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Connected by scripture or shared themes.
Suddenly means quickly, unexpectedly, or without warning. It describes something that appears to happen instantly—the moment when normal is interrupted by something that nobody saw coming. It's when the atmosphere shifts, when what looked far away shows up at your front door, when God changes the situation faster than you can explain it.
If things have been feeling slow in your life—slow healing, slow growth, slow promotions, slow answers—God is about to usher you into your suddenly season.
Suddenly is not random. It's not accidental. It's not God reacting to your problem. Suddenly is a divine interruption where God reveals in a moment what he has been preparing over time. Suddenly is not God starting something; suddenly is God revealing what he has already been working on.
God has been orchestrating your next breakthrough before you even needed a breakthrough. He had already been working on your promotion before you ever got the job.
Here's what's critical to understand: Suddenly describes the speed of the manifestation, not the length of the preparation. In other words, suddenly describes when you see it, not when God started working on it.
This is why people can't figure out how it happened for you so fast. It feels fast on your end, but God has been behind the scenes working on your behalf the whole time. The praise team sang beautiful songs suddenly on Sunday, but they picked them on Monday, formatted them on Tuesday, and rehearsed on Thursday. What you saw was not random; they had already been working on it.
Stop worrying about who's hating on you and trying to block you. They can't block you today. Your blessing was prepared yesterday.
When you cook ribs, you don't buy them on Saturday and cook them on Saturday. You buy them Monday or Tuesday and let them marinate for three or four days. You need all the juices on the outside to get on the inside.
Many of you are sitting at your house saying, "God, why haven't you done it?" thinking God won't do it. But God is in heaven saying, "If they only knew I was letting that healing marinate. If they only knew I was letting that new opportunity marinate." God said when he blesses you this time, it's going to make up for everything you lost last time.
Old school mothers knew how to cook and whoop at the same time. They'd be in the kitchen letting that food cook, and when you'd walk in saying, "Oh, it smells good, mama," she'd look at you and say, "Get out my kitchen." When you'd come back asking, "Is it time yet?" she'd say, "Get out my kitchen." And if you were slick and tried to peel a piece of food out of the pot, mama would come out of nowhere saying, "Didn't I tell you get out my kitchen?"
What if what you're going through now isn't the devil picking on you? What if it's God saying, "Get out the kitchen. Stop trying to hustle for stuff I'm about to bless you with." Stop trying to get a hookup for everything, because if they put you on, they can take you off. Let God do what he's going to do.
I serve a God that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, and suddenly.
In Acts 16:25-26, we see Paul and Silas at midnight—that 60 seconds of transition between one day and the next. They were beaten, bruised, bloody, broken, but breathing. They were in chains at the bottom of a jail. Yet they were praying and singing hymns of praise to God.
Some of you only shout when you come out of stuff. A couple of you can shout while you're in it. But it takes another level of faith to praise God while you're in transition. That's why my praise doesn't look like your praise. I haven't got what I need yet, but I know how to praise while I'm on my way.
Tell somebody: "I'm in transition." That's what you have to tell your circle. Please be patient with me. God isn't through with me yet.
The word "but" is a disjunctive conjunction—it disconnects to reconnect. It's different than "and." Michael had enemies and some friends—but notice the difference. "And" makes the enemies and friends appear equivalent. "But" says he has enemies, but the folk on the other side are greater than his enemies.
God said, "I am not giving you an 'and'; I'm giving you a 'but.'" In spite of what you don't have, but God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly. The doctor said she was sick, but God said by my stripes she is healed.
In Acts 16:25-26, Paul and Silas are in the jail. The scripture tells us they were praying and singing hymns. The prisoners were listening to them. The scripture doesn't tell us which one was praying and which one was singing—they had two responsibilities.
But here's what's powerful: verse 25 says two people had enough faith to praise God in the midst of their circumstance. Then in verse 26, everybody got delivered. Two people got on one accord, and everybody got a suddenly.
I don't need the whole road to shout. I really just need two of you. I don't need my whole family to get on one accord. If two of us get on one accord, everybody around us is going to get an open door.
