The True Light | Trey Townsley | 7.26.26

John 1:1-9 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. ⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹ That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

• Comprehend: to take eagerly, to seize, possess
• Light and darkness do not co-exist in a peaceful harmony

John 9:4-5 ^{4 “}I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

• This is an amazing exclusivity claim! 

John 8:12 ¹² Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

• Darkness can induce fear. Naturally speaking, no one is afraid of the light.
• Darkness causes blindness which brings uncertainty
• Jesus is not speaking of a physical darkness, but a spiritual one
• True darkness doesn’t naturally exist anywhere on earth. 

Exodus 10:21-23 ²¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.” ²² So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. ²³ They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-7 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ² not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 

John 12:44-46 ⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. ⁴⁵ And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. ⁴⁶ I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 

John 3:19 ¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

• Believers are occasionally affected by the power of darkness

Luke 22:52-53 ⁵² Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? ⁵³ When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

• Consider medicinal practice today
• It seems that society has taught us to be so intolerant of temporary or sporadic pain that we are willing to share our bodies with a substance that admittedly may cause us to die
• How many of us are doing it with our spiritual bodies?
• Believers do not have to be overcome by the power of darkness

John 8:12 ¹² Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” 

• Deny our own worldly desires 
• Luke 9:23 ²³ Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 
• Love God sacrificially
• Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
• Love one another sacrificially 
• Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
• Be filled with Holy Spirit 
• John 14:26 ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

The Forgotten Weapons of Spiritual Warfare | Pastor Kyle Searcy | 7.19.26

I. OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING

OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Eph 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,

but against principalities, against powers,

against the rulers of the darkness of this age,

against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the

heavenly places.

• There is a real enemy.
• There is a real war.
• God has given us weapons to win.

Matthew 16:18

And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of

heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be

bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on

earth will be loosed in heaven.

CONTEXT: Far more than routing

devils…Authority to bring Kingdom to Earth

Luke 4:35

“But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be quiet, and

come out of him!’ And when the demon had

thrown him in their midst, it came out of him

and did not hurt him.”

II. LESSOR KNOWN OR FORGOTTEN

METHODS

1. Submission and Resisting

James 4:7

Therefore, submit to God. Resist the

devil and he will flee from you

Resist – Set your self against, oppose.

2. Standing

Ephesians 6:13-14. 15a

Therefore, take up the whole armor of

God, that you may be able to withstand

in the evil day, and having done all, to

stand, stand therefore

3. Forgive Quickly

2 Corinthians 2:10-11

Now whom you forgive anything, I also

forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven

anything, I have forgiven that one for

your sakes in the presence of Christ,

11  lest Satan should take advantage of

us; for we are not ignorant of his

devices

4. Embrace and Release Mercy

Revelation 12:10

Then I heard a loud voice saying in

heaven, “Now salvation, and strength,

and the kingdom of our God, and the

power of His Christ have come, for the

accuser of our brethren, who accused

them before our God day and night, has

been cast down.

Matthew 5:7

Blessed are the merciful for they shall

obtain mercy

Guard Your Thought Life

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

For the weapons of our warfare are not

carnal but mighty in God for pulling

down strongholds, 5  casting down

arguments and every high thing that

exalts itself against the knowledge of

God, bringing every thought into

captivity to the obedience of Christ

HOW

Phil 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatever things are

true, whatever things are noble,

whatever things are just, whatever

things are pure, whatever things are

lovely, whatever things are of good

report, if there is any virtue and if there

is anything praiseworthy—meditate on

these things

5. Praise

Psalm 149:6-7

Let the high praises of God be in their

mouth, And a two-edged sword in their

hand, 7 To execute vengeance on the

nations, And punishments on the

peoples; 8 To bind their kings with

chains, And their nobles with fetters of

iron; 9 To execute on them the written judgment— This honor have all His

saints. Praise the LORD

2 Chronicles 20:21–22

And when he had consulted with the

people, he appointed those who should

sing to the Lord, and who should praise

the beauty of holiness, as they went out

before the army and were saying: 'Praise

the Lord, For His mercy endures

forever. Now when they began to sing

and to praise, the Lord set ambushes

against the people of Ammon, Moab,

and Mount Seir...

Acts 16:25–26

But at midnight Paul and Silas were

praying and singing hymns to God, and

the prisoners were listening to them.

Suddenly there was a great

earthquake...

1 Samuel 16:23

And so it was, whenever the spirit from

God was upon Saul, that David would

take a harp and play it with his hand.

Then Saul would become refreshed and

a. Praise regularly

b. Praise when needed

c. Praise especially when you don’t feel

like it

6. Speak the Word

Matthew 4:1-4

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into

the wilderness to be tempted by the

devil. 2  And when He had fasted forty

days and forty nights, afterward He was

hungry. 3  Now when the tempter came

to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of

God, command that these stones

become bread.” 4  But He answered and

said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by

bread alone, but by every word that

proceeds from the mouth of God.’ 

7. Spirit Praying

Eph 6:17-18

And take the helmet of salvation, and

the sword of the Spirit, which is the

word of God; 18  praying always with all

prayer and supplication in the Spirit,

being watchful to this end with all

perseverance and supplication for all

the saints

8. Pleading the Blood

Revelation 12:11a

“And they overcame him by the

blood of the Lamb…”

9. Not speaking Much

John 14:29-30

“And now I have told you before it

comes, that when it does come to

pass, you may believe. 30  I will no

longer talk much with you, for the

ruler of this world is coming, and he

has nothing in Me.

Proverbs 18:21

“Death and life are in the power of

the tongue.”

Proverbs 10:19

“In the multitude of words sin is not

lacking, But he who restrains his lips

is wise.”

Isaiah 53:7

“He was oppressed and He was

afflicted, Yet He opened not His

mouth.”

1 Peter 2:23

“Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return.”

10. Holding Faith and A Good

Conscience

1 Tim 1 :18-20

This charge I commit unto thee, son

Timothy, according to the prophecies

which went before on thee, that thou by

them mightest war a good warfare;

19  Holding faith, and a good conscience;

which some having put away concerning

faith have made shipwreck: 20  Of whom

is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I

have delivered unto Satan, that they

may learn not to blaspheme.

Backsliding and sin start with a

compromised conscience

11. Total Abandonment to Christ

Rev 12:11

And they overcame him by the

blood of the Lamb and by the word

of their testimony, and they did not

love their lives to the death

The Journey Back to Glory | Willie L. Davis | 7.5.26

 1 Samuel 7:1-9 NASB

1 And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they consecrated his son Eleazar to watch over the ark of the Lord. 

2 From the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel mourned after the Lord. 

3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will save you from the hand of the Philistines.”

4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the Lord alone.

5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the Lord for you.”

6 So they gathered to Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah.

7 Now when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the governors of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard about it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

8 So the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that He will save us from the hand of the Philistines!”

9 Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 

1 And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they consecrated his son Eleazar to watch over the ark of the Lord. 

2 From the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel mourned after the Lord. 

• Step one: Longing.

Longing produces an appetite that only God can fill. 

3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will save you from the hand of the Philistines.”

4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the Lord alone.

• Step 2: Repentance.

Repentance helps us recenter our lives around God. So that we can operate from a divine frame of reference.

5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the Lord for you.”

6 So they gathered to Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah.

7 Now when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the governors of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard about it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

8 So the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that He will save us from the hand of the Philistines!”

• Step 3 : Reliance. 

Relying on God gives us permission to trade our limited strength for His unlimited power.

9 Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.