The service began with a reminder of the theme for the month: “The Winning Strategy.” Following the Excellence Gala held the day before. The pastor explained that excellence and success are not the result of chance, but rather the result of a clear purpose and a specific method. He urged believers to mentally prepare themselves to receive a lesson that applies to everyone: schoolchildren, college students, entrepreneurs, and leaders.
The pastor focused particularly on the students, reminding them about the back-to-school service. He emphasized that winning, succeeding, and excelling are intentional actions that require following principles and a “course” to stay on. He illustrated this point with the example of a musician (Enoch) whose performance was the result of 17 years of deliberate and structured practice.
He reviewed the first strategy they had discussed the previous week: complete trust, followed by obedience to instructions, and finally, emulating a model who has already succeeded. Refusing to imitate others, he says, leads to failure (“dying like a chicken”). He therefore encouraged every believer to recognize those who have already walked this path and to draw inspiration from them.
The pastor then opened the book of Daniel 1, recalling Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Jerusalem and how God delivers His people into the enemy’s hands when they stray from the “path.” He developed the concept of spiritual nobility: believers are called to be “noble,” to adopt attitudes, discipline, and a mindset of excellence (wisdom, intelligence, and education). He emphasized that true nobility is manifested in service, physical discipline, and mastery of spiritual language.
In closing, the pastor urged the believers to realign themselves with God, to talk to Jesus, to take care of their bodies, and to be open to teaching. He pointed out that grace does not make divine election easy; rather, it helps us conform to God’s standards. The service concluded with a fervent prayer, a praise of the Lord, and the announcement of an upcoming in-depth study of the criteria for divine selection, scheduled for the following Sunday.
