Going Beyond Ministries with Priscilla Shirer – Strengthened by God
Priscilla Shirer (born December 31, 1974) is an American author, motivational speaker, actress, and Christian evangelist. Her father is Dallas mega-church pastor Tony Evans and her brother is Christian entertainer Anthony Evans.
The daughter of Tony Evans, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas,[1] Priscilla grew up well acquainted with the Bible. As a freshman at the University of Houston, she interned with a Christian radio station. Soon listeners were calling the station, inviting Priscilla to speak at their Bible study groups and other events. Soon she was invited to lead a weekly Bible study at the Zig Ziglar Corporation and then to join its speaker team. Priscilla has worked as an independent contractor for CBS and hosted a local television show, but recently she has focused solely on Christian ministry opportunities. She calls Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, her mentor in ministry.
Together the Shirers established Going Beyond Ministries, a speaking bureau featuring Priscilla. The parents of three young boys, the Shirers share ministry and family responsibilities. While Priscilla continues to minister full-time, Jerry manages his schedule and other business aspects of Going Beyond Ministries.
Priscilla speaks around the world at churches and other events, including the LifeWay Christian Resources-sponsored Going Beyond conference and Deeper Still: The Event, where she shares the stage with Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. She has also authored several books.
Shirer graduated from Duncanville High School and Dallas Theological Seminary, earning a master’s degree from the latter in Biblical Studies.
In 1993, Shirer was a freshman at the University of Houston. Shirer was married in 1999 to Jerry Shirer, former Hilton Hotels executive. The couple has three sons.
In 2013, Shirer was a speaker at the 2013 Women of Faith conference. In 2015, Shirer made her film debut in the Kendrick Brothers film War Room. In October 2016, Shirer was recognized as one of four prominent women of faith during the 10th anniversary of God’s Leading Ladies Life Enrichment Program at The Potter’s House.[1] Shirer also featured at the 47th GMA Dove Awards.
for silicon give her a big hand well hi
y’all
Dara and I are so excited to be here all
the way from Dallas Texas where we live
and it is a privilege to be able to
share with you today you know miss miss
Joyce talks about Andy feeling a little
bit of her message Virginia means think
about how it feels to be me after the
end of a day and a half already of us
receiving that they have pretty much
taught the whole Bible they may have
taught the whole Bible so I’ve decided
that you’re going to turn to the back of
your Bible we’re just gonna talk from
the map but you know what it is my
prayer it’s my prayer that what God
would do in this moment that you and I
are going to spend together that he
would just allow me to be a partner with
Miss Joyce and putting a big ole
exclamation point on this long sentence
God has already been writing throughout
the time you and I have been together
that he would feel this word in our
heart that we would know beyond the
shadow of a doubt before we leave this
place exactly who we are in Christ and
so it is a privilege to be able to stand
on this platform to be able to have an
opportunity to share with you miss Joyce
and I have several mutual friends um and
so I have also obviously heard so much
about her and the wonderful woman that
she is not only on the platform but
behind the platform when the life and
the spotlights aren’t on and don’t you
know that’s where it really matters
people love integrity and character
several of our friends have called her
in my hearing they’ve called her mama
Joyce and I thought to myself well I
would just I would never call her mama
Joyce because we’re not familiar enough
with each other for me to call her mama
anything
well last night when she pulled out
Spanx on the stage I knew we will be
friends and I decided after the Sphinx I
can call her mama joy and I want to
thank you mama joy for your ministry to
all of us we’ll just say thank you mama
joy
listen I’m excited to go God’s Word
today excited about what it is he wants
to share with us there’s been a simple
yet I think pretty profound principle
that over the last really year of my
life the Lord has just been cementing in
my heart and in my mind and in my soul
and I want to share that with you today
let’s pray together Lord Jesus thank you
so much for your word thank you Lord
that it is living and active and sharper
than any two-edged sword lord I pray
that in these few moments you would do
what only you can that is take one
little simple message divided 20,000
different ways so that every single
person under the sound of my voice will
know beyond a shadow of a doubt they
have heard from God in Jesus name Amen
my brother and I have actually three
siblings I have an older sister and I’ve
got two younger brothers and my baby
brother his name is Jonathan we call him
John dong and my baby brother does what
baby brothers do when they come over to
your house as an adult he comes over to
my house and he immediately goes right
to my refrigerator every single time in
the pantry of the refrigerator and
recently he came over my house and he
went over to the refrigerator and he
opened it up and I guess if he was
foraging around my refrigerator it
reminded him of this story that he began
to tell me as he was looking into my
refrigerator now I’ve got three boys and
my youngest boy his name is Jude so
we’ve got a ten-year-old named Jackson
and then we have a nine-year-old named
Jerry jr. then we got a little surprised
four year old his name is Jude we don’t
actually know where he came from
and we named him dude because that is as
close as I can get to Revelation because
it is finished it is done its complete
and so my little dude is actually the
exact same age as my brother’s oldest
child Kelsey so I’ve got this nice her
name is Kelsey she is a wild little
sassy precocious thing all the curly
hair on her head I don’t know where she
got any of that from and he was telling
me this story about Kelsey and about how
when Kelsey was few years old she would
go over to the refrigerator in their
home when she was hungry and she would
point at the big box that had the food
in it and say hey so John John said I
would go over to Kelsey and I would pick
her up I would run her over to the table
and sit her down in the booster seat so
that I could bring her the food that she
was asking for but Kelsey now far
removed from what she thought was the
place she needed to be to get the food
she would throw a temper tantrum and cry
a river of tears and she would wiggle
her way out of that seat and storm her
