Prayer Works Bible Study: August 3, 2025

"Prepare To Defend"

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Ok, so now I'm going to share where you know with the slide diva here. So we're going to use slides tonight and so this is the topic that we are going to discuss. It's always prepared to defend and this is coming out of 1 Peter 3:15. 

Yes, always prepared to defend and you know this is something that Calvin and I took a workshop on how do you share your faith? How do you how do you share your faith, especially people who don't believe and we're living in a day and age where we don't even speak the same language. 

It's like not only do people not believe in God they don't even think it's relevant to even think about. God. So as Jesus commanded his apostles and us as well, we have to go out and make disciples and how do we do that?  

So we're going to have like, a series of topics for the next 5 weeks as pastor Zee is going to be traveling over the next 5 weeks. We're going to be talking about this question, always prepared to defend, so let's go to the next slide. 

And as  Calvin said, this is coming from 1 Peter 3:15, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.  

So just think about I don't know how many of you are on social media or on TikTok or whatever it is. Seeing people saying to themselves they're standing up for their Christian rights or whatever it is, and they end up being very argumentative about it.  

But there is a better way, there's a more righteous way for us to give a defense to anyone who asks us so what makes you so joyful? What makes you so hope filled? So we're gonna look at that, start looking at that today.  

So when we think about give a defense different translations of this scripture say give a reason, respond, give an answer, speak up, explain with gentleness and respect. So when you hear people arguing about the faith and in a very hostile way.  

That's not what we're called to do. Yes, we are called to be firm. Yes, we are called to know, yes, we are called to be prepared to defend. But we're not called to prosecute people, there's a difference between prosecuting and going after peoples jugular veins and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us in a godly ways. 

So that we can give a reason for those who ask us with everything that's going on, how can you still believe there's God?  

How Can you believe in Jesus Christ? So let's begin to dive into this a little more deeply. So over the next 5 weeks, these are the topics we're going to talk about and I will send a copy of these slides to you, but feel free to take notes for all my note takers out there.  

I love the note takers, but feel free to take notes, but I will send these slides. So this week, we're going to talk about examples in the Bible of people defending their faith. Next week, we're going to talk about how Jesus modeled being prepared to answer. Week 3, we'll begin to look at some common objections.  

Misunderstandings, have truths and mistruths about Christianity and for that, here's one thing I would like you to take a note. For week 3 I'm going to ask everyone to come prepare to bring at least one thing.  

One statement that you've heard people say or question about Christianity is 1 objection 1 misunderstanding everybody come prepared to share one thing. Week 4 this morning the spirit Holy Spirit gave me an acronym for an approach to defending your faith.  

Faith, which we go into next week and we will call it the peaceful approach and each one of those letters in this acronym Stand for an approach that we, as Christians can take when defending our faith, and then finally Week 5, there's another thing to note.  

So now there's only two weeks where I'm asking for so participation in Interaction Week 3 and Week 5. So you have a chance to recover between weeks Week 5 we're going to do a recap, reflection and yes, each and everyone of us is going to be asked to share our testimony in 2 minutes.  

2 minutes so you'll have time to practice. Just imagine you're in front of we'll call it a pre believer, I heard that someone say then I thought that was a nice way of putting unbeliever. 

They said a pre believer and you're, I don't know, maybe you're in the grocery store. Maybe you're on the line somewhere. It's like you seem so happy didn't you hear that? Hey, why did you hear and damn well, how can you be so calm?  

You have two minutes to give them a reason for your faith and I, we'd like you to practice that 2 minutes alright. So Week 3 and Week 5 alright ok. Thank you, Miss Jones, for smiling. I appreciate your smile. 

Miss Mary is like I don't know but it's alright, it's alright. So let's go into the next. So week 1 here we are examples in the Bible of people defending their faith. Now we're not going to go through all these examples.  

We're just going to go through Acts 2:1-41 with Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost and then. These other scriptures, we're not going to go through because we don't have time.  

But I would like you to read them on your own and again I'll. Give you these slides. Acts 3 1-26. Peter healing the crippled beggar and preaching in the Temple Acts 4:1-22.  

When Peter and John are addressing the Sanhedrin, Act 6 this is Steven, what happened to Steven when he had to defend his faith after being accused of blasphemy? And then also I'd like you to read Acts 26 where Paul is giving his testimony before King Agrippa.  