There are three types of doors. The first type is a manual door. If I walk to a door, the only way it opens is if I push it or turn it. Your season of having to work for every door in your life is coming to an end. God says some of you have had to push every door open. Everything you got, you've had to fight for. God said, "I have seen your faithfulness. You get ready to progress to the second door."
The second door is a revolving door. This door is tricky because you have to catch it at the right time. If there are too many people at the back and not enough at the front, the door moves slowly. For everybody who's been frustrated because you feel like you missed your season or missed your window and keep asking, "God, when is my door coming back?"—get ready to get excited.
The third door is an automatic door, and it doesn't require your work. All you have to do is show up. When you show up, the door starts opening. When people ask you where you're walking, tell them: "I'm walking through my open door."
Suddenly in Acts is the Greek word aiphnidios, which means abruptly. Look at verse 26: "And suddenly God caused an earthquake. It shook the foundation of the prison house. And immediately the doors opened."
Here's how strategic God is: God let an earthquake happen that didn't crumble the roof. He let it open the door. You're so busy crying because your money is getting shook up, your relationship is getting shook up, your career is getting shook up, your health is getting shook up. And God is like, "Did you never stop to consider that I shook it up to break you out?"
What if what we're seeing as chaos, God is using as a key?
God used two things to open the door in Acts 16. First, He used the earthquake that shook the foundation and made the doors open. But there's something deeper here.
In verse 25, when the prisoners were singing and praying, something powerful happened. It's impossible to make a sound that is not in a key. Even if you can't sing, you are still in a key. So maybe God said, "I'm not going to use a physical key. But when you praise God, I could use a vocal key."
That's why when praises go up, God can use your key to open the door suddenly. When you show up at work tomorrow, thank God. When you go to a dealership, walk around and say, "Oh, I thank you, Jesus. I'm using my key." When you get home, walk through every room and release your sound. If you got the key today, you need to release your sound.
Have you ever had a season where it felt like nothing was happening? Have you ever prayed and felt like nothing happened? Have you ever remained faithful, kept showing up, kept believing, but nothing? You watch people who started after you pass you. You watch people who aren't even living right get stuff that you prayed for.
The frustrating part is not that God said no. The frustrating part is that God said not yet. I could handle a "no"—it's over, expectation killed, I move on. But not yet means it's possible. It's just not visible. That can drive you crazy.
God spoke through the prophet Amos to say: "It won't be long now." A slow season does not mean a dead promise. Many of you are frustrated because you think it's dead. God said it's not dead. It's slow. The promise did not die just because the process took longer than you expected. It's still going to happen.
God told Amos to speak judgment and consequences to His people. They were going to church, but they weren't living right. They were prospering, but they had no integrity. They were worshiping, but they treated people nasty. They were God's people, but they were unjust.
Here's the key: You can have public success, but public success can hide private sickness. Stop saying you wish you were other people because they look successful. People can look blessed but still be broken. They can look strong but be spiritually weak. You don't know if they're sick.
I know what it's like to be successful and sick. I know what it's like to have an arena full of people shouting at 28 and be depressed at home. I know what it's like to have the number one record in the world and still be insecure. That's why the last 24 months have been so fulfilling—for the first time, what you see on the outside matches how I feel on the inside.
A real prophetic voice does not just predict your future. A real prophetic voice corrects your present. Be careful when every prophet you know just tells you how good is coming. Every word can't be a blessing. A real prophet doesn't just predict your future—a real prophetic voice corrects your present.
God loves you too much to bless the version of you that is destroying you. If it hasn't happened yet, what if you aren't waiting on God? What if God is saying, "I'm just waiting on you to grow up. I'm waiting on you to give me your heart. I'm waiting on you to stop playing, church."
God is waiting for you to be faithful over a few things. Your prayer life might not be able to handle the thing you're asking for. You can't even tithe, but you want God to bless your business. God said, "I want to blow your business up, but you can't even be faithful over a few things."
