Valley Gospel
A Pentecostal church experience.
Valley Gospel
Fellowship
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A span of seventeen months doesn’t usually start with a decision to walk away. It starts with one missed service, one more Sunday where you’re tired, one week where the pain feels too heavy to be around people. Then, before you know it, you’re alone with questions that won’t stop: Why didn’t God heal? Did I pray wrong? Am I even worthy to come back? Join Barbie McCorkendale as she talks honestly about how grief, disappointment, and isolation can unravel faith, and how God meets us in the dark without giving up on us.
We ground the conversation in the Bible’s view of Christian fellowship and church community. You’ll hear why unity reflects God’s heart (John 17), why the body grows when every part shows up (Ephesians 4), and why accountability and shared prayer matter when life gets unstable (James 5, Matthew 18). We also dig into the battle of the mind, including the call to “take captive every thought” (2 Corinthians 10:5), because so many people don’t fall away from God all at once, they get talked out of returning.
A key moment comes from the message “Whatever He Tells You to Do, Do It” and a prophetic reminder to stand back up, dust yourself off, and walk it out. If you’ve been distant from church, weary in prayer, or stuck in shame, this is a clear path back toward the light through worship, Bible study, and real connection with believers. Subscribe, share this with someone who’s been missing, and leave a review with what helped you keep showing up.
Hello.
Welcome And Service Setup
SPEAKER_01Welcome to Valley Gospel Church. We are a non-denominational Pentecostal church located in Springdale, Pennsylvania. Our sole mission is to present the living truth of a risen Lord, Jesus Christ, to a remnant church and a lost world. Let's get into the service recorded live at Valley Gospel Church.
SPEAKER_00I'm going to call it a thesis a couple of weeks ago. And it was so unique because it came from a perspective of someone who it seemed had briefly lost their way through a series of events and crises in their lives. Prayers that seemingly went unanswered, maybe a God that seemed to be unavailable, or a church that didn't fully understand. And if asked her to bring that thing, that message this morning, take it into your spirit.
SPEAKER_05So I thank you, Lord, that everybody gets to be up here to hear this because it's important. And I thank you, God, for the opportunity to stand here in front of all my brothers and sisters to give this message that the Holy Spirit has laid on my heart for months since I came back. So just let your words flow. Let everything come out how you meant it to be. For everybody to hold it into their hearts. Lord, open their ears and let them take it in. Hold on to it. And I thank you again, and we love you in Jesus' name. Amen. So
Seventeen Months In Darkness
SPEAKER_05everybody knows I was gone. Uh I said missing in fellowship, MIF. And I didn't realize how long it was until the Holy Spirit started talking to me about this. It was 17 months. 17 months I was in darkness. And it started a couple of months after my mom went home to be with the Lord. And I'd given a testimony on that because I was at such peace knowing that she gave her life to Jesus and her suffering was over, and I was good with that. It was so wonderful. But I had no idea that the enemy was planning an attack. And I didn't realize how important fellowship was until I shrank from it. We are not meant to travel this path alone as Christians. God intended for us to walk together and to help one another along the way. Psalm 133, 1 says, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Fellowship serves a lot of purposes to help us better be better Christians, and it's a vital part of our walk with Christ. And I found that out. Anyone ever skip church? You just weren't feeling it. You were tired, you had things on your mind, something else you thought was better you wanted to do. What about Bible study? The women's Bible study. Anybody ever skip that or skip church because it was too hot or it was too cold? Maybe you just haven't gone at all. And sometimes, and I've done this, sometimes you think you don't really need it because you go to church on Sunday and you read your Bible. I've experienced a lot of that myself, especially in those 17 months. And that's what the enemy wants. He wants to get into our heads, throw every distraction in front of us, and we sometimes make it easy for him by backing out and not coming on those days. Not saying that there are times when there are things that you need to do and should do, but too many times we basically flake off and say, you know what, I'll get it next time, I'll go next time. That he wants that. And why are we helping him to pull us away from God and each other? And they said, I'm guilty of this. And it started 17 months ago, over 17 months ago. I missed a church service here and there. I started skipping Bible study every now and then, and then it was 17 months of isolation and darkness. I wasn't getting into his word, and I took myself away from the fellowship from all of you. I let the enemy get in my head, and my thoughts ran rampant. I started questioning everything, including my faith. Didn't I pray hard enough? Didn't I pray right? Why didn't God heal my mom? Why didn't he take her pain away? And why did he let her suffer for so long? I got angry at God and I