Michael Todd - Optimism Is Not an Option, It's an Order
This is week four of a series we’re in called «Living in the Overflow.» Can you say it with me? Living in the Overflow. Just one more time with faith like you’re actually going to live in it: Living in the Overflow. God has specifically told this house that this is the prophetic word for us in this season. As God is bringing us to another level, we need to declare that I’m living in the Overflow. Yeah! So, what does God provide in His overflow? Everything that we need! You need love, you need peace, you need joy, you need understanding, you need wisdom, you need clarity. When you get next to God, when you get closer to God, certain things just come with that.
Have you ever met anyone who just has a presence? Not a bad one, okay? Because some of y’all just went to a bad smell! Yeah, Tyone stinks—not that! But like, has a good presence; like they put on the right amount of cologne and Shea butter and aftershave. When you go into their presence, you connect with them, but when you leave, you still smell them. There is a fragrance of being around them. I found that when you are in God’s presence, there is an aroma that stays on you that lasts beyond my 15 minutes of worship. There is an aroma that stays on you that lasts beyond my Bible reading.
The problem is a lot of us are saying we spend time with God, but we don’t smell like it. There are certain people that when you get around them, literally some of my team says, «Oh, Pastor Mike is here!» They can smell me. Jesus! Now, a good smell, just to be clear—not funk, sweet aroma. My question is, does the time you spend with God last past the time you spend with Him? If it doesn’t last, some might say, «Time with God?» No, I thought God is just… No, no, no. This is why I’m saying the Overflow is found when you are with God. Through His word, through worship, through prayer, He allows what He gives you in those areas to overflow to when you are at work.
It will be evident that you were with God because things you would not normally know to do, that could not happen otherwise, will just come up out of you. You will wonder where that came from; it will feel like the Holy Spirit just brought it out of you. I didn’t even know that was a thing! This is where we are going to live in the Overflow, and what does that mean for you and me? I do not have to worry about having everything because if I’m connected to Him, when I need it, it comes up out of me.
So many people right now are so worried about not having enough when it comes time to do whatever they’re called to do. This is why we go to pain medication and why we go to addictive behaviors, and this is why we numb out with television. The pressure of everything we must handle—a mother, a father, a business owner, a student—"that pressure weighs on us,» and so we try to do everything from within to make it happen. God says, «Just stay connected to me. You have an unlimited resource whenever you need it, as long as you are connected.» This series is to teach you how to live in the Overflow. Somebody say with faith, «I’m living in the Overflow!» Live in the Overflow. Y’all didn’t say it with faith! Somebody say, «I’m living in the Overflow! I’m living in the Overflow!»
Last week, we talked about order preceding overflow. That message, when I watched it back, I was like, «Pastor Mike, chill!» I watched it back and thought, «Whoa, whoa, whoa! You came in for everything! I need to get my whole life in order.» What I found out is when God asks us to get our life in order, He provides actual principles in His word that help us know where to start this journey with Jesus. Listen to me; this is about progression, not perfection. I want to help you. This is kind of like week two of order, but I’m going to take a different spin on it. I need to help people because I was reading some comments and talking to a few people, and they said, «P. Mike, I just feel overwhelmed right now! Get in order? I need to lose weight, I need to stop cursing at my kids, I have to pay rent this month—and get my life in order? God, I’m actually, at this current moment when you say, 'Get it in order, ' I went to GrubHub and ordered food because that’s what emotionally made me feel better. I have a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts waiting for me at home because when I start thinking about order, I get overwhelmed.»
Okay, am I in the right church this morning? Does anybody have some things you know you need to get in order, but when you start to think about it, you get overwhelmed? Hands right now! Some of y’all have whole rooms in your house—drawers! The junk drawer! Y’all know what a junk drawer is: you just throw in junk! Jewelry! It’s because when you think about it, you become overwhelmed. When you become overwhelmed, you miss out on things that are potentially needed in a different season, but you can’t find them because everything is out of order.
So I began to think about how to help my church and all the people watching start to take a step towards order. All I want you to do in this series is take a step every Sunday. Y’all know that’s what this is, right? This is not a sprint to your transformed self. All we are trying to do every week is take a step; that’s it! I’m progressing in my faith.
When I found this scripture, it blessed me the way I hope it blesses you. Philippians 4:8—Paul is talking to us and even calls us his brothers and sisters. Watch this: «And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing: fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about these things that are excellent and worthy of praise.» Amen!
