The Power of Seasons
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 9/7/2025Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
Loading…
0:00
45:27
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez explores how every season of life is a purposeful cycle designed by God to shape our character and prepare us for promotion, reminding us that even the most painful moments are temporary and work for our ultimate good.
Key points
- •Life moves in cycles where every season brings a specific set of experiences, challenges, and opportunities designed to help us become our best selves.
- •Difficult seasons are not meant to destroy you but to grow, mature, and protect you while producing steadfastness in your faith.
- •Your character is revealed and shaped by how you conduct yourself during seasons of loss, waiting, or financial struggle.
- •Every struggle has an expiration date; you are passing through your current situation, and it is not your final destination.
- •To reach the 'palace' (promotion or blessing), you must often first endure the 'pit' and the 'prison' like Joseph, remaining content and avoiding bitterness.
Scripture
Purpose
Faith
Perseverance
Trials
Character
Life application
This week, when you face a moment of frustration or pain, pause and ask God, 'What are you trying to teach me in this season?' instead of asking for the trial to be removed. Practice being content by refusing to complain about your current circumstances, trusting that your needs will be met through faith rather than what you see.
Reflection questions
- Which current 'season' of life do you find yourself in (waiting, fruitful, painful, or transition), and how is it affecting your attitude?
- How does the story of Joseph's journey from the pit to the palace change your perspective on your current hardships?
- In what ways have you been tempted to 'walk by sight' rather than 'walk by faith' regarding your finances or family situation lately?
- Is there any bitterness in your heart toward a difficult season that you need to release to God today?
Have a question about this sermon?
Ask our AI and get an answer with citations.
Full transcript
0:00Some months ago, the Holy Spirit gave me
0:04a series
0:06and I had no idea that
0:10I would be preaching this series in this
0:13season.
0:15The title of the series that I want to
0:18unveil to you that we're going to spend
0:21just a few weeks
0:23on
0:24it is seasons of becoming.
0:29Seasons of becoming.
0:34We're all becoming something.
0:38Every single day, every year, every
0:41season, we are becoming.
0:45And so it is important that you and I
0:48ask ourselves,
0:50what are we becoming?
0:53>> Who are we becoming?
0:58Because every season, every year, every
1:01moment is bringing us
1:04closer and closer to the revelation of
1:08who we are.
1:10>> Don't ever forget that
1:13seasons of becoming will ultimately
1:16unveil who we are. So today's message in
1:21the series is titled the power of
1:25seasons.
1:27The power of seasons.
1:31Every season in your life has the
1:35ability
1:36to produce in you the best version
1:43>> of yourself.
1:47or
1:48if you let it the season if you let it
1:53it can produce the worst out of you. So
1:58there's a famous passage of scripture
2:01that we are very familiar with in
2:04Ecclesiastes
2:053 there 11 verses and I'd like us all to
2:09read it. They're going to put it on the
2:11screen. They're going to make sure that
2:13each verse is switched quickly. I want
2:17us to read this. Every person as you're
2:20watching, I want us to read the
2:22scripture. Remember, we we said it
2:24earlier that church is not for
2:27entertainment. I don't I'm not here to
2:29entertain you.
2:31>> I am here just as a messenger of God to
2:36help you become the best version
2:40of yourself.
2:41And you have to learn to take up the
2:43word of God for yourself.
2:46>> You know, don't just let a preacher tell
2:48you what the word says because we could
2:50have we we there's a possibility that we
2:53got it wrong.
2:55>> So, I want us to walk through these 11
2:58verses this morning and I want you to
3:00read them with conviction and as loud as
3:04you can. So, we're going to begin to
3:06read verse one. Let's go for it now. to
3:09everything.
3:20A time
3:24to
3:27break down
3:31weep and laugh a time
3:37away.
3:41A time to embrace
3:45a time to
3:47lose a time to heace.
4:03What prophet
4:08seen
4:10God
4:15made everything beautiful.
