It’s Bigger Than Me

Name: It’s Bigger Than Me
Uploaded: 2026-03-02
Channel: Bishop Henry Fernandez
Description: Bishop Henry Fernandez explores how discovering our God-given identity shifts our focus from selfish desires to divine assignments, teaching that every season o

Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 3/2/2026Genesis 1:27, Ephesians 2:10, Romans 12:2, Psalm 119:15, Philippians 3:13-14

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29:35

Summary

Bishop Henry Fernandez explores how discovering our God-given identity shifts our focus from selfish desires to divine assignments, teaching that every season of life is bigger than our personal interests.

Key points

•Identity and purpose are found in the revelation that you were created in the image of God and designed for specific good works.
•Daily meditation on Scripture is essential to reset your identity and prevent being conformed to the world's values of status and possessions.
•Growth requires moving beyond self-interest and selfishness, which can destroy relationships, careers, and spiritual progress.
•Every season of life - whether singleness, marriage, or business ownership - is a divine assignment intended for the glory of God rather than personal gain.
•A mature faith rejoices in the restoration of others and avoids the trap of jealousy, comparison, and judging people based on their past mistakes.

Scripture

Purpose

Character

Discipleship

Spiritual Growth

Restoration

Life application

Evaluate your current season of life (singleness, marriage, or career) and ask God how you can serve His Kingdom through it rather than focusing on what you can get out of it. Choose one area where you have been selfish or judgmental and intentionally practice generosity or encouragement toward someone else this week.

Reflection questions

In what areas of your life have you allowed the world to define your value based on status or appearance instead of God's purpose?
How can you shift your perspective of your 'problems' to see them as tools God is using to grow you into a better follower of Christ?
Are you treating your current season as a 'waiting room' or a 'workshop' for your divine assignment?
Is there any root of jealousy or comparison in your heart that is causing you to resent the progress or restoration of others?

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Full transcript

0:00One of the greatest revelations a person

0:03can receive

0:05is the revelation

0:07of identity and purpose.

0:12Who you are

0:14and for what reason you are here on the

0:18earth.

0:19When you discover

0:22where you come from and who created you

0:24and why you are here, it transforms your

0:29perspective.

0:31>> It does.

0:33You no longer drift through life

0:36reacting to culture.

0:39Here's what you do. You live

0:40intentionally

0:42and you live rooted in truth.

0:46The Bible declares in Genesis 1:27

0:50that we are all created in the image of

0:55God.

0:57Let that settle in your spirit for a

0:59moment.

1:00All of us, including you, you were

1:04created in the image of God, which

1:07suggests that you are not an accident.

1:11>> You are not random.

1:14You were designed by God for such a time

1:17as this.

1:20Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, "For we are

1:24his workmanship, the Bible says, created

1:28in Christ Jesus for good works, which

1:30God prepared beforehand that we should

1:33walk in them."

1:35We've been created

1:38by the hand of God to do good works.

1:41So it is the responsibility of every

1:44person to walk in the good works we were

1:48created to perform.

1:50Before you ever arrived on this planet,

1:53God had already prepared

1:56assignments for you.

2:00>> Before you were created, before you were

2:03formed in your mother's womb, God had an

2:07assignment for you to do on the earth.

2:10So therefore, you've got to discover,

2:12you've got to find out why do I exist?

2:17Why am I here?

2:20Why did God allow you to be in the year

2:232026?

2:25There's a reason.

2:28When you know why you're here, then

2:31you're not easily manipulated by the

2:33systems of the world.

2:36Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed

2:40to this world. Don't adopt to their

2:43patterns, but be transformed

2:48by the renewing of your mind, the way

2:51you think. You cannot think like the

2:54world.

2:56You cannot think like the toxicity

2:59that's in the world.

3:02The world constantly tries to rewrite

3:05your narrative, telling you that your

3:09value is in your possessions. It's in

3:12your status. It's in your appearance and

3:15it's in your influence.

3:18It's what you possess. So if you have a

3:20lot of material things, then that makes

3:23you special.

3:26It's your status. It's who you know, the

3:28degrees that you've acquired. It's your

3:31appearance. And boy, we we man, we are

3:35working this appearance thing, man. We

3:38we're using this, man, BECAUSE WE THINK

3:40JUST BECAUSE WE ARE DRESSED up

3:44with brand name clothes

3:48and we look good and we've got all the

3:50makeup on and we think that we have

3:53arrived.

