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I've been in the midst of a series for the last 3 weeks and titled it's on it's on one person asked me why do I preach in series format when my desire is for our church to be a well-learned aidite congregation for years I felt like the church especially in the African-American context have become a slave to emotion and become starved of substance we become a slave to emotion we have good church now now all we got to do is hit one cord right now it's certain stuff ride that triggers people especially in the black

church it just triggers you like give me that right there look at you I ain't say nothing you ready to have church right there they just make see look watch this right I could literally look at you and say ham and cheese bacon and grits and something about the emotion of the cords just make you want to have some church don't it but as a consequence we become a slave to emotionalism but we become starved of substance what does that mean pmj that we've been coming to church on Sundays eating but nothing been sticking so

although you come to church on Sunday by Tuesday you feel starved and when you are starved you'll eat what you can not what you need am I preaching to anybody early in this message your mind oh I want us to have some good food some good word the bread of life I want to get something good so I preach in series format why is that pmj I didn't learn how to tie my shoes in one tie I didn't learn how to uh math in one time I didn't learn history and one uh sitting it took

repetition I've said it once and I've say it again and I don't mind repeating myself cuz I'm not afraid of you repetition breeds Revelation who's heard me say that before repetition breeds Revelation what does that mean the more you read it the more you see the more you read it the more you see the longer you stay in his presence the more it's revealed so what do I try to do yes I can open up the Bible and get a different scripture each week and just preach a different scripture but no I want to show

you how we've been sitting in one story for four weeks now because it's so pregnant with principles that we can take and make applicable to our everyday life woo I told you it's on somebody say it's on it's on now when I say it's on that is not just a statement but a commitment to taking your life from expectation to I got to preach it two more weeks you didn't say it bold enough it is a commitment to take in your life from expectation to what execution from expectation to execution the average person sitting in

this room and watching online is filled with expectation oh I got great expectation I could tell the whole church up right there I expect God to do something special in my life I expect to go to another level I expect 2024 going to be my year but let's just flip over that and just say but who's going to execute some stuff put this in your phone if you don't mind put this in your notes I love my note takers who still use pen and pad that just means so much to me those are they that

will go to heaven not those of you who put it in your phone you'll get in but you'll be in the back of the line but the people who write your notes down VIP In Heaven There you go right there amen look at all these saved people look at all these saved people in Jesus name put this in your notes the the the E between expectation and execution is effort the distance between expectation and execution is effort the difference between expectation and execution is effort stop saying what you want if you're not willing to put

the effort in to get it done oh I'm not touching and agreeing with nobody for a new house in 2024 who ain't going to put the effort in at saving in 2023 no some of us have become Miracle junkies that we think God is a Genie in a Bottle that all we got to do is come to church put $3 in a bucket and say I want this and he is now obligated to do it no faith without works is dead I I don't know who I'm preaching to but in 2024 you're gonna see effort

from me yeah you're going to see effort from me I'm going to do my part so that God can do his part have you ever stopped to consider that most of the Miracles that take place in the New Testament required effort from the person who got the miracle rarely do you see Jesus do it all there was a brother who was blind he had to holler there was a sister who was bent over she had to walk there was another sister who was bleeding she had to crawl there was another beggar who had to shout

what do I see I see participation is always sometimes required in your deliverance and there are two types of people sitting on your Row one of y'all going to cry about what God ain't did but then one of y'all going to say you know what I've already prayed about it now I'm about to put for feet effort somebody shout effort effort effort so what does that mean pmj it's okay it's okay to have expectation but I want to drop this in your spirit be very clear that expectation breathes disappointment expectation breathes disappointed disappointment this is

why certain people disappoint you and certain people don't it's because I it did you catch that more from you this is why sometimes your walk with God is so disappointing because you have an expectation of God you have no expectation of the devil yeah you have an expectation of of God you expect God to deliver you expect God to make a way you expect God to open doors you expect God to protect you you have no expectation of the enemy so what happens whenever God does not do what you expect you then turn your whole

walk with God about disappointment and it's okay but I want to free you disappointment is fine can you put this in your notes disappointment bothers your head but dis discouragement bothers your heart oh my God it's okay to be disappointed just don't be discouraged oh it's okay to be disappointed just don't be discouraged why Pastor Mike because I've discovered when I'm disappointed that is a human feeling that I can then process into becoming a better person when I become discouraged it makes my heart hard if I'm disappointed I have an opportunity to be better if

I'm discouraged I can become bitter Michael can I actually your question which one of you in life are you disappointed or are you discouraged I experienced disappointment I had I had a disappointing week this week y'all I was so excited the Grammy nominations came out this week and all the talk been it's Pastor Mike junor year this Pastor Mike junior year the album was this he did that he did that and I had a whole little thing put my TV on had all my kids sitting in there watching it I got Mason with the camera

