Stephanie Ike - Spotlight (01/20/2026)
In this Christmas message, the preacher uses Mary’s encounter with the angel in Luke 1:26–38 to illustrate how God fulfills promises and blessings not just to us but through us, shifting misplaced expectations from others or circumstances onto our partnership with the Holy Spirit. He emphasizes that God has a divine strategy for every word, idea, or gift He places in us, just as He prepared signs through Elizabeth for Mary. The conclusion calls believers to release frustration and offense, finish what God started in them, forgive others, deepen intentional relationship with Jesus, and actively birth what God has conceived in them for His glory.
Expectations and the Coming of the Savior
It’s impossible not to look at the person who carried our Savior. And as I was studying and praying for this word, there was a word that I kept hearing, and that word was expectations. And my, I was like, okay, you know, expectations. Are we expecting the Savior, you know? And I pray that by that, I’m like, okay God, show me what this word about expectations is. And He showed it to me through Mary.
The Abundance Comes Through You
You see, family, the word that God has given me about this season of our lives is that the increase, the abundance that is gonna come to you, will come through you. You see, a lot of times we have, you know, let me even put it this way. Some of the things that always get us frustrated is the expectations. When people fail our expectations of them, we have these expectations of what people ought to do.
A lot of times we have an expectation of what God should be doing. We have this idea, and it’s such a lie, that as though what a person does or does not do can hinder you from who God has called you to be. And so we have this thing where it’s like, okay, God has given me a word. And when I say God has given me a word, for some of you it is like you just, you know, you can stand up here and say, you know what, the Lord said to me, or the Lord showed me, or I had a vision or a dream.
But for some of you, you call the word of God coincidence or just this random thought I had. Meanwhile, it was something that God has put in you that would be birthed through you. And there’s an expectation we have of these things: expectation of life, expectation of business, expectation of relationships. And oftentimes we are pointing our focus on what that person ought to produce so that we can have the outcome we desire.
We point our focus, we get mad at God because we’re just like, you know what, God, You showed this to me, or I’m over here believing and praying, and You’re supposed to bring it to me. I haven’t seen it. Where is it? And we get mad, we get frustrated because we’re pointing it to everything else but us. And the reason why we don’t point, we’re not looking in the mirror, is because frankly we’re, you know, we’re sizing ourselves up like, I don’t really have the resources, I don’t have the relationships, I don’t have the skills, I don’t have that, that.
And we’re missing the point that everything with God—when Peter was walking on the water, there was no, you know, road for him. You know, Jesus didn’t say bricks appear. Every step he took would lead him to the next step. And when God is calling us to do something, you have everything you need for the first step. And when you take that in faith, the next step would be made available.
Mary’s Expectation of the Messiah
And so expectations, and we see this through Mary. Because you see, what is so fascinating to me about Mary is that when she had an encounter—we’re gonna read about this—when she had an encounter with the angel that would tell her, Mary, you are gonna carry the Son of God, her response is, how can this be, seeing that I am a virgin? And for me, my response at first would be, say what now? I don’t need to know the how. I need to know, what did you say? You mean I’m gonna carry the who?
Mary was talking about, okay, so I’m gonna carry the Son of God, but how is that gonna happen cuz I’m a virgin? And you know how we’re gonna do that? And I’m just like, did you just hear what he said? You’re gonna carry the Son of the One you worship, the One you’ve never seen. You’re gonna carry His Son. It speaks to me that Mary had an expectation of the coming of the Messiah.
You see, in that season, in that time, for example, there was a man by the name of Simeon, and he was one who the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he will not die until he saw the Messiah. There was another lady by the name of Anna. She was a prophetess, and she was known to be someone who day and night she would be fasting and praying in the temple for the Messiah. There was an expectation for His coming.
Jesus grown up, we see when the encounter He has with the Samaritan woman by the well, and she had a confidence. She, without knowing that she was talking to her Lord, she had a confidence telling Him that we know that the Messiah is coming, and when He comes He will tell us all these things that she had questions to. She had a confidence that in her lifetime she would meet the Messiah. There was an expectation for His coming.
The difference with Mary is that not only was she expecting the Messiah to come to her, now her will was engaged that she was willing for Him to come through her. And as we look at this passage, what I want to encourage you with is knowing that before a word comes to you, before God gave you a word about your life, a word about your gift, before you had this idea that came out from nowhere and it seems crazy, but you know that something about that idea could change the world—before it came to you, God had a strategy for you to receive it and for the world to receive it.
God had a strategy in it. It’s an in-season word. When He brought it to you, He already had things in place to confirm to you that you are not by yourself in this. If you come in partnership with Me, I can show you the strategy. And that’s what we’re going to see in this passage.
Luke 1:26 — God’s Strategy Through Elizabeth
Let us open to Luke chapter 1, and the verses will appear, and we will read together, all right? 26: It says, in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary.