way back across the kitchen in front of
the big box where the food was and she
would point out and say hey he would
then grab her and put her back in her
booster seat at the kitchen table and he
would throw a temper tantrum and cry a
river of tears and wiggle her way out of
the chair walk back across the kitchen
floor stand in front of the big box that
had the food in it and say he he would
then pick her up and take her back to
the booster seat she would wiggle her
way out walk herself across and say he
said Priscilla we went through this over
and over and over and over again and he
laughed as he told me the story but he
said for the last time it wasn’t funny
he said I had so much patience with this
girl as I tried to get her to understand
that where I was putting her was
actually the best place for her to be
positioned to receive this what she was
asking me for that even though in her
mind it didn’t seem like the best place
for her to be to receive what she was
requesting I knew because hummer daddy
and I loved her
that where I was putting her was the
best environment for her to be and for
her to receive the requests that she had
in her heart and on her mind and has
done John told me the story I doesn’t
say I just laughs if I thought about my
little curly-headed niece and her little
sassy self
I laughed hysterically and as I was
laughing the Holy Spirit stopped me in
my tracks and said don’t laugh too long
or too hard because that would be you
Priscilla
how often is it Priscilla that I try to
put you in the right place I try to tell
you where to go what to do give you that
Holy Spirit guidance that disjoints was
talking to us about I try to leave you
and yet you rebel against it or ignore
it or refuse to follow the directions
that I have for you for us more patience
and John John has to be with little
Kelsey I have got to be with you I
became right there in the kitchen
listening to the story so not only
convicted and challenged but
appreciative of the patience of God
towards me and I begin to think about
how grateful I am but I cannot where God
out how grateful I am he’s got enough
patience to handle me and all my drama
and you and all your drama anybody glad
about it sometimes when we think about
how powerful our God is we think about
his demonstrations of power how in the
Old Testament he was able to cause the
walls of Jericho to come tumbling down
or the Red Sea to divide our house in
the New Testament he made Lazarus raised
from the dead and we think about God’s
power and how it is overtly demonstrated
but I want you with me for a few moments
this morning to think about the flipside
of God’s power that is equally important
and impressive to us not only that his
power is seen in what he can do but his
power is also seen in what he chooses
not to do his power is not only seen in
what he releases but what he is able to
refrain himself when he does not give us
what he deserved
what we deserved that he loves us enough
to be long-suffering that you are
important enough to him beautiful enough
to him that he’s got enough patience to
handle your life your history your past
your weaknesses your strengths your
personality our differences our
uniqueness is listen God doesn’t need a
good map before he can handle us I’m
grateful today for the patience of God
anybody so for just a few moments today
I want to talk to you about one of the
most simple and yet profound
characteristics of our great God that
really will make a difference in our
lives and let me tell you why because
I’ve met some people recently and I have
had seasons in my life and in my
relationship with the Lord where I have
been kind of walking on eggshells in my
relationship with him kind of stepping
gingerly because I just felt like if I
make one more mistake if there’s one
more mishap if I head in the wrong
direction one more time it just might be
the straw that breaks the camel’s back
that God just might be done with me but
he might not be able to use me that I
might not be able to partner with him
and his purposes and so if the enemy can
get us to thinking that that we might be
able to out sin the grace of God that in
some way will be beyond his reach if he
can get us to walk gingerly in our
relationship with God then we’ll never
experience the abundant life that he’s
called us you will never be willing to
just throw our head and hearts and hands
back and say Lord anything you want for
me I’m willing to go and I realize Lord
that it might not always mean that I’m
perfect I won’t be perfect but thank you
that your grace is sufficient for even
my mistakes and my mishaps and my
wrongdoing
and so I think that a revelation of
God’s patience listen y’all it can
literally set you free a revelation of
the fact that God has
enough patience for you and for me can
cause you to finally and me to finally
live the abundant life that we have been
called to patients when we think about
it when I think about it
patience is a characteristic in the soul
of a human being that really has to be
matured over time it’s a lot of the
reasons we need the Holy Spirit because
the Holy Spirit causes us to be able to
develop these characteristics and let me
tell you I need help in the patience
Department anybody need help in the
patience Department all right I am
naturally an impatient person I like the
things to be fit kind of quickly
whenever there’s a problem I kind of
come up with a real quick solution it
might not be the best solution but I
just love the fact there’s a solution on
the table let’s just get on with this
and get it done and do you know the way
that the Lord helps us to grow in our
level of patience if he most of the time
will put us in scenarios where we got
away so he causes you to marry somebody
lord have mercy
it causes you to get married to somebody
who takes 24 48 72 hours to make a
decision help me do so I’m gonna pipe it
as soon as there is a problem man I have
figured out what we can solve this thing
and move on with our lives my husband on
the other hand has to think about it
pray about it fast on it seek wise
counsel regarding it sleep on it helps
me Jesus and do you know most of the
time most of the times when it comes up
with a solution three or four days later
it is actually the exact same thing that
I thought of in the first five minutes
that we had a problem
one thing J will do though if he will
make good decisions because he started
all the way through so in this
relationship in this scenario god hyung
pinned me patient the reason why you sit
next to that co-worker on your job that
run but if she says one more thing to
you you go knock her out that one reason
why he puts you in that scenario is
because he knows that dynamic is going
to hone in you patience so don’t be
pointing at the person next to use it so
because patience is something you and I
