I Can Be The Better Me // The Word Of God: The Book Of Galatians (Part 5) // Charles Metcalf

We will always face an internal battle between our spirit and flesh. In Week 5 of the The Word of God series, Pastor Charles taught us how to win the battle with the power of God. If you want to beat yourself in the fight, you must flee the stupid, feel the Spirit and fix your thoughts. We hope this message encourages you, reminding you that God has given you the strength to become the best version of yourself. Scripture References: Galatians 5:16-17 NLT Galatians 5:1 NIV Romans 7:8-25 MSG 2 Timothy 2:22 MSG Philippians 4:8-9MSG Galatians 5:16-23 MSG Join Transformation Church for our Sunday experience. Plug into community, engage in live worship with Transformation Worship, & hear a powerful word from God. ABOUT US We Exist to REPRESENT God to the lost & found for Transformation in Christ. This is the vision of Transformation Church, led by Pastor Michael Todd & based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. GIVE To support this ministry & help us continue to reach people all around the world: https://transformchurch.us/give/ STAY CONNECTED – Email Newsletter: https://qrco.de/beHPyX – Website: https://transformchurch.us/ – Facebook:   / wearetransformation   – Instagram:   / wearetransformation   – TikTok:   / transformationchurch   NEXT STEPS – Have you made the decision to follow Jesus? Let us know so we can help you on your journey toward Transformation in Christ: http://transformchurch.us/saved – Here at TC, we have a culture code of Relationship, & we want YOU to find your people! Find your tribe: https://transformchurch.us/tribes/ – Looking for a place to serve? Find an area that you would like to volunteer in & sign up below: https://transformchurch.us/serve/ #transformationchurch #transformationworship #liveworship #sermon #preaching #onlinechurch #miketodd #livesermon #bible #theology #michaeltodd #tcnation #sermon #church #onlineexperience

