ICGC - Family Temple

03/05/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Sunday 3rd May 2026

GREATNESS THROUGH SERVICE

Scripture Reading: Luke 22:1-30

For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. Luke 22:27

Jesus says He did not come to sit at the table. That means He did not come to be waited upon or to occupy a prestigious position. Rather, He came to serve. That is the same calling the Lord is calling us into.

Service is at the heart of every call of God. God does not call us to be bosses; He calls us to do His will by serving the people He places in our care. When we serve, we allow God to use what He has given us to touch other people’s lives.

The problem is many of us have a negative, stereotypical image of what a servant is. We equate service with slavery and servitude. We think the role of the servant is degrading and something that puts us down instead of it being something that lifts us up. We associate servants with low achievers. As a result, when the Bible calls us to service, we immediately see it as a call to take a step downwards instead of a step upwards.

Sadly, there are many people in all walks of life – politics, church, corporate organizations – who stop serving when they are promoted or given a high-sounding title. They assume that sitting at the table is what life is all about.

The reality is that to go up, we must go down. Before a tree shoots up, it has to go down with its roots. Without deep roots, a tree cannot go high enough and still remain standing. A high-rise building must have deep foundations in order to go up high. The depth determines the height.

That is what service is all about.

When we serve, we build the foundation for the heights that God has called us to. Until we are ready to serve in humility, we cannot reach out to the high calling of God for our lives. Many of us may never be able to reach the high calling of God for our lives because we are not ready to really serve with humility.

May the Lord grant us the humility to serve in the place He has called us to.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am at your service. Teach me not to despise any service that you call me to offer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

01/05/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Saturday 2nd May 2026

THE DANGER OF COMPARISON

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 10

For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12

God’s calling is not the same for everybody. He calls us to do different things according to His plan. Can you imagine how Moses’ life would have turned out if he had compared his calling to Abraham’s calling?

Abraham was called to leave his father’s house and people and never to return. Moses left his father’s house and people but was called by God to return to them. Their callings took them in opposite directions, yet each one was uniquely doing the will of God.

We are not all called to travel around the world to preach. We are not all called to pioneer new businesses. Some of us must stay in one place to build those who are reached by others. Some of us must manage and nurture what others have built.

We live in a time of big dreams and big projects. God’s people are stepping out to do things that were thought impossible years ago. In the midst of all these ‘great’ achievements, we stand the risk of thinking that until we also do something big or pioneer something on our own, we are failing. That kind of thinking can be very destructive of your uniqueness and the special place that God has positioned you in.

The biggest mistake you can ever make is to allow somebody else’s achievement to limit what you consider possible. If your high calling is to be the one who teaches young children to read and write, don’t look down on your contribution and don’t allow any disrespectful comment from anybody to depress you.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that God calls us all to popularity and fame. Although doing what God has called us to do may make us known to the world, we must never equate fame and fortune with God’s calling.

Some of the most fulfilled people in our world are unknown. They serve and impact lives quietly without seeking the limelight.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for calling me to serve you with the gifts you have given me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

01/05/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Friday 1st May 2026

HOW GOD CALLED MOSES

Scripture Reading: Acts 7

This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. Acts 7:35

Our passage for today describes the significance of God’s calling to Moses. He was rejected by the people but called by God.

Everything that God used Moses to do began with God’s call. From the moment when Moses responded to God’s calling at the burning bush, he became a different man. The same goes with us. Whatever, the task we face, God’s hand on us makes all the difference. He has a place for us in His plans.

To really experience the fullness of the power of God, we will have to lay hold of God’s high calling for our lives. The power of God is resident in us, but it is released when we submit to the specific assignment that the Lord has for us.

God’s calling for each of us is His perfect will for us. His calling is not the same for everyone, For Moses, it was to go and liberate the Hebrew slaves. For Aaron, God’s calling was for him to follow Moses’ commands. These were different roles but all in the service of the Lord. Some are called to build things, like Noah. Others like Bezalel were called to design and do works of art. Each one of us has a role to play in our lives.

God’s calling is not only for the clergy. He calls us to other vocations in life. He wants all that we do to be connected to His will and purposes in all fields of endeavour.

When we connect to God’s calling, He brings us to the place of His sufficiency. It is the place of your strength. It is the place of your power. There is nothing more powerful than placing yourself where God wants you to be. God’s provision is found in the place He has called us to be.

Everyone that God calls, has a past that the Lord calls them out of. For Moses, the Lord’s calling reached into his past fears and failures and pointed him to a new future.

God is mindful of our pasts but does not allow what He knows about our past to make Him block out our future. He can deliver us from the things in our past that disqualify us. It’s not too late for God to do awesome things with your life.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, by faith I reach out to your high calling and purposes. I submit to your assignment for my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

30/04/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Thursday 30th April 2026

PHARAOH’S DELUSION

Scripture Reading: Exodus 8

Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had said. Exodus 8:19

Pharaoh’s magicians were defeated. The visitation of the stinging lice had accomplished what neither the blood of the waters nor the nuisance of the frogs had achieved. They called the third plague, ‘the finger of God’.

