I Need Peace: The Worst Gift Exchange Ever // Receipts: The Proof Is In The Fruit (Part 12) // Michael Todd

Welcome to Transformation Church podcast, where we represent God to

the lost and found for transformation in Christ. We're so

glad you're here and wherever you're listening from, we believe

God will transform your life. Do today's message well.

Look at your neighbor and say, Mary Christmas.

Come on. No, you ain't doing it like I did.

You gotta have energy, hand it, hold out the prison.

Merry Christmas, you gotta get Come on.

Merry Christmas. To all the people who are in this.

Room, all that are online. I wish everybody could be here.

The presence of God is in this room. But the

beautiful thing is the presence of God is everywhere you're

at right now. He is Emanuel God with us. And

today if you're joining us at Transformation Church for the

first time, or you're journey joining us for your annual

Christmas service, or you're joining us consistently in what we're doing,

I just want to say welcome. We have prayed for

this service and for you. We've been asking God to

push back the forces of darkness that would try to

keep you stuck in situations that make you feel unworthy

to be.

In the House of God. Because the devil is a lie.

There's nobody in here that is perfect enough to come

before God. All of us have mess and today I

just wanted to let you know that you're welcome here.

And for those who have been searching for something different

and there's a hole in your soul where it feels empty,

and you were like, maybe let's try Jesus today. Today,

I'm excited for you because I believe that by the

end of this service, you're gonna have the opportunity to

transform your life. And this is the last person I

really been praying for today is the person who has

become numb. I've been praying that the ability to not

be sensitive anymore to the thing that God's trying to

do in your life. I'm praying for feeling come back

to your soul. That's something in you would come alive again.

And I just believe that today is the perfect day

for you to receive the gift that God gave to you.

And so I've prepared a short message to end our

series that we've been in. But more than that, I

hope it's not just a message. I hope it's an encounter.

A collision of revelation moment.

For you to realize how madly in love God is

with you, and how much purpose you still have on

this earth.

And so today.

I gotta I gotta follow what the Holy Spirit is

telling me. I got, I got a bunch of notes,

But these notes really were just to keep me focused

this week. I'm about to flow out of my spirit

in the message that God has given me.

Now.

Now, now for some of y'alls like he gone roll no, no, no, no no,

the message is so in me that that that I

don't want.

I don't want anybody to think that what.

I'm about to share is because you popped up today

and I'm trying to impress you today. The only person

I'm trying to impress the day is my mama, because

she liked me wearing a suit and I thought Christmas,

it's her birthday coming up.

Have birthday, baby, you know.

And this will be all five minutes as a service.

But the truth of the matter is, I don't want

you to think I'm trying to impress you. This is

what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to compel you.

I'm trying to I'm trying to make you know that

I believe it so much that you'd be like, man,

I should at least try it out to see, you

know somebody who believes in an establishment so much that

they promote it all the time, like they work for them,

and you can even tell them like, I don't even

want that.

I don't even like that. But because of.

Day passion, you'd be like, I'll at least try it.

Today.

My heart is to convince you, not with intellect. Today,

I just want to convince you through the Word of

God and through what it's done in my life. Who

I am today is not who.

I was, And there are not enough people telling you

that what you see is not even a glimmer.

Of what I was when I was disconnected from Jesus.

I don't want nothing from you today. I don't need

nothing from you today. All I want to do is

compel you that there's a better way to live than

everything culture is offering you. And it's not a perfect path,

but it's a path charted by the perfect One. And

so today I have to finish a series that we've

been in for twelve weeks.

This is your first time coming. You got homework.

We've been in a series about the food of the

Spirit for twelve weeks. Why is that important? Because your

scriptures mean nothing in the synagogue.

Your scriptures mean nothing at this church.

Your scriptures are only authenticated in the streets. And most

people that claim christian you wouldn't know it by how

they act in the streets. Okay, you in here today

and this is fine. But for everybody, we're a hot church, humble,

open and transparent. How many people got a few more

Christmas gifts to still go?

Get right? Now? Come on, hands lifted? Uh huh?

Half of y'all, lion, If you get out in them

Christmas streets, Oh them Christmas streets, it's ghetto out there, y'all.

I went last night to pick up something unrelated and

I was like, I got to get out of here.

These Christmas streets are gap. But your faith does not

work because you have a bumper stickers that says honk

if you love Jesus, your faith only actually works when

somebody's mad and frustrated cuts in front of you and

then flips you off. Now, who are you? Does what

God has put in all year?

Come up?

Have you been planted anything? Have you been connected to

the true vine? And if I'm honest with myself, there

have been many times in life that I've done the

religious thing, but it didn't show up in any fruit.

And so today I want to give you a gift. Today,

I want to give you a gift that Jesus has

provided for all of us. But I want to give

it to you with understanding. And I believe if I

give it to you with understanding, it may it may

allow some people in this room to unwrap a gift

that's been there the whole time. See, when you get

Jesus in your life, you get a bunch of gifts,

but a lot of people have left them under the tree,

have left them unopened. And today I need to talk

to you about a fruit that I believe all of

us could use a little more of. Let's look at

Galatians five twenty two. This is our anchor scripture for

the entire thing. And I promise you want to stick

around because at the end, we're going to have a

very sacred moment. We're going to light candles and we're

going to pray that this be the that God do

something in our world.

