Finding Yourself Amidst Life's Challenges

I want to ask you a question. I want you to put it in the comments. I want you to talk about it. Put it in your notes as a reminder. I want to ask you a very simple question, but one that I think is very effective. Have you ever lost something? Have you ever lost something? I'm not trying to be funny. Losing something is not a good thing. stuff, whether it's important or unimportant, can be one of the most frustrating things in your life. I'm gonna list a couple things I've lost recently and I'm gonna see if it'll bless you. Have you ever lost your keys? And it's like you lose... them every time you running late don't you then you get mad I know I always sit my keys right here who touched my keys you live by yourself who touched my keys oh my god have you ever lost your phone then you pinging your phone and you hear it is in this room is it in this room is it in the couch is it not in the couch uh-oh have you ever lost the remote oh my god I don't watch law and order six times one day because I couldn't find a remote Losing stuff can be so frustrating. The question I want to ask is not have you lost your keys, not have you lost your phone, not have you lost your remote, but the real question I want to ask you is have you ever lost yourself? Yeah, it's one thing to lose things, but it's a sad thing to lose you. Please put this in your notes today. Losing things is about finding where something is. Losing you is about remembering who you are. Losing things is about finding where something is. Losing you is about remembering who you are. See, when you lose stuff, you try to locate it. When you lose you, you need to... Remember. Remember. Please put that in your notes. Remember. From the original language on the text, when the thief is on the cross, he says, when you come into your kingdom, remember me. That is not a 21st century. statement when we say remember we're talking about think about me re which means to do over members which are parts of your body your arms your legs are members so when I say remember what I'm saying is in order to find yourself you have to start by putting yourself back together question eight how did you lose you sometimes the question is who took that part of you I'm preaching already if you receive that but the truth of the matter is some of us are shouting and bragging that we are survivors, but can I preach and summarize some of your testimonies? Yes, I'm a survivor, but I don't know all the time did every part of me survive. Just because you survived don't mean all of you survived, Michael. Just because you survived don't mean all of you survived. Pastor Mike, that relationship could have broke me. I made it out. You made it out, but your peace didn't. You made it out of that bad job, but your dream didn't. See, every time you go go through. Yes, you come out, but when is the last time you stopped to take inventory on what all stayed? Y'all ain't got to say amen to me today. I'm only preaching to three of y'all who have used to sit back and take inventory of your life. Your attitude ain't been the same since that past relationship. Your patience ain't been the same since that last trial. See, I thank God. See, we make church so cute, don't we? We have testimony service. We almost make catching hell seem fun, don't we? Yeah, God took me. me through but I made it out no no no no no no no there are seasons of my life where yes I survived but parts of me didn't watch this and the parts of me that didn't I didn't know it till I reached for it and it was missing y'all don't hear what I just said right there yeah just when I got ready to get my faith the last fail you took it please write this in your notes the greatest enemy to your identity is not the enemy, but idolatry. Michael, yeah, this is as loud as I'm gonna get today, church. The greatest enemy to your identity is not the enemy, it's idolatry. Make that make sense. Put this in your notes. Idolatry is the worship or excessive devotion to a person, place, or thing that is not God. That's heavy. Idolatry is the worship or excessive devotion to a person, place, or thing that is not God. Let me break it down. In other words, idolatry is when we change the source of our satisfaction. My son want to be a ball player so bad. They some dogs. I love them and they got all these lofty goals and I'm gonna give them all they need to succeed, you know. That's what I'm gonna do. They want trainers, I'm gonna get them trainers. If they need me to go outside and throw the ball with them, I'm gonna throw the ball with them. I'm gonna come to every practice I can, just stand out. outside the gate and look and cheer them on. Hear me when I say this, but when I see that their excessive devotion to being a baller has taken priority over their devotion to be a child of God, they have just made ball an idol. So now how do I know it's an idol? Because it becomes the source of my satisfaction. Which is why when you don't get it you feel down Some of y'all depressed about stuff. You should have never been impressed with Michael Some of us are depressed by stuff and people we should have never been impressed with Why is why are they the source of your satisfaction when they are? also the source of your frustration you can't frustrate me and satisfy me at the same time and whenever you put something please put this in your notes I've said it once a year for the last 13 years and it's my first time saying it this year. God does not want exclusivity. He wants priority. God wants you to be a baller. Pray, I've seen you run that rock. He wants you to be a baller. If that's what you want to be, God loves you enough that he gave you that gift. When you run the ball, you run it with a gift God gave you. When you throw the ball, you throw in the ball with a gift God gave you. When you sing, when you write your book, when you do all this stuff that God, you're doing it with a does not mind you having stuff. He does mind stuff having you. Am I preaching to anybody? So what am I trying to get you to realize? Idolatry is when we change the source of our satisfaction. The world is not what it should be because believers are not who they should be. That's rich, ain't it? That's rich, ain't it? That's rich, ain't it? They told me, they came and got me in the back, they said, Pastor Mike, both of the overflows downstairs jam-packed, ain't no telling how many people are online. This is crazy. I said, awesome. But I really want you to catch this. but the pastor mic you get when it's three people sitting here versus when it's three overflows of people sitting here don't change. I don't go home and be like, man, we didn't have a thousand people in church. Some of y'all... Y'all remember that the services that were the most emptiest were the most powerful. See, because attendance is not the source of my satisfaction. If I go to my account right now and it's negative, I'm going to be mad. Oh, you thought I was going to say I was going to thank God? No, I'm not that saved. I'm going to let you be that. Who else? You're going to praise God for an empty account? No, no, the devil is alive. I'm going to be mad. Apple had to take that app out. the day but I will bless the Lord at all times see I'm going to be mad because I'm human I am NOT gonna allow that to break me because it's not the source of my satisfaction watch this satisfaction satisfactory satisfied satisfaction satisfactory satisfied whatever you become whatever becomes listen to this one word the source of your satisfaction. Other stuff is going to bring you satisfaction. It just can't be the source. See, because if my car brings me, if the car, yeah, that's good. If my car is the source of my satisfaction, when the car breaks down, that means I can't be happy about nothing else because the source is gone. But if God is the source of my satisfaction, when all this stuff break down, put scripture on it, this joy. I'm a priest to another church you caught me up there girl this joy that I have broke the world didn't give it and the world Michael can't take it away this is why your co-workers and your cousins don't know what to do with you because they know what you're going through and they also know the stuff you've lost yet when they see you no face your face don't look like what you going through because that one the source of my satisfaction that's what three of y'all Who going through something right now, but you woke up this morning wipe the crust out your eye got the steak out your breath Put your hair on put your clothes on matter of fact He feel like getting dressed your shirt Rico right now, but you said I'm a golden church because you are the source of my strength the strength of my life I lift my what's your source okay what's your source I thought if you ever if this is your first time I try my best to preach to everybody in the room okay so if I don't close this million-dollar deal am I depressed or can I thank God that he brought me that close to it If we start fussing a lot, am I now depressed? Or can I say, God, I know this is just a momentary season. Hear me, if I don't start this week, and I gotta stand on the sideline and watch somebody else score a touchdown, that I... feel should have been mine do I now become a hater and speak negative or can I say God I'm thankful I'm on a team that's winning see see see when stuff becomes your source that source becomes your idol and whatever you put in God's position becomes God's opposition did you hear what I just said whatever you put in God's position becomes his opposition make that make sense if you put something before God it makes God fight it and you wondering why it won't live because you got it trying to fight something that don't lose If you don't clap for what I just said, me and you finna be in opposition. Sometimes your relationship broke because you put that woman before God. You put that man before God. You put that job before God. You put the bag before God. But this year, nothing is going in between me and my relationship. I'm sorry, high five somebody and y'all get your priorities together. God over everything. God over everything. God over everything. I am done making idols out of stuff. don't even have the power to fix the problem I'm tripping over. I have one of the greatest forms of idolatry. Am I doing okay? Overflow! Am I doing okay? One of the greatest forms of idolatry is people-pleasing. I'd be setting y'all up. I'd be setting y'all up. Y'all be in church. I'd be like, can't nothing come before God. Yeah, this is your season. Yeah, it's gonna be good for you. Yeah, but you are people pleasing. Put this in your notes. You ready? You ready? You ready? People pleasing is when we put the opinions of people above our obedience to God. Oh, Michael. Michael. People pleasing is when we put the opinions of others above our obedience to God. Who you gonna listen to? And who you trying to please? Pastor Mike, but I want to fit in. I do too. But not above God. Pastor Mike, I don't want to be a lone wolf. Me either. But I'll go if I have to go by myself. No, Pastor Mike, but what if they get upset? This might be worth writing or shouting about. I don't know. When people don't get what they want, watch how they act. Michael When people don't get what they want watch how they get No, if your connectivity to me is tied to a yes Then our relationship is not authentic Some of you are going crazy Because you're exuding all your energy trying to please people who wouldn't be pleased Even if you did the exact thing they asked you to do Watch this. This is good. This is good. This is good. Listen to me. Never confuse people loving you with people using you. I'll be laughing. You want to know one of the lessons I pray a lot of you learn this year? Is that everybody who listen and don't care. I'm gonna say that to y'all. Yeah, they missed it over there. Everybody who listen and don't care. There are certain people who will sit and listen to your problem. and that's all they do. If I'm sharing something with you and there is not a reciprocal action that you try to bring to help me in the situation then why was I talking to you about it? Have you ever stopped to consider people know because of who you've been sharing it with? Watch this. Watch this. Watch this. Watch this. I learned to stop venting when I realized vents go to other rooms. Hear me, I learned to stop venting. How you think your air? You got one unit That hits six rooms. It's because they cooked up bits so when I vent I send it to rooms I'm not even in which is why I gotta make sure I'm sharing my heart with people who have my heart did you catch what I just said right there But the problem is we're people pleasing. We're people pleasing. Put