Stop Holding It // Release (Part 4)

is anybody ready for the word today well

I want you to get out your notes and

your Bible we are starting week four of

a vision series that we’re calling

release and if you’re just joining us we

gather our faith around a word every

year that that we believe God has spoken

to us and that is gonna set the

trajectory for the rest of the year and

and and some of you know but we’re on

day 21 of our tell some a some a my god

there was a quicken in my spirit tonight

will be the end of our fast and we’re

gonna be able to go and see everything

that we believe God for and prayed for

during this 21 days of prayer fasting I

believe that we’re gonna see it come to

pass this year and I just believe my

faith is that we will not have a repeat

or a rerun of anything in the past but

God’s moving us to something new and

part of that is us releasing and God

told us he said this is gonna be the

year that he’s gonna release us from the

bondage the place of bondage he’s gonna

release us of the the mentality or the

perspective of bondage and he’s gonna

release us into the promise of our

blessing and I really do believe that

and I believe all year like like release

is not just this series you’re gonna

hear release all year even when we’re

talking about other things this is the

year of release and and so I believe

that us being released God releasing in

us what he wants to do is going to be a

process and part of that God has a part

to play and we have a part to play and

it’s so funny sometimes we want God to

supersede us to do the miracle and he’s

saying I have to have you be a part of

what I’m doing in your life and so one

of our responsibilities is to release

and I want you to write this down stop

holding there are things that many of us

have been holding on to that it’s time

for us to everybody say release yeah yep

uh-huh

you have attitudes that you need to

release you have anger that you need to

release you have people that actually

hurts you that you need to release you

have

dreams that you dreamed when you were 12

years old and then when you consulted

God he never gave you an okay about it

but you still been holding on the dreams

that don’t have anything to do with your

purpose and it’s time to release see a

lot of our frustrations aren’t even

frustrations from something we should

even be thinking about it’s things that

we made up without God and are playing

without his presence is a problem and

there are things that you’ve been

believing for and asking God for and you

need to release the and I know I know

that a lot of us like holding those

things because they’ve been they’ve been

what we know they’re so familiar like my

knee-jerk reaction is to get angry and

cuss you out cuz and I appreciate her

being honest because while she’s being

real some of y’all are wearing a mask

and God can only bless who you really

are not who you pretend to be and

everybody say that God wants everybody

say truth see this is a cuss word in

church because people feel like if I

tell you the real truth then maybe I

won’t be worthy of what God has has done

in my life or people will think

different of me but I’m saying the Bible

tells us that the truth will set you

free

and many of our freedom hasn’t come

because we haven’t told the truth hmm

what if your husband really knew the

truth

what if your family really knew the

truth what if you were honest with

yourself about what really happened and

you started facing the truth I believe

the result would be freedom and there

are too many of us because we won’t

release the things that are comfortable

to us the things that we’ve been holding

we never get to experience what God has

for us but the title of my message today

is what I want you to do and what I

believe God wants you to do stop holding

it stop holding it I don’t know what it

is for you but it has been keeping you

in a place that God wants you to be

released from it could be unforgiveness

and you’ve been holding it because your

dad did leave you when you were a young

person and it sucked to be raised

without a father

figure and you were looking to other

people to be able to do it but God says

now we’re here and I do not want what

happened in the past to paralyze you in

the present I don’t want what did happen

to be plaguing you then and it’s still

controlling you now I need you to

release I know you were exposed to

things at a young age that nobody should

be exposed to and I’m not gonna sit up

here and act like I know why everything

happens the only thing I know is that we

live in a fallen world and because we

live in a world where sin is able to be

a real part of everyday life that

there’s perversion and sickness and all

these things and I don’t know why it

