Don't Quit: Build Endurance | 05/24/2026

Catherine, that was beautiful ministry and worship leading and Anna, phenomenal worship leading.

How did y'all like?

Did y'all notice Pastor Garner was on the drums?

Is there anything he can't do?

My man.

Good morning, Generations Church.

Good to see you all.

Let's do this.

Let's let's take a couple minutes and go around and shake some people's hands.

Come on, get on up.

If there's someone that you haven't talked to before, go and shake their hand.

Welcome in welcome them into the house of the Lord.

Also, real quick, if you had a birthday this month, I think I know my wife Catherine had a birthday.

Stephanie Milan's over there had a birthday.

Dr.

Randy had a birthday.

Who else had a birthday this month?

Raise your hand.

Right there, you had a birthday.

You had okay, we got a lot of May people in the house.

Now, shall I sing a song specifically for every single one in here?

Do we have enough time for that?

Or write a rap for them?

Happy, happy, happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to my wifey and Stephanie and Dr.

Randy and everyone in us in the house.

Happy birthday.

Give it up for them.

God is good.

God is good.

Is everyone ready for the summertime?

May is crazy, is it not?

Is May crazy?

I mean, graduations, it just feels like it's crazy.

So many things going on.

But we're ready for the summer.

Amen.

I'm not going to take too long, maybe.

Let me go ahead and I do want to emphasize the church workday, okay?

We have some very able people.

We just had a men's event.

We talked about serving.

We have some like intense man work to do.

We're going to try to demo two sheds.

I think right now we only have like a few people signed up.

And it's a bunch of women, to be honest.

So, dudes, I need y'all, either you're planning on showing up and you don't know how to work a phone, but sign up and be here.

It's three hours.

We've not done a church day and work day and months.

We need the help.

We need guys with tools.

We need guys with muscles.

We're going to be trying to demo some sheds.

We've got some legit stuff to do.

Amen.

So give a little bit of your time for the Lord.

Okay.

He's watching.

If you want him to bless your life, be here.

I always feel like Jesus is watching me.

Yeah.

I wrote that.

Okay, I do have a couple things I'm going to bring up.

Okay, so June 7th.

So we had we had some issues with our fire system here where the pipes need to be replaced.

We had some leaks going on, but then they looked at the leaks, and they're like, the pipes are old, they could burst at any time.

We've been praying for rain, but that's not the kind of rain we want.

We want rain from heaven.

So we have to get that repaired, and it's a major repair.

They're going to be like, you know, demoing some stuff in the sanctuary.

So we're not going to be able to have church service in the sanctuary on June 7th, okay?

So please mark your calendars.

What we're going to do is we're going to provide an online service for you all.

And I'm so sorry we are going to miss you, but just be prepared for that.

If you know someone, let them know.

Make sure, hey, church service is online on June 7th.

Okay?

And we'll announce that again.

We'll send in the newsletter, all the things.

But this was an unforeseen repair, and we want to make sure we take care of you all at the building, all the things.

Okay.

Any questions?

Okay.

Memorial Day is tomorrow, and I do want to take a second and just take a moment to remember people that have given their life so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we have today.

And uh I I did a study, I don't know if this is current.

I did it a couple years ago, but it since 1775, um, 1.3 million Americans have given their life during a war that America was involved in, so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we have today.

That is a big deal.

I tried to think about you know, some of these people that were like, you know, called into duty, went across seas, especially um when I had my son, I think about these guys like they have their that their kids are born and they're like across the ocean fighting in wars, and I'm like, oh, that would have been so awful to have to do that.

And so many people have just sacrificed so much.

So let's just take um, we're gonna take a moment and have a moment of silence just to remember those who've given their life, amen.

And also all the families impacted from that.

So let's just take a moment of silence.

Serving our country, Lord, and giving of their lives so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today, Lord.

Thank you, Father, for those faithful.

And we remember them today.

In Jesus' name, amen.

And also, this is a Pentecost Sunday.

Holy Spirit's already here.

We're very thankful that Jesus came and gave his life, but we're also thankful that when Jesus ascended to heaven, they sent He sent us the Holy Spirit.

We can't really do anything, be anything without God's help.

And the Holy Spirit is God sending that help.

Amen.

I'm gonna do a a part of, I'm gonna do a portion of this message.

There was one main point that I was feeling for you all today, including myself, and it deals with endurance.

Everyone say endurance.

Endurance, to simply be to put it simply, is the ability to keep going in the midst of difficulty.

If there's something you're doing, if there's something you're trying to do, trying to be, endurance is when things get difficult, you continue doing it.

Let's go ahead and turn to Hebrews chapter 12.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

We're gonna look at verses 1 and 2, and I want to read this.

I normally don't put such big verses up here, but I'm going for it today.

Okay?

Can y'all read that?

Okay.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.

And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.

Verse 2, we do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion, who initiates and perfects our faith.

Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne.

Real quick, look at the end of verse 1.

It says this it says, run the race with endurance.

Everyone say, run with endurance.

It's very easy to start something.

My wife will tell you, I've started many renovation projects at our house.

I'm really good at starting.

I'm really good at the demo part, tearing stuff up, and then I get like 50 to 80 percent done.

I'm not always great at finishing.

It's not because I'm not able.

My rock down there.

It's very easy to start stuff, it's very easy to get excited about God in a moment, to get inspiration and start something.

But it's not always easy to continue in something.

Starting and continuing are two very different things.

We know this.

This this these two verses here are very profound.

And I believe I was praying for this.

I didn't just make up some message just to have a filler Memorial Day Sunday message, knowing you know, hey, a lot of people are gonna be traveling.

Let me just have a filler message.

I felt like the Lord said, David, some people are gonna need to hear what you have to say today.

Actually, what I'm gonna say through you, hopefully.

And it says this it says, run the race with endurance.

