Fight the Good Fight of Finishing Faith - Part 9 (Pastor Terrance Richmond)

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Love Quest International

Church podcast where we seek to love all nations, equip the

church, mobilize the equipped, and serve all.

We're super glad you're joining us from whenever and wherever

you're at in the world. Welcome to the family to get

your Bibles ready, get some water, get some coffee, maybe

some tea, and get ready to receive.

It's go time. Let's get into it.

Some people might be asking what are y'all doing?

Well, I'm doing the same thing you do at a ball game or a Super

Bowl party or at the club. You know, I mean, I told people

that all the time I went in when I partied, like all the way in.

So this guy, you see up here, he saw me out in the world in the

club. He saw me smoking and drinking

and turning up and all that good old stuff.

This, that guy. And then one day something

happened in my heart and I didn't let religion in.

Religion is not going to do it. But I did let the only one that

could actually fix me and heal me.

And then the scales was removed. You can sit down.

You can sit down. Scales was removed from my eyes,

and now I can see. Yeah.

All right. When I was when I was blind, you

couldn't tell me nothing. I thought you was tripping.

I thought you was blind. My grandma would pray for me and

she'd be singing and doing all that good old stuff.

And I'm like, Grandma, calm down.

And then when I let the same Jesus that was making her happy

in my heart, I was like, I get it now.

And so I'm glad my children will have an inheritance of faith, an

inheritance of praise. I'm glad that our children will

grow up. Not, not.

This world is getting crazier, OK?

And I'm just like for who I am. I don't know about you, but I am

way too unique to have just come out of a boom or like, you're

too intelligent. You look too good to just be

passing through every person here.

It's created with intent. You can be seated worship team.

We've been in this series called the good fight, say good fight

of finishing faith. And we started this like, I

don't know, I think it was like 3 weeks ago.

And here's the idea, not everybody finishes their life

strong. There's many great men, many

great women that. Seemingly have it all together

for a while and then the end comes and the only thing that

they can leave. Behind is some monetary things

and some. Tips on how to keep it and make

it but they end empty and broken.

And a lot of our goals in this world is all monetary and.

If we get those monetary things, then I have.

Peace I have, happiness I have, I feel good, all these different

things, but deep inside the crevices of our soul there are

some places that cannot be filled without the one who died,

lived, rose to fill them. So when I.

Am talking today underneath. It all, we're talking legacy,

like just in a little. Bit we got about 12 people

getting baptized. One of those are my Yeah.

OK, good, good, good. You know what I mean?

That water represents someone being born again.

I get I get you born a certain way.

I get that you think a certain way.

I get you a raised a certain way.

But there is a thing called being born again.

I get the. Privilege Today, out of the 12

people to baptize my son, my son is getting ready to do some cool

things with his life. And he was just like.

Dad, like I got baptized before and you know, I kind of

understood concept before, but watching him coming to his own,

nothing pushed on him just. This ain't because he a pastor's

kid. This.

Brother loves the Lord, He's sending me an encouragement.

Then we had. A young man up here.

Stand up real quick, Adam. Hold her.

You 23? I didn't know an Adam since he

was old, 1516, something like that.

You can sit back there. I just want them to see you.

He came up here and man. We should be celebrating.

Young men. Who had a young.

Age and doing what he. Does to just be rooted in the

Lord and just like yes. I have some young man stuff

going on, but there's. Something bigger than me.

This young. Man is going to go out there and

do some great work, not because he's dope.

Not because he's handsome. Not.

Because it's because he know who's he who's he is.

And he's going to be able to. Help a lot of people.

In the soul realm of their lives.

Many men say many men. Wish that.

No, no, I'm not going. I'm not going to.

All right, Stop. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.

Don't do it. Don't do it.

Don't do it. We got to stay focused today,

OK? We got to stay focused.

We got to stay focused. Here we go.

Here we go. Many men do not finish or women

do not finish well. Because they do not.

Survive the storms of life. They manage but never mature.

They elevate but never evolve. Life is not merely about

survival of the fittest, but it's about maturing in my

witness. Realize it or not, follow Jesus

or not, God has been good to everybody.

