Full transcript
0:00the first episode last week. You can
0:02catch it on YouTube. You can subscribe
0:03and all that good stuff. So when you
0:05have second Corinthians chapter number
0:0712, uh would you stand to your feet for
0:10the reading of the word as we reference
0:13uh the reading of the play the keys man
0:16of God.
0:20My God.
0:22Second Corinians 12 verse number eight
0:25says this. Watch what it says. But he
0:27told me, "My grace
0:31is sufficient.
0:34My strength is made perfect
0:38when you are weak."
0:42So I will brag even more about my
0:45weaknesses
0:47in order that Christ's power will live
0:50in me. I want to read that one more time
0:53because I need you to catch this. But he
0:56told me, "My grace is sufficient.
1:01My strength is made perfect when you are
1:03weak. So I will brag even more about my
1:07weaknesses
1:09in order that Christ power will live in
1:12me." I want to put a tag on this text uh
1:15for a few moments and just consider what
1:17Paul is saying. Paul is saying that God
1:19told him, "My grace is sufficient. My
1:21strength is made perfect in your
1:23weakness.
1:25I want to put a tag on this text and
1:26teach for a few moments from this title.
1:28I understand it now.
1:31>> You may have your seats in the house. I
1:34understand it now. One more time. If
1:36you're ready for a word, say, "Oh yeah."
1:38>> Oh yeah.
1:39>> Nobody likes to be called out.
1:43Let's be clear. There's one thing that
1:46you don't do is call me out. Give an
1:49example. Uh maybe you have a
1:51conversation with somebody at work. You
1:54conversation with somebody at work and
1:56uh you all try to handle whatever the
1:59miscommunication was between each other,
2:02right? And you leave that conversation
2:04thinking that conversation has been
2:06resolved only to get back to your desk
2:09to find out that they've already sent an
2:11email
2:13>> and in the most corporate yet petty way
2:16they have placed it per our
2:18conversation.
2:20They've tagged and CC managers, bosses,
2:23supervisor, the whole department, and
2:26you're trying to figure out why you
2:27calling me out like that. Or maybe maybe
2:31maybe that one didn't hit home. Maybe
2:34you know what it's like to be on the
2:35heels of a breakup.
2:38Okay.
2:40And uh you you just find yourself just
2:43selectively scrolling through social
2:45media uh and you had not done your due
2:48diligence in terms of deleting and
2:50blocking certain people. So here it is.
2:53You see uh that ex person uh making some
2:57not so subtle remarks on social media
3:00and you're trying to figure out who in
3:02the world
3:05are they talking about? It's interesting
3:07because they start getting real real
3:10deep with things. Hey, sometimes you
3:11know when people just want to do whose
3:14people you trying. So here it is. You
3:17you you understand what that is because
3:18you feel like somebody has called me
3:24out.
3:25Ladies and gentlemen, gather around.
3:28It's story time.
3:32I was about 10 or 11 years old. I don't
3:34remember. Maybe not.
3:36or I remember being at the park. See,
3:38last week we talked about how there was
3:40something that used to happen back in
3:42the day that doesn't necessarily happen
3:43now. It was real strange. It was it was
3:45foreign even and it's called going
3:47outside.
3:50So when I was younger, we would go
3:53outside, right? Uh what no Xbox? No. No.
3:56We made up games. Last week we talked
3:59about we made up tag and then we got
4:01fancy and then we made up freeze tag.
4:05play tag. So, so I'm at the I'm at the
4:09park because that's what happened after
4:11school. You go to the park and just kind
4:13of hang out. Um, I'm at the park and I'm
4:15on the swing. Again, I'm nine, 10, 10
4:17years old and I'm on the swing swinging,
4:19living my best life, waiting on the time
4:23for when my parents come pick me up from
4:25the park. I'm just on the swing, minding
4:28my business. Now, unbeknownst to me,
4:30there's another little boy standing by
4:33the swing, and he's waiting for me to
4:36get off of the swing so that he can get
4:38on the swing. Okay? Typical typical uh
4:41the typical way that this goes is you
4:43let one person be on the swing until
4:45they finish and then when they finish,
4:48you get on the swing. Cool. But this
4:50particular young man uh did not want to
4:53wait for me to get off of the swing. So,
4:55here's what he did. He began come down.
4:58He begin to grab the chain of the swing
5:01to slow it down so that he can let me
5:04know, hey, you've been on this swing too
5:07long.
5:08>> So he grabs this. He grabs this the
5:11chain of the swing. I'm trying to live
5:13my best park life and he grabs the chain
5:17and says, "You've been on the swing too
5:19long. It's my turn to get on the swing."
5:22I looked at him and I said, "You can get
5:24on the swing when I get off of the
5:26swing. Here it is. 9 10 years old. I'm
5:31standing on business.
5:37So he says, "No, you need to get off of
5:39the swing." I said, "I'm not getting off
5:41the swing." He says, "You're getting off
5:42the swing, and if you don't get off the
5:44swing, I'mma punch you in your face."
5:55I said, "You going to do what?"
5:59>> You gonna punch who? Where? So, what did
6:02I do? I'm telling you, this makes sense
6:04in the movie. So, what did I do? I got
6:06off the swing.
6:08He jumped up, took his shirt off, ran
6:12into the middle of the sand pile, and
6:15threw up his set.
6:17Now, I need you to understand something.
6:20This kid was not a real kid.
6:23He was like Olympic fighter or
6:25something.
6:28He didn't brush his hair. He had booger.
6:30It was It was crad.
6:33I promise you.
6:35Now, here I am trying to be tough.
6:39trying to stand on business. I done got
6:42myself into a situation
6:44because he's standing in the middle of
6:46the sand pile, no shirt on, nappy head,
6:51snot in his nose, in a fighting posture.
6:55So I got off the swing at that moment
6:58and I said,
7:00"He has a fighting posture.
7:04I don't have a fighting posture.
7:10I'm walking towards the the dirt pile
7:13and he's like this. Literally like this.
7:16Yeah.
7:20Let me do it to this side. He's like
7:22this. Yeah.
7:24I'm okay. I didn't go to private school,
7:27but I should have. I grew up in the
7:30hood, but I'm not a fighter. Never been.
7:34Never want to be. I fight in the spirit.
7:37Amen.
7:38>> Huh?
7:41This is how I fight my back. Uhuh. I get
7:45off the swing because he called me out.
7:50>> In the neighborhood where I'm from, if
7:53you get called out, you got to stand up.
7:57>> So, I don't know how to fight, but I do
7:59know he called me out.
8:01>> And in the neighborhood I grew up in,
8:04>> if you get called out,
8:06You got to stand up.
8:08>> So here I am walking. Here he is. Nappy
8:11head snot ready to fight saying, "Yeah."
8:17And the crowd goes wild. Everybody jumps
8:19off of what they're doing. They jumped
8:21off. They jumped off the slide. They
8:23come from the basketball court. They
8:24come off the football field because it's
8:26about to go down. The fight is
8:29happening. The fight of the century. We
8:31got Mike Tyson versus nobody.
8:36He walks up and I said, "Well, since he
8:39got a fighting stance, I should get
8:41one." But I didn't know what to do.
8:44I didn't know what to, this is a true
8:45story. I didn't know what to do. So, I
8:47sat there and he's circling me. This is
8:49me sitting there. He's circling me like
8:51this.
8:53I'm standing there watching him moving
8:55like the hands on the clock.
8:59And he's circling me like And I'm
9:02watching him
9:05And y'all, y'all won't believe what
9:06happened.
9:09God so good. What happened is he cocked
9:12back and this brother hit me so hard
9:18in my lip. I felt like Bubba from Forest
9:21Gone. I felt
9:29I said that hurt.
