The Good Fight Series #4
Pastor David T. Elms 6/23/2026
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48:01
Summary
Pastor David T. Elms explores the third piece of the Armor of God, explaining how the 'preparation of the gospel of peace' serves as a soldier's boots to provide stability and mobility in the spiritual battle.
Key points
- •The 'preparation' of the gospel of peace refers to a state of readiness and firm footing, much like the hobnailed boots (caligae) of a Roman soldier.
- •Peace is not merely the absence of conflict or a feeling of comfort; it is a hard-won wholeness that comes from being justified by Christ.
- •Spiritual shoes are essential because they provide the grip necessary to wield the sword and shield effectively without slipping in the 'evil day.'
- •True peace is found in calling on the name of Jesus continually through every stage of life, from childhood temptations to adult trials.
- •A 'good fight' requires a calloused mind and the ability to breathe and think under the pressure and fear that every hero faces.
Scripture
Spiritual Warfare
Peace of God
Readiness
Identity in Christ
Life application
Put on your 'boots of peace' every morning by consciously acknowledging that your righteousness comes from Christ, ensuring you are ready to stand firm regardless of the day's headlines or personal stressors.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life do you feel like your feet are 'slipping' or losing their grip?
- How does the biblical definition of peace as 'hard-won wholeness' differ from the world's definition of peace as 'tolerance' or 'comfort'?
- What does it look like for you to 'callus your mind' through consistent spiritual discipline?
- How can the readiness of the gospel change the way you interact with people in your 'break room' or daily life?
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Full transcript
0:00Uh it was funny.
0:00So, I thought I'd give you all some
0:00extra time. Ephesians the 6th chapter,
0:03the 10th verse. Finally, my brethren, be
0:06strong in the Lord and in the power of
0:09his might. Put on the whole armor.
0:12Everybody say whole armor.
0:14That means all of it.
0:16The whole armor of God, that you may be
0:18able to stand against the wiles of the
0:20devil. For we wrestle not against flesh
0:23and blood,
0:24>> [music]
0:24>> but against principalities, against
0:26powers, against the rulers of the
0:28darkness of this world, against
0:30spiritual wickedness in high places.
0:33Wherefore,
0:35take unto you. Wherefore is a big word.
0:38It's still just a fifth grade word,
0:39okay?
0:41Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor
0:44of God, that ye may be able to withstand
0:48in the evil day. Everybody know we're in
0:50the evil day?
0:53The Bible says evil men shall wax worse
0:55and worse as the last day happens.
0:58Uh we are living in the evil day. Have
1:00And uh once you're in the evil day, how
1:02to withstand in the evil day, and having
1:04done all to stand. Stand therefore,
1:08having your loins girt about with truth,
1:10having on the breastplate of
1:12righteousness, and your feet shod with
1:15the preparation of the gospel of peace.
1:18I'm stopping there. There's more to it,
1:20but that's where our lesson is tonight.
1:21Master,
1:22without you, we're nothing.
1:24>> [music]
1:24>> My words are frail, and they will fall
1:26only as far as the front of this pulpit
1:29>> [music]
1:29>> without your power. I need your
1:31anointing to put wings on these words,
1:33[music] and let them settle in the souls
1:36and the spirits of every every one of
1:38your people. Let your sheep, oh God,
1:41hear your voice, [music] for the your
1:43sheep know your voice, and they follow
1:45you. Let the food be for your precious
1:48flock this night in Jesus' [music]
1:50precious name, and let the people of God
1:53say amen.
1:55Before you're seated, turn to two people
1:56and tell them it's a good fight.
2:18It's a good fight.
2:21It's a good fight.
2:24We have covered
2:26four
2:28services, or tonight will be the fourth
2:30of this good fight series.
2:33The first was an introduction to the
2:35fact that it is a fight worth fighting.
2:38That it is a fight that is labeled
2:39scripturally as a good fight. Our second
2:44class in this series was that truth,
2:47in the old English, it says having your
2:50loins girt about with truth.
2:53That in the original language, that word
2:54for loins is the very word core.
2:58And we learned that in every fight, if
3:00you know anything about lifting weights,
3:02if you know anything about athletics, if
3:05you know anything about using your body,
3:08that the most powerful part of your body
3:11to be strengthened is known as the core
3:15of your body. I lifted weights when I
3:18was a kid. I thought I was something
3:20else. I was in a class called
3:22Slimnastics.
3:24Slimnastics
3:25was an amazing class. We had We worked
3:28on upper body on Monday, lower body on
3:32Tuesday, upper body on Wednesday, lower
3:35body on Thursday, and Friday, the whole
3:38class was stretching. It was way ahead
3:41of its time because back then there
3:42wasn't not a true appreciation for
3:45stretching as what true athletes
3:47understand now. Stretching can be as
3:50much importance as the weightlifting.
3:53But I did the core strength essence
3:56things back then. Benching, power clean,
4:00incline, deadlift. There was maybe one
4:03more thing that I was really measured
4:05by, and I was
4:08one of the strongest in my school.
4:12I deadlift 550 lb. So, uh step back and
4:17leave me alone.
4:19Salute and respect.
4:22>> [laughter]
4:24>> When I did that, the whole football team
4:26looked at me and said,
4:28"Mhm."
4:31But I wasn't allowed to play football
4:33because my dad thought it would make me
4:34backslide.
