Pastor Gail – Welcome
1. It was so wonderful. We had 98 people. 98? How wonderful for us, for us. I don’t like it. It was just a promise from the Lord. And he is getting ready to do something amazing. And for us here in this local church, so we know we’re in Greece because people will come in slowly, slowly. But God is already here, and we welcome you here this morning. And for those of you online, we’re glad you’re joining us.
2. We want to lift our worship to him today. We thank you Lord. Would you stand with me? The Son is the Holy Spirit.
Prayer
3. Father God, as we stand in your presence today. Give us a heart that’s caring. (Can’t hear the rest.)
Pastor Gail – Prayer
4. I want to pray for those that are physically saved. We have Mary with us today. Let’s believe the next time she goes to the doctor. They will say the cancer is gone. The cancer is gone. Amen. I’m going to ask a few people to lay hands on her as we begin to pray.
5. Leto is sick. She’s in Cyprus at a memorial. Sunil, how are you? Completely clear. How long the cancer is gone. Hallelujah. Praise God. Amen.
6. We’re believing to hear that from Fernando. Amen. God is good. Amen. Amen. We’re believing for Armand. This young man to get up out of the wheelchair and walk. Amen. And if you have someone on your heart that’s sick, that needs the healing of God. As we pray together, speak their name to the Lord out loud with boldness. God, we believe. Amen.
7. Let us pray right now. Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus, we thank you for the wonderful privilege of being able to call on your name. You are the healer. We thank you, Lord, for healing Mary. We believe the cancer in these eyes is completely gone, Lord. Any root, any root, Lord, we believe that it is gone in the name of the Lord. We thank you for Sunil being healed now, Lord. We believe for the testimony of Leonardo, completely healed and Armand to rise up out of the wheelchair, Lord, and walk. Lord, there are so many others. I pray for Micah, Lord. We pray for Leto, Lord. We pray for many others that, Lord, in your name, Lord, you are, Lord, by your stripes, we are healed. We believe the power of the Word and you are the living Word. In the name of Jesus, amen, amen, amen.
8. Now, we’d like you to greet someone and welcome them in the new year. Actually, yeah, as we’re greeting one another, turn to somebody and just say, Happy New Year in your language. Hallelujah, Happy New Year. So, Hungarian, how do you say it in Hungarian? What? Happy New Year.
9. Do you remember Hungarian person? All the English speakers, Happy New Year. Happy New Year. Oh, praise God. It’s so good to see you here today. The world’s in kind of a mess, isn’t it? But God knows all about it. And he’s, yeah, he’s there. He sees, he’s there. And ultimately, he’s in control. Amen. So, it’s so good to be here to worship him. He’s Prince of Peace today. We welcome you.
10. We have some guests with us today. And we have, of course, it’s always good to have Shushan with us for a little bit from Santorini. We’re so glad you’re here. Please God. And, yes, I don’t have time for everybody saying hello, so that’s why, just hello. Praise God. Hello, everybody. Good. Amen.
11. I want to make just a few announcements this morning. Mr. Brian? All right. We are beginning a 21-day fast. I posted it on a WhatsApp group. As of tomorrow, we will invite you. You know, in this local church, we never tell people how to fast. That’s just with you and God. So, but it is denying yourself something and of the physical appetite. And to just have that sense that you need the Lord, you press into him.
12. There will be a devotional thought on our WhatsApp group every day. So, if you don’t, if you’ve never fasted and would like to know how to fast, come see me after church today. Some people just eliminate chocolate, and it’s a big sacrifice. It’s a really big one. Lord, I’m going to push this side, and I want to spend time in prayer with you.
13. And, of course, Tuesday through Friday at 10 a.m., the church is open every morning for prayer. We look forward to that. Oh, sorry. Is it Tuesday through Thursday? That’s what I thought. Okay. Well, in English, it’s Thursday, but in Greek, it’s Friday. But it is Friday. Tuesday through Friday. The church is open for prayer.
14. And if you want to come at any other time, just let me know or the office. And we will open the church for you to come because somebody’s almost always here. We will be notifying through this week when the home care groups will begin again. And if you would like to have a group in your home or help lead one, please come see me.
15. The church Wednesday night at 7 p.m. and Joseph’s cupboard. It’s been a while since we talked about Joseph’s cupboard. But those of you that are not here through the week, you don’t realize that probably almost every day we have somebody coming to the church and asking for food. So, as always, I ask you don’t bring the dented cans or the crushed cans from the grocery store. If you won’t eat it, don’t give it. But let’s bring something, you know, if you buy a package of rice for yourself, buy an extra package for someone that needs it.