Failure is not failing God, but failure, true failure, is

robbing yourself from experiencing the unconditional,

immovable, unbreakable love of God.

Why? In order to fulfill self

gratifying life and goals, I would say a selfish life is a

failure's life. You can look good.

All the way to the end. You can be rich at the end, you

can impress people until the end, you can be popular until

the end. You could be all these things to

man and for yourself, family and friends.

But at the end, in the the solitude of your last moments in

this life, it will be you and God the creator conversations

reflecting on the opportunities of your lifetime.

You will sit there on your bed. What did I do?

What should I've done? Did I live out the fullness of

my life? Did I give more than I took?

Did I love or did I hate and did I live free or did I live found?

Did I live with masks on, hiding my brokenness and my pain that

were camouflage With the things man approves as success?

Everything we're working for, striving for in this life, there

will be a day that none of it matters when you on your bed, if

health is failing and if your body is weakening and when

people are. Visiting you when you become a

dependent again, You nor. I once sprinkled in the dialogue

of our last days conversations of warnings.

Towards friends and family and. Children that were leaving

behind warnings like son if I could have did.

This I would do this differently or should have did this

differently. The joys of your last moments

are laced and should be laced with the fruits of God's lips,

saying, Well done thy good. And faithful son.

You. Fought the good fight, you

fought the good fight. You persevered, not merely

survived. You finished.

Not just. Went with the wind or?

Fulfilled your family's dreams for you.

You passed on heavenly baton. What's left in your children's

hands is an advanced work of the.

Father's purpose and plans. You've left trails.

Of victory or two victory. You've left inspiration to

pursue me, and you've left evidence that I am alive.

We need finishers, not mere fighters.

We need more than conquerors, not mortal cowards.

We need sons and daughters, not orphans and slaves.

We need the redeemed of the Lord, not the religious with

swords. And we need the vibrant,

vigorous, vivacious, valiant and victorious to rise up and take a

stand. In a.

Falling World, Dark World. That's.

Looking for hope? We need fighters fighting to the

finish, not fighting to avoid the fumble, living a life to

make sure you don't see me broken, bruised or not

successful. So I must live this certain way

to assure that y'all know that I'm the man or y'all, No, I'm

not a failure. Every man in here.

Is a failure if your soul is failing.

Wait, wait. Like like like, like, let's just

put religion aside. Do you love yourself leaving

yourself in pieces? When are you going to attend to

you? And there's some stuff.

Money came by, sex came by, a bad one on your hip came by.

A mansion came by. You can be in the biggest house

in the world, still on the inside with the tiniest, tiniest

sense of worse and purpose. Question if you strip away

everything you have. Who are you?

We're in a very busy world. And the key of the.

Enemy's success is to keep us busy long enough to where even

when we got time, it ain't no more time left.

To get me through my younger days, my vibrant days, all the

way to the days I become a little dependent again and I

look back and say, man, if I would have been able to do.

This I would have did this differently.

We see Timothy here. Telling us to be alert to all

these things and overcome every form of evil.

Overcome it. It's coming.

Overcoming carry in your heart. The passion of your calling.

As a church planter and evangelist.

And fulfill your ministry or. Carry the passion of your

calling. As a blank, whatever it.

Is you don't got to serve in the church, you don't got to be a

pastor, you don't got to be a worship leader, you don't got to

work in the parking lot. Wherever you are, there's a

calling. And my question is, is do you

only serve people or need people ask customers and opportunities,

or do you know the person you're doing business with?

They're broken and they need a little bit of hope, a little bit

of positivity. And they need somebody to look

past what they can offer you and.

They need somebody to hear the cry in their soul that they may

be too scared and too prideful to say I really need some help.

I want my son, my daughter to go on and do great things, but

never be bound to things. Never be bound.

No, the NBA, if that's where you make his son, will not be your

identity. Too many professional athletes

absolutely lose. Their mind when the lights shut

off and they're not the man or the woman, no.

More Why is that? Partially it's us, our fault.

Because we make people idols and we no longer need them.

Then they're left looking for someone to see those wounds they

never dealt with. Because we put band aids on

them. We say you're the man, but not.

Really. You're.

Broken. You lost your children.

Your marriage sucks. Can we just say it like that?