That lights up the entire world around us.

And I believe God showed me a prophetic picture that

I want us to all participate in. If you're at home,

if you have a candle or a lighter, that's what

you're gonna use. Okay, if not cell phone, here we

go Galatians five point twenty two. But the Holy Spirit

produces this kind of fruit in our lives.

Can you help me say this? Love? Help me John, talk? Peace,

Come on, patience, kindness.

Goodness, faithfulness, and self control. Now, when I look at

what God provides, we've talked about everyone except one we

have not talked about. Did you say it over there?

Which one have we not talked about?

Peace?

And I felt like the Holy Spirit made me hold

this one because in the order is.

Love, joy, peace.

Third week should have been peace, But I felt like

when I looked at the calendar, the Holy Spirit was

save peace until the last Sunday before Christmas. And I

was like, Lord, why you want me to save peace

until then? He said, because they're gonna need it, because

it's actually the gift they keep leaving on the table

because they're thinking about providing for people and not standing, walking, living,

resting in peace. How many people in this room under

the sound of my voice, Let's be honest right now,

could youse some more peace right now. That's the first

time they made noise all surface.

Peace.

What would you do to get it? What you're doing

right now to get it? What do you go to

to have it? What do we give up for it?

I can't answer these questions for you. What do you

watch to try to get an illusion of it? Everybody

say peace? Who do you lay down with?

Oh, y'all gonna be fake with me today on Christmas? No?

No, no, for real? How much do you put on?

How much will you pay? Everybody say peace? What if

I told you that peace was something that God knew

we would need, so it came included with our relationship

with him. What if I told you that you do

not have to sell nothing to get You don't gotta

drink nothing to get you, ain't gotta smoking nothing.

To have peace.

You don't gotta go nowhere. I need a vacation.

You need I'm not saying nothing wrong with a vacation.

How many people can use a vacation?

Right now? I felt the spirit.

You don't need another job, okay, come on, you don't

need another spouse you want to.

Trade them in. This is the twenty eighteen model. I

need the twenty five bottle.

Fuck. You don't need anything else. What you really need

to change the quality of your life right now?

Peace?

Somebody say I need peace. And the crazy thing about

it is, if I ask you what you wanted for Christmas,

you would say a thing? What you want for Christmas?

I mean she seen a new jays.

What you want for Christmas? Man?

I mean working on my gospeling. I would love a

new set of clubs.

What you want for Christmas?

I saw these shoes, I saw this, I saw that.

But if God ask you what do you want for Christmas?

Most of us will automatically go to debt cancelation. Oh

my god, but I know people who cancel other people's

debts and don't have peace. I just I just want

to I just want to be honest with you.

And some of y'all are like, well, let let me let.

Me borrow something and find out, okay, since since you.

Want to do experiments and things.

All I'm all I'm saying is maybe what we're putting

our hope in is actually not able to prevent vibe

what we're expecting.

A new job. Don't give you peace. Getting your kids

out the house don't give you peace.

It'll give you more time. I mean, yeah, you don't

have to. But because the same parents are like, get

out of here. It's like, I'm so lonely. Why don't

you call every week? I thought you didn't want me here,

but now you won't talk to me. It's because many

times what's removed from our life exposes what we have

the lack of okay, and so many times when we're

not allowing the Holy Spirit to fill in the gaps

of our life, we go to searching for other things

to put in those places.

Somebody just say peace for me real quick.

I don't want you to forget what we're talking about today,

because when I started to look at peace, I started

to think that the Christmas season is the antithesis, the

opposite of peace for most people. Can we talk about

how stressful the Christmas season usually is. Can we talk

about even if it's not stressful for you, the people

around you are stressful. Come on, have y'all felt the

tention at your workplace and felt the people start and

then people start calling and ask you.

What you bring in? And it's like, I don't even

know if I'm coming. Why you're telling me what I'm bringing?

And don't add kids to it, and don't add bills

to it. And then we're not even talking about family drama,

generational pains, habits that show up around the holidays. We're

not talking about grief. We're not talking about And God,

in his divine wisdom, said, I want to provide my

people with something they need all the time.

What is it? I'm setting you up?

I said, what is it? I'm just asking you right now?

Would you trade the chaos? I'm just asking you. I

can't magically do it, but I know somebody.

Who could change your situation.

If there was a possibility that all the stress and

the strain and the feelings of tension right now that

you could trade it, would you trade it for peace?

You know?

It reminds me of a story that that just happened

over Thanksgiving, one of the most stressful parts of this

Christmas for me. And I'm hot i share. If you

come here, you know, I'll be telling everybody's business. And

I tell everybody around me. If you're around me, part

of your life is my life. And if I get

on this platform and have nothing to use, guess who's

getting used? You? And so people I want to be

passing next to pass mind hah. Okay, So what ends

up happening is at Thanksgiving, me and my family started

talking about Secret Santa. And I don't know if y'all

know what Secret Santa is, but Secret Santa is a

game that usually adults play. Instead of having to buy

gifts for everybody, they get one person, draw a name

out of the high or do something like that, and

then you get somebody something and they get you something.

Well, you know, we had a dispute in the Todd household.

About if we wanted to do Secret Sanda anymore, because

some people have feelings about who they keep.

Getting paired with.