So we're not going to cover all those, but we're going to look at Acts 2:1-41, which Calvin is going to read. But as you're listening to the scriptures, these are the questions that I'd like you to be thinking about as you're listening, as you're listening to Calvin, read the Scriptures.  

First question what is happening and I'm going to leave these questions up on this screen so you can be thinking about them as Calvin is reading who is involved, what is the accusation? What is the apostles or disciples defense or answer?  

What is the reaction to the defense, what happened? And then finally, what can we learn from these scriptures and apply in our modern day Christian walk? So I'm going to leave these questions up on the screen and kind of think about them as Calvin reads. 

Ok, so Acts 2:1 and it starts off this way, when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with 1 accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  

Then they appeared to them, divided tongues of fire, and one sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.  

And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and were confused because everyone heard them speaking in their own language. Then they were all amazed and marvel saying to one another. 

Look are not all these who speak Galileans and how is it that we hear each in our own language in which we were born?  

Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs. 

We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God. So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, whatever could this mean? Others said they are full of new wine.  

What Peter standing up with the 11 raised his voice and said to them men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem let this be known to you and heed my words, for these are not drunk as you suppose. 

Since it is only the third hour of the day but this is what was spoken by the Prophet Joe. And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh, your sons and your daughters shall prophecy your young men shall see visions.  

Your old men shall dream dreams and my men servants and my maid servants I will pour out my spirit in those days, and they shall prophecy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth beneath blood and fire and vapour of smoke.  

The sun shall be turned Into Darkness and the moon into blood for the coming of the great and awesome day of the. Lord, and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  

Men of Israel hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man protested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God.  

You have taken by lawless hands and crucified and put to death whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be held by it for David says concerning him. 

I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is at my right hand and I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad. Moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope for you will not leave my soul in hades.  

Nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption you have made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of joy in your presence. Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried.  

And his tomb is with us to this day, therefore being a prophet and knowing that God has sworn an oath to him, that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne. He, foreseeing this spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ that his soul was not left in hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.  

This Jesus God has raised up of which we are all witnesses, therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this, which you now see, and hear. 

For David, did not ascend to the heavens, but he says himself the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. Therefore, let all the House of Israel know, surely, that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucify both Lord and Christ.  

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and his the rest of his apostles, men and brethren what shall we do? And Peter said to them, repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. 

And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, for the promise is to you and your children and to all who are afar off as many as the Lord God will call. And with many other words, he testified and exhorted them. 

Saying, be saved from this perverse generation than those who gladly received the word were baptized and that day about 3000 souls were added to them amazing. This is the same Peter who denied Christ not once, not twice, but three times the same Peter who got out of the boat.  

But when he saw the wind and the rage winds  and the waves raging around him, began to think this is the same Peter who told Jesus Christ you will not go to the cross and Jesus had to rebuke him.  

This is the same Peter who was so full of pride, but in the end ended up denying that he knew Christ. But this is also the same Peter who when Jesus asked to do you love me? He was able to reply with all his heart.  

Yes, Lord, I love you. Feed my sheep and Jesus said feed my sheep. This is the Saint Peter who now through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, is able to stand up not just in front of the other disciples who were with him in the upper room, but in front of men of Judea and everyone that was in Jerusalem at that time.  

Thousands of people this same Peter standing up and testifying to the reality that Jesus is Lord and Messiah. So that's what is happening. So who is involved? It's Peter and it's the men of Judea and it's everybody that's in Jerusalem at that time.  

So what is the accusation? And you hear that the people, the scoffers said, oh, listen to them oh, they're drunk, they're drunk. Imagine that, but so you can expect that as a believer, someone may one day say to you, ah, you drink the kool-aid.  

Oh, you oh, you're just you're crazy. How could you be so happy? You are you on something and Jesus and these are the same kinds of accusations we can expect to hear. But what did Peter say?  

No, we are not drunk. But here's what we do know. Here's why you're seeing this and not only did Peter explain to them what was happening in that moment, he also tied it back to scriptures.  

So Peter knew the scriptures and jumping ahead to this last question, what can we learn from these scriptures and apply in our modern day Christian walk? What you're going to see and read as you read the other scriptures that we had a part of Peoples's testimony and defense is that they knew the word. 

And they were able to recount the word and bring it into where the moment that they were in right now and use what was happening as evidence and proof of the word alive and in action.  

So what was the reaction to the defense? How many people were saved? 3000 people were saved. That was the reaction. Now we're going to you're going to see in other examples. 