Now, I’ve heard that scripture all my life. It’s like, okay, cool! Think about the things that are good, lovely, of good report, pure. The Holy Spirit brought me back to this and said, «Michael, thinking like that is not an option; it’s in order.» I said, «Hold on.» He said, «Read it again. I inspired Paul to tell you how to bring yourself into order. It doesn’t happen in your hands first; order happens in your head first.»
He said, «There are people trying to make actions on things they have not allowed to get in order in their head, and that’s why the steps always get jacked up. Because you weren’t clear that there was something God wanted you to think about before getting everything together.» He said, «This idea of fixing your thoughts on good things is not optional; it’s an order.»
So I said, «P, God, what am I supposed to do?» He said, «Be their pastor and tell them they need to be more optimistic.» And I said, «What?» He said, «Optimism is not an option; it’s in order.» Write that down as the title of my message today: «Optimism is not an option; it’s an order.»
Now, some of y’all are like, «Optimism? Does that have something to do with optometry?» So let me give you the definition of optimism: hopeful and confident about the future or successful outcome of something. I need to be more optimistic about what God’s going to do in this situation! I have to think something different than the worst every time I’m presented with a challenge. I have to look in the face of adversity and find the thing that God’s doing in the midst of that situation. Optimism is not an option; it’s an order.
He said, «Think on these things.» If you examine all the areas in the Bible where God is trying to transform somebody, do you know where He targets? Their thought life! He’s not trying to change you by just a good environment. He says a good environment can potentially affect your thoughts, but it does not change until your thoughts become different.
He told me to tell you that He can’t do what He wants to do in your life because even if He came in person and told you, «This is what I want to do,» your thoughts would kill it. Your thoughts are the assassination of your ascension. Did you hear what I just said? Your thought life—God can say, «I want you to write the book,» but immediately you start going, «Well, who’s going to pay for it?» Immediately, you start thinking, «Well, I didn’t graduate college; I don’t know where to get something printed; I don’t know.» You haven’t even written one word, and your thoughts have now assassinated the thing that God wanted you to pursue.
If we were to display your thoughts on a screen right now… No, no, no, no—whole LED screen! Not even for the year—last week! Your thoughts on the screen! Because they tell us we have about 70,000 thoughts every day. So, 70 times 7…490,000 thoughts? Is that right? Or is that 4 million? It doesn’t matter! A lot of thoughts! Let me ask you: how many of those thoughts were good? This is so good—lovely, of good report, honorable?
P, you might say, «Well, I’m just being a realist.» Okay, that’s good! But being honest about how things are does not mean it has to stay that way! The reason why many of our lives stay the same is because we fix our thoughts on how things are. You missed it!
I’ve got to go back to the Bible so y’all can see what I’m thinking and what God is thinking about you. When I read this scripture, it said, «And now, dear brothers and sisters, fix your thoughts.» Great! No, God fixes my thoughts? Uh-uh. You fix your thoughts! No, no, no! That’s why I came to worship you today—so that you could change my thoughts! I’ve given you the tool of worship; I’ve given you the tool of My word, but I have also given you the responsibility. Your thought life is your highest priority.
What if I told you that part of living in the Overflow is already thinking in the Overflow? What if I told you that it’s your primary job to tell yourself there is a better outcome on the way? I’m fighting through this because I can feel it. Somebody might say, «Oh, today’s going to be a good day!» And someone else replies, «What’s so good about this day? I just woke up with joy!» But so many people have been so weighed down by life that when it comes time to see what God may be doing, they kill it with their thoughts. Today, I came to encourage everyone: if you want to get your life in order to live in the Overflow, that’s right! Start with optimism! Optimism is not an option; it’s in order!
I need everybody to understand this is not personality-based! Oh, she’s just naturally more cheerful! She’s just naturally optimistic. I’m just… No, no, no, no! However you feel, cool! What are you going to do with it? «I feel lonely»? Cool! I’m good with that! The church has done a bad job of allowing people to feel things, and I need to correct that. God gave us feelings for a reason—they’re an indicator on the dashboard that things are not going as I think. So I feel lonely—great! What are you going to do with it? Most of us, when I feel lonely, fix my thoughts that nobody cares about me. «They didn’t invite me to that party! I can’t believe they…» Oh my God!
Come on, think about it! And the reason you see that fruit in your life is not because God couldn’t take your lonely feeling and change it; it’s where you decided to park and fix your thoughts. When it comes to our financial situation, the reason why you’re where you are is because you fixed your thoughts that you’re always going to be in debt. You can’t even think for longer than five minutes that there could be a time where you won’t have to use a credit card. You’re just trying to pay the credit card off.
