Because God has a plan for our lives, sometimes we think there’s no action required on our part to achieve His plan; however, our lives are full of decades, dreams and decisions that call us to destiny. It’s time to be specific about who we are and what we bring to the table; thus, there is an obligation of intentionality concerning our alignment. Sometimes our ‘No’ is more valuable than our ‘Yes,’ as our burden has the power to be someone else’s blessing. God is with us, and He will show us mercy; however, the benefit will come through our dedication to destiny.

[Music]

I’m going to be talking about dedication

to destiny dedication to destiny and

that that’s it that kind of an odd

subject because most people see destiny

is something that God does and and it

just happens arbitrarily and we have no

investment or involvement into it we

normally don’t think of dedication and

destiny in the same sense because we

ascribe all the responsibility for our

destiny to the Lord you know all things

work together for the good of them to

love the Lord what are the called

according to his purpose leads us

thinking that we don’t have to do

anything then all things just work

together for our good it leaves us

thinking it gives us the impression that

God just makes it work whether we work

or not it’s just gonna work for our good

if the Lord means for it to happen it’s

gonna happen but I’m gonna talk to you

about dedication to destiny how

dedicated are you to what you believe

I’m gonna challenge some of your belief

systems this morning I may be able to

point some things out in your life that

will help this year to be more effective

help you to weigh the effectiveness of

this year help you to weigh the

effectiveness of the next 10 years of

your life I started talking about the

decade we stepped into a new decade how

many are glad to be a part of this field

decade

now there are a few folks in this room

that the enemy didn’t even want you to

be alive for this desk aid so you can’t

sit there and be cute and look all

important sell yes I’m glad you know the

enemy tries to kill you before you ever

even got here and you need to really get

up and celebrate and thank god you’re

just being here just being alive just

being alive if you don’t get that but

sit there and look pretty you ought to

just smile like the devil and say see

I’ve made it I made it I made it to

Twitter Twitter

come on somebody who am I talking to

this morning and because it is our

custom you can remain standing we’re

gonna go to Genesis 39 20 through 23 for

a few minutes and we’re gonna use this

scripture just as a leap off point I

don’t really so much want to exegete the

text but I want to use the text as a

canvas on which we convey and write

ideas and share principles and concepts

that will help us to better move into

the purpose of the plan and the dictates

of God because God has a plan for my

life good god and I said God has a plan

for my life

it’s the reason I wasn’t is stillborn

it’s the reason I didn’t die of crib

death it’s the reason I survived my

childhood it’s the reason that I

survived Pro wrecks and accidents and

injuries God has a plan for my life it’s

not that I’m so good it’s not that I’m

so perfect it’s not that I’m so smart

it’s not that I’m so innovative

it’s just that God preserved me because

he has a plan for my life and I’m gonna

live out that plan

so all you haters who don’t want me to

live out my plan get over it I’m gonna

live out that plan all of you that have

haters that don’t want you to live out

your plan tell him to get over and God

has a plan for your life and you’re

headed somewhere you tell I’m fired up I

had me read the scripture I’m already on

fire shout hallelujah somebody and

Joseph muster took him and put him into

the prison a place where the Kings

prisoners were bound and he was there in

the prison but the Lord was with Joseph

I like that I just wanna pause right

there

what an ox a mole on his his master put

him in prison

and God said if you going to jail I am

200k nobody do me like Jesus if he’s

going to the emergency room I’m going

with you

if he’s going in trouble I’m a present

help in the time of trouble tell Marty

who thought you were in it by yourself

you need to shout right now because God

does like how strong but the Lord was

with Joseph and showed him mercy and

gave him favor in the sight of the

keeper of the prison come on and the

keeper of the prison committed to Joseph

II committed to Joseph’s hand all the

prisoners that were in the prison and

whatsoever they did there he was the

doer of it can you say man the keeper of

the prison looked not to anything that

was under his hand because the Lord was

with him and that which he did the Lord

made it to prosper Oh

I gotta put that back up her again I got

to read that last good jerk again put

that other

oh that disciplines for that which he

did that which he did not that which he

thought about not that which he danced

about but that which he did the Lord

made it to prosper touch the neighbors

say do something father God in the name

of Jesus we stand in his house thank you

for life we will not waste this breath

we will not waste this life we will not

waste this year we will not waste this

week we will not waste this day somebody

died short of today but you let me live

to see another day I will not waste this

day complaining about who doesn’t like

being my toe hurts and my finger hurts

I’m alive I’m gonna work this day for

your glory I’m gonna move some stuff

today for your glory I’m gonna get it

done in the name of Jesus now bless the

word while it’s being shared today in

Jesus name I mean with the thuggery

shout shout a man good you may be seated

glory I want to test out your lungs make

sure you got good lungs one more time

shot a bird oh yeah you ready okay what

I want to do is dig down deeper into

what I started talking about during the

New Year’s Eve service we had at the

church I want to dig down deeper into it

I want to talk to you a little bit about

decades dreams and decisions decades

dreams and decisions now personally I am

my life out in decades

I said goes for where I want to be ten

years from now and when I talked to

people around me I sound kind of strange

because I I talk like I’m older than I

am

cuz I’m thinking ten years away and they

say you’re too young to be thinking like

that I said no no no no I’m not too

young you’re never too young to be

thinking ten years away planning my life

and decades has helped me to evaluate

years how do you know that you’re having

a good year if it doesn’t fit into a

long term goal of where you’re gonna be

ten years from now how do you measure a

good year just by survival just saw it

just had it just came or do you measure

it by things that are going to happen

every year cuz I hear people saying you

know 2019 was a bad year cuz they went

through a lot of stuff where they were

in the hospital or they went through

this attack or that attack or so-and-so

died or this one data that will die and

they say it’s a good or bad year based

on conditions and circumstances that are

going to happen every year there will be

no magic years where your emotions are

not tested where your mind is not tested

where you won’t have opposition or

enemies

there were every year you have life will

be life but I determine whether it’s a

good year or a bad year by how much

closer I’m coming to what God has in

store for me how much progress I’m

making toward the direction that God and

I have charted out for my life not by

inconvenience I’m used to inconvenience

if you don’t learn how to flourish under

fire you will flourish at all

if you are gonna keep waiting till the

coast is clear before you make a move

you might as well turn into a mummy you

