The Catalyst Community

God wants you to prosper but not at the expense of your soul. The only way a soul will prosper is that it would not be lost. A successful life is not just having much more money than the next person but by how much of that is connected to the prospering of your soul. The actions you take everyday are either to the gaining of your soul or the losing of it. And there is one way you can preserve your soul which is seen in Matthew 6:33.

The life of a believer while on earth, is bounded by the time factor. We are in this world as ambassadors and there is an assignment to fulfil. This means that our origin is of a different kingdom, the kingdom of God. And our loyalty is to Him and Him alone. Our career, academic ventures and relationships must all align with the vision and mission of God, which is that all men come to the knowledge of the truth of God’s word. It is important that we travel light on this pilgrim’s journey. We must put off weights that slow us down, and focus only on the burden that Christ has given us.

You may have obtained a level of success that is not what God has termed for you as success as His child. God’s standard of success has more to do with purpose than possessions. Jesus did not have the riches of this world while He was on earth. Yet, He was indeed the most successful man that lived because He fulfilled the ultimate purpose of bringing salvation to all who believe in Him. We learn in this teaching the meaning of purpose for every believer, what purpose is not, and how to live fully for God.

As we thanked God for 3 years of his goodness, we were reminded of who we are and what we stand for. The Catalyst church is a Bible believing church with the vision to see all men saved and perpetually victorious in their walk with Christ. Christianity is a taught faith and every church must be heavy on discipleship. We have a part to play in what the heroes of faith started which is to defeat death.

Identity precedes and can define your assignment and purpose. One of the biggest blessings to the Christian worldview is that there are answers. From Genesis 1:26 we see that the invisible God made human beings represent Him on the earth. As a human being, not just a believer, you are created in the image of God. This also places an onus on you to leave sensibly, that you rest and take care of your body. This also speaks of your preoccupation. If God is excellent, His image is excellent. And if God is a problem solver, His image is a problem solver. Being the image and representative of God therefore means these 4 things: 1. That you have intrinsic value on this earth. 2. You have a job description – to represent Him. 3. You have eternal value in Christ. 4. You have a mandate – to reconcile the world to Him.

The Global Evangelism series wraps up with proving that the God of the Bible is the one true God. This is done by a thorough examination of the Bible. There are over 100 prophecies about Jesus. From Genesis, Isaiah, Micah, David, Jeremiah, and so on. Some of these include the birth place of Jesus prophesied to be Bethlehem, His crucifixion, His betrayal and His birth by a virgin. We go through some of these scriptures, giving us assurance of everything that happened in the Bible, and knowing how to defend it.

Apologia is the branch of theology that deals with defending and presenting the truth claims on Christianity. In salvation, there is rest but there is also a fight which is defense and a fight in contention. There are 2 forms of apologetics which are offensive and defensive apologetics. Offensive apologetics entails putting forward why you believe Christianity is true. In this sermon, we learn how to convince the world that there is God through 3 arguments: Cosmological Argument Teleological Argument Moral Argument

There is one more step that it takes for a Christian to distinguish between the general theist belief in the existence of a god and proving that the Christian God is the one true God. This step is called Apologetics. It is the defense of the Christian faith. It is crucial that every believer is able to give a defense for why they believe what they believe and communicate that effectively. As important as it is to be taught salvation, it is also important to be taught how to contend for the faith. But to not only contend, but contend earnestly. The gospel we have received is a treasure that must be passed down accurately.

A world view refers to the lens through which a person defines reality, and determines what is right and wrong. If we are going to evangelize the world we must understand the presuppositions and worldviews of people. Every world view needs to define truth, reality, identity, meaning and destiny. The Theist worldview presents one absolute God separate from the creation. According to this view, if there is a cause for creation and the world, then that cause must be; 1. uncaused, 2. immaterial – because if it created the material world, it must be outside of it, 3. not be bound by time, and 4. personal. Because this is a mind that created the world, He defines what is reality, what is a human being, why we are here, and what happens when we die.

