Remember | Jabin Chavez | City Light Church

Summary

Podcast Summary: “Remember” | Jabin Chavez | City Light Church

Date: December 8, 2025
Speaker: Jabin Chavez

---

Main Theme Overview

In this heartfelt and motivating episode, Pastor Jabin Chavez uses stories, scripture, and personal anecdotes to drive home the message of “Remember.” Listeners are invited to reflect on God’s goodness, the miracles experienced, and the legacy their faith and generosity create. By recalling the biblical account of Mary’s offering to Jesus and sharing stories from City Light Church’s own community, Pastor Jabin urges the congregation to remember their salvation, the miracles they’ve witnessed, and the lasting impact of faithful giving.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. An Example of Childlike Generosity (00:00 - 04:27)

• Pastor Jabin begins by highlighting a young girl in the congregation, Amalia, who ambitiously set out to donate $9 from selling hand-made keychains for the church's miracle offering.
  • The community rallied, and Amalia ultimately brought in $871.
  • Pastor Jabin is deeply moved and decides to return the blessing, promising to buy her remaining keychains for $1,000, making sure she knows her giving is rewarded.

Quote:

“I never want you to forget this moment—that when you give, God always makes sure to get back to you and take care of you.” — Jabin Chavez (03:19)

2. Setting the Context: The Miracle Dinner (04:50 - 06:41)

• The message pivots to Mark 14, describing the dinner at Simon the Leper’s house, a celebration of two miracles: the resurrection of Lazarus and the healing of Simon.
• Mary, in an act of worship, pours out expensive perfume on Jesus, an act others criticize as wasteful, but which Jesus celebrates as beautiful.

Quote:

“She did a beautiful thing to me… wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she’s done will be told in memory of her.” — Quoting Jesus from Mark 14 (06:18)

3. The Call to Remember: The Purpose of Gathering (06:41 - 10:39)

• Pastor Jabin emphasizes that gatherings are not just traditions or good deeds, but opportunities to honor and remember Jesus’ name and works.
• Lamenting how quickly people forget God’s miracles, even a week after they occur, paralleling Mary’s situation to life today.
• Urges listeners to activate their faith actively within the church and beyond.

Quote:

“Generosity is impossible without gratitude. And gratitude is impossible with a bad memory. Some of you just have self-righteous amnesia. You forgot how far God’s brought you from.” — Jabin Chavez (10:39)

4. Three Things to Remember

a. Remember Our Salvation (11:49 - 16:25)

• The resurrection of Lazarus is used as a metaphor: Just as Lazarus was powerless to raise himself, so too are people unable to save themselves; it’s all God.
• Salvation is not earned but received—a gift and a miracle.

Quote:

“Salvation is not a good religious decision. It is the resurrection of the dead. Salvation is not a reward for good works. It is the free gift of grace given by God.” — Jabin Chavez (13:48)

b. Remember Our Miracles (16:25 - 20:21)

• Recounts Mary honoring Jesus for miracles done for her family: restoring Lazarus and healing Simon.
• Asserts God still performs miracles today, encourages belief and prayer for present-day interventions.
• Reference to John Wimber: “Pray for 200 sick people…enough people will get healed that you will never question healing again.” (19:16)

Quote:

“If you need a miracle, you’re in the right place. Jesus is the Savior—same yesterday, today and forever.” — Jabin Chavez (17:10)

c. Remember Our Calling and Legacy (20:21 - 29:41)

• Emphasizes that what we do in this life, especially acts of faith and generosity, echoes for generations (cites Abel and Mary, whose acts are still remembered).
• Tells how the faith of individuals who gave—sometimes seemingly small—has enabled countless salvations and life changes.
• Touches on the first $50 given to start the church and shares about Kitty Fox, a foundational supporter whose faith continues to speak after her passing.

