The Faith Center
Ask
All sermons

Level up spiritually and mentally

Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 9/5/2023Hebrews 6

Loading…
0:00
75:53

Summary

Bishop Henry Fernandez challenges believers to 'level up' by moving past spiritual immaturity and negative mindsets. By staying rooted in the Word, walking in love, and practicing radical generosity, believers can elevate their lives to the higher standard God has prepared for them.

Key points
  • •Leveling up requires moving beyond elementary spiritual teachings and religious sensitivity to reach a state of true Christian maturity.
  • •Spiritual immaturity is often characterized by self-centeredness and misaligned priorities, putting God at the bottom of the list rather than the top.
  • •Maintaining a mindset of generosity and obedience, especially in times of loss or famine, acts as a catalyst for God to elevate your life.
  • •To go to the next level, you must start from where you currently are and remain rooted where God has planted you, rather than being distracted by feelings or past failures.
  • •True spiritual growth involves five concrete actions: leveling up in the Word, sharing your faith, loving yourself, walking in love toward others, and practicing generosity.
Scripture
Spiritual Growth
Discipleship
Stewardship
Purpose
Life application

Evaluate your current spiritual position this week and identify one area - whether it is your love walk, your generosity, or your discipline in the Word - where you have allowed feelings to pull you out of alignment. Commit to staying rooted in that area and take one concrete step toward maturity, such as offering a word of love to a spouse or an unexpected gift to someone in need.

Reflection questions
  1. In what ways have you allowed 'elementary' church frustrations or sensitivities to stall your spiritual growth?
  2. Are you currently rooted where God has planted you, or are you looking for 'steps' that actually lead you away from His purpose?
  3. How has your social media presence or daily conversation reflected (or failed to reflect) your faith in Christ lately?
  4. Is your generosity based on your current comfort level, or are you willing to obey God's prompting even in seasons of shortage?
Have a question about this sermon?

Ask our AI and get an answer with citations.

Full transcript
0:13Could you all stand all over the
0:15building please?
0:18We are actually going to the next level.
0:21How many of you believe that?
0:24Well, that was about 50 of you. How many
0:26of you believe you're going to the next
0:27level?
0:29Come on, let's fill this room with some
0:31praise.
0:33I can't hear you.
0:36I can't hear you.
0:38I still can't hear you.
0:41Hallelujah.
0:47Amen.
0:48I want to thank God for all of you being
0:50here this morning and for those of you
0:52who are streaming,
0:54thank you. Thank you so much for
0:57staying alive.
1:00Because God's not through with you yet.
1:04Would you look at your neighbor and say,
1:06"Let's go to the next level." Come on.
1:09Prophesy to somebody and tell them,
1:11"Let's go to the next level."
1:16Amen.
1:20Let's remain standing. Can I get my
1:22folder, please? Can I get it?
1:26Amen.
1:27Remain standing. Thank you.
1:30I want to
1:32to let you know we'll do the the
1:34offering at the end of the the message.
1:37So, what I do ask
1:39for those of you who are streaming, if
1:40you'll be so kind not to log off
1:42immediately.
1:44And those of you who are on campus, at
1:46the end of the sermon, just
1:49flow with the Holy Spirit this morning
1:51and
1:52and I I know uh we're busy people and we
1:55want to
1:56beat the traffic and all that kind of a
1:59stuff, but let's receive the seed first.
2:02And we'll all be dismissed together. I
2:04didn't want to uh last night I called uh
2:06Pastor Kevin and I said, "Let's
2:08rearrange. God told me wait. Do not
2:11receive the offering until the end." I'm
2:14going to follow his instructions.
2:17Amen.
2:19So, please work with us. Now is a good
2:21time for each and every one of you who
2:24are streaming to share the link with a
2:25friend.
2:27Cuz I believe that God's got a word
2:31for us as we begin the month of
2:34September, the 9th month. So, let's go.
2:39It's only up from here.
2:44Somebody didn't get that.
2:46I said it's only up
2:49from here. You can't go under. You can't
2:52go below.
2:53It's only up
2:57from here.
3:00The Lord would send me here today to
3:02talk to you
3:04on the subject of simply
3:07level up spiritually and mentally.
3:12Level up with your spiritual life
3:16and
3:17how you think in your thoughts. So,
3:20let's pray. Father, we thank you for
3:22this gracious moment
3:24that we
3:26were all given to be in your presence,
3:29whether we are on campus or
3:31people at work, people at home,
3:34traveling,
3:36and they're watching this service. I
3:37don't believe it is an accident
3:41why they are here
3:43and why they are streaming.
3:46I believe that you tailored this sermon
3:48for them.
3:49And I know the enemy, he has plans right
3:52now.
3:54He is so scared of the revelation
3:57that that woman is going to receive,
3:59that man is going to receive. So, he's
4:01going to do everything to distract them
4:03now.
4:04He's going to allow their thoughts to
4:06wander.
4:07He's going to allow their children to be
4:09making noise. He's going to allow all
4:12kinds of stuff. He's going to allow even
4:15the person next to them to do something
4:17to distract them.
4:19But Father, we take authority over the
4:22atmosphere,
4:23whether it's virtually or on campus, and
4:27we ask that the only voice people will
4:30hear is that the voice of the Holy
4:33Spirit.
4:35Speak today in a very special way, and
4:39we'll forever give you the praise, the
4:41honor, and the glory in Jesus' mighty
4:44name. Amen. Come on, with the clapping
4:46of hands, let's celebrate it.
4:50God bless you and you may be seated in
4:53the presence of the Lord. Level up
4:58spiritually
5:00and mentally.
5:03Leveling up is all about
5:08you taking your life
5:11to the next level spiritually
5:13and mentally.
5:16It's an upgrade.
5:19It is making the decision
5:21that you're going to move your life from
5:25its current position
5:28and get deeper in God, deeper in Jesus
5:32Christ,
5:33and deeper in how you think.
5:37May I suggest to most of you today
5:40that one of the reasons, not the only,
5:44but one of the reasons why
5:47your life
5:48is not where it should have been,
5:51it's not that people had power, systems
5:55had power over you.
5:58It's simply because of the way you
6:00think.
6:03The way a man thinks,
6:06that's who you are.
6:08You're a negative thinker,
6:10your life
6:11will go down. You'll never increase.
6:15If you think everybody's out to get you,
6:17if you think everybody's evil, if you
6:19think you're the only righteous one and
6:21you're on the pure and holy one on the
6:23planet,
6:25you will always walk around
6:28falsely saying you're a discerner, so
6:31everybody else is going to hell
6:34and only you going to heaven. You're the
6:36only righteous one. It's the way you
6:39think.
6:41If you look at people who are making
6:43progress and
6:45they're financially well or their
6:47families are together and you're always
6:50envious or jealous or passing remarks
6:53and trying to criticize them of their
6:56success, look at your own life. It is
6:58amazing. I stand by and I watch people
7:02and that's why I don't let people's
7:03criticism redefine who I am.
7:07Because if you're going to criticize me,
7:10if you're going to spend the rest of
7:12your life pointing out what Henry is,
7:15what he's not, when I look at your life,
7:18if your life is not better than my life,
7:20I don't have time to waste
7:25on you.
7:27CUZ YOU DON'T MEASURE UP TO WHERE I'M
7:30GOING.
7:32YOU DON'T.
7:34SO, A LOT OF TIMES IT IS our mindset
7:38that is holding us back.
