Scripture: John 2:1–11 (ESV)

As we stand on the last Sunday of 2025, this message declares a faith-building truth to carry into 2026:
If you are still standing, He’s still pouring.

At the wedding in Cana, celebration was still happening, music was still playing, and guests were still seated—but the resource that sustained the joy had run out. Many can relate to that place: still faithful, still showing up, but wondering if strength, joy, or hope is drying up. It is right there, at the end, that Jesus performs His first miracle.

This miracle did not happen:

1. At the beginning, when expectations were high
2. In the middle, when momentum was strong
3. But at the end, when hope was thinning

Key Teaching Points & Notes

I. The Shortage

• Mary noticed the shortage before the servants panicked.
• She didn’t tell Jesus how to fix it—she simply brought the need.
• Her instruction to the servants was clear: “Do whatever He tells you.”
• Her faith demonstrated an understanding of timing, authority, and obedience.

II. Give Him Something to Work With

• The servants supplied the water; Jesus supplied the transformation.
• Jesus didn’t create something new—He transformed what was already there.
• The water came from stone jars used for purification (John 2:6).
  • It kept them ceremonially clean.
  • Jesus turned it into wine, pointing to being covered, not just kept.
  • This wine foreshadowed the blood He would shed on Calvary.
• God is not running out—He saved the best for last.
• Biblical patterns:
  • Moses had a sea → it parted
  • The widow had pots → oil multiplied
  • The servants filled jars → water became wine

III. The Taste Test (Movement Without Evidence)

• The water remained water until the Master of the Feast tasted it.
• The text never says:
  • Jesus announced, “Now it’s wine”
  • The servants tasted it
  • There was a visible change in color or smell
• The servants knew the source, but not the substance.
• They carried water but delivered wine.
• Faith sometimes requires movement without evidence.

Conclusion

This text teaches that God does some of His best work at the end.
The story begins “on the third day,” reminding us:

• Jonah came out in three days → purpose restored
• Jesus rose in three days → death defeated
• A sealed tomb opened → hope released

If you supply the cup, Jesus is still pouring:

1. Delivering what was delayed
2. Restoring what ran dry
3. Refilling what was empty

The calendar may be closing, but Heaven is still open.

Scripture: Luke 2:6–7

Key Thought: God is not looking for empty space—He is looking for prepared space. What He is birthing often requires more room than where we are.

Introduction

As we enter the holiday season, the birth of Jesus reminds us that God often uses ordinary moments to fulfill extraordinary prophetic purpose. What appeared to be a political decree from Caesar was actually divine alignment. Joseph’s return to Bethlehem fulfilled prophecy long before Jesus was born (Micah 5:2).

Bethlehem reveals:

1. Though you be little — small place, big purpose
2. Out of thee shall He come forth — God births greatness from unlikely places
3. A ruler in Israel — not just a baby, but a King
4. From everlasting — Jesus didn’t begin in Bethlehem, He arrived there

God did not miscalculate Mary’s delivery. The rejection at the inn was not a mistake—it was prophetic redirection.

Why There Was No Room at the Inn

Sometimes God closes a door to a smaller room because what He is birthing requires more space than where you are.

The inn was too small for the assignment:

• It was built for rest, not redemption
• For overnight guests, not eternal glory
• For the comfort of a few, not the salvation of the world

Key Note: Stop viewing redirection as rejection.

A Manger Made the Miracle

Jesus chose the most unlikely place to make the greatest entrance.

• The manger matched the mission
• This birth was not meant to be private—it was meant to be accessible
• When God moves you from the inn to the manger, your blessing is meant to be seen, reached, and received

The closed door was proof that something greater was coming.

Truths to remember:

1. Sometimes you don’t know what you’re turning away
2. A closed door never cancels God’s promise
3. What’s coming is too big for where you tried to fit it
4. God wasn’t making room for a baby—He was making room for a King
5. A blessing this big attracts company, and company requires space

Closing Reflection: What Have You Made Room For?

We don’t accidentally have space—we decide what matters.