hi my name is Amberly and I have the

privilege of serving as one of our

executive pastors here at Transformation

Church we just want to say thank you so

much for tuning in from wherever you are

watching from and if you haven’t already

be sure to like And subscribe we believe

that God has a word for you so let’s

jump into this amazing

message all right get your Bibles out

let’s get ready for the word Galatians

chapter 5 is where we’re at it’s week

five of the series uh we got one more

week there’s six chapters in the book so

we’re going each week we’re taking a

chapter to do it and uh after next week

our very own Pastor Michael Todd is back

in the

building so please please please please

make sure you make plans to be here next

week and the week after you don’t want

to miss it it’s going to be amazing um

but Galatians chapter 5 um now I gotta

say I gotta say this I gotta be honest

with you my confidence is a little

shaken and our team um here’s why not

our team like staff I’m talking about

you sitting in the seat

um cuz you know I’m out and so I’m like

okay I’m going to try to watch church

and stuff you know we’ve been reading

whole chapters of the Bible and we

started off so strong and then we come

to this third

week and I felt like you know when you

at home and you like your kids are like

talking super regular and they just like

super calm and chill and they saying

whole sentences and then you get out and

public and they’re

like it’s like what hey talk normal come

on quit playing me now I feel like y’all

kind of played me we was throwing up

whole chapters y’all like uh so uh so it

made me really abandoned the whole we’re

going to read a chapter of the Bible

thing so watching it maybe it’s been

that bad the whole time I just didn’t

know it but we’re only going to read two

chapters I’m going to give you a a

summary of the whole chapter but I don’t

want to take y’all through 24 verses

again I don’t think anybody needs to

understand that so um Galatians chapter

5 is Paul he’s writing to a group of

people and I’ll just give you brief

overview so chap verses 1- 12 um there’s

no way to get around this he’s talking

about circumcision hello somebody so the

Bible’s got a lot of good stuff in there

um we’ll just keep moving with that one

I did have an alternate title for this

sermon it was called circumcision won’t

cut it but uh but we’re not going to do

that sermon but it’s true outward signs

don’t mean your heart’s changed it ain’t

going to cut it

anyways verses 13 to 15 he starts

talking about Love In Action what it

actually means to live it out and then

where we’re going to spend our time

today verses 16 through 23 he talks

about this war that happens within he

talks about this war between the spirit

and the Flesh and then he closes out the

chapter with some closing commands but

we’re going to focus on two verses today

if you throw that up there for me now we

are going to stand up again I’m only

making you read two so stand up you

going to get right back down it’s going

to be all right stand up to your feet if

you can throw that on the screen for us

we’re going to read this and uh we’re

going to read it all together so I’m

going to say one two three I’m going to

read it you going to read it we going to

all do it do we have that on there I

don’t know if we do we may not oh there

it is look at that see it’s so much

smaller you don’t have to be intimidated

some of you are like when is it going to

end look you can see the ending right

here okay all right Galatians 5 chapter

16 on the count of three we all start

reading everybody got it don’t play me

now don’t don’t leave me out here one 2

3 so I say let the holy spirit guide

your lives then you won’t be doing what

your sinful nature craves the sinful

nature wants to do evil which is just

the opposite of what the spirit wants

and the spirit wants to give us desires

that are the opposite of what the sinful

nature desires let’s finish strong these

two forces are constantly fighting each

other so you are not free to carry out

your good intentions give yourself a

round of

applause look at that you made it

through two verses of the Bible we

almost lost it in the middle you felt it

but it’s

okay we almost lost it that was tragic

okay title of the sermon if if you’re

taking notes today taking notes is like

a fast pass when you get to heaven you

show them your n notes you get to skip

the line you’re laughing at everybody

see you in two years uh so make sure you

take notes write this down at the top of

your page the title of the sermon I can

be the better

me I can be the better me Lord I Thank

you for this time

speak we are listening in Jesus name we

pray and everybody said amen okay I got

to be honest with you I don’t know if

you relate to this or not but there are

many times where I realize and feel like

there are two M on the inside of me does

anybody else relate to this come on you

you feel like there that one you that’s

in traffic that knows you got the

represent sticker on the back so people

honk and you’re like God bless you I

send peace and love and grace to

you and then there’s also a

you that will stop your car on Memorial

and be like I don’t care who you are if

you ever cut me off

again don’t play me up

here there’s one

you maybe I’m just talking about me

there’s one me that is the parent that

when my kids are whing I like lean down

and I’m like oh hey buddy I know you’re

just overwhelmed emotionally right now

and you know you don’t have the capacity

to articulate the emotions cuz they’re

all new you know I can’t imagine feeling

frustrated for the first time but we’re

not going to do that cuz that’s not the

best option you know for the life we

want to live son then there’s another

version of

me that says I don’t care what year it

is I will beat you like you stole

something if you ever talk to your mama

like that

again there there’s another

version just sometimes they be going

back and it’s funny cuz at different

times I can tell like okay I’m losing

the battle here to the Lesser me like I

am definitely there are certain things I

do um any of my friends will know this

the the worst place for this probably is

I don’t I don’t even honestly try to

fight it I’m keep real with you I just I

just let that crazy Charles do whatever

he wants to and that is when I play

basketball okay there are a few friends

micaa as my witness who will know when I

play bentum I apologize again just

looking in your eyes I felt convicted uh

I saw bentam I’ve said some crazy stuff

to bentam just wild things I start

talking people’s family lineage in bass

I’m just like this makes sense

considering your great great grandfather

like I just I doesn’t even make sense I

just I start tying my shoes and I’m like

man those are the shoes you’re wearing

that’s crazy oh my gosh it’s going to

