Have you been using your Bible incorrectly this whole time?

In a recent TikTok video, Kelly Kopp pointed out that Scripture is embedded with hidden features that can provide us with what we need to grow in spiritual maturity and relationship to Christ.

According to Kopp, the Bible holds more than just stories and commandments—it holds tools designed by God to help us examine ourselves and grow. One of the most powerful of these tools can be found in 1 Corinthians 13, often referred to as the “love chapter.”

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

“You see, God put a device in the Bible to help you check your levels,” Kopp explains. “He gave you a tool you can use anytime to find out where exactly you are in this walk with God.”

The passage in question describes what true love looks like: “Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous or boastful or proud… Love keeps no record of wrong… Love never fails.” But this isn’t just a poetic description of ideal behavior—it’s a portrait of God Himself. As Kopp reminds us, “God is love, so this is painting a picture of what God looks like.”

Here’s the challenge Kopp offers: if you really want to know how closely you’re walking with God, take those verses and replace the word “love” with your own name.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up to date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

“All you gotta do if you want to check your levels is go to First Corinthians 13, start in verse 4, and every time you see the word love, take it out and put your name in instead and see if it still makes sense.”

Kopp gives an example using his own name: “Kelly is patient. Kelly is kind. Kelly does not demand his own way. Kelly keeps no record of being wronged…” This exercise, though simple, can be profoundly convicting. “Ouch,” Kopp admits, recognizing how easy it is to fall short.

But the goal isn’t condemnation—it’s growth. “If you use this verse to check your levels and you realize you’re not where you need to be, don’t beat yourself up. God’s not mad at you. And all you need to do to become more like Him is spend more time with Him.”

This spiritual heart check is more than a clever Bible trick—it’s a pathway to transformation. By examining our own hearts in the light of God’s perfect love, we’re invited into deeper intimacy with Him.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

Kopp closes the message with this encouragement: “Press into the Father today. Get in His word and find out how good He really is. He doesn’t have love—He is love. And He wants to pour it out on you.”

When it comes to spiritual growth, self-reflection is essential—and God has already given us the perfect tool for it. By using Scripture not just to read about love but to measure how much of it lives in us, we open the door to transformation. The goal isn’t perfection but progress. If we fall short, it’s not a sign of failure—it’s a call to draw closer to the One who is love. Let this be your invitation to lean in, press forward and let God’s presence shape you from the inside out.

Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

In an age where convenience is king and comfort is prized above truth, the church is not immune to the influence of compromise. A sobering warning is being echoed once again: false prophets and false teachers are not rare—they’re more common than many believers realize.

In a recent livestream, Isaiah Saldivar sounded the alarm on false teachers and prophets circulating in churches today, and how believers can identify who is true and who is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“False teachers and false prophets—they’re both the same,”Saldivar begins. “A lot of people think that false teachers or false prophets are rare. But I’m going to show you that in Scripture, they’re much more common than you would think.”

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

This warning is not new. Jesus Himself cautioned in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” These individuals may look like true followers of Christ on the outside, but their message is dangerous and deceptive. The hallmark of their preaching? Smoothness, comfort, and zero confrontation.

“If your pastor never convicts you, always something nice, always something smooth, then ladies and gentlemen, your pastor’s a false teacher,” Saldivar says boldly. “There needs to be a conviction in our hearts when we’re living in sin and we’re hearing this easy gospel.”

Many modern messages allow for a lifestyle of sin with no accountability. Saldivar identifies this as the “easy gospel.” He warns against the rising number of voices preaching that it’s fine to “drink, cuss, smoke, sleep around. Do whatever you want.” He adds, “It’s a lie, guys. It’s a lie. It’s a false teaching and a false gospel. It’s smooth. It’s watered down.”

Scripture foretells this trend in 2 Timothy 4:3–4, where Paul writes that a time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine but will turn to teachers who say what they want to hear. That time, it seems, is now.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up to date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

Saldivar emphasizes, “Jesus says ‘beware.’ Paul says ‘watch out.’ Peter says ‘they’re coming.’ Jude says ‘they’ve crept in.’ Paul says ‘many will follow their destructive ways.’ Peter says ‘many.’ Jesus says ‘many.’ It is everywhere.”

