Power for Living
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Pastor Nate Cress stepped to the pulpit to deliver the next installment of our Building Strong Houses series, titled "Power for Living." Rather than treating Pentecost as a historical event or merely an emotional church experience, Pastor Nate challenged us to move from receiving the Holy Spirit to actively releasing His supernatural power through the two most influential faculties we possess: our talk and our touch.
Building Strong Houses: Power for Living
Series: Building Strong Houses (Part 5)
Speaker: Pastor Nate Cress
Date: Sunday, May 24, 2026 (Pentecost Sunday)
Scriptures: Ephesians 4:26a; Acts 1:8; James 3:9-10; Proverbs 18:21
This past Sunday at Highpoint Assembly of God Church in Royse City, we experienced a powerful convergence of calendar and calling. As a community, we marked three unique moments: we honored our veterans and active military for Memorial Day weekend, we remembered our ultimate eschatological mandate to stay ready for the imminent return of Christ, and we celebrated Pentecost Sunday.
The Danger in Our Anatomy: A Bridge or a Fire?
Pastor Nate grounded the core of his message in Ephesians 4:26a: "Be angry and do not sin." He observed that when human emotions flare, our mouths and our hands become highly volatile.
"My mouth and my hands are the most powerful tools I possess. They can build a bridge, or they can start a fire."
Too often, we absorb the stress, financial anxiety, and pressures of the world and unconsciously funnel that negativity straight into our domestic spaces, hurting the very people we are called to protect. In our families and culture, we frequently see these two faculties weaponized:
Talk Wrongly Used: Manifested through gossip, tearing down a spouse under the guise of "just venting," discouraging our children, or speaking words of defeat and negativity over our own futures instead of blessing.
Touch Wrongly Used: Manifested through physical aggression, manipulative control, or emotional rejection—such as intentionally withholding physical affection to punish a loved one.
Redeeming the Talk: Spreading Heaven, Not Fire
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is designed to completely rewire the way we speak. When the Holy Spirit takes absolute control of our mouths, our talk is redeemed in three distinct dimensions:
Empowered to Witness: According to Acts 1:8, the Spirit gives us the boldness and supernatural vocabulary to share our testimony and declare the Gospel.
Choosing Life Over Death: Proverbs 18:21 reminds us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Instead of projecting failure or cursing our circumstances, we are empowered to speak the active, living Word of God.
Silent Talk (Holy Living): Pulling from 1 Peter 3:1, Pastor Nate reminded us that sometimes our most powerful "talk" is completely silent. A lifestyle of quiet, consistent, Christ-like integrity speaks louder to skeptics than any lecture ever could.
Redeeming the Touch: Becoming a Conduit of Grace
Just as our words can heal, our physical presence can become a literal "point of contact" for the Holy Spirit to move. In the New Testament, ordinary physical contact became a conduit for extraordinary power—whether it was Jesus laying hands on children to bless them (Mark 10:13-16), believers laying hands on the sick for healing (Mark 16:18), or the early church utilizing physical touch for spiritual empowerment (Acts 8:17).
Pastor Nate pointed out that the Holy Spirit's power is so dense that even a point of contact like Peter’s passing shadow (Acts 5:15), the fringe of Jesus’ garment (Mark 5:28-30), or handkerchiefs carried from Paul (Acts 19:11-12) carried raw, localized heavenly power. When your hands are submitted to Christ, a simple embrace, an encouraging pat on the back, or an intentional hand extended in prayer can shift someone's entire spiritual landscape.
The Weekly Challenge: Audit Your Faculties
Pastor Nate closed the message with a direct, practical challenge for every single one of us to audit our mouths and our hands this week:
In Your Talk: Pay attention to who the Holy Spirit is prompting you to speak life into or share your testimony with. Stop speaking defeat over your home; start speaking the Word.
In Your Touch: Stop simply telling people, "I'll pray for you." Instead, step out in faith. Ask for permission on the spot, stretch out your hand, and pray for them right then and there. Let your physical hands become a point of contact for the supernatural power of God.
Small Group Discussion Questions
Bridge or Fire? Pastor Nate stated that our mouth and hands have the power to either build a bridge or start a fire. Looking back at your recent interactions (with family, coworkers, or online), can you identify a specific moment where your words successfully built a bridge? Can you identify a moment where they started an unnecessary fire?
The Funnel Effect: The sermon addressed how easily we absorb the pressures of the world (stress, anxiety, anger) and funnel them directly onto the people inside our homes. What is a practice you can implement to "decompress" and submit your emotions to the Holy Spirit before interacting with your family?
The Trap of "Venting": Pastor Nate noted that "venting" is not a fruit of the Spirit, nor is it a scriptural mandate, yet we often use it as an excuse to spew venom. What is the scriptural difference between seeking healthy, wise counsel from a brother or sister in Christ versus engaging in carnal venting that damages relationships?
Unreleased Capital: The message compared having the Holy Spirit without releasing His power to having a million dollars in a bank account that you never access. What are the most common barriers (fear, busyness, doubt) that prevent believers from actively stepping out to release God's power to the people around them?
Auditing Our Declarations: Proverbs 18:21 declares that life and death are in the power of the tongue. In what specific areas of your individual life (your health, your career, your children's character) have you accidentally been speaking negative defeat? How can you consciously replace those phrases with biblical truth this week?
Redeeming Affection: The sermon notes mention that touch can be weaponized through rejection and the withholding of affection. Why is regular, godly, non-sexual physical affection (like a reassuring hug or holding hands in prayer) such a vital piece of the structural integrity of a "Family House"?
The Silent Voice: First Peter 3:1 talks about winning others over through our holy, quiet conduct rather than continuous talking. When navigating a relationship with a non-believer or a skeptical family member, why is a holy lifestyle often a far more effective tool than an argument or a lecture?
Points of Contact: Considering the biblical examples of Peter's shadow or Paul's handkerchiefs acting as points of contact for the Holy Spirit, how does your daily perspective change when you realize that your physical body is a literal mobile temple meant to bring the atmosphere of Heaven into dark spaces?
On-the-Spot Ministry: The practical challenge this week is to stop telling people "I'll pray for you" and instead ask permission to pray for them right then and there. What holds us back from doing this in public settings, and how can we rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the boldness to stretch out our hands?
A Unified Core: Reflecting on the Building Strong Houses series so far, how does operating with the "Power for Living" in your Individual House directly protect the unity and strength of our Church House?
Missed the service? You can stream the full Pentecost Sunday message at youtube.com/@highpointag
Prayer Requests: If you need a point of contact for prayer this week, please head to the prayer tab at highpointag.org/prayer where our team is waiting to stand with you.