4:35>> [clears throat]
4:37>> So, I wasn't able to really show them
4:40what all I had.
4:41I'm not saying I regret it because I
4:43don't have as many concussions as I
4:45promise you I would have had. I was just
4:48crazy enough as a young man. I promise
4:50you I would have had some major
4:52concussions Uh because I like to hit. I
4:56played football without pads. I couldn't
4:58imagine what I could do if I had all the
5:01equipment you got in high school.
5:04I could have run through a whole wall
5:06with all that stuff on because I would
5:08hit you with none of it.
5:10But it was one of those things back in
5:12my day that I learned and through time
5:15we've learned that if you want to be
5:17strong, you got to make sure your core
5:21this region is where your power comes
5:24from. And the Lord knew what he was
5:26doing when he started with the very
5:28first thing saying you better make sure
5:30your core is covered with truth. The
5:34second lesson was the righteousness as
5:37our breastplate. I brought my
5:39bulletproof vest that I'm required to
5:41wear as the lead chaplain for the Davie
5:43Police Department. I am not allowed on
5:46the street without my bulletproof vest
5:49and I showed you how uncomf- ortable it
5:51was, how common people have never worn
5:54one, how 99% of the population will
5:58never put one on and yet the Lord told
6:01us as his children you're to wear
6:03something that 99% of the population
6:06will never think is necessary to put on,
6:09a breastplate of righteousness. That
6:12it's not comfortable, you want to take
6:14it off as soon as you get home, you you
6:17don't want to put it on, you want to
6:18make sure it fits to you. All those
6:21attributes are true when it comes to
6:24putting on righteousness every day. And
6:26the Bible tells us that we are required
6:29to put it on. There are some religions
6:32that teach you that since Jesus died on
6:34the cross that you automatically have
6:36his righteousness. I'm telling you
6:38you're wrong, they're wrong, and if I
6:40believed that I would be wrong. His
6:42righteousness is only for those who want
6:45his righteousness. Just because I've got
6:47a good smile doesn't give me his
6:49righteousness. Just because I brush my
6:51teeth doesn't mean I get my his
6:53righteousness. Just because I pay my
6:55bills on time doesn't mean I get his
6:57righteousness. Just because I'm good
7:01as the common
7:03language of this hour is, well, I'm a
7:06good person. Oh, really? Well, I'm glad
7:08you're a good person person. What does
7:09that mean? You go to work on time? You
7:11take some cookies every once in a while?
7:13You celebrate the holidays? Does that
7:15mean No, you've got to put on his
7:19righteousness
7:22when you go into the field.
7:25And so that was last week's lesson. Now
7:28I'm talking tonight about the good news
7:31of peace, which is our
7:35shoes.
7:37One calling of preachers is to afflict
7:39the comfortable
7:41and comfort the afflicted.
7:44So those of you who think you got it
7:45like that,
7:47I hope I get a little under your skin.
7:49If there's some of you that are beating
7:51yourself up
7:53and feeling like you're not good enough,
7:55I hope I bring the balm of Gilead
7:58and build you up to make you feel like
8:00God loves you and he's for you.
8:04Both truths are evident in all of our
8:07lives. We all can start feeling like
8:10we're something else. And it depends on
8:13who we're around. You get around one
8:15person, you feel like, man, I'm no good
8:17at all. It's about how they talk. You
8:19get around some people, they know how to
8:21talk so spiritual. They make you feel
8:23like you've never even heard from God
8:25before. Have you ever left somebody and
8:27all of a sudden you feel like, man, I'm
8:28a failure. I don't even know how to live
8:30for God.
8:31Whose fault is that? Theirs.
8:37Jesus never left people feeling like
8:40they were that. He always left them
8:42feeling like, "I want to be around him
8:44more."
8:46I get around some spiritual people
8:47that's like, "Let me run." Good night.
8:54And then I get around some that are so
8:58fleshly and carnal that I feel like,
9:01"Man, I'm a spiritual guru."
9:05Neither position is accurate.
9:08It's good to get in the middle and bump
9:11over here every ONCE IN A WHILE AND bump
9:13over here every once in a while. It's
9:15good to be in the middle.
9:17But how do we do that? Well, when we
9:19start getting too comfortable, we get
9:22under some consecration. We put on
9:24ourselves some afflictions. I don't want
9:27the Lord to have to afflict me. I want
9:30to afflict myself.
9:33I want to I want to understand when I
9:35start getting haughty, Lord,
9:38teach me to pray.
9:40I don't want to feel like I'm ever a
9:41prayer expert. I'VE BEEN PRAYING ALL MY
9:43LIFE. I'M STILL I'VE GOT A LONG way to
9:46go to be like the Lord. I have yet to
9:49pray my most powerful prayer. I have yet
9:52to sing my greatest song. I HAVE YET TO
9:54PRAISE HIM LIKE I WANT TO PRAISE HIM.
9:57THERE is nobody at the World Cup THAT'S
9:59GOING TO PRAISE THEIR SOCCER STAR MORE
10:02THAN I'M GOING TO MAGNIFY MY LORD.
10:05>> [cheering]
10:06[screaming]
10:08[applause]
10:11>> FIFA, MEET JESUS.
10:15>> [cheering]
10:16[applause]
10:18>> But here's the thing that we got to get
10:20on.
10:22We all desire peace.
10:25But peace is defined differently by
10:26different people.
10:29Peace talk
10:31is almost incomprehensible.