Quote:

“Though dead, her faith still speaks. All these years later, Joe, your dad’s faith is still talking.” — Jabin Chavez (29:00)

---

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On Generosity and Memory:
  “Generosity is impossible without gratitude. And gratitude is impossible with a bad memory.” — Jabin Chavez (10:39)
• On Salvation:
  “Friend, the day you got saved was not nearly as much your decision as his decision.” — Jabin Chavez (12:22)
• On Legacy:
  “We actually believe you live twice... what you do on this side of eternity not only matters for eternity, but actually matters here on earth too.” — Jabin Chavez (20:48-21:13)
• On the Continuing Impact of Faith:
  “No offering you give leaves your life. It leaves your present, goes into your future and begins to prepare a harvest, not just for you, but for everyone it will impact.” — Jabin Chavez (29:37-29:41)
• Memorable Story:
  The retelling of the first $50 donation to the church by Kitty Fox and her lasting influence is both poignant and motivating (25:32 - 28:40).

---

Important Segments and Timestamps

• Amalia’s Generosity Story: 00:00 – 04:27
• Scripture Reading & Context (Mark 14): 04:54 – 06:41
• Remember: Purpose of Gathering & Worship: 06:41 – 10:39
• Remembering Salvation: 11:49 – 16:25
• Remembering Miracles: 16:25 – 20:21
• Remembering Legacy and Calling: 20:21 – 29:41

---

Tone & Style

Pastor Jabin’s style is passionate, conversational, and filled with humor and warmth. He interweaves biblical stories with relatable contemporary anecdotes, and his tone is consistently uplifting, challenging the congregation toward gratitude, active faith, and generosity.

---

Takeaways for Listeners

• Don’t forget the moments of God’s goodness in your life—they are fuel for faith and action.
• Your acts of generosity, no matter how small, are significant and create an enduring legacy.
• Miracles are not just stories from the past; Jesus continues to work in the present.
• Collective faith and giving enable transformation for generations.
• Remember: Your faith, just like Abel’s, Mary’s, and those before you, continues to speak long after you’re gone.

---

Transcript

[A]

Amen. There's a little girl in our church. Her. I believe I'm saying her name right. Amalia. Amalia. Where is she? Can you come up here? Sis, can you give Amalia a big hand?

How are you?

Here, let's come to the center. I'm so blessed to be able to meet you. Okay, so, Amalia, can I see what? Well, wow. Okay, wait a minute. Now, hold on. Do you have any of the bracelets so I can see what it looks like? We have one on the picture.

Keychains. Where are they? Okay, so you made these?

So Amalia said, I want to sell some keychains to give him the miracle offering.

Her parents said, what's your goal? And she said, I'd like to donate $9 to the miracle offering. Girl, this don't look like $9 to me.

Well, her parents started posting about this on their social media. People started buying these keychains. I need one, by the way. Can I have one?

Stop.

Which one do I get? I get both. Which one? This.

Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Okay, so this one's for who? Your wife? Okay, this one's for me, and this one's for Goldie.

Okay, But I'm gonna pay for them.

Well, anyway, not $9. She ended up selling, and today her donation to City Light. $871.

What?

That's a miracle. Look at all these people clapping for you.

Now.

Someone might be thinking, are you going to take that money from a kid? No. She's sowing seed into God's kingdom. That's going to come back to her.

For the rest of her life.

Okay, you be seated. Now, here's what I'm going to do with these. I'm going to pay for these. But these aren't going to go to the church. These are going to go. The money's gonna go to you. Okay? So here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna buy these from you for $1,000.

But it's your money now. Your parents gotta figure it out. Okay? I'm gonna give her cash so we don't give the government any more money. Amen.

So I'm gonna go get cash out from the bank tomorrow, and I'm gonna give you a thousand bucks for these. Now, what you do with that? Well, you're going to have to work that out with mom and dad. But I want to be a blessing to you. And I never want you to forget this moment.

That when you give.

God always makes sure to get back to you and Take care of you. And I never want you to forget this moment in your life. Lord, I pray for this girl and I pray for this seed. I bless her. I bless her future.

I bless the creativity that's in her heart.