Now I have five brothers and I'm mentioning no names

because Christmas is a few days away. But we sat

at the table for hours, and what it boiled down

to is people felt some type of way when they

a good gift giver and they get.

Paired with the person.

Who's not, and the person who's not usually makes the

most noise, and it's talking about how they did their

best and all that, and so it got.

To the point where we had two family members quit.

They're like, I ain't doing it this year.

We've done the rest of us was like forget.

You, we gonna do it anyway. And it was just

a whole situation.

But I begin to think, like what would make somebody

like not want to get a gift at all because

for a couple of years your gift was bad. You

know what I'm saying. At some point it's all gonna

even out, like you're gonna quit. But it made me

think about this concept of God giving us a gift.

And it was the worst gift exchange ever.

I mean, I've had some good gift exchang like it

was like.

Man, I went over the limit. I blessed you.

And then the person that I got was like you

was in the spirit. You went over the limit, you

bless me. Those feel good. But I wanted I wanted

to show my family how a good gift exchange goes today.

Who wears the size twelve or thirteen in here shoes?

Twelve or thirteen shoes? Anybody wears size twelve or thirteen shoe?

Hod A, Okay, not twelve and thirteen.

I'm gonna go ten ten and a half because y'all

know who are a ten and a half. You were

ten and a half? Bro, All right, come here, ten

and a half. Come here real quick, all right, give

me my gift real fast. Okay, okay, here we go,

Come on up.

Here, come in. He's a twin. I only got one gift.

Okay, I appreciate that he can share if you want to.

Okay, here we go. What's your name, bro? Elijah? You

got a good smile, Elizah, he's strong. All right, here

we go. All right.

Would you be willing to give me your shoes right

now for what's in this box?

Yeah? You will. Come on, boy, you got five seconds. Brother, Okay,

come on, take them on off. All right, thank you, Moe.

Put those in my car.

Okay, open it, brand new pair. Show the people of

baby socks. No, no, hold them up. Proud, hold him up, proud,

hold him up proud. Now. Now, some of you would

think that that's whack. The man just gave you his shoes.

But this, this is the worst exchange ever. I promise

you as not. I promise you that when God sent Jesus,

this is cold blooded. And I feel really bad about

what I just did because I'm not giving you your

shoes back. Oh my god, you're walking home today with

them pink socks.

I'm not giving him a shoes back.

But if you see him in the lobby and walking

around the malls today with the you'll be like, pas,

I'm like, that's why that was a bad gift exchange.

But when Jesus was sent to earth by God as

a gift, the Bible says in John three point sixteen,

for God so love the that he did what it

was a gift exchange, not one of his sons, his

only son.

Did you bring some other shoes today?

Ah?

Those your only shoes.

I just want I just want you to see how

bad it would be if I let him stay like this. Yet,

God sinn his only son for you and me while

we were yet Sinner's Roman says.

And it was all for a Maybe.

That's pretty trash to me if it comes to a

gift exchange.

And what you think it's how you feel.

Your brother will give you his shoes, you give him

it they just being twins right now.

He don't believe that I would never do that to you, bro,

So I already had planned to give you these before.

Go ahead, you go ahead and open those and see

if those work a little better for you.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. There you go.

I love you, brother, I appreciate you. Now watch hold on.

Wait.

Everybody clapped.

When they felt like the gift was worth the exchange.

He even left.

All I'm trying to say is the only reason people

were excited is because at some point you felt it

was worth it. At some point it was like, Okay,

that exchange makes sense. That exchange Okay, he wore them

Nike new Nikes.

Okay, d it made sense.

The exchange that God made for all of us will

never make sense until you receive it.

Okay.

So I'm just trying to get you to see that

if you need peace, God has made away through the

worst gift exchange ever to give you peace. And He

sent his son as a baby so that he could

grow up to be a king, so that he could

literally live thirty three years to die on a cross

for every one of my missteps, mistakes, mismanaged moments, and

all he required me to do is what that young

man did just right there.

Receive it.

Does not matter how much a gift costs unless you

open it. And today I wonder if we could be

ones who open the gift of peace. Okay, go to

John ten ten. So if God gave the gift in

John three sixteen. He tells us why he gives the

gifts in John ten ten because the thief comes to steal,

kill and destroy. But Jesus is saying, I've come that

you might have everybody shot at me life and life

to the full.

What is my life supposed to be full of? Watch

this word fruit.

Your life is supposed to be full of fruit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,

and self control.

Why is this important? Write this point down for me.

The fruit of the spirit is first developed in you

for you to flow through you for others. One more time,

The fruit of the spirit is supposed to be first

developed in you. Do it in me, God, Let there

be peace in me. Let there be joy in me.

Let me actually have self control before your self control

comes out of you.

It's gotta be in you. It's in you. But guess

what it's for you too.

So everything that God gives you and he wants your

life full love, which is fruit, he wants it in

you because you know it's the best for you. When

you live a life of goodness, it's not just good

in you, it's good. It creates an atmosphere where everybody

loves being around you. When you live a life of peace,

that's not just good in you.

That's good foot.

The Bible says, blessed are the peace.

A peace maker means watch this.

You have to do something for peace to actually be activated.

I gotta make it.

How many people are making dinners for Christmas a bunch

of us. You can't just look at the refrigerator and

have a good meal. Somebody's got to do something to

make peace. And God says, any one of my children

that have fruit in them and it's coming out of them,

He said, those are people that I'll bless because blessed

are the Peace. That means you might have to apologize,

even though it.

