Faithful When It’s Costly.

Faithfulness isn’t built in a moment—it’s formed over a lifetime. In this powerful message, Ps Byron Chicken unpacks Jesus’ radical call to steadfast loyalty, sacrificial love, and daily surrender.

In a world that celebrates convenience and keeps options open, biblical faithfulness can feel costly. But whether it's in our relationships, convictions, calling, finances, or walk with God, faithfulness remains one of the highest virtues we can pursue—and it's always worth it.

Jesus calls us to:
• Give up our own way
• Take up our cross
• Follow Him

Following Jesus rarely means one dramatic decision. More often, it means a thousand small choices, made faithfully, day after day.

If you've been tempted to quit, compromise, or take the easier road, this message will strengthen your resolve and remind you that a faithful life becomes a source of life for others.

Key Scripture:
Matthew 16:21–25

In This Message:

• Why faithfulness is the backbone of flourishing lives and societies
• The real cost of following Jesus
• How to stay faithful in a culture of convenience
• Practical ways to live with courage, generosity, and conviction

⛪ Thrive Church
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Title: Faithful in the Waiting
Speaker: Donovan Cogill

Description:
Waiting is hard. Whether it’s for answers, breakthrough, or God to move—waiting can feel slow, silent, and even discouraging. But what if God is doing His greatest work in the waiting?

In this message, Faithful in the Waiting, we’re reminded that delay is not denial. Through the lives of Joseph, Abraham, and David, we see a powerful pattern: the promise, the waiting, the fulfillment. And in the middle of it all, a call to remain faithful.

Key Takeaways:

• God works in the waiting
  When it feels like nothing is happening, God is still moving—often in ways we cannot see.
• Delay is not denial
  Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t.
• The waiting shapes you
  What happens in the “middle” prepares you for what God has promised.

How to Stay Faithful While You Wait:

1. Keep doing the right things (Joseph)
   Faithfulness is proven in the waiting, not the breakthrough.
   God is not just working for you—He’s working in you.
2. Believe God’s promises (Abraham)
   What you believe shapes who you become.
   Even when circumstances say otherwise, choose to trust what God has said.
3. Trust God’s timing (David)
   Don’t rush the process or take shortcuts.
   God is never late—He is always on time.

Powerful Truths:

• “God does His greatest work in the waiting.”
• “Delay is not denial.”
• “Faith isn’t proven in the breakthrough—it’s proven in the waiting.”
• “God will never promote you into something your character cannot sustain.”

Scripture References:

• Genesis 39 (Joseph’s faithfulness)
• Romans 4:18–22 (Abraham’s faith)
• 1 Samuel 24:4–7 (David’s restraint)
• Galatians 6:9 (Don’t grow weary in doing good)
• Isaiah 60:22 (God’s perfect timing)

Final Encouragement:
If you’re in a season of waiting, don’t give up. God hasn’t forgotten you. He is faithful—yesterday, today, and forever.

Stay faithful. Keep trusting. At the right time, He will come through.

⛪ Thrive Church
Helping people move towards Jesus.

📍 Visit us at one of our campuses
🌐 Website: https://www.thrivechurch.co.za

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Title: Faithful When We’re Faithless
Speaker: Ps Amy-Jane Duma

Description:
We all experience seasons—moments where faith feels strong and others where fear, disappointment, or uncertainty make it hard to believe. In this powerful message, Ps Amy-Jane reminds us of an unchanging truth: God remains faithful, even when we feel faithless.

Through personal stories and the life of Peter, we see that God’s faithfulness isn’t dependent on our performance—it’s rooted in His character. His love sees us, pursues us, and restores us.

Key Scripture:
2 Timothy 2:13 – “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”

Key Thought:
God’s faithfulness is not dependent on our faithfulness.

3 Truths About God’s Faithfulness:
• He sees you – Even in your weakest, most faithless moments, God looks at you with love, not condemnation.
• He pursues you – When you drift, He draws near. His love doesn’t give up on you.
• He restores your purpose – God doesn’t just forgive; He reaffirms your calling and trusts you again.

