Kingdom Identity
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 5/17/2026Philippians 4:8
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41:11
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez challenges believers to reclaim their Kingdom identity by renewing their minds, moving past trauma, and reflecting Christ's character rather than the world's dysfunction.
Key points
- •Transformation begins with the thought life; believers must actively choose to think on things that are true, noble, and praiseworthy rather than dwelling on the negative.
- •Your past trauma, failures, and the labels others have placed on you do not define your identity in the Kingdom of God.
- •The church is called to be the 'salt and light,' which requires reflecting Christ's love and truth rather than mirroring the bitterness and dysfunction of the world.
- •Personal growth requires taking ownership of one's destiny and resisting the urge to play the victim or blame external circumstances for internal stagnation.
- •Kingdom citizens must 'never stop becoming,' trusting that God will complete the good work He started regardless of past mistakes or age.
Scripture
Purpose
Spiritual Growth
Holiness
Character
Restoration
Life application
This week, practice 'Kingdom thinking' by identifying one recurring negative thought about your past or identity and intentionally replacing it with a scriptural truth from Philippians 4:8.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life have you allowed your failures or trauma to define you instead of God's Word?
- Are there toxic behaviors or 'patterns of this world' that you have unintentionally adopted in your relationships?
- What is one dream you have stopped pursuing that you believe God is calling you to reignite?
- How can you better reflect the light of Christ in your workplace or family this week?
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Full transcript
0:00I want us to go ahead and stand,
0:01everybody. Let's stand for prayer
0:04as we get into this word this morning.
0:06Thank you so much. Father, we
0:09ask your blessings upon your word this
0:11morning
0:13as I teach it.
0:16Let me do so
0:18in clarity
0:20so that it will bring understanding to
0:22your people.
0:24Thank you that you're teaching us
0:26to know who we are in you.
0:30And we give you all the praise, the
0:32honor, and the glory in Jesus' name.
0:34[music]
0:34Amen. You may be seated if you can.
0:41Our first scripture this morning is
0:44taken from Philippians chapter 4.
0:49And I want you to work with me here
0:51because I will
0:53kind of rush through this this morning.
0:56I promise you I won't be long.
0:59Philippians chapter 4
1:02Paul wrote this. He said,
1:06"Whatever is true,
1:08whatever is noble,
1:11whatever is right, and whatever is pure,
1:15whatever is lovely,"
1:18he then says, "whatever is admirable,
1:22if anything is excellent or
1:25praiseworthy,
1:27think
1:28about such things."
1:32So, the question then after reading this
1:34verse is simply this,
1:37"What's been on your mind lately?
1:40What have you been thinking about?
1:43What are you focusing on?
1:46What do you think about yourself and
1:47what do you think about the
1:49circumstances
1:50that are around you?"
1:53Cuz Paul says
1:55there's certain things you ought to be
1:56thinking about.
1:59Not the negative things that sometimes
2:02the enemy will bring into your thought
2:04process or what you see in the media.
2:07He said, "Think on
2:10the things that are right."
2:13But there's a lot of people, man.
2:15It's like, have you met anybody who's
2:17just toxic?
2:23It's just It's always the wrong side of
2:26things, the wrong side of life.
2:29They're always focusing on
2:31what's whoever is lovely, the things
2:34that we should admire.
2:37He says, "Those are the things we should
2:40think about."
2:41And then in 2 Corinthians chapter 3
2:45verse 18,
2:47we find again Paul saying, "And we all
2:51are being transformed
2:53into his image
2:56with every increasing glory,
2:59which comes from the Lord who is the
3:02spirit."
3:03So, here's where I'm going this morning.
3:07There's to be There's to be a
3:08transformation that takes place in our
3:11lives.
3:13Because for some of us, let's be honest,
3:15man.
3:16We're not focusing on the right things
3:18in life.
3:20We're too negative. We're embracing
3:23things that are too toxic. We are
3:26focusing on the wrong things. So, we
3:29need to transform our image. So, when we
3:33look in the mirror, we see
3:36the best version of ourselves.
3:40And so, with the series that we're on, I
3:43know I am, you fill in the blank. Who
3:46are you?
3:48Who are you?
3:49Are you a nice person? And I'm talking
3:52especially to Christians.
3:55Because
3:56God knows we ought to do better.
