TalkBRO. AUDIE VILLARAZA:I have some unfortunate news. Today is the last talk of this series,WHO CAN LEAD US? Good things always come to an end. But for every ending, there's always a new beginning.Next week, we're going to dive into something new. It's going to beGrand Easter Feast. I hope you're going to be there for our Holy Week Retreat. But for now, I'm going to close this the right way.Finally, we came to this guy named David, who is regarded as the greatest king of all of Israel. He was somebody whose heart was after God. A man after God's own heart. But if David had some victories, he also had some defeats. David had some highs, but he also had some lows.In 1 Samuel 22:51, David gives a testimony about God's love.David says that God is someone whose love never fails. It endures forever.David has been through so much in life, yet he says: "Lord, you give great victories to me and my descendants forever. I feel your unfailing love."Do you also have a testimony about God's love? It doesn't have to be a big testimony. It doesn't have to be a testimony as big as David's. You don't have to kill a giant like Goliath to have a testimony.In the same way, you don't need to be a recovering addict to have a testimony. You don't need to come from a broken family to have a testimony. You don't need to have 14 children with 14 women to have a testimony.TestimoniesSometimes, the loudest testimonies are the smallest because they show us that God's love can be found even in the small places.I googled some really cool testimonies. Maybe some of you can resonate with these: I love small testimonials because they show us that God's love can be found in simple choices, through a random text message from an old friend, through a simple hug, through a worship song, and through the sun shining on you.These testimonies tell us one truth and one truth alone:God's love never fails.Put your hand over your chest. Say this with me:"Lord, I need Your Word. I need your wisdom.Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening. In Jesus' Name. Amen."One more time, Everybody, lift your hands and let’s sing:Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet And a Light unto my path. Victories...and DefeatsWe're going to look at the life of David from a different perspective.We've seen David as a shepherd boy defeating a Goliath giant. We've seen David conquering nations and defeating his enemies. We've seen David forgiving King Saul.Now, we're going to look at David from a different angle. We've seen his victories.But I believe that if we're going to understand and appreciate David, we also need to see his defeats.If we know only about David's strengths and not his weaknesses. We might feel that David is perfect -- and we're not.I don't want to stand here in front of you and just talk about my milestones or showcase my unbelievably

Talk BRO. BO SANCHEZ: I WANT to preach the message: Surely, the Lord will. Surely, the Lord will speak to you. Surely, the Lord has a plan to bless you. Surely, the Lord will vindicate you. Surely, you will see His victory in your light at the end of the age. Surely, the Lord will work all things for your good. Surely, the Lord will turn your problems into your greatest blessing. Surely, the Lord will turn the difficulties that you are going through right now into actually an answered prayer. Our key passage is from 1 Samuel 26:10: I'm sure your response is: "What? Strike down? Die? Why is that?" We're going to explain to you, and you will find out the context, and when you do, your response will be different. Everybody say: "I'm not going to rush. I'm going to be patient. I'm not going to take matters into my own hands." Put your hand over your chest and say: "Jesus, You brought me to this place to speak to me. Empower me. Equip me. I'm giving You permission to do your stuff in my life.       In Jesus' Name. Amen.” When Good Turns to Bad... Have you ever had that experience where good things are happening in your life and prayers are being answered, but all of a sudden, everything crashes, and you slide back to where you came from? This is what happened to Marlo, 27. He was praying for a dream job. One day, he received a miracle. Out of 200 applicants, he was able to get the job. He posted it on his Instagram. Three months later, he was dying. His stress level was through the roof. He realized that he didn't have the skills for the job. His boss scolded him every day. His officemates were so frustrated that he could not do the job. He could hear grumbling murmurs down the corridor. People were speaking behind his back: "When will he resign? He's not fit for this job!" Marlo cries out to God: "Lord, I thought you answered my prayer. What's happening?" This was the same experience of Reena-- but for a different reason. She was a good Catholic girl and single. She prayed: "Lord, give me a husband. Someone who is mature -- emotionally, spiritually, and financially. Lord, it will not hurt if he's cute." She prayed, and until one day, this man walked into her life. A devout Catholic, vice-president of a bank, and cute. He fell in love with her. She was treated like a queen. He would give her roses and chocolates. She was on Cloud 9. She was already 38. This phenomenon of a man falling head over heels for her was as rare as a meteor hitting planet Earth. They went on three dates. On the fourth date, he was late. She messaged him but he did not reply. She waited for two hours. He ghosted her. Two months later, he messaged Reena to apologize.

