 So Galatians 516 says, I say then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Okay, let's say it was 16 and 17. Galatians 516 and 17. And okay, so this is the audience that we are actually, we're going to be preaching to the audience, and these are all retired people, retired elderly folks who are probably in a retirement home. You get the picture, they are retired, elderly, and you're going to be talking to them. So who wants to preach? You're just going to take, it's a short time, right, maybe two, three minutes. Anybody wants to try? Okay, Anita, would you like to try? Okay, very short, maybe just one thought. But this is the audience. Okay, so why don't you start? I can't hear. You might have to unmute and speak. Okay, I can't hear, Anita. Rosalind, would you like to take some time to talk about this? So this is relations 516 and 17, and this is the audience that you are addressing. And just two minutes, just one thought. Okay, go ahead. Rosalind, are you there? Yeah. First of all, I'm reading the verse. Yeah, yeah. You can start by reading the verse out loud. And then, yeah. Actually the audience is very old, and they are like, so I'm just connecting, like. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, just stop it off, just start off, start off by reading the verse, and yeah, yeah, go ahead. Yeah, so I say walk by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires, what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit, what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. So I just would like to encourage them, and even though they are in this old age, or in this old age home, I would just like to encourage them, you know, not to give up. Yeah, yeah, so you start addressing them, you know, as how you would talk to them. Yeah, yeah. So I would just like to encourage you all not to give up, even though you all are at this, you know, be connected to the spirit, like the pastor, are they believers, or like? Okay, let's say they are believers. Let's, yeah, let's say they are believers. Yeah, yeah, go ahead, go ahead. You're doing fine, go ahead. Yeah, so they're still hope, be connected to the spirit, be connected to the Holy Spirit, and flesh desires. That's it, Pastor. Okay, okay, try again. See, the thing is this, okay, let's say, okay, now these are old, elderly folks, right? Now, the thing is, like, if we say young people, then immediately you're going to jump in. Yeah, I know. Okay, these are the work of the flesh, you know, these are the things. So when it comes to, you know, probably all the folk, we are, no, we could think about, you know, if you look at that list, right? It talks about, well, adultery, fornication, etc. But it also talks about hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, dissensions, heresies, you know, wrong beliefs. Or it also talks about envy, murder, all those things, right? So there's a whole list that we can, you know, get into. And typically, okay, let's say, if we are senior folks and we can talk about anger, you know, what we talked about in the earlier class, we can talk about anger, we can talk about maybe regrets, sometimes, you know, like you reach a season, I mean, you reach a stage in life and you're like, wow, I wish I had done that, right? And it's an unhealthy pattern. We're not enjoying the present. You know, I just said, I wish I had done that. I wish things could be different. I wish. And then, you know, you're elderly and you're in a place where you're not able to do much, that you need the help of others. And there could be a sense of low self-esteem. You know, I was like this, but now, you know, and then you begin to, because just because you're not able to do certain things, you know, you had so much of respect and honor probably, you know, it happens when people retire, when people, you know, when people are in service, there's so much of, they felt useful. And now they're feeling that, okay, I'm not able to contribute much, you know, so we can address all that. So it's, so when we say, you know, that's why, you know, specifically, I said, okay, it's for this audience because it'll help us think, okay, I can talk about all that, okay, what is, you know, an old person going through and for us to be sensitive to that. And the fact that when you walk in the spirit, you're not giving into, you know, depression, like you're not giving into low self-esteem, you're not giving into, you know, all those kinds of regrets and all those thought patterns because, you know, if you look at it, it's not just an act that the spirit of God empowers us to, prevents us from doing, but it's also motives, imaginations, thoughts of the heart, et cetera, right? So, yeah. So, yeah. Thank you so much. So those are some things that you can, yeah. Thank you. It was tricky, but it's good. Yeah, yeah, okay. Okay, so, okay, here's another, you know, here's another verse. Let's say, let's stick on to same Galatians, but this time let's look at Galatians five and verse one. Okay, Galatians five and verse one. And so let's say our audience, our children, okay, in the age group, let's say eight to ten years old. Okay, so Jeffy and I, you've been teaching children, right? Okay, then I think you should start. Okay, so let's, why don't you try? Okay, Galatians five, one. Okay, stand fast, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a hilt of bondage. Okay, and you're addressing eight year olds, ten year olds. So what would