3:55our influence. Especially with social

3:57media, we think our value is in the

4:01amount of followers we have, the clicks

4:05and the likes that we have. But the word

4:08of God tells us that your value is in

4:12your purpose. Amen.

4:14>> When you know why you're here

4:17>> and you fulfill that purpose,

4:20man, it takes your whole perspective of

4:23your life to a whole another level.

4:27That is why daily meditation on

4:29scripture is essential. Psalm 119 verse1

4:3315 tells us, I will meditate [singing]

4:35on your precepts and fix my eyes on your

4:39ways. Not my way, not the ways of the

4:43world. You see, when you meditate on the

4:46word, you reset your identity.

4:51So listen to me carefully.

4:53You should regularly assess who you are

4:58becoming. [clears throat]

4:59Every day

5:01ask yourself, who are you becoming?

5:05Come on now. Who are you becoming?

5:08Not who you were,

5:11not who people say you are, but who you

5:14are becoming in Christ. None of us

5:17should become so comfortable that we

5:20assume we have already arrived.

5:24>> Don't get sucked into that deceitful

5:28trick of the enemy to make you think

5:30that you're okay. I'm fine.

5:34This is all I can give. That's a lie.

5:38Paul in Philippians 3:134

5:42he tells us forgetting what lies behind

5:45us and strain forward to what lies ahead

5:49of us. He said I press toward the goal.

5:51I press the emphasis in is on the latter

5:54part of the verse. I'm pressing towards

5:57the goal. Not not not focusing on what's

6:00behind you. The lies they told about you

6:04that you are no good. you you'll never

6:06amount to anything. And then you come

6:08from a dysfunctional family and you made

6:10too many mistakes. Don't you focus your

6:13attention on that.

6:16>> You focus your attention on what is

6:19before you. And that's why the word of

6:22the Lord to this church this morning was

6:26don't allow present situations

6:30to distract you from the blessing that's

6:33coming ahead of you.

6:36>> Don't allow that. You see, growth is a

6:40part of purpose. Everything you're going

6:42through is teaching you how to become

6:45the best version of yourself. how to

6:48become a better follower of Jesus

6:51Christ. Every problem, every setback,

6:54every uh uh uh uh issues that's going on

6:57in your life, God is allowing it to

7:00happen in your life to grow you. I know

7:03you can't embrace that, but it's the

7:05truth.

7:07>> Amen.

7:07>> God is trying to work a Romans 8:28 in

7:11your life. All things will work together

7:15for your good. So I want you to hear me

7:18clearly today.

7:20Although becoming the best version of

7:22yourself matters, your overall purpose

7:25is greater than personal selfinterest.

7:30>> Listen to me. Many of you are forfeiting

7:34your future because you are just down

7:37outright

7:39selfish.

7:45>> You're selfish.

7:47self-centered. You are wrecking your

7:50relationships.

7:52You are missing opportunities to date

7:55the right person and marry the right

7:57person. You are missing opportunity to

8:00keep a healthy marriage, to keep healthy

8:03family relationship. You're about to

8:05lose your job,

8:08>> mess up your career,

8:10>> all because you're just selfish.

8:17I hope you still love me.

8:24>> CUZ EVERYTHING IS CENTERED ABOUT YOU

8:26AROUND YOU.

8:27>> YES, SIR.

8:28>> SELFISH IS ALL ME, ME, ME, ME.

8:34>> You see, you need to understand this

8:37that there's nothing wrong with desiring

8:40good things.

8:42Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in

8:45the Lord and he'll give you the DESIRES

8:47OF YOUR HEART." NOTICE, "DELIGHT

8:49yourself in the Lord first."

8:54>> The order in which the Bible places

8:56delight and desire, he says, "Delight

9:00first and then desire will come after."

9:06>> SO DON'T GET CAUGHT UP IN THIS SEASON OF

9:08YOUR LIFE.

9:10not delight in yourself, get in

9:13alignment with the word of God. All you

9:16want is to use people. You're enter

9:19you're allowing people to enter into

9:20your life because of what they can do

9:23for you.

9:26>> That I'm just going to go to that job.

9:27I'm just going to put in my hours cuz

9:29they better pay me.

9:38You see, when we delight ourselves in

9:40him, our desires align with his purpose.

9:45>> It's not selfish anymore. Because some

9:48believers struggle to see their faith

9:50journey uh become a successful one and

9:55see it as bigger than themselves because

9:58they cannot see God's purpose. Watch

10:00this. In season of discomfort

10:04and service,

10:09I know you're com you're you're

10:10uncomfortable right now. I know whatever

10:14you're going through, you don't like it.