Priority

• What you value rises to the top
• We make room for what we want
• If it matters, it makes the calendar

Permission

• God never forces His way in
• He fills what He’s allowed
• God lives where He is invited

Position

• Where you place yourself determines what can reach you
• The manger wasn’t fancy, but it was accessible
• You receive what you are positioned for

Mary carried holiness in human form.

The Inn was full of:

• Human traffic
• Human noise
• Human intimacy
• Human clutter

The Manger:
No pride. No performance. No reputation.
Only provision.

Final Thought:
God is still asking the same question today—Have you made room for Me?

Scripture: Psalm 24:7–10

Key Thought: When the King of Glory shows up, everything must make room—and everything else must bow.

Introduction

In a transparent moment during worship, the question arose: What exactly is glory? As Psalm 24 unfolded, it became clear that many believers experience worship without fully understanding what is present when God’s glory enters. The enemy benefits from this lack of understanding—but revelation changes everything.

What Is Glory?

Glory is the visible, weighty, overwhelming expression of who God is.
It is God revealed, unveiled, and put on display.

• Hebrew word Kabod = weight, worth, substance, heavy importance
• Glory is the manifestation of God’s nature

When God’s glory shows up:

1. His Holiness becomes visible
2. His Power becomes undeniable
3. His Presence becomes tangible
4. His Authority becomes irresistible

Glory vs. Anointing

• Anointing: God working through you
• Glory: God revealing Himself

The anointing produces results, but the glory stops everything.
(2 Chronicles 5:14 — no one could stand in the glory.)

Glory is where God lives.
Where glory shows up, everything else bows—sickness, fear, demons, and confusion.

The Text Explained – Psalm 24

Verse 7 – Lift Up Your Heads
A command to ancient gates to open wide.
Today, the gates are our entry points: heart, mind, body, and soul.
The King requires room to enter.

Verse 8 – Who Is This King of Glory?
He is the Undefeated Champion—strong, mighty, and victorious in battle.

Verse 9 – Prepare for Divine Entry
This is a call to preparation. The King is not asking permission—He is arriving.

Verse 10 – The Lord of Hosts
He is the Commander of Heaven’s Army, reigning over every realm.
This is not a visiting King—He’s coming to take over.

Understanding Psalm 24

This is a processional Psalm, sung as the Ark of the Covenant returned to Jerusalem.
It reveals three truths:

• Authority: The earth belongs to the Lord—He owns it all
• Access: God requires clean hands (actions) and a pure heart (motives)
• Arrival: The King is ready—have we met the criteria?

Closing Reflection

The King of Glory is ready to enter.
The question is not who He is—the question is are we ready to receive Him?

Lift the gates. Make room. The King is coming in. Selah.

As we enter the final month of the year, God is calling His people to examine the wellness of their spiritual lives. The guiding question of today’s message is simple but urgent: Is the Holy Ghost in you alive and well?

Scripture: Luke 1:5–25, 57–67

Luke introduces us not to Paul, David, or John—but to Zachariah, a righteous priest from the line of Aaron. Before doubt ever crept in, Zachariah was spiritually healthy. He lived in God’s presence, handled holy things, and served faithfully even with unfulfilled personal dreams. He believed in miracles, but years of delay weakened his expectation. He had public faith, yet privately he was growing tired.

God didn’t choose Zachariah because he was perfect—He chose him because he was faithful. His story reminds us that you can be righteous and running low, faithful and needing a refill, holy and still needing a Holy Ghost check-up. Zachariah didn’t fall away; he drifted. Worship became familiar, service became routine, and expectation faded.

When the angel appeared with the promise of a son, Zachariah’s faith didn’t respond. This moment became his Holy Ghost check-up.

I. Your Vital Signs — Am I Still Alive in the Spirit?

Just like a doctor checks physical vitals, God checks spiritual ones:

1. Your Fire (Temperature)

Is your worship warm or cold?
Has routine replaced passion?

2. Your Breath (Breathing)

Is prayer still your oxygen, or have you stopped inhaling the presence of God?

3. Your Heart (Heartbeat)

Is your love for God steady, strong, and alive?

Zachariah’s vital signs were once strong, but when the angel spoke, his expectation was flat. The Holy Ghost was asking him, “Do you still believe Me?” Because a church can be full and still flatlined inside.

