Back to School with Emely on Sunday, August 24, 2025

 

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Key Points

• Faith in God is described as a relationship built on trust rather than blind belief, with the analogy of a child holding a parent's hand while walking through an unfamiliar place.
• Faith serves as a spiritual sense that provides evidence of the spiritual world where God lives, emphasizing that believing in Jesus leads to seeing rather than the reverse.
• The story of blind Bartimaeus from Mark 10:46-52 was presented as an example of persistent faith that leads to healing, demonstrating how faith can overcome physical limitations.
• When lacking spiritual vision, people tend to seek worldly attention and validation, but active faith in God roots identity in Christ rather than external sources.
• Parents were encouraged to lead by example in their spiritual lives before expecting obedience from their children, and to continue praying persistently despite seeing rebellious behavior.
• The importance of persistence in prayer was emphasized, with the recommendation to be both persistent (determined) and consistent (regular) in seeking God.
• A warning was given about negative influences, as Bartimaeus faced discouragement from the crowd but persisted in calling out to Jesus despite opposition.
• The speaker declared that nothing would separate Generation Z, Alpha, and Beta from God's love, highlighting the spiritual warfare targeting young people.
• Jesus calls everyone to come closer to Him, asking if listeners are willing to let go of pride, fear, and the opinions of others to meet with Him.
• Parents have a responsibility to share the gospel with their children and serve as a bridge to help them develop their own relationship with God.
• Young people were encouraged to develop their own faith rather than living off their parents' faith, and to seek help from church leaders when struggling.
• The speaker emphasized that simple, sincere prayers are often answered quickly because God wants to be present for His children.

Summary

Introduction and Purpose of Special Service

• The service was held as a special blessing for students starting school the next day in Springfield.

• The purpose was to provide parents with a word from God and children with divine protection and blessings for the new school year.
• Students of all levels from daycare through university were included in the blessing.
• Emily was introduced as a spiritual daughter who would be delivering the message.

Opening Prayer and Blessing

• Emily opened with gratitude for the congregation's presence and declared them to be people hungry for God's presence with unwavering faith.

• She blessed and honored the pastors of the house, Pastor Jose and Prophetess Melly, for their hard work and dedication.
• A prayer was offered asking for the Holy Spirit to inspire the day and ignite deeper desire for God among attendees.
• The prayer specifically requested that people have ears to hear and eyes to see that God is a good Father, Prince of Peace, wonderful counselor, and everlasting Father.

Faith as Evidence of the Spiritual World

• The sermon topic was introduced as "Activate Your Faith" based on Hebrews 11:1 from the New Living Translation.

• Faith was defined as showing the reality of what we hope for and being evidence of things we cannot see.
• Faith in God was explained as a relationship built on trust, not blind gullibility, but confidence that God will do what He has promised.
• An analogy was given comparing faith to a child holding their parent's hand in a crowded, unfamiliar place, trusting their guidance even without seeing the way.

The Five Senses and Spiritual Perception

• The congregation was asked to identify the five human senses, which were listed as sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

• These physical senses were explained as helping humans distinguish and absorb information about the physical world.
• Faith was presented as the spiritual sense that gives evidence of the spiritual world where God lives.
• The importance of the Holy Spirit in understanding the things of God was emphasized.

Seeing Versus Believing

• The message emphasized that seeing God will not lead to believing, but believing in Jesus Christ will lead to seeing.

• Reference was made to the Pharisees who saw Jesus and His miracles but still chose not to believe.
• The distinction was made that faith is not believing what we cannot see, but showing evidence of what we cannot see through a trusting relationship with God.

The Story of Bartimaeus

• Sebastian read Mark 10:46-52 about the blind beggar Bartimaeus who called out to Jesus for mercy.

• The story illustrated how many people have physical sight but lack spiritual vision.
• The narrative showed that while many saw Jesus's miracles, they still did not believe He was who He claimed to be.
• The importance of developing a personal relationship with God rather than depending on others' faith was emphasized.

Spiritual Blindness and Worldly Seeking

• Bartimaeus was described as a blind beggar who sat by the road begging, representing those who lack faith and seek attention from worldly things.

• When spiritually blind, people beg for attention and love from parents, approval from friends, latest technologies, clothing, money, and success in school.
• The message clarified that while these things are not inherently wrong, they cannot define a person's identity.
• Active faith in God means knowing He understands our needs and trusting Him to provide, with identity rooted in who Jesus is rather than worldly validation.

Using Faith When Physical Senses Fail

• The teaching emphasized that when physical senses fail, believers should lean on faith in God for guidance.

