Victory Hamilton Mill

John 15:18-20 & 23, 16:1-4If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also… Whoever hates me hates my Father as well... All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them.

Acts 1:8 NIV“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

ROMANS 10:13-15 (NASB95)13…“WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are SENT?”

Like Jesus’ disciples, we are a people God has SENT, or commissioned and equipped, to share the Good News with the people around us. We are the Church, a movement of people called to operate in the same power that Jesus did—to be His witnesses wherever we go. But the people who were a part of the early church were only empowered because they were first committed to walking together. God blesses unity! So, why does it matter and how do we become and stay

Psalm 145:4-7 NIVOne generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works—and I will proclaim your great deeds.

Living for God is not just about having the right information…but did that INFORMATION produce TRANSFORMATION in us? Matthew 7:24-27 ESV“Everyone then who HEARS these words of mine and DOES them will be like a WISE man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds...

MATTHEW 7:24-27 NIV“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

Matthew 7:24-27 (NKJV)24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it DID NOT fall, for it was founded on the rock.

As believers, each of us is a part of the body of Christ—one body with many members. We were created on purpose with a purpose, and every breath that we’ve been gifted by God is an opportunity to allow His Kingdom to fully reign in our lives. The reality is that, sometimes, we get comfortable and stop taking steps forward in our faith. But we have a responsibility to do something with the new life we’ve been given.

Matthew 7:21-23 NIV“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons...

Matthew 7:15-20 NIV“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

What does it mean to fear God, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling? It’s not what it sounds like. To fear the Lord is to live in absolute awe of His power, His presence, and His promises. Imagine how excited and awestruck you will be one day—to look upon His face and finally see Him! That is the posture from which we want to look to Him and worship Him today. Our God is not wrathful or scary. We don’t tremble because we are afraid. We tremble because of the wonder and astonishment we have for His greatness. Our God is an awesome God! 

MATTHEW 5:13-16 NLT“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?  Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

Matthew 7:12 NIV So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets

When it comes to judging, it’s in our nature… It’s easy to point out the flaws in others while overlooking the areas we need to address, but when we do, we give the kind of judgment that we’d never want for ourselves. Jesus left us with clear instruction: don’t be blind to your own sins. Take care of your own wrongdoing first, and only then can you see clearly to help those around you—lovingly calling one another out of sin and into Christ-likeness.

What would the world look like if we all treated one another how we want to be treated? While it’s easier said than done when we attempt it in our own ability, we have the grace of a loving Father to help us do what would otherwise be impossible. It’s a divine gift that God extends to us time and time again, regardless of our actions and whether or not we deserve it. In His goodness, He invites us to mirror that kind of boundless love and compassion toward others in the