this in your notes. People pleasers suffer abuse from the very people they're trying to assist. How you mad at me? Because I won't let you quit. How you got an attitude with me? Because I'm trying to get more out of you. How you mad because I won't say yes to your dumb stuff? See, the problem is they really want a yes man or a yes woman. But you ain't built like that. So now people pleasing is when you always give people what they want while abandoning what you need. That's crazy. And that's a form of idolatry. Would you consider yourself a loyal person? What about you? Would you consider yourself a loyal person? Who considers yourself a loyal person? Who thinks you'll betray somebody at the drop of a dime? Anybody? Okay, cool. All right, so let me free you. Let me free you. All of y'all betray people because when you put them before you, you just betrayed you. You told you you was going to do better this year, but because you're trying to satisfy them, you betrayed the promise you made to yourself to keep them happy. So the same energy you got for the folks... who don't like you maybe you are as mad as you are at them because you don't even realize you secretly mad at yourself because you ain't doing to yourself what you promised yourself you would do but you got all the energy for people but ain't got no energy left for you so how I thought for the next four months, you be to you what you been to them. Michael. I ain't trying to be funny. But if you get a me in your life, I knew y'all wasn't going to feel that. See, if you get a me in your life, a me will flip you in a way you never imagined. I'm a rider. I'm an intercessor. I'm a fighter. I'm a prayer. I'm a hold it down for you. The problem ain't that I can be that to you. Who gonna be it? But since won't nobody be it to me, I'll just be it to myself. Michael! Hear me? So I'm gonna encourage me. Think about how hard you go for other people. And how weak you go for you. You will get out your bed in the middle of the night to make sure they're there. You'll be on the phone for three hours, half sleep, making sure they hear you. You take your last. and make sure they got something. God said, for this next season, I want you to be to yourself what you've been to other people. And the folk who call you selfish are just the people who don't like the fact they can't benefit. from all you've been doing if i've been holding it down for you all this time you should be happy i'm taking time to do something for me because people pleasing is the ultimate betrayal of self I am not giving you a credence to go be mean. No, that ain't what I'm saying. Because I can see it in some of your eyes. As soon as you leave here today. I want to be very clear, don't ask me for nothing else. My pastor said. Who heard? That's what... you heard raise your hand see look at this why I need a whole new church show Andre show everybody hand who's up right now look at you right there nice that's why I need a new church right there that's what you heard ain't it yeah no hey girl you'll take me to the mall see that's what that's what he was talking about right there, god dang it, every time I need to do something, here you come, you ask me to do something, my pastor just said, you know what, I'm not finna be a people pleaser, can I have something to eat, I ain't fixing you nothing to eat, I ain't even ate yet, you they mama, whoa, time out, you taking this too far, I'm done people pleasing my kids, like, whoa, whoa, whoa, no, No, no, boo, boo, back it up, back it up, back it up. No, no, no, no, no. The reason you're as blessed as you are is because of how you love people. What I'm saying is the reason you're as stressed as you are is because who you love. Your problem ain't what you do, it's who you're giving it to. Put this in your notes. I've said it once, said it ten times, I've said another hundred. Parasitic versus symbiotic. Is the relationship parasitic, where it just sucks the life out of you? Or is it symbiotic? Symbiotic. Spell symbiotic. You ready? I don't know how to spell it. I can't spell. I've been on spell symbiotic S-I-M-S-Y-M-B-I-O. I'm not pleasing y'all. Whether I can spell or not ain't between me and you. If I gotta spell symbiotic the wrong way as long as I got it, y'all just turn me into a spell pleaser. No, but here, S-Y, thank you Leslie, S-Y-M-B-I-O-T-I-C. Symbiotic. Symbiotic. Parasitic, they just take. Symbiotic is give. and tape. Michael, Michael, Michael texted me the other day, yesterday matter of fact, he texted me, it was so simple, he said, dad do you need anything? That just messed me up, just real quick, just so simple, dad you need anything? I was like, nah buddy, I'm good man, just in here watching the game, all right, cool. So where you at? I'm in my room watching TV. I said, all right, cool, cool, cool. It just felt so good. You know, you want to know what Mace texted me? Can you take me to Dick's Sporting Goods? I got a game in two weeks. I need these sleeves. I want to be pre-prepared. No, but seriously, one thing about my kids I do love is their ability to almost sense when we empty. I can't speak. It's just real, so are you good? You need anything? Because it's symbiotic. Because if you're not careful, we will make these babies our idols. Galatians 1.10, put scripture on it. Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people. This is Paul talking, when they hating on Paul. Paul said, let me clap back in biblical terms. Obviously, I'm not trying to win the pre-approval of people, but of God. pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant. That can preach right there, boy. Paul got the best clapbacks in the Bible. I promise he do. Hear me when I say this. Why is that important, PMJ? Please write this. Please type this. Somebody put this in the comments because sometimes pleasing God will require disappointing people. Miss Melba, you'll never forget this. You was an elder at my dad's church. You'll never forget when the word got out, I dropped out of college. Oh my God. Oh my God. That was World War III at my house. I'm in college, at a frat party, on the microphone. Ya-noo! I'm in the club. In the club, right? I hear the Lord say, right crowd, wrong place. In the microphone I say, what? I hear it again in the club, Oak Tree Lounge in Livingston. Oak Tree Lounge, never forget the name of it. Tears flow down my eyes. I walk out the club that night, get in my car, go to my apartment. sit on the edge of the bed don't go to sleep that morning I'm convinced God told me to leave school I called pastor Earl Dixon who's my dad's friend I said God just told me to drop out of school but my dad gonna kill me he said well your dad gonna kill me for telling you this if you heard God and you believe it's God. He said, we'll know in the by and by, but you got to trust God. Because sometimes pleasing God will require you disappointing people. I come home and tell my dad I done dropped out of college. My dad has a conniption. Won't even look at me. Won't even look at me. He wakes me up. That's a Friday morning. He wakes me up Saturday morning to go to leadership meeting at church. Opens my door, turns on the light. Get your butt out of bed. Come with me. Snatch me out the bed. I didn't have time to put clothes on for real. I get in his car. The whole car ride, boom. I was telling him, we wasted your money. I didn't get to go to college. Mike, you said, boom. You up there acting a fool. The whole car ride from Farsdale to Irondale just hit me in my, boom. And Monday morning, you're going to get your butt back in that car. I'm going to take you myself. I'm like, Dad, but God, boom. We get to church. He make me sit in the corner of his leadership meeting. Seven minutes into his leadership meeting, one of his leaders stand up and tell my dad, we feel like you have us behind the eight ball. They said, we've come together and decided to leave. Half of his leadership leaves his church in that meeting. I'm sitting in the corner looking. He bypasses me furious, goes to his office. The next morning is Sunday. Ain't nobody left to sing. He's in his office. I grabs the mic, starts leading praise and worship. He walks out his office, looks at everybody in the church with their hands lifted. Motherfucker. but Lucy May says to him Maybe this is why God... Hear me... I helped my dad build his church. I built a youth ministry just like we're doing here. That youth ministry becomes one of the largest youth ministries in the city. I'm now at Miles College and got a whole college ministry. Then God tells me to start a church in Fairfield. You are sitting in what disappointed others. Because sometimes pleasing God requires you. I don't think y'all hear what I'm saying in here. Look at what it says. It's unhealthy when what you think about me Please put this in your notes, screenshot it if you have to. It's unhealthy when what you think about me Matters more than what I think about me But it's spiritual suicide when what you think about me matters more than what God thinks about me Did you catch that? It's unhealthy, I'll say it again, it's unhealthy when what you think about me matters more to me than what I think about me. So if you want to put in your notes, it's unhealthy, unhealthy when what you think matters more. But it's spiritual suicide when what you think about me matters more to me than what God thinks about me. You so busy trying to fit in, you don't realize God called you to step out. It's a beautiful phrase that Dr. Michael Eric Dyson calls anesthetizing conformity. Anesthetizing conformity. Anesthesia, anesthesia. that comes from the word anesthesia. What does anesthesia do? It puts you to sleep. What does conform mean? You fit in. Many of us suffer from anesthetizing conformity. We're so busy trying to fit in, we sleepwalking. Sleep at work just trying to look like everybody. you're on social media so now everybody getting this done and this done and this done and this done now you gotta get it done, now your page gotta look like their page, now you're around them you don't even like what they like, but you do it because you want to be around them and you're too afraid to be by yourself, so all you do is conform Michael. Hear me when I say this. And what I'm trying to get you to realize is God has something special for you. And this is the problem in today's text. Seven minutes and I'm going to get you out of here. The problem in today's text is we see a sister who's wrestling. with people pleasing. This is critical because look at Genesis 29, 31. When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive. And watch this. This is critical because I'm going to read every scripture so you can see it. All the way from 31, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. Leah became pregnant, had a son named Reuben. Hopefully he'll love me now. That didn't work. Then she had a son named Simeon. Maybe he'll love me now. That didn't work. Then she had a son named Levi. Maybe he'll love me now. Then that didn't work. She kept having babies because she thought the more babies she had, the more he would like her. But sometimes no matter what you do for them, it will never work. This critter, I need you to catch this. Y'all don't like me today, but it's cool in the game. Pastor Mike Jr., watch this. I want you to look at this. Look at verse 31. We're going to go line by line, sentence upon sentence. exegete the text exegete means to draw out which means there's something in every scripture that is hidden you have to draw it out okay look at verse 31 put this in your notes when the lord saw that leo was not loved he enabled her to conceive but right Rachel remained childless. Leave that scripture up. We're going to break down everything in that scripture that will bless you, okay? When the Lord saw, underline that. I'm going to run. When the Lord saw, underline that. I'm going to have old school church by myself. When the Lord saw, please underline that. Why PMJ? Because some of y'all going through some stuff, and you actually think you in it by yourself. But the thing that blesses me the most is that as miserable as she was, God still saw her. I don't know who I'm preaching to in here. but I wish I had seven people at the last service of the day who can say God even if you don't come through today I'm just grateful you still got your eye on me so do me a favor the Lord saw her with us in your notes he sees me that's critical pass them like I hate this school at this school all these people mean I don't feel like I fit in with nobody it's like every day I go to school it's like oh I know it's rough but he sees you And if he sees you, oh my God, he's setting something up. Oh my God. If he sees you, I was at my son Miles'football game, all