4:27>> So here's the reality of seasons. The
4:31word of God declares in Ecclesiastes
4:363
4:38verse one, to everything
4:42there's a season,
4:44>> a time to every purpose under the
4:50heaven. So this means that every one of
4:53us will experience seasons that shape
4:58our lives.
5:01Every one of us will experience a season
5:06that will shape our lives. Now it could
5:10be for the good or it could be for bad.
5:16So the truth is seasons change.
5:19We are watching this truth unfold
5:23right before our very eyes in nature.
5:27Summer transitions to fall and fall
5:32transitions or gives way to winter and
5:36winter blossoms
5:38into spring.
5:40>> Life in the same way moves in cycles
5:46>> and with every cycle comes a new set of
5:49experiences,
5:50challenges and opportunities. I want to
5:54say that again.
5:56When it comes to life, it moves in
5:59cycles. And with every
6:03cycle
6:04comes with a new set of experiences.
6:09Everything you're going through comes
6:12with a new set of experiences.
6:15It also comes with challenges,
6:18but it also comes with opportunities.
6:22Every season of your life will birth
6:25opportunities, but you must also embrace
6:29the fact that you're going to be
6:31challenged.
6:33>> That's right.
6:33>> You also have to embrace the fact that
6:36that that every season will give you
6:38some experiences to become a better
6:42person. So many of us wish we could
6:46freeze life into a single season of
6:51blessing prosperity
6:54and upward success.
6:57>> Wouldn't it be nice if all of your
7:00seasons could just be wonderful,
7:06>> marvelous,
7:08>> no drama,
7:10>> no problems on the job.
7:15[Applause]
7:19you know, no problems with family,
7:22no problem, you know, with your
7:24business, no problem with the person
7:27you're dating, no problem with the
7:28person you're married to. Wouldn't it be
7:30wonderful if every season of your life,
7:33your marriage was well? Wouldn't it be
7:35wonderful if every season of your life,
7:38I mean, you always had money.
7:43Come on now.
7:44>> I know you're kind of sad cuz you didn't
7:46win the Power Ball and you're sitting up
7:48here like I'm depressed.
7:51>> Think about that for a moment. It would
7:54be wonderful if every season produced
7:58blessings prosperity
8:01and it was always upward success.
8:07But that is not the reality of life.
8:10season will change whether we want them
8:14to or not.
8:16>> They're going to change. And the real
8:18question is, how will you respond when
8:22your season shifts?
8:26>> That's the real challenge. How are you
8:29going to respond when your seasons
8:33shifts?
8:34>> So, let's deal with that. Number one,
8:37seasons are designed by God to grow us.
8:43>> Please, I know you're sitting here and
8:45you and you're watching and you're
8:47perhaps in a season right now. You don't
8:49understand what God is doing to your
8:51life. You don't understand why you're
8:53going through this particular season.
8:55But you must understand that every
8:57season is designed by God to grow you.
9:03And while you don't like the season
9:05you're in, God is trying to grow you.
9:08He's trying to mature you. He's trying
9:11to perfect you in his perfect will.
9:16>> Not every season feel good.
9:21>> Let me say that again. Not every season
9:24feels good.
9:28>> Some seasons are going to hurt you.
9:30Amen.
9:30>> Some seasons are going to want you to
9:33lock yourself up in your house and cry
9:36your heart out. Some season will want
9:39you to shut your phone off and never
9:42look at your phone again. Some season
9:45will want you to constantly quit from
9:48one job to the next job. Some seasons
9:51will cause you to walk away from loved
9:54ones. There are seasons in your life
9:57that will cause you not to feel good.
10:02>> Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
10:03>> Some seasons are fruitful.
10:06>> Others are painful. But watch this. But
10:10all are purposeful.
10:15>> Want to say that again. Some are
10:17fruitful, some are painful, but all are
10:22purposeful.
10:23Well, let's look at Romans 8:28. We know
10:26this passage of scripture very well. It
10:28says, "And we know that in all things,
10:32in all things, in that that's the good,
10:35the bad."
10:37>> We know that in all things, God works
10:40for the good of those who love him, who
10:44have been called. If you are called by
10:48God, you must understand that God has a
10:51purpose for the season that you're in.