suck to have to realize those will not

help you and you spend spend all that

money on those shoes how embarrassing

anyways I’ll pick you on my team like

I’m tearing down people on my team it

doesn’t make sense

but what my friends said I like that guy

because we’re both the same in that way

um but those are the the funny examples

but we all have this internal battle

where there’s one you that really wants

to obey God’s word there’s one you that

really wants to listen to what he say

says then there’s another version of you

that wants to be honest and says I want

to do what I want to do I don’t want to

have to turn the other cheek and I don’t

want to have to forgive people and I

don’t want to have to act like that I I

I don’t want to have to do that there’s

a version of you that wants to do what

it wants when it wants how it wants with

whoever it

wants and we all have this internal

battle see there’s a part of me that

that wants to be honest but there’s a

part of me that knows that sometimes

been in the truth get you what you

want there’s a part of me that wants to

live a life of Integrity but there’s

also a part of me these are real

thoughts and this is why you got to have

community and Friends literally all

these thoughts I’m about to share with

you I have a group text of guys that I

will text these crazy thoughts to or

I’ll text my friend I’ll do a thought

check in but I’ve text this thought

before there’s one side of me that wants

to be faithful in my marriage but

there’s another side of me that says you

know what you’ve only been with one

woman what are you missing out on

see it gets quiet when we start talking

about the real thoughts that come from

that other you you wouldn’t dare say

them out loud by in fact ignoring them

you actually give them more power CU you

won’t address it you won’t be honest

that there’s a version of you that yes

you’re going to do this business with

Integrity but there’s another version of

you that knows you could call that one

person and they could do some things and

get you right to the

top and if we’re not honest we will

continue to ignore the reality of the

war that is happening on the inside of

you and you will slowly lose by acting

like it’s not

happening what battle do you win by

ignoring what wrestle do you win by

acting like it’s not there and for so

long the church and Believers have hid

under this facade of blessed and highly

favored and yeah I’m the head and not

the tail and blah blah blah blah blah

that’s trash you’re really thinking

about changing your character and

sleeping with whoever you want to why

don’t you just say

that what if they judge me and what if

they what are they going to think and

the truth is the church has done a bad

job at creating a safe place for that

lesser you to say what’s really going on

in his

head but I came to change that today

because I need you to know even though

there is a battle within even though

it’s raging even though you feel

internally stuck there are some of you

that feel like one you maybe feel like

surely not everybody else is still

fighting like this the enemy tries to

wrestle you and get you to consider that

like oh yeah no everybody else has it

figured out but it’s just you that

struggles back and forth or or maybe you

feel discouraged because you’ve been

fighting so long I need you to know

today that there is a better option I

came to give you good news that you do

not have to continue to lose the battle

to the Lesser you the version of you

that doesn’t want to stay the version of

you that wants to run when it gets hard

the version of you that just wants to

please itself there is a better option

because of the power of Jesus Christ on

the inside of you you can be the better

you come on I want to encourage you some

of you have been stuck for so long that

you feel like there’s no other option

but to just give in to fear there’s no

other option but to just give in to

comparison that is not the truth there

is a God who lives on the inside of you

who didn’t just die for you but wants to

empower you to be the best version of

yourself someone who walks in confidence

someone who knows who they are somebody

say I can be the better me I can be the

better me okay you ain’t nothing going

to change saying and weak like that say

it strong I can be the better me I can

be the better me come on some of y’all

even saying that is hard because you

know your

patterns well if you could have done it

you would have done it by now and you

know you’ve been struggling with that

thought since you were 12 years old and

you know you’ve never got past that

hurdle that is a Lie from the enemy I

don’t know if you know this or not but

the Bible says the same power that got

Jesus Christ out of the Grave lives on

the inside of

you you don’t have to lose that battle

you can be the better you you can be a

person of Integrity you can be the

person who stands up and says you know

hey we ain’t going to talk about people

I know it’s all our family does and if

we take away gossip we ain’t going to

have no conversation but we going to

have to figure out how to talk about

something else because I am deciding to

be the best version of me

I know it takes a lot harder work to

build relationship with people and not

just judge people based off what they

look like but we’re not going to make

assumptions about people in fact we’re

going to pray for those people and we’re

going to build relationship with go

those people we’re going to talk to

those people we’re going to invite those

people to our house for

dinner why because I’m not settling for

the lowest version of me and some of us

need to check our friendships check our

circles because there are some

friendships that like the Lesser you

they like the you that don’t have no

standards they like you that doesn’t

care about going out after a certain

time they like to you that says oh no

it’s not a big deal they like the you

that they can talk crazy around and know

they ain’t going to get checked they

like that version of you but some of you

are going to have to reintroduce

yourself get ready for some awkward

conversations cuz they going to talk

Talking sideways you’re going be like oh

oh yeah yeah sorry sorry I know we used

to talk about that but that was the

Lesser me that was the me that didn’t

know who they were that was the me that

didn’t know that they were called and

created by

God somebody say I can be the better me

Paul he he’s talking about this war that

happens on the inside of us and he said

there’s there’s two versions of me the

end of that scripture verse 17 he says

there’s these two forces that are

constantly

fighting you know he starts off

Galatians 1 and I remember my dad

preached scripture a lot growing up and

the scripture starts off and says it’s

for Freedom that Christ set us free and