II. Check Your Reflexes

Doctors tap your knee to check nerve response.
God taps your heart.

Zachariah was slow to respond. But when you’re full of the Holy Ghost:

• When He speaks, you move.
• When He nudges, you obey.
• When He convicts, you shift.

Delayed obedience leads to spiritual numbness. Not sin—just slow reflexes that need revival.

III. Check Your Internal Health

Doctors draw blood to see what’s hidden, and spiritually, God does the same.

What’s going on that nobody sees?

• Internal infections
• Quiet discouragement
• Tiredness
• Disappointment
• Unbelief

Zachariah looked righteous on the outside, but inside he was worn down. God had to silence him before refilling him—because God will not allow inward emotions to sabotage outward results.

The Holy Ghost treats internal issues by restoring strength, reviving confidence, and healing unbelief.

Restoration After the Check-Up

After Elizabeth gave birth, Zachariah wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth opened, his voice returned, and he was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied. A Holy Ghost check-up does not expose you to shame—it restores:

• Your strength
• Your voice
• Your power

Sometimes doubt, discouragement, impatience, and trials try to take your voice. But God says, “Tell your neighbor: I got my voice back!”

In this message, we’re reminded to boldly declare: “Don’t count me out.” People may overlook you, underestimate your potential, or assume you don’t have what it takes—but God counts on what others counted out.

The backdrop of this sermon begins with Jesus grieving the death of His cousin, John the Baptist. Even Jesus experienced emotional overwhelm. Instead of pushing through while drained, He withdrew to be alone with the Father. This teaches us a vital lesson: when you are emotionally shaken, step away, sit still, and process with God. Moving out of season can cost more than you expect. Alignment requires quiet.

Scripture Focus: John 6:1–14

In the feeding of the 5,000, the disciples overlook a young boy with a small lunch. He doesn’t look like a solution—just like many of us who have been dismissed because we didn’t “look the part.” Yet Jesus calls the one everyone else counted out.

Key Illustration:
Picture the boy holding a tiny basket of bread and fish—his entire lunch. Jesus is standing nearby with a much larger basket on His back, saying, “If you trust Me, I’ll make an exchange. Give Me what you have, and I’ll give you what I’m carrying. But you won’t see what I have until you trust Me first.”

Sometimes God hides what He’s carrying because seeing it would make faith too easy. Trust must come before sight. When we stretch out what’s in our hands, He releases what only He can provide.

The boy was close enough for Jesus to make a handoff. Proximity matters. Stay close enough to God that He can place in your hands what He has prepared for your next season.

When the boy surrendered his lunch, Jesus multiplied it—not just for the crowd, but for the boy himself. God used the one who stood in the background… the one dismissed… the one overlooked.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Don’t count yourself out just because others did. God specializes in using overlooked people.
• Make space to process emotional overwhelm. Even Jesus stepped away to gather Himself.
• Trust before you see. God often hides the blessing until after your obedience.
• Your “little” becomes “much” in God’s hands.
• Stay close enough for the handoff. Proximity positions you for divine exchange.
• You belong in the room—even when others make you feel like you don’t.

God is getting ready to use what you thought disqualified you. The miracle did not start in the hands of Jesus—it started in the hands of the boy who dared to believe, “Don’t count me out.”

Scripture: 2 Kings 13:20–21

Elisha dies and is buried, but even in death the anointing on his life remains active. As another man is being buried, his body touches Elisha’s bones—and he comes back to life. This miraculous moment shows that even what looks dead can still carry power, and what seems buried can still breathe again.

Introduction: Buried but Still Breathing

Many of us have felt buried under pressure, pain, disappointment, guilt, or delay—running on fumes, barely having a pulse. But God says you’re not dead. You may feel buried, but you are planted. Your purpose may be suffocating under weight, yet God is about to show you proof of life.

Note: When a seed looks like it’s dying, it’s actually developing. Burial is God’s strategy for growth.

I. When God Hides You to Heal You

A. Burial Seasons = Germination

What we call “buried,” Heaven calls “germinating.” God uses hidden seasons to develop what He planted.