Could there ever be a time in your life? I know what I’m fighting against today. Hear what I’m saying! Has it ever been a thought in your mind? Have you fixed your thought that in the next decade, you won’t be able to wear any of the clothes you have right now? No, I’m just… Y’all are all trying to get skinny in one month, right? Calm down; it’s a step! But what if by your 30th birthday, you look one way, and by your 40th birthday, people look at you and say, «Was that you?» But every time you try to get your mind to go there to the gym, it’s like this: it ain’t going to last. God doesn’t pay any money for that. Where have you fixed your thoughts? I don’t know where you fixed your thoughts, but when I read this, I received another level of conviction because the Holy Spirit illuminated to me that God’s not going to fix your thoughts.
Write it down: God’s not going to fix my thoughts. He’s going to tell me what to think. Great! He’s going to give me the things to actually think about and stay focused on, but I have to watch this word: decide. That’s great! Yes, sir, some of y’all have to decide, «I’m not going to be that angry person anymore.» It has become your character, your avatar, your persona. Oh, don’t be like them! You get excited when people say, «Don’t mess with them,» because you know they will go off on you, and you’re like, «Yeah!» It’s almost your thing now, and you can put whatever role you need to in there: «Oh, I’m the quiet person.» You don’t have to be that person, but some of you have fixed your thoughts. You’ve pre-planned how you’re going into spaces, and you have fixed your thoughts to play the role. Yes, be who they told you to be, stay out of the way. You have fixed your thoughts when they say, «Don’t say anything when you have a question. Don’t raise your hand.»
You have fixed your thoughts on the wrong things, and today, I just came to tell you that optimistic thinking—believing something good is going to happen, that something hopeful is going to occur, and that God can still work in the situation—is not an option; it’s a mandate. Okay, oh God, here we go! I need everybody to understand I am talking about supernatural optimism, not empty positivity. That’s good! Y’all know what I’m talking about. Y’all know those people who say, «Oh, it’s going to be a good day,» and you don’t even believe that. But I’m talking about supernatural optimism. Let me read what optimism means one more time because some of y’all are just starting to slowly bring your mind to this hopefulness.
Are you hopeful? Talk about overflow! I hope it doesn’t rain this week. I can’t control it, but I can be hopeful that it’s going to be like it was yesterday in Tulsa. Yesterday was a beautiful day! I mean, woo! You know when the sun is just right, and the breeze is perfect, and it feels like the birds are singing in harmony? Now, some of y’all, when I just said that, were like, «Well, you can’t control the weather, so stop hoping for that. It doesn’t make any sense.» I looked at the app: rain Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! It’s because you have perfected pessimism, and you think it’s going to save you from disappointment. So you stop hoping because if you hope and it doesn’t happen, you think God failed you. My God! There are people who have lost hope because they have stopped hoping. Oh, y’all didn’t know? Because faith is the evidence of things not seen. You cannot have faith without hope.
I’m hoping my son MJ is able to live a fully functional life, be able to live in an apartment, have a wife. I am hoping for that! Why am I hoping for that? Because the doctor said it couldn’t happen. But I can’t have faith for it to happen if I don’t at least hope for it. There are other people who would say, «Well, don’t hope for anything. Don’t get your hopes up.» That is a demonic statement! When you hear anybody say, «Don’t get your hopes up,» that is a demonic statement meant to rob you of the fuel you need for your faith. And without faith, it’s impossible to please God! So I’m going to hope that this building is filled! I’m going to hope that our neighbors love us in big ways. Y’all don’t hear me! I’m going to hope!
Somebody look at your neighbor and say, «Hope for it!» Y’all didn’t even say it! Find one more person and say, «Hope for it!» Hoping is free! Hoping is free! Yet most of us won’t do it. Why? We don’t want to be disappointed. And God said this is the fuel I need my church to be more optimistic. This ain’t just another Sunday. When two or three are gathered, there is explosion power in the room; I can do anything in this atmosphere! Somebody needs to hope for miracles, signs, and wonders! Uh-oh! I feel goosebumps! Somebody needs to hope that a lame person gets up out of their wheelchair! Somebody needs to hope! It may not happen, but it cannot happen if I don’t hope for it! Oh my God! The truth of the matter is I’m sitting here fighting the demon of pessimism.
Do you see the glass half empty, or the glass half full? We are talking about the overflow, right? If there’s just a drop in it, I’ve got to see it as progress toward it being filled up. It’s all about perspective, and this is what the Word says through Paul: «Think on these things.» Think on the things that are good, lovely, of good report. Okay, I’m going to read it in the Amplified because y’all still ain’t with me yet. Okay, here we go! It says, «Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s Word—uh-oh! —because it just can’t be right to you. He said the things I need you to think on are what is right and confirmed by God’s Word.