Was their offense.

I ain't got it like that, don't got enough of that.

I'm probably not even gonna talk to them this Christmas.

And God said, don't just talk to them. Apologize. God,

I want blessings, but I don't know if I wanted

that bad because the truth of the matter is the

only way that you could say, I apologize that this

distance between us has caused this friction, and I don't

know what it's done to you, but it's made me

feel this type of way, and I don't want to

live like this anymore.

To be able to say that means.

That the Holy Spirit would have to be working in me.

I might can't say that without the Holy Spirit. But

the Holy Spirit working in you creates a better life

for you, and then God wants it to.

Work through you.

Somebody watching you walking the fruits of the spirit gives

them the audacity to try. When I walk in love,

when people talk crazy about me, that makes people be like, all,

I can go talk to Jimmy at the job if

he walking through that, that gives me faith to actually

go and do something different. It's for others to see

what God's doing in your life. And the sad part

about it.

Is there's so many believers after.

What Jesus has done, they are not walking in the

fruit enough for anybody else to eat off of it.

The fruit of the spirit should be in you.

And it's for you, for you take a bite first,

but then it is supposed to come from you to others.

I should be walking around daily. Who needs love? Who

needs joy? Who needs peace?

Oh? You need some goodness? And most of us are

trying to.

Hoard what we feel like we won't have enough of.

But this is why we stay connected to God because

he wants to be the source of everything in our life.

And today I just want to focus on peace for

one more second, because the fruit that you need is

right here available, But remember it has to be in

you and you have to know it's for you, and

then God wants to use it through you and he

wants to give it to watch this others.

So this holiday sees what.

If this was the last selfish Christmas you had? Hear

what I just said to you, I'm not talking about

with things. What if this was the last Christmas that

you did not give what God has given you all

year to everybody you come in contact with. This hit

home for me because I had some situations that happened

this year that were they They were just wrong, unfair,

not okay, fighting territory. You better be glad. I'm saved type.

And the Holy Spirit is like, what you're gonna give

them this year? Give them? I start stuttering. I sounded

like I was out give them.

I got a lot of things I can give them,

And the Holy Spirit was all that fruit.

You was just talking about. Because right now, when the

situation not in front of my face. I'm gonna give

him peace, give them love.

There's a situation right now that it would be hard

for you to show goodness. There would be a situation

right now that for some of us it would be

difficult to be able to turn joy in that situation.

But today I'm gonna challenge you to no longer.

Look at peace. Watch this as an ethereal thing. Write

this point down. Peace is a person. So anytime you

say I need more peace, somebody say I need peace,

say it like you mean it. I need peace. What

you're really saying is I need Jesus. Did y'all see

that simple flip?

Peace is a person.

I'm second this job. I need peace. I'm second this job.

I need Jesus. I can't stand how I feel right now.

I need peace. I can't stand how I feel right now.

I need another level of relationship with Jesus. That's what might.

How you know, because Isaiah prophesied, and we say this

at Christmas time all the time, but I don't think

we understand the context of what he was saying Isaiah

ninety six. For unto us, a child is born, to us,

a son is given, and the government will be on

his shoulders and he will be called wonderful counselor Mighty God,

everlasting Father, Prince.

Of peace. Peace is a person, and I need.

Three types of people to understand that I'm talking directly

to you. If you feel like I lost my peace,

I need you to know you don't lose your peace,

but you can disconnect from it. I need to talk

to the second group of people, say pastor Mike.

Why are you being so serious right now? I need

you to hear what changed my life.

It's me stop going to money, success things, escape.

To find what is in a person. And I know

your religion is trying to cloud it up. Right now,

listen to me.

Jesus cares about the things that are distracting your life

from a life of peace. And today he says, don't

worry about that for a second. Look at me, Come

to me, give me your life, Actually commit to me.

And there's some people in here that aren't just saying

I lost my piece. There's another group of people that

are saying my piece was stolen. That violation stole my peace,

that decision stole my peace. And this is what I

want you to hear me.

Say. Nothing can steal your peace, but you can give

it away.

There's one more group of people in here that are

asking it's peace still available. And I want to encourage

you that peace is one decision away, because peace is

a person. So you can flip all of those and

say I lost Jesus.

You don't lose Jesus.

You disconnect from him. And some of us have lived

the whole year separated, close to the power, but nothing

going through. Have you ever been trying to do something,

click something, make something turn on, and.

You're like, I'm sick of this thing. I'm sending it back.

I paid all this money and then just to discover.

Somebody might have accidentally unplugged it. Today, I want to

plug you back into peace.

Pass some Mike. How are we going to do this?

Very simple, very simple Today.

I need you to understand this one thing, that having

peace is not a subtraction problem.

It's an addition problem. Hear what I'm saying.

Most people think peace comes when you take something away.

If I get rid of this debt, I'll have peace

if I get these kids away. Now come on, y'all,

I'll have peace. If I get out of this city.

I'll have peace.

If I cut.

These friends off. Come on, we always think our peace

is dependent on what we need to take away. If

I could take away these thoughts, I would have peace.

I'm trying to give you the cheap code to actually

walk in what was given to us by God through Jesus.

You can have peace, but it's not coming because things

are gone. Peace is only coming because you.

Add Him in here.