This isn’t merely a theological concern—it’s a matter of eternal consequence. The broad, easy road doesn’t lead to life. It leads to destruction. “There’s a cost associated with this,” Saldivar reminds us. The true gospel demands repentance, holiness, and a willingness to walk the narrow road, even when it’s difficult.

But how can believers protect themselves from falling prey to false teaching? The answer is clear: discernment, Scripture and the Holy Spirit. As 1 John 4:1 instructs, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

In this critical hour, the church must return to truth—not popularity. “A false teacher, a false prophet—they’re very common. They’re very appealing. And they’re very dangerous,” Saldivar concludes.

Let the church wake up. Let truth convict. And let every believer test what they hear, because eternity hangs in the balance.

Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

For many believers, Pentecost brings to mind the dramatic scene in Acts 2—the rushing wind, tongues of fire, and the disciples filled with the Holy Spirit. But as Rabbi Schneider reveals in his powerful teaching, the roots of this day run far deeper—and its true meaning is even more intimate.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

“Virtually all of us are familiar with the term Pentecost,” Schneider says, “but how many of us are familiar with the title of that holy day from the Hebrew Bible, which is Shavuot?” Known in the Old Testament as the Feast of Weeks, Shavuot originally celebrated the wheat harvest and the offering of first fruits to the Lord. “Israel every year… would present the first fruit of that harvest to the Lord. And in doing so, they were acknowledging that it was God that was blessing them.”

But this feast carries another, more profound layer. According to Jewish tradition, it was also on Shavuot that God revealed Himself at Mount Sinai, thundering His voice to an entire nation. “Approximately three million Jews who were alive at the time heard His voice and saw His glory,” Schneider shares. This moment marked a covenant encounter between God and His people.

Fast forward 1,500 years, and the disciples were once again gathered—celebrating Shavuot. They weren’t anticipating the extraordinary. “They had been doing the same thing every year… already celebrating by the time we get to Acts 2, for 1,500 years.” But something changed that day. “The Lord didn’t speak to His people as He did on Mount Sinai… from a faraway place… But in Acts 2, the Lord went beyond speaking from the heavens to come inside and inhabit the human soul.”

This shift—from God speaking externally to dwelling internally—is the heartbeat of Pentecost’s power. “If you love Jesus, He lives in you. This is the mystery of the gospel. Christ in you, the hope of glory,” Schneider declares.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up to date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

Rather than chasing signs or external manifestations, Rabbi Schneider urges believers to recognize the Spirit within. “He’s closer to you than your next heartbeat. He’s closer to you than your own breath.” The real challenge, he says, is to stop searching “out there” and to realize that “God is not so far away… He’s in your heart.”

To access this reality, Schneider emphasizes the need for spiritual discipline. “We relate to the world through our senses… But we need to stop looking outside, and we need to… turn our focus inside where Christ is.” He encourages taking time each day to sit before the Lord, even if just for 15 minutes. “Don’t even talk to your spouse first. Don’t talk to your kids first. Give the Lord the first 15 minutes of your morning.”

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

Ultimately, Pentecost isn’t just a historical event or a spectacular outpouring. It’s an invitation to live from the inside out—led by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

There is no question about it: Each and every one of us is going to die. However, how many of us are actually prepared for this moment?

In a passionate and urgent message, Richard Lorenzo Jr. is sounding the alarm to those still undecided about their faith in Jesus Christ. Speaking from a place of love and deep conviction, he warns listeners that life is not guaranteed—and for some, this may be their final opportunity to respond to the gospel.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

“For some of you…this might be your last warning,” he declares. “You don’t know if today, tomorrow, in a few hours or minutes is even promised.”

The message is not one of fear, but of sincere love and urgency. “God is so good. His mercy is so good. His grace is so good. He wishes that none would perish, but that all would come to repentance and truly put their faith in the gospel.”

To order Richard Lorenzo Jr.’s new book, What’s the Purpose of Life?, visit Amazon.com.