might as well be the Statue of Liberty

because you’re never going to move

because the coast is never going to be

clear it’s never going to be totally

conducive to what you’re trying to get

done in fact many many times the greater

the opposition the closer you’re getting

to your goal anyone in here who’s had a

baby will tell you that labor pains get

greater the closer you are to birth in

your baby I want to tell you something

that makes you to begin to recognize

that dreams are fertilized in stinky

places let everybody who ever grew a

garden say man dreams are fertilized not

in nice convenient places not when

everything’s going well it’s in the

stinky places it’s in the rough places

that dreams are fertilized so if you

avoid the stinky places you’re avoiding

the very fertilization of the next move

of God in your life are you hearing what

I’m saying to you are you hearing me

this morning but when we start talking

about dreams a lot of times we don’t get

our dreams because we’re not specific I

want to be a better man what does that

mean I want to have a great year this

this this this way of generalizing your

dream stops you from monitoring success

I’m going to the next level where is

that I want up up where

and this year I’m gonna be a better

person

in what way see these types of things

cause us to fail because they’re not

specific enough to hold us accountable I

want to be a good wife I want to be a

better wife I want to be a better

husband what does that mean specifically

in what area let’s be more specific I’m

going to spend more time at home I’m

gonna budget my finances better let’s

tie it down to something that you can

measure because if you don’t tie in your

dream down to something you can measure

it is easily dismissed and with that

dismissal comes the feeling of success

so you’re always saying stuff that never

makes you feel successful not because

you’re not succeeding but because you

don’t have quantifiable goals how are

you measuring your life

the Bible says teach me the number of my

days Oh God

that I might know how frail I am teach

me to appreciate every day how are you

measuring your life are you hearing what

I’m saying I’m gonna get to the good

stuff in a minute

this this also when you start talking

about when you start talking about

decades and you start talking about

dreams you have to start talking about

decisions because if you don’t have

goals how do you base your decisions who

comes in and out of your life where do

you spend your time who do you engage

with what do you say yes to what do you

say no to I have finally begin to learn

not to swing at every ball that comes my

way

I mean I mean I’m not just talking about

not swinging at bad things I mean not

swinging a good things because it can be

a good thing but if it’s not connected

to my destiny I need to reserve my swing

Oh y’all don’t hear what I’m saying I

need to reserve my swing for what’s

coming next in my life

some of you swinging everything I just

want up I don’t care what I gotta do I’m

opening up a gas stations that don’t

work I’m open up a beauty parlor that

open up a beauty primary open up a

restaurant

I just want up I just by any means

necessary no no no you’ll never get up

like that you have to be specific about

who you are and what you bring to the

table and what you are called to do and

be and you may have to pass up ten ideas

to get to the thing that’s in alignment

with your destiny I want to swing at

something that’s in alignment I want to

have friends that are in alignment with

my destiny I’m getting to the age I

can’t just carry a lot of dead weight

maybe when I was 20 I could afford to

carry dead weight but now if it’s not

getting me closer to where I’m trying to

go I’ll help you if I can but I can’t

carry anybody right now

I got just enough strength to get me

with all y’all hero because some people

don’t want to walk I don’t mind carrying

you a little while because they can’t

walk but some people don’t want to walk

they use your compassion as their crutch

I know you won’t carry me so why should

I walk I know you’re gonna pay for it so

why should I do it I know you’re gonna

get me out so why should I stand up I

know you’re gonna fix the problem so why

should I be proactive you need to take

any racers start erasing all of those

people out of your life who are using

you you are not helping them you are in

abling them to be a failure by not

releasing them to their destiny you need

to give them a cup of tough love and say

stand up on your own two feet you can do

this

[Music]

[Applause]

I’m preaching better than you shout

everyday I have to make decisions and

it’s easy to make decisions between good

and evil and and right and wrong they’re

apparent but it’s tough to make the

seasons between good and great between

what you want to see me do versus what

God has called me to do just because

something is a just cause doesn’t mean

it’s my cause I don’t have enough me to

take up everything that needs to be done

you can’t volunteer for everything and

still be good at anything some of your

spread so thin that you’re not good at

anything because you said yes to

everything practices with me practice is

with me practice is with me say no

you did that good we’re gonna do that

again everybody say no oh yeah you know

what no gives you focus no gives you

discipline no gives you structure no

gives your neighbor and opportunity to

say yes to what you said no to see your

no is somebody else’s yes and if you

stop trying to be everything then

somebody else can be something but if

you’re trying to be everything you’re

standing in the way of somebody else

who’s trying to be something

[Applause]

I can’t go everywhere I can’t speak for

everybody I can’t be at every church I

can’t be at every event I know becomes

somebody else’s blessing so away with

the spirit of guilt that the enemy wants

to place on you because you can’t say

yes to everything somebody needs you to

say no so that they can say yes somebody

needs you to say I can’t do it so that

they can stand up and say I can your

burden is somebody else’s blessing so if

you’re gonna have a great year this year

you gotta practice yeah you got to

practice though so that when you say yes

to something you have the power and the

force to really be dedicated and fully

committed to that thing why do you have

to be dedicated because if you have a

dream that it’s easily achieved it it’s

not worthy of you

if you have a dream that doesn’t require

discipline and focus your dream is far

too small I didn’t dream of brushing my

teeth I’m just believing God that by His

grace I would be able to brush my teeth

no no no I just brushed my teeth and

went on about I did brush with my brush

but I did that all by myself I didn’t

have to go on a fast but I need a dream

if you are a big dreamer holler at me

now

I want to talk to my big dreamers cuz

big dreams take time I want you to stop

being angry because you didn’t get your

dream this year because big dreams take

time Malcolm Gladwell says that in order

to be proficient at anything you have to

protect the practices 10,000 hours in

order to be effective at it 10,000 hours

will make you an expert his book outlier

he talks about 10,000 hours if you if

you want to be an excellent pianist put

10,000 hours into it and you will be bad

10,000 hours incidentally is about ten

years ten years is a decade what are you

gonna do with this decade I know you

used to be talking about what are you

going to do with this year but what

you’re going to do with this year is

determined about what are you going to

do with this okay because the steps of a

good man are ordered by the Lord this

year is the first step to the decade

[Applause]

