance

We must at times from our old ways put a distance

Because God is holy, from the world He is separate

Human infirmity, impurity, and sinfulness are our fate

We all fall short of God’s glory, per Romans three

So were dead in our sins, in Ephesians two we see

God's perfect love can make us healthy spiritually

That helps us mentally, emotionally, and physically

Per Romans five, we have been justified by faith

By His grace we have been saved, Paul sayeth

God is holy - separate, sacred, and superlative

We are not holy - sinful and selfish in how we live

God makes us holy - setting us right and free

Enabling us up to do His good works with glee

31 December 2023 - ENCS

Pastor Josh ended the year talking about thankfulness

A feeling we should always bear in mind, he did stress

Per Acts seventeen, Paul said God made everything

That is why in many Psalms, David did praises sing

The SQ App has a function to see answered prayers

A powerful reminder that God both listens and cares

Josh stated we should be thankful to God every hour

For His provision, His protection, as well as His power

We should be thankful for God per Hebrews thirteen

Because God will never leave or forsake us, it is seen

And we are more than conquerors, per Romans eight

God’s presence, peace, and person will never abate

Be thankful to God for each other was his final point

For our fellow believers support and never disappoint

In First Corinthians one, Paul said to give thanks

Per Romans one, he said we help fill in others’ blanks

In Romans twelve, Paul said  be thankful to God above

For multiplied wisdom, mutual faith, and genuine love

8 October 2023 - ENCS

Pastor Mark spoke on “Values, Treasures, and the Heart”

In Matthew six, about types of treasure Jesus did impart

We should not lay up temporal treasures here on earth

As eternal treasures in heaven have so much more worth

Mark said we should remember that our hearts do pursue 

Those things, temporal or eternal, which we most value

Firstly, recognise how valuable we are in Christ’s eyes

His words in Matthew six about birds we should memorise

Per John ten, we are so valuable He will not let us go

As Romans five, Hebrews thirteen, and Luke twelve show

We are valuable masterpieces, per Psalm one thirty nine

Because per John one, we are in Christ’s direct bloodline

Secondly, realign our perspective using heaven's eyes

Doing things that upset God is foolish and clearly not wise

We should all create and add value to people around us

Although storing and increasing value is not superfluous

In First Timothy six, in a passage that is never outdated

The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, Paul stated

Finally, reposture our hearts and reorder our values

Do a heart check and seriously consider God’s views

For the heart is often deceitful, per Jeremiah seventeen

So the Lord tests our hearts, in the passage it is seen

We should clear the blockages and take proactive care

“Slowing, stopping, silence, solitude” Mark did share

And in the absence of those on a South African trip

I would add “Pray, Mediate, Proclaim, Fellowship”