9:33I told him, "But where I'm from, if you
9:36get called out,
9:39you got to stand up." So, I don't have
9:41no fighting posture. I I don't know a
9:44jab from a hook or uppercut. I didn't
9:46know any of that. So, he saw what his
9:49one punch did to me and then he backed
9:52off. Then, he said, "Man, you know
9:54what?"
9:56And he goes to turn to go to the swing.
10:00And I said, "I got him.
10:04I'm not a fighter, but I am a thinker.
10:07>> I'm analytical. I'm observant. And I
10:10said, "We're in the middle of some
10:11sand."
10:14>> He turned around, put that Olympic
10:16fighting stance down. I kneel down,
10:19grabbed some sand, threw it in his face,
10:23ran to him, and I just started doing
10:25what he did to me.
10:27>> I started punching till they pulled me
10:29off of them. And y'all, your pastor won
10:30the fight.
10:34Quit playing with me, man. What's wrong
10:37with y'all, man?
10:41>> What's wrong with y'all, man? It's real.
10:44>> Pop, hold it down.
10:50>> Because where I'm from, if you get
10:53called out,
10:55>> you you you got to stand up. What if I
10:58told you that that story is more about
11:01me maybe winning, I don't know, a little
11:04bit of a fight? Maybe sometimes God
11:09calls us out.
11:11And and while that story may be humorous
11:13to some, it's evidence to others that
11:15being called out isn't always negative.
11:18Sometimes being called out is necessary.
11:21In other words, when we are called out,
11:23it allows us to see what's already in
11:27us.
11:28And watch this. And God always calls us
11:32out as a means to call us up.
11:36>> I think that's worth writing down. God
11:39will always call us out in a means to
11:42call us up. What am I saying? I'm
11:44saying, watch this. It's right here on
11:46the screen. Every now and then, God
11:48shows us, watch this, how favored we
11:51are. Not by the fights we avoid, but by
11:55the fights we endure.
11:59>> That's my thesis. Every now and then,
12:02God shows us how favored we are, not by
12:07the fights we avoid, but by the fights
12:10we endure. And many of us have
12:14mislabeled favor to include a life
12:17that's absent of adversity. We've
12:20misappropriated favor to not understand
12:24that they think favor is a hard pass
12:27from hard seasons. They think favor is a
12:30fast pass to skip through storms. Some
12:33people think favor is a get out of
12:35troublefree card. Look at somebody and
12:37say wrong.
12:39>> Favor is not seen in the storms you
12:42avoid. Favor is seen in the storms you
12:45can endure. Favor is not seen in the
12:48trials that you face. Favor is seen in
12:51the trials you overcome. Look at
12:53somebody and say, "I'm an overcomer."
12:56>> Favor is not only seen in the pain that
12:59you miss. Favor is also seen in the
13:02peace you maintain.
13:07All I'm saying is the next time I'm
13:09trying to teach you today, but all I'm
13:11saying is that the next time somebody
13:12asks you, "How did you make it through
13:15that?" Understand that God's favor isn't
13:20just seen in how he gets us around
13:23adversity. God's favor is seen in how he
13:27gets us through adversity. Because there
13:31are some seasons of life that we won't
13:34be able to avoid. But every season of
13:37life is a season that you can endure.
13:42>> So never think that you that simply
13:44because you're going through it that
13:46that doesn't mean that you're favored. I
13:49want to suggest that because you're
13:51going through it, it's a sign that you
13:54are favored.
13:58I want to suggest that because you're
14:01going through trouble, that is a sign
14:04that God's hand is on you. Look at
14:08somebody and say, "Favor got me through
14:09it."
14:11>> Oh, you said it to the wrong person.
14:12Maybe the other person received it. Look
14:14at somebody and say, "Favor got me
14:16through it."
14:17>> How did you survive the layoff, favor?
14:20How did you survive the divorce? Favor,
14:23"How did you bounce back from the
14:25doctor's report?" Favor, how did you
14:27survive the surgery? Favor, how are your
14:30company, how is your company still in
14:32the red? Favor, how did your children
14:35graduate college?
14:38>> I'll wait till you catch it. How were
14:40you able to make it when everybody
14:41thought you were going to lose your
14:42everlasting mind? It was favor. And the
14:46favor of God has been keeping me. Is
14:49there anybody in here that can say,
14:51"God, I thank you for your favor. It was
14:53your favor that kept me. It was your
14:56favor that counsel me. It was your favor
14:59that comforted. It was your favor.
15:02>> The favor of God is not only seen in
15:06seasons we enjoy.
15:09The favor of God is seen in seasons we
15:12have to endure.
15:15Okay? You you didn't make it. You didn't
15:18catch this. But I want to give you this.
15:20This is extremely important. Here's our
15:21working definition of favor. Favor is
15:24God's approval. Y'all say approval.
15:27God's acceptance. Y'all say acceptance.
15:30>> And God's acceleration. One more time.
15:32Say acceleration.
15:34Not earned by man, but impossible to
15:38ignore and irresponsible to resist.
15:42Favor.
15:43This is so good. Favor is God's
15:46approval, acceptance, and acceleration.
15:50Approval is when God says yes.
15:54Acceptance is when God says you.
15:58Acceleration is when God says now.
16:02Man, if you knew how good that was, you
16:04would have snatched your neighbor's wig
16:06clean off.
16:08I said approval is when God says yes.
16:13That's for the people who have been in a
16:15position in life where they've had to
16:18endure some seasons of no. What if I
16:21told you that God sent me to tell you
16:24that you're getting ready to walk into a
16:26season of yes?
16:30>> See, you don't believe it. You don't
16:31believe it. I say, "What if I told you
16:33that God says you're getting ready to
16:36walk into a season of yes, that all of
16:39the nos are being added up to equal a
16:42yes."
16:43>> I tell you, if you receive that, stand
16:45up and sit back down and say, "Yes, I
16:47receive."
16:51>> He says, "Favor is God's approval." One
16:55more time, y'all. Say, "Approval."
16:57>> Not only is favor God's approval,
16:58because approval means yes. Watch this.
17:01Favor is God's acceptance.
17:03Acceptance means you.
17:08>> The reason I almost ran out of this
17:10church is because when God says you, it
17:13does not matter who says you're not the
17:16person.
17:17>> God uh oh for five five people that'll
17:19catch it. God will watch this help you
17:22skip the line.
17:28God will make it to where you get off
17:30the conveyor belt of comparison and
17:33competing and pettiness. And God says,
17:36"I will move you." The person that is
17:40the least likely, God says, "I'll use
17:42you." The person with the least amount
17:45of education, I will use you. The person
17:48with the least amount of experience, God
17:50says, "I will use you." So approval is
17:53yes. Acceptance is you. And here's the
17:56one that I love. Acceleration is now.
18:02>> Favor means now.
18:05>> Favor means now. See, the reason that
18:09sometimes we get caught up is because
18:11we're so caught up on what didn't happen
18:13on our clock.
18:16>> I'm supposed to be married by I'm
18:19supposed to be in charge by
18:23Right. I thought I going to have my
18:25house and all of that, pastor. I ain't
18:28got nothing.
18:30Is it ever going to happen for me?
18:34Right.
18:36Have I missed my time?
18:39Is it too late for me? Am I too old? Did
18:42I blow my one chance?
18:46Don't Don't say anything. Look straight
18:47at me. If you ever felt like that, God's
18:50favor in the form of acceleration is for
18:52you. I'm getting ready to encourage you.
18:55>> You thought you lost something and God
18:58says you did lose something, but you
19:01didn't lose anything that he needs in
19:03order to move you forward.