so ten years from now how old will you

be

somebody said did

[Applause]

that might be true but imma let that

surprise me

I don’t have to plan on that it can

sneak up on me to be alright he can hit

me in the back of the head but suppose

I’m here suppose I win are you making

decisions for the decade or for the

moment I told some people that were

getting ready to buy a house and their

children were have you know maybe 11 12

13 14 somewhere up in there and I said

don’t buy the house based on the kids

not at that age now I think with two

years old it might be different but not

it not at 14 because by time you get the

house built and you get it furnished

just the way you wanted to and all the

rooms are made out just where you need

to they will be leaving the house and

you will be walking around talking about

we don’t need all this room you have

bedrooms you don’t go into collecting

dust in places plates you don’t use pans

you don’t bake here because you didn’t

have a plan for 10 years our unit had a

plan for a moment that was passing while

you were building the house oh I hit

something right there

what I want to talk to you is the

dedication it takes to birth the thing

that you’re after and the reason I want

to talk to you about it is I am alarmed

that the people who give up so easily

and I think they give up so easily

because of Cracker Jack sermons coming

from pulpits all over America that talk

about spin around three times God’s

gonna give it to you and you think that

if you spin around three times and it

doesn’t happen that God doesn’t mean for

you to have it

but you can spread around till you pass

out on the floor when you get to

spinning God blesses what you do who am

I talking to today it doesn’t matter

what age you are you need this message

if you suddenly you don’t want to build

a house with three three floors

now the young people don’t understand

why I say it there but everybody’s got

gray hair it’s starting to get a

revelation why

putting the master bedroom on the third

floor might not be a great idea for

somebody 75 this might be a good time to

sell the house and get a flat something

that you can handle because you need to

have a strategy or if you don’t have a

strategy your lack of strategy is going

to give the enemy an opportunity to make

your life harder than it had to be

because you weren’t thinking out for the

future

[Music]

somebody said 10 years from now I’ll be

dead if I’m dead I won’t have to worry

about it but suppose I’m not suppose I’m

still here what am i planning what am i

doing what am i moving how am I getting

ready for what’s next in my life am i 30

years old planning for 40 am i 20

thinking about 30 or am I just living in

the moment and they’re shocked because

my future is not anchored because I

haven’t been dedicated to my destiny it

determines who I listened to it

determines what books I read it

determines who I put myself around it

determines what committees I get on or

off what boards I joined or don’t join

it determines who I hang out with

because I want to be around people who

are feeding where I’m going

you know there’s a community of people

that we attach ourselves to because they

are kin to where we left and we we

connect with them because you’re from

West Virginia and I’m from West Virginia

and oh my god you remember the

Appalachian Mountains and I remember the

Kenai River if you remember – and I was

so wonderful because I am kin to you

because you are connected to my history

or you hung you hung out at the same

clubs I did or you drank the same

oh that’s a whole new side of the church

let me go over here I want to go over

here and talk to the real people who

understand that the human proclivity is

to be more comfortable with people whose

history aligns with yours but the divine

opportunity is to connect with people

whose destiny aligns with yours now when

you connect with people who you have a

destiny in common with don’t expect to

feel comfortable you’re going to grow

into comfort as you have shared

experiences but initially you’re going

to feel like an outsider because the

connection is for a date to come it

isn’t so important that you marry

somebody that fits where you are

that’s not the hard part it’s easy to

figure out somebody who fits my present

need but I need to find somebody who

will grow with me and go with me and

evolve with me and when I switch you

switch and when we grow forward you fit

the 50-year old me and the 60-year old

me and the 70 year old me I’m not

worried about you fitting the 20 year

old me I’m pretty easy to fit in Twitty

Melissa needs that 20 aren’t even smart

yet but I need somebody that has I come

to the fullness of my intellectual

capacity that you have the fluidity of

thought and nimbleness of mind – you

gotta flow with me you gotta rock with

me you gotta roll with me if you ride on

the motorcycle with me when I go this

way you got to go this way yo y’all hear

what I’m sayin for you because if you go

ride with me don’t make me fall over cuz

you pull it this way when I’m traveling

on this way

the times in your life will tell you who

you’re riding with

I need to see how you handle the terms

[Applause]

anybody can ride with me in the

straightaway but when I give to the

turning point and the pivotal place I

need somebody who can roll with me who

can slide with me oh come on talk to me

somebody I don’t need somebody who wants

to get off the bike because I hit a bomb

[Applause]

my god I haven’t even got to detect you

but I’m saying something that you need

to hear and this is why you need God in

the choice because God can see the

future and you can only see the moment I

[Applause]

don’t need to hire somebody who’s good

for where I’m at right now I need

somebody that’s got the capacity then as

I roll you can grow with me or I’ll end

up carrying dead weight and every time

it’s payday I’m rolling my eyes at you

because you haven’t evolved in 20 years

and you’re faithful to who I used to be

[Applause]

my god I want you to understand

something that generally dedication

starts in stewardship generally

dedication starts in stewardship and

that is to say well let me use this

first luke 1612 says you must first be

faithful to that which pertain us to

another man in other words God lets you

practice where you’re gonna be until you

put that back up their gear until you

can be faithful and if you have not been

faithful in that which is another man’s

who shall give you that which is your

own see some of you are holding back on

your dedication because you don’t want

to be dedicated to something that’s not

yours and so when you get there you’re

gonna give it your best shot when you

get there no no if you don’t give it

your best shot now you won’t get there

it is giving it your best shot

[Applause]

