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In the Q&A portion of "Rekindle" with Kevin and Kerri Scarbrough, a wide range of topics related to prayer and spiritual life, beginning with a discussion on a potential longer, multi-day seminar to further develop a culture of prayer at the local church, moving beyond it being a mere "add-on" to services. The speakers and attendees emphasized that a life of prayer involves inviting God into all decisions, even seemingly small ones like putting gas in a car, to avoid operating in one's own strength and instead allow the Lord to be central. This was connected to living out the fruit of the Spirit and great commandment, stressing that one must first experience God's love and character—not just have a mental knowledge—to pour it out to others. A key question addressed teaching the Holy Spirit to children and new believers with language barriers, asserting that adults shouldn't withhold difficult concepts, as children are receptive and the Holy Spirit is the true teacher; they also shared a testimony about the power of teaching a child to ask the Holy Spirit directly for patience. Finally, the role of corporate prayer was discussed as essential for unity and clarity in the church, contrasting it with self-focused "outer court" prayer requests, and attendees were encouraged to be individually prepared to intercede for and serve others in the corporate setting, maintaining a slowed-down, listening posture to hear God's voice.

In Session two of "Rekindle" Prayer Seminar, Kevin Scarbrough immediately shifted the focus from the concept of a reestablished personal "altar" to the essential, yet often-neglected, role of the Holy Spirit. Kevin emphasized that the Holy Spirit is the least desired person of the Trinity in Christian conversation, despite being the only member of the Godhead physically present on Earth and the key component to establishing a true prayer life and living in holiness. Kevin used John 16:7-8 as a foundation, highlighting Jesus' words that his departure was necessary for the Advocate (the Holy Spirit, or Paraclete) to come, whose primary job is to convict the world of sin and God's righteousness. Kevin stressed that the Holy Spirit is a co-equal person (not an "it"), who acts as the believer's defense against the enemy and whose every action is directed unto the Father to bring glory to Jesus. This relationship requires the believer's full surrender and dependence, as the Holy Spirit's guidance will often offend one's flesh and logic—a point illustrated by the story of a successful ministry that was shut down because it opposed the human comfort zone, and a stark warning from Acts 5 that lying to the Spirit is lying to God, underscoring the serious nature and authority of the Spirit.

In Session One of "Rekindle", led by Kevin Scarbrough of the Prayer Collective, began with an emphasis on making prayer a priority and a prayer of gratitude and reception for the coming teaching. Kevin immediately challenged the attendees to completely shatter their worldview about prayer, arguing that many Christians are spiritually distant from God despite professing faith. He introduced the dynamic yet simple nature of prayer, stating that it was never created but has eternally existed in God as the very communication between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Therefore, prayer should come naturally to humanity, created in God's image, because it is essentially communication with the Almighty using our entire being, not just our words, citing examples like a baby's kick in the womb as a form of communication. Kevin's ultimate goal for the seminar is to demonstrate that a proper prayer life requires the death of the flesh, where believers recognize that they do not belong to themselves but are dead to self and alive in Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit to move. This spiritual sacrifice on one's personal altar—the body, which is the temple and the priest—is essential for keeping the fire burning and pushing back against the kingdom of darkness, a concept illustrated by Elijah's rebuilding of the altar and confronting the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18.

During this election season, there are a lot of discussions raised around colors and allegiances - red, blue, Republican, Democrat, Independent, and a host of others. This sermon series, led by Allen Jackson, steers the discussion away from those things to focus on how God uses governments to accomplish His purposes, and Christian responsibilities related to that. Today's message takes us to the ballot box and beyond. Followers of Jesus are called to be faithful to the example of Jesus, whether delighted or disappointed. Love your enemies.October 27, 2024

In conjunction with the Sunday sermon series, Chris Rylands is leading a four-part study on “The Christian Role in Government” each Wednesday. Tonight's topic asks, "How Then Shall We Live?"October 23, 2024