you talk to them about? Okay, take a minute to think about it. Maybe you can just lead through the verse again. And yeah, go ahead, go ahead. I'm taking a minute to read it. Galatians, so they are small children, eight to ten. That's right, eight to ten. So they're not teenagers, they are, you know, they've got some more years to go, yeah. So Christ has truly set us free, now makes children free. Children, I'm thinking faster how to start. Okay, I think I've got it. Okay, so I have to give all the introductions and start, like how I do it from the start. I mean, you have the freedom, just go ahead. Oh, I'm truly set free in Christ now. Yeah, so if it's like eight to ten, I'll just tell them, hey guys, how are you doing? And I hope y'all are doing good. And today we've got to learn a scripture and it's going to be in Galatians chapter five, verse one. And it says, Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free. And don't get tied up again and slainly to the law. So this morning, I just want all of you to know that he was free in Christ. There is nothing that is holding you back. There may be a lot of things that happened at school this week. There may be a lot of things that happened with your parents. And yeah, some of you may have cried sometimes over these days. But I just want you to know that Christ loves you so much and he has set you free from everything. And so this is a new day and you're going to have some new happiness. And you're just going to enjoy your day with Christ today. So he set you free. That's it. That's the truth. And don't think about what happened all over this week. You're going to keep your eyes on God today. You're going to keep your eyes on his love today. And you're just going to enjoy because he set you free from everything. Everything that you did, everything that hurted you. Let us all leave that behind and just focus on God. Thank you. The end. Nice. So the thing is like what you, you know, the way you approached it, it's really, you know, it'll get the attention because they, I mean, they want someone to be friendly. They want someone to be enthusiastic and they will listen. So just one thing is you can talk about what really, you know, what bondage is and what that we, what is it that we do that leads us into bondage, you know, talking about sin, talking about the things that God does not want us to do. And there's a reason why he does not want us to do. And, you know, you can talk about that. And the fact that he has set us free and you can talk about the cross and how he set us free. And the fact that you are free. And yeah, I think what you said is, you know, don't go back to it. Don't think about it is good. Yeah. So we, so here we can actually ask them a lot of questions. That's another thing. And also asking them to repeat. Okay. Repeat after me. Okay. Let's learn this verse. So those are things which, you know, which, which really opens up gets the attention. So those are some things that you can do. Good. Yeah, go for it. So next Sunday, you can try it out. Okay. Once more, one more, maybe, and then. Okay. Okay. So this is for, just give me a minute. Okay. So we're looking at Galatians 3. Okay. And verse 26. So Galatians 3. And verses 26 and 27. 27. So for you are all sons of God to faith in Christ Jesus as many as you, of you as we're baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Okay. So, so we are addressing, we are addressing a group of people or audience who, you know, who either have single parents. Okay. So audience is like, maybe they have single parents or, you know, maybe they are often as they do not have parents. Right. So we need to be a little sensitive. We're talking about this and, okay, but it's a very encouraging message. You're all, you know, it's talking about, talking about identity and all that. Okay. So who wants to do this? Anyone? Anyone, Leah, Lama, would you like to try? Okay. So the age group, well, I would say probably, you know, teens or, you know, late teens, right? Late teens, right? Let's say, these are not early teens, but late teens, 18, 19, you know, 17, 18, 19. Yeah. Okay. So Leah Lama, would you like to try? Anyone else? Abu Bakr, would you like to try? Take about two, three minutes. Talk about it. Okay. Otherwise, I'm coming to, who's next? Ruben, Thaman, would you like to try? So Galatians 3, 26, 27. And we're talking to late teens. And yeah. So late teens who are, you know, probably, who have single parents or orphans, they don't have parents. So we're talking to them about this, this truth. Okay. Ruben, Thaman, John, suddenly my sight's not on you, John. Please. Sir, this comes again, isn't it? Oh, go for it. I'm just taking the script. Yeah, sure, sure, sure. Go ahead. No worries. I did not know that this would come again. I know, I know. It comes as a second round, no? Okay. Yeah. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. All right. So greetings to all of you. Thank you for listening to us this morning. So I just want to encourage each one of us from the Word of God. Galatians 326, we read, For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. There are even times in our lives when we think, who is there for me? Who is there to care for me? My friends, they have parents. My friends, they have people to take care of. And I feel loneliness. You might say like that in your lifetime. But this is a word of encouragement for each one of us from God's Word. Galatians 326. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. God has called you as your, as his son, as his daughter, just by faith in Christ Jesus. He has taken you to be his family. What a privilege that we have. That we are part of God's family. God who created everything. The God who sustains everything by his hand. He is calling you. Now in the natural, you might feel lonely. In the natural, you might feel you are orphan. But don't worry. You have a heavenly Father who loves you so much. And verse 27, we read, For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Which means you carry God's image. You carry God's image. Even when you feel lonely, even when you feel tired, remember you are baptized into Christ and have put on Christ. You carry the image of God. God has called you. He has chosen you from the foundation of the world. And he has adopted. He has called you to be his son. To be his son. To be his daughter. And to carry his glory. Stay encouraged. God bless you. Pastor. Amen. Come on John. That is good. You really got into it. I think you didn't want to stop. I think no. That is good. That is good. Really good. Thank you. I thought I detected that living supernaturally kind of intro greetings. We are glad that you could be here. Yeah. Yeah. That was nice. Yeah. Oh, Jeffina wants to try. Okay. Okay. Go ahead, Jeffina. Same verse, no? Or you want to try some other verse? Whatever is fine. Okay. Okay. Okay. I'll give you another verse. Okay. Which is Galatians 1. Okay. So this is a tough audience, Jeffina. Galatians 1. And we are looking at verses 6 and 7. Okay. Galatians 1, 6 and 7. And you are talking to a group of pastors who are older than you. Okay. Just imagine this scene. You know, fresh out of Bible college and you get an opportunity to meet with these pastors who are seasoned and who are I mean, I know that is not the original context of the verse, but this is what it is. Okay. So he says, this is the verse, let me read it out. I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which is not another, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. We know that it was actually addressed to, well, not so mature believers, people who were actually to whom he had shared the gospel and they were moving to a gospel of works. But anyway, over to you. So you can so don't let the pastors thing, you know, kind of put you down. So just focus on the verse and yeah. So I'm just explaining this verse to the pastors or the pastors are there and then you just think about it. They've been, you know, serving for many years and something has happened, obviously, which has kind of led them, you know, which is why God has put this verse in your heart. And he wants you, you know, so they're listening to you and then yeah, go ahead, go ahead. Okay. I think I asked the wrong question. No, it's really fine. I think it'll be fine. Go ahead. Okay. So you can start saying, you know, you can start saying, you know, how it's a privilege to be talking to them about their call. You know, you're off all that they've done. You're grateful for what God is doing through their lives and all that and then go to it. Okay. So good morning to everyone who has gathered here in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's such a privilege for me to stand here in front of you and to share the word of God with all of you. I stand in awe of each and every one of your ministries, the way you pastors are working toward God and for his kingdom, the way you are chasing the lost souls and you are getting them into the Christ. So I'm so happy to be here. I'm so honored to be here. Thank God for this opportunity and today I just want to tell a little words to you. I believe that it will encourage you to do the ministry of God much more powerfully. So I just want all of you to turn to Galatians chapter one verse six. I'm shocked that you are turning away so soon from God who calls you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the good news but it's not the good news at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately pressed the true concerning Christ. So I'm shocked and I'm sure you are shocked by me choosing this verse, the bridge in front of all of you, but I just want you to know that the world is changing a lot with the technologies of the devil and the people are so mature and the people are falling away so soon. God just put these words in my heart to tell all of you that God has called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ and he just don't want you to turn away from these things. There are many things happening on this world and he called you. I hope you all remember the day when you came into Christ, when you got that calling from God and it felt like okay this is what I want to do for God. Okay this is what I want to do with my life. I want to go out, preach to the teams, preach to the elderly people, preach to the broken hearted and I just want you all to not to distract from this. Remember the first day that God called you, the first day when you were at his feet, the first day when you finally realize that this is my calling and this is what I want to do in my life. Never get distracted from it. There are many things happening in this world. The first two speeches are arising and Satan he is mightily working against God and I just want all of you to stay encouraged and to work mightily for his kingdom as you did on the first day. Let that fire that was enlightened