Why wouldn't God take Moses back to Egypt at 40? He was young and strong. God didn't take him back until 80. Why? God loved Moses too much to bless the version of him that still thought he could do it in his own strength. God said, "I ain't going to use Moses till he realized the only way this is going to work is if I go with him."
Joseph received a dream at 17, but God didn't take him to the palace until he was older. God said, "A 17-year-old Joseph would destroy the throne. So I'm going to take you to prison so you can become a prime minister." God loves you too much to bless the version of you that's destroying you.
I remember when the old church used to say, "Lord, when you find it, take it out." That's what I love about them. They knew we weren't strong enough to pull it out ourselves. They were saying, "Look, God, I don't want to lie anymore. I don't want to cheat anymore. I don't want to kill anymore. I don't want to fuss anymore. I don't want to be mean anymore. I don't want to be arrogant anymore. Whatever my issue is, just take it out."
Amos says, "It won't be long now. God's decree. Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim." Soul changes everything. The original language means that blessings will interrupt each other. One thing fast on the heels of another.
Have you ever had someone step on your heel? That's the picture—so close together that before you can finish celebrating one blessing, the next one interrupts it. Before you can even tell someone what God just did for you, He's already done something else.
God is saying, "I'm going to bless you in such a way that your blessings are going to interrupt each other." Your head will swim. Get ready to be dizzy trying to keep up with everything God has for you. Everything will be happening at once.
I'm not telling you something I read. I'm living it right now. Finally, everything in my life got straightened out. My son Mason got things right. Xander's in school. Mason is going to play his senior year and graduates early. He'll be gone in January to school.
Then I come to staff meeting Monday after not being to work in five months, and my phone rings. My other son, Michael, needs me to book him a flight. Michael has qualified to bowl at the Junior National Championships in Minnesota. I text him and tell him I'm coming.
When he wins Monday, and when he wins Tuesday, and when he wins Wednesday, and when he wins Thursday, you're going to see my baby on ESPN. My son has never been the top recruit. My other son has never been the top bowler. Suddenly, everybody just started because God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly.
You want to know the best feeling in the world? That my children are getting to meet the God I preach about.
I need you to do something for the next seven days. The moment you wake up, don't grab your phone and go to social media. As a church, for seven days, soon as you wake up, you're going to read Amos chapter 9, verse 13. You're going to say, "Yes, indeed. It won't be long now. God's decree."
I'm crazy enough to believe that if we all get on one accord, something is about to happen suddenly for all of us.
Yes indeed. It won't be long now. This is God's decree. Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim. One thing fast on the heels of the other. You won't be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once.
I speak over your life: You'll get the new job, better salary, and promotion in the same month. I speak by faith: You'll meet a person who loves, honors, and respects you and get married in the same year.
I speak that everything you've been waiting on is getting ready to happen suddenly. People are going to try to talk you out of it. Even in this sanctuary, there are people right now that things are happening suddenly for them, and they're getting scared because they're not used to good things happening. They're not used to people being genuine. They're not used to people being honest. Their circle is trying to protect them by telling them to slow down.
I speak by faith: They're going to embrace their suddenly. They deserve breakthrough. They deserve love. They deserve passion. Things are about to happen fast, one thing back to back.
God, before you bless me, create in me a clean heart. You won't bless the version of me that's destroying me. So God, take the hurt out of my heart. Take the bitterness out of our heart. Take the pain out of our heart. Take the grudge holding out of our heart. Take the score that many of us have where we're keeping score on how people treat us. Take it out of our heart.
God, do what only you can do. And I'm crazy enough to believe you can do it for us.
I've got a house full of teenagers right now—it's loud, chaotic, and wonderful. They're constantly eating, opening the refrigerator, stomping around. But in those moments, they ask me profound questions like, "Pastor Mike, if I prayed and it didn't happen, does that mean God doesn't want me to have it?" I tell them, "No, it just may not happen yet."
One of my sons, Mason, even advised me: "Dad, when you go to church, tell all the young people about the NIV and NLT versions, because people are always asking how to understand the Bible." That advice came from his own experience—his grandfather got him reading those versions, and now he wants to pass that wisdom on to others.
