Michael Todd - Work It
So today I have a message to give to this church that I believe is going to change your life. And I’m telling you, if you open your heart to receive this today, it’s going to change everything. Amen. What’s the word of the year at Transformation Church? What is it? One more time, say it with faith. I’m believing supernaturally you’re coming into a season of divine focus for your household, for your business, for your mind, for your life. Distractions, you will be allergic to them. You will see them, you will identify them, you will acknowledge them, and you will not advance toward them. You will be able to divinely walk away from what looks enticing but has the opportunity to take you off course.
Some people think it’s a good phrase or a good word, but I’m telling you, there is divine focus coming to your life, to your energy, to your momentum, to your money. There’s divine—somebody shout at me—focus! I’m prophesying to somebody, and there are a few people in here receiving it. Some people think I’m just talking before I get to the scripture, but I’m telling you, there’s a divine focus coming to God’s people who have ears to hear. Things that used to be hard for you to stay on task with—God is allowing there to be a new ease, as well as a new figure, a new passion to do what God’s called you to do. The next level of faith is going to require focus for you. And that’s why we can find not just comfort, but a witness in God’s word.
In Hebrews 12:1, it says: «Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything.» Somebody say «everything.» Everything! It’s time for a lot of things to exit your life. It’s time for a lot of things to exit your life. And watch this: God’s not going to take them; you have to throw them off. God’s not taking him away, and God’s not taking her away. Well, Lord, if you don’t want me to, just remove her. You got to throw it off! Okay, throw off everything that hinders you, especially the sin that so easily entangles you. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus. Somebody shout at me one more time—focus!
The pioneer and the perfecter of our faith, for the joy that was set before him. So, Jesus had to do this too. Do y’all know Jesus had to remind himself of the cross, the people, the cross, the people, the cross, the people? I could be the King to cross the people. I could call 10,000 angels and smite them all. Focus! The cross, the people! All he did was focus on what God said the end was going to be, and it allowed him to endure the painful parts. I want you to get a better vision of what the end is going to be—a better vision, a clearer, more vivid vision of what God’s saying is in your future. And you cannot know that without going to the word, without spending time with him. He said, «For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.»
Write this point down; I’ve given it to you every week since we introduced this word, and I want you to keep writing it until you get it. Fixing your eyes on Jesus gives you the faith to focus. If you make Jesus the priority, he will speak to you about everything under him. If you make Jesus the priority, the supreme, he will speak to you about your wife, your husband, your family, your future, your finances, your frustration. He’ll speak to you about everything that’s under him. But if it’s not under him, that’s why so many of us are focusing on the things we need to fix, but we have not made Jesus the priority. That’s why I say this every week: fixing your eyes on Jesus gives you the faith to focus.
And one of the things that we have been walking through in the past four weeks is we’ve been focusing on what Jesus says about our finances. And I just want to say, as the pastor of a church who listens to God’s word and these messages—y’all, the coldest giving church in history! Oh, you can celebrate that right now—especially you people! Did y’all see what we got to do for a church today? If you’re just watching the message, we were able to go back to the side of town where this church was started in North Tulsa, on the other side of the tracks, where the race massacre happened in 1921. Our bishop and first lady were told to go there to reverse the curse, and they began to plant and sow seeds in that area. God started to bless this church so much that there was no building in North Tulsa that would fit all that God was doing.
So God took us to the other side of town and gave us an arena that the city of Bixby built, and we paid that thing off in five months. I just want to watch! But God told us that our seed would never leave the place where it started. There was a church that emailed us because we got known for helping churches in need, or helping nonprofits in need. And the only way we can do that is because of the faithful giving, tithing, and understanding of the principles we’re talking about from the people of this house. So they called, needing to close on a building by faith, but did not have the money. Our team saw the email, was moved with compassion. Hear what I just said—was moved with compassion! Because everything that comes in, we can’t do everything. But God has put us in a position to do some things. And you do for one what you can’t do for all, because for that one, God will honor. And we were moved with compassion. We were able to help that church, and they are now sitting in a brand new building in North Tulsa.
Come on now! Now, watch—Pastor Mike, why are you saying that? Because we were able to do that with less than 10% of the people in this church participating in consistent giving. But can I give you a good report? Since we started this series, people who have decided to tithe have gone up 35%! Y’all got to hear me. Yo! Pastor Mike, why are you celebrating? Because the church has no more money? The church is fine! But the people were able to help—the churches were able to help—the ministries were able to help. We get to do more because we honor God. And for years, people are going to still say it’s all about money. This is not all about money. It’s all about being a resource. And because of what God is doing here and people not just being hearers of the word but doers of the word, I want to say I’m proud of you as your spiritual leader because can’t nobody make you do nothing! That’s right. You have to decide. And I just want to say I am believing God this week. I was praying earnestly, «Prove yourself to your people, God.»
Father, for every person that stepped out in this new place of faith. We even had staff members and people who have been attached to the ministry get new understandings of this stuff and start to step. Y’all, this is not about keeping the lights on. This is about being the light of the world! Oh my God! And I know it’s hard to believe because you haven’t seen many churches do it. But we’ve been called to do one thing: represent God. And at the end of the day, it will be said when it comes to finances, stewardship, and generosity that this place would be one of the—let me be careful because I don’t want to give any ammunition to our haters—but this place will be one of the greatest distribution centers in the kingdom of God for the expansion of his work in the earth today. If I can just get at least a thousand people to give God praise with me for that!
So proud of you, Pastor Mike. Is that how you want to start the sermon? Yes, we are doing it! There’s a 35% increase in participation; I’m not convincing! And I just want to say for every family and person that has taken this step, this is the place that you get to step into a whole new level that I’m going to talk to you about today. But before we go to the next level, I have to stop and address a couple of people who may be on the fringe—not bad people, not rebellious people—they have a real quandary. And I heard it; somebody came up to one of our pastors in the lobby last week, and I’ve heard this every year that I’ve done this, and I was like, «Holy Spirit, could you just give me a concise way to share with the people your heart on this?» Yeah! Because most people, when it comes to it, they were like, «But it’s an Old Testament principle. It’s under the law. It’s Old Testament.» And I want to say yes, it is an Old Testament principle—did everybody hear me say that? Just for everybody that wants to know. But that’s an incomplete statement if I stop there.