Where not everyone is going to receive what you have to say and you have to expect that it is not our work that is going to save people. It is Holy Spirit and the fact if they are, if people allow the Holy Spirit to cut them to the heart where they see themselves and see their need for a savior anything is possible.  

But we can't expect that that's always going to happen. So these kinds of questions are the things that I'd like you to think about as you read these other scriptures as. You read Acts 3:1-6. 

Think about those questions. What's going on? What's happening? What was the accusation? What was the response then? Acts4:1- 22 and also the other Acts 6-8- 15, Act 7 and again I'll give you these slides so that you can you don't have to write all this down quickly, I will give you the slides.  

Alright we'll go to the next slide. So I went online and I started looking up different people's testimonies just as a way for you to begin thinking about how would you share your testimony?  

Now here, some of them, they're not really getting into talking to someone else and defending their faith but a big part of defending your faith is knowing what you believe. Being able to share your testimony.  

So we're going to listen to a few of these. I didn't think we would have time to listen to, but we might be able to listen to more than one. So I think I'm going to listen to Amanda's testimony and Aaron's testimony.  

Aaron is a Jew who became a believer in Christ, and but we'll listen to those two and talk about it after. 

I was brought up in an Italian Catholic family. We all had big personalities. My dad worked three jobs to support us and my grandfather filled in like a dad to us. He was a big influence in my life. 

When I was seven years old my grandfather took me into the backyard and taught me how to pitch and play softball and I loved it. I played softball, volleyball, basketball, football, you name it. And I played it and my grandfather was my cheerleader.  

He encouraged me at every turn, when I was 14 years old my grandfather suddenly died. We were all devastated. I remember watching him take him out in a body bag and I just didn't understand. It was the first time I had faced death.  

I was angry. I told God I hated him and I was instantly sorry for seeing such a thing and I told God I was sorry, but I continued to feel guilty because deep in my heart I thought I had committed the importable sin.  

Life went on and I continued to play softball. I was offered a scholarship for college. I had everything going for me. I was well liked, I made MVP and Golden Glove my freshman year. 

I excelled at everything. I made, all sitting, and then finally my dream was coming true. I was invited to play on the Women's Olympic trial team fresh out of college. I got a job in the medical field. I really loved it.  

I always wanted to help people and I was doing exactly that. Everything was going great. I met Michael in my early 20s. He was funny and affectionate. We had rocky moments in our relationship.  

But in 1996, we finally married, and I thought I had it all. I had a new husband, a great job house, a car, my softball, all money. The hopes for a future family and my health was, so I thought. One day at work I was drawing a patients blood and I passed out.  

I got up and thought nothing of it. I was an athlete 27 year old, healthy young woman. A few days later it happened again, and this time I felt the flutter in my chest, like my heart was coming out of my chest.  

I went to see a cardiologist and he examined me, told me my exam was normal, but he asked me was there any chance that I could be pregnant? Excitedly I said yes and I was excited.  

But I didn't know my perfect world was about to change forever. That flutter in my heart was not a baby. It was a life threatening rhythm called ventricular tachycardia. My heart was beating 280 to 300 beats a minute erratically, and they rushed me to the hospital.  

I was put in CCU and my life just became a whirlwind from there. My doctor told me I needed to have a defibrillator implanted in my chest. They said I could just flat line and die. 

One doctor said I should be dead 10 times over with all the sports and exercise I was doing. I was just devastated and things just kept getting worse because of the life threatening rhythm. I was told I couldn't drive anymore.  

I wasn't allowed to exercise anymore. I couldn't work and the final blow came when the doctor said that I couldn't have children, that it would kill me or the baby or both and it got worse.  

My marriage started to decline and for various reasons, it ended. So now I lost my husband, my home, my job, I had no money. I had nothing, I felt abandoned. I felt like I lost my identity.  

I didn't know who I was anymore, and at the same time my mother was sick and dying. I didn't think it could get any worse. I had just lost everything and now I was losing my mother. I just wanted to be left alone.  

I was so depressed, sad, angry, so bitter, hurt. I told God I didn't want any friends and my heart grew hard and walls went up. It was then I received a call from my cousin Marianne asking me if I can fix her computer, I said yes and she came over.  

And as I began working on her computer, she started telling me about Jesus. And I remember looking at her surprise and I told her I know God. Like, why would she tell me about Jesus?  

