The Coffee Table - Grow in the Word

🌿 PALM SUNDAY: THE KING HAS COME Text: Matthew 21:1–11 Theme: Receiving Jesus as King—on His terms, not ours --- 🪶 I. THE PREPARATION OF THE KING (vv. 1–3) > “Go into the village… you will find a donkey…” 🔍 Key Insight: Jesus intentionally fulfills prophecy—this moment is not accidental. 💡 Preaching Points: Jesus planned His entrance—He is not a random Savior. He knows exactly what is needed before you even ask. “The Lord needs it” — everything we have belongs to Him. 🧠 Application: Are you willing to release what Jesus asks for? Sometimes obedience looks simple—but it carries eternal purpose. 🎤 Illustration: Like reserving something important ahead of time—Jesus had already arranged His entry. God is always ahead of your situation. --- 🐴 II. THE HUMILITY OF THE KING (vv. 4–5) > “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey…” 🔍 Key Insight: Jesus enters not on a war horse, but a donkey—symbol of peace. 💡 Preaching Points: Earthly kings come with power; Jesu...

Why We Should Not Use “SANA” in Prayer 🙏 As a Christians we should  avoid the word “sana” (meaning “hopefully” or “I wish”) in prayer because prayer in the Bible is often encouraged to be offered with faith and confidence , not uncertainty. However, it is important to understand that this is more about the attitude of faith than the specific word itself . 🙏 1. Prayer Should Be Offered in Faith The Bible teaches that when we pray, we should believe that God hears and can answer. 📖 James 1:6 – “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt…” Using “sana” sometimes sounds like doubt or uncertainty , as if we are not sure God can or will answer. Example: ❌ “Panginoon, sana po gumaling si Nanay.” ✅ “Panginoon, hinihiling namin ang kagalingan ni Nanay ayon sa Iyong kalooban.” The second expresses trust rather than uncertainty . 2. Jesus Taught Us to Pray with Trust in God When Jesus Christ taught about prayer, He emphasized faith. 📖 Mark 11:24 – “Whatev...

Let’s go deeper into the Armor of God from Ephesians 6:10–18—not just what each piece is , but how it works spiritually, how the enemy attacks it, and how you actively live it out . This is where spiritual warfare becomes practical . The Armor of God 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all t...

How to pray strategically in spiritual warfare Praying “strategically” in spiritual warfare isn’t about using special words—it’s about praying with truth, authority, and alignment with God’s will . The Bible gives us a clear pattern, especially in Ephesians 6:10–18. The Armor of God 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel o...

 How to discern spiritual attacks vs normal struggles Not everything difficult is a spiritual attack, but not everything is purely natural either. The goal is discernment, not fear or over-spiritualizing . Let’s walk through it in a grounded, biblical way. ⚖️ First: A Balanced Truth The Bible teaches both: We face real spiritual opposition ( Ephesians 6:12) We also deal with human weakness, emotions, and consequences 👉 Mature discernment means asking: “Is this spiritual influence, natural cause, or both?” 🔍 Signs It May Be a Spiritual Attack These don’t prove it 100%, but patterns matter. 1. Sudden, Intense, and Targeted You were doing well spiritually, then suddenly: Heavy doubt Strong temptation Unusual discouragement 👉 Especially after: Prayer Growth Obedience Example pattern seen in Matthew 4 — Jesus was tempted right after a spiritual high moment. 2. Pushes You Away From God Ask: Does this make me avoid prayer? Lose desir...

🌌 What is the Spiritual Realm? The spiritual realm is the unseen dimension of reality where spiritual beings exist and where God’s authority is fully present. It is not imaginary—it’s simply not visible to our physical eyes . The Bible makes this clear in Ephesians 6:12: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against… spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” So while we live in the physical world , there is a real, active spiritual dimension influencing it. 🧭 Are There “Layers” in the Spiritual Realm? The Bible doesn’t give a neat “map,” but it does suggest levels of authority and structure . For example, in Ephesians 6:12, Paul lists: Principalities Powers Rulers of darkness Spiritual forces of evil This implies a kind of hierarchy or ranking , not necessarily “layers” like floors, but levels of influence and authority . Also, in Daniel 10, we see spiritual conflict affecting earthly events (an angel delayed by a “prince” over a ...

⚔️ Beyond the Visible: Engaging the Battle in the Spiritual Realm ⚔️ 📖 Ephesians 6:10–18  The Armor of God 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and th...

  ⚔️ Stand Firm: Winning the Daily Battle Through God’s Armor ⚔️ 📖 Ephesians 6:10–18 |  The Armor of God 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salva...