One of the highlights of my life right now is watching young people get excited about God. Every parent, please hear me: falling in love with God is the best thing I've ever done.
We're doing something I haven't done in 16 years—a youth conference called "No Conference." It's a one-day event on August 1st, and we're going to pack this place with nothing but young people.
Here's what's happening: I've got young people giving their lives to Christ. I've got young people who were barely passing school now receiving awards. Parents are calling me saying, "Pastor Mike, whatever your youth department is doing, just keep doing it." Our kids are running to get to church.
When you come to the 11:30 service, you can't even sit in certain sections—they're packed with teenagers. When church starts, the whole front is nothing but teenagers giving God praise. I speak over their lives: they're not going to have to be rebuilt like we were. Seven of you are going to receive this word. My babies won't have to carry my testimony. They can write their own story with Jesus.
You may be in this room and not know Jesus. Or you may know Jesus but haven't been right with him. And there's nothing wrong with that. I told somebody at the Essence Festival: sometimes when I get out of the will of God, it's not because I'm in sin. I'm just busy.
Three months ago, I found myself not reading my Bible like I should, not praying like I should. Not because I was in sin, but because I was waking up at 6 AM, taking one kid to football, picking another one up, then we're getting on a plane. Life was just happening. If the devil can't beat you, he'll get you busy.
I had to stop and say, "Whoa, I'm only opening my Bible to write messages. I haven't read in a while. I haven't sat in silence in a while." And you know what I did? I said, "Lord, forgive me." So I'm telling you: stop beating yourself up. Sometimes life be lifing.
Sometimes you look up and you miss one Sunday, and that turns into six Sundays, and now you want to come back to church but you're scared people are going to judge you. No, forget them. God is standing on the porch like, "Hey, come here." God has His hands open. Come here. Come here.
You may be here and you don't know Jesus. You can repeat after me and say: "Lord, come into my heart. Make me over again. I confess with my mouth, believe with my heart, you rose from the dead. With all power in your hands right now by faith, I am saved."
That's all it took.
Suddenly means quickly, unexpectedly, or without warning. It describes something that appears to happen instantly—the moment when normal is interrupted by something that nobody saw coming. It's when the atmosphere shifts, when what looked far away shows up at your front door, when God changes the situation faster than you can explain it.
If things have been feeling slow in your life—slow healing, slow growth, slow promotions, slow answers—God is about to usher you into your suddenly season.
Suddenly is not random. It's not accidental. It's not God reacting to your problem. Suddenly is a divine interruption where God reveals in a moment what he has been preparing over time. Suddenly is not God starting something; suddenly is God revealing what he has already been working on.
God has been orchestrating your next breakthrough before you even needed a breakthrough. He had already been working on your promotion before you ever got the job.
Here's what's critical to understand: Suddenly describes the speed of the manifestation, not the length of the preparation. In other words, suddenly describes when you see it, not when God started working on it.
This is why people can't figure out how it happened for you so fast. It feels fast on your end, but God has been behind the scenes working on your behalf the whole time. The praise team sang beautiful songs suddenly on Sunday, but they picked them on Monday, formatted them on Tuesday, and rehearsed on Thursday. What you saw was not random; they had already been working on it.
Stop worrying about who's hating on you and trying to block you. They can't block you today. Your blessing was prepared yesterday.
When you cook ribs, you don't buy them on Saturday and cook them on Saturday. You buy them Monday or Tuesday and let them marinate for three or four days. You need all the juices on the outside to get on the inside.
Many of you are sitting at your house saying, "God, why haven't you done it?" thinking God won't do it. But God is in heaven saying, "If they only knew I was letting that healing marinate. If they only knew I was letting that new opportunity marinate." God said when he blesses you this time, it's going to make up for everything you lost last time.
Old school mothers knew how to cook and whoop at the same time. They'd be in the kitchen letting that food cook, and when you'd walk in saying, "Oh, it smells good, mama," she'd look at you and say, "Get out my kitchen." When you'd come back asking, "Is it time yet?" she'd say, "Get out my kitchen." And if you were slick and tried to peel a piece of food out of the pot, mama would come out of nowhere saying, "Didn't I tell you get out my kitchen?"