17 September 2023 - ENCS

About Spritual Quotient, Pastor Joey did today continue

Talking about “The Thief” that in John ten we did view

Our struggle is versus spiritual forces, per Ephesians six

So we pray that the eyes of our hearts on God do affix

Per Isaiah fourteen, the thief is called the morning star

God thwarted his attempted coup and said au revoir

Per Revelations twelve, his name is Satan or devil

Also several other names that we should not revel

About one-third of heaven's angels on his side fought

But omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent he is not

God lets him live so that we can exercise our free will

But his future, per Revelation twenty, torment will fill

God made us a bit lower than angels, per Psalm eight

To overcome the devil, God’s power we can activate

This is very clearly stated in Hebrews chapter two

Jesus will destroy Satan, in First John three we view

The enemy’s names tell us what he is trying to do

As he did with Eve, the serpent will try to tempt you

The devil tries to deceive, telling us all sorts of lies

Satan accuses us - so listening to him is unwise

To stop the enemy from stealing submit to God

For God’s armour Ephesians six gives the nod

Pray against temptation, meditate over deception

Proclaim the gospel, fellowship over accusation

20 August 2023 - ENCS

Emerging Victorious is what Josh spoke about

Following on from the Maturity series with clout

Maturity requires trials, temptation, and trouble

James one says to consider them joy double

For the testing of faith produced perseverance

So complete maturity can make an appearance

Waiting and enduring pain makes you stronger

Per Hebrews twelve, discipline may last longer

For God demonstrates love through discipline

Which then enables us to His holiness share in

Perseverance also produces righteousness

One's character grows when under stress

Per Romans five, we should therefore rejoice

For going down this path is the best choice

Endurance leads to character and then hope

Hope does not disappoint but helps us cope

We face trouble in this world, per John sixteen

But Jesus overcame the world, it is then seen

6 August 2023 - ENCS

From the Firm Foundations series, Pastor Joey did follow

Per Hebrews six, more than baby food we should swallow

In order to be "taken forward to maturity", we then viewed

He therefore titled today's sermon “Beyond Baby Food”

Maturity in Christ is about moving forward and growing up

As per Hebrews five, on solid food the mature should sup

Growth is gradual, imperceptible, over time and seasons

We should grow up in the right things for the right reasons

Maturity is becoming more like Christ, per Romans eight

He equips us for good works, Ephesians four does state

For God uses everything and uses everything for good

Becoming more like Christ is critical, that is understood

The Lord God matures us by giving us the ability to do so

We are earthly and spiritual, First Corinthians does show

Like a gardener, God often prunes us per John fifteen

And gives examples to follow, in First John two is seen

23 July 2023 - ENCS

The Firm Foundations series Pastor Joey did complete

Hebrews five shares six elementary truths not obsolete

The last being eternal judgment, as per Revelation five

So at the title The Glory of the Last Lion Joey did arrive

The significance of God’s justice is where Joey started

It is the foundation of God’s throne, never departed

Psalm eighty nine, righteousness and justice are key

While love and faithfulness go before us, we can see

God’s justice also ensures fairness and impartiality 

Post restitution and retribution, restoration there will be

It puts in us a holy fear, also known as a reverent fear

For God judges our work in First Peter one we do hear

So then what does eternal judgement actually entail?