Mason got his phone out filming me as I sit there cuz I was going to watch they were G to say impossible Pastor Mike Jr and I was going to jump I want to make sure Mason was in the right space to get the right camera shot and they did they start announcing all the gospel albums that came out and I was like [Music] ooh and Mason go say Dad when are they going to say your name shut up shut up be quiet don't do it don't do it and I'm sitting there and I ain't

get it this year and so my boys was asking me D how you feel I'm like Dad disappoint appointed I said but I'm not discouraged Michael I'm disappointed why because discouragement is a period disappointment is a Karma y'all Miss what I just said when you become discouraged you place a period there you say no I quit period it's over period I can't come back period but when you understand disappointment disappointment is what I feel I'm going to bless three of y'all what you do with it Michael determines what happens next in your life and that's

what really separated you from everybody else in your life is that everybody on your roope been through some stuff everybody on your row has been disappointed everybody on your row has been let down the difference is one of y'all took it and allowed it to make you bitter but then one of y'all said no baby this is just the beginning cuz what God got for me it is for me am I preaching to you right there that no I understand that if I'm breathing then I still have a chance that God is not through with

me so what am I trying to get you to do I'm trying to get you to shift from just expectation to execution that's critical why I I've been in the midst of this series it's on and we've been dealing with this brother by the name of Gideon I like Gideon why do I like Gideon because Gideon is a perfect picture of what God wants to do in and through us if we submit and be obedient this incredible why because in this text for the past few weeks we've learned about a man by the name of

Gideon who is the selected leader that God wants to use to deliver Israel out of Oppression from a nation called Midian that's critical he wants to deliver them from a nation called Midian what's important about that pmj because the children of Israel are in bondage right now here's what's crazy the children of Israel are in a season of Correction but they believe it's coincidental they're in a season of Correction but in their mind they think that it's coincidental they think that life is lifing when in actuality God is goding Michael no the children of Israel

are catching hell they've been in bondage for seven years and the children of Israel believe this is by coincidence when we read the scripture we discover that the reason they are in bondage is because they did Evil in the sight of the Lord so the children of Israel think that their hell is coincidental you ain't going to like this but I got to say it to you if you looked at your life right now and you may be going through can I ask you a question is it coincidental or is it correction that if you

look over your situation right now is life lifing or is God goding see life lifing means that I'm just going through stuff that comes with being alive but I've discovered if life is lifing God can get me out of that foolishness but if God is goding I can't call God to get me out of what God has just put me I'm preaching the three of y'all see how do you know you've matured in God you have matured in God when you know how to thank God for when he's given and we can also thank God

for when he's taken away because the scripture says the Lord give it but the Lord also takes woo life ain't lifing God Michael is goding and can I preach and submit to somebody in this room right now that what if you are sitting in here thinking that it's the devil bothering you C can I pause and parenthetically digress and if I don't have a church next week I apologize but I can't lie to you I got to ask you a question why do we make everything negative the devil and we make everything positive you no

when you got the job you say oh I got a promotion when you got the car I got a new car but but but when you get laid off it's the devil messing with me on my job no sometimes it ain't life lifing sometimes it's God goding why are they in trouble right now this is critical God delivered them into the hands of the midianites because they kept doing evil in the sight of God now I'm I'm a word Smith I love word Smith my professors at yel Divinity taught me that the text can never

mean what it's never meant the text can never mean what it never meant that messed me up so whenever I see words in the Bible I have to see the voice of the words biblical words come in voice you got active and you got passive voices so when I saw that the Lord delivered them I had to discover which voice it was in it is not in active voice that's good it's in passive voice voice when the scripture says the Lord delivered them that is not active it is passive what does that mean had it

been active that means god tapped on the midianite shoulder and told them if I was you I would go get them Pastor Mike that ain't biblical you remember when when he told pharaoh to let my people go right and then he let his people go then the scripture says God hardened the heart of pharaoh and made pharaoh go chase the children of Israel that's active but in this particular scripture God is not active Michael he is passive what does that mean pmj God didn't suggest to the midianites to go attack the children of Israel but

rather God had always been protecting the children of Israel he just stepped back because if you not going to be obedient I'm going remove my protection y y y'all Miss y y y'all got to catch this this this is the children of Israel okay this is the children of Israel and the midianites had always been around them the midianites had always been plotting on them the midianites had always been jealous of them why didn't they attack them because the children of Israel thought the reason the midianites did not attack them is because they were so

good they had no idea that without them knowing god was protecting them watch this because there is something called can you put this in your notes there is something called inactive enemies oh my God inactive enemies the children of Israel thought they had no enemies because the enemies were dormant just because the enemy is dormant doesn't mean the enemy is not present come here Michael they were inactive you remember job remember job remember God the devil is roaming to and fro seeing who he can devour and God tells the devil have you considered my servant

job the devil says something that you miss the devil says to God I would try job but you got a hedge of protection around him and I can't get my hands on them you missed your first shout of the Sunday what's your first shout Pastor Mike can I ask you a question who brought up the Hedge first was it God or was it the devil God didn't bring up the Hedge the devil up the Hedge which means how did the devil know it was a hedge around Jo unless he was already trying to get to

him but he couldn't reach them that's why Grandmama said I thank you for keeping me from danger scene I I don't know who I'm preaching to but this next praise is the I don't know praise anybody can shout over what you know God did but who can praise God for the stuff you didn't even see God do but God was keeping you in the midst of you ought to look at your neighbor and say it was a hedge around me y'all Miss what I just said it was a hedge around me you sat next to

a hater reach over that neighbor and high five another neighbor and tell him it was a hedge around me I was driving on 65 and it was a drunk car next to me and I never knew it but God had a hedge around me people at my job been plotting on me but God had a hedge around me cancer could have took my body but God had a hedge around me I'm sorry you can sck here and be cute all you want to but if you know it was nothing but the grace of God you

ought to jump up and shout it was a [Applause] head do me a favor take that hand and just wave it over your neighbor's head and say whoosh that's the wrong neighbor find another neighbor say whoosh that's the sound of trouble missing you whoosh that's the sound of pain missing you whoosh that's the sound of Heartache missing you whoosh that's the sound of low self-esteem missing you whoosh why am I here right now cuz God had a hand of protection y'all missed that the devil said I would touch job but you Michael have a a