10:34Because you can talk peace talk. I was
10:36just in San Francisco.
10:38Okay, if you go talk peace talk where I
10:40was in San Francisco,
10:42there will be a different definition of
10:43peace talk
10:44than I would will would have got last
10:46week in Charlotte, North Carolina.
10:48Or there's a different peace talk in
10:50Russia
10:51than what there is a peace talk in China
10:54than where there is a peace talk in Iran
10:57or what or Iran I
10:59uh there was a or what the peace talk is
11:01in America.
11:04And so peace talk is almost
11:07incomprehensible.
11:09Because the world doesn't have one
11:11definition of peace.
11:14Some people say that tolerance
11:18is peace.
11:20Elon Musk was being interviewed by the
11:22Israel Sampson Summit just 2 weeks ago.
11:26And the the interviewer asked him said,
11:29"Shouldn't we all just want peace and
11:31love?"
11:33And he answered very curiously and it it
11:35struck a chord in my heart because he
11:37said, "You know,"
11:38he said,
11:40"Some he said peace is unique in its
11:43definition.
11:45He said some people's definition of
11:47peace means that you must suppress
11:50others
11:51so that they personally can feel
11:54comfortable.
11:56So your comfort gets the power to shut
11:59me down."
12:01And so he said, "Peace is too tricky
12:04to say that's what we want peace so on
12:06Earth."
12:07He said, "Now love, yeah, we want love.
12:11But I don't know if I can say we all
12:13want everybody's definition of peace."
12:16Uh H. G. Wells was the one who coined
12:19the word in August of 1914. He said,
12:22"We're about to fight the war to end all
12:24wars."
12:26Would you believe that was in 1914
12:29on the eve of World War I?
12:31Not two decades later came World War II.
12:36Someone invented the machine gun and
12:38said, "This gun
12:40will be the gun that stops all war."
12:44How did that work out?
12:46So, here is the Lord in his word
12:49teaching us to fight a good fight.
12:51And in this he says, "I'm going to give
12:53you some equipment." And he starts by
12:56telling us about a girdle, the strength
12:58of the core. It was a back brace as
13:01well. It covered the vital organs. It
13:03was thick leather in the Roman
13:06uh military uh description of it. Then
13:08he said, "I also want you to have a
13:10breastplate. And I want you to also
13:13understand the third most important
13:15thing in order or in the chronology of
13:18teaching is you need to understand your
13:21shoes are
13:23important."
13:25And then he calls, "Have your feet
13:27shod." This is old English. "Have on
13:30your shoes, your boots, the preparation
13:33of the gospel of peace." Now, that that
13:37sounds interesting because he could have
13:38said it differently. That word for the
13:40preparation more precisely means the
13:43readiness
13:45of the gospel of peace. It's an
13:47extremely rare noun when it says the
13:49preparation of the gospel of peace. He
13:52could have said, "Have your feet shod
13:54with the gospel of peace."
13:56Wouldn't have that been sensible? If I
13:58was writing, I just wrote uh put on the
14:01gospel of peace. That sounds good. But
14:04he doesn't say that. He says, "Put on
14:07the preparation of the gospel of peace."
14:09Now the
14:10you know, when you and I wrote word
14:11reports for us kids, we had word counts
14:14and you know, it had to be a 2,500 word
14:16essay, whatever. So, we would throw in
14:18words. The Bible doesn't have extra
14:20words in it.
14:22So, when this only place it's mentioned
14:25in the Greek in the entire New
14:26Testament, the preparation of the gospel
14:29of peace. It is not an adjective here.
14:32It is not a verb. It is in its noun
14:35form. So, it's not talking about an
14:37action to be done. It's talking about a
14:40readiness that is present.
14:44You know, somebody said like this, if
14:46you're if you are ready, you don't have
14:47to get ready.
14:50And so, here is the point. Paul is
14:53writing saying, you need the noun. I
14:56don't need you acting. I need you to
14:58already understand
15:00this gospel of peace. It's a precise
15:03term. It's a state of being and the
15:06equipment is something that describes
15:10this present position. Shoes are
15:13important. Now, these are real military
15:16shoes. I'm using equipment provided by
15:19the Andrew Castleman. And so, he was in
15:23the army and in the army, these were his
15:26boots. Now, these are real fighting
15:28boots, okay? And the shoes that they
15:31issue and the boots that you wear are
15:34variable and you can get some that are
15:36issued, but you got to have certain
15:38certain things and criteria that must be
15:41met when you have these boots. Shoes are
15:44not an afterthought in the armor. They
15:47are the part that touches
15:51I'm about to wow you right now. This is
15:53big information.
15:55I don't want to lose you because this is
15:57complicated.
15:58This is the part that touches
16:02the ground.
16:08I may have lost some of you right there.
16:10Are you still with me, Susan?
16:12Okay. All right.
16:15This touches the ground.
16:17The effectiveness of the sword
16:22is totally determined
16:24by the power
16:26of the foundation.
16:29The effectiveness of the shield, how
16:31nimble it is to ward off that which
16:34would
16:35be a missile against you
16:38is totally connected
16:41to your power to grip
16:46the ground.
16:48And so, this is why when we talk about
16:50shoes, don't just rush past the sandals
16:54of the gospel.
16:57They determine whether you stand firm
16:59when the earth shakes
17:01or slip into losing chaos.
17:05When you put your shoes on, it means
17:08you're going somewhere.
