seated for just a moment. Amen. Amen. Um I'm sure we're going to work that out. Amen. Praise God. Well, it's good to see everybody, of course, and um my heart is delighted. We are grateful. We were supposed to be going to surprise uh Jerry's family and they came and surprised us. Praise the Lord. Y'all are here tonight. granny and auntie and cousin in them. So, we are grateful. We get a chance to hang out a little bit after service. We thank God uh to see them, of course, in the house. And before we get into the word tonight, I know we have change, but I need to give an announcement. Um after service, we need all the brothers. So, that's why I'm sharing it before change go out for all you young men um that y'all could help out. We need to um change the children's church room for Saturday to get it ready for the u back to school drive. Amen. And so I just need all the young men and older men at that for that matter just the men that we would come together. Let's go ahead and knock that out with uh in the children's church the round tables, a couple of roundts and I'm sure there'll be someone to give us instruction on exactly how they want it set up. And so we will do what we got to do and then go ahead and hang out in the parking lot like y'all do anyway. Praise the Lord. So it's not like you're going home. We just before you leave, just help us do that. Amen. Amen. Praise the Lord. And um with that being said, I guess now we can change. Y'all can go ahead as we are preparing for the word. Want to um make another announcement as they're going out. Keep uh Eldress Odet in your prayers. She'll be leaving out tonight. Um her great aunt passed away and um her services are tomorrow in Detroit. Praise the Lord. But we want to keep um Odette and her family in prayer. We thank God. I think um her aunt was 94 or eight. I can't one of the two, but she uh was it 94? 94. So, praise God. We celebrate 94 years of living. Amen. And so, we want to make sure that y'all keep her in your prayers. And and uh thank God that as as the Lord Shhatter is coming, we are a day closer to 94 ourselves. Amen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. It don't mean nothing yet. It will. It will. When you get a little older, you start appreciating every single day. Amen. And it's just it's a blessing to still be in this side of of uh what my dad called the land of the dying. Um praise the Lord because truthfully there is no dying there. So we are grateful nonetheless and we thank God. But I want to get into the word tonight. I'm excited about what God is saying and doing. And all week I've been saying God has a sense of humor. U in particular because of where we are tonight as we are traveling through these five major discourses of Jesus in the book of Matthew. Tonight we're still dealing with the sermon on the mount and we're in Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6. So if you would stand with me for the reading of God's word. We'll begin at verse number 19. Matthew chapter 6 verse number 19. Praise the Lord. And um I'm reading out of the King James version of the Bible, of course, uh my favorite. Amen. But uh if you could just follow along with whatever translation you have. We will use a few others before we're done tonight. Matthew 6:19. Are you there? The Bible says, "Lay up for yourselves, Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through." Praise the Lord. Where thieves do not break through or steal. Verse 21 says, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light is of the body, the light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be y'all there evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness? No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. You may have your seats in the presence of our lifechanging king. We are thankful tonight, Father, for your word. And we pray that it will go forth with power, with clarity, and with understanding. Thank you in advance for those who have come to hear. And I pray, God, that we all have an ear to hear what the spirit of the Lord is saying. That the word we receive tonight will fall on good ground and take deep root in our hearts, bringing forth fruit that would glorify you. and you alone. And for that we bless you. We thank you in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Here we are uh still dealing with the sermon on the mount. The sermon on the mount. And interestingly enough tonight we uh picked this up with last time I was with you. We were talking about um the when when we said you know the Bible says in Matthew 6 when you pray I mean rather when you give your arms and then it mentions when you pray and when you fast and we were saying it's a win for us when we do those things. And now it's only fitting that as we move through this and that here we find ourselves in Matthew chapter 6 uh verse 19 where Jesus is dealing with treasures and and uh the treasures encouraging us to have treasures in heaven. And what I want to talk to us tonight as far as a title is concerned is how to measure your treasure. How to measure your treasure. Now, um, Sunday, I I'm telling you, God has a sense of humor. I've been I've been, uh, just kind of cracking up within myself, if you will, uh, because Sunday, we close Sunday afternoon, Sunday's morning session or service by saying, repeat after me. Y'all remember that? Tell your soul you ain't the boss me. I mean, and we said it, we said it a few times. Tell your soul, soul, you ain't the boss me. Y'all remember that? Now, and I remember saying this and I I'm not a prophet, but as at the same time, it's almost like I I would that some of the things we say don't come to pass. But I told you that within 24 hours, some of you your souls are going to be like, "You sure about that?" And I'll just leave it at that. All I know is on Monday, by Monday, some of your souls not only was in control, he had silenced your spirit. Y'all don't have to say nothing. You don't have to say nothing. And the reason most of it was, you ready? Money. Wow. Now, the scary thing is that money can affect me that way. What's scarier still is what Jesus said and then the humor of God knowing that we would be right here tonight in the midst of money issues talking about how to measure your treasure. Y'all still here? I'm telling you, I've been laughing all day. And it's it's funny because God and only God would have known we would have been right here. Matthew chapter 6 verse 19- 24 on this day in the month of July when money has been an issue in our lives especially some in the last week or two pastor you pick it on us we are following the scripture last time I was with you I was in verse 18 the next verse is verse 19 and verse 19 is a verse that's talking to Destiny Christian Center about their treasure and the way many of your souls reacted reflects where the measure of your treasure is. So, let me just get in my word because I don't I I'm already I thought I'd have something I mean in by way of response, but it's going to be this quiet. I might as well just just hit this thing because money, muffins, and mama. And then we threw in another M that m that meal. You talk about my mama, my money, my muffins. I guess you can call your muffins, your babies, and your food. But you, it's amazing. Christians get uptight. And all of those things that I just mentioned are all things that are only necessary on earth. And if they bother me to that degree, I'm revealing where my mind is most of the time, things on earth. And if my mind is there, the Bible says, as a man thinkketh where? in his heart. So is he. How does the thoughts in my mind get to my heart? They stay there long enough until they find themselves resting in my heart. And once they get in my heart, they stay there. And I'm going to show you in a minute. They don't just stay there. They get stored there and begin to direct and dictate my day. Y'all still here? So let's look at this. The Bible says that we are to lay not up for ourselves treasures upon the earth. Now already and I know I'm gonna have to explain it because he didn't say go to heaven broke. That's not what he's talking about. He didn't say don't have a checking account, savings account, dividends. He didn't say that. He says don't lay up your treasure. So when we look at this, we got to make sure we understand first of all what is he talking about? Because if you notice up to this point in this m this sermon on the mount Jesus has been dealing with spiritual matters. Now he goes and starts talking about some practical things. And what part of is because he's showing us that this will this walk with the Lord though it's vertical it must be walked out horizontally. You understand? You can't be so heavenly minded that you're no earthly good. We got to dwell on this side. We're still connected to God, but how do we deal with this thing called life, this earth that we're living on? Now, the Bible says in John chapter 17, Jesus prays in the priestly prayer, he says this in in John 17:14, he says, "If I have given," he says, "I have given them thy word," right? "And the world have hated them because they are not of the world." We are not of the world. Y'all see this? Even as I am not of the world. Verse 15, it says, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world." Now watch this. We're not of the world, but he's not going to take you out of the world. Which means I got to function in this world. So he said, I'm not going to pray that you should take them take them out of the world. But what are you praying? That thou should is keep them from the evil. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. So he's saying, listen, you've got to learn how to function in the earth without succumbing to the ways of the earth. You got to learn how to function in the world without succumbing to the ways of the world. In other words, can you just be a standout believer in this world? Or do you have to be so worldly no one believes you believe? Sir, are y'all here? And most of what's revealed in our lives, this is crazy, Elder Hannah, it's not drinking, smoking, cussing, cheating. Those are not the identifiers that most believers have with the world. Most believers, what we have in common with the world is we will fight over mama. Don't talk about my meals. Don't you dare put your mouth on my muffins. And whatever you do, don't mess with my money. Yes sir. Isn't it amazing? We act the same way the world does about money. When we of all people should have the revelation of what money is for. The very name money. What we call money is currency. Currency. If a river is not moving is not a river. Yes sir. What makes a river a river is the current. Most believers money is as stale as the Dead Sea because you won't let it move. Y'all still here? Yes, sir. So, here it is. We're dealing with money. Yes, sir. Yes, we are. I I Yes, I was waiting, but okay, maybe y'all didn't get that. We are dealing with money. And where's the measure? We're the measure of your treasure. What's the measure of my treasure? Now, we think of measure. What's the measure? That's the amount. Or when we think of when we say measure, it's the the amount. Remember the scripture says in Luke 6:38, it says, you know, give and it shall be given unto you, right? And here's what it uses. It uses a a word that many times we overlook. It says, for with the same measure, right? Given it shall be given unto you of a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will men give into your bosom. For with the same measure. So basically what he's saying is what you receive is predicated upon the measure that you give out. The reason so many believers are one paycheck away for being broke because you never went beyond the measure of giving more. Y'all don't have to say a whole lot because we are listen we find ourselves as tight as the world believing God won't buy it unless it's on sale. Y'all so saved tonight. We won't buy it unless it's on sale. Really? We're hoping somebody else would buy it for us and we'll call it a blessing because we don't know how to save and get what we want. Well, that's not true. We know exactly how to save and get what we want. We just don't know how to save and buy and do what we're supposed to do. So, we find ourselves getting what we want, begging for what we need, and wondering why God won't answer our prayer. Yes, sir. Sound just like the world. Yes, sir. So, where is my treasure? How do I measure my treasure? Watch this. There's two kinds. And I got some points. I probably won't get through them all, Emani. So, you know what? I'm just going to give you one at a time. Okay? I'm just g at a time. That way you can't say you didn't get to number three. I didn't tell you I had three. I'm giving you one at a time. The first one, watch this. Because in this, I love it. I almost called this choose your treasure because Jesus says in this paricipe, Lisa, he says, listen, make sure that you do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth because there's moss down here and corruption. This stuff is going to pass away anyway. The Bible says everything that can be shaken will be shaken. And everything on earth will be burnt up. So what we're storing up, we're storing up stuff that's going to be burnt up. Yes, sir. Then you flip the coin. And he says, "But when as relates to sending it up to him, make sure you send up precious metals and gold and silver. And some going to send up wood stay and hubble wood. Wood rather wood, hay, and stubble." Now here's the challenge. He said, "Now, whatever you sin, know this, it will be tried in the fire." Now, once it's tried in the fire, what does that mean? The only thing that survives the fire is something that it can handle it. Wood stay wood, hay, and stubble cannot handle fire. No sir. No sir. Money is made out of wood. Wood is wood is the source of paper. Money is made out of paper. It cannot stand the fire. But yet and still, we'll kill somebody for it. will kill somebody for what we can't even present before God. I can't get much help, but that's okay. I can't. Now, watch this. We've put value. Even my wife, praise the Lord. I love my wife. M granny, I love my wife. I love her so much that I bought her a bigger rock than the rock I gave her when we first got married. So, Troy, no pressure. Listen, you No pressure. The rocks grow with marriage. That's why some people never get to the second ring cuz they didn't get to the second half of their marriage. You understand? It's a shame. Brother got divorced before he even paid off the little Zale's ring. Make sure you you you understand? But here's my point. She got this nice diamond. You know what a diamond is? What is a diamond? Anybody? It's a stone. What is a stone? It's a rock. Yes, sir. We put value on it. I can't get no help. gold. These are things that are in the earth. Yes, sir. And we will kill over these things and never get our character right. Never put value on integrity. Are y'all here? Your house is nothing but mater bricks, you know, plaster, wood, drywall. Everything we have on earth was built from earth. Yeah, but we've because of the world system, we've bought into the world system and we put value on the very things that the world puts value on to the degree that when it comes to trusting God, it all depends on how much of what we value we have. Mess with my money, it messes with my faith. Yes, sir. That blows my mind. [Music] the threat of losing your job. You don't sleep at night. You might have diabetes. You say, "Well, I've got to die from something." No, I ain't gave you the point. I'm I said I haven't gave you the point. I haven't got a point. I said I have a point. I'm giving it to you. I haven't come on. I ain't g the point yet. Here's the point. Here's the point. There's two of everything. Point number one, there's two two Say two. Two. There's two treasures. There's two kind of riches, if you will. Two kind. What do you mean two kind? Well, there's earthly riches and there's heavenly riches. There's two. Choice is mine. And scriptur is right here. Notice what he says. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth. Well, why would he say that? Unless that's one of the treasures. There are earthly treasures. Earthly treasures. We got all this stuff. Thank God for the accumulation of stuff. But most people, most people, what do we do? We're so, this is how selfish we are. It's sad to say. And not y'all. Not y'all. I'm talking to people that might hear this later. Nobody in here, of course. But folk are so selfish, Troy. They won't even, they won't even get a will, right? And then on the flip side of that, the family so dog on selfish, they will stop speaking to one another over what was not left to them. [Applause] Ain't nobody stopped coming to the family reunion cuz they didn't get pastor's notes. I mean, you know, granddaddy's notes or grandpa's Bible. Yes, sir. How'd he get the car material? How'd she get the house material? Why don't you have money for your own house by now? Grandpa lived that long to leave houses and you didn't learn how to buy one. Measure. measure measure of my treasure. He says, listen, the earthly riches, number one, watch this, earthly riches, they are not to be laid up. Be careful. Why? Because they're going to be corrupted. How do we know they're going to be corrupted? He just says it. He says, "Where moth and rust doth what?" Corrupt them. What is a