(MUSIC)
- COME ON CHURCH. WE'RE READY TO REJOICE IN THE LORD. THE DAY THE
LORD HAS MADE. COME ON, GET UP ON YOUR FEET.
- HALLELUJAH! COME ON, LET'S CONTINUE TO PRAISE GOD.
- ALL RIGHT. - HALLELUJAH!
- LORD, WE REJOICE IN YOU, THE MIGHTY GOD. WE REJOICE IN YOU,
THE LIVING GOD. - YES, LORD.
- IT IS OUR HONOR TO STAND IN YOUR PRESENCE.
- THANK YOU, JESUS. - WORDS COULD NEVER DESCRIBE THE
HONOR OF THY NAME. - YES, LORD.
- THE MAJESTY OF YOUR GREATNESS AND YOUR POWER.
- THANK YOU, LORD JESUS. - WE WELCOME YOU TO YOUR HOUSE
FOR YOU TO HAVE YOUR WAY, YOUR SAY.
- YES, YES, YES, YES. - GOD THAT MEN WILL KNOW,
WHETHER THEY ARE WATCHING ONLINE TODAY OR IN THIS PLACE, THAT GOD
IS AMONG US. WE WORSHIP YOU. AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT LOVE HIM
SAID, - AMEN.
- ALRIGHT.
- MAN, I TELL YOU, AS I STARTED WALKING OUT HERE, I COULD FEEL
THE ANOINTING WAS BUILDING. I'M LIKE, OKAY, WHAT ARE YOU UP TO,
GOD? - YES.
- SO LET'S JUST STAY VERY CLOSE TO HIM. SO YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN
GOD'S GONNA SPEAK. LISTEN, I WAS IN WALNUT, IOWA, WHAT WAS IT, A
COUPLE WEEKS AGO. BY THE WAY, YOU NEED TO GO THERE, GREAT
ANTIQUE PLACE. THEY GOT ME ONE OF THOSE LITTLE FARMER WATER
POTS. - LOTS OF JUNK.
- YEAH. BUT I'M JUST WALKING DOWN THE STREET.
- AND PASTOR IS A MAGNET FOR JUNK.
- NO, I'M NOT. - YOU LOVE THAT STUFF. I MEAN,
OOH. - OKAY, ALL RIGHT.
- SO, SHANE AND CHRISTY, YOU WANNA DO THE GREETING, HER AND I
NEED TO TALK. NO, I'M JUST KIDDING, NO. NO, I'LL SAY THIS,
YOU KNOW, NOT JUNK, BRENDA, IT'S JUST A DIFFERENCE OF TASTE.
- EXPENSIVE JUNK. RIGHT, I MEAN, SHE GOES, NO, SHE GOES INTO AN
ICE CREAM SHOP, SHE PICKS OUT ONE FLAVOR, I'M LIKE, I'LL TAKE
'EM ALL, TAKE 'EM ALL, TAKE 'EM ALL. SO IT'S JUST A DIFFERENCE
OF TASTE. BUT ANYWAY, I WAS IN WALNUT, I THINK I TOLD YOU THIS,
BUT I HAD BEEN PRAYING FOR ONE OF THOSE, HOW MANY OF YOU EVER
SEEN THOSE WATER PUMPS, YOU KNOW? NOT LIKE ON A CAR, BUT YOU
KNOW, WHERE YOU GO LIKE THIS WITH IT? AND I ASKED GOD, I
SAID, "GOD, I WANT ONE OF THOSE." AND I TOLD HIM HOW HIGH
I WANTED IT. AND THE GUY JUST GOT IT IN BEFORE I CAME. IT WAS
STANDING RIGHT BEFORE THE, RIGHT OUT FRONT OF THE ANTIQUE SHOP. I
SAID, "LORD, THAT'S AMAZING, BUT HERE'S WHAT MY POINT IS." I WAS
WALKING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE LORD SAID, HE SAID, "MAY I SPEAK
WITH YOU?" I SAID, "SURE." HE SAID, "I WANT TO TALK TO YOU
ABOUT THE MIDTERMS." AND I'M THINKING, MAN, THAT'S KIND OF
CRAZY. I MEAN, WALNUT ISLE, WHY DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT
MIDTERMS? BUT HE DIDN'T TALK TO ME THERE. HE TALKED TO ME LATER.
BUT MY POINT IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS BE AWARE OF THE PRESENCE
OF GOD. 'CAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN HE'S GONNA SPEAK TO YOU OR
BLESS YOU WITH SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE BEEN PRAYING FOR AND IS
STARING AT YOU RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES. AND IT ISN'T JUNK.
- I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF.
- NO, I KNOW YOU CAN'T. ALL RIGHT, I WANNA DO THIS. I WANNA
WELCOME ALL OF YOU THAT ARE WATCHING ALSO AROUND THE WORLD
AND AGAIN. I THINK YOU SHOULD PUT IN THE COMMENTS, PASTOR HANK
DOES NOT, HOW DO YOU SAY IT? I HAVE JUNK OR I LOOK AT JUNK.
- YOU'RE A MAGNET FOR JUNK. - I HAVE A BUNCH OF JUNK STUFF.
- YOU LOVE THAT STUFF. - NO, I DON'T. NO, I DON'T.
- I MEAN, THE WATER PUMP IS CUTE THOUGH.
- ALL RIGHT. HERE'S THE POINT. THE POINT IS WHENEVER
WE HAVE TO CLEAN THE HOUSE, IT'S ALWAYS MY STUFF THAT SEEMS TO
GO, BUT ANYWAY. BUT WE'LL TALK, BRENDA. WE'LL TALK. BUT ANYWAY,
I WANT TO DO THIS. I WANT TO WELCOME ALSO THOSE OF YOU THAT
MIGHT BE WATCHING IN THE ILLINOIS AREA, ILLINOIS, THAT'S
WHAT GOD CALLS IT. AND WE'RE GOING TO BE THERE IN ROCHELLE,
ILLINOIS TONIGHT. IT'S GOING TO BE A POWERFUL, POWERFUL MEETING.
GOD'S PUT A REALLY STRONG WORD IN MY MOUTH. ALONG THE SAME
LINES, WE'RE GOING TO TALK TODAY ABOUT THE SHIFT CHANGE. WE'RE
GOING TO CONTINUE THAT HERE IN THE CHURCH. AND THEN THERE IN
ILLINOIS, GOD'S GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT, I THINK, THE NATION
AND WHAT'S COMING. SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU JOIN US. I
WILL SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT I CAN TELL YOU, STAY
TUNED, IS I REALLY FEEL LIKE THINGS ARE SHIFTING. HOW MANY OF
YOU WERE HERE LAST SUNDAY WHEN WE KIND OF ALL CAME FORWARD? AND
THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE WATCHING, MAN, IT WAS POWERFUL. AND THEN I
WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO WEDNESDAY NIGHT, GUYS. I WATCHED
WEDNESDAY NIGHT. - AWESOME.
- WHAT I LOVED ABOUT IT IS WHEN I'M LOOKING AND I'M SEEING
OUR PASTORS ON THEIR FACE. THAT'S WHEN YOU KNOW GOD WILL
SHOW UP WHEN THE LEADERS LEAD THE WAY AND THEY WANT GOD. AND
SO IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL. I EVEN, GREAT JOB GUYS. I EVEN GOT
TOUCHED AND JUST THROUGH THE CAMERA. SO THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE
WATCHING, I CAN FEEL THAT, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHERE
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE ON THIS SIDE OF THE CAMERA, IT'S A
LITTLE DIFFERENT. - THAT'S TRUE, THAT'S TRUE.
- BUT WHEN YOU'RE ON THAT SIDE OF THE CAMERA, MAN, IT'S AMAZING
THAT YOU CAN FEEL GOD AS WELL. SO HOW MANY OF YOU ARE OKAY WITH
THE STORM, BY THE WAY? EVERYBODY GOOD? ANYBODY HAVE ANY STORM
CLEANUP? - A LITTLE CLEAN UP SATURDAY WE
HAD. ANYBODY HAVE TO CLEAN UP A LITTLE BIT AROUND THEIR HOUSE?
WE DID A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, SOME NEEDS AND THINGS.
- YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY CRAZY, AS I WAS TELLING BRENDA, I GOT
UP AT LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, JUST BEFORE FOUR IN THE MORNING TO
JUST GO AND PRAY. AND I GOT DONE PRAYING AROUND FIVE, SOMETHING
JUST A LITTLE AFTER FIVE, AND I JUST FELT, IT WASN'T GOD, BUT I
JUST FELT TO LOOK AT MY PHONE, AND I WAS LIKE, "BRENDA, GET UP
OUT OF BED, "LOOK AT WHAT'S COMING." SO I FEEL LIKE WE'VE
GOTTA STAY ON THIS. THIS IS ABNORMAL. THIS IS, AND SO WE
REALLY NEED TO STAY ON IT AND CONTINUE TO PRAY, YOU KNOW, NOT
JUST PEACE OVER JERUSALEM, BUT HOW ABOUT PEACE FOR OMAHA,
NEBRASKA AND THE WEATHER FATHERS. AMEN. ALL RIGHT. I'M
READY TO WORSHIP GOD. ANYTHING ELSE?
- I DO SEE A LOT OF YELLOW SHIRTS ALL AROUND THE BUILDING
TODAY. THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOME CORE YOUTH AT CAMP. ARE
WE GOING TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS LATER? ALL RIGHT. COME ON.
- SO ARE THE YELLOW SHIRTS? WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. OH, SO
THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT VOLUNTEERING TO WORK TODAY. I
WAS GOING TO FIND SOME STUFF FOR THEM TO DO, YOU KNOW?
-BUT COME ON, WAVE AT EVERYBODY. CORE YOUTH, WAVE AT EVERYBODY.
LOOK AT ALL THESE GUYS. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A LITTLE
RECAP. DID YOU GUYS LIKE CAMP? WAS IT AWESOME? WELL, WE'RE
EXCITED FOR YOU. SO IT'S GOING TO BE AN AMAZING DAY. WE'RE
GOING TO CELEBRATE YOU A LITTLE BIT. ALL RIGHT. ARE YOU GUYS
READY? THROW THOSE HANDS UP TO HEAVEN. COME ON, CORE YOUTH. YOU
GOT TO LEAD THE WAY. SAY THESE WORDS. SAY, LORD, IT'S GOING TO
BE A FABULOUS DAY IN THE HOUSE OF GOD. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS HERE.
YOUR PRESENCE IS HERE. AND I'M ASKING YOU, LORD, TO MOVE IN
THIS PLACE AND TOUCH MY LIFE IN JESUS' NAME. NOW, COME ON, SHOUT
LIKE YOU REALLY WANT TO GET LOUD AND LET'S PRAISE THE LORD. ALL
RIGHT. NOW, CORE YOUTH, YOU PROMISED WHEN WE WERE OUT THERE,
YOU GUYS WERE GOING TO WORSHIP STRONG BECAUSE THEY HAD, I MEAN,
I'M TELLING YOU GUYS, THEY HAD A MOVE OF GOD WHEN WE WERE OUT AT
CAMP. SO WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT
TODAY. CORE YOUTH, I WANT YOU TO COME DOWN TO THE FRONT. YOU'RE
GOING TO SHOW THE PEOPLE HOW YOU GUYS WORSHIPPED AND BROUGHT
HEAVEN INTO THE ROOM. COME ON. COME ON. LET THERE BE A SOUND IN
THIS PLACE. LET THERE BE A SOUND IN THIS PLACE. LET THERE BE A
SOUND. COME ON. CORE YOUTH LEADERS, YOU CAN COME ON WITH
THEM. COME ON, LET'S PRAISE HIM. - COME ON, CORE YOUTH. LET'S GET
A LITTLE BIT LOUD.
(MUSIC)
♪ I'M GONNA PRAISE YOU. I'M GONNA PRAISE YOU. I'M GONNA ♪
♪ PRAISE YOU. 'CAUSE WE WANT HEAVEN. WE WANT HEAVEN. WE ♪
♪ WANT HEAVEN. WE WANT HEAVEN. WE WANT HEAVEN. WE WANT. ♪
♪ HEAVEN WE WANT TO GO WHERE YOU SEND US. WE WANT TO GO WHERE ♪
♪ YOU'VE CALLED US. WE WANT TO GO WHERE YOU NEED US. YOU'RE ♪
♪ ALL WE WANT. YOU'RE ALL WE WANT. YOU'RE ALL WE NEED. ♪
♪ JESUS, YOU'RE ALL WE WANT. YOU'RE ALL WE NEED. YOU'RE ALL ♪
♪ WE WANT AND ALL WE NEED, JESUS. MY SAVIOR, MY HEALER. ♪
♪ OH, YOU ARE ALL I WANT AND ALL I NEED, JESUS. MY DELIVERER, ♪
♪ MY SALVATION. YOU'RE ALL I WANT AND ALL I NEED. IT'S YOU, ♪
♪ JESUS. IT'S YOU, JESUS. IT'S YOU, JESUS. ♪ COME ON, LIFT YOUR
HANDS UP ALL ACROSS THIS PLACE. HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW
WE'RE MAKING A DECISION? PASTOR'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT
US SHIFTING AND CHANGING. AND SOMETIMES THAT'S
JUST A CHOICE OF US FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF OUR SAVIOR, AMEN.
(MUSIC)
- ALRIGHT, SO TO FOLLOW JESUS, WE'VE GOT TO DO A
FEW THINGS HERE. CORE YOUTH, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
(SOFT PIANO PLAYING)
♪ WHAT A GOD (15X) ♪
- OH GOD WE WORSHIP YOU. IN THE BEAUTY OF THY NAME. OH
GOD WE COME. AND WE CHERISH THIS MOMENT
WITH A GOD THAT IS ALIVE AND IT WAS DECLARED OF YOU THAT YOU ARE
EMMANUEL GOD WITH MAN, GOD WITH US.
(SPEAKING IN TONGUES)
WE STAND IN THIS MOMENT TO DECLARE THAT YOU ARE EMMANUEL,
THAT YOU ARE GOD WITH MAN, AND THAT IN ITSELF CAUSES MY HEART
TO TREMBLE, THAT A GOD SUCH AS YOU WOULD DESIRE TO BE AMONG
MEN. THERE ARE NOT WORDS TO UTTER AT THIS MOMENT TO TELL YOU
HOW HUMBLING THAT IS. THAT EVEN THE MERE UNDERSTANDING OF MY
MIND, I CANNOT FATHOM. GOD AMONG MEN, WHY? WHEN WE WERE NOT
THERE, WHEN YOU FORMED THIS EARTH, THE STARS, AND THE
WONDERS THAT BEAR YOUR NAME, THAT YOU WOULD WALK WITH MAN.
MOST OF ALL, YOU WOULD OFFER THE GREATEST SACRIFICE EVER GIVEN
FOR MEN, FOR MANKIND, AND IT WAS THE OFFERING OF YOUR BLOOD,
YESHUA. HOW CAN WE SHOW GRATITUDE TO THE HONOR OF YOU,
EMMANUEL, GOD, WHO WALKS AND LOVES MANKIND. THEREFORE, I WILL
NOT WITHHOLD MY LOVE TO YOU. I WILL NOT WITHHOLD THE HONOR OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THE HATING OF INIQUITY. FOR IN RETURN, I WILL
GIVE THE HONOR OF MY HEART TO KNOW YOU FACE TO FACE. OH GOD, I
NEED YOU, I TRUST YOU, AND I LOVE YOU. JUST WORSHIP HIM.
BEAUTIFUL EMMANUEL (2X). BEAUTIFUL GOD AMONG US. WE
WORSHIP YOU (5X). (PRAYING IN TONGUES). I WILL HONOR YOU
EMMANUEL, EMMANUEL, EMMANUEL. I WILL WORSHIP YOU IN THE HONOR OF
THY NAME. (SPEAKING IN TONGUES). I WORSHIP YOU (3X).
I WILL WORSHIP YOU (3X). (PRAYING IN TONGUES).
I WILL LIFT MY HANDS AS I LIFT MY HEART TO REACH AS HIGH AS I
CAN TO GRAB YOUR HEART. WITH MY HEART (3X), I REACH FOR YOUR
HEART, GOD. (PRAYING IN TONGUES). I WILL WORSHIP, I
WILL WORSHIP THE POWER OF THY NAME. (SPEAKING IN TONGUES)
WHO ART THOU, O GOD? THAT THE MOUNTAINS MELT LIKE WAX, THE
EARTH SHAKES AS YOU WALK AMONG IT, THE STARS IN THEIR
BRIGHTNESS ARE NO MATCH FOR THE GLORY OF THY NAME AND THY
PRESENCE. ALL HELL SHAKES AND TREMBLES AT THE POWER AND THE
MAJESTY OF THY BLOOD, YESHUA. BUT IN YOUR NAME THE EARTH
STANDS TO ATTENTION. THERE IS NO GOD LIKE YESHUA. THERE IS NO
ONE LIKE YESHUA. WE STAND IN HONOR OF YOU, YESHUA. WE STAND
IN A MOMENT TO DECLARE THE HONOR OF THY NAME, YESHUA. YESHUA.
YESHUA. COME ON, JUST WORSHIP HIM. (SPEAKING IN TONGUES)
COME ON, ALL OVER THE WORLD, PROCLAIM HIS NAME. ♪ THERE'S NO
ONE LIKE YESHUA ♪ RIGHT THERE IN YOUR HOME. ♪ THERE'S NO ONE LIKE
YESHUA ♪ DECLARE YESHUA. ♪ THERE'S NO ONE LIKE YESHUA ♪
♪THERE'S NO ONE LIKE YESHUA♪ COME ON (SPEAKING IN TONGUES),
OVER THIS PLACE, WORSHIP HIM, WORSHIP HIM. ♪ THERE'S NO ONE
LIKE YESHUA ♪ OH, YESHUA. ♪ THERE'S NO ONE LIKE YESHUA ♪
YESHUA. ♪ THERE'S NO ONE LIKE OUR KING ♪ WE FEAR THY NAME.
♪ THERE'S NO ONE LIKE YESHUA. THERE'S NO ONE LIKE OUR KING. ♪
THANK YOU LORD. THERE'S NO ONE LIKE THY NAME.
GOD I PRAY FOR EVERY ONE OF THESE YOUNG ONES THAT THE POWER
OF YOUR PRESENCE GRIPS THEIR HEARTS GRIPS THEIR LIFE THEIR
LORD THEIR DESTINIES RIGHT NOW I SPEAK DIVINE PROTECTION AND
PRESERVATION I SPEAK PROTECTION OVER RELATIONSHIPS I SPEAK
PROTECTION OVER THEIR PRESENT MOMENT AND THEIR FUTURE. NOT ONE
WILL DIE PREMATURE. NOT ONE WILL BE HARMED BY THE HANDS OF EVIL
MEN. I SPEAK GRACE, MERCY, HELP, PROTECTION. NOT ONE WILL EVER BE
KNOWN AS A PRODIGAL, FOR THEY WILL RUN FOR GOD. AND THEY WILL
NEVER BE INFLUENCED BY THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD. AND I PRAY
THAT THERE IS A DEPOSIT OF A RIGHTEOUSNESS, A RIGHTEOUS SEED
THAT SHALL BEAR FRUIT THROUGHOUT THEIR TEENAGE YEARS, THEIR YOUNG
ADULT, BUT ALSO INTO THEIR ADULTHOOD AND OLD AGE. I SPEAK
THIS NOW AND IT WILL NOT BE ALTERED. FOR THERE IS A SEAL
BECAUSE OF THE WORDS DECLARED UPON THEM AND OVER THEM AND FOR
THEM AND EVEN OVER YOUR CHILDREN THAT ARE WATCHING IN YESHUA'S
NAME. IN YESHUA'S NAME. I WANT THE YOUTH TO DO SOMETHING. HOW
MANY OF YOU RIGHT NOW WHERE YOU'RE AT, YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF
SYMPTOM OR SOMETHING IN YOUR BODY THAT YOU NEED A HEALING
TOUCH? LIFT UP YOUR HAND FOR A MOMENT. SOME OF THE YOUTH DO.
HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO. I WANT YOU TO STAND UP, YOUTH, AND
I WANT YOU TO FIND SOMEBODY WITH THEIR HAND UP RIGHT NOW. AND I
WANT YOU TO RELEASE THAT ANOINTING THAT YOU'VE BEEN UP.
SO IF YOU NEED HEALING IN YOUR BODY, I WANT YOU TO KEEP YOUR
HAND UP. ALL RIGHT, NOW GO OUT IN THE AUDIENCE. GO UP INTO THE
STANDS. COME ON. COME ON. NO, I DON'T WANT YOU TO PRAY JUST FOR
ONE ANOTHER. I WANT YOU GUYS. NOW LISTEN TO ME, YOUTH. YOUTH,
LISTEN. GO OUT AMONG THE PEOPLE. THAT'S WHAT JESUS DID. GO OUT. I
COMMISSION YOU. GO OUT. GO, GO, GO, GO FIND SOMEBODY WITH THEIR
HAND UP. RIGHT THERE IN THE BACK. COME ON, GO OUT, GO OUT,
GO OUT. LAY HANDS ON THEM AND PRAY FOR MORE THAN ONE. TELL
THEM, "BE HEALED." COME ON, KEEP YOUR HAND UP. MAKE SURE. COME
ON, YOUTH, GO. GO. SOME OF YOU CAN GO TWO BY TWO, ONE BY ONE.
