The church is to be a place of healing and restoration, but we often find fighting and bickering. A lot of us are engaged in war, but with the wrong enemy. It isn't uncommon to find more compassion in the local bar than in the local church. We must lay aside our differences, forgive each other, love each other and seek out the lost. There are many backslidden believers longing to return to the church, but they fear the judgment they'll face if they do. It's time for the church to open its doors and hearts to the lost and hurting that desperately need healing.

Pastor Gary Wilkerson opens up the EXPECT 2011 Church Leadership Conference with a message about holy confidence. In an age when the media has headlines of pastors and leaders failing and falling, there is a temptation to muster up some spiritual gumption and declare that we won't mess up. This can be a prideful self-confidence worked up in our flesh. In truth, there was only one Shepherd that never failed — Jesus. It is through Him that we acquire the perfection required by God.

It is time for the church to return to the supernatural. Some of us try to build the supernatural with the natural — planning, reasoning, flesh, etc. Others of us are in a place of hopeless and discouragement — a powerless and prayerless place. God wants men and women that will get up, fight back and stand in faith. Jonathan and his armor-bearer only took a half-acre of land, but their faith shook Hell. Moses was an old man with a stick and a one-line sermon, but he had faith. No matter how small your ministry may seem or how useless you may feel, with faith God can move supernaturally through your life.

1 Corinthians 13 is often thought of as a sentimental bit of scripture about love. We aspire to love as it is described in these verses, and use it as a checklist to measure how well we are doing as Christians. What is being described here is God's perfect and unconditional love — a love that is impossible for us to achieve in our own efforts and strength. It is meant to show us our spiritual poverty in contrast to the richness of God's love. Christianity is not a self-improvement plan. It is a work of Christ through the Holy Spirit. He gives a new heart with new desires, and imputes to us His righteousness, strength and desire to love like He loved.

This message is for everyone who is stranded in mixture. You have gone from the promises of God into a place of emptiness and struggle. When we live in mixture we give the enemy access into our heart and mind. God wants you to come back to Him. The moment you turn to Jesus Christ and ask Him to cover you He will respond to you by confronting all your enemies and settle the matter quickly. Today you can come back into the promises, protection and provision of your Kinsman Redeemer. The invitation is to come to the feet of Jesus and let Him fight for you.

September 11, 2011 – Are we salt? This is a serious question we should be asking ourselves. Jesus made a definitive statement that we are to be the salt of the earth. Does your life create a thirst for Christ to those around you? Does it provoke a desire to be healed? Can people point to your life and see the full expression of who God is? When we are half-hearted towards God, or in compromise, those around us will not be able to taste and see that the Lord is good. Today God is reaching out His hand to every Christian who is living in sin and He wants to bring you into the victory of the cross. This messages urges us that there is a window of opportunity open by God to be salt and light to a lost generation but we, you, must make the break. We are the plan of God for the world. We are the salt and healing for this generation. Don't miss this critical moment in time. Get right with God.

Judgment, calamities and perilous times aren't coming — they're already here. We are in the beginning of the end-times birth pangs that Scripture says will only increase in frequency and intensity. The Bible tells us that there will be suffering, pain and persecution in life. We're not to be surprised, scared or taken off guard when it comes. We serve a sovereign all-powerful God that takes what Satan intended for evil and uses it for good.

The Lord will allow times and seasons in our lives for us to consider our ways and begin to focus on what we are truly invested in. As this world is moving toward an economic collapse, the only true currency that will be left standing that will be of any true value, and offer hope and security to a nation, is the Word of God. In these last days there will be a people who have chosen to believe the promises of God, who have gone through the fire and come out on the other side with a supernatural trust in God. God is calling us not only to love the Word of God, but to live it. The promises of God are the only thing that will be of any value. It is the only thing that will shine in these last days. Get into the Word of God and let the Word shine through you in the darkness of the last days.

In January, at the start of the year, we are typically filled with joy and great expectation for what God is going to do that year, but as the months go by many of us find ourselves facing sorrow, loss and hardships. We are not promised a pain-free life. There will be trials and tribulations, but out of these struggles comes a new song because we know we have a Righteous Branch and Shepherd who is faithful, strong and loves us. Despite what comes, we can sing, "It is well with my soul!"

Are you facing a battle of inner discouragement? Are you taunted with thoughts that say your life isn't amounting to anything for the kingdom of God? Did you ever think that your life could be used to affect thousands? If you did you will face the battle of discouragement and fear. You have to fight through the half acre of mockery and the barrage of lies from the devil that tells you that you are nothing in the kingdom of God. You have to fight on the half acre of prayer and fight on the held acre of faith. Don't give up on the ground of prayer and the ground of faith. When you make the choice to get up and fight, people will follow you and the powers of hell will be broken over your life and the lives of others. Stand up and fight for the glory of God and the souls of men. You make the choice to fight, and God will empower you.