10:15You don't understand it. Two people met

10:18me in the lobby today and both of them

10:20said the same thing. They asked me, one

10:22person said, "Give me a word. What is

10:24the word?" This other woman, she was

10:25just saying, "I'm going through a lot."

10:27I get it.

10:30>> I get it. Just because you see some of

10:32us smile and we look good and every it

10:35don't mean that we ain't struggling.

10:39>> It doesn't mean we're not struggling. We

10:42going through some of this in Let me

10:44just be truthful to you. If we ever tell

10:46you our story,

10:50you will just keep your mouth shut.

10:53Cuz if you think you're going through a

10:55storm,

10:57>> we we we just we just learn to not let

11:00it be about us.

11:03Somebody ought to give God a praise

11:05right there. It's not about us. It's

11:08about the glory of God.

11:12Scripture is very clear in Luke 9:23. If

11:15anyone would come after Jesus,

11:19let him deny himself and take up his

11:22cross daily and follow him. Because

11:25following Jesus requires daily surrender

11:29of what? Self-interest. Daily surrender

11:32of self-interest.

11:35Every season of your life carries a

11:37kingdom assignment.

11:40Because if you're going to to to be

11:43successful in this season of your life,

11:46you have to find out what is the

11:49assignment for me now.

11:52>> What is God asking of me now in the

11:56situation that I'm in? So if you're in a

12:00season of singleness, meaning you're

12:03single, then this season is bigger

12:07than your desire to get married.

12:12>> Too often, many of you as singles are

12:15becoming too desperate.

12:25>> I want to get married. I want to get

12:26married. I want to get married. And and

12:28if the truth be told, come on, let's

12:30tell the truth. You don't want to get

12:32married to serve in marriage. You want

12:34to get married so that you can post the

12:36white dress.

12:48>> And you can post that you had a wedding

12:50and and you can post you went to Dubai

12:52for your honeymoon.

12:55you you cuz you don't understand the

12:57role of marriage

13:01>> cuz marriage is about you

13:04>> what you can get from the woman

13:08>> what you can get

13:10>> from the man

13:12but 1 Corinthians 7 verse 32 to um 34

13:19it tells us

13:21that we ought to speak about undivided

13:26devotion to the Lord. Why? Because

13:29singleness is not a waiting room. It is

13:33a workshop for purpose.

13:40>> So, if you're single, get out of the

13:41waiting room. I'm waiting for my woman.

13:44I'm waiting for my man. Why don't you

13:47let the Lord prepare you for that

13:49assignment? It's a workshop.

13:53Oh, I wish you could see the looks in

13:55some of these singles face in this

13:57church. It's a workshop.

14:00>> God is teaching you women how to be a

14:04wife while you're single.

14:08>> Come on now.

14:09>> Notice how it gets quiet now.

14:13Teaching you how to be a wife.

14:16>> How to humble yourself.

14:19>> Come on now.

14:21how to understand your role as a female.

14:25>> God is teaching you men how to be a

14:28husband,

14:29>> your role

14:31>> because marriage is far greater than

14:35just having sex.

14:41[applause]

14:42>> Oh Lord, they are not ready for this

14:46this morning.

14:50If you're in a season where you're

14:53married,

14:54your covenant is bigger than what your

14:57spouse can give you.

15:02>> It's a covenant.

15:04>> Ephesians 5:31-32

15:07reveals that marriage reflects Christ

15:10and his church.

15:12Marriage is not just companionship. It's

15:16a covenant. It's witness. It's ministry.

15:20>> Marriage is ministry. It's hard work.

15:26>> It's hard work.

15:37>> It's hard work.

15:40It's hard work.

15:42>> So before you just rush, I want the big

15:45day. I want the big wedding. I want the

15:46big rock. I want everything. Marriage is

15:50hard work. It's not what you can get out

15:53of it. God never designed marriage for

15:56you to use men as a way so that you can

15:59get money and you can take his 50% when

16:03you leave him.

16:12Marriage was never designed for you to

16:15financially secure yourself.

16:19>> That's why when you hear women start

16:21testifying, I want a man with a sixf

16:24figureure job.

16:26>> That's bad.

16:29>> That's really bad. That is not godly

16:33>> cuz you'll only marry him if he makes

16:36over $100,000 a year.