I thank you that you'll use her life for your glory.

Thank you that you'll bless her family, her parents, her siblings.

Pray you cover her. And I pray she'd never forget this moment.

That it would always draw her back to your goodness.

In Jesus name, hallelujah. And everybody said, I love. Can I have a hug? I love you. Okay, somebody help her down those stairs. You go back down, give her one more big hand.

Okay.

Praise God.

Well, that's the sermon, everybody. Give. Giving the offering. Look at these. Oh, cool. Okay. I'm getting distracted. Add for all this stuff up here. I'm like, oh, this is. Okay.

Wow. Let's just go to.

Mark 14 quickly.

I'm so stirred right now.

We were in Mark 14 last week, and I just feel like we had to go back.

This is Holy Week, and there is a dinner happening at Simon the Leper's house to celebrate. There's theologians tell us two reasons this dinner is happening. To celebrate the resurrection of Lazarus and to celebrate the healing of Simon the Leper. So that's the context. There's a party to celebrate Jesus because he's raised Lazarus from the dead and he's healed Simon the lepers. So while he was in Bethany, reclining at the table is verse three. A woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured. Poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were indignantly saying to one another, why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor. And they rebuked her harshly. Leave her alone, said Jesus. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you. You can help them anytime you want. You will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body before my burial. Truly, I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she's done will be told in memory of her. Then Judas Iscariot, one of the 12, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. Notice she did a beautiful thing to Jesus. And now Judas is doing a terrible thing to Jesus.

I want to talk about. Remember, remember.

Remember. Thank you, Lord.

For speaking to us now.

Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Elbow your Neighbor say remember. Come on, tell them. Remember, Remember. Find someone else. Say you remember my name. Come on, tell them you remember my name.

By the way, don't ask me in the lobby if I remember your name. I don't. I know your face and I love you and you're amazing, but I don't remember your name. And by the way, don't judge me. You don't know my name. Y' all call me Jabez, Jobin, Jobin, Haben, Haben, Chabin. You call me everything but J. It's Jabin, so don't get mad at me, Melissa. Okay? I don't know your name either.

Just trying to laugh a little.

So there's this gathering, this party, this celebration of Jesus. They say, let's gather to celebrate Jesus. He's healed Simon, he's. He's raised Lazarus. Let's, let's, let's have a party to honor Jesus. And, and yet no one is honoring Jesus.

I could almost imagine Mary in a, in a male dominated culture, looking around at everybody in the room going, is anybody going to give him a gift? Like, I saw the horse you rode in, I saw the carriage you rode in. I saw the donkey you rode in. I saw that car you rode in. I saw that. And nobody's going to give him an offering. No one's going to thank him. Wow. So she takes this.

Box of purinard worth a year's wages, and she breaks it on the body of Jesus. And she worships Jesus and she celebrates Jesus and she honors Jesus. She remembers, she remembers the miracles and never forget that. Like, it's not like These miracles are 10 years old or 20 years old or 30 years old. I mean, this. They are a week into these miracles and people have already forgotten the goodness of God. And I think it still happens today. I think we come to church to maybe do our good deed for the week. We come to church to try to be a better person. We come to church because a hot girl that we like comes to church. So we got to come to church. Or we come to church because, you know, our wife said, you got to come or we're going to get in a fight. Or, you know, maybe I should come to church to be a good example to my kids. But we end up missing the power of the gathering. The power of the gathering. It's not that we come to church to do a good deed. We come to church to exalt the name that is above every other name.

The name of Jesus. We come to remember him and honor him. And celebrate him.

Maybe, maybe you come here and you go, man, J, why are you always calling on me to do stuff? You got to give, you got to serve, shout, run, slap your neighbor, do something. You know, like say amen. You know all this and you're like, why? Because I'm trying to activate your faith here. Because here's my thought. If you can't praise here with a thousand other worshipers, lifting up the name of Jesus with this worship team, with this sound system, with that big old screen, how you go praise God on a Tuesday when it's you and God.