Okay, part of what God is developing in us, and and some of y'all need to hear this.

This might be the thing that is going to help you, it's going to save you, it's going to cause breakthrough in your life, okay?

It's not the ability just for you to believe big things.

And it's not just the ability for you just to have great faith, and it's not just for you to have all the answers for your life.

There's an aspect that God is developing something in you, and that is the ability to simply endure.

That when things get difficult, you don't quit.

Let us run with endurance.

Let us run, start the race, and continue the race.

And then it says this: it says, How do we do this?

We keep our focus on Jesus.

I was praying for you all this morning, and I feel like there's people here that you're in seasons that are difficult.

And maybe they're difficult because you have legitimate troubles in your life.

There's legitimate troubles in people that people that you care about.

There's troubles in their life that troubles you.

I actually can handle troubles better than when I see people I love going through trouble.

It bothers me more.

Do you know what I'm talking about?

It like it spoils my day when someone I love is going through it and I can't do anything about it.

I would rather just have to handle it for them.

You know what I'm talking about?

That can also be troublesome.

There's also seasons that we come into where we don't know, or we don't have meaning, or we don't know what's going to happen.

You know what I'm saying?

You know those seasons where I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow?

And I don't even know the meaning of the season.

I I don't like where's the hope in my life?

Do you know those seasons?

Like it's like things are just ongoing, monotonous things that used to give you joy, don't give you joy, and you're asking yourself, where's the meaning?

Maybe you had expectations, you hoped, you dreamed, you thought it was gonna look like this, and then it doesn't look like this, and now all of a sudden you're fighting something and it's hard.

Run the race with endurance.

Keep your eyes focused on Jesus.

And hear me out.

I promise I'm going somewhere somewhere with this.

This verse gives the answers to life.

It actually kind of does.

It says something very profound.

It says, Jesus suffered the cross.

And we're all this is a famous verse.

I know we all know this verse.

It says, Jesus suffered the cross, not because he enjoyed suffering.

Jesus wasn't like, oh my gosh, I really want to go to the cross.

That sounds like so much fun.

He was asking his heavenly father, is there another way?

Is there any other way I could do this?

Okay.

It says he did this hard thing for a reason.

Some of you all need to hear this today, okay?

The Lord is going to talk to you today because some of you have been are in a hard season.

And you might be questioning, why am I doing this?

Why am I here?

Why, why, why?

Jesus didn't just come and suffer for the sake of suffering.

That's silly.

There's some Christians that will teach us idea, like, you know, if you're gonna be a Christian, you just gotta not be happy and you gotta suffer.

You just gotta thirst for suffering.

That's stupid.

Jesus suffered for a reason because there was joy on the other side of suffering.

Okay?

The joy of God's creation, God's people being reconciled to him.

That's why he did it.

That's why he endured.

When we're going through trials and hard times, if we don't have a reason why, it's easy to quit.

Why am I doing this?

Why am I putting up with this?

The Christian life is not an easy call.

I um when I was younger, uh I, you know, especially when I started becoming adult, I was raised in church, but everyone has to go through this.

You have to start developing, well, what do I believe?

You can be raised in church, you can have you know the Bible shoved down your throat.

That doesn't mean you're gonna be, you know, a God-fearing Christian when you grow up.

You have to come to determination, what do I believe?

You have to search these things out for yourself.

Okay?

Well, I had to do that.

I had to develop my theology and stuff, you know, and I developed a lot of theology that I didn't get from the Bible.

I developed a lot of theology that felt right, it felt good.

But I remember hearing pastors talking about some of the hardships of being a Christian, and I didn't like that.

I rejected it.

I was like, well, that doesn't sound fun at all.

I don't want that.

And I was like, if the goal is to like win people over, I'd be like, that's a horrible sales pitch.

Come in to suffer with us.

Take up your cross.

It's so much fun and painful.

You know what I'm saying?

And I was like, I don't really like that, I don't receive that.

And I didn't take time to actually look at what the Bible talks about when it comes to this idea of hardship in our life.

And this is profound because a lot of people don't teach this, they're missing that missing a very big piece of Christianity, and this especially hurts new Christians.

Yeah, that's true.

Because new Christians come into this, and all of a sudden, when they start having trials and they start having troubles and things aren't going their way, what do they do?

They quit.

Okay?

One of the things that God is trying, I'm gonna tell you this, God is very intentionally trying to teach every single one of us something.

Don't quit.

Don't quit.

Don't quit.

And sometimes when we don't have an answer of why am I doing this, we'll quit.

What this verse says is get your eyes on Christ.

Why do we have hard things?

Why just answer to why?

Why aren't things going my way?

I don't know.

But I will tell you this the goal is Christ.

That's it.

That's it.

Christ is forming us to be Christ-like.

I uh I uh looked up like all the Greek stuff.

I like to nerd out on that.

And the Greek word for this this word endure, endurance, is uh hoopamone.

Everyone say hoopa money hoopa show me the money.

Uh H-E-P-O-M-O-N-E.

You're welcome.

That's my hype, man.

But when you look up this word, there's another Greek word that's very similar to it, okay?

If you look up this, like, you know, you look up this word in the lexicon stuff, there's another word called Mekrathumia.

Everyone say that.

Mekrath umia.

They're very similar.

They're talking about this idea to continue doing something good in the midst of difficulty, but one deals with the circumstances.

Hupamone deals with circumstantial hardships in life, okay?

Mekrath umiya deals with having patience with difficult people.

Yeah.

It literally means to like it means long and then rage.

So it's being slow to anger, long suffering, staying calm, not retaliating when wrong.

Okay?

So two forms of this idea of endurance.

Sometimes you have to have endurance relationally.

Amen.

My wife knows all about that.

You're welcome, honey.

I'm teaching her patience.

That's why God put me in her life.

It's true.