16:39>> If he drives a certain car, if he lives

16:42in a certain house or wait a minute now,

16:44and I know we say it now, I'm not

16:46telling you a man shouldn't have a job.

16:48He should have a job. I get it. But if

16:51you want a man to have all of these

16:53things first before you marry him, do

16:56you not know a week after the wedding,

16:58he can lose it? He can lose it all.

17:02>> If that's what you married him for,

17:07>> then you're not going to be around when

17:09it's no longer there.

17:15>> Boy, you should see the look on some of

17:16y'all faces right now. I'm telling you,

17:19man.

17:21If looks good kill,

17:24that's not the purpose of marriage,

17:27>> right? That's not the purpose of

17:29marriage,

17:30>> right? And God didn't give you marriage

17:33men to use it as a weapon to throw in

17:37the woman's face. I'm the head. I'm the

17:40leader.

17:41>> You ought to submit to me.

17:44>> Anytime a man has to demand

17:48respect from a woman, you don't deserve

17:50it.

17:58Okay let

18:02let me move on because I don't like the

18:04vibes. I'm feeling over here. Over here.

18:11If you run a business, you're a business

18:13owner. The business is bigger than your

18:17profit margin.

18:19Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us, "Remember the

18:22Lord your God, for it is he who gives

18:25you the power to get wealth." YOUR

18:28BUSINESS SERVES A GREATER purpose

18:32>> than your profit margin.

18:36So why is this so? So that God's

18:40covenant may be established. You see,

18:41your business is a tool that God is

18:44using for impact, provision, and a

18:47testimony.

18:49Even attending church is bigger than

18:53you. It's bigger than just the

18:55inspiration that you get. According to

18:57Paul in Ephesians 4:12, the church

19:00exists, watch this, to equip the saints

19:03for the work, for the work, for the work

19:07of the ministry. It's a ministry's work.

19:11You don't just come to church to

19:12receive. You come to church, watch this,

19:15to be equipped so you so that you can be

19:18deployed.

19:23>> It's not just so you can have a really

19:25wonderful time. It's so that God can use

19:27you. So that you can be what? Deployed.

19:30>> So when God's purpose takes first place,

19:33anxiety begins to lose its grip. Matthew

19:376:33, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God

19:39and his righteousness, and all these

19:41things shall be what?"

19:43>> added onto you. When the kingdom is

19:46first, frustration decreases because

19:48your confidence is in God's plan and not

19:52your preference or your preferences.

19:56You can radically change the quality of

19:58your life personally and in your family,

20:02in your business, and in your church.

20:04when you see your existence as something

20:08greater than what people can do for you.

20:13>> Now, let me examine

20:17what happens when self-interest takes

20:20over. Watch this. Genesis 4.

20:24You know the story. Cain and Abel

20:28brought their offerings, but the Bible

20:31says Abel brought his best. Cain brought

20:35something less than his best.

20:39God did not demand from them both

20:43[snorts] what they could not give.

20:46He evaluated the heart behind their

20:49gift.

20:50>> That's what God does.

20:53He evaluates the condition of your

20:55heart. Hebrews 11:4 says Abel's offering

21:01was by faith. In other words, he was

21:04living by faith. It wasn't based on

21:07maybe what was in his pocket. God, I

21:09trust you. You've given me this. So

21:11Lord, I'm going to sew this back to you.

21:14So when Cain's self-interest was

21:17exposed, this is very dangerous now.

21:20Jealousy consumed him. He was jealous

21:23over his own brother. Instead of

21:26correcting his heart, he destroyed his

21:28brother. And I'm telling you today, when

21:31self-interest goes unchecked,

21:34it leads to comparison, bitterness, and

21:38destruction.

21:40>> We need to really check our heart

21:44>> cuz some of us are actually spiritually

21:47murdering people.

21:52because of selfishness.

21:56>> In Luke 10 verse 38-42,

22:00we see Mary and Martha here quickly.

22:02Martha was distracted with the issue of

22:05serving. Mary sat at Jesus's feet, but

22:08Martha's frustration came from

22:11comparison.

22:12But Jesus said to Mary, "Choose the

22:15bitter or the better portion."

22:19Jesus said Mary chose the better

22:22portion. Both women, both of them had

22:26their roles to play. The problem was not

22:31service.

22:33>> It was not service. That wasn't the

22:35problem. It was misaligned focus.

22:39When you are secure in your own

22:42assignment,

22:44>> you don't resent other people when

22:46they're on their assignment.