So, write this down: tithing is an Old Testament principle that came through the cross with New Testament power. I want to be very clear about this. It is an Old Testament principle that was passed through the cross, and Jesus brings it up in the New Testament. It made it past the drop-off point. There are Old Testament principles that, when Jesus came to fulfill the law, he made some of them die, and then he said, «You get a pass,» because they’re going to need that over there.
Okay, all right, all right. Just make sure you wrote down the point: Tithing is an Old Testament principle that came through the cross, and now it has New Testament power. Let me prove it to you in Jesus’s words: Matthew 5:17. Don’t misunderstand; a bunch of you are misunderstanding me. Let me tell you why I’ve come: I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. I didn’t come to tear everything up. I said to him, who did God who did Moses go to talk with on the mountain? God is not schizophrenic. He didn’t say something then forget what he was going to say and how it was going to impact there. He made the laws so unreachable that you would not be able to live this life without him. Right?
So when Moses went up and got the Ten Commandments, they also got almost 440 commandments that they were supposed to follow. And what he’s saying is, I’m going to make this list so exhaustive that they realize they can’t do this without me. And some of us geniuses in this human flesh were like, «No, I’m going to do all 440; I’m going to do all of them.» Right? To check one, check two, check three. And people, since the law has come, have been trying to work their way into heaven instead of actually relying on the promises in the word of God.
So what ends up happening is Jesus says this isn’t working; they can’t keep the law. They’re fighting about everything. They don’t know anything. I have to do it. Jesus goes and becomes the bridge to a better contract. The old contract doesn’t work; I need a new covenant to be established. So Jesus comes, dies on the cross, and there are things that were said in the Old Testament that Jesus comes to either fulfill and remove, or he upgrades the principle and raises it. Everybody hear what I’m saying? Y’all still with me right now? Old Testament principle; Jesus comes. Write it down: Jesus didn’t come to lower the bar; he either removed it or raised it.
Okay, I know there are some people who are like, «Okay, you’ve got to explain this.» There are principles that went through the cross. Can you bring me the cross? Because if they see it, I need them to understand. If y’all see this, it’s going to change you forever. Because right here are all my issues. That was a nice box jump. This is the Old Testament; this is me trying to work my way. Me and my kids play this game called «The floor is lava.» Let’s just act like if I fall right here, the floor is lava. You just stay right there. And what happens is my flesh wants to jump to it; my flesh wants to make it happen. But Jesus said, «Don’t jump, because you’re going to fall.» And some of y’all right now are like, «That’s not a big jump.»
There’s opposition that is invisible right now that you can’t see when you try to jump to it. But that’s the new covenant over there. That’s the new promise. That’s grace and mercy. That’s God forgiving me. That’s everything that I need. And so I can’t do it by myself here. So he said, «I’m sending Jesus.» And what this cross is going to do is not be a barrier; it’s going to be a bridge. Yeah, Jesus, I need you to die because they actually can’t make it on their own. And so there’s an Old Testament lifestyle that Jesus comes to be the final sacrifice, the lamb that was slain.
So, okay, let me help you. One of the Old Testament principles that didn’t make it past the cross was animal sacrifice. So when Jesus came, he said, «I’m going to be the lamb; there will be no more animal sacrifice because I died. So you can believe in me and come to this new covenant.» And so many believers are leaving principles that God wanted to actually transform your life over here, and it started over here, but he tried. Let me give you another one that made it through because y’all don’t like the tithing one. The tithing one, you want to stay over here. Y’all don’t want that one over there. I know you don’t want the giving of money. No, no, keep that in the Old Testament. We are not under the law.
Okay, cool, cool, cool, cool. But honor your mother and father in the Lord, for this is right and will lead to long life. Y’all know where that’s found? That’s an Old Testament principle that made it through the cross into the new covenant. So it’s an Old Testament principle with New Testament power. Do y’all hear what I’m saying? I’ve got to walk back over here and get some of y’all because there are some people camped out, believing that tithing is an Old Testament principle, but it made it through the cross because Jesus talks about it. And literally, when he talks about it, he talks about it kind of annoyed. Y’all don’t believe me? Matthew 23:23. I’m just going to read the part. He literally says in the New Testament—which Testament are we talking about? —that it made it through the cross. He said, «You should tithe.» And literally, in the scripture, it just says «yes» after it. Yeah.
And I love when that happens because it’s like God answering the question that he knew he was going to ask, and we weren’t even there to ask it. You should tithe. Tithe? Yes! That’s how it reads. But then he gets a little frustrated in his tone. But don’t neglect the more important things. Y’all are still talking about tithing. There are more important things we should be talking about—returning a portion of what I gave you. Don’t forget the more important things. And this is the enemy’s trick, and I want to expose him today: arguing about the tithe keeps you from the more important things, which is called a distraction. And God has told Transformation Church this year to do what? Focus. And so I want to just give this framework: the principles that make it through the cross have another level of power when you actually obey them in the new covenant.
So, watch this. Write this down: Don’t waste all your faith on the fundamentals of giving; graduate to the fun of generosity. If I could come to tell you anything, it’s that the enemy would love for you to stay over here fighting about something that keeps you at a low level and is fundamental. There’s a place in the Bible that says this is ordinary behavior for believers; this is ordinary. And I just believe there are some people that will say, «It’s under the law.» Yes, it’s an Old Testament principle that made it through the cross and has New Testament power. Are you going to hell if you never tithe? No. Can I be very clear? People try to use fear, but the Bible tells us that when we give, we should give with no compulsion. No, we shouldn’t be sweating. We shouldn’t be scared of anything. No, no, no, no, no. I give; I return; I’m generous because I understand who first gave for me. And number two, I understand that this is a principle, watch this, that works on the just and the unjust.
Okay, okay, let me stop because some of y’all are going to get mad because you’re looking at people who don’t serve God and have cherry-picked the principle. True. If you go look at most organizations, they have a certain allocated amount of money. That’s right. Usually, more than 10% goes to charities, nonprofits, widows, or orphans. Some of y’all in the business arena know what I’m talking about. They literally have cherry-picked the principle and have worked the principle without, watch, the God of the principle and still seen results that we’re mad at. Yet we’re over here arguing about the fundamentals and never getting to the fun of generosity.