COME ON, TOUCH THEM. FATHER, WE PRAY FOR THE HEALING POWER OF
THE LIVING YESHUA. JESUS, TOUCH YOUR PEOPLE. WE REBUKE SICKNESS
AND DISEASE. WE REBUKE EVERY SYMPTOM. WE SPEAK TO YOU THAT
ARE WATCHING THROUGH THAT CAMERA. WE REBUKE EVERY SYMPTOM
AND DISEASE. WE COMMAND INFIRMITY, COME OUT OF YOUR
BODY. WE BREAK EVERY GENERATIONAL INIQUITY,
GENERATIONAL INFIRMITY. WE SEVER EVERY CURSE OF DARKNESS. BE THOU
HEALED. LET THE HEALING POWER OF GOD BE RELEASED NOW. BE RELEASED
NOW. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WITH YOUR HAND UP THAT NEEDS
SOMEBODY? GO UP THERE QUICKLY. TELL THEM, "BE HEALED." BE
HEALED. WE SPEAK THAT OVER YOU THAT ARE WATCHING. BE HEALED. BE
HEALED. COME ON, THIS IS THE HOUR AND THE TIME FOR THE
CHILDREN TO ARISE. (CONGREGATION APPLAUDING)
PRAISE GOD. PRAISE GOD. PRAISE GOD. ISN'T THAT BEAUTIFUL? HOW
MANY OF YOU, THAT'S BEAUTIFUL? ALL RIGHT, WELL, HERE'S WHAT I
WANT TO DO. YOUTH, YOU CAN CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR SOMEBODY,
BUT HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO IN THE AUDIENCE. I WANT YOU TO
GREET SOMEBODY, AND THEN I WANT YOU TO SAY, "I BET I KNOW. I BET
I KNOW WHAT YOUR FAVORITE PUMPKIN PIE IS." ALL RIGHT, WE
GREET ONE ANOTHER IN THE NAME OF THE LORD.
(MUSIC)
WELL GOOD MORNING. IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME IN THE BUILDING
WITH US. WE WANT TO MAKE YOU FEEL WELCOME. I ALSO
WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU RECEIVED A BLUE
GIFT BAG WHEN YOU CAME INSIDE THE DOOR. IF YOU DID NOT, PLEASE
WAVE YOUR HAND AT AN USHER. THEY HAVE THOSE AVAILABLE FOR
YOU. INSIDE THAT, THERE'S SOME INFORMATION WE WANT TO SEND
HOME WITH YOU, AS WELL AS A GUEST REGISTRY PACKET. IT HAS A
PICTURE OF THE STAGE ON THE FRONT OF IT, SO PLEASE PULL THAT
OUT AT THIS TIME. I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GET SOME INFORMATION IN
THERE, AS WELL AS A BRIGHT ORANGE STAY CONNECTED CARD ON
THE LEFT-HAND SIDE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SEE US
THIS MORNING. MAKE SURE YOU STAY CONNECTED WITH EVERYTHING WE
HAVE GOING ON HERE AT THE CHURCH. IF YOU'RE WATCHING BY
LIVE STREAM, WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU AS WELL. I ALSO WANT TO MAKE
SURE YOU GET TO ONEVOICETV.NET. GO AHEAD AND GET CONNECTED WITH
US ON ANY OF THOSE PLATFORMS. GET CONNECTED ON ONE VOICE TV,
BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL PROGRAMMING OUT THERE FOR YOU.
GET REAL WITH HANK, DAILY DECREE, GAME CHANGERS,
FLASHPOINT, ALL OF THAT IS OUT THERE FOR YOU, BOTH LIVE
AND ARCHIVED AS WELL AS SERVICES. SO PLEASE GET OUT
THERE, BE BLESSED BY ALL THAT GREAT CONTENT WE'VE PUT OUT
THERE IN ONE PLACE FOR YOU. WELL, AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED,
ALL THE YOUTH JUST CAME BACK FROM THEIR CORE CAMP. AND IT WAS
AN AMAZING TIME. AND JUST TO KIND OF SUM ALL, I DON'T KNOW,
WHAT WAS IT? THREE DAYS, THREE NIGHTS, FOUR DAYS, WHATEVER
IT WAS. WE'RE GONNA SUM THAT UP INTO TWO MINUTES. WATCH THIS.
- FOR YOUTH RETREAT 2025, CHOSEN IDENTITY.
(MUSIC)
(YOUTH GROUP SINGING)
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) - WOW. WE ARE SO EXCITED. YOU
KNOW, THIS IS OUR THIRD RETREAT THAT WE'VE DONE,
AND WE WERE TALKING WITH THE LEADERSHIP TEAM. WE'RE
LIKE, WE KEEP SAYING THAT IT GETS BETTER, BUT IT GOT BETTER.
NOT ONLY DID IT GET BETTER, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, I MEAN, GOD MOVED
FREELY, BUT WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS THAT IT HAPPENED
BECAUSE WE HAVE YOUTH THAT WERE SO HUNGRY, YOU KNOW? AND
IT'S LIKE, IT'S SOMETHING WE DIDN'T HAVE TO FORCE
ON THEM, AND WE'RE JUST SO THANKFUL THAT WE WERE ABLE
TO HAVE SUCH A UNIQUE, INTIMATE TIME WITH GOD THAT
I KNOW, AS PASTOR WAS JUST PRAYING, DESTINIES WERE SET
IN PLACE AND CALLINGS WERE PUT IN PLACE.
- YEAH, WE HAD A SCHEDULE, BUT GOD KINDA RIPPED IT UP, WHICH
WAS FINE, AND WE'VE NEVER SEEN YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE TOTALLY
OKAY WITH THAT. THEY WERE FINE JUST GOING WITH THE FLOW, AND
THERE WAS TIMES WHERE WE WERE WORSHIPING, AND WE JUST WERE
WORSHIPING EVEN IN THE DARK FOR HOURS, AND NOBODY WANTED TO
LEAVE. AND SO IT WAS REALLY COOL SEEING HOW HUNGRY THE KIDS WERE.
AND THEN, I MEAN, THANK YOU, PARENTS, FOR TRUSTING US WITH
YOUR STUDENTS, BECAUSE IT MEANS THE WORLD TO US. WE EVEN HAD ONE
JOIN US FROM AFRICA. SO WE DON'T TAKE THAT LIGHTLY. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. - YEAH. AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU
TO EDDIE AND PASTOR SHANE AND PASTOR CHRISTY FOR COMING OUT
AND LEADING WORSHIP THAT JUST TOTALLY REVOLUTIONIZED. BUT MOST
IMPORTANT, THANK YOU, PASTOR HANK, AND THANK YOU, PASTOR
BRENDA - THANK YOU.
-FOR YOUR HEARTS FOR THE YOUNG GENERATION AND FOR IMPARTING
INTO OUR YOUTH. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND REAL QUICK, IF YOU SEE ANYONE WITH A GREEN SHIRT, ASK
THEM TO TEACH YOU THE 10 COMMANDMENTS IN ORDER. THERE'S A
VERY QUICK WAY, YOU'LL NEVER FORGET IT, BUT PUT SOMEONE ON
THE TEST, A HOMEWORK CORE YOUTH. ANYWAY, PASTOR BRENDA.
- ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. GIVE THEM ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
(CONGREGATION APPLAUDING)
WELL, SPEAKING OF EXCITING THINGS, WE GOT QUITE A BIT STILL
TO DO TODAY. PASTOR'S GOT TO PREACH, BUT WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE
NEW MEMBERS IN JUST A LITTLE BIT. BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT,
SPEAKING OF IT, CAN EVERY YEAR GET ANY BETTER? WE SAY THAT ALSO
ABOUT OPENING THE HEAVENS CONFERENCE.
AND IT IS NOW, WE'RE LIKE RIGHT UP ON 30 DAYS AWAY. AND THIS IS
THE YEAR OF THE LORD'S FIGHT. AND IF YOU WERE HERE LAST
SUNDAY, OR IF YOU MISSED IT, GO BACK AND WATCH, PASTOR PLAYED
THAT LONG CLIP WHEN HE BREAKS OUT INTO SMOKE ON THE WATER. BUT
IT WAS POWERFUL. I MEAN, I REWATCHED THAT AND THINK, OH MY.
I MEAN, I REALLY AM CONVINCED. IN FACT, YOU CANNOT TELL ME
OTHERWISE. I AM 100% CONVINCED. THAT NIGHT, WE SHIFTED SOMETHING
IN AMERICA. I AM CONVINCED. WERE WE THE ONLY ONES? NO, BUT WE
PLAYED A GREAT ROLE IN DOING SOMETHING IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD
THROUGH PRAYER THAT NIGHT. AND IF THE YOUTH ARE SAYING, CAN IT
EVER GET ANY BETTER EACH YEAR? I'M SAYING THAT ABOUT OPENING
THE HEAVENS 2025. IS IT GOING TO GET BETTER? PROBABLY. YOU NEED
TO BE THERE. IT'S COMPLETELY FREE TO REGISTER. SO IF YOU LIVE
HERE IN TOWN, YOU HAVE NO REASON NOT TO REGISTER. I HEARD A
PREACHER SAY ONE TIME MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, THERE'S AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR A COOL CONFERENCE, ESPECIALLY THIS IS A
SUPER COOL CONFERENCE. WE NEVER KNOW WHAT PASTOR HANK MIGHT
BREAK OUT AND DO, BUT THE POINT IS, IT'S AN AWESOME EVENT, AND
WHY MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN A PLACE AND JUST FOR THREE
DAYS BE SPOON-FED THE WORD OF GOD? I HEARD A PREACHER SAY THAT
ONE TIME. DON'T MISS THOSE MOMENTS, BECAUSE THEY ARE THINGS
THAT GOD USES TO CHANGE YOU AND RECHARGE YOU. SO IT'S COMPLETELY
FREE, INVITE SOMEBODY, GREAT LINEUP OF SPEAKERS, LOOK AT ALL
THOSE GUYS, PREACHING HOUSES, PREACHING MACHINES. DR. GENE
BAILEY IS GOING TO HELP US THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EVENT
ALONG WITH TONY SUAREZ. TIM SHEETS WILL BE BACK, KENT
CHRISTMAS, ISAAC PETRIE, NEW TO THE CONFERENCE THIS YEAR,
LORENZO SEWELL IS NEW AS WELL, AND OF COURSE, PASTOR HANK AND I
WILL BE THERE. IT'S GOING TO BE FIRE! THOSE OF YOU ONLINE,
HOTELS ARE FILLING UP QUICKLY, AND SO GET OUT THERE TOO. HERE'S
THE SITELET, OPENINGTHEHEAVENS.ORG. GO OUT,
GET REGISTERED, BOOK YOUR HOTEL. A COUPLE OF THEM ARE SOLD OUT,
SO MAKE SURE YOU GO OUT THERE AND GET REGISTERED QUICKLY, AND
LET'S PACK THAT ARENA OUT AND DO SOMETHING EVEN MORE EPIC THIS
YEAR FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. AMEN. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I WANT TO
PUT OUR OFFERING SCRIPTURE UP. I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO WHAT I
READ LAST WEEK, AND THEN I HAVE A LITTLE UPDATE FOR EVERYBODY.
REMEMBER WE WERE RAISING MONEY FOR PASTOR BARB'S, THE LOT
THERE, THREE AND A HALF ACRES BY THEIR CHURCH. AND WE LEARNED AS
A CHURCH IN 2023, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO OWN THE SPACE AROUND
THE MINISTRY, BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED THE WRONG ENTITY SETTING UP
SHOP BESIDE YOU. AND WE FOUND THAT THAT WAS SUPER IMPORTANT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE AT THAT TIME TO BUY THE WHAT WE
CALL THE PIZZA BUILDING. AND OF COURSE, WHEN YOU BUY A BUILDING
LIKE THAT, YOU DO INHERIT THE TENANTS, WHATEVER THEIR LEASE
TERMS ARE. PEOPLE SAY, ARE YOU THE FIRST CHURCH THAT OWNS A
BAR? NO, WE'RE REALLY NOT. THE POINT IS, IS THERE IS A BAR
THERE THAT HAS BEEN THERE 50 YEARS OR SO, AND THEIR LEASE HAS
TO REMAIN IN FORCE UPON PURCHASE. NOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN
THAT THINGS DON'T GET NEGOTIATED, DIFFERENT THINGS
DOWN THE ROAD. WE'VE HAD A FEW TENANTS THAT SAID, YOU KNOW,
THAT'S A BIG OLD CHURCH OVER THERE. YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT AFFECT
OUR BUSINESS. I DON'T KNOW. BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT A LOT OF THOSE
TENANTS, IT'S PAYING FOR ITSELF. AND, BUT THE KEY THING IS WE
FOUND OUT THAT IF ANOTHER INVESTOR WERE TO COME IN AND BUY
THAT BUILDING, THEY MIGHT DO SOMETHING ELSE WITH IT THAT
WOULD IMPEDE OUR OPERATIONS HERE, THAT WE'VE HAD A BEAUTIFUL
MINISTRY HERE FOR 28 YEARS. AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO BUY THAT
BUILDING. AND THEN IN THE PROCESS, I DON'T KNOW, EVERY
BUILDING CAME UP AT ONCE. HOW GOD DID THAT, I AM STILL
SCRATCHING MY HEAD. BUT ISN'T THAT THE WAY GOD IS? WHEN HE
DOES AMAZING THINGS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ALWAYS BE THE ONE TO
FIGURE IT OUT. HE JUST DOES IT. IN THE PROCESS, WE WERE ABLE TO
BUY THE BUILDING JUST TO THE SOUTH, WHICH IS WHERE CENTRAL
MAINTENANCE IS LOCATED. AND PASTOR MARK HAS TURNED A
MAINTENANCE BUILDING TO LOOK LIKE A HIGH END FACILITY. IT'S
INCREDIBLE OVER THERE. IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN INTO THAT, PASTOR
MARK, YOU HAVE DONE, I MEAN, PASTOR MARK HAS DONE JUST A
REMARKABLE JOB. AND THEN OF COURSE, BACK HERE BEHIND US, WE
CALL IT THE LORD OF HOSTS HEADQUARTERS. THAT'S WHERE MOST
OF THE STAFF IS. AND REALLY WE OCCUPY MOST ALL THAT BUILDING.
WE STILL HAVE THE BANK, EDWARD JONES GOT A LITTLE SPECK UP
THERE, YOU KNOW, BUT WE HAVE JUST, THAT'S BEEN A GOD SEND.
ONE POINT PASTOR CRUZ WAS LIKE, "WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH
OUR GROWING STAFF? THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SPACE IN THE MAIN
BUILDING." AND SURE ENOUGH, THERE WAS EMPTY SPACE OVER THERE
AND GOD SAID, "I'M GOING TO PUT IT IN YOUR LAP." SO THERE'S
ALWAYS MORE THINGS TO COME. AND BY THE WAY, I'VE BEEN TELLING
YOU, THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN THE WORKS AND YOU WILL BE
EXCITED ABOUT, BUT LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS, SO WE CAN'T TELL YOU
EVERYTHING THAT'S UP AND COMING. DO YOU TRUST US BY NOW? DO YOU
TRUST US? AND I WILL JUST SAY, IF I WERE PASTOR HANK AND I
COULD IMITATE TRUMP, I WOULD SAY, "YOU'LL BE SO EXCITED.
YOU'LL BE SO EXCITED." SO IN THE TRUMP WORDS, I DON'T KNOW HOW HE
WOULD SAY IT, BUT IT'S VERY EXCITING. I DON'T KNOW. ANYWAY,
FORGET IT. I CAN'T IMITATE HIM, BUT THE KEY IS, IS I'LL HAVE AN
UPDATE FOR YOU ON WHY THAT'S SO IMPORTANT. AND THEN WE'RE PAYING
OFF THE REST OF THE AVL LINE OF CREDIT FOR THIS BIG BUILD, THIS
MASSIVE, MOST BEAUTIFUL BUILDING WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART EVERYTHING
IN HERE. AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT LET ME GIVE THE
SCRIPTURE TO YOU. CAN I DO IT VERY QUICKLY? THIS IS 2
CORINTHIANS 8:7-12. YOU KNOW THESE PASSAGES, BUT THIS IS FROM
THE NEW LIVING. AND IT SAYS THIS, "SINCE YOU EXCEL IN SO
MANY WAYS." I'LL SAY THIS, LORD OF HOSTS, YOU EXCEL. INTERNET
CAMPUS, YOU EXCEL IN SO MANY WAYS. I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO LIST
ALL THE WAYS YOU EXCEL. BUT HERE HE LISTS OUT THE WAYS THAT THE
CHURCH AT CORINTH WAS EXCELLING. HE SAID, "IN YOUR FAITH, IN YOUR
GIFTED SPEAKERS, IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE, YOUR ENTHUSIASM, AND
IN YOUR LOVE FOR US, FROM US. AND I WANT YOU TO ALSO EXCEL IN
THIS GRACIOUS ACT OF GIVING." SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE EXCEL IN
HOW WE GIVE INTO THE WORK OF THE LORD. "FOR I AM NOT, I AM NOT
COMMANDING THAT YOU DO THIS, BUT I AM TESTING HOW GENUINE YOUR
LOVE IS BY COMPARING IT WITH THE EAGERNESS OF OTHER CHURCHES." IN
OTHER WORDS, HE'S SAYING, "I'M GOING TO PUT YOUR TRUE LOVE TO
THE TEST BY HOW YOU GIVE." NOW, THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS
WAS A PRINCIPLE JESUS TAUGHT, DIDN'T HE? HE SAID, "YOU CAN'T
LOVE GOD AND MONEY. EITHER YOU'LL HATE ONE AND LOVE THE
OTHER, OR YOU'LL LOVE ONE AND HATE THE OTHER. SO HE SAID, "THE
TREASURE OF A MAN'S HEART IS FOUND IN THEIR GIVING." WE CAN'T
SAY WE LOVE GOD AND THEN NEVER GIVE TO HIM OR WE AREN'T
FAITHFUL IN OUR GIVING. SO HE SAID, "JESUS, THE GRACE OF OUR
LORD JESUS, THOUGH HE WAS RICH, YET FOR YOUR SAKES HE BECAME
POOR, SO THAT BY HIS POVERTY HE COULD MAKE YOU RICH." AND YES,
BY THE WAY, THAT INCLUDES NATURAL RICHES. I DON'T HAVE
TIME TO BREAK THAT DOWN NOW, BUT NOTICE, REMEMBER, WE TEACH
CONTEXT WHEN WE TEACH THE WORD, RIGHT? THE CONTEXT IS FINANCES.
SO PEOPLE HAVE READ THAT VERSE TO SAY, "OH, IT JUST MEANS
SPIRITUAL RICHES. IT CAN'T MEAN MONEY." NO, IT'S IN A MONEY
CHAPTER. REMEMBER THAT, RIGHT? IT'S TALKING ABOUT FINANCIAL
RICHES. BUT HERE'S MY ADVICE, PAUL SAYS, HE SAID, "IT WOULD BE
GOOD FOR YOU TO FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED A YEAR AGO." RIGHT? LAST
YEAR, WE WERE VERY AGGRESSIVE IN OUR BUILDING GIVING BECAUSE WE
HAD A TABERNACLE TO FINISH, RIGHT? THAT WAS THIS TIME LAST
YEAR. HE SAID, "YOU WERE THE FIRST TO WANT TO GIVE AND YOU
WERE THE FIRST TO BEGIN DOING IT." YOU KNOW, THAT SHOULD BE
YOUR MOTTO IN YOUR LIFE, ALL OF OUR LIVES. I WANT TO BE THE
FIRST ONE WHEN THERE'S A NEED, BUT I ALSO WANT TO BE THE ONE
THAT'S STILL DOING IT UNTIL THE PROJECT'S FINISHED. "NOW YOU
SHOULD FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED," HE SAID. "LET THE EAGERNESS YOU
SHOWED IN THE BEGINNING BE MATCHED NOW BY YOUR GIVING. GIVE
IN PROPORTION TO WHAT YOU HAVE." IN OTHER WORDS, YOU KNOW, THIS
IS VERY IMPORTANT. EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT PART. SOME PEOPLE
HAVE MORE WEALTH. SOME PEOPLE HAVE LOTS OF RESERVES. OTHERS
ARE MAYBE PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK OR YOU'RE ON ASSISTANCE. BUT YOU
KNOW, NO AMOUNT OF WEALTH SEEMING NATURAL WEALTH OR LACK
THEREOF SHOULD EXEMPT ANY OF US FROM GIVING. YOU KNOW WHAT THE
BIBLE SAYS THAT IF YOU GIVE, GOD WILL MAKE ALL GRACE ABOUND
TOWARD YOU AND THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE ALL SUFFICIENCY IN
ALL THINGS. IF WE BELIEVE THAT VERSE, THEN EVEN IF WE HAVE A
LITTLE, COME ON, THE WIDOW TAUGHT US THAT. THAT EVEN IF YOU
HAVE A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, JESUS DIDN'T LOOK AT THAT LITTLE WIDOW
AND GO, OH NO, YOU POOR LITTLE THING, PUT THAT BACK IN YOUR
POCKET. THAT'S ALL YOU'VE GOT. JUST PUT IT BACK. HE DIDN'T SAY
THAT. NO, BECAUSE JESUS KNOWS THE PRINCIPLES OF THAT EVEN IF
YOU HAVE A LITTLE, THAT'S A PLACE TO START. IF YOU'RE EAGER
WITH THAT LITTLE BIT AND YOU STEWARD OVER IT AND YOU COMMIT
YOUR PART, LIKE PAUL SAID, TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD, GOD WILL
EXPAND YOU TO THE NEXT LEVEL. MAKE IT YOUR MISSION. I ALWAYS
MADE IT OUR MISSION. I SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN PASTOR AND I, YOU
KNOW, OUR STORY OF HOW WE HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING STARTING OUT
IN MINISTRY, BUT I MADE IT MY MISSION. I SAID, I AM NOT GOING
TO LIVE FOREVER IN THE 20 BUCK A MONTH CLUB. YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER
EARLY AS A YOUNG WOMAN, WHEN I WAS FIRST, WHICH WAS BEFORE WE
EVEN GOT MARRIED, I WOULD GIVE THE PASTOR OF THE CHURCH THAT WE
WERE IN AT THAT TIME HAD A BUILDING PROJECT. AND I GAVE $20
WHEN I, EVERY ONCE A MONTH. AND LIKE I COULD AFFORD AND YOU
KNOW, $20 FOR A SINGLE YOUNG WOMAN BACK THEN IN 1987 IS, YOU
KNOW, THAT WAS A SACRIFICIAL, AT LEAST I FELT IT WASN'T A LOT,
BUT IT WAS ENOUGH. BUT I DECIDED I DON'T WANT TO BE FOREVER IN
THE $20 A MONTH CLUB. SEE, MAKE IT YOUR MISSION TO BE EAGER,
LIKE PAUL SAID, BECAUSE YOU ARE THEN OPENING YOURSELF FOR THE
NEXT LAYER. COME ON, SOMEBODY. A BLESSING THAT GOD WANTS TO BRING
YOU INTO. SO DON'T BE SATISFIED WITH WHERE YOU ARE. SO THIS WAS
PAUL, AND THEN HE SAID THIS LAST PART, AND I'LL FINISH THIS. GIVE
A PROPORTION TO WHAT YOU HAVE. THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF
THAT. AND WHATEVER YOU GIVE IS ACCEPTABLE IF YOU DO IT EAGERLY.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE EXCITED AND YOU DO IT AND GIVE ACCORDING
TO WHAT YOU HAVE, RIGHT? NOT WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE. LISTEN, IF
WE ALL LOOKED AT WHAT WE DON'T HAVE, LISTEN, I WOULDN'T HAVE
BUILT A BUILDING IF WE WERE BASING IT ON WHAT WE DON'T HAVE,
YOU KNOW? AND PASTOR KEPT ADDING THINGS. QUICK BACKSTORY AND THEN
WE'RE GONNA GIVE. WHEN WE DID THIS, THE SOUTH HALF OF THE
BUILDING, SOME OF YOU WERE HERE LONG ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THAT
BEFORE WE ADDRESSED THIS AREA DOWN THERE, WE WERE, HOW MANY OF
YOU GO BACK FAR ENOUGH BEFORE ANY REMODEL HAPPENED ON THE
OUTSIDE? AND IT LOOKED AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE PIZZA BUILDING
BACK THEN. THAT WAS A JOKE. AND WE WERE GONNA HAVE THE ARCHITECT
REPHASE A LITTLE SPACE ON THE FRONT. IT MIGHT'VE JUST BEEN AS
WIDE AS THESE FRONT ROW CHAIRS HERE, JUST TO SPECIFY SO PEOPLE
AT LEAST KNEW WHAT DOOR TO GO IN TO GO TO CHURCH. BECAUSE THESE
WERE BAYS, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DOORS LOOKED THE SAME. WE
LITERALLY WATCHED PEOPLE GO UP LOCKED, LOCKED, AND THEN ONE
WOULD FINALLY OPEN. IT WAS THE ENTRANCE TO THE CHURCH. AND SO
WE HAD THIS LITTLE SPACE ALL MARKED OUT. I THOUGHT, OKAY, WE
CAN DO THAT. I THOUGHT, I'M GONNA GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO
WHERE THE THEATERS ARE. AND I THOUGHT,
(IMITATES EXPLOSION)
CHA-CHING. AND THEN HE GOES, AND I'M GONNA GO ALL THE WAY TO THE
CORNER DOWN ON THE SOUTH SO AT LEAST THAT WHOLE SECTION WILL BE
DONE. I THOUGHT, (IMITATES EXPLOSION)
AND THEN HE GOES, KEEPS GOING IN EVERY MEETING. IT KEPT GROWING.