right? He had his first tackle football game, and they got this play that was running beast right, beast right, beast right, beast right. And I'm over here like, oh my God, and they was killing it. Then all of a sudden, the other coach said, Hey, shift, shift, shift. And they would shift their whole team to the right. And we were still running beats right. And they would just hit my baby. Boom. Hitting Carter. Boom. I walked out the stands. I couldn't take it. I'm not coaching this year. I walked out the stands to the sideline. I said, coach. I said, what? the counter he looks at me and says I'm saving it for the second half so what you mean say if I run it now at halftime they can make an adjustment so I'm setting them up I know it may look bad bad here it is but I see what you see I want to preach to five people in this room today and online who like God you don't see how these people treat me yeah I see it why you won't do nothing because I'm setting some up I want everybody in your life to think it's over I want everybody in your life to think you ain't got nothing left and just when they think it's over I'm getting ready to show out I came to prophesy to everybody listen to me that you get ready to experience divine setup and the divine setup is a supernatural reversal that what the enemy meant for evil i don't know who you sit next to but i need you to get on their nerves and just touch them and tell them he see you that's the wrong somebody they didn't shout with you touch him and tell him he see you that find somebody behind you tell him he sees you the same prayer you pray in god's I see you need a promotion it's on the way I see that you need healing it's on the way I see you need a good circle it's on the way I see it's time to move it's on the way I need you to talk four people high five tight shout it's on the way I see you. Hey, hey, so we at Spain Park. We at Spain Park Hoover game Friday, right? One of the best high school games I've ever been to in my life. Incredible. Spain Park won, by the way. So hear me when I say this. We at the game, boom, and it's killing it. I don't know who the roof on, my boys. Spain Park, boy, I got all the members on Hoover's team. I'm like, oh, yeah, it's the best game ever. Miles is in the back playing football. If you got any little boys, they don't watch the football game. They find the nearest open grass, and they play 45 on 45 football. It's just hundreds of kids, all right? So I look. Miles said, Dad, can I go? Miles, Champ, Chance, they over there giving these kids the business. I'm talking about interception, pick six, tackle, all this stuff. And then Miles says to me when we get home, thank you for letting me be a big boy and go play football. And they know, oh, he's, no, we're not going to do that. No. Y'all pray for Miles. All right, so hear me. So I'm like, oh, that's what I'm talking about. Miles had no clue that I was sitting so high in the stands. I could watch Mason. watch Zandon, watch Spain Park, but every now and then I can just peek and make sure he was good. He thought that his liberty was tied to his maturity. His liberty wasn't tied to his maturity, it was tied to his proximity. I was letting him do what he wanted, not because I trusted him, but because I could still see him. And some of y'all think you doing all this stuff because you got a degree and a little money. money and a 401k baby God letting you run like you run because he got your he got his eye on you when the Lord when the Lord saw that's the first thing you should underline he sees me That just blessed me. I'm sorry. He see me. I don't know who in something right now that got you crazy and anxiety and pressure, your blood pressure up. You've been stressing and you trying to figure it out. Holy Spirit said you got about a week and a half to get it fixed before stuff go left. God told me to tell you I touch and agree. He see you. And because he see you, he's get ready to show up. I'm good, right? Watch this. So, put this in your notes. I gotta hurry up. I'm out of time. The Lord saw her, all right? So, what's the next thing we should see in the text? When he saw, watch this, that she was not loved. Ooh, that's good. When he saw that she was not loved. Can I ask you a question? What does love mean? Passion, patient, kind, care for. No record of Rome prioritized. Okay, so I want you to do me a favor. Take love out the scripture. When the Lord saw she was not cared for, put first, prioritized, spoken well. to nourished God says since won't nobody take care of you watch what the next sign says he enabled her to conceive all right let's change these words around when the Lord saw Leah was not cared for prioritized made to feel valuable he made her produce something watch this go back but Rachel remained childless all right that's too spiritual when he saw would nobody love her he made her produce something and made the one who everybody loved watch her produce. I'm preaching if you'll receive this and I know everybody not gonna say amen because you sitting next to somebody and you don't like having people in your business and you You was trained not to shout in church, you just too cool for that. God bless all three of y'all. But I came to decree and declare over somebody's life that says won't nobody be to you what you've been to them. God said your payback and your lick back gonna be, they finna have to watch you produce. I wish I had a thousand folk who would just high-five yourself and shout, I'm getting ready to produce something this year. Watch my business go to another level. Watch my family be happy. Watch my body get whole. Watch my mind get free. Somebody high five and say I'm producing. Somebody out of type I'm producing. I'm producing. I'm getting ready to produce something. That's it. Produce. Somebody say produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. Produce. say produce produce produce produce if won't nobody prioritize you love you care for you the best of life It's like, it's like, it's like, well, nobody ever helped me. Have you ever stopped to think if they help you, you're going to have to testify about them for the rest of your life? Have you ever stopped to consider that if the same people you want to help you are the same folk who getting on your nerves? So if they actually help you, you have to spend your whole life telling new people about how the worst person did something for you who y'all ain't even cool with. He said, watch this, I'm gonna make her produce. Here's the crazy part, because I'm gonna go back and see if you catch it. When he noticed scripture on the screen that she was not loved, he enabled her to conceive. Grown folk, she was not loved, but she have a baby. I didn't give you context. Jacob is her husband, but Jacob don't want to be her husband. Jacob saw her sister Rachel. Rachel was a dime. Oh my God. Rachel was a seven plus. one she ate Rachel Rachel was all that Jacob rose up on the scene he says hey where your daddy at he runs to her daddy hey bro I want to marry Rachel she bad I do it every take her daddy is a scammer. Her daddy says, I'll tell you what you want to marry Rachel. Work for me for seven years and after the seventh year, I'll give you Rachel. Jacob works for seven years. On the seventh year, they have a wedding. Jacob gets drunk. When he wakes up, looks in the bed, he's in the bed with Leah. This some tea, ain't it? This will go viral on TikTok, won't it? I could do a whole six-part series right here, right? So imagine he wake up. And Leah in the bed. Leah ain't fine. Rachel fine. He like, hold up. He runs to her daddy and says, hey, you played me. I asked for Leah. He said, I asked for Rachel. He says, yeah, but you know, the culture is the oldest has to get married first. You got married in order. So even if you were the youngest, you had to wait till everybody else got picked. That's why six people can't stand you. Because they thought God was going to do it like this when God did it like this. Y'all miss what I just said. They thought God was going to boom, boom. Because you were six. And they was five, four, three, two, one. But God got away going from one to six. And they can't figure out why God would go from one to six. It's because the last shall be. Oh my God. So this is some good tea. I gotta go now. So he's like, hey, you played me, bro. You told me I was gonna get, uh, I was gonna get Rachel. He said, I tell you what, if you really want Rachel, work another seven years. Now I gotta work 14 years. You mean to tell me this brother worked for another man for 14 years to get her? Cause if you really want me. You'll do what it takes to be with me. It's critical. Watch this. But I got to free you. Oh my God, I'm out of time. Look at me, look at me, look at me. Nowhere in the scripture, nowhere in the scripture does Jacob complain that he had to work another seven. Oh God, I speak over your life. God's giving you the strength for your second seven. Pastor Mike, what that mean? You've been working hard your whole life and the problem with some of you ain't the fact that you can't do it. The problem with some of you is you're tired. You don't know if you got the strength to do it again. But I speak by faith, God's giving you your second win for your... second seven that you about to put so much work in over these next figurative seven that you finna get the very thing you've been praying for you ought to shout i receive that so watch this so he's married i'm finna go he's married to Leah but he won't Rachel watch this he's working seven years for Rachel but every morning he wake up looking at Leah he won't Rachel but he's looking at Leah can you imagine laying in the bed looking at her and looking out your tent looking at her but that's how some of us feel because we own a job looking at this but when we go to bed at night dream about that because what do I do when my prophecy don't match my reality oh that was it right there what do I do when my prophecy don't match my reality when what they spoke over me ain't what I'm under what you gonna do Yeah, when you lay in that bed tonight and you look up at that ceiling and it's an apartment that you don't want to be in, but you know it's a house that you can make a home in your spirit, are you going to sit in your present and cry? Or are you going to lay in that bed and be like, I see it, I see it, I see it, I see it? I see it. So God, go and give me strength for my second seven. I'm preaching to somebody. And look what he did. He said, no, I don't want you. But evidently he wasn't that mad because he was still sleeping with her. And she had a a baby and she just didn't have a baby she had sons in the bible to have sons literally meant you were valuable oh my gosh she got sons so what does that mean pastor mike she has sons and when she has sons oh my god look what he said yeah i'm gonna have his first son because i was born in misery and maybe he'll love me now and she named him reuben that didn't work so maybe i have enough another sign and I named him Simeon because each sign represents a season. Y'all miss what I just said right there. I said each sign represents a season. I'm going to give it to you quick. Put this in your notes. Reuben represents a season of misery. Simeon represents the season of rejection. This is good today. And Levi represents the season of loneliness. She said, maybe if I give birth, God let me have a baby because he saw me in my misery. That's crazy. that's crazy so what is she doing she's having baby after baby after baby trying to keep this man happy this is what we call this is very heavy put this in the comments somebody performance-based relationships Performance-based relationships. Xander, a performance-based relationship is when we attempt to earn love and acceptance based on how well we perform. Bravis, so that means I'm going to keep doing stuff. and if I keep doing, they'll keep loving me. So now their love isn't because of who you are. It's because of what you do. And the moment you stop doing it, they start loving you. Stop loving you. So what this means... you're accepted because you meet other people's expectations. Leah is trying to earn acceptance through accomplishments, but yet her accomplishments still leave her empty. It's critical, isn't it? Leave her empty. Why is that important, Pastor Mike? And I need you to catch this. I need you to catch this. I need you to catch this. Because each sign represents a season. Once she goes through her season of misery, her season of rejection, what's misery? It's a type of torment. Bro, I'm gonna give you this definition. I'm gonna say it, but go back and read it and write it the best you can, okay? Misery, a state or feeling of great distress, great