Okay, because the Bible says in Acts 20:35, I’m just giving you scripture for all of this, that there is a place you can get where you leave the fundamentals and get into the fun of generosity. I’ve just prayed this for everybody: it will be more blessed to give than to receive. Can you imagine that? Because most of us for years thought, «I really like getting.» Oh, come on, y’all. Getting’s pretty much better than giving. I would really love somebody to give me money. I would really love for somebody to give me a break. I would really love for these—y’all know what I’m saying? —I would really love for somebody to give me a raise. And while there’s nothing wrong with all those things, when you stay in getting—or, excuse me, when you stay in getting, you can never fully unlock giving. I’m trying to break the things that keep you in the place to see, «What can I get out of it?» instead of seeing, «What can I give to it?»
Jesus never showed up anywhere and was like, «Hmm, there are a lot of people here. What can I get out of this?» He always showed up everywhere and said, «What am I about to add value to? What am I about to give? Who am I going to heal? Where is there a need? Where can I be an answer?» Until we even start thinking like that, I’m not saying you’ve got to do it yet; I’m just trying to get you thinking like that. I’m trying to get you thinking about whose Christmas you’re going to pay for this year. It’s April. You can plan a cruise and go on it for $6,000 on Christmas, or you can ask the Holy Spirit, «Father, what am I supposed to do with this extra resource that you gave me? Am I supposed to answer something that I see around me or that I don’t even know right now? Are you going to give me the wisdom to do something with?» Just a suggestion. Yeah, very good.
It’s more blessed to give, and some of you are so low in your resources or it has such a grip on your heart that the thought of that feels, watch this, offensive. No, that’s what I’m about to get! You’ll never say it like that, but the Holy Spirit told me to come challenge you because if you get into the fun of generosity, then you get to unlock the principle, watch this, of multiplication. Now, I didn’t like a lot of subjects in school; a lot of them I just hated. But there was a certain level of math that got me excited. Now, when you got into A’s and B’s and angles and things starting to equal letters, I was out of there; it was a wrap. But the place where I felt like I excelled was multiplication. I got 12 times 12; that’s 144. You know what I’m saying? And then there are little tricks that you can do to do bigger numbers, like 124. You know what I’m saying?
That multiplication, I had that thing. And I started to think about it: most believers live in addition and subtraction. What can I add to this? What are they taking away from me? But Jesus, I found in the Word, his favorite form of math was multiplication. Y’all know he started out with 12 disciples, right? Three main ones. Y’all know at the end of his ministry, there were over 500 people following him. They don’t even name all the other people, but somehow everywhere Jesus showed up, it started off small and then drastically multiplied. Somebody just say «multiply.» Multiply! Ooh! If you get this principle of actually doing the fundamentals, you get to unlock the next level, which is multiplication.
So today, for all of the people, plus the 35% who have stepped into this next level, and I believe the other 15 to 20% who are about to step into it, I want to teach you a principle that you’ll be able to use for the rest of your life to unlock more, and it’s the principle of multiplication. Here we go: Luke chapter 9:10. Today I’m going to teach you how to work this principle. Somebody say «work it.» Work it! Now, some of y’all, when I say «work it,» there’s only one thing that comes to your mind. You just start going low. And all I’m saying to you today is I’m going to teach you another way to work it.
Luke chapter 9:10 says, «And the apostles, when they had returned, told him all that they had done. Then he took them aside privately into a deserted place, to the city called Bethsaida. But when the multitudes knew it, they followed him.» This is the multiplication. He tried to sneak in, and people were just following him everywhere. This is Jesus. And he received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healed those who had needs of healing when the day began to wear away. Just get the picture: Jesus rolls into town, a bunch of people come up. They say it’s about 20,000 to 25,000 people that day. They believe, most theologians say, that it’s the biggest crowd at one time he’s ever preached to. He was like, «All right, I’ve got to feed these people.»
And he starts a sermon series—not a sermon, a sermon series. How do we know that? Because he said he started preaching in the morning, and it said, «when the day began to wear away.» Now, I don’t know what time that exactly is, but if you are at the point where you say the day is worn out, it’s probably late. It says when the day began to wear away, the 12 disciples said, «We are hungry. This is too much; this is powerful, but we need to go. How are we going to get out of here?» They said, «We got a plan. We’re going to tell Jesus the people are hungry. Chick-fil-A and Church’s Chicken are about to close. People need something to eat; we ain’t got nothing here.» So they go up to him and say, «Send the multitudes away, Jesus, that they may go to the surrounding towns and countries to lodge and get provisions, for we are in this deserted place.»
But when Jesus heard what they said, listen to how he ignored what they said and gave them a responsibility. «Lord, the people need something, so they need to go to a place that has it.» «You give them something to eat!» Hold on, wait a minute, Jesus. The plan was to let the people go to a place of provision. Jesus said, «I put them with people of provision. They wanted to send him to a place, and he wanted to raise a people.» And many times, most of us as disciples want to farm out the responsibility to meet the need instead of becoming the well that people drink from. Oh God, he’s trying to teach the disciples an eternal lesson so that we can know every problem doesn’t have to be solved out there. Amen. There are places of faith where you become the solution to the problem that is everybody else’s.
Okay, here we go. Just to let everybody know, we’re not taking up an offering today. There’s no $100 lines after this. We’re not doing anything. This is not leading to any place of manipulation because I can feel people starting to hold on, «Wait a minute, hold on. They’re going to ask for something.» Don’t need anything from you. I want you to get this principle, 'cause some of you are about to unlock something that’s going to change generational habits, patterns, and mindsets that have kept people from doing God’s will. And I’m so excited. Y’all ready to go with me? I’m about to teach you! All right, here we go. So Jesus says, «You give them something to eat.» Look at your neighbor and say, «You feed them.» Come on, yeah, come on.
Look at your neighbor, pick the other one you didn’t say anything to. Say, «You feed them.» Do not be surprised if God tells you to feed the people he’s placed you around. «The church should really do something.» And they’re talking to you. «No, I’mma send an email. I know an organization that does that.» Why would God bring them to one of his representatives? Let a need be presented. But the disciples had the reaction most of us would say. And the disciples said, in verse 13 in the middle, «We have no more than five loaves and two fish that we stole.» There was a little boy with a Long John Silver snack pack: two fish and five hush puppies, tartar sauce. They jacked the little boy and said, «This is all we have unless we go buy food. Unless you plan for us to go buy food for all these people.»
So they thought that it was preposterous. The disciples' heart posture is being exposed. The disciples thought it was preposterous to actually get food for these people. What they did not know is that that very scene of what they thought was impossible, God was about to use that moment to create a miracle that would never be forgotten. And the disciples do like us. They were trying to remind Jesus of the numbers. They said, «It’d be crazy for you to ask that of us because all these people had to go buy food.» For there were about 5,000 men there. And back then, they counted families. So they counted the men, but per capita, there would be two to three children plus a wife.