4:00If we're going TO BE THE SALT and the
4:02light of the world, we've got to be
4:04better.
4:06We cannot be a part of the madness and
4:09the craziness that's out there.
4:11Our identity has to be different.
4:16Let's see. Now, are we perfect?
4:17Absolutely not.
4:19We We mess up? Absolutely we will.
4:23But our job is to make sure that we are
4:26transformed into the image of God
4:30increasing every day. And that
4:33transformation is going to come from
4:35Jesus Christ. That's what Paul is
4:37saying.
4:38So, do you know who you are?
4:40And so, my focus today is going to be on
4:43kingdom identity.
4:45Kingdom identity.
4:48I'm not bothered by how the world thinks
4:50of us. They're not transformed.
4:53They're always going to criticize us.
4:55The world The person who's not
4:57transformed into the kingdom of God is
4:59always going to think there is no God.
5:02Maybe they're an atheist. There is no
5:04God.
5:05They're always going to say it's a waste
5:06of TIME GOING TO CHURCH.
5:10An unbeliever will tell you, "I'm not
5:11going TO GO TO CHURCH." THAT'S FINE.
5:14He's not a believer.
5:15He goes to his church.
5:18The club.
5:20The bars.
5:22Parties.
5:24You know one of the things I LOVE ABOUT
5:25SINNERS?
5:27THEY SIN GOOD.
5:33Sinners sin really good.
5:38We Christians, we struggle
5:42being the salt and the light of the
5:44world.
5:46So, for us today, I want to speak to
5:50everyone in this room and to those
5:51watching online.
5:55Because I believe that God has empowered
6:00you with everything you need to serve
6:03him,
6:04to fulfill his kingdom
6:07agenda, and to become the best version
6:11of who he called you to be.
6:15But, let me
6:17uh say this clearly
6:19that we must pause to resist the
6:22temptation to become negative,
6:25argumentative suspicious
6:28bitter,
6:29and emotionally unstable,
6:32especially when God is trying to reshape
6:37our thinking.
6:39Some of us are asking God to change our
6:41lives,
6:43but we are refusing to let him change
6:45our minds.
6:48Paul said, "What whatever thing is true,
6:51noble right pure lovely admirable
6:56excellent, and praiseworthy." He said,
6:59"Think on these things." That means your
7:01transformation begins, watch this, with
7:04your thought process. It's your thought
7:07life.
7:08You are not WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU.
7:14AND I WANT EVERY PERSON TO HEAR THIS.
7:16WE GOT to stop playing this victim game.
7:20You are not what happened to you.
7:23Everybody's been hit
7:25from childhood days
7:28to whatever age you are right now. You
7:31are not what happened to you. YOU ARE
7:33NOT WHAT people called you. I've been
7:35called them
7:37If I tell you some of the stuff people
7:38have called me.
7:41YOU ARE NOT
7:43WHAT THEY CALLED YOU.
7:46DON'T YOU WASTE YOUR TIME arguing with
7:48people when they have a different
7:50perspective of who you are. IF YOU KNOW
7:53WHO YOU ARE,
7:55THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS.
7:58You
7:59are not
8:01your failure.
8:03You might have made bad decisions, bad
8:05decisions years ago.
8:07You might have messed your life up.
8:10Made some wrong turns in life, but
8:12you're not your failure.
8:14We had a woman who taught Bible study
8:17Wednesday, as a college student made a
8:21mistake.
8:23Got arrested.
8:24Got pregnant, and while in jail, had an
8:27encounter with God, and God reminded
8:30her, "Your pursuit was to become an
8:32attorney."
8:34She could have said, "Well, I'm
8:36pregnant. I got locked up for something
8:38I did.
8:41So, I'm not going to
8:43talk about be becoming an attorney. Not
8:45only that, the Florida Bar is not even
8:46going to approve that
8:48even if I graduate from college."
8:51And she stood on this stage, she is an
8:54attorney today.
8:59Some of YOU HAVE ALLOWED YOUR FAILURES
9:01TO DEFINE WHO YOU ARE.
9:03SO, WHAT IF YOU DATED THE WRONG GUY?
9:07SO, WHAT IF you dated the wrong woman?
9:09SOME OF YOU ARE STILL ATTACHED TO PEOPLE
9:11you left 10 years ago.