Everybody has a presupposition, a lens through which they see the world. These lenses are called worldviews. Postmodernism is the claim that absolute or objective truth- truth that is true for everybody, everywhere, does not exist. According to this worldview, there is no objective truth. Truth is something that is constructed- a product assembled through language and culture, and handed down to you as though it has always existed. For the believer, however, truth is not random or something we construct for ourselves. God sent His truth in the person of Jesus Christ. Everything He taught is truth to us. Only a shift in worldview can help us truly understand and live by Kingdom culture.

Every human being is walking around with a lens. So if you want to preach the gospel to them, you need to understand the lens through which they look through so you can tell them the truth. In this service, we looked at the balance of knowledge and the help of God in evangelism. Important because only knowledge and the help of God would not guarantee success in evangelism. Men are God’s method and men will save men. One of the world views we explored in this service was Pantheism; this is the idea that the universe and God are one. In this sermon, we learn 5 ways to address pantheism.

You might not truly believe that there is eternal damnation if you do not preach to people. We take out some time in this service to practice what it feels like preaching to people of different worldviews (specifically the Naturalists) than the Christian faith. Some questions about these other worldviews also get answered. This is to spark the desire and drive to go into deep study on apologetics, understanding the positions of worldviews and being able to give a defence for the Christian worldview.

As we continue in preparations to encounter the presuppositions of people during evangelism, we consider the Naturalist Worldview. We are given the following six questions that help us to test any worldview, while studying what naturalist have concluded on: 1. What is real? 2. How do we know anything? 3. What is a human being? 4. How do we know right from wrong? 5. Why are we here? 6. What happens when we die?

Evangelism is not meant to feel like a chore; it should be something that advances you. It should be part of your growth and a fulfilment of purpose. Every single human being has a lens through which they see the world. This lens is shaped by experiences, environment, culture, upbringing, and so on. Evangelism can not be approached with a local mindset, because God sent us into all the world. The person you are evangelising to also has a lens, meaning it would be insensitive if you don't understand where the other person is coming from. A worldview is a lens through which a person interprets reality; what is real, true, right or wrong, who you are and what happens to the person when they die. Worldviews can be grouped into categories; 1. Theism 2. Pantheism 3. Naturalism 4. Post-modernism 5. Spiritism When evangelising, these worldviews are often mixed together a bit of this and a bit of that. So, underneath every argument or position is a worldview. If you can identify the worldview behind a person's beliefs and understand it, you are one step closer to engaging them correctly and communicating the Gospel in a way they can understand.

Sin does not just make one guilty, it makes one separate from God. The spiritual position of the believer before salvation was “dead”. This describes the standard that was set by God. Two attributes used to describe God are: 1. Holy 2. Just These attributes never change about God. So He justifies us through sanctification, which is the process of being made clean. Sanctification was never first presented as something you could do for yourself. It is positional . Sanctification is also progressive. So we are saved, we are being saved and we will be saved. Three words used interchangeably throughout the teaching are: holiness, sanctification, and consecration- the reason we were sanctified.

Jesus made Himself of no reputation, so that He could save the world from sin. God literally became a man for this reason. This was a choice that God had to make and it cost Him something. God choosing himself to die does not excuse the moral weight of this action, because it involves death. No one who truly understands the sacrifice of Christ will go about living their lives ordinarily. The gospel is not a cost-free one. Salvation is free, but loyalty to Jesus is not. Living for Jesus will therefore cost you something. You cannot pay Jesus with your loyalty, but your loyalty is the deserved response for what He did. There is a cross to pick up, chains to take up. The three intentional chains which every believer must pick up are: 1. Identify with the sufferings of Christ. 2. Identify with the sufferings of the Apostles. 3. Identify with the sufferings of the saints today.