• When what we see does not align with what God has promised, we should continue believing and holding onto His word.
• Bartimaeus used his stronger sense of hearing when his sight failed, demonstrating that faith comes by hearing the word of God.
• The message stressed that calling on God's name gets His attention, as He promises that those who seek Him in spirit and truth will find Him.

Evidence of God's Existence

• Multiple forms of evidence for God's existence were presented including every breath we take, birds, trees, and all of creation.

• Testimonies and the Bible were cited as additional evidence of God's character and plan for our lives.
• The teaching emphasized there are no excuses for not believing, as evidence of God surrounds us constantly.
• Even in suffering and hardship, faith should remain as the ultimate hope when everything else is gone.

Persistence and Consistency in Prayer

• Hebrews 11:6 was referenced, stating it is impossible to please God without faith and that those who come to Him must believe He exists and rewards sincere seekers.

• The importance of being both persistent and consistent in prayer was emphasized, comparing it to how children persistently call their parents' names.
• Believers were encouraged to be desperate for God and to pray without ceasing, even when facing discouragement from others.
• The example of Bartimaeus shouting louder when people told him to be quiet was used to illustrate persistence in faith.

Overcoming Discouragement and Opposition

• The message warned that people will try to discourage faith, call names, and make fun of believers for their faith.

• There is an enemy to faith in Jesus who constantly lurks and waits to attack, wanting people to be afraid of living for Jesus.
• God is faithful to shield believers from the enemy, but individuals must muster up faith and call on the name of Jesus.
• The declaration was made that nothing can separate believers from the love of God, including life, death, angels, or demons.

Spiritual Warfare Against Youth

• A declaration was made that nothing shall separate Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and Gen Beta from the love of God.

• The enemy was described as specifically targeting children and youth through various attacks including attempts at abortion, anxiety, panic attacks, rejection, and abandonment.
• Parents were encouraged to continue praying with perseverance and not give up when discouraged by rebellious behavior.
• The spiritual warfare was clarified as being against spirits, not against the children themselves.

Jesus's Call to Come Closer

• Mark 10:50 was referenced, showing how Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus when called.

• Jesus was described as calling people to come closer and having questions for them, just as they have questions for Him.
• Several challenging questions were posed about willingness to let go of pride, fear, opinions of others, letdowns, and disappointments to meet with Jesus.
• The message emphasized that Jesus can heal spiritual blindness just as He healed Bartimaeus.

God's Unchanging Character

• Despite not understanding everything about life's circumstances, believers should focus on God's unchanging character.

• God was described as not being like man, showing up consistently and not changing His thoughts about people even when they are rebellious.
• The love of God was emphasized through the sacrifice of His son, and the importance of remembering Jesus's suffering on the cross when facing spiritual attacks.
• The declaration "with God, nothing is impossible" was repeated multiple times as a foundational truth.

Active Faith Versus Passive Church Attendance

• True faith was described as active and showing evidence, not just attending church services weekly.

• Faith requires daily activation and cannot be maintained by simply coming to church and sitting passively.
• The message challenged the pattern of making Sunday commitments without daily lifestyle changes throughout the week.
• Active faith demonstrates evidence of God's work in a person's life through consistent daily relationship and obedience.

Parental Responsibility in Faith Development

• Parents were instructed to teach children how to pray and come to God directly rather than always seeking advice from peers first.

• Parents were described as bridges that bring children to know who God is, eventually helping them develop personal relationships.
• The importance of leading by example was emphasized, stating that parents cannot expect obedience from children without being obedient to God themselves.
• Parents were encouraged to use words for encouragement rather than destruction, affirming children when they do right and expressing love and pride.

Personal Testimony of Musical Gift Development

• Emily shared her testimony of playing piano since age four by ear without formal instruction.

• When she came to the church, she was surprised by the lack of musicians but felt called to serve in worship.
• She described having to practice for hours, do research, and work hard rather than receiving instant supernatural downloads.
• The testimony illustrated how God works through dedicated effort and faith rather than magic, showing that gifts require development and practice.

Encouragement for Youth to Develop Personal Faith

• Youth and children were encouraged to get to know Jesus for themselves rather than living off their parents' faith.

• The message emphasized getting to know Jesus while there is still time, acknowledging that no one knows the day or hour of His return.
• Even long-time believers were encouraged to get to know Jesus again and acknowledge Him in new light.
• The simplest and most honest prayers were described as receiving quick answers because God desires to show up for His children.

Next Steps

• The congregation was encouraged to activate their faith daily through personal relationship with God rather than passive church attendance.

• Parents were called to lead by example in obedience to God while teaching children to pray and seek God directly.
• Youth were challenged to develop personal faith relationships with Jesus instead of depending on their parents' faith.
• The church community was mobilized to provide resources, prayer support, and mentorship for young people facing spiritual challenges.