The Making Before the Mission
Minister Shawn Thomas
September 20, 2026
Anchor Scripture: 1 Peter 5:10 NKJV
“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after
you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”
Sermon in a Sentence: God often develops us in places we would never choose,
through circumstances we would never design, for purposes we cannot yet see.
Movement 1: Exceptional does not mean Perfect
Philippians 1:6 (NRSV) “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work
among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ”
- God develops imperfect people
Movement 2: Exceptional doesn’t mean easy
Romans 5:3-5 (NRSV) “And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing
that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character
produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured
into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us”
- Difficulty can become development
Movement 3: Exceptional requires formation
Proverbs 27:17 (NRSV) “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of
another”
- God develops character and capacity
Movement 4: Exceptional is meant for something Bigger
Esther 4:14 (NRSV) “For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and
deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter…”
- Development leads to assignment
Key Takeaway: I am MADE, TESTED, FORMED, and SENT by God
The Promise of Answered Prayer
Elder Gary Nelson
September 13, 2026
Key Text
Isaiah 65:24 (NLT)
I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I
will go ahead and answer their prayers!
Sermon in a sentence:
As a disciple of Christ, The Promise of Answered Prayer is secured by the faithfulness and integrity of
God.
Key Terms
promise
1 a : a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified b : a legally binding
declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or
forbearance of a specified act
2 : reason to expect something
answer
1: to speak or write in reply
2: to act in response to an action performed elsewhere or by another
1) Who is making The Promise?
- Isaiah 65:13a, 25b – The sovereign God, The Lord
- Psalm 143:1 (NLT)
[A psalm of David.] Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my plea! Answer me because you are
faithful and righteous.
2) To whom is The Promise made?
- Isaiah 65:8b – True Servants
- Isaiah 62:6 (AMP)
I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem, who will never hold their peace day or
night; you who [are His servants and by your prayers] put the Lord in remembrance [of His
promises], keep not silence,
3) Conditions attached to The Promise
- Hosea 14:8 (NLT)
“O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am
like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.”
- Acts 10:22 (AMP)
And they said, Cornelius, a centurion (captain) who is just and upright and in right standing with
God, being God-fearing and obedient and well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, has been
instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house; and he has received in answer
[to prayer] a warning to listen to and act upon what you have to say.
- 2 Samuel 24:25 (NLT)
David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the
Lord answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
- 1 Chronicles 5:20 (NLT)
They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in
him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated.
4) Items that block our receipt of The Promise
- Inconsistent, ineffective or non-existent prayer life – 2 Chronicles 7:14 (If my people who are
called by my name) – Prevents us from moving to our next in our relationship with God.
- Praying without expectation / faith
James 1:6-7 (NLT) 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not
waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and
tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
- Prayers not aligned to God’s will – John 14:13, 15:16 (Jesus’ promise that the Father would
grant us whatever we ask in his name)
5) Tools to Help us Receive The Promise
- Pray for God’s guidance and direction and follow it – Acts 1:4 [Stay in Jerusalem until you
receive the promise]
- Trust God to be faithful – Numbers 23:19 [God Is Not a Man and does not lie His Word will be
performed]
- Understand that a delay does not equal a denial – Daniel 10:2-13
6) The Rewards of Waiting
- Hebrews 6:15 (Abraham) And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
- Psalm 69:13 (AMP) (David)
But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord. At an acceptable and opportune time, O God, in the
multitude of Your mercy and the abundance of Your loving-kindness hear me, and in the truth
and faithfulness of Your salvation answer me.
Conclusion
After examining what the Word of God tells us about The Promise of Answered Prayer:
a) since God is the one making the promise
b) The promise is available to those that serve him
c) The conditions / requirements for receiving the promise are trust and faith.
I submit to you that The Promise is secure and surely worth waiting for!
Disclaimer: Everyone is entitled to their opinion. We believe and teach that the Bible is God’s Word — His opinion — and provides His instruction for how to live life under His rule (i.e., the Kingdom of God).