Burdens for unbelievers who are yet to experience the saving grace of Jesus, are a way to check how much you are growing in God. Understanding the gravity of one accepting or not accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ, must spur you to tell others this truth. It is a necessity to preach about Jesus, as it is a life or death matter. Your identity as a child of God, your role, and responsibility for the Kingdom of God is what should precede your conduct towards the spread of the gospel- evangelism. There must be a result of the impact of the gospel in your life because you did not only receive the gospel, the gospel transformed you. Choose to reject the possibility of leaving this world without people seeing the light of God in you. "No one lights a candle to be put under a bushel." The souls of the lost are counting on you.

Evangelism is one crucial aspect of the Christian faith, which can be used as an indication or a mark of one's spiritual growth. Paul, speaking to the church in Philippi, told them that it would be beneficial for them if he remains with them, because they will experience joy and progress. Progress here refers to advancement. Being a member of a church does not make anyone spiritually mature. What makes people grow is a plan and a curriculum, progressive overload and keeping a log. In the Christian faith, there are markers of growth: 1. Prayer 2. Worship 3. Joy walk 4. Burden

In the miracle of turning water into wine, the massive catch of fish, the calming of the storm and more, creation responded to the king of all creation. Miracles are a pointer to the one who can save souls- Jesus. Every miracle Jesus performed was not random, neither were they for entertainment. It was for the purpose of the redemption of man to God. Miracles declare that the reign of God has come, and it has come to stay forever. God has also delegated authority over the Earth to man. This however, is not for self-gratification but for the glory of God. We are given a guide on how to handle performing miracles: 1. Settle in your heart what you believe about the will of God 2. Speak what you believe. 3. Lay your hands and act in faith. 4. Be discerning. 5. Have tenacity.

When Jesus gave the great commission in Matthew 28:18, He declared that He has all authority. He was talking about the reign of a new kingdom. Then He specifically said to make disciples. But we’re not just going to educate them, we’re going with power! So the working of the miracles is in our kingdom and is part of our mission. Here are a few points about the miracle of healing: 1. Healing is first about salvation. The Bible doesn’t separate healing and salvation. They go together. Healing is first about salvation, in priority and in root. And though God can heal the body, He wants to restore completely. 2. Healing is the children’s bread. God wants to heal diseases. It’s a benefit of our kingdom. God doesn’t try you or teach you with sickness, and no disease is beyond His power. 3. Healing requires the faith of the believer. God is sovereign and can bypass your faith. But He wants to work with you. He wants your faith to invite His work into your life. 4. Jesus never showed doubt. Yes, Jesus can work with our inadequacies, but He never doubted. We are to have faith like Jesus, and boldness also. 5. Healing requires discernment. There are different ways that God healed. For some Jesus spoke, and for others He laid hands.

When God sends a man, He does not give him power only for the work; He also gives him authority. There is no other way to do ministry than through power and authority. Ministry is a battleground of authority. It is the reclaiming of territories for the Kingdom, and the devil is not happy about that. Therefore, there will be opposition. In Ephesians 6, Apostle Paul describes the forces working against the believer using strict governmental language; an organized system working against the believer. In the same way, the Bible often presents God's relationship with us using legal and governmental concepts. There are certain terms and roles we must understand: 1. There is a King and He is Sovereign. God is the King. He possesses absolute authority and sovereignty. 2. There is a usurper. The devil is not a king, nor is he equal to God. He is not God's rival or an equal opposing power. 3. There are angels. Messengers. 4. The Bible presents you as an heir. You are a citizen and an heir of the Kingdom.

The “wilderness” is the preparation place for the restoration of the kingdom. Hard times and bad things can happen and will happen. But understanding the ways of God shows us that He turns our purpose to pain. God has placed a call over your life that needs to go through seasons of training and being schooled in the Spirit. It takes prayer, building capacity, honing your skills, and strengthening to gain mastery in the Spirit. Never make the mistake of comparing where you are in your journey with God to where He has saved you from. If God has sent you, He has made the resources available already. He is the God who causes food to fall from the sky and birds to bring food for a man.