Talk BRO. BO SANCHEZ:You have a choice. You can live your life sitting on a rocking chair, sipping your tea on the porch, and watching life pass by-- not participating but just watching Netflix, KDrama, or what other people are doing.The other choice is fighting battles with giants by holding a slingshot, getting hurt, getting wounded, and getting damaged.You have a choice. What do you choose? I've got good news and bad news for you. Now, between this teacup and this slingshot, the noble part of me would rather die fighting giants for the people I love. Yes, there's this other part of me that likes the rocking chair. I do. As you get older, you want to slow down.In my almost six decades of living, I want to thank God that He has pulled me out of that chair many times and God has told me: "No! You fight. You serve.You care!"Do not cross your arms amid a suffering world and say: "I don't care. Let me sip my tea."God says, "You care. You sacrifice. You suffer for the sake of other people.I call you."I fight the giants inside me first -- the giants of selfishness, pride, sin, greed, and lust. I'm also fighting the poverty around me -- material poverty, spiritual desolation, and the suffering of the people around me. I fight that every single day. I'll get hurt and I will lose but it is okay because if God is with me in this battle, I already have won.Big MessageWhatever battle you're facing, if God is with you, you have already won.I pray that you're receiving this in your spirit. If you're fighting a battle, my one big message is this:The battle is the Lord's, and you're going to win because God is there in your midst.We've been going through this series, Joshua, Judges, and Samuel.This is a group of people in search of a king. So far, the actors that we have been studying have not been great leaders, including the current one we’re studying-- King Saul. He was so disobedient and so proud that God had to reject him.Then, we receive this word: Samuel is sent to Jesse, who had a bunch of sons. We’re going to read this Word: This was probably the eldest of the sons of Jesse. What an impression!Remember Saul last week? We studied that he was handsome. He was head and shoulders above everybody.So, he was Chris Hemsworth, right? Eliab was probably like Jason Momoa of Aquaman.>So, Samuel says, "This is it." But God says...This reminds me of the way we elect politicians. We elect celebrities.I'm not against celebrities running for political office. Some have character and capacity but some are elected just because they're photogenic. Look at the HeartWhat God is telling us: Look deeper. Singles, this also applies to you.I was talking to a young woman and I asked her, "What are you looking for in a husband?"I was expecting her to say: "I want someone who has a

Talk BRO. AUDIE VILLARAZA:We are in election season. So, there's wisdom on life about what we're going to study: about a person named King Saul. He was the first king of Israel.He was the predecessor of King David.This did not sit well with the Israelites.So, they had advice for Samuel, who was their leader at that time:You could detect that they were a bit envious of the neighboring nations, and they wanted a king to rule over them. But here is the response of Samuel:There are two interpretations of this passage.The first one is that Israel did not need a human king because they already had God as their king. They needed another king.The second interpretation is that God allowed them to have a king, but not just an ordinary king. The king had to have a heart for God, just like David -- a man after God's own heart.The second one has more legs because if you look down through Deuteronomy, the old text in the Torah, you'll note that Moses himself is giving us criteria on how to choose a human kingWe all have different criteria for choosing our leaders. But I believe these are the ones God is looking at:1.   The king will not amass horses."But he shall not have a great number of horses." --Deuteronomy 17:16-20 Back then, horses represented nuclear power--superpower.God's message to the Israelites was simply: "God is your superpower." Besides God, you don't need anybody else because He's giving you the power.2.   A good leader is somebody who does not have too many wives."Neither shall he have a great number of wives, lest his heart turn away."--Deuteronomy 17:16:20forAt that time, wives represented alliances. That is why kings would look for and marry a princess from neighboring nations to form alliances with these nations and thus become more powerful.God is simply saying: "I'm your greatest alliance. I'm the only royalty that you need in your family.”3.   