Sam

I did a long tweet for this announcement before and then I was like "naa. No need for drama." I'm leaving twitter personally but a handler will post videos and long tweets on my behalf occasionally. I'm led to. God has other work fields for me now. God bless you all for making me better in my time here. Friends added to me. Non-friends kept me humble. In all, I'm wiser and stronger. Thank you.

Join us this Easter for a 2-day Bible conference as we consider the meaning and significance of the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 📅 April 3–4, 2026 📍 21C, Otunba Toyin Abass Avenue, Off Prince Adesoji Ajose Street, Ogudu GRA 2, Lagos We hope to see you there!

The Miracles & Parables of Jesus: Water to Wine | Pastor Sam Oyeyinka | John 2:1-11 Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11) was not just about wine, it pointed to His hour, the cross, and the glory that would be revealed (John 7:30; 8:20; John 13:1; John 17:1). Many expected Him to solve the wine issue naturally, but Jesus used this wedding to reveal His glory, showing that His hour—the time He was anointed to die—guided His actions, not human expectations. This miracle also teaches that God cares about weddings because His glory can be manifested in marriages, and that we are to celebrate what He does. The jars of water used for purification point to the old ways under Moses (Deuteronomy 28:47-48; 29:4; 30:6), yet Jesus transformed them into something sweet that brings joy and life. Filling the jars with water symbolises active participation and faith. Mary did not make Christ do what He did not want to do, reminding us that people cannot force God to act outside His will. She modelled faith when she told Jesus about the wine, showing that whatever He asks us to do, we must do it. Duty turns to delight when we obey; God can change our desires, and only He can bring transformation. We must participate and trust Him, keeping our “jars filled” in faith, knowing that miracles unfold at the point of obedience. What stood out for you in this sermon? Share in the comments✨

Join us this Sunday for another Lord's Day service as we begin a new series, “Miracles and Parables”. Sunday School begins at 8:30 am. See you there!

Few things test a believer's faith like prayers that seem to go unanswered. You've prayed. You've trusted. You've waited. Yet nothing changes. Disappointment and discouragement creep in, and you begin to wonder: Is God listening? Does He care about what I'm going through? Is there even any point praying? In moments like these, we must return to Scripture to remind ourselves of who God is and how He deals with His people.

If people believe you have malice towards them, they will not accept your words no matter how true. If people believe you care for them, they will be attentive and judge your words fairly. And if your words are lacking in something good, they will give you the benefit of the doubt. Those who want to be biblical and have a passion to see God's people become more biblical must genuinely love God's people and speak to them from that genuine love. They must also invest in finding ways to speak in which their love for the hearers will not be hidden from the hearers. Once people believe (either for good reason or not) that your feeling towards them is disgust, condescension or hatred, you will not be able to help them because all your help will be counted as attacks and your help will be rejected. Do you love the church? If you do, has your speech shown it? If the answer to either of these is no, it will be better for you to stop trying to "help" and be quiet till the answer to both is yes. If the answer is yes, then keep speaking the truth and ignore the push-back from men's flesh and Satan. Because even when you show love like the Lord Jesus did, Satan and worthless men will still hate you. PSam

Some people desire to know theology just for the pleasure of knowing it. That's self-entertainment. It's a shameful type of curiosity. Some others desire to know theology so that they can sell it and make money from it. That's shameful entrepreneurship worthy of God's wrath. Some others learn theology so that they can show it off. They seek to earn a reputation as the custodians of knowledge. These are worthless types, shameful hypocrites. Those who will be useful to God's people and receive God's blessings are those who pursue theology so that they may know God and glorify Him with their lives as they edify their brethren, bringing them into a fellowship with God that enjoys God. Paraphrased from Baxter who Paraphrased Bernard. PSam

Uncommon Ground is the new home for conversations that matter! Have you listened to our first 2 episodes with Richard Dawkins & Rowan Williams and Alex O’Connor & Glen Scrivener? Subscribe on podcast or video now 👉 justinbrierley.com/uncommon-groun… PS I’m loving being back in the moderator seat! So many more great shows to come in this first season 😄

Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God, who is our source, sustainer, and ultimate destination. God created us for Himself, and our souls possess a deep thirst that material things and worldly pursuits can never satisfy. Every other pursuit only drains us of life if God is not first; when we reject Him, we are turning our backs on the very source of our life. True longing for God is not based on fleeting emotions but on a mind that has judged God as the ultimate for the soul, like Paul, who counted all things as loss to gain Christ. The sermon explains that the "deep calling to deep" describes the waves and breakers of trouble and tribulation that flow over us within the knowledge of God. In these waves, suffering stops being meaningless because the Lord is in them all, using them to lead us to "songs in the night" and to conform us to the image of His Son. When all else fails, the promise of the Gospel serves as our anchor; if we are sure Christ died and rose again, we have the assurance that everything will be alright. Practically, longing for God manifests in three specific ways: prayer, the gathering of the saints, and preaching the scriptures to oneself. It moves us to speak to God in humility and vulnerability during our suffering, recognizing Him as our ultimate good. It also drives us to seek the company of other believers and to actively remember the Scriptures and the God of our salvation. By preaching the Gospel to our own souls, we move from restlessness to a steadfast hope rooted in His love. What stood out to you in the sermon? Please share in the comments.

Join us for another Lord's Day service this Sunday as we gather to worship and hear God's Word. Sunday School begins at 8:30 am.

Tomorrow at ERC Join us and tell a friend to tell a friend!

When you read through the Psalms, one thing is clear, God was real to David. In easy times and in tough times, the question for David was never if God existed or not. It was whether God was with Him or not, whether God was happy with Him or not. The interesting part is that all that David had that gave him this level of trust is the same that we have, that is, the scriptures (Moses) and the workings of God in his life (providence). In fact, we even now have the full prophets, the ressurection documented by multiple witnesses, and the Apostles. How are we so blind? Why are our prayers not like the Psalms? Shall His judgement not be just if we deny Him? PSam.

All legalism is self-love dressed in religion. The ultimate end of works-based religion is the self and it's need for a sense of security. Whether high-key or low-key, we are all control freaks See, All religion that depends on your high performance before you can be accepted and blessed by God leads to or is caused by the deep need to be in control of your destiny. We all want to be sure that our future will go the way we desire. And this is why the pain and hurts of a performance-based religion is always sweet to us. If my performance puts God in a situation where He will have to give me what I want, then I will work with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. But Jesus says your performance can never be good enough to make God owe you anything. You will never be good enough to be accepted by God. You can never meet up to God's level. God is just that perfect. God will have to just overlook your weakness, pay your debt, fix you and accept you. So that now, you will no longer work to control God but work because you're grateful and you love God with your whole being. Legalistic religion promises you control. Gracious religion in Christ takes away control and leaves you with nothing in your hands but trust in the One who can save you. So, what do you have in your hands to show Jesus when you're praying to Him? Your performance or your total trust in Him? PSam

True Health and Wealth is only in having God. From the sermon series, True Health and Wealth (Part 6)

Any teaching on these verses below; Mark 11:22-23 (ESV) 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. That does not factor in this earlier statement from Jesus below; John 5:19 (ESV) So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. -Will lead to a blasphemous interpretation that is no different from the pagan idea of "manifestation". It will lead to the fantasy of men taking God's sovereignty to themselves.