10:56And there's power in that season. That
11:00season of you feeling uncomfortable,
11:02that season that really literally hurt
11:05you and you're in pain. Every season you
11:09go through, if you're called of God, it
11:13serves a purpose.
11:15And I'm sent here to talk to a few
11:17people this morning that God wants you
11:20to understand this. If you're called by
11:23him, whatever you're going through, it's
11:26going to work out for your good.
11:30Oh, you better believe that.
11:32Whatever you're going through, I know it
11:34doesn't feel good. I know it's
11:36uncomfortable, but it's all going to
11:38work out for your good. Even when life
11:41doesn't make sense, God is working
11:45behind the scenes to make it all play
11:48out for your good.
11:52>> But the struggle for us as human beings
11:55is this. When we see a difficult season
11:59and we're in it, we don't like it. And
12:03then our attitude change.
12:07Our attitude change. We change our
12:10attitude based on the seasons
12:13when our faith should remain the same no
12:17matter what season you're in.
12:21Job said, "Though he slay me,
12:26>> yet will I trust him. I won't just trust
12:31God when the season is good.
12:33>> Oh, you bet. I'm going to trust him when
12:36I don't understand the season and when
12:38the season is painful. Am I talking to
12:41anybody here today?
12:43[Applause]
12:45You've got to learn the power of every
12:49season in your life. What you think is
12:52bad, God is saying, "Watch me flip this
12:55and work it out for your good." Woo!
12:59Glory to God. James 1 verse 2 to verse 4
13:05teaches us and and I told the early uh
13:08service this morning that there's some
13:11scriptures when I get to heaven I really
13:14want to talk to God about I really want
13:16to find out why did you inspire people
13:20to write certain scripture that doesn't
13:24make sense. I I I really want to know
13:27why you had brother James
13:31dictate James 1 beginning at verse two.
13:35Count it all joy. I like that. Count it
13:37all joy. But there's a word in that
13:40phrase I don't like. And it's a ll.
13:45How in the world
13:48should I count
13:51all experiences
13:54as joyful experience?
13:56Work with me here. He said, "Count it
13:58all joy." But you got to keep on
14:00reading. When you meet trials of various
14:04kinds, now watch it now. Watch how the
14:07Holy Spirit flipped the script on this.
14:09He says, "For you know, for you know,
14:12for you know, if you're a believer and
14:16you are studying the word of God and you
14:18are praying and you're really in the
14:21will of God, for you know that the
14:24testing of your faith
14:28produces
14:31steadfastness."
14:32That means when you stand on the word of
14:35God, you are not going to let anything
14:38move you from your position.
14:44Am I talking to anybody here? Some of
14:47you just need to stand firm on the word
14:50of God. Stop being a flipflopper. Stop
14:53being up and down. You've got to remain
14:56constant. Though he slay me, I'm going
14:59to trust God. I don't like what I'm
15:02going through right now, but God,
15:04nothing is going to move me. I will yet
15:07praise you. I will yet open my mouth and
15:11magnify the Lord with me. Oh, let us
15:15rejoice
15:17and be glad for what the Lord is doing
15:20in this season.
15:23[Applause]
15:25For we know
15:27>> that the testing of our faith, oh, we've
15:31been
15:32>> tested,
15:34>> but the test will produce
15:38steadfastness.
15:40Steadfastness. Let me just tell those of
15:43you who are kind of weak and every
15:45little wind can blow you and mess you up
15:49and let you act indifferent. Let let me
15:51just talk on the behalf of some of us.
15:54We have seen God done too much
15:58to doubt him in this season. If he did
16:02it before,
16:04oh baby, he's gonna do it again. I wish
16:07you would just high-five somebody and
16:09tell them if he did it before, he'll do
16:12it again and again and again and again
16:17and again. Watch God do it again.
16:22[Music]
16:292 Corinthians chapter 4:17 reminds us
16:34>> for our light,
16:37light, light, light. Why you making your
16:42problems so heavy?