And she went on and told me that Jesus loves me and died on the cross for me. And he said that we're all sent as in need of a savior and all I had to do was ask Jesus to forgive me and ask him to save me.  

My cousin told me about this TV show that I could watch and learn about God. I remember laying in bed that night just feeling so broken, so hopeless. My thoughts were spinning out of control.  

I turned on the TV and there was this woman praying, just talking to God, like a friend. And I began praying and crying and I ask Jesus for the first time please help me to forgive me to come into my heart. I knew I needed God in my life.  

I thought I was in control of my life, and I realized I was not, things didn't change right away, but I began to feel better mentally. All the chaos in my head was calming down and I continued to pray.  

I found an apartment with my cousin and my sister and my niece helped me to move there and my cousin had invited me to a women's event at church. And I heard things about God that I've never heard before.  

I heard things about his love and forgiveness about his goodness and faithfulness, how God loves us, right where we are. One speaker was talking about how we carry our troubles around with us everywhere we go.  

Like carrying a backpack full of rocks and she gave a beautiful example OF walking down a trail and picking up a pebble or a rock for each of her troubles, struggles or burdens. She placed it in her backpack and continued down the trail.  

And as she walked, it would get heavier and heavier, making it harder for her to walk and soon it waded down and it became so heavy she just couldn't go on anymore. So she sat down by the water and one at a time took the rocks out.  

And threw it into the water, giving that problem that burden, that struggle to God, guilt, shame, anger, fear. She said God wants us to give him all of our troubles, to lay them at his feet to cast all our cares and worries upon him.  

He loves us. She went on and held up this pretty pink heart and she said, isn't this all of us? And I remember smiling saying yep, that's me. And she put it on the floor and she stomped on it. And then she picked it up and she tore it in half.  

Broken in two pieces and, she says but isn't this really us? Broken stepped on, abused, hurt, beaten down, abandoned. I was fighting back tears. That was me and I knew it. I knew God was speaking to me through her and all the thoughts and the chaos in my head was gone and I heard the words in my head you're home.  

That's Sunday, March 25th, 2012 I truly told God I was sorry for all my sins and I wanted to live my life for him. I asked Jesus to come into my heart and help me be the person he created me to be.  

So I went from losing everything that I thought was important and it seemed like I had nothing but I gained everything in and through Jesus Christ. God has blessed me with unspeakable joy and peace.  

He's healed my brokenness, restored my heart, helped me to see my sin and enabled me to forgive. He truly set me free. I was afraid of dying, I didn't know what would happen if I died and it scared me.  

But I began reading the Bible and I learned what God promised us and he said the only way to the Father is through the son Jesus. He says even though you die, you live. Jesus says perfect love casts out fear and he is perfect love.  

As time goes on, my heart condition progressed. I have heart failure and had to go for a heart transplant evaluation, they said I have a rare undiagnosed disease that's attacking all of my organs, my heart, my lungs, liver, ears, eyes, nose, throats.  

They have me listed as having 23 different diseases and to top it off, they found the tumor. A brain tumor pressing down on my brain stem. They said it's too risky to operate and I was told by the doctors I'd probably be dead in two years.  

This January makes three years and all glory to God. I'm still here, he sustains me and helps me to stand each and every day. It's hard and very frustrating to have no clear answers. I get sick a lot, I'm in pain.  

I'm on oxygen in and out of hospitals and I'm on a lot of medications. I'm exhausted but my heart still belongs to God. I thank Jesus so much for everything he's done. He amazingly made me content in all my struggles.  

Jesus healed my brokenness and gave me a new heart filled with his love and light to share with everyone he puts in my path. I may not be healed physically, but God has certainly healed me spiritually.  

It's by God's grace that I'm still alive and my hope remains forever in him. My name is Amanda. This is how God forever changed my life and still is. I'm his work in progress. Thank you, Jesus.  

Therefore, we do not lose heart, though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen for what is seen is temporary for what is unseen is eternal, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. 

Ok so Amanda's testimony. Oh, my Lord undeniable, undeniable and that's now, of course, that testimony was longer than two minutes and sometimes you may have longer than two minutes to share with someone.  

But the work of God is undeniable, and that is what we have, what we have is our testimony, but in malice it's something really important, she said when her cousin started talking to her about God, she was like, why are you talking about God? I know God.  

