Hey, clap for yourself. Clap for yourself. Let me see. I need one more good one. Let's say [Music] old school. Say it again. Which one? Here it is. You ready? I'll never die while Jesus lives. I [Applause] But die. Why [Music] Jes? Okay, here. Let me give you one more. Wait, hold on. It's [Music] your king. Hey child. Oh. [Music] [Applause] sit [Applause] up. Welcome to Bible study. Who's excited to be here? Make some noise. Yeah, man. I'm so excited to be here tonight. Uh, and I want to do this. I want to challenge our worship department. I'm going to give you three weeks. I want a Sunday where we start church off with devotion. I think that'll be so powerful. Why PMJ? If we don't preserve the things that got us here, who will? Absolutely. You got me? And that scripture, you can bring uh the monitor down just a little bit. That scripture that that hymn says to serve this present age, my calling, our calling to fulfill. And that's what we're doing right now. You know, I I'm so excited. I've been around the country bragging to everybody I know saying, "Hey, we doing Bible study at my church. We doing Bible study. It's special. Uh, it's growing. God's doing some incredible things, man. I'm super excited about it." Uh, I got members telling me the worship team probably think they going to get fired. I'm telling. Hey, church be so good on Wednesdays, don't it? No. But seriously, I'm just super excited about where God has us. So, wherever you're watching from, put your city in the comments. Everybody here in the room, we love you so so so so much. Last week we kind of talked about thought traps. Yeah. Thought traps. We talked about thought traps and how you have to get those thoughts out of your mind and how they become um traps that will keep you locked where you are. I'm going to jump to you Leslie early in this. What was something last week that really stuck with you? The thing that really stuck with me last week was this idea of literally taking control of our thoughts. I always need that reminder. Um, especially with this specific season that I'm in, taking control of those thoughts and giving that time back to God. It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle that we forget our first love. That's good. That's good. Our first love. Pastor D, something last week. I think um what I really like with how we started dealing with not just our thoughts and trauma, but also our triggers. Because most of the time we can heal but don't deal with the growth aspect of learning how to manage our mindset when we're triggered. Are we allowing the worst to come out of us or the best to come out of us? That's good. I love that, man. So, we talked about three things. I'm going to go really quickly. We talked about number one, speculation over revelation. Uh what if is a trap that creates anxiety. not answers. Got me what if creates anxiety, not answers. We often overthink what God never said instead of standing on what he clearly revealed. That's critical. Number two, we talked about uh pretention versus prideful projection. Then we talked about some other things. I want to jump in today. I'm ready for this. Okay, you ready? Here's your topic for the night. If you're watching online, 10 people put it in the comments. Here we go. Every week they tell me we're going to be here an hour. We end up being here an hour and a half. Okay. Uh, but I just love what God is doing. Here we go. You ready? Once the enemy gets you to question what God said, his next move, listen to you, pastor, is to wear your wear you down in your mind until you doubt who you are. I'm going to say that again. Once the enemy gets you to question what God said, his next move is to wear you down in your mind until you doubt who you are. What's tonight's topic? Put it in your notes. Here it is right here. Stay out of your head. Stay out of your head. Here's the subtopic class. The battlefield of belief. The battlefield of belief. This lesson moves from thought traps to mental warfare. That's critical. So, what are we doing now, PMJ? We're moving from thought traps to mental warfare. Look at 2 Corinthians 10 and5. 2 Corinthians 10:5. I'm going to read tonight from the NIV version. From the NIV version. Does it sound all right in here? Uh, it's a little boxy, a little ringy. Um, yeah. From the NIV version. Um, so hear me when I say this. Uh, Jay, jump on that for me. 2 Corinthians 10 and 5. We demolish. Yep. It's a little ringy, a little boxy. I want to make sure they can hear me really, really good. Daryl, we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We take captive. Hear me now. We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Is that on the screen? There it is right there. Okay. We demolish every Watch this. We demolish arguments and every pretension. Every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. All right, put this in your notes. First note of the night. You ready? Your head is not just where you think, it's where you fight. Yeah. Please put that in your notes. Your head is not just where you think, it's where you fight. If you think your mind, your head is the only place is just for your thoughts and your memory, you have already lost. Your head is the battlefield of your belief. It's the battlefield of your belief. Let's talk about this. Some of us are losing battles not because we're weak, but because we're unarmed. When you live in your head too long, you start renting spaces to lies and calling it reality. So, what am I saying to you? Let's break down this scripture. Are you ready? Go to 2 Corinthians 10:5. Here it is. We demolish arguments. Let's stop right there. Let's stop right there. We demolish arguments. We demolish arguments. Light ring. What does that mean? So in your notes, I want you to put that phrase in the scripture. We demolish Daryl. We demolish arguments. These are, put this in your notes, mental strongholds or internal narratives that argue with truth. So did you see what I said? So 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, we demolish arguments. We're going to go line by line, precept by precept. What book are we in? 2 Corinthians chapter what? 10 verse 5. I'm reading from the New International Version, the NIV. It says, "We demolish arguments." What is that? These are, put this in your notes, mental strongholds or Yeah. internal narratives that argue with truth. Did you see that? Mental strongholds or internal narratives that argue with truth. So the question now becomes when the scripture says we demolish arguments. What are they? Put this in your notes. We got to ask what are strongholds? What are strongholds? Who heard that in church your whole life? We got to get rid of these strongholds but didn't quite understand exactly what it was. Let's dive into that tonight. Okay. A stronghold is right there on your screen. A stronghold, great job. is a mental, emotional or spiritual fortress, a system of thinking that resists the truth of God. It is a mental, emotional, or spiritual fortress. That's the first thing you got to deal with. It is a mental, emotional, or spiritual fortress. What does it do? Or a system of thinking that resists the truth of