You're mean. You're angry all the time.

You're bitter. You're snappy, quick, tempered.

Have you? Ever seen quick tempered people?

Have you ever if you're a quick tempered person, have you ever

stopped and be like, that's not OK.

You ever know you know somebody with a nasty attitude and you

probably sit next to him. Just look straight.

Don't say nothing. But man, I love me, my wife and

I, We, we, we look at we had talked last week was like, babe,

we've hit the ceiling of where our marriage can go or where our

marriage is. It's like you just get married

and you just stop growing for each other.

You just become business partners and plan for things,

not understanding that I am to evolve for you so I can be more

to you. So let's talk about why we so

familiar with each other, why it's OK that I look at you and

say something to you or you asked me to go get something

from downstairs and I'm like not right now.

But when we was dating I would have did it in a snappy.

But now we married, the effort is not the same.

The battery is not charged like it should be.

Why would we stop right here? Because the deal is sealed.

So we had a conversation and while.

We're fasting and praying. We're talking to each other

about how can we improve. That's what we got married for,

to partner in God. 'S work for each other.

Not so I can get some and I can get somebody to cook or look

for. Look at a baddie.

No, no, no. Let me tell you, you might have

a baddie now. She might be bad now, but it's

gonna be bad later. We know here at Love Quest

Curves, what swerve? They swerve trying to trying to

trying to raise up a group of young people and even older

people that that's like, you know what?

When I get to the altar, I want to offer that person something

that is richer than financial security.

No, don't get me wrong. That's, that's that's good.

That's good. You need that.

But man, yo, I do. Can only go so far.

So I told my son, look, son, look buddy, you ain't got to go.

You ain't got to run through no girls to find one.

I'm I'll call my son nasty in a minute.

No, no, no. If she's not.

Yours, you're helping prepare her for whoever's she is.

That's a real man understanding that she's going to be

somebody's wife. So handle her tenderly and with

respect and honor. And even if she want to throw

herself at you, throw it back. Not you, her back.

OK, right. Just be like.

Come pick yourself. Up girl, come pick yourself up,

right? Because if you can, walk to this

altar and tell that woman's son girl I saved.

All of this for you. You know when you get a car with

not that many miles on it? Somebody talk to me.

Somebody talk to me. Write that new car smell.

All right, that's. Not even what we supposed to be

talking about today, OK. Now, now listen.

Finishing, finishing. Well in life has everything to

do with who you running the race with.

You know what I'm saying? Because I'm not just inheriting

my my my family issues. I'm inheriting a whole nother

family issues and how many people know the?

Family of who you marry and matters.

Right, all y'all single. People like, yeah, dude, you

don't know, OK, you better find outlook.

You don't mean you're not going to marry her, but if her like if

everybody in her family got mental illness?

You need to pause a little bit, you know what I'm saying?

We got to figure out if she she healed.

OK? OK.

If there's anybody in here dating somebody that's crazy,

I'm. I'm gonna pray for you right

now. OK?

No. Because you crazy too, you know,

you know the. People that stay with the crazy

person, you crazy too. Look at your neighbor somebody.

Don't do that. Don't do that.

I declare this over myself, and I hope you can declare this over

yourself as well. That I am.

I'm a fighter, fixed, focused and fortified, full of faith,

fanning the flames of my furnace, facing my mountains,

flourishing through. Adversity, always.

Finishing fiercely fulfilling the call.

Not flailing in fear, but fashion to his fit, to his will

I am fascinated with. The Father now you see the in my

OK down by bilingual we all nation cake so this.

Is the my is. For the Italian speakers and

this one is for my Speck cake. So both of these here, that's

not an accident, OK, that's on purpose.

So whichever one sees the father or my father.

OK, so we're going to read. This together and you pick

whichever one you want to pick. Got it.

Now I'm just playing that was a mistake in when I was doing my

slides. But still pick 1K, pick one.

Don't say the my father. OK, all right, let's read.

I am a fighter. Fixed, focused and fortified.

Full of faith, fanning the. Flames of my furnace, facing my

mountains, flourishing through adversity, always finishing.

Fear. I am fascinated with my father.

All right, let's make some headway.