you can’t I told a friend of mine you

can’t preach good when the crowds big

[Applause]

you gotta preach good when it is not but

five people there you were still giving

it your best shot you because if you

were faithful over a few things I will

make you rule

maybe you hear me some of you’ve been

saving your best stuff for the big time

no use your best stuff now so your best

ever get better I feel like I’m talking

to somebody I don’t even know who it is

[Applause]

when I’m not in the pulpit preaching I’m

writing and when I’m not writing I’m

looking at scripts for films and and

doing films and movies and we got some

projects coming out on lifetime and

anytime you’re doing character

development a character’s life is not

believable if it doesn’t have an arc to

it and arc somebody say an arc I’m not

talking about the thing that Noah rode

around in an art to it you can’t have

somebody whose life is just one thing

straight you can’t write a story that’s

just a straight line it’s got to have a

heart to it you can’t preach a message

that doesn’t have an art to it

you can’t do a movie that doesn’t have

an art to it you can’t be a person and

not having art in your life the arc of

life every good story has an arc it is

never a straight line look at the arc of

Joseph’s life look at the arc of his

life his life it’s like it’s like six

flags reading about Joseph he’s up he’s

down he’s up again he’s down he’s in

he’s out it’s good it’s bad it’s it’s

it’s like a ride and a carnival look at

your life if you tell your life story

you wouldn’t need tickets for Six Flags

you’ve been up some time you been down

some time you wanted to quit some time

you wanted to die some time you wanted

to fight some time you wanted to give up

some time yeah

good day you have bad days baby that’s

not the devil that’s life

you can’t rebuke that you can’t plead

the blood over

you can’t bind the devil oh that is life

[Applause]

let me come down here and look at you

we’re good we’re about to get somewhere

now Joseph’s life couldn’t have been

better it was going good he’d been

thrown into a pit by his brothers had

left to die they left him for dead but

he survived and the Mennonites came and

found him and and brought him out and

sold him to Potiphar and he prospered in

Potiphar’s house

he ran Potiphar’s house now let me tell

you the good thing about being a steward

you don’t have ownership but you have

exposure

so he didn’t have powder first bills you

see what I’m saying he didn’t have

powder for Thea Beals but he got to live

in Potiphar’s house he got to run

Potiphar’s business he got to practice

his stuff at Potiphar’s expense it was a

dream job it was amazing he got all the

kinks out he got to do it and he didn’t

good he did it so good that Potiphar put

him in charge of everything in his house

and Joseph was dedicated he was winning

he was up he was getting it and then one

day all hell broke loose who would ever

thought that Miss Potiphar would have

thought Joseph was killed which isn’t a

bad thing till she started lying on him

[Applause]

people will around you

Drinan right in your face allows you the

ones closest to you and one line and he

loses his job his cushy amazing

influential job where he got to meet

people that he would have never met and

do things that he would have never done

he lost his job he was defeated and he

went to jail now losing the job is bad

but going to jail is hell fire me fire

me please thank you fire me

god bless I’m fired okay okay bye I’m

fired I’m going to jail wait oh-ho

that’s a whole different thing

we gotta have another meeting about that

because I can find me another job but I

ain’t planning on waking up with to

somebody named Bobo come on talk to me

somebody

[Applause]

Joseph did everything right they still

lost his job and his thrust into the

Kings prison he was dedicated to

Potiphar he was dedicated to a good

thing now he’s lost his good thing what

happens when you lose your good thing oh

I’m a preacher Lee yeah what happens

what happens to your character when you

lose your good thing

were you just good because of your good

thing

we’re your only dedicated because of the

paycheck are you only gonna preach good

putting the money’s good when the crowds

good when the people respond when you’re

in your element when the conditions are

right are you only a good wife when he’s

a good man

[Applause]

Oh Lord I think I lost a whole novel

Jesus they was with me real good right

there are you only a good mother when

the kids are good you don’t need a good

mother when the kids are good you need a

good mother when the kid is bad and

everybody’s giving up on the kids but

momma standing there fighting for him to

come through I wish I had a witness in

here many of us wouldn’t be here if we

didn’t have good mothers with bad kids

are you only gonna be a good husband

when she’s a good wife and now you have

changed your character to match your

condition I’m not surprised that Joseph

was committed and effective and

dedicated when he had his pushy job the

knives in jail and now the test becomes

how you like me now will you maintain

who you are when it doesn’t look like

it’s paying off

[Applause]

or have you gotten so bitter that you

have changed you because of the season

you’re in because it is a season and

it’s gonna pass and don’t allow a

temporary circumstance to change you

permanently where you become bitter

rather than better this too shall pass

this is a test if you can attend Joe

praise me now

anybody can praise him on their way up

[Applause]

but Joseph is now imprisoned and he’s in

the Kings prison I don’t know how he got

in the Kings prison because he wasn’t

working for the king but he’s in the

Kings prison and that’s a dangerous

prison to be in cuz the King made his

own rules he just wake up one more and

say you’re gonna die and and we started

reading the text with him being an

inmate and made snow had no power you

get up when I say you get up you go to

bed when I say you go to bed you take a

shower win and if I say you take a

shower you eat when I say you eat what I

give you and you don’t eat at all

inmates don’t have no power at all and

Joseph with it’s dedicate itself is now

in a situation where it looks like me

and dedicated didn’t pay and he has

every excuse to change just like some of

you who have unjustly gone through

things that weren’t even fair

and you don’t realize you’re being

tested to see if you can be dedicated

when there is no opportunity I had to

recognize when I moved up in life that

people stopped seeing me as a person

most of them see me as an opportunity I

was dealing with them like I was a

person they were dealing with me like I

was an opportunity and I had to step

over into their eyes and look back at me

to understand that they don’t see that

I’m a person they see me as a chance a

raffle ticket an opportunity a quick way

up and so anybody can love you when they

see an advantage

Joseph God’s land it’s now in prison by

the way this was not his dream when you

remember those of you that know the

story know that Joseph had a dream long

time ago that his brothers were going to

bow down before him there he was gonna

rise to power

there was no dream about bars slamming

doors sleeping on concrete eating out of

troughs

have you ever ended up in something that

was totally contradictory to everything

you dream everything you drink and you

find yourself in the complete opposite

situation I feel like I’m talking to

somebody I don’t know who it is God told

you you were gonna prosper you were

going to be successful and your boss

said you’re fired just when you were

starting to say somebody have you ever

had your life contradict your prophecies

[Applause]

