Greater Refuge Temple Church Of God In Christ - COGIC

09/02/2026

Word of the Day (Sep 2, 26)

“Sing Anyhow”

Text: Psalms 137:3-4, “For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?”

Ancient Judah was deeply depressed during the Babylonian Captivity. The Psalmist described their grief, saying, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof” (vv. 1-2).

To make matters worse, their captors demanded that they sing to entertain them. But they simply could not. They were mourning the loss of their loved ones, their homes, and their freedom. Deep down, they also carried the heavy regret of sinning against God and causing their own exile. Looking ahead, their future in this strange place felt completely hopeless.

It is incredibly hard to sing when we are weighed down, burdened, or far from jubilant. But we need to sing anyhow.

Sing anyhow because, despite our dismal situations, we serve a good God who is always worthy of praise. Sing anyhow because, unlike ancient Judah, our ability to sing is not hindered by our physical location, but by the state of our relationship with God.

Sing anyhow, my friends!

Love,

Pastor Penn

09/01/2026

Word of the Day (Sep 1, 26)

“God is our Hope”

Text: Psalms 143:8-10, “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”

Sometimes, all we can do is pray. Not only is prayer at times our only option, but it is always our best option. Even when we think we have things figured out, it is vitally important that we pray, because our human solutions may not be the right solutions. God alone knows the path we should take.
David clearly understood this during a dark period in his life. He was under attack and feared for his life (v.3). His spirit was overwhelmed and his heart was heavy (v.4). Yet, he found comfort by remembering the good old days when God delivered him (v.5). As a result, he stretched forth his hands in prayer, asking God to deliver him speedily because he was on the verge of giving up (vv.6-7).

However, just when David was about to surrender to despair, his faith shifted. Instead of focusing on his fears, he lifted his soul to God and asked for guidance, protection, and a renewed spirit (vv.8-10). God gave him a reason to hope.

Beloved, you might be going through a storm right now. You may even feel like giving up. However, like David, we can find a ray of hope. God is saying to us, “Don’t give up. I am your hope. Trust me, and I will bring you out of the darkness.”

The sun will shine again because the Son is shining in our hearts. Don’t give up, my friends—God is our hope!

Love,

Pastor Penn

08/30/2026

Word of the Day (Aug 30, 26)

"It Will Work Out for Our Good"

Text: Genesis 50:20, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

The Bible tells us, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). This does not mean that all things that happen to us are good because they are not. However, placed together by God, they work for our good.

It's like salt, which is made of two chemicals: sodium and chloride. Separately, they are poisonous, but together they are not. They are not only good for seasoning, but a certain amount of salt is necessary for health and life.

In his life, Joseph experienced several things that were bad, painful, and disheartening. He was hated by his brothers, sold by them into slavery, imprisoned unlawfully, and then forgotten and abandoned by the cupbearer. Individually, those things could have broken Joseph. But put together by God, those things worked out for his good. Joseph acknowledged this to his brothers when he said, "Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good... to save much people alive" (v.20).

Beloved, regardless of what we're going through, it's going to work out for our good because we love God, and God has a purpose and a plan for our lives.

Love,

Pastor Penn

08/30/2026

https://www.youtube.com/live/4lDxp0y2Ohs?si=lRu7qDzigf3ake_V

Church Service

08/28/2026

Word of the Day (Aug 28, 26)

"The Importance of Self Control

Text: Proverbs 16:32, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."

Lost in this fast-paced world is the importance of self-control. People tend to have a temper tantrum at the least bit of inconvenience or discomfort they experience. For example, we fret when we have to stand in line too long, complain when an elderly person walks too slow in front of us, and some of us even act like the Terminator when someone cuts us off while driving. Think about it, so much heartache, stress, and anger can be avoided if we would simply practice self-control.

Self-control is vital for everyone, but especially for leaders. As leaders, our first calling is to manage ourselves, for only then can we effectively manage others. A mighty person can conquer a city, and a gifted individual may achieve great things, but unless he controls himself, his conquests or achievements will not last.