Referencing Romans 10:9, Lorenzo reminds viewers that salvation requires more than head knowledge, it requires heart surrender. “This walk in Christ is not just about believing that Jesus is God. The demons believe that, and they tremble. It’s full-on submission and surrender. Doesn’t mean you’re going to be perfect… but it’s the heart.”

He laments the deception found in lukewarm religion, where many claim to follow Christ without fully submitting to His Lordship. “They think they believe in Jesus, but they’re believing in a Jesus that’s not the Jesus of the gospel. It’s a Jesus that caters to the lukewarm, compromised church.”

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up to date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

Lorenzo speaks from personal experience, recalling the night he encountered the tangible presence of God in his apartment. “Dec. 1, 2019… when He came into my room, His presence, a light—Jesus, God—when He entered my room and filled me and delivered me, I experienced Him. I got up and I hated the things I used to love.”

Lorenzo doesn’t sugarcoat the journey of walking with Christ, admitting that there are battles and seasons of testing. “There were times where I fell, where I cried out to God not knowing what to do. But even when you don’t feel like it, you need to open up your mouth and praise the King.”

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

Ultimately, he confronts the reality of eternity. “We’re all going to an eternal realm. The question is, where are you going? Are you going to heaven with Jesus, or are you going to hell—the lake of fire? Heaven and hell are real places. This is not a joke.”

This may be the final call for many, a last warning to examine your heart, your faith and your walk with God. The time for compromise is over. Heaven and hell are real, and eternity hangs in the balance. Now is the moment to turn fully to Jesus, not just in word, but in total surrender.

Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

Could there be a divine connection between wisdom, prophecy and true freedom?

In a recent interview with Jennifer Bagnaschi, John Eckhardt challenged believers to seek after the Spirit of wisdom, a divine force that goes far beyond human intellect.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

“You cannot be an immoral person and operate in God’s wisdom,” Eckhardt warned. “Wisdom hates sin. Wisdom hates immorality. When you love sin and wickedness, you will not like wisdom.” He added, “Wisdom is really a condition of the heart. When wisdom comes into your heart, it will affect the way you live, your decisions, your relationships.”

To order John Eckhardt’s book, Prayers That Rout Demons, visit Amazon.com.

For new believers wondering how to obtain wisdom, Eckhardt explained that it comes from multiple sources: “You get wisdom from the Word of God. The Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Wisdom. You get wisdom through correction, through humility, through prayer.”

He emphasized the importance of wise counsel: “Sometimes you need wisdom to untie the knots. Sometimes you need a word of wisdom, a word from a prophet, a word from a leader to tell you what the problem is.”

Eckhardt described how “naughty problems” can feel like tangled strings with no clear solution, and that God-given wisdom is the key to breakthrough. “Wisdom has the ability to untie knots, to give you solutions to problems that seem unsolvable.”

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up to date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

Wisdom also affects emotional discipline and self-control. “The Bible says, a man that has no control over his own spirit is like a city broken down without walls. When your emotions are out of control, you can’t make good decisions.”

To order Jennifer Bagnaschi’s new book, The Devil’s Greatest Fear, visit Amazon.com.

Fasting and prayer are powerful tools for receiving clarity. “When you fast and pray, you say, God, give me wisdom. What is the problem here? What am I missing? What is it that I don’t see?”

Eckhardt also spoke strongly in defense of the prophetic ministry: “When you preach against the supernatural, you are helping Satan keep people in bondage. You’re making people religious, but you’re not giving them power.” He added, “There are still apostles and prophets in the church today.”

He explained that the enemy resists the supernatural because it breaks people free. “The reason why the enemy fights the supernatural—he doesn’t want the supernatural power of God in the church—is because the supernatural brings breakthrough.”

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

In a time when the prophetic is often pursued without grounding, John Eckhardt reminds us that true spiritual authority flows from the connection between wisdom and revelation.

As the church seeks deeper prophetic insight, it must also return to the foundation of godly wisdom that protects, purifies and empowers the voice of God to be released with clarity and impact.

Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

What would you do if you found your child unresponsive?

When Courtney Smallbone laid her infant son down for a nap, she never imagined the day would end with a miracle that would mark her life, and her son’s, forever.