started pulling away just a little, little by little. And I thought I wasn't worthy to be loved by him. Because how could I be? When I'm mad at him and I'm filled with so much doubt. So every time I would think about coming back to church, he would plant more thoughts. And he would tell me, you abandon them, you don't deserve to go back, they don't need you or want you, you let them down, you're not good enough, you hurt them and you hurt God. But like Pastor B always says, but God. God was waiting. And I cried out to him with everything that I had in me, my whole being. And he pulled me out of that darkness. He let me go through what I needed to go through to see how important fellowship is for everybody. And this has been on my heart for months, and I kept thinking, this needs to be a message for everyone. And the Holy Spirit said, Yep, get to it, and here we are. Fellowship has been such an important part of my life since I've come back. And it helps to keep me from the darkness, and it reminds me that I am loved and I am enough. God never gave up on me, and I've learned that I can take control of my thoughts. And like Jamie tells us, and we have heard so many times, and I don't see there's no irony in that. 2 Corinthians 10, 5, take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And that now I know is part of the reason that we've been hearing that over and over again. It's important, and everybody needs to do it. And I pray that this message reaches those who need it and that it opens your eyes and hearts to what it really means to have fellowship.
Why Fellowship Matters To God
SPEAKER_05Fellowship reflects the nature of God. John 17, 21 says that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. As believers, we're called to reflect that unity. When we mirror God's relationship within himself, we show the world his love, and we get to honor him together through the praise and the worship in the scripture. And I know this the song that Stephanie did first, Let Your Living Water Flow. Last week that touched me in such a big way, and I know it was confirmation for me that this message needs out there, and we all need to, we need to dig in deep with each other. Fellowship also builds the church. Ephesians 4 16 says, from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for edifying of itself in love. We come together and we use our talents and gifts to serve one another, and we build up the church and give it strength spiritually and physically. And each one of us has a talent, uh, a gift, and and we see it every day, whether it's uh sitting up here in worship and being able to worship our Lord and give Him all that praise and all the glory that we need. The guys, our security team, there's so much, and and we need to realize how important that is because that's fellowship. That's fellowship among us. Fellowship offers accountability. James 5, 16 says, confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. We all need someone to hold us accountable for our actions and our words. And as believers, we do that for each other and we do it in love and in truth. Spiritual accountability is crucial for growth and perseverance, and it helps us stay aligned with God's will. We have a safe place to confess, correct one another, and grow in godliness. Fellowship strengthens prayer. Matthew 18, 19 to 20. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them. And we all know this is true because we've seen it, we've felt it here. And when we come together in prayer, we're actually seeking God's will. We invite God's presence and power into our prayer life, and we get to experience that power of unified prayer and his presence. And that is a huge blessing. Fellowship promotes spiritual growth. Proverbs 27, 17 says, as iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. We learn from one another when we fellowship. We teach and learn from each other in order to grow in faith and we deepen our understanding of God's word. We gain wisdom from mature believers. And that's huge for all of our wonderful teachers, Sunday school teachers, Pastor B, all our pastors, Dan, Teddy, everybody that speaks. What a privilege to be able to be present and to hear that and to fellowship with that. Fellowship demonstrates love for one another. John 13, 34 35 says, A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. And we know that's the best commandment. And we have that here. We feel that every day. I know that's here. We're surrounded with love for the Father, love for each other. Jesus commanded his disciples to one another, to love one another. And it showed the world that they belong to him. Fellowship creates opportunities for us to demonstrate this love so the world can see. Fellowship provides protection against isolation. Ecclesiastes 4, 9 to 10. Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. We all need that. Isolation can and does make us vulnerable to attacks from the enemy. Our fellowship is a shield of protection. And Christians are meant to be in community with each other. In this way, we're able to provide support and uplift each other. Fellowship also provides encouragement. Hebrews 10, 24 to 25. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much more as you see the day approaching. Mutual encouragement and strength. That's what we get when we fellowship. When we gather together, it helps us to stay focused and steadfast in our faith. And we share struggles and support each other, and we need that.