9:16YOU'RE NO LONGER WITH THE PERSON, BUT
9:18THEY STILL HAVE A stronghold on you.
9:22YOU'RE STILL BLAMING THE PERSON FOR
9:24LEAVING YOU.
9:27IT'S
9:27I I
9:28I got to throw this one. It's not in my
9:30notes. Some of y'all had better be glad
9:32some people left you.
9:38Y'all to be glad they left.
9:41You ought to be glad they left you.
9:44You are not your trauma.
9:46You are not your past.
9:48In fact, you are God's masterpiece.
9:54I love that. That's according to
9:56Ephesians 2:10. You are loved by God,
9:59Romans 8:38-39.
10:02You are forgiven. You are chosen. This
10:06is the word of God over your life. You
10:07are blessed. You are provided for. You
10:10are more than a conqueror. You are
10:12capable of recovering what you've lost.
10:18What have you lost in life?
10:20You're capable of recovering it.
10:23You can find love again.
10:27You can find love. Don't be so damaged
10:29and broken
10:31that you you refuse to love again.
10:35You can find hope again. You started the
10:37business. It failed. It it sucked every
10:40penny out of your account.
10:43What What if entrepreneurship is still
10:47in you?
10:49Are you going to let a past decision
10:52define who you are? Are you telling me
10:54that you're going to die and go to the
10:57grave full of potential?
11:01What do you THINK GOD CREATED YOU AND
11:03PLACED YOU ON THE earth is for you just
11:05to come here and you made three mistakes
11:09and you're ready to just die with all
11:11the stuff that he's put in you?
11:15Come on, man.
11:16Especially if you're a believer.
11:19Are you telling me that God made a
11:20mistake?
11:21You are healed by the power of God.
11:25You are living in a season filled with
11:28divine opportunity. You just got to
11:30learn how to bounce back.
11:34Some of you just sitting by passively
11:37just allowing whatever happened to
11:39define who you are.
11:41When I had the I mean the fall on
11:43Monday,
11:44it was bad, man.
11:46I could have said, "Well, you know,
11:50pity party in myself." No, no, no, no. I
11:53got up.
11:55I used wisdom. Yes, used wisdom, went to
11:57the doctor, did the x-ray, did
11:59everything like that. Asked the doctor,
12:00"Do I need to fly home?" And he said,
12:02"No, you'll be fine if you're going to
12:04leave Saturday." And so forth. I could
12:06have said, "I'm going to stay home. I'm
12:07not going to go today." And so forth.
12:09"Not going to go to church." I says,
12:11"Well, ain't nothing wrong with my
12:12mouth."
12:17Some of you are allowing ONE PART OF
12:19YOUR LIFE TO CONTROL the whole other
12:22parts of your life.
12:27You got to learn to bounce back, man.
12:29You got to learn to trust in God. For
12:31the last few weeks, we have been in a
12:33series called, as I told you earlier, I
12:36know I am and I need you to understand
12:38something here. This is not just a
12:40motivational series.
12:42It is a kingdom identity series.
12:46God is trying to remind us of who we are
12:51because when we forget, when we forget
12:54who we are, then we start acting like
12:57who we're not.
13:00Listen to me here today.
13:02The church must return to kingdom
13:04identity. God is calling his church back
13:08into alignment with his word. Our
13:10identity as kingdom citizens must not be
13:14shaped by trends, emotions, offense,
13:19culture, politics, pain, or personal
13:22preferences.
13:24You cannot allow
13:26your image as an individual to be shaped
13:30by these things. Romans 12:2 says, "Do
13:33not conform to the pattern of this
13:35world.
13:37But be transformed by the renewing of
13:39your mind." If you could just get your
13:41mind right.
13:44Some of you are so beautifully and
13:46wonderfully made. You're full of gifts.
13:50You're full of potential, but your mind
13:53is messed up.
13:55The way you think is horrible.
13:59Your thinking is off.
14:01And because your thinking is off,
14:04you have bad relationships, and you're
14:07blaming everybody else,
14:09and not taking ownership of it.
14:12Some of the relationships that didn't
14:13work, it's not that the other person was
14:15bad. Your mind is off.
14:20I know you don't like you don't want to
14:22hear this this morning, but since you
14:24came to church, and I don't know if
14:25you're going to show up next week, I'm
14:27going to give you everything I got.
