This sermon enters that tension between discipline and defiance, between rebuilding and repentance. Isaiah 9:8-12 warns that when God’s corrective hand is met with pride instead of humility, judgment does not cease but intensifies. The outstretched hand of the Lord remains, not because His anger is fickle, but because His purposes are holy and persistent. This passage calls every generation to examine how it responds when foundations are shaken: with broken hearts that return to the Lord, or with bold plans that rebuild while refusing to repent.

Isaiah 9:6-7 invites the reader to rediscover the true hope of Christmas. It calls them to look beyond nostalgia and tradition and behold the Christ who was promised long before Bethlehem. In a world still marked by fear, conflict, and uncertainty, Isaiah’s message remains timeless: hope is not found in human power, but in the Child who was born to reign. Christmas proclaims that God has not abandoned His people; He has come to them.

As the Christmas season remembers the birth of Christ, Isaiah 9:3-5 calls attention to the transforming purpose of that birth. The Messiah does not come merely to shine in the darkness, but to lift burdens, free captives, and establish peace. The joy of Christmas flows from redemption accomplished; the peace of Christmas rests on victory secured by God Himself. Thus, the message of this passage presses the listener to see Christmas not only as a moment of divine arrival but as the beginning of a glorious reversal, where gloom gives way to joy, bondage yields to freedom, and conflict is replaced by lasting peace.

The hope of Christmas, as revealed in Isaiah 9:1-2, is rooted in this dramatic reversal. God does not deny the reality of darkness, nor does He minimize the consequences of sin and unbelief. Yet He promises that light will dawn—light that brings deliverance, restores dignity, and reveals His saving presence. As this sermon unfolds, it will show that Christmas is not the story of humanity finding its way out of darkness, but of God entering the darkness with unstoppable light, ultimately fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ, the true Light of the world.

Isaiah 8:16-22 draws the reader into a moment of profound crisis in Judah’s history, a moment when the nation, pressed by fear and political turmoil, was frantically grasping for answers anywhere except the Word of God. The people were turning to conspiracies, whispering diviners, and occult practices in hopes of securing guidance, yet every alternative voice only deepened their confusion. Into this chaos, God speaks to His prophet with a striking command: “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.”

Silence is often misunderstood in a world that prizes quick opinions and constant noise. Yet Proverbs 17 reminds us that wisdom is heard most clearly when words are used sparingly and thoughtfully. A controlled tongue reflects a discerning heart, and even a fool appears wise when he learns to be still. Silence is not the absence of thought—it is the discipline of waiting, listening, and allowing humility to guide our responses. In the quiet spaces where we resist the urge to speak impulsively, God shapes our understanding and teaches us the strength found in gentle restraint.

Isaiah 8:14-15 confronts the reader with a sobering and unavoidable truth: every person must decide what the Lord will be to them: a Rock of refuge or a Rock of offense. As Isaiah speaks to Judah in a time of national panic, political scheming, and spiritual drifting, he announces that the crisis before them is not merely geopolitical but profoundly theological. The people are scrambling for alliances, leaning on Assyria for protection, and embracing conspiratorial fears rather than trusting the Lord. Into this climate of anxiety, the prophet declares that God Himself will become the dividing line of the nation. To those who fear Him, He is a sanctuary—a place of stability when everything else collapses. But to those who resist Him, He becomes a stone in their path, a rock that causes them to trip and be shattered. Isaiah shows that God is not simply an option among many; He is the determining reality of their destiny. Whether one finds safety or judgment depends entirely on one’s response to Him. This passage sets the stage for a timeless truth: God’s presence is either the believer’s greatest protection or the unbeliever’s greatest peril, and how a person relates to the Rock reveals the actual condition of the heart.

Joy and integrity are two of God’s greatest gifts to the human soul. Proverbs 17 teaches that a joyful heart doesn’t merely feel good; it brings healing, strength, and renewed hope. In contrast, a crushed spirit drains life from within. But joy is not a shallow cheerfulness; it is a deep, steady confidence in God’s goodness that shines even in hardship. Alongside joy, integrity stands as its steadfast companion, guiding decisions, anchoring character, and shaping a life that honors God. Together, joy and righteousness create a life marked by wholeness and peace, a testimony that God’s wisdom brings health to the heart and stability to the path.