comfort, discomfort. So what is misery? I'm gonna give you the quick version. Great distress, great discomfort to my mind or body. So misery is when mentally I'm stuck or physically I'm hurting. You ever had something on your mind so heavy you couldn't function? I'm talking about it just had you. She was like, I gotta figure this out. Can you imagine her and her as us? Can you imagine her every day waking up? Okay, hey, how you doing? I'll fix my food and just hurry. Hey, I put this outfit. Okay, okay, what can I do? Rachel, Rachel, beautiful, Rachel, beautiful. She ain't got no kids. Boom. Hey, I'm pregnant. Okay, cool, cool. That's what's up. Hey, I went to college and got my degree. That's cool. That's cool. Did you see what so-and-so did? See any some of our families? It's like you the one in the family who actually making the family proud. Have you ever stopped to realize that you'll go to college, come back, and they'll say you changed? But they go to jail and come out and say they kept it real? Like what are you talking about? So now because you speak well and you don't want to act a fool, oh you changed. And so what you do, mom, I got the degree. Oh, that's good. That's good. Have you checked on your brother? Simeon means rejection. She goes through misery, rejection, loneliness. Then we get to verse 35. Verse 35 says, she conceived again. And when she gave birth to a son, she said, I'm going to run. This time. I don't know who that just touched and agreed with right there. She said, this time I will praise the Lord. She named him Judah. Watch this. And she stopped having children. What does that mean? She stopped. Trying to people please. Can I borrow seven minutes to give them back to you next week? I want to give you three things. Number one, it's on the screen, if I'm not mistaken. Can you throw it up there for me, Dre? Thank you, sir. Number one, people pleasing in the heart impacts our identity. So people pleasing in the heart. Let me free you. That's one of the things I just, I don't know how to be anything other than me. The same me you see up here preaching is the exact same me you would see out. I don't know how to change. It's just me. This ain't a preacher voice. This is my regular voice. Because you know when God, who talks like that? Mike, if you don't mind going to kitchen and get your daddy some orange juice. Does that happen to you on mine? Like, no, this all the time. You got me? It ain't no, this it. This it. This it. You see me at a football game, see me out there. But can I be honest? The first nine to ten years of my ministry was people pleasing. Matter of fact, next Sunday, Dre, I want you to show all my looks. I was wearing bow ties, golf shoes, then I went through a suit phase with big knots. I had the glasses that didn't have no prescription because I thought it'd make me look pastoral. I cut all my facial hair off. It was a huge miss. beer come off. It get real funny looking under here. So hear me, I was bad. Like my sons joke all the time. They'll see a beat up like, oh, that's the pastor Mike we know. Like, no, he's not coming back. Because they said, people, grown people will never go to your church. That's what they said to me. I was 25. Nobody grown will ever go to church. Anybody really serious about God, just them young people who wow. I was trying to be what I thought attracted who I wanted. You know what I discovered? Once I became me, who got an iPhone? Hold your iPhone up. Hold it up. Put it to your face. No, not on your face literally. Just look at it. Look at it. What happened? It unlocked, right? Can you lock it for me? Lock it. Put it to your neighbor's face. What happened? It said enter code. It don't just don't open. It makes it very clear if you want access. It's a privilege. There are certain blessings that won't come to you when you busy trying to be what other people want you to be. Number one, people pleasing does what? Throw it on the screen, Dre, so they can see it. Impacts our identity. People pleasing in the heart. Number two, people pleasing in the heart impacts our increase. That's heavy, ain't it? How does people pleasing block my blessing? Our increase is tied to our heart's ability to decrease. Leah's people pleasing nearly prevented God's plan. Look at what 1 Samuel 16 and 7 says, But the Lord does not consider his appearance or the height, for I rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance. The Lord looks at the what? So they're looking for a new king, and the Father brought everybody who looked the part. Samuel said, no, they ain't it. God ain't looking at the outside. He's looking at the inside. Number three, people pleasing in the heart impacts our intimacy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Our intimacy with God protects us from being manipulated by people. You want to know when I get manipulated? Every time I get too far from God. Every time. I ain't in my devotion like I should, not praying, praying, praying, and then once I start kind of operating on this whole, I got this. I'm not trying to have a church full of people, I don't do nothing for nobody, that ain't what I'm saying, y'all know that right. What I'm saying is, what's today's date? Of September? Wasn't it just February? How much of these nine months have you actually spent? Working on you. Father, I speak by faith, deserving to know who to trust, who to help, where to go, where not to go. I speak a level of boldness to be who God called them to be. God, I hope that they realize that different is the new normal. Nowhere in the Bible do you call us ordinary. You use words like peculiar, royal, priesthood, light, salt. Every adjective that you use to describe a child of God is different. So God, help me understand that I am who you call me to be. And I walk in purpose and I walk in favor. God, I pray right now that you will surround us with people who give us reciprocal blessings. With their seasons when I hold them up. but there are also seasons when they hold me up. God, I thank you in advance for never leaving my side. It's in Jesus'name we pray. And everybody say it. Come on, jump on your feet. Give God a hand clap of praise. Did you get anything out of that today? Come on, clap your hands then, man. Listen to me. There is one person I want you to please, and that's God. You may be here and you don't know Jesus. I'm going to say this. I've said it. falling in love with God is still the best thing I've ever done. I mean this, man, and my relationship with God means the most to me. My relationship with God is more than my family, it's more than my career, it's more than anything. I mean that, because when all this stuff fades away, God is still going to be there. So if you're in this room and you don't know Jesus, I'm not going to call you up in front of everybody, put you on the spot. Right where you are, you can whisper it under your breath. You can just say, Lord, come into my heart. Make me... over again. I confess with my mouth. I believe with my heart. You were raised from the dead with all power in your hand. Right now, by faith, I am saved. That's all it took. Clap your hands, man. Let me free you. You'll text HOME to 28950. You don't text HOME to 28950 to get saved. We text HOME to 28950 to get secure, to put you in a community of people who are going to pray with you, who are going to check on you. We do our best. You know what I'm saying? I try my best. We have a big church, but I feel like in my heart, it ain't that big. It's just like, it's us. It's just, it's what we do. And we just love people. We love God. You know what I'm saying? And that's what we're trying to be. That's why you're going to see me over the month of September and October. over engaging more people and never, because there's just so much work to be done, you know? Every Friday this year, we've been trying to go to different football games. We went to Moody's football game two Fridays ago. We went to Spain Park this Friday. We have a bye week this week, so we're going to check out somebody else's football game. I want my young guys to see, see they passed in the stands. Say, hey, how you doing? We've been going to chili the meats and spelling bees and all type of stuff. How special would it be? Everybody don't want to be an usher. Everybody want to be a deacon, but we all can be a representation of Jesus. You know, so how dope would it be if you went to the church website and here go some games this week and you just went, we are. I see you. They get to say, hey, man, you don't know who dad didn't show up or who auntie didn't show up. I went to one game. We didn't have nobody there. His grandma was supposed to come. Didn't nobody come. He looked over, saw me, didn't play, not one down. He kept looking in the stand. That's all it took. You know what I'm saying? Saw my boy throw out a seven on seven. Man, I watched him. He torched the team. Throwing himself. Boom. Dime after dime. He torched the team. Look over there at me. I see you. I see you. Because that's what it's all about. It's about community. I don't want a big church. I want big people. I believe if we can be big people, that's what will please God. What does it profit to be a mile long and an inch deep? No, we're going to be a strong church because we have strong people. Somebody say amen. To all of my visitors who came from all over the world, we love you guys so much. We pray for each and every one of you. Father God, if you're going to give today, just give. You know that's between you and God. You can text IRI. with the amount you want to give to 28950. I tithe because I want to be in good standards with God and I firmly believe in the principles that it brings. But that's you, man. You should be a giver. If it's not your first time, be your first time today. It'll bless your life. Father God, I pray a special... prayer it's very simple and it's Lord your will nothing more nothing less nothing else it's in Jesus name and everybody said I love y'all so much I see y'all next Sunday we are Rock City, what a powerful message and title, Don't Lose You. So many ouch moments. I hate I wore my open-toed shoes because he was stepping all over my feet. As we talk about people pleasing. And I love that he made a point about sometimes pleasing God means disappointing people. Yes. Right. And so I appreciate that today PMJ got a chance to really slow walk that message and allow us to do inventory. territory in our own lives. Yes. What stood out to you from today's message? It made me think about when he said God over everything. Yeah. Nobody, nothing else matters. Nobody else matters. We choose him before we try to please other people. Absolutely. That was powerful. And of course, in choosing God, you'll always make the right decision. And so with that being said, maybe you are making a decision today. Something that you heard resonated with you and you want to be able to take that next step. Well, we want to do that with you. You can text HOME to 28950. We see it. More than 8,000 people have given their life to Christ to date. And we're excited to see that number grow as we are on a mission to empty out hell. Yeah. Yes. My God. Listen, for everyone that the enemy thought, you know, he got. The song says the devil thought he had me, but I got away. So text HOME to 28950. And then, of course, you want to get seated. in the ground. Yes, you want to get some seed in the ground. And we always say, we don't give to our church. We give through our church. And if you want to do that, you can text IROC in the amount you wish to give to 28950. This is good ground. Yes. As you can see, God is doing something special here. Even as we were preparing to do the closeout, I was loving just seeing the families together, the young people, the youth and the young adults who have just a renewed hunger and thirst for God and we're seeing that with Rock City Youth and the incredible work that they're doing. So if you're interested in getting your young person engaged in our youth and young adult ministry here, you can text NEXTGEN to 28950. That's NEXTGEN to 28950. Yes, ma'am. And speaking of getting involved in the morning, we have Devo Energy. Can I get a good Devo Energy? One, two, three. Devo Energy. Yes, she got it. She got it over there. If you got Devo energy, we will see you bright and early, as you stated, at 721 on Facebook and on YouTube. Yes, ma'am. Well, yeah, listen, I think it's about that time. I know you're headed to a cookout. But listen, we cannot close without saying on behalf of Pastor Mike, Lady J, and the entire First Family here at Rock City, listen, we love you. We are praying for you. We believe that you're going to go on to be all that God has called you to be. And until then, we'll see you next time.