16:46to us.
16:47>> Why are you allowing the enemy to trick
16:49you into thinking that you got the
16:52biggest problem and drama in the entire
16:55world?
16:57So, you walk around thinking that you
17:00are the only one that's being attacked
17:02and you're the only one that the enemy
17:04is after. And so, you go around your
17:08co-workers, you go around other people,
17:10your family members. Some of your family
17:12members are scared of you. They don't
17:14even want to call you. They don't want
17:15to visit you cuz they know you are a
17:19professional complainer.
17:25[Music]
17:26You got folks hiding from you. You got
17:29folks when they see your number, they're
17:30like "Mm nope.
17:33Nope. I ain't answering that today."
17:39Because you make your problem so heavy.
17:42You make your problem seems as if it's
17:44the end of the world.
17:46>> If you ever ask that person sitting next
17:48to you, could you tell me your problem?
17:52>> You'll be shocked.
17:54>> You will shut your mouth and say, "Lord,
17:56thank you."
17:59>> Cuz you have no idea what they going
18:01through. When you think you got
18:03problems, you ask somebody else to tell
18:06you what their problem is.
18:09So Paul says for our light and what
18:13momentary
18:15problems are achieving for us
18:20an eternal glory that far outweighs
18:24them all. So God is using every season,
18:27watch this, to develop you.
18:31>> Yes, he is. Not to destroy you.
18:34Don't take this present moment in your
18:36life. I don't know what you're going
18:38through. I'm just delivering the word of
18:40God to you. Whatever drama you're going
18:43through, please know that God is not
18:47using it to destroy you.
18:50>> You have to understand that God is
18:52working something through you. There's
18:55power in your season.
18:58>> I know you don't like it. I know you
19:01wish this season will go away, but you
19:03need to just slow down a little bit.
19:06Take it, embrace it, and say, "God,
19:10whatever you're trying to teach me, I'm
19:13willing to receive."
19:15>> Are you with me here?
19:18>> Second thing I want you to know is that
19:20difficult seasons produce powerful
19:23outcomes.
19:27>> Some of you are saying, "Lord, let this
19:30cup pass from me." No, no, no, no. If
19:33you want powerful outcomes,
19:35then you have to embrace the difficult
19:37season. Because sometimes God allows
19:40difficult seasons, watch this, to
19:43protect us,
19:45>> strengthen us, and make us better.
19:49You have no idea why God would let you
19:52go through a difficult season. Could it
19:54be that he's preparing you for something
19:56greater and you have to pass the test
19:59now
20:01>> before he elevates you
20:05before he gives you a even a greater
20:07problem? If you don't learn how to
20:09embrace this problem and see the power
20:12in the season that you're in, then
20:14you're going to forfeit what God has for
20:18you. He's using this current season to
20:21protect you. He's using it to strengthen
20:23you and make you a better person. Isaiah
20:2643:2, it says, "When you pass, when you
20:29pass, when you pass or better yet," let
20:32me change it cuz some of you have
20:33rewritten scripture. Put it up on the
20:35screen. You have rewritten scripture.
20:37You know what you your your scripture
20:39verse says when you stay in the waters
20:47>> and when you stay in the rivers
20:51you you you you you're in the stuff and
20:54you think your situation is permanent
20:59>> cuz every problem has an expiration
21:03date.
21:06So if you don't believe what the word of
21:08God is saying, it's right before you.
21:10Come on, let's all read it together.
21:11Come on, read. When you pass,
21:19>> when you you're passing through, you are
21:22passing through. You are passing
21:25through. Whatever you're going through,
21:28it's for a temporary moment. You are
21:31passing through. You're not going to
21:33stay there. Stop believing that is your
21:36destination. It is not. You are passing
21:40through. And the Bible says nothing will
21:43harm you.
21:46>> Look at what Psalm 30:5 says. Weeping
21:49may endure for a night.
21:52>> Yes, sir.
21:53>> I get it. You're crying. I get it.