19:06>> So if you no longer have it, God says
19:09you no longer need it. I don't know who
19:12this is for, but if they left, God let
19:14them leave. If they if they let you go,
19:17God let them let you go. Is there
19:19anybody in here that can say, "God,
19:21thank you for acceleration. For moving
19:24me from then to now. For moving me
19:26forward. For moving me with purpose. For
19:29moving me with pro." Look at somebody
19:30and say, "Acceleration."
19:35>> Yes.
19:37>> You.
19:38>> Now. Take that home. Yes.
19:42>> You.
19:44Now. I'll wait till you catch it. Yes.
19:47you. Now, how you got that same
19:51disposition in spite of what the job
19:53economy is? Yes, you and now. Girl,
19:57don't be trying to buy no house right
19:59now. Don't you know what the market is?
20:01Yes, you. Now, ain't nobody ain't no
20:05real men out there to get married to.
20:07Yes, you and now. You don't know. You
20:11better not start that ministry right
20:12now. Yes, you. Is there anybody in here
20:16that can say
20:18>> yeah?
20:24>> Encourage the person next to you. Push
20:26them and say yes.
20:28>> Encourage the other person and tell them
20:30you
20:31>> and the person behind you tell them now.
20:34>> Look at somebody and say yes.
20:41>> Tell the other person. Tell them you
20:45and tell the person behind you. Tell
20:47them now.
20:50Stand up and sit back down and say it's
20:51my season. It's my se it's my season.
20:54It's my season. I'm moving from little
20:56to lavish. I'm moving from something to
21:04give them 30 seconds for acceleration in
21:06this house. Come on.
21:09[Applause]
21:12Oh, y'all playing with it. I tell you,
21:13if you receive it, if you receive a yes
21:16in your spirit, open up your mouth and
21:19give God praise for Yes. Give God praise
21:24for you and give God
21:29[Music]
21:33the favor of God says yes. I don't know
21:38who this is for. I don't know who told
21:41you no this week. But God told me to
21:44tell you that he's sending a yes to your
21:47door. He's sending a yes to your house.
21:50He's sending a
21:56yes.
21:59Yes.
22:01Will I be healed? Yes. Will I be
22:04delivered? Yes. Will I be set free? Yes.
22:09Will I make it through the pain? Yes.
22:11Will I make it through the trauma? Yes.
22:14Will my mind be sane? Yes. Am I going to
22:17have peace? Yeah. Somebody shout yes.
22:24[Music]
22:27So, so
22:30y'all sit down. What you standing up
22:32for? You're making me nervous.
22:38for for we talking about favor is God
22:43saying yes
22:45you and now that that's extremely
22:49important and all throughout scripture
22:52you see this idea of favor right and I
22:54think one of the most undercknowledged
22:57aspects of our spiritual formation is
23:00the favor that the believer walks in
23:04we pray for a lot of different things
23:05and that's fine. We pray for blessings
23:07but we don't often know to pray for
23:10favor or walk in favor. What are you
23:13saying, pastor? Is that the same thing?
23:15It could be and it couldn't be because
23:17when I say a blessing most often I'm
23:19talking about a specific thing.
23:23God bless me with you fill in the blank.
23:27Uh bless me with a you fill in the
23:29blank, right? God, I need you to bless
23:31me on the job. bless me in my family.
23:35Cool. Bless me here and there and
23:37everywhere. Cool. Most often when we're
23:39talking about the blessing of God, we
23:42we're actually referring to a thing that
23:44we're believing God for. Nothing wrong
23:46with that at all. I want all of that.
23:47Amen.
23:49Favor is more comprehensive than simply
23:53a blessing.
23:57Favor is multiple blessings inside of
24:01one thing.
24:05So when I favor is comprehensive. So
24:08when I say I want the favor of God, what
24:11I'm saying is I not only want the one
24:13thing you know I want.
24:16>> I want some other things I don't even
24:18know to ask you for yet.
24:24>> So favor is comprehensive. Y'all say
24:27comprehensive.
24:28>> It means it includes more than just one.
24:33So I not only just want some money. I
24:37want money. I want money in Jesus name.
24:40>> Anybody in here just want money in Jesus
24:42name. You want a little bit more. You
24:44don't need money. Cool. I ain't mad at
24:46you.
24:49>> But I don't just Somebody said I need it
24:52now. Somebody say now in Jesus name.
24:58>> Bible says you have not. Huh? because
25:01you ask not. And I ain't leaving nothing
25:03in storage. I want it all. Look at
25:04somebody say, "I want it all." So God,
25:07send me some money now in Jesus name.
25:14So favor is more comprehensive
25:18biblically. Biblically speaking, watch
25:20this. Favor is God's unearned
25:23grace that aligns you with his will and
25:27equips you for his purpose.
25:30Favor is unearned.
25:32You're not going to do nothing to get
25:33favor. You can do something to get favor
25:36with man.
25:39>> I did this for you. Hey, can you do me a
25:40favor because you and that's cool. That
25:42that's fine. Um, I help you. Uh, so when
25:45you get into position and you're the
25:47boss, hey, do me a favor. Do me a favor.
25:50You know what I'm saying? Like don't
25:52forget, you know, the little people,
25:53right? So, so, so what's what's
25:56extremely important? Um, what's
25:57extremely important is understand F is
25:59unearned.
26:01U unearned. This is not let me make
26:03sure. Watch this. This is not I can't
26:06give enough money to get favor with God.
26:11>> You don't pay for favor.
26:14>> Now see that just I felt that I just
26:17interrupted somebody's theology.
26:18Somebody told you that the more you
26:20give, the more favor you are going to
26:22have on your life. No. No. No. Favor is
26:25extended from God based on who he is,
26:28not who we are
26:32>> or what we have, right? Okay.
26:36Biblically, favor is un unearned.
26:38Naturally or historically, favor is,
26:41watch this, a relational privilege. I
26:43got to give you this this foundation
26:44before we get to our text. Uh uh
26:46historically, favor was a relational
26:49privilege from a ruler that brought
26:52protection. Lord have mercy. otion or
26:56provision.
26:59Oh god, I got so much y'all. I don't
27:01know whether to stop go. Uh biblical
27:05favor. We just talked about historical
27:06favor. Let's look at uh scriptural
27:10favor. Favor mean it's not on the
27:13screen, but this is good because we have
27:15a thinking church. Favor means good will
27:19freely extended.
27:22good will freely extended. I'm going to
27:25do something for you, not because of
27:28anything you've done, just because I'm
27:32kind.
27:34Favor is when God says, "I'm so kind.
27:38I'm going to help you and you ain't even
27:41ask me for help."
27:44God is like, "I'm so kind. I'm going to
27:47protect you from accidents you didn't
27:50know had your name on it.
27:54Favor says, "I'm so kind as a God that
27:57I'm going to protect your kids even
28:00though, watch this, you haven't had them
28:02yet."
28:08Scriptural favor. Spiritual favor is
28:11evidence of God's pleasure
28:15resting on us. Scriptural favor is
28:17evidence of God's pleasure resting on
28:19us. Watch this. Favor is rooted right
28:22here on the screen. Is rooted in
28:24covenantal love and released through
28:27relational trust. You got to understand
28:30this about the favor of God. The favor
28:33of God is released through what?
28:37Trust.
28:42Trust.
28:43Not perfection.
28:49God says, "I extend favor. I extend
28:51favor to not the people that have all of
28:57their eyes dotted and tees crossed,
28:59whoever that may be." He says, "I extend
29:02favor to the people that I can trust."
29:04So favor isn't God liking me. Favor
29:06means God trusts me.
