This week's message from Pastor Brent Powell explored the transformative power of attention in our spiritual formation. We examined how what we consistently focus on ultimately shapes who we become. Drawing from Psalm 1:1-3, we discovered that our spiritual growth isn't accidental—it's cultivated through intentional, daily attention to God and His Word. The progression of walking, standing, and sitting with the ungodly versus meditating on God's law revealed how gradually we can drift when our focus shifts away from Christ. This message challenged us to examine what's truly discipling our attention and whether we're allowing the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, or desires for other things to choke out the Word in our lives.

In this message Bishop Raul Ucab explored the biblical understanding of prosperity, emphasizing that true blessing comes not from pursuing material wealth, but from cultivating the fear of the Lord and maintaining intimate fellowship with Him. Drawing from Psalms 115:13-15 and Psalms 112:1-3, we learned that the "fruit of prosperity" (wealth, riches, and abundant blessings) is always connected to the "mark of prosperity" (fearing the Lord and walking with Him). The message challenged us to focus on our relationship with God rather than merely seeking His blessings, reminding us that when we prioritize holiness and intimacy with Christ, the fruits will naturally follow.

In this message Pastor Brent Powell builds off of last week's message on formation. Once you realized you are being formed the question becomes who or what gets to set the boundaries of your life? We live in a culture that equates freedom with no limits, no restrictions, no boundaries, and no one telling you what to do. But the irony is with more options than ever we are more anxious, exhausted, and distracted than ever. Galatians 5:1 tells us we have been set free by Christ and warns us to stand firm and not to be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Take Christ yoke for it is easy and it is light.

This powerful message confronts us with an uncomfortable truth: we are being formed whether we realize it or not. Drawing from Romans 12:2's call to be transformed rather than conformed, we're challenged to examine the hidden habits and routines that shape 40% of our daily actions without conscious thought. The sermon unpacks the tension between drift and formation—how we can either passively allow the world's patterns to press us into its mold, or actively surrender to God's transformative work through spiritual disciplines. The key insight centers on understanding that habits aren't just behavioral patterns; they're acts of worship that form our hearts.

This past Sunday, Pastor Brent reminded us of an important truth: while the manger may be empty, the light that entered the world on Christmas morning continues to shine brightly in our lives today. As we move beyond the tinsel and wrapping paper, we're reminded that Christmas wasn't just a moment in history—it was the beginning of an eternal reality that transforms how we live every single day.

In this message Pastor Brent explored how Christ came not just to shine His light upon us, but to shine His light within us and through us. We examined how Jesus calls us "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14-16), commissioning every believer—not just pastors or church leaders—to carry His hope, healing, and truth into our everyday lives. The message emphasized that revival isn't something we wait for; it's something we carry because the living God dwells within us. We were reminded that God desires to transform every area of our lives, not just parts we're comfortable surrendering, and that our identity as light-bearers flows from grace, not our own effort or worthiness.

In this message Pastor Brent Powell explored how God broke through 400 years of prophetic silence to reveal His light to the world through Jesus Christ. Just as the shepherds experienced heaven's glory on an ordinary night while doing ordinary work, God continues to show up in our everyday moments—not when we're perfectly polished, but when we're faithfully present. The message challenged us to understand that light always overcomes darkness, not through our strength or perfection, but through Christ's presence in us. We examined how His light reveals our true condition, restores what's been broken, and reorients our path forward. The core truth: darkness has no power because it's simply the absence of light, and when we carry Christ, we carry the very source of light itself.

This week's sermon took us back to the very beginning of creation to understand God's eternal promise of hope. We explored how darkness entered the world through Adam and Eve's fall in Genesis 3, and how God immediately spoke a promise of light that would come to crush the darkness. Throughout humanity's "long dark night" spanning thousands of years, God continued sending prophets to remind His people that hope was coming. That hope arrived in the person of Jesus Christ—not just as a feeling or wish, but as the embodied promise of God to restore, redeem, and bring light to every dark situation we face.