hedge Michael you Michael have a hedge Michael you Michael have a hedge now I know what the Hedge means metaphorically but technically a hedge ain't really protection metaphorically a hedge is protection but in my backyard I got some Hedges yet I still got deer who come through my hedges I still got the neighbor's dog who comes through my hedges I still got squirrels who come through my hedges he's not saying I place something around you physically he said I done Place something around you spiritually now okay oh my God I got too many Millennials I

can't even say this next point cuz y'all young okay oh Lord 20 something Make Some Noise 20 some oh okay y'all just sit here and be quiet y'all ain't going to have a clue what I'm talking about all my Grown Folk Grown Folk hear me hear me when I was growing up we didn't have reality TV okay I didn't know about no housewife I didn't know about no hip hop we a have none of that we had real TV shows like Star Trek okay look you don't even know how to shout we feel old talking

about it okay Star Trek the Next Generation These Are the Voyages of the Star Trek Enterprise and this is how you know you Sav this can preach to boldly go well no one has gone before all right so they're out of nowhere Captain Bard would be in his chair or he would be in the lunchroom and they would come and get him Captain we need you on the deck and Captain would walk on the deck and Spock would be in his decision and the clay n would be in his decision he like tell me what

we got oh we have an enemy approaching at third sector third sector and he's armed and dangerous and then then Captain would say put the cloak up all right you don't know what the cloak is right that means the whole ship would become invisible all right so they would literally be flying next to the enemy but the enemy could not see them this is why people on your job got laid off but it skipped over you this is why your whole family crazy but it skipped over you cuz God has something the children of Israel

am I doing all right the children of Israel had God's hand on them but because of their Disobedience God had to step back children of Israel was it they are him but God said you got it my my boys all right my my baby boy miles he's six fellas he a dog yeah my fellas know what I'm saying he a dog dog he a dog when I say he a dog we just won first grade Championship he scored the touchdown and kind of sealed a deal he got through he did gave me a little hair

shake like I'm like oo but he got three big brothers right they beat him up all day you know when you the baby boy but that's going to make him see look at the mama like uh but all the Daddy's like what yeah yeah all day they upstairs playing football if he walk down the hall they bump him so he's tough like my little he tough right he mean but he also a crybaby but he tough you know it's weird but he tough but he'll cry baby but but lately he been feeling his okay he

been challenging Mason now what's crazy as Mason is the baby of the big three which means the big two did the same thing to Mason so he telling M I come in there you don't want this you don't want this you don't want the smoke you don't want the smoke I head tap you Mason if Mason sitting on the couch Miler just walk by throw the ball catch it on his head and be like oh you don't want this smoke you don't want smoke so then Mason's looking at him and have you ever been able

to tell somebody's about to go crazy but then they saw you sitting there Mason said all right miles stop and Miles like no what you want to do what you want to do and miles will throw the ball he'll push him and I'm sitting there weak right but Mason is getting irritated in my heart the moment they get upstairs and they I can't see him he going child abuse miles I already know it miles going to come downstairs with a bruise somewhere hey but that's part of life that's the circle of life you saw that

in Lion King that's the circle of life so all of a sudden miles just talking Reckless and yesterday it almost got there he like no what you going to do and he kept walking up to him putting his forehead on my May miles is 6 Mason is 14 right he like miles I'm telling you to just stop and I'm sitting there weak and then M say you just going to laugh at it I said Ma I'm not laughing at what he doing I'm laughing cuz he remind me of us he said what you mean Daddy

I said this boy walking around the house clearly thinking he the toughest person in this house but has no clue the only reason you ain't put hands on them is because your father told you in secret just let him think he tough right now and Mason like dad cuz I swear I will pick Mas I will pick miles up and chok you know you m when you start planning out what you do dad I will choke slam him I promise and just start pounding his chest I won't hurt him but I just do enough I'm

like I know mace I know mace but then mace messed around and talked to Miles he said but but but the only reason I ain't put me hands on you is because Dad so then miles looking like what you mean he was like Dad Dad Dad can't help you I was like but but I told him not to do it he said no tell him not to I said all right handle your business I go to the restroom by the time I get back I get a call from lady you need to talk to M

he just too rough I said no he didn't want my [Applause] protection I wonder who sitting in here and watching online been walking around all 2023 like you all that you think your degree did that you think your Masters did that you you think your 790 credit score did that had God not been God you wouldn't be where you are right now and instead of shouting for a house or a car when is the last time you shouted that God been good to you that's why prait was worshiping the way he's been worshiping because some

of y'all only shout for stuff but some of us know God's been good no God said I got you running out of time God says I got you I'mma just step back I'mma Be passive that's crazy I'mma Be Passive A active God is dangerous a passive God scare me woo God say all right there you go do your thing and the midianites took them now you have to do your research to understand that in the Book of Judges it tells us that the midianites did it but what it doesn't tell you all the time is

the midianites join forces come here the midianites join forces with other nations that didn't like Israel I'm F to run I'm sorry I I miss my small church this church too big I'll be trying to preach to all sides of y'all my legs be hurting I got Gout right here I be in the back my Gout be acting up so I be trying to just do all this to everybody but I'm tired it take a lot so I'm G just stand right here and preach to everybody okay M midianites couldn't take Israel by their self