So I'm just trying to get you to activate your faith so that maybe if you sing and maybe if you say amen and maybe if you shout to the Lord and maybe if you clap your hands, you would go, wow, this is actually awesome. If I could teach you to pray in the house of God and receive in the house of God, who knows what it could do in your life. But here we are in a gathering in a miracle room and nobody's honoring God.

Generosity is impossible without gratitude. And gratitude is impossible with a bad memory. And I think some of you just have self righteous amnesia. You forgot how far God's brought you from.

You've been saved so long, you forgot you are saved. You forgot what he pulled you out of. You forgot the pit that he took you out of and the way he put your feet on the rock. You have forgotten the goodness of God. But I never want to forget the Lord. I never want to forget his salvation. I never want to forget his goodness. I am not here today because I decided to make some good decisions. I'm here today because of the grace of God. And I've gathered today with my church family to shout again to God be the glory. Come on. I think we ought to take just a five second praise break and say thank you, Jesus. Come on. Anybody grateful today? Anybody up in the rapture section who's grateful? Come on, give him the glory.

He's worthy. He's worthy. He's worthy. He's worthy. And I want to remember him.

Number one. I want to remember our salvation.

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and it is a picture of salvation.

Lazarus had nothing to do with it.

And you don't have anything to do with yours. It was a picture of how Jesus saves and the way he works in our life. The resurrection of Lazarus showed Jesus power and his work and his grace, and it showed how he raises us.

Friend, the day you got saved was not nearly as much your decision as his decision.

Like you were dead. You know.

Dead people can't do good works. And dead people also can't sin. They're dead. They're just dead. If you walk up to a corpse, they're not going to lust, but they're also not going to be generous. They're not going to. They're not going to cuss you out. They're also not going to praise God. They dead.

And the Bible says you were dead.

But Jesus walked up to that cold tomb that you were in and said, lazarus, come forth.

And he woke you up and he activated your spirit to the things of God. You are a product of praying saints. You are the product of the preaching of the gospel, and you are the product of the resurrecting power of Jesus Christ that spoke to that tomb and said, get up. And you got up again. That's why, like, I want to just remind you, salvation is not a good religious decision. It is the resurrection of the dead. Salvation is not a reward for good works. It is the free gift of grace given by God. Salvation is God's idea for God's glory and for your good.

Yeah, you know, I'm just trying to, like, level up my life. I like the vibes at City Light, so I've been going, cool, so glad you're here. But until you hear Lazarus come forth, until you get to the point of saying, I can't save myself, I need a Savior. I need my Creator. I need something eternal. Until you reach out and say yes to that.

This is not a religious social club or country club for good people. This is a weekly celebration of resurrection life.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience in your many sins, you used to live in sin just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil, the commander of the powers of the unseen world. He is the spirit at which work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. Have you ever just hopped on your social media and you see a celebrity that maybe haven't seen a few months ago?

What happened to you? They're under the power of hell, so we don't judge them. We pray for them.

Because all of us used to live that way. We used to follow our own desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature, we were subject to God's evil anger like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy. He loved us so much.

That even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life. When Christ. When he raised Christ from the dead, it's only by God's grace that you've been saved for. He raised us from the dead. That's what happened when you said, jesus, be lord of my life. He raised you from the dead with Christ and seated us with him in heavenly realms. Because we are united with Christ so God can point to us in all future generations. Everybody say legacy. Everybody say legacy. He's saying people are going to be able to look back on your life and say that's when everything changed.

And by the way, you don't get the credit for it. It's his incredible wealth of grace, his kindness towards us shown in all he has done for us. You're united with Christ. God saved you by his grace when you believed. You can't take credit for this. It's a gift from God.

Salvation is not a reward for the good things we've done. Some of you still think that way. Have I done enough? You haven't. You can't.

Salvation is not a reward for the things you've done so that none of us can boast about it. We remember our salvation. Number two. We remember our miracles. The Bible said that this dinner happened in Simon the Leper's house. Mary is looking at her now living brother.