B. Elisha’s Bones Still Worked Miracles

Even underground, the anointing on Elisha remained active. Burial doesn’t cancel purpose.

C. God Buries the Anointed to Protect It

Some things must mature in the dark to avoid contamination.

Biblical Examples:

• Joseph was buried alive in a pit before reaching the palace.
• Jonah was buried alive in the fish before fulfilling his assignment.
• Jesus was buried alive on purpose—His Spirit descended before His body ascended.

II. The Power of Contact: Touch What Still Carries the Oil

A. Reconnect with What’s Anointed

It’s time to touch prayer, holiness, mentors, mantles, and memories that still carry the oil.

B. Evaluate Your Connections

What are you in contact with? Does it carry oil—or does it need oil? Like the foolish virgins, proximity without power won’t sustain you.

III. The Purpose of the Dirt

A. Natural Dirt

If you learn to grow from the dirt thrown on your name, you will rise faster.

B. Spiritual Dirt

The dirt wasn’t meant to kill you—God used it to cover you until you were ready. You’re not being buried to die, but to develop.

Conclusion: Prophetic Charge — “Get Up and Live”

God says the Church has a pulse but has been buried:

1. Politics instead of prayer
2. Programs instead of presence
3. Image instead of intimacy

You may feel buried alive, but when you touch what’s anointed, you will stand up. You are not dead—just planted. God is raising you from beneath the weight. What God plants, He always plans to resurrect.

Declare to someone: “Get up and live!”
The dirt thrown on your name is becoming the soil for your purpose.

Scripture: 2 Kings 22:13–14

Main Thought:

To be locked in means to be spiritually secure and emotionally stable in who God says you are. It’s a mindset that values obedience over validation, clarity over visibility, and purpose over popularity. When you’re locked in, you move when God says move, and you stand still when He says stand still.

Key Character: Huldah the Prophetess

Huldah isn’t often mentioned in Scripture, but her influence was powerful. Living during the reign of King Josiah—a time when God’s Word had been buried under idolatry—she became the voice of revival in a spiritually dark nation.

• She didn’t seek attention; she sought accuracy.
• She wasn’t famous, but she was faithful.
• When the King needed clarity, he didn’t go to Jeremiah or Zephaniah—he sent his men to Huldah, because she had a reputation for revelation.

Her Hebrew name means weasel, a small but alert and focused creature. Like her namesake, she moved with precision and purpose. Her life teaches us that identity precedes assignment—you must know who you are before you can fulfill what God called you to do.

Three Keys to Staying Locked In

I. Concentration

Huldah was laser-focused in a culture filled with rebellion and distraction.

• She tuned out the noise and tuned into God.
• She guarded her focus because she knew distraction is the enemy of direction.
  Locked-in people protect their focus and prioritize revelation over recognition.

II. Conviction

When the King’s messengers arrived, Huldah didn’t water down God’s message—she spoke truth exactly as God gave it.

• She didn’t adjust her word to fit the audience.
• Truth doesn’t bend, even when the audience wears a crown.
  Locked-in people don’t need convincing when they’re already convicted.

Note: Speak truth even when it’s uncomfortable—obedience is not optional when you’re on divine assignment.

III. Consistency

Though her story is brief, her impact was lasting.

• She was steadfast in her walk, stable in her word, and secure in her worth.
• Pressure didn’t move her—she was anchored by her purpose.
  Locked-in people aren’t seasonal; they are steadfast.

Conclusion:
When you’re locked into the right place, you don’t need to escape—you just need to endure.

• Stop trying to leave the room God called you to.
• You don’t have to leave to be effective.
• Huldah never entered the palace, yet her prophecy shook it.
• She never stood before the throne, yet her words redirected it.
• Her obedience broke through walls she never physically walked through.

Final Word from God:

Takeaway for Listeners:

Being locked in means being anchored in obedience. When you know who you are and whose you are, you won’t need applause to keep going—you’ll have divine assignment to keep you steady.

"Dealing with the Rejection of Your Selection"

60-28th Pastor Anniversary!

Scripture: II Samuel 2:4