“He’s my third boy,” she said on the Heaven Meets Earth podcast. “When he was 8 weeks old, I had put him down for a nap… finally got all three down, which was like a miracle in and of itself.”

It was a quiet afternoon, and she stepped outside with a cup of coffee and a book in hand.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

But what was supposed to be a moment of rest quickly turned into the unthinkable.

“I was reading this book, and it’s like my vision kept blurring—I couldn’t focus. And it was actually on the anniversary of when I was healed and raised to life from this rare disease,” she recalled. “I had journaled, ‘Lord, what are You going to do today?’ I just had anticipation.”

Then came the voice.

“I hear this voice say, ‘Go check on Leo and don’t believe what you’re going to see,’” she said. Rushing into the room, she found her baby blue and gray, with blood on his face and no signs of life. “It’s very out of body… You’re looking at death. Your biggest fear is right in front of your face.”

As her husband, Luke, called 911, she fell to the ground with Leo and tried CPR.

Nothing worked.

“I just started praying in tongues,” she said. “I felt wind around us. I was laying hands, praying… and I literally am just on the ground with him. And I say very quietly, ‘Only You can do this.’”

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up to date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

At that moment, everything changed.

“Literally in that moment, his chest expands, he starts crying, he turns pink… it’s like a switch—on, off. That’s all I can describe. He starts breathing, and I’m just screaming.”

Paramedics arrived to find a living, breathing baby. At the hospital, doctors diagnosed Leo with craniosynostosis—a rare skull deformity that would require surgery. But even in the face of that, she was calm. “After that I’m just like, I think we’re going to be all right. God has His hand on his life.”

Now eight years old, Leo is a vibrant child with a deep love for God. “He actually gave a sermon at church a few months ago… He remembers sitting on Jesus’s lap. He said, ‘Papa told me I had to go back… I’ll see you at the end of the world when the dead are raised.’”

Smallbone says her son’s spiritual sensitivity is striking. “We were at a concert… he started crying and said, ‘There’s people out there that don’t know Jesus and they will die eternally if they don’t know Him.’”

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

Every day with Leo is a reminder of God’s mercy. “I am so aware that life is a gift. Children are a gift. He didn’t have to—but He did,” she said. “When you see the glory of God… nothing’s impossible.”

This miraculous moment redefined everything for Smallbone—what began as a mother’s worst nightmare became a holy encounter that shattered fear and awakened unshakable faith. It wasn’t just the return of breath to her baby’s lungs; it was the unmistakable touch of God in the darkest hour.

This testimony is a reminder that no situation is beyond hope, no prayer too small and no heart too far for heaven to reach.

Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

In a world that often downplays the supernatural, evangelist David Diga Hernandez offers a bold reminder: God still speaks and moves today.

Speaking on the Directed Life podcast, with Kap Chatfield, Hernandez recalled his early spiritual journey and the life-changing encounter that set him ablaze with passion for the Holy Spirit.

Raised in a Christian home, he explained, “I’m a fourth-generation Christian, third-generation preacher. Even in that, I was tormented in the mind. Depression, anxiety, nightmares, seeing demonic faces. It was really horrific.”

Look for Kap Chatfield’s upcoming new book, Prosperity Is Not a Curse Word. Available soon on amazon.com.

Hernandez traced some of that spiritual warfare to generational roots.

“My great-great-grandfather was a warlock from Zacus, Mexico,” he said, revealing that demonic strategies had been targeting his family line for generations.

The turning point came when he was just 11 years old.

“I realized I needed to give my life to Jesus. I needed to get saved—like truly saved,” he said.

Despite his religious upbringing, he was convicted that his previous faith was shallow.

“I knew Him [Jesus] historically. I knew Him socially. I knew Him philosophically. But I didn’t know Him personally.”

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

What followed was a transformative moment of salvation.

“My father led me in prayer. I couldn’t even get the words out. My mouth was trembling, tears coming down my face. I felt like Jesus walked into the room. When Jesus walked in, every demon ran out.”

While the spiritual oppression lifted, Hernandez emphasized that his journey didn’t suddenly become perfect.