She's very grateful.

I don't know if we're gonna get through this message this morning.

But God is trying to teach us to not quit, not just when life gets hard, but when people get hard.

And he's doing that to make us Christ-like.

Like that's the goal.

I get very annoyed and discouraged when I don't have an answer and meaning in life.

When I go through hard stuff, if I don't know why, I don't want to do it.

And God has really been, he's had me in a season that's actually, it feels like Jacob wrestling with the Lord.

My life is great.

It's not like external circumstantial things, but there's like an internal thing that the Lord is working out, and I've been very frustrated.

I'm just gonna share and be a little bit transparent.

I feel like I've been wrestling with the Lord.

Okay.

I I I am impatient.

I see so much stuff that needs to be done for the kingdom.

I see the inadequies in myself that I just can't figure out on my own.

And I've just been almost inside a little bit of a rage, like fire, just come before the Lord.

I'm like, Lord, why?

I feel like the Holy Spirit said, David, I'm teaching you to endure.

I'm teaching you to be Christ-like.

I'm causing things to not go your way for a reason.

Romans 5, 3 through 5.

We can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.

When God, the verse we were just on Hebrews, it says that Jesus is the author and the finisher, he's the initiator, the perfecter of our faith.

I want you to hear this.

This is gonna set some of you free.

God started your faith.

We see this.

No one can claim that Jesus Christ is Lord but through the power of the Holy Spirit, okay?

God started your faith, but He's also gonna, He says, I'm gonna be the one to finish it.

Catch this.

The idea and we have this cry in our heart, I want to be godly.

I just want to please God.

I just want to do the right thing.

He's the one that starts it and He's the one that finishes it.

The responsibility to become godly is on Him.

Let that sink in.

The responsibility for you to become godly is God's.

The ability for you to become godly, that's God's ability, not yours.

Start, finish.

Follow me.

God simply has this.

He says, Okay, I've got a plan to take you from A to B.

You're not godly, but I'm I've got a plan to make you godly.

And it's my responsibility to make you godly.

You can't make yourself godly.

All I need you to do is show up and start this, start, start, start the race.

Start moving.

And this is all I need you to do.

Don't stop.

Wow, so good.

I don't need you to have the answers.

I don't need you to know the direction.

I don't even know, I don't need you to know where we're going.

And what I'm gonna do, because I'm God, I'm all powerful, it's and it's his power is not just this, now you're godly.

His power is I can orchestrate circumstances in life, and I could cause hard things to happen to you.

I can cause things unforeseen to happen to you that you're not gonna like, but you know what it's gonna do?

It's gonna cause you to become godly.

Oh Lord, I want to have the love of Christ.

Okay, let me put someone in your life that's very hard to love.

Work those muscles out.

My wife prayed, Lord, teach me the love of Christ, and then she married me.

Thank you.

I could be difficult too.

Listen, we're real here.

But we all could be.

My wife and I are matching, by the way.

So cute, right?

Um Anne Manly.

Thank you.

We get really discouraged when we don't have the answers.

We're going through hard stuff.

This word hupamone, it means to stay under.

And the idea is that when there's something heavy, okay, is that you stay under the pressure.

That's a characteristic of Christ.

That's a characteristic that God is trying to teach us and put into us, develop us.

It's not even having, oh, I've got breakthrough.

No, it's the ability that when things are hard, things are not going well, there's trouble, there's pressure, it's uncomfortable.

It's this simple ability.

I'm going to stay here and not quit.

God's not looking at you to have all the answers.

And I know what tomorrow is, and I'm believing for breakthrough.

What happens when all of a sudden, for years, there's no breakthrough?

I'm just developing endurance.

I'm developing this ability to stay under the pressure.

Jesus endured the cross.

Do you know that was not a quick fix?

That was not like a quick death.

It was like 10 hours or something of ongoing torture.

Brutalized, mocked, shamed.

It was not some quick thing.

Did you know that Jesus at any time could have gotten out of it?

The Bible says that every time you're tempted, God will make a way out.

Y'all know that verse?

I think it's in 1 Corinthians.

Did you know every time you're called, the devil will make a way out?

And it will feel so good and so right.

Do you know how good of a manipulator the devil is?

And he, do you know how deceitful your heart is?

And the devil's so good.

He's gonna come and he's gonna pull your heart strings.

Oh, you've been serving so long and they were so mean to you.

You don't deserve that.

Oh, they treated you so wrong.

They don't want to appreciate your gifting, your calling.

You just need to quit.

Oh, Jesus, son of God, why don't you have to do that?

Here, I'll I'll get all the kings of the world to bow down to you.

You don't have to die on the cross.

Have you ever been manipulated?

You ever encounter someone that's really good at manipulation?

Do you know the devil's better than them at manipulation?

Do you know Jesus calls him the father of lies?

The source of lies, the ultimate liar.

Listen, you're not gonna outsmart and outwit the devil.

It's only the power and the truth of God that's gonna protect you from the lies of the devil.

So don't think that you're gonna outsmart him.

Don't think that you're all of a sudden, oh, I know it's the devil's talking.

The devil can deceive us when we've got issues in our heart that's undealt with.

And when you get in these hard seasons, this is what happens.

I'm gonna tell you, I'm gonna give you the majority of the American church right now.

Oh, it's hard.

I'm God must be calling me out.

When God said, I put you there to stay.

Because I'm trying to teach you to endure.

You say you want more.

How many of us have prayed for more?

I want more financial blessing, I want more spiritual authority, I want heaven to open up, I want revival.

I pray it every day.

And God's answering.

He says, David, I'm gonna give it to you.

I'm gonna make things really hard and see if I can trust you to not quit.

And God has called you and you cried out for more, and he's answering, and he's saying, Can I trust them not to quit when things get hard?

And we don't realize God's answering our prayers.

