Michael Todd - There's Triumph In Trying Again (End in Triumph)
Last year, we made a decision that this year we were going to end in triumph. I just know that many of you—I heard my sister Abby even say it—from the grief to the sadness to the loss. Some of you lost four years ago, and you’re just now realizing it. Some of us, it almost feels like, and I don’t even want to okay, I’m just saying: many of us have just realized that the pain happened. This is the first season you actually feel it. You’ve been running on adrenaline for the past two and a half years. You’ve been meditating just to make it, and God is saying to some of you today that the reason why this season has felt so hard is because you’re on the brink of getting healed. Now hear what I’m saying to you; these aren’t just rhyming words; this is a prophetic declaration to you. You had to feel it so that He could heal it, and I believe that’s why God has been taking our church.
I asked God—I didn’t want to write the book «Damaged but Not Destroyed.» I just wanted to be healed and write a book called «Healed and Hopeful.» I mean, it probably would sell more copies, and more people would be attracted to it, but God said He needed people to understand that He is not going to heal them without dealing with the damage. That’s called dysfunction. So, we’ve been in almost three months of talks about dealing with our damage, and for some of us, it’s week 11, and it’s the first time you’ve been saying, «Ouch! I do think I’m bitter. How I’m sharp at my kids comes from resentment from how my parents raised me.» «Oh, why do I always live for the weekend? Oh, the weekend is when I feel like I can go medicate without anybody’s judgment. That’s why I go to the club. That’s why I do the kickbacks.» It’s the first time you’re feeling this way: «Oh, I go to church, but I’m not the church. I participate in worship, but I’m not a worshiper.» It’s the first time that many of us are feeling, and I want to let you know your feelings are okay in this family.
Now, I know, I know, I know, because in your family, you were told to suck it up, or even if you had a lot of emotions and couldn’t control them, you’d hear, «Oh, there she goes again; she’s going to be emotional about everything.» God gave you those emotions as indicators, but He doesn’t want you to live in them; He doesn’t want you to be driven by them. Today, as we’re walking into a moment of crazy faith, I just asked God to really help me convey to those who have not stepped out in crazy faith yet how and why they should. Wow. I don’t want to really—thank you—thank you, bro, because I need them to hear every word I’m saying right now. I don’t have to preach this message to live it, because I already live it.
As I was preparing this week, I had to ask the Holy Spirit to connect me back to a time when I didn’t just believe Him, because for over 15 years now, my default is crazy faith. I know that not everybody’s default is crazy faith; let me be very clear: I know that. Most people’s default is to cuss you out. Most people’s default is to make a plan that, if God is involved, cool, but if He isn’t, I have to survive. Okay, y’all want to be fake? Most people’s plan is going back to the abusive relationship; most people’s plan is getting a second, third, fourth, fifth job to make ends meet. I found out in my life—and for some reason, I need to acknowledge this because this is very pastoral today—I want to help people. I want to bring you from where you are to the place that I believe God wants for all of us to be. I need you to stop.
Hear me: stop listening for somebody else right now. This is not a message for them; it’s a message—everybody say for me, for me. This message is for me. If you don’t receive it like that, you’re going to miss the revelation that I believe God wants to give divinely and uniquely to you—not your wife, not your husband. Don’t you hear that? Stop it. Somebody say this is for me— for me. The truth of the matter is you can’t live off of somebody else’s faith. You can be inspired by it; you can be ignited by it, but it will not keep the flame burning if you don’t have faith for yourself. What I found out in my walk is that I was raised by parents who were full of faith, but somewhere along the line, their prayers didn’t manifest in my life the way my prayers did. My obedience couldn’t be based on what they believed God could do. I just believe that there are many people in this House of Grace, Faith; this is a house of crazy faith, but the crazy faith has not translated to your house.
I could be a pastor who is like, «Cool, as long as the lights are on, as long as the LED screen is big, as long as people keep coming, let’s keep rocking it.» Because that’s what people are doing all over the world today: they are a part of a church, a house of crazy faith, and they do not care if it translates to people’s houses. I will never stand up here and ask God to bless this without blessing you. Okay, I’m going to say it again: this does not matter if it doesn’t show up in your family, if it doesn’t show up at your job. The crazy thing about it is most of y’all are okay with that. You’re okay being attached to something that God’s doing instead of being right in the middle of what God’s doing. Okay, I’m passionate about this because my default has been crazy faith for 15 years. What do you mean, Pastor Mike? If I don’t have enough, I sow a seed.
That’s how my brain works: if you don’t have enough people for your team, go find somebody else’s business and give them what they need. This doesn’t make sense; I know it’s crazy, but my faith is that if I give what I need, then somehow God is going to make it work. I would be dumb and irresponsible to come and talk to an audience of thousands and act like that’s how we all feel. If we’re humble, open, and transparent, most of us barely made it today. Okay, I’m trying to be honest. A bunch of us were arguing with our spouses, and you’re ready to divorce them. Be quiet, look at me, blink twice if… okay, somebody’s like, «Oh.» The truth of the matter is some of us are about to pull the plug on the business, about to not apply for the next semester, about to give up in the middle of the miracle. Today, I came to encourage your faith because we have 21 days left in this year—three weeks.