Okay, fact-check it: whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace. This is what God wants us to fix our thoughts on—daily, hourly, momentary. Think on the things that are admirable and of good reputation. If there is anything excellent, if there is anything worthy of praise, that one gets me every time! Anything worthy of praise! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! Anything! There’s always something worthy of praise! Do you know how much time you spend worrying about things? You could just find that one thing in the mix that’s worthy of praise! Oh, my God, the parking was horrendous! Oh, my God, I got a car! But you know what? I got a car. Oh, God, I just bought all these new clothes and none of them fit, but I had money to buy some!
Well, what’s the point? Why? I’m not God; I ain’t writing the Bible, but He knows us! And He knows the more things we think about that aren’t of these things, that’s how we end up drained, dry, frustrated. I don’t know if I have purpose anymore! I don’t know if God wants to use me! He said, „What have you fixed your thoughts on? What is the dominating thought in your mind that is not like God?“ Pastor, you really are serious about this! I’m not moving off of it because the problem with all of us is we want to have our faith and thought life implanted from God and not require us to do anything! It’s almost like we want God to open it up, give us a new brain at salvation. He doesn’t do that; He gives us a new heart! You got a new heart with the same brain!
For some of y’all, that’s been the conflict and the tension for decades! Right? Right?! Because you still remember all of those images you watched! And so now you’re not going to the website, but you’re looking at your brothers or your sisters in a certain way, depending on how their clothes are hanging. I ain’t backing up; hear what I’m saying to you! It’s not because you see them in a negative way; it’s because of the thoughts! And what I’m asking you is, when will you take responsibility? Nothing changes until somebody takes responsibility for the area that is actually hurting or harming you. And today, God said, „Get it in order!“ I said, „God, where do we start?“ He said, „Start between the ears. Tell my people to get their hopes up.“
That’s so good! Get your hopes up! And for everybody else, who’s like, „If I get my hopes up, what if I get disappointed?“ You’ve never needed to hold up God’s name! Come on! So if He doesn’t do it and you are disappointed, He can handle that! But the Bible says that all things are working together for the good of those who are called and love Him! So if it doesn’t happen, it means something else good is about to happen! Look at your neighbor and say, „Get your hopes up!“ Get your hopes up! Can you put the two pictures of our minds on the screen, those two houses for me, please? This is the same exact—my God! —mind. Y’all see it? This is the same exact mind; it’s just in two different seasons.
One had a tenant that made sure that the property was kept up so well, and the other was neglected. This one obviously has been vandalized; people stole, and people stopped caring. Yeah! People let whatever happened happen! My God! This is my birthday! It’s just—I mean, it’s a series on stars, and it’s talking about real life. I mean, yeah, there are some scenes in it! But I’m just—I’m a grown man; y’all see how quiet it is in here? I’m just—I’m doing this for research! I’m just—no, no, no, no, no, no, no! There’s nothing going on with her between us! I’m just—I’m just trying to get into the mind of somebody who would behave like that! You know, I’m just trying to—I know! Oh my God, yeah, yeah! Booty clap, clap! Booty clap, clap! Clap, clap, clap! Booty clap, clap! Hey, bro!
Y’all heard that new song, „Booty Clap“? It’s crazy! And it’s so crazy because the older people are like, „Yeah, these young people!“ Y’all old heads were nasty too! We’ve just made it so common that it gets into our—I’m being slow and methodical with this because I need you to realize that some of you are presenting well on the outside, but your thought life—so what if—let’s just imagine. Let’s just imagine you invited somebody to be with you at this place. My God! „Hey, no, bro! Come down; you can stay with me! No, no, no! Plenty of space! No, no! Don’t get an Airbnb; don’t get a hotel! Come stay with me!“ Great! And they pull up! I mean, some of y’all would just keep driving!
Like, okay, let’s be honest: if you pulled up to your friend’s house, and it looked like this, you’d be like, „Uh, sir, this is the address?“ „Uh, no, no, no! It’s down at the Marriott, I think I topped!“ And just imagine! Okay, just imagine nobody else has come; imagine it’s just you, and imagine this is your house—brand new paint! Everything is good! The yard is manicured! Oh yeah! And imagine you walking into that house and seeing somebody you don’t know cooking at your stove, right? And then imagine somebody taking down your pictures and putting up pictures of their family! No! You’re just coming home, and somebody is in your bathroom doing a number three! None of us—none of us would be like, „Oh, okay, great! Hey y’all, what’s up?“
There are only one of two responses. Yeah, yeah, either you back up and call the authorities, or you become the authority! „Hey, hey! Get out! Get my spam!“ The same way you would not let an intruder into your actual house is the same way that you cannot let thoughts that are not from God live, rob, rearrange, take, and misuse what is in your thought house! Y’all better hear me up in here! It is time for us to take authority over every thought that is not like God! All right! That’s why 2 Corinthians 10:5 gives us authorization. It says you need to cast down every thought, every argument, every high thing that would exalt itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ! I will be alone? Nope!
