Couple's Retreat (Exhortation) Mr. Sunny Ekunwe 20-10-2016

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Family Worship Centre (FWC)

Wuye, Abuja

28th October, 2016

COUPLE'S RETREAT 

(Day One: Friday)

☆ PRAYER SESSION (EXHORTATION)

* Leader: Mr. Sunny Ekunwe

* Text: 1 Peter 5:8 →"Be clear-minded and alert. Your opponent, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."

* The devil is seeking the man in which he will embarrass

→ You need to be vigilant and prayerful at all times

* The devil has no power over a man who knows this rights in Christ!

☆ Three (3) Points to Note if you are to have a Successful Marriage:

1. Be Knowledgeable about God's word

→ Everything you need is in God's Word

2. You should be a person of Prayer

★ Luke 18:1 → "Jesus told his disciples a parable about their need to pray all the time and never give up."

→ Heaven is moved when men pray!

* A man must not relegate the duty of prayer to his wife

→ Do not relinguish your priesthood

3. God desires that men should provide for the family

→ God's endorsement is upon the man to fulfil the mandate of provision

Christian Couples Fellowship (CCF) - Rev. Dr. David Pofi & Mrs. Gyarta Pofi 26-05-2016

★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Christian Couples Fellowship (CCF)
Combined Fellowship, Abuja Zone
☆ Venue: Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Nyanya - Abuja
26th May, 2016

* Guest Speakers: Rev. Dr. David Pofi & Mrs. Gyarta Pofi

* Marriage is a lifetime venture.

→ Do not just wake up one day and decide that you want to break it up

→ You must resolve to make your marriage work at all cost

→ You must delibrately invest in your marriage

★ Deuteronomy 5:9-10 → "you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments." [NKJV]

★ Isaiah 59:21 →"As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.” [NKJV]

* You can choose to be a source of blessing to your children up to a thousand generation

→ You may also choose to be a curse to your children to the 4th generation

 * Your present lifestyle will determine your children's blessings

 * Today, Satan is waging war against godly marriages

⇒ This explains the rise of divorces, domestic marriages and stained relationships

 * If you get it right by sowing the right seeds, your children will also get it right when their time comes

 * Your relationship with God will definitely affect your relationship with your spouse

 * Once you are disconnected from God, you will invariably be disconnected from your spouse

 * Do not be bold to stand before people to minister God's Word when your "home Church" is in disarray

 * You can pretend to believers outside, but you cannot successfully pretends to his family!

* Ensure that your family worship is vibrant and that your spouse and children are connected to God

→ This affects your children in a positive way

* You must ensure that you pass on the Word of God as a legacy to your children

→ this solidifies the foundation of having a thousand godly generations

* Whatever spirit you are carrying is also what will be obtainable in your kids

→ Children learn alot by watching & emulating their parents

* NOTE: Consciously or otherwise, there is something that somebody around you is learning from your life

* Your relationship with God will definitely affect your relationship with your spouse

* Your values will be passed on to your children

→ Ensure that your values are based on the Word of God

* Do all it takes to make your marriage work

* There are so many couples who need you to encourage them. Do not disaapoint them; do not disappoint God!  

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

☆ Mrs. Gyarta Pofi

★ Matthew 13:44-45 → ''Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls."

* If your family is valuable to you, you will make all the required sacrifices to make it work

* You must make up your mind to make heaven TOGETHER with your spouse!

→ You must not do it all alone. It is a partnership

→ Read God's Word TOGETHER, Pray TOGETHER, attend Church TOGETHER, do everything TOGETHER. This is the secret of success in marriage!

★Ecclesiastes 9:8-10 →"Let your garments always be white, And let your head lack no oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going."

☆ 3 Levels God wants You to Maintain in your Life:

1. Personal Holiness (verse 8)

→ Make sure there is no sin in your life

→ You must spend time with God

→ The anointing must never be lacking in your life

2. Your Family (verse 9)

→ Ensure that their is an unbreakable bond of friendship between you and your spouse

→ Friendship is what makes marriage enjoyable

→ Enjoy each other: decide together, plan together, talk together, play together, sleep in the same room and on the same bed together

* Marriage is the bridge you must cross into outside ministry

→ If your marriage is not correct, your ministry outside is futile

* When you are not united with your spouse, your children will divide and rule you

→ Issues of discipline must be approached from the same perspective by both spouses

→ It is disastrous for spouses to antagonize themselves on the issue of discipline of their children

3. Outside Work (verse 10)

→ Crossing the first two bridges successfully empowers you to excel outside

 

Mrs. Gyarta Pofi

Rev. Dr. David Pofi (Founder, Christian Couples Fellowship (CCF))

The Use of Gadgets in the Home (Dr. Patrick Dakum) 27-11-2014

Christian Couples Fellowship (CCF)