God. What's the most important part of that to me? A system. It is a system. Who's ever worked at a fast food chain? Throw your hand up. Anybody? All right. Who's ever had to drop the fries? Throw your hands up. Anybody? They tell me that if you drop them fries, it is impossible to ruin them. They say you drop the fries, press a button, they pop up with or without you. It's like boom, fries pop up. All you got to do now is what? Boom. Boom. Boom. And dump them in the cup. Even if you try to put too many in that thing, it's not going to even let you over stuff it. You got me? They've created at McDonald's, at Burger King, at Chick-fil-A, at Popeye's, which is coming to Highway 280 in Jesus name. At Popeye's, I'm going a little more on the side of something. At Popeyes or Captain D's. All right. Wendy's. They've created a system that it is impossible to mess up unless you intentionally try to deviate from it. Yeah. Did you catch that? It's impossible to burn fries unless you decide to put them back in there. Yeah. They take the ability of your mistakes away and they make it to the point to where any mess up is intentionally on you. So what do we see? What we're saying is a stronghold is a system of thinking that resists the truth of God. You develop such a way of thinking that it is now impossible for you to hold on to his word. You even filter the promises of God through your doubt. Y'all don't like me tonight. It is a system of thinking. Look at the scripture right here. It says, watch this. Look, it said 2 Corinthians 10:4. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. Can I get a little more on the stage? My voice is a little weak tonight. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish. There it is again. Strongholds. Strongholds. So, what's the Greek word, Leslie? Jump in there. What's that Greek word? Acroma. Yeah. Ah, I've been waiting all day for you to say that word. Oria. O chroma. Oria. All right. So, look at this. This is a Greek word. It means I'm going to give you the definition. A fortified prison. A military defense structure. Maybe in the side fields too. That may help us. A safe place of hiding. Wow. In the negative, it's hiding from the truth. Now, I want to say this to you. Look at these definitions. It's a fortified prison. Who's been watching Tik Tok, Instagram, the news, and saw all those people in Louisiana just break out to jail? They just broke out the jail. Something went wrong for that many people to just break out the jail. Oh my god. Just went wrong. Yep. Hey. Hey. What's up, buddy? You doing what? How how you feel? You You headed to the church? All right. Don't leave me tonight without talking to him. Okay. All right. I'm so sorry. I'm a daddy, y'all. God bless you. They just offer my oldest son a scholarship, too. So, I mean, I'm just so excited. I'm just so excited. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. All right. What was I talking about? Strongholds. Strongholds. So, so, so let me show you. It It is this negative belief system. This negative belief system. It's a fortified prison. All these guys broke out of a prison. And you sitting at home like now, how did they break out of, watch this, a fortified prison? Yeah. They not just thrown in a cage. There are guards there. I see something that's going to bless your life if you catch it. Now we find out it was somebody on the inside. A maintenance guy. Yeah. Which lets me know if I want to get out of a stronghold. It's a inside job. Come on. Yes sir. Come on. I don't get out of strongholds from the outside. I get out of strongholds from the inside. Which means if I'm going to break some of these thought patterns, if I'm going to break some of these things that keep me bound, I can't have people who ain't in what I'm in trying to help me get out of it. I can't have colonel friends trying to help me deal with spiritual warfare. All right, sir. Are you hearing me? I need way more help up here. I can't retail therapy myself out of depression. I can't girls night myself out of a spiritual attack. I can't weed session myself out of spiritual attacks. And some of us these stronghold are so thick because we are trying to get people on the outside of our faith to pull us out of something that they are not equipped to do. Rubbing my back ain't going to free me. Yes, sir. Telling me you understand ain't going to free me. Come on. We are freed by the blood of the lamb. Michael. So, hear me. So, let's talk about this. Okay, we getting there. Just a little more. Wait. We're talking about this. It is a fortified prison. Yep. A fortified I can live with that prison. A fortified prison. So, look at this. A stronghold. I want to pause parathetically digress. Strongholds are good. Yeah. Yes, sir. Yeah. Did you hear what I just said? Yes, sir. I don't want to mess you up. God wants us to have strongholds. Yeah. Yeah. He just don't want them to be negative. Yeah. Matter of fact, Yeah. I was going to say in the book of Psalms, mostly when David referred to God, he referred to him as a stronghold. When he talks about the strong tower, the the righteous weren't in or saved. He was calling God a stronghold. In the Old Testament, it refers to him as a stronghold and a defense. So, it was common to use those militaristic terms to refer to God. Psalms 9:9. Put that in your notes. There we go, Jay. Thank you, Jay. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. So, watch this. God wants us to have strongholds. Our issue is he don't want them to be negative. Yeah. He wanted to He look at the definition. Put that definition on the screen. The Greek word a fortified prison. Watch this. Fortified prison. He wants doubt to show up. And the truth of what God told you is so fortified, doubt can't get in. Did you catch that? He wants anxiety to show up. But the truth that you are fearfully and wonderfully made is so fortified, it can't get in. Yeah. What I'm trying to show you is it is a military defense structure. It is a safe place of hiding in the negative. It's hiding from truth. It's hiding from truth. All right. Just take it completely out the monitors for me. I'll deal with it tonight. Okay. So, practically speaking, a stronghold. You ready to put this in your notes? It's not on the screen. A stronghold is a lie you believe like truth. Jesus. It is a lie you believe like it's the truth. It's a thought pattern that locks you in and shuts God out. This one is going to be really good. It's a mental agreement with fear, shame, unworthiness, pride, and unbelief. It's a mental agreement. Wow. With fear, shame, unworthiness, pride, or unbelief. Oh, that was good. So, so let's talk about examples of strongholds. Okay, let's talk about examples. All right, put this on the screen. You should have a chart. You can go full chart. Take a picture of that. If you're watching online, screenshot it. If you're watching the TV right now, help me Lord. Give me strength tonight, God. All right, here we go. Types of strongholds. Insecurity. What is the belief or behavior that follows the stronghold? If you have a stronghold of insecurity, you believe I'm not enough. So the behavior that follows that is I settle