Now we there's a difference between knowing oh God and knowing God. God as Father, God as our Abba, as our protector, God as our shield. There is just no way Amanda is getting through what she's getting through without God. 

And just as we were watching this, I just thought of the miracle of God at work because I'm sharing this testimony of Amanda with you. So her testimony that she recorded, I don't know how long ago she recorded this testimony is still alive and working in the hearts of all of you here.  

If that it, there's no coincidences in the Kingdom. There's none, so just take heart, take heart and be sure, be sure that we know God as our Father, we know Jesus as our Messiah and savior.  

Not that we know of him but we know him and it doesn't mean that everything in our life is going to be perfect but it means that he's carrying us through everything. If we believe and trust and Lord knows we've had plenty of opportunities in the past few weeks to say Lord surely, surely you exist and you are with us. 

Because there's no way we can get through what we're having to deal with right now, but praise God so. I have other links to testimonies. I just wanted to share one more testimony with you and this is just to say that this is a young guy.  

This is a young kid. His name is Isaiah Kim, young boy. So the testimonies are not for the old. It's not just for the old. It's not just for the seasons. It's not just for the adults, but young people when they come to know Christ.  

They have a testimony that they can then share with their friends and family. So let's listen. I think Isaiah King young guy, I think it's just a few minutes. Let's just listen to him and then we will begin to wrap up. 

Hi everyone, my name is Isaiah and I'm 14 years old and this is how Jesus Christ saved my life. So ever since I was a kid, I grew up in a Christian household. I was like the typical good Christian, you know, I would go to church every Sunday.  

I would read my Bible every single day and I would pray to God before I slept and before every single meal. But I never really knew God, you know. Ever since I was young, I was surrounded with, like electronics, video games, phones, Fortnite, Minecraft, browsers all the games you name it I've played it. 

But I ended up getting addicted to video games at early age. I would have like a one hour time limit. But since I'm so addicted to video games, I would like bypass that rule by waking up early and first thing I did in the morning was get my tablet and like play video game for like 3 hours and 3 hours with the hours that I already have.  

That's a lot of time as like a little kid playing video games and sometimes I would even like but before I slept, I would like play video games without anyone knowing. But I ended up getting so addictive and I even had these emotions when I played video games like I would get angry when I whenever I lost. 

I would throw my tablet, got to the room. One time I  even shattered the whole screen just cause of bolsters game. But yeah if you ask anyone I knew they would say that I had anger issues, man.  

I was like, so violent when I was young, I would always be punching things, screaming, crashing out. Sometimes I would even get into like fights and I was just so addicted, video games really influenced my life in a negative way.  

And eventually I started watching some stuff that I probably shouldn't have been watching, like any other teenager. But overtime like I had this hole in my heart, you know, like no matter what I did, the hole in my heart like was still there.  

If you know, you know it like nothing you do can get rid of that hole in your heart. And what I tried to do when I was younger in like Grade 6 was to like, find love. You know, I thought that love would fill that hole my heart.  

But I was wrong. I had in Grade 6, I had two relationships with girls in Grade 7 I had another one. But what I realize is that these external things can't fill the hole in your heart, for me nothing in the world could fill the hole in my heart.  

But that was until I met Jesus Christ. I think there isn't like a specific date when I got saved, but it's like a gradual journey to being saved. I think it started with like Instagram real. I was scrolling on Instagram and then I came across some Christian content.  

I started watching those and it I think it helped me to pursue Jesus Christ even more. And when I started pursuing, like pursuing Jesus Christ fully, that's when the hole in my heart like disappeared. That's when I actually got saved.  

When I truly started pursuing Jesus Christ, the hole in my heart like I found so much peace. Jesus Christ gave me so much love, peace, joy, happiness, purpose. Like Jesus Christ saved me.  

A kid who was violent, who had depression, who is overwhelmed with addictions. Jesus Christ save me. And if Jesus Christ save me, he can save you too, man. Like, it doesn't matter what you're going through.  

Just Christ can save you. It doesn't matter how many mistakes you've made Jesus Christ can wash you clean. You can be born again through Jesus Christ. And now that I am saved Jesus Christ is like working through me, he's using me to spread the gospel on YouTube to hundreds of thousands of people.  

And if it is God's will, then I can be a soccer player, professional soccer player, and I can like represent God's Kingdom and I can share Jesus glory to many people, millions of people worldwide.  