need help with we tend to put that same
dynamic on God and we think that because
we get frustrated with our kids when
they ask us the same thing three four
five ten twenty times or with that
co-worker who we have a low tolerance
for we think that because we get set up
that God must also get fed up with us
just like we do with others we think
that that patience is something he must
need to grow in as well in his
relationship with us because that’s what
we need but you need to understand
patience is not just a characteristic
that God has at his disposal the very
essence of all the patient’s work ever
meant to be God is completely and
entirely he is not growing in his level
of patience he is the old patient one my
friend he is God fully and completely
and he’s not applying for the job he’s
got it covered in fact when you think
about all of the things that make up the
characteristics of God his omnipresent
his some sovereignty his omniscience
when you think about all of the the
links in the chain that make up the the
character of God really his patience is
the most sensual and most important of
all the links when you think about it
because if it weren’t for his patience
we wouldn’t exist long enough to get to
the Grace and the myrrh
see and the omniscient and omnipresent
it is because he is patient with us he
is slow to anger Exodus 34 that’s the
reason why we get to experience the
brightness of our God
one scholar put it this way and I loved
it so much he said it is the patience of
God that held our sinful hands and led
us to the doorstep of his mercy so that
we could enter in it’s God’s patience
that allows us to experience his
kindness and his greatness he is a
bottomless pit of patience it is
overflowing and limitless and boundless
you cannot out sin the grace of God
there is nowhere you’ve been there is
nothing you’ve done that causes you to
now not be beautiful to our great God he
loves you with an everlasting love
somebody say everlasting everlasting his
patience it’s sufficient for you you
cannot wear God out there is one place
in scripture that I want to direct your
attention to today
not not in the map there’s actually one
scripture I found that we have not
covered yet throughout the course of her
we did and it’s in the book of first
Timothy to you if you have your Bible
and you want to turn there with me to
first Timothy Paul the Apostle is
writing to this young Minister as he’s
getting started in life in ministry and
he wants to tell him some things to help
him along the way and of all of the
guidance that Paul wants to give Timothy
he wants to tell him about the patient
thing he knows that Timothy of going to
have a long road in front of him yes
there are going to be mistakes and
mishaps along the way and so he wants
him to know right upfront listen God got
your back Tim you need to know that
God’s patience is on your side he is for
you he is not against you and so he
shares with him among the many things
that he wants to say to Timothy in first
Timothy he shares with him a message
about the patience of God 1st Timothy
chapter 1 verse 16
Paul says and yet for this reason I
found mercy in order that in me as the
foremost Jesus Christ might demonstrate
here it is his perfect
patience what kind of patient service
his perfect patience has an example for
those who would believe in him for
eternal life I love this verse so much
because Paul wants to be clear because I
want you to understand the kind of
patience we’re talking about here when
we’re talking about God’s patience it’s
not a good patience it’s not even a
great patience it is a perfect patient
meaning even when you go to the farthest
extremities of God’s ability to be
patient with you there is not one little
bit of imperfection even along those
outward edges he has a perfect level of
patience for you and Paul says just in
case you’re wondering wondering and just
in case you need clarity on how much
patience God must have for those who we
love so dearly just in case you’re
curious
Paul says take a look right over here
because I am a demonstration he says
that the patience of God because have
you ever wondered how perfect God’s
patience is and whether he can endure
with you and your life and the details
of all that have gone on and your
existence he says you have to look much
further than me Paul says if he can put
up with me I’m telling you he’s got your
back Paul said I’m a demonstration he
called himself the foremost of all
sinners he says you ain’t done nothing I
haven’t already done you haven’t been
anywhere I have not been your odds have
not seen anything your ears haven’t
heard anything you have not touched
anything you have not participated in
anything there is no pitch deeper that
you have been in than the ones I have
been in pause yes take a look over here
I’m a demonstration of how perfect God’s
patience must be he says you never have
to wonder again if you just look at me
how perfect God’s patience must be and
he starts that verse with this phrasing
in the NASB
new American Standard Bible that I’m
reading from he starts it with this
phrase yet for this reason for this
reason
love that because any time you see a
phrase like that for this reason in the
scripture it’s almost like seeing the
word therefore anytime you see therefore
in Scripture you need to see what is
there for because it is there for a
reason so he said for this reason which
means there are already some reasons he
has listed that he wants us to be aware
of there are some things that caused him
to come to this conclusion and verse 16
about how perfect God’s patience must be
so I thought for just a few moments
today you and I could look back just a
few verses one kind of backtrack so that
we can see what the reasons are I want
to know what makes Paul such a
demonstration of the patience of God
because if you and I look closely at
what these reasons are not only do I
think you and I will see that Paul’s not
the only demonstration of how patient
got is but I think it’s also going to
free us up because when we recognize and
see his patience already demonstrated in
our lives it will cause us to want to
live completely and fully and abundantly
so I want to point out these reasons to
you is that I right with you this
morning
the very first reason is found in verse
15 so we’re backtracking up one verse he
says it is a trustworthy statement
deserving full acceptance that Christ
Jesus came into the world here’s the
reason to save sinners among whom I am
the foremost of all Paul writes the very
first reason that he wants you and I to
know why God patience is so profound and
so boundless and so abundant and so
limitless he said if you’ve ever
wondered whether or not God’s got enough
patient for you would you remember that
Christ came into the world to save
sinners he says the very first reason
