MESSAGES

Recent Sermons

Watch recent messages from Mercy of God Ministries

This Week's Messages

What You Say Matters — Part 2

October 18, 2026 · Pastor Brian Charles

MESSAGE SUMMARY

Pastor Brian Charles continues the series "What You Say Matters" from last week's teaching that the heart is a treasury and that what we say flows from what we think. Starting with Proverbs 23:7 and Luke 6:45, he says the believer works from salvation, not for it, and lives a life of resistance: Ephesians 4:27 says to give the devil no place, 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to bring every thought into captivity, and Matthew 12:37 and Romans 8:1 set words of condemnation against being justified in Christ. He points to Jesus in the wilderness, who answered each temptation at once with "it is written" and refuted the lie with truth.

His main text is Psalm 63, David's thought life in the wilderness of Judah while under attack. David seeks God first and early, thirsts for Him, remembers His power and glory, says His lovingkindness is better than life, blesses Him with lifted hands, is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and remembers Him on his bed. The pastor contrasts David's covenant consciousness with the army that froze before Goliath, and calls believers to be "obsessively thinking of God's thoughts" rather than obsessing on the attack. Luke 21:34 warns against being overcharged with the cares of this life.

He gives Job, Stephen, Paul and Silas, the three Hebrew children and Daniel as people whose minds stayed on God, and says David spared Saul and called him "my father" because we are not to touch God's anointed. Goliath lost his head, Saul served God with his head and lost the kingdom, and Absalom was hung by his head, so we are to serve God with the heart. Jeremiah 29:11 sets God's thoughts, which give an expected end, against the devil's. He closes with Jerusalem and shalom, Psalm 27:4, the warning that Israel left Egypt but Egypt never left them, and an appeal to repent, trust Jesus, and receive healing and prayer, then says he marked where he left off so the series can continue.

SCRIPTURES REFERENCED

Proverbs 23:7 "as he thinks in his heart, so is he"
Luke 6:45 a good person brings good from the treasury of a good heart
Ephesians 4:27 "neither give place to the devil"
James 4:7 submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee; reference not stated
Acts 17:28 "in Him we live and move and have our being"; reference not stated
John 19:30 "It is finished"; reference not stated
Hebrews 12:2 Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; reference not stated
1 Kings 1:1-4 David's last days and the young woman brought to warm him; reference not stated
Matthew 12:37 by your words you will be justified and by your words condemned
Romans 8:1 no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus; reference not stated
Revelation 12:10 the accuser of the brethren; reference not stated
Matthew 16:21-23 Peter rebukes Jesus and is answered "Get behind Me, Satan"; reference not stated
Matthew 4:1-11 the temptation of Jesus; "it is written" answered each lie; reference not stated
Deuteronomy 8:3 "man shall not live by bread alone"; reference not stated
Deuteronomy 6:16 you shall not tempt the Lord your God; reference not stated
Deuteronomy 6:13 you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only; reference not stated
1 Corinthians 10:13 God makes a way of escape; reference not stated
Hebrews 4:15 touched with the feeling of our infirmities; reference not stated
1 Peter 5:7 cast your care upon Him; reference not stated
2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down imaginations, every thought captive to Christ; reference not stated
1 Corinthians 2:16 "we have the mind of Christ"; reference not stated
Matthew 6:19-21 read; treasures in heaven, where your treasure is your heart will be also
Psalm 63:1-6 main text; David in the wilderness of Judah seeks God early, thirsts for Him, praises Him, is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and remembers Him on his bed
Matthew 6:33 "seek first the kingdom of God"
Luke 21:34 read; do not let the heart be overcharged with the cares of this life
Ephesians 5:18 be filled with the Spirit, not drunk with wine; reference not stated
Matthew 11:12 the kingdom of heaven suffers violence; reference not stated
Psalm 34:19 many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all; reference not stated
1 Samuel 17 David and Goliath; the army had lost its covenant consciousness; reference not stated
Romans 8:31 "If God is for us, who can be against us?"; reference not stated
Proverbs 10:21 the lips of the righteous feed many; reference not stated
1 Corinthians 14:3, 26 edification, exhortation and comfort; reference not stated
Job 19:25 "I know that my Redeemer lives"; reference not stated
Psalm 103:2 "forget not all His benefits"; reference not stated
Deuteronomy 8:18 God gives the power to get wealth; reference not stated
Hosea 4:6 my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; reference not stated
Psalm 30:5 weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning; reference not stated
Acts 7:54-60 Stephen forgives those stoning him, and Saul is present; reference not stated
Luke 23:34 "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do"; reference not stated
Acts 9:1-6 Saul knocked off his high horse and becomes Paul; reference not stated
Genesis 12:3 "I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you"; reference not stated
2 Samuel 12:1-14 Nathan exposes David's sin and the sword never leaves his house; reference not stated
Acts 13:36 David served God's purpose in his own generation; reference not stated
Proverbs 24:16 a righteous man falls seven times and rises again; reference not stated
2 Samuel 18:9 Absalom caught by his head; reference not stated
Psalm 105:15 "Do not touch My anointed ones"; reference not stated
1 Samuel 24 David cuts a piece of Saul's robe and calls him "my father"; the speaker also describes a king's robe as carrying a piece of each conquered king's robe; reference not stated
Isaiah 6:1 "His train filled the temple"; reference not stated
Matthew 16:18 the gates of hell will not prevail; reference not stated
Acts 16:25-26 Paul and Silas praise in prison and are freed; cited as "Saul and Silas"
Daniel 3 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego will not bow; reference not stated
Daniel 6 Daniel in the lions' den; reference not stated
Jeremiah 29:11 read; thoughts of peace, to give you an expected end
Isaiah 54:17 no weapon formed against you shall prosper; reference not stated
Isaiah 53:5 "by His stripes we are healed"; reference not stated
John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life"; reference not stated
Psalm 122:6 pray for the peace of Jerusalem; reference not stated
Psalm 23:6 goodness and mercy shall follow me; cited as Psalm 23
Psalm 27:4 "One thing I have desired" to dwell in the house of the Lord; reference not stated
Numbers 14:1-3 Israel murmured against the promise and died in the desert; reference not stated
Hebrews 3:7-4:11 Israel did not enter His rest; reference not stated
Matthew 4:17 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"; reference not stated
Joel 2:25 God restores what the cankerworm has eaten; reference not stated