AND THEN HE SAYS, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT WOULDN'T LOOK RIGHT. WE HAVE
TO GO AROUND THE CORNER 'CAUSE IF WE DON'T GO AROUND THE
CORNER, THE FRONT WILL LOOK GREAT AND PEOPLE COMING IN FROM
THE SIDE WON'T KNOW HOW GOOD IT LOOKS. SO WE'RE GONNA GO AROUND
THE CORNER. NOW HE'S DOING THE WHOLE SOUTH END. AND THEN HE
SAID, "NO, WE GOTTA GO AROUND THAT BACK TOO, "BECAUSE IF WE
DON'T GO AROUND THAT BACK, "THAT BUILDING IS DENTED BACK THERE
AND IT LOOKS BAD." SO WE'RE GONNA GO AND PRETTY SOON THE
WHOLE OUTSIDE WAS REDONE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, GOD DID IT.
BECAUSE YOU DON'T GO BY WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE. SO HERE'S WHAT WE'VE
RAISED. OUR GOAL IS $400,000. 50 OF THAT IS GOING TO LIVING WORD
IN SPENCER. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEIR CLOSING IS. IT'S THIS
FALL. BUT WE WANTED TO PAY FOR THAT, 3 AND 1/2 ACRES, FOR
$50,000 FOR THEM. AND THEN WE NEEDED $350,000 FOR THIS LINE OF
CREDIT THAT WE'RE FINISHING OUT FROM THE BUILD HERE. AND SO WE
RAISED $120,000 LAST WEEK. COME ON, GIVE GOD A HAND. WE ARE OVER
A QUARTER OF A WAY FROM OUR GOAL. SO WE'RE GONNA GO ANOTHER
ROUND THIS WEEK. HOW MANY OF YOU THINK WE'RE GONNA GET THERE? I
ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE IT. AND WHAT A BLESSING FOR SPENCER THAT THEY
CAN PAY CASH FOR THE PROPERTY. I MEAN, AND DON'T HAVE TO TAKE OUT
A LOAN AND DO ALL THE INTEREST AND ALL THE JUNK THAT GOES WITH
THAT. AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR THINGS. WE'RE GONNA GET THIS
BUILDING PAID OFF. AND THEN WE'VE GOT OTHER PROJECTS. I TOLD
YOU, PUT IT IN YOUR BRAIN, PLANT IT IN THERE. SAY, "BRAIN, DON'T
FORGET." YOU'RE GONNA REMEMBER THERE ARE SOME THINGS YET TO
COME, AND YOU ARE GONNA BE VERY EXCITED. ALL RIGHT, LET'S PUT
THE GIVING INFORMATION UP ON THE SCREEN. EVERYBODY THAT'S GIVING,
TO HELP WITH THE PROJECT, WE NEED TO GIVE INTO THE BUILDING
FUND. OUR BUILDING FUND, THAT WAS THE AMOUNT THAT WAS LOWER
AND IT'S WHY WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THAT, FOLKS. OUR
BUILDING FUND IS THE REASON THAT WE'RE COMING TO YOU OVER THIS
LINE OF CREDIT. IF IT WAS AT LAST YEAR'S PACE, THIS WOULD NOT
EVEN BE AN ISSUE. SO WE JUST WANT TO BRING THAT UP. SO SEE
RIGHT THERE WHERE IT SAYS BUILDING THE TABERNACLE. I'M
ASKING YOU TODAY TO GIVE A SACRIFICIAL SEED INTO THE
BUILDING PROJECT. NOW DON'T NEGATE YOUR TITHE. DON'T NEGATE
YOUR GENERAL GIVING. IT'S NOT GOOD TO SHIFT FROM ONE FUND TO
ANOTHER. THIS NEEDS TO BE AN ADDITION, BUT A SPECIAL BUILDING
THE TABERNACLE OFFERING AND LET'S GET ALL OF THIS KNOCKED
OUT. AND I, I'M BELIEVING WE ARE GOING TO GO INTO OPENING THE
HEAVENS WITH AN ABSOLUTE SURPLUS IN THE BUILDING FUND. HOW MANY
OF YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA? I THINK THAT'S A
GREAT IDEA. ALL RIGHT, IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR GIVING READY, THOSE OF
YOU THAT ALREADY GOT THAT SACRIFICIAL SEED, THOSE OF YOU
ONLINE, YOU'VE GOT YOUR THUMB ON THE BUTTON. LET'S GET READY,
LET'S STAND UP ON OUR FEET AND DO IT TOGETHER. WE'RE GONNA ALL
GIVE US ONE BODY TODAY. THAT'S WHY I LIKE US TO STAND. AND IT'S
ALSO A SYMBOL OF YOU TAKING A STAND AGAINST THE ENEMY, AGAINST
ANY ATTACK IN YOUR OWN FINANCES. RIGHT? ALL RIGHT, HOLD YOUR
PHONE UP OR YOUR DEVICE, THOSE OF YOU ONLINE, AND OF COURSE,
EVERYONE WITH AN ENVELOPE, HOLD IT UP. THOSE OF YOU WITH MAIL,
HOLD UP THAT MAIL ENVELOPE AND SAY THESE WORDS, SAY, LORD, I
THANK YOU. AS I GIVE INTO THIS BUILDING PROJECT TODAY, AS I
GIVE MY TITHE TODAY, AS I GIVE MY OFFERINGS TODAY, I THANK YOU,
LORD, THAT YOU ARE INVESTING BACK INTO ME EVERY SCRIPTURE
THAT THE WORD PROMISES CONCERNING MY GIVING. IT
COMES TO PASS IN MY LIFE. I WORSHIP YOU AND I THANK YOU
FOR IT. COME ON, IN JESUS' MIGHTY NAME. ALL RIGHT,
PASTOR MATT, LET'S DO OUR DECLARATION TOGETHER.
- THANK YOU, PASTOR BRENDA, AMEN. LET'S DECREE THIS
TOGETHER, CHURCH, AND ALSO BELIEVE SHIFT CHANGE COMES IN
OUR LIVES, AMEN? AMEN, WE DECLARE THE CAMPUS AND MINISTRY
OF LORD OF HOSTS CHURCH SHALL BE INCREASED, EXPANDED, AND
DEBT-FREE. WE DECREE IT SHALL HAPPEN WITHOUT DELAY. WE SAY TO
EVERY HEAVENLY ASSIGNMENT, BE BUILT UP AND FINISHED. WE SAY
THAT WE HAVE ALL THE FINANCES NEEDED, FOR THE LORD IS BUILDING
THIS HOUSE. WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH, EXCESS AND OVERFLOW.
LORD, YOU ARE PROVIDING SEED TO THE SOWER. WE CALL UPON YOU,
LORD OF HOSTS, TO BRING FORTH HEAVENLY ASSISTANCE AND RAISE
UP MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE THAT SHALL GIVE ABUNDANTLY TO THIS
WORK. WE PROPHESY THAT WE SHALL QUADRUPLE, QUADRUPLE,
AND THEN WE WILL QUADRUPLE AGAIN. WE DECLARE NEW THINGS
NOW. WE DECREE MINISTRY AND CAMPUS BE EXPANDED NOW.
NOW LOOK AT SOMEBODY AND TELL THEM, YOU'RE COMING INTO A SHIFT
CHANGE, AMEN? YOU ARE COMING INTO A SHIFT CHANGE,
AMEN? AND LET'S WELCOME PASTOR HANK.
- ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT, PASTOR MATT, AND
GREAT JOB. ALL RIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIVING. WOW,
WE RAISED OVER $100,000. I THINK YOU OUGHTA, AND YOU THAT ARE
WATCHING, I THINK YOU OUGHTA SAY YAY.
- YAY. - AND THEN SAY THIS. WE'RE GONNA
KNOCK THAT AMOUNT OUT. OKAY, LOOK AT
SOMEBODY AND SAY, WE ARE GONNA GET IT DONE. AND THEN
KINDA LOWER YOUR VOICE. WE'RE GONNA GET IT DONE. NOW, WOMEN,
IF YOU DON'T WANNA DO THAT, HIGHER YOUR VOICE. AND I'M NOT
GONNA IMITATE THAT ONE. THERE YOU GO. BUT WE'RE GONNA GET IT
DONE. ALL RIGHT, WELL, HEY, I WANNA DO THIS BEFORE I PREACH.
WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE NEW MEMBERS INTO THIS FELLOWSHIP.
AND SO I'M GONNA GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE. SO WE'LL
LET THE USHERS CONTINUE TO SERVE. SO LET ME JUST MAKE A
COUPLE ANNOUNCEMENTS REAL FAST AND WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE THEM IN.
IF YOU DIDN'T SEE ME LAST TUESDAY ON FLASHPOINT, I TOLD
YOU I'D BE THERE, I WAS HERE. BUT THEY HAD TECHNICAL
DIFFICULTIES. AND I DON'T KNOW, OUR FEED WASN'T FEEDING. SO I
DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS FASTING OR WHAT, BUT WE'LL WORK ON THAT. SO
I WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT. AND THEN I DO WANNA MENTION, THOSE
OF YOU THAT ARE WATCHING, I WILL NOT BE ON THIS WEEK. AND AS YOU
SAID, I TALKED TO PASTOR GENE FOR ALMOST A COUPLE HOURS
YESTERDAY, JUST TELLING HIM, YOU KNOW, HE'S IN AGREEMENT. I JUST
NEED, I NEED A DAY OFF. I THINK THAT'S WHAT, I THINK HE DOES. I
MEAN, YOU DO MORE THAN ME, BUT I NEED A DAY OFF. AND I DON'T MEAN
TO BE LIKE THAT. AND THE SECOND THING IS I HAVE TO GET CAUGHT UP
ON SOME OTHER THINGS THAT I FEEL LIKE I REALLY NEED TO DO. SO I'M
NOT GONNA BE DOING MONDAYS. SO I'M GONNA HANG IN THERE WITH
TUESDAYS, BUT I WON'T BE ON THIS WEEK 'CAUSE I ALREADY HAD SOME
PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED STUFF. LIKE I SAID, I GOTTA HEAD TO THE
CHICAGO AREA HERE IN JUST A LITTLE BIT, BUT I HAD SOME OTHER
THINGS SCHEDULED. AND THEN AS WE HEAD INTO OTH AND THEN INTO
OCTOBER, YOU KNOW, I MAY MISS A TUESDAY HERE AND THERE, BUT I
TOLD GENE, "HEY, YOU KNOW, I CAN SHOW UP ON ANOTHER NIGHT IF I
HAVE TO. WE'LL WORK IT ON." BUT I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. SO I
DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT I'M GONNA STAY IN THERE, BUT IT MAY
NOT BE AS REGULAR AS IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN JUST BECAUSE RIGHT NOW
I FEEL LIKE I'M IN A SEASON WHERE I WANT TO BUILD SOME
THINGS HERE. BUT GOD SPOKE TO ME ABOUT THE MIDTERMS. I CAN'T TELL
YOU WHAT IT IS YET, BUT HE SAID AT THE RIGHT TIME, RELEASE IT.
AND I TOLD GENE, PROBABLY AROUND THE FIRST YEAR, I'M GONNA HAVE
TO HIT IT HARD AGAIN. WE GOTTA SHIFT THIS NATION AGAIN. AND WE
CANNOT LET OUR COUNTRY LOSE ANY GROUND. SO I JUST WANT YOU TO
KNOW THAT. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE IT'S AT. ALL RIGHT, THEN
THE SECOND THING IS, BEFORE WE RECEIVE THE NEW MEMBERS IN, IF
THEY COULD PUT A PICTURE UP OF MY BOY. I WANNA MAKE AN
ANNOUNCEMENT. IT WAS LIKE A GUT PUNCH. JONATHAN WAS SCHEDULED TO
FIGHT. THERE'S ALL OF HIS BELTS THAT HE HOLDS IN DIFFERENT
CONFERENCES AND ALL OF HIS MEDALS. HE'S A WORLD CHAMP. HE
WAS GONNA FIGHT ON THE OCTOBER 19TH CONTENDER SERIES WITH DANA
WHITE AND ALL OF THAT. AND LAST WEEK HE WAS SPARRING, YOU KNOW,
LIKE PRACTICING AND SOMETHING POPPED IN HIS RIB AND HE GOT
INJURED. AND THEY SAID, "YOU CANNOT FIGHT." AND IT'S GONNA BE
LIKE EIGHT WEEKS. I KNOW HE'S WATCHING RIGHT NOW, LIKE EIGHT
WEEKS RECOVERY. THE UFC REACHED BACK OUT AND SAID, "JOHN, THIS
IS, MAN, WE ARE GONNA STAND WITH YOU." NOW KEEP IN MIND, HE'S A
TYPE ONE DIABETIC THAT WAS DIAGNOSED. HE WAS DIAGNOSED, I
SHOULD SAY, AT THE AGE OF 10 AS A TYPE ONE DIABETIC. AND EVEN
THE DIABETES ASSOCIATION IS SAYING, "THIS IS REMARKABLE WHAT
THIS MAN IS DOING." THEY'RE BACKING HIM. SO I WANT YOU TO
PUT UP THE OTHER GRAPHIC BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE WRITTEN AND THEY'VE
ASKED HOW THEY CAN HELP JOHN WITH HIS RECOVERY. HE HAS TO
TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THE RECOVERY STUFF. BRENDA AND I DO
WHAT WE CAN, WE SPONSOR HIM, BUT EVERYBODY HAS THINGS THAT THEY
WANNA DO. AND IF YOU WANNA JUST ENCOURAGE HIM, IT WAS HARD
CALLING A KID WHO'S WORKED HIS TAIL OFF AND THEN HAS TO GO TO
THE RING AND FIGHT WITH BLOOD SUGAR SOMETIMES AT 400. YOU KNOW
HOW MUCH THAT HURTS IN YOUR BODY? MOST PEOPLE, YOUR BLOOD
SUGAR, IF IT'S NORMAL, IS 70 TO 100, MAYBE A LITTLE ABOVE. 400,
YOU START FEELING YOUR KIDNEYS, YOU START FEELING IN YOUR
JOINTS, YOUR MUSCLES, AND HE FIGHTS THROUGH THAT. SO IF YOU'D
LIKE TO HELP HIM, HE SAID HE WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL. THERE'S
THE INFORMATION AND ANYTHING WOULD BE OF AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO
HIM. IF YOU WANNA TUCK IN A LITTLE NOTE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU
CAN DO IT THAT WAY, BUT YOU CAN GO OUT TO HIS SOCIAL MEDIA
ACCOUNTS. BUT I TOLD JOHN, I ALWAYS KNOW THIS, THAT WHAT
LOOKS LIKE A SETBACK IS A SETUP. AND WHAT I AM PRAYING FOR IS THE
CONTENDER SERIES. AND JOHN, I DIDN'T TELL YOU THIS, I KNOW
YOU'RE WATCHING. MAYBE THIS IS TACKY TO SAY THIS WORLDWIDE, BUT
I'VE BEEN PRAYING FOR YOU. AND I FEEL LIKE THE CONTENDER SERIES
WAS, IF YOU WIN RIGHT THEN AND THERE IN FRONT OF THE WORLD,
THEY SIGN YOU RIGHT THERE TO THE UFC, WHICH WOULD BE LIKE THE
NFL. IF YOU LOSE, YEAH, IT MAY BE A WHILE. I FEEL LIKE
SOMETHING WITH HIS RIB WAS ALREADY FRAGILE. AND HAD HE GOT
IN THE RING, IT MAY HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT TURNOUT. AND I AM
PRAYING THAT THE UFC BYPASSES ALL OF THAT AND JUST OFFERS HIM
A CONTRACT AND SAYS, "COME ON, WE GOT AN OPPONENT FOR YOU." SO,
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, AND JOHN, I JUST WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO
HONOR YOU. YOU'VE BEEN AN AMAZING MAN. I MEAN, WE ALWAYS
SEE PASTOR MATT UP HERE AND SO ARE YOU, BUT I WANTED TO TAKE A
MOMENT TO HONOR YOU. YOU WALK WITH GOD, WHO YOU ARE AS A SON,
BUT ALSO AS A HUMAN BEING. AND WE'RE GONNA STAND WITH YOU. AND
WE LOVE YOU, GOLDEN TIGER. ALL RIGHT, I'LL TALK WITH YOU SOON.
OKAY, ALL RIGHT, I THINK THE OFFERING HAS BEEN RECEIVED. IF
YOU WENT THROUGH THE NEW MEMBER CLASS, IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND
TO STAND UP, EXCUSE ME, AND COME FORWARD, WE WANNA RECEIVE YOU
INTO OUR CHURCH FAMILY HERE. COME ON FORWARD AND JUST STAND
RIGHT HERE. BY THE WAY, I REMEMBER YOU TOO. I
REMEMBER WHEN YOU GOT SPIRIT-FILLED A FEW,
WHAT WAS IT, A FEW WEEKS AGO?
- PENTECOSTAL.
- GOOD MEMORY. I MEAN, THAT IS LIKE, THAT IS A SPECIAL MOMENT
WHEN YOU SAY PENTECOST SUNDAY. SO THAT IS REALLY, REALLY
SPECIAL. AND I'VE JUST SEEN GOD'S TOUCH ON YOU. AND THANK
YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE FAMILY. ARE YOU GUYS ENJOYING
IT? I PRAY YOU ARE. GOOD. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU AS WELL. WELL,
WE ALWAYS LIKE TO PRAY. AND THE REASON I LIKE TO DO THIS IS I
LIKE TO LAY MY HANDS ON YOU 'CAUSE I REALLY BELIEVE IN THE
SCRIPTURE THAT TALKS ABOUT PSALM 133. I'M SURE YOU PROBABLY HAVE
HEARD OF IT. HEY, THERE'S OUR FRIEND. GOD SPOKE TO YOU LAST
WEEK. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, I APPRECIATE THAT. YOU KNOW,
THERE'S A PRINCIPLE WHERE THE BIBLE SAYS THAT HOW GOOD AND HOW
PLEASANT IT IS FOR BRETHREN TO DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY. AND IT
IS LIKE THE ANOINTING, THE POWER OF GOD THAT COMES DOWN UPON THE
HEAD. WELL, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHO GOD CHOOSES. OBVIOUSLY THAT
WOULD BE PASTOR BRENNAN AND I AND OUR LEADERSHIP HERE. BUT
THEN IT COMES DOWN ON THE BEARD, WHICH IS LEADERSHIP, BUT THEN IT
COMES DOWN ON THE BODY. AND I REALLY ALWAYS LIKE TO PRAY THAT
WHATEVER GRACE THAT GOD HAS PUT ON THE MINISTRY WILL COME ON
YOUR LIFE. ISN'T THAT AWESOME? SO THAT YOU CAN THRIVE. NOW WE
RECEIVE YOU ALSO, THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT,
I'M AN E-MEMBER, I WANT TO BE PART OF THIS AS WELL. AND NOW
HERE'S THE THING THAT I WANT TO DO IS I JUST WANT TO LET YOU
KNOW THAT WE RECEIVE YOU IN. SO PASTOR BRENDA, DO YOU HAVE A
MICROPHONE? - I DO.
- OH, I WAS LIKE, I DON'T SEE IT LIKE THIS. YOU THREW ME
OUT. COULD YOU PRAY OVER THE PRECIOUS PEOPLE THAT WE'RE
GOING TO COME DOWN AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO LAY OUR HANDS
ON YOU AND RECEIVE YOU INTO FELLOWSHIP.
- THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE JOINING ONLINE AND THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE
IN THE ROOM, FATHER, WE PRAY FOR EVERY PERSON THAT IS COMMITTING
THEMSELVES TO THIS MINISTRY THROUGH THEIR ACT OF SERVICE,
THEIR COMMITMENT, THEIR DEDICATION TO JOIN THE CHURCH
FAMILY. AND FATHER, WE JUST THANK YOU. LET THIS BE A NEW
CHAPTER IN THEIR LIFE. I PRAY, FATHER, THAT THIS WILL BE A
TURNING OF A PAGE. AN OLD SEASON IS GONE, IT'S PASSED AWAY. AND
FATHER, WE PRAY AS WE RECEIVE THEM INTO THIS FELLOWSHIP IN
HERE AND THOSE ONLINE, WE RECEIVE THEM INTO THIS
FELLOWSHIP. AND FATHER, WE THANK YOU NOW THAT EACH ONE GROWS,
THEY FLOURISH, THEIR GIFTS, THEIR TALENTS, THEIR ABILITIES
WILL BE RIGHTED. IT'LL BE, IT'LL LOCK INTO PLACE. AND WE THANK
YOU, LORD, THAT ALL THAT YOU HAVE CALLED THEM TO DO AND TO
BECOME, IT SHALL MANIFEST POWERFULLY IN THEIR LIFE IN
JESUS' MIGHTY NAME. - THANK YOU, LORD.
- AMEN. AMEN. - AMEN. AMEN.
- WELL, WE'RE GONNA COME DOWN THERE AND WE'RE GONNA
RECEIVE YOU INTO FELLOWSHIP. BRENDA, YOU'RE GONNA GO TO THE
LEFT. YOU KNOW, SHE IS LEFT-HANDED, SO WE'LL GO TO THE
RIGHT. HOW MANY OF YOU, I JUST GOTTA ASK THIS.
- THE STAIRS ARE SKINNIER ON THAT SIDE.
- I GOTTA ASK THIS, THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE WATCHING, HOW MANY OF
YOU, YOU ARE HUSBAND AND WIFE, AND ONE OF YOU IS LEFT
-HANDED, THE OTHER ONE'S RIGHT? AH, ISN'T THAT AMAZING? SO YOU
HAVE TO, WHEN IT COMES TIME TO EAT, YOU HAVE TO BE ON THE
OPPOSITE END 'CAUSE YOU HIT EACH OTHER. YOU EVER DO THAT? SEE,
WE'RE NORMAL PEOPLE. SEE, ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, YOU READY?
FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THESE TWO.
- YES, LORD, THANK YOU, JESUS. - RELEASE THAT ANOINTING, WE
RELEASE THAT GRACE, AND WE RECEIVE
THEM INTO THIS FELLOWSHIP. MAN, WHEN I TOUCH YOU,
I JUST HEARD THE HOLY SPIRIT JUST TELL ME TO TELL YOU, BE
VERY OPEN, WHERE GOD WANTS TO HAVE YOU DO SOMETHING IN
COMMUNITY EFFORTS, SOMETHING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT IS GONNA HAVE
YOUR EFFORTS, YOUR HANDS, YOUR VOICE, THAT IS GONNA HELP SHIFT
SOME THINGS, AND WRITE SOME THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY. LORD,
WE RELEASE THAT GRACE, WE RECEIVE THIS ONE INTO THIS
FELLOWSHIP. AND I THANK YOU, LORD. MAN, KEEP HITTING THE
STREETS, 'CAUSE THERE'S A GRACE ON YOU TO WIN A LOT OF PEOPLE
FOR THE LORD. FATHER, WE RELEASE THE ANOINTING, THE GRACE THAT
YOU HAVE PLACED UPON THIS HOUSE, IT STANDS UPON THIS ONE.
OVERCOMES. LORD, THERE'S A PURSUING, A RECOVERING OF ALL.
THINGS LOST, THINGS RETURNED. FATHER, I SEE THAT. AND I EVEN
SPEAK REGARDING FAMILY. FATHER, IN THE NAME OF YESHUA, WE THANK
YOU FOR THESE TWO, LEFT AND RIGHT, WORKING TOGETHER. FATHER,
I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE CALLED OF YOU. AND SO WE RELEASE THAT
ANOINTING. WE RELEASE THE GRACE THAT IS UPON THIS HOUSE. FATHER,
I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE GONNA HELP TO BE PART OF A
STRONG DISCIPLESHIP AND TRAINING AS A COUPLE, AND THEY'RE GONNA
BE KNOWN FOR GOOD DOCTRINE. AND SO THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TEACH AND
BE UNDER GOOD DISCIPLESHIP OF THIS HOUSE THAT WILL POSITION
THEM FOR SUCH A THING. LORD, WE RELEASE THAT ANOINTING AND THAT
GRACE IS UPON THIS HOUSE AND WE THANK YOU. WOW, WOW. I USUALLY
DON'T MINISTER TO PEOPLE, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT'S LIKE
THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE
THERE'S NO ISSUES REGARDING YOUR BODY. GOD IS JUST ALIGNING
SOMETHING OVER YOUR HEALTH AND OVER YOUR LIFE. THANK YOU, LORD.
LORD, I RELEASE THAT ANOINTING, THE GRACE THAT IS UPON THIS
HOUSE. WE RECEIVE THIS ONE INTO THIS FELLOWSHIP IN YESHUA'S
NAME. YOU'VE ASKED, NOW YOU'RE GOING TO RECEIVE. YOU'RE IN A
MOMENT OF RECEIVING. I CAN SEE THAT. LORD, WE RELEASE THAT
ANOINTING. WE RECEIVE THIS ONE. WE RELEASE THAT GRACE. WE
RECEIVE THEM INTO THIS FELLOWSHIP IN JESUS' NAME. I SAW
THE LORD. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. AND I JUST
SEE PEOPLE TELLING YOU, NO, YOU'VE BEEN TELLING YOURSELF NO,
BUT GOD SAYS THE ANSWER OVER YOU IS YES AND AMEN. AND SO YOU WILL
SEE IT. AND SO IT WILL BE. NOW LORD, YOU ALREADY SPOKE. AND WE
THANK YOU FOR THAT THING BEING SET IN MOTION. WE RELEASE THAT
ANOINTING. WE RECEIVE THE GRACE. - YES, OH GOD.
- WE RELEASE THAT GRACE, RECEIVE THEM INTO THIS FELLOWSHIP, INTO
THIS HOUSE IN YESHUA'S NAME. - YES, LORD.
- THANK YOU, LORD. THANK YOU, LORD. I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE
LAST THING. I JUST SEE YOU LIKE WITH A MEMORY BOOK AND ALL THE
THINGS THAT HAPPEN AND STUFF IS ALL GONNA BE A MEMORY BECAUSE
THERE IS SUCH A NEW SEASON THAT YOU'RE ENTERING INTO AND A NEW
CHAPTER BEING WRITTEN. LORD, I RELEASE THE ANOINTING. WE
RELEASE THE GRACE. WE RECEIVE HIM INTO THIS HOUSE IN YESHUA'S
NAME. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY HERE, THE BALM OF GILEAD IS JUST GOING
OVER YOUR LIFE AND OVER YOUR BODY AND EVEN ALL TO YOUR FLESH.
AND EVEN YOUR WORK OF YOUR HANDS ARE GONNA GO TO ANOTHER LEVEL OF
INCREASE AND PROSPERITY AS RESOURCES ARE GONNA FIND YOU.
YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO GO LOOK FOR IT. THEY'RE GONNA FIND YOU.
SO GOD SAYS, "GET READY, YOUR HANDS ARE GONNA BE BUSY IN
YESHUA'S NAME." ALL RIGHT, WELL, LET'S STAND ON OUR FEET REAL
QUICK. STRETCH. THANK YOU, GUYS. WE LOVE YOU. WE RECEIVE THEM.
COME ON, THAT'S YOUR FAMILY. AMEN. AND ALSO, WE RELEASE THAT
GRACE. YOU CAN GO BACK TO YOUR SEATS. WE RELEASE THE GRACE UPON
EVERY E-MEMBER AND THOSE THAT ARE BEING RECEIVED INTO THIS
HOUSE. MAY IT BE ALSO FOR YOU AND FOR YOUR HOUSE IN YESHUA'S
NAME. AMEN. PASTOR DOJI, THAT'S A PASTOR FRIEND OF YOURS THERE,
RIGHT? I JUST SAW AS I WAS WALKING BY, THERE IS A MIRACLE.
WHEN I'M TELLING YOU A MIRACLE COMING REGARDING A FACILITY,
DON'T GET COMFORTABLE, DON'T GET COMFORTABLE, 'CAUSE THERE'S
SOMETHING I SEE OF A BUILDING, A FACILITY THAT IS BIGGER THAN
WHAT YOU HAVE, WHAT YOU'VE KNOWN. THERE IS AN EXPANSION AND
A GROWTH. YOU'VE BEEN ABOUT A FEW, BUT NOW GOD SAYS YOU'RE
GONNA BE ABOUT MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY ARE COMING TO YOU. GREAT
NUMBERS, EXPANSION, MINISTRY, DISCIPLESHIP, TRAINING,
SCHOOLING, ALL OF THIS IS ABOUT TO COME. AND SO THERE'S
SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. THERE'S EVEN A FAVOR
THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH THE CITY, THE ADMINISTRATION, THE
GOVERNMENT, WHERE THIS FACILITY IS GONNA COME, AND IT'S GONNA BE
MIRACULOUS. SO GET READY. THE LORD SAYS, "START THINKING
BIGGER, "START PRAYING BIGGER, AND GET YOUR EYES AND START
LOOKING," 'CAUSE I'M GONNA SHOW WHAT I HAVE. IT'S GONNA BE
REVEALED. IT'S GONNA HAPPEN QUICKLY. AMEN. ALL RIGHT, WELL,
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND BE SEATED. I WANNA TALK TO YOU TODAY. OPEN
YOUR BIBLES, PLEASE, TO ISAIAH CHAPTER, WHAT IS THAT, MY
GLASSES. I WAS TRYING CONTEXT, ISAIAH 42, I WAS TRYING CONTEXT
TO READ AND THE ONES THAT THEY GAVE ME, I JUST DON'T THINK
THEY'RE STRONG ENOUGH. SO I'M LIKE, I THINK I'M GONNA, LIKE,
FOR THE FOURTH TIME, NOT DO IT. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE CONTEXT TO
READ? YOU EVER NOTICE THAT IT MIGHT BE, BUT THEN IT'S LIKE
WHEN YOU TRY TO LOOK OUT, IT MIGHT BE BLURRY. HAVE YOU HAD
THAT YET? I'M LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T LIKE IT. SO I'M
BELIEVING FOR MY EYES. WOULD YOU BELIEVE FOR MY EYES? LISTEN, YOU
CAN SEE HOW GOOD MY EYES ARE. LOOK AT MY WIFE, MAN. I MEAN,
DID YOU SEE WHAT, I WAS ABLE TO FIND THAT FOXY MAMA, AND IT
TAKES SOME GOOD EYES TO LOCATE THAT GIRL. BRENDA, YOUR NICKNAME
IS SURE FINE. ALL RIGHT, LOOK AT ISAIAH 42. NOW, WE ARE IN A TIME
OF A, I WANT YOU TO SAY IT, SHIFT, CHANGE. NOW, THIS IS NOT
PUNISHMENT. THE ONLY WAY IT BECOMES PUNISHMENT IS IF YOU
DON'T OBEY IT, OKAY? YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT MINDSETS. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE GOTTA GET OUT OF
MINDSETS, BUT REALLY WHAT I CALL MINE-SETS, M-I-N-E, MINE-SET.
IT'S UP TO ME. I AM GOING TO DETERMINE IT. NOW, IF YOU ARE A
PERSON THAT IS BOUND BY SOCIAL MEDIA, 'CAUSE THERE'S PEOPLE, A
LOT OF TIMES, SOCIAL MEDIA IS ALL ABOUT YOU. YOU GOTTA BE
CAREFUL, BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT SHIFT. IF YOU'RE ALL ABOUT YOUR
CAREER, YOU MAY NOT SHIFT. IF YOU'RE ALL ABOUT YOUR TIME, YOUR
RECREATION, WHAT YOU WANNA DO, YOU MAY NOT SHIFT. AND SO, IT
REALLY ISN'T, IT'S NOT THAT GOD'S TORTURING US OR WHIPPING
US, RIGHT? IT'S JUST THAT HE'S TRYING TO SAY, LOOK, IF YOU WILL
GIVE ME YOUR WILL, IF YOU WILL OBEY WHATEVER IT IS THAT THE
LORD'S ASKING YOU, THEN YOU WILL MAKE A SHIFT THAT WILL ACTUALLY
BRING YOU INTO ADVANCEMENT. OKAY, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THIS.
SO, IN ISAIAH CHAPTER 42, GOD MAKES IT VERY CLEAR. HE SAYS,
BEHOLD, IN OTHER WORDS, PAY ATTENTION. REMEMBER, WE'RE IN
5786. THAT'S THE HEBREW YEAR. IT'S THE CALENDAR YEAR. IT'S THE
HEBREW HEY, WHICH MEANS PAY ATTENTION. ALL RIGHT, LOOK AT
YOUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY, THAT MEANS ME.
ANYWAY, BUT PAY ATTENTION. HEY, EVERYBODY SAY HEY.
- WELL, WHAT IS GOD TRYING TO TELL US TO PAY ATTENTION TO?
LOOK AT ISAIAH 42:9. "BEHOLD, FORMER THINGS ARE COMING TO
PASS." IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S A SHIFT CHANGE, JUST LIKE AT A
JOB. THERE'S A TIME WHEN MAYBE THE FIRST SHIFT WORK, THAT TIME
FRAME IS ALREADY OVER, IT'S COMPLETE. NOW A NEW SHIFT COMES.
HOW MANY OF YOU EVER BEEN PART IN THE WORKFORCE OF A SHIFT
CHANGE, RIGHT? OR YOU WERE PART OF THAT? IT'S AN END OF ONE
TIME, ONE SEASON, TO NOW SOMETHING NEW, A NEW SEASON. SO
OLD THINGS COME TO PASS, AND THE MORE YOU HOLD ON TO YOUR PAST,
OR EVEN YOUR PRESENT MOMENT, YOU MAY NOT SHIFT. YOU GOTTA BE
WILLING TO SAY, GOD, WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WANT FOR ME TO GIVE
UP, I'LL DO IT. SO THE FORMER THINGS ARE COME TO PASS. THERE
IS AN END TO IT. AND A NEW THING I DECLARE. NOW THAT'S THE SHIFT.
NOW GOD'S TRYING TO TELL US, BECAUSE SEPTEMBER 22ND OF THIS
YEAR, WE ENTER INTO THE BEGINNING OF THE JEWISH NEW
YEAR. THAT'S HOW GOD LOOKS AT THINGS THROUGH EVENTS, BUT HE
DOES HONOR CERTAIN THINGS ON THE CALENDAR SO THAT HE CAN TAKE
THESE EVENTS AND GIVE US A GOOD INDICATION OF WHAT HE WANTS TO
DO. WELL, 5786, THIS NEW YEAR, 2026, IS ABOUT A LINE IN THE
SAND. THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE HEBREW MEANS, WHERE GOD'S
DRAWING A LINE IN THE SAND, BUT SO DO YOU, SO THAT YOU CAN COME
INTO THE GREATEST THINGS THAT GOD HAS FOR YOU. YOU KNOW, WHEN
I WAS TALKING WITH JOHN ON THE PHONE, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO
GIVE HIM A LITTLE SPACE. I SAID TO HIM, I SAID, JOHN, THERE'S
TWO PRINCIPLES THAT I'VE LEARNED IN MY LIFE. AND THIS IS
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SINCE THE ELECTION TO SAY
THAT THINGS HAS BEEN EASY FOR THIS VESSEL, OH MY GOSH, YOU
KNOW, I'VE HAD TO, WHEW, WE'VE HAD TO GET THE PRAYER TEAM
FASTING AND PRAYING, IT'S JUST BEEN, THERE'S BEEN AN INTENSITY
OF THINGS. AND IT'S ALL GOOD, BUT I'VE LEARNED SOMETHING, TWO
PRINCIPLES, NUMBER ONE, THE CHARACTER OF GOD. IF GOD SAYS
ABOUT HIMSELF THAT HE IS A GOD THAT DOESN'T LIE, HE SAID, "LET
GOD BE TRUE AND EVERY MAN A LIAR," THAT MEANS WHATEVER GOD
SAYS IN HIS WORD, YOU CAN BANK ON IT. WHAT GOD HAS SAID ABOUT
HIS CHARACTER, YOU CAN BANK ON IT. SO I TOLD JOHN, I SAID,
"JOHN, THE KEY IS "IS THE CHARACTER OF GOD." HE SAYS, "I'M
THE SAME YESTERDAY AND TODAY AND FOREVER." SO IMAGINE THIS FOR A
MOMENT. CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING MOSES? AND HERE YOU ARE, THIS
GUY THAT IS GIVING EVERY KIND OF EXCUSE UNDER THE SUN. I CAN'T, I
WON'T, I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH, I'M NOT QUALIFIED, I DON'T SPEAK
RIGHT, I DON'T DO THIS RIGHT, I CAN'T. REMEMBER MOSES? AND THEN
GOD FINALLY GETS HIM AND TELLS HIM, TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES, COME
ON, THAT'S AN OLD SEASON. TAKE OFF THOSE SHOES. IT'S NOT ABOUT
YOU, MOSES, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOUR WALK, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOUR FLESH,
IT'S NOT ABOUT YOUR WAYS, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOUR TIMING, MOSES,
IT'S ABOUT ME. NOW TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF, AND I'M GONNA SHIFT
YOU. AND THEN HE TELLS HIM, HE SAYS, HEY, TAKE THAT STICK AND
THROW IT DOWN, BECAUSE THE SHIFT THAT I'M ASKING YOU DOESN'T COME
WITHOUT THIS PRINCIPLE, SUPERNATURAL ENABLEMENT. WHEN
GOD SHIFTS YOU, GET READY, THE SUPERNATURAL IS GOING TO EXCEL
YOUR NATURAL. AND GOD SAID TO HIM, HE SAID, "AND HERE'S WHAT
I'M GONNA DO. "WHEN YOU GO, YOU TELL THEM I AM SENT YOU." AND I
SAID TO GOD THE OTHER DAY, I WAS OUTSIDE, I WENT OUTSIDE TO PRAY,
THE STARS WERE BEAUTIFUL. I SAID, "GOD, LISTEN TO ME." I
SAID, "I STAND IN THIS MOMENT OF THE AWE AND THE WONDER "OF WHAT
MY EYES SEE AS I LOOK AT YOUR PLANETS, "YOUR STARS, GOD, OF
ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD SAY TO MAN. "WHEN YOU CAME AND YOU
INTRODUCED YOURSELF, "YOU SAID, 'I AM.' "I SAID, 'GOD, I TREMBLE
IN THE HONOR OF THAT.' "THAT MEANS I AM GONNA HELP YOU. "I AM
GONNA HEAL YOU IF YOU NEED HEALING. "I AM GONNA PROVIDE FOR
YOU IF YOU NEED PROVISION. "I AM GONNA LEAD YOU IN THE WAY AND I
WON'T LET YOU DROWN. "I AM GONNA STAND WITH YOU AND I'M GONNA
HELP YOU." I SAID, "WHAT A NAME." COME ON, JUST TELL HIM
THAT. I AM. OH, GOD, WE WORSHIP AND HONOR YOU. I SAID, "THAT IS
SO AMAZING TO ME." I SAID, "I KINDA LIKE THAT NAME." BUT I
SAID, "BUT GOD, WHEN YOU CAME "AND YOU WALKED PAST MOSES, YOU
INTRODUCED YOURSELF," AND THIS IS WHAT I WAS SHARING WITH JOHN.
"YOU SAID, 'I AM THE LORD GOD. "'I AM,' THAT'S HIS NAME AGAIN,
"'I AM THE LORD GOD. "'AND I AM FULL OF SUCH GOODNESS, ABSOLUTE
GOODNESS. "'YOU CAN'T FIND ANY BAD IN ME. "'AND I'M FULL OF
MERCY, LOVING KINDNESS, AND TRUTH.'" SO NO MATTER WHAT
YOU'RE FACING OR YOU THINK IS SO DIFFICULT IN YOUR LIFE AND YOU
THAT ARE WATCHING, FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE I AM. I AM WHAT?
EVERYTHING YOU NEED. I AM ABLE TO DO IT. I'M CAPABLE OF DOING
IT. AND I AM WITH YOU. BUT HERE'S WHAT'S EVEN MORE POWERFUL
ABOUT THAT. WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTER GOD, YOU CAN REST.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN FEAR. BUT THEN THE SECOND PRINCIPLE I
TOLD THEM IS THIS, EPHESIANS 3:20. WHENEVER GOD DOES
SOMETHING WITH YOU, AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP
SOMETHING OR SOMETHING HAPPENED OR SOMETHING ISN'T WORKING OUT
OR HOW MUCH LONGER, COME ON, HOW MANY OF YOU EVER PRAYED THOSE
PRAYERS? GOD, HOW MUCH LONGER? MAN, I USED TO DO THAT OVER THIS
BUILDING. HOW MUCH LONGER? I'M TIRED OF AN UGLY BUILDING. AND
THEN ONE TIME GOD TOLD ME ABOUT THE MANGER AND HOW THAT WAS
UGLY. AND ONE TIME I TOLD HIM, I TOLD YOU THIS LAST WEEK, I SAID,
"LORD, I DON'T WANNA HEAR THAT STORY AGAIN." I TOLD HIM, I
SAID, "YOU KNOW, LORD, SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE GET OLD, THEY START
REPEATING STORIES." (CONGREGATION LAUGHING)
HE SAID, NO, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT HE SAID TO ME, HE SAID,
NO, YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID TO ME, HE GOES, "NOW, THAT IS FUNNY,
BUT IT'S NOT TRUE." I SAID, "OKAY, THEN I'LL TAKE YOU UP ON
IT. IT'S NOT TRUE ABOUT YOU, BUT IT'S TRUE ABOUT PEOPLE IN THE
EARTH." ANYWAY, SO HE DID LIKE IT. HE THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF
FUNNY. BUT YOU KNOW, AND I WAS BEING HONEST WITH HIM, AND I
SAID, YOU KNOW, DON'T TELL ME THAT STORY, I DON'T WANNA HEAR
IT. IT'S NOT RELEVANT FOR MY PRESENT NEED. BUT EPHESIANS 3:20
IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE LEARNED IS THIS. GOD DOES EXCEEDINGLY,
ABUNDANTLY, BEYOND WHAT YOU COULD ASK OR THINK IF HE'S GOING
TO SHIFT YOU. RIGHT, AND I TOLD YOU THE PRINCIPLE OF HEBREWS 10,
THAT WHEN IT CAME TO THE COVENANTS, GOD TAKES AWAY THE
OLD, NOT TO TORTURE YOU, BUT TO BLESS YOU. AND IF HE'S GONNA
BLESS YOU IN THE SHIFT CHANGE, IT'S GONNA BE ACCORDING TO
EPHESIANS 3:20, IT'S GONNA BE EXCEEDINGLY, IT'S GONNA BE
ABUNDANT, AND IT'S GONNA BE ON WHAT YOU COULD ASK OR THINK.