that tells us that God have got enough
patience and or anything that could ever
happen in our lives to justice one
simple fact he saved you he’s safe
y’all it is a straight-up miracle that
we’re saved and we should never let the
fact that God’s Spirit lives in us and
that we have the gift of spending
eternity with God we should never allow
that to roll off our shoulders casually
as if it’s no big deal the fact that you
and I know Jesus Christ as Lord is a
miracle beyond any miracle you will ever
experience in your life the only reason
why any of us ever come into
relationship with God if not because we
were looking so hard for him it’s
because the Hound of heaven was looking
for us it’s because despite all
rebellion despite the fact that we had
turned our backs on God despite the fact
that we had chosen our own way despite
the fact that we would refuse him time
and time and time again he caused our
hearts to be softened so that when
someone came to us and said the name
Jesus Christ we wanted to respond and
say yes to him being our Savior that
wasn’t by chance my friend that’s a
miracle do you know that the enemy of
this world works over time to blind the
eyes of the unbelieving so that they
cannot see clearly he hardens their
hearts you might have somebody like that
in your life if you’re a family member
or friends and you constantly
consistently share the good news of
Jesus Christ with them but it seems like
over time the more hardened they become
to it anybody anybody know what I’m
talking about that’s because the enemy
is about doing the business of trying to
keep as many people as he can
from responding to the gospel which
means when you and I evangelize it can’t
just be about what we’re saying out of
our mouths it also has to be about being
down on our knees and praying for the
Holy Spirit of God to soften their
hearts so that they will respond it is a
move of God that brings people into the
kingdom which means the only reason why
anybody in this room the ones
thousand people the other night who gave
their hearts to Jesus Christ you need to
know which because he brought you into
this place the Hound of heaven it’s not
because a girlfriend bought your
registration see my friend yes because
the Holy Spirit have this night on the
calendar of your life just weekend on
the calendar of your life it’s because
he was looking for you and so when you
and when I respond to the good news of
Jesus Christ when we see the cross of
Calvary and it’s not just two pieces of
wood put together anymore but we see our
sin that was born by a loving Savior who
didn’t have to pay the wages but he
chose to pay the wages of our sin and we
respond and say yes Lord that’s because
he is working a miracle in our lives my
friend miss joy said it so well of the
other night she said of him that you
know even our physical birth is not
there’s nothing chance about it I mean
the fact that you and I live in this day
in the Asian generation there’s nothing
chance about it y’all we live we live in
the most blessed day and age and
generation not only for the Church of
Jesus Christ but specifically for women
there has never ever been a time in
history where you could call a women’s
meeting and 20,000 women just show up
because they just want to know the
things of God not by enlarge like this
there has never been a time when you
could just go into a Christian bookstore
and find Bible study resources by women
for women not like this there has never
been a time where you can just walk down
your street at least in Dallas Texas and
on every corner there is another church
that is proclaiming the good news of
Jesus Christ in our city we got two
Christian radio stations not just one
one with gospel music if you like that
another one with contemporary Christian
music that’s what you like you can find
any Bible in any translation in any
language that you would like don’t ever
take for granted that you and I happens
to be born
in this blessed day and age and
generation getting to serve the body of
Christ that’s not by chance yo that’s
not my chance he planned it you and I
aren’t in this room by chance he planned
this young I mean think about it with
the 7 billion plus people that are on
the planet your great-great grandfather
just happened to find a woman that would
be your great-great grandmother but two
of them came together and created your
great-grandfather
then your great-grandfather was the 7
billion plus people that are on the
planet he just happened to find your
great-grandmother and the two of them
came together and created your
grandfather and then your grandfather
with the 7 billion plus people that are
on the planet he just happened to find
person that should be your grandmother
and then the two of them came together
and created your father and then your
father with the 7 billion plus people
that are on the planet he’s just happy
to find a woman that should be your
mother and the two of them came together
and this is a little graphic but this is
Women’s Conference the millions of sperm
there was the exact one that met up with
baguettes the exact right crime supreme
there is nothing dance about that
your physical birth is a miracle my
friend and if your physical birth and my
physical birth is a miracle then how
much more of a miracle is it not that we
were born but that we were born again
[Music]
that’s America
think about the patience of God that was
required from the beginning of time to
make sure that centuries later you and I
would come into relationship with him
think about the endurance that he
exhibited when he was just waiting when
we were on his mind when he hung on
Calvary’s tree the love that was
extended toward us even then do you know
you’ve been on his mind like since
before Genesis 1:1 before time began you
and I were on the mine of God and there
has been a cosmic battle in the
heavenlies that has been taking place
and has been working itself out
throughout history there has been a
battle between God in the enemy for your
soul my friends I want you to think
about it like a giant chess board and
you’ve got God sitting on one side and
you’ve got the enemy on the other side
and they are both vying for your soul so
Genesis 1:1 opens and God makes the
first move
he creates Adam and Eve in a perfect
scenario with perfect fellowship with
him but then the act the enemy not to be
outdone he decides to make a move he’s
slithering his way into the garden he
calls Cindy enter into the scenario went
into the hearts of man before you know
it Cain killed Abel and now murder is on
the scene and it seems like everything
will always be separated now from a holy
God but our God never to be outdone on
the other side of that cosmic chessboard
he makes another move
he causes anima knees to come back
together and they give birth to a little
baby named Mina or Seth rather and Seth