we all love to scream about being free

free but the truth is if you going to be

free that uh insinuates you getting out

of

something and the truth is there is this

battle that is happening this war for

your freedom this war for your soul and

what I have found is the biggest fight

for my freedom is not against the

devil uhoh hold on cuz we give the devil

all the credit in the world the devil’s

attacking me the devil no no no

sometimes you attacking you

oh shoot cuz now we going to have to

take ownership for our thoughts in the

scripture that says take every thought

captive has some accountability to it

it’s not just all the devil’s trying to

no no no calm down the devil planted one

thought maybe when you were uh 10 years

old and you’ve been wrestling that same

thing over and over again the biggest

fight for your freedom is going to be

you against

you write that down take a note let’s

just acknowledge it the biggest fight

for my freedom is going to be me versus

me

and the decision every day when I wake

up which me am I going to be today I’m

going to be the person that gets in the

word first and understands the value for

this or am I going to be the person that

says Ah it’s not that big of a deal you

know it’s fine I’ll get around to it I’m

going to be the person that is

disciplined because I realize that I’m

my best self when I’m disciplined and

committed to something or am I just

going to be lazy and say you know I’ll

get around to it it’s not that big of a

deal realizing that your lack of

discipline is the thing that is the

domino effect to every area of your

life which you are you going to choose

we got to acknowledge that there’s this

fight going on the inside of us and I

love the way Paul is talking because uh

sometimes we feel like this is a new

thing maybe you feel like man there’s no

way nobody else is doing this and

sometimes I feel I don’t know if I’m

bipolar what’s wrong with me am I I’m in

your head come on anybody ever have

conversations with yourself come on be

honest raise your hand and some of y’all

that lesser you just said don’t put your

hand up lie

act regular they’ll never notice you

just lost right in that question right

there you were like nope I wait uh

no the truth is this has been going on

for thousands of years you are not the

first person to feel like yes I’m a good

person I don’t do that anymore and then

also be like but also it was kind of fun

maybe I do do that you’re not the first

one in fact I want to read you a portion

of scripture in Romans 7 this is what it

says says uh I don’t really understand

myself for I want to do what is right

but I don’t do

it instead I do what I hate he goes on

later to say I want to do what is right

but I can’t I want to do what is good

but I don’t I don’t want to do what is

wrong but I do it

anyways he goes down and says I have

discovered this principle of

life that when I want to do what is

right I inevitably do what is wrong I

love God’s law with all my heart but

there’s another power within me that is

at war with my

mind this is The Human Condition the war

within the battle between which version

of You Are you going to be and today I

want to give you hope and some practical

tools on how can you be the better you

Paul’s describing this battle and I want

to we’re going to go into a little bit

of a teaching Bible study here for a

second so stay with me he says the Flesh

and the spirit the flesh is your sin

nature it is your natural inclination it

is why you don’t have to teach a baby to

say mine it is why your first thought is

usually not the kindest thought it is

your natural inclination that is bent

against God so you are you don’t just

you’re not just born with like okay let

me see what God’s will is let me make

sure I obey that let me forgive people

Let Me Be Kind no you are born selfish

and that is the war he’s talking about

there’s that you your flesh that wants

to do what it wants to do and does not

care what people think why they think

what they think and will keep going by

themselves that is your flesh and that’s

one side of the war then there’s the

other side that is the spirit everybody

say the spirit Spirit the spirit is the

you that is empowered by

God that knows his word that knows it

has a call and is sensitive to God’s

voice and is the empowering nature of

how you can live to be the best version

of yourself there’s the selfish you and

the spirit you now here’s what I have

found in my research in my life and in

my experience of what happens you see we

are all born with the flesh the selfish

us the Lesser us the one that doesn’t

want to do what people tell us to do and

what happens is is the way we try to

tame the flesh is with rules

follow me this is what we do we have

ourselves that’s like hm I want to talk

crazy to whoever I want to however I

want to I’m going to cuss people out in

traffic I’m GNA cuss people out just if

I feel like it I’m just going to go

crazy let’s say that’s your situation

what we do if we’re trying to tame that

version of us we just make up a bunch of

rules okay I’m just not going to do it

rule number one don’t cuss at people we

screw that rule down and we say okay I’m

just going to not cuss at

people I won’t okay hold hold on I won’t

then somebody come up talking to you

you’re like I will okay hold on let me

go back to my rule okay we don’t cuss

the people what you don’t

realize is your flesh does not care

about the madeup rule you’re trying to

tell

it this is why this does not work this

is why when we sell people that gospel

it doesn’t work don’t have sex before

you’re married why don’t

why though well because it’s bad well

then why are you doing it when you’re

married if it’s bad well I mean it’s

good it’s good then but it’s bad now but

just don’t do

it what about any tools no that’s weird

don’t mention that they’re not going to

talk to you about it just don’t do it

it’s bad and then on your honeymoon

magic will happen and you’ll realize oh

it’s good

now that’s our educational system for

how to deal with sexual Purity don’t do

it until you have the this day and then

you do it and it’s

great that was not my

experience and I’m not saying that for

any other reason other than just we just

build these whole

worlds or like yeah yeah yeah and that’s

just a rule that at some point your

flesh is like okay I know it ain’t bad

and if you said it’s bad mom and dad

y’all ain’t doing it right because I

talk to some

people so rule number one cooked boom

that’s not true I know it’s not

bad come on this is and this is what

happens with any rule you set eventually

your flesh is like

yeah but let’s just see for

ourselves and we get so

discouraged because we set rule after

rule after Rule and at some point you

lose the battle to the Lesser

you this is not new in fact at all uh