The one who has Jesus is wealthier than the one who has ten thousand loves of bread. The one who has Jesus does not need ten thousand loaves of bread. He has the One who will provide the daily bread. And this man gets to be full of joy and have pleasures with Jesus now and then forevermore when death and sin are destroyed forever. The one who has ten thousand loaves will have his sorrows multiplied as he tries not to lose his bread. This one will offer his blood to the gods of bread so that he can guarantee the bread only to spend forevermore in torment and destruction for the evil he did in life. The one who has one loaf and one fish with Jesus is far wealthier than the one who has ten thousand loaves and one million fishes. PSam

Psalm 16 teaches us that true wealth is not what we hold but whom we have. From God’s perspective, the rich are those who possess Him as their portion. You can lack earthly possessions and yet be rich in faith, clothed in Christ’s righteousness, and spiritually alive. The same is true of health. Our deepest sickness is not physical weakness but sin and separation from God. Christ came as the Great Physician to restore us to fellowship with Him. To be reconciled to God is to be truly healed. We often try to satisfy our souls either by striving for more or by suppressing desire altogether. But Scripture shows a better way: desire fulfilled in God Himself. When He is our chosen portion, our restless pursuit ends in Him. True prosperity and true rest are found in God’s presence. We do not work to earn His favor; we receive it through Christ. To have His face shine upon you, to know He is with you, that is real wealth and real peace. What stood out to you in the sermon? Please share in the comments.

Join us this Sunday for another Lord's Day service as we continue the sermon series, "True Health and Wealth." Sunday School begins at 8:30 am. See you there!

Sickness is not an exception in this fallen world; it is inevitable for every human being—the unavoidable evidence of our mortality. At the Fall of man in Eden, the Lord pronounced that man would return to the dust, and sickness—ultimately death itself—is a direct manifestation of that curse. Until our mortality is swallowed up by immortality and death is swallowed up in victory, sickness remains part of our present reality. Any theology that guarantees divinely perfect health in this present world ignores this reality and amounts to building on sand, just as our Lord warned in Matthew 7:26. When the storms of affliction come, such a structure will not stand, because it was never grounded in the full counsel of God. Sickness is painful and grievous, but it is not proof of spiritual failure. In this world, it is normal—it comes to both believers and unbelievers alike. To teach otherwise is to burden the suffering with unnecessary guilt and confusion. We must identify with our brethren in their affliction, just as our Lord identified with the weak and suffering. We visit them, pray for them, and bear their burdens as much as possible. Whether healing comes or not, their lives remain valuable. They can still fulfill God’s purpose in that condition. Sickness is never sufficient reason to declare a life useless or spiritually inferior. Every measure of strength we enjoy is an expression of God’s mercy. He sustains creation, heals according to His will, and grants temporary relief in His wisdom. This grace is extended broadly and does not require a special kind of faith to access it—it flows from the sovereign prerogative of God. We therefore embrace His common grace in medicine without hesitation or shame. Not all goods are equal. Healing and wealth are good, but they are not the supreme good. The supreme good is salvation from sin. Our Lord Jesus healed many, yet He did not heal everyone. He ensured that miracles never overshadowed His primary mission: to preach the gospel of the Kingdom and call men to repentance. There comes a point where the pursuit of healing and provision can become a distraction from the very message that saves. In conclusion, we must remember this clearly: healing is mercy from God, not a right to be demanded in Christ.

True wealth is not prosperity or the relentless pursuit of riches, but godliness with contentment. We came into this world with nothing and will leave with nothing; therefore, all we have is given, not earned by right. A dream centered on accumulating temporal riches is fleeting. What our souls truly seek is rest, joy, peace, and purpose. That purpose is to do good works which is to reconcile humanity to God and contribute to common grace. The desire to be rich often begins in self-focus and ends in bondage. Those who chase riches fall into temptation, into a snare, into harmful desires that draw the heart away from Christ (1 Timothy 6:9–10). But Scripture calls us higher: to decrease so that God may increase, to pursue good works rather than status, and to remain content with what He has graciously provided. Contentment is not complacency or laziness. God ordains work as a means of provision. It is trusting God while faithfully laboring where He has placed us, recognizing that our estate is assigned, not accidental. True health and true wealth are this: to be content with what God provides, diligent in what He assigns, and faithful in doing good works wherever we stand. What stood out to you in the sermon? Please share in the comments.