The Wisdom That Separates Casualties from Champions // Serpents & Doves, Part 1 | Pst.Shola Okodugha

Описание: In today’s sermon, our Global Lead Pastor, Pastor Shola Okodugha, begins a new teaching series titled “Serpents and Doves.”

He first emphasizes the importance of valuing wisdom-filled messages that God sends to His church. Every sermon is not just about the power dimension but also about God’s wisdom.

The Word of God is life-giving and directional. Wisdom is as critical as anointing, favour, and relationships for fulfilling destiny. Jesus Himself required four things to fulfill His earthly assignment:
• The Anointing
• Favour with God and man
• Men (relationships)
• Wisdom
If Jesus needed these, so do we. Without wisdom, power alone will leave a believer frustrated and vulnerable.

Matthew 10:16 says, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Pastor Shola highlights that believers are sheep, dependent on the Shepherd, often defenseless on their own.

The world system is full of wolves; predatory, political, manipulative. Our survival and success strategy is to combine:

• The wisdom of the serpent (shrewdness, observation, strategy, timing)
•The innocence of the dove (purity, gentleness, integrity)

Wisdom is profitable to direct (Proverbs 4:7). Spirituality without wisdom equals irrelevance. God designed the earth to run by rules; ignoring them is not faith, but negligence. Shrewdness is not sin when guided by purity; it is maturity. Believers are called to do the Lord’s work in the devil’s playground and must therefore master both spiritual power and practical wisdom.

Sheep are described as:
• Led by shepherds
• Defenseless
• Easily frightened
• Having sharp hearing and seeing
• Intelligent with strong memory
• Emotionally complex

Serpents are known for moving with wisdom, being hard to predict, and operating with timing and strategy. Doves are gentle, pure, and upright in dealings.

Practical lessons Pastor Shola highlighted include:
• In career and business, believers must understand that politics and negotiation are part of the system of the earth.
• In relationships and marriage, wisdom is needed with in-laws, especially during wedding preparations. Do not overshare or plant seeds of animosity. He also stressed that joint accounts are not a biblical command; every couple must choose the financial structure that truly works for them. Loyalty in partnerships or friendships must be mutual, not one-sided.
• In decision-making, it is not enough to say “God told me.” Every decision should be tested against the Word of God and weighed by trusted, seasoned counselors who can serve as circuit breakers to help with timing, placement, and seasons.

Key scriptures include Proverbs 1:5, which says a wise man will hear and increase learning, Luke 16:8, which says the children of this world are often more shrewd than the children of light, Exodus 4:2–4 where Moses’ rod becomes a serpent showing that God’s wisdom must swallow worldly wisdom, and Proverbs 30:18–19 which speaks of the way of a serpent on a rock as representing wisdom in movement.

In concluding the sermon, Pastor Shola highlights that you will not survive earth’s wolf systems with innocence alone, you need serpent-level wisdom. Innocence without wisdom leads to casualty.

Wisdom must always be coupled with purity to prevent craftiness from turning into sin. Life, business, and marriage all require both spiritual empowerment and practical wisdom.

We pray that as you listen to this teaching, your heart is stirred to receive the impartation of wisdom so that you may walk in discernment, sound judgment, and divine strategy, being as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves.

ABOUT THE NEW
We are a people of love and excellence who are result-oriented, spirit-led, word-rooted, prayer-driven, and kingdom-conscious. Led by Pst. Shola Okodugha, we are on a divine assignment to equip and raise men; to release people from strongholds that have stifled them from taking their rightful places, and to give young people an avenue for their God-given gifts to find expression.

OUR CREED
"As sure as God helps us,
We will not give up
We will not cave in
We will not quit
We will not fail
We will not die
Until our job is done
And victory is won"
——
Partner with us to spread the influence of God all over the world. Give - https://pay.squadco.com/TheNewglobal
——

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - 3:56 - Intro
3:57 - 23:55 - Worship Session
23:56 - 34:57 -Prayer Session
34:58 - 47:20 - The New Music
47:21 - 1:05:46 - PS’ Welcome/Congregational Worship
1:05:47 - 2:25:00 - The Word
2:25:01 - 2:27:35 - Giving Session
2:27:36 - 2:31:09 - Announcement
2:31:10 - 2:32:24 - The Creed
2:32:25 - 2:33:18 - Outro
——

BROADCAST DETAILS
Minister: Pst. Shola Okodugha
Date: 23rd September 2025
——

Stay Connected
Subscribe to the latest content: http://bit.ly/subscribethenewlive
Website: http://wearethenew.org/
Instagram:   / wearethenew_global  

#TheNewLive #SholaOkodugha