7:42You see, when we talk about leveling up
7:44spiritually and mentally,
7:46it is making decisions
7:49to elevate your current position, your
7:52current living position, the way you
7:55think and so forth, to a higher
7:57standard.
7:59What do I mean by that? That means
8:01setting clear goals,
8:04working towards achieving those goals,
8:08and making progress to be your best
8:11self,
8:13to becoming your best self. Level up.
8:18Nobody has the power
8:21to control you and stop your progress.
8:27So, when I say, "Level up, elevate your
8:30life from its current position and set
8:33clear goals."
8:35Goals that says,
8:37"I am who God says I am."
8:41I will fulfill my God-given purpose
8:43before I die.
8:45As a male, I will fulfill my God-given
8:48purpose. What has God created me to be?
8:51He's created me, watch this, to be a
8:53male. He doesn't make a mistake. He's
8:56created me to be a woman. He doesn't
8:59make a mistake.
9:01So, therefore, I'm going to level up and
9:04I'm going to set clear goals, who I am.
9:07Do I want to get married or do I want to
9:09stay single? It's it's your choice.
9:13Because if anybody tell you everybody on
9:15the earth will get married, that's a
9:18lie.
9:21And you have to really discern and see
9:25if you are marriage material.
9:32NOT SEE, THERE THERE ARE PEOPLE who are
9:34getting married,
9:36you are not marriage material.
9:43You're not because you're self-centered.
9:48Everything is about you.
9:52The spotlight has always has to be on
9:55you and you always need to be served and
9:59not serving.
10:05So, you're not marriage material if all
10:08you see is yourself because when you get
10:10hooked up with another person, you're
10:13called into the union of marriage to
10:16serve.
10:19So, when you date a woman and it's all
10:21about her serving you, you're going to
10:24damage that woman because you're in a
10:27union of oneness still being single.
10:35Look at your neighbor and say, "You
10:37better level up. He's ready today."
10:42If you can't handle this, now's a good
10:43time to kind of just step right out of
10:47the service.
10:50You got to
10:51set goals.
10:53Who do you want to be?
10:55What goals do you want to achieve as a
10:58single person or as a couple? What goal
11:02do you want to achieve as a business
11:04owner?
11:06Working on the job. What are your goals
11:09when you get into your senior years?
11:11What are your spiritual goals?
11:14Does the church Does the body of Christ
11:17Does God mean anything to you?
11:20For some of us, we must admit that we
11:23uh must rise to a greater greater level
11:28of maturity when it comes to our faith
11:31journey.
11:32We have to admit it, man.
11:34Now is not a time for us to try to
11:38ignore the fact that we're not where we
11:41should be at this stage of our lives.
11:45We have to level up. Spiritually level
11:48up and get our minds to think that we're
11:51not where God wants us to be, so
11:54therefore we're going to make the
11:56progress or we're going to make uh the
11:59or take the steps, if you will, to
12:01becoming the best version of who God has
12:05created us to be. Hebrews 6 chapter 1,
12:08very powerful scripture, and I really
12:11want you to pay attention to this.
12:13The Apostle Paul stated it this way. He
12:16said, "Therefore, let us watch this move
12:20move move." He didn't say stand
12:24firm.
12:26Still.
12:27He said, "Therefore, let us move beyond
12:30the elementary teachings about Christ
12:35and be taken forward to maturity, not
12:39laying again again the foundation of
12:41repentance from acts that leads to death
12:45and the faith in God."
12:49Now, this is powerful.
12:51The Apostle Paul says, "Move beyond the
12:54elementary teachings
12:56about Christ."
12:59Some of you've been in church too long
13:02to be immature.
13:08You've been following Christ too long to
13:11be spiritually immature and to be
13:14thinking like a child. Why do you let
13:18church people rub you the wrong way, and
13:20you've been in church 5 10 15 20 years?
13:25Why do you get so sensitive?
13:30Paul says, "LET US MOVE BEYOND THE
13:32ELEMENTARY TEACHINGS."
13:35WHY DO YOU GET SO UPSET
13:38WHEN YOU HEAR A SERMON and maybe parts
13:41of THE SERMON EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE
13:42sermon you love, BUT JUST ONE LITTLE
13:45PART OF THE PREACHER SAYS, ALL OF A
13:46SUDDEN YOU'VE CANCELED THE ENTIRE
13:49message
13:51cuz you're still acting like a child.
13:55Why are you running from God? Why are
13:57you hiding?
13:59Why are you letting church and the
14:01craziness of ministry cause you to
14:04conclude, "I'm not going to church
14:06anymore. I'm upset. I'm angry at church.
14:10I'm angry at the pastor. I'm angry at
14:11his wife. I'm angry at the deacons. I'm
14:13angry at the ushers. I'm angry at people
14:16and and I'm JUST ANGRY. LET US move
14:20beyond the elementary teachings OF
14:23CHRIST." WHY DO YOU GET ANGRY OVER
14:25giving when a preacher stands or anybody
14:27is stand and asked to give to a church?
14:30Are you still a baby that you're going
14:33to fuss over giving?
14:38Paul said, "Let's move beyond
14:41that immature stage."
14:44Is it it about Christ or is it about
14:48you, your feelings?
14:51And then he says, "Not laying against
14:53the foundation of repentance." Once you
14:56repent, you're totally submitted to
14:58Jesus Christ.
15:01Because the life you now live is not
15:03your own.
15:05It is a life that's living in Christ,
15:08and for many of us, there has been a
15:11pulling by the spirit of God
15:15to pull
15:17us away from spiritual
15:20immaturity.
15:22Do you know how long God's been hunting
15:24you down?
15:26Do you not know that God daily he's
15:30using ordinary circumstances
15:33to work on your mind? That's why every
15:37now and then THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS on
15:39your conscience, AND THAT'S WHY HE'S
15:41CONSTANTLY KNOCKING AT YOUR door and
15:44say, "Come on, girl. GET YOUR ACT
15:45TOGETHER. COME ON, SIR. YOU KNOW
15:48BETTER."
15:50THAT IS WHY YOU'RE RESTLESS.
15:54THAT IS WHY GOD HAS REALLY CREATED A
15:57CLUSTER OF THINGS TO HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE
16:00TO GET YOUR ATTENTION, AND SOMEHOW
16:03YOU'RE STILL ACTING LIKE A CHILD.
16:08AND GOD IS TRYING TO RESCUE CUZ HE SEES
16:11THE BEST IN YOU.
16:13AND HE WANTS YOU TO BECOME YOUR BEST
16:15SELF.
16:17But you're still grown fully grown and
16:21acting like a spiritual immature
16:25sensitive
16:26Christian.
16:29YOU SEE, SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY IS ALL
16:32ABOUT the childish way of thinking when
16:35it comes to your priorities.
16:39You do You do things
16:42by
16:44getting
16:45God's order
16:47out of alignment. You're not in a line
16:49with God's word.
16:52You know, you don't put God first in
16:54your life.
16:55Spiritual
16:57uh immaturity
17:00causes you
17:01to put things out of order.
17:05You've got yourself. You've got your
17:07family. You've got your friends. You've
17:09got your career. You've got your money.
17:12You got entertainment because we all
17:14want to be entertained,
17:17and boy do we spend money in
17:19entertainment.
17:21Do we spend There are folks today this
17:23Labor Day weekend broke as a doornail,
17:26but still having fun.
17:31There are people out partying right now
17:34this weekend. They are broke. Not that
17:36they have the money. They are broke, and
17:38they're going to turn to God by Tuesday.
17:42Help me out of this debt, God.
17:48There's nothing more pitiful
17:50than a broke person having fun.