It is for everyone, both old and young, male and female

Per Hebrews nine, we all die and then judgement face

Our entire life is known, there is nothing we can erase

Per Hebrews four, nothing is hidden from God’ sight

It is a time of accountability, everything comes to light

Per Second Corinthians five, all appear before His seat

Since God sees all, His judgement we can not cheat

Ephesians two says we are created to do good works

But we should do these out of love, not for the perks

Joey said that eternal judgement is also a test of quality

Our foundation is in Jesus, per First Corinthians three

Our rewards will then be crowns that last for eternity

In First Thessalonians two, crowns of service we see

The crowns of devotion, as per Second Timothy four

But to Jesus, we give all the crowns and even more

16 July 2023 - ENCS

The Firm Foundations series Pastor Joey did continue 

About elementary truths in Hebrews five we can view

Repentance, faith, baptism, laying on of hands we see

Today Joey focused on resurrection, Embracing Eternity

To start, we must have an understanding of physical death 

For it is just a matter of time before we take our last breath

As per Second Corinthians four, we waste away outwardly

Our days are finite, in Psalm ninety and James four we see

Ecclesiastes three states that there is a time for everything

When we are born or when we die, control we cannot bring

The verse goes on to say everything is beautiful in its time

That God has set eternity in the human heart is a paradigm

Pastor then said we must understand Christ's’ resurrection

After Jesus died for our sins despite having no imperfection

As per Mark twelve, God is for both the living and the dead

So many resurrection witnesses could not have been misled

Acts seventeen says we are God’s offspring and should obey

Meaning that we should repent and in His name act and pray

This clearly has implications for our lives each and every day

We have God's power to resurrect any part of life, Joey did say

First Corinthians fifteen talks about our resurrection spiritual

The body that is sown is perishable but is raised imperishable

Similarly, the dishonourable becomes glorious thanks to Christ

The weak become powerful, in eternity for what He sacrificed

2 July 2023 - ENCS

The Firm Foundations series Pastor Joey did continue

Reference to cleansing rites in Hebrews six we do view

Such cleansing is now called baptism, Pastor did say

Thus :Laundering Your Soul” is the sermon title today

There are several reasons we need baptism, Joey stated

The first is that with sin we have all been contaminated

We have all been corrupted even if we are courageous

And to make matters worse, we have become contagious

The instruction to be baptised is important to remember

It is an act of faith, whether done in July or December

It is a picture of your new life, for the rest of its duration

And about your faith, it is an evident public declaration

So then what is baptism, Pastor Joey did try to convey

It is an immersion into a relationship with God every day

Baptism is also God’s way of cleansing you from your sin

As well as His way of of ensuring you let the Holy Spirit in

25 June 2023 - ENCS

Pastor Joey continued the series on Firm Foundations

Reminding us that deaths are effectively separations

Jesus is the bridge over our immense chasm with God

We need faith on top of repentance, Pastor did us prod

He continued by saying we need faith to come to God

To Hebrews chapter eleven verse six Joey gave a nod

It says faith pleases God and believes that God is real

For those who truly seek Him, rewards God will reveal

Faith is credited as righteousness, as per Romans four

The more faith we have, the righteousness is also more

Per Hebrews four, faith enables us to enter God’s rest

And then per Hebrews ten, not shrinking back is best

The gospel reveals righteousness, by which we do live

"Faith overcome the world”, First John five does us give

Everything not from faith is sin, so faith helps every day

God will then deliver his promises,Hebrews six does say

18 June 2023 - ENCS

A new series "Firm Foundations”, Pastor Joey did start

He told us to take Hebrews five verse eleven to heart

Paul said that they needed elementary truths to relearn

They needed “milk not solid food”, he wrote in concern

Winning the Unseen Battle with Death was today’s title

Starting the series off with a topic that is extremely vital

In Genesis two, death will follow eating from the tree

Although obviously Adam and Eve didn't die physically

Romans six clarifies that the death is in fact separation

And eternal separation from God is therefore damnation

Therefore the way to reverse death is through repentance

Sins separate us from God per a Isaiah fifty nine sentence

Repentance is also the way to remove consequences

God sees our heart if we repent and come to our senses

Finally, repentance is the way for our life to be restored

As it leads to forgiveness and blessings from the Lord

Pastor then took some time to say what repentance is not

It is not about regrets as they can never reverse the rot

It is not about resentment or bitterness to self or others

Nor is it about rationalising or justifying sin to our brothers

Repentance is a lifestyle of recognising sin without cessation

Per First John one, confessing our sins leads to purification

Repentance is a state of ongoing remorse for past actions

Godly sorrow produces earnest change without distractions

Finally, repentance is a progressive change in direction

Per Matthew three, producing fruit during this correction

30 April 2023 - ENCS

Pastor Josh referred to PMPF as how we equip

Praying, meditating, proclaiming, and fellowship

For these habits can help us to encounter Jesus

The more we do them, the his love can seize us

In Second Corinthians three, we were informed

That looking at God is how we are transformed

“The old has gone” per Second Corinthians five

And “the new is here” with a promise to thrive

But why is there such a disconnect to look into

Between what I should do and what I actually do

Jesus acts as the bridge by offering us salvation

Bringing us back to God's path and His nation

Our life should involve a growing understanding

About God’s holiness, our sin notwithstanding

Burnout can result from always trying to perform

The alternative is worse, Pastor did us inform

We try to hide our sin in guilt, fear, and shame

But hopelessness leads to despair just the same

Josh then focused on what we should try to do

We are saved, being saved, will be saved too

That is justification, sanctification, glorification

Justification, per Romans five, is for the duration

In Hebrews ten more on sanctification is seen

Glorification is per First Corinthians fourteen

How to be transformed, Josh did then ponder

Second Thessalonians' advice do not squander

For true freedom is being what you want to be

Not doing what you want to do, Josh did plea

Per Romans twelve, do not confirm to the earth

For transformation follows your mind's new birth

Whenever we think others owe us something

Remember all that was done by Jesus the King

Life is a journey of letting Him play a bigger role

Directly or indirectly, from the human race whole

Humility means asking God our problems to fix

We must believe in the one God sent per John six

18 December 2022 - ENCS

Today Pastor Josh spoke on “Walking in the Darkness"

