https://www.facebook.com/310122542193984/

TOC Family Church, RIABAI BARABARA MPYA, Kiambu (2026)

11/10/2026

🔴 Sunday Service - 1st Service

We are not saved by what we bring to God but by the gift of God.

09/10/2026

📍 PURE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION

MIND STAYED ON CHRIST

Rev. Annie Rukenya
📅9th Oct 2026

📖 ANCHOR TEXT
James 1:26–27 NKJV

“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT
It is possible to be very religious and still deceive yourself!

The issue is not whether the person thinks he is devoted to God. He probably is..

The issue is whether his life agrees with what he professes, and this is where there's usually a major disconnect with some of our brethren in the faith.

Sometimes I want to ask, what happens to your tongue when you got born again?

If I say I belong to Christ but I cannot control what I say about people, if my mouth is continually producing gossip, slander, insults, lies, or bitterness, James says I need to examine my religion.

That is a sobering thought.

Because it is possible to look spiritual in church and yet our speech reveals that our hearts are not being brought under the rule of Christ.

James says such religion is “useless.”

Then he tells us what God regards as “pure and undefiled religion.”

And notice what he does. He takes religion out of the realm of religious appearance and puts it into real life.

“To visit orphans and widows in their trouble…”

James is talking about moving toward people in their vulnerability and distress.

Not simply feeling sorry for them, or talking about compassion.

Actually visiting them. Seeing them. Being present. Doing something for them as believers in Jesus.

Why?

Because the God we worship cares about people who are vulnerable.

The text continues to tell us that, biblical religion is not compassion without holiness, and it is not holiness without compassion.

We cannot say, “I love God,” while having no concern for people who are suffering.

Neither can we say, “I love people,” while making peace with the sinful values of the world.

James holds the two together:

Mercy toward people.
Separation from sin.

And both find their perfect expression in Christ Jesus.

Look at Jesus' earthly life, He moved toward the suffering, He touched the unclean, He welcomed the rejected, He fed the hungry, He defended the vulnerable.

And yet He remained completely holy.

Jesus never became like the world in order to love people in the world. He entered our brokenness without becoming broken by our sin.

So perhaps the question our text wants us to ask is not just, “Am I religious?”

But:

“Does my devotion to Christ have any visible effect on the way I speak, the way I treat people in trouble, and the way I live?”

Because genuine faith does not remain invisible.

When Christ is truly shaping us, eventually it reaches our mouths, our relationships, the way we respond to suffering, and definitely reaches the things we refuse to participate in.

It reaches everyday life.

And perhaps that is the warning James gives us:

Don't deceive yourself by measuring your devotion to God only by what happens in religious spaces.

Look at your life.

What does it say?

REFLECTION
If someone observed your speech, your treatment of vulnerable people, and your private choices, what would your life say about your devotion to Christ?

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Pure devotion to God is not measured only by what I do in church, but by whether Christ is transforming the way I speak, love, serve, and live.

SAY THIS PRAYER
Lord Jesus, search my heart. Expose every place where I have mistaken religious activity for genuine devotion to You. Bring my words under Your rule. Give me eyes to see those who are hurting and a heart willing to move toward them. Keep me from becoming conformed to the world while I live and serve in it. Let my life increasingly reflect You. Amen.

CONFESSION
I will not deceive myself with religious appearance.

My words belong under the rule of Christ.

I will not ignore people in trouble.

I will pursue holiness without losing compassion.

I will love people without conforming to the world.

My faith will become visible in the way I live. Christ is transforming me from the inside out.

My mind is stayed on Christ.

08/10/2026

Today we learnt that the principles of discernment, testing, and refusing to elevate dreams above God’s truth apply to everyone.

However, the Christian has something foundational: the revealed Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, when an unbeliever believes they have received something from God through a dream, we should not immediately hand them a “dream dictionary” which, of course, does not exist. Nor should we approach the dream as though our task is simply to decode its hidden meaning for them.

We should point them to God and to His revealed truth.

This principle is important because it keeps biblical dream interpretation from becoming fortune-telling dressed in Christian language.

We are not trying to become people who decode secret information or assign meanings to symbols according to a formula.

We are seeking to discern:

• Is this genuinely from God?
• What does Scripture say about it?
• What, if anything, is God communicating?
• And if God is communicating something, what faithful response is required?

Scripture remains the standard not the dream.

Watch the full teaching on YouTube in the video attached here. 👇

https://www.youtube.com/live/0gPLiGxGjiw?si=v6pgm7h9ekUleOAO

08/10/2026

📍 ARE YOU DOUBTING?