What I just said to you, let me give it

to you in a point because some of y'all trying

to figure it out. Peace is not the absence of problems,

it's the addition of His presence.

You want peace in your life.

Add God to every situation that feels overwhelming. You want

peace in your life. In the middle of the argument,

start praying. I promise you that diffuses an argument. Now

you like you want to bring Him into this, Like

you know what I'm saying. It's hard to do. It's

hard to do because your flesh wants.

You to keep raging against what God wants for you.

But if you want peace at Him, don't subtract add Him.

Because the truth of the matter is God tells us

in this.

Life we will have trouble.

If you're looking for a utopia where nothing gets on

your nerves, where the way they' youru gum is satisfying

to you. Because y'all know there are things that can

disturb our peace that ain't even practical. Why they wear

the shirt like that, y'all? Okay, if I had more time,

that's how they're still wearing their hairstyle disturb your peace?

Why Why are trivial things taking your mind and your

heart off of the things.

That God told you to do? You know why? It's

because the truth of the.

Matter is, we're out here trying to subtract things that

would make our life good, make our life easy, make

our life feel better. And God says, I never promised

you that. Can I help you understand? Life is never

good without Jesus.

I'm sorry because Church trying to make it. You want

the good, you're gonna do. No no, no, no, no no

no no no.

As long as you breathe this air on this planet,

you can wake up with everything you think you wanted

and there'll still be a problem. I didn't know when

I didn't have money that you gotta pay people to

help you manage your money. See, they don't want to

talk real So when I didn't have money.

I was like, man, when I have money, who no

more mcdoubles. That's when they was nine nine cents no more.

I'm gonna be able to And.

Then you and then you walk into a situation where

it's like, I gotta have another meeting, I gotta talk

to them, I gotta I gotta trust somebody new they

want my banker in. Problems are part of this side

of heaven. But why would God say we could still

have peace if he told us in another scripture that

there would be problems because His plan was to be

with you in the middle of everything that you would

call a problem. He said, you're trying to get rid

of that, but you won't add me in what if

this Christmas holiday? It's not about getting rid of the

bad situation, the frustrating argument.

We'll deal with that.

Why don't our main focus be adding God in.

Hear what I'm saying to you.

You got a situation that won't move, Bring God into it.

Peace automatically comes to the situation, sometimes not because the

situation changes. Because your perspective does somebody shout at me peace,

I said, shout at me peace. I begin to think

because I knew there were some people that when I

came to this part of the sermon would be like, okay,

have guys, somebody, you're talking about peace, and you up

there in white and you're trying to tell us that

we need to have peace in our situations, but you

don't know my situation. Well, I begin to break down

what makes me feel like I have peace? And if

it's three things, and y'all help me. If this resonates

with you, I usually have peace when I know the plan,

how many people the Plan gives you peace. I know

where we're going, I know when we're gonna get there.

I know who's gonna be there, because that might discern

my peace. Just in knowing that they're gonna be there,

the Plan helps my peace. Watch this one power helps

my peace, or I can decide to change it if

I want to. I mean, I know what you said,

but I'm in control. I know what the church said,

but they don't want that over here.

Come on, let's be honest. The plan power.

And then this third one. It's real to me. I

don't know if it's real to you, but I feel

more peace when I have provision. I remember going to

Cheddars and only having thirty dollars in the bank account,

and I'm trying to feel extra generous, and I tell

them to order a couple of appetizers.

I'm like, why did I do that?

Because I know I would still want to eat the

meat and meal. And then they ordered the shrimp. I'm

trying to be nicer. The person comes out and you know,

they asking what you want to eat on I'm just

I'm good.

With the spinach deal. I'm good with the spinish deal.

Because you calculating and you're making sure you.

Is it free refills?

It's free refills, right, it's.

It's free ref No, I have water. I have water.

I'm just trying to paint a picture. When you have provision,

you won't even care. And it makes you, for some reason,

some little piece of you feels like everything's org chill out,

order too, No no, no, no, get that too, get it too.

Because somehow the plan, the power, and the provision make

you feel peaceful.

Could I submit to you.

That God's place in all of our life should be

the one with the plan, the one that provides the provision,

and the one.

Who has ultimate.

So could it be that when we feel peace it's

because we're standing in God's spot and not ours. I

just I just need I'm walking you slowly. I know

we got a lot of visitors here. I'm just trying

to help you understand. Maybe the peace that you are

looking for is because you're in the wrong spot in

your life. That's why I'm supposed to do with that.

I'm the man at the house. I gotta provide. Remember

what I said, when it's time to provide, don't subtract

God out of it.

Adam in proverb says it like this, Acknowledge.

God in all of your ways, and he, when you

add him in.

Will direct your past.

God.

I think I'm gonna start a food a dog food business.

That's dumb. Don't do that.

I'm not saying that if that, but I'm just saying

I'm giving an example. If some of us started a

dog food business, if you would have added him in,

he was saying, that's dumb, don't Hod will talk to.

You like that. That's done.

The entrepreneur spirit is right, but the field is wrong.

But some of us have spent seven years in puppy

pow pal.

Doing all.

No.

I'm just I'm trying to.

Get the roll with me wrong, career, frustrated, and you

found out three years in you're allergic to dogs. It

is you're talking about God. I thought you were gonna

provide with me.

He said.

