This message from Bishop Ed Akers explored Matthew 9:35-37, where Jesus looked upon crowds of sinners and saw them not through the lens of their sins, but as people who were "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." We were reminded that sin doesn't just define people—it traps them, mangles their lives, and leaves them powerless. Just as Jesus was moved to action by compassion for the lost, we are called to extend the same grace and mercy. This message has profound implications for our spiritual life: it calls us away from political agendas and religious comfort zones into the harvest field, where souls are waiting to hear the good news that can set them free.

In this message Pastor Brent Powell explored what it means to truly hunger and thirst for God in a culture of comfort and complacency. Drawing from Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled," we were challenged to examine whether we're merely satisfied with surface-level Christianity or desperately seeking God's manifest presence. The message called us beyond casual faith to a place of holy desperation—where we contend in prayer not just for our own needs, but for the salvation of our families, cities, and nations. This hunger isn't about religious performance; it's about being so consumed with God's heart that we weep for what breaks His heart and pray until breakthrough comes.

This week's message from Pastor Brent Powell explored the transformative power of attention in our spiritual formation. We examined how what we consistently focus on ultimately shapes who we become. Drawing from Psalm 1:1-3, we discovered that our spiritual growth isn't accidental—it's cultivated through intentional, daily attention to God and His Word. The progression of walking, standing, and sitting with the ungodly versus meditating on God's law revealed how gradually we can drift when our focus shifts away from Christ. This message challenged us to examine what's truly discipling our attention and whether we're allowing the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, or desires for other things to choke out the Word in our lives.