MIND STAYED ON CHRIST

Rev. Annie Rukenya
📅 8th October 2026

📖 ANCHOR TEXT:
James 1:5–8

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting…”

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT
Have you ever been in a difficult situation and thought, “God, what am I supposed to do?” I have, all of us have...

James started his epistle by telling us that trials test our faith and produce steadfastness. Now he tells us what to do when we don't know how to navigate the trial:

Ask God for wisdom.

I love that James doesn't tell us to pretend we have all the answers.

He says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.”

In other words, You don't know what to do? don't fret, don't wander around as though you have no help, simply ASK GOD.

And he tells us what to ask for and how. Ask God for wisdom. Wisdom is knowing how to respond to life according to God's truth. And James ensures to tell us that God gives wisdom generously and without reproach.

But then he addresses something important that may be an obstacle to our receiving, he says

“Let him ask in faith, with no doubting.”

Now, I must say that James is not saying that having questions means you have no faith.

There is a difference between honest questions and wavering trust.

You can say, “Lord, I don't understand what You are doing.”

You can ask, “Why has this taken so long?”

You can even say, “Lord, I am struggling to understand. Help me.”

Those questions can be brought honestly before God.

Faith does not mean having no questions.

Faith brings its questions to God without abandoning trust in God.

The problem James addresses here is when our uncertainty becomes divided trust, let me explain...

Dividend trust sounds like:

“I don't understand what God is doing, therefore I cannot trust Him.”

Or:

“God hasn't answered my prayer yet, therefore I think He won't answer.”

James compares this person to a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

That's what happens when circumstances become stronger than our confidences in God's character.

Perhaps you have been praying about something for a long time.

You believed God. You fasted and prayed. You waited and waited, maybe you're still waiting...

And because the answer didn't come when you expected, you have started wondering, “Will God really do this, doubt has crept into your heart, you're no longer expectant?”

Today I'm calling you back to trusting God.

You may not know when God will answer.

You may not understand what He is doing.

But you can still know who He is, He doesn't change because our prayers seem unanswered.

So ask Him again, ask for wisdom today.

Bring Him all your questions, your fears and anxiety, Jesus tells us to bring Him our burdens, bring them all to Him.

And don't let unanswered questions become an excuse to abandon your confidence in God.

You may not understand what He is doing, but don't let that plant doubt in your heart or cause you to lose confidence in God.
Keep your mind stayed on Christ, He's not limited by our unanswered prayers. Ask for wisdom and believe that you have received it.

REFLECTION
Introspectively and intentionally ask yourself; Has my unanswered questions strengthened my dependence on God, or have they begun to weaken my trust in Him?

Have you been bringing your questions and fears to God, or are you allowing your questions to make you question His character?

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Remember, faith is not the absence of questions. Faith brings its questions to God without surrendering trust in God.

SAY THIS PRAYER
Father, I don't always understand what You are doing, but I choose to trust You. Give me wisdom for the trials I am facing. Help me bring my questions to You without allowing them to divide my heart. Strengthen my faith and keep me steadfast when Your timing is different from mine. Keep my mind stayed on Christ. Amen.

CONFESSION
I may have questions, but I will not abandon my faith or doubt my God.
I may not understand God's timing, but I will trust His character.

I will ask God for wisdom.

I will bring my questions and burdens to Him.

I will not allow circumstances to divide my heart.

God is wisdom.

God is generous.

God is trustworthy.

I will remain steadfast.

My mind is stayed on Christ the author and finisher of my faith.

07/10/2026

Not every dream is a message from God. Not every strange dream is demonic. And biblical dream interpretation is far deeper than symbols and dream dictionaries.

Join us this Thursday as we explore how to discern, interpret, and respond to dreams biblically.

Established Bible Study
Thursdays, 6:30–8:00 PM

📍 Torch of Christ Family Church, Kiambu Riabai, Barabara Mpya

07/10/2026

📍 COUNT IT ALL JOY?

MIND STAYED ON CHRIST

Rev. Annie Rukenya
📅 7th October 2026

📖 ANCHOR TEXT
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2–4

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT
James begins his writing with a command that can sound almost unreasonable:

“Count it all joy… when you meet trials.”

James is not saying that trials are pleasant or that suffering should make us happy. He is telling us how to regard trials in light of what we know God is producing through them.

Notice the reason James gives:

“For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

That word “know” matters to us, because we can count a trial as joy because we know something about what God can accomplish through the testing of our faith.

A trial tests our faith. It puts our trust in God under pressure. Will we continue believing Him when circumstances become difficult? Will we remain faithful when obedience becomes costly? Will we continue standing on His Word when we cannot see the outcome?