You subtracted. You didn't add me here. You asked me

to bless something that was already outside of what I

wanted to do in your life from the beginning.

Don't subtract that.

Add me it you want peace, put my presence in it.

Okay, here we go. I got an end because I

see some of y'all looking at me. Here we go.

This is the gift exchange John fourteen twenty seven. I

leave this is you just talking the gift of peace

with you.

I want you to see how direct this is.

Jesus says, I'm gonna give all my people a gift,

and if I could give them anything, I'm gonna leave

you with the gift of peace. Matter of fact, just

so you don't think it's some off brand piece, some

generic peace, some great value piece. I'm gonna give you

my piece, the same piece that I had in the

garden when I knew I was getting sold out by

one of my friends and I was dropping blood, and

I knew I was gonna have to go to the cross,

the same piece I had when they called me and

told told me that my boy was about to die.

And his sisters came and said, Lazarus, the one that

your friend is about to the same piece that allowed.

Me to stay there three extra days. And let them

know that even though you're looking at a dead.

Situation, I'm looking at a resurrection. The same piece, the

same somebody say, the same piece, the same piece.

That kept him on the cross.

But the same piece, ah that allowed his birth mother.

And his father. What do you call him a stepfather?

I've always wanted this question. Is Joseph a step father

or a.

Spirit father? Wow, we'll talk about the lady, but I mean,

just think about it. Think about how stressful Jesus is

born into a situation that is chaotic, but the only

reason a Joseph and Mary who's pregnated and pregnated by

the Holy Spirit. I just think about the chaos of

the moment. Think about her walking around and being like,

oh my God, is it Joseph.

I mean, think about the cultural time.

Think about Joseph, watch this, watch this staying most of

us if we was if this happened to day, and

I'm like, y'all, man, I was with Mary. She stepped

out on me, Bro talking about some fool name h

G the Holy Gods. Yeah, Bro, I don't know, no, no,

I know it's I know it's her nandas I know,

I seen him. But but having enough sense that God

was somewhere in watch this, this chaos, this problem was

not meant for me to walk away. This problem had

peace in the middle of it. I leave the gift

of peace to you, my piece, And just in case

you was unsure what kind of peace I'm gonna give you.

It's not the kind the fragile peace that the world gives.

He's making a direct comparison to everything we search for

outside of him. It's fragile, it's weak, it's not able

to hold you in the middle of a storm. He said,

I'm gonna give you the kind of peace that can

be sturdy. It's gonna be watched this. Write this word down,

perfect peace. Don't yield to fear or be troubled in

your hearts. Instead, be courageous.

Today.

I just want to present to everybody at Christmas perfect peace.

It's not something that will be fried join storms of

life come It's something that will be powerful in every

season of your life. This is what I just want

to I want to, I want.

To ask you.

Is what you're calling peace? Just you not dealing with

the situation. Hear me say this to you, Pastor Mike,

make us happy today. I'm trying to give you something

that you can live with today. I want to offer

you deliverance, not disassociation. I've been therapized. I've been doing

a lot of therapy, praying, worshiping therapy, praying worshipming therapy.

I've been doing it a whole bunch. And one of

the terms that I learned was disassociation. I don't know

if you know what that is, but a lot of

people think they have peace because they disassociate from their

real life. So you were abused as a child, You

act like you wasn't abused. You don't talk to nobody

about abuse anytime you see abuse, Oh can't watch that.

Going around the situation doesn't heal you from it. And

many of you your defense mechanism to survive as a

child was to disassociate.

But now you're an adult.

And God has given you tools and weapons to walk

in peace. And many of us are still disattaching, and

now we're seeing it in our kids. And the thing

that you should be able to communicate to them about

that drive for success. You had that too, but you

can't tell them what it costs because you won't even

deal with it yourself. I'm talking about real stuff right now.

There's proclivities and perversions and lusts and addictions that you

won't even go towards because you feel like if I

touched that, life will be thrown into chaos. And he said,

I'm with you. I'm the Prince of peace. Take me

in the storm. You know what I do, the storms,

I sleep them.

Oh God, if you read the words, the disciples are in.

A storm that watched Jesus sent them into.

And he was catching him a drool nap.

Yeah, Jesus, we're about to die, y'all.

Y'all wruin that now, for this problem, for this storm,

for this care, peace.

Be still, and the storm that was threatening their lives.

This tells me that the storm that is threatening your

life that you feel like you'll never get out of,

that you feel like you're gonna drown in.

The only thing that changed in their situation.

And the disciple of don't get enough credit for this

because Jesus was a little disturbed, but everybody is when

they wake up out of a good naw. But do

you see what they did. Instead of leaving them out of.

This situation, they added him in.

Their situation changed when they added Jesus in. Today, at Christmas,

I'm asking everybody, under the sound of my voice, don't

do twenty twenty five with him on the sideline. All

the religious people that think your education is gonna get

you to a place that will substitute a relationship with them,

He's saying, add me in and I will be the

Prince of peace. How so I like, how do I

get peace? Plympians four four. Rejoicing the Lord always and again,

I say, rejoice. Let let your reasonableness be known to everyone.

The Lord is at hand.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer, supplication,

with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Why are we going into twenty one days of prayer

and fasting?

When we get to the beginning of the year, We're

about to do this right here and the peace verse seven, woo.

When you do all of this and the peace.

