Apostle Allison Smith Conliff delivers a strong call to real discipleship, not performative Christianity, not “church on Sunday and anything after,” but a life of worship, purity, obedience, and mission. The Apostle opens with a firm personal decision: regardless of trials, testing, or pressure, “I will worship… I am going to go through with God,” standing on God’s Word because “the anchor holds.” The congregation is urged to come before God sincerely, no faking it, because God keeps record of what we do, say, and even meditate on, and Christlike character must be the same in private and in public.

A major theme is that worship is not reserved for easy seasons. Believers are challenged: when life becomes difficult and “all hell breaks loose,” will you still praise and remain committed, or will you turn your back on God? The sermon frames true faith as choosing God consistently, honoring Him for who He is, not only for what He has done.

The sermon defines a disciple as more than a follower. A disciple is:

1. Following Jesus,
2. Being changed by Him, and
3. Committed to His mission.

So the key question is not “do you attend?” but are you being transformed and are you committed to Christ’s mission?

The Apostle warns that when believers go through hardship and pull away from God, isolate, and stop listening, it becomes spiritual danger, because Satan fills the mind with confusion and distortion. The instruction is plain: don’t go through trials with emotions alone, go through with Jesus.

The sermon centers on Jesus’ teaching that discipleship is proven by continuing/abiding in His Word.

Jesus’ condition is emphasized: “If you continue in my word… you are indeed my disciples.” The Apostle applies this sharply: some people “move with Jesus when they want to and move with Satan when they want to.” But a child of God cannot live double-minded, Satan is not playing, and believers must not “play church.”

The sermon addresses spiritual bondage: Jesus says the one who practices sin is a slave to sin, while “who the Son sets free is free indeed.” This becomes both an encouragement and a warning: freedom in Christ is precious, but it must not be treated casually or contradicted by hidden sin.

The Apostle challenges a common cultural assumption heard especially at funerals: people may say someone “had good ways” and therefore is “with the angels,” but Scripture does not support that logic. The sermon insists: good works alone do not carry someone to heaven, salvation must be through Christ and His blood. “This life is your dress rehearsal for the hereafter,” and God’s Word is given to prepare us.

The sermon repeatedly returns to the need for purity, clean living, clean motives, and clean private life.

A major warning is given against hidden sexual sin, hypocrisy, and pretending to be sanctified while living compromised. The sermon stresses that even when gifts operate, character can be missing, yet God still may move miraculously because “the gifts are without repentance.” That is presented as a sobering thought, not an excuse: the church must pursue holiness so God’s work can flow as He desires.

Toward the end, the sermon summarizes discipleship requirements with specific passages:

Jesus’ call is presented as personal and non-negotiable: deny self, take up the cross, follow Christ, cling to Him, and conform to His example (even if it costs you).

The sermon explains that the word “hate” in some translations is not encouraging bitterness, but priority, God must be first above every other relationship.

The sermon closes by calling believers to choose one loyalty: you cannot serve God and mammon, you cannot be lukewarm, and you cannot follow Christ with mixed priorities. True discipleship is surrender, hands open, not fists raised, living in Spirit and truth, bearing fruit, and staying committed in every season.

Rec. Date: 17th November, 2024