“Christians are attacked often still by demonic powers,” he said. “But now I was fighting the battle from the position of victory.”

Driven by hunger for more of God, Hernandez began seeking deeper encounters.

“I locked myself in the room and told the Lord, ‘I’m not leaving this room until I have an encounter with You.’” He spent hours in prayer, battling distraction and religious guilt. But something shifted.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up to date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

“I felt like someone grabbed my room and elevated it to the heavenly realm. My plain, ordinary room became like a piece of heaven on earth,” he said. “Had that lasted for only a second, it would have been worth it. It lasted for a couple minutes. But had I sought it for 100 years, those few minutes would have been worth it.”

That encounter ignited a lifelong passion to help others walk with the Holy Spirit. “I think the Holy Spirit is one of the most misunderstood components of our faith,” he said. “But Jesus said it’s better that I go because the Father will send the Holy Spirit.”

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

Hernandez concluded with a powerful truth: “Because the Scripture is sufficient, I believe the truth therein has helped me connect with the God who still speaks.”

His story is a reminder that spiritual reality is not only biblical—it’s deeply personal. God wants His Holy Spirit to dwell within each of us. The question now is: Are you seeking Him each and every day?

Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

As the church enters the season of Pentecost, known in Hebrew as Shavuot, believers are invited to revisit the deep spiritual roots of this biblical holy day and its relevance for today. As Rabbi Kirt Schneider points out in a recent video, many Christians recognize Pentecost from Acts chapter 2, when the Holy Spirit descended on the early disciples, but few are aware of its origin in the Old Testament.

“Pentecost is actually the Greek name of the Hebrew holy day called Shavuot,” Schneider explains. “Shavuot means ‘weeks,’ because according to the Torah, Shavuot took place seven weeks and a day after Passover.” That totals 50 days, hence the Greek name Pentecost, which simply means “fifty.”

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

More than just a date on the calendar, Pentecost is about divine encounter and revelation. It was originally one of the three pilgrimage feasts when God commanded Israel to come to Jerusalem to worship and present an offering. Over time, Shavuot became known as the time when God appeared on Mount Sinai and gave the Torah. “This holy season…goes back to the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai 3500 years ago,” Schneider reminds us.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up to date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

The connection to Acts 2 is both powerful and prophetic.

Just as God descended through fire on Mount Sinai, He came again in tongues of fire upon the believers in the upper room. “Suddenly there came a rushing sound and a rushing wind… and the Spirit of the Lord appeared as tongues of fire over each one of them,” Schneider recalls. In that moment, the gospel was proclaimed in languages the disciples had never learned, a miracle Schneider has personally experienced in today’s modern society.

“I was teaching at a conference, and a woman from Peru, who knew no English, heard me teaching in her own language,” he shares.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

Yet, the message of Pentecost isn’t only about outward miracles, it’s about a God who still speaks today. “Don’t put Him in a box and think it has to be like you’re going to audibly hear Him. God speaks most often to us through our intuition,” Schneider says.

Pentecost is a call to draw near. As we present our hearts and lives to God, we make room for His voice and His Spirit. “God is a speaking God,” Schneider declares. “And more importantly…He’s still speaking to you.”

Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

From the remote depths of the Santa Monica Mountains, L.A. Marzulli and a panel of prophetic voices gathered for a powerful roundtable discussion centered on a theme growing more urgent by the day: deception in the last days.

Joined by respected researchers and pastors including J.B. Hixson, John Haller, Gary McKibben, and Lee Brainard, the conversation explored a rising wave of spiritual warfare, global manipulation and the increasing manifestation of what Scripture warns will characterize the end times.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

These leaders, each deeply engaged in the study of biblical prophecy, pointed to mounting evidence that the world is rapidly approaching a period of unprecedented deception. With spiritual battles intensifying, many believers are experiencing direct attacks—ranging from personal turmoil to inexplicable manifestations of demonic activity. These are not abstract warnings; they’re tangible, real-world experiences affecting families, ministries and even entire nations.

“This changes everything,” says Marzulli.