You see, what is fascinating is that this story is about Mary’s encounter with the angel, yet her cousin is being highlighted: in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. The very angel that will go to Mary was first sent to Elizabeth’s husband, who had the name Zechariah. God had a strategy that before this word is revealed to Mary—because I know this word is gonna sound impossible, I know this word is gonna sound like, how in what life would this happen—He had a strategy to reveal His power to Mary through those in her circle.
You see, a lot of times, family, the circles you’re in, it’s not to highlight that God has forgotten you because you feel like everyone is getting blessed but you. It is a sign that you are on His mind. Because He was not even in the first month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. It was in the sixth month, at the point where when Mary would see Elizabeth, she could touch the miracle. She could feel the miracle kick in her womb.
Sometimes you’re seeing things happen for other people is not to make you feel, it is a competition mindset that provokes jealousy. It’s a competition mindset that makes us feel as though God has forgotten us or God has forsaken us, not realizing that all along you are on God’s mind. When He did that, your circles are to reflect what God can do through you.
Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin—this is her immediate circle. God says, you know what, before we send this angel to Mary to deliver this word, we will first send him to Elizabeth. And I had Mary in mind because this angel would later tell Mary through this sign of what happened in Elizabeth’s life. Because you see, Elizabeth was barren, and the Bible referred to her as well advanced in years, meaning she was really old. She had passed menopause. Her womb was on pause. It says, ain’t no baby girl coming out of here, okay?
So this was really a sign to Mary that, you know what, what is impossible with man is possible with God. And the beautiful thing about this is that this very child that Elizabeth, you know, God just does like 2 in 1. This very child that Elizabeth would birth would be known as John the Baptist. And John, the angel prophesied about him that he would be someone to make a people ready for the Lord.
The Lord has not even been, He’s not even being conceived. The word has not even come through Mary yet, and the angel and God is already sending an angel with the word to prepare the people for what Mary would birth. What God has given you is in season. It is not to be procrastinated because He has already gone ahead of you to prepare your environment for the birthing of that idea, for your gift to be received.
The Word of God says that your gift will make room for you. He’s gone ahead of you. He’s gone before you. Before Mary, before the angel would even come to Mary, God had a strategy. And this is for each and every one of you. The word over your life, the ideas that you have, it’s not random. God has a strategy for it.
The Angel’s Greeting and Mary’s Response
And then the passage continues, and he says she was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, greetings, favored one. The Lord is with you. Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think about what the angel could mean.
Isn’t this funny? The angel says, greetings, favored woman of God. The Lord is with you. Mary’s like confused and disturbed because if the Lord is with me, I should know that. I don’t need you to tell me. It should be showing in my life. It should be like, the Lord is with you, amen. I thank you very much. I’m happy, you see that.
But Mary is like, huh? You know, I believe Mary had been a student of the word to know that a lot of times when the scripture says the Lord is with you, something’s about to happen in your life. And then in itself is a word, family, because sometimes being favored does not look favorable.
Because what Mary would encounter through the carrying of the Savior would not look favorable. And that’s a different word by itself, right? But this is to say that sometimes even when you’re moving in a thing and you feel like, man, I just keep getting shut out—remember when the baby, when Jesus was born, the scripture says there was no room for Him, so He had to be born in a manger. There was no room. No people, the people were just like, no, it’s not here, it’s not here.
But guess what? Even though there was no room for Him in the inn, it was prophesied where He would be born. And so even when, so again, it’s not about what people can provide. It’s what the Lord has said about what you’re carrying. The expectation was not about the inn. It was not about, okay, let us find, let us see where we can take Him. No, the prophecy was never connected to Jesus being born in an inn. It was being born in a manger.
There’s a prophecy over your life. There’s a prophecy over how things will come to you. And a lot of times when we are chasing after who can make room for me, who can make room for me, and the Lord says, no, no, your gift will make room for you. What I’ve put in you will make room for you. Someone might not present it to you, but when you birth what I have given you, the world will take notice of it.
And so the angel says, do not be afraid, Mary, the angel told her, for you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name Him Jesus. And He will be very great, and He will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David, and He will reign over Israel forever. His Kingdom will never end.
Mary’s Question: How Can This Be?
Mary asked the angel, but how can this happen? I am a virgin. Mary all along was talking strategy. You see, how I know that this question was not formed in doubt—because when this very angel appeared to Zechariah, that is Elizabeth’s husband, and he tells Zechariah, he says your wife Elizabeth is gonna have a child. Zechariah responds to him and says, how shall I know this, seeing that we’re both old?
The angel responds by saying, you know what, this is my paraphrase, since you’re doubting me, I’m gonna make you mute. Because he did, he literally did make Zechariah mute until the baby would be born. He said, look, I don’t need your words to come against what the Lord is doing.
But when it came to Mary, when Mary asked this very question, and she says, but how can this happen? I am a virgin. The angel responds with strategy. He says, let me tell you, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. He responds by telling her, in partnership with the Holy Spirit, this thing can be born.