Continuing from the last session taught, we learn about the wilderness- how the wilderness is a preparation for the kingdom. Wilderness seasons are the most sensitive for man. We learn never to compare where you are coming from to where God is taking you because comparison is a killer of purpose.

The same Gospel that got you saved is the same Gospel that will cause you to mature. The history of the Israelites is our theology. When we look at how God related to them, we can know what to expect from Him. David’s cry in the wilderness (Psalm 63) was not just random; it was part of a cycle of events repeated in the Bible: the Exodus. Points to note about the Wilderness: • The Wilderness is the consequence of rejecting God’s wisdom. • Everyone who has not submitted to the wisdom of God will remain in the Wilderness. • The Wilderness is not just a consequence of sin but also an opportunity for repentance. • God can find you in the wilderness.

Purpose in God is His unique imprint on your soul through which you would be able to serve on the earth- the part you play in God’s redemptive plan. God showed Abraham in the book of Genesis that his life was more than his situation. Camp meetings exists to remind us, shape us, and get us ready for who God wants us to be.

God's goal for the world is that every single person hears about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and accepts Him as Lord over everything. Miracles are not for amazement and entertainment. They are a way of enforcing the reign of Christ, the kingdom of God on the earth, taking back territory one place at a time. The expelling of devils miracle is emphasized in this teaching. It is a ministry for all who believe in Jesus. We are introduced to the reality and nature of demons, highlighting our authority over them as people who are seated in Christ. In prayer and fasting, we wield the power of the Holy Spirit which is already in us , stirring up more boldness to cast out demons. The ways that we prepare ourselves to face any kind of demon is to build our convictions about the power of God and speak boldly.

Many see the Kingdom of God as a location, a destination, or something that will happen in the future. But the Kingdom of God is happening now; it is the reign of God. The original design was for God and humanity to share the same space. Man was created to be God’s representative, but sin caused a divergence in allegiance to God. Man chose disloyalty. God did not abandon the earth, but the meeting point became scarce, hotspots of God’s presence and man lost the ability to discern them. When Jesus Christ came, He brought a restoration of loyalty to God. And this applies to every believer because the matter of where you are and where you need to be is a matter of loyalty. Anything you are more loyal to than God is an idol. Jesus Christ’s death was a legal action necessary for the payment of our sin. But beyond that, He became a man to be an example to us, to show us that complete loyalty to God is possible, even in the face of every instinct of self-preservation.

The problem of sin is that man lost his relationship with God. There therefore needed to be a restoration of man to God. Christ came to become like us so that we can become like Him, taking on our nature so that we could take on his, entering death so that we could enter life. The kingdom of God as taught in the previous session is the region of God. It is not a specific place. The kingdom of God is already here and now. The resurrection of Christ was an enthronement, a coronation of the reign of God on the Earth. If truly the gospel of Christ is the power to save, there must be a display of the power of God in the preaching of the gospel. These are 3 foundations that power stands on: 1. The cross is the door to His power. 2. The authority of Jesus is the legal justification for our usage of power. 3. The Holy Spirit is the reservoir of power.

There is theology which supports the fact that God is with you in your pain. He cared enough to leave divinity and become human so that He could feel what you feel and be a worthy High Priest. The solution to injustice, as we see in the Psalms, is not just legal systems, but God arising and judging the earth. The solution to injustice is the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is not a location or a future event, but a reality that means the reign of God. Knowing this means that the Kingdom of God can be experienced now.

In conclusion to the first session, baptism is in some form, a symbol of an exodus. Jesus thought it wise enough to be baptised, giving us a picture of our exodus from death to life. Baptism then becomes a picture of the question: "Who would you follow?'. Would you follow God or return to Egypt? We learn that baptism is a deep spiritual activity signifying your death to sin and ungodliness, and your resurrection into the life of Christ. It is a public response of a good conscience- the born again Spirit we have already received.