A good leader does not accumulate a vast amount of silver and gold.How many of you believe that good leaders don't look at worldly wealth as their treasure-- but they look at eternal wealth? That's what you can bring to Heaven, right?God is simply is saying: "I'm your treasure. Don't accumulate anything that moths and vermin can destroy."But then, Moses shifts his perspective a little... Three Ways of a Good LeaderMoses now says three ways that a good leader should do:1. The king will have a personal copy of the Scriptures.A good ruler needs to have a good dose of Scripture regularly. He should be aligned to God's Word because that's where he gets his wisdom. He can have advisors but more than that, He needs God's wisdom..."And to observe carefully all the words of this lawand these statues, so that he does not exalt himself over his kindred." --Deuteronomy 17:16-202.   The king must obey.If you're going to be a good leader, your boss should be God and nobody else.3.   The king will not exalt himself above others.A

Talk  BRO. AUDIE VILLARAZA:We're still in our series titled WHO CAN LEAD US? We finished the books of Joshua and the Judges. Now, we're going to study the book of Samuel.I want you to picture for a moment the agony of Hannah. Not only did she share her husband with another woman. She also had no children. That's why the next move of Hannah would shock the world because it was a great act of faith and humility. God Listens to HannahHannah dedicated her future child -- a child that she had no idea if God was going to bless her with, a child that she had not even met.And she said, "Lord, if you give me a child, this child is going to grow up to be a Nazarite."What does it mean? A Nazarite is somebody who never consumes products from a grapevine like plums, jams, raisins, and wine. Back in the day, wine was like water. They used it for celebration.Hannah said, "This child is not going to indulge in these world things.This child would not have his hair cut."You remember somebody like that? You remember Samson? We studied him last Sunday.This child would be set apart.But Hannah was a Levite. Back then, Levites were people who belonged to God. It was as if Hannah took someone who already belonged to God and then gave him back to God in a greater way.I'll give you an example. I'm thinking of a couple in our Light Group -- Anna Rita and Noel Foronda. They serve here at The Feast. They have a son, an only child, named Theo.When Theo was 16 years old, he told his parents that he wanted to enroll in a seminary school. He wanted to be a priest.Usually, some parents would say, "No. We want grandkids. We want you to have a family!"Noel and Anna did not say that.Instead, they said, "Who are we to get in the way of God's plan for our child?"That's amazing! Parents, listen: I believe that our job as parents is to dedicate our children to the Lord-- whether they become priests, preachers, or missionaries. The truth is we don't own our children. They're not our possessions.Your children are God's blessings to you. They're gifts. How you raise your children is your gift to God.Hannah understood the assignment when she dedicated this child to God, saying, "He's going to grow up to love You and to serve You."That's exactly what happened. Because of her humility, God listened to Hannah and blessed her with a child.And he was named Samuel which means God has heard.God listened to Hannah because God hears the humble.That's our message for today. Put your hand over your chest and say:"Father, we are all here again. Without Your Presence, this is just going to be a pointless gathering-- and we don't want that. We invite you to be part of this. Let your wisdom, healing, and anointing pour out on us. Lord, let revelation pour out but

NAME:     FEAST CALAMBA VENUE: 2F Maria and Clara Halls, Paseo Uno de Calamba, Mayapa-Canlubang Cadre Rd, Calamba, 20140 Laguna SCHEDULE: Every Sunday, 9:00 A.M. NUMBER OF ATTENDEES: 150 The FEAST BUILDER: NAME: Leonard ‘Toto’ C. Tome ADDRESS: 5 Villa Maris Drive, Maahas, Los Baños, Laguna EMAIL: leonard.c.tome@gmail.com BIRTHDAY: February 5, 1983 AGE: 42 Bro. Toto Tome shares that he comes from a clan with strong Catholic faith and culture: “As early as 12 years old, I was already serving in a youth ministry. A few years after, I became a mission volunteer and was tasked to handle areas and programs. Then time came when I had to work in Manila and had less time for ministry. Nevertheless, he received blessings to continue