Finding Strength and Renewal in Life's Challenges

**Est la vie**

Fitness classes are back in session at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ! Join the Health Awareness Ministry and instructor Pastor Barbara Moore for a fun and energetic workout. For dates and times, contact the church office.

The Kingdom Intergenerational Youth Ministry welcomes the return of Saturdays at the Family Life Center. We are excited to bring back this great time of fun and fellowship during the months of June and July. We will feature a life skills program teaching interviewing skills and resume writing. The FLC will be open from 12 PM to 5 PM for Mount Airy Kojic youth. For additional information, contact a youth ministry servant leader or contact the church office.

Women of Mount Airy, it's that time of year! Saturday, July 15th at 12 PM, we will hold our Attitude Luncheon. This year, we are going beyond the attitude as sophisticated ladies stepping higher. Tickets are $35 and may be purchased by texting "attitude" to 4144, scanning the QR code, or seeing a Committee Member after service.

Are you looking for a volunteer Ministry opportunity? If so, the Usher, Security, Music, and Media Ministries are looking for you to serve during worship services. If you are interested in joining any of these Ministries, please contact the church office. We look forward to serving in Ministry with you.

We will continue to stream live on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings via YouTube, Facebook Live, and Vimeo.com. Contributions may be made at the church website www.mountairicojic.com, via text by texting "mounta" to 41444, and during 7:30 AM and 10:45 AM services.

We thank you for your continued support of the Ministry and remember, there is no place like this place anywhere near this place, so this must be the place because the Lord is in this place.

We come this morning to bless the Lord. Why? Elder Davis said we come to bless the Lord because the Lord is good. The Lord is good. We have something to bless the Lord today. 57 years ago, the Lord blessed in the vision of our founder. 57 is an odd number, but it has significance. It represents a change, a breakthrough, and an opportunity. It is an angelic number when God commands the angels or the angel team. It represents a change in the house, a change that has brought us through.

With that breakthrough, we have the opportunity to move forward and forget those things that are behind us. It allows us to break ground from Jumper Town Avenue to Shop Next Street to 70, 7700, 7800, and now to this place. With this breakthrough, we have the opportunity for love, better jobs, new businesses, and to embrace each other. When we embrace each other, it means love, coming together, spreading the love, heart to heart, and pressing the breath. That is how we love.

We come this morning to call worship into this house, so that God can come and hear us and bless us. Hallelujah! We come this morning excited to bless the Lord. We have something to shout about, for 57 years have passed and many have started out and didn't even make five, but we've made ten times plus and the God of our Salvation is keeping us like the energizing bunny.

We welcome those that are viewing from our social media outlets to be a part of this service. We can participate from home and the Spirit of God will permeate and run right through the airways. Let us exalt His name together, no matter where we are. We can enter into transcendent international, be across the seas, or in another country, and if we just tap in, the Spirit of the Lord will give us a connection and the presence of the Lord.

As the choir sang this morning, we will bless the Lord at all times and His praises shall continually be in our mouths. Oh, the greatest, the greatest, the greatest of these is love. Praise the name of the Lord, we are called to worship by this, everyone shall know that you are my disciples if you have love one towards another. Saint John 13:35 and now faith, hope, and love, and the greatest, the greatest, the greatest of these is love. First Corinthians 13:13. The word of the Lord is blessed.

We have ascended to the Holies of Holies, Spirit of the Living God fall on us, fall on us, fall on us. Oh bless us, bless us today. Praise God, Hallelujah. Let's lift our voices, you'll find the hymn in your program. Lord God, merciful and my life, yes. Come on everybody, let's lift it up, holy, holy, holy, holy. Lift your voice, Hallelujah, thank you, praise His name, for God is Holy.

Our Father God, The Giver of all great and perfect gifts, we thank you for just giving us another day to praise you. We thank you for the vision that you placed upon Bishop Morris and Bishop Felton, and for the right hand of Mother Morris that has strengthened and carried them. We look to you for all understanding, healing, and blessings, knowing that within you all things are possible.

We lift our hands and say hallelujah, for you are worthy and magnificent. On this day, we ask that you would anoint us afresh, touch each and every heart and mind, and open up our minds and hearts to receive your word. We bless you and say thank you for getting us up this morning and allowing us to take a step and say hallelujah. Praise your Holy Name.