16. This is the year of prayer, and I believe as we pray more and more that we are going to see the Lord do mighty things. And I’m going to add one thing to this list. Some of you may not have noticed, but Michael and Kata, they have moved so far away. And they’re a bit lonely. Their children miss us terribly.
17. Because it can be an hour and a half for them to get to church. But they are going to have a housewarming, and I hope a lot of us just go up there and bless them. But will you pray for Michael and Kata? Oh, there they are! Yay! Yay!
18. Some of you don’t realize that they serve all week long in the refugee camp up there. So, we’re so thankful they’ve moved closer so they can be at the refugee camp all the time. Michael and Kata, we’re all coming to see you. We’re so glad you’re here. Praise God.
19. And I think that’s all the announcements, yes, for today. So, praise the Lord. I would like to remind you this week, please pray for the situation and the wars in the world. It’s very political, uneasiness.
20. And now we want to give our offering to the Lord. Stavro will pray for our offering to the Lord. It’s a wonderful privilege to be able to give to Lord our tithe an offering. It’s one of our ways to show him that he’s first.
21. I’m going to invite Pastor Brian as they will continue to receive the offering to come up.
Pastor Brian – Reading the Word.
22. Let’s go ahead and turn our Bibles open to Matthew 6. I’m going to give my apologies to Pastor Gail and read from my phone today because I brought the wrong glasses and can’t see my printed Bible. Somehow my glasses seem to keep getting weaker.
23. Matthew 6, beginning at verse 5. We’ve used this as our backdrop for over a year now. Our theme for last year was, we pray. And we’re going to continue this year focusing on prayer and the fact that it has to be first.
24. So, each week, probably, we’ll see, but each week we’re going to have a little thought about prayer. And this month we’re beginning with the prayer that Jesus taught us. Beginning at verse 5 it says, “… And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. And when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father, who is unseen. Then your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your father knows what you need before you ask him.”
25. Please notice that does not mean don’t ask him. You still ask him, but he knows. “This then is how you should pray, our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom, power, and glory forever. Amen.”
26. So, here’s your prayer thought for this Sunday. The prayer begins with God as Father. Say it to yourself, our Father, my Father. What does this mean? It means that prayer is about relationship, it’s not mechanical. Prayer is not something we just do. It’s not just repetition. But it’s a communication with our Father. That means that when we come to Him, we don’t come as servants, but as sons. We are the children of the Father. We come as part of the family of God.
27. And it also means that prayer is rooted in trust, not fear. Our good Father does not make us to fear Him. But to honor Him and trust Him. Because He is loving Father. In the fourth century, one of our early fathers in faith, St. Augustine, prayed this: ‘You have made us for yourself, O Lord. And our heart is restless until it rests in You.’ I love that thought.
28. So today I pray this. Father, thank You that we belong to You. Teach our hearts to rest in Your love. And I’m going to ask this personally, and I want it to be personal for you, each one. Father, let me pray today as Your child. Loved, secure and completely known by You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Gail – Main Message
29. Please remain seated, we release our children to go to Children’s Church now. Brian, who is this King? God You are our King.
30. All this week, the Lord every time I was in here, I just kept hearing Him say, ‘Make me first. Make me first.’ So even the songs we picked today, it wasn’t even we will give you or I want to do. It was you are. You are the King. To you alone belongs the glory. Amen.
31. So, I just kept sensing them, of course, the way that we make Him first. We spend time with Him. We talk with Him. It’s like for those of you that are married. You know when you love that person to keep that love alive, you have to spend time with that person. And it makes those moments so more special than almost anything else. But those moments with God should be out of this world.
32. Many, many times we just feel like we’re walking in heaven. When was the last time that happened to you? I believe the Lord is inviting us this year to move to a place, whether it’s a good day or a difficult day. We are following Him.
33. Now, I totally had my sermon written out. But about five o’clock this morning, the Lord just kind of added, changed, so, I’m just going to talk with you a little bit today, alright.
34. In Exodus 14, there’s a very interesting one of my favorite passages of Scripture. The Israelites have escaped Egypt, and they’re standing at the Red Sea. It looks like they’re trapped. If I had been one of those six million people there, I might have been terrified. There seemed no way out. The Egyptian army was behind, and the Red Sea was in front.
35. And maybe through this last year, and as you enter this new year, maybe you will feel like the problems of last year have followed you into the new year. The difficulties are there. And like those Israelites standing at the Red Sea, you see no way forward.