When God told me that the last four messages of this series, «Damaged but Not Destroyed,» needed to focus on triumph, I got excited because I believe it’s a prophetic word about how we’re coming into 2024. How you end a thing is the way you begin a thing. There’s nothing magical that happens on January 1st, but I believe that God’s asking us to end in triumph. Somebody just say, «End in triumph!» Say it with faith: «End in triumph!» Just one more time—"End in triumph!» The thought process behind this—write it down if you didn’t hear last week’s message, and I want you to go back and get it—is that with God, triumph is always on the other side of trauma. You can be confident in that. If I’m being honest, I’ve gone through some traumatic situations in my life, and as I’ve gone through the traumatic situations, the situations were not the things God wanted from me; He wanted my response to acknowledge Him.
Most of us, when we get into traumatic situations, our response… okay, I’m going to say it nicely: our response is based on how we were conditioned. The way we respond to anything is based on how we were conditioned, how we were raised, how we were brought up. For some people, if somebody says, «What’s up?» they’ll say, «What’s up?» For other people, depending on how you were raised and where you were raised, if somebody says, «What’s up?» it’s like, «What’s up?» Okay, y’all are just acting too brand new, but the very same thing gets a different response because of how I was conditioned. When I say crazy faith, some people are like, «Oh God, I believe You, I trust You; You’re amazing!» For some people, when I say crazy faith, they’re like, «I can’t afford to lose. I don’t know if God’s going to come through for me.»
When I say crazy faith, it invokes fear instead of faith. That’s right, my mom believed all that time, and nothing ever happened. Today, I want you to take back from your story, your trauma, or your training. I want you to take back authority and put it in Christ, and I want you to see through the lens of what God says about you, not what they conditioned you to believe. Because what I found out is that most people in this room—I’m starting slow so you can just walk with me—I’m taking you on a journey with me. Most people have been trained in trauma. You are professionals; you are experts! You should get paid for as much trauma as you’ve been through and survived. The lady in the front row said, «Where are they giving jobs out for trauma?»
You’ve been through it! I’ve been trying to think: what would make somebody not believe God, like He knows the number of hairs on your head; the sun is still in its place; it’s one foot closer to burning out, but somehow, on a word He spoke one time, the sun is still shining, the stars show up every night, the moon is a perfect orbit… yet He doesn’t know what to do with my life! I can trust in a job more than I trust God. It doesn’t make logical sense until you acknowledge how hurt or damaged people have been. What I’ve started to realize is, yes, God wants us to have triumph, but in the area of using our faith. Somebody shout at me: «Faith!» Because it’s the one thing that God says, «Without faith, it’s impossible to please me.»
We skip over that scripture, but it’s like doing everything God wants me to do logically only counts if I have faith. You can’t even be saved without faith. I just want you to see how much of a cornerstone faith is supposed to be in your life and how much of our lives has been about, «I don’t really trust You, God.» Today, I want to explain to you what faith really is. Faith is trusting in a manner that you can put your weight on it. Nobody in this room, or sitting at home, prayed before you sat down in the chair you’re in. You had faith that whoever built it was skilled enough—now they don’t know how much you weigh, and some of y’all are blessed—but you still sat your blessed self in that chair, not knowing the maker, but you had faith enough to put your weight on it.
Everybody stand up, come on, just one time! You didn’t have to pray about that. You didn’t need your community group; you didn’t need to fast. You did not need to see God confirm it over and over again. All you heard was an instruction, and you obeyed because you have seen people seat in these chairs before, and you yourself may have sat in these chairs. So, I no longer have to be convinced of what I already know the chair is capable of. Okay? But the story would be very different if I told you to stand up, sit down, and your chair broke. That would be traumatic for some, while for others it would be hilarious. I don’t know why we do that, but when we see people fall, it’s like, «Are you okay?»
That proves we’re evil on the inside without Jesus, every man. But just think about it: if out of thousands of people, everybody stood up, sat down, and only your chair broke, you might come to Transformation Church, stand in the back, or before getting to your chair, you’d say, «Hey, can you sit right here real quick and let me…» You’d be done, put somebody else in danger, switch with me, and I just came to say I get it. I understand how your faith may have been damaged if you experienced trauma. In so many churches, they’re like, «Just have faith,» and it’s like, «I’m hurt! I want to, I desire to move in crazy faith, but I’m just trying to make sure this doesn’t hurt me again.»
I was a part of a church that had an offering; they called it something different— it was the Living Life offering—but we found out that the pastor was crooked and was stealing the money, and he ended up hurting one of my kids. It’s a miracle I’m in church at all today, listening to anybody, because in the same place I tried to use my faith at one point, I was hurt in that area. What I found out is the most tragic part about trauma is when you go through a traumatic situation. Specifically, in your faith, what it steals is more important than the moment you’re in. Does anybody know what trauma steals from you? Watch this. The most tragic part about trauma is that many times it silently robs you of your try. Most people have stopped trying because they got robbed at a spot of trauma. You won’t do it ever again; you won’t get in community, you won’t even be friendly to people because your last friend robbed you of the ability to even want to try.
