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we are starting a four part series
called stride again just one more time
because we got to get it in our hearts
everybody say stride and this is not a
word that’s commonly used it’s probably
not a word that you’ve used any time
this whole year probably not in the last
five years probably not in the last ten
years how many people have never used
the word stride in a sentence come on
just be honest look at child like yeah I
didn’t even know that was a word okay I
didn’t really use it either until God
started to do a work in my heart and I
begin to pray in August as I do every
year about what God wants to say to our
church last August I prayed and God gave
me the word beyond and I was like I like
that word oh come on that means
exceeding the limits going past where we
are breaking out of limitations beyond
and God did it he clowned us like like
he went beyond personally in this church
I mean y’all do y’all see what God is
doing here he went beyond well this year
I’m beginning to pray and I heard this
word stri and if I can be honest with
you because we’re a hot church a humble
open and transparent church I hated it
it that’s weak like like stride like
what’s our words for this year doc come
on give it to me
stri is there some more with that
I mean God we just had a bee on here and
I’m a mover and I mean you did all that
this year you can do exceedingly
abundantly above you can do all it so
can we try another word can we do like
explosive like I was trying to give God
suggestions of what the words should be
like expanding moving and God said no
stride so I went to our lead executive
director and she said what’s the what’s
the word for the year I couldn’t even
get energy for it
I’ll sit astride she said what does that
mean I said I don’t know I said put it
down put it on some t-shirts we’re gonna
strike it this year and it’s funny
because some time God gives you a word
before he gives you explanation so
sometimes he gives you what he wants you
to do before he explains it all to you
and so for four months I’m walking
around I try I tried to change it every
week we were in a meeting and I was like
what the word is strike and I was like
no it’s gonna be wind Fateh Singh that’s
what God is saying is we’re gonna win
souls and we’re gonna invite people and
the Holy Spirit every time I go back to
prayer strike so I said fine we’re gonna
stride this year but I thought if he
didn’t bring clarity to it I would be
ignorant and so I could just do what I
wanted to do and say that I didn’t
really understand what he was that God I
didn’t understand you oh you meant stri
but I thought you meant run like you
said stride but I thought you meant take
over like I didn’t mean really and
sometimes we do that we try to interpret
what God’s saying in our plan and he
said no Michael I want you to stride it
wasn’t until the beginning of December
when we were in a meeting a strategic
meeting for our church and what we’re
gonna do in this next three years and we
were there with one of our oversight
pastors pastor Tim Ross and we were
chronicling all that many amazing things
that God has done in the past three
years since me and Natalie have been
pastors of this church and he stopped us
he said I feel like God wants me to say
something right here and all the staff
members in the room can vouch for this
he said what God has done at
transformation Church has been
absolutely phenomenal he says I mean the
growth that’s happened the the different
generations the different ethnicities
we’ve grown almost 500 people in one
year when the average church is 200
people in America can we give God praise
for that right now
y’all wasn’t here last year hey like God
did all of this in one year and he said
and it’s awesome and it’s glorious and
it’s amazing he said but you guys have
been running
and you only can run for short distances
he said it’s time for you to start
walking and when he said that I was
offended I was like what did we invite
him here if we bring him to this meeting
and he stood up in the authority that
God has given he said it’s time for this
church to start walking and I said
you’re gonna have to give me some more
explanation on that and this is what he
said and it changed my life and I hope
it changes yours
he says it’s awesome what God is doing
but it’s unsustainable and I begin to
look in my life and I want you to look
in your life what is happening in your
life that seems awesome that but that is
unsustainable do you have a relationship
that seems awesome right now but it
won’t last the test the time she does do
you have a drive for success that’s
awesome that people are applauding you
four men he’s always grinding he’s
always on the move he’s doing some he
got three jobs five jobs seven jobs he’s
doing it and God’s saying that’s awesome
but it’s unsustainable you’re losing
your family like the house that you
wanted is tearing down the house that I
gave you like it’s awesome what’s
happening but it’s unsustainable it’s
time for you to stop running and it’s
time for you to start walking and I said
God okay I hear you
but God you’ve given us this church and
you’ve given us this awesome opportunity
so you’re telling us we’re supposed to
slow down and stop doing stuff he said
no I’m telling you you’re supposed to be
deliberate and do what I tell you to do
not what you think you should do and if
we’re honest many of us are not in
purpose we’re doing things around what
we think we should be doing come on
let’s just be honest like if somebody
sets you down in a room and said are you
functioning in your purpose most of us
would be like well I you know I just you
know I maybe I don’t know come on let’s
be honest
we’re we’re working jobs that pay us the
most that we hate so that we can live a
life to kind of feel some type of
satisfaction where it’s actually empty
and we’re just trying to provide Jordans
for our son or our daughter or our a
vacation and we’re not working in
purpose and we’re empty and we’re making