Combined Meeting (Abuja Zone) 

@ Sasha's Garden,

Area 11, Garki Abuja

27th November, 2014

EXHORTATION

* Speaker: Dr. Patrick Dakum

* Topic: The Use of Gadgets in the Home

* Couples should make every effort to maintain communication in every situation - even where there is a conflict between them

* Some of the issue of use of phones in the family that causes friction between couples:

- Phones that are switched off or unreachable when the other spouse needs to be reached/contacted

- delayed reply to SMS/missed calls

- checking of phones of the other spouse (messages, picture gallery, call logs, etc)

★ Tips on the use of Communication Gadgets

1. The internet world contains a lot of good and bad - ensure you know how to benefit from the good and avoid the bad

2. Learn about communication gadgets better so that you Know how to use them positively

3. Never allow any gadget to get in between your relationship with your spouse

★ The Commitments that Christian Couples must make:

(a) Commitment to God by the spouses

- Know that God will require you to account for how you use the gadgets that you have

- Biblical stewardship is all encompassing (including use of our possessions, time & money)

- The telephone & other gadgets Should never replace physical intimacy

- Your commitment to God will determine how you use your gadgets

(b) Commitment to use your gadgets for building and not for tearing down each other

- It is possible to make a commitment to encourage, say kind words, build love, etc

- If your love for your spouse does not affect your pocket, you are only joking!

- Every commitment will cost you Something

(c) Commitment to respect for each other

- It is a sign respect to create time for each other and not allow gadgets to get is the way

(d) Commitment to each other

- Don't replace your physical contact with gadgets

- Don't measure your love for each other with communication quantum over gadgets

- Don't make a big issue out of the usage of gadgets

* Note: No family can ever have a perfect scenario of communication but there must be a definite commitment among spouses to love and build each other all the time

Interactive Session on Family Issues (2) (Pastor 'Lola Owotumi 17-11-2014

NDIC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District,

Garki - Abuja

17th November, 2014

* Speaker: Pastor 'Lola Owotumi

* Topic: Interactive Session on Family Issues (2)

* Text: Psalm 24:7-8 →"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle."

* Question: What are you to do when one of the parents do not have interest in the fanfare of naming ceremony?

★ Amos 3:3 → "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"

* Both parents must have a consensus/ a common ground

* Any difference in expectations or opinion must be settled in the place of prayer

* Compromise (finding common ground between couples) is always important in life

* Always seek and go after peace in the home.

* Always focus on things that unite you as a couple

* Downplay things that divide you

* Make every effort to come to an express agreement, not just permissive agreement on any issue

The Place of the Holy Spirit in the Christian Home (Pastor Francis) 05-07-2014

★ MY SERMON NOTES

Wedding - Umushe Jane Matta & Naanlong

@ ECWA Plateau Church, Laminga Road,

Jos, Plateau State - Nigeria

5th July, 2014

SERMON

* Speaker: Pastor Francis  

* Topic: The Place of the Holy Spirit in the Christian Home

* Christian marriage is based on sacred promises & vows

* Today, many couples have abandoned their marriage vows

* There is a call on every Christian couple to go back to the basics - which is the Word of God

* We must get back to the original plan of God for marriage

* The world has been trying to redefine marriage by introducing and promoting strange perversions in the marriage institution with a view to undermine God's standards

* The Christian home is under attack from the secular movement and carnal philosophies

★ Colossians 3:2 → "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

★ Ephesians 4:1 →"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called."

★ Ephesians 4:17 →"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind."

* Our values as Christian couples/families must portray the light of Christ

* We must not be influenced by the world

* Only the distinction that we have in Christ can draw the World to Christ

★ Ephesians 5:18 → "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit."

* What is lacking today, making Christians a far-cry from what God wants us to be is the fact that the Holy Spirit has been relegated to the background in our personal affairs

* It takes the Holy Spirit to be able to love someone outside of yourself

* The "Adamic man" (the unreformed heart) is naturally selfish

* Today, there is no difference between Christians & those who are not

* The hope of this Country is not in political ideologies but in Christians who live up to the calling of God upon their lives

* We are often too preoccupied with living life and pursuing our businesses to live in the Spirit

* When the Holy Spirit controls a man, He Submits to his wife in love; When the Holy Spirit controls a woman, she submits to her husband with respect & without compulsion

* NOTE: Bacchus is the god of wine & intoxication

-When a person is drunk, his body is open to control from the demonic influence of Bacchus to do his will

* When the Holy Spirit controls you, your hope will be established in righteousness

* 1st Corinthians 12:13 →"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."