Do Not Call Conspiracy — Isaiah 8:9-13 by Rev. Gregory G. Capel, Jr.

Pride promises freedom but delivers heartache. Proverbs 17:18-21 exposes how arrogance, stubbornness, and reckless decisions ripple far beyond the individual; they wound families, fracture relationships, and leave sorrow in their wake. Folly is never private; it burdens those who love us most and blinds the heart to wisdom’s warnings. These verses remind us that pride is not merely a flaw to overlook, but a path that inevitably leads to grief. God calls His people to a better way—the humble road where teachability replaces stubbornness and wisdom guards the heart from choices that bring regret.

God offers His people quiet streams of trust, but rejecting those streams invites waters that sweep away. The message becomes a sober reminder that when God’s people choose their own way over His, the consequences often rise like a flood: powerful, unstoppable, and deeply revealing. Yet even in the surge of judgment, the text whispers the name Immanuel, reminding Judah that the land still belongs to the Lord, and that His purposes will stand even when the waters rise.

Isaiah 8:1-4 stands as a solemn reminder: God still speaks clearly, but His people must be willing to listen, record, and respond. The written Word of God, the Scriptures, remains His permanent revelation, etched in human language for eternal impact. The clarity of His warnings and promises leaves humanity without excuse. As Isaiah’s generation discovered, to disregard what God has clearly written is to invite the very judgment He sought to prevent. As this passage unfolds, believers are called to consider the weight of God’s Word, not as a distant echo, but as a present command: Write it down. Remember it. Believe it. Live by it. God’s warnings are not meant to alarm for the sake of fear, but to awaken hearts to faith, obedience, and trust in the One whose Word never fails.

In a world where relationships are often shallow and conditional, Proverbs 17:15-17 shines a light on the beauty of steadfast friendship. True friendship is not forged in moments of ease but proven in seasons of hardship. It is loyalty that does not waver when life grows difficult and love that does not retreat when burdens grow heavy. Such relationships are gifts of grace; reflections of God’s own faithfulness to His people. The mark of true friendship is not convenience, but commitment; not shared interests, but shared hearts anchored in truth and love.

In every generation, God’s people face the same temptation to substitute faith with sight, to rely on what feels tangible rather than what God has promised. Yet Isaiah 7:18–25 warns that when trust in God is replaced by confidence in man, the consequences are inevitable: invasion, humiliation, and barrenness. The message of this text is timeless—faith may waver under pressure, but unbelief always carries a heavier price. This passage calls the listener to examine where their confidence truly lies and to remember that the God who rules over nations is also the One who rewards those who steadfastly trust in Him.

Ladies Enrichment Conference Session 1 - Dr. Sherrie Holloway by Rev. Gregory G. Capel, Jr.

Ladies Enrichment Conference Session 3 - Dr. Sherrie Holloway by Rev. Gregory G. Capel, Jr.

Ladies Enrichment Conference Session 2 - Dr. Sherrie Holloway by Rev. Gregory G. Capel, Jr.

Testimony - Mrs. Lillian Flores by Rev. Gregory G. Capel, Jr.

Few tests reveal the depth of wisdom like the way we handle conflict. Proverbs 17 reminds us that words, once unleashed, can wound deeply and divide quickly, yet silence and patience can heal what pride would destroy. The wise learn the power of restraint, choosing to listen before speaking, to forgive before fighting, and to make peace before tempers flare. Just as a breached dam unleashes uncontrollable waters, so an unguarded tongue releases chaos, God calls His people to a higher path—to seek reconciliation instead of retaliation, to build bridges instead of walls, and to let humility, not anger, have the final word.

A Fishier Sermon - Special Speaker: Deacon John Schiavo by Rev. Gregory G. Capel, Jr.