and that’s when the devil rose up to do

you exist where is God now da da da Dada

Dada Dada yeah when the curtains open we

see Joseph God’s prints in a prison you

could be a prince in a prison and how

you respond to that prison determines

whether you become French or not there

were three things that God gave Joseph

in the prison that that helped him

through the prison number one the Bible

says the Lord was with him the Lord was

with him he gave him company in the

prison he said if you’re in it I’m in it

with you I don’t know who I’m teaching

today but the Lord said I’m in it with

you

[Music]

[Applause]

you had to sell a car

I’m in it with you you had to sell a

house I’m in it with you he left you for

another woman he said I didn’t I’m still

in the house with you I’m still gonna

open doors for you I’m still gonna make

ways for you I will not leave you by

yourself she don’t appreciate who you

are as a man God says I do I am with you

in the prison not just in church not

just on Sunday morning not just when the

praise team sayings not just when

everybody’s beating the drum not when

people are happy and shoving

God says I’m with you when it doesn’t

look profitable to be with you I am with

you that’s what separates me from some

of the folks you call friends even when

there is no opportunity oh gods you

don’t hear what I’m saying to you so you

go ahead and praise him for your car and

you praise him for your starts you

praise them for your mutual fur I praise

them for not leaving me thank you for

being with me when all hell was breaking

loose after scrab that you was with me

[Applause]

we’re gonna practice that shake somebody

by the hand say the Lord is with me

the Lord is with me I may be sleeping on

this floor but the Lord is with me I may

be in some kind of trouble right now but

the Lord is with me I may have a lump in

my breast but the Lord is with you

I may be down on my luck but the Lord is

with me what comes what goes but the

Lord is stable the Lord is with me I

don’t know who I’m talking to the Lord

is with me he was with me in 2019 he’s

with me in 2020 he’s gonna be with me in

2021

if you want to get with God get with me

cuz the Lord is with me if you want to

fight God fight me because the Lord is

if you a me get into it he’s on my side

that’s how I feel about it you got to

know that you know that you know that

you know I’m with you even when you

don’t feel me even when you don’t like

the condition even when you don’t like

the circumstance

touch them I say the Lord is with me you

want to get with God get with me cuz the

Lord is with me yeah I know I’m in this

prison but the Lord is with me yeah I

know I’m sleeping on the couch but the

Lord is with me yeah I know I’m going

through a transition but the Lord is

with me I know I don’t look profitable

but the Lord you pass that down now I’ve

already preached if I don’t say another

word

so number one the Lord is with it number

two he showed him mercy mercy sure do

look good when justice ain’t just

he showed him mercy he showed him mercy

have mercy

I don’t understand how people who need

mercy can be so merciless

[Applause]

he showed him mercy so the voice that

keeps bringing up what I did wrong to

say you belong in this prison you

brought this on yourself you’re not

ain’t good anyway you’re just like your

mama said you was you’re just like your

daddy

all those voices that we have to fight

with to all of those voices God showed

him mercy can you receive mercy do you

have the capacity to receive mercy or

are you so angry at yourself over your

mistakes that you resist mercy because

you like cutting on yourself

figuratively or literally God showed him

mercy but he had to receive it can you

receive the mercy of God the Bible said

his mercies are new every morning I

don’t even have to use day old mercy

he’s got fresh mercy for my fresh stupid

the understand he didn’t run out of

mercy because I keep being stupid his

[Applause]

his mercies are new every morning he

showed him work that’s why I beat

everybody praising God because he showed

me mercy and I only have a praise I

don’t mind raising my head I don’t mind

crapping my head cuz had God dealt with

me according to my sins I would have

been cut off but the Lord showed me I

feel a song coming on I feel a shot I’m

not even trying myself but I feel a shot

because when I think of the goodness of

Jesus and all that he’s done for me my

soul cries out

[Applause]

he showed me mercy he showed me mercy he

showed me mercy he showed me mercy

[Applause]

[Music]

half-hour somebody tell them I got to

praise Him

you might praise him but I got to prison

you might not praise him but I got to

praise Him

I’ve been too crazy not to praise it

happened too wrong not to praise it he

sounded mercy

[Applause]

let’s go deeper I got a hairy number

three he gave him favor with the warden

he gave him favor with the warden he

gave him favor with the warden you might

not believe this but God will make folks

like you

you you think it’s just because you’re

so charismatic now God will make folks

like you

he gave him Famer with the warning 2020

I’m walking in divine favor

[Music]

20:20 I’m just walking in divine favor

I’m walking in divine favor I’m walking

in divine favor I’m walking in divine

faith anybody go walk with anybody go

walk with me I’m walking in divine

somebody’s got a meeting to go to and

you gotta meet with somebody in a high

place and the Lord said don’t worry

about it when you walk in the door he’s

gonna give you a favor I don’t know who

that’s for

but you came here to get that one word

from God that God has already ordered

your steps and when you get there you’re

gonna walk into favor

for our preaching too

[Applause]

can I give you some more let me give you

some more I’m gonna give you some more

my God my God my God that went out of me

so strong I don’t know who that’s for

I hope you receive it to the magnitude

that I released it that was a prophetic

utterance my God my God

my god

my god my god

you walk in like you know they like you

because God is going to give you favor

[Applause]

favor with the person to empower

[Applause]