22:51When we look at Luke 15, the story of

22:54the prodigal son, you all know it. One

22:56brother left and wasted

23:00everything. The other stayed and worked

23:03faithfully. The Bible says, "Yet when

23:05the father celebrated the return of the

23:08lost son, the older brother became

23:10angry."

23:12He didn't understand. The story is

23:14really not about, you know, the the the,

23:17you know, the the two brothers. It

23:20really wasn't about the two. It wasn't

23:21about the one who stayed. It wasn't

23:24about the one who left and returned. You

23:26see, sometimes we miss the spiritual

23:28message in scripture. It wasn't about

23:31them. It was about the father's heart.

23:35>> Because the message the story was trying

23:37to bring across to us, that's the heart

23:39of God. That's right.

23:41>> Luke 15:7 says that there is joy in

23:46heaven over one sinner

23:49>> who repents.

23:51>> That that was the whole story

23:54or purpose of the story. When

23:57dissatisfaction

23:59becomes your focus, you become

24:02resentful. But when the father's purpose

24:05become your focus, you rejoice when the

24:09lost are found. You rejoice when people

24:13return to God. You rejoice when people

24:17are using when God is using people. You

24:20re you don't focus on what people have

24:23done in the past.

24:25>> And some of you Christians need to clean

24:27up your act.

24:29>> You are too judgmental.

24:36You find pleasure in bringing up

24:38people's past.

24:42>> And if the truth be told, you got a

24:45whole bunch of skeletons in your closet.

24:51[applause]

24:53I won't say who it is, but hope she'll

24:56forgive me for saying this. You know who

24:58you are. But it broke my heart when I

25:00had a minister came up to me and

25:04heartbroken

25:06and she didn't tell me who said it so I

25:08didn't not interested in who said it but

25:11they recently got ordained as a

25:13minister. her and her husband got

25:15ordained as a minister and um she said

25:19someone came up to her the day of her

25:22ordination, the day of her ordination.

25:27>> And said, "How is it that you're getting

25:29ordained?

25:31>> Why are you getting ordained?

25:35>> Didn't you have a baby out of wedlock?"

25:41Now, this woman's child is grown.

25:46This is a grown baby.

25:58And she on ordination day

26:02went and told that woman in front of her

26:04family,

26:06why are you getting ordained?

26:08Jealousy is a dangerous thing.

26:13[applause] It's a dangerous thing

26:18>> cuz you had a baby out of wedlock.

26:29>> And if you're listening, you ought to be

26:30ashamed of yourself. You ought to be

26:33ashamed of yourself. [applause]

26:36Cuz

26:38isn't the gospel about restoration?

26:45>> Glory to God. Isn't it wonderful that

26:48when you can look at your life and say,

26:50"I remember what I used to be, but

26:54praise God, I'm not the same. I've been

26:58transformed. I'VE BEEN RENEWED. I'VE

27:02BEEN DELIVERED. I'm a living proof. If

27:05God can do it for me, [screaming] YES,

27:09HE CAN DO IT FOR YOU because he will

27:11MARRY THE BACKSLIDER.

27:14SOMEBODY OUGHT TO GIVE HIM PRAISE IN

27:16HERE TODAY. That's what church is about.

27:23>> With your crazy self.

27:28So, I'm telling you, [crying]

27:32>> telling you today as true followers of

27:35Jesus, we must deny self-interest and

27:38embrace divine assignment.

27:41That's what we ought to do in this

27:42season of your life. You ought to ask

27:44yourself the question, a few questions

27:46here. How does my singleness advance the

27:49kingdom? How does my marriage reflect

27:52Christ? How does my business bless

27:55others? How does my giving, my

27:58generosity advance the kingdom and the

28:00kingdom mission? How does my church

28:03attendance strengthen the mission? As I

28:06close,

28:08let us move beyond

28:12what I can get,

28:14what I can get from God,

28:17what I can get from people.

28:19Let us move beyond jealousy.

28:22Let us move beyond opening up our mouths

28:26and saying stuff we have no business

28:30saying.

28:32[applause]

28:37>> Instead of asking what I can get,

28:40ask what can I give.

28:44>> You see God promoting somebody instead

28:46of getting jealous.

28:49>> Bless you.

28:51I'm so happy and genuinely mean it.

28:57>> Stay out of people's business.

29:02>> Look at your neighbor and say, "Just

29:03stay out of my business.

29:19Stay out of people's business

29:25and focus on becoming the best version

29:29of who God has called you to be.