everything look perfect for Instagram
but we cry ourselves to sleep at night
and and we’re going through the motions
and we’re acting like it’s all together
but we’re really so up to our head in
debt trying to keep up with the Joneses
and we don’t even know who they are they
never come over for dinner it’s like so
many things that we’re striving for and
this is what the Holy Spirit spoke to me
he said Michael as a leader and for your
church in 2018 I want you to stop
striving point number one stop striving
and start striding and I said okay
striving striding he said striving is
you I want you to write this definition
down because because many of you are
doing this right now you don’t even know
it striving means to exert oneself
vigorously to try hard to go after it to
use your own wheel to use your own
resources to use your own connections to
try to make it happen and God says what
are you striving for you’re striving for
love some of you some of you are
striving for acceptance some of you are
people pleasers and you’ll do everything
and kill yourself striving for somebody
to say you’re a good enough god already
called you good enough Oh y’all y’all
didn’t hear me some of y’all are in this
rat race and on this hamster wheel
trying to climb this corporate ladder
that reaches nowhere you think more
zeros in the bank account is going to
give you self-worth it’s not gonna and
you’re striving and you’re trying to
make people feel like you always fresh
but your drawers thing
come on come on y’all let’s be honest
we’re trying to always act like we
always got it together and you’re
striving so that somebody can think that
you’re really better than the version of
you that you really are and you’re just
reaching and you’re exerting your energy
and it’s like being on a treadmill you
expend a lot of energy and go and God
say Michael that’s why every year you
get to the end of the year and you like
we so glad for the next year because you
feel like you’re gonna get off of the
treadmill and start something different
you just scoot over and get on a
different treadmill you just stepped off
to the 2017 treadmill that you were
striving for people to like you and
striving for friends and striving for
promotion and striving for a bigger
house because some of y’all want things
so you want the boat in the lake house
and you’re just striving and he said
it’s a new year it’s a new season 12
o’clock midnight step on to the striving
of 2018 and that’s why some of you feel
like nothing’s changed this year and
gods saying it’s not gonna change until
you learn the pace of grace he said
there’s there’s there’s a pace that I
want to set for you that is going to
allow you to walk everybody say walk not
run walk into everything that God has
for you and that’s what I want to
present to you because I see you’re
tired there’s so many people in here
broken I mean literally if you would
just stop long enough and stop running
for approval and stop trying to prove
your parents wrong you almost say lie
right there because some of your whole
existence has been trying to prove to a
father that’s not even here anymore that
you’re worth it but when you called
yourself a child of God he accepted you
he called you his own he adopted you
into the family it doesn’t matter what
they called you he says you’re approved
you’re accepted you’re called you’re
loved and I have a purpose for you but
why are we still striving why are we
still using all of our effort and energy
going after something that wasn’t even
made for us
some of y’all have met people
you were never intended to meet because
you met them while you were striving for
your own wheel you dealing with problems
that weren’t even supposed to even be in
your life because you wouldn’t walk the
path that God called you to walk you
wanted to run in a lane that you saw
somebody else running in and God said
when you out run me when you don’t step
in my pace he said you have to sustain
yourself out there has anybody ever um
seen snow when it’s freshly fallen and
it’s just like a blanket and it’s
covered everything it’s like something
so quiet and beautiful and peaceful and
I’m the kid that disrupts that I’m the
one that goes out there when it’s all
beautiful and pretty and I just start
stepping on everything and I want to
make footprints in the snow and God said
to me he said Michael he said what you
have to realize is when you stop
striving using all your effort and
energy and you start striding which let
me give you the definition of that so
that you can understand this write this
down
striding means to walk everybody say
walk with long decisive steps in a
specific direction like like God has a
specific direction that he wants to set
your life on course – and he doesn’t
want you to run into purpose he wants
you to walk into purpose and what he
showed me about the snow is he said see
many of my children are out here like
you Michael trying to make your own
paths and make your own footsteps but
what you have to realize is I’ve already
made steps for you that you don’t have
to make for yourself and if you follow
my steps and find the stride I’ve
already been there before
see see one of the things that you have
to realize is God doesn’t want you to
blaze a new trail he wants you to walk
the trail he has for you and some of us
are out here trying to blaze new trails
and he says what you don’t realize is
I’ve already been in the valleys and
I’ve been already been in the hills and
if you step where I step
I’ll keep you from danger if you step
where I step you won’t meet the things
that were there to take you out I’ve
been there before the Old Testament
tells us he’s the God that goes before
us for many times where he’s at or where
he’s been we’re not it’s cuz we’re
striving we’re trying to make our own
plans I already done my vision board I
already know what I’m doing for 2019 I’m
gonna get these apps I’m gonna get
married I’m gonna get this business I
got my 501c3 have you even prayed about
it once like you’re planning a wedding