17:54Okay.
17:56I lost them, Jesus.
18:00So, they constantly need to be
18:03medicated.
18:05Watch this, with entertainment to get
18:07them out of depression.
18:10Instead of looking to Jesus, the author
18:12and the finisher of their faith, they
18:14want to be entertained. They want to go
18:16to clubs and parties, and they do drugs,
18:20and they go to the wrong crowd because
18:22you see
18:23their whole life,
18:26family friends career money
18:29and God is out of line. It's not aligned
18:34properly.
18:35God may be at the bottom, and the truth
18:37is God only comes into play when their
18:42back is against the wall.
18:45When they have no one to turn to.
18:48Cuz for many of us, you see, our job is
18:51first,
18:52or you're first, or your your children
18:55are first, your relationship, your
18:57pursuit for relationship is first. Money
19:00is first, and boy, it is heavy. Money
19:03Money's always first, but God stays at
19:07the bottom, and we Watch this. We only
19:10get to him. Watch this. You've got all
19:12of these things, and he's at the bottom,
19:14and the only way you turn to him is when
19:18every step
19:21collapses.
19:24Then you stand before God now and "Hey,
19:27God, help me out of this." And the
19:28moment he pulls you up and gets you to
19:31another level, you go right back
19:35to instead of taking him here, keeping
19:38him here.
19:42Spiritual immaturity is all about what
19:45you think about God and his body, the
19:48church.
19:51Spiritual immaturity
19:53makes you think and question God and
19:55watch this in your mind. Does he God
19:58exist? Does he love me? Does he care
20:00about me? Why God blesses this person
20:03over that person? Why is God allowing
20:05all this crazy stuff to happen in our
20:07world and government and politics and on
20:10the job and why is my family so crazy
20:12and so forth? And why is the church so
20:14dysfunctional and for some of you even
20:16streaming the reason why you're even
20:18streaming from home? Yes, thank God that
20:21you're streaming but you have been so
20:24broken and you have concluded that it
20:27doesn't make sense to go to church.
20:29Watch this because they are a bunch of
20:32hypocrites.
20:34So, you rather watch the body of Christ
20:38from a distance.
20:43Spiritual immaturity
20:45is about what you think about the
20:47church.
20:51Is my attachment to the church
20:55to God or is it to people?
21:02SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY IS ABOUT YOUR
21:04PERCEPTION ABOUT GENEROSITY. ISN'T IT
21:07funny how we believers AND NON-BELIEVERS
21:11ARE QUICK
21:13TO SPEND THE money on EVERYTHING ELSE
21:16AND WE DON'T QUESTION IT.
21:20BUT GOD WHEN IT comes to church.
21:24The devil puts into our minds everything
21:26about our giving and we may think well,
21:29you know,
21:31I don't want to give cuz you know, why
21:33should I give the church my money? The
21:34pastor look like he's got it. Okay, you
21:36summed it up. You figure my child. Well,
21:38this must be about $200. His jeans must
21:40be about a thousand. We we sum it all
21:42up. Do I really need to give? And watch
21:45this for some of you, you go to
21:48concerts. You go to events. Have you
21:49been to the movie theaters lately and
21:52see what the ticket prices are? Oh,
21:55don't even let me talk about Beyoncé's
21:57concert. Now, I'm not knocking her. I'm
21:59not knocking her. I'm not knocking her.
22:02Please, come on. Follow me here now.
22:04Don't let me talk about all these
22:05concerts you are going. You never look
22:08at Beyoncé's outfit and say, "I wonder
22:11how much that cost." You just pay your
22:13money and you GO HAVE YOUR FUN. BUT WHEN
22:16IT COMES INTO THE CHURCH, ALL OF A
22:18SUDDEN, THE DEVIL JUST TWISTS YOUR MIND.
22:21"I'm not giving them no money."
22:29Touch your neighbor and say, "If you
22:30went to Beyoncé concert, he's not mad at
22:32you."
22:39It's amazing.
22:42It's amazing when I look at Ticketmaster
22:46and all these secular events, secular
22:50events.
22:52When I look average tickets
22:56$250.
22:58$500.
23:01Artist, listen, artist who are old
23:09BEEN AROUND LONG TIME. WHEN YOU LOOK AT
23:12the ticket prices, bleachers ticket
23:14prices, it's incredible AND PEOPLE IT'S
23:17SOLD OUT.
23:21BUT IF THE CHURCH has an event
23:25and
23:27nothing is free. We've got to pay
23:29artists. We've got to pay for the events
23:32and everything like that. It's hard to
23:34get watch this the believer to support
23:38it.
23:39Why why is it the secular artist can
23:43release an album, bam
23:46number one on the chart bam
23:50make a lot of money out of it but let a
23:52gospel artist release an album
23:59and we Christians and please I do not
24:02want you to think that pastor is saying
24:05you should not listen to some of those
24:07music. If you know Henry Fernandez,
24:10there are some music out there in the
24:12world. I have no problem with. It
24:14doesn't goes against my faith. For
24:16example
24:17if I
24:19want to feel love from my spouse, if I
24:22want to feel love and intimacy. If I'm
24:25dancing with my wife I I
24:28I I don't need no gospel song.
24:41I don't need Lord, I love you.
24:44I love you. I love you, Lord. That ain't
24:47no time for that.
24:53I WANT ME A SONG THAT WILL BRING the man
24:57out of me.
24:59Okay.
25:06And all the religious people are
25:07rebuking me right now.
25:15But we support them.
25:19But because we're so immature not
25:22knowing it is a plan of the enemy
25:25to keep the church bound.
25:29To keep the church to support
25:32the kingdom of darkness more
25:35than it supports itself being
25:37spiritually immature
25:40cause you to think of generosity as why
25:44should I give
25:45to
25:47my God assignment
25:49and turn a blind eye to that but yet
25:52freely give to stuff watch this that may
25:55not be wrong
25:57but it doesn't
25:59magnify the kingdom of God.
26:03You can tell when someone is spiritually
26:05mature. Yes, you can.
26:08By how committed they are to meditating
26:10on the word of God.
26:13Because the word of God will teach them
26:16how to prioritize everything. All those
26:18things that I talked about where to put
26:20yourself, where to put God, where to put
26:22your family, where to put your friends,
26:24where to put your career, your money,
26:26entertainment.
26:28You see when you're spiritually mature,
26:31you aligned your life up the proper way.
26:33God is first.
26:36God is always first and then some people
26:39say, "My wife, my husband, my family."
26:41No, God is first then yourself.
26:45Because if you do not value or love
26:48yourself, it is impossible for you to
26:51truly love somebody else.
26:55Come on now.
26:57When you're spiritually mature, it
26:59changes your thinking cuz now you're
27:01meditating on the word of God and the
27:03moment you meditate on the word of God,
27:05I promise you the word of God will teach
27:07you how to get things right.
27:10Spiritual maturity will tell you
27:13that prayer must be important. How
27:15prayer
27:17is important to you.
27:19The value that you place on corporate
27:22fellowship, corporate fellowship. This
27:25is why we're here.
27:27What value do you place on corporate
27:31fellowship?
27:33What value?
27:34How important it is for us to dwell
27:37together
27:39as brothers and sisters because the
27:41scripture says
27:42forget not the gathering
27:47of ourselves together.
27:49Spiritual maturity says, "I got to go to
27:52the house of the Lord. I was glad when
27:54they said unto me
27:56let us go into the house of the Lord."
27:59Nobody has to beg you.