Paul he speaks of this he has so many

different words that he says today you

know I’ve been out for a little bit so I

got two Bibles today so we going uh I’m

going to read this to you um this is

Paul explaining this issue with these

rules this is the message version Romans

7 he says this um he said do you

remember how it were how it was I do

perfectly well the law code started out

as an excellent piece of work so he’s

helping people understand this war

within you have your flesh and then the

law was given the Ten Commandments that

grew to over 384 rules that people had

to follow and he’s talking to them about

he says this he says what happened

though was that sin found a way to

pervert the command into a

Temptation making a piece of forbidden

fruit the law code instead of being used

to guide me was now used to seduce me it

says the very command That was supposed

to guide me into life was cleverly used

to trip me up sin did what is so famous

for doing using the good as a cover up

to tempt me to do what would finally

destroy

me what is he saying he says not only do

your rules break down but the entire

Commandments from the Old Testament the

flesh wared against and kept breaking

down he says this Jesus God gives the

law to the children of Israel and there

in internal flesh he’s like no other

gods before me they’re like all right

bet cool Moses goes up on the mountain

two seconds later Aaron’s like who got

some gold we’re about to make a calf

we’re about to burn up your earrings

we’re going to expose a couple of y’all

who got fake jewelry not a big

deal

but and what why am I saying this I’m

saying because even the law that was

given by God your flesh wears

down you need something more powerful

than a list of rules you need something

more powerful than just your will to get

past this battle you need something more

powerful than just I’m going to do 75

hard and that’ll make me

better that’s not it do 75 hard a

thousand times it can’t break down that

selfish you you need something with more

power you need something that has the

power to defeat death Hell In The Grave

you need the Holy Spirit the Holy Ghost

the one who stands alongside working on

the inside of you to win this war and I

came to encourage you I love your

discipline I love your list they are

amazing but if you are solely leaning on

the works of you doing good you will

always lose the battle to the Lesser you

if it is just a list of to-do you need

something more than rules you need a

relationship you need something more

than just saying oh I’ll do it by

willpower you need God’s power if you’re

going to be the better

you so we gonna walk through three ways

and I love this is probably one of my

favorite like uh I got three points the

title for it is this want you write this

down how to beat yourself in a

fight come on cuz you fighting you so we

need to know how to beat you how to beat

yourself in a

fight number one write this down please

uh first point very spiritual how to

beat yourself in the fight flee the

stupid write that down and if you just

got offended because I said stupid man

I’m sorry

uh here’s Point number one the most

spiritual thing you could do in a fight

is sometimes

realizing I got no business fighting

this

individual if I was to come at if I was

out somewhere at a restaurant and

somebody walked past me and nudge me and

let me tell you I need no reason this is

a part of My Flesh Abby will tell you I

am I have been in one fight my entire

life one fight dude made fun of me and I

just swung off hit him in the face

teacher grabbed me that was the one

fight I was been in so I don’t even know

if it counts he tried to hit me I kind

of hit that Mayweather on him but uh I

was in a shell you know say

uh but uh one fight but I just be

walking around like what what what Abby

be like somebody will look like what

they looking at you for she’s like well

they probably go to the church

sweetheart I’m like yeah okay yes so if

I’ve ever seen you in public and you

looked at me and I was like what like I

I’ll literally we’ll be riding my bike

my friend andler he’s like what is wrong

with you we’ll ride and somebody will

Mumble something going past I’ll be like

what’ you say I’ll slam on my brakes

just like I’m about to fight somebody in

this skinny outfit I got tights on and

I’m like let’s

go but if somebody walked past and

bumped me and I turned around and it was

Roosevelt just let me tell you how this

goes yo what’s uh Hey

Brother first of all good to see

you uh you know what don’t even worry

about it

brother don’t even you yeah I was in

your way that was my bad I shouldn’t

even been standing here you know what

I’m saying like it was bad on my part to

be in your

pathway some of the fights we’re

fighting you got no business being

in you we are in fights for our good day

with random people who honk at you you

get one honk and the whole day you

fighting a bad attitude just see

everybody hates me and this is why this

is why I don’t even drive the car you

walk in your D see look at y’all just

looking crazy I can stand this job you

are

fighting stupid

and the first thing as I came back I was

like this really spiritual thing some of

us need to stop fighting the stupid

stuff you don’t need to be in certain

DMS let me let me just say this if you

are married dating someone or have any

sense I was going to walk right off the

stage I’m trying to get as close as I

can the concussion is still a little bit

there I was about to get another one

uh I was about to get baptized

uh if you are married you don’t need to

be de ging or

FaceTiming any girl for no reason at

all but just my friend and we was

friends before I met I don’t care who

they

are that’s

stupid no you just don’t understand our

relationship okay dog so it’s super

fruitful to your marriage for you to

have someone that you were really close

to before you met your wife that you’ve

kept a tie with just in case you really

need somebody to talk to Great argument

let me know how that works

out that’s really helpful to your

relationship to be in 10 other DMS just

talking about stuff y’all have in

common ooh it got quiet

now it’s stupid it don’t make no sense

if you’re struggling with comparison it

may be dumb for you to get on Instagram

and scroll through and follow all these

people whose job is to make up a fake

life and act like it’s their real life

that may not be

smart I’m just I’m trying to be honest

with you cuz I love you there is a lot

here’s what happens there are real

battles we have to fight and we spend

the god-given

energy that he gave us for the real

fight on other fights he didn’t have no

business us being in so you over here

just getting worked by fear getting

worked by a lack of Integrity like and

you just getting destroyed and then you

come up over here you’re all limping and