Though they did not understand the concept of one God who ruled over all, they knew what was happening was unusual. In their own way, what they communicated to Pharaoh was something like, “this is beyond anything we know - some powerful god must be helping the Israelites”

For us Christians, the term, ‘finger of God’ is a reference to God’s power. God works daily through the natural processes He has created. However, there are moments when He does things in our world that are extraordinary. The Lord can make His creation function in extraordinary ways. When that happens, we recognize those acts as ‘the finger of God’.

Pharaoh’s heart grew hard. Earlier, he hardened his heart; now, his heart ‘grew’ hard. That means Pharaoh became more obstinate. It shows a progression of stubbornness. How did Pharaoh get to this point where he was so set in his own way to imperil himself and his nation?

Pharaoh’s path to self-destruction had been encouraged by his magicians. They made him believe that Moses and Aaron were not remarkable people and should not be listened to. They sought to downplay the earlier miracles as simple magical works similar to what they did. Now, the magicians had come to the end of themselves, but they couldn’t get Pharaoh to turn back.

Sometimes people mislead others and later change their mind. Unfortunately, the people they misled continue on the path of deception.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, deliver us from delusion and self-destruction. Help us to know when to turn back. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

29/04/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

THE WORK OF WICKED

Scripture Reading: Exodus 8

Now, magicians were working like this with their enchantments to make lice grow, but they couldn't. So there were lice on the man and the beast. Exodus 8:18

No stain was spared by this third plague. Unlike previous epidemics where certain areas were left untouched, this epidemic was very widespread throughout the country. It was stinging bugs everywhere harassing people.

Pharaoh's magicians sought to imitate God's work as they had done before. This time they used their secret arts, but in vain: they failed. The passage says that after their failure, lice invaded both man and animal.

The witches could not imitate the acts of God, nor deliver the people from the judgment of God.

There comes a time when all powers surrender to the power of the Most High God. It was the final point for Egypt's magicians. They were so overwhelmed by the plague of lice that they just couldn't go any further.

The Lord gave Moses prior knowledge of how the conflict with Pharaoh would play out. It wasn't going to be a quick job. It would be a long-term conflict. The Lord indicated that He would intensify His acts until Pharaoh released the Hebrews from slavery. The climb to the third wound was the point where Pharaoh's magicians conceded, but it wasn't the last place for Pharaoh.

The works of God are constant. Sooner or later those who rebel against the Lord and His purposes will see the end of their game. They may resist the Lord for a while, but in time they will cease brutally. Just as the Lord put an end to the imitation of Pharaoh's magicians, may He put an end to every evil raised against you.

If you are a child of God, trust him in your difficulties. The enemy may resist God's purposes for a while, but the Lord will intensify His works until all His enemies bow at His feet.

Prayer: Heavenly father, confuse every worker of evil. Stop the works of darkness in our country. in Jesus name Amen

28/04/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Tuesday 28th April 2026

A DIVINE JUDGEMENT

Scripture Reading: Exodus 8

And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt._ Exodus 8:17

When Aaron struck the rod in his hand against the dust of Egypt, a miracle of transformation took place. The dust turned into lice.

The word that is translated as lice in this passage occurs only here and in Psalm 105:31. In other translations, it is rendered as ‘gnats’ – winged biting insects. Some scholars believe the insects involved were mosquitos – our good old anopheles’ friends!

Whatever the real nature of these ‘lice’ were, they were a plague. A plague that covered the land; like the way that a sandstorm would cover the land. The plague covered every part of Egypt where there was dust on the ground. It was pervasive.

1. On man and beast. This is the first plague to touch the people directly. The first and second plagues affected the people but did not touch them directly. These insects covered the bodies of the people and stuck them. The effect of the plague went beyond human beings and touched the animals of Egypt.

2. The plague struck without warning. Before anyone could say ‘hi’ they had insects on their bodies. It was so much so that, if you dared to speak, the insects would probably flood your mouth. This plague shows us the nature God’s judgment.

• The severity of God’s judgment. It is severe to come under God’s judgment. Those who take the bible’s warnings of judgment lightly do so to their eternal peril.

• The extent of God’s judgment. God can touch every place He has created with His judgment. No one can hide from God’s judgment.

May the Lord help all the people of our world to come to the redeeming grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and escape His judgment.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me not to take your warnings for granted. Deliver my soul from your judgments. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

27/04/2026

Sermon: Pastor Joshua Kwayisi
Sermon Title: Tongues.

Four common objections to the speaking of tongues.
1. Jesus did not speak in tongues, so I don't have to either.
2. Tongues are of the devil.
3. Tongues have ceased.
4. Only the first apostles could pray for people to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Three purposes of speaking in tongues
1. To strengthen the church.
2. To build the body of Christ on Earth.
3. Help the church or the believer to overcome temptations of the devil and the world.