happened but God says will you let me

take your ashes and give you beauty

because I’m the only one that can take a

burnt-up situation and make something

beautiful and many of us God’s begging

us let me have it and we will not

release we won’t stop holding it because

we found protection in it because this

is the thing that has kept us safe we

feel like us building walls has been

protection but we keep building all of

these walls and what we realize is the

thing that we built to protect us now

has us trapped in the very thing that we

said cuz nobody will ever hurt me like

that again and this won’t happen and

that won’t happen and I want and now

we’ve been trapped we can’t move forward

and what God has called us to do because

we won’t release but today I want to

help you our part in this is to stop

holding and and when you stop holding

you have to know that there’s a time and

a season for this God took me to

ecclesiastics chapter 3 verse 6 and i’ma

read it in three different versions

because I think it’s gonna help us

uncover what we’re gonna have to do with

our past pains with our frustrations

with the issues that happen to us with

the things that happen that were unfair

I want you to see this it says there’s a

time and a season for everything and

then it says there’s a time to get and a

time to lose a time to keep and a time

to cast away everybody say cast away

then look at it in the NLT version it

says there’s a time to search and a time

to quit

searching relationship advice and

there’s a time to keep and a time to

everybody say throw away so there’s

things that we’ve been holding on to

that is saying we need to cast away and

some of them we need to throw away and

look at it in the message version it

says there is a right time to hold on

and so many of us thought that we’d be

holding these things for years the

unforgiveness the bitterness the anger

the people will be holding for years he

said but there’s another time to do like

Elsa and let it go okay it’s time or

maybe let me say it a different ways

stop holding and I know it’s hard I know

it’s hard to start doing these things

because that means that I’m gonna have

to give over control but God is saying

through these scriptures I need you to

let those things that you’ve been

holding on to I need you to cast them

away I need you to throw them away I

need you to let it go I need you to stop

holding but God they don’t deserve to be

forgiven he said but it’s killing you

and how bad do you want revenge do you

want it to kill you or do you want me to

take and fight your battles and the

problem is many of us think that if we

keep holding these things that somehow

it’s gonna make everything better

just in case they come back up just in

case this situation happens and God says

I want you to trust me that my ways are

better than your ways that my thoughts

are better than your thoughts that that

I have a plan for you to prosper you

that’s not to harm you and I want to

move away from here but I can’t do it if

you do not stop holding and let me give

you a practical example brick could you

come out here real quick cuz first Peter

chapter 5 and 7 it says give all your

worries and your cares

to who to God that means we gotta cast

it another another version actually says

that cast all your cares upon the Lord

for he cares about you he was like yeah

he cares but then why why why did I go

through it and see what what ends up

happening is we

we come in and and and I want to say

like this life is a conglomerate of two

different things what happened to you

which you had no control over there were

things that happen to you

but it doesn’t just stop there it’s what

happened to you and then what you decide

and a lot of us we only look at the past

of what happened to us

and then we base all of our decisions on

the fact of what happened to us instead

of allowing God to transform us in this

place right here release the things and

move to our our next and this is what

happens life happens I got offended

because somebody did something to me

that was wrong and the thing is we never

release it cuz I can still function with

my offense and a lot of people are okay

as long as they’re able to function with

their dysfunction so as long as as as

I’m a young man and I can get angry

that’s fine I still can do everything

that I need to do I still can clap if I

need to clap

I can still punch you if I need to I

don’t have full mobility of what I could

grasp and touch but I’m okay with with

keeping these things cuz I can still

move but what ends up happening is life

keeps coming at you and you lost the job

and you got caught up in perversion and

there was a relationship that was not

like God now what happens when you’re