But if you take anything out of this video, it's this no matter what you're going through, Jesus Christ can save you. Doesn't matter how bad what you've done, the mistakes you've made. Jesus Christ can save you no matter what.  

He can wash your clean. He can make you a new person that's what he did with me. And God loves you so much, man, I'm going to end this video off with the Bible verse, this John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  

Man, God loves you so much, man, God bless. So hearing that young man it just puts a smile in my heart and that's just to remind us the young need to be saved. Two things he said that really stuck out for me, one how when he began to pursue God. 

And that's what it's about pursuing and let your life lead people to pursue. They'll be so curious about the joy that you have and the love that you have and you can encourage people.  

Inspire people to want to learn more and to pursue Christ, and they will surely find it because as Scripture says, seek me and if you seek me through your heart, you will surely find me and something else he said.  

He said pursue oh, something that came to my mind as he was speaking. Guard the gateways. Watch there are so many things in this world under the guise of entertainment that are just gateways like you've heard of gateway drugs.  

There's gateway sin and there and the gateway sin comes wrapped up and disguised into things that we enjoy and bring us distraction and entertainment. But slowly but surely they are exercising influence on us.  

So all of us who are parents who have young children in our in our lives who, no matter they, maybe they their neighbors, child, whoever it is guard the gateways. They can't guard them themselves.  

Be willing to no matter what protect them, inoculate them. Don't just leave them out in the wild, in the woods, and expect them to be ok. They don't have the wisdom and understanding yet, guard the gateways please. 

It's interesting because in his testimony, you know, he says that he started watching things that he knew he shouldn't have been watching from video games and from video games and start with video the interesting comment he made, because I'm sure in his circle of influence, he says like all teenagers.  

So be mindful you know, little Johnny good shoes. Your grandchild, your best son, best daughter. You would be amazed at the things at an early age that they become exposed to. 

You will take for granted, Oh, not my little one. Oh, no, not him. He would never do that. Ok so you have to be the one to be the gatekeeper as Vee was saying, you have to guard and it's just like you're pursuing God. You have to pursue goodness.  

You have to pursue righteousness and it's not just for you, but it's for your entire family. So yes, yes. And you'll notice that both of them, both Isaiah and Amanda, they both said they grew up in the church.  

They both knew about God, so not only do we need to be lights to non believers. We need to be lights to those who say or think they're believers. And helped them imagine if Amanda's cousin didn't recognize it.  

Oh, my cousin is in trouble she's not really saved. She may know all of him. She may know God, she may have God in every sentence. But she's not really saved. Imagine if her cousin didn't discern that. Where would Amanda be?  

So we pray for the Holy Spirit to sermon in every encounter. Everybody that he brings into your path because you just never know one word from you, one gesture of loving kindness from you could set people someone on the path to righteousness, someone on the path to salvation, someone the path to healing.  

So don't hesitate. So that's what this whole series is all about getting prepared, getting prepared to make a defense. So week 2, next week, we're going to look at how Jesus modeled being prepared to answer alright. 

So again, to repeat what I'd like you to do this week, I'll send you the slides try to read at least two, at least two of these chapters read these at least two of these chapters, and again I'll send you these slides of Peter healing the crippled beggar and preaching the temple. 

Or of Peter and John testifying before the council of Steven when he is accused of blasphemy and all of Paul's testimony before King Agrippa, we’re going to read through those two of those passages and then as you're reading.  

Make yourself answer these questions. What's happening? Who is involved? What is the accusation? What is the apostles or disciples defense or answer? What is the reaction to the defense? What happened and what can you learn from these scriptures and apply in your walk ok?  

So try to read at least two of those and push yourself to do this because believe me, if you haven't experienced it yet, someone is going to come to you and say so tell me about this Jesus. How Can you believe? And you don't want to be I’ll get back to you. 

Let me let me ask, let me ask Chat GPT yeah, yeah. You know what come on alright. So that is going to do it for this evening again. Again, as I said, I wasn't forcing anyone to interact this evening.  

But Week 3 and week 5 and I also want to put an ask out there to anyone who is able to, as you know Pastor Zee, is dedicating Fridays for prayer. We may not get specific prayer requests in the week, but we would like each of you to volunteer for a Friday in August, and if it's, you know, it could be two of you could be one of you.  

It doesn't have to be long, but you've got to be prepared and there will come a time when as part of your defense, you asked someone to pray with you. That is one of the most powerful things that you can do for anyone, so let's practice.  