and I talk to me anybody in here now now

let me go a little bit deeper with this

I’m almost where I want to be the thing

that gets me about Joseph is that he was

dedicated in a deficit

I understood him being dedicated in

Potiphar’s house because he was on the

up side but this boy is dedicated in

prison he’s running the prison the

inmate is running the prison if you stop

crying about being an inmate you’ll see

why you’re in the situation you’re in

because God’s gonna get some glory out

of the situation that you’re in God

doesn’t just reveal himself by changing

situations sometimes God uses the

situation to change you so what gets me

about him and said he is dedicated in a

deficit in prison he’s still serving

he’s still leading he’s still helping

he’s still giving and had he not been

dedicated in a deficit he would have

never reached his destiny had he gotten

bitter or depressed or discouraged said

I’m through last time I was dedicated it

didn’t work I’m not gonna do it anymore

I’m not going out there like that I’m

not going out like that I’m not gonna do

it he would have died in prison but he

was dedicated in a deficit can you be

dedicated in a church that’s not growing

can you be dedicated to a job you think

that’s beneath you I know you say you’re

gonna get dedicated when you get the

promotion though you’re gonna be

dedicated now that’s how you’re gonna

get the promotion

[Applause]

I’m helping somebody I don’t know who he

is

so dedication has to be an internal

impulse and not an external reaction he

must be dedicated because he’s dedicated

he is not dedicated because things are

going good he has not allowed external

circumstances to define internal

character he’s just dedicated he’s a

dedicated person he’s been dedicated all

his life when he’s in he’s all in when

he’s there he’s really there when he’s

given he’s really given when he’s

serving he’s really serving regardless

this is who he is don’t let life change

who you are

[Music]

you you gotta be consistent even when

life is chaotic because now I see why

God chose Joseph he could trust him he

chose Joseph because he could trust him

and Joseph ends up the Prince of Egypt

because he’s consistent can God trust

you in prison no pain nobody there to

say attaboy God blesses people he can

trust

can he trust you with power secret power

see see see trusting you with money

ain’t no problem trusting you with power

power is what produced Hitler

[Music]

power is a really dangerous thing I told

you this before whenever I’m running

around with powerful people I don’t pay

attention to how they treat me I watch

how they treat the waitress the skycap

the bellboy because how you treat them

tells me how you would treat me if I

ever got vulnerable watch it I’m telling

you I’m telling you to tell you a whole

lot how you manage power says something

about you joseph has come from being in

prison to run in the prison and what’s

amazing is his gift is still working

he’s in prison and he’s still given so

the butler and the Baker come to him

with a dream now the butler’s dream was

real but the Bible says when the Baker

saw what the bomber got he’s a dream

something too so I’m a little

questionable about that dream that had

me to dreams that said sometimes you

know it kind of got nil about I’m not

saying that you know he didn’t dream it

I just I never thought about who dreamed

because they heard somebody else dream

and I’m just saying and Joseph is in

prison talking about how interpret your

dream we know y’all got see this now we

in jail we in jail you know jail jail

bro

when it white house wind jail and you

want a word from the Lord in jail

you want me to interpret you first of

all you dreamin in jail

you mean jail has not destroyed your

dream

[Applause]

you you in prison and your biggest

problem is getting somebody to interpret

your dream and here Joseph is in prison

with you and he is serving you in the

prison because that’s who Joseph is it’s

not just what Joseph does that’s who he

is

see I’m talking about being not just

doing don’t let life change who you are

some of you used to be loving you used

to be giving you used to be caring but

you’ve been through so much that it’s

starting to affect who you are if we

were in business we would eat we would

be talking about a brand and a brand is

a promise a brand is a promise and it

says what do we get when we get you and

that’s why I told you you determine who

you are about who you are not it’s your

ability to say no that begins to give

you a distinction who are you whether

you’re in Potiphar’s house or in the

prison or in the pit there ought to be

some consistent that remains the same

that I can count on about you what can I

count on about you because that’s all we

got to deal with for this decade that’s

all we can deal with we cannot deal with

who you are seasonally we cannot deal

with who you are occasionally we cannot

deal with who you act like you are or

pretend to be while I’m looking

we can only deal with that part of you

that is you and that’s good because that

means you don’t have to be me being me

and something I can do I came to you Who

am I or whoever I become and how do I

get back to something that God can trust

so that I can be dedicated so I could

set up a trust you know when you get

ready to put big money into places you

put them in a trust you invest in a

trust can God trust you enough to invest

what about you can he trust nothing

always something about all of us it

can’t be trusted come on

don’t you say that actually I was up two

o’clock last night slipping into the

kitchen

[Music]

[Applause]

I don’t know why went in the kitchen I

was supposed to be going to the bathroom

the bathroom is north the kitchen is

south but there was this little bit of

banana pudding that was left and my

problem is when Dexter was home I could

act like maybe he hated I mean what

didn’t that much I don’t know why I had

to have him it was enough to make me mad

I was mad yes it is too late to make

another one

Harlem has had some area that we can’t

be trusted

can we just be real I told myself I pop

to myself real good I said we’re not

doing that you already had your cheat

day

you’re cheap they turned into a cheat

week

okay so you got to live holy for about

three weeks it’s gonna be subway and

Jesus subway Jesus

subway Angie I talked about all while

I’m going to get the banana pudding and

I’m quoting scriptures and everything

ain’t none of them working

[Applause]

I’m the only one I’m the only one out

here by you and then I told myself I

said get you gonna do it anyway y+ about

it you might well just enjoy it cuz you

already know you’re gonna get I don’t

need it feeling guilty why are you doing

just be guilty later just it was a good

one – man I’m telling you the Lord was

in the banana pudding the Spirit of the

Lord

[Music]

[Applause]