So they think it’s 20,000 to 25,000 people. Could have been more 'cause they didn’t have TV. Some of y’all will get that later. It said, «Then he said to the disciples, 'Make the problem sit down in groups of 50. Organize your problem. We don’t got enough to feed them. This is all we got. Organize it.'» And the disciples had enough sense to obey Jesus. And they made all of them sit down in groups of 50. Now, this is a miracle in itself. Nobody talks about the miracle of getting these people to sit down. I have four kids; I can’t get them to sit down! Do y’all understand what I’m saying? 25,000 people, no microphone, no LED screen, no megaphone—12 men, they’re hungry, they’re hangry. The day has worn away. Which tells me there’s a miracle of organization. Some of y’all are so overwhelmed by all of the bills and the debt and the payback and the robbing Peter to pay Paul.
«I ain’t never had no money, and I’m in overdraft, and I’m living off credit cards.» You’re so overwhelmed that there will be a grace that God will give, if you obey him, to take what is overwhelming and organize it. And some of the believers' real miracle will not be in the multiplication yet; it’ll just be organizing what feels overwhelming. I’m trying to be practical today to help somebody walk into a whole 'nother level. Okay, here we go, this is straight from scripture. Then Jesus, after what? After they organized it, the miracle cannot happen until you know the numbers. Y’all want to be practical? You don’t know how much debt you’re in? You have no idea what your loan payment is, what your loan payment payoff is?
And some of us have believed the lie that we’ll never get to that point, so we don’t even think about it. We ignore it. And we’re paying that $26 or that $200. You’re just paying interest and sending people on vacation. At least they didn’t take the car. You’re going to end up paying for that car three times over, that’s right. And by the time you pay for it, it’s broke down, and you need another one, and they wrap it into another thing that gets you locked up in jail for another. And I’m not trying to make anybody feel bad, but the enemy preys on our ignorance. And then the superpower we have of faith to get out of those situations, he lets us feel like it’ll never work. And so he steals—watch this—our hope. And hope is the fuel for faith. 'Cause faith is the substance of things. You can’t go anywhere without hope. And so you’re not hoping to pay off that house. You’re not hoping to get out of debt. You’re not hoping to not live on credit cards. You’re not hoping.
So you don’t even have the faith to believe that God could do a miracle in that situation. And so every time you move forward, you’re like, «I might as well buy some shoes.» Oh come on, y’all. «I ain’t got no hope. This house is never going to be paid off. Oh, I’m going to be in this house for all my kids to live in.» You’re telling your kids you’re going to live in this house. It’s a generational gym. No, it’s broke down. I don’t want this! But at the end of it—don’t give me your burden 'cause you couldn’t believe a good man or a good woman leaves behind not bills, not debt. I’m just trying to help you. We are transformed by the renewing of our mind. And some of us, our minds are messed up when it comes to this stuff.
Okay, it said, «Then Jesus, after they organized it, after they got their numbers in their spreadsheets and asked the friend that’s better with numbers to come over and have a debt collection party.» I just made that up. It says, «Then he took what was not enough.» Then he took the five loaves, which was not enough for the disciples. I mean, the disciples were hungry too, and there were only two fish, five loaves. It wasn’t enough, not just for the crowd; it wasn’t enough for the disciples. Jesus took what was not enough, and he looked up to heaven, and he did two things. He blessed it and he broke it. Hold on, the bless was okay, but why did you break it, 'cause it already wasn’t enough? And then you’re going to ask for some more of it? And then he gave them the broken pieces to the disciples to set before the multitude. Can you just put yourself in this scene for one second? Jesus takes what’s not enough, they give it to him, he blesses it, he breaks it, and he says, «Here you go, Peter. Here you go, John. Now go give.»
Bro, did you hear what Jesus just told us to do? He said to give this away! This ain’t enough for me and you! Bro, let’s just eat it! That’s what we do! «Bro, this ain’t enough to give to nobody else. If we give it away, you’re going to be hungry, and I’m going to be hungry. And you know he likes to walk! We got to get our carbohydrates up! This is going to be an all-night affair! He’s going to keep preaching; everything’s going to be closed. Eat it!» «If you eat it, I’ll eat it.» You better be careful who you’re around when God asks you to do something that seems crazy. «Eat it, bro.» «Nah, bro, let’s just give it to little Terraron.» You all know somebody named Terraron? «Here you go, here you go, just take a little, not too much. You see all them people over there? Take a little.»
And somehow, what was not enough when it was blessed and it was broken and it was given away in the disciples' hands, it multiplied. I bet it went something like this: «Take just a little. Just a little. This is it. Take some.» «Yeah, you take some. Y’all hungry? No? Take—come on! Get some more! Huh? You need some? Y’all want seconds?» The attitude changed when they saw the multiplication of what started off as not enough. Okay, how do you know this, Pastor Michael? Verse 17: «So the people they ate and were filled, and the multiplication happened so rapidly and so much that afterwards, there were 12 baskets of leftover fragments.» What was not enough turned into go boxes. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that there were 12 of them left. How many disciples were there? Just to prove the fact that what started out as not enough, when it’s blessed, it’s broken, and it’s given away, you unlock the principle of multiplication.
So let me give you the points: Number one, it must be blessed before it is multiplied. And the Bible tells us how we rebuke the devourer for our sake, and our resources are blessed, is—watch this—you returned the tithe. They didn’t say 'give it'; they returned it. And I’m not going to preach about this anymore. I’ve preached about it; I’ve taught you what the word says about it. All I’m trying to say is you cannot unlock multiplication if you don’t do the first part. And I hear people be like, «Oh yeah man, I gave an offering today,» and they’ve never tithed before. And I was like, «You didn’t give an offering.» And they really think they did! «I just gave an offering.»
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You’ve never tithed, so it doesn’t register in heaven as an offering because you’ve never done the requirement. What you just did was start on the requirement. And what I’m saying is, this is why I’m not telling anybody—that’s why sometimes when people do them $100 lines and $1000 lines and stuff, that’s stupid. Because the more poignant thing to make a disciple would teach them to be consistent with whatever little God gives them, not a $1,000 one-time gift; be faithful with $10 every week. Do what God requires you to do every time he did. If you’re trying to build somebody that’s not swayed by the economy and swayed by what’s coming and going, he said, «Just do it my way and I promise you you’ll never have lack.»