Of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart

and your mind.

In Christ, Jesus, would you stand all over this place.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will

guard your heart and mind. I found out that peace

is authenticated in the midst of problems. I have a

lighter right here, and this lighter is representing what Jesus

did by becoming the light of the world. And he

came to my life and he said, Michael, if you'll

accept me, I'll set your life to be a light

to others. Now, if the lights were to go down

just a little bit, what would end up happening, bring

them down even some more? What would end up happening

is that in darkness, the thing that would be most

evident is the light.

Bring it down just a little more.

Matter of fact, nobody moved because you could get hurt.

Go dark for me. Now the only reason.

That you can see is because of the little light

that's left.

What if this is all.

That we had to live by? What if this is

all that Jesus gave to each of us. He gave

us a reflection of himself, his peace, and the world

will try to blow you out. And God said, but

I'm with you. I'll light you back up. Oh no,

I think something's happening.

Around the room.

I think what's happening around the room is the light

that I have, the peace.

That God gave.

It's the peace that I can share with Bishop, and

the peace that I can share with Pastor Debbie. And

it's the peace that I can share with my father,

And it's the peace that I can share with my mother.

And it's the peace that I can share with Charles,

and the peace that I can share with Abby.

And I want you to start sharing the peace that's

around you.

And if anybody's peace goes out, if anybody's peace.

Has been squandered, I want you to be the.

One to let your light so shine.

That it can be transferred to somebody else.

I want you to see that one was once very dark,

it's now beginning to illuminate this entire room. I want

you to see that God's plan for all of us,

it's not to live a life that won't light up

every room that we walk in.

You're that light.

This is why Jesus came, this is why we celebrate Christmas.

It's the worst gift exchange ever, but it is the

thing that allows our heavenly Father to see a reflection

of himself.

On this earth. Peace on Earth.

Where are you trying to show us picture? I'm trying

what picture you're trying to show us? Past them?

Like I'm trying to paint a picture that you'll never.

Forget that if we let our light go out because

we disconnect from Him, others live in darkness. So many

people will get damaged in this room trying to get

out of here if we blew out our lights. How

many family members and loved ones would be affected if

we didn't shine today. I want you to know that

this is what's available for us, the peace that God gives,

the love that God gives, the joy that God gives.

God. I'm praying for every person under the sound of.

My voice, thank you, Father God, that the light that

you have given us would actually shine.

Father, it was by a light that wise men.

Followed the star to actually find out where you were.

And the reason that the wise men came was not

just to say that they had found the Messiah that

came to worship you with their lives. Today, Father, as

we look at this light, we don't have to follow

a star. We got the light of the world available

to us right now. And Father, for all of us

that have been disassociating, trying to keep you out of things.

Today we are adding you, the Prince of Peace, into

this situation. Today, we're asking that she would be the

God who changes every situation, the God who moves every mountain,

the God who allows us to shine even in a

world that is dark.

Today we call on the Prince of Peace Today.

God, we're asking that this will be the last time

that we have to have the plan, the power, and

the provision. Today it's your light that will be the

lamp unto our feet, your words that will be.

The light unto our path. Today we decide that we

need more peace. But peace is a person that means

we need more of you.

Jesus have your way in Jesus, nay amen, if you would,

would you blow your light out on the outside, but

not on the ends. Now, before you move, I don't

want you to miss this moment. Turn the lights back out.

I want you to see all the way. There's one person,

two people, three people, now three people, one person, two people,

one person, one person, two people, one person. It's very

easy in a dark room to see who's still live.

Everybody that still has a light on lifted up?

One.

No, not your cell phone light, but that em.

One, two, three, four. I want to try something.

Do you think we could all be lit back up

by only four people?

Five people? See if?

I don't know, I know you gotta go, But could

you just pass that light? Could could you just pass it?

I just don't want you to miss how important your

life is to this scenario.

I I just want you.

It's dangerous out here for families without your light. It's

actually a hazard to not.

Just the Body of Christ, but to everybody.

Around if you don't have your life. Look how quickly

in thirty seconds, Oh my god, I feel the presence

of God in thirty seconds of just a few people.

Walking out of their row. Oh my God, get it

out of their comfort, zung coming from their place. It's

worth me being a comfortable What if the pastor didn't

have to light everybody up? What if it was the body?

What if what if I just I just want to

I want to paint this picture. What if it was Okay,

we lived in a world where even the Man of God,

if his light went out, there would be at least

a thousand other people.

Who could come in.

And restore the light. It was from four rebellious people,

four people who were countercultural, four people who didn't do

what everybody else was doing, all right.

It came from four people willing.

To represent Oh my light went out. Oh don't you

come because they know.

That you're gonna come. But my sweetheart, right here, hold now,

hold on, wait wait wait wait wait, wait, wait wait wait.

I need y'all to see. Bring the light on me.

I know it's dark. I know it's dark. Come come

up a little bit.

As she started walking, I need everybody to see what

she's doing.

She's protecting.

She's protecting the light because she knows she still has steps.

To make it. She's not even talking, y'all. She barely

breathing because her light, yes, affects my light.

What if this is not just another year of Christianity

and religion. What if I invited you into becoming what

Jesus envisioned when he gave.

Us the gift of Jesus, what God envisioned when he

gave us the gift of Jesus.

He said, if I give them light, there'll be light.

So today.