I’ve already been adopted by a king, and God has set me in a family! I am not an orphan! I may feel isolated right now, but the truth of the matter is when I fix my thoughts on what’s true, God is bringing me the right people! God is taking me out of wrong environments! Any day now! Any day now! Any day now, everything can change! Today, somebody shout at me, „Any day now!“ That’s how you should wake up every morning! That’s supernatural optimism! I know we’ve been walking through this hard situation, but any day now God could change it! That one phone call, one thing could change! Hallelujah! But hold on! 2 Corinthians doesn’t say God’s going to take the thoughts captive—great! Great! Shoot! I gotta fix the thoughts, and I gotta rest the thoughts! Y’all, I’m sick of praying for people whose prayers actually work, but their thoughts work against it! Did y’all hear what I just said? I know God has answered some people’s prayers! I know God has given people clarity, and then literally, you turn around and by the time you get back to your car, your thoughts—good!
And what I’m telling you is you don’t have to take it! You do not have to! Well, they just—I mean, they just come! Hear me when I say this: an old adage says you can’t stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop it from making a nest there! Most of us allow the thought, „I’m going to fail!“ „I’m not going to make it!“ „I’m not going to be successful!“ „There’s no way I can live a full Christian life!“ „I’ve got to live like the lukewarm, fake Christian life.“ „I’ve got to—like, do Jesus, and then I…!“ I have to be real with you; if you want me to act like I don’t see what’s really going on in the marriage counseling we are going through and with the people we are trying to help save their marriages, that’s not what it’s about. It’s not about trivial matters like, „Oh, she took my bubble gum.“ That’s not why people are in need of help. I told God that if He ever gave me a platform, I would be truthful. We need to take authority over our thought life. How do I do that? By fixing our thoughts.
I had this idea while talking to my friend. He mentioned how beautiful it is that God gives us two things to do: „Cast your cares“ and „Fix your thoughts.“ Great! I thought, „What should we do?“ I’m going to cast my cares and fix my thoughts. If I’m worried, I’ll cast that care and fix my thoughts on the fact that God has come through for me every time I’ve needed Him. Did you all hear that? What are we going to do? We’re going to cast our cares and fix our thoughts!
From now on, this week when you get bad news—say you didn’t get approved for that loan—just cast your care and fix your thoughts on the fact that God has something better for you. This is what we are going to do because the whole word for the year is „fruit.“ I found that your life becomes the fruit of your thoughts.
My life today is the fruit of my thoughts. I can tell you that 15 years ago, I believed this, and I have journals, drawings, and even T-shirts with affirmations. I have that first represent jacket; I still have it because there are people here wearing that word on their clothes right now. I went to Forever 21, bought a $34 jacket, and had a t-shirt printing company put the phrase on it because I thought, „One day, someone’s going to wear this and feel proud of the church and the movement they are part of.“
When I hear testimonies of people saying they couldn’t get into an event, and then someone saw me wearing my church shirt, they knew they could connect. God said you are living in what you thought about this church. Do you all know how many times I preached on this stage before it even existed in this building? I envisioned this place filled with African-American, Hispanic, white, and Latino people long before it was a reality. It wasn’t anywhere to be found, but guess what? I closed my eyes and thought about it. I fixed my thoughts.
Not one row in this church has only one type of person—not one. When I started, it was mostly black people except for Pastor Debbie, Darren, and Bishop, and they are still sitting right there together. I can’t make this stuff up, but I fixed my thoughts.
What is your business going to look like? What are you thinking about? What is your marriage going to look like? What are you thinking about? Some of you keep thinking about divorce. How is God supposed to come in and change your thought patterns if you do not allow Him to? You keep thinking about poverty, „I can’t make it.“ Some are dealing with suicidal thoughts—think about living. I know that feeling of hopelessness is real, but focus your thoughts on, „I am going to be 38 one day.“ Start making a list of things you are going to do at 40. It helps you fix your thoughts.
I just don’t want us to stop our overflow by looking at our current situations and thinking that’s the end. God says you can fix your thoughts right now; you don’t need anyone to pray for you. You just need to know you’ve been given authority in His Word. You can change your thought life at this moment. Do you hear what I’m saying? Be transformed (Romans 12:2) by the renewing of your mind.
