NOVEMBER 2024
Two of our members have written a remarkable truth for our Church. Both Michelle Vallet and Karina Allen have presented a very encouraging article for us to enjoy and grow from this month. Thank you both for these wonderful and inspirational testimonies.
YOU ARE DEAD: BY MICHELLE VALLET
“You are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3
“The double jeopardy clause holds that once an accused person has been acquitted, or punished for a particular crime, they cannot be prosecuted or punished again for the same crime…”
You will not know peace until you know you died. Your sins will always seem like a contradiction to your faith, making you feel like you are a hypocrite, until you reckon yourself dead indeed to sin and alive to God, you will stagger under guilt until you know, “It is no longer I that do it but sin that dwells in me!” The devil will use your failures and make your mind his playground until you believe, “I have been crucified with Christ! Nevertheless, I live, yet NOT I, but Christ in me.”
You can’t hurt a dead man! Can’t condemn one that has already died! Can’t make one pay for a crime they were already crucified for!
I died! My crimes were already punished! My death was swallowed up in victory with Jesus!
The pressure is off! Burden be lifted, pressure to perform and be perfect, be loosed! Being crucified with Christ does not mean you died, so knowing that, you should agree to live perfectly! Knowing you are crucified does not bring more pressure to be perfect, but rather a liberation that my imperfections were already condemned. So, my focus is not on my imperfection but on my perfection, who is JESUS! It means you died, so you are free! There is no judgment now, no condemnation! It is already done; you can look at Jesus and live!
THE POWER OF GOD DISPLAYED THROUGH THE GOSPEL: BY KARINA ALLEN
If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you likely know what the gospel is. It’s the Good News of what Jesus has done for humanity. You understand that through it, we are restored to a relationship with God. Many of us can point to the moment we believed in our hearts and confessed that Jesus is Lord. His kindness led us to repentance, and His grace opened our eyes to the truth. Salvation, redemption, forgiveness, healing, and freedom
became ours. We were transferred from darkness into light. Once orphans, we are now children of God. Once enemies, we are now His friends. THIS IS THE GOOD NEWS!
At my church, the gospel is preached consistently and powerfully. But in the past couple of years, God has called us to more — not just as individuals but as a unified body. Our youth pastors sparked a fire by teaching a simple tool called the 3 Circles, used by the North American Mission Board, to equip our young people to share the gospel. This training ignited a passion in them to step out in faith and evangelize in our city.
One Sunday, our entire congregation felt led to take the gospel beyond the church walls. We went into the neighborhood, knocking on doors, praying for people, and sharing the message of Jesus. This wasn’t just an outreach; it was an anointed movement of God. We felt His power flowing through us as we stepped into His calling to make disciples.
This past August, we embraced another shift, moving our prayer service to Wednesday nights and using Sunday afternoons for city outreach. We all received the same gospel training, and for three weeks straight, we went out to share the gospel in our community. At the same time, others remained in the church, interceding in worship and prayer for those evangelizing and the people they would encounter. It was a beautiful picture of unity — young and old, new believers and seasoned saints, people of every race, coming together with one mission.
The testimonies that followed were nothing short of awe-inspiring. People accepted Christ, recommitted their lives, experienced answered prayers, and witnessed God’s provision. The book of Acts came alive in our midst, and we knew that what God was doing in our church wasn’t just for us— it was for the world around us.
Acts 2:1-4 describes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Our gatherings have always reflected this, but in August, there was a fresh anointing, a greater grace to carry the gospel. God poured out His Spirit in new ways, filling us with boldness, courage, joy, and expectation. That faith became fuel as we took the gospel into a city filled with darkness.
Yet, if we’re honest, the Great Commission is often neglected. Fear of rejection, feeling unqualified, or simply focusing too much on our own lives can hold us back. Sometimes we lack compassion for the lost. But God is calling us higher. He’s stirring hearts, breaking chains, and inviting us into the incredible work of sharing His love with a broken world.
At my church, we’ve also seen God move mightily at Louisiana State University, where students have encountered His power, love, and grace. Many have come to Christ, been healed, delivered, and baptized. But let me be clear—my church isn’t special. We were just obedient. God gave us a deep love for the lost, and we stepped into the calling to be salt and light, to give an account of the hope we have.
We’re all called to this. As a royal priesthood, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, let us grow in our passion for those who don’t yet know Him. People are desperate for something to fill their emptiness. They are waiting for someone to declare the Good News of Christ boldly. And that someone could be you.
So, I encourage you to take that step of faith. Share the gospel where God is calling you. The same Spirit that moved in Acts is alive in you. Let’s celebrate the testimonies of lives transformed and pray for even more opportunities to be His hands and feet.
Where can you share the gospel today? Let’s do this together!