and you haven’t even asked God is this
the person my destiny is supposed to be
tied to like can we be honest you’re
about to move to another state because
you see an opportunity and God says
that’s the state of obstacle your
opportunity was where I planted you I
know it’s not your best and I know it’s
not what you wanna do he said but this
is where I’ve called you will you step
where I’ve already been before and
everybody this year as a church as a
people God wants us to stride to stop
working outside of the grace that he’s
already set for us and to get into a
rhythm and a pace that is going to
produce our purpose
no more years of making missteps and
having to ask God to recalibrate our
whole lives at the beginning of every
year like even if my intended goal is
way down there I’m not stepping this way
this year if it’s only one step I make
I’m gonna step in the direction of my
purpose do you understand what I’m
saying it may not be a run to it but I
might get two steps towards what God has
called me to be and being in purpose is
better than pursuing your own wheel
every day cuz there’s fulfillment there
so somebody shot at me stride now this
is a very hard concept for me to give so
I’m not trying to come up here and act
like God’s working this in me and I
figured that it would be better to be a
leader that shares what God is doing in
my life
than me getting to a place where it’s
finished and then let me tell you the
great exploits of God I want to be like
Jesus he told people he said just follow
me they said what are we going
don’t worry about it just follow me and
they walked together and for me my
desires is that every year every moment
every week it’d be bigger faster more
quicker results and and God said Michael
what if this year I want you to walk
into your blessing and not run into it
see see cuz you’re so excited about
running into your blessing but the thing
about running into anything there’s
always damage running run into a PO run
into a wall run into something and many
people are running into what they think
and they’re getting damaged cuz it’s not
what God called them to you didn’t even
see the trial you didn’t even see the
struggle you didn’t even see that you
were losing your family you didn’t even
see that you were losing your identity
you didn’t even see cuz you was running
to the next thing oh maybe this is my
purpose oh maybe this is my husband oh
maybe this is my church so that’s my
church so this is my church or maybe and
we’re running into things that’s
damaging us and damaging others and God
says if you would find my pace of grace
you would begin to walk into everything
that I have for you so how do we do that
Pastor Mike I don’t know never done it
before like like I’m not again I want
you to hear me say that my only example
can be found in the Word of God so when
I don’t know how to do something I go to
the Word of God well was there anybody
who walked is there anybody who lived at
the pace of grace that was able to learn
and teach lessons because they were
going at a pace that people could follow
them was there anybody that was able to
have success and not alienate everybody
around them was there anybody that
walked and actually made impact in this
life but didn’t isolate themselves at
the end of it I’ll shoot
jesus walks point number two just write
it down
Kanye profit Kanye said it Jesus walks
just say that with me everybody say
Jesus um
as I begin to look at this when God’s
telling us to stride and find the pace
of Grace and walk in long decisive steps
towards an intended in I begin to get a
revelation that changed my entire life
the fact that I’ve never ever slowed
down enough to even see this in the word
I don’t know about you but when I read
my Bible it’s for sport come on let’s be
honest if you reading them that
everybody else ain’t reading them so
there’s like but but when you read your
Bible I set my timer and I’m trying to
get through this whole chapter and I’m
trying to move this thing God’s God’s
telling all of us slow down there’s some
things I want you to see in there yeah
you might get stuck on a verse but God I
need this new revelation he said it’s in
there just keep reading that one over
and over and I begin to read the Bible
after God told me through our over one
of our overseers that we got to start
walking and this is the craziest thing
y’all don’t ever forget this cuz I
mostly I’ve never heard this because I’d
never heard it before
Jesus fulfilled
the entire Old Testament 39 books of the
Bible hundreds of Messianic prophecies
from about 1450 BC to 430 BC I mean
people were saying there was a messiah
coming of Savior coming he was gonna
fulfill he was gonna he fulfilled all of
the prophecies in three years and you
never hear about Jesus running to his
next appointment Jesus walked it hit me
like a ton of bricks there is a pace
that you can live in this life that is
countercultural
that you can fulfill everything that God
placed in you to
dude and you don’t have to lose your
life’s doing look people don’t even know
don’t even know what to do that cuz all
your life they told you to grind cuz all
their life they told you to work harder
than everybody else cuz all your life
they told you that you got to be two
times better than somebody else you you
can’t stop won’t stop rockefeller you
you just been doing all this other stuff
and trying to make all of this stuff
happen and it’s out of your own works
but remember what Jesus came to do he
came to save us from our works and to
give us grace and I’m not talking about
being lazy and I’m not talking about
about not doing anything I’m talking
about being diligent of what God has
purposed you to be here for and too many
of us are striving and not striding and
Jesus gave us a perfect eternal example
of what striding looked like he was
walking and long decisive steps towards
the cross the whole time and on the way
that he was towards his purpose hey
Peter John follow me I’m not breaking my
stride to go get people I’m telling