Illustration:
Like sitting on a chair without hesitation, we can trust God to hold us—even when we can’t see or feel Him. His faithfulness remains constant.

Application:
👉 Rest your full weight on the faithfulness of God.
Faith is not just believing—it’s trusting Him enough to lean your whole life on Him.

Reflection Questions:
• Where have I felt faithless recently?
• What fear, disappointment, or regret might be affecting my faith?
• What would it look like to fully rest in God’s faithfulness today?

Prayer:
Lord, thank You that You are faithful in every season. Help me to trust You, even when I can’t see clearly. Remind me that You see me, pursue me, and still have purpose for my life. I choose to rest fully in You. Amen.

Salvation Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for Your love and faithfulness. I’m sorry for my sin and mistakes. Today I choose to trust You and rest my life in Your hands. Forgive me, lead me, and be my Lord. Amen.

⛪ Thrive Church
Helping people move towards Jesus.

📍 Visit us at one of our campuses
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Jesus Over Everything | Easter Sunday 2026
What changed when the power of God returned to the tomb? Everything.

In this Resurrection Sunday message, Ps. Byron Chicken unpacks the life-changing reality that Easter is not only about an empty tomb, but about the power of God breaking into human history and proving that Jesus is over everything.

Looking at Matthew 28 and key New Testament passages, this sermon explores three great enemies every person faces:

1. Jesus is over sin
Sin is more than bad behavior. It is saying no to God and yes to ourselves. It is the root of our brokenness, damaged relationships, and inner struggle. But through the resurrection, Jesus broke the power of sin. Its grip can be weakened, its destruction can be stopped, and our lives can be changed as we become more like Christ.

2. Jesus is over Satan
The resurrection declared Christ’s victory over the enemy of our souls. Satan may still accuse, but his accusations have lost their authority. The courtroom is closed, the sentence has been served, and because of Jesus, we now live from a place of grace, victory, and freedom.

3. Jesus is over death
Death no longer has the final word. Through the resurrection, death has been turned from a full stop into a comma. For those who belong to Jesus, death is no longer the end, but the doorway into eternal life in the presence of God.

With humour, hope, and powerful illustrations, Ps. Byron reminds us that what looked like defeat on Friday became total victory on Sunday. Jesus is over sin. Jesus is over Satan. Jesus is over death.

If you are feeling spiritually dry, disconnected, or ready to make Jesus Lord over your life, this message is a powerful Easter reminder that resurrection power changes everything.

Scripture references: Matthew 28:1–7, Romans 6:5–11, Colossians 2:15, 1 Corinthians 15:51–57

⛪ Thrive Church
Helping people move towards Jesus.

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What makes Good Friday “good”?
In this powerful Good Friday message, Ps. Candice Chicken unpacks the tension of the cross: physically, it was a horrific day of suffering, sorrow, and grief — but spiritually, it was astounding.

Looking at Isaiah 53, this sermon explores the deeper meaning behind Jesus’ crucifixion and why His death was unlike any other. While crucifixion was common in the Roman world, what made Jesus’ cross different was the spiritual reality of what took place there.

In this message, we discover two life-changing truths:

Jesus is over our suffering
Jesus carries our weakness, enters our sorrow, and brings healing and wholeness through the cross. Whether you are facing anxiety, grief, disappointment, fatigue, illness, or deep personal pain, this message is a reminder that you do not suffer alone.

Jesus is over our sin
Ps. Candice explains the biblical meaning of atonement, showing how the Old Testament sacrifices pointed toward Jesus — the spotless Lamb of God who gave His life once and for all. Through His blood, our sin is forgiven, our shame is removed, and we can be made right with God.

This message is both deeply reflective and full of hope, ending with a call to respond to Jesus and receive His forgiveness, freedom, healing, and grace.

Key Scripture: Isaiah 53
Also referenced: 2 Corinthians 12, Romans 6:23, 1 John 1:7, Revelation 21

If this message encouraged you, be sure to share it and join us again as we continue the Easter journey.

⛪ Thrive Church
Helping people move towards Jesus.