I want to ask you a question. I want you to put it in the comments. I want you to talk about it.

Put it in your notes as a reminder. I want to ask you a very simple question, but one that I think is very effective. Have you ever lost something? Have you ever lost something?

I'm not trying to be funny. Losing something is not a good thing. stuff, whether it's important or unimportant, can be one of the most frustrating things in your life.

I'm gonna list a couple things I've lost recently and I'm gonna see if it'll bless you. Have you ever lost your keys? And it's like you lose... them every time you running late don't you then you get mad I know I always sit my keys right here who touched my keys you live by yourself who touched my keys oh my god have you ever lost your phone then you pinging your phone and you hear it is in this room is it in this room is it in the couch is it not in the couch uh-oh have you ever lost the remote oh my god I don't watch law and order six times one day because I couldn't find a remote Losing stuff can be so frustrating.

The question I want to ask is not have you lost your keys, not have you lost your phone, not have you lost your remote, but the real question I want to ask you is have you ever lost yourself? Yeah, it's one thing to lose things, but it's a sad thing to lose you. Please put this in your notes today. Losing things is about finding where something is.

Losing you is about remembering who you are. Losing things is about finding where something is. Losing you is about remembering who you are. See, when you lose stuff, you try to locate it. When you lose you, you need to...

Remember. Remember. Please put that in your notes. Remember. From the original language on the text, when the thief is on the cross, he says, when you come into your kingdom, remember me.

That is not a 21st century. statement when we say remember we're talking about think about me re which means to do over members which are parts of your body your arms your legs are members so when I say remember what I'm saying is in order to find yourself you have to start by putting yourself back together question eight how did you lose you sometimes the question is who took that part of you I'm preaching already if you receive that but the truth of the matter is some of us are shouting and bragging that we are survivors, but can I preach and summarize some of your testimonies? Yes, I'm a survivor, but I don't know all the time did every part of me survive.

Just because you survived don't mean all of you survived, Michael. Just because you survived don't mean all of you survived. Pastor Mike, that relationship could have broke me. I made it out. You made it out, but your peace didn't.

You made it out of that bad job, but your dream didn't. See, every time you go go through. Yes, you come out, but when is the last time you stopped to take inventory on what all stayed?

Y'all ain't got to say amen to me today. I'm only preaching to three of y'all who have used to sit back and take inventory of your life. Your attitude ain't been the same since that past relationship. Your patience ain't been the same since that last trial.

See, I thank God. See, we make church so cute, don't we? We have testimony service.

We almost make catching hell seem fun, don't we? Yeah, God took me. me through but I made it out no no no no no no no there are seasons of my life where yes I survived but parts of me didn't watch this and the parts of me that didn't I didn't know it till I reached for it and it was missing y'all don't hear what I just said right there yeah just when I got ready to get my faith the last fail you took it please write this in your notes the greatest enemy to your identity is not the enemy, but idolatry. Michael, yeah, this is as loud as I'm gonna get today, church. The greatest enemy to your identity is not the enemy, it's idolatry. Make that make sense.

Put this in your notes. Idolatry is the worship or excessive devotion to a person, place, or thing that is not God. That's heavy. Idolatry is the worship or excessive devotion to a person, place, or thing that is not God.

Let me break it down. In other words, idolatry is when we change the source of our satisfaction. My son want to be a ball player so bad. They some dogs.

I love them and they got all these lofty goals and I'm gonna give them all they need to succeed, you know. That's what I'm gonna do. They want trainers, I'm gonna get them trainers. If they need me to go outside and throw the ball with them, I'm gonna throw the ball with them.

I'm gonna come to every practice I can, just stand out. outside the gate and look and cheer them on. Hear me when I say this, but when I see that their excessive devotion to being a baller has taken priority over their devotion to be a child of God, they have just made ball an idol. So now how do I know it's an idol?

Because it becomes the source of my satisfaction. Which is why when you don't get it you feel down Some of y'all depressed about stuff. You should have never been impressed with Michael Some of us are depressed by stuff and people we should have never been impressed with Why is why are they the source of your satisfaction when they are?

also the source of your frustration you can't frustrate me and satisfy me at the same time and whenever you put something please put this in your notes I've said it once a year for the last 13 years and it's my first time saying it this year. God does not want exclusivity. He wants priority.

God wants you to be a baller. Pray, I've seen you run that rock. He wants you to be a baller. If that's what you want to be, God loves you enough that he gave you that gift.

When you run the ball, you run it with a gift God gave you. When you throw the ball, you throw in the ball with a gift God gave you. When you sing, when you write your book, when you do all this stuff that God, you're doing it with a does not mind you having stuff.

He does mind stuff having you. Am I preaching to anybody? So what am I trying to get you to realize? Idolatry is when we change the source of our satisfaction. The world is not what it should be because believers are not who they should be.

That's rich, ain't it? That's rich, ain't it? That's rich, ain't it? They told me, they came and got me in the back, they said, Pastor Mike, both of the overflows downstairs jam-packed, ain't no telling how many people are online. This is crazy.

I said, awesome. But I really want you to catch this. but the pastor mic you get when it's three people sitting here versus when it's three overflows of people sitting here don't change.

I don't go home and be like, man, we didn't have a thousand people in church. Some of y'all... Y'all remember that the services that were the most emptiest were the most powerful. See, because attendance is not the source of my satisfaction.

If I go to my account right now and it's negative, I'm going to be mad. Oh, you thought I was going to say I was going to thank God? No, I'm not that saved.

I'm going to let you be that. Who else? You're going to praise God for an empty account?

No, no, the devil is alive. I'm going to be mad. Apple had to take that app out.

the day but I will bless the Lord at all times see I'm going to be mad because I'm human I am NOT gonna allow that to break me because it's not the source of my satisfaction watch this satisfaction satisfactory satisfied satisfaction satisfactory satisfied whatever you become whatever becomes listen to this one word the source of your satisfaction. Other stuff is going to bring you satisfaction. It just can't be the source. See, because if my car brings me, if the car, yeah, that's good.

If my car is the source of my satisfaction, when the car breaks down, that means I can't be happy about nothing else because the source is gone. But if God is the source of my satisfaction, when all this stuff break down, put scripture on it, this joy. I'm a priest to another church you caught me up there girl this joy that I have broke the world didn't give it and the world Michael can't take it away this is why your co-workers and your cousins don't know what to do with you because they know what you're going through and they also know the stuff you've lost yet when they see you no face your face don't look like what you going through because that one the source of my satisfaction that's what three of y'all Who going through something right now, but you woke up this morning wipe the crust out your eye got the steak out your breath Put your hair on put your clothes on matter of fact He feel like getting dressed your shirt Rico right now, but you said I'm a golden church because you are the source of my strength the strength of my life I lift my what's your source okay what's your source I thought if you ever if this is your first time I try my best to preach to everybody in the room okay so if I don't close this million-dollar deal am I depressed or can I thank God that he brought me that close to it If we start fussing a lot, am I now depressed?

Or can I say, God, I know this is just a momentary season. Hear me, if I don't start this week, and I gotta stand on the sideline and watch somebody else score a touchdown, that I... feel should have been mine do I now become a hater and speak negative or can I say God I'm thankful I'm on a team that's winning see see see when stuff becomes your source that source becomes your idol and whatever you put in God's position becomes God's opposition did you hear what I just said whatever you put in God's position becomes his opposition make that make sense if you put something before God it makes God fight it and you wondering why it won't live because you got it trying to fight something that don't lose If you don't clap for what I just said, me and you finna be in opposition. Sometimes your relationship broke because you put that woman before God.

You put that man before God. You put that job before God. You put the bag before God.

But this year, nothing is going in between me and my relationship. I'm sorry, high five somebody and y'all get your priorities together. God over everything. God over everything.

God over everything. I am done making idols out of stuff. don't even have the power to fix the problem I'm tripping over.

I have one of the greatest forms of idolatry. Am I doing okay? Overflow! Am I doing okay?

One of the greatest forms of idolatry is people-pleasing. I'd be setting y'all up. I'd be setting y'all up.

Y'all be in church. I'd be like, can't nothing come before God. Yeah, this is your season. Yeah, it's gonna be good for you. Yeah, but you are people pleasing.

Put this in your notes. You ready? You ready?

You ready? People pleasing is when we put the opinions of people above our obedience to God. Oh, Michael.

Michael. People pleasing is when we put the opinions of others above our obedience to God. Who you gonna listen to? And who you trying to please?

Pastor Mike, but I want to fit in. I do too. But not above God. Pastor Mike, I don't want to be a lone wolf.

Me either. But I'll go if I have to go by myself. No, Pastor Mike, but what if they get upset? This might be worth writing or shouting about.

I don't know. When people don't get what they want, watch how they act. Michael When people don't get what they want watch how they get No, if your connectivity to me is tied to a yes Then our relationship is not authentic Some of you are going crazy Because you're exuding all your energy trying to please people who wouldn't be pleased Even if you did the exact thing they asked you to do Watch this. This is good. This is good.

This is good. Listen to me. Never confuse people loving you with people using you. I'll be laughing.

You want to know one of the lessons I pray a lot of you learn this year? Is that everybody who listen and don't care. I'm gonna say that to y'all.

Yeah, they missed it over there. Everybody who listen and don't care. There are certain people who will sit and listen to your problem. and that's all they do.

If I'm sharing something with you and there is not a reciprocal action that you try to bring to help me in the situation then why was I talking to you about it? Have you ever stopped to consider people know because of who you've been sharing it with? Watch this. Watch this. Watch this.

Watch this. I learned to stop venting when I realized vents go to other rooms. Hear me, I learned to stop venting.

How you think your air? You got one unit That hits six rooms. It's because they cooked up bits so when I vent I send it to rooms I'm not even in which is why I gotta make sure I'm sharing my heart with people who have my heart did you catch what I just said right there But the problem is we're people pleasing. We're people pleasing.

Put this in your notes. People pleasers suffer abuse from the very people they're trying to assist. How you mad at me?

Because I won't let you quit. How you got an attitude with me? Because I'm trying to get more out of you.

How you mad because I won't say yes to your dumb stuff? See, the problem is they really want a yes man or a yes woman. But you ain't built like that. So now people pleasing is when you always give people what they want while abandoning what you need.

That's crazy. And that's a form of idolatry. Would you consider yourself a loyal person? What about you?

Would you consider yourself a loyal person? Who considers yourself a loyal person? Who thinks you'll betray somebody at the drop of a dime?

Anybody? Okay, cool. All right, so let me free you.