serving God. Finding The Feast In 2012, Bro. Toto married Tin who happened to be also a youth missionary and together, they went on with their faith journey: “My wife Tin and I felt the need for a faith community that would help us in our new journey. That’s when we started attending The Feast in Biñan in 2014. “My parents used to live near The Feast venue there and every time we visited them on weekends, we would include The Feast in our schedule. “It was very challenging for us because we had no car then and we would commute from our home in Los Baños --around two hours one way-- to The Feast venue in Biñan. But we were hooked. My wife started serving right away by writing articles for The Feast bulletin, while I just remained as a regular attendee.” But by Divine Design, they would continue their missionary life. Bro. Toto explains: “Feast Biñan is part of the Feast Laguna District led by Bro. Jon Escoto (at left, with me). “He would talk with us now and then-- particularly about our previous mission work in the youth ministry.” Building Feast Calamba In 2018, Bro. Jon planned to build a new Feast in Calamba. And he invited Bro. Toto to be one of the servants. Bro. Toto recalls: “I promptly said Yes! That’s because compared to Biñan, Calamba is just one town near Los Baños where we live-- so that shortened our travel time every Sunday.” And again, promptly, Bro. Toto became a servant leader. He became Events head and regular Announcements host of the young Feast which held sessions at SM Calamba Cinema once a month, from February to April 2018. “We had a good attendance. The venue was always jampacked,” Bro. Toto happily adds. Then: “After a couple of months, Bro. Jon told me to attend the LOJ School of Leadership as training for Feast Builder.” And starting on May 5, 2018, Feast Calamba started its regular live gathering. Challenges Like infant Feasts, Feast Calamba was not without birth pains. First, at the onslaught of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID) Pandemic in 2020, which prohibited mass gatherings, Feast Calamba had to go online like our Feasts at Home. “So, we had a significant

NAME: FEAST SM SANTA ROSAVENUE: Cinema 1, SM City, Sta. Rosa, Laguna SCHEDULE: Sunday, 10:00 A.M. -12:30 P.M. NUMBER OF ATTENDEES: 380DATE ESTABLISHED: June 5, 2022The BUILDERNAME: Niño Bryan AguilarADDRESS: B33 BLK17 Berkeley Heights, Brgy Pulong, Sta. Cruz, Sta.Rosa, Laguna EMAIL: bryanaguilar.core@gmail.com BIRTHDAY: February 15, 1982 AGE 43Before he joined the Light of Jesus Family, Bro. Bryan says “life was a dead-end.”He shares: “Addicted to alcohol, lost everything due to gambling, drowning in debt...”Life changed when he found out about the Light of Jesus. Finding the Light of Jesus FeastBro. Bryan relates:“I joined the Light of Jesus Family sometime in February 2015. It was my wife Monica who introduced The Feast to me.“I started serving in the Music Ministry as a drummer in August of the same year.“Monica wanted to attend The Feast, but I was hesitant at first because of my arrogance.“But since at the time I was at rock bottom, I decided to give it a try.“During our first attendance, tears streamed down our face, and from that moment on, we never looked back.“Then, Bro. Jon Escoto, Feast Laguna District Builder, started a Feast in Calamba and needed help to cover for him.So, he asked me to preach on his absence.“Eventually, he delegated roles in our Feast. He eventually asked me to lead and become the Feast Builder which I had no plan in becoming. Never did I ask to become one-- but God has a plan.BeginningsFeast SM Santa Rosa started in 2017.Bro. Bryan continues: “We started a Feast at Vista Mall, Sta Rosa, in 2017.“I took over as Feast Builder when Bro. Jon was starting to build Feast Calamba. We started with around 130+- attendees.”At the outset, the Feast was inaccessible to many of its attendees.So, Bro. Jon, decided to move their Feast to a more accessible location-- at SM Sta. Rosa, Laguna. ChallengesLike Feasts in their infant stages, Feast SM Santa Rosa struggled through financial problems.“We had a hard time carrying costs of our operations.”Bro. Bryan recalls.Bro. Bryan encouraged the servants and members through teachings on Love Offering for the Lord, claiming God’s promise that when they give, God will give them back double of their offering.Bro. Bryan adds, “We also formed many small groups to create disciples who understand their roles in building the Community.”Here, the happy Light Groups...BlessingsChrist Defeats My Big CBy MARILIZ SONI FIRST learned about The Feast PICC in 2014.At that time, my husband Anel and I were regular Sunday Mass-goers.Nevertheless, I felt something was missing in my life.I later realized that it was a deeper relationship with the Lord.Anel and I became regular attendees at The Feast PICC. In 2016 we moved to Santa Rosa,Laguna, so, we went on attending The Feast at SM Santa Rosa.Later, I started serving at The Feast Liturgy Ministry. And I realized that being a servant during Feast gatherings felt different— more fulfilling—compared to just being an attendee.In 2017, I was diagnosed with active cancer cells. I didn’t pay much attention to it, perhaps because