Jesus is the light of the world, John eight does stress

Darkness can not overcome Him, per John chapter one

For His light is brighter and longer lasting than the sun

His word is a light on our path and a map for our feet

About this Psalm one hundred nineteen is quite upbeat

There will be many times when in darkness we will walk

But about trusting in God’s presence, we should not balk

For His light is ever present and able to be relied upon

Per Isaiah fifty, without it into torment people have gone

Trying to rely on our own strengths will lead to trouble

That is why so many empires have ended up in rubble

Second Corinthians five says to walk by faith not sight

That can be tough when things do not seem to be right

But remember what is clearly stated in Isaiah fifty one

Remember all the things in the past that God has done

Abraham and Sarah are applauded in Hebrews eleven

For their unerring trust in promises from God in heaven

We should LIVE in the light of Jesus Christ our Lord

In His victory over darkness and the light of His word

We should WALK with total reliance on God, Josh said

In trust of His character, not by sight but by faith instead

We should LOOK at God’s faithfulness and His promises

And at God’s face with trust, not as doubting Thomases

4 December 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Josh spoke about hope in this Yuletide season

At times, the concept of hope seems without reason

Hold fast to hope, per Hebrews six verse eighteen

The “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” it is seen

Hope is the anchor that keeps us from ever drifting

And keeps us from crashing, as it is always uplifting

Josh said hope can also help us to hold on tight

And with our faith as an anchor, we will be alright

Faith is the substance of hope, per Hebrews eleven

Abriaham's hope came from faith in God in heaven

God never lies and made us an oath, per Hebrews six

Christ is a solid rock, thus never leaving us in a fix

It can be seen that our hope has substance by faith

This strength is by God’s faithfulness, the Bible saith

The work of Jesus Christ gives our hope security

Knowing He is with us even though we do not see

God is steadfast and ever-present, per First John four

Ephesians two says that we do not need any more

Galatians four says we can receive adoption to sonship

This legal term should be the cause of much worship

Hope in Jesus provides us to the Lord access

Offering us a new start and new spirit, nothing less

God adopts us and gives us identity and inheritance

It is impossible to get more, no matter the substance

30 October 2022 - ENCS

About mental health, Pastor Josh did today continue

Elijah, Hagar, David, and Hannah to date we did view

Through his own emotional wrestling, Jesus also went

We can all learn from how He dealt with this torment

Chesterton warned against reductivism, linguistically

Answering a complex question simply or simplistically

A key is both simpler and more complex than a knife 

Ergo Christianity is like a key that fits the lock of life

Part of the complexity results from Jesus’ humanity

He took on a human likeness, per Philippians three

Per Hebrews fifteen, he was fully human in every way

He faced temptation so can relate to us, Josh did say

Remember that Jesus prayed to God to take His cup

Even a visit from an angel failed to lift His spirits up 

He was betrayed and deserted, and even forsaken

He knows how we feel, we should not be mistaken

Jesus experienced victory in death, per Hebrews two

Giving those who feared death a major breakthrough

Sometimes we go through difficult times for a reason

To enable us to share our faith in a different season

We should make decisions based on faith, not fear

The Spirit’s law frees us, Romans eight makes clear

In summary, Pastor Josh referred to First Peter three

Jesus suffered once so our sins are cleansed eternally

26 June 2022 - ENCS

The series “What Matters Most” Pastor Josh doth continued

Relationships help but can be challenging if misconstrued

Josh said that a major Relationship Killer is selfishness

Per James four, our covetousness can get us in a big mess

Our selfish nature can then lead our hearts to hardened be

“The evil heart of unbelief”, as is stated in Hebrews three

Sin actually trains us to be hard and thus bitter we become

Which hurts ourselves and defiles others, so is really dumb

Josh said bitterness to betterness God's grace does turn

We must “guard our heart”, from Romans four we do learn