There’s an approach in the writing of Scripture that makes it not just a writing for history but for you. A few points about the way Hebrew authors wrote: 1. Hebrew authors wrote in patterns. 2. ⁠Hebrew authors used cycles. The Book of Exodus is a pattern that repeats all through the Bible. Exodus was not the first time God separated waters from land to appear. God had to liberate the land from the water in creation so that life can exist. When Jesus arrives on the scene for His first public manifestation, He went into water (His baptism). He said it was to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus needed to complete a storyline which started at the beginning.

In Special Meetings I, the question of why we gather as a church was answered. However, during a Sunday service, we do not have enough time to cover everything we need for our spiritual growth. That is why God, in His wisdom, instituted other meetings. These include: Prayer Meetings, Teaching Meetings, Worship Meetings, Believers' Meetings, Holy Ghost Meetings, Fellowship/Communion Meetings, and Camp Meetings- a combination of all the other meetings, with each receiving its proper emphasis.

“Do not forsake the gathering of believers”, does not only mean that you missed out on something in the service when you do not show up. It also means that other believers miss out on something when you do not show up, or belong to a church. We miss the point of church when we gather for routine only, and not for purpose. The church was never meant to be a building you visit. It is supposed to be an identity you carry, a lifestyle. The gathering of believers as a church is to encounter the glory of God, receive His words and know who He is. This sermon answers the question of why we gather as a church, what the church is not, and what the church really is.

The 'Fire Place' series introduces and emphasizes the importance of exercising the gifts of the Spirit, for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Every believer is supposed to be a conduit of the presence of God. A break in transmission in your life, meaning how you conduct that power, can limit the flow of God. Every believer has the Spirit of God and can experience the infilling of God, a stirring of the Spirit- where you come to a point of yieldedness, that allows Him to take over. When you got saved, you were not only saved from sin; you drank a river. The same way fire is a symbol of the presence of God, water is a symbol of the Spirit and salvation. Two pictures that can help us understand what the flow of the Spirit really is are: 1. A river- there is no obstruction. 2. Electricity. Every believer has a reservoir. What breaks your flow is that you do not stir it up enough.

Throughout this series, our devotion has been at the centre of every teaching. The plan of God for your devotion is an overflow; that you wake up every day deciding that your altar will remain on fire for the rest of your life. This teaching gives us ‎practical ways to achieve the overflow in our walk with God: ‎1. Build an obsession for the things of God. 2. Don't forsake the gathering of believers. ‎3. Take responsibility for your altar. ‎4. Importunity in prayer. ‎5. Remember that your fire is from God. ‎6. Guard your heart for the things of God. ‎7. Live from the overflow.

As believers, we are instructed by the Bible not to be ignorant of the Charismatic. In this sermon, we are taught what we need to know about spiritual gifts and why every believer should desire to speak in tongues. The Bible does not give an exhaustive list of the gifts of the Spirit, so spiritual gifts refer to abilities which are empowered by the Holy Spirit and are used in the ministry of the Church. These gifts are accessible to every believer, and the gift of tongues is real and, arguably, the most important gift to the believer. The gift of tongues is an investment in the believer; it is the entrance into supernatural and spiritual abilities, and it is the only gift directed to God.

No matter how shattered your altar may have become, under the right circumstances, it can come back to life again. We are not supposed to treat our spiritual fire as if it cannot be quenched. We are to protect it because it can be quenched. It is our responsibility to fan the flames of the fire in us and keep it burning. As a priest of your altar, you should not only know how to make the fire but also know how to make sure the fire does not die. Various things can kill the fire on our altars. Some of these, highlighted and explained with examples, are the flesh, weight and sin, strange fire, and lukewarmness.

Many times, people think the things of the Spirit happen randomly. But the things of the Spirit can operate by consistent discoverable and repeated laws. There is a science to the things of the Spirit. You can have replicable results. In nature, fire needs the same elements every time to be created. The same goes for the spirit. Some things that must be present for you to keep your altar on fire. It does not have to be an accident. Scriptures use fire to describe living devotional fervour. It is an emblem that God is present in your life; that you will be burning for God, consecrated, continually living in His presence. Two pillars and architecture to help you sustain spiritual fire include cost and consistency.