Beloved, it does not take much to respond negatively, but it takes wisdom and self-control to respond appropriately. Remember, we may not be able to control the negative behavior of others, but we can control how we respond to it. Self-control is important, my friends, so practice it. Who knows, it just might make life easier for others and us.

Love,

Pastor Penn

08/27/2026

Word of the Day (Aug 27, 26)�
"God Hears You"�
Text: Genesis 16:11, "And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction."

Ishmael, Abraham’s oldest son, is often treated as a forgotten name or a mere afterthought in the Bible. He didn't ask to be born. His birth was the result of Abraham and Sarah’s scheming, and Sarah eventually evicted both Ishmael and his mother, Hagar.

Yet, there is much more to Ishmael than meets the eye. His very name means, "God hears." This meaning was deeply significant. When Hagar felt completely abandoned, unseen, and unloved in the desert, God met her there. He proved that He was listening to her pain.

Ishmael’s story serves as a powerful reminder for anyone who feels overlooked, rejected, or like the "least" in their circles. Regardless of how others treat you, your identity is not defined by their rejection.

Be encouraged, my friends. God hears your affliction and will come to your rescue.
�Love,
�
Pastor Penn

08/26/2026

Word of the Day (Aug 26, 26)

“Praying Through the Storm”

Text: Matthew 8:23-25, “And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.”

Storms are inevitable. Even with Jesus on board the ship, His disciples still encountered a storm. One can make the argument that they were in the storm because of Jesus, for according to Matthew, His disciples followed Him onto the ship. People tend to think that following Jesus means that we are exempt from the storms.

The truth is, God never promised us exemption from, but support and protection in the storms. Jesus promised to never leave or forsake us. Like Jesus’ disciples, we too may feel that Jesus is asleep or oblivious to our storms. However, He is not. All we have to do is call on Him and He will come to our rescue.

Beloved, in the midst of our storms, we need to pray through. Pray through until God answers. He may not always respond as we like, but He will always respond and help us according to His will.

Love,

Pastor Penn

08/25/2026

Word of the Day (Aug 25, 26)

“Keep Persevering”

Text: Psalms 126:5, “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy.”

When the Psalmist wrote this verse, he used an agricultural metaphor his audience knew well. Farmers in ancient Israel often planted their last remaining grain while hungry and weeping, risking their food supply for a future crop. Historically, this spoke to Israelites returning from bitter exile in Babylon, facing the exhausting task of rebuilding a ruined land.

Just like those ancient farmers, it can be difficult for us to keep pressing forward today. Doing the right thing often feels futile when relief is slow to come.

Yet, the promise remains. Right now, several of you are dealing with heavy situations and standing on the verge of giving up. But God does not want you to quit. Your present pain, hard work, and deep grief are not wasted. God will turn your faithful endurance into a future harvest of great joy.

Be encouraged, my friends, and keep persevering!

Love,

Pastor Penn

08/24/2026

Word of the Day (Aug 24, 26)

"God is Always There"

Text: Psalms 139:7-10, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."

God is intimately acquainted with us, even down to each minute detail. He knows our strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, and actions—even before we do. He knows us so well that Jesus said even the hairs of our head are numbered by Him. Such attention to detail demonstrates just how much God knows and cares for us.

This extraordinary knowledge caused David to proclaim, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it" (v.6). Recognizing this, David realized there is no way to escape God's presence because His Spirit is always there. Whether we ascend to heaven, descend to the depths, or journey to the uttermost parts of the sea, His hand will lead us and His right hand will hold us.

Beloved, God wants us to know that there is no place we can go where He is not there. There is no experience too tough that He cannot handle, and there is no problem too small that He does not notice. So in the midst of it all, just remember to trust Him and call upon Him in prayer. When we do, we will realize that He is always there.

Love,

Pastor Penn

08/23/2026

https://www.youtube.com/live/BF8Q0hvRIjo?si=SRoRlX0ujrGBr6Zq

Church Service