29:09And you get to a point in your spiritual
29:11journey where you don't just want God to
29:15be pleased with you. I want him to be
29:19pleased with me and I also want him to
29:21trust me.
29:26When God trusts you with something, he
29:29can hand something valuable to you.
29:32Think about it. You wouldn't give the
29:34keys to somebody you felt was
29:35irresponsible.
29:37You only your car keys to people that
29:41you feel you can trust.
29:46That's why you didn't give your ex
29:47boyfriend your password to your phone.
29:52That's why your
29:54>> Oh, boy. That's That's why your every
29:57time you went to her house, you you put
29:59your phone down on Facebook.
30:03>> Do not disturb.
30:06>> Yeah.
30:11I'mma just leave that alone.
30:14I ain't got nothing to say.
30:20How come you don't never let me see meet
30:22your family? Oh yeah. No, they they um n
30:25my family be tripping. My family you
30:26don't want to meet them
30:29because you don't trust their behavior.
30:32You don't trust if you put them in
30:34certain environments how they going to
30:35act.
30:36So you keep distance between people that
30:39you don't trust
30:43and you bring people closer to you that
30:46you do trust.
30:47Your best friend, your your loved one,
30:50whoever. You bring them closer. Why?
30:52Because I can trust you. Well, how do
30:54you know you can trust them? Is this
30:56good? Y'all say this good. Is this good?
30:58>> How do you know you can trust them? I
31:00can trust them by giving them something
31:02and seeing how they handle a little bit.
31:06So if I got a friend in my life, I know
31:09if I can trust them by giving them some
31:11information
31:12>> and then sit back and see, do I hear it
31:14in the wind anywhere?
31:18This too real, man. We're just talking
31:21about relational trust. And then once
31:23you see that this person can be trusted
31:27with that, you say, "Oh,
31:30well, I can tell you more.
31:33I can give you more access. So
31:38when God can trust you, he gives you
31:42access to him. That's why David was
31:45known as a man after God's own heart.
31:47David was not perfect, but God can trust
31:50him. Why you say that, pastor? Because
31:52watch this. Because when Nathan came and
31:55told David who David really was, David
31:59repented,
32:01went and cried,
32:03and went back to God. So God says, "I
32:06don't need your behavior to be perfect,
32:08but I do need you to be repentant."
32:12Did I just turn the corner?
32:16He says, "Y'all hear?"
32:19He says, "I don't need you to be
32:21perfect. But here's what I do need you
32:23to be. Somebody that I can trust. I
32:25trust people that would apologize. I
32:27trust people that would tell the real
32:29story. I trust people that won't blame
32:31the enemy and say, "God, that was me. I
32:33messed up. I should have did better."
32:37He says, "I trust people and I give them
32:41access. Those are the ones that I have
32:44favor." What does God trust me with,
32:47though? Great question. Great class. The
32:52thing that God trusts us with most is
32:55trouble.
33:10Oh boy.
33:14Watch this. Immaturity sees trials as
33:17Satan's test. Maturity sees some trials
33:21as the Savior's trust.
33:30If favor is released to those he trusts,
33:35he's saying by allowing,
33:39not all the time sending, but allowing
33:42us to go through some seasons
33:45serves as proof for him on whether or
33:51not he can release favor on our lives.
33:56So, some stuff God does not block.
34:00He blesses.
34:06What are you talking about, pastor?
34:07That's not true. Because they told me
34:10that once you get God on your side,
34:12everything is going to be all right.
34:16Everything, every little thing, it's
34:18going to be all right.
34:23Don't you worry
34:26about a thing.
34:30Somebody say wrong.
34:35>> The reason I can say that because it's
34:36right here in the scripture. Second
34:37Corinthians 12 verse number 5 says this.
34:38Watch what Paul says. Paul pinning this
34:41powerful passage of scripture to show us
34:42what it looks like uh what favor really
34:45looks like. Watch what he says. Verse
34:46number six says, "If I wanted to brag,"
34:48Paul says, "If I wanted to brag, I
34:50wouldn't be a fool. Instead, I would be
34:53telling the truth." Listen to Paul. But
34:56I'm going to spare you that none of you
34:58may think I'm more think more of me than
35:01what he sees or hears about me. Watch
35:04what he says. Verse number seven. So
35:05essentially right there, verse number
35:06six, Paul is saying, if I wanted to go
35:08on about who I am and what God has done
35:11for me and what God has invested in me,
35:13I could. I'm not going to do that. Even
35:16though like in a little degree, he kind
35:17of did, but he didn't. He did, but he
35:20didn't. He was like, "If I wanted to
35:22tell you how good God has been to me, I
35:23would tell you, but I ain't gonna tell
35:24you.
35:28Right. Right. Watch what he says. Verse
35:30number seven. Especially because of the
35:32excessive number of revelations that
35:35I've had. Paul said, "Don't get it
35:37twisted about his apostilhip. Don't
35:40think that I'm not who I really am. I
35:42got a relationship with God to where he
35:44trusts me with secret information."
35:47Revelation. He trusts me with mysteries.
35:49Revelation. You only tell your real
35:51close friends the real deal.
35:55So he says, "Me and God got a
35:57relationship to where he gave me some
35:59revelations he hadn't given y'all."
36:01Watch what he say. Therefore, to keep me
36:03from becoming conceited, I am forced to
36:06deal with a reoccurring problem.
36:09Or your version might says, "Uh, I have
36:12a thorn in my flesh."
36:15>> Something about that thorn make you want
36:16to preach. He says, "I have a thorn in
36:18my flesh." Paul says, watch what he
36:21says. Satan's messenger
36:24torments me to keep me from being
36:27conceited.
36:29Wait,
36:31Paul is saying that if I wanted to brag
36:34and tell you about the deep mysteries
36:36and revelations that God has given me.
36:38If I wanted to tell you about how how
36:40close me and God are, I could tell you.
36:43But I'm not going to tell you because if
36:45I did, you would think more of me than
36:47what you see. Say, Paul, you told us.
36:49Okay, cool. Um, then he says, There was
36:53something given to me.
36:56The Quincy International Version, which
36:58is the KJV,
37:00says
37:01he's given me a thorn in my flesh. Now,
37:05here's the issue. Somebody told us that
37:07the thorn in Paul's flesh was a sin.
37:12Yeah. All of us got a thorn.
37:17All us got a thorn. All us got a thorn.
37:19Okay. Okay. I'm with you, preacher. I'm
37:20with you. Okay. All of us have a thorn.
37:22Yeah, you you might be drunk today, but
37:24don't worry about it. Your pastor got a
37:26thorn, too. And don't Whoa, whoa, whoa,
37:28whoa, whoa. I know you don't woke up in
37:31somebody bed. That's okay. I got a
37:32thorn, too. Everybody in here got a
37:34thorn. And touch your neighbor. Say,
37:36"Thorn, thorn, thorn, thorn, thorn,
37:38thorn." The church go crazy. Everybody
37:41run. We all got
37:45That's not Bible.
37:48The thorn that Paul is referring to in
37:50the text, by all accounts, scholars,
37:53historians, no one suggests that the
37:56thorn that Paul is referring to is
37:59something sinful.
38:01The only people that say Paul's thorn is
38:04sinful are the people living in sin.
38:09>> Is my microphone on?
38:12And all it was when it
38:16Paul's throwing that thorn that he's
38:18referring to in the text most likely is
38:20something physical. It is an issue that
38:23you have. It can there's a number of
38:26different uh uh uh uh uh option or or
38:30selections that people have. Uh some
38:32people say it was a back issue. Some
38:34people say it was a leg issue. Some
38:35people say he had an eye issue because
38:38of you know Paul was stoned. And then
38:40they said that because of that stoning
38:42in previous chapters, he was left now
38:46with something that he couldn't get away
38:48from.