17:10My wife's got some rules at the house
17:12that I have not yet adopted.
17:15But she's teaching her grandkids and her
17:17kids and
17:19you're supposed to take the shoes off at
17:21the door.
17:22I haven't all the way figured that out
17:24yet.
17:26I'm an easy
17:28And in a way, I'm not easy on many of
17:30things but
17:31you take But what do you mean to do when
17:34you put your shoes on?
17:36I'm going somewhere.
17:38That means when God says you're his
17:41children and you've got to do one thing
17:44every day
17:46every day
17:48you got to go somewhere.
17:54Now, I know the Bible says 6 days thou
17:56shalt labor in the seventh shall be a a
17:59a Sabbath unto you. And I know some
18:01people only believe in working 5 days,
18:03but the Bible says you're supposed to
18:05work six.
18:076 days thou shalt labor. Now, that 6 day
18:10might be honey-do lists. It might be
18:12cleaning your car. It might be doing the
18:14one thing you can do because you got to
18:16work for yourself, but six days thou
18:19shalt work. That's what God said. That's
18:21his standard. But the seventh day shall
18:23be a Sabbath, which is set apart for the
18:26realization of righteousness. And so
18:29here we have shoes that means you got to
18:31go somewhere. That means on your
18:34supposed day off, you don't get to say
18:37I'm wearing my flip-flops.
18:41You can wear your legitimate flip-flops.
18:45You know how baby I've advanced.
18:47Have you seen how I've advanced?
18:50That's right.
18:51I used to call flip-flops something else
18:54because I was born in California.
18:56And in California you wore thongs.
19:00That's what it was. That's what they
19:02were called. You don't act spiritual on
19:03me.
19:05I'm talking about legitimate people with
19:07a brain.
19:08That's what we called them. You got your
19:10thongs?
19:11But in South Florida I don't think I'm
19:12supposed to say it like that. So
19:15they're called flip-flops.
19:18Nudge your neighbor and say flip-flops.
19:24Here's the thing I want to tell you
19:25about the picture that the Lord was
19:27given.
19:28The boots that were given were literally
19:31not delicate dress shoes.
19:34They were not soft soles.
19:36The word that describes this is caligae.
19:40These were These were heavy leather
19:44shoes that were about to throw a big
19:46word at you. This is a buck 50 word,
19:48hobnailed.
19:50>> [clears throat]
19:51>> Mhm. Hobnailed is the word. That was the
19:54way you knew the Roman soldiers were
19:56coming. They would go through a very
19:58thick bottom and drive nails through
20:01them and make them comfortable, but when
20:03you heard them coming, it sounded like a
20:05bunch of football players wearing their
20:07cleats on the pavement.
20:10So when the soldiers of Rome were
20:12walking towards you, this was not a soft
20:15leather sole. This was not a rubber
20:18sole. This was not something that was
20:20quiet. It was there with a cleat that
20:23was put on it. And the cleats were built
20:26in so that there would be traction on
20:29rocks, in the dirt, in a blood-slick
20:32stone, on muddy roads, for long marches.
20:36It would help them have a grip where
20:38they were to go. The hobs or the cleats
20:41bit into the terrain, so the soldier
20:44could plant his weight and get a grip. I
20:48remember the first time I ran with
20:49cleats. Some of you men, you you're
20:51about to run the aisles. You remember
20:52with me. I I can't believe the
20:55difference I felt the very first time I
20:58put cleats on. I I was already kind of
21:01fast, but when I put those cleats on,
21:04night, I felt like I was cheating. Do
21:06y'all remember that? Am I the only one
21:08that You girls know what I'm talking
21:10about. Morgan, what kind of cleats did
21:12you wear? Adidas or Nike? God help you.
21:17God help you. I'm glad you're saved now.
21:20Uh
21:21uh But but when you get cleats on, it's
21:24different.
21:26When you're playing soccer,
21:28when you're playing football,
21:30cleats make a difference, and that's
21:33what the Lord is describing here. These
21:35are shoes with cleats on them. And on
21:39them, they they are intended to keep you
21:42from slipping. David described the
21:44vulnerability. Now, I don't want to
21:45describe My wife will mop my shower.
21:50I love when my wife is a clean.
21:56>> [laughter]
21:58>> And I love it. I love it. I walk in my
22:00house, it's so clean. Oh, it's clean. I
22:03know when she's been cleaning.
22:06I love it.
22:07>> [applause]
22:08>> I adore it. She's got a new mop that's
22:11got like four stages before it ever
22:14mops. And she's got a new a new vacuum
22:17that has like a steam that there's some
22:20kind of a soap in the steam that's for
22:23tile. She's got Oh my goodness. I love
22:26every bit of it.
22:29I love it.
22:31It's clean.
22:33But sometimes she gets extra vigorous in
22:35the shower.
22:38And if I'm not careful
22:45when I step in
22:50a vulnerable moment might
22:53come upon me.
22:56And I think of David saying my feet did
22:59almost slip.
23:03Have y'all slipped a little? You know
23:05when you You didn't really slip, but you
23:07just slipped a little.
23:09But you felt it.
23:12And you hope nobody's looking.
23:18I got out of my truck the other day and
23:21I slipped. I had some kind of that crazy
23:23soap that was in my house on the bottom
23:25of my shoes. And I got out of my truck
23:28on the asphalt and I'm telling you what,
23:30if it wasn't for that seat, it would
23:32have been bad. I mean, I slipped and
23:34caught myself. And then I looked around
23:37and I saw somebody looking. I just
23:38laughed.