gives birth to eNOS in Genesis 4 says
that what he knows was born everybody to
get to praise God again but the enemy
not to me I was done on the other side
of that cosmic chess board he makes the
move he cause of rebellion two feet back
into the hearts of mankind it
proliferate so cross the earth so much
sold in the world has to be destroyed by
God never to be outdone he makes another
move he finds this guy named Mel and he
says Noah go build an ark Noah said
build alike because I want you to build
an ark and so Noah obediently build the
home an ark and mankind is preserved as
a result of his obedience but the enemy
makes another move and rebellion seats
back into the hearts of mankind
proliferate the cross yours but our God
makes another move and he goes to this
little pagan town called her and he
founds the finds a man named Abram any
rays of the muffiny says I’m going to
change their name and I’m going to
change your destiny and I’m going to
create a brand new nation out of you
called the nation of Israel and these
people are going to bear the staff of my
name in my protection in my provision
and my favor will always be upon them
the enemy not to be outdone he made
another move and he calls now the nation
of Israel God’s chosen people to go into
each of them for 400 years Pharaoh had
them completely bound and it looked like
the enemy had warned our God never to be
outdone he makes another move and he
finds a little baby boy they know this
and he causes Moses to be raised as a
Prince of Egypt
and there at the right time he sends
Moses to Pharaoh and he says you go tell
Pharaoh to let my people go
and after 10 miraculous plagues they’re
released from captivity for 40 years
they’re in the wilderness but then they
come into the Promised Land but the
enemy wants to make a mother move and he
causes now the children of Israel to
turn their back on Yahweh the one
through God and they begin to worship
idols by the time you get to the end of
the book of Judges the last line of the
book of Judges says this everyone was
doing
what was right in their own eyes kind of
sounds like America in the year 2013
budget sounds like exactly what they was
teaching us yesterday morning but our
God never to be outdone he makes another
move and it goes to this little town
called Moab and he raises up a woman
named Ruth and Ruth had tragedy in her
life she has chaos in her life and it
looks like no good will come of until
she meet her kinsman redeemer and seeing
her kinsman redeemer have a baby called
Obed and all that gives birth to Jesse
and Jesse gives birth to a baby boy
named David and with that one move the
enemy doesn’t even know that the
checkmate have already on the way
and as the Old Testament comes to a
close y’all there are 400 years of
pilots and God is on one side of a
chessboard
the enemy of on the other and there it
is completely silent and all of history
wait to see who’s gonna make the next
move and then the New Testament opens
and God makes a move that the enemy to
this day still has not had a response to
Jesus Christ from and he dies on the
cross for you
[Applause]
wait the Lord
and he did that for you and he did it
for me
and if we had enough patience to have
you on his mind and in his heart since
the beginning of eternity I want you to
always remember that you’ve got enough
patience to handle you while you’re here
in time and history if he had enough
patience to handle the last couple of
millennia he can take care of the last
six weeks of your life my friends there
is nothing you can do to escape the long
suffering nature of our God he is not
mad at you
but y’all that’s just the first reason
[Applause]
T’Pol does have some more reasons he
says if you’ve ever wondered about the
patience of God you can’t just look at
the fact that he saved me salsa but
there’s another reason that he says in
verse 13 even though I was formerly
somebody say formerly even though I was
formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor
and a violent aggressor yet I was shown
mercy
now when class first told us in that
verse 16 he first told us that he was
the foremost of all sinners that he was
a demonstration of how patient God must
actually be when he first told us that
he didn’t give us details on his sin
resume like he didn’t map out all the
things he’s ever done he just said trust
me I’m the foremost and you know what
I’m kind of glad he didn’t give us
details because if Paul would have
spelled out for us everything on his sin
mob resume we might have been so
distracted by his resume that we forget
we got our own resumes we actually don’t
have time to look at anybody else’s sin
resume comparing as Andy Stanley said to
us we don’t have time to be comparing
ourselves with other people we are
ourselves our own demonstration of how
patient got it
because looks an affirmative picked up
with a microphone and we just passed it
around this whole room with all of us
man we’d be here into the next year
going over all our resumes of how God
has rescued and delivered us but in this
first verse 13 he does give us three
things he labeled for us three things
that are there on his sin resume he says
I was a blasphemer I was a violent
aggressor I was a persecutor of the
church he said that’s who I was there
were three things but before I label
these three things
Paul said before I tell you some details
about my sin resume I’m going to put a
big old head and right here at the top
of the bag just so that we’re clear
before I give you any of these details I
you know that these things they are who
I used to be they are not who I am
anymore I was formerly somebody say
formerly in other words Paul says the
reason why I’m a demonstration of the
patience of God if not only because he
saved me but because he changed me
because he couldn’t leave me in the
state I was in because he’s molding me
and changing me and remaking me so that
I am a different person today than I was
yesterday I love so much when this Joyce
had the UM the the mannequins up here on
the stage because she pointed a hope so
clearly that God comes and him dwells up
we are made brand-new on the inside you
remember the spirit over here we’re
brand new on the inside but then listen
to this we don’t have to do the hard
work of changing ourselves because the
Holy Spirit one of his jobs he’s got
many jobs on the inside of us he guides
us he comforts us he encourages us but
second Thessalonians chapter of 2:13
says he also sanctifies us
sanctification is the process by which
we are made into the image of Christ
Jesus it means when this part of us
begins to spill over into the mind will
and emotions part of us and causing us
to not what stuff we thought we would
always want causes us to what stuff we
thought we would never want it causes
our likes and our dislikes to completely
change so that we are when we look in