I'm going to preach so they hooked up with some people who didn't like Israel this going to mess you up okay Taco they didn't like each other but what they had incing was they both didn't like them have you ever met some people who didn't like each other but their hate for you made them get a i i i I got I I got to go if you want to take notes that's what we call comrades that's what we call comrades who don't necessarily like each other but they have a vested interest in not liking

you they get together and they say let's go attack them I'm I'm I'm trying to be dignified I promise bro I'm trying to be dignified but this the part that told 9:00 up okay now you got to understand 9:00's a little more seasoned that's when my older saints come I so they get the word at a quicker Pace sometimes 11:30 I have to tell a story story I have to tell a joke I have to walk all the way over here and do all this 9:00 I can just stand right here and just stand flat

footed and B this going to mess you up the midianites didn't come year round they only showed up at Harvest Time see see y'all see only the middle section caught it all the young people like what is Harvest Time like we ain't no Farmers what is Harvest Time okay okay okay Harvest Time time okay how can I how can I modernize contemporize and Mize uh that text how can I bring that particular statement from Antiquity to modernity properly building a bridge of contemporizing contextual that's called Harvest Time okay contemporarily it's called paycheck oh there you

go you caught it D they only showed up when they got something now bro this is what's crazy they showed up at Harvest time but didn't take the Harvest they would step on it break it ruin it or burn it they didn't want it they just didn't want them to Happ hear me hear me and can you imagine working all year can you imagine bro waking up in the morning and it's freezing cold and you out there applying the field come on y'all get out here help me and you get there in the springtime roll

around okay okay let's gooo and year one you come outside and your kids say Dad you've seen the field and the wheat this tall and corn everywhere and you can see everything you've grown you like oh baby the Harvest came all my work pay off hey y'all this what we going to do tomorrow we going to go out there as a family and we going to pick the Harvest only to wake up that morning and it's on fire and you like okay okay it's cool it's cool it's cool but then year two roll around and

it happened again and now you like this ain't a coincidence then year three roll around and y'all start having Meats what what we going hey what we going to do year four roll around year five let's just say around year six you get smart and you say you know what at the first sight of growth y'all got to pick it but you want to know the problem with that is you are now becoming comfortable with less than what it could be so whereas the crop should have been this big now you picking it when it's

this big and what would have fed everybody can only now feel a and now you're like uh like I'm getting tired now man what what and I know this ain't y'all cuz y'all successful I know this ain't y'all cuz you got all figured out but can I just preach about myself I know what it's like to go hard as you can possibly go and then you look up and feel like you ain't got nothing to show for y I know that's like you can you can sit in here and be I know you got it

together I ain't preaching to y'all y'all Rich at this service God bless you but I am preaching to three of y'all who done loved people and took care of folk and you gave people your last when you didn't even have nothing and you convinced yourself that if I ever need something I know they going to come through for me then you finally mustered up the strength to ask and what's crazy is you ain't even a type that will ask for nothing and then the very people you gave your last to now ghosting you are you

sitting there like man what I'm going do what am I know what it's like to be a man and you trying to figure out what you going to do for your family and you sitting there trying your best to figure it out and and she don't know cuz you telling her you got it all we good we good we good so now you fussing and now kids acting ungrateful and now you sitting in your car contemplating doing something crazy cuz the man in you want to provide but the reality is you don't know where it's

going to come from and now you start thinking back in your head all the stuff you could have did and all the stuff s sisters you know what it's like to be sitting there and you like God here I go again I made myself a promise I would not do XYZ and XYZ and I'm sitting here having done all the work but no Harvest John 10:10 says the thief comes to steal kill and destroy now let's just stop right there the thief comes only to kill steal and Destroy if you look at that scripture you

want to know the problem with the 21st century Christian we have Sensational lives surviving we have not just in church but in life we have Sensational lives surviving well so and so walked out your life but you made it so and so you went through this and you went through cancer and you went through this but you survived and we have sensationalized surviving but what we don't realize is John 10:10 doesn't just say he kills and destroys it says he steals put this in your notes just because you survived doesn't mean you won I'm going

say this and three of y'all going to catch it it's some stuff I survived that I was bragging about cuz I was tght to if you make it you need to tell people I still make but I'm still here but I didn't realize the devil didn't kill me he didn't destroy me but he did steal some stuff and the crazy thing is I didn't know it was stole till I reached for it and it was gone [Music] Michael that's for five of y'all who survived a crazy relationship and you trying your best to move on

but now that you're in a new relationship you can tell yourself you survived the last one but now that you think about it the new person is asking you for trust but you didn't realize that you survived that relationship but it stole I'm preaching the three of y'all see everybody can't say Amen to that cuz we want people to think we so bad cuz we survived yeah I went to so and so but I survived no your peace didn't I surviv uh-huh but your joy didn't I survive yeah yeah but your heart didn't that's why

you mean as you are now you used to be kind you used to be nice you used to be so compassionate and caring but so many people started using you and you kept surviving the use you kept surviving the abuse then it messed around there with your family and now your family taking you for granted and taking advantage of you so yes you survived but now you don't trust nobody you don't want to be around nobody just because you survived don't mean you won the angel of the Lord appear to Gideon and he say mighty

warrior oh I got to get out of here he says mighty warrior oh that's enough to tell the Church of we had church last week he says mighty warrior I see a principle that we can take and make applicable to our life in the book in in in in in in in the Old Testament he calls Jacob Israel he rose up on Jacob and says and from this day forth Jacob wrestled with the angel and he said I'm G to call you Israel in the New Testament he rose up on Simon and says who do