I think was right it was grandma right

it was so good I start singing slavery

song

[Applause]

should will be to her I will way back in

my ancestry

[Applause]

all of us have some area that we have

not mastered

I’m not preaching this to convict you

I’m preaching this to challenge you what

is it about you that is consistent that

you’re willing to be dedicated to

because that’s all we can use for

destiny Joseph down in jail interpreting

other people’s dreams and he’s done it

for people and saying man this is what’s

gonna happen you’re gonna get out in

three days you’re gonna get out and

you’re going back to the king and in

three days to this other Joker you gonna

be dead you faking you phony

you don’t know who you are you didn’t

dream that and you’re trying to slip in

on somebody else’s anointed in three

days you gonna be dead the bomber gets

out and forgets Joseph but Joseph is

still dedicated the bomber forgets him

for two years

I told you it’s gonna take a decade it’s

gonna take a decade to anchor down

everything that you’re doing right now

it’s gonna take a a decade to get it

where it’s his family said it’s solid

and where you’re fully respected on the

next level or where you going expect it

to take some time two years he spent

forgotten by the people he helped but

dr. King said true smashed down to the

ground will rise again undaunted it may

take a long time but if you just keep

doing right if you’ll just stand your

ground and be dedicated if you keep

going right you can overcome anything

you can lose weight you can go back to

college you can get your doctorate if

you just keep God can only bless what

you are consistent about dedication to

destiny this is my opportunity to

dedicate my way unto the Lord and say

you know what I’m gonna stop being up

and down and back and forth and flipping

in and flipping out and I’m gonna be

consistent even though my life is not

even though this year will not be

consistent even though my friends won’t

be consistent and my family won’t be

consistent my spouse won’t be consistent

even everything around me may not be

consistent these are the areas that I

vow I’m gonna hold to I will not drop

this and they drop something else I say

no I’m not no banana pudding buddy sighs

we still working about that where that’s

where the mercy that’s where the mercy

backing on the part of mercy and the

pudding and the mercy and the pudding

and the mercy and go together lord have

mercy but this right here this right

here Jesus this right here

we’re gonna like this guy we’re gonna

look we gonna walk this out if I don’t

say but $10 a week we gonna walk this

out and if I don’t labor 200 if I don’t

leave it 200 pounds or 200 calories down

a week we don’t walk this out if I don’t

take that one class a year we’re gonna

walk this out this right here I’m gonna

put this on lock I’m gonna put this a

lot because if I put this a lot right

now by the time I get to walking through

this I’m gonna be exactly where I need

to be shake your neighbor and say I’m

after something

amount to some I’m Ashley some time

after some and I’m willing to lock down

to get it I’m willing to be stable to

get it I’m willing to dedicate myself to

order I am not waiting on you to give me

you ain’t got to give me a thing I’m not

gonna be chasing them behind you

sniffing up behind you trying to get on

your good side in the hood I ain’t

dancing none of it I’m gonna get this

for myself and whatever it takes I’m

gonna pay the price

and I like oh nobody when I get it it’s

gonna be me and Jesus it won’t be

nothing about you it’s gonna be me and

the Lord tells me people sell him out to

some

God’s not gonna give me 20 20 and may

not be after some God’s not gonna give

me another year may not be after some

God’s not gonna give me another decade

and we might be after something yeah I’m

gonna do this I’m gonna do this I’m

gonna do this I’m gonna do it when I’m

in jail I’m gonna do it when I’m out of

jail I’m gonna do it when things go

right I’m gonna do it when things go

wrong I’m gonna do this I’m gonna be

consistent Lord you can count on me for

this I will bless the Lord at all times

his face or what what can he count on I

learned a long time ago 50 percent of

women is shored up for the fight the

fight is half over when you show you

will never win a fight you don’t show up

for I’m showing up for this I’m showing

up for the fight Here I am ready for

duty I’m hiding in the shadows for fear

that I might fail

I will face this head-on and let the

chips fall where they may

yes sir let the chips fall where they

may

I will show up verified you can count on

them absorb every day I’m gonna make a

little dent in it every day I’m gonna

hit it every day I’m gonna shop it every

day I’m a swing every day you can count

on me to take action I will not waste

another decade complaining about who

didn’t love me and who didn’t raise me

and who did invest in me

[Applause]

took them two years to get rid of the

amnesia and all of a sudden a bundle

failure I had a dream and nobody could

interpret it and my mother said you know

I know what you call it down there

president what about uh Joseph yeah I

was in the joint with him yeah he pretty

good Lord he’s pretty good heavy might

be good in prison he would have never

got to the palace it was what he did in

prison that brought him to the palace

suppose he would have cuffs the butler

out and said forget you

get out the best way you can I got my

own problems right now but he was

consistent and they came in not on this

Jessa said the King has needed you he

washed up got a line got his fade just

right

say I’m going to see the king

i prophesy to you this day somebody is

going to see the kid your eyes have not

seen your ears have not heard neither

have entered into your heart where God

is about to take you he’s about to take

you into another dimension you’re going

to see the key touch your neighbor and

say I’m going to see the king

I’m going to see the king I’m going to

see the king

I’m going to see the key I’m going to

see the king I’m going to see the king

I’m going to see the key I’m going to

see the king I’m going to see the king

I’m going to see the key I’m not

dressing for where I was I’m dressing

for where I’m going I’m going to see the

guy who was an inmate in one chapter

becomes the head of the Treasury

for the nation of Egypt that’s why I

don’t believe in killing yourself

because when you’re killing yourself you

killing yourself you ain’t mention you

killing yourself over your past but what

you killing is not your past it’s

already happened you’re killing your

future 24 hours can turn your entire

life around you can be on your way down

and God can turn me home I wish I had a

witness somewhere I was ahead one the

Holy Ghost with me

I was I had a fly my parents

[Applause]