14:32You got to fix your mind.
14:35The problem today is that many believers
14:37have lost their kingdom identity and
14:40have start reflecting the attitude, the
14:42language, and the bitterness, and the
14:44behavior of the kingdom of darkness. And
14:47here's what Jesus said in Matthew 5:14.
14:50He says, "You, kingdom citizen, you are
14:52the light [screaming]
14:55of the world."
14:57That means we are called to reflect
14:59Christ, not confusion.
15:02We're called to reflect love, not
15:04hatred.
15:07Check your
15:08attitude. Check your image.
15:12I hate to tell you I have met some of
15:14the meanest
15:16unlovable Christians.
15:20How could you call yourself a Christian
15:23and you not love?
15:26Maybe maybe you have mixed up the whole
15:28idea of love and forgiveness
15:32with friendship.
15:35Some of you don't know how to separate
15:36the two.
15:39I can love you, but I don't have to be
15:41friends you.
15:48You can love your ex, BUT IT DON'T MEAN
15:50YOU COULDN'T you need to go back.
15:56YOU CAN LOVE YOUR CHILDREN, BUT DON'T
15:58LET THEM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU.
16:06WE ARE CALLED TO REFLECT TRUTH, not
16:09deception.
16:11And this IS WHERE A LOT OF US
16:13we just some of us just just just
16:19professional
16:21liars.
16:28I'm not talking about the world.
16:31We Christians.
16:34WE LIE SO GOOD THE DEVIL WILL SAY,
16:36"THAT'S TRUTH."
16:47We cannot
16:48decide truth from a lie.
16:53You see, we're called to reflect truth,
16:56not deception. You don't need to deceive
16:58people.
16:59You don't need to walk around and tell
17:01people your story
17:02just so that they'll be on your side.
17:05One of things I learn about truth, truth
17:08[snorts] will defend itself.
17:13It doesn't need any help.
17:16We are called to reflect healing, not
17:19dysfunction.
17:22Our job as kingdom citizen is to bring
17:25healing.
17:28Don't hurt people.
17:30And I have to be honest with you, many
17:32people in the body of Christ are
17:33disappointed. Watch this. Many people
17:37are disappointed with the image we, the
17:41body of Christ, is projecting.
17:45Can I be honest with you?
17:47We don't want to talk about it.
17:49The world is a little bit upset with us.
17:54The world is talking bad about us.
17:58I mean, you you can you can sugarcoat it
17:59all you want.
18:01The world is talking about us because
18:03they're saying, "You're trying to get us
18:05in
18:06and you all can't even live together."
18:13You're trying to get us to serve your
18:15God, and when I look at your attitude
18:17and your image, why would I want to come
18:19serve?
18:22Wha-
18:23Why would I want to become be a part of
18:26a place with a whole bunch of hypocrites
18:29clothed in church garments?
18:35Don't want to do that.
18:36You see, for many, the passion of God
18:38has gone cold. Faith in Jesus Christ and
18:42the role of the church has weakened.
18:45Hope has been damaged. Self-esteem has
18:48been attacked, and the desire to become
18:50better has been buried under
18:52disappointment.
18:54And because of this,
18:56we now see dysfunction in the church, in
18:58families, in marriages, in leadership,
19:01and in the marketplace.
19:04So many families are hurting
19:07because we are not at our best self.
19:10We're not displaying the best version of
19:12ourselves.
19:14Men are hurting their wives, hurting
19:16their children
19:18because we are not at our best self.
19:22Women are hurting their husbands and
19:24their children
19:25because we're not displaying the best
19:27version of ourselves. We don't have a
19:29kingdom identity.
19:32We're in marriages today
19:34with ulterior motives.
19:39Our goal is to trick each other, outdo
19:41each other.
19:42We compete with each other instead of
19:45being one.
19:47We're now competing.
19:50So, our whole family [snorts] is
19:52suffering
19:54BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE a godly identity
19:57anymore. WE NO LONGER PREFER THE other
20:00person uh over ourselves. We We don't
20:02SEE OURSELVES AS SERVANTS TO OUR spouse
20:05and our children.
20:07We use each other.
20:12So, what we're doing is using each
20:13other.
20:15Because we have a culture now
20:17this one don't work over here, you can
20:19find a and only to find out, listen, I'm
20:21telling you, if you don't fix you,
20:24I don't care who you switch to.