I found out that most people, when it comes to living in faith, walking in faith, and moving in faith, have just lost their try. The try gets lost at a point of trauma, and that’s why we’ve got to heal because trauma wants to steal your try. Pastor Mike, why are you saying it 16 different ways? Because you’ve been trying to figure out why you feel stuck. You’ve been trying to figure out why God didn’t let you go to the next level. He’s saying because the next step requires you to do something, but you have lost the faith to try. He told you that He was going to bless you, take care of the business, and bring you into the right connection, but you won’t even write the business plan because you had to close the doors on one business that you started out of your pride, honestly.
Guys, today all I want you to do is get your try back. If I could just get you to have faith and try again—try to do something that maybe you weren’t taught to do, try to move in a way that doesn’t consider the trauma first but considers your Savior first. I just don’t want to lead a church where it’s busting everywhere except in your life. I just will not stand up here year after year and yell «crazy faith» if you cannot try to move out of the place that you’ve been in because you’ve been damaged. Yep, trauma took your try. You were hurt in a relationship, so you don’t want to be in any relationship. No, no, no, no, I’m an introvert, okay? But that doesn’t mean you should be in isolation. Introvert means you don’t get recharged by a lot of people—we’re not even saying a lot of people. Nobody knows what you’re going through. Nobody knows. Oh, but it was the trauma that paralyzed your try.
I’m going to say one that’s really specific to me that came to me while I was in the back: there are some fathers in here who were bad fathers to their first two kids, and now they have an opportunity to be good fathers to the children they have now, and you won’t even try to be a good father because of the guilt and shame attached to what you missed out on. The trauma of that situation stole your try. Y’all see how quiet it is in here? This is a good quiet. This is a holy quiet because I want you to evaluate the places you’ve been stuck, and I want you to see if there has been anything that stopped you from having faith to do it again. Because today, I wanted to let you know I found out good news in the Word of God. Everybody say «Triumph.» Everybody thinks triumph is at the end of the movie when the person’s hand is raised with the gold medals around, and everybody’s clapping like, «You did it! You beat that big giant!» But what I found out is the title of my message: there’s triumph in trying again. What if the outcome is not triumph? What if the obedience step is triumph? See, you’re waiting for everything to be done, and God said you won just by showing up.
Okay? When you go back to the job tomorrow, it was a triumph because you tried again. The first business didn’t work, but God said at the moment you started writing the new business plan, He said it’s a win. The moment you went to marriage counseling after you had already decided in your mind and heart on divorce, it was a triumph. The fact that you let that big kid, who is spoiled and ungrateful, back into your house for one more week because he said, «Sorry, Mama,» is a triumph because you’re trying. And if you could get this, it would take away the enemy’s power to convince you that you’re so far away from the destination that you should give up. I just feel the weight of people like, «What is this going to do? What is this little thing going to do? What is this one thing going to do? How is this going to change?»
Boy, if I could tell you that every great miracle that has ever happened in my life came with a simple instruction, and it might have sounded crazy, but I still had to try it. And this is how the Holy Spirit said it to me: He said, «Michael, I want you to tell the people that I need them to try again because I need them to give me something to work with.» He said, «I’m looking for something to multiply; I’m looking for something to turn water into wine, but there had to be water. Give me something.» And He said, «My people have been paralyzed from trying; now I can’t even do anything.» You keep praying, but I give you an instruction, and you won’t obey it. I told you to go join that group. «Well, God, there are so many reasons why I wouldn’t join a group. If I join a group, they’re going to make me the leader, and I don’t want to be a leader right now; I’m still damaged.»
Lord, I need—like, stop! You don’t know what God’s going to do; give Him something to work with. We want God to do a miracle with no action, okay? And you can apply it to any area of your life, but what God is requiring of us is not something great. He said, «If you have faith as small as a mustard seed"—that is the smallest seed known to man, but it’s something! And God said, «Will you give me something to work with?» Because there’s triumph in trying again. I found this story that’s not talked about a lot in the Bible about a man named Naaman, 2 Kings chapter 5. You can read the whole thing if you want to, but I’m going to give you a little paraphrase of what happened: Naaman was successful by all world standards. He was a commander; he was killing people; he had money; he was statused up. Then he ran into trauma. He got diagnosed with leprosy.
And I know y’all don’t know what leprosy is; y’all think that’s like something that some acne medicine can clear up, but this is not that. People’s literal noses and ears would fall off because of this disease. Back in this day, if you had leprosy, people could not be around you at all because it was so contagious. So this man goes from having a lot of success to now being in this very traumatic situation. What ends up happening is he uses his connections, and he says, «Aren’t there somebody that can heal me?» They heard that there were some people who could heal in Israel. So his boy writes a letter to the king of Israel and says, «Hey, I have a friend named Naaman; can you heal him of leprosy?» The king is like, «What the heck? I’m not God.» It’s in the Bible just like this, and he gets so anxious and weirded out that he rips his clothes off. He’s standing there in his kingdom in the nude like, «How in the world am I supposed to heal this man?»