carrying things you were never meant to

carry and now God’s telling you to

release but this has become comfortable

having frustration in my life having

anger in my life blaming other people

it’s comfortable and so now instead of

releasing things I’m more accustomed to

catching things I take offense

uh-huh like offense is thrown in the air

I don’t dodge it oh I wanted

I want I wanted that offense I wanted to

get that and so then I go to the job

where they undervalue me and there’s

some big offenses but then there’s some

little offenses then I start I start

catching the people who talked about me

on Instagram and the people in my family

oh yeah I’m coming to your house today

oh no I don’t know and see this is how

crazy we look cuz we would rather chase

an offense we would rather we would

rather get down and pick up something

that’s insignificant cuz I didn’t

deserve to be treated like that and they

don’t know who I am over here looking

crazy and what ends up happening is we

spend our life focusing and trying to

catch small offenses and this is what

most of us look like this is what your

soul looks like and you’re functioning

every day and you’re trying to go

through life and that’s like god is good

and everything is alright and this is

what people see because I got to keep

preaching but now oh no no no not no no

no not my bro are not my family

they never believed in me I can’t let

that go they didn’t support me when I

tried to still I can’t let that go

nope so I’m gonna keep trying to

function while holding everything that’s

hurting me and been a weight in my life

it’s harder to do what’s easy when

you’re holding things that you were

never meant to carry but look at

Ephesians chapter 4 cuz cuz Paul I like

Paul because Paul is one of the realest

I mean he wouldn’t do some real stuff

and and and he had a rough life like

Paul was killing Christians let me just

say like this Paul had a past how many

people in this room watching right now

have a past lift your hands high if

you’re watching if you’re watching in

your living room lift your hands and if

you didn’t lift your hands you’re lying

we all got a past the question is is

your past still present because we call

it the past but if it really is the past

then it can’t affect your present and

most of us have a past present because

what happened to us in the past is still

affecting us in the present and what

Paul is saying is I got a pass I got a

pass probably worse than all of y’all I

was killing people I was probably doing

things with females that believed in

Jesus

I was I was talking down to people I was

doing all kinds of stuff but look what

Paul says to us in Ephesians chapter 4

verse 31 and this is a htl this is a

hard to live scripture because it sounds

good when we read it but it’s hard to

live this one out look what he says he

says get rid or stop holding everybody

say stop holding all bitterness all

bitterness all rage all anger hold on

Lord all anger ain’t there a little bit

that I can keep it says get rid of all

anger all harsh words oh all slander

well I’m not just talking about him I’m

telling the truth

mmm I’m just gonna I’m gonna say it cuz

some of y’all like oh he didn’t get my

issue he didn’t not get in my issue look

at the rest of it as well as all types

of evil behavior Gotham coach it says

you got a you got to stop holding all of

these things he said instead everybody

say instead that means there’s a trade

that means you can release this and you

can get something else you can trade

your sorrows for his joy you can trade

the spirit of heaviness for a garment of

praise you can trade everybody say

instead feel this thing he says instead

be kind to each other

tender-hearted uh-oh here’s the big one

forgiving one another

hold on God you don’t know what happened

you you can’t tell me to forgive them

because they did not deserve to do that

and hear me when I say this they didn’t

deserve to do it and I don’t know why I

hate the devil I hate things that have

happened to people illegitimately and

when they were young and when they

didn’t know but this is the thing you

gotta realize that battle is not yours

it’s the Lord’s and your holding stuff

that’s too heavy for your heart you’ve

been weighed down because you’ve had a

fear of failure because your your your

parents or your coach didn’t believe in

you and God said I’m bringing people

around you to believe in you but you

can’t even see it

because you are stuck to a moment and

he’s saying you gotta forgive these

people just as God through Christ has

forgiven you oh no you bringing up my

salvation again cuz I’m I remember who I

was

some of y’all can be faking here but I

needed God to forgive me and the problem