What if what you're going through now isn't the devil picking on you? What if it's God saying, "Get out the kitchen. Stop trying to hustle for stuff I'm about to bless you with." Stop trying to get a hookup for everything, because if they put you on, they can take you off. Let God do what he's going to do.
I serve a God that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, and suddenly.
In Acts 16:25-26, we see Paul and Silas at midnight—that 60 seconds of transition between one day and the next. They were beaten, bruised, bloody, broken, but breathing. They were in chains at the bottom of a jail. Yet they were praying and singing hymns of praise to God.
Some of you only shout when you come out of stuff. A couple of you can shout while you're in it. But it takes another level of faith to praise God while you're in transition. That's why my praise doesn't look like your praise. I haven't got what I need yet, but I know how to praise while I'm on my way.
Tell somebody: "I'm in transition." That's what you have to tell your circle. Please be patient with me. God isn't through with me yet.
The word "but" is a disjunctive conjunction—it disconnects to reconnect. It's different than "and." Michael had enemies and some friends—but notice the difference. "And" makes the enemies and friends appear equivalent. "But" says he has enemies, but the folk on the other side are greater than his enemies.
God said, "I am not giving you an 'and'; I'm giving you a 'but.'" In spite of what you don't have, but God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly. The doctor said she was sick, but God said by my stripes she is healed.
In Acts 16:25-26, Paul and Silas are in the jail. The scripture tells us they were praying and singing hymns. The prisoners were listening to them. The scripture doesn't tell us which one was praying and which one was singing—they had two responsibilities.
But here's what's powerful: verse 25 says two people had enough faith to praise God in the midst of their circumstance. Then in verse 26, everybody got delivered. Two people got on one accord, and everybody got a suddenly.
I don't need the whole road to shout. I really just need two of you. I don't need my whole family to get on one accord. If two of us get on one accord, everybody around us is going to get an open door.
There are three types of doors. The first type is a manual door. If I walk to a door, the only way it opens is if I push it or turn it. Your season of having to work for every door in your life is coming to an end. God says some of you have had to push every door open. Everything you got, you've had to fight for. God said, "I have seen your faithfulness. You get ready to progress to the second door."
The second door is a revolving door. This door is tricky because you have to catch it at the right time. If there are too many people at the back and not enough at the front, the door moves slowly. For everybody who's been frustrated because you feel like you missed your season or missed your window and keep asking, "God, when is my door coming back?"—get ready to get excited.
The third door is an automatic door, and it doesn't require your work. All you have to do is show up. When you show up, the door starts opening. When people ask you where you're walking, tell them: "I'm walking through my open door."
Suddenly in Acts is the Greek word aiphnidios, which means abruptly. Look at verse 26: "And suddenly God caused an earthquake. It shook the foundation of the prison house. And immediately the doors opened."
Here's how strategic God is: God let an earthquake happen that didn't crumble the roof. He let it open the door. You're so busy crying because your money is getting shook up, your relationship is getting shook up, your career is getting shook up, your health is getting shook up. And God is like, "Did you never stop to consider that I shook it up to break you out?"
What if what we're seeing as chaos, God is using as a key?
God used two things to open the door in Acts 16. First, He used the earthquake that shook the foundation and made the doors open. But there's something deeper here.
In verse 25, when the prisoners were singing and praying, something powerful happened. It's impossible to make a sound that is not in a key. Even if you can't sing, you are still in a key. So maybe God said, "I'm not going to use a physical key. But when you praise God, I could use a vocal key."
That's why when praises go up, God can use your key to open the door suddenly. When you show up at work tomorrow, thank God. When you go to a dealership, walk around and say, "Oh, I thank you, Jesus. I'm using my key." When you get home, walk through every room and release your sound. If you got the key today, you need to release your sound.
