Join Pastor Jesse Bradley and Erica as they discuss the highly anticipated revival at Grace Community Church in Auburn. Pastor Bradley stresses the significance of repentance and seeking God’s presence to experience true worship and encourages us to draw closer to God. We’re praying that the revival will transcend church walls and reach the wider community.
For more information, text REVIVAL to 89419.
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Guest: Pastor Jesse from Grace Community Church in Auburn/ Host of the Bonfire podcast on Purposely, AND author of the brand new book, The Power Of The Second Thought, How To Live With Indestructible Hope!
- Pastor Jesse’s church: Grace Community Church in Auburn
- Pastor Jesse’s podcast: The Bonfire Podcast
Catch hope & encouragement with Erica on weekday mornings from 5:00 AM – 10:00 AM, and Sundays from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
TRANSCRIPTION:
Erica:
I believe hearts are going to wake up tonight. Spirits are going to be refreshed in Auburn. Hi, I’m Erica with my dear friend, Pastor Jesse. Revival is coming to your church tonight, Grace Community Church in Auburn. So for somebody that is only familiar with the word revival, when it comes to what they’ve seen in movies, let’s just say, how would you describe what’s going to happen tonight?
Pastor Jesse Bradley:
Yes! When you hear that word, revival, different people have different ideas or perceptions. When you hear the word revival, think of God’s presence, more of God’s presence in our lives. And revival is going to bear fruit. They’re going to be people who have been sleepy that wake up. There are going to be people who return to the Lord. There are going to be people who come to know the Lord, who maybe have been in church but haven’t started a relationship with Jesus. Even in the community. Yes. When there’s a rising tide, all boats are lifted up. Yes, the church is going to be an expression of that. I really think it starts in our own hearts though, as we make room for God in our lives. It’s the prayer revive us because we need that. And there’s the old illustration. If you draw a circle around yourself, and you start to pray, and you ask God to revive. It starts with our own hearts and turn from sin, say, God, search me if there’s any way in me that isn’t right.
It doesn’t align with you, God. I turn from that. I turn from sin to the Savior. That’s repentance. It’s always a good decision. It’s always refreshing. There’s no revival without repentance. So, it really is a deep work. And then you ask God for his presence. How much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask? And what you see God do in the Bible, what you see God do in our lives, revival is simply like an acceleration or a multiplication. More people start to experience God. More people are in the Word. More people are starting to love their neighbors; more people are starting to pray. And really, it gets exciting because there’s no limits to what God can do. And when we make ourselves available, God does the transformation.
Erica:
Yes. And it starts with worship, doesn’t it? You guys are going to be worshiping tonight. Let’s say someone’s listening who has never worshiped the living God before. How would you describe what it’s like?
Pastor Jesse Bradley:
Right. Worship is our response to who God is and to what God has done. That he is holy, that he is loving, that he is kind. He sustains us. He’s our redeemer, which means he bought us back. Jesus Christ died for our sins, and he’s risen from the grave. This is not religion and just rituals. This is a relationship. And because of God’s greatness, we respond to him and we thank him. We turn from rebellion. We trust him and we also give him praise. And there’s so many ways to express praise. It could be in silence, it could be in surrender as we offer ourselves. It could also be in singing and music. And there’s joy. There’s joy in God’s presence. And when we make room for God in our lives, we see God show up. He inhabits our praise where God is honored, he dwells there.
Now, theologically, God is everywhere, but I’m telling you sometimes in some places, he is even more. And how God does that, it is beyond us because we don’t control God. We are the clay. He is the potter. We follow his lead. We don’t lead until Jesus just to bless us. We are drawing near to God. And there’s a promise in the Bible. If you draw near to him, he will draw near to you. And we want to humbly come before him, and hungry. We’re hungry for his presence. We know this world doesn’t satisfy. We know there’s more and we want to linger in his presence. We want to listen to God and we want to follow him. We need God in our country. And said in Chronicles 7:14 says that if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, turn from their wicked ways and seek my face, then I will hear from heaven forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.
And we need more of God’s presence. We desire him to heal in our land, and we want to see churches come alive across the sound. And that starts in our hearts and then in our homes, and then we gather in churches. And what God does, then it’s going to overflow beyond the church, into the community, into the streets. I believe God wants to bring revival in the Sound. I really do. And let’s take our small steps and trust God with the results. God takes those five loaves of bread and those two fish, and what does he do? He multiplies. So, let’s all listen to God. Take that next step and then watch what God will do, he does revise and he raises up things that have been dead. He brings his spirit into dry bones, and we’re excited to enter into that intentionally. God asked us to intentionally worship, fast, pray. That’s what we’re going to do together.
Erica:
Amen. Pastor Jesse. You’re invited to pray for revival to worship tonight at Grace Community Church. If you want to know more, text REVIVAL to 89419. Always appreciate your time, pastor Jesse.
Pastor Jesse Bradley:
We’re praying together, trusting God for great things. Let me share this verse. Yes, without faith, it’s impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6, speaking, God, without faith it’s impossible to please God. Whoever comes to him must believe he exists and he rewards those who earnestly seek him. So, God is calling us to earnestly seek him, and he’s going to bring rewards beyond what we can think or imagine.
Erica:
Amen.
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