moth? Anything earthly eventually is going to go back. You don't believe it? Go to the cemetery. I don't care how much you spent on that box. Open it up. I don't care how airtight it was, how much inbalming fluid they put in there. Go there and see what happens naturally. Whatever is of the earth eventually goes, but we put more valuable on it. As if we're not going to leave this place. Yes, sir. Y'all still here? And so when it comes to this, watch this. People will kill over it. There's a song back in the day. I think it was the OJ's. For the love of money, right? Money, money, money. That was it. Money, money, money. For it said people will they will kill their brother, right? And hate their mother. Why? Are y'all here? Now y'all act like y'all don't want to sing the song now. That's okay. Thank y'all for being saved. I get it. I get it. I'm not going to admit it. You ain't got to sing the song. Watch this. You know the truth of it. There's people right now you ain't speaking to cuz every time you see them they want some of your and then what's crazy you don't even have to tell people no I don't get it. You rather lie to them just say no I ain't getting no more of my money sir get your own money and when they say see you supposed to be a Christian I'm a Christian. I'm in your Bible. There was 10 versions. Five was wise and five was foolish. You sound like a fool right now. Get your own. If I give you my money ain't going to have no money for myself. Get your own. Y'all thought I was going somewhere. See it's in our Bible. We live by this two kinds of riches. Earthly riches. They are not to be laid up. Why? Because they are corrupt. And what's going to happen? This was crazy. Earthly riches, you cannot count on them. Because it says, "Where thieves break through and steal, the thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy, earthly riches were meant for the earth. Now, here's how good God is. When you when I'm when you or I am kingdom- minded, God gives you earthly goods to keep you going on the earth because you're focused on the kingdom. He told Abram, not Abraham, oh my goodness. He told Abram before he even changed his name, blessing, I will bless you. Now, what does that mean? Do you understand? Because we said, "No, blessing. I will bless you." Now, here's the prerequisite. You be a blessing and you'll never run out of stuff to bless people with. Stop being a blessing and I'll just go ahead and stop blessing you. I got Bible. Y'all looking real strange, but that's okay. Here's another one. The scripture says there was a widow. Her husband died. He was a broke preacher. Yeah. Yes, sir. It's in your Bible. Broke preacher. He could preach, but he was a poor steward. And the Bible says he died and the creditors came for his sons to pay off the debt. We'll just take your boys and make them our slaves. She said to the she ran to the man of God to Elisha and she said, "Listen, the creditors have come to take my sons away because my husband died broke." That's another message. However, this is what he said. What do you have in your house? And she said, "Well, all I got is a cruise of oil." This is when the scripture gives us permission to borrow when it's to benefit you and the kingdom. Watch this. He said, "Go borrow vessels and that not not not a few. Get as many as you can. And once you've done it, bring them in and close the door. You don't let people see what's going on." That's part of the reason why we're so frustrated. You don't know how to keep quiet when you do get it. And then when you lose it, you act like you lost your milk and cookies. Well, if nobody knew you had cookies, if you would have had it all on Facebook, look at my cookies. You know what I'm saying? So, so anyway, now she closes the door. But here's the point, Robert. The Bible says he he said, "Okay, now pour it." She started pouring the oil and she kept pouring. She kept pouring and as long as it was something to pour into, there was oil. The moment she ran out of something to pour into, there was no need for her to have anything to pour. Amen. Amen. One reason why Christians are poor two O's is because they won't pour owe you into anything. And if you won't pour into anything, you've already told him you don't need him to pour into you, so you pour. This makes too much sense to me. And we equate poverty and riches both with money only. When money is the lowest form of poverty. I mean the lowest form form of prosperity. It's the lowest form of prosperity. How do we know? Because if it takes money to make you happy, you've already said Jesus ain't enough. Because he didn't give his only Listen, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. He did not give you his only begotten diamond. He did not give you his most precious jewel. He gave you his son. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So, what he's saying is, if my son is not enough to keep you happy, you've already told me the measure of your treasure. Boy, is this. I didn't know y'all was going to be this tight tonight. Again, I should have known it was going to be a little bit because we're talking about that mighty dollar that's only mighty because we made it that dollar was never to speak that loud in your life. It was supposed to be something you control the volume of. Are y'all listening to me? So, we got two two kinds of riches. We got earthly riches. Now, heavenly riches. It's right there. Verse 20. But lay up for yourselves treasures where in heaven. How do I do that? How about just do what the will of the Lord is? Whatever God tells you to do, do it. And you lay it up. I I told I was talking to uh we were at a funeral. Praise God. And and I you know um I was talking with with elders Phyllis and I said, you know, because they do the the and please hear me. I don't don't please don't y'all don't I almost don't even shouldn't say it. I we didn't let stuff creep into the church. I don't know where this stuff comes from. I guess make it just make us feel good. I don't know. You know, so but now now there's this thing and and it happens. It happens more than often more often than not, I should say, where they crown the deceased. You know, y'all been where they then then, okay, if you're going to crown them, put a crown on. I ain't tripping, you know. Go ahead. But we got to make it a spectacle. You got a you got a sache down the you know and all of a sudden it's all about you and you bring this crown and you put it on his head and here's what the Lord and I leaned over and I said I said don't y'all crown me. Don't do that because see that crown you put on that deceased head was made on earth and if it stays there I don't even know if they take it back off and recycle it there. I don't know how that work, but don't look down though. But anyway, all I know is that crown is perishable. The scripture says there are there is a crown laid up for the righteous. Now, here's the problem. This is my this is me. Talking about me. Y'all got that disclaimer? Write it down. He's talking about him. So, don't y'all say he talking about your mama or your grandma. Talking about me. I don't know who told you you have a crown. cuz the Bible does talk about ground crowns, but it does not promise everyone gets one. Now, I know the the song said you got two wings or six wing, however many wings they gave you to cover your head and your feet and all that stuff. You're not an angel, fallen or otherwise. You understand? So, you don't get wings when you get to heaven. You ain't got a robe. All God's children got a robe. That's not Bible either. And you certainly aren't guaranteed a crown. There are crowns laid up, but everybody don't get them and everybody not going to get the same amount because crowns are part of the reward. Are y'all here? So why am I saying that? Because what we've done even in those services, we have basically tried, it's almost a mockery of what God said, I'm going to do. I'm not crowning the deceased. I'm gonna give crowns as part of the reward to you for the way you lived. And if you was chasing dollars on earth, how in the world do you think you're gonna afford any stones and a crown in heaven? What if the crown he has for you is predicated on how you handle money down here? If you chase the dollar instead of Christ, why should he put a crown on your head? Good word, sir. Are y'all here? Yes, sir. Now I got to move because already, you know, my time is going and it's getting tightened here. So they they are to be laid up. Heavenly treasures are to be laid up. But here's the key. They are incorruptible. Now, what I love about heavenly treasures is this. Since it's in heaven, he don't have to show it to me here. Did you? Since it's He don't have to