And Elijah the prophet hears about it, and he says, «King, put your clothes back on; bring the man to me. I’ll prove to him that there’s a God in Israel.» So this is where we pick up the story in 2 Kings 5:8: When Elijah, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent this message: «Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.» So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elijah’s house. Elijah sent a message to say to him, «Go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be cleansed.» For most, that would have been like, «Amen; that’s all I need to do—go take seven baths? Great!» Look at his response. But Naaman went away angry. He didn’t even want to try it because he thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot, and cure my leprosy. He was going to say, «Go to the Jordan; that’s nasty water! Are not Abana and Pharpar…» If that’s wrong, ask your mama. «…the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?» So he turned and went off in rage. His outer sickness was supposed to be healed, but he did not get the miracle the way he wanted it, so he turned around and now had an outer sickness and an inner sickness because of his rage.
He even bought into his own thoughts. Let’s not act like he’s alone because a lot of our disappointment in Christ comes because our thoughts don’t line up with His. «I thought I’d be married by now; look at me! I thought they would recognize my gifting; I thought I’d be a millionaire; I thought my family would have said sorry by now!» I thought— and it’s your own thoughts that come against the simplicity of how God may want to heal you. Come on, okay? But thank God for the people that were around Naaman. Naaman’s servants went to him and said, «Alright, boss, we came all this way, and okay, I know you, so if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more than when he tells you to try something simple?» He literally said, «Wash and be cleansed.» So Naaman was like, «Alright.» So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times. How many times? Seven. How many times? Seven. That’s going to be important. He dipped seven times as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young baby boy. He got the miracle and was never touched by the man of God.
I know that messes with a lot of people still. «If I just get a touch…» If you just obey! I just want to take it away from this and this and this. We believe in laying on hands; we believe in all that, but God is with you every day, all the time, everywhere. And if He gives you an instruction, no matter how simple it is—obey it! Okay, what’s that you say? Just do it! Like, why do we need it to be grand for it to be God? Okay, let me say it to you like this: Crazy faith—because everybody’s coming in with crazy faith today—watch this: crazy faith is about obedience more than the outcome. I want to let you know that the man’s outcome was that he was going to be healed, but if he didn’t try to dip—not seven times! If he did not dip the first time, this is where I want to explain what faith looks like. It wasn’t when he got healed that he was walking in faith; it was when he decided to get in the water the first time. That’s when crazy faith was unleashed because he tried. My question to you is, where are you missing out on miracles because you will not try?
So Pastor Michael, what do you want me to do? I want you to do that thing that you have been paralyzed to do because you were hurt, scared, and fearful in another season, and it robbed you of your try. Do that thing! And everybody has something coming to your mind right now. Everybody has something that God has already told them. You were supposed to release a whole album, and you haven’t written one song. You’ve got 50 million ideas for a nonprofit, and you’re just non-profit because you have no profit. Why won’t you? It’s the greatest act of crazy that many of you will make for the rest of this year. Everybody say, «Try!» Try! Say it with faith! Try! Say it like you mean it; you’re talking to your own self. It’s not a message for somebody else! Abby, this is your message, okay? Just try! You never know what God will do. That man did not get in that water and be like, «Oh, I’ve seen like 15 people dip seven times and get healed.» He was mad because he thought it was simple, but the other reason he was mad is that he thought it was crazy.
«What the heck? There’s cleaner water; I’m dirty. Why would I go get in something dirty to get clean? Why wouldn’t I go to better places? If this is how you want to do it, God, if I’m supposed to be a pastor, tell Pastor Mike to take me under his wing and make me a junior pastor.» Come on, this is how we think! «Why in the world am I serving kids? Why in the world am I working this job? Tell him; you speak to him! We’re going to see if he speaks.» Then everybody stops trying, all right? All right, I’m gonna keep moving. I wrote this down in a phrase: so many people get discouraged by the distance between where they are and whatever they desire that they become disabled, believing that trying would be an act of delusion. Let me say it again; you got it, she said. Run that back.
So many people get discouraged by the distance between where I am today and whatever they desire that they become disabled in the present, believing that trying would be an act of delusion. It would be crazy for me to start working out because the last time I worked out, it was good; I lost 22 lbs. Then a global pandemic hit, and I didn’t just gain 22; I gained 44. Now, every time I try to go to that freaking gym, I’m four years older. These knees, okay? Y’all know what I’m talking about; these knees are kneeing, and my back is backin', and I want to unfat my back, but the way this is set up right now, I’m just going to be fat and happy. Okay? Now, there are people laughing, and you should see the people looking at me with the stare of death right now because it came too close to home. You’re so far away from where you want to be and know you should be that the enemy has disabled your try today, but I’m encouraging you to use your faith again.
I’m encouraging you to say, «God, okay, if there’s something you’re telling me to do, I don’t have to know how it’s all going to work out. I don’t know how it’s going to finish or end, but I know that I can obey you in the next step. God, I will try again.» Okay, all right, all right, all right. I know you wanted to yell today; you wanted to shout about something you’re not actually going to do. I’m sick of that. Why would we gather with thousands of people to shout about something we’re not going to live out on Monday? That seems dumb to me. But what if we could actually get to the heart of the matter? I’m almost done, and we could all make a collective crazy faith step again.
Everybody shout at me, «Try!» Try! Say it like you mean it. The outcome of anything is not the proof of faith; obedience is. I’m going to say it again: the church has done a bad job convincing people that getting in the house was faith. Yeah, that’s not proof of faith when God told you to make the budget. Everybody say «obedience.» Obedience! That’s why, no matter what you’re going to give in this crazy faith offering, so many people are going to use their faith. Don’t cancel out your sacrifice by not obeying because the scripture says obedience is better than whatever you sacrifice. «Oh God, I’m giving you $200.» He’s like, «I would much rather you go say I’m sorry.»
