Talk

BRO. AUDEE VILLARAZA:

We’re so excited for all of you. Because you walked into the ending of what has been such an amazing Feast Talk series, The Good Life.

But we also believe that even though it’s an ending, it’s also a beginning in some sort of way.

What we’re going to do in the next remaining minutes that we’re together, we’re going to lean in on God’s Word. This is going to teach us something that I believe is so relevant, but also more important that we hear today.

We’re going to dive into God’s wisdom. We need the Lord’s wisdom, especially now in the state of our life and in our world, where there’s so much fake news and disinformation and propaganda, you don’t know who’s telling the truth.

AI is so good that you don’t really know the difference between the fake

from truth. Two people approached me today and were asking if a certain video of Bro Bo is legit. Scams are everywhere.

I don’t know if you’ve seen a lot of scams out there. So, we need the wisdom of the Lord to speak to us. And so, we’re going to dive in and we’re going to learn from the wisdom of the Lord.

Read this with me:

Is Your Faith a Ghost Project?

Jesus says that if you listen to His Word, it’s like building your house on a rock.

Question: What does it look like when the person does not build a house on a rock?

This is something that’s so significant to all of us. It’s called “substandard.”

This is our favorite word for 2025.

I want to get really personal with you– without talking about politics.

The truth is that many of us look at our own life– and sometimes our life might look good on the outside.

Your life looks good on paper work. You go to church every Sunday. You’ve got a good, healthy marriage. You’ve got a good career.

But then the big problem comes and all of a sudden, your faith is shaken up and you start to crumble.

Why? Maybe it’s because your faith is a ghost project. It’s not there to begin with. Jesus is reminding all of us today that life may look good on the outside, but if we don’t build our life on a Rock– whose name is Jesus– your house will crumble. Storms will come. Rains will come. Floods will come. When the typhoon winds start to blow and your life is not built on solid Rock, it will crumble.

It will fall apart.

But the promise of Jesus is that when you build your house on Him, your life will remain standing amidst the storm. It’ll remain standing on the unshakable, indestructible, indomitable Name of Jesus.

Substandard structures don’t survive the floods. Only lives that stand on Jesus survive. That’s the kind of life that we want.

Put your hand over your chest and say this with me:

Lord, I need your wisdom, especially now in my family, in my work, in my ministry, in my day-to-day living.

So, speak. Your servant is listening.

In Jesus Name.

Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet And a Light unto my path.

Wanted: A Mute Button

Would you like to live a life with no problems –with money, power, fame, and influence? Come on, be honest. That’s a good life, right?

But there’s a catch. You can have all the money in the world, all the influence in the world, all the power in the world– but you don’t have happy relationships.

You don’t want that kind of life, right? We all want happy relationships.

The truth is that you can have everything in the world and you can still be the unhappiest person ever. On the other side of the spectrum, there are people who don’t have much in life but they are still joyful.

People who have happy relationships are the happiest people in the world because we want happy relationships. Imagine, eating Samgyup (Korean barbecue) all by yourself?

But here’s the thing. Relationships are hard.

I’m looking at the married people right now. They know what it is to work on a relationship.

Relationships are hard. Sometimes, even you work on the relationship, it’s still even harder. Couples still fight. Friends still walk away. Even in church, people still get hurt because relationships are hard. Why? People are imperfect. We all have at least one person in our lives who is difficult to love. We all have that one Tita who knows everything about everybody in the family. Actually, she doesn’t even need a Netflix subscription. Her favorite series is your life story. We also have at least one friend who is an expert in borrowing– but fails in returning.

One friend told me many years ago: “Brother, relationships would be so easy if only people came with a mute button.”

But in God’s wisdom, He did not install mute buttons in us. Instead, He gave us a powerful gift: patience. God gave you patience and He allows these difficult people to walk into your life so you can learn to love others the way that the Lord loves us.

Sometimes, the most difficult person to love is you. When you’re driving and somebody cuts you off, you’ll get mad. But if you’re the one who cuts somebody off, you become apologetic. When your officemates are late, you tag them as irresponsible. But when you’re the one who is late, you make excuses.

It’s always about us. We’re the most difficult people to love.

apologetic. When your officemates are late, you tag them as irresponsible. But when you’re the one who is late, you make excuses.

It’s always about us. We’re the most difficult people to love.

Who Is the Judge?

I’ve got good news. Even though you and I are difficult to love, the Lord doesn’t shame us. Instead, He humbles us. He teaches us.