20:34Your pattern will follow you.
20:37We bleed on people who did not cut us.
20:41WE PUNISH PEOPLE who did not hurt us.
20:45We carry wounds into relationships
20:48and call it discernment.
20:50We carry bitterness and call it wisdom.
20:54So, today I'm telling you
20:57we can do better.
20:59And we must do better.
21:03Our kingdom identity is at stake. WE GOT
21:06TO DO BETTER.
21:09WE GOT TO STOP HURTING PEOPLE WHO DID
21:11NOT HURT US.
21:14We got to stop [snorts] living a life
21:18that is damaging not only to
21:21yourself, but to people who depend on
21:24you. Some of you are adults and parents
21:26would be ashamed of yourself. You are
21:28passing on a generational curse to your
21:31kids based on how you you act.
21:37We got hundreds of young people right
21:38now in our youth center.
21:41They are the next generation AND IF YOU
21:43DON'T GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER,
21:45you're going to poison them.
21:49Get rid of your dysfunction.
21:51Get in the word AND SEE WHO CHRIST SAYS
21:54WHO WE ARE.
21:57Be different. NOW YOU MAY NOT LIKE THIS
21:59SERMON, I GET IT. IT'S NOT SOMETHING to
22:01promise you, you know, that God's going
22:04to do this for you, God's going to bless
22:05you, and God's going to prosper you, and
22:07doors going to be open. PERHAPS THE
22:09REASON WHY THE DOORS ARE NOT open is
22:11because you're acting the fool.
22:17Maybe it's just just just start acting
22:19like a kingdom citizen, man.
22:22So here's what I want to leave you with.
22:25I want to share four important points to
22:27help you
22:28to work on your identity as a kingdom
22:30citizen. Now if you're you're not a
22:31kingdom citizen, you may say this
22:33preacher is kind of crazy. I get it. I
22:35don't expect any better.
22:38But for those of us who are in the
22:39kingdom and those of you are streaming,
22:41number one, give careful consideration
22:43to your ways.
22:46According to Haggai chapter 1:5-7, it
22:49says "Now
22:51it says here, now this is what the Lord
22:53Almighty says, give careful thoughts to
22:56your ways."
22:58God told his people to stop and evaluate
23:00their lives.
23:02Give
23:03if the if on this 17th day of May,
23:07please examine yourself. Stop pointing
23:10fingers to your neighbor.
23:13Stand in the mirror and say, "God, are
23:15you pleased with me?"
23:18Am I displaying Christ-like
23:21characteristics?
23:23In other words,
23:24do not just keep moving without asking,
23:28"Am I becoming who God called me to be?"
23:32Some of us need to ask these questions.
23:36Why am I always suspicious?
23:40Could it be that I'm
23:41it's a trauma from somewhere
23:44that has not been healed? Why are you
23:46always suspicious?
23:48You know, I grew up into a very strict,
23:50traditional kind of a Pentecostal
23:53movement. And one of the things I used
23:55to hear a lot that used to bother me,
23:57you know, some of you probably had this
23:58encounter.
24:00Somebody would just walk up to you and
24:02you'll you'll just hear them just say,
24:04"My spirit don't agree with her."
24:08I'm like,
24:09"You don't know nothing."
24:12Your spirit? Ain't no spirit.
24:15Just got a bad attitude.
24:18My spirit? WHY ARE YOU SUSPICIOUS of
24:20people?
24:22Always suspicious because you've been
24:25hurt.
24:26Some of you are hurting your chances
24:30of being in love. You're praying, "God,
24:32SEND ME THIS. SEND ME THIS." AND GOD IS
24:34SENDING SOMEONE, BUT YOU'RE too
24:35suspicious.
24:41Why? You need to ask this question. Why
24:43am I always being offended?
24:48You just got to learn to let people
24:50People, you got to learn to give people
24:52the opportunity to speak their mind.
24:54This is a It's a country.
24:57You don't have to agree with what
24:58they're saying.
25:00You have to ask yourself, WHY DO I
25:02STRUGGLE to forgive?
25:04Why do I sabotage good relationships?
25:07Why do I keep repeating unhealthy
25:09patterns?
25:11Why am I more controlled by pain rather
25:16than by my purpose?
25:19Lamentations 3:40 says,
25:21"Let us examine our ways and test them.