And so what I’m telling you is it has to be blessed before it’s multiplied. Second thing: it must be given away before it’s multiplied. That’s good! Okay, I want you to think about this—and it hit me a few years ago when I was preaching this—the miracle did not happen in Jesus’s hand. The miracle happened in the hands of the disciples. The miracle you’re looking for in your resources—in your finance, in your business—is not going to happen anywhere else than in your hands when you obey God to give it away. Amen! That’s right! You got to work it! Somebody say, «Work it!» Work it! Say it like you mean it! Say, «Work it!» Work it! If you work this principle, it changes everything.
This is the principle of multiplication. I’m going to give you an acronym that I hope you never forget, and then we’re going home. We got one more week in this series that’s going to be life-changing, and then it’s Easter. And what we’re going to do is celebrate all God’s done in our lives, and we’re going to celebrate his resurrection, and we’re going to invite people and we’re going to do that. But what happens after Easter? Very good, what happens after we celebrate? Do we make this cross null and void 'cause we stay away from the principles that would transform our lives and this group of people who have already bought into the narrative of what God is doing on this earth. I’m telling you I want you to grasp principles that help you live after the celebration.
Today, I want to give you practical keys to reaching the place where you can give, and it begins to multiply. The first one, number one: work. Oh no, no, there is nothing that comes after this. Say it with me: There is an epidemic in the body of Christ and in the world right now of people who are allergic to work. I want to let you know that no matter how much technology comes into the world, no matter how many times you have received a check from government assistance, no matter how much your money comes from investments, that does not absolve you from working. There’s this concept of the American Dream that has come into Western culture which is not biblical, suggesting that at some point you’re going to retire. You might retire from a job, but you’re never supposed to stop working. You need to reframe it: you may not need the money, but you need the work.
Work was given to man in the garden before he had a woman. He had something to do. He had an assignment to complete. He had responsibilities on his shoulders. I don’t care that all your parents worked hard and left you millions of dollars. The goal for your life is not to worry about money; you still have to find that thing God has placed inside you, and you have to say it with me: work. There are too many people escaping the process of development that God has for you because you’ve found a cozy spot. You’ve got some girl paying for all your expenses, refusing to marry her while you feel insecure. You’ve found a cozy spot where the requirements allow you to survive, but your purpose is withering away because you won’t work. To unlock this principle of multiplication, God gives it to those who work.
Let me just prove it to you: Proverbs 14:23 says, «Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty.» Colossians 3:23–24—y’all, I had to cut this down; I had so many scriptures to share. I will have to do a series called work, work, work, work, work. I’m not even joking; there are so many principles in God’s Word about work. I’m not saying you have to work at a job, but if you’re going to be a stay-at-home mom and a parent—work. Your kids should know some things that other kids don’t. I’m saying work that position intentionally. Don’t be scrolling and checking out what everyone else is doing. You’re distracted. And you’re not Pastor Mike because you don’t have a formal job—it’s okay. I’m retired from that; I have three pensions. But you still need to work. This is a beautiful time where you could volunteer at a nonprofit, go to that school, or actually go to that business and be a light in the darkness. Instead of watching soap operas all day, you can truly be a light amid darkness.
This is why Colossians 3:23 says, «Whatever you do, do it heartily.» I love it; whatever you do, some of you could start mowing lawns for people! If you like mowing lawns, go mow everybody’s lawn! Don’t worry about payment. Go give something. Do y’all know what work is? Work is a development tool to figure out what you can give. It’s a reason to keep you in the process long enough to discover what you have to offer and then practice giving it constantly. Most people would never give what’s not required. So the first thing Jesus did—the first thing God did—was say, «Adam, get in this garden and work.»
Oh, and another task: name all these animals. Zebra—zebra! That looks like a zebra. Rhinoceros—rhinoceros! Think of the creativity, think of the intentionality, think of the spelling; he was working. Whatever you find to do, work at it with all your heart as if you were working for the Lord, not for man, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward for your work. The inheritance from the Lord is for work. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. When you work, it’s not about impact first; it’s about the investment. All I’m saying to everyone in this room is that I don’t care if God has blessed you to not have to clock in anywhere. I’m not even telling you to get up early—I’m saying get up when you can. Because if I could sleep until noon every day, glory to God, but I can’t! I’m awake at 4:30 a.m. every morning, but when you do get up, what are you investing in?
Number two: get out of debt. Okay, uh-uh, I know I shouldn’t be talking about this in church. Yes, I should, because there is scripture that tells us to owe no man anything except to love them. Some of you can’t witness because you need their money. I can’t tell you how good it feels to walk into rooms with people who are wealthy and don’t need anything from them. Yes, sir! Yes, sir! There are certain people around me who know this is the case—NBA stars, actors, and so on. Every Christian that comes around them tries to figure out how they can get an offering from them, saying, «Hey doc, I want you to come to my church and preach on my stage,» but they’ve never preached a message into their life. Yet, you’ll give someone a platform thinking you’re going to get into their pocket. Y’all have never seen anybody up here talking crazy to you because we don’t need anything.
I’m behind the scenes telling them, «Hey bro, text me when it gets hard on the road.» «Hey bro, watch this sermon. Listen to this song.» The only way you can do that in many instances—and I’m not just talking about celebrities; I’m talking about your relatives who owe you money—is that they won’t hear about your Jesus until they get their $150 back! «Shut up with all your talk; I want my money.» «Hey, come to Easter; come get my money.» Yes, and what it does is it shames you, backing you up from even speaking. You see their lives being ravaged and destroyed, and you can’t even witness. You can’t even tell them about the God you serve because you still owe them from three years ago.
Romans 13:8 tells us to owe nothing to anyone except the obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. Oh, is that another one that made it past? See, it was an old law, but because of the cross, He said, «Oh, now it’s got New Testament power.» I hope you will never forget this so that you can understand everything Jesus said: «I came to either fulfill it, remove it, or raise it.» This is why we need to get out of debt. Can I share how we did it as a church? We decided we were going to get out of debt, and because of Bishop’s foresight and intentionality—I thank God for this man. When I didn’t understand what I was stepping into as a pastor, he said, «I cannot hand this building over until we have a paid-off building.»