21:56You're hurting. I get it. You're in a
21:59sbering moment. I get it. But it says
22:02weeping may endure for a night. Most of
22:06us went to bed last night when it was
22:09dark. We couldn't see and we were laying
22:12our bed. If you look outside these
22:15doors, it's no longer night. And in a
22:18few hours, night is going to come again.
22:21That's seasons.
22:23So there'll be moments where you're
22:25going to cry.
22:26Don't let anybody try to trick you into
22:29believe, well, you know, grown men don't
22:31cry. That's a lie.
22:35>> That's a lie.
22:38What you women don't understand, a lot
22:40of us men, we're just trying to keep it
22:41together, but we cry.
22:45>> Come on, we cry.
22:48So, don't you ever tell yourself just
22:50because you're in a season, well, I now
22:53I get it. You don't want to see people
22:55see you sweat. You don't want people to
22:56see you break down. I get it. But there
22:59will be seasons in your life where
23:00you're going to cry.
23:04>> And maybe you're crying right now.
23:07And some of you have mass crying so good
23:10you don't cry outwardly.
23:15[Applause]
23:18>> You know why? Because the pain has been
23:21so hard.
23:23You don't have any more tears left,
23:28>> but you're crying on the inside.
23:32>> It says that crying will endure for a
23:35night.
23:36>> A moment. A moment. But here's the
23:40positive thing about the verse. Joy.
23:45>> Joy comes in the morning. In other
23:48words, joy is coming if you can just
23:51hang in there. If you can just wait it
23:54out for the night. Joy is coming. Glory
23:59to God. Somebody ought to give God a
24:01praise right there.
24:04Joy is coming. Somebody say, "Joy is
24:07coming."
24:08>> Joy is coming.
24:09>> You see, Joseph's journey illustrates
24:12this truth.
24:14His pit, his prison,
24:17>> and the palace were all necessary. Yes.
24:22>> Wow.
24:23That's hard to swallow.
24:26Joseph's pit, prison, and palace
24:32was all necessary.
24:35What makes you think that you can get to
24:38the palace without going to the pit and
24:40the prison?
24:42>> I I I get it. Some of you, oh, you're a
24:45Christian. and you're serving God and
24:47you want to live happily ever after.
24:52Don't want any drama,
24:54just want life to be sweet cuz you are
24:57sweet. You are nice. So you're thinking
25:01everybody's going to be nice and
25:03everybody should be sweet.
25:10Right? You think everybody should love
25:13on you. Nobody shouldn't plot anything
25:16against you and nobody shouldn't talk
25:18about you. But you don't understand the
25:21life of Joseph.
25:23>> Joseph didn't cause the dilemma on his
25:26life. Joseph had to go through the pit,
25:30the prison, and the palace to be
25:34sustained at the palace. Some of you,
25:37God wants to get you to a greater place,
25:40but he has to put you through some
25:42suffering. So when you get to the
25:44greater place, you won't think you got
25:47there all by yourself.
25:52Are you hearing me this morning?
25:55>> So Joseph had to be sold out by his own
25:59family.
26:01>> And there's nothing worse than being
26:04hurt by your own family.
26:08>> There's nothing worse than being sold
26:10out by your own family. There's nothing
26:13worse than your family plotting against
26:16you and showing evidence that you died.
26:26>> There's nothing worse than church hurt.
26:30>> Your own body of Christ hurting you.
26:34>> Your own body of Christ having a jacket
26:37to show with some fake blood.
26:40>> Wow. It wasn't even Joseph's blood.
26:44>> It was an animal they killed and put on
26:47his jacket and lied to their daddy and
26:50said, "He's dead." There's nothing worse
26:54than when church people fake the lie on
26:58you.
27:04>> But Joseph had to go through it. And
27:07isn't it strange that even the people
27:10who hurt you, God will turn it around
27:13and let you come back and bless them
27:15anyhow. Oh, y'all not with me this
27:18morning. Y'all not with me this morning.