Let me free you. All of y'all betray people because when you put them before you, you just betrayed you. You told you you was going to do better this year, but because you're trying to satisfy them, you betrayed the promise you made to yourself to keep them happy.

So the same energy you got for the folks... who don't like you maybe you are as mad as you are at them because you don't even realize you secretly mad at yourself because you ain't doing to yourself what you promised yourself you would do but you got all the energy for people but ain't got no energy left for you so how I thought for the next four months, you be to you what you been to them. Michael. I ain't trying to be funny. But if you get a me in your life, I knew y'all wasn't going to feel that.

See, if you get a me in your life, a me will flip you in a way you never imagined. I'm a rider. I'm an intercessor.

I'm a fighter. I'm a prayer. I'm a hold it down for you. The problem ain't that I can be that to you.

Who gonna be it? But since won't nobody be it to me, I'll just be it to myself. Michael! Hear me? So I'm gonna encourage me.

Think about how hard you go for other people. And how weak you go for you. You will get out your bed in the middle of the night to make sure they're there.

You'll be on the phone for three hours, half sleep, making sure they hear you. You take your last. and make sure they got something. God said, for this next season, I want you to be to yourself what you've been to other people. And the folk who call you selfish are just the people who don't like the fact they can't benefit.

from all you've been doing if i've been holding it down for you all this time you should be happy i'm taking time to do something for me because people pleasing is the ultimate betrayal of self I am not giving you a credence to go be mean. No, that ain't what I'm saying. Because I can see it in some of your eyes. As soon as you leave here today.

I want to be very clear, don't ask me for nothing else. My pastor said. Who heard? That's what... you heard raise your hand see look at this why I need a whole new church show Andre show everybody hand who's up right now look at you right there nice that's why I need a new church right there that's what you heard ain't it yeah no hey girl you'll take me to the mall see that's what that's what he was talking about right there, god dang it, every time I need to do something, here you come, you ask me to do something, my pastor just said, you know what, I'm not finna be a people pleaser, can I have something to eat, I ain't fixing you nothing to eat, I ain't even ate yet, you they mama, whoa, time out, you taking this too far, I'm done people pleasing my kids, like, whoa, whoa, whoa, no, No, no, boo, boo, back it up, back it up, back it up.

No, no, no, no, no. The reason you're as blessed as you are is because of how you love people. What I'm saying is the reason you're as stressed as you are is because who you love.

Your problem ain't what you do, it's who you're giving it to. Put this in your notes. I've said it once, said it ten times, I've said another hundred.

Parasitic versus symbiotic. Is the relationship parasitic, where it just sucks the life out of you? Or is it symbiotic? Symbiotic. Spell symbiotic.

You ready? I don't know how to spell it. I can't spell. I've been on spell symbiotic S-I-M-S-Y-M-B-I-O. I'm not pleasing y'all.

Whether I can spell or not ain't between me and you. If I gotta spell symbiotic the wrong way as long as I got it, y'all just turn me into a spell pleaser. No, but here, S-Y, thank you Leslie, S-Y-M-B-I-O-T-I-C. Symbiotic.

Symbiotic. Parasitic, they just take. Symbiotic is give.

and tape. Michael, Michael, Michael texted me the other day, yesterday matter of fact, he texted me, it was so simple, he said, dad do you need anything? That just messed me up, just real quick, just so simple, dad you need anything? I was like, nah buddy, I'm good man, just in here watching the game, all right, cool.

So where you at? I'm in my room watching TV. I said, all right, cool, cool, cool. It just felt so good.

You know, you want to know what Mace texted me? Can you take me to Dick's Sporting Goods? I got a game in two weeks.

I need these sleeves. I want to be pre-prepared. No, but seriously, one thing about my kids I do love is their ability to almost sense when we empty. I can't speak. It's just real, so are you good?

You need anything? Because it's symbiotic. Because if you're not careful, we will make these babies our idols.

Galatians 1.10, put scripture on it. Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people. This is Paul talking, when they hating on Paul.

Paul said, let me clap back in biblical terms. Obviously, I'm not trying to win the pre-approval of people, but of God. pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant.

That can preach right there, boy. Paul got the best clapbacks in the Bible. I promise he do. Hear me when I say this. Why is that important, PMJ?

Please write this. Please type this. Somebody put this in the comments because sometimes pleasing God will require disappointing people. Miss Melba, you'll never forget this.

You was an elder at my dad's church. You'll never forget when the word got out, I dropped out of college. Oh my God. Oh my God.

That was World War III at my house. I'm in college, at a frat party, on the microphone. Ya-noo!

I'm in the club. In the club, right? I hear the Lord say, right crowd, wrong place. In the microphone I say, what?

I hear it again in the club, Oak Tree Lounge in Livingston. Oak Tree Lounge, never forget the name of it. Tears flow down my eyes.

I walk out the club that night, get in my car, go to my apartment. sit on the edge of the bed don't go to sleep that morning I'm convinced God told me to leave school I called pastor Earl Dixon who's my dad's friend I said God just told me to drop out of school but my dad gonna kill me he said well your dad gonna kill me for telling you this if you heard God and you believe it's God. He said, we'll know in the by and by, but you got to trust God. Because sometimes pleasing God will require you disappointing people. I come home and tell my dad I done dropped out of college.

My dad has a conniption. Won't even look at me. Won't even look at me.

He wakes me up. That's a Friday morning. He wakes me up Saturday morning to go to leadership meeting at church. Opens my door, turns on the light. Get your butt out of bed.

Come with me. Snatch me out the bed. I didn't have time to put clothes on for real. I get in his car. The whole car ride, boom.

I was telling him, we wasted your money. I didn't get to go to college. Mike, you said, boom. You up there acting a fool.

The whole car ride from Farsdale to Irondale just hit me in my, boom. And Monday morning, you're going to get your butt back in that car. I'm going to take you myself.

I'm like, Dad, but God, boom. We get to church. He make me sit in the corner of his leadership meeting. Seven minutes into his leadership meeting, one of his leaders stand up and tell my dad, we feel like you have us behind the eight ball.

They said, we've come together and decided to leave. Half of his leadership leaves his church in that meeting. I'm sitting in the corner looking. He bypasses me furious, goes to his office. The next morning is Sunday.

Ain't nobody left to sing. He's in his office. I grabs the mic, starts leading praise and worship.

He walks out his office, looks at everybody in the church with their hands lifted. Motherfucker. but Lucy May says to him Maybe this is why God... Hear me...

I helped my dad build his church. I built a youth ministry just like we're doing here. That youth ministry becomes one of the largest youth ministries in the city.

I'm now at Miles College and got a whole college ministry. Then God tells me to start a church in Fairfield. You are sitting in what disappointed others. Because sometimes pleasing God requires you.

I don't think y'all hear what I'm saying in here. Look at what it says. It's unhealthy when what you think about me Please put this in your notes, screenshot it if you have to.

It's unhealthy when what you think about me Matters more than what I think about me But it's spiritual suicide when what you think about me matters more than what God thinks about me Did you catch that? It's unhealthy, I'll say it again, it's unhealthy when what you think about me matters more to me than what I think about me. So if you want to put in your notes, it's unhealthy, unhealthy when what you think matters more. But it's spiritual suicide when what you think about me matters more to me than what God thinks about me.

You so busy trying to fit in, you don't realize God called you to step out. It's a beautiful phrase that Dr. Michael Eric Dyson calls anesthetizing conformity. Anesthetizing conformity. Anesthesia, anesthesia. that comes from the word anesthesia.

What does anesthesia do? It puts you to sleep. What does conform mean?

You fit in. Many of us suffer from anesthetizing conformity. We're so busy trying to fit in, we sleepwalking. Sleep at work just trying to look like everybody. you're on social media so now everybody getting this done and this done and this done and this done now you gotta get it done, now your page gotta look like their page, now you're around them you don't even like what they like, but you do it because you want to be around them and you're too afraid to be by yourself, so all you do is conform Michael.

Hear me when I say this. And what I'm trying to get you to realize is God has something special for you. And this is the problem in today's text.

Seven minutes and I'm going to get you out of here. The problem in today's text is we see a sister who's wrestling. with people pleasing.

This is critical because look at Genesis 29, 31. When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive. And watch this. This is critical because I'm going to read every scripture so you can see it. All the way from 31, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.

Leah became pregnant, had a son named Reuben. Hopefully he'll love me now. That didn't work. Then she had a son named Simeon.

Maybe he'll love me now. That didn't work. Then she had a son named Levi.

Maybe he'll love me now. Then that didn't work. She kept having babies because she thought the more babies she had, the more he would like her. But sometimes no matter what you do for them, it will never work. This critter, I need you to catch this.

Y'all don't like me today, but it's cool in the game. Pastor Mike Jr., watch this. I want you to look at this. Look at verse 31. We're going to go line by line, sentence upon sentence. exegete the text exegete means to draw out which means there's something in every scripture that is hidden you have to draw it out okay look at verse 31 put this in your notes when the lord saw that leo was not loved he enabled her to conceive but right Rachel remained childless.

Leave that scripture up. We're going to break down everything in that scripture that will bless you, okay? When the Lord saw, underline that.

I'm going to run. When the Lord saw, underline that. I'm going to have old school church by myself. When the Lord saw, please underline that.

Why PMJ? Because some of y'all going through some stuff, and you actually think you in it by yourself. But the thing that blesses me the most is that as miserable as she was, God still saw her.

I don't know who I'm preaching to in here. but I wish I had seven people at the last service of the day who can say God even if you don't come through today I'm just grateful you still got your eye on me so do me a favor the Lord saw her with us in your notes he sees me that's critical pass them like I hate this school at this school all these people mean I don't feel like I fit in with nobody it's like every day I go to school it's like oh I know it's rough but he sees you And if he sees you, oh my God, he's setting something up. Oh my God.

If he sees you, I was at my son Miles'football game, all right? He had his first tackle football game, and they got this play that was running beast right, beast right, beast right, beast right. And I'm over here like, oh my God, and they was killing it.

Then all of a sudden, the other coach said, Hey, shift, shift, shift. And they would shift their whole team to the right. And we were still running beats right.

And they would just hit my baby. Boom. Hitting Carter.

Boom. I walked out the stands. I couldn't take it. I'm not coaching this year. I walked out the stands to the sideline.