All right, pastor, what do you want us to do? I wanted you to know that the enemy would love to turn your mind into a trap house. Did you see those two pictures I showed? This was once considered prime real estate; now it’s a trap house where illegal substances are trafficked in and out, a place where mindsets, thought processes, and wild ideas can come from in and out. It’s a space where nobody has ownership, and the enemy wants you to think you’re living with God while your mind is a trap house.
Your dreams are trapped, your confidence is trapped, your purpose is trapped, and your peace is trapped. You wouldn’t even want to live there, which is why the enemy will try to convince you it’s time to do something different. Today I wanted you to know we serve a God who restores. When He sees a thought life that looks like a trap house, He says, „The foundation is still good. We may have to remodel some things, bring some things back, and renovate.“
What you allow in your mind determines if its value goes up or down. I heard this crazy thing that y’all know what a squatter is, right? In many places, people without homes start living in vacant houses, doing illegal things. There are squatter laws that say if someone else owns the property but leaves it unattended, a squatter can eventually claim it as their own.
Does that sound like the devil? „I paid for it; I own it, but I didn’t take care of it the way I needed to.“ But because you’ve been there so long, you can now claim rightful ownership. Not another day in this mind! I need somebody to declare, „Not another day in this mind! I have the mind of Christ.“ Come on, somebody! I have thoughts that will glorify God and bring me into my purpose.
I need to hear you say that; stand up all over this building! I’m going to be more pointed in how I share these messages because some of you need to fix your thoughts. Hear me before everyone starts moving and leaving. If you’re watching all over the world, I’m asking you not to treat this as just a sermon you got a good point out of today. Apply what God just spoke to you.
You’re going to have a reason today to get frustrated about something. Find the good in it; what’s lovely? „My kids didn’t call me today.“ I know, Mom, there’s a lot of repairs that need to happen there, but maybe you can thank God that child is even here. Maybe there was a time you said, „God, if you let me have this kid, I’ll give them back to you.“ They could not even be here right now, and now you’re getting frustrated and angry in this moment.
God, I just thank you for allowing me to have them. That doesn’t change how you feel; I want to acknowledge that it’s tough, but the truth remains: there is something lovely. The Bible speaks of people who had very troubled thoughts. What did they do? King Saul was so troubled in his mind that he called for David to play worship music because worship is what calms troubled thoughts.
This Friday, we release the album „Overflow,“ and I prayed that when these songs begin to play and people hear „Nothing is impossible for my God“ and „I will,“ those troubled thoughts would bow to the authority of Jesus Christ. I thought, „What better way to end this today?“ If you’re in this room and have troubled thoughts, I want to invite the worship team up to sing over you.
I know people might wonder, „Sing over us?“ The Bible says that God sings over His children. Today, I’m asking you for a step of faith. If there have been many troubling things, and I know it could be all of us, but remember I told you about taking steps.
If you’re watching online and need to stand up, lift your hands. If you’re in this building, I’m asking you, on the count of three, if you’ve been having troubled thoughts and want to focus on what’s good and pure, come from all over this place to the altar. It doesn’t matter who’s in your way—get to this altar. We are going to worship for just a moment. I know service is almost over, and we need to get our moms to the thing, but what better gift could a mother receive than for God to calm the storms in her mind?
Come on, you can come closer. This is just for those who have hope that something better is coming. For all of us, they’re coming, don’t worry. God, I feel you! Your presence is here, and for some of you, tonight will be the first time you sleep soundly. Tonight will be the first time those troubled thoughts will cease.
Come on, everyone, make room. If you’re at home, just stand or kneel—whatever you need—but take a step. God is coming to redeem your thoughts. You will live and not die; you will see the goodness of God. He is not finished with you! Come on, lift that up! I believe God is breaking chains right now; things that have been with you since childhood are leaving because hope is coming to God’s people today.
„Father, we give you everything. We surrender to You, God.“ Just one more time, something is happening. Come on, worship! You’ve broken every chain of depression, every chain of low self-esteem. I dare everyone just to lift your hands and receive from God. You’ve broken every chain. Keep coming; even if you’re in the aisles, it’s a step of faith. If you’re at home, stand—do whatever—but make a step. God is coming to redeem thoughts. You will live and not die! You will see the goodness of God! God is not finished with you. Come on, lift that up! I believe God is breaking chains right now. Things that have been with you since childhood are leaving! Hope is coming to God’s people today.