38:49Maybe some people say maybe he had a
38:51limp.
38:53Maybe maybe he his his eyes even he even
38:55talks about that in previous chapters.
38:57Maybe his eyes did not work the best
38:58that they could. That's why he had to
39:00make sure that he had somebody to scribe
39:02what it is that he was writing. So never
39:05let people say, "Well, Paul didn't write
39:06that." Well, Paul dictated it.
39:10He couldn't write it because his eyes
39:12were not at the point to where he could
39:14focus that much. So some people are
39:16saying it's an eye issue. Cool. But
39:18nobody suggests that it is a sin issue.
39:21So So the statement that we all have a
39:23thorn. Yes. I woke up this morning and
39:26my bag said no.
39:30I said but it's time to get up. Said no.
39:38So, so the thorn
39:40that Paul is referring to is not sin.
39:43Y'all say not sin. That's extremely
39:46important, right? He says Satan's
39:48messenger, verse number seven, torments
39:51me. I can't get rid of this.
39:55Said torments me. Um, but here's what
39:59it's doing.
40:01It's keeping me from being conceived.
40:08You see how much love God has for us.
40:12So then favor can't be about stuff.
40:16Favor has to be more of a state,
40:20a disposition
40:22of understanding. God's hand is on you.
40:25Why? Because Paul says this in
40:27Philippians 4. It's not on the screen,
40:28but it's good. Paul says, "I've learned
40:30that whatever state I'm in,
40:32I've learned how to be content.
40:35Paul says, "I've learned how to have a
40:36lot and I learned how to live with a
40:38little bit. I know what it's like to go
40:40to Ruth Chris and I know what oodles and
40:42noodles and Top Ramen looks like." Y'all
40:45ain't saying nothing in here. I know
40:46what it's like to go to Mors. My God.
40:52I know what it's like to go to Jess
40:54Spoons.
40:59>> And I know what it's like to get in
41:00there and make me a grilled cheese.
41:03He says, "My disposition doesn't change
41:05because I'm favored with the noodles and
41:08I'm favor at just spoons. I'm favor with
41:11the lot and I'm f Is there anybody in
41:13here that say I know I'm favored. I know
41:14I'm favored. I know
41:17it is a state.
41:20It's not based on stuff.
41:24I got to get out of here. Give me five
41:25minutes and I'm done." I think Here we
41:28go. Verse number eight. Here's what Paul
41:30says. This is Paul. who is uh trusted
41:34with revelation,
41:36the apostle Paul, right? Watch what
41:40happens. Verse number eight. I beg the
41:43Lord three times,
41:46take this thing away. Take this thing
41:48away. Take this thing away. But here's
41:51what he told me. My grace, Lord, I'm
41:55getting ready to run. Is sufficient.
41:58My strength
42:00is made perfect when you are weak.
42:04If you knew how good that was. Oh my
42:07good. If you would have pushed your
42:08neighbor right out of that seat. Oh my.
42:12Watch what he says. My grace. This is
42:15what he says. God says to him, "I let me
42:18back up. I beg the Lord,
42:25three times.
42:28And this same God that gave me
42:32mysteries, revelation, and empowering
42:36me, inspiring me to write his words.
42:40This same God that I pray to that has
42:43the power to release, relieve, and
42:46remove anything. The same God that
42:49created heaven and earth
42:53looked at me and said to me, "I ain't
42:57taking nothing
43:00to get over you."
43:03He said, "No,
43:06my grace
43:09is sufficient."
43:11The reason that that made me shout in
43:14study is when I understand the original
43:17language. In the original language, the
43:20word grace is carus where we get the
43:23word charity from.
43:28That word caris or carus
43:32is the word that they're that Paul is
43:34using for grace.
43:36The word that we use for caris is favor.
43:45He's saying, "My favor on your life is
43:50sufficient.
43:52So much to the degree that I don't I
43:55don't have to pull you out
43:58>> to show you I'm in with you.
44:02>> I don't have to remove the thorn to let
44:05you know I'm the one keeping you anyway.
44:07I don't have to remove the trouble to
44:10let you know that I'm the one in the
44:12fire with you. Is there anybody in here
44:14that can say, "Thank you for favor.
44:15Thank you. Thank you for favor. Thank
44:17you. Thank you for favor.
44:21My grace, favor is sufficient.
44:27And my strength
44:29is made perfect
44:32in your weakness.
44:35You tripping because you're weak.
44:38And he says, "When you're weak, I'm
44:39strong."
44:44>> He said, "What?
44:45You you you worried about your uh
44:48inability." God says, "Oh, don't worry
44:51about that. The favor of God is on you."
44:54I told you favor means yes.
44:59Favor means you and favor means now. It
45:03doesn't matter what you're in. It
45:04doesn't matter what you're dealing with.
45:05He says, "My grace is," watch what he
45:07said. "My grace is sufficient." Watch
45:10this. Not just enough,
45:13but more than enough.
45:17I've already extended enough favor over
45:19your life for the frustration you're
45:22dealing with.
45:25How how you how you say that, pastor? I
45:28can say that because if God's grace or
45:30God's favor was not already on us and in
45:33us and through working through us, we
45:35would have died back then. The thorn
45:38would have taken us out. The fact that
45:40you're here is proof that he favored
45:42you.
45:46>> Oh, y'all can make better noise than
45:47that.
45:53>> I'm done when I tell you this
45:56now. Now it makes sense.
45:58I understand it now.
46:01I understand why
46:03certain things are the way they are.
46:07I get it. I understand it now. I I'm not
46:10saying that I'm going to stop praying
46:12for God for you to change it.
46:14Paul said, I kept praying.
46:18So So it's not about, oh, I'm not going
46:20to pray about that because I know God is
46:21already. No, no, no, no. He says, "Come
46:23all to me all who are weary and heavy
46:25laden, and I'll bring you." He said,
46:27"Bring, bring that. Cast your cares on
46:28me because I care for you. Bring that."
46:30He says, "Bring it." But just understand
46:31something. Bring it from a posture of
46:33favor.
46:36So understand
46:38your trial, your trouble, your fight,
46:45the the the moments in where you feel
46:46like you've been called out.
46:50The moments where you feel, God, you
46:52called me out. You picking on me.
46:55You got me out here trusting you. He
46:59says, "You don't understand. I called
47:00you out because I trust you. The trouble
47:03you're facing is because the trust that
47:06God has with you to handle it." He says,
47:08"I didn't send you trouble to kill you.
47:11I sent you trouble to cultivate
47:13something on the inside of you. I God,
47:15watch this. God trusts us with trouble.
47:20So what does favor do? Favor sustains
47:22us.
47:25Favor sustains us.
47:30Favor strengthens us.
47:35Favor stretches us.
47:40Favor steers us.
47:44And favor soothes us.
47:50It's right here on the screen. Favor
47:53sustains us.
47:56Favor strengthens us.
47:59Favor stretches us.
48:05Favor steers us.
48:09And favor soothes us.
48:16I'm done.
48:19But Paul's persecution
48:22was not proof of God's absence.
48:28It was proof of God's presence.
48:34What you're going through, what we what
48:36we all go through is not proof of God's
48:39absence. It's proof of God's presence.
48:42Would you do me f? Would you stand to
48:44your feet?
48:54I understand it. Now,
48:57this word is for somebody and we
49:00typically
49:02Well, this word is for somebody. I need
49:03you to hear me.
49:07If you've ever felt like you've been in
49:09a season or maybe you are in a season
49:10now where it feels like, "Wait a minute.