Okay, is this the Prosperity Gospel? No, no, no! Prosperity Gospel wants a paycheck. What we want for you is actual transformation in your life right here. What I’m saying to you is keep the money if you’re going to be disobedient. Right? They won’t say that at other churches. They’ll be like, «Give us your money and be disobedient.» No, that defeats the whole purpose. Back in Sly, we used to say this because I was so adamant about this: I said, «If you don’t want to give, keep your stanky dollars.» Y’all remember that? I felt so good because it was not about amounts; it’s always been about obedience. What I’m saying to you today, church, as we’re moving into this step of crazy faith, don’t give and then not do what God has called you to do.
Okay, hear me, hear me, hear me! Why are you saying that, Pastor Mike? Write this point down because the supernatural is often activated by something simple. Oh, the supernatural is usually activated by something—everybody say «simple.» Simple! Naaman wanted a grand presentation for his healing, for his miracle, and God was like, «I’m going to keep this real simple: take a bath.» Now think about this. Do you not think that he has tried to take a bath before? Do you not think that he’s tried to scrub off the leprosy before? But this man gets a new fresh instruction, and that’s what some of y’all’s problem is. God’s going to give you a fresh instruction, not a new one. Ooh, you missed it! You’re going to give, and you want a new instruction, and God said, «No, no, no, no! I’m just going to give it to you fresh. Go do the same thing I told you to do last year.»
Uh-huh! Is that it? And some of y’all will walk away with the same rage: «I’m done with this crazy faith. He must think I’m crazy.» And God said, «I’ve been trying to tell you to do the same thing!» The miracle is not in the spectacular; it’s in the simple. And that’s why I hate the devil because he loves making simple things complicated. I mean, literally, let’s go back to the Garden. The only instruction was, «Don’t eat from that tree.» Just one! Do you know how many other trees were in the garden with fruit? It was everywhere! But the enemy tried to complicate a simple instruction. How simple could your miracle actually be if you just obeyed God? Okay, okay! Y’all want to hear a real story from my own life where I had to do something simple that felt crazy?
All right, so when I started leading the church, I asked God to connect me with leaders who were supposed to help me build this church. I found out that there was a young couple building a church called Eden in downtown Tulsa on Sunday nights. The reason I found out is because my little brother Grayson would ask me to drop him off there. You know I’m a fresh pastor, one or two years in, so it was a little offensive. Y’all told me to be honest; it was a little offensive that my little brother, knowing that I’m a pastor, is asking with jubilation to participate every Sunday night in another church’s activities. And I was like, «Okay, I’m a kingdom man, Kingdom guy, Kingdom—come on, Grayson, get in the car; let’s go.» But as I’m rolling by with the window down, like, «Who else is coming to this kingdom?»
Then I found out a lot of our worship singers, worship leaders, a lot of different people were going to this expression. What I do is I hold people like this, and I said, «God, if this is something that you want to do, bless.» I said, «What is my instruction?» So I want you to do something crazy: I want you to call that young man. I need you to reach out to him and ask him what he needs. That’s crazy! «Lord, 'cause if I give him what he needs, he’s going to take what I already have! This is my flesh!» Call him and ask him what he needs. I was like, «All right, I’m going to call him, ask,» and then he’s like, «Yeah, Instagram, don’t have his number, nothing like that.» And then I was like, «Let’s go to breakfast.»
So the first time I meet Charles Mannaf, we’re going to breakfast at Chimera. We’re going to breakfast at Chimera, and just before I walk into the restaurant, the Holy Spirit says, «Ask him if he wants to shut down his church and join you.» Now, I need you to understand how crazy this is because I’m not lame, and that sounded lame immediately, 'cause then that puts all the power in his court! He could be like, «No!» And like, «Why?» And that’s exactly what happened! I even gave a great analogy: I was like, «We could be like the Golden State Warriors!» I was using all of this; when KD was there, I was like, «This could be like…» He was like, «No.» And when I walked out of that restaurant, I felt lame, but I got a «well done» from God. No, no, no, you missed it!
The crazy faith was not if Charles became a part of Transformation Church; it was when He told me to ask another man that was already not in the infant stage, an already started church, «Ask him, hey, let’s get together.» He said, «When you said it out of your mouth, that’s where the miracle happened.» It would take another six to seven months, with no expectation that that was going to happen. Until I was at the downtown library, this young man came and found me with tears in his eyes, not me saying, «Let’s make a business plan.» He said, «God told me to shut down my church and come serve and do whatever you need.» And that’s where God said, «What if you wouldn’t have tried?» No, I just want you to see that the crazy faith miracle was not something big; it was something simple.
Let me add this that might seem stupid. I’m trying to give you cheat codes today. Let me just put it like this: obedience is the main ingredient in miracles! It’s the main ingredient. I know nobody’s shouting about this because a lot—I’m going to say this; it’s strong. I’m telling you, I’m warning you; it’s strong what I’m about to say. Okay, brace yourself: a lot of the miracles you want to see are not because God is not able; it’s because you are disobedient. I at least want to be the one to tell you. Some of you, God’s been speaking to you about this crazy faith offering, and you have just said no. «I don’t see it; I don’t have it; I’m not going to.» Some of you, he’s been talking to you about things you need to do in your family, for your career, for your business.