IT'S GONNA BE GREAT. I DIDN'T REALIZE IT. I MEAN, LOOK AT THIS
PLACE. THIS IS GOD'S HOUSE. I MEAN, IF I COULD HAVE SEEN, SAW
THIS, SEEN THIS, WHATEVER THE CORRECT ENGLISH IS, DON'T
CORRECT ME. I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE IT IS, SO YOU FIGURE IT OUT.
IF THIS WAS REVEALED TO ME, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT
MORE, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW, BRENDA, YOU WERE WITH ME
IN THE JOURNEY. I THINK I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN A
LITTLE BIT MORE PATIENT, BUT I DIDN'T SEE IT. YOU UNDERSTAND?
SO GOD IS TRYING TO GET US PREPARED FOR SOMETHING THAT IS
REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GREAT IN THIS SHIFT CHANGE. I WANT YOU TO
GO TO ROMANS 12 AGAIN. WE'RE GONNA PICK BACK UP AND I WANNA
KINDA HIT SOME THINGS HERE. I GOTTA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME
SENSITIVE TODAY 'CAUSE I HAVE A FLIGHT. BUT ROMANS 12, I DIDN'T
WANNA MISS THE SERVICE, SO I WANTED TO BE HERE WITH YOU, SO I
WORKED SOME THINGS OUT. SO ROMANS 12, LOOK HERE, IT SAYS,
"I BESEECH YOU, THEREFORE, BY THE MERCIES OF GOD." SO IF YOU,
HOW MANY OF YOU WANNA COME INTO THE ALIGNMENT THAT YOU FULFILL
THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE? HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER FIELD
DAY OR TRACK AND FIELD DAY? RAISE YOUR HAND, THOSE OF YOU
THAT ARE WATCHING. AND THE MEDAL OR THE RIBBON THAT I HATED WAS
THE HONORABLE MENTION OR PARTICIPATE. NOW, YOU'RE
SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD SPORT, RIGHT? BUT WHEN YOU KNOW YOU
SUCK, YOU KNOW YOU SUCKED AT IT, IT'S LIKE, WHY DEGRADE THE KID?
YOU KNOW YOU'RE THE SLOWEST TURTLE ON THE TRACK TEAM, RIGHT?
YOU KNOW YOU'RE THE ONE THAT THEY HAD TO PUT AT THE END OF
THE RELAY, THEY DIDN'T WANT YOU, BUT THEY GOTTA FULFILL THE FACT
THAT, RIGHT? IT'S FIELD DAY, IT'S SIXTH GRADE, RIGHT? BRING
THE TURTLE. GIVE YOU AN HONORABLE MENTION. I DON'T KNOW
WHAT MY POINT IS. WHAT'S MY POINT? I WAS MAKING SUCH A GREAT
POINT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE POINT WAS. HUH? I WAS ON ROMANS
12, SO LET'S ROAM BACK THERE. MAYBE THEY'LL COME BACK TO ME.
LORD, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE POINT WAS. HMM, ANYWAY, JUST
RECEIVE THAT, WHATEVER THAT WAS. YOU'RE WORTH MORE THAN HONORABLE
MENTION. NOW, IT SAYS PRESENT YOUR, OH, THE GOOD, OKAY, THAT'S
RIGHT. I KNOW WHAT IT IS, IT'S A GREAT POINT. SO HOW MANY OF YOU
WOULD RATHER HAVE THE GOLD, THE SILVER, OR THE BRONZE? NOT THE
HONORABLE MENTION CERTIFICATE, RIGHT? WELL, YOU WANT TO BE ABLE
TO, WHEN IT COMES TO THE WILL OF GOD, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE OUT OF
THE WILL OF GOD. YOU DON'T WANT THE LOW LEVEL. YOU WANT THE
HIGHEST METAL POSSIBLE, RIGHT? YOU WANT THE PERFECT WILL OF
GOD. I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HOW TO DO IT. YOU'VE GOT TO SHIFT IN
YOUR MIND, BUT YOUR MIND. NOW NOTICE HOW TO DO IT. THEREFORE,
BY THE MERCIES OF GOD, I PRESENT YOUR BODIES AS A LIVING
SACRIFICE. SO THE FIRST THING IS, IS A LOT OF PEOPLE PUT
ENERGY AND TIME INTO THEIR BODIES, SUPPLEMENTS, VITAMINS,
EXERCISE. KEEP DOING IT, KEEP DOING IT. DO A LITTLE EXTRA FOR
ME. AND HOPEFULLY GOD WILL GIVE ME CREDIT, YOU KNOW, WORK ON ME.
BUT HERE'S THE POINT, DON'T BE A PERSON THAT YOU PUT ALL YOUR
TIME AND ENERGY IN ALL OF THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU EAT YOUR
SUPPLEMENTS, BUT YOU'RE NOT EATING THE WORD OF GOD. YOU CAN
GET TO THE GYM EARLY IN THE MORNING AT SIX, BUT YOU CAN'T
GET OUT OF BED TO PRAY. (CONGREGATION LAUGHING)
'CAUSE YOU'RE TOO TIRED. YOU KNOW, THE OTHER MORNING I GOT UP
AT LIKE 2.45 IN THE MORNING TO PRAY 'CAUSE I FELT GOD AND I
FELT LIKE I WANTED TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH HIM. AND I WAS YAWNING
A LITTLE BIT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I, SO I PUT, SOMETIMES I'LL PUT
MY HAND ON MY HEAD LIKE THIS AND I'LL PUT PRESSURE ON IT SO THAT
MY MIND, YOU KNOW, WILL SHUT OFF AND I DON'T LET IT WANDER AND I
LET MY BODY BE REMINDED, MY BODY'S NOT IN CONTROL, NEITHER
IS MY MIND. MY SPIRIT PRAYS. AND I'LL DO THIS SO I CAN FOCUS. AND
I SAID, LORD, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU THAT I'M
TIRED 'CAUSE I STARTED TO SAY IT TO HIM, MAN, GOD, I'M REALLY
TIRED. MAYBE I SHOULD'VE STAYED IN BED. AND THEN I REMEMBERED
HOW MANY TIMES JESUS GOT UP TO PRAY AT THAT HOUR. I THOUGHT I'D
BETTER NOT EVEN GO THERE WITH THE FATHER. IT'S NOT EVEN AN
ARGUMENT. BUT JUST WE HAVE TO ADJUST IN PUTTING ALL OF OUR
ENERGY AND TIME INTO OUR BODY, OUR PHYSICAL ENERGY, THAT WE'RE
TOO TIRED OR NOT INTERESTED IN SPIRITUAL THINGS. IF YOU'RE LIKE
THAT, YOU WON'T SHIFT. YOU WON'T SHIFT IN THE WILL OF GOD. NOW
THE SECOND ONE IS THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. WELL HOW DO YOU
RENEW YOUR MIND? IT TELLS YOU, START LOOKING AT HOW THIS
CULTURE, THIS WORLD IS TRYING TO SPEAK TO YOUR HEAD, SHAPE YOUR
BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW, TALK YOU INTO THINGS THAT YOU PROBABLY
DON'T NEED TO BE DOING. THE MORE YOU WANNA BE LIKE THE WORLD, BE
AROUND THE WORLD, TALK LIKE THE WORLD, FRIENDS WITH THE WORLD,
ACT LIKE THE WORLD, THE MORE IT WILL NOT ALIGN WITH THE PERFECT
WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE. IN FACT, YOU MIGHT MISS IT. SO LOOK
HERE, BECAUSE I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP. WE HAVE TO SHIFT IN OUR
PHYSICAL ENERGY. WE HAVE TO SHIFT WHERE WE DON'T LET OUR
HEAD TALK US OUT OF THINGS OR CONTROL US OR PULL US TO
WORLDLINESS, BUT BE TRANSFORMED. YOU GOTTA RENEW YOUR MIND BY THE
WORD OF GOD. BUT WATCH THIS, THAT YOU MAY PROVE WHAT IS THE
GOOD, ACCEPTABLE, AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD. SO I'M AIMING FOR
THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD. SO IT'S NOT THAT YOU DON'T EXERCISE,
IT'S NOT THAT YOU DON'T USE YOUR BRAIN, IT JUST YOU HAVE TO BE
FIRST ABOUT SPIRITUAL THINGS. YOU KNOW WHY A LOT OF MARRIAGES
AREN'T SUCCESSFUL? BECAUSE EITHER THEY BASE IT OFF OF THEIR
PHYSICAL INTIMACY, WHETHER IT'S ENOUGH, NOT ENOUGH, OR GOOD
ENOUGH, RIGHT? OR THEY'RE EMOTIONAL, WE DON'T TALK ENOUGH,
WE DON'T CONNECT, WE DON'T DO ANYTHING. YOU KNOW WHAT, IF
THAT'S THE CASE, THEN BRENDA AND I WOULD HAVE A TERRIBLE
MARRIAGE. WE DON'T, WE'RE THE MOST, TWO BORINGEST PEOPLE IN
THE WORLD. BUT WHAT MAKES OUR MARRIAGE GREAT, SPIRIT, SOUL,
AND BODY, IS WE HAVE UNDERSTOOD, EVEN WHEN I WAS, YOU KNOW,
BEFORE I WAS DATING HER, AND THEN WHEN I STARTED COURTING HER
IS WE WERE PRAYER PARTNERS FIRST. WE WERE IN THE BIBLE
ALMOST EVERY DAY TOGETHER. WE WERE TALKING SCRIPTURES. BOB,
YOU KNEW US. WHERE'S BOB PETTIGREW? OH, HE'S GONE, HE
CAN'T EVEN ATTEST TO THIS. I MEAN, WHERE DID HE GO? THANKS,
TASHA, YOU WERE THERE, YOU'RE MARRIED TO HIM. YEAH, IT'S TRUE,
OKAY, THANKS. BUT THE POINT IS WE WERE PRAYER PARTNERS, MAN.
AND THEN WHEN I STARTED COURTING HER, THAT DIDN'T CHANGE. BRENT
AND I HAVE THIS SPIRITUAL CONNECTION BECAUSE THAT'S THE
PRINCIPLE OF HOW YOU MAKE A SHIFT CHANGE IS YOU HAVE TO BE
STRONG IN YOUR SPIRIT. YOU HAVE TO ALIGN YOUR SPIRIT WITH WHAT
GOD IS TELLING YOU. THAT'S WHY THE BIBLE IS SPIRIT AND LIFE.
YOU'VE GOTTA ALIGN YOURSELF SO THAT YOUR BODY DOESN'T TALK YOU
OUT OF A SHIFT CHANGE. YOUR MIND DOESN'T TALK YOU OUT OF A SHIFT
CHANGE. WHEN YOU DO AND PRIORITIZE THE SPIRIT, IT ISN'T
HARD WHEN GOD ASKS YOU TO DO SOMETHING. YOU'LL JUST SHIFT.
AMEN? LISTEN, GOD'S ASKED ME TO DO A COUPLE THINGS. WE'LL LET
YOU KNOW COMING UP. AND I'VE BEEN INCREASING MY PRAYER TIME
BECAUSE I'M LIKE, WELL, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET MY FAITH
ALIGNED A LITTLE BIT. I'M GONNA HAVE TO SHUT MY MIND OFF 'CAUSE
I WASN'T PREPARED FOR WHAT YOU'RE ASKING. SO LOOK AT
NUMBERS 13. I WANNA SHOW YOU THIS AGAIN. SOMETIMES PEOPLE LET
WRONG MINDSETS KEEP THEM FROM THEIR DESTINY. AND THIS IS
EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WITH A WHOLE NATION, EXCEPT TWO PEOPLE,
JOSHUA AND CALEB. AND I WANNA SHOW YOU THIS. SO LOOK AT
NUMBERS 13:26-29. AND SO THE SPIES BROUGHT BACK WORD UNTO
THEM AND SHOWED THEM THE FRUIT OF THE LAND. NOW, IT'S IMPORTANT
THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF WHO AND WHAT IS SPEAKING INTO YOU,
RIGHT? DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A PHYSICAL PERSON, COULD BE
SOMEBODY ON TV, RIGHT? COULD BE THE BOOKS YOU'RE READING, COULD
BE THE ACTIVITIES THAT YOU DO. SOMETHING IS SPEAKING TO YOU
CONSTANTLY. WHAT'S THE LOUDEST VOICE? IS IT GOD? I CAN'T HEAR
HIS VOICE. THAT'S PROBABLY WHY. WELL, I CAN'T HEAR GOD LIKE YOU.
WELL, DON'T COMPARE BECAUSE I CAN'T HEAR GOD LIKE JESUS. I TRY
BECAUSE WHAT I DO IS I PRIORITIZE THE SPIRITUAL THINGS.
I PRAY IN TONGUES A LOT BECAUSE THAT'S THE SPIRIT AND SPIRIT
CONNECTION. I STAY IN MY BIBLE. I TALK TO GOD. LISTEN, IF JESUS
COULD GO UP TO THE TOMB OF LAZARUS AND BEFORE HE GETS
THERE, HE LIFTS UP HIS EYES. THAT'S ALL HE DID, HE LIFTED UP
HIS EYES, SAID, "FATHER, YOU'RE WITH ME." SEE, WHAT THAT IS IS
JESUS DEVELOPED SOMETHING. NOW, THEY WROTE A BOOK YEARS AGO
CALLED PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD. PRACTICING THE PRESENCE
OF GOD, IS THAT? I READ IT ONCE, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS
ABOUT. PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD, I'M SURE, BUT ANYWAY.
BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU DO. HOW MANY TIMES DURING THE DAY, YOU KNOW,
I LOOK UP TO GOD, I WINK AT HIM, I BLOW HIM A KISS. SOMETIMES I'M
LIKE, HEY GOD, COME WITH ME, MAN. YOU KNOW, AND I WALK LIKE,
'CAUSE HE IS WITH ME. YOU KNOW, I'LL WORSHIP HIM, I'LL LIFT UP
MY HANDS, I'LL ASK HIM QUESTIONS, HEY GOD, YOU KNOW, I
GOT A QUESTION ABOUT THIS. AND THEN I JUST, I WALK AS IF HE'S
GONNA TALK TO ME, HE'S GONNA GIVE ME THE ANSWER. IF I SEE
SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL, I SAY, WHOA, GOD, THAT CLOUD IS
AMAZING. YOU KNOW WHAT IT DOES? IT BRINGS GOD AS IMMANUEL TO
YOU. SO THAT WHEN HE ASKS YOU TO DO SOMETHING, YOU'RE NOT SITTING
THERE GOING, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LEAVE IT TO BE, OR HUH, CHEEK
GOD, YEAH, I DON'T THINK I GET IT. NEVERMIND YOUNG MILLENIALS
ARE GOING, HUH, WHO, WHAT, WHEN? NOW WATCH. BE WISE WHAT'S
SPEAKING. WHAT'S THE LOUDEST VOICE THAT YOU'RE LISTENING TO
RIGHT NOW? VERSE 27, THEY TOLD HIM, SAID, "WE'VE COME INTO THE
LAND AND SURELY," IN OTHER WORDS, YEAH, GOD DIDN'T LIE. IT
IS REALLY AN AWESOME SHIFT CHANGE. "IT FLOWS WITH MILK AND
HONEY." NOW, HERE'S WHAT GOD HAD ME WRITE IN MY NOTES. HERE'S MY
NOTES RIGHT HERE. I WROTE THIS LAST NIGHT. GOD IS TRYING TO
BETTER YOU, NOT BITTER YOU. SOME PEOPLE THINK, WELL, IT'S JUST
TOO HARD. I CAN'T DO IT, GOD. DON'T YOU KNOW WHEN I GOTTA GIVE
UP? LET ME SHARE A STORY WITH YOU 'CAUSE GOD WAS TRYING TO
CHANGE THEIR LOCATION. SOME PEOPLE, THANK YOU, PASTOR MARK,
THEY MOVED HERE FROM TEXAS. SOME PEOPLE WON'T CHANGE JOBS. AND
YET THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR JOB ALL THE TIME AND GOD'S
TRYING TO SAY SHIFT. QUIT HOLDING ON TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
SOME PEOPLE WON'T SHIFT, YOU KNOW. WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING
TO WORK ON MY CHRISTIAN WALK. YEAH, BUT YOU WON'T SHIFT, YOU
WON'T RELOCATE YOUR FRIENDSHIPS. YOU WON'T INVEST IN PEOPLE IN
THE CHURCH OR THE KINGDOM. SOME PEOPLE WON'T SHIFT IN THE
LOCATION OF THEIR BRAIN. YOU DWELL ON THINGS THAT TALK YOU
OUT OF YOUR FUTURE, YOUR PRESENT MOMENT. AND THIS IS WHAT
HAPPENED WITH ISRAEL. GOD'S NOT TRYING TO BITTER YOU. SO I
REMEMBER WE WERE LIVING NORTH OF HERE, 100 MILES OR SO UP NORTH
IN IOWA. AND I REMEMBER THE DAY I WAS DRIVING, WE HAD A GREEN
DODGE CARAVAN THAT WE BOUGHT THAT SOMEBODY HAD GIVEN US A
CAR. YOU HEARD THE STORY AND I WAS DRIVING IT AND I HEARD WHAT
SOUNDED TO ME LIKE THE AUDIBLE VOICE OF GOD. NOW, WHETHER IT
WAS AUDIBLE, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T WANNA OVER-EXAGGERATE. I
JUST SIMPLY WANNA TELL YOU, IT SOUNDED LIKE GOD WAS IN THE CAR
WITH ME. AND HE SAID TO ME, "WILL YOU PASTOR?" AND I PULLED
OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND I SAID, "GOD, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT,
WAIT A MINUTE. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" HE SAID, "WILL YOU
PASTOR?" I SAID, "WELL, I DON'T THINK I'M A PASTOR, "BUT IF
YOU'RE ASKING ME, I WILL DO IT." HE SAID, "THEN GO AND LAY ON
YOUR BED, "AND I'LL GIVE YOU INSTRUCTIONS." AND I DID, AND HE
BEGAN TO TELL ME THE EXACT DAY, THE EXACT WEEKEND, AND IT WAS
THE EXACT WEEKEND THAT THE HOUSE THAT WE WERE RENTING AT THE TIME
BECAME AVAILABLE, YOU CAN'T MAKE IT UP. HE SHOWED ME THE LITTLE
STOREFRONT DOOR WITH THE SIGN, AND I KNEW EXACTLY WHERE I WAS
SUPPOSED TO GO. I SAW THE WATER TOWER, BUT I DIDN'T WANNA COME
HERE. I SAID, I DON'T WANNA GO TO OMAHA. I DON'T WANNA, GOD,
ALL THAT'S GREAT. I DON'T WANT TO. I'LL PASTOR, BUT CAN I HAVE
ANOTHER CITY? WELL, RIGHT AROUND THAT TIME, SOMEBODY OFFERED US A
CHURCH OF 2,500 PEOPLE, BIBLE SCHOOL, CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, TV
SHOW. WHAT ELSE, BRENDA? IT WAS LIKE EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING NOW.
I'M LIKE, THAT IS GOD. I WASN'T READY FOR THAT. I WOULD HAVE
FAILED. AND I SAID, "GOD, IT'S MINE, MINE SET. "I'M GONNA, I
DON'T WANNA GO TO OMAHA. "SO I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, "BUT
I'M NOT COMING TO OMAHA. "I WON'T RELOCATE." AND SO I SAID,
"PLUS, YOU GOTTA TELL BRENDA." SO I TOLD BRENDA, SHE SAYS, "I'M
NOT GOING TO OMAHA." I SAID, "SEE, THAT'S WHY I TOLD GOD TOO,
BRENDA. "I'M NOT COMING." THANKSGIVING OF 1996. SO I HEARD
THIS IN LIKE OCTOBER, THANKSGIVING OF 1996. I GET A
CALL, IT WAS THE PASTOR. HE SAID, "HEY, CAN YOU COME TO THE
CHURCH? "I WANNA PRAY, I WANT YOU TO PRAY." REMEMBER THE
TADLOCKS THAT WERE HERE LAST WEEK? ONE OF THEM, HE'S IN
HEAVEN, JEFF TADLOCK. HE WAS THERE. I'VE ASKED JEFF TO COME.