We celebrate the light of the world roll Could you

say it like this, say, light of the world, you

stepped out into the times and all then mines leed me.

Confused. Then this hot uh oh, oh, my spin. Say here,

I am the worship saying here too.

That's what the kings did, That's what the wise men did.

Your God, you're all together, You're all too, You're all too.

Gag this more more time something specialists happened here I

am say here.

You're the light of the world.

Yes, and I'll shine for you forever God.

Yes, your.

Your well, you turn the lights up for me.

Say I'm gonna let this shock In hard situations, you

can declare.

In the midst of problems during the shopping season, when

you get with the family members who have caused you grief.

You're still.

I'm gonna let the fruit what God has placed in

me for me, but through me, I'm gonna let this

be a picture of God's goodness.

Thank you Lord.

Now, do not get burned. Were not paying nobody. If

you sue us, blow your candle out.

Amen. All the rebellious people here gonna do it again.

I'm done doing examples.

Okay, it's so now it's the smoke of the spirit.

Okay, yeah, and make it something else.

But the truth of the matter is, as we get

ready to leave here, that was a beautiful example.

Yet your spirit is still dry.

So if you want Jesus to actually burn on the

inside of you, all I need you to do. Everybody,

listen to me. All I need you to do is

receive the gift of Jesus. It's the worst gift that's

changing ever.

But you win because He did it just for you.

Them shoes look good on you, boy, they do they

fit all right?

Yeah? Look at it smiling for.

Year to year.

He got ninety two tee you like.

Because when you receive something you didn't deserve, or you

didn't earn, or you didn't work for it, it hits different. Here, everybody,

under the sound of my voice, before you start moving,

This is the whole reason for Christmas. If you're in

this room and you have never accepted Jesus as the

light in your personal life, today, I want to give

you an opportunity. It's what took me from being a liar,

a manipulator, addicted to pornography. I had a lot of

bad stuff in my heart. It didn't make me perfect,

but it showed me the path to peace.

Peace is a person. I need the church to begin

to pray because.

There are people in here who this is the one

time God has orchestrated everything in your life to come

to this moment.

And he knew you would be here today, and he.

Changed the message and had us order candles because he

knew what was gonna take all of that for you

to see. It's time. It's time for you to shine.

Let me in receive this gift.

And if you need to.

Rededicate your life and give your life back to God.

And you're making a dedication on our last Sunday here together.

In this room.

You're saying, I'm gonna give God my life. This is

the gift you need to give to him on account

of three I just want you to.

Shoot your hand up in the air. I'm gonna pray

for you.

You're saying, Pastor, I want to be included in that prayer.

Prayer. Whether you're in this room.

Online, if you're watching from a prison cell, the spirit

of God is ready to transform your life. One you're

making the greatest decision ever to your name is gonna

be written in the Lamb's Book of Life and your

eternity is gonna be secured three with faith.

Would you lift your hand in the room.

I see you, my sister, I see you, my sister,

I see you.

My brother. Oh, come up, hold rose, whole families, I

see you.

Hey, transformation your church, and let's celebrate. Hey at TC

where a family so proud of y'all.

It's a new day for you.

God's gonna take every thing that the enemy thought he

was gonna steal from you. He called you for that

example for a reason. Bro, He's gonna change your life forever.

Today is the day of salvage.

If listen to me, if this whole service was just

for you.

It was worth it.

But your twins sitting there making a decision with you today.

All y'all don't know when to celebrate.

I'm talking about transformation. This is what God does for us.

Everybody lift your hands. We're gonna pray together as a family. Father,

Thank you. I want you to repeat after me, say

thank you God for sending Jesus just for me.

I receive the gift of peace.

Thank you Lord from my life. No longer being MIHND,

but it's all yours. Change me, renew me, transform me,

I'm yours forever and she's a snag Amen, TC. Can

we celebrate at home? We celebrate in that prison, Sell

we celebrate.

Hey, listen, now.

Your life is about to take the best turn it's

ever had if you just made that decision welcome home.

I want you to text saved to A two eight

two eight two eight two. And as everybody is starting

to get ready for the Christmas holiday and do your thing,

I need to tell you two things. One, we will

not be in this building next Sunday. Spend it with

your family. Turn on TC at ten at your house.

We have a special presentation for you that your whole

family is going to enjoy.

It's gotten mute. It's gonna be so good, y'all, So

gather your people around.

Use this as an opportunity to shine your light. Number Two,

on the first Sunday in January, I am preaching a

message called reset, and I'm telling you God already shared

this with me two months ago.

You want to start house your life and this year

in the house of.

God, this will be the best year of your life.

If it is your best year spiritually, I'm gonna say

it one more time.

You gonna hear me say it a lot. This will

be the best.

Year of your life if it's your best year spiritually.

So join us on January fifth, as we start in

the House of God.

Merry Christmas. We love you.

May the favor of God go with you, May the

peace of God surround you.

And until we meet again, go out and live a

transformed life. Give God some praise in this building. Thank

you for joining us today.

If you said that prayer and accept it Jesus into

your heart, it's the best decision you could ever make.

We want to celebrate with you, and we have some

tools to help you on your journey. Tech saved to

A two A two A two and to find out

more about TC text connect to A two A two

A two. Be sure to subscribe and share this podcast

with your friends. Thanks for listening. Now go out and

live a transform life.