A pastor at 514 Grace Church in Villarica preaches on overcoming fear, failure, and temptation through faith in God. She shares her husband's near-fatal car accident and recovery, then pivots to a local crisis: middle-school students reading at first-grade level. She calls parents to prioritize tutoring and spiritual formation over materialism, and urges fathers to be present and mothers to value themselves.
Chapters
This program is brought to you in part by the friends and partners of 514 Grace Ministries.
Coming up next on the Grace—
we must overcome.
Who still reigns? Jesus, Jesus. Hey! We shout one name. Jesus, Jesus. Chains snap when we call that name. We lift one name. Jesus, Jesus. Hell backs up when we praise. We shout one name. Jesus, Jesus. Walls fall, giants hit the ground. We lift one name. Jesus, Jesus. King of glory, wear your crown. Light hit the dark, now the night gotta move. Fire in my chest, got my faith in the groove. Storm tried to talk, but he don't run the room. Grave lost the fight when he stepped from the tomb. Name got weight, name got power. Strong tower in the midnight hour. Devil tried smoke, but he lost that flame. We came alive when we called that name. One voice, one cry. Hands up, eyes high.
Good morning, good morning, good morning. Let's give the Lord a hand clap of praise. I tell you, um, I was telling my husband, I said, I, I don't like this side over here, but you know, God has called me, so I, I have to obey. My husband was talking about this morning how we have to obey the Spirit of God, and we— and anything the Holy Spirit tells us to do, we've got to do it. Amen.
Amen.
So today I won't be before you, before you long. Uh, I am a teacher by profession, so We like to make our points, make sure that our students understand, and then we go and monitor the room to make sure our kids know what we've talked about for the day. So today our title is We Shall Overcome—
Amen.
—We Must Overcome. Again, We Shall Overcome—
Hyphen.
We must overcome. Let us pray. Holy Spirit, you are welcome in this place to do whatever you want to do. Thank you for this opportunity to share what you've given me. May it encourage the listeners, Lord God, those that are on the other side of the camera, Lord God. I pray, Lord God, that you will minister this word and that you will go in, Holy Spirit, and do a work in all of our hearts. It's in Jesus' name that I pray. Amen. Back, um, in 1963, ML King said, we shall overcome. And now in 2026, I am saying we must overcome.
Amen.
After 34 years in the classroom, I've learned to start every new lesson the same way— by defining our term. Our term is overcome. So before we can go anywhere this morning, to overcome means to get through, to rise above, to come out on the other side of something that was trying to stop you. A fear, a failure, a temptation, a trial. I'll say that again. To overcome means to get through, to rise above, yes, to come out on the other side of something that was trying to stop you. A fear, a failure, a temptation, or a trial. The simplest way I can say this is to overcome is to triumph over anything that tries to stop God's purposes in your life. Amen.
Amen.
The New Testament word for this is nikao. You spell it N-I-K-A-O. Nikeo, and it comes from Nike. Now we all have heard about Nike. That's the Greek word for victory. I'm talking about that little swoosh that's on your shoe, most of our shoes. Um, that's Nike. It means to overcome. It means victory. That's what God is offering— not a life without battles, but a life where the battles don't get the final word.
Yes.
And I, when I first gave my life to the Lord back at West Georgia, West Georgia College, back in 1986, June 23rd, 1986, thank God for that day. Some young ladies came into the chapel. Connie, her name was Connie Sparks. She's Constance Randall now. And Alethea Tommy, she's Alethea Tommy Mitchell now. And I give God praise for those young ladies. coming into the chapel that day, and they led me to Christ.
Amen.
And I thought at that time that after giving my life to the Lord, that I would not have any battles. I thought that, you know, everything was just pie in the sky, that I was just— no, no battles at all. I was wrong. But God has given us the victory over those battles because we've already won, because Jesus has already won. Praise you, Lord. So let me say it plainly. An overcomer is simply someone who refuses to stay down.
Yes.
If you wrestle with fear but keep trusting God, you are overcoming.
Yes.
If you're sick and you hold on to your faith, you are overcoming. If you fall, repent, and get back up to follow Christ, then you are overcoming. If life gets hard, and it will, you just don't need to quit. Then you are overcoming.
Yes.
Now, where the victory comes from— let's tie this in with scripture, because the word of God is everything. It ties everything together. The word of God is what we need in order to overcome any situation. We cannot overcome without the word of God. I used to think I could do it in my own strength. I thought because I had all of these degrees and all this from West Georgia that I could do everything and I could just do my own thing and do it how I wanted to do it. But as Pastor Kelvin told us, we've got to do it God's way. Amen. The way of the kingdom. Scripture ties all of this to one source. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. That's 1 John 5:4. Again, it says, for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4. Now hear what John is not saying, people, people of God. He's not promising a life without trouble.