Last Week's Messages

What You Say Matters

October 14, 2026 · Pastor Brian Charles

MESSAGE SUMMARY

Pastor Brian Charles opens a new series, "What You Say Matters," on the principle that what we say flows from what we think and from what is stored in the heart. Starting from Proverbs 23:7, "as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (he cites it as Proverbs 3:7), and Luke 6:44-45, he describes the heart as an internal storehouse where we can deposit faith or doubt, and he points to Israel's evil report as thinking contrary to what God had already said. The believer is in charge of his own mind. Thoughts will come until the day we leave this world, but 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to cast them down and bring every thought into captivity to Christ, and Ephesians 4:27 warns against giving the devil a place.

He shows how a thought that is entertained, spoken and then acted on becomes a stronghold, using examples of hidden sin in ministers and in homes, and he shares his own testimony of being set free from lust and from embarrassment about worship, when the Lord told him to dance for Him as he once danced in bars. Matthew 12:37 and Romans 8:1-3 contrast words of condemnation with life in the Spirit: feelings can lie, and the believer is a king who takes authority over the enemy whatever he feels. Romans 12:1-3 is the center of the message: present your bodies, do not be conformed to this world, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and remember that everyone has received the same measure of faith, which you must develop for yourself. He illustrates speaking and believing with the woman with the issue of blood, who prophesied her own contact point, and with people healed at a large healing meeting after saying for months that they would be, set against a man who left the same way he came because of unresolved offense. He also cautions against criticizing how others worship, using David and Michal, and encourages believers to be themselves and free in worship.

He closes with Joshua 1:8, explaining that "meditate" means to murmur the Word to yourself day and night, and with Psalm 2:2-4: the world will always oppose the church, but the Lord laughs last, and the church is a restraining order on Satan. He declares that believers are in charge, calls anyone watching who is wrestling with depression, bondage or a physical attack to cry out to Jesus, and says he will pick the series up again on Sunday.