A Podcast Word That Convicted
SPEAKER_05When I returned to church, it was March 25th. And on May 5th, I listened to Pastor B's podcast, Whatever He Tells You to Do, do it. And it was posted on October 9th of 25, and that was my mama's birthday. So I was convicted. And I just want to read some of the things because it's it's in line with what I had said in the beginning. And it's aligned with what I'm gonna. Again, this was whatever he tells you to do, do it. Of course, when we're in church and we're in Bible study and we're praying, everything's all good, good to go. But then when you're alone and you're trying to get through it and you're trying to walk that walk, trying to do what he called us to do, you can go up and then down. There's light and then there's darkness. You're fearful of losing traction, and your closeness with the Lord is fleeting, and before you know it, it's slipping away ever so slightly, and then it's it's just not there. You don't see it, you don't feel it, you don't know how to get it back. Maybe you don't feel his presence like you used to, or that closeness that you used to share. You don't pray like you used to, you don't worship like you used to, and you doubt that God even cares about you individually. And I have felt all of that, and that was part of the strong conviction when Holy Spirit was giving me this message because when I heard this podcast, it touched me so deeply and so strongly. I don't think anything that I've ever listened to has done that. And I thank you, Pastor, before that, because it didn't matter. It was from 2025, and here I am listening to it May 5th of this year, and it still got me. So it'll get you. If you haven't listened to it or you weren't here to hear it, go and listen to it October 9th, 2025. Whatever he tells you to do, do it because you'll find it and and it'll it'll be good. So then Pastor had also said that he was gonna he was gonna prophesy in this message. And before he gave the prophecy, he'd said that the Lord called you, you've heard his voice, he's directed your feet, but through events in your life, through no fault of your own, your faith fell on hard times. That power, that fellowship, that communion that was so easy before, it's not there any longer. The anointing of the Holy Spirit seems no longer accessible to you. And then you start to question your worthiness, you question your experience, your gifts, your faith, your salvation. So I'd already felt that and been convicted by it. And then he spoke his prophecy. And he said, God's unbridled sovereignty is about to intersect with your destiny. God's power, Holy Ghost power, will meet your willingness, your courage, and your commitment if you stand back up, dust yourself off, and get back on the road. Walk it out. His favor is the fact that he loves you. You're his child and he loves you. You're about to become a blessing, and today reconnect with that limitless power of your salvation. Today, your faith in Jesus and Him crucified can and will lift you above the shadows and place your feet on higher ground. And that's not just for me. I claimed it. When I heard it, I claimed it. I was convicted. That's for many people, and I know some are going to be touched by that. Claim it and take it. He prepared your blessing while you doubted, when you said stupid things, when you thought stupid things. He prepared your blessing while your faith was slipping. He's preparing your anointing now. And even though you're going through a storm, when your emotional state was so fragile, he was preparing your blessing. It's his love, his perfect love, that casts out all fear. His love allows us to be victorious, to win over doubt and depression. When I wasn't in fellowship, I missed out on so much all those months. But God, just like Pastor B spoke in this message, the Holy Spirit grabbed hold and took me back to the place I started falling. He showed me that God was with me that entire time and he did not leave me. He doesn't leave us. We walk away. And
Practical Steps Back Into Community
SPEAKER_05Jamie reminds us every week about Bible study and women's Bible study. We are blessed to have those opportunities to be in fellowship with each other and our God. Come and join us. They are so good. You get to reason together. In times where you ask questions, if you don't understand something, nobody's berating you, nobody's putting you down. We're there to help each other, and we do, and it is wonderful. And the learning that you get and the knowledge, I've learned so much in the Bible studies that it's helped me grow in my faith and in discernment and knowledge that I pray for all the time to get. So come, come and be there and just experience it. You will not be disappointed. And he's coming soon. We all know that, and we need to be better prepared. And without fellowship, we stumble and eventually fall. God welcomes us, he wants us, wants us to spend more time with him and his son and each other. So I'll leave you with these last three verses. 1 Corinthians 1 9. God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ our Lord. And 1 John 1.6 and 1.7. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from sin. Thank you very much for listening.