25:25And let us return to the Lord." Point
25:27number two,
25:29renew your perspective of who you are.
25:32You need to renew your perspective.
25:34You are forgiven, you're chosen, you're
25:37called, you're capable, you're an
25:39overcomer.
25:41Think differently about yourself.
25:43According to uh 2 Corinthians 5:17, "If
25:47anyone be in Christ, you're a new
25:49creature, you're different. You're
25:50You're not an ordinary person." So, stop
25:52looking at yourself through the mirror
25:53of failure. Stop looking at yourself
25:55through the mirror of rejection. Stop
25:57looking at yourself through the mirror
25:59of trauma. Stop looking at yourself
26:01through the mirror of what people did to
26:03you.
26:06Look into the mirror of God's word and
26:08become the best version of yourself.
26:11Point number three, reignite your
26:13passion to dream again.
26:17And I don't have much time to stay on
26:19this,
26:20but I think this is the meat of the
26:22message today.
26:24Some of you have lost your passion
26:28to dream.
26:30You've lost it.
26:31You're just waking up every day,
26:33brushing your teeth,
26:35putting on clothes, going to work,
26:38and going through the cycle. YOU'VE LOST
26:40YOUR DREAM.
26:42BUT DREAM BIG AGAIN.
26:44Some of you have stopped dreaming
26:46because of life,
26:48uh the disappointments of life. And
26:50according to Paul in Ephesians 3:20,
26:53"Now unto him who is able to do far
26:55abundantly than all that we ask or
26:58think." God wants to do much more in
27:01you.
27:02God is able to do much more in you and
27:06give you back much more THAN WHAT YOU'VE
27:08LOST.
27:10One of the things I love about Jabez,
27:12and please hear me as I try to close
27:14this man.
27:16In 1 Chronicles 4:10, he says, "Oh that
27:19you WOULD BLESS ME AND ENLARGE MY
27:24BORDER." But you did But you see,
27:26some of you you say that and you read
27:28this
27:29story of Jabez and and you But you don't
27:33YOU HAVE NO CLUE
27:35OF WHY HE SAID THESE WORDS.
27:38THE NAME Jabez was derived from the
27:42circumstances SURROUNDING HIS BIRTH.
27:46WATCH THIS. I WANT TO TALK TO SOME OF
27:47YOU WHO FEEL LIKE YOU'VE BEEN BORN INTO
27:51DYSFUNCTION.
27:53This man, Jabez,
27:55from birth, his mother gave birth to him
27:58in great pain.
28:02If some of you women know you cuz we men
28:03don't have a clue.
28:06His mother was giving birth to him. It
28:09was so painful that the Bible says she
28:12called him Jabez. Here's the meaning of
28:15his name, sorrowful and one who causes
28:18pain. I wonder who in this room, who's
28:21streaming, who feel like you've been
28:23birthed into
28:25things that have just caused pain
28:28for you
28:30and for everybody else around you.
28:32This is so significant here because his
28:35mother gave birth to him
28:37right after
28:39uh she went through a painful
28:41experience.
28:43Yet, Jabez said,
28:47He could have said, "Well, I was born in
28:49bad circumstances like some of you.
28:52I was bad, you know, I was born in a
28:53dysfunctional home.
28:56Well, I lost this, I lost that. I was
28:58born in poverty."
29:00But Jabez looked at the possibilities of
29:03life
29:05and he said, "God,
29:07I wish
29:09you would bless me
29:12and get me out of my restriction
29:15and bless me, expand my territory,
29:19expand my borders." I wonder who's in
29:22this room or who's out there hearing me
29:24this morning where God is saying to you,
29:27"It's time for you to dream big."
29:32So,
29:33stuff happens.
29:36I get it.
29:37You never had a father in your life.
29:40And I'm not letting the man get away
29:42with that.
29:44But God can still bless you.
29:47God can still prosper you
29:49without you having a father in your
29:51life.
29:52This reminds us
29:54that many are carrying the words and the
29:57labels and the burdens
29:59that have been spoken over us by our
30:01parents
30:03and by others, the negative declarations
30:06that have been said about us.
30:08But you can come from pain and still
30:10walk in purpose.
30:12You can come from rejection and still
30:14walk in favor.
30:16You can come from disappointment and
30:17still walk in destiny.