So please e-mail at some point just pick a Friday in in August when you feel you know the unction, you feel the pressing, you know, hey, you need to call, you know so you need to pray there's someone God is going to give each of us a word, a particular word that someone needs to hear.  

And he's not gonna give it to me. He's not gonna give it to Calvin. You know, he may give it to you, Nadia specifically. Give it to you Monica, Mother Jones, Miss Mary, Miss Nina.  

Let me stop sharing so I can see everybody's faces. He may give it to his Mother Carrie, Nina, Sarge, Dorothy, Debbie, Cynthia, Danielle, Kathy, you know. Don't be afraid and don't hold back the time is now  

And in addition, if you have prayers that you are praying and you are looking for God to answer, share those prayers ok, because this is what Friday prayer is all about. It's bringing those prayers to the throne of grace and lifting those prayers up so that God hears them from us in a corporate environment, if you will.  

Ok and as being in this fellowship you are a part of what this fellowship is all about. It's about prayer. It's about seeking God in everything that we do and seeing God in everything that we do.  

So don't be afraid, send prayers. I think everyone has been on this prayer call long enough to know that you can either send them to Zee, but since Zee is going to be traveling, you may want to just either send them to Vee or put them through the website.  

Prayerworks.us and you will see the form. There where you can put your name and your prayer and just hit submit and we'll get it and we'll be able to lift it up.But more importantly, as you were saying, if you are prodded by Holy Spirit, don't shrink back.  

If you feel you want to pray on a Friday, by all means we will open up and allow you to pray, because who knows, God may be placing something in your heart and mind for us that we don't even see, so be open, be receptive. 

Yes so we are going to end in prayer, I will pray so you don't have to get nervous. I'm not going to call out names. I will pray for all of us and Sarge oh my Lord God. Good to see you, Sarge, good to see you. 

Looking dapper. You look studious, my brother, we are home now, all right. All right, gracious and loving Heavenly Father, how we just thank you. We thank you for the precious gift of sharing your word for the precious gift of encouraging each other. 

We thank you, Heavenly Father, that you trust us Heavenly Father, you trust us with your world. You trust us to be priests. You trust us to be the body of Christ, and we thank you, Heavenly Father, that there are no coincidences.  

There are no accidents. There is nothing too big for you to do Heavenly Father and we just thank you for this fellowship of faith. We thank you for our Kingdom family, our Kingdom, brothers and sisters, our Kingdom, aunts and uncles, our Kingdom, mothers and fathers, our Kingdom, cousins, our Kingdom, family. 

We just thank you, Heavenly Father, because you know that our Kingdom family exists to be the arms to wrap around one another, to be the ears to hear Heavenly Father, to be the words of encouragement, Heavenly Father. 

To grow us Heavenly Father as we learn to love you and love each other even more Heavenly Father, so we thank you, Lord, and I ask your blessings yes upon each and every person gathered here today, upon their families upon everyone in their circle who their lives touch Lord. 

I pray for a fresh feeling of your Holy Spirit in each and every heart that we will not shrink back from testifying of you, that we will be standing firm and found faithful Heavenly Father when people ask us. 

What is the reason for your hope in Jesus Christ? We will not hesitate to declare your wonderous works. Your healing power and to be eyewitnesses, Heavenly Father of your glory, witnesses to your faith, witnesses to your faithfulness Heavenly Father.  

So I thank you and I ask your blessings upon Mother Jones and her family. I ask youR blessings upon this Mary and her family, her children, her grandchildren, as your blessings upon mother Carrie and all she is doing Heavenly Father to care for her niece.  

And I pray you're covering upon our Heavenly Father in all her travels. I ask your blessings upon Dorothy. Thank you, Father God, for this woman of God. I pray that you will bless her and her family and her children.  

Thank you for Monica Heavenly Father, thank you for how you are raising up this woman of God to walk in the path that you have destined for her, Heavenly Father, thank you that everything that she needs is already on the way.  

Every solution that she is looking for is already being answered, only requiring for her to do is wait and be patient and not fear and doubt because it seems the answer is delayed. I thank you for our spiritual daughter, Nadia. 

Heavenly Father Lord, I just thank you for allowing us to see the day when we together would have a spiritual daughter who you brought into our lives and father, who we love, who we cherish and we ask your blessings upon her.  

Upon Annia upon Henry, upon Russell, upon everybody in her life, Heavenly Father that you have raise Nadia up for a time such as this. You have brought her through such darkness, Heavenly Father. 