SPEAKER_01Thank
Closing Prayer And Church Invitation
SPEAKER_01you for listening to this week's podcast. We pray it was an encouragement and a blessing to you. You can contact us at Valley Gospel Church, 1069, Butler Logan Road, Springdale, Pennsylvania, 15144. We invite you to listen to this week's worship service that follows and tune in for next week's podcast.
SPEAKER_06In
Worship Begins Let Living Water Flow
SPEAKER_06John chapter 7, Jesus said, if anyone
SPEAKER_03Let your living water flow over my soul. Let your Holy Spirit come and take control of every situation that has troubled my mind. All my cares and burdens onto you. I roll. Make me to know your ways, oh Lord. Teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. For you I wait all the day long. Let your living water flow over my soul. Let your Holy Spirit come and take control of every situation that has troubled my mind. All my cares and burdens onto you. I roll singing Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sent to the power for Spirit, Sprint, Spear, Spear. Jesus, Jesus, she sent to the Father Spirit, Spirit, Spirit, Spend now, Holy Spirit, and take control, hold me in your loving arms and make me whole. Wipe away all doubt and fear, and take my pride. Draw me to your love and keep me by your side. Jesus. Oh, let's sing it again. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Spear, Spear, Spe, Jesus, Jesus, oh Saint to the Father. Spearren. Spear.
Scripture Declarations And Holy Spirit Power
SPEAKER_03But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Just the mention of your name. Just the mention of your name, flowers grow. Flowers grow, but desert looms again. And a voice came from heaven. Oh, let's sing that chorus again. Jesus, just the mention of your name. Flowers grow. Flowers grow. Oh Jesus. Just the mention of your name. We thank you for your presence, Holy Spirit. We thank you for that burning fire. Oh, come on, church, let's sing it again. Jesus, just the mention. Jesus, just the mention of your name. We know that's the truth, Lord. Flowers grow. My desert blooms again. Thank you for your power. Like your precious go. Oh she's just the mention of your name. But thanks be to God, He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, we know that in your name there is pure power. With joy you will draw water from the well of salvation. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God's grace. Oh Lord, we know that's the truth. Wonderful to hear, it's wonderful to hear. Bringing hope and cheer, bringing love and share. What a lovely name. What a lovely name. The name of Jesus. Reaching higher far. Reaching higher far than the brightest star. Than the brightest star. Oh, it's sweeter. And it's sweeter than any song they sing in hell. Just let the world proclaim. Let the world proclaim. What a man. This is
Rejoicing In The Name Of Jesus
SPEAKER_03the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. He'll returning clouds. Oh glory. Do you believe that's the truth? The saints of every race shall behold his faith. So hallelujah, I'm longing for that day. With them I enter city. Oh, think of that glorious day. Ever to proclaim. What a lovely name. What a lovely name. Oh, let's sing it out. What a lovely name. What a lovely name. Reaching higher far. Reaching higher far. Give him all the praise. Oh, it's sweeter. It's sweeter. Let the world proclaim. Let the world complain. Yes, Lord. What a lovely name.
SPEAKER_02Yes, Lord.
SPEAKER_03Oh, it's sweeter than singing heaven. Let the world proclaim. Let the world proclaim. What a loving name. I'll sing it another time. It's sweeter. Oh, it's sweeter. One day every tongue will confess. And the world broken.