the mirror not the same person that we
used to be I’m so glad for the
sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit no
I’m so glad that when I look in the
mirror today I don’t see the same person
that I saw five years ago
I’m so glad that the thoughts I had I
don’t have anymore
I’m so glad that the ambitions I had are
not the ambitions I have anymore
I’m so grateful that God can take
anybody and make them a brand new person
I wonder if there’s anybody discouraged
today because you would you’re wondering
if you can never change listen to me the
Holy Spirit’s work in you his delight in
you is to be patient with you as you
change you’re a demonstration of the
patience of God Paul says not only
because he saved you that’s your
justification but because he’s changing
you that’s your sanctification
[Applause]
sanctification where he chips away at
everything that doesn’t look like Jesus
a sculptor was once asked as he stood in
front of the huge stallion that he had
carved out of rock and an admirer was
standing near and they were looking at
the stallion that had been carved out of
a huge block of rock that was sitting
over here in the the admirer just asked
the guys the artist how in the world do
you do this how in the world do you take
a big piece of rock like that make it
look like a stallion and the artist
stood there for a moment with his chisel
in hand and he just thought about
answering that question and finally he
responded and said well actually it’s
pretty simple I just chip away at
everything that doesn’t look like a
stallion this is what the Holy Spirit
does with you and with me hips away at
everything that doesn’t look like you
and then he causes us to be conformed to
the image of Christ takes patience for
that but he’s committed to walking with
you every step of the way he doesn’t
abandon us during the transformation
process he hangs with us walks with the
reason why he hangs with us listen to me
is because he’s the one doing the work
listen if you try and I’ve tried to
change ourselves we will be tired I mean
straight up exhausted all I’m telling
you there is nothing you or I could do
to change ourselves and listen we’re
beautiful enough to him
we’re his masterpiece we are his
workmanship it is his goal as the
artists of pain live long enough till we
look just like you it is his work in his
best work his finest work is you it’s
you his patience his long-suffering
nature indoors with us forever you
cannot wear God now have you ever
wondered how popcorn pops somebody say
yes I’m so glad you want to know
so when you have a kernel of a popcorn
that hard little shelled kernel of corn
inside every kernel there is a
microscopic drop of water and so when
you put a bag of microwave popcorn into
the microwave what the heat in the
microwave is doing is not actually
heating up the shell is heating up that
microscopic dot of water that is inside
the shell so that that microscopic god
of water begins to create steam and the
steam begins to press against the shell
and if it continues to heat up it
presses more and more powerfully until
finally it’s just tip up so the outside
looks completely different from the
inside not because outside was heated up
but because what was the knee inside
will heat up well this is what happens
the holy spirit is on the inside of you
and if you try to keep yourself up from
the outside again you’re working against
the dynamic of what the holy spirit was
designed to do but as you cooperate with
the holy spirit on the inside of you by
renewing your mind with the word of God
fellowshipping with believers in Christ
being Obito B D n’t to the conviction of
the holy spirit remaining filled by his
spirit every single day as you do that
you heat up the power of the holy spirit
on the inside of you and he begins to
press and press against the shell of
your body so much so till eventually you
just you puff and you look completely
different than you used to look
so then you come home from the
conference and your family goes who’s
that who’s that Cleaver but not only do
you look completely different but I
don’t know but y’all
movie popcorn is my favorite snack of
all time put some butter and some salt
on that I’m just happy I’m just happy
thank you Jesus
put a coke with it oh girl so when you
come home not only did you look
different but then we are fed to a lost
and dying world that needs to see our
God is good we change it up and he is
patient enough for that he’s going to
hang with you through your
transformation process as you’re
delivered and set free and grab hold of
all that you’ve been taught this weekend
and spend the next days and weeks and
months going over the notes that God has
given us if we listen listen to this
teaching and praying and praying over
and doing over it and talking about it
with our friends who are here as we grow
listen your friends might not hang with
you but God will hang with you your mama
she might not have hung with you but God
will hang with you somebody felt they
couldn’t hang with you tell you change
there is a God who will never leave you
nor forsake you he’s with you through
the change my friend he’s got enough
patience for that Paul says if you’re
wondering about whether or not you can
count on the patience of God would you
always remember that if he was patient
enough to save you justification and
patient enough to change you
sanctification he’s got your back every
single day for the rest of your life but
that’s not the only reason Paul says
it’s not just that you’re saved and it’s
not just that your change but there is
another reason in the next reason is
found in verse 12 so we’re still
backtracking up through these verses he
said that Saint Jesus Christ our Lord
who has strengthened me because he
considered me faithful here’s the reason
putting me into service putting me into
service Paul says now this one I can’t
believe
it was a miracle enough that he saved me
and it’s a miracle enough that he hang
with me long enough to actually change
me but I cannot believe Paul says that
he would actually use me for his glory
I cannot believe not only that that I’ve
been justified and that I’ve been
sanctified I can’t believe there’s been
justification I can’t believe there’s
been sanctification but now God is
patient enough to put me in a specific
location should be used for his glory
concept he’s put me in the service and
Paul cannot think and believe it
I mean after his history his past where
he’s come from what he’s done he can’t
help neither should you or I I’m gonna
tell you that I cannot believe God would
use me to accomplish anything for his
purposes I cannot believe and when I say
that let me tell you that I don’t
necessarily just mean on this platform
this is a privilege and an honor but
when I say I can’t believe God would use
me for his purposes I mostly mean in the