And some of you, let me encourage you, you don't realize you're in the midst of a test and you're passing because you're just staying.

It's not fun, it hurts, it sucks.

You don't see any change, you're praying, you're fasting, you're believing, you're day in, day out obeying, you've lost the joy, you've lost the lost the passion, but you're remaining.

The Lord's saying that's what I'm looking for.

You don't have any answers, it doesn't make any sense.

People might even think you're crazy, but you're remaining.

He's developing endurance.

He's developing endurance.

Every time the light blinks, it's God saying, Amen.

I'm just kidding, by the way.

You're a visitor.

I don't know.

Maybe it is.

Like every s all the time.

Okay?

I pray every day.

I'm asking every day.

Okay?

Catherine and I, we get called to be pastors here.

And not only are we called, we get people from all over the nation, even all over even different parts of the world giving us prophetic words, having no idea God's bringing revival.

God's calling, he's blah, blah, blah.

God's speaking words over this church.

Okay, hear me on this.

We're amped up.

Here we go.

We're stepping in.

This church, this church auditorium is getting full.

This is years ago, okay?

God's on the move.

So many people just coming all over, okay?

We step in, and all of a sudden there's a church split.

People weren't happy about us being pastors, they weren't happy that I was gonna, you know, acknowledge women pastors.

Half the church leaves.

I'm sitting around, I'm like, well, God, I thought you were bringing revival.

Hear me on this?

Because this is going to apply to you.

Because the moment you say yes to God, and you all of a sudden you step in the call and you know what he's gonna do?

You're gonna get these curveballs thrown at you.

And God's watching.

Are they going to quit?

God stirs up your heart, you say yes to the call, and then trouble comes, and we're shocked.

And many people tap out.

Many are called, but because few remain.

Few remain.

Because the call is heavy.

The anointing is weighty, to whom much is given, much is required.

Many people can't handle the requirement part.

They want the much is given to me, but when God makes a pull on the anointing, when God makes a pull on the glory, when God blesses you financially and then calls you to give.

Are we ready for that part?

And then we wonder why we're not walking in the glory.

And then we wonder when we pray, no mountains move, because you have not earned that trust.

Because God makes a pull on the glory.

God's bringing revival, but you know what he's doing, church, right now?

He's testing us.

God's breeding miracles and deliverance and droves.

You know what he's doing right now?

He's testing us.

We have a church split.

I wasn't ready for that.

That wasn't part of my plans.

That hurt.

Will you remain?

Year later, all of a sudden, traction.

Full church again.

God's moving.

We had like we had like a baptism.

We had like 20-something people baptized.

Okay?

I'm being raw and real.

I want you to hear this.

Another church split.

God, what are you doing?

David, don't quit.

I know what I said.

Hear me on this church.

I know what I said.

Whenever you see someone with a calling, and I'm talking to every single one of you, you're gonna find God pruning you.

You're gonna find God putting your situations, testing you.

Are you going to endure?

Don't quit.

When God calls you to pray and contend for your family to be saved, you know what happens a lot of times?

All of a sudden there's a ruckus and something horrible happens.

The moment you get that desire to contend over them, some of you're shaking your head.

All hell breaks loose.

Why?

It's a test.

Peter says this don't be surprised when troubles come your way.

God is refining you.

God is refining your heart, he's refining your purpose.

When life seems meaningless, he's the meaning.

He's the meaning.

He's the goal.

Jesus endured the cross because of the joy awaiting it.

You are called by God.

Your life right now matters to him.

He is all involved in every single one of your lives.

And this is we get in these hard seasons and we think, oh, God's forgotten about me.

That could not be further from the truth.

God is developing endurance.

He's developing endurance.

Revival is coming to this church, but revival is coming to you.

Revival when God has called you, He's put things in your heart, He's put dreams and passions in your heart.

He is faithful to answer them.

But He has us in seasons where He's making us Christ-like.

So I've been wrestling with the Lord.

Because I believe that time is short.

I believe that Jesus is coming back soon.

And I believe that there's a massive harvest out there.

And I'm saying, Lord, you need to amp it up.

And God's saying, David, you need to shut up.

And just endure.

Let me read a verse to you.

It's 2 Corinthians 1, 8 through 9.

This is Paul the Apostle.

This is amazing, Paul.

He says, We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia.

Listen to this.

We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure.

Paul, we were crushed beyond our ability to endure.

Listen to this, okay?

And we thought we would never live through it.

In fact, we expected to die.

Can you imagine this?

This is Paul's reality.

Great man of God, man of faith, right?

We're dead.

We're dying.

That's my future.

It's over.

Another one bites the dust.

And then it says, in fact, we expected to die, but as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves.

You would never know this, but inside it's been a storm raging in me.

You want to know why?

Because God's breaking the idolatry of self-reliancy out of me.

I want things on my time, I want things my way, and I want to be in control, and I want to have all the answers, and I want to have meaning.

And the Lord says, this is not the season I have you in.

This is a season where you're learning to be humble and depend on me and realize that you cannot do anything without me.

And God will put us in these seasons that are really hard, and we have no idea what's going on because He's teaching us this one thing.

You cannot do anything without me.

So stop trying.

You cannot define tomorrow.

You cannot know your outcomes.

I need you just to simply endure because I'm molding you into my image.

I'm molding you into my image.

That is the sinner.

That is the call of the Christian life.

That's the ultimate goal.

To become Christ-like.

And when he tears at us, it's not fun.

It has not been fun.

Lord, I give you this.

I give you this desire to control everything, to know everything.

He wants that.

He wants our devotion.

I wants our worship.

And you know what he'll do?

He'll use hard things in life to train us.

I know some of you have been going through it.

I know some of the actual stories, and then prophetically, I know it.

Some of you have been going through it.

That's not an accident.

That is God orchestrating your life.