people to follow me as I walk out my
purpose see too many of us have been
breaking our stride to find a husband
breaking our stride to find friends
break it and God says you meet the one
as you continue to walk in purpose at
you Oh y’all better help me the job that
you really want is coming as you
continue to walk in purpose the family
that you’ve always seen is coming as you
continue to walk it you better not let
nobody break your stride in 2018 you
gotta keep walking towards God and Jesus
started walking now this is crazy
and I’m just learning all this stuff
about walking like I’ve been so against
walking all my life you know what I’m
saying like walking that’s stupid let’s
run let’s get a scooter let’s get some
rollerblades let’s get a bike you don’t
say let’s let’s go and God say you miss
so much
when you run through the process and
what you don’t learn in this season has
to repeat itself because you didn’t go
at a pace that you could be able to see
what I was doing is you ya God’s trying
to develop some people’s character right
now and you running you trying to run
through this job you’re trying to run
away from these people and God says it’s
okay they coming back in another form
they gonna have long extension braids
next time and they gonna be even louder
than that one was they’re coming back
cuz the lesson you don’t learn repeats
itself so you have to walk out a pace
that you can see what God is trying to
do in your life stop running away from
what God is trying to do and start
walking into what God has called you to
do
and so I look at this and we look at
Jesus walking in it begin to mess with
me because y’all know I see movies and
so I’m trying to go through the whole
Bible find in a place where it said at
least one time and in haste Jesus and
the disciples dashed you know I’m saying
like not one place do you see and with
the quickness Jesus it said they walked
from town to town and so then I begin to
do research and I looked at different
theologians that that said where all the
miracles according to all the miracles
that Jesus did that he walked in three
years approximately 3,000 miles now I
don’t know if you’ve walked even ten
miles but in three years ten-mile 3,000
miles would be the equivalent of
somebody starting in LA and walking to
New York for three years but that that’s
what you would do
hey today I’m a walk 3,000 miles to my
purpose like I’m not gonna run I’m not
gonna jog I’m not gonna sprint I mean if
it was me I’m the son of God I know
every I know the end for the beginner I
saw the the electric car all the way I
mean the electric car was in my creation
when we was walking I mean me I would
have at least invented a bicycle or a
Hoveround
yeah I would have been the only one up
there
on a Segway keep up disciples I would
have I mean I would have been doing
something but he decided to walk can I
begin to ask myself why would God walk I
mean just think about it he could have
at least ridden a horse a horse is a
running animal and it’s a galloping but
do you know what I found when I searched
the Scriptures the only animal that
Jesus ever got on was a donkey and what
type of animal is that a walking animal
you ain’t never seen a or like you ain’t
you ain’t never seen a or moving fast
and I begin to conclude that the only
reason that God would do this is to show
us that we can reach purpose at a pace
of grace yes some of you needed to hear
that because you’ve been struggling and
striding and you feel like you’ve lost
too much time and God said all things
all of that that’s where the wall Pastor
Mike on 32
do you know what God did for Abraham and
Sarah at 90 and 100 like right like if
you would just start striding and find
the pace of grace God says I’m gonna
make everything whoa I gotta get this
business off the ground this year he
said what if you just get the business
plan done this year and it’s a good one
and you proof read it and the numbers
are right because when you’re running
you can’t pay attention to details you
know what I’m saying what if this year
you didn’t get the bomb house for your
family to to have when you when you pass
on but what if this year you and your
wife actually liked each other yelling
it do you understand what I’m saying
like we’re striving after all of these
things and God’s saying what if we
stride in the purpose this year I know
you want more degrees than a thermometer
because it feeds your insecurities that
you’re nobody so when you can tell them
you got a master in a double master and
all these masters you have so many
masters they should just give you a
green jacket do you understand what I’m
saying like some people don’t play golf
but my boy Jason got that I love you
okay uh do you hear what I’m saying but
but but that’s not that’s not gonna
allow you to actually feel fulfilled God
says you being in the purpose that I
created for you that was before you were
in your mother’s womb that’s where I
want you to be so this year we have to
stride somebody yell let me strive so I
begin to search Jesus walking why do I
need to walk this year I had big plans
Ivan already made my list and you’re
messing up my plan this church was going
to expand to like 2,000 3,000 I wrote
down 5,000 Lord you know I did come on
cuz the word says exceedingly abundantly
oh can I be honest but he said what if
you only grew 50 families this year but
all the 400 you took in last year really
loved me like like like like hear what
I’m saying like like like what if your
whale went deeper this year and not
wider like like I’m trying to ask you
like what what if God did our work in
you then nobody else could take away and
and so I’m asking you could you allow
God to teach you how to stride this year
like to find a pace that is full of
grace let me give you one reason why cuz
for the next 4 weeks we’re about to walk
this journey what are we gonna do in
this journey we’re gonna walk see cuz I
know right now this is cracking like
your your thought process right now like
some of y’all don’t even take a break on