smaller spheres of influence that God
has placed me I’m talking about like
being a wife to my husband my goal is
that when Jerry sees Jesus face to face
Jesus look sediment says well done dear
and God has entrusted me to support and
encourage this guy enough so that when
he sees God he gets the applause of
heaven I can’t believe God would entrust
me with that then I look at these three
little humans God has given me have you
ever left the hospital and gone I’m
sorry are there instructions excuse me
anybody know an approximate so I look at
these little boys who will grow up and
be warriors for cry for houses face them
[Applause]
but tell I look at these little boys and
I can’t believe God would entrust but he
would allow me to partner with him in
the shaping of these little souls and
y’all here’s what I found what I found
is that the what the enemy is doing is
trying to get you and I all of us to
discount the significance of the
locations where he has placed it he’s
trying to get all of us to think that
the location were in the small spheres
of influence to which God had called us
aren’t important so what the church
unfortunately kept capital C Church what
the church has done is applaud and
admire the gifts that require a
microphone on a platform while at the
same time didn’t meaning those that are
behind closed doors but nobody ever sees
and yet the best most impactful ministry
no it’s not only what is happening from
this platform it’s the person that loves
the Lord enough to be one-on-one in
discipleship across the table at
Starbucks faithfully and weekly with
that person who needs to grow in their
relationship with God it’s the father
that recognizes that being around that
dinner table with her family and sharing
just a simple verse of scripture with
her children is it insignificant but
she’s raising up the next generation of
those who will be Christ’s followers
it’s the single woman who sees this
season of her life as an opportunity to
just be gung-ho for God going every
which way she can take in every
opportunity she can to serve the Lord
it’s a pastor’s wife who sees these same
40 or 50 people that they’re serving
week in and week out who has becoming
discouraged because she thought it would
just look different than this when she
decided to marry this guy see some life
wouldn’t look completely different if
the person that sees the significance of
those 40 or 50 it’s the Bible study
leader but holding that Bible study in
her home and she’s got those five people
that have been coming faithfully for
five years but she thought by now there
might be more that would be a part of
this ministry it’s the person who does
not discount the sphere of influence
that they’re in what the enemy wants you
to do is think that the place you are is
insignificant to the plan of God so then
like Andy Stanley told us he causes us
to look elsewhere and go but if I only
had that if I was only in her location
if I was only able to do what she is
able to do in all the while that we were
looking outside of our own sphere of
influence we are simultaneously
downgrading the value of where God has
placed us and listen y’all on the stage
of life there is a role you have been
given to play and if you and I are
trying to play somebody else’s role who
in the world’s going to play you who’s
going to play you there is a girl in my
church
her name is Rashidah Rashidah 35 years
old and Rashida really sensed that God
was calling her away from her job this
is two years ago good job benefits and
you know regular salary and she was on
the upward scale and her company and so
she just was excited about it but she
just over a period of time really sensed
conviction but she needed to leave that
job so out of obedience after sometimes
she did and she just expected that that
what that would mean is that God had
something kind of you know bigger better
for her and that she was just waiting on
that to materialize and so she just took
some jobs as a babysitter along the way
that’s really how I know her I don’t
know where as much from church as I do
from babysitting my sister has five
children my cousin has four children we
all live within a ten-mile radius of
each other so Rashida would help babysit
Crystal’s kids and then with my cousin
winters kids and I knew her mostly from
that cuz I’d go over with my kids so
that all the cousins could play in min
Rasheeda would talk all the time and
that’s on you
and she expressed the fact that she was
really battling with this whole
babysitting thing because she loved it
she actually loves kids and
doing it but after a year went by and
then a year and a half went by she was
really discouraged because she’s just so
like you know I thought the next thing
would have materialized by now
so she said bricolage you know I’m
discouraged and she said honestly over
time I have really felt like I’ve been
cheated by God somehow I mean I obeyed
and did what he said but here I am just
hopping around to different families I
love it but I’m still doing it it’s been
a year and a half I feel a little bit
cheated and if the truth be told there
are many of us in this room that feel
cheated do because we’ve obeyed to the
best of our knowledge we have done what
God has asked us to do and yet it hasn’t
turned out the way we thought that it
wouldn’t and if we’re honest like
Rashida was Whitefield us who have been
cheated by God and take sin so Priscilla
I prayed a lot about this I said lord I
need you to show me what’s up here I’ve
done what you’ve asked me to do and yet
I feel kind of cheated by you I need you
to give me clarity and she said
Priscilla I kid you not ask after I was
praying about that I went over to a
family’s house to babysit as I normally
do she said I had a casserole in my
hands and I had baked up for that family
that night and she said when I walked up
to the front door before I rang the
doorbell I realized something was really
different this time it’s almost like the
Lord was giving me spiritual vision so
that I could see everything that was
happening that night not from my
perspective but from his perspective she
said I rang the doorbell the kids all
ran up to the door and answered the door
when I walked in the smiles and the look
on those kids faces weren’t just I’m
happy to see you miss Rashida kind of
smiled it was like an invitation from
God to invest in the lives of these
little people and she said wasn’t only
that when I handed the casserole to the
mom she had had a crazy frazzled day and
the look of relief on that mom’s face
showed me that I was being such a
blessing to this this woman’s life and
then she said the kids started scouting
out these Bible verses to me they was a
Bible verses I had taught them the last
time I babysat them and they were all
eager asking me what’s the next Bible
study lesson you have for us today mr.