Talk BRO. BO SANCHEZ: HOW many of you just had a difficult week? Raise your hand. I want you to be proud that you went through a difficult week. Why? Because life is difficult. Some people complain, "Brother Bo, I pray. I go to Mass. I'm close to God. Why is life so difficult?" I counter: "Do you pray or go to church because you want an easy life? I've got news for you. It won't happen-- whether you pray or you don't pray. You're going to have a difficult life because life is difficult. But I've got news for you. Life is difficult but beautiful. Do you know why it can't be beautiful? Not because God will make your life easy, but He will give you the strength to endure. Say this with me: "Choose your difficult." Who among here finds it difficult to exercise? Is it difficult to wake up in the morning when your alarm clock is going off, and the temptation is just to hit the snooze button? Is it difficult to wear your rubber shoes and to start walking? Yes, it's difficult. But if you do not do that, it will also be difficult to be 70 years old-- and your muscles will have atrophied. So, it's difficult to exercise, but the results of not exercising are also difficult. Choose your difficult. Last year, I gradually stopped eating ultra-processed food. It's difficult. What is ultra-processed food? You enter a grocery store. You get a product from the shelf. You look at the back. You read the ingredients. If the ingredients have lots of words you cannot understand and you cannot pronounce 75% of those words, that's ultra-processed food. What should you do? Return it to the shelf. It is difficult to do that because those foods are very delicious. Don't blame yourself. There are multi-billion companies who have hired an army of scientists who have concocted a process and chemicals to make such foods addictive. It is difficult to choose the right food. What’s Your Choice? I'm a semi-old guy. I've learned to eat simple food. I eat eggs. I eat lettuce. I eat papaya. I eat sweet potato. How many ingredients does each of those foods have? Just one. It's absolutely boring. It's difficult. But if you keep on eating ultra-processed food and extreme sugar, it's difficult not to have diabetes, not to have cancer. I'm no scientist. There is no direct link to that. Perhaps there is some connection, but I cannot prove it to you. Again, choose your difficult. Last example: To say, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" is difficult, especially if you've been doing it since 1980. May Ulanday was with me in 1980-- in that garage.* We were so young, May. We were serving the Lord. Now, we’re not very young. But 40 plus years, 45 years later, our battle cry is still: "As for me and my house, we will serve the

NAME: Feast Quezon City North Triangle Trinoma VENUE: Cinema 1, Ayala Malls Trinoma SCHEDULE: Every Sunday, 9:00-1130A.M. NUMBER OF ATTENDEES: 143-175DATE ESTABLISHED: June 5, 2022The BUILDERNAME: Marvyn GaerlanADDRESS: Amaia Series Novaliches, QC EMAIL: marvn.gaerlan@paladinslaw.org BIRTHDAY: December 7 AGE 43Bro. Marvyn Gaerlan studied at Don Bosco Technical Institute Makati, the University of Santo Tomas, and the University of the Philippines.Now a lawyer, he is a business and labor law coach, Data Privacy Compliance adviser, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) officer. He was active in a law-based fraternity.He works at the Sangalang & Gaerlan (SG) Law Firm Online.He served as an Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Eucharist at Claret Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Quezon City, as well as during daily Masses at Quezon City Hall. Ministry JourneyBro. Marvyn’s ministry journey intertwines with building his family life.Here they are, Bro. Marvyn and his wife Em with their children, from left: Matthew John Elijah; Elisha Gabrielle; David Michael; and Marijah Isaiah.With Em, Bro. Marvyn previously served with the Couples for Christ Foundation for Family Life (CFC-FFL) chapter at