dragging you’re like God I’m one of your

most faithful Ser servants I’m a soldier

in the Lord’s army he’s like

you have been running yourself into the

ground some stuff we got to run I love

the message version of the Bible in

second Timothy 2 uh uh 2:22 that was a

lot of twos my brain’s still coming back

okay uh it says this flee or run all

childish

indulgences some of the stuff we’re

fighting is

childish one comment from a friend or a

spouse you be like see that’s why you or

you just be like oh you know not not a

big deal learning to let stuff go how

are you going to live the better version

of yourself some stuff you just going to

realize that is not worth my energy that

is not worth the fight yes I can I have

maybe even you have the right to be

frustrated but is your peace worth

it some of y’all I’m going to help you

I’m going to help you November right now

okay you going to show up for

Thanksgiving and there’s going to be

that janky family

member I got a lot of words I can say

but let’s just use

janky another word my grandmother would

say is flicted y’all don’t know about

flicted if you ain’t heard that but

granny still like some of y’all just

flicked

it but they going to come in

and you know they going to start talking

crazy at this point the issue is on you

to expect something

different you going to ruin your

day if you don’t just prepare they going

to talk crazy and I’m not going I’m not

going to have no business in it I’m not

going to De I’m not going to get into an

argument about it I know they’re gonna

bring up all types of stuff I know they

going to try to argue I’m not going to

deal with it cuz that is dumb and I’m

going to decide I’m going to have a good

Thanksgiving regardless of what they say

yes they going to act wild they going to

try to stir up something they go yes

that’s what they’re going to do but as

for me I’ve decided I’m not going to let

them drag me down to the Lesser version

of myself that’s arguing over

stuffing got in hit now but I’m November

that third

Thursday you’re going to think shos

Charles had a word

okay number two flee the stupid number

one number two feed the

spirit feed the spirit I heard somebody

say one time you don’t eat what you

crave you crave what you

eat so you got to feed the best version

of you it does not make sense if one

vers version of you if there’s one part

of you that is selfish

you need to work on the side of you that

is giving and and is humble and puts

others first so it does that make sense

to build and set your life up where

everything is convenient for you and you

don’t have to sacrifice anything and

then expect to win the war with kindness

and giving and forgiveness it doesn’t

make any sense because you’re not

feeding the right

thing if you want your spirit to win the

war you got to feed your spirit there’s

an old story pastors have told it a

kajillion times but they talk about

there’s two wolves there’s one that’s

strong and and you’re feeding it you’re

you’re with it every day and it’s out in

the wilderness running like normal and

then there’s one that you put in a cave

and you you don’t talk to it and you

leave it alone and it doesn’t have the

Pack and it says if you put them in a

fight which one’s going to win the

answer is it doesn’t matter where you

put them the one you feed is going to

win so it doesn’t matter what situation

you’re in if you are not feeding your

spirit you’re not going to win the

war so what is feeding your spirit

reading the word this is where there

ain’t no tricks tips or skip overs you

got to read the Bible That’s feeding

your spirit now this is not time based

and I’m saying that because some of you

feel like the only way to feed your

spirit is to do a bible plan that is

like read the Bible in six minutes the

whole thing and you’re like okay I’m

going to feed my spirit and then you

give up at Leviticus and you’re like oh

man okay that was weird

uh so I’m not but to daily feed your

spirit you read the word another way you

feed your spirit is worship having

worship there have been seasons of our

life as a family where when we walked in

the house we turned on worship and that

was all that played all day why because

we needed a a good atmosphere we needed

our spirit to be fed there have been

times where it’s like when I get in the

car I’m either listening to somebody

preaching I’m listening to something

about the word I’m listening to right

now I’m doing a random study uh while

I’ve been out uh with the Bible project

they have this podcast it’s amazing and

I’m studied some weird ancient stuff I

don’t even know if I’ll use any day but

it’s just about the Bible feed your

spirit how do you feed your spirit

Community Godly Community is a way you

can feed your spirit you get around

people that are saying hey how was your

week this week how do we do as husbands

serving our wives that’s a different

question that’s going to feed your

spirit in a different way how did we do

letting go of control of the future this

week and how are we going to continue to

trust God with the future of our family

and the future of our children like that

Community feeds your spirit so first

thing everybody say flee the stupid the

stupid it’s that hilar your your

great-grandmother would be mad at me for

you saying stupid in church but we’ve

come a long way

uh the next one we’re going to feed the

spirit feed the spirit last one write

this down fix your thoughts fix your

thought fix your thoughts fix your

thoughts the Bible is very clear on the

power of fixing your

thoughts I remember growing up uh my mom

she gave me this little card and my mom

she’s watching this no doubt and she’ll

remember this but she gave me this

little card and it was a Bible verse it

was Philippians 4 uh8 and this scripture

is talks about fixing your thoughts and

what you should be fixing your thoughts

on and I remember my mom it was up in my

bathroom and I kept tearing it down and

like putting it on my table and every

day she would come into my room pick

that thing up and stick it back on there

and I was like Mom what this is weird it

was like one of those cheesy things from

like mardell’s like the color it was

like some horrible font like really big

just is an awful poster but every day

she would put that up there and this is

the scripture I want to read it to you

it’s Philippians 48 it says this summing

it up friends I’d say you’ll do your

best by filling your mind and meditating

on things that are true Noble reputable

authentic compelling and gracious focus

on the best not the worst the beautiful

not the ugly things to praise not things

to curse put into practice what you’ve

learned what you’ve heard and saw and

realized do that and the God who makes

everything work together will work you

into to the most excellent

harmonies if we’re going to win the war