for less. Type of stronghold. If you're watching right now, I'm going through it. Listen to my voice. It's rejection. What follows that? Nobody truly cares about me. So I push people away who are actually trying. That stronghold of rejection will have you pushing people away. Saying stuff like, "Oh my god." Saying stuff saying stuff like like uh saying stuff like, "Well, I'mma talk. I'mma push them away so I don't get hurt." Yeah. So, I want to do this. This will be real good. Come back to me. They should have took the scripture by now. If you can put it in the lower third for me, Tony, in the back. Look at you killing it, brother. I see. Okay. Watch this now. All right. So, let's do this. Let's get free. who feels after hearing what I'm saying, Pastor Mike, I may have a stronghold of insecurity. Okay, look at it. I may have a stronghold of rejection. Yep. All right, look at the next one. Unforgiveness. They don't deserve grace. They don't deserve grace. B said it. Wait on B. Wait on B. Don't post nothing. Wait. All right. They don't deserve grace. It carries bitterness. You see what I'm saying? Carries bitterness. Watch this. Fear of failure. If I try, I fell again. I'm up here being a pastor and a daddy all at the same time. That's so good. But that also shows you had I went to that movie premiere, I never would have been with my babies tonight. So that's why I thank y'all for holding me accountable and keep me here. That just means so much to me. Wow, that's crazy. So fear failure. If I try, I'll fail again. So what do you do? You avoid God size steps. Can you remember I said that? That is so good. Godsiz steps. That is good to go steps. God size steps. You going back for another masters is a God side step. Y'all fighting to make your relationship work when the old you were just b That's a Godside step. You feel me? That's a Godid step. You have to trust and believe what God is calling you to do. But I can't do that when I got strongholds set up. Do you hear what I'm saying? It's a It's a system of belief. It's a system of belief. And I'm And I'm preaching to myself now because even with the stuff we got planned with the Pastor Rock tour and we got to get the dates out there and pastor Mike, we ain't going to do this. I'm still sitting in meetings saying stuff like, "Well, I just don't want to go and don't nobody come." And all y'all sitting here like, "Boy, be for real. You be done shut Atlanta down tomorrow." But but in my head, I have to get out of because I'm going to free you. I'm going to free you. Oh, I'm going to free you. Some of us think being humble is a good thing. But some of y'all, you are using a stronghold and masking it as humility. So good. Cuz you don't want to take a Godside step. I'm going to say this. I'm getting excited tonight. I feel God size steps on me right now. Yes, sir. To take that next step. So, so let's talk about this. And at any point y'all want to jump in, y'all let me know. Okay. So, look at this now. Let's talk about this. Let's talk about this. Okay. All right. How strongholds are built. And at any point y'all want to jump in. Let me know because I want to really break down strongholds. Okay. This is good. So, let's talk about this. God wants you to have a stronghold. All right? I don't want you to think strongholds are negative. Money is not evil. What is the love of money? Love of money. So hear me. Hear me. Strongholds are not bad. They're bad when they get directed based off of lies, deception, and the devil. I want you to have such a stronghold that when you say no weapon formed against you shall be able to prosper, that's a stronghold you hold on to. that no matter what's jumping up, no, I am the head and not the tail. Yes, sir. I am the lender and not the borrower. So, let's talk about this. How are strongholds built? Number one, a wound happens. So, number one, here we go. Let's build this stronghold out. A wound happens. Yep. Trauma, betrayal, abandonment. That's so good. My online church watching with me tonight. Yes, sir. So, hear me. So, a womb happens. Okay. Somebody lies to you. uh breaks your heart, you get fired, your business doesn't work, you join a new church and you get disappointed, uh your kids don't live up to expectation, your spouse don't live up to expectation. A wound is a wound. Okay? Trauma, betrayal, abandonment. So now you have something that happened. Step number two, a lie is planted. You ain't worthy. So, let's just say your business failed. What's the lie that's planted now? The lie that's planted now is that you're not that type of person. Wow. You don't have what they have. Yeah. You're not as smart as they are. Okay. Number three, the lie gets repeated. This is good. Number one, a wound happens. Number two, a lie is planted. I want to go back to that lie. Yeah. Who plants the lie? You do. See, cuz the wound would be a word spoken. Yeah. You ain't nothing. You ain't nothing just like your daddy. That's a word. That's a wound. Once you accept it, you plant the lie. Well, maybe I'm not. Maybe I won't. Number three, it gets repeated through thoughts, experiences, or other experiences. Now, I'm repeating a lot because now the devil know how to pull the string. Who right now got somebody in your life that you could you know exactly what button to push when you want to take them there right now. You can be petty right now if you wanted to. You could send one text right now just ruin the whole night. That's what the devil does to you. Every time you you fail at something, you get a wound, you come to church, you start healing, and the devil waits for the opportune time to repeat it. Yeah. You finally doing better, and he'll let a random post come up that you feel like speaks to what you just went through. Y'all go through something in your relationship. It becomes a wound. You tell yourself, "A lie, maybe I deserve it. Maybe we we just ain't meant to be. Maybe blank. Y'all start healing and out of nowhere a AI post come up. Have you ever thought you probably shouldn't have took them back? Here are five reasons why you never trust a woman who's And it's like, bro, I just saw it gets repeated. Yeah. Now you're thinking on it as a man thinkketh. In his heart, so is he. In his heart, so is he. Number four, you agree with it. Yeah. either consciously or subconsciously. Either consciously or subconsciously you agree with it. What's number five, Leslie? Jump in there. It becomes a fortress. Talk about that system that shapes your identity. Uh we've kind of hit on this before. This is where we get into those uh self narratives, story that we keep rehearsing, telling ourselves, and we finally start to live them out. you know, self-fulfilling prophecy. We'll say so long that we can't do it or we can't achieve that. We're not that type of person. Um, we convince ourselves that these are our truth, but this is who we are. And all of a sudden, we now have a stronghold that we don't even realize it's a stronghold. Yeah. I think tonight is probably one of the most important messages that we'll hear all year. Because when you talk about strongholds, most of the time people limited to attacks. But strongholds are the