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He Is Looking For A Change Of Heart

Today I teach about the law of Jesus. Some people think it is legalistic, but today we explore it as a beneficial way of relating. Deuteronomy 5:16 “Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you.”

Back to the Roots – The Gospel of Matthew

For several weeks we have been studying the Gospel of Matthew together, and we are only about half way through it. It has been an amazing time of study and discussion about the characteristics of the book of Matthew. The Gospel of Matthew was written to address the Jews, and because of that it is filled with Old Testament quotations …

My Goal As A Mother

“First things first!”- I love that phrase! It is so simple and it reminds me all the time of how important it is to prioritize my time and my focus. As a mom, wife, pastor, administrator, friend and neighbor I have very limited time and I need to use it wisely. Truly, I am not wise enough on my own, …

Turn and Strengthen Your Brother

Today I bring a communion message about strengthening our brothers. When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, he was loving them and giving them an example of what they would need to do for each other. John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

Helping Mothers

Recently, I put together a series of bible study lessons to help some of the young moms at our church. I have observed them going through a challenging season of life where they are juggling the roles of being wives, mothers, homemakers, income-earners, and women of God. I believe moms are amazing, but they still need all the help they …

When we Walk in the Faith of Abraham

Today I relate a walk of faith to the life of Abraham. Abraham faced many challenges throughout his life, but he faithfully pressed on in his walk with God. We too face many challenges, will we waiver in disbelief or will we continue to trust in God’s plan for us? Romans 4:20 “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.”

Salvation is More Than Forgiveness of Sin

Today I convey Gods desire for a relationship through salvation. Galatians 4:4‭-‬5 “But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God’s children.” As children it is important for us to deepen our relationship with our Father.

Don’t Carry the Idols of the Past

Today I urge us to set our sights on God’s plan. Too often we find ourselves clinging to the past and making idols out of memories. We must let go of yesterday and trust God as He leads us forward. 1 Corinthians 13:9‭-‬10 “For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.”

What is Triggered by Our Prayers?

Today I talk about the importance of prayer. Whether we identify it as such or not, it is likely that what we are facing today is the result of prayers or lack of prayers. We often pray with a preconceived idea of what we think we need, but God’s answers do not always look the way we anticipate. Our prayers are effective even when we don’t experience the results we originally anticipated.

Why is Maturity Important?

Today I continue imploring us to seek the truth and grow in our walk with God. There are many lies that come to hold us back and divide us, but Christ has opened the door for us to grow together in oneness and love. Ephesians 4:15-16 “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

Back To The Roots – Bible Study

While working on my Master of Divinity degree, I studied about Christian faith and history,  learned about the Jewish roots of Christianity,  and the fact that Jesus was a Rabbi that taught His disciples according to the traditions of His time.  So, I thought it would be good to go back and read the New Testament with the knowledge I …

Am I Open to Hear the Truth

Today I encourage you to ask yourself an important question. Am I open to hear the truth? In John 8:32 we read, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Each one of us have a different perception of the Truth. Without being open to hear the truth in love we will miss out on the deep freedom that truth can bring.

When Love is the only Law…

It is interesting to understand that when God first took the people of Israel out of Egypt, He was separating a people to Himself by making a covenant with them through the giving of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. One of the most significant parts of this process is the fact that God gave Moses the …

We Have Been Included Through Christ

Today I entreat you to dig into the scriptures about God’s plan for inclusion. Sometimes we might think that for God to accept one He has to reject another, but He is unlimited! 2 Chronicles 6:14. “He said, ‘O Lord , the God of Israel, there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart;'”

A Willingness to Hear and Obey

Today I reiterate how just having the word is not enough, we must hear and obey Gods word. What makes the distinction between hearing and not hearing? A willingness to do His will. John 7:17 “If anyone is willing to do Gods will, they will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.”

Abraham – A Walk By Faith

I have been thinking a lot about Abraham and his life, so I finally went back to read his life story in the Scriptures. It was so good for me to read it, because it really made sense to me to think about Abraham as our father in the faith. I thought about the fact that a lot of times, …

Women’s Bible Study

Hale O Nā Kāula Church Women’s Bible Study Outline By Debbie Oliveira Goal: To empower women, give them tools to pray and wait on the Lord, Give hope and lead them to the heart of God! Bring healing and purpose in being a wife, mother, but first of all, a worshiper and child of our loving Father.   Thursdays from 6pm …

The Lesson of the Wilderness

Today I begin to explain the wilderness experience. God was with the Israelites the entire time, but it was a time of teaching His people. In everything we go through there is one thing God is trying to teach us – trust in Him and trust in His love for us. Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments”

Bread of Life

A couple of weeks ago, as we were celebrating the Sabbath and after saying our prayers over the wine and bread, my husband, who took a year of Hebrew at Shiloh University, started explaining to us that the Hebrew word for bread is lehem, which is in fact part of the word  בֵּית לֶחֶם Bet Lehem (Bethlehem) which means “House of …

Parable: Pray at all times (Luke 18:1)

Today I impart a new revelation of faith. Our personal relationship with the Lord will trigger effective prayer. We must have faith that God wants us to be persistent and work with Him in what He is doing through our prayers. Isaiah 62:6 “On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent.”

Comparative Literature

When I was in high school, I came across a book titled The Metamorphosis, by the German writer Franz Kafka. I was disgusted by the main character’s description of waking up one morning and finding himself in the form of an insect that, in my imagination, seemed to be a cockroach. The character felt rejected and he could not leave …

Atonement: Not Just Salvation, Complete Sanctification

Today I unfold key concepts about the Ten Days of Repentance and the Day of Atonement. These days are not about shame and regret, but rather an opportunity to realign with God’s perfect plan for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Parable: The Soil and The Stages of Discipleship

Today I bring a relatable perspective to the parable in Matthew 13:3. As humans, we are the soil. Although there is nothing wrong with the soil, there are outside influences which keep the soil from bearing fruit. As we grow in discipleship, our soil will become more fruitful.

Parable: We are All Managers

Today I teach about the parable in Luke 16:1-13. God’s grace is unending and He desires a relationship with us no matter how great our sins. If we know God’s grace, we are managers responsible to share it. Micah 7:18 “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.”

The Sacred Writings That Lead to Salvation

I have been studying and researching the references of the Old Testament used by the writers of the New Testament. It is really important to remember that the Early Church did not have the complete bible, but only the Hebrew Scriptures. The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy about the importance of the “sacred writings” that “lead to salvation.” You, however, …

Biblical Feasts – Open My Mind to a Deeper Understanding

Today I begin to explain why we celebrate the Biblical Feasts. If you dig into the New Testament you will see many references to the Feasts, as it describes how Jesus celebrated them. When we celebrate the Feasts, we are not just celebrating something that happened in the past, we are anticipating a greater fulfillment of the scriptural promises in our generation.