That’s right! There are people here that contributed to getting that building paid off. We paid off 1519, and he handed me the keys, saying, «Alright, what you do from here is on you. I’ve done my part; I’ve shown you and taught you these things.» From that day on, I went to Tammy and said, «I think we need to be very systematic and intentional around tithing.» The church had always given and met people’s needs, but I wanted to be able to say, «Every dollar that comes in, we’re giving this much away.» We should never ask you to practice the principle of tithing if we don’t do it consistently as a church. We came in, and some of you were there when we gave that first $8,300 to another church on the north side of Tulsa. We decided that every dollar that comes in, we would do that. We began to honor God with the principle of the tithe, and then we planned to give—we were never surprised to give because it became part of the plan all the time.
Some of you, when God asks you to give, are like, «Oh no,» because it wasn’t part of the plan. We plan trips, we plan outfits, we plan cars—do you plan to give? If you knew that it was the vehicle God used to get more to you, would you do it? Everyone says yes when they see it in front of them, but then my question is, what are you planning to do? I started an actual fund; Natalie will tell you about it. A long time ago, when I had no money, I said, «Money to give away.» We started an account. You know how much it cost to start the account? $0! It was all I had to start my faith at that moment. Yes, this is the storehouse, and we will give from this fund. Yes, sir! Some of you just need to plan to do it, and when you make a plan, you’ll work the plan and get out of debt.
The last thing we decided is to finish what we start as soon as possible. A lot of people have grand openings in transformation, but we celebrate grand closings. If we take on any debt, we’re not saying, «Oh yeah, 35 years? Great, I’ll be out of here by then.» The building won’t be paid off, and the people will be fine. I took an approach that if God was going to do this, we needed to be fiscally responsible. Some of us have big debts, like our homes. I’m not saying you can’t carry that responsibly. What I am saying is do not put yourself in a place where you cannot obey God. I’m just trying to say that someone will watch this back in a different season and think, «He was dropping bars.»
What I’m telling you right now may be hard for some people to see since you’re looking at what you have right now. You’re like the disciples, thinking, «This is not enough! This is not enough! God, I just told you last week I’m about to lose everything!» And God’s saying, «Yeah, yeah, yeah; I’m trying to give you a principle so you can get a plan and a vision of where we’re going. I’m trying to direct your steps before I give you the resources, because if you can get this into your heart, then I can release these things to you, and you can walk into a new level of abundance.» This is what I’m trying to share. When we decided to plan to give and to secure this building, I’m going to tell you a story I’ve only shared a few times.
When we acquired this building, the bank president from the first bank of AASO—Bishop had given me his connections and established a relationship with that bank president. For about four years, I would meet with this bank president in AASO, asking him questions about finance. I would go home and study. I had to elevate my financial language; I didn’t have it before. I just knew, «Can you please let me borrow some money?» That’s all I knew. Oh, come on, y’all. Some of us weren’t educated in this area. He would say a word, and I’d write it down; I would go study it. I read finance books and prepared. When it was time for us to secure this building, as a thirty-something-year-old man, we got the loan over a text message! I had built a relationship and rapport with this man so well that I texted him saying, «We found a building; we need $10.5 million.» This was in a text message. Can we have that? He replied, «Done.»
Now, there was a lot of investment that went into getting to that point. After we worked and secured the investment, I had the audacity to say something crazy. This was in August, I believe, when we bought this building in August or September. I told him, «We’re going to pay this off before the end of the year.» We didn’t have the money to pay it off immediately, but I just felt like we had done ministry for the first four years of our church without the burden of debt hanging over us. And when I was faced with $10.5 million, I’m not sure if you’ve ever had the weight of that kind of debt, but I never wanted to manipulate for finances or feel that pressure. I didn’t want to change what God wanted to say because we needed an offering.
So we believed in crazy faith. In December, right before the year ended, I got a phone call saying, «Congratulations, Pastor Todd, Transformation Church has the fastest loan payoff in First Bank of Aaso history.» Y’all don’t know when to shout! Okay, cool. But we had a grand opening, and five months later we had a grand closing, and some of y’all missed it just at the end of the year. Jesus! That big building that God gave us over off of Highway 75, Transformation Towers, we paid that off as well, guys! Pastor Mike, why are you telling us about all the things we’re paying off? Because then we get to do more!
Okay! All right! Here we go! Number three: This is why I’m being so transparent, and it’s kind of annoying to some people because they say, «talk about something else,» but this is where people mess up. If they aren’t transparent and intentional while talking about this, they allow the enemy to creep in and put lies into their heads. And this is number three: We remove all manipulation. Pastor Mike, you just always talk! I’m telling you the real deal! 2 Corinthians 9:17: You must each decide in your heart how much to give. You must each decide in your heart how much you are to give.
Say it with me: You should each decide in your heart how much you should give. Nobody should convince you to give anything—not one thing! Decide in your heart in prayer with God and don’t give, watch this, reluctantly or in response to pressure. If you feel pressure, keep it! I didn’t say conviction; I said pressure. Sometimes, conviction and pressure feel like the same thing, but if someone says, «You need to do this! You need to do this! You need to do this!» be like, «I’m going to pray about it. I’m going to pray about it. I’m going to pray about it.» Don’t do that! But if God’s telling you to do something, pray about it and do it! But He said, «Don’t ever do it under pressure.»
For God loves a person who gives cheerfully! How did we put that into play at this church? We made it a culture code. We say we give just to give and not to! Yes! Some of y’all know that giving is a response to God’s love, not a requirement for His love. Does everybody hear me say this? You know another practical thing we did? We stopped passing buckets! I almost got fought by all the ushers at our church because that was their main thing: we passed the buckets! If you’ve been at Transformation Church for any amount of time, you’ve never seen the basket passed! We made a decision that those who want to give will do it! We’re not going to put some in a bucket. Take a twenty! Take a five! Take some! Take the change! No! You can come here, eat this meal, and never pay for it, and ain’t nobody checking you!
Ain’t nothing going to happen to you! You’re always going to be able to come and eat. Beautiful! Do y’all hear what I’m saying? There are little kiosks outside. There are people that give online. There are people—Transformation Nation—so faithful! They’ve got recurring giving set up. And people said, «Nobody will give if you don’t set a time in service to do it!» You can blink and miss our offering time. You can say, «how too.» And it’s like, and people get used to it. It’s like, «Oh shoot! I didn’t have to give!» That doesn’t hinder what God’s doing. It hinders what God can do through you! He gives seed to the… I’m trying to get this principle so you can see it. And so, because we stopped doing that, it was almost like God was like, «All right, I’m going to blow your mind with what I’m going to do here.»