root. Addiction is the fruit. And so the fact that we're dealing with strongholds, I'm declaring and believing that people are going to get free from private addictions that they haven't even shared yet. Because a stronghold, Beth Moore says, a stronghold is anything that we hold that ends up holding on to us. Say that again. A stronghold is anything that we hold that ends up holding on to us. And so you don't know how difficult a stronghold is until you try to break it. And so like for some of us, you're you you know you're dealing with the stronghold that when you try to stop, you you start experiencing intense resistance, not just from the outside, but also from the inside. So now you're trying to stop eating what you say you don't want to eat no more or drinking what you don't want to drink no more, smoking what you don't want to smoke anymore, or sleeping with who you don't want to sleep with anymore. And now that you're making that decision, you have now started a war on the inside between your faith and your flesh. And that's where the battlefield happens in your mind. You don't know it's a stronghold. Yeah. Until you try to break it. You think you're holding on to it. It's holding when in actuality it's holding on to you. So, I want to talk about this because I said something. I said, watch this now. I said you agree with it. Number four, consciously or subconsciously. I think we speed past that. I want to talk about this. I want to talk about Write this. It's not on the notes. You subconsciously agree with something when you allow it to live in your thoughts, behavior, or beliefs without consciously challenging it. You subconsciously agree with it when you allow it to live in your thoughts, behaviors, or beliefs without consciously challenging it. So it's almost like silence is consent. Yeah. But I ain't say nothing. Exactly. You sat there and let it happen. Which means by default you agree with it. Yeah. Did you catch what I just said? Even if your mouth says, "I don't believe it," your patterns don't. Let's talk about three ways you subconsciously come into agreement. I think that's powerful. It's not on the screen, so I'm going to say it slow. Three ways you subconsciously come into agreement. Number one, repetition becomes reality. Whether it's faith or fear, whatever you hear repeatedly or even internally, you start believing. I ain't going to go over there cuz I know I'm going to get sick. I'mma stay in the house cuz I know I'm going get sick. I'mma stay in the house cuz I know I'm going get sick. You speaking it. And now that you believe it, it happens. Yeah. Constantly thinking I'm not good enough or even joking becomes a silent contract with insecurity. I would say stuff over my life like we we'll probably never have a nice property, but we'll always be influenced to church, but we'll never have no money. What people like me don't become pastors of big churches. You know, I'm not as I'm not as professional and boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Most pastors who get big church, it's a certain mold they all fit. You know what I'm saying? And it's just so I started believing like that ain't going to be uh uh you know, number two, unchallenged thoughts build resonance. Unchallenged thoughts build residence. If you don't confront it, you're confirming it by default. Jesus. If you don't confront it, you are confirming it by default. I'm going to sit down with Pastor D and Pastor Tiffany. They're my two my two executive pastors. Both of them equal me. You know, if they got decisions they have to make, if they come into agreement on anything, that decision can happen. If if it's wrong, I'll fix it. If it's right, I'm going to stand on it and stand behind it. So, so I trust them, you know. And so, right now, one of the things I'm going to meet with them to challenge is in this season of Brock City, watch this. We're doing seekers. We fasted. People are giving and tithing. We're having Bible study growing deeper. This is when warfare happens. This when church mess starts. This is when splits happen. This is when departments crumble. So right now, I am I am I'm empowering them to be extremely confrontational. I don't need y'all to be liked right now. You see something that you don't agree. Hey, I need to pull you to the side right now. Hey, we don't do that. We don't do that. No, we cuz we can't play right now. We can't play. You can't be bold enough to tell the devil we're going deeper and don't think he going to try to kill it. That's so good. So even in your personal lives, you should be confrontational. Now I want to be very clear. I can be confrontational without being disrespectful. I'm not telling you to walk around checking people. Yeah. What I'm saying is walk around correcting stuff. Yeah. that is detrimental to what God is trying to do. Yeah. Hey, I love you so much, but can we not play with that no more? I just noticed every time we get in the car, we start talking. You bring up names that trigger feelings for me. So, we best friends, but do me a favor. Don't do that no more. Yeah. Ooh. Okay. Excuse me. I thought you was over. I am, but you keep bringing it up. Going to put me back under. That ain't being mean. It's being honest. And if they love you, Yeah. Yeah, they're going to say, "You know what? You right. You right." Now, you know, I'm trying to lose weight, so why would you constantly try? Like, that's real. I'm going to make a public declaration. I got a stronghold with food that I can't let go and it won't let go of me. I try. I am trying with my whole heart right now. It's to the point now where I'm like, "No, this is bigger than me." It hit me today. I said, "It's bigger than me now." Yeah. I said, "It's bigger than me now. I feel better when I eat. I smile. I'll be happy. I'll be happy all day. I'll be like this." I just be like this all day. Then I be like, "What we eating today? What y'all What y'all want to eat? What y'all want to eat? What y'all want to eat? What y'all want to eat?" Then when we order it, other people be ordering. That sound good. I still order. See, most of y'all don't know Pastor Mike who was 300 pounds. Y'all weren't here for that, Pastor Mike. Some of y'all was. Y'all y'all remember the 300 lb Pastor Mike. So, I done lost weight, but it's coming back. But he's still in me. Anybody ever lost weight, but still order like the old you? I'll be ordering stuff like, "Let me get that right there." And do a side. I went to C. I be going to Captain D. Let me get a three-piece fish, fries, okra, a side of jalapeno poppers, and the shrimp, tarta sauce, and and and the and and the cocktail sauce. I need the vinegar, and I need the ketchup. Give me a Coke hold of ice. I don't need the ice. I need all the Coke I can get, all the Dr. Pepper I can get. But he got a stronghold on me. So what I'm trying to show you now is I mean this you com you if you won't confront it, you're confirming it. So I got to confront it. I got to confront it. I got to be aggressive about my doubt. Okay? I got to be aggressive about my insecurity. Okay? Let's go here. I got to be aggressive about my sin. See, that's why we got to start putting