23:39>> [laughter]
23:42[applause]
23:46>> You You You got your play-it-off plan,
23:49too, don't you?
23:50You You know how to play it off. All you
23:53pickleball players staring at me like
23:54you're something.
23:56Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.
23:58And so here we are not wanting to slip.
24:03WHEN I PLAY RACQUETBALL, I WANT SHOES
24:06THAT WILL NOT SLIP.
24:09AND THIS IS PART of a preparation. I'm
24:12about to get to the peace. I'm preaching
24:13too long. I'm going to already know.
24:16Okay, let me hurry up.
24:18How beautiful are the feet of them that
24:20preach the gospel
24:22of peace.
24:24It's the gospel of peace.
24:27What kind of peace? The hard-won
24:29wholeness that appears only when you
24:31understand that Jesus is your hope.
24:33Jesus is your strength. Jesus is your
24:36judge. Jesus is your justifier. Jesus is
24:40your healer. Jesus is your blesser.
24:42Jesus is your keeper. JESUS IS THE ONE
24:45WHO OPENS DOORS. JESUS IS THE ONE WHO
24:47CLOSES DOORS. WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT
24:50MY RIGHTEOUSNESS IS HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,
24:54THAT IS HARD-WON
24:56PEACE.
24:58>> [cheering and applause]
25:00>> That's when I shouldered the full weight
25:02of reality that I don't have it like
25:04that.
25:05That if I'm not covered IN HIM, THEN I'M
25:08NOT COVERED.
25:10THAT IF I'M NOT CALLING ON HIS NAME, I
25:12WILL NOT BE SAVED. That's not a prayer
25:15you pray after a preacher. They that
25:17call on the name of the Lord, THAT'S AN
25:19ALWAYS CONTINUAL ACTION OF WHAT I DO IN
25:23THE MORNING AND WHAT I DO AT NOON AND
25:25WHAT I DO AT NIGHT, WHEN I GO TO BED,
25:28WHEN I WAKE UP AND DEMONS ARE COVERING
25:30ME AND I CAN'T EVEN SPEAK, BUT I THINK
25:33HIS NAME.
25:34>> [cheering]
25:35>> THEY THAT CALL UPON the name OF THE LORD
25:38SHALL [screaming] BE SAVED.
25:42>> [cheering]
25:44[applause]
25:45>> Calling on him.
25:47I called on him in 1973 and he filled me
25:49with the Holy Ghost. And I spoke in
25:51other tongues as the Spirit gave me the
25:53utterance. I called on him in 1975
25:56when I had a little bullying go on in
25:58school. I called on him in 1980 when I
26:01was first settling in into high school
26:03and I didn't know about all the
26:04temptations that was AWAITING ME. I
26:06CALLED ON HIM AGAIN IN 1985 when I moved
26:09to North Carolina State and mom and dad
26:11left me alone and I wouldn't have to
26:13answer TO ANYBODY. I CALLED ON HIM AND I
26:15COULD GO THROUGH THE YEARS, but here it
26:17is in 2026 and ladies and gentlemen, I'm
26:20still telling you I'm calling on THE
26:23NAME SOMEBODY, WOULD YOU SAY HIS NAME?
26:25[cheering]
26:26>> [applause]
26:27>> SAY HIS NAME.
26:29JESUS.
26:31>> [cheering]
26:33[applause]
26:38>> That's peace.
26:39Peace isn't that I voted right.
26:42Peace is that I have the right name on
26:44me.
26:45Peace isn't that I live in the right
26:46country. Peace is that I have Jesus on
26:49my side. Peace isn't whether or not I'm
26:52in the army or I'm on in jail. No, we've
26:54got a prison ministry. They go down
26:56there every Saturday to the ladies
26:58prison in Homestead and those women can
27:00have as much peace as we have here
27:02tonight.
27:03WHY? BECAUSE PEACE IS WHO the Lord is to
27:06you.
27:08>> [cheering]
27:08>> MY PEACE I GIVE TO YOU, NOT AS THE WORLD
27:13GIVE IT GIVE I THEE.
27:16I WANT his peace.
27:18>> [applause and cheering]
27:19>> Biblical peace is far more terrifying.
27:22I said there's terrifying to biblical
27:24peace. Biblical peace calls you out.
27:27Biblical peace walks up and says, "Who
27:30do you think you are?" Biblical peace
27:33says, "You've got sin going on. What
27:35have you done about it?" Biblical peace
27:37said, "How did you talk to that one on
27:39the break in the break room?" Biblical
27:42peace is a holy God who comes up to you
27:45and says, "Come on. Wash your hands in
27:48my blood. I will make you whole, but you
27:50must first repent."
27:53>> [cheering]
27:54>> Biblical peace leads you
27:56into repentance.
27:58And biblical peace is far more beautiful
28:01than what the world wants us to think it
28:03is. They say, "Oh, all you did was pray
28:05to me?"
28:08Yeah, that's all you did?
28:09All you have is God? I'm tired of your
28:11thoughts and prayers. Just give me your
28:12thoughts.
28:14Yeah, that's that's the world we live
28:16in, and those are some good people that
28:17say that.
28:18Honestly, I'm not I don't want them to
28:20burn. I want them to come and be have
28:22the fire in the bones, not the fire from
28:25hell on them.