That is God involved in your life.

To make you Christ-like.

I'm gonna end soon.

You should know this.

Um, here's an encouraging verse to go in the summer.

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.

We're in the last days.

We're in the last days, y'all.

We're in the last of the last days.

Jesus is coming soon.

We're gonna stand before the king.

Okay.

Timothy, there's gonna things are gonna get very difficult.

People will love only themselves and their money.

They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents and ungrateful.

They will consider nothing sacred, they will be unloving and unforgiving.

They will slander others and have no self-control, they will be cruel and hate what is good.

They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.

They will act religious, but they will reject the power that can make them godly.

Stay away from people like that.

There's no talk of famine in that paragraph.

There's no mention of persecution.

Sorry, y'all trying to read it.

You don't even mention war.

Absorb this verse real quick.

I've been going through this and I'm saying, oh gosh Lord, am I one of these people?

To me.

He's talking about people in the church.

He's not talking about pagans.

He's talking about people that you would think are godly.

That do this junk.

He's talking about a blessed people, they got money.

Do you know hard things in life will make us humble?

These are people who are proud.

They've not gone through suffering.

Why is the last day so difficult?

I'm gonna tell you something.

This is what the Holy Spirit showed me this week, and this is gonna be the encouragement going into the summer.

I've been asking God for strategy because the Lord told us at the beginning here, he said, wait on me for strategy.

I'm not I'm not trying to read books, how to run a church.

I'm saying, Lord, I need strategy from heaven on what we need to do.

Okay?

And I'm not saying that to sound all I have no idea.

I've come to the I've come to the realization that, Lord, I have no idea.

Be encouraged.

This is talking about a blessed people.

One of the greatest obstacles and difficulties, if our goal is to be Christ-like, you know what one of the greatest difficulties in it is?

Ease and comfort.

We hear endurance and we always think, oh, suffering, troubles, and stuff, and that is true.

You know what one of the greatest difficulties, though, is, and I especially believe for the American Church, I believe for this region, and this is what I need us to hear, church.

Listen, there's people dying for their faith in other countries, and they have no problem being committed to Christ.

Okay.

Our greatest enemy is ease and comfort.

It's it's the hard things in life that's going to tempt you to quit, but it's the ease and comfort in life that's going to tempt you to drift.

Drift into comfort, drift into distraction, drift into spiritual laziness.

This is a people that don't show the love of Jesus.

These are people that don't have macrothumia, long suffering.

The moment you get offended, all of a sudden you gotta just abandon ship, right?

Is that long suffering?

Even Jesus on the cross was forgiving people.

Someone cut you off in the car, you're cussing them out and cursing them.

I've been coming, I'm like, Lord, am I one of these people?

I hope not.

Deal with my heart.

Deuteronomy 8 says this, but this is the time to be careful.

Beware that in your plenty you don't forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands.

Go back and go and read through the Old Testament and watch God's people, okay?

Hear me today.

Watch God's people.

Suffering judgment, captivity, crying out to God and desperate for him every time.

Suffering hardship, desperate.

God delivers them, God blesses them, they rebel.

Over and over and over and over and over and over.

I believe right now, church, we're in a test of how are we going to respond to comfort and ease.

The summertime is a wonderful time.

We believe in the family, we believe in vacationing, we believe in rest, we believe in fun.

Okay.

But when when times are good and you're not desperate, are you still running after him?

That's the endurance.

That's the trick.

That's the change of thought.

Okay, when hard things happen, I consider it joy.

Well, when good things are happening, I'm still focused on him, that's not enough.

This is what happened to me this week.

The Holy Spirit kicked my tushy.

I I've been contending for things.

I've had things going on, and I've been praying every day.

It's been some heavy things, and I finally had a release.

It finally, something finally got better, and I finally had a day where I feel like I could breathe.

And I was like, oh, finally.

And that whole day, you know what I did?

I didn't pray one time.

I didn't read my Bible.

I didn't even really think about God.

And after work, I get in my car and I put on some happy-go-lucky music, and five minutes into driving, all of a sudden I hear the Holy Spirit say, You see what you did.

And I was gonna try to play dumb, but then I realized God already knows.

What?

Yeah.

This is what I did is that I am so hungry and desperate for God when I need something, when I'm desperate, when there's troubles in my life, when I'm contending for breakthrough, but the moment that things get good, I forget him completely.

I mean, listen, I'm fine on my own now, okay?

God's not my source, he's my emergency contact.

And this is what I feel that we're for that we're on the verge of doing, church.

We're crying out for revival, but when things get good, are we still crying out for revival?

Are we more in love with the gifts or more in love with the giver?

So I'm excited about summer, but my question is listen, I know we're not gonna have Wednesday night services, I know we're not gonna have life group, I know it's a season for fun, and we're all about that.

But this is my the person that I want to be that in the midst of my comfort, in the midst of my blessing, I still want to be on my knees saying, Lord, I need you.

Come and write down revival, time is short, Lord.

Come and rain down, Lord.

I need you in the midst of my troubles instead of complaining.

Thank you, Lord.

You are helping me become like Christ, you are showing me my weaknesses, Lord.

I cannot do this without you.

Let's stand.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

The most dangerous deception for I believe for people is people that need God and don't realize it.

I'm fine.

I'm fine, I got everything I need, I got my life figured out.

That's a very dangerous place to be.

But don't let that become your idol.

Don't make loving pleasure be the thing that you're chasing.

When things get hard, when things get relationally hard, don't think that's an automatic Holy Spirit telling you to go.

When your marriage gets hard, it's meant to.

It's showing you the weakness, it's showing you the inadequacies in your life, it's revealing your selfishness.

Amen.

Lord, we need you, Father.

Lord, we need you, Father.

We need you, God.

And forgive us.

Let's just do this.

You can repent the Lord internally.

You don't have to say it out loud.