28:02When you go to the house of the Lord,
28:03you're not going to the house of the
28:05Lord for the preacher. You're not going
28:06to the house of the Lord for anybody
28:08else. You come to the house of the Lord
28:10for God. So, even if you come to the
28:12house of the Lord and somebody, whether
28:14it's an usher, whether it is people,
28:16whether somebody sitting in your row
28:19said something, did something that you
28:21did not like because you know why you
28:25are in the house, you don't let people
28:28turn you off
28:30from corporate worship. Spiritual
28:33maturity also helps you to have a good
28:37attitude towards generosity.
28:40Spiritually mature people understand
28:43the power
28:46of generosity.
28:48The power
28:50to activate the word when it comes to
28:53generosity. When you're spiritually
28:55mature and you get into your word, that
28:59word teaches you how to be generous.
29:03How to give to the poor understanding
29:06your blessing comes from how much you're
29:09willing to release that when God speaks
29:12to you and he puts before you an
29:14opportunity for you to give
29:17that you give.
29:18That maybe it's your neighbor. Maybe
29:20it's a co-worker.
29:22That the Holy Spirit will just say,
29:23"Look don't ask her any questions. Just
29:26give her $30. Maybe she need it for
29:28gas."
29:30That you won't immediately start
29:32thinking, "Child, I need gas myself. I
29:34don't know." Oh, you know, and you you
29:36you're you're surprised that the moment
29:39God speaks to you
29:41you release it.
29:42Spiritual mature people is that God will
29:45always drop in your spirit like many of
29:47you right now.
29:49I wonder how long God's been telling
29:50you "Hey
29:53when was the last time you give you gave
29:54to the church a spiritual seed that I
29:57told you to give?"
29:59That thought that you had in your mind
30:00when you said, "Here's a specific
30:02amount.
30:04I'm telling you give that."
30:07But, when you're immature, you
30:08questioned it and you think you're
30:10losing, but those who are spiritual
30:13understand, "Wait a minute now. If God
30:15tells you to sow a seed, first of all,
30:17he has given you the seed."
30:22He gives seed to the sower. He'll never
30:25tell you to give something that he has
30:27not provided.
30:29So, when he speaks to you and say,
30:32"Give, it shall be given back to you,"
30:35then you ought to respond. And I I could
30:37sense it. I hear it. I hear some of you
30:39under your breath. You just said, "But,
30:41what if God never told me to give
30:42anything?" See, that's the problem. You
30:45don't want to hear him.
30:49You have already said, "I don't even
30:50want to hear that, God. Tell me
30:52everything else about how I can get
30:53blessed."
30:56But, I don't want you to hear hear from
30:58you you telling me to be a blessing.
31:03You have no idea
31:05how you're preventing yourself from
31:07going to the next level
31:10because you refuse to activate the
31:13spirit of generosity in your life.
31:16Spirit of generosity has brought me to
31:18where I am today.
31:19Spirit of generosity has helped this
31:22ministry to be where it is today. You've
31:25heard this story before. See, some of
31:28you are thinking you can't be generous
31:30because of your circumstances, because
31:32of your losses. That is a lie. See, that
31:35the if the enemy can get you to a place
31:38to believe in order for you to be
31:40elevated to to the next level, watch
31:43this, everything has to be perfect. That
31:46is a lie. Sometimes what God does is in
31:50your most vulnerable condition, in your
31:52most hurt, your losses, he'll thrust you
31:56and push you and say, "Give." Isaac
31:59sowed in time of famine. Who who would
32:03want to give when there's a shortage?
32:07And I remember a couple of years ago
32:09when this ministry was at the Lord a
32:11Hill location.
32:14I took $475,000.
32:16It was just the most stupidest thing I
32:19did.
32:20I was stupid when I did that.
32:23We had a contractor that just befriended
32:26me and I trusted him and we were adding
32:29the the the the you know, canopy there
32:31at the church and and if you remember
32:34that built facility, we didn't have a
32:36canopy walkway. So, if it rained before
32:39you get into the building, you know,
32:40there was no covering.
32:42And I literally took all of the money we
32:45saved $475,000
32:47boom, gave it to a contractor. The
32:50moment I gave it to him, he disappeared.
32:54That was a huge loss for me.
32:57Huge loss.
32:59I felt embarrassed. I felt stupid and I
33:00admitted it.
33:02I made a mistake.
33:05I'm human.
33:06I didn't steal it.
33:09I gave the guy the money.
33:11What losses have you had in your life?
33:14And are you telling me that in your
33:16losses that God won't push you to say,
33:18"Hey, go to the next level of
33:20generosity." You know what God told me
33:22to do in my depression? Trust me, I was.
33:27In my depression, not only depression,
33:30but in my anger.
33:37When I tell you I was angry,
33:41when I tell you I wanted to take off my
33:43pastor's robe and go hunt for that
33:47joker,
33:50has anybody ever stole money from you or
33:52you loan somebody money and they don't
33:54want to give it back to you? You don't
33:55want to hear from God right then. You
33:58want to go handle the situation by
34:00yourself. Can I get some real people
34:03streaming in the building?
34:05I wanted to go look for the man and I
34:10was NOT GOING TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO
34:12HIM.
34:17And in my depression,
34:18I left Fort Lauderdale and went to
34:20Tulsa, Oklahoma. I just wanted to get
34:21out of town. I went to the Mabee Center
34:23or Roberts facility. Joyce Meyer's was
34:26having an event there. This was before
34:28Joyce Meyer's blew up and everything
34:30like that. And I'm sitting in the
34:32bleachers cuz some of you, I understand
34:34you're not in front row. You're not down
34:37on the first floor. Somehow God's got
34:39you way out and you watch other people
34:43on stage performing and getting blessed
34:46and you you're standing or seated in the
34:49bleachers and you're looking down, "God,
34:51when when is it my turn? When are you
34:53going to give me a stage of greatness?
34:55When are you going to open the
34:56floodgates of heaven on my life? When
34:58are you going to give me a prophetic
34:59word?" That was Henry. I was in the
35:01bleachers and I was angry. I was bitter
35:04and I was saying, "God, what am I going
35:06to do? This is all This is a little
35:08church. We we don't have the money and
35:10and and more Think for me, it was more
35:14kicking myself because how could YOU BE
35:16THAT STUPID?
35:19HOW COULD YOU TRUST SOMEBODY? DON'T
35:22TRUST NOBODY. PUT IT IN A CONTRACT. OH,
35:26I learned the big way. If I'm lending
35:28you a dollar, you're going to give me
35:30your social security number. You're
35:31going to give me your address. You're
35:33going to give me your fingerprint. I
35:35even want to take a print of your
35:36eyeballs.
35:41I felt stupid.
35:44And in my anger,
35:46in the bleachers,
35:49I said, "God, I don't know what's going
35:50on." And
35:52they were performing on stage, Joyce
35:53Meyer's, Richard Roberts, Oral Roberts
35:56and
35:57Joe Daughtry was on stage and every
35:59minute they would come, interrupt Joyce
36:00Meyer's, I mean, prophetic word. They
36:02would come and just stop Joyce Meyer's
36:05and
36:06prophesy a word to the audience. And
36:08finally, Joyce Meyer's, she closed her
36:10notes and she said, "Obviously, God is
36:12up to something." And she started
36:14ministering.
36:15And Joyce Meyer's looked like she was
36:17looking at me. I know she does not know
36:19me. She just look Have you ever come to
36:21church and you're in the building and
36:23it's like the preacher looking dead
36:25straight at you and you're like, "Who,
36:27me?"