aggressive language around it. Pain slip. I sin. Y'all don't hear me tonight. So, number three, let's talk about this. All right. Habits confirm hidden beliefs. What you repeatedly do is often reflection of what you deeply believe, even if you unaware of it. My God. So, watch this. Procrastinating because deep down you fear failure or worse success. Yeah. So, you ain't procrastinating cuz you think get it done. You procrastinate cuz in your heart you feel like it's going to fail. So, if I do it at the last minute, I can say the results are good. even though I didn't even really just because you didn't sign it doesn't mean you didn't agree to it. Silence is agreement in the spirit. So that's what that's what we're talking about. So how do I break strongholds? Is this helping anybody tonight? Yes, sir. How do I break strongholds? Number one, recognize the lie. I feel like I talk so fast sometimes. Recognize the lie. Recognize the lie. Ask yourself, "What thoughts keep reoccurring that contradict God's word?" Okay, you put the questions up there, too. That was good. That was really, really good. Yep. I got to recognize now. What thoughts keep recurring that contradict God's word? That's good, ain't it? Oh, I just don't want them to get hurt this season. Get that out your mind. The devil is a lie. their heal and hold. You done did that before. Woo! I done got in this car. I just don't want to regret. They not going to wreck. That car is covered in the blood of Jesus. Get that out your mind. Get that out your mind. We doing good. I just don't want us to go left. Get that out your mind. Get that out your mind. Get that out your mind. Get that out your mind. Number two, replace it with truth. They not here. That's why they replace it with truth. Always got to be present. Replace it with truth. Find a scripture that directly confronts the lie. So don't just don't just recognize it. Here it is. What does the word say about it? I'm so tired of opinion paced opinionbased Christianity. Like hear me. I am so ready to take our church deeper. I have pastor Leslie who is well learned. I have pastor D who's welllearned. I got Pastor Lansley who sometime her theology is so ever evolving. I have to tell her sometimes, hey, just hold that for me right now. Like real talk, we got to talk about that tomorrow. I girl, you creating a whole another religion right now. But she's challenging scripture. She's doing it from a womanist woman hermeneutic too. A womanist interpretation. She's studying and now she's based in her doctrine. And I hope I get it right. doctrine is biblical but it also ties in ancestral um ancestral come on ancestral wisdom is the ancestral wisdom. So it's also dealing with the things that we learn throughout our our ancestors. All right anc and it's so heavy. It's so heavy. It's certain practices they had like well if you get sick do so and so so and so so and so. That's just a old it was stuff that was brought throughout the years you know it's the new stuff you do at the beginning of the year. uh the collard greens, the peas, the fish, the fork, you know, they but they also believe that has spiritual ramifications, different things. But then, well, you can't talk about that. But these were things that were passed down through our ancestry. You feel what I'm saying? And Christianity isn't manip this manipulated religion that was impressed upon us in slavery. You feel me? No. Christianity derives from where? It all started in Africa. In Africa. This isn't something that we adopted when we came here. So you can't throw everything away based off what do my grandma and so so but you got her going like that. Then you got Pastor D who like no no no no no I believe so and so so and so and so and I believe so and so so and so and so and I'd be like why why daddy told us? Because his pastor told him. Because your grandmama said this. And so what I'm doing now is I am trying to I am trying to build the spiritual formation of our ministry. Who are we? How are we growing? And what I've discovered is a lot of people will never get free spiritually cuz you got religious strongholds. Religious strongholds. Well, I I I like him, but he'll wear suit. Where in the Bible does it say I have to dress like this? Well, well, I like I like them. It's just woo. It's just too much going on. I don't know about all the No. No. The reason churches look like tents was because Paul was a tent maker. The talented tent maker from Tarsus. So, churches end up looking like what his profession was. And and so hear me. So what I'm telling you now is the first thing we got to do, how do we break strongholds? What you're going to be seeing throughout this year through Bible studies is us also trying to break religious strongholds. Oh, y'all don't hear me. What's one of the greatest I'm going to go here. One of the greatest religious or church strongholds we have right now. Tithing. We got so many strongholds concerning church and money. that now the devil has perfected a lie that keeps you out of the blessed place. He makes you think a man going to do something with your money like that man can stop what God going to send you from heaven. What's another stronghold? Church mess. Well, I'mma just go home and I'mma get my word. I'm going right back home. I ain't got time to be in no mess. Everybody ain't church ain't messy. Yeah. And if mess keep finding you. So now you got to say when it when it comes, you got to confront, I'm so sorry. Look, I'm not here for that. So do me a favor. What I'm going to do is I'm going to talk to so and so and let them know that's how you feel. No, no, no, no. See, that's what I'm doing right now. Don't tell me nothing right now. I ain't holding it. But you can't say nothing. Okay, cool. Well, you know, so and so said so and so. You're not going to leave that on me. I can't stand when people come to me and say, "Hey, I got T, but you can't say nothing." And so, did they go home free now? I'm laying in the bed like, "So, what I'm supposed to do with it? What I'm supposed to do with it? It's a stronghold." And so, what I'm trying to show you is we're talking about strongholds now. Release the lie. Number two, replace it with truth. Find a scripture that directly confronts the lie. Number three, rehearse the truth daily. Speak it loud. I am blessed. You missed it. I am blessed. Yeah. Soon as you wake up, I am blessed. Money cometh to me now. Promotion got my name on it. Generational curses are broken. How you get up and the first thing you do is complain. The first word out your mouth is, "Oh, let me get up and go to this John." Devil is a liar in bed. Soon as you, oh God, I thank you for another day. This is a blessed day. I am blessed. I am what God called me to be. Speak it loud. You don't replace lies with silence. You replace them, put this in your notes, with loud truth. You replace it with loud truth. I'm going to say this. Only seven people in here, maybe 10 people online going to feel me. It's going to be hard to be around me for the next five years. The blessings going to be real loud. You missed what I just said right here. I may not be quiet, but what God going to do in my life