that’s on the inside of us some of us

have to make a decision to fix our

thoughts now here’s what I’m not saying

I’m not saying fix your thoughts like

you are a broken project to be rendered

perfect I’m saying fix your thoughts the

original word there it literally means

to set up to build and to

inhabit the word picture for this word

in the original language would be

build a house with all good thoughts in

it and move into

it that’s when it says fixed it

literally is set up a life set up a

house set up a place that where the only

thing in this house are things first

that are

true some of us if we’re going to win

the war on the inside of us we got to

focus on things that are

true the truth is you are still married

and you did make it this far that’s what

true that’s the truth the truth is you

did raise your kids in God’s house you

did do your best with what you had that

is what is true what is true is you

cannot control everything and everyone

that’s true so the reality is there is

something in front of you that you have

to find peace with what is true in your

life not what’s possible if you focus on

what’s possible you’ll spin out it’s

possible that there could be a crazy

easy I don’t even know what scenario

that happens right in a second that’s

possible what is true is God has

protected me multiple times when I

thought I was going to die that’s what’s

true what’s true is God said he has a

plan for my life what is true is even if

the worst thing happened I’m surrounded

by community that would love me take

care of me what is true is God is in

control so that’s what I choose to focus

on they said why don’t you focus on the

beautiful not the

ugly this has been my thought and prayer

and I’m going to close with this me and

my wife were having a conversation and I

was talking about something um that I

actually wrote down I try to like uh do

this practice thing in this little

journal every single day and what I

wrote down after uh the accident so

generally what happened I was riding my

bike and uh uh which I got to say the

guy who hit me was super tore up he’s

been super kind like we’re we’re fine

there were some I posted about getting

an accident and like 40 people were like

we will find them right now like they

just went Liam niss it was like I will

find you and I will kill it was like

okay calm

down pretty much I signaled he didn’t

see it boom smoked me like going 40 m an

hour bam cooked so uh got hit yeah some

of y’all were like I thought you fell

over no I got straight mowed down by a

car uh but after that happened was

journaling and uh what I wrote down in

my journal was God

in any situation let the first and the

biggest thing I see is you and what

you’re

doing any situation I go through let the

first and the biggest thing I see is you

and what you’re doing what is that that

is a decision to fix my thoughts it’s an

internal decision that every person in

this room empowered by the the Holy

Spirit has the ability to make God let

me fix my thoughts on you and what

you’re doing so from everything that

happened even a couple weeks ago what I

see is oh my gosh my God protected me my

God kept me Sav I know people that was

going and fell in a driveway and broke

their arm and I ain’t got no broken

bones no internal bleeding my memory was

just a little bit fuzzy but I’m still

here hello

somebody the biggest thing I choose to

see is God what you and you are doing

who you are how you’re moving so in your

relationship yes y’all might be going

through some stuff but the biggest thing

you want to see God you have sustained

us we have went through so much stuff

and we did not think we were going to

stay married but God the thing I choose

to see what I’m deciding to fix my

thoughts on is the fact that you have

sustained me and that’s enough for

me fix your thoughts God who are you and

what are you doing yes you want to be

married yes you want to find someone

that is real I’m not saying you don’t

acknowledge that but the first and the

biggest thing you decide to fix your

thoughts on is God I thank you that you

are making me and molding me into

somebody Lord God who is going to be

able to be a beautiful partner in a

marriage and you are guiding me God I

thank you Lord Jesus that you are enough

for me right in this

season but here’s the thing I can’t do

that for you I can’t fix your thoughts

you got to fix your

thoughts you got to decide what house

you want to live in you got to decide

what heart you want to live

with and I truly believe I’m going ask

the worship team to come out we are

closing service down I truly believe

every person in this room and under the

sound of my voice you have the

power to be the best version of

you the version of you

that does not walk around constantly

worried about what other people are

thinking the version of you that wakes

up in the

morning expecting God to do something

great the version of you that the first

thought you have when you get an idea is

not this will never work but what if

this is the one idea God gave me that

changes the

world the version of you that is in a

dark situation but you look back over

your life and you say God I know this is

dark but I remember other times when it

was dark and so God I thank you that

this past memory I have is bringing

light to this current situation the

version of you that hopes for something

more than just what your family

has the version of you that dreams of a

relationship that is completely

trustworthy and completely vulnerable

and doesn’t settle for just being

housemates or being legal Partners but a

version of you that believes this

marriage can be full of love and hope

and I know we’re going through right now

and I know the divorce papers are on the

table but I have a belief that there is

something God can do that we can be the

best version of this

marriage I know I feel stuck and you may

be addicted right now you may find

yourself just having to watch

pornography or sleep with someone just

to even go to bed at night but there is

a version of you that doesn’t have to

give away parts of it to feel something

but knows that you are something because

the god of the universe has value on you

and he loves you and he cares about

you there’s a version of you that

doesn’t have to feel better about Itself

by judging other

people there’s a version of you that

doesn’t have to use the Bible as a way

to manipulate your family to get them to

do what you

want there’s a version of you that

doesn’t have to look at other people and

say I don’t know about them but there’s

a version of you that lives with your

Arms Wide Open

a version of

you that realizes you are a child of the

creator of the

universe and no matter what happens you

find peace contentment and confidence in

that

reality I’m ask everybody to stand up

all over this

[Music]