This is the wisdom of the Lord.

It’s not just about tolerating the mistakes of other people.

Real wisdom is also acknowledging that you make mistakes too.

Real wisdom is telling the Lord, “Lord, change me when I am the difficult one.”

In God’s wisdom, God gives us two pieces of advice on how to deal with relationships.

We don’t know the context.

I had a friend before in college. I judged him so harshly. I would sleep early on Saturdays because I had Worship service the following day. But this friend of mine would always go to parties on Saturdays.

Until I found out that the reason he would regularly go out on a Saturday is from Sunday to Friday, he was taking care of his sick mom. I judged him because of what he did.

Sometimes, we do not know what the person is going through. You don’t know why this person is always late. You don’t know why that girl always wears that color. As long as you don’t know, you cannot judge people.

Leave the judging to Judge Jesus. Knowing the context gives you compassion to understand people.

We always judge people on how they look like. For instance, you see somebody who owns a fleet of cars. The first thing that pops into your head: “Oh, this person may be corrupt.”

We judge people because it makes us happy. But if you get your happiness at the expense of others, that’s not real. That’s fake happiness. That’s not real joy. That’s fake joy.

Relationship Wisdom

Jesus says: “Do not judge or you will be judged.” That’s why Jesus gives us these pieces of advice:

Jesus says: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s or sister’s eye and pay no attention to the blank in your own? Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own?”

What is the one thing that all of us as a nation complain about today? We complain about corruption. That’s the talk of the town.

Let me get even deeper. Yes, we can fight against the evil called corruption but we also ask the Lord to reveal our own corruptions.

Each of us is guilty of “little corruptions.” Do you remember the time that you bribed that traffic enforcer? What is the biggest corruption we are guilty of?

When we were in high school, we would ask P1,000 from our parents for a project and we would not give the change back to them. That’s what you call ghost project.

We all have our own little corruptions, and it’s our way of saying:

“Lord, fight all of these things that are evil, but also show me what I do not see about my own life. The number of times that I did not pay my taxes correctly, the number of times that I said I’m going to pray for somebody, but actually did not, and the number of times I told my friend that I was on my way to see her but actually, I was just on my way to take a bath.”

We all have our own little corruption. Jesus says: “Look at your own eye.”

You’re so bothered with the little splinters in the eye of people that you don’t even notice that you’ve got an Ikea bookshelf that’s right on your face.

So, look at your own life.

Jesus says: “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy.

Don’t throw your pearls to pigs. They will trample the pearls and then turn and attack you.”

Pearls are valuable. Jesus is simply saying that if you take things that are valuable, like pearls of wisdom, and you give them to people who are not interested in those pearls, they will either trample on them, destroy them, or turn against you.

The wisdom of Jesus is simple. Don’t waste these pearls of wisdom in people who aren’t ready to receive them.

For instance, you’re sitting at your family table, everything is calm… until someone introduces the topic of politics. Each one gives an opinion and bickering starts because the person is coming from a different vantage point.

Don’t throw pearls of wisdom to people who are not willing to receive them.

I have to hand it to our servants here at The Feast. I have leaders here and I feel the Lord in them.

I have this favorite leader. Her name is Anj Co. She’s the council head of our admin. Whenever I come to The Feast, she would handle minor concerns such as food, parking, or seating arrangements so I won’t be bothered anymore. She’s like my bodyguard. Whenever someone would come to me during The Feast session, she would inform the person I would address the concern later as I am about to preach. That is how it’s done.

You have to have the discernment and the wisdom of the Lord to know what to speak of, how to speak, and when to speak that wisdom.

That’s the wisdom of the Lord.

It is written in the Book of Matthew: “Wisdom is knowing when to speak and when to stay silent.”

This is for all the parents who are here.

It doesn’t mean that just because you’re the parent, you’ve earned the right to keep on talking. You need wisdom to know when to give wisdom.

Read this from the Book of Matthew:

It’s a popular verse. But let me clarify. When we read this verse,

we immediately think that it’s asking for provision. But if you read the entire context of this, it’s not talking about money.

The verse is talking about wisdom when it comes to relationships.

What should you do when you need wisdom? You seek the Lord’s wisdom.

You knock on His door so that you can receive the wisdom that you need in your relationships.

But when you’re asking God for wisdom,

He is not going to give you just a perspective.

He’s going to give you a person. He’s going to give you Jesus, because Jesus is wisdom personified.

Whenever I pray, I say: “Lord, give me Your wisdom.