is the same forgiveness that we’ve

experienced it’s the same forgiveness

that we have to give so what are you

saying I need to stop holding bitterness

stop holding raids stop holding anger

stop holding hearts words stop holding a

revenge –all revengeful spirit stop

holding offense stop

holding unforgiveness let me help you

let me help you really get this cuz I’ve

been standing here with all of this

stuff but what incentive happen is life

don’t stop coming so now I’m I’m a

transformation Church but there was a

lot of cars getting in here today and

somebody cutting me off you mother

blessing and then and then I went

outside to try to get some new merch but

the girl in front of me took my last

sighs and then I was really trying I was

really trying to be here for all 21 days

of Prayer faster but somebody made me

mad and then I called somebody who would

always make me feel better when I felt

like God wasn’t doing what he was

supposed to do I needed to feel love

from somebody and so I got this

relationship on the side that I keep

holding nobody knows about it

nobody knows that I’m in my demons

nobody knows that that I still watch

this thing I keep this this subscription

to premium channels just for those

moments where I feel loved and I still

keep holding things and I’ll be in a

loaded position a lowered position truck

he’ll know and I’ll be trying to chase

after offenses could you could you bring

that to me no no no just bring it to me

please could you bring it to me what’s

your name Megan thank you for helping me

keep holding things seems like I should

have never came but I promise you you’ll

find friends who will help you hold on

to it

uu-aah there are people who have been

designed rob come here man yeah yeah

yeah come here come here no no no no no

it won’t help unless you get close

enough to me to keep me reminded of what

happened to me so many of us are walking

around holding pain and frustration and

hurts and we’re being aided by people

who are hurt too and so God says hey I

want some good things to come to you

because I’m a God of grace and when he

sends good things your way you can’t

even catch them because you’re still

holding on to everyone and everybody who

hurts you and you’re saying I’m pastor I

did the 21 days of prayer and fasting

you said the cast and I want you to

think about this cast it’s something

where you have to get a little energy

and you got a cast oh okay I cast this

oh thank you lord I casted him but I

ain’t casting this one cuz this is my

Uncle Bill and uncle bill expose me to

stuff that’s messed me up to this day I

can’t forgive him but but I’m free

enough to at least catch a good thing so

now God brings good things my way and I

just praise the one good thing because I

won’t release the other things and so I

I’m better I’m better than I used to be

and then God throws another blessing

your way and you can’t catch it

and and this is what Paul is telling us

right now

he said if you release what’s in your

hands then God can release what’s in his

hands and all somebody needs to thank

God right there and if you don’t release

what’s in your hand he would be an

irresponsible father to try to throw

something else your way

let me write it down no no no no nope

nope nope nope I’m chasing this offense

my boss I hate him he don’t deserve me

uh-uh my brother doesn’t deserve my

grace either nope nope Pastor Mike why

do you look so foolish right now it’s

because we would rather grovel and chase

things hurting us and hold on to no no

no no not being cut from the 6th grade

basketball team you laughing but that’s

the thing that made you stop trying so

you don’t try anymore because you would

rather not even try then to get denied

and God saying I need you in this year

to release stop holding it I have

something better for you write this down

releases God’s desire but my decision

yep

it’s God’s desire for everybody to be

released but you got to decide remember

it said cast throw and some of these

little thing literal offenses are easier

to twelve watch out I’m sorry don’t hit

that woman in her hair don’t apologize

look up it’s easier to throw the small

things it’s easy it’s easier to throw

the things that look insignificant but

there’s some things the too close to my

heart to throw and that’s why the Bible

gives us different options it says you

just need to let it go letting go

doesn’t take any more of my energy it

just takes me to stop holding what I

have right now and I believe in this

year of release God’s not asking you to

do some sexy big release where you

telling everybody I’ve made some

decisions

and if I don’t answer your phone call

you wanted them to see you know you

y’all know how people do like I’m all

for the gram if you need my number call