36:30And she said,
36:33"Whatever you're believing God for, just
36:35trust him
36:36and put your faith in it."
36:39And the moment she said that,
36:43the next thing that God cuz again,
36:45spiritual maturity, the next thing I
36:46heard God said to me,
36:49"I'm going to show you how the faith
36:50center is going to thrive."
36:54And God said,
36:55"Before they even ask."
36:58God said, "Sow a seed."
37:01I had I I it wasn't quite $400 cash in
37:04my pocket.
37:06And I took it out and I says, "Okay, I'm
37:07going to give it." They didn't even ask
37:09for it. Immediately, the moment God said
37:11that to me,
37:13um I think it was Richard not Richard,
37:15um Carlton Pearson. He came out and he
37:18just started saying, "Well, God is
37:20talking to someone to sow a special
37:23seed."
37:25I'm in the bleachers.
37:27Folks started coming down giving their
37:29seed. I left the bleachers, walked all
37:32the way down
37:34and dropped every cash money I had.
37:39And I left it cuz watch this,
37:41my sheep hear my voice.
37:44If God never told me to do it, I
37:47wouldn't have done it.
37:49I wonder how many people streaming in
37:51this room,
37:52you know
37:54you can hide
37:56among the crowd, but you cannot lie to
37:58yourself. How many times the Holy Spirit
38:01has prompted you take your life to the
38:04next level by being generous.
38:06Give to that man you see. Give to that
38:09woman.
38:10Give to the church.
38:13But, you don't.
38:14And you wonder why you're still at the
38:17same place?
38:20I released it. Now, watch this. If
38:22you're spiritually immature, you already
38:24start judging me.
38:26This is manipulation.
38:29He's just trying to do this to get the
38:30people to give.
38:33Depending on the level you're thinking.
38:36Now,
38:37when I look at my life versus your life,
38:40if you don't have a testimony and
38:42evidence of what faith
38:45and seed can do, don't argue with me cuz
38:49I'm living proof.
38:53Generosity works.
38:55Do I have a witness out there?
38:57Living proof.
39:00I gave the seed.
39:02And I walked away. I flew back to Fort
39:04Lauderdale the next day and I turned it
39:06over to God and I'll never forget it. I
39:09received a phone call from uh Robert
39:11Bland and he called me. He said, "Henry,
39:13uh the Lord told me to call you." See,
39:15the moment you release what God told you
39:18to do,
39:19he's got somebody lined up already to
39:22bless you.
39:23Uh don't hold your blessing, man,
39:26because you don't want to obey God. The
39:28man just said, "Look, God told me to
39:30call you, Henry.
39:31Do you need anything?" And with pride,
39:33cuz that's who we are, with pride,
39:36I was like, "Well, I'm fine, you know,
39:38I'm no, I'm I'm okay."
39:40And it's like God was just speaking
39:43through him. Robert said to me, "Henry,
39:45now I know God told me to call you."
39:50I'm going to ask you for the last time,
39:52"Do you need anything?" All of a sudden,
39:54I start spilling the beans. I just start
39:56telling him everything. Oh, this man
39:58stole my money and
40:00and and and he listened and he listened
40:03and he listened. Didn't interrupt me.
40:05And when I was done with all of that,
40:08he said, "Now,
40:10what's your account number?"
40:14"What's your account number?"
40:16And I thought about it.
40:19And I said, "Okay." Because,
40:21you know,
40:23I Again, when you're broke,
40:27some of you are so private and ain't got
40:30no reason to be private.
40:34Cuz I I'm I'm like, "Why am I going to
40:36give this guy my account number?" I just
40:38gave it to him. And you know what Mr.
40:40Bland did when I told him I I I was
40:44robbed $475,000,
40:46he wired $475,000
40:49to the church's account. Just wired it.
40:52He said, "Here's the money, Henry. Go
40:54finish the building."
40:57Why did that happen? It's attached to my
40:59obedience.
41:02I was so far from my success.
41:06I heard God
41:09says, "Obey me." And I was mature enough
41:12to understand that seed works.
41:16You're sitting in this building
41:19only because we saved up $120,000.
41:24And when God gave I wasn't looking for
41:25this. I was not looking for this.
41:28And when God said, "This is your
41:30building."
41:32He then challenged me to do something
41:33that scares It scared the heck out of
41:36me.
41:37He said, "There are 12 churches. Now, I
41:40know your church, the Faith Center, is
41:41in need.
41:43But there are 12 churches I want you to
41:45bless $10,000 each." How many of you
41:49would have $120,000
41:51in your account,
41:53you need almost $8,000,000 to do a deal,
41:58and God is telling you to give it all
41:59away?
42:02Here's the reason why you would judge a
42:04person like me is you don't even know
42:06your Bible.
42:08You don't even know your Bible. That
42:10multiple times in the Bible. In one
42:11particular instant, there was a woman
42:16who was in debt.
42:18And the man of God said to her,
42:21"Here's what I need you to do. Go borrow
42:23some vessels. You have a little oil.
42:26Just a little See, some of you I don't
42:28have a little.
42:29Go borrow some vessels.
42:32Not a few.
42:34I'm going to show you how to pay your
42:36debts and live off the rest and be
42:38wealthy."
42:40Go get the vessels.
42:43Go in your house, shut the door,
42:44suggesting that you don't have to
42:46broadcast to people what you're doing.
42:48Half of them won't believe you anyway.
42:51And you should not open your mouth and
42:53tell everybody your business.
42:56And the Bible says she kept pouring, she
42:57kept pouring, she kept pouring till when
42:59she went to the last container,
43:02the oil stopped.
43:04The man of God said to her, "I'll tell
43:05you what.
43:09Here's what you need to do. Sell the
43:11oil, turn you into a business,
43:14sell it, pay your debts. Watch this.
43:18And live after the on the rest."
43:22God will prompt you
43:26when you go TO THE NEXT LEVEL. I AM WHO
43:28I AM. THIS MINISTRY IS WHERE WE ARE
43:31TODAY because we WERE WILLING TO BLESS
43:3512 CHURCHES.
43:37$10,000 each in the midst of our need.
43:42And God
43:43called that same man, Mr. Bland. He was
43:46an earthly angel. He's gone home to be
43:49with the Lord. God kept him alive long
43:52enough to bless Henry.
43:56I wonder who God is keeping on the earth
43:58long enough
44:00to bless you.
44:02JUST WAITING FOR YOU TO DEVELOP AND BE
44:05SPIRITUALLY MATURE.
44:07WAITING FOR YOU TO LEVEL UP.
44:10But same man said to me, "Do you want me
44:13to wire the money to buy this building
44:15to the same account?"
44:18BECAUSE I WAS SPIRITUALLY MATURE TO HEAR
44:21THE voice of God when he's prompting me
44:25to be generous.
44:27Could it be that you're holding your
44:28blessing because God has already spoken
44:30to you? Bless that young lady. Bless
44:33that single mother. BLESS THE MINISTRY.
44:36BLESS CHARITY CARE. THERE'S A LOT OF
44:38HUNGRY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. JUST
44:41BECAUSE YOU CAN GO TO THE GROCERY STORE
44:43AND PICK UP GROCERIES AND EASILY PAY IT
44:46AND EVEN WASTE FOOD OUT OF YOUR
44:48REFRIGERATOR. GOD IS LISTEN, IF YOU'RE
44:51NOT HEARING FROM GOD TO GIVE, SOMETHING
44:54IS WRONG WITH YOU.
44:57YOU CANNOT BE A BELIEVER AND BE STINGY.