We affirm our faith in the Bible written word of God. We affirm our faith in God. We affirm our faith in the Blessed hope. We believe. We affirm our faith in Repentance and salvation, repentance absolutely essential for personal salvation. We affirm our faith in Jesus Christ. We affirm our faith in the Holy Ghost and we affirm our faith in sanctification altogether.

Good morning Mama, every Church of God in Christ family and friends. We're standing for the affirmation of faith. First, I want to say happy 57th Church anniversary to all. So let us affirm today this afternoon with pride, with purpose and with the Oneness and the spirit of God. Amen, amen, amen.

We want to get the announcements in and out of the way. Praise the Lord. We are just so happy today just to be in the presence of the Lord because the Lord is here. Praise the name of the Lord Jesus and we're just happy today. We're happy today. I don't know about you, are you happy today? Praise the name of the Lord Jesus. Oh, we're excited today about what God is getting ready to do as we come to the close of this celebration. Praise the name of the Lord.

The Mount Airy Church of God in Christ presents in concert the gospel music presentation Preservation Alliance choir on Sunday, July 9th at 3 P.M. It's a free will offering here at the church. Praise the name of the Lord. Ladies, ladies, ladies beyond the attitude luncheon sophisticated ladies stepping higher on Saturday, July 15, 2023, from 12 P.M to 3 o'clock P.M here at the church. The attitudes stepping higher into the Lord and tickets are still available. I have $35, you can get your tickets out at the kiosk and we're just happy that you will be able to endeavor. I understand that they're giving away free hacks so let us support our ministry, let us support this endeavor.

The international Sunday will be held July 23, 2023. This year's guest speaker will be Dr. Myron V. Johnson, the founder and principal of Pinnacle Enrichment Healthcare Services LLC located in Clinton, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Also, Pastor Solomon Deeds will be from Wilborn Temple First Church of God in Christ all the way from Albany, New York. Come and celebrate this International Sunday. I do not believe that it gives, I believe is it here. Praise the name of the Lord. There's no location but we're going to pray that the spirit of God will be in the midst.

Again, you are worthy of these and all the many blessings we ask in Jesus' precious and holy name. Amen. We want to celebrate and praise the Lord! Get ready, get ready, get ready! Kingdom Vacation Bible School is starting July 23rd, 26th, and 30th. Come spend a vacation with a powerful word from the Lord! We're calling all children, adults, from the north, south, east, and west. Come one and all and get ready to join the Kingdom Vacation Bible School here at the Mount Airy Church of God in Christ. Praise the name of the Lord! There is no place like this place, so this must be the place because the spirit of the Lord is in this place. Come on, put your hands together if God is in this place. Hallelujah, praise the Lord!

We want to shift because we have a transition notice. It is with great sorrow the family wishes to share the transition of servant leader Lou sent Luke Lucena Renee Cameron, 68 years old, who transitioned on June 12th. She is the sister of Leon Cameron. The homegoing service will be here at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ on this coming Wednesday, July 5th, 2023. The viewing is from 9 to 11 and the celebration of life is at 11 A.M. We want to continue to pray for those that are still walking through the valley of the shadow of death and those that are beginning their journey and we know that we can pray if we cannot be. We can just pray and just call out the Cameron family because the prayers of the righteous avail much. You don't know how far that your prayer would go.

Just as I said this morning, if you're at home you can just touch that vision, you can just touch that computer if you're watching on your phone as you're holding it in your hand you can just ask God just to send help, send prayers unto Zion and God will honor your prayers because we are getting ready to hear a word from the Lord and we need the prayers of the righteous because we're waiting in great anticipation for this 57th year anniversary climactic service coming from the one and only the angel of this house or the preacher of this house, the preacher of the hour, the prince of preaching, none other than our pastor Dr. Judge Lewis Felton. Praise the name of the Lord!

The choir is going to come and sing us happy and as they finish we want you to rest upon your feet and receive the man of God with a great clap, with a great amen that we can receive the encouragement, the word that God has ordained for this house on this morning to lead through New Opportunities starting today. Praise the name of the Lord! Come on put your hands together as the choir comes and sings unto the Lord. Hallelujah!