James says that such testing produces steadfastness, this is the ability to remain faithful under pressure.

But James does not stop there, he continues to say “Let steadfastness have its full effect.”

The trial is not the destination. Maturity is.

God is not simply interested in getting us through difficult circumstances. As we persevere in faith, He is forming something in us.

James says the result is that we may become “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

This means we should not waste our trials.

Instead of asking only, “How do I get out of this?” we can also ask, “How is God calling me to remain faithful in this?”

The trial may be painful, but our response to it can become an opportunity for spiritual maturity.

Jesus gives us the ultimate example. Hebrews 12:2 says that He endured the cross “for the joy that was set before Him.” He endured suffering with His eyes fixed beyond it.

So, counting it all joy does not mean enjoying the trial.

It means knowing that the testing of our faith can produce steadfastness, and steadfastness can produce maturity.

Keep your eyes on Christ.

REFLECTION

What trial are you facing right now?

Are you allowing steadfastness to have its full effect, or are you allowing the pressure to produce fear, bitterness, unbelief, or self-reliance?

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I don't count the trial as joy because it is pleasant. I count it as joy because I know God can use the testing of my faith to produce steadfastness and maturity in me.

SAY THIS PRAYER
Lord Jesus, strengthen my faith when I face trials. Help me remain steadfast under pressure and not resist the work You are doing in me. Let steadfastness have its full effect, so that I may grow into spiritual maturity. Keep my eyes on You. Amen.

CONFESSION
My circumstances do not define God's faithfulness.
My faith will remain steadfast.
I will let steadfastness have its full effect.
God is forming maturity in me.
My eyes are on Jesus.
My mind is stayed on Christ.

06/10/2026

📍 GOD GETS “LATE”?

MIND STAYED ON CHRIST

Rev. Annie Rukenya
📅 6th October 2026

📖 ANCHOR TEXT

1 Samuel 13:8–14

> “So he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, ‘Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.’ And he offered the burnt offering.” 1 Samuel 13:8–9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT
There are moments when one of the hardest things we have to do is wait.

Think about your own situation. You prayed. You believed. You expected God to move by a certain time and then the expected time passed.

What happens in your heart when God has not moved when you expected Him to?

The temptation is to interpret God's silence as His absence, and His delay according to our timetable, as though God has somehow arrived late.

But God does not get late.

To call God late would be to place Him under our clock. God is not bound by time as we are. He is Lord over time.

The real question is not, “Why is God late?”

The question is:

“What will I do when God has not moved at the time I expected Him to?”

Look at Saul.

Samuel had given Saul a specific instruction: wait at Gilgal until Samuel came. Saul was not left wondering what God wanted him to do. He had already received the instruction.

But seven days passed.

Samuel had not arrived.

The Philistine army was gathering. Saul's soldiers were becoming afraid and scattering. The pressure was increasing.

And Saul decided that something had to be done.

He ordered the burnt offering to be brought and offered it himself.

At first glance, this might sound spiritual. After all, Saul was offering a sacrifice to God.

But this was precisely the problem.

God had not asked Saul to offer the sacrifice. God had told Saul to wait for Samuel.

The issue was not that sacrifice was wrong. The issue was that Saul replaced God's instruction with his own solution when the waiting became uncomfortable.

Samuel arrived immediately after Saul finished the offering and said:

“You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God.” (1 Samuel 13:13)

Saul's impatience had become disobedience.

And this is where the passage speaks powerfully to us.

Sometimes when we think God is late, we begin to help God.

We take the opportunity God has not given us.

We force the door that has not opened.

We make the decision God has not instructed us to make.

We call it wisdom.

We call it initiative.

We may even dress it in spiritual language.

But sometimes what we call “helping God” is simply our inability to remain under His Word while we wait.

And this is where our minds must return to Christ.

Jesus never allowed pressure to make Him move outside the Father's will.

He knew His hour.

He waited for His hour.

And when His hour came, He willingly went to the cross.

Think about that.

From our human perspective, there could have been a moment when it seemed God had waited too long. Israel was suffering. The world was broken. Generations had waited for the promised Redeemer.

But “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son” (Galatians 4:4).

God was not late.

The cross happened at the appointed time.

So when God has not moved according to your timetable, remember Christ.

You may not understand the waiting.

You may not like the waiting.

But you do not have to take God's place in the waiting.

You can trust the One whose timing is wiser than yours.

Wait under His Word.

Trust His wisdom.

Obey what He has already said.

And keep your mind stayed on Christ.

REFLECTION
Where have you been tempted to conclude that God is late because He has not acted according to your expectation?

Are you being tempted to do something God has not told you to do simply because waiting has become uncomfortable?