men say that I am Simon says you are Peter he says upon this Flesh and Blood did not reveal this to you and Upon This Rock I will build my church he changed Simon's name to Peter y'all missed it he changed Jacob name to Israel he changes Simon's name to Peter he does not change Gideon's name he tells Simon you know what brother I'mma change your name he tells Jacob I'mma change your name I'm F to run he tells Gideon I'mma let you keep the same name I'mma give you a new adjective Michael Michael because

there's a difference between a noun and an adjective a noun is a person place or thing a adjective describ lives the person place or thing have you ever stopped to consider the reason they got an attitude with you is not because of you but your ative trigger them I'm I'm preaching I'm preaching the three of y'all it ain't you they can't take it's your adjective cuz y'all work on the same job but you walk around blessed it's the adjective that irritates I I I I don't know who I'm preaching to but you ought to just

lay hands on your own head and say I got a new adjective baby I am not just a woman I'm a blessed woman I am not just a man I'm a wealthy man I am not just a mother I'm a mother who provides you ought to just shout I got a new adjective I got a new adjective I got a new adjective I got a new adjective you've been missing it you've been missing it you've been missing it you've been missing it you been missing it you been miss it head not the tail lender those

are ADC he said I'mma call you head and not the tail lender not borrow above not bless coming in bless going out I don't know what you're going through right now but I dare you to praise God like you already the AG if he called you to look at your neighbor say neighbor I'm not shouting over who I am I'm shouting over what I'm about to become and the last shall be first and the first shall be last God's getting ready to do something new in my life I dare to touch five people and said

I feel a name change I got a new adjective my praise my Michael my praise is not predicated on my noun my praise is predicated on my adjective because my adjective is prophetic God only calls you something he calls Gideon a warrior while Gideon is still hiding he does not call Gideon who he is he calls Gideon who he's [Applause] about if you going to be in my life this year you need to call me something if you going to be in my circle this year you got to call me something if you going to

walk with me this year you got to have the ability to see in me what I can't see in myself I just dare you to look down your row and Shout this is a blessed row matter of fact everybody on your row ain't got to give God glory I brought enough praise for everybody in my session let I got to go he tells Gideon let's go home y'all tired of me I got to get you home okay so watch this I'm going go fast he tells Gideon you're a mighty warrior he said but you don't

see yourself right Gideon says in the Bible how I'm going be a Warrior when I'm the least in my family and the weakest in My Tribe throughout the Bible I'm going fast as I can we see where God calls people something but they come up with an excuse he tells Abram you going to be Abraham Abram says I'm too old to have a baby he tells Moses go tell Pharaoh let my people go Moses tells God I got a stutter I can't speak he tells Jeremiah I want you to be a Prophet Jeremiah says I'm

too young can I ask you a question what's your excuse there was a man at the pool of Bethesda and they believe at the pool of Bethesda they had magical powers they believed that when the water stirred if they just got in the water they would be healed Jesus rose up on the man and says hey what are you doing he says I have no one he looks at the man and says do you wish I'm going to scream do you wish Michael do you wish to be made whole that man looks at Jesus and

says I don't have nobody who will put me in the pool I'm paralyzed and the problem with that man is the same problem many of y'all have the same problem that Moses had the same problem that Jeremiah had the same problem that Jacob had the same problem that Gideon had you keep telling God your excuse when the book of Jeremiah gives us a principle when you were in your mother's womb I knew you if he's the Alpha and the Omega that mean he called you knowing what you were going to say before you ever he

says Gideon I got to get you to see yourself right your issue ain't the devil your issue ain't the midianites your issue is you don't see you right your issue is you let people treat you based off of how they see you not based off of how you see you and if you saw you the way I see you you would tell them see you later I'm preaching better than y'all receiving that do I need to run that thing back I'm better to be strapped in do I need to run that thing back your problem

is if you would see you the way God see you you would tell them who see you seek may the Lord watch between me and he says no I need you to see yourself better and what does he tell him now that you see yourself better he says I need you to pick a team God shifts from working on Gideon's sight to working on Gideon's selection I got to go fast he shifts working on Gideon sight to working on Gideon selection cuz if you going to win not only do you need to see right you

got got to pick [Applause] right because you cannot accomplish a god dream while staying committed to a wrong team Michael you cannot accomplish a god dream while staying committed to a wrong team okay I want to free you I want to bind something I'm going to bind something and you ain't never heard a preacher say this okay what I'm going to tell you they probably going to say it's blasphemist they a never heard a preacher say it I'll take the L I'll take hate I'll take the shots okay here it is right now in the

name of Jesus I bind up false loyalty whoa whoa whoa no my last Pastor told me I had to be loyal yeah he did but he didn't put an adjective on it he gave you a blanket statement of loyalty now you think removing yourself from toxic people makes you disloyal can I ask you a question all my M give me a what what what what all my M give me a what what what what all my M who still got uh big children give me a what what all my Mas who got children who still

got the umbilical cord give me a what what what so y'all walking around with the umbilical core still on the baby so look at me so look at this so you got the you got you and you got this umbilical cord and so what would it look like right now if the umbilical cord was still connected what would it look like for your baby if you were still loyal to a old season see the umbilical cord was critical for the past season but the moment you gave birth to it it was no longer necessary and