the Claret School, Quezon City, particularly its tutorial program on Answering the Cry of the Poor (AnCoP).Bro. Marvyn and Sis. Em then felt they needed to grow more in their spiritual life.He shares: “In 2012, we were looking for a community that can guide us in raising a family and nurturing our spiritual growth as a couple. About a few weeks after our church wedding, we walked in at the Feast Quezon City Bureau of Soils and Waste Management.”They then underwent LOJ’s trimester Love Someone Today (LST), a disciple training program founded by Bro. Bo Sanchez. They finished the training just in time for them to join and finish the LOJ Jesus Encounter, a program for knowing more about the Lord and deepening faith in Him. This was in 2013 -- a day before their first child was born.Bro. Marvyn stepped up his ministry with more tasks: as facilitator for the Love Someone Today training course; as lector under the Liturgical Ministry; engager for the Warmth Ministry; co-preacher of Bro. Ervine Pangwi, Builder of Feast Trinoma; and setting up the Feast Light Olongapo, pre-Coronavirus Disease (COVID) Pandemic.From his various ministries, Bro. Marvyn then took just one big step to be the Builder of Feast Quezon City North Triangle Trinoma. BeginningsA part of the Feast Quezon City District, The Feast Quezon City North Triangle Trinoma underwent various launching steps:On June 5, 2022: as a Feast Light (as in a smaller version of the Light of Jesus Family) at St. Michael's Chapel, Trinoma;On November 5, 2022: as Feast Quezon CityNorth Triangle Trinoma at the Cinema 6, Ayala Malls Trinoma.On January 29, 2025: The Feast Light Quezon City North Triangle Trinoma at St. Michael's Chapel, Trinoma, was relaunched.Bro. Marvyn relates: “Most of the work for reopening The Feast at Trinoma after the Pandemic was to take on what was started by our leaders, past and present, in Feast Quezon City. I am privileged to have the

   Talk THE last Talk of our series, MORE THAN ENOUGH, in this talk, I will be quoting a passage, at the later part of this talk, where we got the phrase more than enough, and it will surprise you where we got those three words.The title of my talk, You Don't Have To Tithe, will not just be the controversial one -- but the entire talk.For the new ones, we started The Feast 45 years ago in a small garage of my parents' home. We were only 20 to 30 people. We were already teaching people how to tithe. I have heard hundreds of beautiful stories about tithing.People come to me and say: "Bro. Bo, if there's one thing that The Feast has blessed my life with, it is tithing...” “When I started to tithe, it changed my life. There were material blessings, but it was my life that changed...” “Before I started tithing, I was a worrier, materialistic, and greedy. My resources seemed to be lacking, but when I started tithing, I suddenly had peace in my heart, and there was abundance in my mind..."But there would be people who would have a negative reaction to tithing. They would say: “God's word is free; hence, why does The Feast keep on asking for money?”I understand that. But believe me when I say this: Over the past 45 years that we've been in teaching and practicing tithing, there have been problems, and I'd like to correct them today. Malachi 3:8 says: “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings."Malachi 3:8 is an often-quoted verse from the Old Testament. It makes people feel that whenever they don't give 10% of their earnings, they rob God.But in the New Testament, Luke 12:41-44 talks about the poor widow's offering of two very small copper coins-- and Jesus praised her for it. The widow was offering from her poverty.There is this legalistic interpretation of tithing. Some churches teach that the whole 10% should entirely be offered to the Church and that giving to the poor or charities is not considered a tithe.I disagree with that.In the Old Testament, Malachi 3:10 says: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house."If God leads you to do that, that's great. But you cannot apply that to everybody. It's logical that you support The Feast. It's logical that you support the Church, for there are expenses.Please do give. But I will never make it a Divine law to give only to the Church -- and then whatever you give to the poor, to your relatives, or to Anawim, should be outside your 10%.That's not for me to decide. Go before God say, "Lord, what do you want me to do with your money?" At The Feast, we never taught tithing as a black and white rule-- but a broad guideline as a personal choice between you and