Give me Jesus.”

It’s like you’re saying: “Lord, give me the heart of Jesus.

Give me the compassion of Jesus. Give me the patience of Jesus.” When you ask for wisdom, the Lord will give you Jesus.

Now, may I ask everybody to welcome with love and warmth our next preacher, none other than our builder of our afternoon session, Bro. Tony Valenzuela!

BRO. TONY VALENZUELA:

Say these two words: substandard and wisdom.

When Jesus asks us to pray for relationship wisdom, God will give it to you. When you knock, ask for wisdom. When you seek, ask for wisdom.

When you ask, ask for wisdom, not just the material things.

May I ask you to pray with me these few lines:

Relationships can be complicated one way or another. We all experience complicated relationships– with our family, with our partner, with our workmates, and with our friends.

When you experience those difficulties in relationships, always pause to pray: “Jesus, take over.”

But what does the good life look like? Is it a life of comfort, possessions, affluence, problem-free? But did Jesus say that the good life would be free from storms? Did He say that a good life will be a bed of roses?

We all know that a bed of roses also has its thorns. But I want to go back to an original story so we can understand the purpose of God when it comes to the good life.

We go back to the story of Noah. You know how Noah made the ark and how he called the animals two-by-two to stay safely in the ark. After that, floods came. It took days before the flood subsided.

Storms: Areas of Responsibility

One time, I was reflecting on why we are experiencing storms in our government, in our country, in the world– plus the actual storms for which nature is responsible.

But who made the storm? It’s God, right? On second thought, if these storms, floods, and rains didn’t happen, the current issues won’t come into light–and I think it’s about time.

It seems that the Lord really allowed one typhoon after another to hit the country. It only goes to show that God is purifying us, though.

So, when you’re experiencing storms, don’t be afraid. Allow them to happen because God has a purpose for you in those storms. He’s allowing a process of purification. Our Lord allows storms to happen for a purification process to happen.

When God allowed the storm to happen during Noah’s time, it was a cruel undertaking. God wanted the sinful people to be removed from the world.

But there was a rebirth. That’s what happens when you’re purifying gold and silver. Gold and silver have to be put on fire so that the corruption, the stain, and the impurities will be removed and the metals will be pure.

We read from Matthew 7:24-27:

It’s not just enough that you come here every Sunday to just feel good. If you’re not putting wisdom into action, you’re like the fool who built his house on sand.

You won’t be able to cope up with floods because you’re a substandard.

How is your life with Jesus right now? Is it substandard?

If not, no matter what storm you face, you’ll be able to face it head on.

Wise doesn’t mean you’re necessarily intelligent.

Wise simply means you’re following Jesus. But it’s not easy following Jesus and you have to embrace that.

It’s not easy following Jesus– but that’s what it costs to be wise to follow Jesus.

Following Jesus is not a promise of comfort in life. We’re not going to sugarcoat this. It’s not easy following Jesus, but it’s worth it. It’s eternal. It’s forever.

Ask yourself: “Am I wise or am I foolish? Did I build my life on the rock that’s strong? Or did I build my life on the sand that is substandard?

It’s so easy to react and to get angry at what’s happening in our country–but this is also a reflection of what’s happening within us.

Are you giving into substandard values? Are you giving into substandard priorities?

When you build your life on the rock that is Jesus, you won’t just survive the storms– you will come out even stronger.

But because this world can be deceiving, watch out for fake versions of The Good Life.

We go back to the original story from Genesis.

When the serpent told Eve: “Eat this forbidden fruit. For God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

That’s a beautiful promise, “You will be like God.”

It seems that that is what’s happening in our country today. The world wows with beautiful, attractive, wonderful packaging. But deep inside, it’s empty.

Just lies packaged in beautiful wrapping. That’s the problem. We don’t go deeper.

Are your relationships like that?

Are they just based on physical traits?

Worlds, comforts and pleasures can be glimpses of the abundance of Eden.

The comforts we experience on Earth are small compared to the eternal joy of eternal life. We are so focused on the world that it corrupts us. It takes advantage of our life. We get obsessed with that one small piece of the Kingdom.

God said He is happy to give us blessings. But don’t be focused on that small slice when the Lord wants to give you the whole cake.

God’s number one goal is not for you to just feel good and to be comforted now — but to be good.

Have you ever bought an item online? You’re so excited to receive it but when you did, you felt disappointed because it turned out to be a fake one. Living apart from God’s wisdom ultimately leads to chaos and disorder.