Have you ever had a season where it felt like nothing was happening? Have you ever prayed and felt like nothing happened? Have you ever remained faithful, kept showing up, kept believing, but nothing? You watch people who started after you pass you. You watch people who aren't even living right get stuff that you prayed for.
The frustrating part is not that God said no. The frustrating part is that God said not yet. I could handle a "no"—it's over, expectation killed, I move on. But not yet means it's possible. It's just not visible. That can drive you crazy.
God spoke through the prophet Amos to say: "It won't be long now." A slow season does not mean a dead promise. Many of you are frustrated because you think it's dead. God said it's not dead. It's slow. The promise did not die just because the process took longer than you expected. It's still going to happen.
God told Amos to speak judgment and consequences to His people. They were going to church, but they weren't living right. They were prospering, but they had no integrity. They were worshiping, but they treated people nasty. They were God's people, but they were unjust.
Here's the key: You can have public success, but public success can hide private sickness. Stop saying you wish you were other people because they look successful. People can look blessed but still be broken. They can look strong but be spiritually weak. You don't know if they're sick.
I know what it's like to be successful and sick. I know what it's like to have an arena full of people shouting at 28 and be depressed at home. I know what it's like to have the number one record in the world and still be insecure. That's why the last 24 months have been so fulfilling—for the first time, what you see on the outside matches how I feel on the inside.
A real prophetic voice does not just predict your future. A real prophetic voice corrects your present. Be careful when every prophet you know just tells you how good is coming. Every word can't be a blessing. A real prophet doesn't just predict your future—a real prophetic voice corrects your present.
God loves you too much to bless the version of you that is destroying you. If it hasn't happened yet, what if you aren't waiting on God? What if God is saying, "I'm just waiting on you to grow up. I'm waiting on you to give me your heart. I'm waiting on you to stop playing, church."
God is waiting for you to be faithful over a few things. Your prayer life might not be able to handle the thing you're asking for. You can't even tithe, but you want God to bless your business. God said, "I want to blow your business up, but you can't even be faithful over a few things."
Why wouldn't God take Moses back to Egypt at 40? He was young and strong. God didn't take him back until 80. Why? God loved Moses too much to bless the version of him that still thought he could do it in his own strength. God said, "I ain't going to use Moses till he realized the only way this is going to work is if I go with him."
Joseph received a dream at 17, but God didn't take him to the palace until he was older. God said, "A 17-year-old Joseph would destroy the throne. So I'm going to take you to prison so you can become a prime minister." God loves you too much to bless the version of you that's destroying you.
I remember when the old church used to say, "Lord, when you find it, take it out." That's what I love about them. They knew we weren't strong enough to pull it out ourselves. They were saying, "Look, God, I don't want to lie anymore. I don't want to cheat anymore. I don't want to kill anymore. I don't want to fuss anymore. I don't want to be mean anymore. I don't want to be arrogant anymore. Whatever my issue is, just take it out."
Amos says, "It won't be long now. God's decree. Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim." Soul changes everything. The original language means that blessings will interrupt each other. One thing fast on the heels of another.
Have you ever had someone step on your heel? That's the picture—so close together that before you can finish celebrating one blessing, the next one interrupts it. Before you can even tell someone what God just did for you, He's already done something else.
God is saying, "I'm going to bless you in such a way that your blessings are going to interrupt each other." Your head will swim. Get ready to be dizzy trying to keep up with everything God has for you. Everything will be happening at once.
I'm not telling you something I read. I'm living it right now. Finally, everything in my life got straightened out. My son Mason got things right. Xander's in school. Mason is going to play his senior year and graduates early. He'll be gone in January to school.
Then I come to staff meeting Monday after not being to work in five months, and my phone rings. My other son, Michael, needs me to book him a flight. Michael has qualified to bowl at the Junior National Championships in Minnesota. I text him and tell him I'm coming.
When he wins Monday, and when he wins Tuesday, and when he wins Wednesday, and when he wins Thursday, you're going to see my baby on ESPN. My son has never been the top recruit. My other son has never been the top bowler. Suddenly, everybody just started because God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly.
You want to know the best feeling in the world? That my children are getting to meet the God I preach about.