I'm not saying that I have this all together that I haven't

made, but I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ who has

so wondrously reached out for me.

Friends, don't get me wrong, by no means do I count myself an

expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal where God

is beckoning us onward to Jesus. I'm off and running.

And I'm not turning back, shout out, I'm not turning back.

Come on, say I'm not turning back.

So let's keep focus on that goal.

Those of us who want everything God has.

For us. If any of you you have something

else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will

clear your blurred. Vision you'll see it yet now

that we're. On the right track, let's.

Stay on it. Stick with me friends, keep

track of those you see running the same course.

Headed for the same goal. There are many out there taking

other paths, choosing other goals, and trying.

To get you. To go along with them, but I

press on towards the goal to what?

Shout it out when the supreme in heavenly prize to which God in

Christ Jesus is calling us where upward?

Paul is saying I am pressing towards the mark.

Some of us in here need to be clear on the goal.

Where are you? Heading.

I'm here to tell. Every Christ follower, every

Christian, you did not become a. Christian to be religious.

You did not become a Christian. To get a bumper sticker.

Or a T-shirt or to. Sound religious and distinct

from your friends? This is.

A. Faith walk with a person.

That literally lived here. He struggled here, he died here

and he rose. And there's all kinds of

religions and there's all kind of people pursuing spirituality,

but just make sure I could stay in control here, Paul says.

Who was a murderer of Christians?

He says. No, my eyes have opened.

I press toward the goal, the goal.

To win the Supreme and Heavenly prize.

I'm not saying look, I got goals.

I got I got I. Got some goals?

Right. I want nice things, I like nice

things, but my goals have like shifted.

God first, my family first, love first, and I'm gonna grind with

the best of them. I'm gonna.

Work hard. We're gonna be well off.

We're gonna do all of that, but when, when, when, when the hit

the. Fan, I ain't say nothing.

Your mind's fit. It filled in the blank.

OK. What are you rooted in?

Are you susceptible to the distractions of today?

How many? Distractions do we have today.

Look at me up here with three devices.

Anybody got one of these devices right?

How much time does this device get?

Are you a? Consumer.

Or a contributor to the world that is on here.

I would say most people don't really post and contribute.

This platform is for you to do this and you're consuming

opinions, fears, doubts. And.

Some of you are making your decisions based on the trends of

today. Nehemiah says it this way.

I can't come down. He had this.

Burden to build a wall around the city so that men and women

and their. Children can return home OK.

And as he was doing the work. There was some hate.

Going on and they were trying to manipulate him into coming down

from the wall. He comes to this place and he

says I cannot come down now. I can't tell y'all why a young

man from Oakland, CA came here several years ago and God

flipped the script on me. I thought we was going home.

Now we're here, we're in the garage.

We've been in New West, we've been in Vancouver, we've been in

Langley. Now he said, hey, I want you to

get this abandoned building over here on this corner where

prostitution, pimping, drugs, all of that.

That's a reputation around here, Wally, and they're gonna try to

call it another name. City Center, Civic Center.

I want to call it redeemed. I'm like, I'm like God, I'm

just, I'm just here just to disciple people.

And and encourage people like. Ain't no church planter just

gonna roll by an abandoned building and be like this.

The one we're really not that much money, right?

We built, we, we, we started this, this community from the

ground up. So it's not like we're connected

some huge denomination. Or no.

We, It's us. It's us.

You think we going to go next door?

We're going to as soon as we open the doors.

Birds flying around. Bird.

Poop on the floor. Floor is uneven building leaning

like this you think? We're going to walk in.

There after a pandemic and say this is God no that wouldn't be

my choice but as I'm led by the spirit of.

God. I realized that these buildings

are less about the building and what he's doing to the building.

He wants to demonstrate that's what he's doing to you and I.

He is rebuilding the ruins. Everybody like the fixed thing,

A beautiful thing already done thing.

It's not too many gritty, grinding folks that's willing to

take something. Nasty.

For the church and go in, I want you guys to walk by there on

your way out and you'll see they're cutting into the ground.

All these stones, they're cutting into the foundation

they're redoing. They're putting a new

foundation. I'm going to say it again.

They're they're, they're laying a new foundation.

And in October it will be 3 years.