me like wax it’s because we’re trying to

we’re trying to act like what we really

need to do is based on how other people

respond to it but what God is saying is

I just need you to stop holding stop

holding what you’ve been holding release

is God’s desire but it’s your decision

somebody say my decision yep and so

that’s what Paul comes to us and he’s

telling us so many different things and

it reminds me of Hebrews 12

chapter 1 where it says therefore since

we’ve been surrounded by such a huge

crowd of witnesses to the life of faith

let us everybody said let us let us

strip off every weight that slows us

down especially sin

what do you mean Pastor Mike that means

there’s weights that aren’t sin that are

holding you to the place you’re in and

it says let those weights go he said and

let us run with endurance the race God

has set before you you gotta understand

when good things happen when bad things

happen and I’m carrying all of these

things and I want them to come from me

and I’m getting little offenses and all

of these different things that are

happening in life and I don’t really

want them but they’re coming at me and

I’m deciding to catch them what ends up

happening I’ll need everybody to see

this what you think you’re holding is

actually holding you see what you think

is a defense mechanism for you is the

very thing that’s created prison walls

for you and if somebody told me to run

at full speed right now I could not run

at my full speed not because I can’t run

so because I’m holding things that

hinder me from being my best and many of

you are functioning in life and again

this is what your soul looks like and

and oh my god

you’re gonna join the church and change

your life and you’re gonna start serving

and they didn’t pick you for a good

service position so now you’re offended

after you met God what happens when your

pain is not just from things you did in

your past but it’s things that keep

coming up right now and people don’t see

your value give me something big because

because I thought I would be able to to

be more and do more and now I’m offended

and now you come into the house of God

in your holding stuff and look what Paul

said he said these things are holding

you holding you back and some of you

saying well Paul’s just saying these

things he ain’t never been through

nothing part got a past and he has a

past after he became a believer look

what it says in 2nd Corinthians chapter

11 verse 22 I got a paraphrase but he

starts telling everybody everything that

he’s been through because you think you

have a past Paul had a past he said I’ve

been put in prison I’ve been with so

many times I can’t count I face death

over and over again

I had 39 lashes you know the the lashes

that Jesus took Paul got that five times

he had 39 lashes five times he’s been

beaten with rod he rods he was stoned

he’d been shipwrecked he spent a whole

night on a piece of wood at sea he’s

been robbed he’s faced danger from

people who said they loved him some of

the disciples didn’t even claim him

because they thought his transformation

wasn’t real because he used to kill

Christians and God changed his life and

now they’re saying this can’t be real do

you know what type of rejection you

would have to feel after you have given

your life to Christ and the very people

that are supposed to be supporting you

now are saying that what God’s done in

your life is not real do you know how

much that Paul had to carry and and had

to choose to let go it said that on top

of all of that then God gave him a

responsibility to care for people in

church and to build this church and this

one helps me understand that God’s

telling us to release because he has

something better for us than anything

that we’ve been carrying around if you

do not let this stuff go if you do not

have the faith to believe that God’s

plan is better than your problem if you

do not

are not able to see that that what

happened to you is not a punishment but

it is a platform for God’s glory to be

seen in your life if you keep holding on

to this stuff it will keep you from

God’s best for you and there are too

many people and I’m sick of counseling

them and I’m sick of praying for people

who their main issue is not that God

wants to do more it’s that they won’t

let go

they won’t stop holding and there are

relationships and people that you’ve

been holding and you can’t even take

what’s good God says I want to do

something good for you and you’re barely

holding on to the good things that God

has for you but I want you to look what

Paul says in Philippians 3 verse 12 oh

no I’m losing things can I have a friend

that’ll help me keep my issues thank you

for helping me stay in bondage that’s