26/04/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Sunday 26th April 2026

PHARAOH’S STUBBORNNESS

Scripture Reading: Exodus 8

They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said. Exodus 8:14–15

The Egyptians went out to gather the dead frogs which had invaded their land. The frogs were so many that they had to be gathered in heaps all over the land. This shows that the frogs that came onto land were real.

The land stank. Because the Egyptians could not dispose of the heaps of frogs early enough, they decomposed and sent off a foul odour on the land. As bad as the foul odour was, the people preferred that over the live frogs invading their homes. They felt relief.

Once the judgment was removed, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to honour his word to Moses. God had been merciful and delivered Pharaoh and his people from the hand of chastisement and judgment. However, Pharaoh shamefully abused God's mercy.

Of course, the Lord had known and said this would be the result. The price of following God was just too great to pay; he could not afford to free God’s people. To obey God meant the loss of wealth, of cheap labour, and financial gain—too great a price to pay to obey God.
How often do we cry to God for deliverance from some terrible situation? We make promises to God, promises to obey and do exactly what He commands. But how many of us follow through with our promises? How many of us shamefully abuse the mercy and patience of God? How many of us truly repent and turn with renewed vigour and commitment to God?
Though we may dislike Pharaoh for his devious behaviour, if we look at ourselves closely, we may find that we have a bit of ‘Pharaoh’ in us as well. May the Lord help us to keep our promises to Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to keep my promises to you. Grant me the grace to honour my vows. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

25/04/2026

25/04/2026

Let us not give up, meeting together. Hebrews 10:25
Join us for service this sunday at 8:00am.
God has a word for you.
https://youtu.be/zqvTMTjeBTg

25/04/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Saturday 25th April 2026

A SUPERNATURAL INTERVENTION

Scripture Reading: Exodus 8

Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. So the Lord did as the Lord had spoken to Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. Exodus 8:12–13

Moses cried unto the Lord. The expression ‘cried’ used is a strong one, and it speaks of intensity in prayer. Moses did not just mumble a few words of prayer. He took this prayer very seriously. He had ventured to fix a definite time for the removal of the plague, without any special command of God. Probably Moses did not know whether the challenge he had thrown to Pharaoh had God’s sanction.

He might have first cried to the Lord to forgive his impetuous act of making a decree without first checking with the Lord.

More than anything else, Moses cried to the Lord because he needed the Lord to back up the promise he made to Pharaoh. We can all relate to Moses and how he felt and prayed. We have all been in situations when we truly needed the Lord to come through for us. On such occasions, prayer takes on a lot of intensity.

The Lord did according to the word of Moses. God acted according to Moses’ word. He showed that He was with Moses. Though Moses had not spoken because of a direct order from the Lord, he was still in the will of the Lord. It is both exciting and humbling for God to listen to the words of His children and do what they ask for.

Moses prayed for God to take away the frogs and God took away the frogs. The frogs died. The passage does not give us details about how the Lord did it. It could have been through natural means like bacteria from the contaminated waters, canals, and springs from the Nile. Or the Lord spoke, and they died. Scripture does not say: it simply reports that God answered Moses’ prayer and the frogs died. The Lord who brought in the frogs also took them away.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, confirm your promises to me and do according to your word in my mouth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

24/04/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Friday 24th April 2026

NO ONE IS LIKE GOD

Scripture Reading: Exodus 8

So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.” Exodus 8:10–11

Pharaoh accepted Moses’ invitation to name the time for the frogs to be taken from the land. He asked Moses to pray the next day and ask God to take the frogs from the land.

Moses accepted the date fixed by the Pharaoh. He allowed the king of Egypt to set the timetable for relief from the plague for this reason: so that he would know that there is no one like the Lord.

- There is no one like our God. The Lord our God has no equal. No one is like the Lord our God. He is both just and merciful. He does execute chastisement and judgment upon the sinner, but He also will have mercy upon the sinner who cries out for deliverance and salvation.

- The Lord is above all gods. God had proven that He was the Lord of all power. He had executed judgment upon Egypt and shown that He and He alone was omnipotent. He has the power to judge all creatures. The Lord also showed that He had power over the reproduction of life. Remember, the Egyptians felt that the spirit of reproduction was represented by the frog.

Moses’ prayer would demonstrate that the Lord is the God of mercy, deliverance, and salvation. The Lord can remove as well as launch chastisement and judgment. Pharaoh needed to learn that the Lord is the God of mercy as well as the God of judgment. Through Moses, God proclaimed to Pharaoh and all Egypt that He has the power to administer judgment and mercy.

In Christ Jesus, God offers both judgment and mercy to the world. Through His death and resurrection, our Lord offers God’s eternal mercy to all who receive it. When we refuse God’s offer of mercy, we bring ourselves under God’s eternal judgment.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, there is none like you; and none beside you. Deliver me from every affliction. In Jesus’ name, Amen.