by God on the first day. Let it keep burning. Don't get distracted. Don't get distracted by anything. Always get back into the world. Always get back into Christ. Always feel like what is happening just go back to Christ this good news that you have God is not changing God is good all the time and all the time God is good and he calls you he chose you just keep preaching at this early days of my life God has called me and I believe that I will do this ministry great for God till the end of my life and I'm so happy for it's an everything that you pastors are doing and I'm just here encouraging you to remember the day when God calls you and just keep holding on to the truth God bless you all thank you so much thank you just enough it's good so you should stop the camera also no that was good that was good yeah so here no and as you as you were you know it is good thing that you were going back to how when they started the the purity the authenticity of it all and the sincerity with which you know most people start off and something happens midway right so that's the kind of situation so it is good to ask questions you know in the sense rhetoric right what are rhetoric when you say rhetoric you know these are questions and you're not really expecting an answer these are questions that more like statements you know so what is the kind of gospel that we are preaching today you know has anything changed since that time I'll be staying true to the word of God you know or is there something that has changed and and likely right like you rightly said you know about media and so many things that have come come up and so you know to really test and to see to discern what we are preaching because what we are preaching as far reaching consequences especially as pastors right so you can say okay may you are influencers you know you are there a lot of likes are connected people and so the greater the responsibility to be careful about what we're preaching because we're preaching right preaching means leads to right believing leads to life right living and the opposite also right so you could talk about that but it was good yeah just that that what I think that one main thing of taking back to what you believed in earlier that's a big thing awesome okay super let's okay so let's look at where we picked where we where we dropped off so you know let's get into this this whole habit of you know when we have a couple of verses and maybe less time is just to you know get into that whole thing of expressing these thoughts so you know these thoughts these are there already but just to be able to express them to voice them and yeah and sometimes yeah I know that language could be a challenge maybe that's why you know some people some of you kept quiet maybe you didn't want to take up a thing but but give it a try you know it could be just one it's just us you know in the classroom so just one thought maybe two thoughts you could just express that in the simplest of a possible like you know you may not express it the way jeffina does or you know jeffina may not be able to express the way John does or you know the way Rosalind does so so that's fine absolutely okay you know you might do it in a very very simple way you might do it in a very complex way that's fine absolutely fine but I think it's important that we you know begin to begin to express begin to preach begin to share right and try it out okay so yeah so last class we were looking at some of the keys for effective preaching and we looked at how we should never disqualify ourselves right as a as or the content that we are preaching okay so that's a very big important thing because normally we kind of disqualify ourselves at the big very beginning of the message itself okay and that sets a very sets us on the defensive and it doesn't really give us any momentum and sometimes it just quenches the attention of the people you know they do they though they may not verbalize it they begin to the audience begins to ask then why should I listen you know why should I you know spend this time why should I listen so so don't discount the other bigger picture is that God does not discount you right in fact the Lord has orchestrated things he has given us given the platform and the opportunity because he thinks you know he it is something important the message is worth preaching so don't discount yourself as a person you know saying that it's because of my inexperience and you know don't apologize for anything just go ahead at the same time don't be arrogant also just be in that place of humility and share okay okay the next thing that we are going to look at is something that we need to avoid as we as we speak as we preach being mindful of the audience is to avoid certain Christian jargon you know especially if it is a non-Christian audience we are so used to using Christian jargon you know in terms of like we say hallelujah question mark you know and the responses hallelujah or praise the Lord question mark or amen question mark right and the responses amen exclamation mark hallelujah exclamation mark praise the Lord exclamation mark right so so the thing is to avoid those jargons to avoid that when we are addressing and it sometimes it would be a mixed crowd also like even in a church congregation we have you know believers we have others who are not believers and so so to be mindful of that especially if it's a you know like a special Sunday and you've invited or