I said, coach. I said, what? the counter he looks at me and says I'm saving it for the second half so what you mean say if I run it now at halftime they can make an adjustment so I'm setting them up I know it may look bad bad here it is but I see what you see I want to preach to five people in this room today and online who like God you don't see how these people treat me yeah I see it why you won't do nothing because I'm setting some up I want everybody in your life to think it's over I want everybody in your life to think you ain't got nothing left and just when they think it's over I'm getting ready to show out I came to prophesy to everybody listen to me that you get ready to experience divine setup and the divine setup is a supernatural reversal that what the enemy meant for evil i don't know who you sit next to but i need you to get on their nerves and just touch them and tell them he see you that's the wrong somebody they didn't shout with you touch him and tell him he see you that find somebody behind you tell him he sees you the same prayer you pray in god's I see you need a promotion it's on the way I see that you need healing it's on the way I see you need a good circle it's on the way I see it's time to move it's on the way I need you to talk four people high five tight shout it's on the way I see you.

Hey, hey, so we at Spain Park. We at Spain Park Hoover game Friday, right? One of the best high school games I've ever been to in my life.

Incredible. Spain Park won, by the way. So hear me when I say this.

We at the game, boom, and it's killing it. I don't know who the roof on, my boys. Spain Park, boy, I got all the members on Hoover's team.

I'm like, oh, yeah, it's the best game ever. Miles is in the back playing football. If you got any little boys, they don't watch the football game.

They find the nearest open grass, and they play 45 on 45 football. It's just hundreds of kids, all right? So I look. Miles said, Dad, can I go?

Miles, Champ, Chance, they over there giving these kids the business. I'm talking about interception, pick six, tackle, all this stuff. And then Miles says to me when we get home, thank you for letting me be a big boy and go play football.

And they know, oh, he's, no, we're not going to do that. No. Y'all pray for Miles. All right, so hear me. So I'm like, oh, that's what I'm talking about.

Miles had no clue that I was sitting so high in the stands. I could watch Mason. watch Zandon, watch Spain Park, but every now and then I can just peek and make sure he was good. He thought that his liberty was tied to his maturity. His liberty wasn't tied to his maturity, it was tied to his proximity.

I was letting him do what he wanted, not because I trusted him, but because I could still see him. And some of y'all think you doing all this stuff because you got a degree and a little money. money and a 401k baby God letting you run like you run because he got your he got his eye on you when the Lord when the Lord saw that's the first thing you should underline he sees me That just blessed me.

I'm sorry. He see me. I don't know who in something right now that got you crazy and anxiety and pressure, your blood pressure up.

You've been stressing and you trying to figure it out. Holy Spirit said you got about a week and a half to get it fixed before stuff go left. God told me to tell you I touch and agree. He see you.

And because he see you, he's get ready to show up. I'm good, right? Watch this. So, put this in your notes. I gotta hurry up.

I'm out of time. The Lord saw her, all right? So, what's the next thing we should see in the text? When he saw, watch this, that she was not loved.

Ooh, that's good. When he saw that she was not loved. Can I ask you a question? What does love mean?

Passion, patient, kind, care for. No record of Rome prioritized. Okay, so I want you to do me a favor.

Take love out the scripture. When the Lord saw she was not cared for, put first, prioritized, spoken well. to nourished God says since won't nobody take care of you watch what the next sign says he enabled her to conceive all right let's change these words around when the Lord saw Leah was not cared for prioritized made to feel valuable he made her produce something watch this go back but Rachel remained childless all right that's too spiritual when he saw would nobody love her he made her produce something and made the one who everybody loved watch her produce. I'm preaching if you'll receive this and I know everybody not gonna say amen because you sitting next to somebody and you don't like having people in your business and you You was trained not to shout in church, you just too cool for that.

God bless all three of y'all. But I came to decree and declare over somebody's life that says won't nobody be to you what you've been to them. God said your payback and your lick back gonna be, they finna have to watch you produce. I wish I had a thousand folk who would just high-five yourself and shout, I'm getting ready to produce something this year. Watch my business go to another level.

Watch my family be happy. Watch my body get whole. Watch my mind get free.

Somebody high five and say I'm producing. Somebody out of type I'm producing. I'm producing. I'm getting ready to produce something. That's it.

Produce. Somebody say produce. Produce.

Produce. Produce. Produce.

Produce. Produce. Produce. say produce produce produce produce if won't nobody prioritize you love you care for you the best of life It's like, it's like, it's like, well, nobody ever helped me.

Have you ever stopped to think if they help you, you're going to have to testify about them for the rest of your life? Have you ever stopped to consider that if the same people you want to help you are the same folk who getting on your nerves? So if they actually help you, you have to spend your whole life telling new people about how the worst person did something for you who y'all ain't even cool with.

He said, watch this, I'm gonna make her produce. Here's the crazy part, because I'm gonna go back and see if you catch it. When he noticed scripture on the screen that she was not loved, he enabled her to conceive. Grown folk, she was not loved, but she have a baby. I didn't give you context.

Jacob is her husband, but Jacob don't want to be her husband. Jacob saw her sister Rachel. Rachel was a dime. Oh my God. Rachel was a seven plus.

one she ate Rachel Rachel was all that Jacob rose up on the scene he says hey where your daddy at he runs to her daddy hey bro I want to marry Rachel she bad I do it every take her daddy is a scammer. Her daddy says, I'll tell you what you want to marry Rachel. Work for me for seven years and after the seventh year, I'll give you Rachel.

Jacob works for seven years. On the seventh year, they have a wedding. Jacob gets drunk. When he wakes up, looks in the bed, he's in the bed with Leah. This some tea, ain't it?

This will go viral on TikTok, won't it? I could do a whole six-part series right here, right? So imagine he wake up.

And Leah in the bed. Leah ain't fine. Rachel fine. He like, hold up. He runs to her daddy and says, hey, you played me.

I asked for Leah. He said, I asked for Rachel. He says, yeah, but you know, the culture is the oldest has to get married first. You got married in order.

So even if you were the youngest, you had to wait till everybody else got picked. That's why six people can't stand you. Because they thought God was going to do it like this when God did it like this. Y'all miss what I just said. They thought God was going to boom, boom.

Because you were six. And they was five, four, three, two, one. But God got away going from one to six. And they can't figure out why God would go from one to six. It's because the last shall be.

Oh my God. So this is some good tea. I gotta go now.

So he's like, hey, you played me, bro. You told me I was gonna get, uh, I was gonna get Rachel. He said, I tell you what, if you really want Rachel, work another seven years. Now I gotta work 14 years.

You mean to tell me this brother worked for another man for 14 years to get her? Cause if you really want me. You'll do what it takes to be with me. It's critical.

Watch this. But I got to free you. Oh my God, I'm out of time. Look at me, look at me, look at me. Nowhere in the scripture, nowhere in the scripture does Jacob complain that he had to work another seven.

Oh God, I speak over your life. God's giving you the strength for your second seven. Pastor Mike, what that mean? You've been working hard your whole life and the problem with some of you ain't the fact that you can't do it.

The problem with some of you is you're tired. You don't know if you got the strength to do it again. But I speak by faith, God's giving you your second win for your...

second seven that you about to put so much work in over these next figurative seven that you finna get the very thing you've been praying for you ought to shout i receive that so watch this so he's married i'm finna go he's married to Leah but he won't Rachel watch this he's working seven years for Rachel but every morning he wake up looking at Leah he won't Rachel but he's looking at Leah can you imagine laying in the bed looking at her and looking out your tent looking at her but that's how some of us feel because we own a job looking at this but when we go to bed at night dream about that because what do I do when my prophecy don't match my reality oh that was it right there what do I do when my prophecy don't match my reality when what they spoke over me ain't what I'm under what you gonna do Yeah, when you lay in that bed tonight and you look up at that ceiling and it's an apartment that you don't want to be in, but you know it's a house that you can make a home in your spirit, are you going to sit in your present and cry? Or are you going to lay in that bed and be like, I see it, I see it, I see it, I see it? I see it.

So God, go and give me strength for my second seven. I'm preaching to somebody. And look what he did. He said, no, I don't want you.

But evidently he wasn't that mad because he was still sleeping with her. And she had a a baby and she just didn't have a baby she had sons in the bible to have sons literally meant you were valuable oh my gosh she got sons so what does that mean pastor mike she has sons and when she has sons oh my god look what he said yeah i'm gonna have his first son because i was born in misery and maybe he'll love me now and she named him reuben that didn't work so maybe i have enough another sign and I named him Simeon because each sign represents a season. Y'all miss what I just said right there. I said each sign represents a season.

I'm going to give it to you quick. Put this in your notes. Reuben represents a season of misery. Simeon represents the season of rejection. This is good today.

And Levi represents the season of loneliness. She said, maybe if I give birth, God let me have a baby because he saw me in my misery. That's crazy. that's crazy so what is she doing she's having baby after baby after baby trying to keep this man happy this is what we call this is very heavy put this in the comments somebody performance-based relationships Performance-based relationships.

Xander, a performance-based relationship is when we attempt to earn love and acceptance based on how well we perform. Bravis, so that means I'm going to keep doing stuff. and if I keep doing, they'll keep loving me.

So now their love isn't because of who you are. It's because of what you do. And the moment you stop doing it, they start loving you. Stop loving you. So what this means...

you're accepted because you meet other people's expectations. Leah is trying to earn acceptance through accomplishments, but yet her accomplishments still leave her empty. It's critical, isn't it?

Leave her empty. Why is that important, Pastor Mike? And I need you to catch this. I need you to catch this. I need you to catch this.

Because each sign represents a season. Once she goes through her season of misery, her season of rejection, what's misery? It's a type of torment.

Bro, I'm gonna give you this definition. I'm gonna say it, but go back and read it and write it the best you can, okay? Misery, a state or feeling of great distress, great comfort, discomfort. So what is misery? I'm gonna give you the quick version.

Great distress, great discomfort to my mind or body. So misery is when mentally I'm stuck or physically I'm hurting. You ever had something on your mind so heavy you couldn't function?

I'm talking about it just had you. She was like, I gotta figure this out. Can you imagine her and her as us? Can you imagine her every day waking up?