show it to me here. But we are a quote unquote walk by faith people. Where in reality we are more like a walk by one eye on it people because the scripture says we walk by faith and not by sight. Yet we don't believe God is blessing us unless we can see it. Amen sir. Yes sir. that that poor man Lazarus saw nothing prosperous on the earth. But obviously begging at the rich man's gate, he did something worthy of sending up treasures to heaven. Because when he and the rich man died, the rich man lifted up his eyes in hell. And that poor beggar wasn't just in heaven, he was in the bosom of Abraham. Yes, sir. How'd he get there? And why Abraham instead of Jesus? Because Jesus hadn't died yet. Are y'all here? And so the Bible says that now the rich man is trying to, hey, can we flip this? No. You had your time to be rich. Now in hell, you realize it was a vapor. I would have made you rich in both places. But you showed me the measure of your treasure. You wanted the riches more than you wanted me. And I said this, it's gonna be difficult because William, who in the world is going to admit, I want money more than God? At least in this room. Who in the world would dare say, "I'd rather have more God, I mean more money than God." But our display, especially when the money, y'all know it, gets funny. God ain't never got funny. But when the money get funny, I begin to question the good word, sir. Sir, when the money gets funny, I began to question the supplier of my need. But I was supplying your money. I mean, your need before the money had a humor. You was Let me Okay, I'm gonna go back up here. Just I got I got I'm gonna give you another point, Tro, because this is good for you. See this age gap right here? This big gap. It's a age gap. It's different for you than than your grandpa. But watch this. This is going to bless you. Last night, me and Pastor She was sitting outside in our backyard. Well, she was out there and I was like, I ain't going to leave out there by herself. So, I went out there with her. Don't it was whatever. 30 33 years. It wasn't a romantic moment. I'm just don't don't try to steal my y'all. Newly wear that. Newly wear everything romantic. You know what I'm saying? I just went outside with my wife. But anyway, I pulled up the the chair next to her and we looking up at the stars. Yeah. See, there's that one, babe. Look, I That's a plane, sweetie. No, it can't be. It's a plane. See? See? It's bleeping. It's See, that's a plane. It's all good. And she said, "Well, there's the Big Dipper. I see it. That must be the Northstar." Yep. We're just out there. Now, watch this. You know what the Lord said to me today? The Big Dipper was there when you lived in the projects. Oh, you better catch this. [Applause] perspective. Yes, sir. You ain't never want to sit on your stoop in the projects and look up and thank me. Say Big Dipper when you was a boy is the one your boy will look at. Yes, sir. Cuz he's the same. And you tripping off of money. Hallelujah. Have I moved the Big Dipper? Have I made the North Star the south one? Am I not the same God? I'm telling you, I told Pastor Sheila, we heard some news recently and folk didn't went I mean, I ain't going to call him crazy, but I was amazed at some of the stuff I'm hearing Christians say. I'm just say that. Um, but I said, "God," and I told, I said, "Babe, I feel funny because I have so much peace, sir." That's what I said. Sir, I have so much peace. I feel like I'm being naive. I told her, I said, "Babe, I something is wrong that I've got this much peace cuz the Big Dipper that was in the project, guess what? If your address changed to Rodeale Drive on a clear night, look up. Same big dipper. Same big dipper. He's the same God. And I'm tripping off of some. It's the measure of your treasure for where your treasure is. It's two two riches. Y'all got it? Earthly. And now watch this, baby. It gets better. It gets better. Go to Can I get Go to Go to Matthew 19. Matthew 19. Here's where we miss it many times. I'm okay on time, y'all. All right? Because I I need to get somewhere. I might even Silky. I might get to my second point. I'm tell I'm feeling good. I might because here's what's crazy. We serve a God. I ain't got to yet, but it's in your Bible. Matthew chapter 6. We'll get there if the Lord should tear it next time. Because he says, "I know what you have need of. when now I don't think y'all understand. I can't mess with that tonight. We'll get to that later. But if he knows what I have need of, think about this. When the baby is first born, what do they need? Okay. Milk, diapers, mama. That's good. We got some more. Milk. Milk. Mama. Diapers. Well, we'll go say clothes. Nurturing with Norama got that. Okay, we're gonna put mama. Mama's a nurturer. We got milk, right? We got the snacks. We're gonna give them milk for now. We can't give them snacks yet. There's just milk, right? So, we got milk. We got the diapers. They need And truthfully, the diapers are for us. Tell the truth. The baby needs the milk. We need the diapers. So that whenever the milk goes through the baby that cuz the diaper really come on tell the truth cuz cuz the puppies don't wear diapers. You know what I'm saying? They just you know but anyway here's why I say that. Watch this. This is amazing and I promise you this is why I believe we get stuck because a baby is born with needs without knowing what they need. But the one who gave birth knows. Yes sir. Are y'all here now? I don't know what they do anymore. My baby is 30. Thank you, Jesus. I don't know what they do anymore, Troy. But they used to literally help the expectant mother learn how to nurse the baby. Cuz when that baby get here, he or she gonna want to latch on. Yes, sir. Now, I know we got bottles and all that, but even as a baby, even if there's no nursing, that bottle needs to have some milk in it. Yes, sir. Here's the problem. The baby, because you're a good mom, you give the baby what they when they're born, but then you slip into that's my baby, and you forget need and start giving him what you want. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So the baby three months old and got gold studs in their ears. Oh, it's the truth. You understand? And I ain't even tripping. I ain't tripping. Do that now. Don't y'all do that. You know what I'm saying? Don't y'all do that. But the rest, y'all do that. Do what you want to do. I ain't tripping. But the reason I say that, watch this. But a year later, you still trying to give the baby a bottle? Yes, sir. You done took the bottle and put Kool-Aid in it. Now you didn't went from supplying the baby's need to creating bad habits. Do I need to come back up? That's good. Cuz what does the baby need at birth? No. Anybody ever bought puppies you from a breeder? You you no? So what hap if I if the if your if your dog had a litter tonight, do I get the puppy tomorrow? Why not? It's mine. I bought Why can't Why? What you got to do? Cuz that baby needs its mother. Why? Cuz that's the source right now. Source. And when the baby gets past that source, give me about six, eight weeks, you can have a puppy. Why? Cuz now you can introduce the puppy to why we got Christians mad at God. Cuz when you should have grown on the bottle. Yes, sir. You grew fond of the bottle and now you spit out milk because he used to supply all of your financial need. My God shall supply. That's what my Bible said. You know you can't you know when you quartered with your neck you know you you know it's in the Bible say when you use your neck you know that's in the Bible. My Bible say my God shall supply all of my need according to his riches. Watch out now in glory in through and by Christ Jesus. Pastor. It does say that. Uhuh. However, Jesus didn't say that. Paul said that. Amen. two people who supplied his need. Uh oh. Uh oh. Because you give, you'll never go without because my God shall supply all your need. That scripture is not a universal verse. It's a verse to maturing believers that have gotten past needing God to always meet their need. He said, "I already know what you need." What I'm trying to figure out why you still stuck on need. If he still had a bottle in his mouth, every adult in here would be saying, "Y'all the ones that's crazy." Parent, why have you not got that baby checked out? True. Something's wrong with that baby if he that old and still on the milk. No wonder why the demonic forces of this world look at folk who say they're saved and question our God. Because something's wrong with a God that will allow this person to be connected to him this long and still be on milk. Sir, I didn't write it. The Bible says you ought to be teachers by now. But you still you still need the elementary doctrines. We supposed to been way past that. We're still talking about how to get over not having money when I already told you I supply all your need. The Big Dipper was there in the project and I supplied your need. How do I know you still here? You ain't in the project no more. So what? I don't get it. But here it is. I got to move on, babe. I got to move on. I I need to give you I told you, Imani, number two. I love this because watch this, babe. I wasn't even gonna go here. No, actually, I can't. I told y'all to go Matthew 19. I might not get to number two. I'm gonna get there because I told you, but I might not get past. Matthew chapter 19. I need you to see this, baby. I almost forgot this. This is so good. Matthew 19 verse 20. Are you there? 