For from our heart flows all that we say and all that we do

In how we respond to hurtful offences, this is especially true

Our heart is where our treasure is, Matthew six does remind

Hoarding earthly treasure leads to greed, putting us in a bind

The Venn diagram intersection of guarded and giving is best

Our growth comes from “guarded giving” Pastor Josh stressed

"Let light shine out of darkness", per Second Corinthians four

Since into our hearts the knowledge of God’s glory does pour

And if we do walk in the light, per First John one verse seven

We will have fellowship with others on earth and in heaven

Dear God, please help me remove bitterness from my heart

And in bringing light to this world, help me to do my small part

Let me be thankful for all the blessings you have given to me

And in line with your intentions, let my words and actions be

5 June 2022 - ENCS

On “Relationship Matters” Pastor Mark did speak today

The reason is clear even in Genesis one, Pastor did say

“Let us make man in our image” from verse twenty six

Does bring the concept of the Holy Trinity into the mix

The "three persons in one" is mentioned in Matthew three

Christ’s baptism both the Spirit and the Father did see

Each is fully God regardless of the specific nomenclature

Pastor said this indicates that God is relational by nature

As we are made in His image, we are relational by design 

Per Hebrews ten, "meeting together" is guidance divine

Helping us “spur one another toward love and good deeds"

Encouragement from believers is one of our core needs

A key relational component is trust, also known as faith

We need faith to be close to God, Hebrews eleven sayeth

Knowing this, the enemy seeks to fracture relational lines

Causing mistrust and making us busy are two clear signs

That God’s laws are fundamentally relational is no surprise

All about relationships, the Ten Commandments do advise

Per Exodus twenty, the first four are all about the Lord God

The fifth about parents; about neighbours the rest give a nod

But Jesus’ focus was not on the letter, but the spirit of the law

He referred to this often, as in Mark two twenty seven we saw

Pastor Mark also said we have a debt to love, to be relational

Per First John “we love because he first loved us” - sensational

22 March 2020 - ENCS (2)

Pastor Joey noted that the start of twenty twenty

Has seen global challenges and disasters plenty

Given current conditions, more we will surely see

But the greatest obstacle can be an opportunity

Then to Hebrews chapter twelve Pastor did refer

From the term "once more”, seriousness we infer

God will shake the heavens as well as the earth

What cannot be shaken must be of great worth

For it is God’s kingdom that cannot be shaken

Our worship, awe and reverence should awaken

Shaking can break you or be your breakthrough

So that our journey of destiny we can pursue

In Genesis forty one, Joseph was given power

Pharaoh knew that he was the man of the hour

Joseph got the wisdom to plan and to execute

For God rewarded his faith which was absolute

Per verse forty nine, much grain was then stored

That does not mean in lockdown we should hoard

Perhaps this time of being shaken is necessary

So we let go of things of which we should be wary

This reminded me of the song “Clear The Stage”

Jimmy Needham’s lyrics are exceptionally sage

“Anything I put before my God is an idol” he sings

We must “crush the idols”, both actions and things

Egypt had seven years of abundance then famine

When disasters happen, His word we must examine

Unless we can learn, these events will happen again

That is why all the world came to Egypt to buy grain

Pastor opined that covid19 is more than just a virus

God is doing something for the world and each of us

Akin to Joseph's brothers, we must improve listening

To determine what in this season for us God is doing

Joseph could not control himself in chapter forty five

He explained to his brothers why he was kept alive

They should be be distressed as there was a reason

Similarly, there is a reason for suffering in this season

This reminded me of Romans five from verse three

Suffering produces perseverance, we clearly see

Which produces character and then finally hope

And hope does not disappoint, so we should cope

Pastor said a plane can fly but needs direction

Our  lives need God’s purpose as an injection

We each have a unique purpose in each season

Remember serving God is the universal reason