36. You feel trapped. And it is a terrible feeling to feel like you’re out of options. It can be a medical diagnosis. You can feel like financial pressure is keeping you trapped. Maybe there’s relationships that seem broken and you don’t know how to fix them. And it can sometimes feel that way with God. Where are you? I’m trapped.
37. We probably all know this story. They have just experienced this miraculous rescue. After many years of labor and bondage, centuries, the Lord has called them to leave that bitter life behind. Their children were being murdered. There was no opportunity for religious freedom. They were forced to build the Egyptian treasure cities. And the Lord, when he stepped in, he said, I have seen, I have heard, I know your sorrow. And in the middle of the sorrow, he came down and delivered. He brought them out a pillar of fire and a cloud by day. It looked like suddenly life was filled with promise.
38. But again, if you know the story, what should have taken only 10 to 15 days, took 40 years. They didn’t go on a route that they thought was promised quick and easy. It wasn’t even a route they ultimately went on that many armies would take. God chose to take them the long way around. Ultimately, they went through the desert till they stood before Jericho. There were times it seemed they had nothing to eat, no water to drink.
39. But if you go on and read the story, in Exodus 15, the Lord seems to indicate they weren’t ready. They were not ready for the easy route. Because he said if they face war, they’re not trained. They might change their mind.
40. This morning, as we enter 2026, I want to remind each one of us, don’t be surprised if between the promise of God and the provision to get there, that God might lead you on a detour. Don’t be surprised.
41. God is not asleep. He’s great and mighty. When God is leading from an old life to a new life, never be surprised if it seems to take a detour. Because one thing we must know and hold on to, God always has a plan, and his plan is always that he would be glorified in every situation. That God would be exalted and we would see the hand of what only God can do.
42. God told the Israelites move on. But how could they? There’s the Red Sea right in front of them. If God tells you to get up and move on, but the obstacle is still there, the Red Sea was still there, but he told them to move on, maybe the Lord’s trying to teach us, if we take that first step of obedience, he will show you a miraculous deliverance that only God can do.
43. God alone parted the Red Sea. God has said, when you pass through the fire, I’ll be there. When you pass through the flood I’ll be there.
44. We want it so easy. I definitely do. I wish there was no sorrow, no trouble. You know me, I’d like to sit in a chair, and eat chocolate bonbons and marshmallows all the time. It would be really nice, wouldn’t it? All of you just love me and think everything I did was wonderful?
45. But that’s not life. God is wanting us to know whatever we go through. We’re not alone. And guess what? You may not be immediately delivered from what you’re going through. Even in the valley of the shadow of death, guess who has the last word? Amen. It is the Lord God Almighty.
46. Even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the Lord is with me. He has the last word. We have got to begin to say to the obstacle, you do not have the last word this year. I will put my trust in the Lord God Almighty. If he can make heaven and earth, he can make a way through the difficulties. Amen.
47. They got up, they began to move, the problem was still there. But guess what happened? Moses stretched out his hand and as he obeyed to stretch out his hand, the waters parted. The Lord is saying to us, this year, stretch forth your hand, believe in God and the obstacle will move. Amen.
48. What did Jesus say to the man who was ill withered hand? Do you believe stretch forth your hand? And what happened? He was healed, delivered. God caused the winds to blow and the water separated. What looked like to be waters of destruction became a path of deliverance. Amen. Hallelujah.
49. God is saying to us now, expect me to show up. There is a difference between expecting and expectations. I do not know how to say that in Greek. When I have expectations, it is like I can say to you, I expect that Cielo will have a birthday this year. I expect next Sunday to come.
50. Expecting is a little different. When a woman is going to have a baby, we say she is expecting. It is there, but it is not delivered yet. We need to be expecting, people of expecting God to birth something new instead of just have expectations.
51. God is saying, instead of just sitting there and crying out to me and complaining, begin to be people that are expecting God to do great and mighty things. Amen. Quit looking at the enemy behind you and get your eyes on the God in front of you. Hallelujah. God is not dead. He wants us to rise up and maybe it is a little tiny step.
52. Maybe you have never prayed more than one minute a day. Maybe you don’t even pray a minute a day. But tell the Lord, I want to be expecting. I want to be pregnant God. Hallelujah with new things God. Amen.