Dear friends, let’s continue to seek God’s wisdom and build our lives on that wisdom. Let’s not go for substandard values. Let’s go for The Good Life.

Brothers and Sisters, to wrap up our message, we welcome Bro. Alvin Barcelona!

You’ll Never Walk Alone

BRO. ALVIN BARCELONA:

The song, You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers is a message of hope, solidarity, and perseverance through difficult times.

We have three Feasts in Muslim Mindanao Yesterday (September 27), I was in Feast Cotabato. We celebrated their second anniversary in Cotabato City.

What’s amazing is that the Mayor is a Muslim, yet he donated P50,000 to The Feast. How about that?

For five hours, I travelled via land from Cotabato to Davao to catch my 4:00 A.M. flight to be here on time so I can sing for you.

We are being bombarded by one typhoon after another — Nando, Opong, and (the Flood Control personalities). I’m just kidding.

But seriously, we are not detached from what’s happening. We didn’t have a Feast last Sunday but I was in the rally in Iloilo because we have a Feast there. The rally in Iloilo was initiated by the Church, so I went there to stand for truth and justice.

…Now, more than ever, we need God for the storms we face. Not just a literal storm but the crisis that’s happening in our country.

Then, this amazing series, The Good life, hits home.

Our journey into the Sermon on the Mount is a spot on especially this last talk, Build Your House on the Rock. It talks about the rains came down and the floods went up— which is what is happening now in our country. But the wise man’s house stood firm. Why?

It’s on solid rock. It’s founded on the Rock: our Savior Jesus Christ.

Our one big message in this Talk is: “You can withstand the storm because you are never alone.

Whatever storm it may be — personal, family, finances, and health. You are never alone. With Jesus walking with you, you are stormproof.

The Lord’s Promise

Jesus didn’t promise that you won’t go through storms. But He promised that you won’t go through it alone because He is with you — and that will make all the difference.

During a typhoon, and there is flood, and no electricity, your young child will probably cry because of fear.

But the moment you say, “Hey, I’m here,” the child will stop crying. That alone will give the child peace and courage.

We may be facing storms today but we can continue to remain calm and remain trusting because we know that God is here with us.

Here’s the catch. When we walk with Jesus in the darkness, something should also change in us, in our society, and in our country.

Here’s the deeper connection in this last Talk. If you want to withstand the storms outside, let Jesus fix the broken systems inside.

First of all, it’s always an inside job. God just doesn’t change people. God also changes systems.

That has always been my topic in my talks in top companies, especially in our government branches. Why?

Even if there is a change in men but no change in the system, nothing will happen. The bad cycle will just repeat itself.

Cycle of Changes

I have a formula for that:

Structures = Behavior = Habit = Culture. It all starts with the proper structure. This means that even if you have good people but bad systems, it will still produce bad results.

It can also be that you may have good systems but you have bad people, the result will be the same – nothing will change. The worst thing is when you have bad people and bad systems.

That will be a hopeless case. What we need is good people plus good systems.

I repeat: God will change us but He also changes His system.

Even during the time of our Lord, when Jesus got angry, He passionately flipped tables in the Temple. Why?

He was exposing the system of corruption in Worship. He wasn’t just mad at people. He was mad at the system.

In the Temple of Jerusalem, you need to bring an animal to make an offering– but you have to buy from the Temple which is more expensive because the Temple officials get a cut. Even then, they already had a cut of 20% or 50%.

When Jesus dined with tax collectors, spoke to Samaritans, and elevated women, He was dismantling the system of exclusion. Back then, you could not eat with people whom society had tagged as sinners.

Sadly, this is what’s happening today. If you look on social media, you can see the division within society.

I feel that we should look not just into the system of corruption but also the system on how we respond to what’s happening. We fight with people whose political views are different from ours– but before you know it, those politicians will be back to being friends in no time.

When the Holy Spirit empowered the early Christians to share their possessions, God was breaking down systems of greed and of division to model a new system of generosity, equality and love.

In a recent video online, Fr. Jerry Orbos said: “What’s the point of having so much money if you can’t even spend it all in your lifetime?”

The video just went viral.

Corruption Is in Us

If we want a better world, our systems must change. Because if we fix only what’s broken on the surface, but leave the system untouched, history will just keep repeating itself.

Yes, Jesus walks with us through every storm– but we need to change.

Here’s the truth: Evil survives because systems that enable it remain alive.

But who enables the system? It’s us.