And she's now looking at this cleansed man named Simon and she's looking at the one who raised Lazarus from the dead and who healed Simon and she was able to remember the miracles. I just want to tell you, Jesus still does miracles.

Like if you need a miracle today, Jesus still does. Jesus still heals. Jesus still answers prayer. Jesus still moves mountains. Jesus still heals blood disorders and cancers. And Jesus still, Jesus still causes people to be healed. Jesus still makes a way out of no way. Jesus still moves mountains and causes valleys to rise up and crooked paths to be made straight. Jesus could still open a door that no man can shut. Jesus still does miracles. And if you need a miracle, you're in the right place. Because Jesus is the Savior. Same yesterday, today and forever. We declared that we're believing God for the next seven months. He's going to do more miracles in the next seven months in our church than in the last seven years combined. I'm declaring 2026 is the year of miracles. We are believing God for supernatural answers. And friend, there is going to be a day in your life that you are going to need the miracle working hand of God in your life. And I want to challenge you. Believe for miracles, ask for miracles and praise God in advance for miracles. Because God still does miracles. As you know, God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. Okay, why was Jesus anointed to go around doing good, healing all?

Jesus does good by healing all. He healed all. There is not one verse of scripture, the Gospels, where someone went up to Jesus for healing. And he said, no.

There'S not one time there was a need represented. And he said, no.

Some guy with leprosy didn't walk up to Jesus. And he said, actually, brother, I give my toughest battles to my bravest soldiers. Be sick in my name. No, he didn't do that. He healed everybody well. Why isn't everyone healed today? I don't really know. There's going to be some answers we're going to need in heaven. Ultimately, everyone does get healed when they go to heaven, but I don't know why everyone's not healed. Dr. John Wimber, before he went to heaven, John Wimber said this. Pray for 200 sick people.

After you pray for 200 people, not everyone will be healed, but enough people will get healed that you will never question healing again.

Because God still heals. God still does miracles. If you need a healing in your body, we believe that can happen today. Like. Like, we still. We still believe that he does good and he heals all. And I want us to believe for more miracles, not less miracles, more healings, not less healings, more of the intervention of God, not less of it. I don't want to just have a mental ascent about God. I want you to experience God.

Healing all who are oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Jesus still heals. Jesus still does miracles. What Jesus did for Simon the Leper, Jesus is still doing today. And I want you to believe that. And if he's ever done anything for you, I don't want you to forget that.

We're so quick to forget the goodness of God.

Lastly, we remember our calling.

That woman did a beautiful thing that day. And Jesus said, it will always be remembered. See, we're not fatalistic here. We don't believe that you live and then you die and then you're forgotten. We don't believe that. We don't believe in yolo.

We actually believe you live twice.

We actually believe you live here, and then you live on the other side of here. And we actually believe that what you do on this side of eternity not only matters for eternity, but actually matters here on earth too. Because what Mary did that day did not only impact her eternity, what Mary did that day is impacting us today. Jesus said every time the gospel goes out, we're going to remember her.

That she's actually with us today in spirit. Spirit. It's called legacy. It's called making an impact in the next generation. It's called doing something today that affects tomorrow. Though she died, her legacy lives on. Let me have the team come or I'll never quit preaching. I need the music to remind me to quit.

Never forget this.

By faith, Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did.

By faith, he was commended as righteous when God spoke well of his offerings. Man, I want God to speak well of my life.

And by faith. Oh, man. Watch this, watch this, watch this. Abel still speaks.

Even though he's dead.

His offering and his faith is still talking to us today, even though he's in heaven.

I wonder if you were with us in the high school and you gave towards a chair. You gave towards a chair. Can I see your hand? You gave towards a chair. $279 a chair. And everyone gasped, right? Aren't you glad we paid that? Because they're so comfy. Okay, can I see those hands again? Come on, wave at me. You gave towards the chair. Okay, okay. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Okay, okay, time out. Hold on. Since we moved into this building, is there anyone here who's gotten saved here, rededicated their life to Christ here, or got baptized here? Since we moved into the building. Can I see you? Look at all those hands.