19:20. Talking about the young richer ruler. Y'all still there? Matthew 19:20. Notice what it says. The young man saith unto him, "All these things have I kept from my youth." He been in church all his life. What? What lack I yet? Now remember, he came, he had riches and he had a religious pedigree, but something was missing. Y'all still with me? Verse 21, what does it say? Verse 21, Jesus said unto him, if thou will be perfect, now what's perfect? If you want to grow up, if you will be perfect, go and sell that thou hast. Now, so far we good because I understand that. That's how I make my money. Sell a little barter. I got this. Okay. Then he said, "And give it to the poor." Okay. He must be talking about some write offs. Okay. Okay. We good so far. We Okay. And then he says, "And thou shalt have treasure in heaven." Where's the treasure? In heaven. Where? Where? Where's the treasure? In heaven. What gets him the treasure in heaven? Giving what he has away on earth. Yes, sir. What keeps us from getting treasures in heaven? Hoarding what we have on earth. Don't mean you give it all away. You talk about an imitation. He only the Bible says this when he it says when he had been fasting and praying all night and then the Bible says that he went up on the mountain. He sat down. He called to himself whom he would. And of those that came, he chose 12. You, you, you. Yeah. Come on. You to be with him. and he ordained them to be with him and then sent them out. And he called those 12 apostles. Now, that's 12 that we know. He singlehandedly said, "You, you, you, come on." No one else. Yeah. Until him. Wow. Wow. Remember the man in the tombs full of devils? He begged, "Can I go?" He said, "No, just go tell people." Gave him impression. Just go be an evangelist. Go tell people what I did. This one, man, you know I liked you, man. There's something about you. I tell you what, do that and follow me. I'mma make 13. I'll make it 13. I'mma show you. I'mma make it third. I'm giving you permission. Pete, scoot over. Make room for him. I'm going to make you my number 13. That doctor said, "But I gave up I I got to give up everything I got though to follow you. Can we Can I um Can I call a friend? You know what's that? And phone a friend or what they do?" Hold up. Um, so let me get this everything. Yeah. And uh sell it. No, give it to the poor. They can't even give it back. At least I can run run up on a rich man. Remember that time? Poor folk. What did they The poor can't ever give it back? Give it to the poor. Now when you do that, come follow me because I like you. Are y'all here? Yes, sir. Now, um, it's in our Bible, and I don't want y'all to don't before y'all before y'all crucify that young rich man, I know by the spirit of the Lord, everyone in this room, he's asked us to give up something, come follow me. Hold up. Hold up. Hold up, y'all. Chill. I'm waiting. I'mma get Come on. Go get that up. Get that up. Come on. That Lord, I got that. How about this? No, I don't want that. Give me thy son, Ishmael. Nope. The one you love. Sir, this. Why don't you take this knucklehead, boy? Nope. I don't want him. I want that one that you won't let me get between you and him. I want that one. So, the rich ruler said, watch this. Verse 22. I love it. Because he had a choice. Remember, there's choices. Which which treasure? Listen, you're going to take earthly riches. I just told you I'm get I ain't promised Peter. I ain't promised Peter this. I just told him I make him fishes of men. I'm telling you cuz you rich. Peter was a fisherman. I'll make you fishes of men. You rich. I'll make sure you'll be rich in heaven. Dark side. I got to wait to die. I'm rich right now. Why would I give up what I got right now? I can follow you. Especially in today's church. I ain't got to follow you like that. I ain't the preacher. Come on, sir. I can follow you from afar and still make it in, can I? Yep. And all of them riches that you drug up to heaven, they gone. Or do you don't believe the scripture says I I y'all do know somebody? Hell is hot. We got that. But you know what makes hell hell, don't you? The absence of God. It ain't the heat. Because God himself is a consuming and no one gets into heaven without passing through the door of fire because everything will be tried. So you drag all your riches on up there. Can you imagine if God's a consuming fire, he burned a bush that didn't burn that same fire and you drug all your riches. I mean, you know, you had to back it up because you had so much. You know what I'm saying? You got it all up there. You got it all. every coin. Okay. Where God at? Well, what's that pile of ashes? That's your riches up here. I paved my streets with what you value on earth. The door you came through was made out of a pearl. My throne, the floor, the Bible says the floor was clear. Come on, man. So what we're treasuring, God is using as heavenly material, trying to show us when you get to me, these things won't matter. You'll have great riches. But here's what happens. Money on this side, it does get good. So the man said, "Hold up." Uh when he heard this, he went away sorrowful for he had now here's here's the truth. Here's the truth. No one encounters Jesus and leaves the same. No one, including him. Cuz he was happy when he came. But because of what was requested of him, he left sorrowful. Now, put that up for me. Verse 22. Okay, put it up in the message Bible. I got to move on, babe. Now, I do got to get you, but I need you to see this. It said, "That was the last thing the young man expected to hear." [Music] And so crest fallen. Yeah. What? What's crest fallen? That brother dropped his chest. He slumped. He pouted. And he walked away holding on tight to a lot of things. And he what is that? Couldn't bear let it go for that money. That doctor had a one-on-one invitation to be number 13. Just think about it. Talk about the ways how how history would have changed. We Peter would have had to have a vote. They wouldn't had to he wouldn't have had to stand up and replace Judas. Yes, sir. Because we already got we got Go get that rich dude. Where he at? Come on. We already got you. Jesus said you Nope. I'm sitting in my palace talking about the time I ran into Jesus. Y'all still here? Because he chose the wrong riches. Can I give you number two? Well, you might as well read verse 23. It's right there. Finish the story. 23. Watch this. As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God's kingdom?" He didn't say it's impossible. It's difficult. Why? because their comfortability will cause them to lose the revelation or the reality of their necessity of him. Because the scripture says money answers all things, but the same Bible says Jesus is the answer. Money answers all things, but money don't cure all things. True. Money don't heal all things. Money don't prevent all things nor start all things. It just answers all things. Meaning if you got money, you can buy it, but you can't buy it. You can't buy a healing. You understand? You can't you can't buy peace of mind. Do you understand? So, so what happens is you can't buy the Big Dipper or the Little Dipper for that matter. So what happens is so you know a boy get go get his he can afford to build a a machine to go to space but you can't buy it. So he'll get up there and all he'll do is see the big dipper closer and realize he's still broke cuz the big dipper there was there and will be there until God says that's your Bible. He said he made the stars also. I don't have the time because here's where we get caught up. But pastor God, I deserve nice things. You do. He says, I know what you have need of. And once you watch this, is it possible? Don't get mad at me. Who am I talking to? Let me see. Let me find somebody. You see, I'm looking up because I want nobody. I want no eye contact. Let me just Is it possible? The reason he hasn't given you what you want, you've yet to mature beyond your needs. You still need him to help you forgive Nether burp you cuz you still stuck on unforgiveness. So ain't no need of me giving you what you want cuz what you want going to cause people to hate you. But you can't handle not being liked. Y'all missed that. So I can't give you the car you want cuz you can't handle being talked about. Once you show me you can handle a little persecution, I can bless you. I'm in your scripture. It says, watch this. Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter the God's kingdom? I promise you, I'm in your Bible. I'm in your Bible. is right here. This still the message translation. Verse 24. We're still in the message, Jada. Watch this. It says, "Let me tell you, it's easier to gallop a camel through the a needle's eye than for a rich for the rich to enter into God's kingdom." Now, I ain't want to stay here, but I I need y'all to see verse. Is there a 25th verse in that? What is that? They were staggered cuz they was like today's church. They thought the only way I know God blessed me because I got money. They said, "Well, if he can't get in and we wanted what he got, we don't stand a chance." Verse 26. Is it there 26th verse? Y'all tell me if it ain't no because I ain't got It says, "Jesus looked hard at them and said, "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself." Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. every chance in the world if you trust God to do it. If I trust who? But I trust in Y'all sing it. I trust in God. Myior then you're didn't get paid. Hold up, God. Hold up. Wait. Hold up. Hold up. Hold up. Wait. Hold up. Hold up. Hold up. Hold up. Wait. Hold up. Where's Silky at? I knew it. Silky, I'm suing you cuz I trust in God, my savior. But since Silky signed my check, I'm suing Silky cuz I trust in God, my savior. But I'm suing Wells Fargo cuz I trust in God, my savior. Y'all ain't talking back to me now. Hits home when it hits home, don't it? Yes, sir. I told you God has a sense of humor. He said, "We going to be teaching on this tonight." I didn't know it and I sure didn't know what was going to happen between the time, but this is what happened. And it amazing how we find out. All it takes is a little cog, a little in your will. Just a little bump to make you sing the song and not mean it. Now, I'mma show you. God says, "I will listen. I'm going to pay back." I love it. David David come home from raiding. Now, y'all, this is the irony of it. David comes home from raiding and his home been raided. But David had such relationship with God since they did it to me, God. Now, I was doing it, but I was giving my stuff to them because I would steal it. kill everybody so be no witnesses and come home and then send the spoils out and all that. Now I didn't came home. My stuff gone. And the same, watch this. The same folk that I made rich. No, they weren't mad. They were murderous mad. They wanted to kill him. Now, when you met me, you was the one that was distressed and in debt, discontented, and hard to get along with. I was chilling in the cave all by myself. You came to me. I came out the cave and made you better. And now that something happened, watch this. To us, it's not you. It happened to us. You want to kill me? Lord Jesus. David said, "Give me the ephi." Cuz even the preacher looking at me kind of funny. Give me the ephi. You ain't praying. Give me Give me Lord. He says, "Shall I pursue?" Have you I tell you, I ain't got the time. What questions have you been asking? Number one, where my money at? Wrong question. Because the Big Dipper is still in the same spot. And guess what? If it's still in the same spot, God is still on the throne. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So instead of me saying, "Where my money at?" God shall I pursue. He said, "Yep." Okay. Am I gonna get it all back every time? Okay. What does that give me? Peace. It's settled. Cuz he didn't say, "How you going to get it?" That's what he said. He said, "You shall recover all." That's the word, sir. Now, David, watch this. David got the word of comfort and peace in the in the midst of men that want to kill him. Wow. And he didn't say, "Okay, y'all. God told me." He said, "Let's go. Where we going? Just come on. Let's go get our stuff." Now, what I could do is be like y'all and go get my wife and kids. You didn't have faith. I'm in the Bible. I'm I probably should go on. He said, "Let's go get our stuff." 600 men. 200 of them was too tired to cross over. So, they go get the stuff and then they come back. the 200 the men that were with him. Don't give them theirs. Hold up, brother. You You wouldn't have got yours if it wasn't for me. Yes, sir. That's how selfish we are that quickly. You forgot. You didn't even ask God what you should do. You got your stuff cuz I prayed and now you don't want them to get theirs. He said, "No, everybody. Everybody, whether they stayed with the equipment or went and fought, everybody gets their stuff." So, I have a peace. Yes, sir. I have a piece. Now, here's the thing. I got to move on, baby, because I I got to give you my second point, Emani. My time is tick tick ticking and I ain't got to my second point. I I really work on not having points because what's the point of having a point if you only get one? I mean, ain't a point. That's just what we talking about. But notice he says, "Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it." Is there another verse? I'm trying to get out the chapter. Verse 27. Then Peter claim or chimed in. We left everything. This sound familiar? We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it? Y'all ready? There is another verse, right? Yeah. Jesus replied, watch this. You, he says, yes, you have followed me in the recreation of the world. When the son of man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule. Starting with the 12 tribes of Israel. Is there another verse? And not only you, but anyone that's me and you who sacrifices what? Home, family, feels, whatever. Because of me, we'll get it all. We get what? We'll get it all back. Now, here's the thing. Did you forsake it for him or did you forsake it for you? Generational wealth. Yes. Somebody said, "Well, pastor, what would you do if you won the lottery?" Well, first of all, I'mma thank God because I didn't know I bought the ticket. You know what I'm saying? But I ain't g I ain't gonna be so deep and wonderful to say I'm giving it back. Oh, I got plans for every one of them dimes. Y'all y'all see what would you what would you do? I told somebody every inch of dirt that Destiny Christian Center owns will be developed. Every inch. They said, "What about you? You missed it. I saw the big dipper last night. I'm good. You better say that, sir. Yes, sir. I don't know if you get this. Well, you don't want something nicer. Yes. And amazingly enough, I promise you, I ain't got the time to testify. William, sir, we just had a guest, Pas. We just had y'all our men's conference just had a guest here. And I picked him up. We riding around taking to the, you know, he said, "Let me ask you a question. I love my friend." He said, "Let me ask you." He said, "Tell me the truth." I'm like, "Yeah, man. I ain't gonna lie." He said, "How'd you get this? Get what? I mean this all this I mean you know this stuff man look at all this you got. How'd you get it? Y'all quiet. I'mma testify. I ain't my time. I I ain't gonna get number two. I said you wouldn't believe me if I told you. He said no. Tell me. How'd you get it? I said okay. I don't know. No, y'all listen. I told I said I don't know. I said all I know is God said in around September October of 2000 it's time to go home. He didn't tell me about that. They must He probably told you that. He didn't tell me you needed help. He told me to come home, start a church. What we going to call it? We sitting up in our bed looking at the ceiling and Fred having destiny. That's a name right there. We're going to call the church destiny because we're going to illuminate the pathway to purpose through the teaching of God's word. Bringing people out of the religion into relationship with God. We having a conversation. This September October 2000 we come home January 2001. Troy, I had to pay $25 to get the application for the apartment only for them to tell me no credit ain't good enough. Could not. I had to move my wife and two kids into my sister's bedroom in her house. But God told me to come home. Are y'all listening to me? First Bible study was in my sister's living room. Tresa was one of the four in my sister's living room. My sister was at home and didn't come downstairs. Y'all ain't talking back. Yeah, sir. We started church in CBT Gilbert Elementary School. Used to be sixth grade center because that's school I used to go to. We we started school in the first service was in the cafeteria. Then they said, "Well, we need you to move over to the library." They'll probably move to the library. Two months later said, "We need you to move." Period. Yeah. We stood at the church. We said, "Listen, we don't know. We don't know where we're having church next week, but I promise you we will. And it will not be in a tent." Because he didn't tell me to start a tent ministry. How'd you get here? I'm trying to help you because see the problem is we chase money. My testimony has to have money in it. You chase God. Money will find you because y'all Okay. I got to check my watch. Make sure I don't go over my time cuz I this gets I can go all night with this Troy because we moved. It just so happened, Pastor Sheila run into an old friend who just so happened to have overheard her parents talking about one of their friends who was looking for a tenant to rent his house that would take care of his house cuz he tired of Pope not taking care of his stuff. It just so happens that conversation happened when we're like, "We got to move out of my sister's house. This ain't working." So Mr. Slay says, "Well, listen. I'm simple. I just need my money on the first and keep my yard neat." Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I don't mind telling you the address. 512 Frederick. Yes. Deep in the hood. We having Bible study on Monday night. 26 people laying sitting on the floor because we had no chairs. We had one bathroom. Remember that? And nobody had to use it. Isn't that amazing? Praise God. Now we got all these toys and everybody every time you look up, somebody got to get them go to the bathroom. Ain't that something? But anyway, we had one to and people sitting on the floor in Bible study. 512 Frederick. The man across the street used to put put hydraulics on cars. Music blaring all night except for Monday night between 7 and 9. Hey y'all cut that noise out. They having Bible study over there. Tony never came over or got saved. How did this happen? I don't know. I don't know. All I know is the the ultima wouldn't start. But God so h it was so smooth. By now we're having church on J Street. That's right between two projects. We having church on Dre Street. So pastor walk to church. Why? Cuz I live right there on 512 Frederick. So I'll just walk to church. They say, "Oh my pastor, he's so humble. He walking." I'm walking cuz my car won't start. But God told me to come home and start a church. You weren't there. You think I'mma trade mine in now cuz you try? Please. Anyway, so the hub cap missing I all this stuff and said, "Well, how did that happen?" I don't know. But if you I can explain it if you let me. All I know is we're sitting in the I'm on the phone with one of my prayer partners way back then on Frederick. He said, "What was that noise?" I said, "Man, that was some gunshots." He said, "Gunshots? Where the kids at?" I said, "They playing." He said, "Sir, get my niece and nephew out of there." That's what he said. I said, "Okay." All right. So, we started looking. We went to see a house. The lady said, "There's no way you can afford this house. Let me show you this dump." She might as well call it a dump. She ain't calling it one, but that's what it was. So when she said there's no way, that was God saying that's it. So we go to the house, exact same house around the corner that the woman said, "No way. There's a man whose daughter is trying to find her way in real estate. She wants to rent her house out, but the last person she rented to was a preacher, so she don't trust preachers." Find out I'm a preacher. I said, "Well, I'm not I don't know who the last preacher was, but I'm good. We'll take care of your house. house we don't have nothing to worry about. So we moved in Bethl Bay. We moved into that house. Yeah. We moved. The church moved. Now we in Ok. We on Oki in the cut. By the way, the kids are going to private school. Don't ask me how. And I don't have a job. Are y'all listening to me? Church to this day. You still don't know what the power bill is. I saw the power bill. I That's why I don't look at the bills. Just pay them. Because when I look at them, I'm like, "Oh Lord, I saw the power bill I got." And I had to remind myself just that's why you automatically pay it, son. cuz if you saw it, you might just just pay it. Just pay it. But we moved. Are y'all okay? Yes, sir. William, we in a we we know Bethl Bay. The the realtor's daughter real estate is starting to boom. She got a buyer for the house I'm renting. We selling next month. You got to be out. Wow. God, we bought a house. Sledgehammer. We bought the house. Get the house. I'm tell you, I don't have the I'mma borrow sometime, Robert. We bought the house because we love people. I got a member in the membership that does mortgages. I'm trying to help you. I'm going to let you refinance my house because that's going to bless you. It's in the house. He gave me a bad mortgage. Then he left the church. We had to short sell the house. Watch this. Short sold the house. Now I'm paying two house notes. Got my kids in a private school. Pastor the church and nobody in the church know how much the rent is cuz we ain't never asked you to help us pay it. I don't know how he did it. I'm sitting in a church service. I'm sitting in a church with a pastor friend of mine just having conversation with him and he tells me I said man you know we believe in God man. He said, "I know, cuz that $8,000 is hard to come by, bro." I said, "Eight? That's all you pay? We paying $18,000 in rent." Yeah. Yeah. You paying eight? We paying 18? Yes, sir. And we ain't never had a second offer. I don't know how he did it. Y'all ain't hearing me. So, when they say, "What if they stole the money?" We've had money stolen. Did that happen, too? We wrote the check. Gave the man $10,000. He said, "Thank you so much. God bless you." And we never seen him again. Chairs. The chairs. Y'all sitting on chairs. Nobody gave them to us. We had to buy these. Why? Cuz he stole our money. We was going to sue him. Get an lawyer. I mean, this is worth worthy. She said, "Sir, let me tell you something. You are absolutely right. And you will win." She said, "But you'll lose because it's going to cost you more to get an attorney than he can give you. Amen. You going to have to just let it go. Did we tell the church? No. Why? Because it's a weighty m Oh, I'm preaching. It's a weighty matter. It that is no concern. Because the same God that said go home and start a church has kept us. So when you ask me how did it happen, William, you was there in year three when that couple call itself buying us a Mercedes. Oh yeah. What are you doing? I don't want this car. You got to let the Lord bless you. I don't want it. Then you asking the church to pay them not. Take this car back. I'll drive my Ultima. We went back to driving the Ultima. Went back to that dealer, minding my own business, eating lunch. I'mma cut my I'm going to cut my testimony off. I got to let y'all go home. That's good, sir. We eating lunch. I said, "Babe, let's go see him." She said, "Okay." I said, "All he can do, Troy, is say no." I went to the same Mercedes dealer who told me just a few years earlier, there's no way I could afford that car. And I went back and he said, "Pastor, yeah." He said, "Listen, let me see. Let me see what I can do." He said, "You know what? For how much are you paying for that? $50 more than what you paying for that. Remember we just had the police car? That big old Lincoln? Remember we had that big old police car?" He said, "$50 more than you pay for that. I can put your wife in this one. Do it." We show up with a Mercedes. How do you get it? I don't know. All I know is you paying more for your Hyundai than I'm paying for my Mercedes. You see the emblem, I see the favor. Are y'all here? Then the market crashed. We short sold our house. We put a member in the house because they had they lost their house. Y'all can rent this house. We just We'll figure it out. We moved. They in that house lost that house. We now we got a house and a short sale and God moved us again. Yeah. Then the church bought this building. We bought this property. How'd y'all do it? I don't know. All I know is I've driven nothing but I'm not bragging. I just want you to hear me. I've driven nothing but the car I thought I would have to chase after for almost 20 years. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. And it's never been stress, struggle, or strain. People come to our house and say, "How'd you get it?" I don't know. All I know is Quinny, I told the lady, "I'll move into an apartment." I wasn't lying. I was dead serious. I said, "I ain't too proud. I'll move into apartment. You can have this house. either work the deal or we're moving. No, pastor, please. That day, it just so happened. The owner of the house said, "We'll finance the house." Okay. So, we gave the owner the money. He said, "I'll give you a year to get your own financing." No problem. We get the own our own financing. And now we got the house. How'd you get it? And you're sweating, sir. What did they do with the money? The measure of my treasure is I love God. That's it. That's it, Imani. I love God. And he has never So this last situation, William, people said, "Pastor, what you going to do?" I'm going to do what I was doing before I ever heard of it. Hallelujah. I'm trusting God. Hallelujah. Why? Because he won't fail. Why am I telling you this? Because the enemy is challenging the measure of your treasure. Isn't it fitting? All it takes is money to dip for you to trip. The economy unstable. It don't bother you as long as you got money. More people homeless today than ever before. That don't bother you cuz you got money. Do you understand? You're not about to lose nothing unless you spend money you didn't have before you even got it. But what do we do? All it takes, Troy, I told Pastor Sheila, I've been saying this since we taught on tithing the very first time the summer of 2001, first year of ministry. You might as well get to the we taught on faith. Went from faith to money. God talk about it because that's what this church going to be built on. Don't y'all trip. If you tie with your money, you probably need to pray about going somewhere else because we believe in tithing. That's what we do. That's how we pay the bill. We ain't washing no cars. We ain't putting no oil on nobody's chicken. We ain't putting no sauce on nobody's pig. We ain't putting no gleaning coins out there. Ain't going to be no prince and queen and all that junk. Tithe and offering. That's what the Bible said. Now watch this. I'm going to let y'all go. I got to go. Bae, I ain't get close to finish. Imani, I I got two points next time. Next time may I got two. But this one was good enough. And here's why. Why? Wait, wait. Let me say this s I got I gotta say this last thing I gota say this this this part right here. I told somebody they said I had two things. Can I get two just to y'all? Okay, sir. Yes, sir. I had a call, Pastor Phyllis several years ago. A young lady called me. she wanted to interview and she said she was working on her doctorate and she was dealing with um the African-American church and her doctorate was dealing with churches pastors of a thousand members or more in today's church. And I said, "Well, I don't have a thousand members." "You don't?" I said, "No, we don't have a thousand members." "No, ma'am." She said, "I thought you had no "You sure?" "Yes, I'm sure we don't have a thousand members." She said, "I could have sworn you had a No, no, we don't have a thought." She said, "Wow." And I said, "Okay, well, bless you, though." She said, "Okay." Sadly, you know, you won't work because that's the criteria for my thesis. I said, "No problem. It's all good. We good." Hung up the phone and the Lord spoke to me. It's like, isn't it amazing how you look bigger than you are because you realize how big I am? You understand? Now, now, now, second one. Second one. I promise you this is my it. This is my it. This my it silky. I ain't going to say my clothes because I I got closed about 20 minutes ago. But this my it. I was testifying. That's why we g y'all three minutes. No, I'm joking. I love it. I like I am. You see what they drive? You see where they live, man? They got money. I'm telling you. I said, "You got more in your account than I got." How I got more money in my account than you got? Because I don't trip on having money in my account. I've never gone without Hallelujah. I don't I can't get it. I can't get that Lord in 20. If I get it, man, please. There's been times this church I tell y'all. Thank God we ain't asked for permission. There's been times this church wrote wrote a check to be a blessing leaving this church with less than a thousand in the bank because God said it. You understand? I can't tell you how many times we've got down to almost every super Sunday. You know what I'm saying? So you say, "Well, they got money." No, we give money. There's a difference. And because we give money, he blesses us in a way that we get that folk that chase money can't explain unless they think we got money because surely you had to have money to get that. No. Good word, sir. I just walked into it and God did it. So, how'd you get it? I don't know how you get one and your wife. I don't know. And y'all go wherever you want. Yeah. When? Yeah. Eat where you want. Yeah. How? I don't know. I don't know. I'm not being funny. That's the truth of the matter. Can you imagine? God's been so good to you that you no longer know how. I don't know. So, if it stopped today, I'm good. I'm good. Are the things I want? Yeah, of course. I'll get to that. Yeah, there's things I want. What I love is I heard this years ago. Y'all can stand for real this time. I'm out. Jerryas, I was broke. I mean, I'm I'm acquainted with brokenness. I don't want you to trip now. I was I'm acquainted. When I say acquainted, I think me and broke was Ken because every family reunion, broke went with me. We we we was related. Broke was there on Christmas. Broke was right there. I open my gift. Broke opened their gift. We was was broke together. You understand? And and we were in church. on that side of the church, meaning I wasn't pastoring. And I remember thinking, "How in the world?" I was the head usher. I saw the offering. How does this preacher give this much money every week? They must be I ain't No, I ain't going to say that. He got No, I ain't going to say that. I'm fighting. He got to be stealing. How the preacher give that much money. Now I understand it because we still I the little pride in me. I'm I refuse not to be the biggest giver of Destiny Christian Center. I I promise you. But that's not the point. Here's the thing. There was a preacher preaching and she said, "Y'all so stuck on trying to get a car and the dealer ain't saved." God wants him saved. You witness to the dealer. God give you a fleet of cars. What's a car to God? He wants the soul and you want the car. You want the house and God wants the realtor. You got the word, but you ain't said a word about who you got because you're trying to get what they can give you. And they need what you got, but you won't share Jesus. Imagine if you were more about sharing the Lord. God would be more about just it's the measure. It's the measure of my treasure. I treasure God more. And I know you do, too. I know you do, too. I just want to remind you of it. Don't let anything you hear, we're not moved. We say it. How will you know it if you don't actually live it? It's one thing to say we're not moved by what we see fill or hear. It's another thing to have to believe. We're not moved by anything we see filler hear. Only by the word of God. Now, when the word fail, it's panic time. Until then, I'm good. Silky, how'd they do it? It wasn't my education. I mean, I went to school. I mean, I did do my part, but I wasn't the smartest one. I might have been the smartest one, but I I don't God opened the door. I walked through it. And soon as I got through it, he slammed the door behind me. I I don't know. Tried to go through that door. It wouldn't open. So, I went to that door. I don't know. All I know is I trust in God. Yes, sir. and he's never failed. Father, we thank you for your word tonight. I thank you, Lord, that you would settle the hearts of your people because you really are all we need. The enemy has a way of trying to get us to focus on things to the degree that we fault you and and question you when the things don't look right. But Father, we repent tonight. It's not the things we need. We need more of you, Father. Because as my bishop used to say, if we lost everything and was down to nothing and had nothing but Jesus, we already have more than enough to start over again. So tonight, settle the hearts of your people. And I pray for those in particular that are dealing with this current situation, Father, that they would not get caught up in the noise, that they would not get caught up in the conspiracies, but that they will set their faces like flint. Keep their focus on you and trust you to guide them through it because nothing happens without your permission or plan. And so because of that, we can trust you that just as sure as we got to it, we'll get through it in Jesus name. Amen. Hallelujah. Amen. Come on, love on somebody. I love y'all. And we will see you, brothers.