SCRIPTURES REFERENCED

Proverbs 23:7 "as he thinks in his heart, so is he"; cited as "Proverbs 3:7"
Matthew 12:34 out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks; reference not stated
Luke 6:44-45 read (NLT); a good person brings good from the treasury of a good heart
Numbers 13-14 the children of Israel's evil report and their murmuring; reference not stated
Ephesians 4:27 "neither give place to the devil"
2 Corinthians 10:5 read; casting down imaginations, every thought into captivity to Christ
1 Corinthians 2:16 "we have the mind of Christ"; reference not stated
Luke 19:13 "occupy till I come"; reference not stated
Psalm 127:4 children as arrows; reference not stated
Proverbs 22:15 the rod of correction drives rebellion far from a child; reference not stated
Philippians 2:12 working out salvation, working from salvation and not for it; reference not stated
Matthew 12:37 read; by your words you will be justified and by your words condemned
Romans 8:1-2 read; no condemnation, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
Romans 8:3 read; what the law could not do, God did by sending His own Son
James 1:25 the perfect law of liberty; cited as "like James says"
Romans 12:1-3 read; present your bodies, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, the measure of faith
Proverbs 26:11 a dog returns to its vomit; reference not stated
Genesis 12:3 "I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you"; reference not stated
1 Corinthians 5:1-5 the man in sin removed from the church so his soul may be saved; reference not stated
John 16:13 the Spirit will guide you into all truth; reference not stated
2 Samuel 6:14-23 David dancing before the Ark and Michal's mockery; reference not stated
Psalm 100:1 "make a joyful noise to the Lord"; reference not stated
Mark 7:13 the traditions of men make the Word of God of no effect; reference not stated
Colossians 2:8 philosophies and the rudiments of the world; cited as "as Colossians said"
Romans 10:17 faith comes by hearing; reference not stated
Mark 5:25-34 the woman with the issue of blood touches the hem of His garment; reference not stated
Joshua 1:8 read; meditate on the book of the law day and night, then you will make your way prosperous and have good success
Matthew 16:26 what if a man gains the whole world and loses his soul; reference not stated
Psalm 2:2-4 read; the kings of the earth set themselves against the Lord and His anointed, and He laughs
2 Corinthians 5:21 He became sin so we could become righteous; reference not stated
Romans 10:13 whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved; reference not stated
John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life"; reference not stated

The Precious Promises of Peter — Part 10

October 11, 2026 · Pastor Brian Charles

MESSAGE SUMMARY

In the final installment (Part 10) of The Precious Promises of Peter, Pastor Brian Charles brings the series to a close by turning from the precious things Peter names — the blood, salvation, faith, the promises — to the person they all point to: Jesus Himself. Opening from 1 Peter 2:4 and 2:7, he contrasts how Jesus was "disallowed of men" yet "chosen of God and precious," becoming the church's chief cornerstone once the cross established the New Covenant, making believers "kings and priests" indwelt by the Holy Spirit rather than merely served by an external priesthood as under the Old Covenant. He asks directly whether Jesus is precious to the listener, teaching that when Christ holds first place, His presence outweighs comfort, the opinions of others, or worldly praise — and that it's the Holy Spirit who makes Jesus precious to a believer. Drawing on David's priority in Psalm 27:4 and Peter's own restoration after denying Christ, he urges hearers to seek God's presence above all else. The message turns to reflect on death — from Psalm 116:15, "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" — framing a believer's departure as entry into a "spiritual family reunion" rather than loss. He then works through what Peter calls precious: the redeeming blood (1 Peter 1:18-20; Acts 20:28), salvation by grace through faith rather than works (Ephesians 2:8), and faith itself as what keeps a believer (1 Peter 1:5). Using the image of a refiner purifying gold and silver (Malachi 3), he teaches that trials burn away dross so Christ becomes more visible in a believer's life. He closes the series with an extended altar call urging listeners to accept Jesus as Savior, and opens the floor for prayer and breakthrough.

SCRIPTURES REFERENCED

Hebrews 13:8 cited for "the same yesterday, today, and forever"
1 Peter 2:4 quoted: "a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious"
1 Peter 2:7 quoted: "to you who believe, he is precious... the stone which the builders rejected"
Genesis 3:15 referenced as the start of the span of messianic promise running through Malachi
John 1:29 paraphrased: "Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world"
Psalm 27:4 quoted: "One thing have I desired... that I may dwell in the presence of the Lord"
Psalm 116:15 quoted: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints"
1 Peter 1:18-20 quoted: "not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold... but with the precious blood of Christ"
Acts 20:28 quoted/paraphrased: "feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood"
Ephesians 2:8 quoted: "for by grace are ye saved through faith"
Romans 1:16 quoted near-verbatim ("I am not ashamed of the gospel... to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile"); reference not spoken aloud
1 Peter 1:5 quoted: "kept by the power of God through faith"
Job 23:10 paraphrased and attributed ("Job said... when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold"); exact chapter/verse not stated
Malachi 3 chapter cited; quoted on the refiner purifying the sons of Levi as gold and silver
Philippians 1 chapter cited for "fruits of righteousness"
Ephesians 4:24 paraphrased: "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness"
2 Timothy 2:22 quoted: "flee also youthful lusts... but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace... out of a pure heart"
John 15 chapter cited; referenced Jesus' teaching on pruning so a branch bears more fruit
Daniel 3 alluded to (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) as an example that God remains faithful when faith goes "into the fire"; not cited by reference