YOU NEED TO MEET US. WE NEED TO PRAY. 'CAUSE I SAID, "GOD, I'M
NOT GOING "UNLESS I HAVE PROPHETIC CONFIRMATION." THEY
HAD PROPHETIC CONFIRMATION HERE, BUT THEY LET THE WRONG VOICES
TALK THEM OUT OF IT. GOD KEPT TELLING THEM HE HAD A LAND
FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY. SO I GET TO THE CHURCH AND I'M
THINKING, I HAD AN ATTITUDE. HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN ATTITUDE? I
KNOW YOU GUYS LOOK AT ME, THINK, MAN, PASTOR HANK, YOU HAVE AN
ATTITUDE. WELL, PROBABLY I DO. BUT I WAS LIKE, I CAN'T BELIEVE
ON, OKAY, I'M JUST DRIVING. I CAN'T BELIEVE ON THANKSGIVING
I'M GONNA GET PULLED ON PROPHETICALLY. DOES ANYBODY CARE
ABOUT ME? I GOT THIS GOD WHO WANTS ME TO GO TO OMAHA AND I
DON'T WANNA GO. I DON'T WANNA SHIFT, I DON'T WANNA CHANGE. I
DON'T WANNA ADVANCE. SO I'M COMPLAINING ON THE WAY THERE. I
DON'T REALLY, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S THANKSGIVING, GOD. AND SO I GET
THERE, WE GET IN THE SANCTUARY AND THE PASTOR GOES, "WOULD YOU
PRAY FOR ME, HANK?" I SAID, "NO, NO." BUT I WAS LIKE, "YES," AND
I'M DOING ONE OF THESE, IF THERE WAS A STONE, YOU WOULD'VE SEEN
IT, YOU KNOW, KICK, KICK. AND I'M HAVING AN ATTITUDE. AND ALL
OF A SUDDEN HE GOES, "WAIT, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WAIT, "STOP
PRAYING." HE GOES, "HANK, HANK." AND ALL OF A SUDDEN TEARS ARE
COMING. HE SAID, "GOD JUST TOLD ME YOU'RE A PASTOR." HE GOES,
"YEAH, YOU STAND IN THAT OFFICE PROPHETICALLY, "BUT YOU'RE GONNA
PASTOR." I'M LIKE, "YEAH, 2,500 PEOPLE, TV STATION, ALL THAT,
YEAH." HE GOES, "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GO TO OMAHA."
I DON'T WANNA GO TO OMAHA! I DON'T WANNA GO TO OMAHA. I DON'T
WANNA GO TO OMAHA. I DON'T WANNA GO TO OMAHA. THANKS FOR RUINING
MY THANKSGIVING, GOD. YOU CAN KEEP THE TURKEY LEG. AND THEN
JEFF, HE'S OVER THERE. "HALLELUJAH. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT
GOD'S SAYING. YOU'RE GONNA BUILD A BIG ONE." I DON'T CARE HOW BIG
IT IS. I DON'T WANNA GO. "YOU'RE GONNA TOUCH THE WORLD,
HALLELUJAH. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TV." LIKE YEAH, 2,500 OVER HERE.
SO I COME BACK, I DIDN'T TELL BRENDA. FEW DAYS LATER SHE SAYS,
"GOD GAVE ME A DREAM, HANK. "WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GO TO OMAHA."
(CONGREGATION LAUGHING)
SO, THAT'S BAD, THEY HAD A GUEST SPEAKER THE FOLLOWING WEEK. HE
SAYS, "YOU TWO, COME UP HERE." YOU GET UP THERE. 'CAUSE
REMEMBER, I DIDN'T WANNA COME TO OMAHA, SO I PROBABLY WALKED UP
THERE LIKE THIS, WITH MY ATTITUDE.
PROPHESY TO ME! 2,500 MEMBER CHURCH, RIGHT? BIBLE SCHOOL,
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, CONFIRM IT. HE GOES, "LISTEN, GOD IS PUTTING
ARMY BOOTS ON YOU." WELL, ISN'T IT INTERESTING? WE'RE CALLED
LORD OF HOSTS. IN FACT, THAT'S WHEN THE NAME CAME. I'LL TELL
YOU, HE GOES, "GOD IS PUTTING ARMY BOOTS ON YOU "AND HE'S
CALLING YOU TO A CITY "THAT YOU DON'T WANNA GO TO." GOD, I DON'T
WANNA GO. SO HE LAYS HANDS ON ME, I FALL UNDER THE POWER, I'M
ON THE FLOOR, IMMEDIATELY GET CAUGHT UP IN A VISION. THAT'S
WHEN I SAW THE WATER TOWER ACTUALLY, AND THE SIGN. THANK
YOU LORD FOR CORRECTING THAT. AND THE LORD SAYS, AND HE KICKED
ME AND HE GOES, "AND GOD TELLS ME YOU BETTER GO TO THAT CITY
"AND OBEY HIM." AND BAM, SHUT UP ABOUT IT. AND THAT'S WHEN I WENT
INTO THE VISION AND SAW THE WATER TOWER AND THE LOCATION OF
WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO START THE CHURCH AND THE REST IS
HISTORY. AND THEN I HEARD THE HOLY ONE SAY, "AND THE NAME OF
THE WORK SHALL BE CALLED LORD OF HOSTS. "AND IT IS AND SHALL BE A
WORLD OUTREACH." I DOCUMENT ALL THIS, YEAH, SO THAT'S ALL. BUT
IF I WOULDN'T HAVE SHIFTED MY MIND AND MY HEAD BECAUSE I HAD
MY WILL INVOLVED, I WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. I PROBABLY WOULD
HAVE BEEN FIRED FROM THE 2,500 MEMBER CHURCH THAT I PROBABLY
COULDN'T HAVE PASTORED. I MEAN, IF EVERYBODY CAME TO THIS
CHURCH, YOU KNOW HOW MANY MEMBERS WE HAVE? 2,000. IF
EVERYBODY CAME HERE, WE'D HAVE 2,000 PEOPLE IN HERE. THAT'S HOW
MANY MEMBERS WE HAVE. NOT COUNTING THE TENS OF THOUSANDS,
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS THAT WATCH ONLINE. THANK GOD I OBEYED,
RIGHT? SO IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH YOU. NOW LOOK AT
JEREMIAH 6. NOW LET ME SHOW YOU SOMETHING OUT OF AN NIV. I DON'T
KNOW IF THEY CAN PUT THE NIV OF JEREMIAH 6:16. I WANNA SHOW YOU
THIS PRINCIPLE. AM I JUST, ARE YOU GETTING ANYTHING OUT OF
THIS? I HOPE YOU'RE LEARNING. OKAY. 'CAUSE SOMETIMES GOD WILL
TELL YOU TO DO SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T WANNA DO. HE'S TRYING
TO BETTER YOU, NOT BITTER YOU. I THOUGHT GOD WAS TRYING TO BITTER
ME. AND I HAD AN ATTITUDE ABOUT IT. AND THIS IS WHAT, LOOK AT
VERSE 16. THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS, "STAND AT THE CROSSROADS."
NOW STOP RIGHT THERE. SOME OF YOU THAT ARE WATCHING, YOU IN
THIS ROOM, YOU'RE AT A CROSSROADS, YOU'RE AT A
DECISION. YOU'RE AT, SHOULD I GO THIS WAY OR SHOULD I GO THAT
WAY? THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT DISCO. 'CAUSE WHENEVER YOU
DISCO, AT LEAST WITH ME, DISCO IS THIS WAY, DISCO IS THAT WAY.
AND ANYWAY, THAT'S A DISCO MOVE TIP FOR SOME OF YOU. OH, STOP
THE WOO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT'S THE TRUTH. BUT NOW WATCH
THIS. WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT NUMBERS 13, THEIR BIG THING WAS,
WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT. WE'RE NOT DOING THIS. NOW YOU COME TO
JEREMIAH SIX AND WATCH THIS. YOU'RE STANDING AT A CROSSROADS.
ASK WHERE THE GOOD WAY IS AND THEN OBEY. PUT ACTION BEHIND IT.
AND I KEPT DOING THAT WHEN IT CAME TO LORD OF HOSTS CHURCH.
LORD, WHERE DO YOU WANT ME? AND HE WAS TRYING TO TELL ME, THAT I
WAS DIGGING IN MY HILLS. I DIDN'T WANT TO. RIGHT? YOU EVER
HAD THAT? HOW MANY OF YOU RAISED YOUR HAND, HAVE YOU EVER HAD
THAT? AND SO HE SAYS, "WALK IN IT AND YOU WILL FIND REST." YOU
WILL FIND THAT GOD IS TRYING TO ACTUALLY BLESS YOU. BUT NOTICE,
YOU SAID, "WE WILL NOT WALK IN IT." NOW, LOOK AT VERSE 17, HE
SAID, "IT'S SO BAD "THAT I'VE EVEN APPOINTED WATCHMEN OVER
YOU. "LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET." YOU KNOW WHAT A
TRUMPET SPEAKS OF IN THE BIBLE? HEAVEN'S WORD TO YOU, OR
PROPHETS. A PROPHETIC WORD, A PROPHETIC SOUND. SO GOD'S
SAYING, "I EVEN WENT AS FAR AS GETTING PEOPLE "TO WATCH OVER
YOU SO THAT YOU WOULDN'T MAKE A MISTAKE "AT THE CROSSROADS. "I
EVEN SET PROPHETIC CONFIRMATION OF TRUMPET BLASTS "THAT WERE SO
LOUD, SO OBVIOUS, "BUT YOU DUG YOUR HEELS IN WITH THE WRONG
MINDSET "AND YOU DIDN'T SHIFT." COME ON, HOW LONG HAVE PEOPLE
BEEN TELLING YOU, GET OUT OF THAT JOB. YOU'RE BETTER THAN
THAT. I REMEMBER WHEN I WORKED AT A GAS STATION, AMACO, AND I
WAS TRYING TO GET INTO THE MINISTRY. AND I WENT OUT TO THE
FULL SERVICE ISLAND. NOW THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE WATCHING, OR YOU
IN THIS ROOM, HOW MANY REMEMBER THE OLD FULL SERVICE WHERE YOU
WOULD PULL YOUR CAR UP, AND MY DAD HAD A RULE. THERE WAS A
LITTLE HOSE THAT WENT ACROSS, AND IT WOULD GO DING DING. YOU
REMEMBER THAT? AND YOU HAD TO BE OUT THERE WHEN THAT DING DING
HAPPENED. IT DIDN'T MATTER IF YOU WERE 100 YARDS AWAY, YOU HAD
TO SPRINT LIKE TOM CRUISE, AND YOU HAD TO GET OUT TO THAT CAR
WINDOW BY THE TIME THAT THE WHEEL STOPPED. AND MY MOM WHO'S
SITTING THERE COULD TELL YOU THAT I WAS THE WORST ONE OF 'EM
ALL. 'CAUSE I WOULD BE BUSY EATING MY M&MS OR SOMETHING. HAD
TO FINISH THE LAST PACK, RIGHT? BUT MY DAD, HE WOULD GET MAD.
HE'D BE LIKE, "GET OUT THERE!" SO I'D GET OUT THERE. WELL, ONE
DAY I WENT OUT THERE AND I WAS TRYING TO MAKE IT IN THE
MINISTRY, LIKE PROBABLY 1989, 1990. AND RIGHT HERE IN OMAHA,
THIS CARLOAD OF NUNS PULLED UP. AND THEY LOOKED AT ME ON A FULL
SERVICE ISLAND, AND THEY'RE GOING LIKE THIS.
(IMITATING CAR NOISES)
AND THEY'RE DOING THE, YOU KNOW, LORD, PLEASE HELP THIS GUY, OR
WHATEVER THE SIGNAL IS. AND I'M LIKE, WHAT ARE THEY DOING? HE
SAID, "LORD, CAN WE PRAY FOR YOU?" I'M LIKE, YEAH, YEAH,
YEAH, PRAY THAT JESUS GETS ME OUT OF HERE, I FEEL LIKE I'M
BEING TORTURED. THEY SAID, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I SAID,
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? "YOU'RE BETTER THAN
THIS." NOT THAT ANYBODY WORKS AT A GAS STATION IS BAD, BUT THEY
SAID, "YOU ARE CALLED TO PREACH," AND I'M NOT TRYING TO
MAKE IT, "TO THE MASSES. "YOU HAVE A WORLDWIDE CALLING ON YOUR
LIFE. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? "YOU ARE MISSING YOUR DESTINY."
WELL, WHAT DO I DO? THAT'S WHAT I'M THINKING. THEY SAID, "LET US
PRAY FOR YOU," AND THEY STARTED SPEAKING IN TONGUES. I'M LIKE,
"OH, OKAY," 'CAUSE I WAS SPIRITUAL. THEY'RE PRAYING AND
THEY'RE SAYING, "YES, LORD, "AND IT'S GOING TO COME QUICKLY." AND
THEY START PRAYING. I KID YOU NOT, A FEW MONTHS LATER, I WAS
PULLED FROM THAT JOB AND ON THE ROAD TO MINISTRY. SOMETIMES YOU
HOLD ONTO THINGS AND YOU DO IT 'CAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GOT TO.
AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS REALIZE, START PRAYING 'CAUSE
YOU'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. DON'T GIVE UP. DON'T
BE HARD ON YOURSELF. DON'T SETTLE FOR WHAT YOU'RE NOT
SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. START STRIVING AND MOVING TOWARDS WHAT
YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD DO, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE
CALL. DON'T PLAY. IF YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A CALL OF GOD ON YOUR
LIFE, DON'T PLAY WITH IT. IT COULD END YOUR LIFE EARLY
BECAUSE IT'S A VERY HOLY THING. AND THEN ONCE YOU ARE CALLED,
YOU GOTTA STAND IN THE HOLINESS OF A LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD. YOU
GOTTA STAND IN THE HOLINESS AND THE HONOR OF BEING CALLED OF
GOD. WE HAVE TO REPRESENT YOUR GARMENTS, YOUR MANTLE CORRECTLY.
IT'S VERY HOLY. NOW WATCH THIS, LET'S GO. I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT
NUMBERS 13:31. GO DOWN JUST A FEW MORE VERSES, AND THEN I
WANNA SHIFT AND CHANGE KIND OF WHAT I'M SAYING, BUT ON THE SAME
CONTEXT. BUT THE MEN THAT WENT UP WITH HIM, SO THE 10 SPIES,
WRONG VOICES SAID, WE BE NOT ABLE. NOW, WHO TOLD THEM THAT?
THEY MADE THAT UP. SOMETIMES WHEN WE DON'T WANNA DO
SOMETHING, WE MAKE UP ALL KINDS OF EXCUSES, ALL KINDS OF
REASONS. I MEAN, I KNOW PEOPLE THAT TOLD ME THEY WERE GONNA DO
SOMETHING, AND I RUN INTO THEM YEARS LATER, AND GUESS THE FIRST
THING THAT COMES OUT OF THEIR MOUTH WHEN I SEE THEM IN THE
STORE. "OH, HEY, PASTOR, I KNOW THAT YOU ONCE SAID THIS, "YOU
KNOW, AND THEN, AND I AM," AND THEY GIVE ME THE LIST OF REASONS
WHY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. HAVE YOU EVER RAN INTO SOMEBODY LIKE
THAT? I KNOW PEOPLE THAT AREN'T MARRIED THAT MISS THEIR
OPPORTUNITY, AND THEY GIVE A BUNCH OF EXCUSES. I KNOW PEOPLE
THAT ARE WORKING THEIR BUTT OFF FOR SOMEBODY ELSE, AND THEY HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A STEP OF FAITH AND BEGIN SLOWLY TO
START THEIR OWN BUSINESS, BUT THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE IN
THEMSELVES. THEY LET FEAR TALK THEM OUT OF IT, AND THEN YOU RUN
INTO THOSE PEOPLE 10 YEARS LATER, THEY'RE TIRED, THEY'RE
BROKE, THEY'RE FRUSTRATED, AND THEY GIVE YOU ALL THE EXCUSES.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE
LISTENED, BUT I DIDN'T. WELL, AIN'T TOO LATE TO START. AIN'T
TOO LATE TO SHIFT. NOW YOU HEAR, WE'RE NOT ABLE. WHO SAID THAT?
THEY LET FEAR DO THE TALKING. WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GO UP AGAINST
THE PEOPLE. THEY'RE STRONGER THAN US. GOD NEVER SAID THAT.
NOW HERE'S THE DANGER. GOD TOOK ISRAEL OUT OF EGYPT. THE PROBLEM
WAS ISRAEL WOULD NEVER GET EGYPT OUT OF THEM. WHEN THEY DIDN'T
LIKE SOMETHING, "OH, I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO THE WORLD. "I JUST
WANT TO GO EAT GARLIC AND ONIONS. "OH, WE REMEMBER THOSE
DAYS." OH, REALLY? DID YOU FORGET ABOUT THE TIMES OF HARSH
LABOR AND GETTING WHIPPED AND ABUSED AND BEING IN THE WRONG
PLACE UNDER A TASKMASTER? DID YOU FORGET THAT? I MEAN, WHEN I
CAME HERE TO OMAHA AND THE CHURCH WOULDN'T GROW, AND THEN
PEOPLE SAY, "WELL, PASTOR, WHEN DID YOU, "YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ON
NATIONAL SHOWS. "WHEN DID YOU START PREACHING THE WAY THAT YOU
PREACH "AND PROPHESY?" I'M LIKE, "EXCUSE ME, I DIDN'T JUST MAKE
THIS UP. "THIS IS THE WAY I'VE ALWAYS BEEN." AND YET WHEN I
FIRST PREACHED, AND I WOULD PROPHESY IN THIS CHURCH 28 YEARS
AGO, PEOPLE WOULD GET UP AND WALK OUT, OR THEY WOULD STAND
THERE LIKE, "YOU ARE A CULT LEADER, YOU'RE CRAZY." AND IT
MESSED WITH MY HEAD. AND I WOULD GO TO GOD AND SAY, "I'M SORRY,
YOU ASKED ME TO COME HERE AND I HATE IT. I'M FAITHFUL, I'M
HONORABLE, I'M DOING WHAT'S RIGHT BUT NOTHING IS WORKING.
WHAT HAVE I DONE WRONG? DO I NEED TO TEAR MY GARMENTS?
'CAUSE IT'S TEARING MY HEART. I HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH
GOD. BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE WHAT GOD HAD FOR ME. AND I WAS,
AND WHEN GOD WANTED TO SHIFT ME, I STARTED WANTING TO GO BACK TO
THE MINDSET OF WHAT I THOUGHT I WAS GOOD AT. WELL, I'LL JUST BE
A CARTOONIST. I'M GOOD AT THAT. I'LL GO BACK TO TRAVELING,
REALLY? AND HAVE THE PASTORS GIVE YOU A BAG, YOU'RE OFFERING
FOR FIVE NIGHTS WITH COINS. YOU REALLY WANNA GO BACK TO THAT,
HANK? OR ARE YOU GONNA PRESS THROUGH WHEN THE CHAIRS ARE
EMPTY? PASTORS IN THIS CITY HATE YOUR GUTS AND ARE TALKING ABOUT
YOU 'CAUSE THEY SAID IT. I WENT AND WAS INVITED ONE TIME TO A
PASTOR'S CONFERENCE IN TOWN WITH A GUEST SPEAKER AND ONE PASTOR
TALKED ME INTO IT, SAID, "NO, YOU REALLY NEED TO GO." SO I
CAME, I SAT IN THE BACK, AND THE GUEST SPEAKER, NEVER MET HIM IN
MY LIFE, HE GOES, OH, HE CALLS, HE GOES, "I WANNA PRAY FOR THE
PASTORS HERE." I DIDN'T GO UP. PASTORS COME UP, HE STARTS
LAYING HANDS ON 'EM. HE STOPS, HE SAYS, "WHOA, WHOA, WHOA,
WHOA, WHOA, "WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA,
WHOA. "GOD SAYS THE FATHER OF THE CITY IS HERE." I'M NOT
KIDDING, I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE THIS UP. I AM NOT SAYING THAT
I'M THAT. I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT 'CAUSE NOW PEOPLE
ARE GONNA WRITE. I DIDN'T SAY THIS. HE STOPS, HE GOES, "YOUNG
MAN, ARE YOU A PASTOR?" I'M THINKING, "HECK NO.
(CONGREGATION LAUGHING)
"NOTHING AIN'T WORKING OUT. "MY CHURCH AIN'T GROWING, IT'S THE
UGLIEST CHURCH IN TOWN. "HAVE YOU DRIVEN BY IT? "PEOPLE HATE
ME. "DON'T YOU DARE MOCK ME PROPHETICALLY." HE GOES, "GET UP
HERE." HE GOES, "MAYBE I SHOULD CLARIFY, "YOU'RE ONE OF THE
FATHERS UP HERE." AND ALL THESE PASTORS ARE LOOKING AT ME, AND
THEY'RE STANDING THERE LIKE THIS, 'CAUSE THEY DON'T BELIEVE
IT. AND HE GOES, THERE'S PASTORS IN THE CITY THAT ARE TALKING
ABOUT YOU, MOCKING YOU, LAUGHING AT YOU, TALKING BEHIND YOUR
BACK. BUT HE SAID, THERE'S COMING A DAY WHERE THEY WON'T BE
DOING THAT. IT TOOK 20 YEARS FROM THAT TIME, WELL, MAYBE 15,
BECAUSE IF YOU ADD THE LAST FIVE, TO GET WHERE A LOT OF THE
PASTORS HAVE COME UP TO ME IN THE SEAT AND SAID, "MAN, LOOK AT
WHAT GOD'S DONE WITH YOU." AND I'VE SAID, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT I
DID. "I JUST TRIED TO OBEY. "I DON'T WANNA MAKE MYSELF OUT TO
BE ANYTHING." 'CAUSE YOU DO THAT, AND THEN YOU STEAL HONOR
FROM GOD. I DON'T WANNA DO THAT. I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, I'M NOT
BETTER THAN THEM. I JUST THINK I OBEYED WHEN IT WASN'T EASY. YOU
CAN DO IT TOO. AND CAN I TELL YOU, I DIDN'T PASS EVERY TEST.
SO DON'T THINK LIKE, WELL GOLLY, MAN, HE REALLY ACED THE TEST.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHEN TEST DAYS WOULD SHOW UP IN SCHOOL, I
WOULD SHOW UP AND I WOULD TAKE THE TEST. I'D NEVER STUDIED. I
DIDN'T WANNA STUDY. I MADE UP ANSWERS. AND SOMEHOW, MOM, I GOT
THROUGH SCHOOL. NOW WATCH THIS. LOOK AT VERSE 30. SOMETIMES WHEN
GOD TELLS YOU TO SHIFT, QUIT PUTTING YOUR TIMELINE ON IT.