That's right.
He's saying that when trouble comes, and it will, trust me, you already have what you need to defeat it because Jesus has already won. Amen. Let's give God a hand clap of praise, praise, praise for that. And it's not in your strength, not your education, not your money, not your connections. The victory is in your faith.
Amen.
And I've talked to a lot of people, and I've had some wealthy people say, you know, I can just do this on my own. I got this. I have my education. I have my friends and all that, but when they become ill, when they're having problems with their children, when the money dries up, you need to know the overcomer, which is Jesus Christ. And he is our overcoming faith every day, and we have to get in him and allow him to work inside of us so that we can overcome Because things are going to come up.
That's right.
My husband became ill back, uh, we— when we first got married, we were married, uh, June 22nd, 1991, and he had an accident maybe like a week or two after our marriage. We just got married, we were newlyweds, and he was in a bad car accident. And I was like, Lord, what is this? I didn't sign up for this. What, what is this? And I was like, I, I've got to do— what do I do? And I couldn't call on family, I couldn't call on, uh, friends. I had to call on the only one that could help me.
That's right.
To help me to overcome the fears that I was gonna— that I was facing, because I didn't know, like, financially what we were gonna do. And God gave my husband— he healed my husband. They told him he would never walk again. He had to have all these epidurals and all types of stuff. I used to have to carry him to the bathroom, all of that. But God gave me the overcoming strength and gave me the faith in him to trust him that that was going to be a trial that the man— this man of God would overcome. And I give God praise for that.
Hallelujah.
Amen.
Yeah, let's—
God deserves the praise. Thank you, Lord. And I'm sure you guys can think of some things that you have had to overcome, maybe a fear of something or a trial you were going through in your health And you have to get in the word of God, the kingdom of God. You got to get in the word. You cannot overcome anything without getting in the word of God. The word of God is everything. It's not something, it is everything. It is life. The word of God must become our oxygen. You hear me? It must become our oxygen, people of God. It has to be, because in him we live and move and have our very being.
That's right.
It's the only thing that can keep us. It is the only thing that can cause us to overcome and to triumph in Jesus' name.
Hallelujah.
So when faith stands up, what does fear do? It has to sit down, right?
That's right.
When faith speaks, doubt loses its voice. When faith endures, the believer— you people of God— you overcome. Amen.
Amen.
Jesus said it himself, and this is John the 16th chapter, verse 33. John 16:33, and it says, in the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Amen. That's John 16:33, and Jesus said he's overcome the world and we are in him so we can overcome the world as well. He doesn't ask us to fight for victory. He calls us to fight from victory. Amen. Everybody get that? Let me say that again. He doesn't ask us to fight for victory.
That's right.
He calls us to fight from victory. We've already won. Amen. Now, why this matters right now, church— I have to bring this home because we're losing something very precious. We're losing our children.
Yes, right.
I'm not pointing a finger from a distance. I'm standing in the same struggle as every parent in this room and those that are online. But because love tells the truth, we have to be honest with one another. While we get caught up into things that don't last, our children are being shaped by forces that mean them no good. Look at how many of our kids are sitting in the middle school right now still reading on a 1st grade level. I know this firsthand. I've been teaching for 34 years.
Yes.
Going into my 35th year, 35th year, glory to God. But we have children that are in high schools, in middle schools, and we have like 8th graders that are reading on a 1st and 3rd grade level. So now we'll find money for everything else, for the latest shoes, for the latest weave job, for the latest clothing.
The—
what is this the kids say, the OOTD, the outfit of the day? We will go and spend money on that. But how many of us are willing to take that money to pay for a tutor for our kids? Come on now, make it real. How many of us are willing to put that new— the extensions and the nails and all of that, put that aside if you can't do both, where you can have your nails done and all of that stuff done and pay for your children to be tutored. If you can't do both, then do the one that's going to matter.
That's right.
Because a lot of our kids— we're failing our kids when we do not give them what they need educationally as well.
That's right.
And when we don't give them the word of God, we definitely fail them spiritually.
That's right.
But a lot of our kids cannot read the word of God because they can't even read just, just a normal book. Because of the reading levels are so low. So parents, we've got to get it together. This is not a judgmental sermon here. This is just a call to action that it is time for us to get it together. Amen.
Amen.
There's something— there's nothing wrong with sports. My husband loves sports. Pastor Keith, they love sports, the football teams. I don't really care for sports, but you know, I'm there with my husband and I'm just like eating the wings and things like that is I don't even know what's going on. I cheer for both teams because I don't know who's winning. I don't care. I just want every— I want everybody to win. My husband said, you've got to pick a team. I was like, no, I just want everybody to win. So I'm clapping for everybody. And so, but there's nothing wrong with sports, but we have to prioritize.