We've had this space and have not been in it.

Who does that and still believe? And the enemy, how many times

he's come and say, hey, that's not God, hey, y'all can't finish

that. And here's my message back to

him. I can't come down.

I can't entertain the conversation.

I won't be intimidated. I won't be moved.

I won't be distracted. I won't be destroyed.

I won't be pumped. I won't be a quitter.

I won't be the last experience we saw first Peter.

And he says to cast our hope, the whole of our cares and our

anxieties, all our worries, all our concerns, once and for all.

What is once and for all me? Can we just get it over with?

For he cares for you affectionately and cares about

you watchfully. So be well balanced, temperate,

sober of mine. Be vigilant.

And cautious. At what?

Come on. At what?

For that. Enemy of yours, The devil roams

around like a lion roaring, seeking somebody to seize upon

and devour. Shout out that one word,

withstand. Be firm in faith against his

onset. Rooted, established, strong,

immovable. And what determine knowing that

the same identical sufferings are pointed to your brotherhood?

Did that say appointed? Did he say suffering is

appointed? Did he say suffering is

appointed to all? And that's why when we come in

here together, the power is we're all coming in here going

through. And.

After you have suffered a little, somebody said a little

while. Come on a little while.

Why is it a little while? Because the glory is way bigger

and way longer than the little sufferings we go through.

The God of all grace, who imparts all blessing and favor,

who has called you to His own eternal glory in Christ.

Jesus will himself say himself say he takes it personal,

complete. And make you what you ought to

be. I need y'all to hear this.

If God's a finisher, you must be.

If God's a finisher. You must be.

I love it because he takes it personal to finish what he

started but not only complete it here.

Here we go. Establish us Love Quest

establish you Richmonds establish you Lydiots Establish

you Thompson's establish you Riveras see, that's when you.

Speak it over yourself. God's going to establish me and

he's. Going to ground you securely and

strengthen and settle you. Not one more person in my

bloodline will walk on unstable grounds.

To him be the dominion, power, authority, rule, forever and

ever. Amen.

We need. I need.

Fighters on my side, fighting to finish, not fighting to avoid

fumbling. That's why he tells us to fling,

not away, your fearless. Confidence for your fearless

confidence carries a great and glorious compensation.

So be patient. And endurance fully

accomplished. Look at them.

Words fully accomplished. Finishing does not mean

finishing. Unblemished.

Come on, talk to me. Stay.

Locked in, stay locked in. Finishing does not mean where do

we get that success does not have wounds.

I'm here to tell you, if you've been winning with no wounds, you

ain't won. Am I talking to anybody in here?

If you are winning with no wounds, you ain't won.

What have you overcome? So I'd like to tell you that

they get compensated for your suffering.

I remember some of the stuff I used to do when I was acting a

fool and I'm like. No, I can't.

Be a certain age still doing that stuff like I'm here to talk

to some of y'all today. When when is enough going to be

enough you? Two you, two you 2.

Old you two older. You two older to still be doing

that. And we like, well, I don't

drink. You two older to be.

Talking like that. You're too old to be so mean.

Still, when are we tired of carrying on with childish

behavior? I don't know.

About you But I've been too much, been through too much to

not get compensated for what I've been through.

My children have sacrificed, and they've sacrificed too much to

not seek. Do you know what a life looks

like to drag our children through all that we've been

through? Our little faith journey.

Hey kids, we're moving to Canada.

Say bye to your friends and your grandma.

And then they don't see. God do nothing.

How dare you drag your kids to church every week and don't show

them the benefits? How dare you ask your kids to

serve God all the days of their life with no benefits?

How many people didn't work? A job with no benefits?

Yeah, we didn't have to. But you quickly right?

There's a season you have to do what you have to do so you can

get. Promoted to get some benefits

and how many people didn't have some old janky benefits?

Benefits is benefits, but benefits ain't benefits.

There's something you ever had that friend with better benefits

than you? You get what I'm saying?

But but, but but but but man, I'm here to tell whoever has

been. Going through it, you're not.

Just getting. Through it for the testimony.

Let me tell you this, it ain't no testimony if there ain't no

benefits. Testimony ain't.

I once was lost. I'm close to being found.