45:01YOU CANNOT BE A CHRISTIAN AND NOT HAVE
45:03COMPASSION. YOU NEED TO EXAMINE YOUR
45:05FAITH WALK.
45:10You have to.
45:13You see, the unique thing about going to
45:14the next level
45:17is it requires only for you to start
45:22where you are
45:25and not where you've been. May I have
45:26the ladder, please?
45:28May I have it?
45:30Please put it right here, sir.
45:32Right here.
45:34Thank you.
45:37Going to the next level.
45:41Next level.
45:43Next level.
45:46Requires you to start where you're at.
45:51Not where you've been.
45:56Going to the next level
45:58doesn't start
46:01by going back.
46:05Why
46:06do you constantly hear the Holy Spirit
46:09say to you,
46:10"Go to the next level."
46:13And instead of going to the next level,
46:17you go back.
46:19You go back into
46:21thinking the same
46:23negative things,
46:26the things that are false,
46:29that you keep going back,
46:31leaning on things that won't edify you.
46:35You're not in the word of God. You don't
46:37read your Bible. Yeah, you want to be
46:39blessed. You scream, "Oh, I want my life
46:41to go to the next level." But how is
46:43your life going to go to the next level
46:46when you keep the same negative company?
46:51When you still hang out with people who
46:54don't even believe in God?
46:57People that when you leave their
46:58presence,
47:00you feel completely lost,
47:03completely confused.
47:06Why you keep doing that?
47:08So, ladies and gentlemen, I'm here today
47:10to tell you
47:11wherever you are in life, all God wants
47:14you to do is to start from where you are
47:18and take the step
47:20to the next level.
47:23Step up to
47:24a higher place in him.
47:27And the starting point
47:31is
47:32right where you are.
47:33Where you are is an opportunity
47:37to level up.
47:39Oh, I wish you could see
47:42what your future holds for you. I wish
47:46you COULD SEE THE BLESSINGS OF GOD WANTS
47:49TO ELEVATE YOUR LIFE. I WISH YOU COULD
47:52SEE WHAT HE HAS FOR YOU IN OCTOBER,
47:56NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2024 2025 26 27
48:0128 29 30.
48:06CUZ THIS NEXT level
48:10is about taking your life to the next
48:13level of success that is in alignment
48:16with God's purpose
48:18for your life.
48:21This next level
48:22is about you going up
48:26and not you going back. And when you're
48:28at this next level, it is so important
48:31that you stay tuned with God. That this
48:34next level is ALL ABOUT BEING ROOTED in
48:38the word and not in your feelings or the
48:42ideas
48:44of man.
48:45Not in your feelings. Listen, your
48:48feelings
48:49IS WHAT'S DESTROYING YOU.
48:53YOU CANNOT ALLOW your feelings.
48:55You got to be rooted
48:57and grounded in God. You cannot move
49:00from where God has planted you.
49:04You got to stay where he has planted
49:07you.
49:10Do me a favor.
49:12Uh Come here, sweetheart. Yes. Uh you
49:14can come come come come here.
49:17Come here.
49:18Come here.
49:22Got to be rooted, not distracted.
49:27Stay right there, please. Stay right
49:29there.
49:30You got to be so rooted
49:33because
49:34next level starts where you're at. Not
49:38going back.
49:40Not going back.
49:41You're at a pivotal point in your life.
49:44Start right there.
49:45Stay right there.
49:48Um come here.
49:51First mistake she made.
49:56No, no, no. Don't go back now. Excuse
49:58me.
49:58You you you already made a mistake.
50:02Stay right there. What did I say?
50:06How many times God say to you, "I got
50:09you in the right spot, baby."
50:12When I tell you to trust in the Lord
50:15with all of your heart, lean not to your
50:17own understanding, look to the hills
50:19from whence cometh your help. My sheep
50:22hear MY VOICE. A STRANGER
50:27THEY WILL NOT GO. HOW MANY OF YOU
50:31WERE STANDING AT A PERFECT PLACE
50:35AND HEARD GOD SAID TO YOU, "STAY WHERE I
50:38PLANTED YOU. I DON'T CARE HOW TOUGH IT
50:41GETS. I DON'T CARE HOW DIFFICULT IT
50:43GETS. NO MATTER WHAT, WHOEVER IS CALLING
50:46YOU FROM A BLESSED PLACE, DO NOT LISTEN
50:50OR MOVE."
50:56All I said to her
50:59is come here.
51:01And she forgot.
51:04I said, "Stay."
51:05No,
51:07that can be confusing.
51:09But you said, "Come."
51:11No.
51:13I could say she's asking.
51:15She's inquiring. God, I know you said
51:19stay. Is that you now moving me out of
51:23my position?
51:25But here's what the apostle say right
51:28there. Here's what the I bet you she
51:29won't make that mistake again.
51:32Here's what the Apostle Paul says
51:34because I'm absolutely fascinated with
51:37how
51:38he dealt with the issue of spiritual
51:40fullness
51:42in Christ. Colossians 2
51:455 to 7. I love this. I love this. He
51:47says, "For though I am absent from you
51:50in body." Paul's speaking. "I am present
51:53with you in spirit and delight to see
51:56how
51:57disciplined you are. How disciplined you
52:02are. I'm excited that your ability to be
52:07disciplined doesn't predicate on my
52:09presence.
52:11The pastor don't have to be around.
52:17When God speaks to you, it's not about
52:20the pastor.
52:22It's about God.
52:24And then he said in verse 6, "So then,
52:26just as you received Christ Jesus as
52:28Lord, continue continue to live your
52:32lives in him." HOW? ROOTED.
52:38ROOTED. I DON'T CARE WHO'S CALLING YOU
52:40OVER THERE. ROOTED AND BUILT UP IN HIM.
52:45Strengthened
52:47in the faith
52:49as you were taught
52:52and overflowing
52:54with thankfulness.
52:56Stay right there rooted.
52:58I don't care.
53:00I don't care what it is.
53:02Struggling to make ends meet.
53:05Struggling in your relationship.
53:09Feel unsatisfied because you've been
53:11waiting for a spouse and you're sincere
53:14and it just can't seem to happen.
53:17Maybe somebody did you wrong and you
53:18really want God to fix them.
53:22Just stay where you are.
53:24Rooted because it is impossible for you
53:27to go to the next level in Jesus Christ
53:30if you don't renew your mind and
53:32understand where he planted you is where
53:35he will affirm you.
53:38Is where he'll keep you. Well, pastor,
53:41I'm at an uncomfortable place and so
53:43forth. Yeah, listen.
53:45Right where you're at
53:47he has aligned things up.
53:50Whatever it is, next job,
53:52next business idea, he has already
53:55aligned things to take you higher. So
53:59now, rather than being at the same
54:01level, you now can look.
54:05I see it now.
54:08I can see clearly now
54:11the rain is gone. The clouds are gone
54:15because you're at the next level. But
54:16you see, anytime you let the enemy pull
54:20you away,
54:22try to step up.
54:24Step up.
54:30That's not step up.
54:33That's walking on the same level.
54:37She's not in alignment with the
54:39successes that God has for her.
54:43So as much as she's hearing, "Step up.
54:46Go to the next level." All she's doing
54:48is walking.
54:50Walking.
54:53I don't know how long some of you just
54:55going to keep walking and then make no
54:56progress.
54:59Don't shout me down now.
55:02How long? You've been walking for the
55:04last 5 years. No progress.
55:08Since January, no progress and you
55:11wonder why? You're not in alignment.