That's right.
I have had in the past where parents have said, well, my son or my daughter could not do their homework because they were involved in sports. Well, and some activities. And I'm like, but the homework is important in order for them to, uh, become this, this famous star or whatever they want. They've got to be able to read. They've got to go to college.
That's right.
They've got to be able to read. So let's put priorities, put things in priority, put first things first. Amen. Amen. Nothing wrong with them, but you've got to— we've got to get these kids tutored. And then for those that cannot afford tutoring, There are free, uh, there are teachers that do free tutoring after school. That is a part of our contract that we do after-school tutoring. Some of us do lunch and learn where we do tutoring during the lunchtime. So you don't always have to pay for a tutor. There's free tutoring right there with their teachers that's teaching them every day. So take advantage of that. Amen. To the fathers, I want to talk to fathers for a minute. Your children need your presence, not just presents. They need your present. Need you to be present there. And if you're not ready to build a home with a woman, I'm, I'm begging my brothers, please leave these ladies alone. You're, you're producing children that are angry. We have a lot of children where their fathers are not in the home and they're angry. I have seen 2 and 3-year-old kids They just— they're angry. Where's my daddy? Where's my daddy? So fathers, stop producing and developing these kids if you're not going to stay around. If you're not going to stay around, pull those pants up and go on about your business. Okay? Thank you. To the mothers, you are worth more than the company of just anybody. Overcome the fear and the loneliness that whispers you have to settle. Your daughter is watching how you value yourself. And I'm speaking as, as a woman. I know that sometimes I talk to a lot of single women and they say, well, I just— I, I knew he wasn't right for me, but I just wanted to have somebody. I had to have somebody. And so you're bringing these men into your homes and into your lives, and then they're wrecking your lives and the lives of your children. Yes, we have had lots of reports where, uh, men have come in and they've killed people's children, uh, because of past relationships or whatever. So I'm just saying, the discernment— you've got to, you've got to overcome your loneliness. You've got to overcome this, I just want to be with somebody so I won't be alone. You're never alone in Christ. And I'm— people say, well, you're married. I wasn't always married.
That's right.
But you've got to be able to overcome Loneliness. You've got to be able to overcome these inadequacies and these whatever you grew up with. We've got to overcome. Not that we Martin Luther King said that we we must or we shall overcome. I'm saying that we must overcome. We've got to overcome mothers, fathers. We have to overcome whatever is going on in our lives or whatever that makes us feel that we are not. We have got to overcome these things because our children are— they're watching.
That's right.
And if they see us overcome some things and they see us go through things, yet we get up and move on and go on in faith in Christ, man, we're doing some things. That's when you are really overcoming. You are a winner in Jesus' name. Now, to all of us, our children need to see a real walk with Jesus. Not a performance we must on— we must put on for an hour. Let me go back. Our children need to see a real walk with Jesus, not a performance we put on for an hour on Sunday. Amen.
Amen.
They can tell the difference. They need praying parents, praying grandparents, people who call on the name of Jesus over their lives Before the streets get the chance to do so. Let me say that again. They can tell the difference. Your kids, they know when you're faking. They need praying parents, praying grandparents, people who call on the name of Jesus over their lives before the streets get a chance to. I grieve over what I see aimed at our little ones online. Small children, uh, being posted online twerking and posing and looking like adults, and then grown men coming into the chat saying things about a little child.
Oh my God.
Mothers, fathers, we have to overcome our need to want to be famous so we would, uh, just exploit our children out there. This is bringing harm to you whether you think so or not, it is bringing harm to your child where they are now beginning to look for the applause of men and women to feel like they are winning or that they are something. We've got to really, really overcome, and we have to allow God to teach us how to train our children in the things of God so that they too can become overcomers even at a young age. We've got to train them now. And, um, our call— what we, what we can do as a body of believers, as born-again believers, we don't just diagnose a problem, we overcome it. Here's where it starts. We get on our knees. Everybody say, get on our knees.
Get on our knees.
Before we lose another child to despair.
That's right.
We return to what? Prayer. Everybody say, return to prayer.
Prayer.
Real prayer, real prayers, the kind that wrassles and won't let go. We get our priorities straight. We invest our time and our money in what actually shapes a child's future, their minds. Everybody say, their minds.
Their minds.
Their character. Their character.
Their faith.
Their faith. Their future.
Their future.