Or I once was lost, but now I'm found.

But you found and what you found and still immature because how

many people you know got saved? But they still lost, still

doubting, still double minded, still living wild, still on

drugs, but saved. The goal is not to get.

Found it's the finish. OK, so, so so, so this is like

some of us when we worship. We just sit at the.

Cross. We worship the cross, cross,

cross, cross and. We sit at the feet of Jesus and

he's not there. He's there for the world.

The cross is for the world. Resurrection is for the church.

We supposed to be a God of people.

We supposed to be a resurrected people.

A confident people and when I look at Jesus.

I said this is a group of guys before group of athletes and

they almost, they, I could tell when I said it, they looked at

me funny. But I pray for them today.

I said Jesus was competitive. You say it's like competition in

these parts is almost evil. Jesus said I came to destroy the

works of the enemy. Lord, if it's not about.

Competing. Why you call me overcome?

I'm not competing with you, but I for sure am contending for my

generation. I'm contending for my family.

I don't know. No, I don't know.

No overcomer. That's not a competitor.

How you overcome alcoholism? How you overcome?

Has anybody overcome something you had to fight, something you

have to say to yourself, I am not.

I am not that. I am this.

Look at Steph Curry in the Olympics.

I'm like, that's a born again Christian out there.

And then there's some. Christians looking at him like

we shouldn't do that. What?

How many people you reach today? How many people want to follow

Jesus? Because of you today, what's

your what's your platform look like Who?

Calling you who? Booking you to come speak?

Who? Who Who Calling you to come

visit? Them in the hospital.

Who wants your autograph? Well, it's not about autographs.

Yeah, if when they see the. Autograph.

It reminds them of Jesus living. Epistle light of the world.

So you get what I'm saying. Competition is not evil.

It teaches people good lessons, No if I'm a.

Coach here. I'm sorry.

If I ever coach out here and your son or daughter play for my

team, if they ain't good, they not playing.

Some folks ain't coming back no more.

I can get that already, OK? I say.

It's all good. It's all good.

Some of us listen. They will practice, OK?

They will play in practice, OK? Just kidding.

Just kidding. It's just our parents, man.

Aren't these parents? Is is like instead?

Of working with your kid and developing them and instead of

telling them the truth. Like son, you don't know the

place, you shouldn't play, you're not a good teammate.

We go to the coach and Jack them up like they already not

stressed out. I tell my son, look son, you

should be sitting down right now with that attitude.

I'll be mad at you as coach. If my son talked back to you and

you don't sit him down. What does this have to do with

anything? Jesus didn't save you just for

you to sit on the bench and watch people die, watch people

not know Him. We're not competing.

Like I'm not competing to get your friends and I'm not

competing against your Instagram page, but I am competing for

your soul. There is a devil that has a hold

to you. And there's a God that wants

you, and he's. Put me in your life.

To contend for your. Soul to compete right and fight

for you. We can't say we're fighting if

we're not competing, finishing. Validates my scars and brings

value to my wounds and my scars. On the other side of the finish

line are my receipts. Quite frankly, I don't know how

impactful I would be if I didn't have a story and if I didn't

live a vulnerable life for some of y'all.

Y'all can care less. I smoked weed and I went to jail

and I did these days. I didn't go to jail last week,

OK, or two weeks ago. But here's the point.

There was a grace to go through my dark times so that I can come

out on the other side and those that are going through it, I can

be that voice in the end and they can see my receipts and

say. OK, that's just not a person

telling me to come on, you can make it.

And they made it through nothing.

They got receipts that they fought the good fight of faith.

They got receipts that they was ready to get a divorce, but they

got on their knees and called on the name of Jesus.

They got receipts that they were about to lose their mind, but

they kept going and the Lord preserves him.

They got receipts that they were blind and now they see they have

receipts. Say I got receipts.

My scars mean nothing if all they did was scar me.

We need a butt God. And sometimes This is why we

love secular music. We think people are relating to

us, but they're leaving you right in your pit because you

want to listen to music that tell you I'm depressed and I

know what it's like to be depressed.

And the song ends without a but God.

And This is why you Christians need to get behind young

Christian artists, because they're on the front lines of a

culture presenting an alternative.

