Island Community Church

06/04/2026

The Spirit of the World
Pastor Paul Esposito, Th.D.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” (1 Cor 2:12)

Meditate on that one today: The spirit of the world.
It’s all too easy to spot someone who has been infected with that virus!
As for all people young and old, who have received the Lord Jesus Christ, the above verse promises us that we have received a different Spirit: “The Spirit who is from God.”
And as a result of this change in us, we can now know the things that have been freely given to us by God!
Things like:
Peace
Joy
Made Holy
A Right Standing Before God
Great wisdom and spiritual insight.

Also, this helps us better understand unbelievers, and why they do and say the things that they do:
They have the spirit of the world.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim 1:7)

06/03/2026

06/03/2026

God So Loved the World
Pastor Paul Esposito, Th.D.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

This message is so easy to understand, that millions of children come to the faith!
Matter of fact, Jesus even said that WE need to become like children:
“Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 18:3)

This is why I allow the children to partake of The Lord’s Supper at our Church. Matter of fact, after reading this, I sometimes contemplate only offering it to the children. Because they get it right!

“Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 18:4)

06/02/2026

“Just Do It!”
Pastor Paul Esposito, Th.D.

“Whatever He says to you, do it!” (John 2:5)

Man o’ man, you gotta love Mary’s faith! Whatever He says to you, ‘just do it!’ May you and I do likewise!
Things like, ‘Pick up your cross and follow Me.’
Things like, ‘Repent, and believe the Gospel!’
Things like, ‘Whoever shall compel you to go one mile, go with them two.’
Things like, ‘Whoever wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.’
So Mary’s got it right, big time!
‘Whatever He says to you, do it!”

06/01/2026

“No Man Shall See Me”
Pastor Paul Esposito, Th.D.

“You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” (Exodus 33:20)

There’s not much we can say to that, is there?
“No man shall see Me, and live!”
The Apostle John wrote, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (John 1:18)
HOWEVER…
We do have these promises:
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ (John 14:9)
And this awesome promise of a future encounter:
“And they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.” (Rev 22:4)
The time is coming that someday, we will indeed see the face of God.
I can hardly wait!
That would be a great name for this devotional--I can hardly wait!

05/31/2026

https://youtu.be/xlyboBdqoGY?si=ubs2yEyNTERl9GXr

We're in Acts 9 & 10. Today we'll tie in Matthew 16:18-19, and all the miracles that the Apostle Peter is doing.

05/31/2026

Podcast Episode · WGOD Radio: All Truth, All the Time. · May 31 · 36m

05/31/2026

Eyewitnesses
Pastor Paul Esposito, Th.D.

“And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:34)

Our New Testament was delivered to us through eyewitnesses. John the Baptist is one of them. Look at his testimony: He’s putting his left hand on a Bible, raising his right hand towards heaven, and declaring to us, ‘Jesus is the Son of God.’
And John, like most of the other eyewitnesses, all died to bring us these eyewitness accounts.
The Apostle Peter reveals to us, “We were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16)
You can take great comfort in knowing that the men who were responsible for bringing us our Bible were all eyewitnesses of the Son of God, while He was alive, and who saw Him alive after He had died.

“He was seen by over 500 [witnesses] at once…” (1 Cor 15:6)

05/29/2026

Behold, the Lamb of God!
Pastor Paul Esposito, Th.D.

“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29)

I love that word ‘Behold!’ The speaker is drawing our attention towards a particular thing. In this instance, John the Baptist is pointing both us and his disciples to Jesus.
Behold! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
This reminds me of the ‘scapegoat’ in the Old Testament—he was the ‘lucky’ lamb, whom they laid hands on, and transferred all the sins of the people on, and sent the lamb into the wilderness!
And then there’s the other Lamb—the Lamb which was slain.
Jesus is a picture of both of these lambs.

“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14)