We let them see the real thing. We introduce our children to Jesus early, plant them in a Bible-based church, and let them watch us love God genuinely on the good days and on the hard ones. Let our children see us surrendering, uh, what's been holding us back, whatever it is— the lust, the insecurity, the distractions, the fears. Lay it down day. You cannot pour into your children what you refuse to receive yourself. I'll say that again. You cannot pour into your children what you refuse to receive yourself. Make it real. We have got to overcome. We must overcome. We must overcome in order for our kids to overcome. We must overcome, and I remember when our boys were growing up. We have three sons, and they will tell you to this day, you know, if my husband and I had to disagreement about something, we took it outside or whatever, or we you know stepped in the back room to talk about it. But our kids didn't see us brawling and and and all that kind of stuff. And not that we were perfect parents at all. I'm not saying that at all. all, because we've made mistakes too. But they had a chance to see us love God. And when we were going through some hard things, when my husband lost all of his family, his immediate family, year after year for 3 years straight, just back to back— his father, then his brother, then his sister, and then his mother—
my—
our boys got a chance to see us overcome our fears and to walk in faith and even to engraft them in and to teach them all the things that we had to teach them. And we had to go— we went through a lot during that time. But our boys can say that our parents are overcomers because we saw them. They did not give up because they could have given up easily. We could have just said, you know what, forget this, this is just too much. But they saw us overcome. Now we have made some mistakes, like I said before. But overall, our boys, you know, they'll tell you, yeah, you know, yeah, we could have done this a little better or whatever, but overall we saw our parents overcome.
Amen.
We didn't see them give up, curse us out, and throw us out.
Amen.
Even though we took them through some things, and they did, all 3 of them. But they know that we are overcomers, and it's because of the Word of God. It's not because of us. It is because of the Word of God.
Amen.
Now this is the heart of it— to conquer, to prevail, to gain the victory, to triumph, and to overcome, not just for ourselves but for our children coming after us. You don't overcome by your own strength. You overcome by the faith in the one who already won. So whatever has been keeping you from serving God with your whole heart, whatever that thing is that's keeping you from overcoming, lay it down at the feet of Jesus today. Lay it down today so that you can say with assurity, I am an overcomer and I've already won. In Jesus' name, amen.
You're watching because there's something that you're searching for, and that something is not really a something, it's actually A person, and that person his name is Jesus Christ. You need him as your personal Lord and Savior. If you're listening, pray this simple prayer with me. This is not complicated at all. Say, Father, come into my heart. I need you today. Forgive me of everything that I've done. Forgive me of the wrongs, those things that I've. Spoken that were lies, untruths, the rage, the anger, all of those things that have displeased you. Forgive me, God. Jesus, I need you. I believe that you died and rose and ascended and now seated in heavenly places. Jesus, save me. I for— I ask you to forgive me. And Father, I forgive myself. Self-hatred, Lord, deliver me from those things that cause me to dislike myself or to even try to harm myself, or negative self-talk. There's some of you that are watching that's dealing with negative self-talk. Stop it. Jesus, come into my life. Redeem me. I believe that my life, my past is covered by the blood of Jesus. I renounce Satan right now, and Jesus be the Lord of my life. And if you prayed that prayer with me, guess what? You're now born again. Welcome to the family of God. Jesus is your Savior. Do me another favor: follow us on social media. We're on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram. We're on YouTube. We're on X. And also just stay with us because 514 Grace Church—we're going to do great and marvelous things. Hopefully at the end of the year we have a great announcement that we're going to be making, uh, and you guys are going to be pleasantly surprised. But we need your help to get this work done. If you can just go to our website and click on give, if you can give $5, $10, $15, $20, $50, $100, that will help us publish this message of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. Not only that, but meet needs that are in this area where we can help other people to feed families, clothe people, help people do a lot of things because people have needs, genuine needs. And we also have a need. We need your support as a 2020 partner. Partner with us to get this gospel globally across the world. And if God touches your heart to give $1,000 Do it knowing that God will bless you. We steward this money correctly. Nobody is wasting it. Every dime is accounted for. And just partner with us so we can get the work done. I thank God for the word of God that's being taught here at 514 Grace Church. We are a new church. We're just planted here in Villarica. We're just getting started. If you're looking for a church home, This is a good church. Come be a member. Come and join Tracy and I and the leaders. We would love to be able to pastor you, shepherd you, lead you, help you and your families. And if you want to operate and know what God has called you to, God will show you here at 514 Grace Church. If you're in Villarica, if you're in Temple, Bremen, Bowden, Tallapoosa, Alabama, Atlanta, Douglasville, Carrollton, Georgia, the surrounding counties, Rootville. Come out, be a part, and fellowship with us. Just love to meet you in person and shake your hand. Tracy and I would love to meet both you and your family. And just know this, that there is a place, the place of grace, here at 514 Grace Church for you and your family. God bless you guys. We're not out of word and we're not done, but thank you for watching and And we'll see you guys next week. Next week, same time. God bless you in Jesus' name.
We shout one name.
Jesus, Jesus.
Chains snap when we call that name. We lift one name.
Jesus, Jesus.
Hell backs up when we praise. We shout one name.