I need you to do something for the next seven days. The moment you wake up, don't grab your phone and go to social media. As a church, for seven days, soon as you wake up, you're going to read Amos chapter 9, verse 13. You're going to say, "Yes, indeed. It won't be long now. God's decree."
I'm crazy enough to believe that if we all get on one accord, something is about to happen suddenly for all of us.
Yes indeed. It won't be long now. This is God's decree. Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim. One thing fast on the heels of the other. You won't be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once.
I speak over your life: You'll get the new job, better salary, and promotion in the same month. I speak by faith: You'll meet a person who loves, honors, and respects you and get married in the same year.
I speak that everything you've been waiting on is getting ready to happen suddenly. People are going to try to talk you out of it. Even in this sanctuary, there are people right now that things are happening suddenly for them, and they're getting scared because they're not used to good things happening. They're not used to people being genuine. They're not used to people being honest. Their circle is trying to protect them by telling them to slow down.
I speak by faith: They're going to embrace their suddenly. They deserve breakthrough. They deserve love. They deserve passion. Things are about to happen fast, one thing back to back.
God, before you bless me, create in me a clean heart. You won't bless the version of me that's destroying me. So God, take the hurt out of my heart. Take the bitterness out of our heart. Take the pain out of our heart. Take the grudge holding out of our heart. Take the score that many of us have where we're keeping score on how people treat us. Take it out of our heart.
God, do what only you can do. And I'm crazy enough to believe you can do it for us.
I've got a house full of teenagers right now—it's loud, chaotic, and wonderful. They're constantly eating, opening the refrigerator, stomping around. But in those moments, they ask me profound questions like, "Pastor Mike, if I prayed and it didn't happen, does that mean God doesn't want me to have it?" I tell them, "No, it just may not happen yet."
One of my sons, Mason, even advised me: "Dad, when you go to church, tell all the young people about the NIV and NLT versions, because people are always asking how to understand the Bible." That advice came from his own experience—his grandfather got him reading those versions, and now he wants to pass that wisdom on to others.
One of the highlights of my life right now is watching young people get excited about God. Every parent, please hear me: falling in love with God is the best thing I've ever done.
We're doing something I haven't done in 16 years—a youth conference called "No Conference." It's a one-day event on August 1st, and we're going to pack this place with nothing but young people.
Here's what's happening: I've got young people giving their lives to Christ. I've got young people who were barely passing school now receiving awards. Parents are calling me saying, "Pastor Mike, whatever your youth department is doing, just keep doing it." Our kids are running to get to church.
When you come to the 11:30 service, you can't even sit in certain sections—they're packed with teenagers. When church starts, the whole front is nothing but teenagers giving God praise. I speak over their lives: they're not going to have to be rebuilt like we were. Seven of you are going to receive this word. My babies won't have to carry my testimony. They can write their own story with Jesus.
You may be in this room and not know Jesus. Or you may know Jesus but haven't been right with him. And there's nothing wrong with that. I told somebody at the Essence Festival: sometimes when I get out of the will of God, it's not because I'm in sin. I'm just busy.
Three months ago, I found myself not reading my Bible like I should, not praying like I should. Not because I was in sin, but because I was waking up at 6 AM, taking one kid to football, picking another one up, then we're getting on a plane. Life was just happening. If the devil can't beat you, he'll get you busy.
I had to stop and say, "Whoa, I'm only opening my Bible to write messages. I haven't read in a while. I haven't sat in silence in a while." And you know what I did? I said, "Lord, forgive me." So I'm telling you: stop beating yourself up. Sometimes life be lifing.
Sometimes you look up and you miss one Sunday, and that turns into six Sundays, and now you want to come back to church but you're scared people are going to judge you. No, forget them. God is standing on the porch like, "Hey, come here." God has His hands open. Come here. Come here.
You may be here and you don't know Jesus. You can repeat after me and say: "Lord, come into my heart. Make me over again. I confess with my mouth, believe with my heart, you rose from the dead. With all power in your hands right now by faith, I am saved."
That's all it took.
