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Speaker: Pastor Barba Scripture References: Isaiah 6:8, Luke 1:38, 2 Corinthians 5:15 Introduction: The Definition of Availability Availability is not simply “showing up” when it is convenient; it is being present at any cost. We live in a world of excuses—no data, no transport, no time—but true availability means laying aside every excuse. In the Kingdom of God, being available means being there even if it costs you your life. We serve a God who does not always call the equipped, but He always equips the available. “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’” — Isaiah 6:8 I. Availability Reveals Your Gift You may be gifted, talented, and favored, but your gift will remain hidden until you make yourself available. The Hidden Song: I once saw a woman in church who sat quietly for a long time. No one knew her talent until the day she made herself available to sing. The moment she stepped out, her gift began to shine. The Case of Kisakye: My friend Kisakye didn’t start as a professional singer. But whenever there was a gap—when the worship team hadn’t arrived—she would grab the microphone and lead. Because she was available every morning and evening, she is now one of the best. The Lesson: God cannot use you if you are hiding behind closed doors. Whether you are a doctor with the power to heal or a singer with the power to move hearts, if you aren’t available, God will find someone else to do the work. II. Confidence and the Call Many stay “unavailable” because they lack confidence. But availability is a show of confidence in who God made you to be. Disability is not Inability: If a person who is crippled can make it to the house of God, what is your excuse? Self-Encouragement: You cannot wait for the church to “hype” you up. You must encourage yourself in the Lord. Living for Him: As 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, we no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died for us and rose again. When you realize your life isn’t yours, you stop running away when He calls. III. How to Be Available 1. Through Constant Prayer “Pray without ceasing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Prayer is your “check-in” with Heaven. If you do not pray, you are “absent” in the spirit. When the books are opened in Heaven, will there be an ‘X’ next to your name because you were unavailable for communication with your Savior? No one is perfect at prayer, but the Holy Spirit teaches us how to talk to God when we show up. 2. Through Daily Repentance “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23 Do not let sin make you unavailable. God knows you aren’t an angel; that is why He died for you. The difference between a stagnant person and a growing one is repentance. Don’t fall and refuse to stand up. If you sin, repent immediately and get back into His presence. 3. Through Constant Congregation Do not listen to those who say, “I am the church, so I don’t need to go to church.” The Bible tells us not to forsake the gathering of believers (Hebrews 10:25). Don’t stay home because you didn’t iron your clothes or your hair isn’t done. When you die, that hair is thrown away, but your soul remains. David’s Heart: David said he rejoiced when they said, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” There is peace, togetherness, and love in the congregation. IV. The Consequences of Unavailability When you are unavailable, you miss your visitation. The Example of Mary: There were many virgins in Israel, but Mary was available. When the angel came, she said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Because she was available, she carried the Savior. The Tragedy of Adam: Adam missed God’s blessing in the garden because he was hiding. Instead of being available and repentant, he offered excuses. The Sons of Eli: Because Eli’s sons treated the temple with contempt and were unavailable for God’s true work, God bypassed them and called a young boy named Samuel. Conclusion: “Here Am I” God is looking for someone to stand in the gap for Uganda, for the Congo, and for the nations. He has called you by name before you were even in your mother’s womb (Isaiah 49:1). Don’t let your job, your kids, or your vanity make God look like He made a mistake by blessing you. This year, we are accepting the call. Every gift you have belongs to Him.

Sermon: Answering the Call Preacher: Dr. Hubert Emmanuel 1. The Divine Order of the Call The Bible tells us that the heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth He has given to the children of men. However, when it comes to the things of God, man does not just wake up and decide to serve. Man cannot call himself. It is only God who calls a man for His specific purpose. The will of God is generational. It moves from one person to another and from one season to the next. That is why the Bible says Elijah finished his work and was taken to heaven, but later, John the Baptist came “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” Elijah died, but the mission continued. When Moses could not reach the Promised Land, God told Joshua, “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore, arise.” God was telling Joshua to stop crying and start moving, because the mission is bigger than one man. God told Jacob, “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father.” This means the plan started long ago, and now it is your turn to carry the mantle. Key Takeaway: > * You cannot call yourself; God does the calling. God’s will is a continuous mission that outlives any single person. 2. Known Before the Womb Scripture: Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” The beauty of life is knowing why you exist. God told Jeremiah that even though he felt like a child, his calling was decided before his parents even met. The anointing on your life is not for decoration; it is a tool given to you to accomplish a specific task. Jeremiah tried to give excuses about his age and weakness, but God doesn’t look at your strength. He only looks for your willingness. Until you answer the call, the “prophet” inside you will never see the light of day. Stop Comparing Yourself: Many Christians fail because they compare their lives to others. You may have gone to the same school or grown up in the same village, but your calls are different. God called Samuel at five years old. He called others at ninety. He gave Peninnah children quickly, but He made Hannah wait so she could birth a prophet (Samuel) who would change the nation. Your result is different because your mandate is different. 3. The Call is Personal When God calls you, He sets you apart. He gives you a “place” that is different from the crowd. He told Jeremiah his place was “above,” meaning when people need to hear from heaven, they must look for you. You may ask: “Why am I going through these hard situations if God called me?” The truth is, the call of God is personal. When God called Moses at the burning bush or Abraham in the desert, no one else was there. Sometimes God puts you in a situation that no pastor or friend can understand, just so that He can direct you Himself. 4. Called vs. Chosen Scripture: Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Being “called” is like receiving an invitation to a party. Being “chosen” is like being stamped and sealed for the work. The Call is the invitation. The Choice depends on your response and your work. Life is too short to live without making an impact. Paul said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul suffered for the call, but that suffering earned him a crown of glory. 5. The Price of the Call: The Cross and the Crown Every time you see a Crown, know there is a Cross behind it. And every time you carry a Cross, know there is a Crown in front of you. Gold must pass through fire to become valuable. To be a “chosen” vessel, you must be refined. The Cost of Serving: Answering the call means a life of sacrifice. Your life will be shaken. It will be disturbed. You might lose things you love just to know Him better. You don’t truly know God when things are easy. You know God when you have gone through the “ups and downs” and seen His faithfulness. When God puts the “stress” of a nation or a generation in your heart, your life cannot stay the same. He humbles you so that when the promotion comes, you don’t boast or beat your chest, but you say, “It has been God.” Conclusion: Don’t Give Up The destiny of a whole generation might be resting on your shoulders. If you give up now, you break that destiny. Even if it is hard, pay the price. Pay the price in secret through prayer, sacrifice, and faithfulness. If you pay the price in the secret place, God will surely bless and honor you in front of people.