Just before the choir comes, we want to just thank God for a number of very precious gifts that God has invested among us. You may be seated. Brother Nathaniel Peter is here today and he is now 101 years old so I didn't have to tell him to stand, he's already standing. Wave your hand, Brother Peter. Amen. That's Brother Nathaniel. Amen. And it's been a while since he was blessed to come.

A few days ago in our Men Perfecting Men's Conference in the great city of Jackson, Mississippi, the Lord moved upon our National Men's Ministry to select three deacons of Mount Airy Church of God in Christ for special recognition. It so happens that in as much as the Men's Conference was reborn right here at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ in the year of 2017, that the leader of the Deacon's Ministry of our National Church is from Mount Airy. Amen. He is also the president of the Brotherhood, now who used to be the main Fellowship, but we are now the Brotherhood, the Kingdom Brotherhood Ministry of the Mount Airy Church of God in Christ. Dr. Walter Kimball Jr. is going to come and recognize these deacons.

God bless. Thank you. Thank you, Bishop. My voice is really bad. There are about 6.5 million members of the Church of God in Christ, 6.5 million and we've been honored to celebrate about 150 deacons over the past three years. Many of the deacons, a few of the deacons have been from Mount Airy, so we were privileged this year that three of our very own hard-working deacons, some of the greatest deacons anywhere I can tell you that because I talked to a lot of deacons across the country, we have the greatest.

Bishop Morris, Bishop Felton, we want to honor three deacons. The first Deacon is Deacon Kevin Brown. Deacon Kevin Brown, can you come forward? Deacon Kevin Brown is always at the church. There's a certificate that comes from our presiding Bishop, Bishop Jay Drew Sheard, and also our directors of the Men's Ministry. He also gets a medallion placed on his neck. Please stay up, Kevin.

Now the second Deacon is a brother that he often teams you see him walking around with a camera. He doesn't want any recognition at all. He was he kicked and screamed but this has been a hard-working Deacon over the years always uplifting. He's just a great brother. Let's celebrate our very own Deacon Fred Moore. Yes sir, yes sir. I want you to look at this picture. He knows how to take his own picture too. Let's give it up to him.

Our third Deacon is a deacon that he's not with us anymore but he was a beloved worker of this church for 70, how many years he was 95 years old. Many of you used to do the tracks, he was responsible for a lot of tracks in the back of the church and we did get this nomination just before he passed but you know what we honored to still have his wife here, Mother Norma Shepherd, can you come and receive this award on the behalf of our beloved Shepherd?

Now Mother Shepherd, when I called a few days ago to tell her that her husband was going to be honored, she said, "And I don't know when he's going to be able to come back so I'm going to send special delivery your birthday card down now to you now if you could make it that far I'm not going to push it because 101 has a whole different rhythm." But what better occasion to celebrate our 57th anniversary than a man who's 101 years old. We're going somewhere. Thank God for Brother Peter. Amen.

Just a few days ago in Baltimore, Maryland, we were honored to celebrate Bishop Morris for a lifetime of achievement in the Church of God in Christ. Bishop Morris has been our regional Bishop of the east coast, from Virginia to New York. As time goes on, changes are made and Bishop Morris has moved on to the Executive Board of the Board of Bishops. We thank God for our wonderful Deacons and our founder, the Lord has favored Bishop Morris in this season of his life.

Our Mother's Board is growing and we thank God for the President of our Mother's Board, Mother Ursula Hendricks. We used to have two rows but now we're working on that third row. I believe the Lord is going to give you grace to fill out the third row, Mother Hendricks. We thank God for Godly women who have stood the test of time and are examples for generations to come.

Now, we are going to honor the Lord with our Kingdom stewardship and our faithfulness to Him with the first fruits of our increase. After our 57th Church anniversary homily, we will come back for the 500 strong 500 members of Mount Airy. We are committing 100 on tomorrow morning to begin ripping out the parking lot and repaving it, re-striping it. It's been a long time coming, but we know you're tired of hitting potholes on the parking lot. We thank God for His provision and His abundance.

Let's give the Lord a hand for our wonderful Kingdom music ministry as they come to bless our hearts in Jesus' name. Amen. Great is your mercy and we thank you for the privilege of being able to come into your house and worship you.