what some of y’all should text your

friends on their birthday Philippians

chapter 3 verse 12 what happens what

happens when your pain is legitimate my

question is is it worth it not is it

legitimate because most people like I

got a right to feel like this let me

tell you yes you do

let me validate you for every pastor

who’s never said it you should without

God you have a right to feel how you

feel and hold everything you’re holding

my question is is it worth it and Paul

decided that every day he woke up after

God transformed his life that he

wouldn’t live in shame and guilt think

about this this man killed Christians

and then he has an encounter with God

and he has to wake up every day and

choose to let these things go he cannot

focus on the past because if he focuses

on the past he’ll never be able to do

what God’s called him to do in the

future

Paul goes on to write over one third of

the entire Bible and three-fourths no no

because that’s the only good thing

that’s happened to me in a long time I’m

not losing that so I’ll rearrange my

function I’ll rearrange my dysfunction

and I’m spending more time effort and

energy trying to hold on to something

and I don’t even know if I can get up

but I won’t let it go I can let this

thing go and be able to use my hand like

it was supposed to be used but I can’t

let only have two good things that have

happened to me so I got it you see how

foolish I look but this is how many of

us look every day of our life when God

says I had better plan for you I’m not

letting go of my ex-husband he should

have never left us like this

and God says stop holding him why should

my sister should have protected me she

saw what was happening you don’t even

know what’s happening to her this barrel

is not yours it’s the Lord stop holding

it and so Paul says Philippians 3 verse

12 he says hey I don’t I don’t want to

come off like I got this thing figured

out he said I’ve not already achieved

these things and I haven’t reached

perfection but I press on everybody say

press on oh I just feel God this is this

year of release where many of you who

have been paralyzed in your present that

you’re about to start pressing on he

said I press on to possess that

perfection for which Christ Jesus first

possessed me I’m not gonna stay at the

first version of myself I’m not going to

stay in this bound place where I’ve been

broken I’m not going to use my pain as

an excuse to see God move in my present

I’m not gonna stay here verse 13 no I

don’t want you to get me wrong I’ve not

achieved it but I focus on this one

thing now what is Paul about to focus on

because out of everything he can focus

on look what he says I focus on

forgetting the past

what no no no no see this is so funny

thing right here um no no you could just

keep it right there because I’m trying

to focus on something different now so

when something falls off or I release

something the only reason I want to go

after it is because I keep looking at it

where’s your focus my question is are

you focused on what happened are you

focused on what God is doing look what

he says he said forgetting the past and

looking forward for what lies ahead I

press on to reach the end of the race

and receive the heavenly prize for which

God through Christ Jesus is calling us

I’m here to tell you that God is calling

you and he wants to do more with you

than you could ever do with yourself but

it can’t happen until you start

forgetting the past because I’m like I

can’t do that I can’t forget because it

hurt me too bad write down my next point

forgetting or the formula to forgetting

it’s fixed focus the formula to

forgetting is fixed focus I remember

that a year and a half ago one of my

friends watched this documentary on

minimalism okay

some of y’all seen it we try God still

working on us but we got all gung-ho

about like doing less having less and so

what we made a decision is that all of

us are going into our closets and we’re

taking out everything we haven’t worn in

the past six months and I was like let’s

go let’s let it go let’s Relays and

first off they started coming in my

closet and saying stuff was ugly I said

who who even asked you to come in here

and then we first did a dwindle of

things I couldn’t wear anymore and there

were some things I was like but no no no

two months from now two months from now

I’ll be ten pounds lighter and I bought

that for a specific reason I see I got a

vision of God using me in that shirt

like like and so after we got over that

it was painful and then they started

taking away things that I could wear but

I had too many of them

they said Mike you don’t need ten jean

jackets I said you don’t understand

there’s details to these jean jackets I

said this jean jacket has a denim light