We hate politicians who don’t excel yet we continue to vote for them. Even if they are unqualified, we still vote for them simply because they sponsored our basketball uniforms last league.

It is often said that we deserve the leaders that we have because we’re the ones putting them there.

We’ve always known that corruption has existed for centuries. We’ve ignored it. We laughed at it. We tolerated it and even excused it. Somehow, we have accepted corruption as a norm.

Here’s the toughest truth: Corruption isn’t just out there–it’s in us.

It starts with us.

Whenever we are being apprehended by a traffic enforcer, our first course of action is to bribe the officer.

Pointing fingers has become a norm.

Be careful when you’re pointing fingers at someone because the rest of your fingers are pointing to you. Before you judge others, look at yourself first.

The big message is always: “Let peace begin with me.”

If you allow God to change you, He will change your family.

If you allow God to change you, He will change your community.

If you allow God to change your community, He will change our nation.

But we cannot do this alone.

We bet everything on the politicians. Politics is not bad. In its purest sense, that’s service. Not everyone in politics is bad. We cannot, however, bet everything on them. If we do, we’ll end up frustrated.

In 2 Chronicle 7:14, the Lord says: “If my people humble themselves and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal our land unto the end of Babar.”

Real change comes from God– not from people alone. If we rely on our actions alone, we will all fall into the system. We need a stronger foundation. Let’s build our house, our lives, our nation upon the Rock.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus just doesn’t give advice. Bible experts say that the greatest preaching in the world is in the Sermon on the Mount. But Jesus just didn’t give a sermon. He gave Himself. He just didn’t give us wisdom. Jesus is wisdom. He just didn’t point out to the rock. He is the Rock.

So, we have not just a philosophy, or a principle, or a religion. We have a person: Jesus Christ. So, when you’re asking for wisdom– which we need– you are actually asking for Jesus.

I apologize because I might sound insensitive… But what’s happening in our government now is just too much.

It’s disappointing to know how bad corruption is in our country.

But I’m excited because I believe there will be a renewal, a revival, a renaissance. But more than that, a new beginning.

We need God.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, we are told that the only foundation that will never crumble is Jesus.

Everything else is a fake “good life.”

Jesus is the only real Good Life.

And this is where we build our house, our lives, our nation.

Build on the Savior.

When you build your life on the rock, you’re building it on Jesus.

So, when the storms come, your life will

stand solid because the rock will not move and you’re standing on Jesus, the Rock.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, we realize that riches, position, and power may be important– but they won’t last.

This is evident of what’s happening in our country now. We think that having money makes us irreplaceable. What’s the point of sacrificing your health to gain wealth but in the end, spending all your wealth to gain back your health.

People like to acquire but they’re willing to let go of it all in exchange for peace which you can only receive from God.

One Last Story

Once upon a time, there was a popular painter.

Just one painting would fetch millions of dollars for him. He had a son. They had only each other in life.

His son was still young– hence, he could only do stick figures.

One time, the child showed his drawing to the father. He said, “Dad, look at my masterpiece.”

In return, the father said, “Beautiful!”

Real talk: It was an ugly drawing, but of course, any parent would appreciate any work done by his child. The father even framed the drawing and hung it along his expensive works.

Eventually, the child got sick and died. Depressed, the father also died. The painter had a last will that all his paintings would be auctioned.

An auction was held and art experts from all over the world came.

When the auction began, the first one offered was the child’s painting. The art connoisseurs were surprised.

But the auctioneer said, “This is according to the will of the maestro. Somebody should first bid for this work of the son before we proceed.”

The attendees said, “No! That’s a piece of trash. We wouldn’t even bet a dollar for it!”

No one wanted to bid on the child’s work.

It happened that the janitor at the back was friends with the kid. So, he bid a dollar for the child’s drawing. No one followed.

They said, “Give that drawing to him. It’s useless. Let’s continue the auction,” The auctioneer then said, “The $1 worth of piece of art goes to the janitor.

The auction is finished.”

The people were surprised: “What? We haven’t even started yet.”

The auctioneer read aloud the last will of the painter: “According to the will of the maestro, whoever gets the work of the son gets everything.”

The janitor passed out. He was an instant multi-millionaire. Did you hear the message?

“Whoever gets the Son, gets everything.”

You want a good life? See Him first and everything shall be added unto you.

Let me lead you into prayer done by Bro. Bo Sanchez>>>>>>

This story was first published in the Feast Family Online News Magazine
Published by THE FEAST (October 5, 2025)