the weekend you’re still working you’re
still moving like like your kids don’t
know you they know the things you get
them
like you’re Santa Claus to them you’re
not their father or their mother like
like Google you always be honest I know
you’ve been trying to do the things so
that your kids didn’t grow up how you
grew up but what you’re doing is you’re
repeating a cycle of loneliness just
covered by things like like if we’re
honest about it and gods saying to us
could you cuz you find my pace this year
could you walk in the steps that I’ve
already set out for you so as I begin to
look at this I want I want I want you to
hear this quote that I heard that really
solidified this for me I heard a quote
that said if the enemy can’t get in
front of you and stop you he’ll get
behind you and push you just think about
that
what are you striving up but who told
you you had to be married at 24 who who
told you society culture things are
pushing you every time you walk into
your mama’s house when you gonna have
some grandkids when I get married and I
have a job and I have a husband take
care of that dog do you understand what
I’m saying
but hear me what but hear me if the
enemy can’t get in front of you and we
learned last week if God is for us who
like who Kimball who can be against us
so many times for believers God gets
behind us and pushed us the enemy the
enemy gets behind us and pushes us and
makes us feel like we missed it and we
lost time and so now you got to start
working and striving and God says if you
would find me
I got a pace of grace and a stride that
will produced your purpose so why walk
write this down if you run you miss
moments where miracles happen
if you run you miss the moments where
miracles happen and the the reason that
many of us are unsatisfied with our
lives right now cuz we’ve missed the
miracles God’s already done because we
haven’t stopped long enough to look
around and see them like some of y’all
shouldn’t be married right now like
you’re sitting next to somebody that you
should not be married to but you don’t
even consider that a miracle because you
haven’t stopped long enough to see that
God has changed our life did y’all hear
what I’m saying we’re running from place
to place what’s my next thing what’s the
thing that I got to do what’s the thing
and you didn’t even see that you were
barren and you have a child now like
like you you were divorced you you
couldn’t pay to get the application in
college and you just graduated when
you’re running you can’t see the
miracles in front of you and some of you
are saying well I ain’t got all that
stuff the enemy’s tried to take your
life several times but God has sustained
you that’s a miracle but you won’t see
it if you don’t run at the pace of grace
just think about Jesus walking because
Jesus was walking and was not running
okay because he was doing that he was
able to do his first miracle at the
wedding of Cana and he stayed at the
wedding long enough to be able to
produce the miracle if he was running he
would have just stopped in to say
congratulations I’m on to heal some
people I’m on to do something else and
he wouldn’t have been in the place long
enough to even be effective many of you
have been so busy that you won’t stay in
a place long enough to be effective when
he got there they had what they needed
it was because he stayed that they ran
out and then he became the one that
created a miracle oh that’s some good
teaching right there you’re trying to
get out of that job because you think
they got everything there need there’s
coming a time where they’re gonna run
out of something and if you’re
artists still write and you’re obedient
to God he will use you in that place to
perform a miracle that nobody else could
but you will not stay if you don’t stop
running if Jesus was running he wouldn’t
have been able to curse the fig tree in
Matthew 21 some of y’all know what I’m
talking about
he was walking at such a pace somebody
say jesus walks I’m trying to help you
understand that our Lord our Savior
human divinity wrapped in humanity to
our example came and showed us how to
walk this life out he’s working at such
a pace that he says mmm I’m hungry let
me get something from this fig tree has
no fruit like ya shrivel up and die the
cycles like what just happened did he
just did he just curse that fig tree and
it actually shriveled up and died see
Jesus was walking at a pace that he
could pay attention to details and he
could see what was in his life that
wasn’t producing fruit you’ve been
running so long that you see you don’t
even see that the relationships that
you’ve got on your call log right now
are dead and not producing fruit and you
should have been able to speak to those
things a long time but all you can do is
see oh that’s a fig tree when you’re
running when you’re running oh that’s my
broken family when you’re running yeah I
still got your security issues but when
you’re walking oh yeah they’re my
insecurity issues and it started when I
was 5 years old when my father left and
then the stepfather came in and just
talked down to me but you’re not
producing food in my life anymore so I
curse you and in the name of Jesus you
no longer have power to
you no longer have power to hold me back
see if you don’t stop running you can’t
address the issues oh that’s good if you
don’t stop running you will never
address the things that I’ve been
holding you back and keeping you from
receiving the nourishment that’s
supposed to be there but if Jesus was
running he would have never been able to
even see that can I tell you my favorite
example of Jesus walking I want you to
go to mark mark chapter five and we’ll
start at verse 22 cuz this one it really
tells you like how can you prove that
Jesus was walking past their mic I mean
it’s not that detailed some of y’all
real scientific you know I’m gonna
search it out I’m gonna find a place
where it says in haste okay go ahead try
I’ve already looked but watch this
example mark chapter 5 verse 22 it says
then a leader of the local synagogue