53. So, Lord, I’m going to do something new for me. A new thing. I’m going to pray every day five minutes. Five minutes. I ask everybody in this room right now, could you do it? Would you do it? Can you do it? Are you sure? Yes. I like guesses. One more time. How many in here could pray five minutes a day uninterrupted? Oh, good. Raise your hand.
54. Yes, Lord. I’ll do it. Yes, Lord. Amen. I’m expecting God. You will begin to do something new in me because for five minutes, beginning, guess what? You’re going to be surprised; you’re going to want to do it more.
55. Let me give Jesus as an example. He came and lived as a man. Read his story. It wasn’t easy. They cursed him. They beat him. They killed him. His whole life was a journey of facing the cross. He even said to the Father, Father, if it’s possible, would you take this cup from me? And he was able to say, on the cross, it is finished. And it truly, as he came through that extremely horrible experience, he came out of the grave victorious.
56. I believe now, as we talk about Jesus, who is crowned with glory, sitting beside the Father, he wants us to know whatever you go through. Believe this year, he has won. Don’t let it just be words. Amen. Because he is victorious. We are his sons and daughters. Amen. We too. We are victorious. Amen. Amen. Because he lives, I can see tomorrow.
57. I believe the Lord wants, and we say this every year in a new year, but I really believe it this year, that God wants 2026 to be someplace completely different for us. It’s almost like I see 2025 as the Red Sea. But as I talk to the Lord, and he told me, Gail, some of your dreams died, or they went to sleep or something. They’re not there.
58. But it’s time to dream again, to resurrect those things you thought were dead, you’re at the Red Sea. I will make a way for those dreams to live. You’ve been on a detour. And you know what happens on detours often, too? Two of those men, only two, became mighty men of God. Mighty men of God.
59. Hey, man, one of them matured so much in the Lord. I think he was 80, if I remember right, was he 80 or 70? He was old, anyway. Caleb was his name. He had a piece of land in Israel, and he said, I’m well able to take it. I can do it, because God has been with me. He helped me fight the fights. I became victorious in him, and I know, with my God, I can run through an army. Giants will fall down. I will build in the name of the Lord. Amen.
60. It is time for us to say, yes, we’re at the Red Sea, but we’re going to move on, and we’re going to go to a different place with God. Trust him, even when it seems like a detour. The enemy might say to you, you’re going to keep seeing the same thing, and you can tell him, I got my eyes on the Lord. Amen. And I’m moving forward. Amen.
61. Just remember in the detour, God is not punishing you, but he’s saving you. From a battle you didn’t know about, that could be even worse. He’s saving you from a battle you’re not right yet, you’re not ready yet to fight.
62. Sometimes we forget that when they were in the desert, I’ll be honest, I don’t really like this part. They wore clothes for 40 years, they never wore out, I’m not sure I’d really like that, but… But I actually never thought about this before until this morning. Think about you have little children, and they’re growing up, I think he even made their shoes just keep growing.
63. I never thought about that before, but imagine, they made their shoes to keep growing, and that’s their growth. Sometimes it’s a long way around, but they also learned he was Yahweh Rophe, the Lord God who heals. In the detours he is building us, don’t be afraid if the dreams seem to be placed on hold.
64. He’s working to get everything in place. For that time when you really believe who he is, and that he will do what he says, that even if things come against you, you will look at the situation and say, God’s got this, God’s got this. And he will answer, and he will do greater things than I’ve ever seen. Amen?
65. I like this thought; heaven never goes into a panic. There’s no, I don’t believe the word for fear is in heaven, or terror. Heaven has a plan. If you’re trying to follow God and you don’t understand, just remember God is never taken by surprise.
66. Stand firm. It is his battle. He will fight for you. There are so many Scriptures that talk about that, and if you’re taking notes, Psalm 32:7, Psalm 34:3, Psalm 37, Psalm 107, Job 36, David was in a cave trapped but the Lord delivered him. Hezekiah, remember him, God sent an angel as a calf. Paul was up north in Philippi, if you’ve ever been there, you can see the prison.
67. What happened? God cast an angel as they worshiped to deliver them. You are not at a dead end, you are God. The enemy likes to tell us lies, but today, follow Jesus, listen to him. Father, I believe you will show up if we can trust you. There’s just one verse I want to read today, Ephesians 3, there are Bibles all around the room, Ephesians 3:20- 21.
68. It’s time to look to God. I want us to look to God today, believe it or not, this was, I’ve got five pages of my original sermon, I’m not going to preach it, but as we move on, the Lord wants us to go. With our vessels that are full and overflowing and all the dead stuff taken out thrown away.
69. Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
70. Look to God who is able. There’s a story in the Old Testament, 2 Kings 4, and again, I’m not going to preach it. There was a woman facing the Red Sea, debtors were coming to take her boys, and the prophet said go get vessels, and as she did, they were filled with oil and she went and sold it in her home. Her Family was rescued.
71. We all look like different vessels, but I think together, we become many, many more vessels to see many, many more miracles, Amen. That there would be glory in His church together. Maybe this is me, a little vessel. But I want to get bigger and bigger, to be full to overflowing. I want that for each one of us, amen.
72. And as we bring ourself to the Lord, and you know the story, it ends, she just quit getting vessels, and she sold what she had and didn’t bring more. But let’s keep bringing, let’s bring more vessels. Keep saying, ‘Lord, make me bigger, make me a larger vessel, let’s make each one of us larger, larger, Lord, so that You get more glory. And I thank You Lord, that You would receive glory.
73. The Lord wants to do something new among us. Maybe start with just a little thing, but start, five minutes a day. And the Lord will fill it. And before you know it, ‘Oh, Lord, I want to talk a little more, to feel you more.’ Begin to get a spirit of thankfulness. Bless the Lord oh, my soul. You are the King of glory. And He just keeps making you bigger and He fills you with more and more, so that when the enemy comes against you, and you can just say to him, ‘Get behind me satan.’ God is going to make the way through. To Him be glory in the church. To Him be glory in this generation, and in this hour.
74. Lord, open up the windows of heaven, and pour out blessings. We have a spirit of expectancy. We are pregnant with faith and hope, that greater days, blessed days are ahead.

Pastor Brian – Holy Communion
1. Now we’re getting ready for Holy Communion. You may be seated for just a second. We’re going to reflect on the King of Glory. Because at the table today, that’s really who we’re coming to. A God who reigns, but at the same time somehow stoops down to serve.
2. He wears a crown, but he chose a cross. He didn’t take any throne by force, but he claimed one at a table of grace. And in the bread and in the cup, we remember his majesty. Worship his majesty, but in his majesty, he remains clothed in mercy. He has all power, but he expresses it through love.
3. Today, the Lord of Heaven still enters our weakness. And today he invites you to receive something you can never earn. As we eat and drink, I pray that our hearts will bow in worship and in trust. I pray that his glory will fill us, but in the same way that it filled him, a humble way, a way that says, I too will serve.
4. We proclaim his death, but we also proclaim he is alive. And we proclaim that we wait for him to return. Maybe we don’t speak about that truth enough anymore, but Jesus is coming again. But until he does, we live transformed. Whether you know it or not, if you know Jesus, you are a new creation.
5. So, we are transformed, but we must learn to live transformed. Transformed by what? Transformed by his victory, transformed by his gentleness, transformed by his mercy, transformed by his love, transformed forever, and for always, in Jesus’ name.
6. You alone, Lord, are worthy of our praise forever. You alone, seated on the throne of heaven. Now we glorify, and again we glorify, you alone, in Jesus’ name. Go and serve.
7. If you will wait on one another, just hold the element.
8. You are the King that saves us, powerful and full of love. You are the king that gave us life with every drop of your blood. Jesus, the Lamb of God, the King.
9. You alone, Lord, are worthy of our praise forever. You alone, seated on the throne of heaven. Glorify, glorify you alone.
10. You alone, seated on the throne of heaven. You alone, seated on the throne of heaven. Glorify, glorify you alone, on the sea.
11. You alone, are worthy of our praise forever. You alone, seated on the throne of heaven. Glorify, glorify you alone.
12. As we stand here in the presence of the Lord today. This is a meal for those that have asked Jesus to come into their life. And if you haven’t yet, as you stand there today, just invite him in and he will come in and be your King. Amen. We eat this meal with him because he alone is worthy. Such amazing love.
13. And on that night, he took the bread, he broke it with him. This is my body. It’s going to be big and almost destroyed, but as it is, every victory will be won that you will lead. I would say this, you know, there are many that as they take the bread, they are healed at their physical difficulties. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. He won our healing. Amen. Father, we thank you for sending your son, for him paying the price. Our debts are paid in him. Take in the name of Jesus. Take and eat.
14. We lift the cup. We lift the cup. He gave his blood to give us life. His life was given to birth new life in us. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We have a new covenant with him. As we drink this today, we remember because he lives. We too shall live forever and ever. And one day, hallelujah around the throne, at his table, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, we will thank him. Take the cup. Bless the Lord.