going to be speaking for me. It's going to be real loud around here the next couple years. That when you walk into your next season, it's going to be loud. When God opens your next door, it's going to be loud. When God heals your family, it's going to be loud. When God turns your finances around, it's going to be loud. And if I God's going to give me loud blessings, I might as well give him a loud praise. That what God has for me, eyes have not seen, ears have not heard. Touch 10 people and tell them, get ready for loud blessing. It's getting ready to get real loud in here. Pray for me. I grew up around a whole lot of hood people. And when certain people got in the car, they was real loud. I could tell what they was doing and what they've been around. Which means if you don't want no trouble or no haters, don't be too close to me. Because the demons, the devils, and the haters going to be able to smell the blessing on you from being around. I just need you to type a hands up in the comments. Walk over and touch three people and tell them get ready to see something big this year. Tell them 2026 going to another level. 2027 going to another level. My mind is getting free. Strongholds are being broken. Yolks are being destroyed. Ways are being made. Blessings are overtaking me. Somebody ought to shout, "I receive all that. [Applause] I don't want to hear nothing about who talking about you. I don't care who talking about you. What are you saying about you? And if what they got to say about you is louder than what you got to say about you, my issue ain't with them. My issue is with you. You think you all that. I am all that. You think you better than everybody. No, I don't. I just know what I've been through and where I am right now. And got a commercial of where I'm getting ready to go. And I know God been good. Loud blessings. That might need to be his shirt. Loud blessings. What's a loud blessing? When can't nobody around you explain it and you don't even know how it happened. My oldest son just called me and said, "Dad, I got a scholarship offer. He ain't played a lot of downs or football, ain't got no interceptions. He was working out in the right place. And by working out in the right place, how am I going to explain that he got a scholarship? It wasn't his daddy. It wasn't his coaches. It wasn't his film. It was nobody but God. And you got strongholds telling you, "Well, if I don't get this job, I won't be able to buy a house." Says who? Well, well, well, well, well. If I don't get this right here, I'm not going to be able to take care of my children. Says who? If God can make a bird feed a man, if he can put money in the fish of a mouth, that means God can make a way out of nowhere for you, too. And I just need you to touch three people and shout, I believe he's going to do it. God didn't bring me this far. I said, "God didn't bring you this far. Walk over to somebody and grab them by the hand and say, "Neighbor, God didn't bring you this. [Music] [Applause] Sit down. It's Bible study. Now you understand why grandmama said, "Whose report will you believe? We shall believe the report of the Lord. Is there anybody here who can tell the devil, "Give me my mind back. Give me my thoughts [Applause] back today. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] loud. Your season of being quiet with yourself is over. I'm not telling you to go around people talking too much. What I'm saying is when you get by yourself, you need to be loud with yourself. If they let you go tomorrow, I've never self I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his she beg for bread. Well, if they don't pay you, how I'm going to pay my bills? My God owns the cattle on 1,000 heat. Y'all don't hear me in here. How we ended up here. [Music] That's And so that's what the devil does. He puts these strongholds on us that convince us that a lie is now reality. And so what the what what I'm teaching you is you got to rehearse this truth daily. Every day. Every day. I don't have anxiety. I am free from anxiety. I am free from depression. I am free from soul ties. I am free from heartache. I am free from pain. I am free from diabetes. I am free from cancer. Well, Pastor Mike the doctor said thank you. We needed him to say that so we can have a name that can bow to the name [Applause] that sit down. It's a strong Jesus. It's a stronghold. God has been too good for you to be this quiet. That just blessed me. So you got to be loud and you got to rehearse it daily. Daily. You don't I look back now and and team we was so loud. I was saying in an empty room shouting the balcony. Yeah. With no balcony. Calling oursel the city's church. with no members. I believe now looking back on it, I created such a stronghold in our mind. Yeah. That we were convinced. Yeah. God's going to do something big in our lives. Yeah. We were convinced. No, this ain't no ordinary church. No. The world going to be blessed by this. Number So, number one, you got to recognize the lie. Number two, we got to replace it with the truth. Number three, we got to rehearse the truth daily. Speak it loud. That's some good homework right there. What are 10 to 12 things you need to say to yourself every day loud? Yes. Yeah. Put that in the notes online. Put that in the comments. Your loud list. That's good. What's your loud list? Your son going to go to college in a couple days. You need to get loud about Lord by you got to be loud. God, by this time next year, he owns God. By this time next year, he's so and so. By this time next year, what are you going to be loud about? Number four, reinforce the reinforce with community and prayer. Yes, healing happens in safe environments with accountability. That's good. So, I don't even if you're loud. You hear that ring J? I don't care if you're loud if your community is quiet. That brother was trying to get healed. So, he got what? And the people around him told him to what? Be quiet. His community was trying to block his blessing. Yeah. When I look at that scripture now, how they didn't shout with him? Yes. Healing happens in safe environments. So look at this. A stronghold is a lie fortified over time that must be demolished with truth declared over time. Listen to your pastor. You're not just going to break the stronghold tonight. You can't holler loud enough in church and it's gone. Now I believe God can, but in most instances it's going to happen over time. That's why you're hearing me say so much right now, man. He like Brian Coleman back there. That's why that That's why I'm saying That's why I'm saying now. That's why I'm saying stuff now like by this time next year. Yes. I'm saying stuff now like um over time. I'm saying stuff now that remember when I sat in the room, we was babies and I said cuz we don't know what we going to look like in 15 years. I said, "We got to get going cuz the boys going to be big. They was babies. It's here now. Here." So now I got to say stuff now like at our 25th. Oh, I can't wait till I retire and everything's paid off in the next generation. Yes. You got to speak that thing over time. Watch this. I'm still in verse one. 2 Corinthians 10:5. Throw it on the