30:19And point number four,
30:21never stop
30:24becoming.
30:27Here's where I want to leave you this
30:28afternoon.
30:29Never stop becoming. I AM SENT HERE THIS
30:34MORNING BY GOD TO TALK TO A FEW PEOPLE
30:37WHO HAVE PARKED THEIR PURPOSE ON THE
30:40SIDE.
30:43You've given up.
30:45YOU'RE JUST FUNCTIONING ON AVERAGE.
30:48NEVER STOP BECOMING.
30:51NEVER. According to Philippians 1 and 6,
30:54it says, "HE WHO HAS BEGUN A GOOD work
30:57in you
30:58will carry it into completion
31:01until the day of Jesus Christ."
31:04I want you to know that God is still
31:05working in you.
31:07You can still finish.
31:11You can still finish.
31:15You can still finish that education. YOU
31:17CAN STILL GET that degree.
31:19I don't care how old you are.
31:22YOU CAN STILL GET THAT HOUSE.
31:26YOU CAN STILL come back to God, even
31:29though you've been messed up.
31:32Do you know the story in the Bible about
31:33the prodigal son?
31:35You can still redeem yourself.
31:38You can still finish.
31:40You can still finish
31:42and succeed in that business.
31:45You can still finish and have peace in
31:48your relationship.
31:51That marriage that you think is broken.
31:54And I'm talking cuz I want to bring
31:56balance here.
31:58Some marriages are not going to make it.
32:02I'd lie to you for as a preacher to tell
32:04you every marriage is going to make it.
32:06First of all, some of you shouldn't be
32:07married to the person you're married to
32:09right now. Shh.
32:11You just made a mistake.
32:16Right? You married the wrong person.
32:18And God can redeem that and change it.
32:20And then some of you
32:22can't stay with that person.
32:24Can't I know it's it's really weird for
32:26preacher to say cuz you see we grew up I
32:28grew up in a legal
32:31legalistic system.
32:33You know how many people are in the
32:34grave because people told them to stay
32:36in the marriage.
32:42Not all marriages will make it.
32:44But some of you are in a relationship
32:47it's not God's will for you to walk
32:48away.
32:50You just need to get your act together.
32:56You just need to get your act together.
32:57That's all.
32:59Stop competing with each other.
33:02Start respecting each other.
33:04Watch your mouth.
33:10That's it.
33:12Learn to shut your mouth.
33:15You don't have to always get your way.
33:16Stop using your body as a weapon.
33:24Y'all still like me?
33:27Cuz I'm still going to preach it.
33:30I'm the mailman. That's all.
33:33Cuz it's
33:34We got Listen. We got to do
33:38better.
33:42We got to do better.
33:44DON'T MAKE NO SENSE WE DRESSED UP EVERY
33:46Sunday and we stream and and we just act
33:50like we're with God on Sunday.
33:54And by Monday we've lost our identity.
34:00You can finish
34:02because you're not disqualified.
34:05It's not too late.
34:06You're not too broken.
34:09And you're not beyond repair.
34:14I finish with Proverbs 4:18. It says,
34:18the path Woo!
34:20Is it on the screen?
34:23Everybody read that for me. Read it.
34:33It only sounds like 30% of the people in
34:35here are born again.
34:37Cuz everybody's not reading it. I want
34:39everybody to read this. Read it, please.
34:51The Bible says the path of the righteous
34:54that's you and me.
34:57The path of the righteous
35:00What is the path of the righteous?
35:02Please, and I'm and I'm done.
35:05The path of the righteous
35:07is like the morning sun.
35:11That alone tells us
35:13that as a Christian
35:16it's not going to be
35:17sunshine
35:1924/7.
35:25The believer will GO THROUGH SOME DARK
35:27PERIODS.
35:29BUT BECAUSE THE PATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS
35:31LIKE the the morning SUN
35:35NO MATTER WHAT PERIOD AND transition
35:39we go through
35:40we will always rise.
35:47WE WILL ALWAYS RISE, SHINING BRIGHTER
35:52AND BRIGHTER, THE BIBLE SAYS.
35:55The full light of day.
35:59I want to talk to some of you
36:01who are
36:03just constantly walking in darkness.
36:08And you are the light.
36:11Young people, listen to me carefully.
36:14Don't you follow that darkness.