Some of you, he’s been telling you to move; you are in the wrong geographical location, and you just say, «But all my family is here, and all my things…» But your favor is not there; you have just been disobedient. And more than amounts, God said, «Could I just please have your obedience in crazy faith?» Okay, I’m almost done. Somebody say, «I’m going to try again! Going to try again!» Whatever that means for you and whatever that looks like. Some of y’all need to go back to school. «I’m 50! I ain’t doing another paper!» I feel you! But rarely does God call you to something convenient. If you’re actually going to be used by God, it is rarely convenient. Then I started to think about Naaman, and then I started to think about what if other people wouldn’t have tried?
Y’all remember that story in First Kings 17 where Elijah the prophet came, and the woman was like, «Oh,» he was like, «What you about to do?» And she was like, «I’m just about to make this little cake for me and my son, and then we’re going to die.» Y’all remember that? And then he was like, «Oh yeah, cool, don’t do that; make me the cake.» Huh? No matter what her reaction is, she still tried it. She still tried. And there were miracles that unfolded over and over again in that woman’s life because she—everybody said it with me—tried. Y’all remember Joshua walking around Jericho seven times? Do y’all know how dumb that instruction was? No, no, no! I need you to hear: «Lord, we’re about to take over the city; what do you want us to do?» «Walk around it seven times, get trumpet players, and blow on the seventh time and then take some jars and smash them.»
And you want me to go back and tell the troops—the ones who are built to actually fight with hands—sometimes God will call you to do something that goes against your training, sir. Why? So he can get the glory out of your life! Okay, Pastor Mike, why are you so passionate about this? 'Cause as I went back to 1519 yesterday, I went back to West Pine, and I walked into that church, and I sat in those green chairs where there were about 300 people filled with faith. There was no visual on our screens when we first gave in crazy faith of all of this. There was no YouTube; there was no crazy faith; there was no Mike Todd; there was no relationship. There was nothing. It was just a vision, and 300 people believed in the vision that we could have a multiethnic church. Look around! Look around! That we could have a multiplying church.
Look around! That we could have a multigenerational church. Look around! I was 27 years old, standing up there with a cracking voice. God gave me a vision, and it was a simple step that God said, «If you’re going to be a blessing, bless somebody else.» It was simple! And I’ve told this story, but I’m always going to tell it because it’s my testimony. People are like, «How did you become this crazy faith guy?» By obeying God in simple stuff! And I stood up and I said, «Church, we’re going to raise whatever money comes in, and we’re going to give it away.» $8,300! We raised, and we gave it to churches in North Tulsa. That was the craziest faith thing I had ever done as a pastor up until that point, and it unlocked something that allowed me to live at a place that has transformed not just my life but the lives of so many. But I will be darned, and I didn’t want to use that word, if I have a church that displays crazy faith and a people who don’t live in it.
Jesus, I don’t want to do this if it’s going to be fake. I don’t want to do this if you’re struggling for 10 years to just pay your bills, and the church seems like, «I don’t want to do this.» Either it works for our marriages and raising kids and changing our communities, or it doesn’t! God is not praised by us just having a nice building; he wants to live in something that looks like walking faith! The Bible says the just shall live by faith. It is important to note that having crazy faith is incomplete if you don’t take action.
So what are you trying to say, Pastor Mike? If He said it, try it! If He said it, what do you have to lose? Step out in faith and try! For example, one of my friends pointed this out to me while I was sharing what I was going to preach. It’s crazy; I’ve told you several times I wasn’t the best in school, not because I wasn’t smart, but because I just didn’t apply myself. I really liked making people laugh more than I liked language class. And Ms. Maxwell, don’t call my teachers' names like that! Mama Chloe, you know I love you! Ms. Maxwell, I gave her a hard time—oh my God. But when God told me to try to write a book called «Relationship Goals,» I was fearful because I didn’t think I had what it took to make it seem like a real book. Can I be honest?
A real book—smart, very intelligent people write books. Me? I just placed things on top of books; I had books for aesthetics. At that time, my book collection consisted of just three books that people had given to me. And what did God say to me? He said, «Try it.» I remember opening my laptop and literally typing in «Relationship Goals.» I can vividly recall that moment and closing my laptop—that was a triumph! You missed it. Oh my God! If you could get it! I opened my laptop and typed «Relationship Goals"—thank you, Lord! If you don’t celebrate that, if you don’t generate some energy and expectation around it, you will be waiting forever. My friend pointed this out; he literally asked, «What is this?» I said, «Oh, that’s 'Relationship Goals' in Hungarian.» He asked, «What do you mean?» I replied, «I don’t know how to say any word inside of this book. The only words I can read are 'top, ' and I guess 'handsome black men' don’t make covers in Hungarian.»