55:15YOU'RE NOT POSITIONED. SOMEHOW SOMEBODY
55:18CALLED YOU AWAY FROM THE POSITION GOD
55:21PLACED YOU. SOMEHOW YOU'VE ALLOWED A MAN
55:24TO CALL you away and distract you from
55:27your purpose. You've allowed a woman to
55:29call you away. You've allowed a friend
55:30to call you away. YOU'VE ALLOWED YOUR
55:32FEELINGS TO CALL YOU AWAY. YOU'VE
55:34ALLOWED hurts and failures
55:38to call you away from
55:41where God strategically
55:44aligned you.
55:46Going to the next level. Watch this.
55:49Starts in the mind. Thank you,
55:50sweetheart. Come on, give her a hand,
55:51please.
55:53Starts here.
55:54I'm about to close now. Just work with
55:57me here. I'm about to close here.
56:00So Psalm 32:8.
56:02I will instruct you and teach you
56:05in the way you should go.
56:08I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
56:14You will never get lost.
56:16Wherever you go, my eye is on you.
56:19So I counsel you
56:21and I'll bring you to a place
56:24called next level
56:27where you level up.
56:30It's only up from here.
56:32I'm telling you it's only up from here
56:34cuz I got my eye on you. Well, what if I
56:37fall?
56:38I don't like heights. Well, oh God, what
56:41if No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no. When
56:43God got his eye on you,
56:50Woo, glory to God.
56:52Come on, tell your neighbor it's only up
56:53from here.
56:55You can only go up. I don't know who
56:57this word is for. It's only up from
57:01here. Where God's taking you, folks
57:04going to start look up and say, "Wait a
57:06minute. Is that the same woman? IS THAT
57:09THE SAME MAN?"
57:14You see, in this season
57:16I want to encourage you
57:19to
57:20go to the next level and to level up, if
57:22you will,
57:24and take your life to a greater level in
57:25Christ.
57:27Let me suggest this to you. You have to
57:30do it mentally and set your mind
57:33to do in five things and I close.
57:38I don't know who this is for.
57:40Somebody is streaming. Please hear
57:42Please hear pastor.
57:44Please. Please, if there's a message in
57:482023
57:50that you need to pay attention to,
57:52it's this one.
57:55Stay where God has planted you.
58:00Stay right there.
58:02You can't see how you're going to level
58:05up from here.
58:08The greatest mistake you'll ever make
58:11is to let something or someone trick you
58:15from where he planted you. Watch this.
58:19You Listen.
58:23You are already at a level.
58:27YOU CAN'T SEE IT CUZ YOUR FEELINGS ARE
58:30DRIVING YOU CRAZY.
58:32HE'S ALREADY GOT YOU AT A LEVEL.
58:36YOU'VE COME TOO FAR
58:39TO ALLOW THE enemy to trick you.
58:42So here's what a lot of you are trying
58:44to do.
58:45You are trading where you are
58:49to step up
58:51for another place where the devil has
58:54taken you.
58:58You're stepping down.
59:02And he has created another level
59:05or layers
59:07for you to follow.
59:09But wait a minute. Isn't this stage
59:11higher
59:13than where I'm standing?
59:18Isn't
59:20Okay.
59:21Some of you looking at me like
59:25I'm at a higher level.
59:28Steps.
59:32I have steps.
59:35But where's my level?
59:42You want to make steps,
59:45but isn't it stupid
59:48to go backward
59:51to climb
59:54to the place you are already
59:57possess?
59:59The enemy's tricking you.
60:02Instead of moving forward,
60:05he now reposition you and trick you
60:08to say, "I got steps."
60:12You You switch where God planted you
60:15to where your mind
60:17is. So, if you Okay, and you feel
60:22that you're stepping up,
60:24but in reality,
60:26you haven't made progress
60:28because this is where the devil took you
60:31from.
60:34He took you from here.
60:37So, all that stuff you're saying that
60:38you did,
60:41it wasn't a step up.
60:43It was really a step down
60:45cuz you haven't gained ground.
60:51That's why if you look back on your
60:53life, come on, tell the truth.
60:55What progress have you made?
60:58Who are you blaming?
61:00Could it be that the enemy took you from
61:04a place where God planted you? Write
61:06these three things down. Here's what you
61:08need to do or five things I should say
61:10down.
61:11You need to level up in the word.
61:14You need to level up in the word.
61:17The word has to be your foundation.
61:20You have to Oh, get in the word,
61:23get out of your feelings, level up in
61:25the word. Number two, you have to level
61:27up and share your faith with others.
61:33I don't need you to raise your hand. I
61:35don't need you to even
61:37comment in the comment section right
61:39now, but I want you to be honest to
61:41yourself. Listen to me.
61:45When was the last time
61:48you really spoke to someone about your
61:50God?
61:53When was the last time in a conversation
61:55you say, "Look, man, let me tell you
61:56about God, man.
61:58This God that I serve is awesome.
62:01He took my life from zero, man.
62:04I tell you, man, I prayed the other day
62:06and he opened up some doors.
62:08I was feeling discouraged and God just
62:10blessed me.
62:12You know, here's the miracle that God
62:13worked in my life.
62:15Hey, by the way, man, God is good, man.
62:18I'm telling you he's good. When was the
62:19last time you went on social media and
62:22posted, "Look, man, I went to church and
62:25the message really touched me." And by
62:27the way,
62:28today, I don't know who needs to hear
62:30this, but today is going to be a
62:33brighter day for you.
62:35God God loves you.
62:36How much of that you are doing or how
62:39much of the garbage
62:42you are posting on your platform?
62:45Scrub your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
62:48your social media platform, and I really
62:51want you to come out of yourself and
62:53have a mature mind
62:55and analyze what you're putting out
62:56there. Is there anything about Christ
63:03on your platform?
63:05Think about that.
63:07Am I talking to the unbeliever now?
63:09If you will call yourself a Christian,
63:12when was the last time
63:14you shared your faith?
63:17Think about that.
63:20When was the last time you told people
63:21about God,
63:23but you are quick to promote gossip?
63:29You are quick
63:31to repost
63:35other stuff, divisive
63:38comments that other people are making.
63:40You know, You want to know why America
63:42is sick? We have a appetite more for
63:45evil and gossip
63:47more than for truth.
63:50Number three, you have to level up
63:54to loving yourself.
63:58You know how many people are sitting in
63:59this church today and people are
64:00streaming?
64:02You got I mean, you're looking good.
64:05Your makeup is done, your hair is done.
64:08Sir, you got a nice clothes, you're
64:10looking good.
64:13But you really don't love yourself.
64:17You know many women in this room,
64:20you are looking for a man to affirm you.
64:26You think this of yourself because he
64:28broke you.
64:30You don't even love yourself.
64:33And because you don't love yourself, you
64:35hate other women.
64:38Cuz real sisters are not intimidated by
64:41another sister.
64:47You watch a woman
64:50who says, "I don't trust no other woman.
64:54I don't care about these women.
64:56Ain't nobody like me." You watch that
64:58kind of a woman.
65:01Because a woman who's truly confident,
65:04watch this,
65:06is not
65:07insulting other women.
65:11It is embracing other women.
65:15Even the ones who are hurt.
65:19Number four, you are to level up
65:21with your love walk.
65:25Level up with your love walk.
65:29Do you really love?
65:32Why are so many of you Christians so
65:35bitter
65:36and full of hate?
65:40Why did so many of you get caught up in
65:42the last general election
65:46hating people
65:50in the name of God?
65:56Why?