📍 Visit us at one of our campuses
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Ps Candice Chicken continues our Us – Growing Greater Relationships series with a powerful message on the difference between relationship breakers and relationship builders.

In a world that often pushes selfishness, grudges, hurtful words, and distracted listening, Jesus shows us a better way to live and relate. This message unpacks four relationship breakers that damage connection, and four relationship builders that bring healing, strength, and unity.

In this message, you’ll discover how to:
• Put others first instead of living “me first”
• Extend grace instead of holding grudges
• Use words to build up instead of tear down
• Listen with your heart instead of being distracted

Ps Candice reminds us that healthy, life-giving relationships do not happen by accident. They are built as we follow the example and teaching of Jesus. With practical daily questions and simple habits, this message helps you identify one area to work on and start making changes immediately.

This sermon also carries a heartfelt call to reconciliation — not only with others, but ultimately with God. Through the story of a father and son restored after years of distance, we’re reminded that it’s never too late for healing, forgiveness, and peace.

If you’re longing for stronger relationships, deeper connection, and a more Christ-centered way of living, this message is for you.

Let Jesus show you a better way to build.

⛪ Thrive Church
Helping people move towards Jesus.

📍 Visit us at one of our campuses
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Friendship might be one of the most overlooked gifts God has given us.

In this message, Ps Byron Chicken unpacks insights from the Harvard Study of Adult Development—an 80-year study that found the single greatest predictor of a good life is not wealth, success, or fame, but friendship. Deep, meaningful relationships shape our joy, resilience, health, and ability to walk through hard seasons well.

But in today’s culture, real friendship is under pressure. We live in what many call a “friendship recession”—a time marked by busyness, disappointment, emotional exhaustion, shallow digital connection, and the breakdown of the natural structures that once helped friendships grow.

Through Scripture and the story of the paralyzed man carried by his friends to Jesus in Mark 2, this message reminds us that friendship is worth fighting for. Real friends carry us when we are weak, help us overcome obstacles, and move us closer to Jesus.

Ps Byron shares practical wisdom on how to build close, life-giving friendships using the acronym C.L.O.S.E.:

Consistency – Show up regularly and stay present
Likeness – Build around shared interests and common ground
Openness – Be vulnerable and honest
Shared Space – Prioritise face-to-face connection
Engagement – Show genuine interest in one another

This message is both a challenge and an encouragement: pray for godly friendships, choose to become a better friend, and don’t let disappointment stop you from receiving one of God’s best gifts.

You don’t need more connections. You need a few people who will walk with you until you become who God has called you to be.

⛪ Thrive Church
Helping people move towards Jesus.

📍 Visit us at one of our campuses
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What comes out of you when life squeezes you?
In this message, Ps Hein Bruyns shares a powerful truth: healthy relationships start with personal healing. Too often we blame others, our past, or our pain for what spills out of us—but Jesus shows us that what’s inside our hearts eventually shapes every relationship around us.

In Us Starts With Me, Hein unpacks how blame blocks healing, why our relationships bear the fruit of what’s happening inside us, and how Jesus invites us into real restoration. This message is honest, practical, and full of hope for anyone wanting stronger marriages, friendships, family relationships, and inner wholeness.

If what’s broken in us can eventually break us, then what’s healed in us can eventually heal us.

In this episode:

• Why blame keeps us stuck
• How inner pain affects outer relationships
• What Jesus teaches about healing the heart
• Why healing starts with taking responsibility
• How to come to Jesus for real restoration

3 practical ways to pursue healing:

• Come to Jesus with authenticity
• Reveal your struggles in safe community
• Keep returning to His presence

Key Scriptures:
Luke 6:43–45
Matthew 7:1–6
Matthew 11:28–30
James 5:16
Psalm 145:18

This message will encourage you to stop fixing your eyes on everyone else, bring your heart honestly to Jesus, and let Him begin a work of healing that overflows into every part of your life.

⛪ Thrive Church
Helping people move towards Jesus.

📍 Visit us at one of our campuses
🌐 Website: https://www.thrivechurch.co.za

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