We thank God for the privilege of being able to come into His house and worship Him. We are delighted to have with us Brother Christopher Frazier, the nephew of Deacon Kevin Brown, and the chauffeur for our beloved Police Commissioner, Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. We are also pleased to have with us Brother Frank Eugene Smith Senior, who is at home at Mount Airy. We want him to know that we love him at Mount Airy. We give him a hand and make him feel like he's at home. We also acknowledge the presence of Brother Frank Smith Jr., the husband of our secretary of the official board servant leader Sandy Bird Smith.

We know that our labor is not in vain and that when we plant a seed in faith, God will give us a harvest. As our deacons come to receive, it is a spiritual affirmation, not a carnal practice. We thank God for the favor He has bestowed upon us, for He had us in mind before the foundation of the world. We are here by His Divine Providence and because of it, we have every right to be steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord.

Let us pray. Father, we thank You for the favor You have bestowed upon us. We are here by Your Divine Providence and because of it, we have every right to be steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. Smile upon us this day as we give You the first fruits of our increase, even our best, because You have given Your best to us and for us in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let us remain standing as the ushers assist us with a smile. We thank God for the privilege of being able to come into His house and worship Him. Hallelujah! Amen.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."

We thank God for His grace and mercy. We thank Him for the money He has given us and we give a small portion of it back to Him in tithe. We ask that He continue to have His way in this service in Jesus' name. Amen.

We are celebrating Independence Day in Philadelphia with the Wawa celebration and we want God to bless us with Amazing Grace. We are amazed at the sound of His grace and how it changes lives. We are reminded that even when we are behind on our bills, we can still give God praise. We can catch up on our praise and give Him all the glory.

We give God a hand of praise and thank those who work diligently behind the scenes for our live stream and PA system. We look to Acts 1:6-8 and Acts 2:1-4 for guidance. On the day of Pentecost, they were all with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting. There appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

At midnight on last Friday evening, we unceremoniously passed from the first half into the second half of 2023 without so much as a time out, without a half time, without even a pause in the momentum. We began this year in this Sanctuary on December the 31st praying and seeking God and at midnight God brought us into this year of 2023. We began here in the wee hours of the morning believing God that He would be with us every second of every minute, every minute of every hour, every hour of every day and God has kept His promise never to leave us or forsake us.

The first half has presented challenges. We celebrated a new year, the Martin Luther King holiday, the leadership conference of the Church of God in Christ, the 90th birthday celebration of our founder Bishop Ernest Morris. We went into March and Ash Wednesday and 40 days of consecration in the Lenten season in preparation for Holy Week, The Passion of Our Lord, Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday when we marched out of this Sanctuary into the streets and lanes of this city to let them know that God's church is alive and well.

The Lord smiled upon us in the month of April and blessed us to go to the land of Israel for a 10-day pilgrimage for 30 of us who were baptized in the Jordan River, went to Cana of Galilee where Jesus turned water into grape juice. In the month of May, we converged downtown at the Pennsylvania Convention Center as people by the thousands came from the tri-state area to celebrate the birth of the church, the day of Pentecost. Suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting and cloven tongues like as of fire sat upon them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Let us reason together for a few moments from this subject, a second wind for the second half. Will you say that with me, a second wind for the second half? Let's give God praise for the second half, we gonna do greater things. We are on a kingdom rhythm and because we are on a kingdom rhythm then we recognize that God has us under His protection and that is why we don't have to hurry, we don't have to worry because the favor of God is upon us.

We became aware of the fact that things are not going to change in Philadelphia until we, the people of faith, change. When we come together, black and white, high and low, Pentecostal, Episcopalians, Baptist, Methodists, when we learn how to count to one, then God will shake up principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places, the rulers of the darkness of this world. God will defeat powers in the supernatural that we may live victoriously on this earth.

God is able, does anybody know God is able? We are in the seventh month of the year and on Friday the Supreme Court issued decisions that were designed to turn back the hands of affirmative action, dismantling the programs that have been fought for for decades to give our students the right to be received into institutions of higher learning.