49:15Hold on now.
49:17All right, God.
49:19Um, what what what's going on? Things
49:22are not going the way you you expect
49:24them to go. Things are not going the way
49:25you desire for them to go. Things things
49:28that you thought would be this is an
49:30easy thing. What? This is a simple
49:31matter. Simple matter. What's what is
49:33this?" And you feel like it's coming
49:35from every side.
49:39I want to let you know something.
49:42God says the fact that you're still
49:44standing
49:46to take note of
49:49what's happening around you is proof.
49:52Watch this. It is proof
49:55that he's with you.
49:57So now you have a better understanding
49:59of what the season that you're in.
50:03You got a better understanding of the
50:04season that you're in now. God says, "I
50:07trusted you with it."
50:10Every eye closed, every head bowed. I
50:11want to pray for you.
50:14God says, "I trusted you. I'm trusting
50:16you with it.
50:20I'm trusting you with that season.
50:26As uncomfortable as it is,
50:30I'm trusting you with it.
50:36Father,
50:40as our eyes are closed and our heads are
50:42bowed,
50:46Father, we understand now
50:51what you're doing.
50:54We understand that you are using our
50:56lives as a billboard for your favor.
51:01that we might even be going through some
51:02things that other people are enduring,
51:04but we're enduring it differently.
51:08Like we might be going through some hard
51:09seasons,
51:11but because of your favor, you're able
51:13to give us a joy even in the midst of a
51:16tough season. You're able to give us
51:18resilience. You you won't even let us
51:20throw in the towel. Thank you,
51:26God. your your your grace is your grace,
51:29your favor is so sufficient that the
51:32reality is when I feel like quitting,
51:37I can't quit
51:39because you send a wave of grace
51:43and I wake up that morning and I say to
51:45myself, "Let's go do it again. Let's go
51:47get it. Let's go make it happen."
51:50And every time I feel depleted, you send
51:52another wave of grace.
51:55Thank you for the wave you're sending
51:57now in the name of Jesus. Thank you for
52:00the wave of grace, God. Your empowering
52:04agent, Father, to help us endure seasons
52:08we cannot enjoy. Thank you for your
52:11sufficient grace.
52:13[Music]
52:15In the name of Jesus.
52:19In the name of Jesus.
52:22In the name of Jesus.
52:24in the name of Jesus. I wasn't gonna do
52:26this, but I feel led to pray for you. If
52:28that's you and you feel like you're in a
52:30hard season, I promise you, I won't
52:31gonna do this, but I feel you tugging on
52:33my heart. If that's you and you're in
52:35the middle of a season where you're
52:36like, I need I need agreement. I want
52:39agreement. I want to agree with you.
52:41Come on to the altar. Come on. If that's
52:42you, if that's you, you just say, "I
52:44want agreement in this season." That's
52:46all. That's all I want. I want your
52:48faith to connect. Come on, ministers.
52:50Come on, ministers. I want you to
52:51minister here. I want you to I want you
52:53to believe. Come on. Right in front. In
52:55front.
53:03[Music]
53:06Yeah. Yeah. Come on. We're praying for
53:08you. We're praying for you. We're
53:10praying for you. We're praying for you.
53:12Come on. Minister. Minister. Right
53:14there. Right there. Right there. Right
53:15there. In the name of Jesus. We thank
53:18you.
53:20We thank you.
53:22We thank you,
53:24God. We understand it now that this
53:27season is a season where you're you're
53:30you are building strength in us. You're
53:33building strength in us, Father. Thank
53:35you for being our strength in this
53:37season. Thank you for being our hope in
53:39this season. Thank you. Thank you. Thank
53:42you that your grace is Come on, y'all.
53:44If you're at your seat, just pray for
53:45them. Pray for them. Pray for them. Pray
53:47for the person next to you. Come on.
53:49Come on. In the name of Jesus, God, we
53:52believe that this is a season where
53:54you're cultivating something on the
53:57inside of us so we don't we don't escape
54:00it, Father. But we learn to endure it
54:03now in the name of Jesus. Thank you for
54:06your favor. Thank you for your favor.
54:09The favor of the Lord.
54:10>> Yes, Lord.
54:11>> The favor of the Lord.
54:12>> Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord.
54:20[Music]
54:22Yes Lord Jesus. Yes Lord. Yes Lord. Yes
54:26Lord.
54:27[Music]
54:34Yes Lord. Yes Lord. Yes Lord.
54:38[Music]
54:50The favor of the Lord rest on us. The
54:52favor of the Lord
54:54[Music]
54:56give us peace, God. The favor of the
54:58Lord,
55:00give us a calmness in the trust in you.
55:03Trust in your word.
55:05Trust in what it is you've spoken over
55:07our lives.
55:10Maybe the favor favor of the Lord
55:13[Music]
55:15strengthen us in our weaknesses in the
55:18name of Jesus. Maybe the favor of the
55:21Lord
55:22gives us strength. Gives us tenacity.
55:25Give us persistence, God. That we don't
55:27give up on you. That we don't give up on
55:29your word. That we can have true rest.
55:32We can have true peace in the name of
55:35Jesus. In the name of Jesus.
55:38May we rest in the favor of the Lord.
55:41May we find strength in the favor of the
55:44Lord. May we find peace in the favor of
55:47the Lord. In the name of Jesus,
55:50may we find strategy in the favor of the
55:53Lord. In the name of Jesus, be that we
55:57don't have to figure it out. That God is
55:59going to give us the strategy to do it
56:01in the name of Jesus.
56:03strategy in the name of Jesus that comes
56:06through your favor that comes through
56:08your favor that comes through your hand
56:10on us that comes through your grace in
56:13the name of Jesus. Hallelujah.
56:16Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
56:18Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
56:22Thank you Lord. We thank you Jesus. We
56:25thank you Jesus that is not of our own.
56:28We thank you God for a wisdom that is
56:30not of our own. God, we thank you for
56:33not for for not a plan that is not of
56:35our own, but we can stand on your plan.
56:38We can stand on your word that you have
56:40favored it, that you have your hands on
56:43it in the name of Jesus.
56:48We believe that we believe your word,
56:50God. We believe what you've placed on
56:52our lives. Uh we believe every dream,
56:55everything that you have put on the
56:56inside of us, uh that you will manifest
56:59it, that you will cover it, that you
57:00will nurture it, that you will protect
57:03it in the name of Jesus. Because it's
57:05not by any goodness of our own, but it's
57:08because that you have favored us, that
57:10you have ordained us, that you have
57:12anointed us for this such a time as
57:15this, God. Father, we thank you God for
57:17the favor of God that we don't have to
57:20we don't have to we don't have to
57:22understand it that we don't have to be
57:24the ones that is holding it up God. This
57:26is of you. So God we thank you. We thank
57:29you that this is not about us God but
57:32it's because of who you are. The great
57:34God that you are and you saw something
57:37in us when we don't even see it in
57:40ourselves God. We thank you. We thank
57:42you for what you see in us. uh that you
57:45look beyond our faults and you see our
57:47knees uh that you look beyond our
57:49imperfections uh and you put your hand
57:52on us anyways. Uh God, we thank you for
57:55the favor of God that is on our lives.
57:57Uh and may it lead us into all success.
58:01May it lead us into all prosperity. May
58:04it lead us to all promises that you have
58:06placed on our lives in the name of
58:09Jesus.
58:10In the name of Jesus. In the name of
58:13Jesus.
58:15Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
58:19Hallelujah.
58:21Thank you, Lord Jesus. Hallelujah.
58:24Hallelujah.
58:25>> I understand it now.
58:28It all makes sense.