And that’s why it came to point number four: Know when to give. As we have been accountable and transparent with everything that God has done at this church, I think the team told me for the last decade as a church—we… somebody say we! We! That’s people! Watch this: that aren’t even at this church anymore. I want to be intentionally honoring the people who were here for stages and seasons that were used strategically by God to be a part of pushing this vision forward. I want you to know that nobody who was here in a different season isn’t still a part of this. Their seed is in the ground and growing right now all over the world!
When we were in Canada, the impact that Transformation Churches had in Canada—I had no idea! My parents were in Africa, and people stopped them in airports, restaurants, talking about their Transformation Nation! Y’all, we could go for stories that this seed has come from the generosity and what people are doing right here! And they tell me we’re almost at $36 million! Watch this! Giving away! All right! It’s so crazy! Our culture has been so warped that when we talk about giving from the church being at $36 million, it gets a golf clap. I want you to think about what we just did! I said, «We’ve given away $36 million with no strings attached!» And it was like, «No, no, no, no! Don’t do it! No, don’t do it now! Do not do it now!»
No! Because I don’t want us to see how unusual it is to actually do what God talks about! We don’t even know how to respond to it! Why? Because we’ve never been a part of it! And can I say this last thing? No one has ever given us the type of seeds we’ve given away! That’s right! I say that to let you know that’s a blessing! Somebody should give us a million dollars! Somebody should give us $500,000! No, it’s more blessed to give than it is to receive! If nobody ever gives to Transformation, I’m praying it happens! Don’t get it twisted! Don’t be wicked! Okay, I’m not stopping it! But if it never does, and we’re able to be in a position to have the heart posture to do what God’s called us to do, then we’ll always know when and where to give.
Luke 21:1 says, «While Jesus was in the temple, He watched rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.» Jesus stopped everything and said, «I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than the rest of y’all! For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has!» The value system is not in amounts; it’s in obedience! Jesus brings special attention to this woman’s two mites, who everybody would say that ain’t nothing. Ballers are making it rain in there! People are giving so others can see them! Everybody is out there stunting! And she comes and puts in her two mites, and Jesus says, «Y’all see her? That’s what counts! She trusts me with what she had, with her not enough, and I’m going to bless that!»
Last, last one: Number five! How you going to work this principle of multiplication? You’re going to know that you’re supposed to be an impact ambassador! You were sent here on behalf of God to impact situations! Matthew 5:14 in The Message: my friend showed me this and it’s so beautiful. Here’s another way to put it: You are here to be the light! Somebody say, «You’re the light!» Bringing out God colors in the world! God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this—as public as a city on a hill! If I make you a lightbearer, an impact ambassador, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? Or hide you in a church, do you? Or hide you just in your house, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand! Yeah!
Now that I’ve put you on this platform, on this hilltop, in this community, in this world, on a light stand, shine, baby! Somebody just say, «Shine!» Shine! Shine! Keep open house! Keep your house open! And listen to what He says! Be generous, not just with your money. Be generous with your lives! This scripture blesses me because when you’re generous with your life by opening up to others, look what the Bible says right here: «You prompt people, you compel people, you convince people to open up to God, this generous Father in heaven!»
When I open up my life, my wallet, and when I pay for that person’s meal that’s in front of me, when I go and see who I can be a blessing to, when God speaks to me to go take care of that person’s need, when I do what God tells me to do the way He tells me to do it, it opens up people to get to know God. Could there be a lot of people who are closed off because we never open the door? I’ll tell you about one story and then we’ll go home. Knowing when to give and being an impact person to give—it’s one of those things that you have to listen to and then obey! There are a couple of instances where I know I felt like I was supposed to do something, and I didn’t have confirmation from God. And I want to be very clear with everybody: I’m not telling nobody to go sell all your stuff and come sit on the porch of Transformation Church! No! And then expect us to do something that God never told us to do!
This is why I need everybody to hear me say you have to develop a relationship with God and hear from Him for yourself! I want to be clear! But there are times that God asks you to do something that’s wild! And there have been times that God has asked me to do some crazy giving things, and they don’t make any sense, and they have real-life consequences! Just want to be clear! There are things we’ve had to do to change our lifestyle for seasons to obey what God is asking us to do! But I’m here on the other side of that! Hello, it’s me! And I want to let you know that there’s not been one time that I’ve heard God, trusted Him, and gave what He asked me to give, that He has not blown my mind! And I’m not trying to tell you to do something to get something; I’m trying to tell you that when you do what God says to do, His nature is to honor His word with His principle! Yes! I’ve come to the place where I don’t even look for God to do anything anymore because I know it’s His nature!
It’s in my kids; they don’t wonder if they’re getting birthday gifts! It’s my nature to bless them! But I believe God’s calling some of us into a season where He’s going to call us to do something! And the only reason we’re to do it is because we’re supposed to impact the area, the family, the job we’re in! And when He asks you to do it, you’re going to have to do this last thing: trust God! I just want to tell you there’s a place that you get to give in where you work it! Where there’s a place that you’re going to say, «God, this is not going to work out.» And He’s going to say, «Trust me! It will not make full sense here, but it will make a miracle!» Proverbs 3:5 and 6: «Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit. Let Him cover you, and He will make your path straight!»
Somebody say, «Work it!» Work it! God brought to our attention a young man and woman who have been working what God gave them. Give me that real quick, Mo! There’s a guy in our church; his name is Ray. Ray Jun is just—he handed me this last week. It’s his devotional that he made because God told him to make it. It’s—a meditational devotional, and he’s a young black man who is in love with God! And he’s trying to teach people how to have a relationship with God, meditate! He handed me this book—a great picture on the back, just a beautiful spirit! This young man, I found out, has an organization called SWAT, Swap Meet, I think it is! Is that what it is? And what this young man has been doing for years now is he’s been going into at-risk schools and using his own money and fundraising! And he’s been trying to be an impact ambassador to rescue young men and women through creative arts!