27:21[Applause]
27:23His own brothers, he had to turn around
27:27>> and be a blessing. That's why you better
27:29be careful
27:31of how you try to hurt people
27:34>> because the hands that you bite
27:38and the same hands that's feeding you,
27:41you may need that same hand one day. Oh,
27:44y'all not with me? That's a good place
27:46to shout. That's why you should always
27:48do good by people. I'm telling you, you
27:51do wrong by people. You may think you're
27:54getting away with it, but if there's a
27:56God that live it, you will pay the price
28:00for doing wrong to people.
28:04>> You mark that word.
28:06Joseph had to go through it.
28:10He had to go through the pain of the
28:14pit, the prison, so that he could be
28:18sustained at the palace. And your
28:19process, my friends, may be
28:22uncomfortable, but it is preparing you
28:24for a promotion.
28:27>> I don't know who needs to hear this.
28:29Everything you're going through, God is
28:31preparing you for a promotion.
28:34>> I know it hurts right now. I know it's a
28:36difficult season. Whatever that season
28:39is, you better hang in there. Do not
28:42give up. Don't let the enemy get the
28:45best part of you. You make up in your
28:49mind that you're going to stand firm on
28:51the word of God because your season will
28:54change.
28:58>> I want to talk about how you conduct
29:00yourself in each season will shape your
29:05character.
29:07>> I wish I had time to talk about this
29:10because every season will test your
29:12heart.
29:14Sweetheart, let me tell you something. I
29:16don't care what people tell you. Oh, I
29:18love you. Oh, I'll be with you. And so
29:20forth. Don't just listen to what people
29:22say. Give them time and the true heart
29:27will be revealed.
29:30Woo! Glory to God. You're not clapping
29:32like you believe what I'm saying here
29:34this morning.
29:37Every season
29:39will test your heart.
29:42>> Every season. How you respond to loss,
29:46waiting, sickness or financial struggle
29:51reveals your faith.
29:54>> Reveals the strength and stability of
29:56your faith.
29:58>> Everything you go through. Galatians 6:9
30:00tells us, "Let us not become what?"
30:03>> In what?
30:05>> See, see, see. If you keep doing good,
30:10>> don't get tired.
30:12>> You should be. Listen, you should be
30:14worried if you're sneaky.
30:17>> You should be worried if you're doing
30:19sneaky stuff. You should be worried if
30:21you're not doing good.
30:24>> But if you're doing good,
30:28>> that's the word of God. It says, "Let us
30:30not become what?
30:32>> In doing good, for at the proper time
30:36season."
30:38At the proper season,
30:41you may not see it now, but at the
30:43proper season,
30:47God will what? Let you reap
30:50>> a harvest
30:52>> if you do not give up.
30:55[Applause]
31:00Philippians 4:11 through13 Paul says he
31:04learned to be and this is a struggle for
31:06a lot of us
31:08he learned to be
31:12content
31:14>> in every situation
31:18we got to get our character right man
31:22>> our unstleness is messing up our
31:25character
31:27>> every season we switch. We change. We're
31:32different. Paul says, "I learn." So if
31:35you're in a tough season, that shouldn't
31:37change your character for the worst.
31:42>> He says, "I learned to be content. Got a
31:45little bit little bit of money now. Be
31:47content.
31:49>> Don't commit someone else.
31:52Don't get angry with God. Don't get
31:56angry with people. Don't steal.
32:00Don't cook the books.
32:03Don't lose your integrity
32:07>> because your season is shifted.
32:11Don't be tricky or playing games to
32:13hustle for money.
32:17>> Be content
32:20>> because it is your character that's at
32:23stake here.
32:25>> Be content.
32:27I know your standard of living was here
32:29and okay things change well make the
32:32adjustment
32:34>> but don't do no shady business
32:37>> just to maintain here at the cost of
32:40your soul
32:44>> five people say Jesus
32:47everybody looking like
32:51[Music]
32:53you see your attitude in each season
32:55determines the level
32:58of the blessing in your next season.