But Lord, forgive us, God, in the midst of our comfort and our ease and our blessing, God.

Forgive us for forgetting you and putting you on the sidelines, God.

Forgive us that all the only time that we're desperate is when we need something.

And when something's wrong, Lord.

And forgive us, God, that when we've quit before we were called to change.

Forgive us when we tapped out too soon, Lord.

And I thank you that you've been faithful, God, to finish the faith that you started in us.

Lord, we say yes to your will and your way, Lord.

We say yes, Lord, when it gets hard, Lord, when you bring your fire, Lord, we say, let it refine us, Lord.

Let it reveal the impurities in our heart and our life, Lord.

Let it expose us, God.

Let it reveal to us how much we need you, Father.

I pray, Lord, as we go into this season, Lord, we will not forget you, God.

And I thank you that you're faithful to bring revival, Lord.

I thank you for the harvest that's coming, Lord.

I thank you for the men, the women, even the young and the old that are called according to your name for such a time as this.

Because the harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few.

Break our heart for what breaks yours, Lord.

Break our heart for what breaks yours, God.

Let us not just be okay where we're at.

Ud Ramashiki on the Ramashaka.

And I pray right now for those people that are faithful right now.

Open up your eyes.

By the way, I know I shared that stuff about our church.

I'm not saying this idea like, you know, these people are, you know, horrible or whatever.

We we we're all Christians, we're all figuring it out, okay?

And this whole thing is not about staying at church and what church are you going to.

I don't care, okay?

My heart is that there's a harvest out there, and our assignment is to get the laborers trained so that when the harvest comes, we can produce long-lasting fruit.

It's very simple, okay?

A pastor told me this one time is the best advice ever.

He goes, Listen, y'all can, you know, sit there and trade sheep.

I'm actually gonna go after the lost.

And I was like, that's what I'm gonna do.

So this message has nothing to do with quitting church or anything like that.

I'm talking about our walk with the Lord.

God could change your season, God could change your jobs, He can have you quit things, He can have you change things.

That's all part of God's plan.

I'm talking about the overarching, my hope and focuses on Jesus.

In the seasons that's uncertain, Lord, I thank you that you're developing me into the character of Christ.

Lord, this is awful.

I can't do this.

Thank you, Jesus.

You can.

Are we straight?

Are we clear?

Who who's been who's who feel just do this?

Raise your hand if you've been feeling heavy in this season and you need refreshing.

I want you to come up here to the altar.

Come on.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry it's later.

It's my fault.

I told you I was gonna not go on and I lied.

The Lord's working on me.

Step back just a little bit.

In the name of Jesus, Holy Spirit, refreshing fire.

Holy Spirit, refreshing fire.

Thank you, Father.

Thank you, Father.

Thank you, Jesus.

Lord, I pray for your refreshing, Lord, your encouragement, Father.

I thank you, Lord, that he's gonna continue walking in your ways and what you're doing, Father.

Um, Lord, I thank you for awesome and the call of God on his life.

And the Lord says, I've been very much involved, and I see exactly what's going on, and you're doing well, my son.

Keep going, keep going, keep going, Father.

And I just rebuke every plan of the enemy to rob, steal, and kill, and destroy.

Everyone stretch your hand towards him right now.

There's such a beautiful anointing on his life.

There's a beautiful heart for the lost.

There's an evangelist on him, and the enemy does not want that at all.

The enemy hates you, Austin.

The enemy's trying to attack you and your brine, we your brain, your mind.

We rebuke you in the name of Jesus.

I thank you that that Austin's going to walk and run in the glory of God.

I thank you, Father, that he's passing the test, Father.

I thank you, Lord.

We know that it's been hard, but Lord, he we say he's passing the test, Father, and he's going to walk in the glory of God, in the mighty name of Jesus.

There's more to you than meets the eye.

There's an evangelist on you, and we say, come on out in the name of Jesus.

The evangelist of God, the voice of God, Lord, the laborer being sent to the harvest in the name of Jesus.

Kadra Kandiri Kandara Mashaka.

My man, right here.

There's an evangelist right here.

Stretch your hands towards this man.

We thank you, Father, that you called him for such a time as this.

The Lord says, get ready, you're about to run.

And you're about to run fast, and you're about to run far.

Get ready, get ready.

Put your hands out.

In the name of Jesus, we say that he has the fire of God.

He has the voice of God.

He has the message of God that's going to reach a lost and dying world in the name of Jesus.

Get ready to run, my son.

Get ready to run.

And you're going to run farther than you thought.

This is going to go further than what you think in the name of Jesus.

I thank you for this man of God right here, Lord.

I thank you for his pursuit, his passion, his hunger, Father.

I thank you, Lord, that you're quenching his thirst, Father.

And I thank you just for the healing ministry on him.

There is such a profound healing ministry on you.

And the Lord says, I'm going to I'm going to promote you quicker than you would have thought.

I'm going to promote you quicker than you thought.

And I'm also going to increase you more than you might have assumed.

In the name of Jesus.

If y'all need to go, you can go.

But we're going to stay here and linger for just a second because God's doing something.

We rebuke every lie and plan of the enemy to try to steal, kill, and destroy the plan of God for her life.

We rebuke it and we say, get off in the name of Jesus.

Get off of her family in the name of Jesus.

Get off of her family in the name of Jesus.

And we thank you for refreshing in this season, Lord.

Refreshing and grace in the name of Jesus.

Thank you, Father.

The Lord says it's not for nothing.

Where are your parents at?

Are they come on up here?

Stand behind her.

In the name of Jesus.

The Lord says it's not for nothing.

It's not for nothing.

It's not for nothing.

It's producing something.

It's not for nothing.

It's not for nothing.

It's produces something.

I just say refreshing right now.

Deep spirit of God that goes to the deep places.