so so now it comes down to your party

why does God have you here today what do

you need to be more dedicated to in

order to win you know most people have

never thrown their whole weight at

anything ever most people have never put

in the work for their dreams the 10,000

hours no no they wanted on credit they

won’t read what they’re supposed to read

work the way they’re supposed to work do

what they’re supposed to do and they

will blame God for their own trifling

lazy inconsistent behavior that they

were like like God didn’t come through

when the truth is you didn’t come

through and God has been waiting on you

God has been waiting on you and he says

as soon as he will I will as soon as she

does I will so here’s a question what is

this about what is he talking to you

about and only you can answer that what

dream do you have that you have not

fully been dedicated to that you’ve not

thrown your full self at it consistently

because God said if you do it

consistently he’ll bring it down he’ll

bring it down what is the thing that

this is about church has got to be about

more than a Sunday ritual I don’t need

another ritual I don’t need another

thing to do I don’t need another place

to go I don’t need to get in my car and

go anywhere else just to say I was there

what is this about I go to the things

that are gonna make my life better

I go to things that are gonna strengthen

me in some way I know the things that

are gonna help me to advance

I go to things that are gonna fit my

destiny what is this about for you and

do you have the courage to rededicate

yourself because God says if you will he

will

if you will if if you will sure if you

will

he will if you will he will there’s

something to the folks my age and older

there’s some reason God left you in this

world stop giving yourself a pass and

telling yourself here through the devil

is alive if Naomi would have been

through Ruth would have never found her

purpose stop using your age and the pass

to be trifling stop it stop it stop it

[Applause]

70 ain’t no nowhere but over here every

other community respect say hey I’m just

70 you get over here child I’m 70 I

guess I’m supposed to die and you die

cause you think you supposed to that

you all cuz you think you old you have a

destiny sir you have something to do Big

Mama you got something to do young man

I don’t care who you are if you are

under the sound of my voice God is

talking to you stand to your feet when I

talk about my beginnings now they sound

terrible but when I was going through

them they really wasn’t that bad cuz I

didn’t have nothing to compare it to I

didn’t know I was forward because I

hadn’t seen rich so Paul was normal I

didn’t know what spaghetti sauce was I

didn’t even know that government cheese

was government cheese I just knew that

it never melted

[Applause]

I knew you can put the oven on 450 and

it was staying there and smile at you I

[Applause]

bet you I still got some of that cheese

in me somewhere at cheese

[Music]

I’m not even sure that was cheese I

might have been concrete if I didn’t

minister to seven people with conviction

I would have never gotten to you if I

didn’t go out on the road and preach and

bring my honorarium in to pay my staff I

wouldn’t have 300 people on staff now if

I had not fought for my brain if I had

not stayed up all night for it cook for

it and slay for it dug ditches had bled

for it it would have never happened

God doesn’t give away stuff to you

without you being dedicated to your

destiny

people that think it’s easy are stupid

you think you’re gonna run up here and

I’m gonna lay hands on you and you won’t

get what I sweated for what I labored

for what I did died and bled for what I

went to jail for was in the pit for

survived alive for grows up again

undaunted for came out of hell and high

water for nobody’s dreams happen without

fight fight I mean fight I mean fight

girl with all with all you got and

you’re wrong to quit when you haven’t

fought with all you guys

look at Jesus he was so committed to his

dream that he went to the cross forward

shed his blood for it hung his head and

died for more the two men was buried for

it but early Sunday morning he rolls up

to show I got what I was after good God

Almighty join hands with somebody as I

as we join hands today this is a do

something message it’s not enough to

hear it if you don’t do it if you accept

the challenge join hands with somebody

there’s an area in your life that you’re

gonna have to throw your whole self at

to get but if you throw your whole self

at it it’s going to come to pass you’re

gonna have to throw your energy your

talent your gifts your resources your

relationships your efforts are gonna

have to be tireless to see that thing

come to pass this will not come cheap

but it will come it will come it will

come squeeze that hand something is

about to come into the life of that

person that God wanted them to be here

this Sunday morning

[Music]

next week when you come back I’m gonna

build from this foundation I’m gonna

tell you who you need around you

I’m gonna tell you who you need around

you God’s gonna put a force field of

people around you an intellectual fence

around you people who are gifted enough

to stand shoulder to shoulder and toe to

toe around you you just give me the next

four Sundays I’m gonna take you

somewhere I will drop you so far off

over into your destiny

that hell is gonna break out in hives

that demons have on triple that Satan is

go get nervous when I get the dropping

you over into your destiny

The Devil’s I will fight the same person

he fought in 2019 you gonna be armed and

dangerous for 2020 squeeze at hand

that person is armed and dangerous

father let the anointing of the Holy

Ghost sweep through this road let it

stir up gifts let it stir up talents let

it stir up resources let it stir up

focus and focus and focus and focus and

focus and strengthen us to the point

that we are dedicated to destiny I

believe God that somebody in this room

whose hands are joined and heart is open

that I am feeding something

yes I I am feeling something I am

feeling something I am feeling something

that you already spoke inside of them I

am feeling something that you already

put inside of it I am beating something

that the enemy’s been trying to kill and

steal and destroy but I feed that

destiny I feed that dream I’ve been that

prophetic utterance over their life

glory

squeeze that hand the anointing that’s

moving all over this church the power of

God is in this place you will never be

the same again

you will never be the same again you got

stuff to do

you got stuff to do the weather don’t

have to change the conditions don’t have

to change the circumstances don’t have

to change people don’t have to

understand you they don’t have to like

you their admission is not required you

have to believe in what God put down

inside of you out of your belly shall

flow rivers of living water

I pray that rivers would rise up with

your belly would rise up in your spirit

would rise up in you rivers of

creativity rivers of thought rivers of

ideas huh rivers of revelation rivers of

contact rivers of influence

they’re coming up out of your belly

right now out of your belly shall flow

rivers of living water rivers of living

water

[Music]

[Applause]

Oh God

Oh

Oh God

oh oh oh god oh god I see a chair

somebody’s getting ready to sit in a

seat in a place of authority a door is

being open a door is being open a way is

being made this is for you

this is your hour this is your time this

is your season

get ready Joseph getting ready Joseph

getting ready Joseph get ready Joseph

get ready Joseph Joseph Joseph Joseph

Joseph get ready Joseph Joseph I call

you out Joseph Joseph Joseph you also

get ready

Joseph nothing in your past looks like

your pizza get ready Joseph get ready

Joseph get ready get ready

[Applause]