The problem that I have with that is how can you expect us to be equal on a level playing field when we have to shut down schools because of asbestos in them in Philadelphia? How do you expect us to be on a level playing field when $70 million has been committed to a curriculum by the superintendent while not one word has been said about how many new schools we are building for our children? The message that our children receive in our inner-city communities as they walk by abandoned buildings is one that you are not even worth us investing in your future.

Our children are negatively impacted every day by gang violence and drugs, by violence in the streets while people in power leave from their air-conditioned downtown offices and go back to their place of comfort and safety.

No, we are not on a level playing field. You can't be behind for 403 years and all of a sudden with the Supreme Court decision you own the same level. You still owe us representation, you owe my great-great grandmother, you owe my great-great granddaddy. You never paid us for free labor in building this country and that is why you are banning books about Emmett Till and rolls of parts. You are banning books about our history because you are rightly ashamed and embarrassed because you are wicked and unguarded.

Don't you dare think you're gonna get away like other folks. The Bible says the wicked shall be turned into hell and all nations that forget God. What you saw in Russia wasn't even going to drop in the bucket as the mercenaries of Wagner said we'll march on Moscow and came within 120 miles and the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, had to get on TV and admit that there is a war and a rebellion. The same one who said there never was a war with Ukraine.

Whenever you have friends in high places in America office and will do anything to try to get back into office, we need to be on our knees praying. God help America, God save America because our country is in trouble. I know that we are only 48 hours away from the day of independence of this nation, but we need more than firecrackers. We need a relationship with God, we need repentance, we need restoration and renewal because only God can help us now. Biden's a good president, but we need more than Biden, we need more than a divided Congress, we need a God to help us.

Somebody help me say, "Help us Lord, we're in trouble." The first half has been challenging, now without a half time, without a time out, we are being commanded to march forward into faith as we go into the month of July and the next of this year. We are committed to giving God everything we've got.

Look at us on the first Sunday in July, declaring thanks to God not just for our 57th Church anniversary, but for our recommitment to Him. As much as the harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few, the members are not few, but the laborers are few. There's a difference between being a member and a laborer, because a member can go home after the benediction, but a laborer has got to stay here and clean up what you messed up while you were in here.

A laborer has got to turn the air conditioning units down, a laborer has got to sweep up the floors, revisit the restrooms, a laborer has got to prepare for the next service, a laborer has got to reach out to those persons who should be here today but are not here and didn't say anything about their whereabouts.

A laborer needs to reach out for those who are lost, who are falling between the cracks in the system, who are discouraged, who are brokenhearted. Why don't you help me with this? Touch somebody and tell them, "I'm not just a member, I'm a laborer. I want to hear Him say, 'Well done.' I'm not looking for Him to give me a certificate of attendance, I want Him to say, 'You did something for the kingdom.'"

When I was hungry, you fed me. When I was in prison, you came to see me. When I was naked, you clothed me. When I was outdoors, you took me in. When I was weak, you made me strong. You ought to do something for the kingdom. Are you a laborer? Come on, help me give God some praise. If you're not just a member, but a laborer, run. A laborer will labor even with tears in your eyes.

I need to talk to you this morning because you ain't been hurt till you've been hurt up in the church. You haven't been wounded till you've been wounded in the church. You ain't never cried till you cried with heartbreak in the church. But I'd rather have heartbreak in the church than to be lost in an ungodly world. If I'm gonna hurt, let me hurt where Jesus would touch me. If I'm gonna have a broken heart, let me be in the church where there's a heart fixer and a mind regulator, a burden bearer, a devil driver, a sin forgiver, a Holy Ghost filler.

If I'm going to be talked about, let it be talked about in the church, somebody can see, "Child, I'm praying for you. I've got you. God is with you. Don't get discouraged. You're on the verge of a breakthrough." Sometimes life can be rough and whenever the devil gets in your face and acts a fool, don't you know you're getting ready to live better, eat better, and dress better? God will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies and come on give your enemies a hand. I wouldn't be doing as well as I am now if it wasn't for them.

Yes, we're in the second half which means that your game plan has to change. You cannot run the same play in the second half that you did in the first half because your enemy studies you. He doesn't just watch you, he studies you. If you don't believe it, every now and then you ought to just look to your side and you'll find folks looking right upside your head. They done looked at you from your toes all the way up. They don't even look in your kitchen to see if you got any naps back there. Your enemy studies you, but you don't have to worry about that because God's got your back and that's why He told you to put on the breastplate of righteousness that covers your vital organs, your chest, your front.