I keep hearing this a deep well, Lord.

I thank you, Father, you're developing a deep well of your glory in her, Father.

In the name of Jesus.

And the Lord says, I'm going to use a lot.

Everything you're going through, I'm going to use.

It's going to be good and it's also going to help others.

Everything you're going through is not just for you.

It's going to help others.

It's going to be a deep well of my glory.

So we I feel just the fire of God on this.

Thank you, Father, that you're bringing out your glory, God.

Thank you that you're bringing out your anointing, your calling, Father.

Thank you for the spiritual inheritance, Father, that's being transferred in the name of Jesus.

There's a shepherd's heart on you.

And there's a shepherd's heart for women, and there's a shepherd's heart to see women set free.

And I think you see some of this stuff, and you're like, This is so stupid.

The Lord needs to break this off.

You see things like this.

The Lord is going to use you to pull women into freedom.

There's a shepherd's heart on you.

And we say you're stepping into that in the name of Jesus.

In the name of Jesus.

The Lord says, I'm refreshing you in this season.

I'm bringing purpose, meaning, and calling to you in this season.

You are not forgotten in the name of Jesus.

Such a call on you.

Such a call.

Such a call.

And the Lord says, Um, I know exactly what I'm doing, and you've been faithful.

I know exactly what I'm doing, and keep going.

I know exactly what I'm doing.

There's such a call, and it's gonna be beautiful, and the glory of God is gonna shine through your life.

It's gonna shine, just wait and see.

Just wait and see.

Thank you, Father.

Um, I just feel for you, the Lord wants, um, Angelica, the Lord wants to know there's gonna be a surprise.

It's not always gonna, it's not gonna look the same.

There you have an idea, but the Lord says, I'm changing things up.

I'm gonna surprise you a little bit, but it's gonna fulfill you more.

It's gonna fulfill you more because it's a deep call, it's a design.

The Lord says, I knit you in your mother's womb.

It's it's it's it's there's been a thing where the enemies try to confuse you, like, oh, I gotta do this, I gotta do this.

The Lord says, I'm refining your call.

And it's good.

Lord, I thank you for this wonderful couple, Lord, and um and I know I've talked to both you and stuff and prayed with you, but I see you both leading couples.

I see you, you're bringing couples in, and I see even new Christians, listen to me on this, okay?

I see new Christians, and I see you discipling couples particularly.

So, Father, I thank you for the I thank you, Lord, for the Father's love in this man's heart for others, and I thank you that you're going to give him refreshing and grace for every step and every season of the way, Lord.

And we just speak, Lord, of grace and protection over their marriage.

Understand the enemy's always going to attack what God's instilled.

Do y'all hear that?

The enemy is going to attack that.

I rebuke every plan of the enemy, and I'm not, I don't have no idea, but I rebuke every plan of the enemy to try to divide them, to try to attack their love, attack their marriage.

We say they're covered by the blood of Jesus, and I thank you for the calling and the ministry on their life in the name of Jesus.

By the way, I don't know if they're having problems or not, okay?

I think they're perfectly fine.

Just so we're clear.

Lord, I thank you, God, for Brittany.

Lord, I thank you for the leader that you're making her.

And the Lord just says, You have been doing so well and keep going.

Um, this is what I found.

The Lord's very good at outdoing our expectations.

You're gonna face this trial and disappointment, then all of a sudden God's gonna prevail, and you're like, this was better than I ever thought.

The Lord says that over you, Brittany.

This is going to be better than what you're thinking.

You're saying it's almost like you're coming to him saying, Well, can I at least get the crumbs off the table?

Lord says, No, I'm I'm preparing a feast at the table.

So we say, Father, that feast and that timing is coming, Lord.

We thank you for your miraculous timing.

So we break off the lies of the enemy that's making you worry, oh, nothing's ever gonna happen.

Nothing's it's always gonna stay the same.

That's a lie from the enemy.

They are so afraid of what God is doing in you, through you, and around you.

We rebuke you in the name of Jesus, you lying spirits, you spirits of heaviness, trying to drain her energy.

The Lord says, Go set your sails up and ride in the wind of my spirit, because I am going to show off, Brittany.

I am going to show off in the name of Jesus.

Father, I thank you for this wonderful woman of God who carries wisdom, but she could she carries prophetic insight.

Um, I never met you, I don't even know you.

You carry prophetic insight and you carry wisdom and you see things in the spirit, and the Lord says, Um, you're an intercessor, and you actually do a lot of damage against the um kingdom of the enemy more than you would realize.

And the enemies try to say, You don't matter, you don't have a voice, no one cares about you here.

Give me, let me take your hand.

The enemies come against the very thing that God's put inside of you.

Your your prayers in the private do more damage than some of the biggest ministries around.

I want you to hear this.

The enemy is trying to make you feel insignificant because you do carry that.

You have that warrior spirit, that warrior anointing, but you're you're an intercessor.

So we say in the name of Jesus, Lord, that she's refreshed in this season, Lord.

She's encouraged in this season.

The Lord says also, it's not like you've been disobedient, it's almost like you got knocked off your post.

The Lord says, I'm re-establishing you on the post.

I'm re-establishing you, I'm replacing you, and I'm also filling your cup in this season.

Thank you, Father.

I'm refilling your cup.

And Colleen, the the Lord says, get ready, get ready, get ready.

Get ready, get ready, get ready, get ready.

This is not a fairy tale.

I've not been lying to you.

You think I've lied to you?

That's such a lie from the enemy.

I'm not lying to you, Colleen.

Get ready.

Kudra Kashon Dara Mate Kandarama Shiki Otor Moshuka.

Rebuke you, devil.

Devil's so afraid of you.

Oh my gosh.

That anointing in you.

Father of lies.

Rebuke you, Satan.

Kudra Mashandra Madariandara Mashaka Didki.