Sleater like what
now wait to sit down and get the Bible
study from her so she realized though
she wasn’t just telling them stories she
was literally investing in the lives of
what would later be spiritual giant then
she said the husband and wife they went
out for a date they hadn’t had a date a
long time they went up for a date and
occurred to me that night it had never
occurred to me before but it occurred to
me that night but I was literally hoping
to build a strong marriage she said for
Scylla that night I realized that I
hadn’t been cheated but that I’d been
chosen chosen by God with it I want to
tell somebody today
you haven’t been cheated my friend he
has not cheated you he has chosen you
for the location you were in to have
specifically designed the dynamics of
that location in your home in the high
school in that University on that job he
has specifically created that dynamic
and then set you down inside of it to be
his represent representation in the
midst of that circle my friends don’t
let the enemy cause you to discount the
location where God will use you
Paul says God is patient because he
saved me because he changed me because
he’s using me and finally verse 12 I
begged Christ Jesus our Lord because he
has strengthened me you know what the
good news is about this whole weekend yo
is that when miss Joyce goes home and
mr. Dave go home and I fly back to
Dallas and and least Andy’s five back to
his home when we all leave each other
that God doesn’t just go with one of us
that is not enough for all of us that he
is omnipresent that he is as much with
you as he is relief that the Holy Spirit
of God is with us listen to strengthen
you that in the location God has planted
you he’s not just gonna set you in that
location and then back off and say well
hope you do all right over there the
Holy Spirit actually walks with you do
you think he loves you enough to die for
you but then doesn’t love you enough to
walk with you do you think he loved you
enough to ransom his own son on your
behalf but then doesn’t have enough love
for you to continue to strengthen you
every day of your life you do not leave
this place in just a few hours you don’t
leave this place alone my friend you are
strengthened by our great God it is his
patient that caused you to be saved and
causes you to be changed causing you to
be used but for the glory of God and it
causes you to continually be
strengthened every single day of your
life God spirits in you strengthens you
steady for anything that might come your
way miss Joyce has said it again and
said it before and I’m going to say it
again to you he does not call you to do
anything for which he does not
simultaneously give you the anointing
and the strength to handle the pass
he does not call you to do anything that
he does not ask the exact same time
instill you with the grace to handle he
does not ever call your eyes to
participate in any task in any location
to do anything to put on rann see any
plows that he does not have the exact
same time give us the anointing and the
power and the strength and the Grace and
the wisdom and the discernment to handle
the test that is a hand the joy of the
Lord is your strength my friend I’ll
tell you this in closing when one of my
my boys my oldest son when he lost his
first teeth I’ll never forget it he was
turning five and he had been waiting on
those suckers to fall out I mean he has
just been wiggling that thing trying to
get it loose because he could not wait
because we had told him that when this
tooth falls out there will be a tooth
fairy that will come in the middle of
the night she will exchange that tooth
for a treasure so he could not wait and
on the day that it fell out he was so
unbelievably excited I have never seen
that boy go to bed fast ever in his life
so to this day but he ran to his vanity
went to sleep but he tried to go to
sleep every 60 seconds he would look
under the pillow to see if anything had
happened
finally he fell asleep in about 3
o’clock in the morning no no he fell
asleep earlier but about 3 o’clock in
the morning be 250 pounds six foot three
230 that I sleep next to every night he
got up went upstairs and exchanged the
tooth for a treasure I knew exactly when
Jackson got up in the morning I knew it
because I just heard chaos upstairs he
was so excited because there was some
under his pillow he bounded down the
stairs and he ran into our room and he
had his two fists clenched closed he
said mama tooth fairy came and he opened
up his first hand it was a package of
gummy bears he was so excited then he
opened up the other hand and it was $5
exactly
what happened to dimes and nickels so my
husband could see the sun’s expression
on my face
because you know when mama ain’t happy
laughter Jackson ran off my husband said
babe don’t worry he said do you remember
last month was Jackson’s fifth birthday
I said yes he said River we always have
our family over on the kids birthdays
them and last month when they all came
they all brought cards with them and in
those cards were five dollar bills for
its fifth birthday you can do you
remember we took all those five dollar
bills we put them in bus birthday four
well this morning at 3 a.m. I went right
over to that birthday drawer got one of
those five-dollar bills out and put it
inside
that’s good financial stewardship right
there is pathetic
[Applause]
but here’s the thing
I watched my boy get so excited about
treasure that you really already had
[Music]
y’all know what this week has been about
about reminding you about treasure you
already have the responsibility you and
I have now is to go home from this place
open up the door of God strengthen and
spirit on the inside of us and live what
the beautiful treasured women that we
are you don’t have anything new my
friends it’s just you’re going to
release what God has already given you
the moment you came to know in the
Savior amen thank you for the job
Amen
Wanted to hear God’s word and become the image that He created me
Yes yes yes Lod is my helper