whose name was gyrus arrived when he saw
Jesus it fell to his feet and he said
pleading fervently with you my little
daughter is dying please God right now
come and lay your hands on her
I know if you lay your hands on her she
can be healed and she can live I want
you to see the level of urgency gyruss
came with like his daughter was dying so
so he didn’t approach Jesus with the hey
Jesus god bless you
worthy is the lamb it it was no time for
formalities my daughter is dying
come quick let’s go and many times we
allow people’s problems issues or their
urgency to take us out of the pace of
grace to break our stride
and look what look what it says it just
says and Jesus went with him
it didn’t say he took off he didn’t say
everybody let’s go there’s an urgent
message no he said he went with him and
and here’s where we find out the pace it
said and all the people that were
crowded around him followed so so Jesus
was not just walking slower than what
gyrus wanted him to walk
he was walking surrounded by a group of
people okay so I want you to hear me all
my dudes right here on the front row
come here okay quickly okay uh Brent
come here okay come here right here okay
so it’s time to leave and people are all
around Jesus okay
people are all around Jesus gyrus okay
okay Jay come up here B gyrus okay hurry
you too cool gyrus all right right there
it’s right there gyrus gyrus is saying
my daughter’s day and he’s probably
already leading and trying to run
towards where the problem was but Jesus
says hey guys we’re gonna start walking
towards irises house okay all right come
on let’s just start walking gyrus was
probably frustrated gyrus are you
frustrated gyrus gyrus you’re not
frustrated
[Applause]
now watch now watch though Jesus could
have moved the people out of the way to
pick a new pace he decided to walk with
people and in his walking with people
people were changed because he decided
not to leave them behind so so he’s
walking and I bet Jireh excuse me for
one second I bet gyrus if gyrus was
really upset was up here like all right
y’all hup-two-three-four two-three-four
come on can we pick up the pace can we
can we can we go a little faster
can we really kind of leave the process
behind break protocol can we get to
where we’re going faster than what we
should can we forget about the character
of Jesus and just get to the content
that he can provide because that’s what
we want to do many times we want to
forget about the character part of God
developing us into who we’re supposed to
be and we want to get to the content of
ammonia yeah I got what I’m saying and
gyruss has to wait okay I just wanted to
paint this picture thank you guys okay
now watch this go back to the scripture
because I wanted you to get a picture
that he was walking at a pace that a
whole crowd could follow him okay and
wow that was happening first twenty five
a woman in the crowd who had suffered
for 12 years
what consistent bleeding not passing
like why does that even matter
some of y’all have heard of the woman
with the issue of blood okay there was a
woman in that group of people that was
around Jesus that had been bleeding for
12 years now I’ve never had the end of a
sentence okay a period somebody office
slow
oh there it is I’ve never I’ve never
experienced that but I’ve been around
enough women to see that sometimes that
pain can make you not want to talk to
nobody it can make you want to lay down
on a couch and it can it can make you
and-and-and-and and so this woman just
imagine a non-stop menstrual cycle for
12 years
oh the woman’s oh god I repent right now
I give it I give hey God all you can use
okay
but just just think of that and this is
what that woman was dealing with and
Jesus was walking at a pace to where
this woman who had been bleeding for 12
years could reach out and touch her I
want you to see that if Jesus was
running that woman that needed a healing
would have never been able to touch and
some of you have been running and you
have the Jesus on the inside of you that
if they could just get close enough to
you to touch you they could be healed
but you’re on to the next thing and you
want to be the best and Jesus said will
you please live at a place and at a pace
that somebody can touch your life and
that you can touch somebody’s life they
can find healing they used to be you and
you used to be to him
you used to be broken and jacked up and
limping and hurting and broken and God
said I waited on you why won’t you wait
on them but God I got so much to do you
don’t think the Son of God had things to
do people to heal a humanity to save but
he still walked at a pace that the most
broken person could catch him and touch
him and so now remember our character
Jerry’s gyrus gyrus that’s such a black
name he had to be left
it’s okay I said it all the way from
look when we go you ain’t never met a
white dyrus anyway and then with dyrus
Williams anyway so if your name is iris
Williams see me after church okay this
is so watch I know at this point gyrus
is done he’s undone because he needed
Jesus to come quickly his situation was
dire and his daughter was dying but
Jesus doesn’t just walk at a slow place
where the woman can touch him
this trip meow he stopped the woman
touched him who touched me and I do
gyrus is like what why would you and the
disciples like who touched you Jesus
you’re walking in a crowd everybody’s
touching him
he said no I felt virtue I felt freedom
come to somebody I felt that somebody
somebody got changed when they got in
worship that somebody actually lifted
their hands and meant it and it started
to heal the sickness and they’re like
virtue went out and he was like who was
it I mean he stayed there who and the
woman trembling who’s now just in her
body getting strength for the first time
she said it was me I knew if I could
just touch that you didn’t even have to
say nothing to me if I could just get in
your presence and touch
that I’d have the ability to be healed
and made home
Jesus said I’m coming y’all hold on