https://youtu.be/LuWGarLNOtE?si=YMzfGIBYCMg1vs0Q Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10, Jeremiah 1:18-19 Introduction: The Ringing Phone If you are entering the house of God and your phone rings, what is the first thing you do? You look at the screen. If it is an important call, you answer it immediately. If you miss it, you make sure to call back as soon as possible. We are very smart when it comes to human calls, but when it comes to the call of the Almighty God, many of us have become “experts” at refusing to pick up. Today, I want to talk to you about Answering the Call. God can call you for a great work, but if you refuse, He is a gentleman—He may leave you and find another. Do not let the Master pass you by because you were too busy to “pick up” His call. 1. God Knew You Before Your Parents Met In Jeremiah 1:5, God tells Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Child of God, understand this: before your father and mother even met, God had already established your blueprint. You are not an accident. You might think you are only called to be a “prophet” of your small family or your small circle of friends, but God wants to take you to another dimension. He wants to make you a prophet to the nations! Look at Mother Mary. She was a simple girl, but when the Angel told her she would carry the Messiah, she didn’t argue. She said, “Amen, let it be to me according to your word.” Look at young Samuel. He didn’t initially understand the voice, but he learned to listen. The Challenge: We must stop making the things of God so hard. Just listen. In a day of 24 hours, God asks for a “tithe” of your time—that is 2 hours and 4 minutes. Do not let 24 hours pass without giving God His portion. Whether you are at work or on the road, pray without ceasing. If you pray for a few minutes every hour, you will find you have given God His time. 2. No Room for Justification When God called Jeremiah, Jeremiah started giving excuses. He said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak; I am too young” (Jeremiah 1:6). This year, there is no room for justification! When God wants to work with you, He does not look at your age or your physical status. Even in the “dark world,” the enemy uses children; you see a small child physically, but in the spiritual realm, they are a “lord.” If the kingdom of darkness understands that age is just a number, why don’t the children of Light? Jesus at age 12 was already debating with elders in the Temple. Job tried to question God, but God asked him, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” When God calls you, He doesn’t need your CV or your permission. He doesn’t need to know if you are poor or uneducated. When He called Peter, people saw a common fisherman who only knew about nets and fish. But God said, “I will make you a fisher of men.” On the Day of Pentecost, that same “uneducated” fisherman stood up and 3,000 souls were won! 3. The Weight of the Call Accepting the call comes with a weight. It is a spiritual weight. God warned Jeremiah that the people would fight him, but He promised: “They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you” (Jeremiah 1:19). We are sent as sheep among wolves, but we stand because of the One who sent us. Do not allow small things to stop your calling: Let the rain not be the reason you miss church. Let transport fare not be the reason you stop serving. Refuse to be late for the King of Kings. The Bible warns in the book of Hebrews and Ephesians to redeem the time because the days are evil. If you delay in answering God, you are only pushing yourself into “lateness.” You will wake up one day and realize you are starting your destiny far behind schedule. 4. The Danger of Vacancy Finally, remember this: Your place can be replaced. In the book of Acts, Judas Iscariot lost his place because he did not value his calling. The Bible says another was chosen to take his place. If you refuse to use the “sword” God put in your hand, He will give that sword to someone else. The Apostles knew the weight of the call. They faced terrible deaths for the Gospel: Peter was crucified, but he requested to be turned upside down because he felt unworthy to die like Jesus. Others were thrown into boiling oil or left in deserts. Yet, they never stopped “answering the call.” Conclusion & Call to Action The Bible says every person will be rewarded according to what they have done. There is a curse upon the one who keeps his sword from blood—meaning, a curse upon the one who refuses to do the spiritual work God has assigned to them. Tomorrow never comes. You do not know what tomorrow holds, but you know who holds today. If you can serve the Lord today, do it with all your heart