Communication Blog: Day 1
Subject: Sermon Recap: Test the Test - Discerning the Spirit Behind Every Trial
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We hope this message finds you well and encouraged. What a powerful time of worship, testimony, and teaching we shared together. We are grateful for every soul who joined us, whether in person or online, and we pray the word spoken continues to bear fruit in your life throughout the week.
Summary: The sermon, delivered by Dr. Esther Anthony Thomas, drew from 1 John chapter 4 and explored the biblical call to test the spirits, examining whether they are truly from God. Dr. Thomas challenged believers not simply to endure trials, but to develop the spiritual maturity to discern the nature, source, and purpose of the tests they face. Through the examples of Abraham in Genesis 22, Gideon in Judges chapter 6, the Bereans in Acts chapter 17, Job, and Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew chapter 4, the sermon revealed that mature faith is not merely about surviving difficulty. It is about learning to recognize what God is producing through each season of trial. Drawing on her personal experience of failing and then passing a rigorous professional licensing examination, Dr. Thomas illustrated how failure, when met with discernment and perseverance, can become the very instrument God uses to deepen faith, refine character, and prepare us for greater purpose.
Takeaways:
Before reacting to a trial, a teaching, or a spiritual experience, pause and ask whether it aligns with the character of God and the truth of scripture. Not every voice that speaks into your life carries a divine origin, and the spiritually mature believer learns to examine the source before accepting the message.
Failure is not always a sign of God's absence or disapproval. Sometimes God allows us to fall short so that we are compelled to lean deeper into him, study more carefully, and return with a greater level of faith and understanding. Perseverance through failure, when grounded in trust, is itself an act of mature faith.
The surface issue in a trial is rarely the real issue. God is often using outward circumstances to test something much deeper, whether it is your identity in him, your trust in his promises, your character, or your willingness to be submitted to his will and timing. Ask not only what you are going through, but what God is trying to reveal through it.
Closing Remarks: We are deeply thankful for Dr. Esther Anthony Thomas and the anointed word she brought to our congregation. We also lift up in prayer the young woman mentioned during testimony service who survived a violent assault, as well as Dr. Thomas as she prepares to travel to Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Please keep her in your prayers throughout her journey. If you would like to revisit this sermon, it is available through our church app, MOMI Ministries, free to download, in the sermon section. Daily devotions drawn from this message will also be available throughout the week.
In His Service,
Bishop Dr. Dennis Smith Military Outreach Ministries International Church
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We hope this message finds you well and encouraged. What a powerful time of worship, testimony, and teaching we shared together. We are grateful for every soul who joined us, whether in person or online, and we pray the word spoken continues to bear fruit in your life throughout the week.
Summary: The sermon, delivered by Dr. Esther Anthony Thomas, drew from 1 John chapter 4 and explored the biblical call to test the spirits, examining whether they are truly from God. Dr. Thomas challenged believers not simply to endure trials, but to develop the spiritual maturity to discern the nature, source, and purpose of the tests they face. Through the examples of Abraham in Genesis 22, Gideon in Judges chapter 6, the Bereans in Acts chapter 17, Job, and Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew chapter 4, the sermon revealed that mature faith is not merely about surviving difficulty. It is about learning to recognize what God is producing through each season of trial. Drawing on her personal experience of failing and then passing a rigorous professional licensing examination, Dr. Thomas illustrated how failure, when met with discernment and perseverance, can become the very instrument God uses to deepen faith, refine character, and prepare us for greater purpose.
Takeaways:
Before reacting to a trial, a teaching, or a spiritual experience, pause and ask whether it aligns with the character of God and the truth of scripture. Not every voice that speaks into your life carries a divine origin, and the spiritually mature believer learns to examine the source before accepting the message.
Failure is not always a sign of God's absence or disapproval. Sometimes God allows us to fall short so that we are compelled to lean deeper into him, study more carefully, and return with a greater level of faith and understanding. Perseverance through failure, when grounded in trust, is itself an act of mature faith.
The surface issue in a trial is rarely the real issue. God is often using outward circumstances to test something much deeper, whether it is your identity in him, your trust in his promises, your character, or your willingness to be submitted to his will and timing. Ask not only what you are going through, but what God is trying to reveal through it.
Closing Remarks: We are deeply thankful for Dr. Esther Anthony Thomas and the anointed word she brought to our congregation. We also lift up in prayer the young woman mentioned during testimony service who survived a violent assault, as well as Dr. Thomas as she prepares to travel to Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Please keep her in your prayers throughout her journey. If you would like to revisit this sermon, it is available through our church app, MOMI Ministries, free to download, in the sermon section. Daily devotions drawn from this message will also be available throughout the week.
In His Service,
Bishop Dr. Dennis Smith Military Outreach Ministries International Church
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