QUIT PUTTING YOUR TERMS ON IT. OKAY, YOU KNOW, NOW, I TOLD YOU
LAST WEEK WHEN GOD TOLD ME TO BUY THIS BUILDING, THE THIRD
TIME IT WAS LOUDER WHEN HE FINALLY SAID, "BUY THIS
BUILDING." AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I COULD TELL GOD WASN'T HAPPY
WITH ME. AND I TOLD HIM, "COME HERE, "I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE
SUPPOSED TO DO THAT." AND I SAID, "WELL, LORD, PROVIDE, MAKE
THE PLACE BEAUTIFUL." BUT ONE THING I DIDN'T TRY TO DO IS PUT
A BUNCH OF CONDITIONS ON IT. MY TERMS, BE REBELLIOUS, BE
STUBBORN. IT'S ONE THING TO SAY, WELL, HERE GOD, THIS IS WHAT I
WANT. YOU'RE ASKING ME TO DO THIS, THIS IS WHAT I WANT. AND
IT'S OKAY TO PUT YOUR EXPECTATIONS OUT OR SAY, YOU
KNOW WHAT, LORD, LISTEN, AS I OBEY YOU, THESE ARE THE THINGS
THAT I'M GOING TO STAND FOR THAT YOU WILL DO 'CAUSE I BELIEVE IT.
BUT IT'S ONE THING TO DIG YOUR HEELS IN AND SAY, WELL, I'M ONLY
GONNA DO THIS. IT'S GOTTA BE MY WAY. MY TERMS, RIGHT? I DID THAT
WITH GOD WHEN HE WANTED ME TO COME TO OMAHA. IT WAS MY TERMS.
AND I HAD TO CHANGE AND REALIZE IT'S NOT ABOUT MY TERMS. I
CAN'T, I HAVE TO OBEY. EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW ALWAYS WHAT IT IS
THAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, BUT I AM TELLING YOU THIS, BE PATIENT. BE
PATIENT, BE PATIENT. BUT HERE'S A PRINCIPLE. NOW WATCH THIS, AND
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT BEING RECKLESS. NOW WATCH THIS, VERSE
30. AND CALEB STILLED THE PEOPLE BEFORE MOSES, AND HE SAID,
"LET'S GO UP," WHEN? AT ONCE. SOMETIMES THINGS AREN'T MEANT TO
BE DELAYED, OVERTHOUGHT, DO OVERTHINKING, OVERDISCUSSING IT.
OKAY, ONCE I KNEW IN MY HEART THAT GOD WAS SAYING, GET TO
OMAHA, IT WAS A MATTER OF DO IT NOW, WASN'T IT, BRENDA? WE HAD
TO, I MEAN, LIKE THREE MONTHS, WE PACKED UP EVERYTHING, LOADED
UP THE TRUCK. I DIDN'T HAVE A REAL SOURCE OF INCOME. THE
PASTOR WHO PROPHESIED THAT SAID, I'LL GIVE YOU $200 A MONTH. I
WENT, OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAD. AND I HAD A FEW PEOPLE THAT
SAID, HEY, WHEN YOU GET THERE, WE'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE MONEY.
WE HAD TO BELIEVE GOD. WHEN WE CAME HERE, I TOLD YOU, YOU KNOW,
THE LORD TOLD ME TO COME HERE MARCH 22ND, SATURDAY, MARCH
22ND, SUNDAY, MARCH 23RD. THAT WAS THE DAY THAT WHEN WE SAID TO
THE RENTERS, THE LUNDT COMPANY AT THE TIME, THEY SAID THE DAY
THAT YOU CAN MOVE IN IS SUNDAY, MARCH 23RD. YOU CAN'T MAKE THAT
UP. WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT HOUSES, NOTHING WAS WORKING OUT
HERE. I COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. BACK IN THOSE DAYS, YOU LOOKED
AT THE NEWSPAPER. AND I REMEMBER THE DAY I GRABBED THE NEWSPAPER
AND I WAS SO FRUSTRATED 'CAUSE ALL THE HOUSES WE LOOKED AT, WE
COULDN'T AFFORD IT OR THEY SAID NO TO US. SO FINALLY I WAS MAD
AND I GRABBED THE NEWSPAPER AND I WENT LIKE THIS AND I ROLLED IT
UP IN A BALL, LIKE THIS AND I SAID, BRENDA, I SAID, AND I KEPT
GETTING MAD AT BEING IN OMAHA. I SAID, I TELL YOU, I'M TRYING TO
COME TO OMAHA. GOD TOLD ME TO COME TO OMAHA. WE CAN'T EVEN
FIND A PLACE TO LIVE AND I THREW IT INTO THE TRASH BAG OR TRASH
CAN. IT WENT PING AND IT OPENED. AND I WENT TO REACH FOR IT AND
GOD IS MY WITNESS. LORD, THANK YOU, YOU HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF
HUMOR. RIGHT LOOKING DOWN AT THE NEWSPAPER, IT POPPED OFF THE
PAGE. HOW MANY OF YOU EVER READ YOUR BIBLE AND IT POPS OFF THE
PAGE? IT'S KIND OF LIKE BRENDA'S PHONE NUMBER. WHEN I FIRST
CALLED IT JUST LIKE POPPED OFF THE PAGE, MAN. DIDN'T HAVE CELL
PHONES THEN, BUT IT POPPED OFF THE PAGE. AND I SAW THIS HOUSE
FOR RENT. WHAT? I DIDN'T SEE THAT ONE. I CALLED IT. GUY GETS
ON THE PHONE AND SAYS, WHY ARE YOU COMING TO OMAHA? I SAID,
WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE A TRANSITION. HE SAID,
WELL, THAT'S NOT WHAT I ASKED YOU. WHY ARE YOU COMING TO
OMAHA? I'M LIKE, SHOULD I TELL HIM THAT I'M STARTING A CHURCH
AND NOW HE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER NEGATIVE ANSWER. THIS IS A
STUPID SIGN. I SAID, WELL, I BELIEVE GOD CALLED ME TO COME
HERE AND START A CHURCH. PRAISE GOD, JUST A MOMENT. HEY, HONEY,
THE GUY THAT I TOLD YOU WOULD BE CALLING IS ON THE PHONE.
(CONGREGATION CHEERING)
I'M LIKE, HUH? YOU REMEMBER A DIFFERENT CHURCH? WHAT ARE YOU
TALKING ABOUT, WILLIS? (CONGREGATION LAUGHING)
HE GOES, YEAH, COME ON, COME ON OVER. SO WE GET THERE, HE GOES,
WELL, HEY, MAN, I NEED, I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MUCH HE SAID.
ANYWAY, I SAID, WELL, WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT. HE GOES, WELL, WHAT
CAN YOU AFFORD? SO WE TOLD HIM, HE GOES, OKAY, I'LL RENT IT TO
YOU FOR THAT. YEAH, ALL BECAUSE I SAID YES, AND I DID IT AT
ONCE. I NOTICED WHEN I DELAY THINGS, WHEN GOD TOLD ME TO BUY
THAT PIZZA BUILDING, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE BROKER
'CAUSE I HAD A DREAM THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT APARTMENTS OUT HERE.
AND WE LOSE ALL OUR PARKING. BROOKS SAID, "NO, THAT'S NOT
TRUE." I SAID, "NO, CALL THEM. "I SEE PAPERS GETTING READY TO
BE SIGNED." HE CALLED BACK AND SAID, "YOU'RE RIGHT. "THEY WERE
GOING TO PUT APARTMENTS IN HERE "AND THEY'RE GETTING READY TO
SIGN THE PAPERS." IF I WOULD'VE JUST DELAYED, OH, IT'S JUST ME.
SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA ACT ON WHAT YOU FEEL FROM GOD. PEOPLE SAY,
"WELL, PASTOR HANK, HOW DO YOU HEAR GOD?" 'CAUSE I OBEY! IF I
FEEL IT'S THE LORD, I ACT ON IT WITH WISDOM. AND I ALSO SEEK
COUNSEL, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S DIRECTIVE. AND I ALSO KNOW HOW
TO WAIT ON THE LORD. I'M WAITING ON SHILOH. TOLD ME TO DO THIS
AND HE TOLD ME TO WAIT. I'M LIKE, "I HATE THAT WORD, GOD.
"OF ALL THE WORDS THAT YOU INVENTED, "WAIT IS THE WORST
ONE." (CONGREGATION LAUGHING)
I DON'T LIKE WAITING. BUT WHAT MY POINT IS, SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA
QUIT THINKING ABOUT IT. YOU JUST HAVE TO OBEY. AND DO YOU KNOW
WHAT? I COULDN'T THINK ABOUT IT. BRENDA AND I, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE
MONEY, EVEN THOUGH HE ACCEPTED IT FOR THE RENT. WE DIDN'T HAVE
IT! I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE MONEY TO RENT OUR FIRST CHURCH BAY!
DIDN'T EVEN HAVE MONEY FOR FOOD. AND I HAD A HOLD, WERE YOU,
MATT? I DON'T REMEMBER, HOLD, WAS HE, BRENDA? ABOUT THREE,
DIDN'T HAVE IT. BUT I OBEYED. AND WHEN YOU OBEY, YOU'LL EAT
THE GOOD OF THE LAND. NOW LET ME SHOW YOU ANOTHER PRINCIPLE. ALL
RIGHT, LET'S GO ON. SOMETIMES WE GOTTA GET AWAY FROM IT'S TOO
HARD. LOOK AT LUKE 5:1. GET RID OF IT'S TOO HARD. I'VE HAD
PEOPLE SAY THAT TO ME. IT'S TOO HARD. NOW, SOMETIMES IF PEOPLE
DID REALIZE SOME THINGS ARE HARD, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT
THINK THEY'RE CALLED OF GOD, IT DOES REQUIRE A PRICE THAT YOU
HAVE TO PAY. BUT SOMETIMES WE PERCEIVE SOMETHING AS BEING SO
HARD THAT REALLY IT'S EASY. RIGHT? HAVE YOU EVER PUT
SOMETHING TOGETHER? BRENDA DOES IT ALL THE TIME. I HAVE A, I
DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS KNOW, I HAVE A PART-TIME
JOB. DID I EVER TELL YOU THAT? THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE
WATCHING. IT'S CALLED UNPACK UPS, FEDEX, AMAZON BOXES. TAKE
OUT THE CONTACTS, TENTS, SET 'EM ASIDE, AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE
DONE, BREAK 'EM DOWN, AND YOU PUT 'EM INTO EITHER THE
RECYCLABLE BIN OR IN THE TRASH. AND I PROBABLY PUT IN 40 HOURS A
WEEK ON THAT JOB, BRENDA, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IT'S A PART-TIME
JOB. NO, NO, SHE KNOWS IT'S TRUE. HERE I WAS TRYING TO MAKE
A GREAT POINT, WHAT'S THE POINT? (AUDIENCE CHATTERING)
TOO HARD. TOO HARD, THANK YOU, YOU GUYS ARE LISTENING. ALL
RIGHT, I'LL COME BACK TO THAT. ALL RIGHT, AMAZON BOXES, TOO
HARD. HUH?
- PUTTING STUFF TOGETHER.
- PUTTING, OH, PUTTING STUFF TOGETHER, THANK YOU. SO BRENDA
GETS ALL THESE BOXES OF PLACES WHERE YOU HAVE TO PUT STUFF
TOGETHER, RIGHT? AND THERE'S A REASON THAT IT'S BETTER TO BE
MADE IN THE USA, 'CAUSE THESE OTHER PLACES, THEY DON'T KNOW
HOW TO PUT STUFF TOGETHER. AND SO YOU TRY TO READ THE
DIRECTIONS, THEY NEVER MAKE SENSE, SO I NEVER READ THE
DIRECTIONS. I ALWAYS LOOK AT THE PICTURES, AND THEN THE PICTURES
DON'T MAKE SENSE, AND THEN I'M ALWAYS LOOKING AT, BRENDA, WHY
IS THAT SHELF CROOKED? WHY IS THAT BOOKSHELF LOOK LIKE THE
LEANING TOWER OF BOOKSHELVES? HEY, BRENDA, LOOK AT ALL THESE
LEFTOVER PARTS, MAN. WE COULD PUT 'EM INTO THE GARAGE. BUT
YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE A LOT OF LEFTOVER PARTS, RIGHT? I
REMEMBER WHEN WE PUT TOGETHER MATTHEW'S BABY CRIB. I CALLED
HER IN, I WAS THE PROUD HUSBAND. I WAS PROBABLY LIKE 25, 26,
RIGHT? CALL, I CALL BRENDA, COME ON IN, BRENDA. SHE GOES, DOESN'T
LOOK RIGHT, IT'S KINDA CROOKED. I SAID, WELL, IT'S OPTICAL
DELUSION. THAT'S WHAT IT IS, OPTICAL DELUSION. I SAID, WOULD
YOU HELP ME, I GOTTA PUT THE MATTRESS IN. HANK, IT LOOKS
CROOKED. BRENDA, IT DOESN'T LOOK CROOKED, I'M AN ARTISTE. I HAVE
AN ARTISTIC EYE, AND I KNOW WHEN SOMETHING IS CROOKED AND THEN
SHE SAYS, WELL, I'M AN ARTIST TOO. YEAH, BUT YOU HAVEN'T COME
TO THE LEVEL OF CARTOONING ABILITY WHERE YOU UNDERSTAND
PERSPECTIVE AND, YOU KNOW, SO YOU'RE GETTING DEEPER, I KNOW,
YOU'RE GETTING DEEPER, YOU'RE GETTING DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO
WHATEVER. AND SHE GOES, "ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO PUT THAT?"
SHE'S RAISING HER HAND IN THE FRONT ROW. SHE SAID, "YOU SURE
YOU WANT TO PUT THE MATTRESS ON?" I SAID, "YEAH." "IT'S
CROOKED." "NO, IT'S NOT." WE PUT THE MATTRESS ON AND THE SIDES
FALL DOWN. AND THE THING CAVES IN. "MATTHEW, THANK GOD YOU
WEREN'T IN THERE." CAN YOU IMAGINE PUTTING MATTHEW, "OH,
LET'S JUST PUT THE BABY TO SLEEP."
SHE GOES, "THERE'S A REASON "THERE'S ALL THESE PARTS LEFT
OVER." BUT THEN WHEN YOU REALIZE, IF YOU COULD QUIT
LOOKING AT THE PICTURES AND YOU JUST READ AND FOLLOW ALONG, YOU
REALIZE IT AIN'T AS HARD AS WHAT YOU MAKE IT. IT'S BECAUSE YOU
DON'T WANNA FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. AND THEN I STARTED REALIZING,
MAYBE THAT IS A CHARACTER FLAW IN ME, WHERE I DON'T LIKE TO
TAKE ORDERS AND DIRECTION. NO, I HAD TO SEARCH MY HEART. WHY IS
IT THAT I DON'T LIKE TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS? 'CAUSE MAYBE AS A
PERSON, 'CAUSE I'M SUCH A LEADER, I DON'T LIKE TO FOLLOW
INSTRUCTIONS. AND I HAD TO HUMBLE MYSELF. I BETTER WATCH
THAT AREA OF MY LIFE, 'CAUSE THERE MIGHT BE SOME PEOPLE
SPEAKING TO ME AND I AIN'T LISTENING. MADE ME DO A HEART
CHECK, LIKE, "HANK, DON'T GET SO THINKING YOU'RE LEADER "THAT YOU
DON'T NEED TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS SOMEWHERE." "QUIT
LAUGHING, DOUG, I LISTEN TO ALL KINDS OF THINGS "THAT YOU SAY TO
ME," AS ONE OF THE EXECUTIVE PASTORS. HE'S OVER THERE PATTING
HIS WIFE'S SHOULDER, LIKE, "SEE, I TOLD YOU, STOP IT, DOUG."
(CONGREGATION LAUGHING)
ALL RIGHT, I GOTTA GET DONE, SO YOU CAN START HEADING THIS WAY,
'CAUSE I GOTTA GET A FLIGHT CHECK. OR I GOTTA GET READY.
OKAY, AND IT CAME TO PASS AS THE PEOPLE PRESSED JESUS TO HEAR THE
WORD OF GOD, HE STOOD BY THE LAKE OF, CAN YOU PRONOUNCE IT
FOR ME? OKAY, JUST LIKE YOU CAN HEAR, GENNESARET. OKAY, LAKE G.
AND SO AS HE WENT TO LAKE G, THEY SAW TWO SHIPS STANDING BY
THE LAKE, BUT THE FISHERMEN WERE GONE OUT AND THEY WERE WASHING
THEIR NETS. AND HE ENTERED INTO ONE OF THE SHIPS, WHICH WAS
SIMON. HE PRAYED THAT HE WOULD THRUST OUT IN THE LAND. HE SAT
DOWN, TAUGHT THE PEOPLE. NOW WHEN HE LEFT SPEAKING, HE SAID
TO SIMON, "HEY, SIMON, LAUNCH OUT IN THE DEEP, PUT YOUR NETS
DOWN AGAIN FOR A CATCH." AND SIMON ANSWERED, SAID, "OH,
MASTER, WE WORKED ALL NIGHT, IT'S TOO HARD. WE'VE TAKEN
NOTHING, IT'S TOO HARD, IT WON'T WORK. COME ON." JESUS WAS TRYING
TO SHIFT CHANGE HIM. LAUNCH OUT IN THE DEEP, RIGHT? AND THEN HE
GOES, "NEVERTHELESS," AND HE PROBABLY ROLLED HIS EYES, "AT
YOUR WORD, I GUESS I'LL DO IT," KICKING THE STONES LIKE I DID
WHEN I WAS TOLD TO COME TO OMAHA. AND WHEN THEY HAD DONE
THIS, THEY ENCLOSED A BREAKTHROUGH, A GREAT MULTITUDE
OF FISH, EXCEEDINGLY, AGAIN, GOD DOES EXCEEDINGLY, IF HE'S ASKING
YOU TO SHIFT AND CHANGE FOR ADVANCEMENT, IT WILL ALWAYS BE
EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY. THAT'S HIS CHARACTER, THAT'S HIS
NATURE, THAT'S THE WAY THE BLESSINGS COME. AND THERE'S
ALWAYS BREAKTHROUGH. SO NOTICE WHAT HE HAD TO DO. LORD, AT THY
WORD, I'LL LET DOWN THY NETS. NOW GO TO JOHN SIX, LOOK AT
VERSE 60, WE'RE GONNA END WITH THIS. AND THEN NEXT WEEK I'LL
PICK UP ABOUT, I'LL TALK ABOUT ELISHA, AND THEN WE'LL SHIFT
INTO SOME OTHER AREAS I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU. THIS IS REALLY
IMPORTANT. SO JESUS IS SHARING NOW IN JOHN 6, HE SAYS, "HEY, HE
THAT EATS MY FLESH AND DRINKS MY BLOOD "HAS MY LIFE IN THEM." YOU
KNOW, HE'S TALKING ABOUT HOLY COMMUNION, RIGHT? AND HE HAD 82
APOSTLES, BECAUSE REMEMBER, HE HAD 12, THE 12, BUT THEN HE ALSO
HAD 70 OTHERS. SO HE HAD A TOTAL OF 82 AT LEAST. AND 70 OF THEM
ARE LISTENING TO THIS, EAT MY FLESH, DRINK MY BLOOD, AND
THEY'RE THINKING JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT CANNIBALISM.
SOMETIMES WE GOTTA BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS PUT OUR
INTERPRETATION ON THINGS, THAT WE MISINTERPRET IT. RIGHT, HOW
MANY OF YOU EVER PLAY THE GAME TELEPHONE? HOW MANY OF YOU EVER
BEEN ON THE TELEPHONE? AND WHAT YOU SAY IS NOT WHAT THEY HEAR.
RIGHT, MATT AND JOHN? OH, I'M SORRY, NO, I'M JUST MESSING WITH
HIM. BUT IT'S TRUE, YOU EVER HAD THAT? YOU TELL SOMEBODY
SOMETHING AND THEY'RE LIKE, THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID, I DIDN'T
SAY THAT. SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE JESUS IS SPEAKING AND THEY'RE
NOT GETTING IT. THEY'RE PERCEIVING IT'S TOO HARD. NOW
WATCH WHAT HAPPENS. MANY OF HIS DISCIPLES, VERSE 60, WHEN THEY
HEARD THESE THINGS, SOMETIMES WHAT YOU HEAR, BE CAREFUL THAT
YOU DON'T PUT YOUR RULES, YOUR TERMS, YOUR MINDSETS ON IT, OR
YOU MIGHT LEAVE YOUR DESTINY AND NEVER ENTER INTO IT. HOW MANY OF
THESE THAT LEFT? MAYBE WE WOULD BE READING ABOUT THEIR EPISTLE.
YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? BUT THEY SAID THIS, "THESE ARE HARD
SAYINGS. "WHO CAN HEAR IT?" VERSE 66, "AND THEY DIDN'T WALK
WITH HIM ANY LONGER." LET ME SAY THIS LAST THING AS YOU STAND
YOUR FEET. I REMEMBER ONE DAY WE HAD SOME FOLK WHO DECIDED TO
LEAVE THIS PLACE. AND IN THOSE DAYS, MAN, IT'S LIKE IF ONE
PERSON LEFT, YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE
THAT BIG OF A CHURCH. AND SO THIS WAS YEARS AND YEARS AGO.
AND AGAIN, WE WISH EVERYBODY WELL. SO IF YOU THINK I'M
THINKING OF SOMEBODY, WE WISH THEM WELL, WE'VE FORGIVEN A LONG
TIME AGO. WHY GET BITTER ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT? BUT IT MADE
ME A BETTER PASTOR. SO THEY HAD SAID, A FEW OF THESE PEOPLE
DECIDED TO GO ON FROM THIS WORK. THEY SAID SOMETHING, REALLY,
REALLY. AGAIN, WE FORGIVE THEM. I'M JUST USING THIS AS AN
EXAMPLE. IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE AND YOU'RE WATCHING TODAY, WE
DON'T HOLD ANYTHING AGAINST YOU. IT JUST MAKES FOR A GREAT SERMON
BECAUSE IT REALLY DID BETTER ME, AND I PRAY IT BETTERED YOU. BUT
THEY SAID SOME THINGS THAT WERE REALLY, REALLY JUST, I MEAN,
BELOW THE BELT GUT PUNCHES. AND IT WAS, IN THOSE DAYS, WE'RE
LIKE, "OH MY GOD, IS THIS REALLY WHO WE ARE?" SO FOR ABOUT THREE
WEEKS, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR CHURCH THAT WAS ALREADY SMALL,
BE LIKE EVEN MORE SMALLER, IS THAT A WORD, SMALLER? DWINDLING.