room

Galatians 5

the obvious uh verse in this whole

writing is Galatians

5:22 you maybe heard it before it’s the

fruit of the spirit as a matter of fact

the word of the Year this year at

Transformation Church is

fruit and uh I want to close this

service with what I believe is a

prophetic word on the best version of

you it’s the fruit of the spirit it’s

what happens in your heart when you can

continue to feed that thing and so I

want to read this over you it says this

in Galatians

522 you want to know what happens when

we live God’s way he brings gift into

our life the same way that fruit would

appear in an orchard in an orchard

things like affection for others and

exuberance about life Serenity we

develop a willingness to stick with

things a sense of compassion in our

heart a conviction that a basic holiness

permeates the things around us we find

ourselves involved in loyal commitments

not needing to force our way we’re able

to Marshal and direct our lives and

energy

wisely that’s the best version of you

and what I love about the way that The

Message Bible frames it is it doesn’t

position it as things you do but someone

you

are it says hey it’s not peace is

something you just do

it’s in who you are it’s the Tye you’re

a peaceful person you don’t just have

peace momentarily or for a segment no no

when you walk into a room the god of the

universe because he lives on the inside

of you changes the atmosphere and

everywhere you go there is peace no no

no you don’t just have self-control for

a moment to not do a bad thing no no no

how you live and build your life is

someone who is disciplined and has has

beat themselves into submission and

saying hey we’re not going to live like

that because we have greater calling

it’s the best version of you and I want

to take a moment we’re going to close

out service but I’m going ask everybody

to Bow your heads and close your eyes

nobody moving for a moment but I want to

pray over you if you’ve been feel like

you’ve been losing the battle to the

Lesser you come on I want you to be

honest I’m going to count to three I’m

going to ask you to raise your hand in

just a moment but if you have felt the

war on the inside of you there’s there’s

parts of you that haven’t been living up

to the standards you know there’s parts

of you that just feel tired you’re tired

of fighting you’re tired of of of

falling in the same cycle you’re tired

of of being stuck in depression you’re

tired of of being worried about

everything you’re tired of of not

knowing what’s going to happen and it

turns into just acting out if you’re

tired of that I promise you the god of

the universe stands ready to help you

and his command to you is not do more

his command to you is not try harder his

command to you is surrender his command

to you is take up my burden and take up

my Yol for it’s easy and it’s light if

you walked in heavy today if you walked

in beat down by life there is a God who

wants to give you a fresh start where

you can live as the best version of

yourself so if you’re in this room and

you say you know what I’m tired of

losing that fight I follow Jesus but

I’ve been losing the fight I’m going to

count to three I don’t want you to lift

your hands I want you to be honest do

not worry about who’s around you this is

about you winning the battle for your

own Freedom one two three raise your

hand right now you’ve been beat down you

feel like there’s some areas you’re

losing I want to pray over you God you

see every person right now you see every

believer with their hand raised and

right now holy spirit I thank you that

you already live on the inside of them

so I call out what is already in them

that you do have self-control that you

do have peace that you do have love that

the god of the universe will begin to

permeate every part of your heart I

speak against disappointment and

depression because you feel like you

lost too many fights that is not your

story you can be the best version of you

I thank you God that today would be a

brand new start there’s a new confession

that you’re walking with your head held

high there’s a new pep in your step God

I thank you today is a fresh

start thank you Jesus you can put your

hands hands down every eye closed still

just for a

moment one to the people I just prayed

for I want to say this that new you is

right around the

corner I feel that so strongly some of

you need to write that down that needs

to be your confession the new me is

right around the

corner there’s a second group of people

in

here and you have been trying to fight

this fight by

yourself you don’t have Jesus in your

heart all that means is you’ve

surrendered you’ve stopped trying to

fight you’ve stopped trying to do it

yourself if you’re tired of fighting

alone you feel

lonely that’s it that’s the feeling

that’s in your in your heart if you were

to go in there and just be honest with

your emotions right now you feel lonely

you’re carrying the weight of your

family you’re carrying the weight of

your calling you’re carrying the weight

of the of the vices and struggles that

you feel like won’t leave you if you

need

help accepting Jesus is just saying I

need help I can’t do it by

myself here’s what I’m going to ask you

to do I’m going to ask everybody to Bow

your heads and close your eyes we’re all

going to pray a prayer together we’re

going to pray a prayer together and it’s

for those who are for the first time or

maybe you’re rededicating your life back

to Jesus but you’re saying he is my Lord

and Savior we’re going to all pray this

prayer together then we get done with

this prayer right when we say Amen if

you prayed that prayer and you said you

know what that’s my first time I meant

it I’m giving my life to Jesus when we

finish this prayer I want you to raise

your hand high in the air saying I gave

my life to Jesus let’s all pray together

everybody say dear heavenly father I

love you thank you Jesus for giving me a

fresh

start I admit I I’ve made

mistakes save me change me make me new

and in Jesus name I pray amen can we

celebrate if you just made that decision

I want you to lift your hand up high

right now come on come on we got one

right here I see you brother so proud of

you come on right here so proud of you

keep your hand up keep your hand up our

team is bringing you a Bible right now

come on keep your hand up if you see

somebody with their hand up give them a

hug tell them you love them we are so so

proud of you so proud of you best

decision you could ever make if you just

made that choice it is the best decision

you could ever make we would love to

give you a hug shake your hand let

somebody know around you and we’d love

if you’d let us know if you text the

word Sav uh if you text that to the

number that’s on the screen or scan the

QR code or in your Bible there’s a

little card it tells you what you can do

next but we are so proud that you just

made that decision it’s the best thing

ever can we celebrate those who just

made the decision to follow

[Music]

[Applause]

Jesus Hey listen it’s flood Sunday and

something we do here that’s a little

wild is we do something called

spontaneous baptisms what’s that mean

that means you are here and you saw

people getting baptized and you were

like dang it I should have signed up

well guess what we can still baptize you

right now and some of you the beginning

and the fresh start you need to the best

version of yourself is saying I’m making

a decision today to follow Jesus so I’m

going to invite my friend will he’s

going to come up but if you want to get

baptized you can do it right now our

team team is going to worship we’re

going to sing we have stuff for you I

think there’s people in the back of the

room I’m not going to fake like I know

which way to point you cuz I don’t but

if you want to make that decision today

it’s the best thing you could do and uh

we’re so grateful for you can we give it

up for everybody who gave their life to

Jesus oh come on let’s do it let’s do it

thank you so much for watching this

message we pray that it encouraged you

our vision is to represent God to the

lost and found for transformation in

Christ and if you would like to partner

with us in giving you can text give to

82

8282 or visit us on our website also be

sure to like subscribe and check out our

other sermons as well now go out and

live a transformed life

[Music]