They completely changed my cover art, but I’m okay with it because the check still cleared! Y’all missed it again! What I was reminded of is that the faith didn’t fully manifest when it was in a different language; it was when I opened my laptop and typed «Relationship Goals.» God said, «There it is! You gave me something to work with.» Now, I thought that was enough, but I called someone on my team and asked, «Is the book in other languages?» They said, «Yeah! 'Relationship Goals' is in Spanish, Hungarian, Russian, Chinese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Dutch, and French.» I said, «I haven’t been to any of those places, but it couldn’t have multiplied without a try!» Crazy faith exists in Swedish, Russian, Hungarian, Dutch—if you gave me a map, most of those places I couldn’t point out, but God was able to perform a miracle with a try.
So, what do you want me to try, Pastor Mike? Whatever simple instruction God gave you—everybody say, «Try it!» I’m going back to Naaman because he received a simple instruction that seemed crazy or stupid, and he had to follow through. I want to paint a picture for you real quick because this is how absurd it might seem to others. Oh, that is cold! That felt like enough to me. Half obedience is disobedience! How many more times do I have? This seems excessive; this is cold! This feels stupid. Nobody else is having to do this; it feels like a mess! But if He said seven times, but if He told me to forgive, but if He told me to give—how many more do I have? Someone said two, and another said three. How many do I have? Look, people are looking around now like, «Which one? Carry the two!» This water is so cold! Hold up, Mike! Oh shoot, three more! My outfit is ruined! Hold on, hold on, hold on!
I may not be accepted in some places like this, but I’m just trying to make it real for you. This may alter how you see me because if you weren’t with me when I started this process and you just saw me on dip number four, you might judge me. But I can’t let your opinion stop me from being obedient. Y’all say «number five!» When I go down this time, y’all ready? Alright, here we go! One more and I’m healed! One more and my family is delivered! One more and I’m the lender and not the borrower! Come on, I need y’all to hear what I’m saying. One more step of obedience in crazy faith—I’ve done it over and over again. But if I do it one more time, Pastor Mike, what are you saying to us? Don’t quit on six!
Some of y’all are just saying do it, but that’s what God’s been asking you to do for years! Don’t quit on six! Naaman did not know if the miracle would happen on one or seven, but he knew he was given a direction. I wonder how many times he would have done it if he knew healing was on the other side of it. Quitting on six is a trick; it’s the lie that the enemy wants you to believe. It’s not going to work; when you give this time, it’s going to be the same thing that happened last time! When you try to serve again, when you ask for forgiveness, when you show up, when you expose yourself, they’re going to treat you like they did last time. Don’t quit on six! Y’all would have nightmares if I didn’t finish this example! Someone will come dump themselves.
I’m doing this in proxy for Pastor Mike. Hear me when I say this! If you want me to finish the example, how much more does God want you to obey Him to the point where your crazy faith creates a crazy miracle? Let’s do this thing right now! It’s a miracle! This is the season of miracles, but the miracle only happens with simple obedience. In just a few minutes, we’re about to give, but this isn’t about giving today; it’s about obedience. Oh shoot, I forgot my last examples in my pocket! Well, didn’t think that one all the way through! I want you to know that faith is relative at every level. I don’t care if you’re balling or broke, God will always require something that makes you dependent on Him.
Last week, Natalie and I talked, and I asked, «God, what do you want us to give?» He told us what to give, and we did not have it! I said, «Lord, isn’t it like You to ask me for what I gave three years ago?» He said, «Because I always want you to stretch your faith to believe Me.» I said, «Alright.» I was in a meeting with Ms. Tammy last week, and I had asked her to take a certain amount of my paycheck and send it to a different bank to pay for something—like when you receive your direct deposit, you can allocate where the money goes. I had done this maybe three years ago, and I remembered suddenly because I had decided in my heart I was going to obey You, God, if this is what You told me to give.
So, how are you going to get it to me? I remembered in this meeting for the first time in three years! I looked at Tammy and said, «Did we ever cancel that money going to that other bank?» She said, «I don’t think so; let me check.» She said, «No, it’s all over there!» I said, «But didn’t I pay that thing off earlier this year?» She said, «Yeah.» I said, «Let me get on my app and see if the money is there.» Y’all, when I decided in my heart that I was going to obey God, He made me forget so I could obey! I went to the bank on Friday and drove all the way to the bank and said, «There should be this much money in the bank; can you please give me my money?» Ain’t nothing like knowing it’s there! She said, «Oh, that amount is not in there.» I said, «Hold on now!» She said, «It’s not that amount; it’s about 80% of that.» I said, «Alright, cool! Give me all of it!» I said, «God, I thought You told me—» He said, «I did!»
So I went to the bank on Saturday, and you know how all our little banks stay open from 8:00 to 12:00? I went in there to try to gather all the little coins I had because I said to my kids, «We’re eating ramen noodles for the rest of the year!» Just kidding! But I really am making sacrifices. This isn’t something I’m not living out! So I went to scrape my things up, and they were like, «Well, this is all you can get.» I said, «Just give me that, too!» I said, «God, I thought You…» I woke up this morning—not talking about 10 days ago, but this morning! I said, «God, I thought You said You were going to do it!» He said, «I did! Look in your drawer!» Now, I look at this drawer every day, but I forgot my mother and father-in-law brought me a piece of mail delivered to their house instead of mine.