Okay, watch this, watch this. Watch. More hands, more went up for that than for who gave to a chair. Okay, watch this. It was never about a chair.

It was never about a building. It was never about a chair. It was about your faith is still speaking.

So that people could come in and park and get a seat. Seat and check their kids in and get saved and get baptized and rededicate their life to Christ.

You can be seated. It was never about a chair.

But see, every time someone raises their hand and gives their life to Christ in this building.

The faith of the person who gave for the chair still speaks.

And continues to speak.

And now we're paying for this parking lot. And every time someone parks on that parking lot and has a parking space and gets to walk into this building and give their life to Christ and see their family change and see, your faith is speaking.

Abel is still speaking. His legacy is still living. And the same can be said for you.

Imagine what God could do with a heart fully surrendered to him.

So who should give today? Everyone.

Please don't let an 8 year old give and you don't give. Please don't do that. I'm serious. I'm not asking you to give it her amount. Some of you can't, but just maybe you can't give 871, maybe you can give $8, but please don't let an 8 year old out faith you today.

I didn't say out amount you because some of you can't give that. I understand that. I had a guy find me at the 8. He goes, I've been driving UberEats this week. I just had to give something in the offering. What a powerful.

Powerful.

Powerful. What are we talking about? I just had to give something in the offering.

He said, I can't wait for the day I could write $10,000 checks. I can't wait for the day that I could sow in a significant way. And I said, that is significant.

I was looking for an old photo this week of Goldie. I was looking for her and when I was looking through, I found this picture. I want to put it up. This is a check and it's the first check ever given to our ministry. Now notice the date. April 7, 2017. We weren't even a church yet. Didn't even have a 501 yet. Didn't even have a bank account yet. Weren't even totally sure about our church name yet.

We moved here June 2017. We started. Started the church February 2018. But in April of 2017, I came to Vegas and I met this family, met with this family, excuse me, Mitch and Kathleen Fox. We called her Kitty. Mitch and Kitty Fox. And I told them the vision of City Light. And I asked them to join us in that vision. And they said, of course, we're all in.

And then Kitty looked at me and said, so it's called City Light Church. I said, yeah. I mean, I think.

She goes, well, are you sure? I said, yeah, I mean, I think it is. I mean, that's. It feels good. Yeah. I don't know. She goes, okay. She ran upstairs and a minute later she ran downstairs and she said, I want to be the first to give.

And this church started with a $50 check. And I said, kitty, I don't even. We don't even have a bank account yet. Yet. I said, just give me some time. Give me a couple weeks, I'll get it deposited. She said, okay.

This church didn't start with a $50,000 check or a 50 million dollar check or start with a $50 check. Look at all this.

Start with that seed.

Two years ago.

Kitty went to heaven.

But her faith.

Spoke to me this week. Though dead, her faith still speaks.

Now, I don't know why she died, and I'm not happy she died. But I promise you right now, if we ask Kitty Fox, who I promise you is on some kind of Maui equivalent beach in heaven, if I said, kitty, you want to come back? She'd be like heaven. No, I'm good, bro. I'm healed, I'm whole, and I love my view, and I live stream every Sunday. Amen. I think that's true.

And though dead, I got to bury that woman. And I hate that I had to do that.

As her body went into the ground. I'll never forget her husband Mitch going, she's not here. This ain't her.

She's in glory.

But she's still talking. Two years later, she's still preaching. Two years later, her faith is still speaking. All these years later, Joe, your dad's faith is still talking.

Man. I feel that in my bones. I'm sorry, Jesus.

Stand up or I'll never quit. Stand up.

We're still talking about Mary. We're still talking about Abel, we're still talking about Kitty.

Because no offering that you have, please watch me. No offering. You give leaves your life.

It leaves your present.

Goes into your future and begins to prepare a harvest, not just for you, but for everyone. It will impact.