33:02Number four, encouragement for specific
33:05seasons. Number one, seasons of waiting,
33:09but they that wait upon the Lord shall
33:11renew their strength. So your waiting,
33:14there's seasons of waiting, seasons of
33:16sickness. For I will restore health to
33:19you, and your wounds, I will heal,
33:23declares the Lord. seasons of financial
33:26struggles,
33:28my God shall supply all. All in every
33:34season,
33:37God will supply. You see, for those of
33:40you who have no experience of the hand
33:43of God in your finances, when your
33:46finances are low, oh, you'll quickly
33:49panic when you've had your first
33:52financial bad season. You're going to
33:55panic cuz there's no point of reference.
33:58So, you're going to like, God, I'm going
34:00to make it through. But when you've been
34:02through, like many of us, when our back
34:05was against the wall and and bills were
34:08due and we didn't know where the money
34:10was coming from and we prayed and it
34:13looks like we were going to lose
34:14everything and God just miraculously
34:20did something that shocked you. You see,
34:24we know that that God will supply
34:29every need. As Is there anybody been in
34:32this house today who can testify you
34:36have had a personal encounter with God
34:40when it comes to him showing up right
34:43when you needed him? I mean, I'm talking
34:46about the midnight hour. If he hadn't
34:49showed up,
34:54Glory to God. That's why you can't tell
34:56us that our God is not able. Oh, baby,
35:00he's an able God. He's an a I can take
35:03you back to the time. I can take you
35:05back to the place when God showed up and
35:09showed out.
35:11[Applause]
35:13And there are seasons of unexplainable
35:18trials.
35:21Oh, this one hurts.
35:24>> Where did this come from, God?
35:28>> We don't deserve this, God. But Psalm
35:3134:19 tells us many are the afflictions
35:34of the righteous, but the Lord delivers
35:37>> him out of them.
35:41>> All of them. Not just a few of them, but
35:44God's going to what? Deliver us out of
35:46them all.
35:48So whenever your season is really really
35:53taking a toll on you, remember your
35:55season is temporary
35:58>> and God's hands is always present in
36:02your life. And number five,
36:06embrace every season
36:10without bitterness.
36:12>> That's hard.
36:15>> That's hard.
36:17Can can we be can we be honest?
36:20Is there anybody streaming or in this
36:23house that there's some season that have
36:26made you real bitter
36:32cuz most of you just lying. I'm putting
36:35my foot and my hands and a foot out.
36:41There are some seasons
36:44>> that will make you bitter.
36:46>> But don't let frustration, bitterness,
36:48or fear rob you of what God is doing.
36:55Don't do it.
36:57What you got to do is to release your
37:00faith and declare his promises over your
37:02life. Here's what I love. I want to go
37:05to 2 Corinthians 5:7
37:08and then I'll let you say a declaration
37:10and we close.
37:14You're walking
37:16through life, every one of us. I don't
37:19know what juncture you're at. I don't
37:22know where in life you at.
37:26Some of you are at a place of rest. Not
37:29too much drama is going on in your life
37:32right now. You're good.
37:34You're kind of good. Your relationship
37:37is
37:39it's good. Your money
37:42good. Job and career
37:46good. Everything is good. Healthwise,
37:50you're good. You're good.
37:53Keep on living.
37:58Just keep on living.
38:00all this
38:03going to turn to
38:06it's going to happen.
38:09>> But for those of you who are in that
38:11season of
38:14it's not so good,
38:16pastor, I don't know where I'm going.
38:21In fact, in my season right now, it's
38:24dark.
38:26I can't see.
38:29I don't understand what God is doing.
38:32It's like I'm blinded right now.
38:36I'm in pain. I've had losses.
38:40I don't understand why I can't see my
38:45way. There's a song, I can see clearly
38:49now.
38:50The rain is gone.
38:54But for some of us, we can't see.
38:59It's raining.
39:01It's thundering
39:04lightning. And if you live in Florida,
39:07it's a bad kind of Florida rain.
39:11You can't see
39:14your way clear.
39:17But this scripture
39:20is what you need to apply to your life
39:22every single day.
39:27If you're going to make it, you cannot
39:29walk by what you see.