some of us are remaining loyal to stuff that don't even apply to this I'm moving from expectation to ex put this in your nose but execution may require elimination execution may require elimination I'm going fast as I can give me six minutes and I'm going to get you out okay because God doesn't always add by adding sometimes he adds by subtracting oh my God I got I I need a better church I I want a old school church this young church just don't be getting it I want a grandma Church where I have to wear

suits every Sunday cuz they get it sometimes God don't add by adding sometimes he adds by Gideon Gideon he tells Gideon you're going to be a warrior Gideon finally gets to get to the point to to where he believes and he gets 30,000 soldiers who Gideon feeling good about itself right he says yeah got 30,000 soldiers what they want to do and God rose up on him and says you have Michael too many Michael warriors with you Michael you trying to do with a whole lot what I called you to do with few you think

that the success in your life is tied to the quantity of people in your life when it's really tied to the quality of people in your life you think you need a whole lot of yeses you don't need a whole lot of yeses you just need one good the Lord said to Gideon you have too many warriors with you if I let all you fight the midianites the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength if I had time Taco I would run if I had time I would tear the

church up because what God tells them is y'all missed it y'all going to win but they missed it he says I want to be very clear it's 30,000 of y'all and y'all going to win the issue ain't the win it's the way yes you up all night stressing on if you going to win God is more concerned with the way you going to win and you at home frustrated thas why won't nobody help me cuz God don't want nobody to get his glory if they help you when you tell the story 5 years from now

you going to have to say Hey you know man Kea came through Noah man you know Mike came through Noah you going to be able to say it was nobody am I preacher I'm trying to be dignified it was nobody that's for five of y'all who going to go to another level mentally that this year when folk don't help you instead of getting mad you going to be like thank you I shouldn't even ask you in the first place cuz what God got for me it look at this look at this he said I tell

you what you got too many people I tell I tell you what I tell you what this is what we going to do do let everybody it's right there on your screen next scripture he says let everybody whoever is timid or afraid they may leave and go home and 22,000 of them went home you missed it you see stuff at 40 I'm 40 now y'all I embrace it I was going to lie and tell you I was 37 uh I got five kids and a mortgage and deacons I'm 40 forget y'all I'm I'm 40 I'm

40 all right so I see stuff now at 40 I ain't seeing my 20s and I ain't see in my 30s okay I ain't see it okay in my 20s when I read this scripture you know what I saw I don't need everybody I can do bad oh by myself yeah that was immature but then in my 30s I was like you know what I need a good team some of y'all can get out my life no now at 40 I see stuff differently this how you know you're maturing when somebody start talking to you

and you hear what they don't say yeah women got this tra you can be like pray for me babe pray for me babe I was on I65 and my car flipped seven times I'm in the emergency room you know and kha had to call the police and had to do so and so so and so I had to have seven surgeries she be like yeah now who who was kha no she hears stuff differently am I preaching to anybody she she hears forget your leg hanging over here and your arm no no no run run

that back run that back you now you got a fake a all so so hear me at 40 I see different watch this I'mma see if you catch it therefore tell the people whoever is timid and Afraid may leave this mountain and go home so 22,000 went home did you see it what you saw 22,000 what you saw afraid what you saw they were scary you want to know what I see at 40 he never told him to leave the word says if they are timid and afraid they may he never told them to leave

he just gave them an option and scary people going to do what scary people going M go next slide Leslie they they missed what I said so so who do I need to let go of I got a let go of people who lack aspiration 22,000 people left cuz they were scared they lack Michael aspiration what's the definition of aspiration aspiration is a hope or ambition of achieving something 22,000 people were comfortable where they were all they needed was an option to leave and you want to know what I discovered you don't know who's with

you until they have the option not to be I'm teaching today you don't know who with you until they have the option not to be 22,000 people said nah you can have this I'd rather lose my Harvest every year 22,000 people said nah I ain't going to dream on that level I just rather stay where I am 22,000 people said nah you got to think deeper I'd rather my kids grw up in the same cycle like me I'm going to go home y y'all tired of me but before I leave I want it I know

everybody in here and everybody watching me online don't want it but I just want to be very clear I want it y I'm not in this to be normal I'm not in this to be average and church has tricked us into believing that if you saved you can't have ambition there is nothing wrong with with ambition but there is something wrong with unchecked ambition yeah no no I want it see when you know who you are and what God called you to be no I want it no I I I want to smoke no I

want to be responsible for saving young lives all over this city I want to be responsible for helping change the economic impact of people who are in struggling positions I want to smoke no I want it I'm not afraid I'm not afraid no ain't nothing scary about me i' be walking around here talking bold and don't bitm be having none of what I be saying I got it I be sitting and me hey how you doing yeah I was calling inquiring about those 30 Acres you had over there oh man yeah man we want 2.7

million oh wow that's it man wow wow wow I'll tell you what let me call my CFO real quick and figure out how we going to do this we're going to do cash or financing man wow man have you already done a property spec of it all right let me call you back hang 2.7 million I ain't scared ain't scared if you don't inquire how you Michael if you don't inquire about it how you know what to pray about let's let's go they tired of me I'm not even going to play 22,000 left cuz they

were scared I wonder what would happen if you gave your circle options hey y'all I'm just giving y'all the heads up in January you know Pastor Mike Rock City going to do a 21 day fast so I'm asking everybody in my circle to do this 21-day fast with me and we not going to do something like social media we going to do a hard one we're going to do like just let it we going to do a Daniel Fast we going to do something hard if they look at you like oh that's good for you

