This Excellent Church - TEC

We begin the teaching series by looking closely at what true wisdom really is. Pastor Sam explains that wisdom is whatever roots us in the fear of God and the life that flows from that fear. Scripture teaches that wisdom is not abstract. It is seen in the way we live. James says, “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13 ESV).True wisdom is the grace of God applied in every area of our lives. There is no real difference between growing in godly wisdom and growing in sanctification. Both flow from the same work of God in the believer.It is also important to point out that the kind of wisdom driven by selfish ambition, jealousy and the passions of the flesh is not wisdom from above. James says that such wisdom is earthly, unspiritual and demonic, producing disorder and every vile practice (James 3:14 to 16). Wisdom that is shaped by sin does not bring peace, rest or flourishing. In fact, sin undermines common grace and invites judgment on a people, because God opposes the proud and the wicked.But those who love the ways of God come to know His peace and His rest. They also become people who make wise decisions, because the more they abide in His will, the more they desire to honour God in their choices and in their conduct.

What our ressurection will be like | LFC Part 29| 1 Cor 15:12-58 | Sam OyeyinkaHere, Paul’s point is straightforward: if Christ did not rise from the dead, the entire Christian faith collapses. The resurrection is what proves Christianity true. It shows Christ’s authority over death and confirms the truth of everything He said. The prophets spoke of His death for the sins of the world, and Christ Himself declared that He would lay down His life willingly. His resurrection is the final proof that all of this is real.If Christ has not been raised, then our faith is empty and our sins remain unforgiven. Those who have died have simply perished, and there is no hope beyond the grave. Without the resurrection, life becomes a confusing search for meaning. Do we live like the Epicureans, chasing pleasure because nothing matters? Or like the Stoics, enduring hardship even though the struggle has no purpose? What exactly is the point of life if Christ did not die and rise again?But Christ did rise. His resurrection is the firstfruit from the dead, the assurance that all who believe in Him will share in that same resurrection by the Spirit of God. The imperishable, glorified life promised in 1 John 3:2 is not symbolic. It is the believer’s future, grounded in the fact that Christ has already conquered the grave.This truth also reveals something deeper about us. Our desires shape our thinking. Our sins influence how we reason. Volition comes before intellection. People do not primarily seek what is true. They justify what their hearts already want. The resurrection confronts this tendency and calls us to turn from sin, embrace the truth, and anchor our hope in the risen Christ.

Charis Vigil | How to Pray for Something Without Idolising It | Samuel Oyeyinka

Love & Light 08 | Final Exhortation | Seye Maj'

On the Thing of First Importance & the Cure for Pride | LFC Part 28| 1 Cor 15:1-11 | Samuel Oyeyinka

Love & Light (Part 7) | Assured by Love | 1 John 4:7-21Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God because God is love by nature. This love for others isn't mere natural affection, but a love that flows from our love for God. Thus, our love for God finds its completion in our love for others.Our love for others should reflect God's display of love, which is1) Sacrificial, not convenient — God gave up His only Son so that we might live.2) Proactive, not responsive — God loved us before we loved Him.When we love one another, we have assurance that we are born again and God's Spirit dwells within us.

Learning From the Corinthians (Part 27) | On Spiritual Short-sightedness | 1 Corinthians 15:1-2Apostle Paul speaks of salvation in three tenses: past, present, and future. We were saved from the penalty, parentage, and power of sin; we are being saved from the practice of sin; and we will be saved from the presence of sin.The means by which we were saved is the same means by which we are being saved — the gospel. So, God preserves us to the end by reminding us of the truth of the gospel because we're prone to forget, a condition Apostle Peter calls short-sightedness.Those who are short-sighted because of suffering and pain must fix their gaze on Christ, looking beyond what is temporal to what is eternal. And those who are short-sighted because of riches and pleasure should put their hope in Christ, who alone can save from the wrath to come.

Love & Light 06 | God's Children Now and Then | Seye Maj' | 1 John 3:1-10

Christ, Our Living Hope | Pastor Adeola Ogundele | 1 Peter 1:1-5In this sermon, Pastor Adeola highlighted the timeless relevance of Peter’s letter to Gentile churches under Roman persecution, noting its direct application to believers dispersed worldwide today, particularly the church in Nigeria. Peter used Old Testament titles to affirm these Gentile Christians as God’s elect, chosen by divine wisdom for a life in Christ, despite pressures from Judaizers insisting they first become Jews. Amid trials and persecution, which could lead to identity doubts, Peter anchored their confidence in God’s sovereign election, reminding them that obedience to Jesus naturally invites persecution, whether external loss or internal temptation to deny Him.True faith ends in worship, not mere intellectual assent and winning arguments. Pastor Adeola urged believers to contemplate God’s greatness daily, turning Scripture reading into prayer and humble adoration of the living Christ. He contrasted fleeting worldly hope, tied to uncertain externals, with the certain, living hope rooted in Christ’s resurrection. Jesus bore our sins and through His victory, we inherit an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading reward kept secure in heaven. Earthly trials and persecution, permitted by God, deepen trust in this eternal inheritance, where even a single moment in glory will eclipse all earthly suffering for His sake. Our perseverance is not self-sustained but guaranteed by God’s keeping power. We cannot resist Satan alone; Christ’s intercession and divine attributes ensure our safe arrival in heaven, even using persecution for our good. Pastor Adeola closed by reminding us that God Himself is our ultimate portion and man’s chief aim is to know and enjoy Him forever. Our prayer should be that the gospel remains precious and love for Christ grows ever deeper.