A major concern raised was the mainstream normalization of UFOs—now rebranded as UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). What was once dismissed as fringe theory is now a serious topic of discussion among U.S. lawmakers and military intelligence agencies. These prophetic voices believe this global fascination with extraterrestrial life is laying the groundwork for the coming great deception—a strategy of the enemy to explain away the soon-coming disappearance of millions of believers at the rapture.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up to date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

In fact, the groundwork for such a narrative has already been laid by New Age teachings and occult channeling, which describe a future scenario where people are “removed” from the earth because they can no longer evolve spiritually. This deception, they warn, will be embraced by a world desperate for answers in the aftermath of global chaos—particularly in the event of a nuclear incident or some other mass-scale trigger that fosters fear and confusion. In such an environment, the door will be wide open for demonic forces to introduce a false savior system, uniting the world under a single religious and governmental structure.

Right now, they warn that Satan is actively executing a multidimensional strategy, infiltrating not only through supernatural phenomena but also through technology, entertainment and theological error. The erosion of sound doctrine—particularly around topics like the rapture, the Nephilim and spiritual warfare—is leaving many Christians spiritually unequipped for the days ahead.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

As darkness grows bolder, the church must rise in discernment and power. This is not a time for passive faith. It is a time for the people of God to wake up, armor up and stand firm against the schemes of the enemy. The days are short—and the battle is real.

Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

Gateway Church’s new senior pastor, Daniel Floyd, presented his message to his brand new congregation.

In the message, “Some Things Never Change,” Daniel Floyd and his wife, Tammy, first gave honor to their new home church before Daniel spoke on the foundational role of the Word of God.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

“We are honestly humbled and honored that God would choose us for this assignment,” Floyd said. “We really believe the best days are ahead.”

Reflecting on the recent changes in his own life, moving states, changing schools for his children and adjusting to new rhythms, Floyd shared a powerful insight: in times of transition, it’s vital to anchor ourselves to what doesn’t change.

Using Proverbs 22:28 as a foundation, “Do not remove the ancient boundary stones set up by your ancestors,” he warned against slowly drifting from spiritual truths. “What some people would do is move them a little bit at a time… almost unnoticeable, so that by the time it was noticed, it had been moved feet,” he explained. “There are some boundary lines… that just can’t ever change.”

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up to date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

He outlined spiritual “boundary stones” that must remain firm:

1. Love for God
   “Our love for God is an all-in kind of love,” Floyd said, referencing Mark 12:30. Passion for God isn’t just about loud worship, he emphasized, but about consistent commitment. “You can feel something in a moment, but once the feeling is gone, will you keep doing it?… That’s the true test of passion.”
2. Love for People
   Floyd reminded the church that they carry the ministry of reconciliation. “It’s mindboggling that the God of the universe… decides to choose you and me,” he said. “When you go to class, you’re an ambassador of Christ… when you’re at the beach wanting nobody to talk to you, you’re an ambassador of Christ.”
3. Love for God’s Word: A Boundary That Cannot Be Moved
   Encouraging the church to remain in the vine, Floyd challenged the congregation not to limit their for the Word of God. “The word of the Lord remains forever.” The Bible is not just principles or stories—it’s “the living word of God.” It shapes every part of life: “It guides us in relationships, finances, parenting, wisdom… every area.” He adds, “One word from God can change everything.”
4. Love for One Another: We Need Each Other
   Floyd reminded Gateway that “We need each other.” The Christian life “was not designed to do in isolation.” He cited Hebrews 10:25 to emphasize the importance of community: “Let us not give up meeting together… but let us encourage one another all the more.”
5. Worship as a Lifestyle
   “We are a worshiping house,” he declared. “May I come into the house of God and give my all for a God who knows my name… healed me, redeemed me and gave me a purpose.”

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

This message marks a defining moment for Gateway Church—a line drawn in the sand to leave behind the past and a call to wholehearted devotion.

As the church moves forward, it steps into a new era about fervent love for God, deep compassion for people, unwavering commitment to His Word and intentional community. This is more than a vision; it is a divine mandate. Gateway Church is not looking back. The foundation has been laid, the torch has been passed and a fresh fire is being kindled for the days to come.

Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.