wash this jean jacket has more and I

started telling all the reasons they

said you can keep three I said what and

then what they did is they dismissed me

and they said this is too hard for you

to let go of because you keep looking at

it so if you don’t have focus on what’s

being let go of will keep it and see if

you don’t notice it’s gone so I left and

I came back to my closet and it was like

maybe I got more clothes in here than I

thought

what I realized is my process of

forgetting was wrapped up in what I was

focusing on when I kept looking at it I

kept thinking about how I couldn’t live

without it but when my focus was on

something else I was able to allow

things to be everybody say release I

came to tell you today that your process

of forgetting all those things that have

happened in the past is going to be

wrapped up and you getting fixed focus

on Jesus see a lot of you have had fixed

focus on who offended you and what hurts

you and you’ve allowed that to take over

your focus of who saved you who redeemed

you who calls you who has blessed you

and you stop looking at the blesser and

you’ve looked at all the things that

have hurt you but somebody say I’m

fixing my focus say it like you mean it

I’m fixing my focus

look at proverbs 425 it says look

straight ahead and fix your eyes fix

your focus on what lies before you mark

out a straight path for for your feet

stay on a safe path don’t get

sidetracked somebody say don’t get

sidetracked stop getting sidetracked by

all the little things in life that come

to affect you stop getting sidetracked

stop looking at them see because when I

stop looking at them but they’re still

coming I don’t even I don’t even have

the opportunity to get ready to get

offended I can’t even catch the offense

because I didn’t see it coming you meant

to hurt me but I ain’t even see it you

you meant to make me mad but I didn’t

even catch it I am NOT going to fix my

focus on everything that’s coming my way

and that’s why

letting go is about what you look at

yeah some of the hurts and the

frustrations and the people you don’t

have to let them go but you can’t look

at what you’re letting go you have to

look at Jesus see because what God has

for you is so much bigger than anything

you could ever have for yourself see

what you got to realize is you’ve been

you’ve been holding on to pain and good

things but there’s a god thing that God

wants you to hold on to and you cannot

catch what God has for you when you’re

still holding

what has hurts you and those who keep

you right here so what are you saying

Pastor Mike today in this series

throughout this entire year my last

point stop holding it

I know I know your husband stepped out

on you you’re trying to make it work but

you don’t trust them you’re gonna have

to trust God and if he told you to stay

in that relationship you’re gonna have

to stop holding him he’s not your child

he’s your helpmate and now you’re gonna

have to let him go and become the man of

God that he’s supposed to be and if he

can’t do that biblically you have you

have the right you can leave that thing

but if you’re deciding to stay stop

holding him to his past cuz nobody can

ever fully move into what God has for

them if we’re still holding them to who

they used to be Paul goes on to be one

of the greatest apostles but he had to

choose every day to stop holding what he

used to do stop holding who came against

him stop holding the good things that

happen because even in isaiah 43 the

bible tells us because we start holding

good things and we start thinking we’re

excited but but he tells the children of

israel i delivered you from out of egypt

i parted the seas and then what did he

say and isaiah 40:3 he says forget all

that no no no what you’re telling me to

forget the good things that God did he

says it’s not worthy to be compared so

what I’m about to do in your life I need

somebody to get the faith to believe

that even the good things that have

happened are not worthy to be compared

to what God wants to do his plan is to

prosper you to give you hope in a future

and so you’ve got on everybody say

forget it

[Applause]

because when you stop holding your hands

are open to catch not the good thing ah

but the god thing and this is the thing

you got to realize

[Applause]

when I fix my focus on the god thing

it’s big enough that when life starts

coming at me from every angle come on

life just start coming at me I don’t

even see it I am protected I have found

refuge I have my focus fix I can walk

through the valley of the shadow of

death and fear no evil because my faith

is fixed on who goes before me life can

come at me but God is it I need somebody

to help me in this place

my focus is six

[Music]