Encounters are the starting point of devotion. When you reach the point where nothing else matters but God, that is where devotion truly begins. If you truly know God, that knowledge should be compelling enough to bring you to total surrender. Some arguments discussed in this teaching include: 1. An inconsistent devotion is a vision problem, not a will problem. 2. A man’s spiritual history will reveal that no religion has ever risen above its idea of God. We are also taught three attributes of God that should change how we pray: 1. God is self-sufficient. 2. God does not change. 3. God knows everything. If the God you worship is on the same level as your job, house, spouse, ambition, or anything else you value, it will eventually show in your devotion.

At this point in the year, there are 242 days left till the end of the year 2026, and it is possible to make the most of these remaining days of the year to show up at the place of prayer every single day and fix up what is needed in our devotion. This teaching series presents to us that it is possible to know God more. We do not have to be comfortable in our current position of devotion and our knowledge of God. We can buy back every lost time in our spiritual walk with God, approaching it with diligence. An altar is defined as a spiritual transaction point, where the mercy of God meets sacrifice. It is not just a physical place. It is where the separation between man and God is addressed, where God responds to consecration. The following are highlighted and explained as the characteristics of an altar: sacrifice, consistency, intentionality, separation, focus, alignment with God’s will, and expectations.

At salvation, you did not give God a life that was worthy or useful on its own. The life you had was already tending toward death and wrath; there was nothing God could do with that life. Instead, you received the very life of Christ. At salvation, we became partakers of the divine nature of Jesus Christ. This reality should completely transform how you see yourself, how you handle suffering, how you approach prayer, how you relate to sin, and how you view your source of power.

Signs of perilous times have been prophesied in the Bible. This is not something that should surprise us because we know that it would come to pass. False prophets will arise, and false doctrines will be preached in churches. But it is our responsibility to be discerning and identify these false teachings. We can identify a good church by asking ourselves these questions: 1. What is their doctrine about salvation? 2. What is their doctrine about the knowledge of Christ? 3. Who leads the church? Are the leaders called, qualified, and present? 4. Are there real accountability structures there and discipleship? 5. What is their theology on money? 6. What is their theology on miracles? 7. Have you seen a track record of impact? When choosing, ensure that the church is willing to teach you and that you can learn actively from them. Also, be sure that there is divine direction.

A lot of people think the way to be able to identify heresy and wrong teachings is figuring out who is wrong, and finding all the wrong teachings. But new methods of presenting heresies are being brought up every day. So it is actually knowing the right thing enough that helps you know what is wrong. On two ends of the pole on the nature of Jesus, we have His divinity, and we have His humanity. There are heresies that attack His divinity, such as Arianism and Unitarianism. There are also heresies that attack His humanity, such as Docetism. And there are heresies that attack both His humanity and divinity. But the true nature of Jesus is what we call the hypostatic union. The hypostatic union means that Jesus was fully God and fully Man without confusion, without change, without division, and without separation.

The true nature of Jesus Christ is best understood by affirming what He is and rejecting what He is not. Throughout history, several heresies such as Docetism, Arianism, Apollinarianism, Nestorianism, and Eutychianism have distorted the truth about His identity, either denying His full humanity, His full divinity, or the proper union of both. The truth is the Hypostatic Union. Jesus Christ is one person with two complete natures: fully God and fully man. These two natures exist without mixture or confusion, without change or alteration, without separation, and without division. Understanding the nature of Jesus matters because salvation requires both natures- his humanity and divinity. His full Divinity gives His sacrifice infinite worth. Only He can be our mediator and high priest.

In this sermon, we learn about Jesus' reputation as the Christ. We are taught that from the fall of Adam, there was rebellion against God, and this rebellion was a result of sin, causing God to stop being king in the hearts of many people. However, we discover through Scriptures that God had a plan to save the world and restore all men to see him as king over their lives.