I'm so proud of you what they really saying is okay hold on hold on let me let me free you let me free you 22,000 Le because they were scared then God says you still got too many 10,000 too many he said this what we going to do then he said this is what we going to do I need you to catch this he says take them down to the brook and get some water this how we going to test them everybody who puts the water in their hand and drinks it out their hand we

going to keep them but everybody who gets on their knees to drink the water out the lake we going to send them home only 300 menlion drank from their hands what does that mean Pastor Mike it's hard to win with thirsty [Music] people he says we going to separate the next Group by thirst y'all don't like me y'all don't like me but it's cool in the game let me show you what he says he says sometimes execution requires elimination so the first thing we need to do is let go of everybody who lack aspiration secondly

we got to let go of everybody who lack [Music] alignment alignment he says no I can't I can't do this why pmj I need you to catch this because they were too thirsty why why is that important Pastor Mike that's important important because I need you to understand God is not just concerned with your win he's concerned with the way you wi all right alignment alignment who need a front end alignment anybody all right okay all right need a front end alignment I had a girl at the first service I said who needed she said

she threw a hand up I told I'm going to get your front in alignment all right so we going to take her car this week get her friend in alignment but she had me weak cuz here if you need a alignment I want you to answer this question if you take your hand off the steering wheel which way your car going who car going left throw your hand up right there you go right there who car going right anybody ain't it crazy cuz you be driving and if you just take your hand off the steer

wheel for a second what that thing do it's like it's like your car just be like and you be sitting there like uh but your car is not in alignment four tires let's let's play Devil's Advocate four tires equal four people your core four can I ask you a question are y'all drifting and if so which Tire need to be changed or what needs to be re cuz what we value determines what we do he tells him he says get rid of them he's left with 300 people you want to know something I never paid

attention to and I didn't say this at the 9:00 I'm going to say it to you guys if you look at verse eight is on the screen I want you to catch this so Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the 300 who took over the provisions and the trumpets of the others y'all missed it so because he had the right 300 the 300 kept all the stuff the 30,000 had so instead of 30,000 getting one 300 got [Music] 10 and look at what happens The Story Goes On to say that the

300 blew their horns in verse 22 when the 300 blew their Rams Horn I want you to listen very carefully the Lord caused the Warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords I don't think you caught that when they blew the horn because they were in agreement 300 sounded like 30,000 watch this and the sound of the trumpet and the Lord caused their enemies to turn and fight each other and those that were not killed ran far away I'm going to send you home I'm sending you home I'm sending you home

four weeks ago I told you God called Gideon a what Warrior four weeks ago I told you God called Gideon a what this ain't a trick question what do Warriors do can I ask you a question if they blew a trumpet and the people killed each other and the other people ran when did Gideon ever fight I'll tell you he fought through insecurity when God called him he fought through fear when God was taking people away see you keep thinking God going to annoint you to fight physically for we wrestle not against flesh and blood

but against principalities Gideon's a warrior cuz he understood in retrospect that the greatest fight you will ever fight takes place in your mind I don't mind sharing my story I wrestle so bad sometimes with anxiety I do I've gotten so much better bro so much better the more mature I come the more grateful I become I found out for me my anxiety was not tied to what I didn't have it was tied to what I felt I wasn't yet accomplishing you know it was the fear of rejection you know because you help so many people

I us to sit with my team and like man just what if everybody just walk away from me like how long can I keep this and and I would just sit up sometimes and just be thinking about problems that didn't even exist you know night I won artists of the year for the second night that was probably my lowest night I went downstairs in the lobby and I just sat in there and I was almost in tears cuz I was trying to figure out what I how I got there then I'm dealing with the pressure

of how do you do it again it's okay I got to figure this I got to figure this come come come come come I got to figure this buy this building devil tried me boy I told y I thought my fear would be we had enough to get the building but not enough to fix it hey whatever happened to this anxiety my boys big now 16 15 14 they're in locker rooms they're hearing about stuff they're dating they going places I I had to call and tell my mom sorry cuz I realized now if Xander

out it's hard to sleep it's like you made it in yet you where you at hey how y'all doing where you at where you at you know how I got better I adopted a spirit of gratefulness I had to start winning that war in my mind saying hey God loves you Michael that God God has an assignment for you Pastor Mike why are you telling me that you're my pastor you're supposed to have it all together I'm you with a microphone and I don't want to be a superstar I don't want you to look I'm

Not Jesus you come limp to me you might have to limp back I don't I don't I don't know if I got those Powers I don't know we're going to have to figure it out as we go boy in Jesus name ah it didn't work ah I tried that's all right all right but I tell you something I'm not I'm not afraid to trust God even with reservations even with fear father I stretch my hands to every person in this room and every person online I ask that their faith be renewed God I pray right

now for that mother who's doing it all by herself God she's a Superhero literally making sure that that baby misses Nothing in life I ask that you restore her strength and restore her joy and God I pray that she will never run out No Lack that God that provision is already in place just for her I thank you right now God for that wife who's holding that family together that wife who's the glue who puts that family before all that they do and they're constantly saying you know what God I'm going to make sure my

house right I'm going make sure my baby's good I'm going make sure he's good and sometime God she goes overlooked so right now God I ask that you would give her strength truth of the matter is she's strong but she's also tired so God I ask that you'll give her another portion of favor another portion of Grace another portion of strength God I thank you for that lady who's successful who's walking in her winning season who's seeing God do things she never thought he would do God make sure she keeps a spirit of humility understanding

that she's not winning just to show out but she's winning to be an example of what God can do if you remain faithful I thank you for that brother in the room God right now who who feels like he's in the best place of his life still has challenges but for the first time his Spirit just in a good place his heart in a good place his mind in a good place he not hanging with certain people like he used to as much but God he's slowly transitioning and becoming what you called him give him