* The Holy Spirit indwells only persons who have accepted Jesus as their Lord & Saviour

* The 'in-filling' with the Holy Spirit is different from being "baptized" with the Holy Spirit

* God is looking for those who are constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit

* When The Holy Spirit is in control, Jesus has a say in the family affairs

* When you are truly submitted to the Holy Spirit, He gives you what to input into Your marriage, so that you're not just looking for what you will get out of it.

* The Holy Spirit must be the centre of attraction in your home & marriage

* The Holy Spirit can reconcile and restore all that is lost

How to know Whether a Person is controlled by the Holy Spirit:

1. Joy (Christian Joy is internal stability despite external instability)

2. Gratitude & thankfulness

3. Submission

★JOY

* Joy is the evidence of a true Christian home

* Joy regulates the spiritual atmosphere of a situation

* Joy insulates your heart against being carried away by the circumstances of life

* Alcohol is a temporary depressant which brings no permanent Solution

★THANKFULNESS

* Ephesians 5:20 →"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

* A person who comes to terms with the fact that he cannot become what he now is without the help and input of others is never grateful

* You must learn the principle of constant gratitude in the Christian home

★ SUBMISSION

* One institution that humbles a man is marriage because it offers plenty opportunities for serving each other selflessly

* Ephesians 5:21-22

* The man is actually called to submit to his wife in love

* The wife is called to submit to her husband in respect

* Christian couples are to submit to Christ out of reverence

* Submissiveness does not disturb the established order of authority

* Serving the interest of another is anti-world system where selfishness is the order of the day

* How is your home today?

* What is the place of the Holy Spirit in your home & life?

We are Partners, not Rivals (Rev. David Pofi) 15-08-2013

COUPLE’S FELLOWSHIP ANNUAL RETREAT

15^TH – 18^TH AUGUST, 2013

MIANGO REST HOME

DAY ONE: THURSDAY, 15^TH AUGUST, 2013

 

OPENING CHARGE

Topic: We are Partners, not Rivals

Speaker: Rev. David Pofi

Text: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

 

An overview of the Opening Charges of the Christian Couples Fellowship Retreat from 2010:

2010 Opening Charge:

Things that only God can do:

1.    Unless the Lord builds your home, the builders build in vain. [Psalms 127:1]

2.    Unless the Lord watches over your home, you watch in vain

3.    Only the Lord can bless your children.

 

2011 Opening Charge:

Ø  Luke15:11-19

Ø  If you are disconnected from the Lord, you will never be full.

Ø  When a man/woman is disconnected from God (the Father), they become prodigal and cannot connect with each other appropriately.

Ø  When a family is disconnected from God, they beg when they are not supposed to beg.    

 

2012 Opening Charge:

*Ephesians 1:4, 7, 13 & 14

Ø  We were created by God for His pleasure, but sin separated us from Him.

Ø  God paid again for our sins in order to purchase us back to himself.

Ø  God bought (purchased) us for himself so that we might be set aside for His exclusive Holy use.

Ø  We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Ø  You can only bear fruit according to your kind.

*Galatians 5:19 – 21 [works of the sinful nature]

Ø  When a man/woman is filled with God’s Holy Spirit, the fruits of the Holy Spirit will definitely manifest

 

2013 Opening Charge:

Ø  The Corinthian Church was a composition of everything. It had both good and bad traits.

*1 Corinthians 1:7 – The Church at Corinth did not lack any spiritual gift at all [see: 1 Corinthians12:7-11]

Ø  The Church was endowed and was very spiritual.

Ø  But the Church had other problems [see: 1 Corinthians 1:10 – 13 there was division in the Church; 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 there was incest and sexual immorality]

Ø  Carnality was the root of the division and immorality [1 Corinthians 3:1-4]

Ø  Note: The Church is made up of many families. There cannot be Church without families.

Ø  The reason why the Church at Corinth was the way it was, was because they were ‘mere men’ and they were worldly, carnal and spiritually immature (babies in the Lord)

Ø  Whenever you find division and quarrelling, there is only one reason for that: you are dealing with ‘spiritual babies

Ø  Spiritual babies are carnal, immature and cannot handle strong/solid food.

Ø  Babies cry for everything and make unrealistic demands; they give fault to other people; they hide things that don’t belong to them.

Ø  When spiritual babies are found in the family, there is bound to be fights, quarrelling and jealousy.

Ø  You must learn to see your partner as a partner, not as a rival whom you are competing against. You should walk, think and work together

Ø  Your relationship with the Lord will definitely reflect in the family. If you are growing in your relationship with the Lord, your relationship with your spouse will also grow

Ø  If you have a healthy relationship with the Lord, you will seek your partner’s happiness

Ø  You cannot be so spiritual and yet not live well at home – it is a contradiction

Ø  You must use God’s Word as a mirror to make all the necessary adjustments in your life