God, we will never be the same! We give you everything, Father. We thank you that worship is going to be our weapon like never before. We thank you for walking in the authority you’ve given us. Today, we take captive every thought that rises against the knowledge of God! Today, I pray for every person struggling with identity. I thank you that today there is a brand new confidence in who you created us to be. I pray for everyone struggling with low self-esteem. Our security is in You, God, and you are lifting us to a new level of purpose. Long life, you will satisfy us, Father God, that every lie of the enemy no longer has residence in our house. Father God, I thank you that purity would rise up on the inside of your people. Come on, y’all, I need you to believe with me. I thank you, Father God, that people would be able to walk, Father God, in wisdom, knowing that they will not be in this situation always; that you are moving us. For everybody that is dealing with addiction in the name of Jesus, whether it’s an addiction to social media or addiction to substances, Father, I thank you that the only thing we will be connected to in a way we can’t get rid of is you. I thank you that nothing—nothing—has control over us. Father God, we are no longer a slave to sin, to fear, to pain. In the name of Jesus, I declare that every marriage, every relationship, everything that you have called us to, Father God, will be how you’ve intended it to be. Father, I thank you that you are the great restorer. Woo! You are the great restorer. What the enemy thought that he had, you are the one that can rehab, redo, renew, and today we honor you. Father, I pray for those who are dealing with serial loss—loss after loss after loss. Today, Father God, I thank you that they would hope again for every person, Father, that is in the aisle and coming down the stairs. God, they made a step of faith today. God, I declare that we are moving to another level of being hopeful. Let our hope overflow, Father.
Let people be like, „Why are you so excited?“ Because I believe something can happen! I am walking in another level of supernatural optimism. I will not be dragged down by the „what ifs.“ I will not be taken down by „it shouldn’t happen.“ I will put my faith solely on the God who has parted the Red Sea, on the God who has allowed shepherd boys to bring down giants. My faith is in a God who speaks to mountains, and they move. My faith is in a God who can do anything. So today, as we join as a church, woo! We declare that we will walk in optimism because you are moving, you are working, and we will let worship be our weapon.
Hear me when I say this—everybody listen to me. I dare you for the next 14 days to let nothing that you have control over come into your life. I even especially hear musically—don’t let it come in unless it’s of good report, that it’s uplifting, that it’s bringing you something. El, I’m telling you. And I want you to measure how you feel after it. If sonics and sound could literally get a king to stop being tormented in his thought life, what could it do for you and I?
I think the mixture—hear me when I say this. I’m just saying what the Holy Spirit is saying. I think the mixture of going in and out of presences—you’ll be in God’s presence and then you’ll be in the presence of unfamiliar spirits. It’s the mixture. It’s not lessening God’s power; it’s just making it less potent in your life. Do y’all hear what I’m saying? I know, „Well, it’s the TikTok dance,“ or „It’s this, this,“ or „It’s where I work.“ Okay, anywhere that you have control, you have control of what you put on in the car. You have control of the atmosphere that’s in your house. You have control of putting on your AirPods. Huh! It can be going on out here, but I got a little thing in here, and it’s saying, „Yahweh, Yahweh.“
Do y’all hear what I’m saying? We are going to be a people that take control of our thought life. God’s given you everything you need to do it. Today, we have to decide. God, we thank you. Woo! Our thought life is changing. Ray, it’s changing. God didn’t lie to you; he didn’t play you. He’s not toying with you. This next season of your life happens here first—how you talk to those kids, what you do. It happens here first. And you’re saying, „God, I’ve been doing that.“ He said, „There’s another level. There’s another level.“ He said, „You’re going to see what he showed you.“ I feel this everywhere—you’re going to see what he showed you. But the enemy has been coming after your thoughts. „Or maybe I should just…“ and „Maybe I should just…“ The devil, he’s not going to turn your mansion into a trap house. He’s not going to turn it because there are so many people that you’re going to unlock as God continues to do this. Would y’all stretch your hand? We’re a family church. Would y’all stretch your hand right here to my man in the green hat?
Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you, Father, that as he just felt all the support and the energy in the room come his way. I thank you, Father God, that spiritually, emotionally, and even physically, you’re about to send people, send resources. And, Father, you have carved this young man out, Father, to be a change agent in the world. The enemy would love for what you’ve shown him to be defeated in his mind, but not today. In the name of Jesus, we declare that you have the mind of Christ, that the ideas and the thoughts that God has given you will not be stolen by the lies of the enemy. You will see the goodness of God in the land of the living, and we declare, Father God, that you will be glorified in him and Ryan’s life, Lord, because you’ve broken every chain. Hey! And I’ll never, I’ll never be the same 'cause you are Lord.