Grace God God if you don't mind show him a sign this week that he's in the right direction God I thank you for that husband God I thank you for that father who goes above and beyond I ask God that you'll continue to give him everything he needs so he can be the man that you called him to be now God I want to say publicly if you don't do nothing you've already done enough God I just want to thank you for what you've already done sometimes we can get so caught up on waiting on

the next that we never thank you for the now so God I just thank you for what you've done now I thank you God that if this is it I can say thank you God I want to thank you for our children thank you for our life thank you for health God I pray for healing for those dealing with medical issues I pray for those dealing with mental challenges I pray for those dealing with spiritual deficits I pray for those dealing with financial impoverishment God I speak right now you are still Jehovah Gyra you were

still able to do exceeding and abundant above all we could ask or think God I just thank you for being God it's in Jesus name we pray and everybody say it come on stand to your feet clap your hands I love you so much did you get anything out of the word today anybody let me say this before you leave uh Pray My Strength today I'm jumping on as soon as we get out of here um um I have the minister in Kansas City uh it's a church in Kansas City God I felt God laid

on my heart to go speak at uh we're going there at Kansas City to play Pray My Strength but I have something I'm really excited about immediately following service downstairs we're doing something called Pathway to purpose for those of you who just want to go deeper in God and you want to discover purpose and find out more about what God's doing here at Rock City Church immediately following the service if you want to be a part of that that would be great hey Pastor Mike I have my kids with me it's okay we have child

care provider for that as well I'm super duper excited about it uh maybe you're in the room and you don't know Jesus and I want to say this man the greatest number that God has given us in 2023 is over 4,000 what is that over 4,000 people this year have said I want to give my life to God that's a good place to clap man what's really special about that is six months out of this year we were virtual so that just showed you what God is doing so if you're in this room and you

don't know Jesus maybe you want to give your life to Christ bro I can tell you the truth falling in love with God is the best thing I ever did man it saved my life from the depths of my heart I wouldn't be where I am in life without God if you're in this room and you want to give your life to Christ I don't want to call you to the front I don't want you to come up in front of everybody this between you and God you can just right where you are just bow

your head just say with me Lord come into my heart Make Me Over again I confess with my mouth I believe with my heart that you Rose from the grave with all power in your hands right now I am saved clap your hands right there man hear me if you're looking for a great church home you can simply text home to 28950 you can text home to 28950 we would love for you to be a part of our church I'm a little biased I think it's the best Church in the world we have people who

hug you 35 times and you get here cool people in the parking lot tell you at a park uh the guy who sings He sings really really well the band's great I'm pretty cool it's like a great church I would I would join it if I were you um so man if you want to do that you can text home to 28950 I love you from the depths of my heart if you're giving today you know how to give your tithing you can text IR rock with the amount you wish to give to 28950 that's

how I give I'm a texted Giver I text irck with my number the 28950 or if you want to give on your way out there's somebody at the door I love you guys so much were you blessed today heyen can you clap your hands for that father God our answer will forever be yes yes to your will yes to your word yes to your way and God I leave them today I actually bless their week I ask that you cover them this week God I pray for favor that doors are going to open that they

didn't even knock on that blessings will overtake them I pray a very simple prayer over their life God God that's your will nothing more nothing less nothing else it's in Jesus name we pray and everybody say it amen I love you guys I'll be right here next Sunday we are I love you God bless you God bless [Music] you listen it just gets better and better my God we go from Faith to Faith glory to glory amen high Y absolutely we thank God for our senior pastor um lady Jay the first family I tell you

there is a special allil and just anointing that rest on this house and there truly is no place like rock city um and speaking of there being no place like Rock City maybe you're ready to come home you are ready to make your next move your best move we talked about it earlier Jess over 4,000 soul or recomed to God and we're excited now to get those folks engaged and locked in and plugged in so that they can now be all that God has called them to be so text home to 28950 don't delay do

not best decision that you ever made amen amen and of course you know you don't want to hear a word like that and not get seed in the ground the Bible says that he gives seed to the SE there it is so you are sers yeah and we want you to text irck and the amount you wish to give to 28950 this is good ground and we're just so glad that you're giving to someone we're going to reach out to other Ministries reach out to other people and it's it's good ground absolutely we always say

that you don't give to it you through it yes absolutely and something I appreciate about P2P which is happening right after this is that they talk about the importance of giving of serving of loving people living out our mission loving God loving people and making a difference so maybe you're here and you're interested in participating in Pathway to purpose that's P2P you can actually join us immediately after service or maybe you're one of our fidal members right and you want to be able to fully engage you can also do so text P2P to 28950 you'll

receive the virtual link and you can log in and be in the room in the room yes we're still in the room and we're just ready to grow right it's all about growing amen So speaking of growing one great way to do that is Monday through Friday with Deo energy yes at 7:21 standard stand stand yeah Central Standard okay there it is yeah Central Standard amen praise God praise God yeah mhm but we want you there right you don't want to miss it be consistent wake up and spend that time with God in the morning

on dvo energy because it's powerful each and every day amen listen we are out of time but we're definitely not out of message definitely because we will see you bright and early in the morning uh from Pastor Mike lady Jay and all of us here at Rock City we love you God blessed we'll see you soon [Music] peace