standing all over this place so Pastor

Mike my focus is fixed I just I just I

just keep thinking on Jesus yeah like

forgive your father

let him go focus on Jesus forgive your

boss let him go focus on Jesus forgive

your children for what they did to you

after you sacrificed your whole life for

them forgive them

focus on Jesus Paul is so good that all

these scriptures I’ve read all of them

have been from Paul because he went from

somebody who was killing Christians and

had to forget his past and had the daily

release people to somebody who could

write something like Philippians chapter

4 verse 8 he said and now dear brothers

and sisters one final thing like before

we go today let me just tell you one

thing fix your thoughts remember the key

to forgetting your past is fixing your

focus so now you need to fix your

thoughts somebody say i’ma fix my

thoughts o what all the haters all the

problems all the issues no no no fix

your thoughts on what is true I am a

child of God the number of days that God

has called me to be there ordered by him

he has a plan you gotta fix your mind on

what’s true you gotta fix your mind on

what’s honorable what’s right what’s

pure what’s lovely what’s admirable

think about these things that are

excellent and worthy of praise keep

putting into practice all you’ve learned

in all you received from me

Paul said I modeled this from you I had

a horrible past I let God meet me in a

moment I allow God to develop me and

then I got my focus fixed or not what

happens to me but what I can do to help

other people become who they are called

to be and I just keep seeing Jesus and

he says do these things everything you

heard from me and saw me doing then the

God of peace will be with you I came to

tell you today stop holding it this is

what 2019 is supposed to look like for

every person oh if you have faith to

believe it why don’t you give God a shot

of praise in this building this is what

it’s supposed to look like but you can’t

fully grasp what God has for you if

you’re still holding your past I want to

pray for everybody because today I’m

believing you’re gonna stop holding it

and I don’t know what it is but you do

hands lifted all over this building

father I thank you that today you met us

in this place god you’re saying this is

the year of release and that means this

is the year where we stop holding you’re

gonna do your part but we’re gonna do

our part

father we let go of every person every

idea every moment that caused us pain

that has kept us poor paralyzed we

declare and we decree right now that you

are a god that is moving us from where

we have been to where you have called us

to be I come against fear I come against

doubt I come against that the the

paralyzation of pain and I declare that

right now we are no longer stagnant but

we are letting go we are releasing we

are casting our cares upon you because

you care for us today I thank you that

we will not trade old things or even

good things for the god thing that you

have for us change us from the inside

out and father this is not just the

moment of release but this is the year

of release do it over and over and we

have faith to believe you and matter of

fact God we give you praise in advance

for all you’re doing and all you’re

saying come on if you’re gonna release

it give God a shot of praise in this

building

I’m letting it color I’m letting it go

I’m letting it go say that out of your

mouth I’m letting it go something’s

happening in our church and now you have

a part to play this week there are

people that you’re gonna daily wake up

and say I’ll let you go and they’re

gonna try to offend you again because

cuz people will throw things at you

throw it at me Kordell and instead of

catching it you’re gonna do what let it

go it’s gonna come at you and I’m a

Dodger I don’t know it’s gonna come at

you oh you hit me but you’re not gonna

get a response out of me like like like

like like it hit me but you’re not

you’re not gonna get it and it’s gonna

come at you and I am going to

intentionally intentionally start

allowing the things that the enemy means

to distract me to become the things that

fuel me to stay devoted to him here in

this room today you’ve never made the

greatest decision of your life which is

accepting Jesus Christ as your personal

Lord and Savior or rededicating your

life like putting him back in control

releasing control today I want to give

you that opportunity cuz it’s the thing

that changed my life

it took me from being somebody who was

addicted from pornography who was

carrying all of that baggage who was

trying to do God’s will but not letting

him take control it took me from that to

a man that’s not perfect like palsy but

I’m progressing towards the mark that

God has called me to today I want to

give you that opportunity if you would

just close your eyes and bow your head

right now not a religious moment but for

you to focus

fix your focus right now if you’re in

this room and you need to make God your

Lord and Savior I’m telling you it’s the

greatest decision you could ever make

even all those who are watching online

I’m telling you God wants you to release

the first thing you’re gonna have to do

is release controls and so today I want

us to pray this prayer nobody at

transformation church prays alone

because we’re

family amen so let’s pray this prayer

together for the benefit of those who

are coming to Christ

everybody say God I release control and

I give it to you I stop holding my past

and my present and I give it to you

thank you for living and dying just for

me and today I asked you to be the Lord

of my life

change me renew me transform me I’m

yours

in Jesus name Amen

hey thanks so much for watching today

and transformation church has impacted

your life in any way we want to hear

about it

citizen email and my story and transform

Church taught us also if you’d like to

partner with us financially to see more

lives transform you can visit our

website at transform Church Dinah’s

slash give hey thanks again go out and

live a transformed life