Just say you’ve broken, you’ve broken every… you’ve called by my name. All right, so there are mothers in here that desire to have children, and I was going to leave this alone 'cause it feels cliché because of Mother’s Day. But I was praying for you guys. There are people that I want—let me be more specific—there are people who are in the place to be married, those who are married, and those trying to have children right now, and it has been a struggle. More than the physical struggle, it’s been a struggle in your thoughts, and today God is instructing me just to tell you to be hopeful. Be hopeful. I’m trying to be obedient. Be hopeful! There is another level of hope that is coming to every person. I just keep seeing huge in my head—it’s going to happen! And I don’t know what that means for you, but somebody say, „It’s going to happen.“
People will call it emotionalism. Well, that’s where your faith is! Get your hopes up! Start preparing some space. Start clearing some things out. It’s going to happen! It’s going to happen! Sing that roll: it’s going to happen! Yes, it’s going to happen! Yeah, everything that God promised you, it’s going to happen. It’s going to happen in the right timing, with the right people, at the right space. It’s going to happen! God is not lying to you! Declare, say, „It’s going to happen!“ Don’t you worry! Don’t worry 'cause why? It’s going to happen! Yeah! He’s restoring the family; he’s renewing your heart! Somebody say, „It’s going to happen! I will not be dragged down by negative thoughts! I will think on 'it’s going to happen! ' He will do just what he said. It’s going to happen! Hey! He will do just what he said! It’s going to happen! He will do just what he said! It’s going to—Hey!
Somebody should get their faith right there and get your hopes up 'cause God came to tell you he will do just what he said! It’s going to happen! Come on, just lift this up real quick—I have faith to believe! Say, „I have faith to believe!“ You have, you have all that I—miracle signs and wonders! Miracle signs and wonders follow me! I have faith to believe! I have faith to believe! I’m getting my faith up, God! I have faith! You have all miracles! You will find you have all that I—miracle signs and wonders! It will follow! It’s going to happen! It’s going to happen! I believe that God is a miracle worker! Say, „Oh yes, he’s going to happen! Oh, he is going to fulfill every promise he’s given you!
Say, „It’s going to—yes! It’s going to happen!“ Some of y’all, it took an hour and a half. Your hope is starting to come back right now! Come on! Some of y’all look at it! You’re starting to smile! You’re about to say, „You know what? Any day now, my marriage could turn around! Yeah! Any day now, I can actually walk in hope and peace! And yeah! Everybody, it’s going to happen! It’s going to happen! It’s going to happen! It’s going to happen! Woo! Some of y’all, when y’all least expect it, you’re going to say, „It’s going to happen!“ Woo! It’s going to happen!
All right, if you’re in this room, I know you got to get your moms, and okay. Something’s shifting in your mind right now. You’re going to see the old thoughts come back, but they can’t stay! Yeah! There’s a difference between somebody showing up at your door and then you giving them a room. Y’all know those people show up at your door, and you stand a certain way to let them know they can’t come in? I’m letting you know, or what do you do? You step outside the house. „What would you like to talk about?“ I need you to know you can’t get in here. And there are some thoughts that you got to say, „I need you to know you can’t get in here!“
Hey! It’s going to happen! It’s going to happen! All right, we got to go. If you’ve never accepted Jesus, the clearest way to get your thought process together is to put the one who has already conquered everything. The Bible says it like this: „In this world, you’ll have trouble, but take heart, 'cause I’ve overcome the trouble.“ He said, „That’s too low for me! I’ve overcome the trouble! And I’ve overcome the whole world! So there’s nothing you will experience in this life that I haven’t overcome!“ If you need to accept Jesus, the one who’s overcome the whole world, if you’re in the room or watching online, on the count of three, I just want you to lift your hands. And today, this is what some of y’all’s mamas have been praying for: your actual salvation. And after this moment, you can text her, you can call her and you can say, „It just happened! It just happened!“
Okay, y’all got me? I’m telling you, this is how God works. If that’s you, your names will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life! Your pain will be turned around and used for purpose, and God will restore! Somebody say, „He’s a restorer!“ If that’s you, on the count of three online in the room, just lift your hands bold and proud! One, you’re making the greatest decision! I see you, my man! Two, your name is going to be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life! Three! All over the building! I see you! I see you! I see you! Couples making the decision! I see you, my brother! I see you! But more than I see you, God sees you, my bro! God sees you! And listen, we’re family, so nobody prays alone. Would you lift your hands all over the world and just say:
God, thank you for sending Jesus just for me! Today I need order in my life, and I turn to you. I turn to you! I believe you lived! I believe you died! You died! And you rose again with all power! So today, I declare my life has changed! Use me! Renew me! Restore me! I’m yours! In Jesus' name, amen!