And he’s been teaching them that God’s placed something in them and they can make music and write poems and do all of this other stuff! Him and his wife just went all in on leaving their corporate jobs! I mean, he’s literally done all the different things that he could do! He’s been working it! I’ve seen him make music and mixtapes and go places and sell stuff! And the Holy Spirit told us to honor a person who has done—watch this! The only reason I can do this is because he’s actually a nonprofit! He went and did all his stuff and worked! So on behalf of God and Transformation Church, Ray Jun, we want to let you know: keep working it! There’s a check from Transformation Church for $75,000 that’s coming to you! Oh, come on, y’all! So you can keep reaching these young people and turning them towards God! This is where we celebrate! Hallelujah! Standing all over the building! That’s what it looks like!
Somebody look at somebody and say, «Work it!» I need us to get some of these in the bookstore, because Transformation Church is going to support this too—not just in that! You’re going to be able to go and get this devotional and give it to your family members! And Pastor Mike, why are you saying this? 'Cause if you don’t work it, you never get to the multiplication! Last thing that I’m going to say, I need everybody to hear me! We gave too early. Did you see their gratitude? Yes, to be in that building. When I saw that, and I knew about the story, I knew that we gave, but they had a shot of the outside of the building and the inside of the building. The Holy Spirit, when I said, «I’ve never been there,» said, «I used you to help them get into the building.» They need help to make it what I’ve shown that pastor in his heart.
So I texted the team and said, «Y’all, can we make this happen?» I need Amberly or somebody to text Pastor Larry Stokes and Real Life Outreach Worship Center back in North Tulsa, where our seeds are planted. I need to tell them there’s another $100,000 coming to them. Oh, can you celebrate? That’s what we get to do as the body of Christ! Glory to God. Continue to follow God and do what He’s asked you to do. It’s better to act than to practice it this week. You don’t even have to give money away. Give shoes away. Give clothes away. Give away the iPod. They don’t even make iPods anymore. Give, uh—I’m sorry, maybe you got one—give that extra Apple Watch. Give that thing you’ve been saving. Give that hat you love. It’s not even about them appreciating it; I’m not even talking about that because the blessing is not in their response.
The blessing’s in your obedience. I don’t have money to give. You have knowledge to give. Where’s that young man you could mentor? Where’s that young woman you could give the programs to and show them how to do that laptop you were about to throw away, and you just have old files on it? Clear it off. Put in some new RAM. Give it to somebody. Work it! Because until you do, you can never unlock the principle of multiplication. Can I pray for you? Hands lifted.
Father, I thank You. I thank You that today someone saw something different. I thank You that the eyes of our understanding are being enlightened and opened. Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray that Transformation Church does not have just a season of walking in Your principles. I thank You that we are disciplined ones, disciples, and we will have a revolution of generosity. I pray that generationally, Father God, we will be the ones to lend and not have to borrow. I pray for supernatural debt cancellation over this church, Father God, and the members—not just by somebody giving us money but by giving us the plan. Let us work with wisdom. Let us hope again. Student loans will not be a part of our future forever, walking with those burdens. Father God, even the relationship tension finances have caused—we thank You that people are getting their relationships back because they’re going to honor You first, God. I thank You for blessing businesses in the name of Jesus. Father, people who have never done this before—first-generation entrepreneurs and business owners—give them wisdom beyond their years, God. Thank You that people will have courage. And I thank You that wherever You find us, we would work everything as unto You. Let the principle of multiplication erupt in this house and this community. When the testimonies come in of us being able to be a blessing—not just as a church, but individually—I’m praying for the houses they will give away. I’m praying for the cars they will buy for others. I’m thanking You for the medical debts they will cancel for others. I thank You for the credit cards they will pay off for others with no strings attached. Give us the ability, Father God, to bring Old Testament principles into New Testament power. I thank You; You gave it all for us. So it is our honor and our pleasure to give with You. Do a work on the inside. Hallelujah! Change my heart. Take my heart and mold it, and take my mind and transform it. Take my will and conform it to Yours, to Yours, O Lord. I know it’s hard for some of us, but we say, «Take my heart and mold it. God, I need something to happen in my mind. Take my mind and transform it. Take my will. Take my will. Conform it. Conform.» Said to Yours, to Yours, to Yours.
If you’re in this room or watching online and you’ve never accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, something’s happening. There’s a shift happening in this house with people’s hearts. I want to say this: young people, get the principle at 14. Hear me, y’all. It’s a lot easier to not have to change something if you start out right. It’s like somebody telling me they were learning a golf swing, and they just started playing golf and did it the wrong way. They said, «It’s better for you to learn the right way than to have to undo everything you did the other way.» And I’m just telling you, high school students and you kids, I’m teaching my daughter at seven, who’s an entrepreneur and is about to hustle everybody for some bracelets. I’m just telling you right now, hey, get this principle right now because it’ll never be a struggle to honor God if you always did. Do you hear what I’m saying?
And if you’ve never accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, today let Him into your heart. The only reason any of this matters—God’s going to allow you to hear a beautiful message next week that’s going to break this whole thing down to why this all really matters, why money matters—is that it’s really not about money. Next week, you’re going to hear a message that tells you the real reason God does the money thing, and it’s way deeper than you think. But if you have never accepted Jesus, you will never be able to understand the revelations that He’s trying to give us. And some of y’all are just tired—tired of doing it your own way, tired of going in circles, tired of having to be your own savior. I need you to rest on the finished work of the cross, and I need you to know that Jesus has made a way through His sacrifice for you to have a Savior.
Today, I want you to give your life to Jesus. It took me from being a liar, a manipulator, addicted to pornography—very dark things in my heart, things in my mind and my actions that did not represent God or even what I wanted. It took me from that man to a progressing man. I’m not perfect. We just believe that God is doing a process on the inside of all of us. But you can’t do it without Him. And today, if you want to give your life to Jesus, everything’s been leading to this moment. Today is the day of salvation.
On the count of three, I just want you to lift your hand. Nobody’s going to judge you because all of us are sinners saved by grace. We’re going to celebrate with you. One: you’re making the greatest decision of your life. Two: I’m excited, but your name is about to be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Three: if you want to accept Jesus, lift your hand in the air. I see you, sweetheart. I see you. I see you up in the balcony. I see you, sir. I see you, sweetheart. I see you. I see you. I see you. I see you. More than I see you, God sees you online. God sees you. Hey, at Transformation Church, nobody prays alone. Could we all just lift our hands and say this prayer? Say:
God, God, thank You for sending Jesus just for me. Today, I give You my life. I believe You lived. You died. And You rose again. With all power, so I could have power. Today, I give You my life. Change me. Renew me. Transform me. I’m Yours. In Jesus' name. Amen.