Love & Light (Part 5) | An Exhortation to Abide | 1 John 2:18-27 One of the marks of the end times is the spread of false prophets and false doctrines. These teachers deny Christ’s incarnation and create a ‘Christ’ of their own making. When people abandon sound doctrine, they become instruments of deception, their consciences seared, something that is not based on outward appearance or temperament. Because of false teachers and false converts, God’s word must be proclaimed boldly. Pastors are called to preach in season and out of season, to correct, reprove and instruct, for sound doctrine preserves believers. False teaching is rarely dressed as false; it often comes disguised as good. Therefore, we must not be swayed by popularity or mistake religious fervor for true faith. People can hide sin behind outward zeal, and supernatural manifestations are not the fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit grants us understanding and confirms the truth of the gospel in our heart. As we grow in grace, He uses the Word to ground us in truth. The call is to abide and remain in the Word. Be teachable, hear His voice and do not harden your heart.

1 John 2:15-29 — Love and Light 04 | An Exhortation to not LoveWe are called to love God by turning away from darkness. To love Him is to seek His will, obey His word, and walk in His light.When John says, “Do not love the world,” he is not speaking of the material world that God made good. We are stewards of creation, called to study and manage it as a reflection of His glory.It is not wrong to love family or show kindness to unbelievers. The world John warns against is the system that lives for this life without regard for eternity (James 4:4).To love the world is to share its hopes, values, and comforts (Ephesians 5:11). Our chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. He is the beginning, the sustainer, and the Judge of all.Let us love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, setting our affection on Him alone. Like Job, may we say, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25–27).

Holy Calling: What the Lord Requires of Us | Dara Ewetola | 2 Tim 1: 1-9

New Creation Realites | Kingsley Akanihu

Dead Orthodoxy: A Case Study in the Book of Malachi | Ifeanyi Maj'

Love & Light 03 | An Exhortation to Love | Seye Maj' | 1 John 2: 7 - 27

Bible Study | The God Who Sees | Murewa Ademola-Idowu | Gen 16: 10-13

Love & Light 02 | Walk in the Light | 1 John 1:5-2:6Continuing the series on John’s letters, Pastor Seye explained that God is the Father of light and in Him is no darkness. He is the perfect light and does not change in degree of brightness. He is just, loving, and true, with no injustice, hatred, or inconsistency. As the source of all light, He remains unchanging in His perfection. John calls us to fellowship with this Christ so revealed, aligning with His desires. Hence, if we fellowship with Him, we cannot walk in darkness. Walking in darkness is not the absence of sin, but the embrace of sin. Those who fellowship with Him cannot embrace a lifestyle of sin, though they may stumble. In walking in the light, the blood of Jesus is available to cleanse us from subsequent sins, the basis on which we are being sanctified. We participate in the sanctifying work of the blood by confessing our sins. Though forgiven, we can still face restorative judgment to keep us from being condemned with the world. Confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness acknowledges our forgiveness, not denies it.Walking in the light means pursuing obedience, where sin becomes an occasional “if,” not an inevitable “when.” John’s core message is to walk as Christ walked, pursuing holiness and sanctification. Confessing sins is not a license to sin but a call to live in obedience, reflecting Christ’s light in our lives.

Be Anxious for Nothing | Dara Ewetola | Matthew 6:25-33

Love & Light 01 | Fellowship with the True Christ | 1 John 1:1-4Pastor Seye begins this new teaching series with an introduction, explaining the historical context of John’s letters.1 John was written to confront false teachings about the person of Christ that were spreading among believers. Some groups, such as the Ebionites, denied His divinity, while others, like the Docetists, denied His true humanity. John wrote to correct these errors and affirm that Jesus is both truly God and truly Man.The Docetists claimed that Christ only appeared to be human but was not truly flesh and blood. They believed that a being from the kingdom of light could not take part in material or earthly things. John counters this by declaring that the eternal Word of life, who existed from the beginning, was seen, heard, and touched by the apostles. In doing so, he establishes both the deity and humanity of Christ.Denying Christ’s real humanity has serious implications for our salvation, because only the true, incarnate Son of God could shed His blood for our sins. False doctrines corrupt the hearts of believers and lead them away from the truth, but sound doctrine strengthens our fellowship with God and produces fruits that align with His will.

Figs in the Vineyard Kingsley | Luke 13:1-9