And God is moving in the music industry because in the end,

it's all a worship war. It's like I don't.

Want to be stuck there? I hung around friends and we was

high together and we was this together and we was womanizing

together and we was doing this and it was cool to hang around

blind people because we was all blind and being around people

that could see me and I had to try to see myself and I wasn't

ready to see so I hung around people who couldn't see either.

And This is why in this day and time, man, I beseech you

brothers and sisters to let your light shine because there is

such huge Gray area, because believers are starting to look

just as lost as the world. Somebody has to be a clear sign

leave you with a couple thoughts and the scripture of failure is

when a person who has failed, fumble and fallen but have not

been able to cash in. And when I say cash, I'm not

talking money, but the cash in on the experience of that

valley. I can tell you the first five

years of my marriage, my wife and I throwing rings and

threatening to be to to divorce and leaving for a night or using

the child as a no. I'm going to take the daughter.

I'm going to take the no. It was terrible.

What I realized is some people love dysfunction, but it's not

God's will. If I didn't go through those

five years though standing here, I would not have the the.

Roots. And the vigor and the, the the,

the, the, the. Strength and the passion.

That I have and I'm sorry for. Some of you, if you may not

really understand the grace of. God and what he's brought you

through. But we sing how we sing.

We dance how we dance. Because he's been good, right?

And if somebody can taste a piece of Key Lime Pie and say if

you can express yourself over a ball game or you ready in the

bedroom, or when you get lit, or when your favorite team score or

you have some really good food. Then when we're worshiping and

you capture Revelation and you agree with God is good, then you

should give God a taste and see that God is good this next

season. Is for the remnants.

This next season is not for everybody.

This next season. Is for the knee scrapers.

The ones who have pursued God. Even when wanting to give up,

they kept pursuing God. I'm I'm speaking to you right

now. This next season is for the

compensation of the pursuer, the one who wanted to give up.

Anybody ever wanted to give up over the last few years but did

not give up? And you're still fighting, some

of you. God is going to do magnificent

things in your life, not necessarily because you were

engaged in the comeback, but you hung around the comeback.

There's some people in here that you sown the best you can sow

and you didn't even think that it was enough.

And you're gonna get the reward of those that sold much because

you believe God this next season is.

For the remainders, the. Ones who didn't compromise under

pressure. The one who stood in front of

the enemy's face and still declared my God is good.

The ones who stood in front of the pressure and said even if

God don't come in the fiery furnace, he's still my God.

The ones who still made disciples when they needed to

be. Disciples, the ones who kept

someone else in the fight when they needed strength themselves.

This next season. Is for the not fainters, the

ones that did not faint in well doing.

But even in your fatigue, you said, don't faint.

You didn't say don't be fatigued.

Even in your fatigue, you kept. Pursuing the devil can never

finish you because Jesus, that's finished your story the.

Only end of my story is glory. I'll leave.

You with this this is. God's Word.

And when it's God's word, it's done, he said.

I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you

back home. I know what I'm doing.

Come on, receive it. I know what I'm.

Doing Do you know what? He's saying when he says I know

what I'm doing, he's saying even in your struggle.

I know what I'm doing even with. Allowing you to go through tough

times. I know what I'm doing.

By permitting. You to go through this pain.

I know what I'm. Doing I have it all planned.

Out plans to take care of you, not abandon you.

Plans to give you the future you've hoped for.

Here's what. Always says to you.

I know all about the marvelous destiny I have in store for you,

a future planned out. Here it is in detail.

My intention is not to harm you, but to surround you with peace

and prosperity, and to give you a come on, a beautiful future

glistening with hope. Turn me up a tiny bit.

Satan has no finishing power because if he did, he would have

kept Jesus in the grave. I'm gonna read it one more time.

I'm gonna read it one more time. Satan has no finishing power

because if he did, he would have kept Jesus in the grave when he

had them down. Let let let me make it a little

personal for you. Satan has no finishing power

because if he did, he would have took advantage of you when you

were down. What's that song?

I'm standing on the grave I once was in.

Yep, Yep, get ready. But not yet.

Satan has no keys. Jesus took him.