39:33>> The truth is financially, if you ever
39:37operate by what you make and what you
39:40currently have in your hand, it will it
39:42will drive you crazy.
39:45Amen.
39:47>> Isn't it strange that you know you take
39:50in less than what you put out
39:52financially yet still you're still in
39:55the house? You're still in the condo.
39:58You're still in the apartment. You still
40:00got the car out in the parking lot.
40:02You're still eating. Come on now. And
40:04some of you, man, you're eating, man.
40:11Think about that.
40:14Well,
40:16my job, my
40:18You don't walk by what you see.
40:22>> The moment you start walking by what you
40:24see, you've lost your faith connection.
40:28The scripture says we walk by.
40:32>> What is faith?
40:35What is faith?
40:37Faith is your complete trust.
40:41>> Amen. in God
40:44even when you can't see him or trace
40:49him.
40:55[Applause]
41:00If you just keep walking
41:03in your season of drought,
41:06in your difficult season by faith.
41:11This present moment is temporary
41:15>> and you're going to see on the other
41:17side why God allowed you to go through
41:20it. Join hands with somebody sitting
41:21next to you if you don't mind.
41:24Even if you have to touch them on the
41:26hand,
41:27would you do that? Now,
41:31I'm just going to ask you as you're
41:33streaming, you're in this house, please
41:36know
41:39that everything you're going through
41:40right now,
41:44everything
41:47is subjected to change.
41:50I want you to leave service today.
41:54No more depressed, no more concern about
41:57what tomorrow holds.
42:01You cannot change what happened. You
42:05cannot change the direction of your
42:09future. Only God.
42:13So you in this moment
42:16have to embrace the fact
42:19that there's power in your current
42:22season. Power to evolve in becoming the
42:26best version of yourself. Don't get
42:29bitter. Don't get frustrated.
42:33Don't let the pain get the best of you.
42:37All you need to do in this season
42:41is thank God for the pit experience.
42:45Thank him for the prison experience
42:50and start celebrating that you will be
42:52in the palace one day.
42:56Yes,
42:57he's going to bring you to a level that
43:00you're going to look back and say that
43:03was the Lord's doing.
43:06was marvelous in my eyes.
43:10And perhaps you're saying, Henry, I I
43:13hear what you're saying, but can God
43:16love me? Can God forgive me? Can God
43:19really change my season to one that will
43:23glorify him? Absolutely.
43:26Absolutely.
43:28But you can't do it by yourself.
43:31You need the power of the Holy Spirit in
43:32you. And that's why you need a total
43:34surrendered life to him. You need to
43:38just stop trying to run your life by
43:41yourself without God.
43:44Just surrender to him. Not religion, not
43:47denomination, not to a pastor, but turn
43:50your life over to him. Read his word
43:53every day. Go to church. Fellowship with
43:55brothers and sisters. And yes, seasons
43:58will change in a church, but you need to
44:02embrace that if God be for you, if God's
44:06working on the inside of you, that you
44:09are going to get through every season,
44:11then you're going to become a mature
44:13Christian.
44:15If you don't know the Lord as your
44:17personal savior, one of our
44:18responsibility as a church is to
44:21disciple others
44:23into the kingdom. It's not enough just
44:26to come to church, be entertained, and
44:29and say, "We had a good church service."
44:32The important thing is, are you being
44:34empowered?
44:35And are you being convicted by the Holy
44:40Spirit to change your life? That's the
44:43real question.
44:45And so this morning, if you want to
44:47confess with your mouth and believe in
44:48your heart according to the Bible so
44:51that you can become a follower of Jesus
44:53Christ, I want you to repeat this prayer
44:55after me. It's your confession, so
44:58therefore you believe it. Say, "Lord
45:00Jesus,
45:01>> Lord Jesus,
45:02>> I'm a sinner. I repent of my sins.
45:06I embrace the free gift of salvation.
45:10I declare with my mouth
45:13>> and I believe in my heart that I'm born
45:16again in Jesus name. Amen. Come on,
45:21let's welcome these people
45:24into the family of God.