58:31>> God is using it
58:34to show us more about him.
58:36>> Yes, Lord.
58:37>> In Jesus name.
58:38>> Hallelujah.
58:39>> Amen. Come on, put your hands together
58:40if you receive that word over your life.
58:44>> Amen.
58:46>> Listen, maybe maybe you've you've never
58:49given Christ your life.
58:51>> Yes.
58:52>> Maybe if you've never
58:54>> said, "I want you I God, I want you
58:55Lord, I want you to be my Lord and my
58:57Savior." You've never you you've never
59:00said, "I repent of my sin and I'm
59:02turning to my Savior." Or maybe you've
59:05done that and you feel like, man, there
59:06there's there's distance between us and
59:09um I want to make sure that that there's
59:12no distance between us and you want to
59:13rededicate your life. Man, I promise you
59:16the best decision you can make in life
59:19is the one I'm getting ready to give you
59:20an invitation to do. Like for real,
59:24don't don't just come hear some great
59:27singing,
59:29hear a message, say, "Oh, this church is
59:32cool. Oh, they got lights. Oh, there's a
59:35TV there. Don't Don't No, no, man. This
59:38soul stuff.
59:41We want to get it to the We we we want
59:43to we want to partner with you to help
59:47you walk this thing out in your life and
59:50ultimately make heaven your home. If
59:53you've never made Jesus your Lord and
59:54Savior or you want to rededicate your
59:57life like saying, "God, I was tripping.
59:58You never was."
1:00:00And thank you for keeping me even when I
1:00:02was tripping.
1:00:03>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
1:00:05>> Both my hands up. Thank you for keeping
1:00:08me when I was tripping. I was the issue.
1:00:10If you never done that, you want to make
1:00:12Jesus your Lord and Savior or rededicate
1:00:13your life. Would you do me a favor? Slip
1:00:15your hand in the air. We want to
1:00:16celebrate that with you.
1:00:18>> If that's you, you say, "I've never done
1:00:19that, man.
1:00:21>> Or maybe I want to rededicate my life."
1:00:23If that's you, come on. Come on.
1:00:27Just say, "You know what? I want you to
1:00:28be my Lord and my Savior.
1:00:31>> I'm not going to be perfect.
1:00:33>> And he says, I know that.
1:00:35>> That's why my grace is sufficient.
1:00:37>> Yeah.
1:00:41>> But you don't understand, God. I got I
1:00:42got I got issues. I got stuff there,
1:00:44man. God still he's like, I know. I know
1:00:47you.
1:00:49And that's why my grace is sufficient.
1:00:52No. No, God. I don't know. You can take
1:00:54somebody like me. He said, I know you. I
1:00:56know you.
1:00:58I know the number of hair on your head.
1:01:01And he says, "That's why my grace is
1:01:02sufficient." So if you never done that,
1:01:04you want to rededicate your life. I want
1:01:06to give you opportunity to do that now.
1:01:09Or maybe you say, "You know what? I like
1:01:10y'all. I've done that, but I don't have
1:01:13a home. I'm just out here.
1:01:17I'm just out here in the elements of
1:01:19life. I don't have a spiritual family. I
1:01:22don't have pastors. I I don't have a
1:01:24spiritual community that I can grow
1:01:26with." and and I can learn with and I
1:01:29can love on and they can love on me and
1:01:32and one thing we always say about the
1:01:34fresh church. One thing we always say
1:01:36about the fresh church is it's not
1:01:38perfect.
1:01:40So if you're looking for a perfect
1:01:41church, this ain't the one.
1:01:44I just tell you that right now. If
1:01:46you're looking for a perfect one, this
1:01:47ain't the one. Perfect pastor, I'm not.
1:01:49We not the ones. But one thing we are is
1:01:51healthy.
1:01:53>> Yeah.
1:01:54And healthy means when something's
1:01:56wrong, we fix it.
1:01:59>> Healthy means when there's something, we
1:02:01allow God's word to fix it.
1:02:03>> Yeah.
1:02:04>> We allows God's word to speak into it.
1:02:06So you say, "I don't have a I don't have
1:02:08a church, man. I'm just kind of out
1:02:09here. I'm I'm I'm going from church to
1:02:12church and just churching
1:02:15and I'm looking for something real." You
1:02:18found it.
1:02:19>> Amen. Amen.
1:02:21>> So if that's you and you say, "You know
1:02:22what? I want to make Fresh Church my
1:02:23home or I want to do that. Put you slip
1:02:26your hand in the air. We want to
1:02:27celebrate that with you.
1:02:28>> Amen. Amen.
1:02:30>> If you want to be a part of the coolest
1:02:31church in the world,
1:02:34>> the freshest church in the world. Well,
1:02:37if everybody's good, make some noise in
1:02:38the house if you receive that word.
1:02:45[Music]
1:02:47Amen. Amen. You can have your seats. You
1:02:49can have your seats. Amen. And we're
1:02:52going to take up our um it's time for
1:02:55take up our offering.
1:02:59Anybody excited about giving today?
1:03:03>> Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. You should you
1:03:06should get excited about every single
1:03:08time you get the opportunity to give.
1:03:11Anytime you get a chance to plant seed
1:03:14in the ground because there's no seed
1:03:16that is ever planted that do not grow if
1:03:19it was planted in good ground. and look
1:03:22to your neighbor say this is good
1:03:23ground.
1:03:25So you're planting in the right place
1:03:27today. We talked about favor today to
1:03:30where we can't earn favor that we cannot
1:03:34uh coersse or persuade God to favor us.
1:03:38But however
1:03:39we can uh ignite blessings in our lives
1:03:45because blessings follows obedience.
1:03:49Amen. Amen. We we can't control favor.
1:03:52That's God. But we can we can have
1:03:54something to do with how blessed we are.
1:03:57And a lot of times it's it's because we
1:03:59have a lack of blessings because we have
1:04:01a lack of obedience. One of the things
1:04:04about tithers here at the church. We
1:04:06don't just tithe because we're just
1:04:08grateful. We're tithing because we
1:04:11obedient.
1:04:13>> Amen. Amen. Amen. So we we we teach that
1:04:16we should not give grudgently. that we
1:04:18shouldn't give uh um being pressed or
1:04:21being pressured.
1:04:24But when when we when we when we give
1:04:26out of obedience and gratitude is
1:04:29sometimes that we don't feel grateful
1:04:31cuz sometimes God don't always do what
1:04:33we want him to do. So right now I may be
1:04:36a little mad at God. I may be a little
1:04:38frustrated. I may not may understand
1:04:40everything that he's doing but I'll
1:04:42always be obedient.
1:04:45So it it encourage us to give regardless
1:04:47of how we feel and how what it is that
1:04:50we're going through. And the scripture
1:04:52tells us Old Testament and New Testament
1:04:56when we are obedient when we are in the
1:04:58will in the be obedient to the will of
1:05:01God that we shall see the goodness of
1:05:03God in the land of the living. How many
1:05:06of y'all want to see the goodness of the
1:05:07Lord in the land of the living?
1:05:10Amen. So we want to we we we want we
1:05:12want to encourage you to be not only
1:05:14grateful but obedient with you know in
1:05:17in in the in your giving. Give that to
1:05:19God to where he he asks us he asks us to
1:05:23partner with him and co be in covenant
1:05:25with him to give to the kingdom of God
1:05:28so that his work can be done on the
1:05:30earth. Um yes we're grateful and there's
1:05:33so many grateful people in the room.
1:05:35Like throughout this service, we can say
1:05:36that we are grateful.
1:05:39But God wants to to challenge some of
1:05:41you guys to be obedient.