Okay, hey, how you doing? I'll fix my food and just hurry. Hey, I put this outfit. Okay, okay, what can I do? Rachel, Rachel, beautiful, Rachel, beautiful.

She ain't got no kids. Boom. Hey, I'm pregnant.

Okay, cool, cool. That's what's up. Hey, I went to college and got my degree.

That's cool. That's cool. Did you see what so-and-so did? See any some of our families? It's like you the one in the family who actually making the family proud.

Have you ever stopped to realize that you'll go to college, come back, and they'll say you changed? But they go to jail and come out and say they kept it real? Like what are you talking about? So now because you speak well and you don't want to act a fool, oh you changed. And so what you do, mom, I got the degree.

Oh, that's good. That's good. Have you checked on your brother? Simeon means rejection.

She goes through misery, rejection, loneliness. Then we get to verse 35. Verse 35 says, she conceived again. And when she gave birth to a son, she said, I'm going to run. This time. I don't know who that just touched and agreed with right there.

She said, this time I will praise the Lord. She named him Judah. Watch this. And she stopped having children. What does that mean?

She stopped. Trying to people please. Can I borrow seven minutes to give them back to you next week? I want to give you three things.

Number one, it's on the screen, if I'm not mistaken. Can you throw it up there for me, Dre? Thank you, sir. Number one, people pleasing in the heart impacts our identity. So people pleasing in the heart.

Let me free you. That's one of the things I just, I don't know how to be anything other than me. The same me you see up here preaching is the exact same me you would see out.

I don't know how to change. It's just me. This ain't a preacher voice.

This is my regular voice. Because you know when God, who talks like that? Mike, if you don't mind going to kitchen and get your daddy some orange juice. Does that happen to you on mine?

Like, no, this all the time. You got me? It ain't no, this it. This it.

This it. You see me at a football game, see me out there. But can I be honest?

The first nine to ten years of my ministry was people pleasing. Matter of fact, next Sunday, Dre, I want you to show all my looks. I was wearing bow ties, golf shoes, then I went through a suit phase with big knots.

I had the glasses that didn't have no prescription because I thought it'd make me look pastoral. I cut all my facial hair off. It was a huge miss. beer come off. It get real funny looking under here. So hear me, I was bad.

Like my sons joke all the time. They'll see a beat up like, oh, that's the pastor Mike we know. Like, no, he's not coming back.

Because they said, people, grown people will never go to your church. That's what they said to me. I was 25. Nobody grown will ever go to church. Anybody really serious about God, just them young people who wow.

I was trying to be what I thought attracted who I wanted. You know what I discovered? Once I became me, who got an iPhone? Hold your iPhone up.

Hold it up. Put it to your face. No, not on your face literally.

Just look at it. Look at it. What happened? It unlocked, right?

Can you lock it for me? Lock it. Put it to your neighbor's face. What happened?

It said enter code. It don't just don't open. It makes it very clear if you want access.

It's a privilege. There are certain blessings that won't come to you when you busy trying to be what other people want you to be. Number one, people pleasing does what? Throw it on the screen, Dre, so they can see it. Impacts our identity.

People pleasing in the heart. Number two, people pleasing in the heart impacts our increase. That's heavy, ain't it?

How does people pleasing block my blessing? Our increase is tied to our heart's ability to decrease. Leah's people pleasing nearly prevented God's plan. Look at what 1 Samuel 16 and 7 says, But the Lord does not consider his appearance or the height, for I rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at.

People look at the outward appearance. The Lord looks at the what? So they're looking for a new king, and the Father brought everybody who looked the part.

Samuel said, no, they ain't it. God ain't looking at the outside. He's looking at the inside. Number three, people pleasing in the heart impacts our intimacy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Our intimacy with God protects us from being manipulated by people. You want to know when I get manipulated?

Every time I get too far from God. Every time. I ain't in my devotion like I should, not praying, praying, praying, and then once I start kind of operating on this whole, I got this.

I'm not trying to have a church full of people, I don't do nothing for nobody, that ain't what I'm saying, y'all know that right. What I'm saying is, what's today's date? Of September? Wasn't it just February? How much of these nine months have you actually spent?

Working on you. Father, I speak by faith, deserving to know who to trust, who to help, where to go, where not to go. I speak a level of boldness to be who God called them to be. God, I hope that they realize that different is the new normal. Nowhere in the Bible do you call us ordinary.

You use words like peculiar, royal, priesthood, light, salt. Every adjective that you use to describe a child of God is different. So God, help me understand that I am who you call me to be. And I walk in purpose and I walk in favor.

God, I pray right now that you will surround us with people who give us reciprocal blessings. With their seasons when I hold them up. but there are also seasons when they hold me up. God, I thank you in advance for never leaving my side.

It's in Jesus'name we pray. And everybody say it. Come on, jump on your feet. Give God a hand clap of praise.

Did you get anything out of that today? Come on, clap your hands then, man. Listen to me.

There is one person I want you to please, and that's God. You may be here and you don't know Jesus. I'm going to say this.

I've said it. falling in love with God is still the best thing I've ever done. I mean this, man, and my relationship with God means the most to me. My relationship with God is more than my family, it's more than my career, it's more than anything. I mean that, because when all this stuff fades away, God is still going to be there.

So if you're in this room and you don't know Jesus, I'm not going to call you up in front of everybody, put you on the spot. Right where you are, you can whisper it under your breath. You can just say, Lord, come into my heart. Make me... over again.

I confess with my mouth. I believe with my heart. You were raised from the dead with all power in your hand.

Right now, by faith, I am saved. That's all it took. Clap your hands, man.

Let me free you. You'll text HOME to 28950. You don't text HOME to 28950 to get saved. We text HOME to 28950 to get secure, to put you in a community of people who are going to pray with you, who are going to check on you.

We do our best. You know what I'm saying? I try my best.

We have a big church, but I feel like in my heart, it ain't that big. It's just like, it's us. It's just, it's what we do. And we just love people.

We love God. You know what I'm saying? And that's what we're trying to be.

That's why you're going to see me over the month of September and October. over engaging more people and never, because there's just so much work to be done, you know? Every Friday this year, we've been trying to go to different football games. We went to Moody's football game two Fridays ago.

We went to Spain Park this Friday. We have a bye week this week, so we're going to check out somebody else's football game. I want my young guys to see, see they passed in the stands.

Say, hey, how you doing? We've been going to chili the meats and spelling bees and all type of stuff. How special would it be? Everybody don't want to be an usher. Everybody want to be a deacon, but we all can be a representation of Jesus.

You know, so how dope would it be if you went to the church website and here go some games this week and you just went, we are. I see you. They get to say, hey, man, you don't know who dad didn't show up or who auntie didn't show up. I went to one game. We didn't have nobody there.

His grandma was supposed to come. Didn't nobody come. He looked over, saw me, didn't play, not one down. He kept looking in the stand.

That's all it took. You know what I'm saying? Saw my boy throw out a seven on seven.

Man, I watched him. He torched the team. Throwing himself. Boom.

Dime after dime. He torched the team. Look over there at me. I see you.

I see you. Because that's what it's all about. It's about community.

I don't want a big church. I want big people. I believe if we can be big people, that's what will please God.

What does it profit to be a mile long and an inch deep? No, we're going to be a strong church because we have strong people. Somebody say amen. To all of my visitors who came from all over the world, we love you guys so much.

We pray for each and every one of you. Father God, if you're going to give today, just give. You know that's between you and God. You can text IRI. with the amount you want to give to 28950. I tithe because I want to be in good standards with God and I firmly believe in the principles that it brings.

But that's you, man. You should be a giver. If it's not your first time, be your first time today. It'll bless your life. Father God, I pray a special...

prayer it's very simple and it's Lord your will nothing more nothing less nothing else it's in Jesus name and everybody said I love y'all so much I see y'all next Sunday we are Rock City, what a powerful message and title, Don't Lose You. So many ouch moments. I hate I wore my open-toed shoes because he was stepping all over my feet.

As we talk about people pleasing. And I love that he made a point about sometimes pleasing God means disappointing people. Yes. Right.

And so I appreciate that today PMJ got a chance to really slow walk that message and allow us to do inventory. territory in our own lives. Yes. What stood out to you from today's message?

It made me think about when he said God over everything. Yeah. Nobody, nothing else matters. Nobody else matters. We choose him before we try to please other people.

Absolutely. That was powerful. And of course, in choosing God, you'll always make the right decision.

And so with that being said, maybe you are making a decision today. Something that you heard resonated with you and you want to be able to take that next step. Well, we want to do that with you. You can text HOME to 28950. We see it.

More than 8,000 people have given their life to Christ to date. And we're excited to see that number grow as we are on a mission to empty out hell. Yeah.

Yes. My God. Listen, for everyone that the enemy thought, you know, he got.

The song says the devil thought he had me, but I got away. So text HOME to 28950. And then, of course, you want to get seated. in the ground.

Yes, you want to get some seed in the ground. And we always say, we don't give to our church. We give through our church. And if you want to do that, you can text IROC in the amount you wish to give to 28950. This is good ground. Yes.

As you can see, God is doing something special here. Even as we were preparing to do the closeout, I was loving just seeing the families together, the young people, the youth and the young adults who have just a renewed hunger and thirst for God and we're seeing that with Rock City Youth and the incredible work that they're doing. So if you're interested in getting your young person engaged in our youth and young adult ministry here, you can text NEXTGEN to 28950. That's NEXTGEN to 28950. Yes, ma'am. And speaking of getting involved in the morning, we have Devo Energy.

Can I get a good Devo Energy? One, two, three. Devo Energy.

Yes, she got it. She got it over there. If you got Devo energy, we will see you bright and early, as you stated, at 721 on Facebook and on YouTube. Yes, ma'am. Well, yeah, listen, I think it's about that time.

I know you're headed to a cookout. But listen, we cannot close without saying on behalf of Pastor Mike, Lady J, and the entire First Family here at Rock City, listen, we love you. We are praying for you. We believe that you're going to go on to be all that God has called you to be.

And until then, we'll see you next time.

Transcript for:Finding Yourself Amidst Life's Challenges

Transcript for:
Finding Yourself Amidst Life's Challenges