given out invitation for others who do not normally go to church or from you know other faith and so be mindful be sensitive okay don't use these christianese terms and you know right these are terms that we can actually explain it then it'll be better right if we explain the term instead of using that term then it'll be better okay the other thing is there's no if there is no requirement to look at a particular verse do not ask everybody to turn to it okay or if if you if you can paraphrase it paraphrase it and just move on however if you want people to actually look at a particular verse and read it give them enough time you give them time you've stated a verse and you want them to read it you want them to go through it give them enough time to read through turn to that place read read the and if there are people who do not know you know where again depends on the audience where the particular book is and where that particular portion is you can always guide them okay it is before this or it is after this after this book and you know some churches have pure Bibles in the sense like you know some of these mainland churches have the Bibles which are there where you can even quote the page number right you know and that's helpful you can say okay it is found in page number this on your pure Bibles so yeah amen can be used in regular Sundays yes of course I think that's that's a good way to engage the congregation you know he was just saying so be it and I remember once I think it was in in one of the campuses I think it was in Baldwin's Baldwin girls where we went and we had a program so so it was Becky who was you remember Becky John Becky from Uganda right so yeah so Becky was actually addressing the students and then she said amen amen and then everybody was silent and then she went on to explain what amen is it just means you know so be it and you're agreeing and then and then she again said you know so amen and then everybody said amen so it was a mixed crowd so something like that but yeah amen definitely it's okay so so if we are using certain terms you know I think we can it depends on the message depends on the sermon and we can be a little more sensitive and even when we are talking about okay born again or justification or consecration consecrate your lives now for a Christian words like consecrate we use that and anointing I remember once there was a person a very new believer who had come and she asked you know he she was not married at the time so she was engaged so she asked a fiance who brought up the church you know why are these people lifting their hands right why are they lifting their hands and singing for her it was like a foreign thing you know for us it's it's it's it's been part and parcel of Christian life you know just lift her hands and sing which for her it was something new and and for some people it could be like you know why is everybody singing that could also be you know completely different thing right so to be mindful of all this depending on the audience you know we don't have to really be paranoid about it but then to be mindful at least in our messages to think about okay what terms are we using you know many we use words like consecration justification salvation born again anointed to be mindful of that right and it'll always be helpful right the other thing is also to when we are coming down strong on things to avoid things not to do you know well we we need to kind of give explain the context give the context again and also talk about the grace of God okay like especially when we are addressing biblical standards biblical ethics values right so which goes beyond what the world would talk about right over and above so so while we do that you know we not sound legalistic but at the same time we need to address those things so be mindful of that right so what is our priority you know okay if it's let's say we have some people who are wearing the in the congregation you know when the talking about you know the mark on the forehead well are you going to jump in and you know completely address that or are you going to talk about you know God's love for that person God's grace which covers you know so the person may not even consider that as a as a rich as a religious affiliation for them it's it could be a cosmetic thing also you know so depending on what they're coming from background but then you know at the outset publicly and you're talking about it are you going to address that or are you going to be going to talk about the love of God and the grace of God so so it's a fine line okay so be mindful of that okay so any questions on this so basically we are talking about you know culture you know addressing culture addressing religious customs when you compare that or contrast that with the political culture which transcends all culture of course and we are talking about the truth okay so in a country like India where culture is so intertwined with religious belief it's tradition is so intertwined with religious belief and where things need to be addressed of course but you know picking the time and picking the opportunity to address that and also what would you do publicly and what would you do in a maybe a personal setting that also is something right so these would these would really greatly help well addressing the congregation okay okay okay the other thing is to avoid verbal fat okay so what does that mean that means to avoid redundancy in the sense