woman your faith has made you owe and at
that very moment word comes back from
gyrus his house yeah yo J bro I don’t
even know how to tell you this your
daughter’s dead so um don’t bother the
master it he doesn’t have to finish
walk-in this distance cuz she’s already
gone and look what the Bible says in
verse 35 it says while he was still
speaking to her like si I love Christ
because he’ll interrupt our death
sentence like somebody spoken death over
the marriage and somebody spoken death
over the dream and somebody’s spoken and
it says while he was steal do you see
why he was still speaking to her
messages arrived from the home of Jairus
the leader of the synagogue they told
him your daughter is dead there is no
use in troubling him now verse 36 but
Jesus overheard him and he said to gyrus
don’t be afraid have faith and I came to
encourage somebody this morning who
there has been a death sentence to
something in your life a dream a book a
vision of business and God says don’t be
afraid
have faith I’m still here see gyruss
didn’t know who was walking towards his
house he had no clue he had only heard
but he had never experienced who was
walking to his house and this is the
funny thing that Jesus is the only one
that can manage a miracle
and mayhem at the same moment he just
healed the woman from bleeding for 12
years and then the word comes back that
she’s his daughter is dead and he speaks
into the middle of that situation
miracle on this side mayhem on this side
and he says don’t be afraid have say I
don’t know who I’m talking to in this
place right now but I came to tell you
don’t be afraid somebody shot at me have
faith I feel the presence of God in this
verse 37 it said then Jesus stopped like
I want you to see he just started
walking again he didn’t he didn’t speed
up his pace cuz at this point if I was
Jesus thank God I’m not but if I was
Jesus at least start jogging to show
Jarius you’re on set bro don’t even
worry you won’t saying really y’all know
that faith jog like you might as well be
walking like you like I would at least
start at that Jesus didn’t break his
pace or his stride for anybody okay
he then he stopped the crowd and they
they wouldn’t let anyone go with him
except Peter James and John there’s a
miracle that’s gonna happen that
everybody’s not going to be able to see
there’s some some there’s some things
God’s gonna do that it’s not gonna be a
Facebook spectacle that he’s gonna only
call a few people around to be witnesses
of the miracle that he’s gonna do in
your life okay I’m just trying to dis
the Bible he said when they came to the
home the synagogue leader Jesus saw much
commotion and weeping and wailing and he
went inside and as well these folks
acting up why is there all this
commotion and weeping the child isn’t
dead she’s only sleeping your vision
isn’t dead it’s only sleeping your
marriage isn’t dead it’s only been in a
place of slumber your children being
saved and and and walking in the things
of God that dream is not dead
and when he spoke faith into the
situation the crowd laughed at him don’t
be surprised at the same people who act
like they’re crying over the thing
you’re crying over start laughing at you
when you speak faith into it oh don’t
don’t don’t don’t be surprised when they
say God told me to do this and they’d be
like see because everything God’s gonna
do is not gonna need committee approval
it’s gonna need people with faith but
look what Jesus did you’re gonna have to
do something he made all of them leave
he cleared the space and he took the
girl’s father and the mother the only
people with faith and his three
disciples the only people there were
even disciples that didn’t have enough
faith oh I wish I could teach this
there’s some church people that don’t
have enough faith for the miracle that
God is about to do in your life I know
they believe him for costs to be healed
but you need cancer to dry up and
everybody’s not gonna be able to believe
with you for that so I need you to make
sure you have the right inner circle
that don’t believe with you verse 41
holding her hand he said to her to leave
you kumi which means little girl get up
and the girl who was 12 years old
immediately stood up and walked around
they were overwhelmed and totally amazed
did y’all see the miracle that happened
because Jesus was walking this is the
thing that tripped me out the woman who
got the miracle at the beginning had
been suffering for 12 years the age of
the girl who got the miracle was 12
years old that means that at the
beginning of both of their situations
and their lives that God saw a moment
that if Jesus would have sped up he
would have missed this moment if he
would have slowed down he would have
missed this moment that there was a pace
that he was walking to end him up at
that place at that time to not just
perform one miracle but to do a double
miracle because he had found the pace of
grace time like what are you saying to
me right now the thing that you think is
sick
the thing that looks dead if you would
find the pace that God wants you to walk
out both of them will live both of them
will be healthy Oh y’all didn’t hear me
your family and your business your
church and your ministry
y’all I’m telling you stop believing the
lie of the American Dream because you
can have stuff and be empty but God says
if you find my place of grace I’ll make
you have money and your family you’ll
like you didn’t hear me oh I’ll let you
walk out a way that you can impact
culture and you can give back to people
in need both miracles happen because
Jesus walked at the pace of grace this
is the season where God’s challenging
all of us less of me more of him less of
me working learning and making a plan
I’m gonna do this and I’m gonna do this
yeah you got a lot of skills but what
has God called you to do not forever but
right now yeah he told you to serve in
the children’s area and you too busy and
your fly is too nice and you don’t like
children you try to be ready from when
he comes but your husband is back in the