65:58Why do you live every day of your life
66:00hating people
66:04and not walking in love?
66:07When was the last time
66:11When was the last time? It's going to
66:12hit home right now. If you're sitting
66:14next to your spouse, hold on.
66:16When was the last time
66:19you told your spouse,
66:21"I love you."?
66:28I didn't tell you to laugh. I told you
66:29to just
66:32When was the last time
66:34you look your wife in the eye
66:38and say, "Babe,
66:39I love you.
66:42Thank you.
66:43Man, we made it this far.
66:46I love you."
66:49When was the last time you look your
66:50husband in the eye
66:53and said, "I love you.
66:56You're special to me.
66:59You are it for me." When was the last
67:01time you did that?
67:04When was the last time? Cuz all that
67:06person is hearing is what they're not
67:08doing right.
67:10And Don't you see the enemy shift you
67:12from
67:14a higher level
67:17because you don't love.
67:20You want people to love you. And I know
67:21what some of you thinking. "Well, he
67:23ain't tell me he loved me." See, that's
67:25it. It's all self-centeredness.
67:28"He has never told me he Well, why don't
67:30you start the conversation?"
67:33Instead of waiting on the other person,
67:35love you.
67:37AND WE CALL OURSELVES CHRISTIANS.
67:41WE COME INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD
67:43AND WE SAY GOD IS LOVE.
67:46AND WE COME IN HERE AND MANY OF YOU
67:49SITTING NEXT TO PEOPLE YOU DON'T LIKE.
67:58HOW CAN YOU go to the next level
68:02when you can't even tell your brothers
68:03and sisters in the church you love them?
68:08But the people you live with,
68:10you don't love them.
68:12That you can leave your house
68:14and go love in somebody else's house
68:18and do for other people that you won't
68:20even do for your own house.
68:24Don't shout me down now.
68:33Next level
68:34is walking in love.
68:37Walking in love.
68:39Walking in love.
68:41Don't you speak in another tongues until
68:43you tell that person you love them.
68:47Don't you be shouting.
68:49Don't you be doing all that kind of a
68:51stuff.
68:54Rather than doing this, just say, "Hey,
68:58I love you."
69:00Love is healing.
69:07Number five,
69:10go to the next level of your generosity.
69:17Go to the next level of your generosity.
69:20Where you say, "God,
69:23you placed me right here in this season
69:25of my life.
69:27Cuz where I'm going,
69:30I got to be much higher
69:33than where I started.
69:37So God, I'm going to give like I've
69:38never given before.
69:40I'm going to love like I've never loved
69:42before. I'm going to read your word like
69:45I've never done it before.
69:47I'm going to serve
69:49like I've never served before.
69:52Because
69:54I'm leveling up.
69:57Taking my life
69:59to another level. Bow your heads with
70:00me please.
70:02Please.
70:04Stay right there.
70:07Stay right there.
70:09Stay right there.
70:14Did God say anything to you today?
70:19Did he tell you anything?
70:23Did he challenge you to go to a higher
70:26place? Was this moment a moment of just
70:29excitement or was it a moment where the
70:32word did surgery on you?
70:36Where you can cry out to God, "Search
70:38me, oh God,
70:41and see if there's any wicked evil ways
70:45in me
70:47so I can become
70:49more like you."
70:54Do me a favor. Lift both hands towards
70:56him right now. Come on.
70:57Wherever you are,
70:59you're streaming, lift both hands in
71:01that room, in that hospital room,
71:04in that little office, on the job, lift
71:06lift your hands.
71:08Father, in the name of Jesus,
71:11I really believe you spoke to this
71:13church today, this body of people.
71:18I thank you
71:20that we see the need to level up
71:23spiritually and mentally.
71:27That God, there's a place you want to
71:29take all of us. So therefore, we lift
71:32our spiritual antennas, our hands, and
71:34we're saying, "Okay, God, we surrender.
71:36We're not going to fight it anymore.
71:40You can allow the Holy Spirit to arrest
71:42us and to bring us to a place
71:44of total surrender,
71:47where we give it all to you,
71:50WHERE IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU NOW, GOD. IT'S
71:53NOT ABOUT OURSELVES.
71:55It's about serving you. It's not about
71:57getting out of alignment. It is about
72:00now being in alignment with your word.
72:02So Father, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE asking
72:05us to do, we're willing to do it, God.
72:07It's only up from here. It's only up
72:10from here, God. It's only up from here.
72:13Heal relationships in this room and
72:15those who are streaming. I pray heal
72:18minds. I pray businesses, Lord God. Heal
72:22people in their careers, God. Even
72:24people who are doubting, even people who
72:26don't love themselves in their love
72:28walk, FATHER. I PRAY FOR healing now,
72:30even in the idea of generosity, those
72:33who are struggling, God, THAT THEY WILL
72:35SEE THAT YOU WANT TO TAKE THEM TO A
72:37GREATER PLACE. YOU WANT TO DO SO MUCH
72:39MORE FOR THEM,
72:42but they've got to level up.
72:45Because we have so many days left in
72:48September,
72:50and God, you've got so many things in
72:52store for them, but they've got to
72:54reposition themselves
72:57to where you have planted them.
72:59So we surrender everything to you now,
73:02and we give you the praise, the honor,
73:04and the glory in the name of Jesus. With
73:07your head still bowed and your eyes are
73:09still closed,
73:12whether you're streaming or in this
73:14room,
73:15and I don't know if you know the Lord as
73:17your personal savior today,
73:20but you cannot level up if he is not the
73:23center of your life.
73:26If he's not the center of your life.
73:28And you may put your hands down.
73:31But if you're in this room,
73:34if you're streaming and
73:36you want to level up with him and you
73:38want to say, "God, I give up. I
73:39surrender.
73:41I turn my life over to you.
73:43I say yes to your will, to your way."
73:47If that's you this morning, I want you
73:48to say the sinner's prayer. I want you
73:50to confess it with your mouth. I want
73:52you believe in your heart that you you
73:54are a sinner and that that you're
73:55forgiven,
73:57and then you have to do your part. You
73:58have to be faithful to going to church
74:01to be edified. You have to read your
74:04word. You got to pray. See, you got to
74:06work out your salvation.
74:08If that's you and you're ready to
74:10surrender, please say these words after
74:13me. Say, "Lord Jesus,
74:15I'm a sinner.
74:17I repent of my sins.
74:20I embrace the free gift of salvation.
74:24And today I'm born again
74:27in Jesus' name."
74:29Now, Father, I thank you for those who
74:30have confessed today,
74:32and I really believe if they're serious,
74:35they're going to level up,
74:37and they're going to make sure that they
74:38grow in their faith journey. They'll
74:41move from the elementary stage of their
74:45faith
74:46to being fully mature.
74:49We thank you for the offering
74:52that you told me to wait until the end
74:55to receive. I don't know what you're up
74:57to,
75:00but I know somebody heard you today.
75:02I know somebody's been convicted.
75:05I know somebody's been struggling with
75:08what you told them to do.
75:11I pray today
75:13they will stay right where you've
75:15planted them and level up in their
75:18generosity today.
75:19Thank you for the seed that they're
75:21going to give. I thank you for people
75:24streaming
75:25who felt a connection with this word,
75:27who felt that God, you're speaking to
75:30them.
75:31And Father, in the future, they cannot
75:34hold you accountable to your word if
75:37they've not put the word to the test.
75:40I thank you that you shall supply their
75:42every need in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.
75:47If you received something from that
75:48word, give him praise.
75:51Amen.