you're using two three statements to talk about the same thing addressing the same truth so which is actually redundant you're repeating it but you're saying it in different ways using different so it just fills up that space fills up that so it's like you're using different words you know some words like basically basically or what is the other thing generally generally speaking basically you know some words I know sometimes we use those and it's helpful to communicate but if it is just to add on to and if it is redundant you know if it can be avoided we can avoid it so it's a verbal fact and also again this this we can think about it like how did you receive the message okay I went to bed and I was praying Lord give me a word and then I had a dream and that dream I had this scripture pop up and you know I went and looked at it and this is what you know so we it depends okay so do you want to do that or do you want to cut to the chase and talk about you know every time if you're going to share and you're going to share it how you receive the message it's unnecessary right we got to speaking to you in different ways and you know and you receive the message so just share the message rather than talk about the process of how you arrived at it okay so so that's so those are you know things that we can actually cut out of our message time unless it's absolutely important for the content you know it's important for the audience to hear it's going to it's going to bless them in some way it's connected with what you're sharing right for example if you're going to be talking about the prophetic or if you're talking about maybe let's say dreams and connected with the prophetic and the way in which this particular message God the way in which God gave you that message right so it's it's definitely connected now in the prophetic or hearing the voice of God and it's going to help the audience connect with the message even further even more right so you're helping them say you're helping them discover okay this is how God this is also one way by God speaks the way God speaks and this is how he spoke to me so you be you can be open and it's connected with the title it's connected with the subject so it will help right but if you're going to be talking about something else and you're talking about how you'll see the message it doesn't really help right so that is what we mean okay so so we don't have to talk about the process okay and also other things is sometimes we make that mistake so we're here we're just talking about several things and we say okay let me illustrate that point or we say okay let me give you an example or so we don't have to use that okay and an illustration of for this would be we don't have to say that we don't have to say it's an illustration we don't have to say an example you just dive right in and give that example you know just just jump right in and give that illustration which would be far more impactful rather than professing that example by saying this is an example or professing that illustration by saying it is here's an illustration we don't have to do that right so what happens if we if we blank out or if we missed out some things you know this happens sometimes when you are tired maybe you're maybe you're preoccupied with something else or something something happened and then we we blanked out we we kind of lost the thread okay the where was I now you know one thing is to make light of the situation so you know you can just ask the audience okay you know can you just help me what where was I and they'll be helpful and say okay you're talking about this and then you can go back but if you want to just move on to the next point you can you can move on to the next point also right so so that is absolutely okay okay so sometimes we make those mistakes and it's fine okay okay the thing is okay certain messages certain or certain scenarios in which we the context in which we share the messages it could be maybe a workshop it could be maybe a you know an extended teaching time where we are opening up the time for the audience to ask questions okay so in such a workshop or seminar you know kind of a or a treat kind of a you know those kind of scenarios when the people are asking questions here are some things right to keep in mind okay so give appropriate responses to questions okay so don't beat about the bush right first of all be alert okay so so you get the right question okay I mean you get the you understand the question in the way it was asked so it's good to even repeat that question and ask them is this your question you know because the person was asking the question might ask in a very jumbled way okay so may not communicate that question ask that question in a very clear manner so it's it's good if it's comes comes in bits and pieces it's good if we can piece it together and ask is this your question and when the person says yes proceed to answer and answer in a you know direct succinct manner so that it satisfies hear us you know questions okay so we'll stop here we'll continue next class with some more and yeah so I just wanted to again encourage us when we have these times of preaching you know don't worry is go ahead share from it doesn't matter if it's just one thought one line but let's get into the habit of you know expressing verbally all these things these thoughts right okay okay we'll stop here God bless take care thank you Jaffina God bless bye bye