Ladies, Let’s Give a Warm Welcome to Stephanie EK Okafo at the Women’s Conference

[Applause]

Hello, thank you all so much. Can we take a moment to give Jesus some praise in the house? Amen! Come on, let’s praise Him like we know He is here with us! Amen! Amen!

You may be seated. I am truly blessed to be here with all of you today, and this moment is so exciting for many reasons. But most importantly, because I know what the Lord is about to do, and it’s a blessing to be used as His vessel. Thank you, Pastor Shala, for everything you’ve done. Thank you for creating this space for these women to gather and have an encounter with God.

You know, as I was preparing to come here, I remembered my experiences from childhood. I’ve been to London a few times, but coming here from the US reminded me of a funny cultural moment. I grew up in Nigeria, and whenever someone traveled and returned, they would start saying “innit,” and we’d all ask, “Where did you go, Ghana?” It was funny, but this moment is truly a blessing.

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Let’s open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. If you don’t mind, let’s stand together as we read the Word—consider it a little workout with some squats!

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised, God has chosen; and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.'”

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we are so grateful to be gathered in Your name. Holy Spirit, glorify Jesus through everything that we do today. May Your daughters experience a fresh encounter with You. I pray that Your kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven. What You have written for this day and for the lives of these women, let it manifest without hindrance. We thank You, Lord Jesus. In Your mighty name, Amen.

You may be seated.

I’d like to share a little bit about my personal process when it comes to preaching the Word. For me, it’s always a serious matter. In the few moments we have with God’s children, we can either leave them impacted or merely inspired. There’s a thin line between the two. When someone is impacted, there is tangible fruit in their lives, a lasting change. Inspiration, however, can evoke an emotional or intellectual response but doesn’t always result in lasting transformation.

The fact that you are alive today means you’ve had many opportunities to be inspired. You may have felt inspired by the beauty of creation or even by a simple walk outside. But true inspiration doesn’t always bring change. When you are impacted, however, there is something tangible that comes out of it.

As ministers, it’s not just about what we preach but about what God has ordained for that moment. When Heaven backs up what we say, we experience something powerful. I’ve had moments where people would share with me what they received from a message, and it wasn’t even what I said! That’s the power of the Holy Spirit, who ministers directly to the needs of each individual.

This conference excites me because the Lord has been revealing to me what He wants to do in the lives of the women here and those watching online. I want to encourage you: whenever you gather—whether at church or a conference—never take it for granted. Don’t treat it as an ordinary event. It’s easy to get used to routines and think of conferences as just another thing to attend, but when you gather in the Name of the Lord, it has the power to radically transform your life. Treat this time as uncommon, and be ready to experience the extraordinary.