screen. We demolish arguments. So what are arguments? The strongholds. So we demolish strongholds. Look at this next line. And every Oh, I I want to stay there. Look at this Greek word. Say that for me, Leslie. Limos. Limos. Where we get our word logic. You see it. Reasoning. It refers to patterns of thinking or rationalizations. So we demolish logic, reasoning, and patterns of thinking that rationalize So in 2 Corinthians when he says we demolish arguments, look at this. This is a powerful scripture. Look what he says. We're coming against logic, reasoning, and and patterns of thinking, rationaliz rationalizations. These arguments aren't just opinions. They're spiritual weapons trying to unsee truth. Doubt ain't random. It's a bullet. The devil shot doubt at you to kill your faith. This ain't cute. Being saved ain't cool. It hurt. There is warfare attached to your beliefs. Which is why the body of Christ is under so much attack. I don't know another religion that catches this much scrutiny. Watch this. About the belief system. The belief system. When 9/11 happened and all that happened, Muslims caught so much criticism for terroristic threats. Jehovah's Witness catch criticism for waking you up on Saturdays. Think about what they just think. I'm just I'm just being practical. But when it comes to being a Christian, it is so much attack on the belief system. Do you hear me? The belief system. It is when you get the Christianity, you get the black Christian and the white Christian. Yeah. I don't hear nobody say the black Jehovah's Witness and the white Jehovah's Witness. We fight from the inside. We fight from the inside. Well, you're a Christian, but you're you're a black Christian. Well, I'm a Christian, but I'm a white Christian. I'm a non-denominational Christian. I'm a see. And what I'm trying to get you to realize is this isn't random. The devil recognizes the potency of unity. The potency of unity. So look at me. Look what he says. 2 Corinthians 10:5. Put it on the screen. We demolish arguments. Next line. And every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. So put this in your notes. Every pretention that set sets itself up against the knowledge of God. Let's define pretention. equals prideful thought structures, ideas rooted in ego and fear that stands in opposition to God's nature. Oh, that's good. Thought structures, ideas rooted in ego and fear that stands in opposition of God's nature. This includes internal doubts like here it is. God can't use me. This situation is too big. Well, you know, nobody who looks like me has ever Come on, man. Come on, man. Every lie you believe about God limits how you live for him. I'm going to say that again. Every lie you believe about God limits how you live for him. I don't think you've ever heard nobody say that out loud. Every lie you believe about God who believe God will come through for you. All of y'all just lied. Cuz if you did, you wouldn't have called and tried to get a hookup first. If you did, you wouldn't have walked out of that situation fearful. And it's not just because you felt the fear. It's because you acted on it. If you get fired tomorrow, you should feel something. You're human. You should instantly, but what did I do? Oh god, my baby. Oh, I got a kid in college. Gee, you should feel that. My problem is you start living in it. Well, I I need to make some phone. I got to At what point do you stop and say, "God, was this you? My God. My God." I want you to go to Genesis 11. Go to Genesis 11:4 cuz I want to talk about the Tower of Babel. Look at this. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered all over the face of the whole earth." So the Tower of Babel, they get so smart, they say, "We going to build a building." Yeah. All the way up to heaven. Yeah. Let me show you what's crazy. As crazy as they were, they were united. Right. And because they were united, it manifested. Yeah. Do you see the potency of unity? Now look at this. Now, why is this a pretension then, Pastor Mike? It's a pretension because God's command was to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. In Genesis 9:1, he tells them to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth. In Genesis 11, they say, "We going to go to heaven and we going to make a name for ourselves." The people said, "Let's stay here. Let's build. Let's elevate ourselves." Let me fix that. Okay. They God says, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth." The people of Bible said we not filling the earth. We comfortable right here. So, what we going to do is build here, stay here, elevate ourselves. Their thoughts was rooted, you might want to write this, in pride, fear of obedience, and self-preservation. It is pretention because their thought process was rooted in pride, fear of obedience, and self-preservation. So, what's the pretension, Pastor Mike? It's on the screen. The pretention was the belief that they could define purpose without God. Pastor Mike, that's crazy. That they could define purpose without God. So, let's talk about this. What does this look like? We know what's best for us. We'll build our own platform. I know what I'm supposed to be doing. That's heavy. That's heavy. That's heavy question I would love to ask you today is are you trying to define your purpose in life without God. So what's the stronghold formed here? Identity rooted in performance. The scripture says we going to make a name for ourselves. Uh it was a movie out it was uh it was a movie out with um I think it was I think it was Deadpool and Wolverine. And in the movie, they get to this iconic fight scene and Gambit shows up, right? So, if you're in the movie and you're like a a a Marvel head, whatever it is, like us, when Gabbit comes out, all of us like, "Oh." And Gabbit said, "Oh, I'm about to make a N by myself." And he the first person to die. It's like right after that, he was like, and I'm like, "Wow." He wasn't there for the collective purpose. Yeah. And Pastor Mike, can I add a little bit? Yes, ma'am. So, I think it's also important to note that this is what we would call pretty much the second fall of man. Can you agree with that, Pastor Gary? Yeah. Because this is after Noah and after the flood. And if you start at verse one, it tells you that this is when the world all had one language and they all were on one accord. So basically this is what we see sin reenter the people so to speak because now we have the pride we have the pride showing up once again and literally God says wait a minute if we leave them like this then they can do anything because they're literally working together they had an understanding of community. So what did God do? He was the one who scattered the people and broke the earth apart. Did y'all hear what she just said? Did y'all understand what she just said? What she said? Okay, baby girl. So what what she said was at this point there's only one language in the world and because it's one language everybody is on one accord but because they're operating in pretention and pride God confused their language and disrupted their plans to break the prideful system of thought and that scattered them. Mhm. So, we