28:26But, you don't know their history of
28:28church, their history of interactions
28:30with preachers. You don't know their
28:31interactions of family. They might have
28:33had one super religious family member
28:35that was a jerk.
28:38A punk.
28:39They showed up at every family event
28:41with their long hypocritical nose or and
28:43their long Pharisaical judging looks,
28:46and they tried to say, "Well, if you
28:47haven't prayed unless you prayed all
28:48night long."
28:51You haven't gone to church unless you've
28:52been there 4 hours.
28:56The sons of those people don't even go
28:58to church anymore cuz they got it all in
29:00back when they were a kid.
29:03I'm not going to a church like that. I
29:04have other things to do.
29:06What am I talking about? I'm talking
29:08about people that had had interactions
29:10with people that said it was of God, but
29:13it wasn't of God. It was the flesh.
29:15WHAT PEACE DO I WANT? I WANT HIS PEACE.
29:18MY PEACE I GIVE TO YOU.
29:21Not of this world gives it give I thee.
29:24The divided self is only calmed when you
29:28understand I stand with him.
29:31Not with them.
29:33I stand with him. That soul will settle
29:36down because there's two dogs in you.
29:39You know the old song dog story. Which
29:41dog wins? The dog you feed is the dog
29:45that wins. There's two dogs in all of
29:48us. I WANT TO PUT DOWN the one that
29:50doesn't stand in agreement with the
29:52Lord.
29:53Now, I know none of you women are dogs,
29:55okay?
29:57That's right. Y'all are beautiful kitty
29:59cats.
30:04You know when your soul shakes?
30:06When you wake up and stress and anxiety
30:08make you feel like you're vibrating?
30:11Where do you get peace then? Not from
30:12Prozac.
30:14Where do you get peace?
30:16Not by numbing it, by self-medicating.
30:18I'm talking about his peace. When you
30:20understand he can step into the shaking
30:23of your very bones, that vibration you
30:25wish would go away, and you can say,
30:27"Jesus, he's got my back. Jesus, he's
30:30got my mind. Jesus, he's got tomorrow.
30:34Jesus, he's bigger than the headlines."
30:40>> [applause]
30:40[cheering]
30:41>> So So, he said, "Put on the shoes
30:45of the good news." That's what gospel
30:48is.
30:49Some people say, "Gospel." They It's
30:51sometimes better understood as good
30:53news.
30:54Because when good news is said, it means
30:57there is other kind of news.
31:02There's religious news that's bad news.
31:06So, when the Bible says you are to tell
31:09the good news of peace,
31:12there is some bad news about peace out
31:14there.
31:15And then there's some just news about
31:18peace.
31:19But the Lord said, and this is critical,
31:22and I I
31:23I don't want to break you guys down like
31:24you're some Greek or like I'm some Greek
31:27professional, but I want to tell you,
31:29the good news is a word that comes very
31:33strong on tidings of a great sort. It's
31:38a declaration of a word that is
31:41fantastic. It's got a prefix EU, which
31:45is where we got our word euphoria from.
31:49It's that kind of news. It's news that
31:52is so good, the opposite of that is this
31:55in the Latin. Which is the Greek. This
31:59dys, which is where we get our word
32:01dysfunction
32:03and dystopia.
32:06IT DOESN'T ISN'T SUPPOSED to be
32:08dystopian news.
32:10It is supposed to be euphoric news.
32:14The good news of peace
32:17is how you are TO HAVE MOBILITY.
32:21IT'S HOW YOU ARE TO GO OUT. IT'S WHAT'S
32:24SUPPOSED TO GRIP THE GROUND WHEN
32:26EVERYBODY ELSE IS SLIPPING AROUND.
32:30The science of fighting,
32:32you know,
32:33Sister Elms come.
32:35A request came in for me to sing, so I'm
32:37going to have to sing.
32:40The science of fighting is very
32:42very interesting to me, and I don't want
32:44to act like I know much about it.
32:46My brother is the greatest fighter I
32:48know.
32:49Nathan Joel is my little brother.
32:52Uh
32:53he's 5 years younger than me,
32:55and he's the greatest fighter I know.
32:57He is in the top
33:00better than the top 1% of fighters in
33:03the world.
33:04He has fought
33:07at the Worlds in Las Vegas. If you know
33:09anything about jiu-jitsu,
33:11he was invited to fight at the I
33:14B
33:15Is it IBJJF?
33:18International Brazilian Fighting
33:21Federation no jiu-jitsu
33:24federation, that's it. And he went there
33:26by winning the silver medal in the
33:29Atlanta Open in his weight class in
33:31jiu-jitsu. So, ladies and gentlemen,
33:34if it's me and my brother against
33:35anybody, I'm doing okay.
33:43Uh
33:45and and and he's really good. I mean, he
33:47he did it as an old man, too, so that
33:49ought to tell you something. He did it
33:50in his 40s.
33:52That's very, very old in the fight game.
33:54So,
33:56but you know,
33:57you know, he had to get there because I
33:59was his older brother. I I gave him so
34:01much um
34:03you know,
34:05PTSD.
34:08>> Motive.
34:10>> He had to get where he felt safe again
34:13because I made him feel so unsafe
34:16as a big brother.
34:18But I asked him about pressure.
34:21It's a word that in the fight game you
34:23learn about.