I DIDN'T WANNA BE IN OMAHA, IT JUST MADE IT WORSE. NOW I LOVE
BEING HERE, BY THE WAY. I WOULDN'T WANNA BE ANYWHERE ELSE,
AND I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. FOR THREE WEEKS, BRENDA AND I WOULD
GET UP, AND WE WOULD PRAY IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE HOUSE,
AND I WOULD COME DOWN TO THE LIVING ROOM, OR SOMETIMES WE
WOULD TRADE, AND SHE'D GO TO A DIFFERENT PART OF THE HOUSE, AND
WE'D PRAY. AND WE WOULD JUST SAY, "GOD, IF WE'RE THESE
PEOPLE, "IF WE'RE THESE PASTORS, IF THIS IS REALLY WHO WE ARE,
"AND WE'RE NOT PERFECT." NEVER SAID WE ARE, NEVER SAID THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IS THERE AREAS THAT YOU CAN GROW IN? YEAH,
BIBLE SAYS EXAMINE YOURSELF, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO
DO IN THE HONOR OF GOD, AND TO BE BETTER LEADERS. AND SO WE
WOULD PRAY, AND WE WOULD PRAY, AND WE WOULD PRAY. AND ONE
PARTICULAR DAY OR MORNING, I WAS PRAYING IN THE LIVING ROOM, AND
I WAS JUST LIKE, GOD, I'M DONE. I JUST DON'T EVEN WANNA TALK
ABOUT THIS. I'M FRUSTRATED. AND I WENT LIKE THIS. HOW MANY EVER
SAW THE SUPERMAN THING? AND I'M NOT SAYING I'M SUPERMAN, BUT I'M
GONNA GIVE YOU AN ANALOGY. I WENT LIKE THIS TO GOD. I SAID,
GOD, I PEEL MY CHEST OPEN. THIS IS MY HEART. IF I AM EVEN A
LITTLE BIT, WHAT IS BEING SAID OF ME AND ABOUT ME AND HOW I
LEAD AND HOW I PASTOR AND WHO I AM AS A PERSON. AND MY WIFE, I
PEEL MY HEART OPEN AND I BEAR IT BEFORE YOU. I'VE COME NOW THREE
WEEKS TO YOU. CHANGE ME, TAKE IT OUT OF ME. I GIVE YOU EVERY
RIGHT TO TAKE IT OUT OF MY LIFE. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD GOD.
I HADN'T HEARD IN THREE WEEKS PRIOR. HE SAID, "STAND OVER
HERE, OR THERE, STAND OVER THERE." AND I'M STANDING THERE,
AND I AM OVERCOME WITH THE FEAR OF GOD. I DON'T WANNA MOVE. AND
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THERE IS, SO I KINDA MADE IT UP. AND I WENT
OVER BY THE COFFEE TABLE, AND I STOOD THERE, AND IT WAS THE
RIGHT ONE. AND I WAS LIKE, "CHING, CHING!" HE SAID, "TURN
AROUND!" AND I WAS SCARED. I WAS GONNA DROP TO MY KNEES, AND THEN
HIS VOICE CAME TENDER. HE SAID, "STAND UP." AND HE SAID, "I HAVE
YOUR BACK." AND THEN HE SAID TO ME, HE SAID, "I WANNA SHARE
SOMETHING TO YOU. "NEVER FORGET THIS AS YOU STAND BEFORE ME." I
SAID, "SPEAK." "I WANT TO BE BETTER." HE SAID, "MANY OF THE
70 THAT YOU READ ABOUT THAT LEFT," HE SAID, "DO NOT BUILD A
DOCTRINE OFF OF THIS, "BUT I WANT YOU TO BE COMFORTED." OKAY,
HE SAID, "DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN PONTIUS PILATE WAS THERE?" AND
HE SAID, "WHO DO YOU WANT ME TO RELEASE FOR YOU? JESUS WHO IS
CALLED THE CHRIST OR BARABBAS?" AND THE CROWD YELLED, "RELEASE
BARABBAS! CRUCIFY JESUS!" HE SAID, "HANK, "I LOOKED OUT IN
THE AUDIENCE, "AND MANY OF THE 70 WERE SCREAMING, 'CRUCIFY
HIM!'" BECAUSE THOSE IN YOUR LIFE, IN YOUR MINISTRY, SOME MAY
SAY, "YOU ARE GREAT, WE LOVE YOU." MAY ONE DAY BE THE VERY
ONES THAT WILL GATHER THE CROWD, AND THEY WILL CRUCIFY YOU IN
YOUR CHARACTER. BE COMFORTED. DON'T PREACH TO THOSE PEOPLE.
AND THAT WAS THE BIGGEST SHIFT AND CHANGE THAT GOD HAD, IS
THERE I WOULD GO OUT AND PREACH TO THE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO BE
HERE. I WAS A TERRIBLE PASTOR. AND IT ALMOST MADE THEM BELIEVE
THAT THEY WERE THE PROBLEM. AND THAT EXPERIENCE SHIFTED ME AS A
PASTOR. I'M NOT PERFECT, BUT I GOT BETTER. WHAT IS IT THAT YOU
KNOW YOU NEED TO DO? ALL OVER THIS PLACE. MAYBE SOME OF YOU,
IT'S TO COME OUT OF SIN, YOU NEED TO SHIFT. MAYBE SOME OF
YOU, YOU NEED TO BREAK UP WITH THAT PERSON YOU'RE SEEING,
'CAUSE YOU KNOW THEY'RE NOT RIGHT FOR YOU. YOU NEED TO STOP
DATING WORLDLY PEOPLE. SOME OF YOU NEED TO START HAVING
DEVOTIONS AND SHIFTS. SOME OF YOU, YOU'RE LABORING AT THE
WRONG THINGS. SOME OF YOU ARE WASTING TIME ON THINGS IN LIFE
THAT DOESN'T MATTER. COME ON, IF I COULD STAND BEFORE GOD AND
PEEL MY HEART OPEN, IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT
HAPPENED TO ME AT THE TIME, I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW IT WOULD
RELATE TO THIS PRESENT MOMENT. BUT IF I CAN DO IT, AND IT
WASN'T EASY, AND SOMETHING SHIFTED IN MY LIFE AND THE WAY I
PASTOR THAT'S EVOLVED, WHAT CAN GOD DO WITH YOU AND YOU THAT ARE
WATCHING? I WANT YOU TO DO THIS. I WANT EVERYBODY TO JUST TAKE
THEIR HEART AND PEEL IT OPEN. I WANT YOU TO SAY THIS, SEARCH MY
HEART, GOD. IS THERE ANYTHING IN MY HEART THAT YOU DON'T LIKE? IF
THERE IS, REVEAL IT TO ME IN YOUR COMFORT AND IN YOUR LOVE
AND I WILL CHANGE. I'LL STOP DOING IT. I WILL MAKE A SHIFT
CHANGE. GOD, AS MY HEART IS OPEN BEFORE YOU, IS THERE ANYONE I'M
ALIGNED TO THAT I NEED TO CUT OFF? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I'M
DOING THAT I NEED TO STOP DOING? IS THERE A PLACE THAT I'M
SUPPOSED TO BE THAT I'M NOT? THEN I ASK YOU TO SHIFT ME
THERE. IS THERE, GOD, ANYTHING IN MY LIFE THAT I'M OUTSIDE OF
YOUR WILL? I ASK YOU TO ALIGN ME TO YOUR PERFECT WILL. I WANT TO
SHIFT. I WILL SHIFT. I WILL CHANGE AND I WILL ADVANCE. IN
JESUS NAME. PASTOR DOUG, WOULD YOU COME? I HOPE YOU GOT
SOMETHING OUT OF THIS. NOW, I'M TRYING TO SHARE, PASTOR DOUG,
COME ON OVER. I'M TRYING TO SHARE SOME PERSONAL EXAMPLES.
NOT TO ACT LIKE I GOT IT TOGETHER OR I'M BETTER, I JUST
THINK THAT MAYBE IT MIGHT HELP SPEAK TO SOME PEOPLE, AMEN?
ALRIGHT, PASTOR DOUG, GO AHEAD. - GIVE PASTOR A HAND.
- THANK YOU, PASTOR, I LOVE YOU. I'LL SEE YOU ON THE LIVE STREAM.
- IF YOU'RE A VOLUNTEER WORKER, YOU CAN CERTAINLY GO TO YOUR
POST NOW. OTHERWISE, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR SEAT FOR JUST A COUPLE
MOMENTS AS WE WIND UP TODAY. THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. I
APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE OUR GUESTS THAT ARE
HERE TODAY. YOU CAN BE SEATED FOR A MOMENT. OUR ALTAR TEAM CAN
COME UP HERE QUICKLY IF YOU NEED PRAYER THIS MORNING. THE ALTAR
TEAM WILL BE HERE FOLLOWING THE SERVICE, AND THEY'LL BE HONORED
TO PRAY WITH YOU TODAY. AND WE SEE MIRACLES EVERY WEEK AT THE
FRONT OF THIS AUDITORIUM AS YOU COME UP FOR PRAYER. AND SO
YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO THAT. I DO WANT TO ASK THIS QUESTION TO
YOU. PASTOR KIND OF SET IT UP TODAY. AND THE QUESTION I WANT
TO ASK IS, ARE YOU SOLD OUT IN SERVING GOD? ARE YOU SOLD OUT?
ARE YOU OBEYING HIM 100% IN YOUR LIFE? YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CHOICE
IN THIS LIFE. WE CAN EITHER SIT ON THE FENCE AND TRY AND SERVE
GOD, OR WE CAN MOVE ALL THE WAY IN TO EVERYTHING THAT HE WANTS
FOR US AND HAVE HIS PERFECT PLAN LINED UP FOR US. HE CREATED US.
HE KNOWS THE BEST. HE KNOWS THE ANSWERS. AND WE TRY AND DO IT ON
OURSELF IN OUR OWN WAY. IT USUALLY DOESN'T WORK. BUT HERE'S
THE IMPORTANT THING THAT I WANT TO SAY ABOUT THIS IS JESUS SAID,
IF YOU'RE LUKEWARM, YOU CAN READ IT IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION.
IF YOU'RE LUKEWARM, HE'LL SPIT YOU OUT OF HIS MOUTH. I'M
PARAPHRASING A LITTLE BIT. HE'LL SPEW YOU OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, OUT
OF HIS MOUTH. HE DOESN'T WANT US LUKEWARM. HE'D RATHER WE BE HOT
OR COLD. IF YOU'RE COLD, YOU'RE SERVING THE DEVIL, AND THAT'S
NOT GOOD. BUT DON'T BE RIDING THE FENCE. IT'S NOT WORTH IT. HE
HAS A WONDERFUL PLAN. PASTOR QUOTED EPHESIANS 3:20. HE'S GOT
AN ABUNDANT AND EXCEEDINGLY GREAT PLAN FOR EACH OF US. BUT
FOR SOME REASON, AS HUMANS, WE TRY AND DO IT ON OUR OWN WAY,
AND WE GET INVOLVED IN THINGS THAT WE SHOULDN'T. I WANT YOU TO
BOW YOUR HEADS WITH ME. IF YOU'RE ONLINE, YOU'RE WATCHING
ONLINE, YOU CAN DO THE SAME THING RIGHT THERE. IS THERE
ANYONE HERE, FIRST QUESTION FOR YOU, IS THERE ANYONE HERE AND
YOU SAY, "I NEED JESUS IN MY LIFE. I NEED TO MAKE JESUS THE
LORD OF MY LIFE. I'M TIRED OF TRYING TO DO IT MY OWN WAY. I
DON'T WANT TO END UP IN HELL FOR ETERNITY, FIRST OF ALL, BUT MOST
IMPORTANT, I WANT TO SERVE HIM WHILE I'M ON THIS EARTH." IS
THERE ANYONE HERE, I'M GOING TO COUNT TO THREE, IF THAT'S YOU,
I'M GOING TO HAVE YOU RAISE YOUR HAND BOLDLY SO WE CAN PRAY FOR
YOU THIS MORNING. IS THERE ANYONE HERE AND YOU SAY, "I NEED
JESUS IN MY LIFE." ONE, TWO, THREE, RAISE YOUR HAND IF THAT'S
YOU. YOU SAY, "I WANT TO PRAY. I WANT JESUS IN MY LIFE." I SEE A
HAND OVER HERE. IS THERE ANOTHER ONE? I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOMEONE
ELSE HERE AND YOU NEED, ARE YOU A YOUNG MAN RAISING YOUR HAND?
RAISE IT REALLY HIGH IF THAT'S YOU. OKAY, YOU NEED JESUS IN
YOUR LIFE. THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. I SEE ANOTHER HAND UP
HERE. YOU NEED JESUS IN YOUR LIFE. HE'LL CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND
MAKE YOUR LIFE NEW AND GIVE YOU NEW DIRECTION. PLUS, YOU'LL HAVE
ETERNITY WITH HIM. THAT'S SO IMPORTANT. MY SECOND QUESTION TO
YOU, AND I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO RESPOND THAT RAISED YOUR HAND IN
A MOMENT. BUT MY SECOND QUESTION IS, IS THERE SOMEONE HERE, AND
YOU NEED TO REPENT FOR WHAT YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN. YOU
NEED TO GET BACK ON TRACK, AND YOU SAY, PASTOR DOUG, I'M
WILLING TO MAKE A DECISION TODAY TO FOLLOW JESUS 100% WITH ALL MY
HEART. I WANNA GET BACK ON TRACK WITH HIM. I WANNA DO IT RIGHT.
HERE'S THE THING, YOU CAN ALWAYS TURN TO HIM. REPENT, HE'LL
FORGIVE YOU, AND YOU CAN START OVER AS LONG AS YOU'RE ALIVE. IF
YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE TAKEN OUT, IT'S TOO LATE. THERE WERE TWO
YOUNG TEENAGERS, I CAME UPON IT THIS WEEK ON PACIFIC AND 680, A
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. TWO YOUNG TEENAGERS KILLED IN THEIR YOUNG
TEENS. THEIR LIVES WERE TAKEN FROM THEM. I HOPE THEY KNEW
JESUS. IS THERE ANYONE HERE AND YOU SAY, "I NEED TO REPENT. I
WANT TO MAKE IT RIGHT. I WANT TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH GOD."
RAISE YOUR HAND NOW. ANOTHER HAND THERE. OKAY, I'M GOING TO
ASK EVERYONE THAT RAISED YOUR HAND TODAY TO DO SOMETHING VERY
BOLD. EVERY TIME JESUS CALLED SOMEONE, HE CALLED THEM
PUBLICLY. YOU SAY, "WHY DO YOU DO THAT, PASTOR DOUG?" I WANT
YOU TO COME UP HERE AND MAKE A COMMITMENT BECAUSE YOU'LL
REMEMBER IT. IT'LL MAKE AN IMPACT THAT AUGUST 10TH, YOU
MADE A DECISION. GET OUT OF YOUR SEAT IF YOU WOULD RIGHT NOW AND
COME DOWN HERE QUICKLY. EDDIE, LET'S RAISE THAT UP A LITTLE
BIT. I WANT YOU TO COME. THIS IS GONNA BE A NEW DAY IN YOUR LIFE,
A NEW COMMITMENT. COME RIGHT OVER HERE AND STAND IN FRONT OF
ME, YOUNG LADY. GIVE HER A HAND AS SHE COMES. THANK YOU FOR
COMING, MA'AM. THANK YOU FOR COMING, LITTLE BOY. APPRECIATE
IT. THERE'S A FEW OTHERS THAT ARE COMING. WE'RE GOING TO GIVE
THEM A MOMENT TO COME. IF YOU'RE WATCHING ONLINE TODAY, YOU CAN
PRAY WITH US RIGHT WHERE YOU'RE AT. YOU CAN RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST
IN YOUR HEART. YOU CAN TURN BACK TO HIM IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING IN
YOUR WALK AND GET THINGS RIGHT. HERE'S THE DEAL. THE BIBLE SAYS
WE START WITH GOD THROUGH BELIEF IN OUR HEART, ACCORDING TO
ROMANS 10:10, AND THEN CONFESSION IN OUR MOUTH. SO IT
STARTS WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER. AND IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER
YOU'RE OFF TRACK, YOU'VE BEEN A CHRISTIAN AND YOU'RE TRYING TO
FOLLOW GOD, BUT YOU'VE GOTTEN OFF TRACK. YOU STILL HAVE TO
REPENT AND START OVER. THANK YOU, SIR, FOR COMING UP. OR IF
YOU'VE NEVER RECEIVED JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR,
YOU STILL START WITH REPENTANCE BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS WE'VE ALL
SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. THAT MEANS NOTHING
THAT WE CAN DO ON OUR OWN CAN SAVE US. WE HAVE TO DO IT
THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS. HE WENT TO THE CROSS OF CALVARY FOR
US, GAVE HIS LIFE. AND WHEN WE RECEIVE WHAT HE DID FOR US, WE
BECOME NEW CREATURES. AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU WHEN YOU
REPENT AND YOU START WITH HIM. SO WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO
DO TODAY IS JUST REPEAT AFTER ME AS I PRAY A SIMPLE PRAYER. YOU
MAY NOT EVEN FEEL ANYTHING, BUT IT'S FAITH IN YOUR HEART. YOU
BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAY. YOU CONFESS IT WITH YOUR MOUTH. AND
YOUNG MAN, CAN YOU JUST FOLLOW WITH WHAT I SAY TODAY? I
APPRECIATE IT. WHAT'S YOUR NAME, BY THE WAY? ERIC? BARRETT.
BARRETT, THAT'S A GOOD NAME. THANK YOU FOR BEING SO BOLD FOR
JESUS. YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING MORE PRECIOUS THAN A, WHAT ARE
YOU, ABOUT FIVE? YOU'RE SEVEN, OH, YOU'RE BIG. SEVEN YEARS OLD,
THAT'S PRECIOUS. COME TO THE LORD. GOD'S GOT A GREAT PLAN FOR
YOU. SO WHY DON'T YOU DO THIS TODAY, AND IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING
ONLINE, YOU CAN DO THE SAME THING. JUST REPEAT AFTER ME AS I
PRAY. FATHER IN HEAVEN. THANK YOU FOR SENDING JESUS. I BELIEVE
HE WENT TO THE CROSS OF CALVARY. HE WAS PUNISHED FOR ME. HE WAS
BURIED AND HE ROSE AGAIN ON THE THIRD DAY. I ASK JESUS, COME
INTO MY HEART, BE MY SAVIOR. FORGIVE ME FOR SIN IN MY LIFE.
MAKE ME A NEW PERSON. I BELIEVE YOU WILL SAVE ME AND GIVE ME A
HOME IN HEAVEN. BUT I WANT TO SERVE YOU ALL THE DAYS OF MY
LIFE. AND I COMMIT ON AUGUST 10TH TO BE YOUR SERVANT. YOU
HAVE A GREAT PLAN FOR ME, AND I WANT TO FOLLOW IT. IN JESUS'
NAME, AMEN, AMEN. NOW I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO DO ONE MORE THING. IF
YOU JUST SPREAD OUT, WE'LL HELP YOU. FIND SOMEONE UP HERE,
THEY'RE GONNA GIVE YOU SOME LITERATURE, THEY'RE GONNA HELP
YOU ON YOUR WALK, AND GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE ON HOW TO MOVE
FORWARD IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO IN YOUR LIFE. SO, JANET,
IF YOU'LL JUST HELP THEM FIND THE RIGHT PLACE TO GO, I
APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH. IF YOU'RE WATCHING ONLINE TODAY,
AND YOU PRAYED THAT PRAYER WITH ME, YOU CAN CALL OUR PRAYER LINE
24 HOURS A DAY, EVEN IF YOU'RE WATCHING THE ARCHIVE,
855-777-7907. WE HAVE LICENSED PRAYER COUNSELORS AVAILABLE TO
HELP YOU, TO SEND YOUR LITERATURE, AND HELP YOU WITH
YOUR WALK. AND SO WE'RE HONORED TO DO THAT. AND MAKE SURE YOU
MAKE A PHONE CALL AND TELL THEM THAT YOU PRAYED THAT PRAYER
TODAY SO THAT WE HAVE RECORD OF IT. WE APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH.
WELL, LET ME JUST MENTION, YOU KNOW, I'M EXCITED ABOUT TODAY.
WOULD YOU JUST GIVE THEM ANOTHER HAND FOR BEING SO BOLD?
(CONGREGATION APPLAUDING)
PRAISE GOD, THAT'S IMPORTANT. MILLARD DAYS IS COMING UP. IT'S
AN AREA THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE
WANT TO BE ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY. WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT
PLANS ON HOW TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PARADE AND HAVE A TENT AND A
BOOTH AVAILABLE AND IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT TIME. AND IF YOU
WANT INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN HELP SERVE AT MILLER DAYS, IT
GIVES YOU A CHANCE TO TESTIFY AND HELP IN MANY WAYS, BUT IT'S
AUGUST 19TH THROUGH THE 24TH. YOU CAN JOIN US FOR THE PARADE,
THE FLOAT, THE GAMES, EVANGELISM. GO TO THE CONNECT
CENTER RIGHT OUT HERE, THE CENTER CONNECT CENTER, AND LET
THEM KNOW YOU WANT TO BE A PART AND THEY'LL HELP YOU WITH THAT.
AND THEN DON'T FORGET WEDNESDAY NIGHT, MIDWEEK RECHARGE. THAT'S
SO IMPORTANT TO BE HERE. IT'LL GIVE YOU A RECHARGE, AND PASTOR
BRENDA WILL BE PREACHING WEDNESDAY NIGHT. DON'T MISS IT.
IT'LL BE AN ENCOURAGING AND POWERFUL MESSAGE. YOU CAN ALSO
WATCH ONLINE, 7 P.M. CENTRAL. SO GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU
FOR COMING TODAY. HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, AND
WE'LL SEE YOU BACK IN THE HOUSE WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
(MUSIC)