1:05:45He want to challenge you guys to be
1:05:46obedient. And what God is God has been
1:05:49pulling on you. He's been tugging on you
1:05:53about those of you that has not started
1:05:54tithing yet. He's been tugging on you
1:05:56like this is your year to do it. This is
1:05:58your year to trust me.
1:06:01This is your year to year to depend on
1:06:03me.
1:06:04This is your time. This is your time to
1:06:06do it. And those that have continued to
1:06:08do it and and trusting in God, God said,
1:06:11don't get tired and don't get weary and
1:06:13welloing. He is a man of his word. He's
1:06:16a man of his promise. So, we're grateful
1:06:19today for this time of pause and we're
1:06:22grateful for a time that we can sew seed
1:06:24in the ground and show God not only that
1:06:26we're grateful, but that we are
1:06:28obedient. So, can we pray right now?
1:06:30God, we thank you today for the
1:06:33opportunity to give out of a heart of
1:06:36obedience,
1:06:38out of a out of a heart of gratitude,
1:06:41and even out of a heart of sacrifice.
1:06:44God, we thank you that we don't know
1:06:45all. We don't know things, but you know
1:06:48everything. And you know how our seed is
1:06:51going to bless us. We know our our seed
1:06:52is going to bless this house. You know
1:06:54how this seed is going to bless our
1:06:56families from generations to come, God.
1:06:58So we give our seed to you to the only
1:07:00God that knows everything
1:07:03that holds this world and our world in
1:07:05your hands. So we give it to you and God
1:07:08we ask you to bless it God. We ask you
1:07:10to do something to it that we can't even
1:07:12do on our own. God, we ask you to bless
1:07:14it 100folds. Bless our families. Bless
1:07:17this house that it may do the work
1:07:19beyond the four walls that we may touch
1:07:21the homeless community. That we may
1:07:23touch the trafficking community. We may
1:07:25touch those that are in need. God be a
1:07:27blessed God. So let don't let it be just
1:07:30a blessing to us but let it be a
1:07:32blessing through us in Jesus name we
1:07:35pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. So the ways to
1:07:39give are on the screen. You can zel it.
1:07:42You can start passing the basket around.
1:07:43You can give. Give. Those of you that we
1:07:46almost got we have a good number of
1:07:48people that have tried text to give. Um
1:07:51those of you that have tried text to
1:07:53give is isn't it easy? Isn't it the most
1:07:55simplest way to give? Um, so those we
1:07:58want to encourage you guys. I promise
1:08:00you it only takes 60 seconds to sign up
1:08:02for it, guys. Um, sign up for it and I
1:08:05promise you, you probably won't go back
1:08:07to no other way of giving. It's really
1:08:09that easy and that simple. As simple as
1:08:10sending a text message of the number
1:08:13that you want um to give. Amen.
1:08:18>> Yeah. I want to Well, we got two
1:08:20announcements, but I want to do this.
1:08:21Let's do the announcements first and
1:08:23then we'll end with with that. Welcome
1:08:25home Sunday.
1:08:27>> Yes.
1:08:27>> September 14th.
1:08:29>> Yes.
1:08:30>> Invite everybody.
1:08:33If you don't invite everybody, I'm we're
1:08:35going to come find you.
1:08:38And we're going to invite them. Invite
1:08:39everyone. You're going to hear more
1:08:41information about that.
1:08:42>> Absolutely. Absolutely. Welcome on
1:08:44Sunday. Going to be real good. We're
1:08:45going to have food. We It's a whole
1:08:47homecoming situation. is it's it's a
1:08:49it's a really big Sunday for us here at
1:08:51the First Church. If you've never been
1:08:53um at a welcome home Sunday. Um also
1:08:56this Wednesday we you know that we on
1:08:58Wednesdays is our um basically night of
1:09:02word and empowering disciplehip and
1:09:04community. That's our Wednesday nights.
1:09:06We just got out of groups. Can y'all
1:09:07give it up for groups for
1:09:11they were amazing. Our our groups were
1:09:14amazing. And um so we flip-flop. If
1:09:17we're not in groups, that means that we
1:09:19are here on Wednesdays um for um what is
1:09:22typically known as Bible study, but here
1:09:24um at the Fresh Church, we call it fresh
1:09:26word. I know y'all y'all we we kind of
1:09:29changed it up. We we we had it as
1:09:31refreshed. Um but we just switched it.
1:09:33We was like, God is really like, you
1:09:35know what? This is fresh word that we
1:09:36get on Wednesdays. This ain't this it
1:09:38ain't stale. It's not a a um a
1:09:42recycling. It's really a fresh word for
1:09:44you throughout the week. Um that you're
1:09:46able to come in on Wednesday and refresh
1:09:49and regeear up for what is going on in
1:09:51your life. So we want you guys to invite
1:09:53every single person out on Wednesday
1:09:55night, 7:00 starts our prayer and then
1:09:58we go straight into fresh word. Um so we
1:10:01want to invite everybody out. Also, last
1:10:03but not least, the last Saturday of this
1:10:06month, the last Saturday of this month,
1:10:08um is fresh start. Um it's our fast
1:10:11track to where you're able to get all
1:10:14three sessions into one. Our fresh start
1:10:16is where all new members, all people
1:10:19that has not went through our new
1:10:20members um course. Um it is so it it is
1:10:24so vital to your I guess your
1:10:26metriculation throughout the church,
1:10:28getting to know us, getting to know the
1:10:30pastors, the vision of the church and
1:10:32everything that is about to happen. So
1:10:34we want to encourage if you have not
1:10:36been through fresh start, go through
1:10:38fresh start, guys. And this is the
1:10:40opportunity to get all the sessions out
1:10:42in in in in one Saturday morning. So,
1:10:44it's going to be the last Saturday of
1:10:48this month. Um, and could you put the
1:10:50put the um It's okay. Um, just put it
1:10:54up. It's a scan code on on the flyer
1:10:56that they're going to post up. Scan the
1:10:59code. Don't ignore the date. I know it
1:11:01say March 29th. We No, don't worry about
1:11:04it. God is good. Amen. Amen. Amen. Okay.
1:11:08pay attention to the code and um so
1:11:10you're going to scan the code. We want
1:11:12you to register for fresh start, guys.
1:11:15If you are a new member that has not
1:11:16been through or you are have been a
1:11:19member for a while and have not gotten
1:11:20the chance to do it, this is your time.
1:11:22You can come out. We have breakfast set
1:11:24up for you guys so you guys have a real
1:11:26good time.
1:11:27>> That being said, come on, stand to your
1:11:29feet.
1:11:30>> Bishop Irvin, would you come really
1:11:32quick? We're getting ready to dismiss.
1:11:37Man, I just feel like
1:11:40I just feel like what God is doing in
1:11:42this house is so crazy. Tell us. You got
1:11:4435. You got 45 seconds or they gonna
1:11:46throw something at you.
1:11:47>> Oh,
1:11:48>> tell us what what what's going on. What
1:11:50has God been doing?
1:11:51>> So, um last week, Pastor Joy, they
1:11:54obviously preach a message about favor.
1:11:57Um I had applied for a grant about um
1:12:02four months ago. Um yeah. Um, at first I
1:12:07was a little down because I didn't think
1:12:09I was going to get it because I thought,
1:12:11"Oh, they just picked the same people
1:12:12and everything." But I got an email
1:12:16saying that we just got my nonprofit
1:12:18$10,000.
1:12:21>> Yes,
1:12:23you
1:12:25now.
1:12:27>> Father, thank you. We love you in Jesus
1:12:29name. Amen. Show Jesus.
1:12:31>> Share Jesus.
1:12:35[Music]