children’s ministry working right now
and because you won’t follow the pace of
grace you’re missing what God has for
you stop trying to strive reach use all
your energy for things that God said if
you would just follow me it’s on the
path as I change your stride and you’ll
find it in the pace
I want to encourage everybody to
reevaluate your life right now because I
know for me there’s areas that God is
challenging me and he said yeah you need
to change your pace in that area one of
them is this church y’all imma go get it
like if God wanted a person to build the
church he picked the right person cuz
I’m gonna do everything I can I’m gonna
do the Instagram post I’m gonna make the
music I’m the lead praise and worship
i’ma preach i’ma play the drums I’m
gonna do everything God said slow down
he said what what if what if my plan has
you ten years out to being most
effective are you gonna spin all your
energy in the first three years burn out
and quit cuz you won’t find the pace of
it is your wife gonna have to leave you
oh this is what’s happening all over
America everyday in the name of Jesus I
only can be transparent with you and so
I told God during this 21 days of prayer
and fasting I’m putting everything on
the table my desires my wants what I’ve
already said put it on the table God if
you want to change my pace you can
change it well tie some like we have
another campus on the other side of town
it’s on the table what we already bought
it it’s on the table cuz if God wants us
to open that campus three years from now
and let another church use it and deal
then what why why would we try to plant
another Church on the other side of town
that God has not given provision for yet
cuz I said it I’m done
but y’all know what I’m saying like I’m
just him I’m just tryin to I see in part
I hear in part but I would rather be
going at the pace of grace then trying
to prove myself to anybody else I’m
telling y’all this is the time some of
y’all are in careers that you’ve never
liked and you’re only there because of
the money and God said I’ll give you
less money and more fulfillment if you
would walk at the pace of grace I don’t
know what it is for you but I know
there’s no better time to stride
remember what stride means taking long
walking and long decisive steps towards
our purpose there’s no better time for
God to change our direction than in this
time of prayer and fasting I’m asking
everybody if you’re watching online
everybody in here it’s time for you to
give up something so God can give you
something give up food give up TV give
up social media give give it up so that
God can clear your head and you can stop
being distracted and that you can hear
his voice remember what Adam and God did
they walk together in the cool of the
day why because I can hear you and we’re
walking if I start running I miss stuff
what is it Oh
go get
I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to
talk to somebody while you’re running
but but it don’t come out clear but when
you’re walking with when you’re at a
pace of grace I can hear everything
you’re saying oh that’s what you want me
to do god that’s where you want me to
give that’s where you want me to serve
that’s where that’s what you want me to
do so during this time I’m asking us to
put everything on the table for the next
21 days starting tomorrow we’re gonna be
here and we’re gonna ask God to give us
a pace of grace we’re not gonna out run
him we’re gonna step in the places where
he’s already gone before us does that
mean some of your plans are about to get
interrupted yep
cuz you made him without him like you
you told your family y’all moving into a
bigger house
you told them and it was by faith you
didn’t even consult the one who’s gonna
provide the resources maybe he wants you
or a debt before you do that so this
next 21 days yeah some of y’all are in
relationships that will not last past
January I’m so sorry
oh not Jerome yeah he’s he’s got to go
cuz he broke your stride you used to be
on fire and you used to have a purpose
now you don’t know nothing but doing
whatever he says and giving him whatever
he wants
come on y’all I counsel you I counsel
people I know what’s happening God wants
to change our stride so I want to pray
for you right now because you know what
I’ve come to the conclusion of running
is overrated and I know some people
who’ve been trying to lose weight that’s
like yes that is my pastor a word today
loving is overrated no you don’t still
be fat let me just help you you still
gonna be fat if you don’t work out okay
but what I’m talking about is in our
lives as we’re striving running after
things that God said he would provide
remember the scripture in 2nd
Corinthians says that we walk by faith
and not by I see it though I see my
dream I see my wife and God says yes I’m
showing that to you so now that you can
walk by faith you can catch a stride and
you’re gonna get there but it’s not
gonna kill you in the process
father I pray for every person under the
sound of my voice come on just lift your
hands all over this place I want you to
receive kind of thank you that you’re
changing our stride father God that we
are gonna walk this year father God not
trying to prove ourselves and not for
validation guy were already called we’re
already loved and you have a plan for us
God let us turn our ears to what your
plan is for us God let us stop striving
for things and let us start striding
walking with you
father I pray against fear I pray
against doubt I pray against father God
that thing that will make us be afraid
father we say to to you say to us like
you said to gyruss father don’t be
afraid
have faith God you’re raising dead
situations and you’re reviving and
healing others situation we just believe
as we trust you and we find our stride
father you’re going to teach us the pace
of grace have your way in this entire
series and do a deep work as we start
this fasting and pray in Jesus name we
agree somebody give God a shout of
praise in this place come on
[Music]