Now when the Lord said this. Sometimes God will say

something, give me words. And I'm like, OK, what that mean

that's. Pretty deep.

That's pretty dope. You have to.

Unlock this one. For me, Satan has no keys, he

only has past codes. And in this season?

All he is getting. Is access denied?

OK, here you go. Here you go.

Here you go. DNA gets transferred.

It's literally real. It's real information in your

blood, right? It's the oxygen iron Southern.

City and X ordinary DNA. OK.

DNA, you understand. So right now you can go to the

doctor, they get your blood sample and they can tell some

history. Just fight your blood.

That's why we got to understand the power of the.

Blood of Jesus, so so. Now when the enemy.

Reads your blood or reads your life.

He can't. That's why we got to be.

In Jesus, because when the. Enemy, he can't mess with you in

Jesus because he gets a access denied.

He gets a wrong read. He's like, wait a minute, I used

to have a pulse on the Adam but I can't find a post no more

because I'm dead to you. This is why the enemy is banking

on you acting like your Mama and your daddy.

Why? Because the same behavior.

It's a code. Oh, you talk just like your

Mama. You talk just like your dad.

Oh, you got fear issues just like your Mama.

Fear issues just like your daddy.

Oh he only has passcodes. So This is why if I am to be

transformed by the renewing or the changing of my code, when I

am transformed he no longer has a read on me.

Satan has no keys, so the past slide says Satan has.

No finishing power because Jesus has finished your story.

Here Satan has no keys, he only has pass codes and This is why.

God said it's finishing season. Have you, have you ever got a A?

Debit card code changed or somebody preached security in

your in your bank account. And what did they ask you to

change your code? I don't, I don't know.

We got any code changes today. And this is what the enemy's

been trying to keep you from doing.

He's been trying to keep you from knowing that you're an

overcomer, that you are more than a conqueror, that you are

the redeemed of the Lord. That's why he's wanted you to be

stuck in fear, because he knows the fear in your bloodline, but

he does not know the faith in your bloodline.

Come on, talk to me, talk to me. Come on.

God is changing your clothes right now.

The Holy Spirit. You've been in a season where

God has been changing your clothes.

Come on, lift your hands up. Yeah, it's been frustrating.

Just like when somebody preaches your privacy, you got to change

the code. Grace always tease me because

almost everything I need to log into got the same code.

Even nowadays with these phones, they will offer you a very hard

code so that the enemy can't steal, kill and destroy.

So when God brings you the seasons where it's time to

evolve, he's saying it's time to change the what cold me and my

wife made it decision. We go change the codes on our

marriage. We go talk in a different code.

We go love, we go touch in a different code, and God is

trying to change the codes. This is why family and friends

sometimes get frustrated with your growth, because they no

longer they rather know you with who you was than to acknowledge

who you are. And This is why sometimes God

will bring you around new people.

You know, there's new people. There's a fresh start.

The cool thing about going to new places is you got new.

Codes. Some of you have to be in

uncomfortable places because God has changed the codes.

Do not fight the new thing. It's nothing but a code upgrade.

I just declare over your life right now in the enemy.

It's for sure defeated. I declare with the enemy meant

for good, evil God is using. You have no rival, you have no

equal. I declare the enemy is under

your feet. You are the victor, not the

victor, right? And we don't got to sing it now,

but This is why they say nothing but the blood of Jesus like it's

nothing but the blood of Jesus, right?

And this is you. You think about it.

God switched the code, he says. Yeah, I don't.

Even look at you I. Look at my son.

And that's why everything is in Christ, because Jesus is the

passcode and the enemy can't pass when you're in Jesus, but

when you're in your flesh, He has access all day.

Lord, we thank you for this time.

Thank you for this opportunity, Thank you for your word, and we

bless your name in Jesus name, Amen.

Give God a hand if you receive. Come on, you can do better than

that. Give God some praise.

Thank you so much for tuning into this week's sermon.

We pray you were challenged, equipped and encouraged.

Make sure to follow us on all platforms.

That's Lovequest Intl church. We out here for real.

We're really doing it. That's Facebook, Instagram,

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need to find us. But until next time, you know

the drill. You know the motto, get your

love fixed man and we'll see y'all real soon.