Say put on the helmet of salvation that covers your mind. Let your feet be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Let your loins be girded about with truth because you got to have the truth unto you before you can march forward into battle. Stand, you don't just have a weapon but you are a weapon. And sometimes when you can't even say a prayer, just your presence is a prayer.

God's anointing has been on you for years. Somebody prayed for you when you were a baby, somebody anointed you as a child, some mother said God is for you as a teenager and even when you strayed away, the Lord brought you back home. Look at God restoring your life, look at God planting your feet on a solid foundation, look at God giving you strength in the industry of weakness for in the first half.

Sometimes you get discouraged, sometimes you get exhausted and sometimes you're behind in the game. I know we came in behind. That's why a few minutes ago we said catch up on your praise. God has been working behind the scenes, God's been canceling demons' assignments, God's been working in the supernatural so that the enemy didn't take you out of here because the devil wanted you dead.

A thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. But even during the nights, God doubled the angels around my bedside so that I could wake up with my mind still on Jesus. I know we came behind, we're behind. Look at somebody and tell them we're behind, but we're getting ready to catch up. We're behind because there are potholes in the parking lot, there are leaks in the walls, we're behind because there are cracks in the windows.

We're behind because on Christmas morning around 10 after five one reducing eye inventory here. We are seven months later and we're not in touch. I say we're behind, but look at here I go. I know I'm behind, but I'm coming back swinging. God has touched me, given me strength, and encouraged me. He has put a smile on my face.

I've been in my secret closet because when you're behind, there are some things you can't say in public, and some prayers you can't pray in public. You have some unspoken requests. So I shut the door, turn off the cell phone, get down on my knees, and tell the Lord, "Father, I stretch my hands to you, for there is no other help."

I know you will raise us up together and make us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I know you are able to rebuke me. So come on and lift your hands and say, "Lord, pour out your blessings on me. Give me Lord, and let some drops fall on me. Let some power follow me, let some joy follow me, let your spirit fall on me."

I heard Jesus say, "You go, don't leave. Stay there." I may not do it on the first day, or the second day. There is an election, some nominations, some politicking, and you are trying to fill a seat that you can't fill. I know Judas betrayed me, but you can't fill his seat. Some things elections can't do, but some things voting can do.

Look at God saying, "I know you want Matthias, but I don't want him. In fact, the man I want to fill Judas' seat hasn't even been saved yet. He's a judaizer, he's a persecutor, but I have a warrant for his arrest. He doesn't even know it yet, but I have a warrant for his arrest. I'm not going to arrest him in church, I'm not going to arrest him at the altar. I'm going to meet him in the middle of the road while he's on his way to Damascus to tear up my church. I'm going to arrest him. I'm going to turn my lights on in China. Lights on, Saul saw lights, part of them the sun. I fell down on my knees, I heard a voice calling me.

Oh, so why execute is not me? I had never heard that voice before, I had never heard my name like that before. I said, "Who are you Lord?" and He introduced Himself to me. He said, "I am Jesus, I am the Alpha, I'm the Omega, I'm the first, I'm the last, I'm the beginning, I'm the end. I'm the God of your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I'm the God of your mothers Soraya, Sara, Leo, Rapesa, Rebecca. I've had my eyes only on you before the foundation of the world. You are under arrest. You have a kingdom of rest. You can't fight no more. It's hard for you to kick against the pricks. I know you have letters, but I'm above the authority of the high priest. I'm arresting you now. Go on to Damascus. There's a praying man down there named Ananias. He's going to pray for you until shackles fall from your eyes. He's going to pray for you until spiritual blindness is cast out of your spirit. You're going to preach for me, you're going to testify for me."

I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation. Lift your hand and say, "Yes Lord!" I want you to know if you are trying to get away from your mission or trying to run from your ministry, I'm declaring you are under arrest. You can't leave here until you get right with God. Come to the cross where Jesus died and get your mind right, get your spirit right, get your attitudes right and get right with God.