34:25In jujitsu, one of the great, great
34:28winning strategies is you got to know
34:31how to put pressure on your opponent.
34:34And pressure panic is very real.
34:37And I don't know anything about this. I
34:39I don't know one thing about it.
34:41But I called my brother to ask him about
34:44this.
34:45And he said pressure panic means you
34:47train your mind so that it doesn't
34:50matter how bad the situation is, you can
34:52think
34:54and you can breathe
34:56under that weight and under that
34:58pressure.
35:00So, I said, "Nate, can you give me some
35:02of your best phrases that I could share
35:06to my church
35:07because I'm teaching on the good fight."
35:10He said, "Well,
35:12I'll give you
35:13He gave me three of them.
35:15He said, "One of my favorite is David
35:17Goggins, who was a Navy SEAL, and
35:19he's ran in over 70 ultra races.
35:23He's an unbelievable inspirational
35:25speaker.
35:27And he said, 'I loved when he said you
35:29have to callus your mind.
35:32It's by doing it again again and again
35:35and again.
35:36You can't say I did it once and think
35:38you got it. Go back and get in that same
35:40spot again tomorrow.
35:43And then he said the other one is a
35:44quote from Mike Tyson's trainer Cus
35:46D'Amato.
35:48He said the hero and the coward
35:51both feel exactly the same fear.
35:54The hero uses his fear.
36:01How many times you feel afraid and you
36:02think, "Wow, I must not have it."
36:04Oh, you've got it.
36:06God didn't call you because you didn't
36:08have it.
36:09You're not in church on a Tuesday night
36:11because you don't have it.
36:13You didn't come into this place because
36:15you don't HAVE IT. YOU'RE ALREADY IN AN
36:17ELITE GROUP JUST BEING IN CHURCH ON A
36:19TUESDAY NIGHT. THAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT.
36:23>> [applause]
36:26>> AND HE SAID THE third quote he loved is
36:28from Muhammad Ali.
36:31Muhammad Ali said the fight is won or
36:33lost
36:34far away from witnesses.
36:37When no one's looking.
36:40The kingdom is not advanced with
36:42adrenaline and slogans, folks.
36:44And we've got slogans and adrenaline, we
36:46got bands to
36:47to be on American Bandstand, we got
36:50singers and musicians, we've got even
36:53great speakers in Christianity.
36:56That's not where you get it.
36:59You get to finish because you get an
37:01understanding of the good fight.
37:06You got to stay awake.
37:07The good news
37:09of peace.
37:11The sandals do not represent a feeling.
37:14They represent a readiness. [music]
37:17You may not feel
37:19like you're victorious,
37:21but you're ready.
37:24You may not feel strong,
37:27but you're ready. [music]
37:28You put your shoes on.
37:31What's your shoes?
37:32Good news.
37:34Did the good news change because some
37:37presidency happened? No.
37:40Did the good news change because
37:42Iran broke
37:47whatever treaty they've got? [screaming]
37:48NO.
37:50DOES THE GOOD NEWS CHANGE over any of
37:53the things that our social media tries
37:56to throw at us? Your mood can change.
37:59You can get mad at people you don't even
38:01you're not and you're great friends
38:03with, but you're already ticked off from
38:04something you saw.
38:08And that's why I need you to put on some
38:10shoes.
38:11Cuz you got to go somewhere.
38:13And when you put on the right shoes,
38:14it's not the belt or the boots of anger
38:17and the boots of vengeance and the boots
38:20of toughness and the boots of strength.
38:22No, it's the boots of the good news that
38:26Jesus
38:27he has paid a price
38:30that when I get into his spirit
38:32uh he's done it all.
38:35And the key is you have to put them on.
38:38Everybody say, "Put them on."
38:41You've got to put on those boots.
38:44And having made peace through the blood
38:46of his cross by him to reconcile all
38:49things unto him by him, I say, whether
38:51they be things on earth or things in
38:53heaven. We have to make peace through
38:56his blood.
38:58Romans 5:1, Therefore, being justified
39:00by faith, we have peace with God through
39:03our Lord
39:05Jesus Christ.
39:07Put on the boots every morning.
39:09I'm not putting these boots on.
39:13These are your boots.
39:18We all have got to get our boots. How
39:21how developed are your boots?
39:25Have you spent much time shopping for
39:26your shoes?
39:31You know, we got some
39:32shoe
39:33Are they called shoe horses? Is that
39:35what they're called?
39:36No no, the
39:38people who really like shoes.
39:41Sister Bridget is one. Is Sister [music]
39:43Bridget here tonight?
39:46Shoe what?
39:50Shoeaholics, sneaker aficionados.
39:54Hey, is River wearing Jordans tonight?
39:57No, those aren't Jordans.
40:01Oh, the shoe game is on. That's what I'm
40:03talking about.
40:04The shoe game. Some people got a shoe
40:06game.
40:09How much time have you spent
40:12getting a grip on the gospel of peace?
40:16I'm not talking about
40:23>> Be careful.
40:26>> I might give a gang sign if I'm not
40:27careful.
40:28>> [laughter]
40:29>> You just
40:31>> I was born in San Diego. My dad
40:32graduated from San Diego State
40:33University and they were half San
40:36Francisco down there and back then it
40:37was always peace.
40:39Peace out.
40:41Peace.
40:42That is not what I'm talking about. It's
40:44a true understanding of what Jesus has
40:47done for you.