Because you have a special calling on her life and in Jesus name she is walking it out. We thank you for Auntie Nina and Uncle Sarge. Heavenly Father, thank you for joining our lives to them.  

Thank you for how you have carried Sarge So far, Heavenly Father, thank you for his return back home and we just pray heavenly Father, that you will continue your healing power in him, that you will give him what he needs.  

The energy, the wisdom, the will Heavenly Father to do what he needs to do Heavenly Father so that his years his remaining years here Heavenly Father will be ones in which he is witnessed and a testimony to your goodness and your grace. And we thank you for blessing, Auntie Nina. 

Thank you for the strength and the love of this woman of God. Heavenly Father thank you that she's such a model of light and darkness Heavenly Father to all she comes in contact with thinking that you, you blessed this couple Heavenly Father, to walk together in peace and love and to be a model for all who see them, Heavenly Father.  

Lord, we thank you for Debbie. We thank you for all that you are doing in her life, how you are enabling and equipping her Father to care for these children Heavenly Father. 

We thank you that you are providing her with all the resources that she needs, all the help that she needs, all the discernment that she needs Heavenly Father, give her the wisdom.  

Help her to see anything that may be hidden. Help her to solve any issues that may be solved and may she never lack Heavenly Father. We ask for your peace and your grace to rule and reign inside and outside our house in Jesus name and to cover these children. Heavenly Father. 

Bless her brothers, bless her father, bless her uncles, bless all and her family Heavenly Father, who are in need of your healing touch and deliverance in Jesus name we pray. Lord, we thank you for Cynthia.  

We thank you for this woman of God. We thank you for how far you brought her. We thank you that you keep her going on even when it's so hard Heavenly Father, we thank you that despite the treachery that may come from within and without Heavenly Father. 

That you keep her standing, you keep her strong. You solve every issue and problem she may be having in her life. You have her covered Heavenly Father, her business will prosper Heavenly Father. 

She will be fine Heavenly Father, in Jesus name and her peace, her peace, her peace will be restored and she will have everything she needs, walking in you, abiding in you and dwelling with you and we thank you Heavenly Father for Pastor Zee.  

Oh, we thank you for this shepherd whom you have put over this block Heavenly Father, we pray for him and we pray for April. We pray for their unity. We pray for their children. We pray that you will guide him in this next phase in his life Heavenly Father. 

That he will bring to life the things in the seeds that you have placed in him have Heavenly Father, that he will not be distracted, that he will have discernment, understanding, clarity, strength, Heavenly Father. 

To follow through on what it is you are requiring him to do, not in his strength but in your strength, Father God, and we pray your blessings upon his children, his precious children, because we know if you strike this shepherd, this sheep will stray.  

But we declare in Jesus name that his children will not be lost. His children will be saved and covered and protected. That April and Zee will be one and united and working together Father God in the mission that you have called for them to do now, not tomorrow now. 

And we pray for Danielle, thanking you for this precious woman of God. Thank you for how far you have brought her Heavenly Father, praying for your blessings and your protection upon her and her children. 

Praying that her children will in Jesus name discover Jesus Christ for themselves as Savior and Lord, that they will not shrink back. That they will grow, that you will stay the hand of the enemy, that you will shut the mouths of the lion, that you will silence the voice of the enemy.  

That would spread lies in their ears about who they are and what they can and cannot do in Jesus name Danielle is a victor. She has the victory all ready in Jesus name and we thank you for Kathy Heavenly Father. 

We thank you for this generous woman of God who took in a child Heavenly Father to raise Heavenly Father. We thank you for blessing her and her family. We thank you for helping her to get things in order to get life balanced, to not be dissuade or to be influenced by the challenges, the struggles of raising a child Heavenly Father. 

We thank you heavenly Father, you've given her the energy that she needs for this precious responsibility. Bless her, bless her family, bless her home Heavenly Father, bless her child Heavenly Father in Jesus name. 

So I thank you, Jesus once again for blessing us with this Kingdom family. May we all continue to grow stronger together. I thank you for my husband. I thank you that together we can worship you and not have to hide from one another our love for you.  

Thank you, Jesus, thank you for hearing our prayers. Thank you that it is said it is done, we agree and we believe and we wait with patience and eagerness to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 

So thank you, Jesus, we love you. We give you all glory and honor in Jesus precious name, Amen.