She's getting it right now.

Refreshing in the name of Jesus.

Refreshing God from the deep places.

And we pull up, Lord, that that betrayal.

We pull that out of her back right now in the name of Jesus.

We pull it out of her back, that betrayal.

We break it off right now, the assignment of the enemy.

And saying she's moving forward.

This is a new chapter in her life in the name of Jesus.

This is a new chapter in her life in the name of Jesus.

Katakadara Mashiki Otarabashaka.

Thank you, Jesus.

Kandarama Kashiki atarama shanda.

Okay, the Lord has had you in a time of testing and testing your finances, testing um his provision for you.

And I I want you to hear this.

The Lord says, I'm going to more than provide every step of the way.

And this is going to be a testimony of your life, and you have trusted me.

And also, um, there was a thing we never we're never supposed to brag about giving, but I feel like the Lord says, You've been very generous in the secret.

I'm going to be very generous in the public.

You have been very generous in the secret.

I'm going to be very generous in the public.

In the name of Jesus, Father.

Complete refreshing over her, joy, and also really good deep sleep.

I just hear that too.

Restoration to sleep and deep sleep in the name of Jesus.

You're my little sweetheart.

And you've had a broken heart, but you're my little sweetheart.

And I'm healing your broken heart.

You're not healing your broken heart.

I am.

And I'm placing you in family.

That's what this has been about.

You keep coming.

I'm placing you in family.

And I'm healing your broken heart.

And I'm going to do more than that, too.

Father, I thank you, Lord, for the joy that's going to come out of her life, Lord.

The joy of the Lord is her strength, Father.

I thank you, Lord.

There's been wells and those wells have been filled up.

They've been clogged up.

The Lord says, I'm redigging those wells.

I'm redigging those wells in the name of Jesus.

Oh, this is beautiful.

The Lord says, Okay, listen, I'm going to promote you, okay?

My daughter, listen to me.

I'm going to promote you, but it's not because you need it.

And I want you to stop trying to prove yourself because my fire and my anointing's in you, and I'm refining you, but you don't have to promote yourself, my daughter.

I'm good at doing that.

So we're going to break off that insecurity, that striving, trying to please man and trying to prove yourself.

I know that people didn't listen to you.

I know people ignored you.

I know I put things inside of you and no one listened, and you felt that rejection, but we're breaking that off right now in the name of Jesus.

We're breaking that off in the name of Jesus.

You don't have to prove yourself.

I'm going to prove you.

I go before you.

So we just break that off in the name of Jesus.

And we break off those curses spoken over her in the name of Jesus.

And some people said stuff and they didn't realize what they were saying and how much it hurts you.

We just break that off.

We say complete healing over her, refreshing over her.

It's like an anchor.

It's followed you around everywhere.

We just sever that anchor right now.

In the name of Jesus.

In the name of Jesus.

Healing.

Complete healing, Father.

People say stuff sometimes, y'all, and they say stuff to you that's mean and they don't realize how much it hurts you and it and it stays with you.

We just break that off in the name of Jesus.

Some of y'all, it severed you for years.

You're trying to like break off some curse and prove people wrong.

Just forgive them and move on.

Just forgive them and move on.

Lord, just complete refreshing over her.

Complete refreshing and joy, Father.

The Lord says, This is a place you belong.

And you're part of this family.

This is a place you belong.

This is a place where my joy and peace cover you.

We just rebuke that lie.

The enemies try to make you think you don't belong.

You don't belong anywhere.

The father lies.

We'll rebuke you, Satan.

Satan, just so you know, you're gonna end up in hell.

It's not gonna be fun for you.

It's already done.

We thank you for this sweet woman of God, Lord.

Mmm.

And then she belong.

But she belonged.

Rest in that.

There's a deep cry in your heart, man.

Such a deep cry in your heart.

And the Lord says, I put that cry there and I'm gonna answer it.

Such a deep cry in your heart.

And it's a big one.

It's a big prayer.

The Lord says, I'm gonna answer that.

I put that there.

We thank you for his faithfulness, Lord.

We thank you.

He's been steadfast.

We thank you for his faith in hard times that does not give up, Lord.

And we just say, Lord, comfort him and refresh him, Lord, in this season.

Comfort him and refresh him in this season, Father.

In the name of Jesus, even over his head, um, even just I don't know, I heard like like neck pain, headaches and stuff.

Lord, we say complete healing and release of that in the name of Jesus, of tension, stress carried in it, it's painful.

Mighty warrior.

Um, I just keep hearing this thing, mighty warrior like Gideon.

Mighty warrior, mighty warrior, mighty warrior.

Um, there's a phase two, Barbara, and there's a phase two, and there's a chapter two, and it's gonna be a lot of fun.

I'm not I've not made everything clear.

The Lord says it's gonna be a lot of fun, it's gonna be joyful, it's gonna be life-giving, but also it is gonna be warfare, so get ready.

It's gonna be warfare, and I think you know that.

So we thank you, Father, that you're strengthening her, Lord.

We thank you, Lord, that in the midst of even this, it's been like, Lord, I'm weak, and he says, Okay, now my strength's coming out.

My power's coming out even more.

My power's coming out, and also I feel this too.

Pastor P said this.

I see you, I see you even in bed, and there I see you in bed praying, and there's a lot being done in the spirit, and there's there's been a thing where you don't have to go out and just do everything.

You don't have to just like get up.

I don't know if that's making sense at all, but I just see you praying in your secret place, and the Lord really doing a lot through that.

And it's almost like permission to physically rest, but you're also still contending in the spirit.

So we thank you for that in the name of Jesus.

Isn't God good?

Thank you for sticking around.

We love you all.

We hope that you have a wonderful Memorial Day tomorrow and uh rest of the week.

We will be back for service this coming Sunday, and uh, but the Sunday after we'll be online, okay?