I never looked at what was inside! I opened it up, and it was a check from the government for the exact amount I was short! Y’all don’t have to believe with me, but this wet piece of paper is proof that God is real! When the scripture says He’ll give seed to the sower—Pastor Mike, why is this important when it comes to faith? Because the truth of the matter is your finances expose the priority of your heart. I’m trying to speed up the life that God has for you when you can obey Him with unrighteous mammon—what the Bible calls it. He says He’ll then make you ruler over true riches. True riches have nothing to do with dollar amounts, but God can’t give you what He really has for you because you won’t let go of what He gave you!
So as your pastor, I’m standing here in wet crazy faith, and we are going to need a dryer in the back! This is proof; I am confident we are evidence that you are faithful. Stand all over this building! In just a moment, there are going to be boxes and various things around. It will be a holy moment! The worship team is going to come and worship. People have flown and driven here from all over the world—somebody told me someone came from Canada, while somebody else came from Florida and California! Thank y’all! Thank you, Detroit! Oh, y’all drove 15 hours—that’s beautiful! But I just don’t want you to perform an act of giving money without giving God your heart! I want you to obey God! I want to pray for every person under the sound of my voice that there would be an increase of the measure of faith in your life.
Hear me; I want to be very clear about this: If you give nothing today, that does not take away the message that God has given you to try! God won’t ask you for something you don’t have! This isn’t about manipulation. What I want you to do is live in the next level that is provided for you—if you would just try! Today, I believe some people are getting their «try» back; you’re about to step out in faith! There’s triumph in trying again! There are cards we have attached to our faith. Oh man, I didn’t even tell y’all the best part about Naaman’s story! It’s so incredible; he gets healed, and then he goes to Elijah saying, «I need to give you something! I need to offer a sacrifice. I need to give you some money!»
Elijah says, «No, I don’t need any of that!» He said, «Let me at least gather some of the ground where this miracle happened so I can take it back to my land.» The only reason you take some of the ground is that soil is the place where you plant seeds! He said, «The miracle that happened here, I need to take a piece of this soil and take it back to my land; I need a place where I can see miracles like this happen over and over again!» The miracles that are about to happen in our lives are going to come through simple obedience! Would you lift your hands all over this place, watching online, watching the rebroadcast? This isn’t just a moment we’re doing today; the crazy faith offering is going to continue happening this year! Some of y’all are hearing this message and saying, «God, I will obey! I will try! I’m going to use my faith again! I’m going to do what You called me to do.» This is the moment where God is going to use you to move into another level of faith!
Father, I’ve done what You asked me to do. I didn’t stop at six; I didn’t quit short of the miracle. And Father, there are so many people who are so close to another level of breakthrough, but the trauma tried to steal their joy. Today, God, will You restore everything that the enemy has tried to take? Father, I thank You that people are trying again in relationships, trying again in service, trying again to do what You called them to do. Father God, I’m thanking You that this is a revelation that leads to a revolution. I bind the spirit of fear that would come over every person who would say, «What if God doesn’t come through?» You’re a good Father, and God, today we are reminded of who You are. You’re chasing after us; You are actually looking to do good in our lives, Father, because it brings You glory when Your children, Father God, are representing You on this Earth. Today, I thank You for all the people who are moving in crazy faith, from the seeds that they sow to the decisions that they make to obey You. God, I thank You that this marks a new moment in our ministry. This is not about amounts; it’s only about obedience. Let it be said of Transformation Church that we were a body that was obedient to whatever God said. Thank You, Father, for allowing us to experience crazy faith and very simple obedience. There is triumph in us trying again. Bless every seed, bless every business. Father, as people are giving, even out of their need, I’m asking You, Father, to prove the doubt wrong. Would You be God? So, as Amen said, Father, I know there is no God except the God at Transformation Church, the God of the Bible. Father, let it be to Your credit and not mine, not anybody else’s, for Your glory only. Today we give You glory, we give You honor, and we give You praise.
If you’re in this room and you’ve never accepted Jesus, we’re going to give you a second. More than anything, you could give as a sacrifice; your life is more important. Today, if you want to make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior, if you’ve walked away from Him, the craziest step of faith you can make is super simple. In a moment, we’re all going to pray together, and all God’s asking you to do is accept Him and make Him the Lord of your life. How do I do that? Romans 10:9 says to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord. It’s that simple!
Church wants to make it hard; religion wants to make it hard, but Jesus said if you just do these two simple steps, He will help you change all the other stuff. I’ll help you; I’ll help you change your habits. If that’s you today, the greatest miracle is something super simple; He’s going to change your heart through your simple confession. If that’s you, on the count of three, I just want you to lift your hand. Number one, you’re making the greatest decision of your life. Number two, I see your hands, sweetheart; your name is about to be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Number three, with faith and boldness, I see you, my brother. I see you, my brother. I see you, my sister. I see you, my sister. Transformation Church, how do we celebrate? Glory to God! Online, in the comments, just put a hand; we’re rejoicing at Transformation Church. Nobody prays alone; we all pray together. So would everybody just say:
God, thank You for sending Jesus just for me. Today I repent, and I turn to You. I believe You lived, I believe You died, and You rose again just for me. Today, I make a commitment to serve You all the days of my life. Change me, renew me, transform me; I’m Yours. In Jesus' name, amen.