Imagine being stuck on a road trip with two chatty passengers screaming from the front and back seats. It’s like being sandwiched between two African mothers having a heated debate, all while trying to focus on anything but their conversation.
Trust me, it’s not fun. In fact, it’s downright stressful. You can decide to do either of these two things:
- The Miracle of Silence: Hope that your fellow travelers suddenly decide to take a vow of silence and meditate.
- Your Own Personal Bubble: Plug in some noise-canceling headphones and tune out the world.
While option one is a dream, option two is definitely achievable. And that’s exactly what Mr. Adebunmi Oludimu found with the “Talking to the Talkers” teaching series. It’s like his own personal noise-canceling headphones, offering scripture-based insights that drown out the loudest noises of life.
He shares how the first sermon from the series, “What the Bible Says about Predestination and Generational Patterns,” has already made a significant impact on his life. Let’s hear his story.
How I joined Sycamore Church, Ibadan…
My name is Adebunmi Oludimu. I work with Nestle Distribution in Ibadan. I heard about Sycamore from a neighbour who used to worship here before she relocated to the UK about two years ago.
She was a devoted member of Sycamore and she always told me such great things about the church. At that time, I was 100% committed to the place of worship where I was planted.
But in that season of my life, one thing added up to the other and I found myself speaking to God, asking Him to lead me to a church that I would love and be involved in, not just any place where I would be a benchwarmer. I had been to several other places of worship, but I never really felt that heart-deep conviction.
One day, I decided to just attend Sycamore Church, since it was somewhere I had heard about from my neighbour.
The first time I visited, my plan was to attend only the first service. But the sermon caught my attention so much that I had to wait and join the second service.
I think this was sometime in late May 2023, when Pastor Tolu was teaching a FaithFool sermon. The following Sunday, I came again, planning to attend first service but I found myself staying behind for second service. I couldn’t get enough.
It was sometime during the second service of my second visit that I said to myself “Bunmi, this is your church now.”
The first thing I did after church was look out for a host and ask them, “Please, how can I join a team and start volunteering?”. That was how strongly convicted I was in my heart. And it’s been fantastic so far. I am a part of the Bible Engagement Team, and I’ve met a lot of wonderful people, made friends. I see this place as home now.
Also Read: Six People Write Love Letters to Sycamore
A buildup of excitement and expectation before Talking to the Talkers…
My life largely follows a triangular pattern – church, home, work. And when it comes to church, I place a huge expectation on it because I know I’m coming to meet the God of the universe.
It also helps that I never get tired of listening to sermons from Sycamore church, because each teaching sounds so new each week. Whenever a new series is announced, I’m always like “No, I look forward to hearing how God will manifest through this teaching series”.
So as soon as the topics for this year’s Talking to the Talkers series were announced, I said to myself, “Bunmi, let’s go there!” I was really excited.
How the message titled ‘What the Bible Says about Predestination and Generational Patterns’ spoke to the season of life I’m navigating currently…
The day before the series started, I was locked in a conversation with my parents in the Lord. They’ve been out of the country for almost a year now so we have regular conversations through the phone.
I was just telling them about how certain things felt overwhelming. I mentioned how I had noticed specific things – you know, patterns – in my life and how they were really getting to me. So coming to church on Sunday and sitting through a message that addressed the exact overwhelming feeling I was facing was empowering for me.
The notion to never settle for the family patterns that I have grown to know, even when these patterns appear to have been my reality over the years, hit me.
The sermon helped me realise how strongly I needed to say no to patterns that are not embedded in Christ. It reminded me that any negative pattern not found in Jesus should not exist in my life.
More importantly, I was reminded through the sermon that Jesus has empowered me to reject negative patterns that would otherwise have overwhelmed my thought processes.
I feel truly grateful that it was practical and applicable to the season of life I am currently navigating in this moment.
My biggest highlights from the first sermon of Talking to the Talkers…
One line that really resonated with me was “If I am not the first, then there is already a pattern”.
I know for a fact that I am not the first – I was born into patterns that existed long before me. But as long as I am connected to Jesus, there’s a bigger story that I am a part of. That’s my biggest take-away from ‘What the Bible says about Predestination and Generational Patterns’.
It’s something that Colossians 2:14-15 constantly reminds me of.
“He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”
Colossians 2: 14 – 15 (New Living Translation)
The way I see it, Jesus has done the work to put to perpetual shame any handwritings that may have morphed into negative patterns over the years. To be completely free, I simply have to follow Him and choose to be a part of what He’s doing here on Earth.
Looking forward to being blessed by upcoming Talking to the Talkers messages…
I strongly believe that this first sermon was just a tip of the iceberg. One bible verse that always resonates with me is “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled”. There’s that thirst in me for knowing more about what the Bible says about the biggest noises in the world.
I don’t see myself starting this series and not finishing it. It’s like a chain reaction that I simply cannot afford to break.
My invitation to anyone reading this…
One of the ways I invite people to Sycamore is by asking, “Do you love big things? Do you love God things? Do you really want to be part of something bigger than you? Then follow me to a place where there is so much more.”
And that’s my invitation to anyone reading this. I am convinced that there is so much more blessing and positive influence packed within the remaining Talking to the Talkers messages.
All you have to do is be present – plug in to the sermons with renewed interest and let God’s word drown out the noise of the world.
If you’d you like to know what the bible says about masturbation, lust and sexual desire, you are invited to join us, onsite, if you are in town at Sycamore Church Building, Behind Mobil Filling Station, Samonda, Ibadan. Alternatively, you can join in online through YouTube or Mixlr.
The time remains 8:00 AM WAT for the first service and 9:45 AM WAT for the second service.
If you’ve been blessed by this story, don’t forget to share it with your friends and contacts on social media!
Interview by Victor Anih and Osham Ndubisi
Victor and Osham serve with the Content Team at Sycamore Church
(Blogposts are creative expressions generously provided for Sycamore Church. The ideas and thoughts do not necessarily represent the position of Sycamore Church)
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