36:17Don't you follow that darkness.
36:20I'd hate to know that 10 years from now,
36:2220 years from now
36:25your son
36:26is still
36:28being blocked by
36:30the clouds.
36:32The darkness of the world. You were born
36:35to shine.
36:38All that partying,
36:40I get it. I get it makes you feel good.
36:44I'm not even telling you you shouldn't
36:45go to the club, whatever, cuz I I I'm
36:47I'm not here telling you what to do with
36:49your life.
36:51But if you keep doing that stuff,
36:54if you keep hanging around with the
36:56wrong crowd,
36:58if you keep allowing the patterns of
37:01your life to be the way it is,
37:0520 years from now, you going to grow up
37:07having nothing.
37:10Depending on people and blaming the
37:12system.
37:13Blaming white people.
37:17Blaming
37:18the absentee father.
37:21Blaming all the kind I know there's
37:22injustice.
37:25But for me, let me just tell you about
37:26Henry.
37:28Ain't no white man, no black man, no
37:30purple man can stop me.
37:35>> [music]
37:38>> Because I'm taking ownership
37:42over my destiny.
37:44Come on, give the Lord a hand of praise.
37:47Bow your heads with me. Bow your heads
37:49with me.
37:50Father, we thank you for the word today.
37:53Thank you that we're finding our
37:55identity in you.
38:00That as kingdom citizens,
38:02>> [snorts]
38:02>> we must do better. You want us to do
38:05better.
38:07So as your people leave today,
38:10help us to go into the marketplace
38:12becoming better people,
38:15serving you more, loving you more,
38:19showing [music]
38:20what the true light of Christ is on the
38:22job
38:24among our families.
38:26Help us to be the best version of
38:28ourselves
38:30so that we can declare that we are the
38:32righteousness of God,
38:34the seed of Abraham.
38:37Thank you for those who are streaming
38:39in the building who don't know you as
38:41Lord and savior.
38:43That somehow they will see that
38:46on this side
38:48regardless of how turned off they are by
38:50church.
38:53Only God alone can save them.
38:56They cannot do life without you, God.
38:59And so I pray they'll embrace you today
39:02and that they will serve you for the
39:04rest of their lives. Thank you for those
39:06who are
39:07going to join our church today.
39:10Those who are looking for
39:12a church with a kingdom agenda.
39:15Not a church worshipping and idolizing a
39:17pastor.
39:19Not a church
39:20that is
39:22all about,
39:23you know, status and fame.
39:27Not a church about what the church can
39:28do for us,
39:31but a church that's on a mission
39:34to fulfill your work here on the earth.
39:37I thank you for their willingness
39:40to call this place home.
39:43And we give you [music] praise for it in
39:44Jesus' name. Amen. Now, do me a favor.
39:47Everybody just stay where you are.
39:50If you feel this is home,
39:52you want to become a part of this
39:53church, please take your belongings, and
39:55would you come and meet me down here
39:56quickly. Come on, move quickly. Move
39:58quickly. Come on, move quickly. Move
40:00quickly.
40:01Move quickly. Come on, would you welcome
40:03these people to the family? Come on,
40:05move quickly.
40:07Come on, quickly. Quickly.
40:09>> [music]
40:10>> Quickly. Thank you. Welcome home.
40:11Welcome home.
40:13Welcome home. Come on, they're coming.
40:15They're coming.
40:17Come on, we got to be more excited than
40:19that man.
40:20>> [music]
40:22>> Come on. Come on. Thank you. Thank you.
40:25Thank you. Thank you. All right.
40:27Everybody else, [music] please stand.
40:28Everybody else, and allow those who are
40:30coming down to come on down. Thank you.
40:33Thank you. Those of you who are
40:35streaming, if you'd like to become an
40:37e-member, please don't log off. We're
40:39going to go straight into our
40:41>> [music]
40:41>> members orientation class. All right,
40:43I'm just allowing the others to come out
40:45of the way. God bless you. God bless
40:47you. All right. All right. Praise God.
40:5111:58. [music]
40:5311:58. Before 12:00, you're getting out
40:55of here. Amen. Lift your hands,
40:57everybody, and let's pronounce our
41:00benediction. Say it with me. Faith in
41:02God will move mountains out of our
41:05lives. God bless you. See you on
41:08Wednesday for worship night.