40:50And who he is
40:52to you. Not is going to be is right now.
40:56Right now. Do you know who Jesus is?
41:02When you know who Jesus is, that's when
41:04you've got some good boots.
41:10of peace.
41:13Far away in
41:15the depths
41:18of my spirit
41:20tonight [music]
41:23rolls a melody
41:26sweeter
41:27[singing] than song
41:31>> [music]
41:33>> in celestial
41:36like [music] strains
41:38yet unceasing [singing]
41:41ly falls
41:43o'er my soul
41:46like an infinite
41:50calm
41:52>> [singing and music]
41:53>> You might know it like this.
41:55>> Peace,
41:58peace
41:59>> [music]
42:01>> wonderful [singing]
42:03peace [music]
42:05coming down
42:08from the Father
42:10>> [singing]
42:11[music]
42:12>> above
42:16sweet
42:18>> [singing]
42:19>> over
42:20my spirit
42:23forever [singing and music]
42:26I pray
42:29in [music] fathomless
42:31>> [singing]
42:32>> billows
42:35of love
42:37>> Why don't we [music] stand? I'm going to
42:38invite you to come around this altar.
42:40What a treasure
42:43I have
42:43>> [music and singing]
42:45>> in this
42:47wonderful
42:49peace
42:51buried [singing and music]
42:53in the heart of
42:56my [music] soul
42:58>> [singing]
43:01>> so secure
43:04that no [music] power
43:07can bind [singing]
43:08it
43:10away
43:12while the
43:14>> [music and singing]
43:15>> of eternity
43:19>> [singing and music]
43:22>> Oh, it's
43:24peace.
43:25>> [singing]
43:29[music]
43:29>> Wonderful [singing]
43:32peace
43:34coming [music] down
43:37from the [singing] Father
43:41above [music]
43:45Sweet [singing] solace
43:48of
43:49>> [music]
43:49>> my spirit
43:51forever
43:52>> [singing]
43:54[music]
43:54>> I pray
43:57infallible
43:59>> [singing]
44:01>> bellows
44:03>> [music]
44:03>> of love.
44:06>> Sometimes when we sing these old hymns,
44:09we just sing one or two favorite verses.
44:12And these things were written by folks
44:14that
44:15had overcome fevers and
44:18pandemics and deaths and loss that
44:24sometimes we cannot even [music] fathom.
44:27And I appreciate all the new songs.
44:30But sometimes I need to hear these old
44:32verses
44:33that I don't don't even know.
44:36But when I start reading the words and
44:38I've asked the sound of the presentation
44:41team to have these words for you because
44:43you may not know the tune simple.
44:45But these words follow the same tune,
44:48but it says dimensions of walking with
44:52God.
44:53That
44:54I don't just need a guitar and
44:56cute rhyme.
44:59I've been walking through something I
45:00don't even comprehend. I was betrayed by
45:03a friend. I was laid off by a boss I
45:06thought had my back.
45:08I'm fighting a doctor's report that I
45:11haven't told anybody about. And I DON'T
45:13JUST FEEL LIKE SINGING I'M A FRIEND OF
45:15GOD ALL THE TIME.
45:17Sometimes I want to sing a song that
45:19FEELS A WHOLE LOT LIKE JUST HEAVINESS,
45:22BUT IT is the story of my situation.
45:30I am resting
45:32tonight
45:34in this wonderful
45:36>> [singing and music]
45:40>> resting sweetly
45:43in Jesus' [singing]
45:46control. [music]
45:51For I'm [singing] kept
45:53from
45:54>> [music]
45:54>> all danger
45:57by night
45:57>> [singing]
45:59>> and by
46:00day.
46:01>> [music]
46:02>> And His glory
46:03>> [singing]
46:05>> is His abiding
46:08>> [music]
46:08>> my soul.
46:12>> [singing]
46:12>> I'm telling you it's peace.
46:16>> [music]
46:16>> Peace.
46:19Wonderful
46:22peace
46:23coming [music and singing] down
46:26from from the Father
46:29above. [music]
46:34Sweet hope
46:36>> [singing]
46:37>> over
46:38my spirit
46:40>> [music]
46:40>> forever
46:43I pray
46:46in [music and singing] fathomless
46:50billows
46:52>> [music]
46:54>> Let's talk to the Lord. Talk to Him for
46:56yourself. Only your words. Only your
46:59thoughts. Only your appreciations.
47:02[music] Only your trials.
47:04Only
47:05>> [singing]
47:05>> your storms,
47:06only your deliverances.
47:09Tell him
47:10tell him where you are.
47:12Tell him what you're feeling.
47:14Tell him how you love him.
47:16Tell him how you need him.
47:18Tell him how you're hungry to be with
47:20him.
47:21>> [singing]
47:24>> Fill this house with your glory right
47:26now.
47:28Fill this house with your glory right
47:30now.
47:31I need you, [music] Jesus.
47:33I've got to have you, Jesus.
47:35>> [singing]
47:36>> I've got to have you, Jesus. Why don't
47:38you [music] reach over to somebody next
47:40to you and pray like they're going
47:42through the worst storm that you didn't
47:43know about, [singing] but it was a
47:45soldier's prayer that was required. Come
47:48on. Let's pray one for another. Let's
47:51[singing] pray like a fighter. Let's
47:53pray like a warrior.
47:54Let's pray like somebody who knows God.
47:58Somebody who knows that the king is on
48:00their side.