APPLICATION THOUGHT
When the pressure to act becomes strong, return to what God has already said. Do not abandon obedience because you cannot yet see God's timing.

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God is never late; when His timing does not agree with mine, I can still trust His wisdom and remain under His Word.

SAY THIS PRAYER
Father, teach me to wait without losing trust in You. When I do not understand Your timing, keep me anchored in Your Word. Keep me from taking matters into my own hands or stepping outside Your instruction because of pressure. Fix my eyes on Christ, who perfectly trusted and obeyed You. Amen.

CONFESSION
God is never late.
He is Lord over time.
His wisdom is greater than my understanding.
His timing is trustworthy.
I will not allow pressure to lead me outside His Word.
I will not manufacture what God has told me to wait for.
I will not confuse impatience with faith.
I will wait, trust, and obey.
My confidence is in Christ.
My mind is stayed on Christ.

05/10/2026

📍Gratitude In The Trial

MIND STAYED ON CHRIST

Rev. Annie Rukenya
📅 5th October 2026

📖 ANCHOR TEXT
James 1:2–4
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

Gratitude is easy when life is going according to our expectations. The deeper work of faith begins when situations in life are not as good as we'd like.

James in our anchor text does not tell believers to pretend that trials are pleasant. He tells us to count them as joy because of what God is doing through them. The joy is not in the pain itself; the joy is in knowing that our trials do not have the final word. God is at work in us.

But we need to be careful about what we believe this means.

We sometimes say, “Hard times make hard people.” There is some truth in the observation, but hardship is not the thing that ultimately makes us like Christ.

Christ makes us like Christ.

The primary instrument God uses to transform us is not suffering. It is His truth, received by faith and worked into our lives by the Holy Spirit. We are transformed as we behold Christ and grow in the knowledge of Him (2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Peter 3:18).

This means God is not only working when life is difficult.

What happens when nothing seems to be going wrong? Truth is that God is still forming you.

You are still being renewed through His Word. You are still growing in the knowledge of Christ. You are still learning obedience, developing spiritual maturity, and being conformed to the image of the Son.

Trials have a place in the believer's life, but they are not the permanent definition of the believer's life.

So what does James mean when he says that the testing of faith produces patience?

Trials exercise faith. They expose what we are trusting, teach us to endure, and provide occasions to practice what God's Word has taught us. Patience is not produced because suffering has some magical power to improve us. God uses trials as He continues His work of forming Christ in us.

That changes our perspective.

When hardship comes, we can say, “Lord, I do not thank You because this pain is good. I thank You because You are good, and You are with me in it.”

And when life becomes peaceful again, we do not conclude that God has stopped working.

He is still forming Christ in us.

So whether today brings pressure or peace, let your mind return to Christ.

The goal is not to become impressed by how much hardship you have survived, you may use your story to encourage someone else going through what you've overcome, but again not as a standard, the word of God is more superior than our experiences.

The goal is to become increasingly like Jesus, and help others do the same.

REFLECTION
What have you been allowing your circumstances to tell you about God?

Can you distinguish between being grateful for God's work in a trial and believing that the trial itself is your source of spiritual growth?

APPLICATION THOUGHT

Today, whether life feels hard or peaceful, give thanks for the God who is continually forming Christ in you through His Word and Spirit.

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
My trials do not make Christ my Savior; they give me opportunities to trust the Savior who is already forming His life in me.

SAY THIS PRAYER
Father, thank You that You are at work in every season of my life. Teach me to count trials as joy because I know You are faithful. Keep me from depending on circumstances to define my faith. Form Christ in me through Your Word and by Your Spirit. Amen.

CONFESSION
God is good in every season.
I do not worship my circumstances; I worship Christ.
My trials do not define me.
Christ defines me.
God is continually forming me through His Word and Spirit.
When I suffer, I will trust Him.
When I prosper, I will thank Him.
When life is quiet, I will remember that He is still working.
My eyes are on Christ, and my mind is stayed on Him.

04/10/2026

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

03/10/2026

Join us at ToC Family Church for a powerful time in God’s presence as we explore “Tracing the Seed of the Woman.”

📅 Sunday, 4th October 2026
⏰ 1st Service: 7:00AM | 2nd Service: 10:00AM
📍 Kiambu Riabai, Barabara Mpya - opposite Kuvulini Court

Come ready to worship, learn, and encounter Christ.
Christ the Light of Life. 🕊️✨

TOC Family Church

11/10/2026

09/10/2026

08/10/2026

08/10/2026

07/10/2026

07/10/2026

06/10/2026

05/10/2026

04/10/2026

03/10/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Place Of Worship

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request