can almost argue that the reason nations to this day still speak different languages is because of this. Yes. Yes, sir. As a matter of fact, there's actually a Bible verse in I want to say one of the chronicles where it says in the days of Palele when the earth was separated because it was all one continent. If you ever look at a map, Yep. Pangia where everything was all connected. And then at the Tower of Babel, that's when he scattered the language and the land. Yeah. That's it's good because it makes me even think about this also speaks to the power of Pentecost that after Jesus ascends back to heaven. Yes. And the Holy Spirit comes back down on the 50 I think 50 days after he's been gone or whatnot. What happens in the room at Pentecost is they're not just speaking in the heavenly language, right? They're all speaking in the language that everyone can understands even though they're from different places. So the Holy Spirit comes and redeems what man messed up. Exactly. On the day of Pentecost because they were at what was called a port city. So in this city you had people who had come in to trade. This is where education happened. This was considered a scholarly center. So that's why everybody was amazed not at the heavenly language but because every man could hear and understand in their language what they were preaching the gospel of Christ. And this is how we see the gospel of Christ began to spread and go into different countries. Can can I jump in right here one more time? I think this speaks to one of the schemes that the enemy does is to get the believer to live in defeat. That God comes down in Genesis 11 and he looks at them building something that's trying to reach into heaven and he says they are working together and on one accord so much that even I won't be able to stop them. Yeah. It's literally in the text he's saying the principle of agreement works no matter who works it. Yes. Yes. And so even though they're outside of the will of God, they're using a principle of God that's allowing them to be able to almost accomplish something that God did not want them to do. What will happen if you get on the same page with the people in your circle? What could you accomplish? But what he does is he says, "I don't have to fight them, watch this, with my hands. All I have to do is confuse the language." Yeah. get people at the top to start speaking a different language from people in the middle. And that's what happens in most of our families sometimes in our churches that he has us in the same place speaking different languages. That's crazy. That's crazy. Do you baptize in the name of the father, son, holy ghost or the holy spirit? It's language. It's language. It is. Oh, that we can go there all day. Yes, sir. So, a pretention, put it on the screen, is when we trust our logic more than God's leading. Wow. You play soft, fresh. Fresh. I think that's enough for tonight. I think we done went there tonight. I done We done maxed out tonight. A pretention is when we trust our logic more than God's leading. It's not just arrogance. It's unauthorized authority. That's kids downstairs. They turned up downstairs and shoot Cordell a text. It's not just arrogance. It's unauthorized authority over our own story quickly. Okay. So, what does that mean? Protention is when we trust our logic more than God's leading. It's not just arrogance. It's unauthorized authority. keys over our own story. Did you hear what I just said? It's not just arrogance. It's unauthorized authority over our own story. I'm going to say it again. It's not just arrogance. It's unauthorized authority over our own story. You missed it. It is not just arrogance. It's you thinking you have the rights to your story. Wow. Wow. God like this my movie. Yeah. No, I didn't finish. Jesus. It's good. 2 Corinthians 10:5. We demolish arguments and every pretention that sets self up against the knowledge of God. Here's where we're going to pick up next week. Okay. We take captive. Yes, sir. Every thought. Yes, sir. That's where we going to pick up next week. We take captive every thought. So, what are we trying to get you to realize? And I pray you can handle this. These strongholds that have been set up in our minds, twin, that has us hostage that that has us believing Allah as a reality. These things in our heart that we haven't agreed to verbally. Yeah. But our patterns agree to. Yeah. That's why that's why even in our lives right now, a lot of us are going to have to do circle inventories as well. Cuz I know that your friend, but at a certain point, you you being cool with what they do becomes proof that you believe it's okay. Unless you don't know. You see what I'm saying? That's a belief system and we think it's cute. So, so say y'all dating and and she lied to her mama and then you know about it then like okay then she lie to her mama again. All right, cool. Then mama ask again. She lied to her mama again, but I love her. That's cool. But what you're what but what you're agreeing to subconsciously that it's okay to lie. Then you get in your feelings when it happened to you. It's a belief system. And what I want to speak by faith over our lives is that we are not just about to destroy strongholds. [Music] I want to say this better and if I say this wrong, y'all stop me. Okay. A stronghold is a fortress, right? Yes, sir. So, in your notes, can you draw like a house, like a little square? I want you to draw like a little house and put the little roof on it in your notes. Draw the house. Put You see where I'm going, ain't you? And then put guard, put stick men outside of it. Those are the guards cuz it's a fortified fortress, right? This is going to be blessing. But I want us to do it in my heart. And I hope this I hope my heart expresses how I'm saying it. I don't want you to tear that house down. I want you to raid that house and take captive every negative thought and then put what God said inside of it. Come on. Come on. Take it. Cuz you know what I discovered? If you burn that house down but don't deal with that thought Yeah. Wow. It's gonna set up residence. Yeah. In another house. Yeah. Which is why the scripture says we take captive. That means that thought now is a prisoner to me. Yes. To the word of God. And so, Father, in the name of Jesus, I speak spiritual, scriptural, biblically based strongholds in our lives that we have such a hold on the word of God that doubt can't penetrate it, anxiety can't penetrate it, low self-esteem and insecurities can't penetrate it, fear cannot penetrate it. I am what God says I am. I can be what God says I can be. I can do what said God said I can do. I believe by faith I am about to walk into the greatest season of my life. And it's in Jesus name. God I will be loud about what you're getting ready to do in our lives. It's in Jesus name. Everybody said it. Amen. Come on. Jump on your feet. Give God praise. Xander, is that Xander back there? I can't see. I don't know if that's exit. That's you. Come give me a hug, babe. That's my son that came to church, y'all. Clap for my baby. Yeah. Yeah, man. So, listen. I love you guys so much, man. So, so so proud of you. [Applause]