Say yes, yes you are under arrest. Stick up your hands, you are under arrest. Tell Him Lord, I'm willing to obey Your voice, I'm willing to follow Your lead, I'm willing to do Your will. Give praise, Hallelujah! Somebody help me praise Him today. Hallelujah, I thank God He arrested me because judgment must begin at the house of God. If you get arrested, it's better to get arrested here than in the jail house, better to get arrested here than at the courthouse.

I was arrested in church, if they pull me over I'm all right now, I'm just free, I'm weed free, I'm toxin free. I've been lost in blood, my spirit is healed, my mind is healed, my body is healed, my past or my future is healed, my family is healed, my finances are healed. Come on and claim healing for your family, for your children, your grandchildren. I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging bread.

Say yes, say yes. And when God brings you under Kingdom Authority, you must be born again, born of the Spirit, born of the water, born till you get a new name, born till you get a new nature, born till you sing a new song, born till you walk in a new way, born till you have a new destiny. One thing I know, so you've been born again, thank you. Come on and tell Him thank you.

And when you receive in the Kingdom the Holy Ghost, I said the Holy Ghost will live in you, the Holy Ghost will make His abode in your mind, the Holy Ghost will quicken your mortal body, the Holy Ghost will lead you by e into all truth, the Holy Ghost will empower you, enable you and you the Holy Ghost will give you a second wind.

I'm ready for the second half, I'm ready to press on, I'm ready to climb the mountain, I'm ready to win souls. I got a second wind, second half of fresh anointing, fresh oil, fresh fire and say yes, say yes. Come on and help me praise somebody, come on and help me praise the second wind of the second half, second wind for the second half. I'm ready, come on get you some elbow room, tell somebody give me a little room here. I'm ready to mount up as an eagle since I got a second wind, run and not be weary, it's why we walk and not faint.

How you get it? They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, you will mount up with wings. I feel it, I feel it, I feel it, I feel it. Hallelujah! Just look around, look at how God is adding, look at how God is saving, look at how God is blessing.

We are excited to announce that fitness classes are back in session at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ! Join the Health Awareness Ministry and instructor Pastor Barbara Moore for a fun and energetic workout. For dates and times, contact the church office.

The Kingdom Intergenerational Youth Ministry also welcomes the return of Saturdays at the Family Life Center. During the months of June and July, we will feature a life skills program teaching interviewing skills and resume writing. The FLC will be open from 12 PM to 5 PM for Mount Airy COGIC youth. For additional information, contact a youth ministry servant leader or contact the church.

We have been out of breath long enough, frustrated long enough. God has given us a second wind and we are going to win in the second half. We came up in here behind, but since God has given us a second wind, we are going to make up for lost time. God's word says to redeem the time for the days are evil. God answered the prayer of Jabez who said, "I'm claiming the territory of my enemies, so enlarge my coast. Let me spread my wings."

God is busier than the devil and we bless Him today as we move forward together, one heart, one mind, one spirit, one love. If you have received the word of God into your heart, you can flow in the power of the Spirit so that you won't be in a strain anymore. As rivers of living water, the power will flow from within you.

God can do exceeding abundantly for us above our wildest dreams and imaginations. He can give us a second wind, even if we are a seasoned saint or senior citizen. Look at our mothers today, three rows because God has given them a second wind. Look at Bishop Morris, 90 years old, God has given him a second wind. Come on and put some praise on it, thank God!

The Office of Women of Mount Airy would like to remind everyone that it is that time of year again! On Saturday, July 15th at 12 PM, we will be holding our annual Attitude Luncheon. This year, we are going beyond the attitude and stepping higher as sophisticated ladies. Tickets are $35 and may be purchased by texting "attitude" to 4144, scanning the QR code, or seeing a Committee Member after service.

Are you looking for a volunteer Ministry opportunity? If so, the Usher, Security, Music, and Media Ministries are looking for you to serve during worship services. If you are interested in joining any of these Ministries, please contact the church office.

We look forward to serving in Ministry with you. We will continue to stream live on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings via YouTube, Facebook Live, and Vimeo.com. Contributions may be made at the church website www.mountairicojic.com, via text by texting "mounta" to 41444, and during 7:30 AM and 10:45 AM services.

We thank you for your continued support of the ministry and remember, there is no place like this place anywhere near this place, so this must be the place because the Lord is in this place. Thank you!