You see, even though Mary was expectant of the Messiah, there was never a knowing of how it would actually happen. And according to her knowledge of how a baby happens, two people have to get together, right? And Mary’s like, look, I’m a virgin. Nothing has gone up there that you could preserve and speak to it to be the Messiah. Ain’t nothing in me, right? She said, this has been shut, okay? So I need, we need like some strategy here, Mr. Angel, sir.
And so when the angel reveals to her, this thing can be conceived through partnership with the Holy Spirit. You see, family, the success of what God has given you is in partnership with Him. There is a strategy for that word. There is a strategy for that idea. There’s a strategy for your relationships. And it is what will come through you.
Placing a Demand on What You Produce
The power of producing something is that you can place a demand on it. You can, because you’re moving according to what you believe it can do. And what I mean by that is you cannot place a demand on someone else’s vision. If God has shown you, for instance, that you know what, you’re gonna do a world tour, right? But you’re coupled up with people that are doing citywide shows. You cannot go in your prayer closet and say, Father, make them do a world tour because You showed me this. Their vision is for something else.
You cannot place a demand on what was not given you. You cannot place a demand on them when the vision that God gave them is different from what He gave you. But when you can say, okay Lord, You’ve shown me that this very gift You’ve given me is to bless the nations. If I produce it in partnership with You, we can plan how to reach the nations.
You see, Mary, when she was at a wedding and there was no wine—you know, the wine was finished. This is what would provoke Jesus’s first miracle. You would think, first of all, that the Savior’s first miracle would be like a kaboom, you know, He just grows someone’s leg or something, or I don’t know, something incredible, like someone had three eyes and one vanished, right? He’s just like, you know what, I disappear something. That would be like, wow, look at Jesus.
Jesus’s first miracle was turning water into wine. His first miracle might have provoked people to be a little too turnt. And the Bible says do not be drunk with wine. But His first miracle was connected to wine. But check this, right? Mary is at the wedding. They are out of wine. Mary goes to Jesus and says, there’s no wine.
Jesus is looking at her like, my time has not even come. And that is not something He would say randomly. He really meant it. It was not my time to start performing miracles or anything like that. But when you produce something, you can place a demand on it.
It is very symbolic that His first miracle was provoked by His mother in a time that was not His time. But when she requested it, when she placed a demand on it, I believe that heaven was looking down and they said, well, you know, she gave birth to Him, so I guess we’re gonna approve. And so Jesus was having a conversation. He’s like, my time has not come. Mary is like, listen, do whatever He tells you to do. Make sure you have, you know, there’s wine at the end of this conversation.
She leaves Jesus, and the heavenly hosts are having an interaction. He’s like, what is wrong with this woman? First of all, my time has not come. They’re like, you know what, we approve. Next thing you know, Jesus went and turned water to wine. What she produced, she could place a demand on.
When you produce something, you can place a demand on it. You can bring, the Lord says, the Word of God says that I will bless the works of your hands. When you present the works of your hands to God, you can say, Lord, this is my desire for this thing according to what You have shown me. You can come in partnership with Him.
God Moves According to Our Language
You see, the truth of the matter, I believe, is that God moves in our lives according to our language. And what I mean by this, that is too big. No one actually can contain really all that is God. But according to your language, according to your belief system, you have access to the things that He has available for you.
You see, when there are times where Jesus would ask the man, He said, what do you want? There was a blind man. He says, what do you want? Because I can give you a lot of things. Do you want money? Are you begging for money, or do you want to see? I can either give you material thing, or I can give you that which you open your eyes. It was according to the man’s language. And the man says, I want to see. And God in Jesus is, okay, boom, you know, then the man sees.
When you produce something, you can speak into it. You don’t have the authority to speak into what somebody else is producing because it was not given to you. It was given to them. You have authority over what you produce, and you can speak life to that thing. You can say, Lord, through this, you know, we’re gonna do A, B, C, D, E. And when it’s according to what He’s shown you, it’s already answered yes. But it is your language that gives access to heaven. It is your demand.
Family, in this season, I don’t know what your it is, but whatever you’ve been praying for, you can fill in the blank right there. It’s gonna come through you. You see, it’s amazing that Mary would end up delivering the One who would deliver her. There are things that you’re crying about, and the very thing that will transform your life is in your head. It’s in your heart. Something God has dropped in you. It’s in your gift. The very thing that will change everything for you is in your hands. Wow.
The Spotlight is on Us
And it’s interesting because I titled this message Spotlight. And on a day like this, it seems that the spotlight is on Jesus, right? The birth of our Savior. In this word, the spotlight is on Mary, right? What is Mary gonna do? You know, she’s gonna say yes. What if she says no? Oh my gosh, would I be up here? You know, you need a Savior to talk about the Savior, okay?
But the truth, family, is that on this day and every day of our lives, the spotlight is really on us. Everything about Jesus’s life is for you. His name is for you. His sacrifice is for you. His love is for you. Everything about Him to give you victory, to make you a conqueror, to set you free from anything that will keep you bound, for you to birth what He has given you.
We love the song when we refer to Him as the Living Word. There was a word of your life that must live. There was a word connected to you, and that word must become flesh. And He set the example for us. He became the Living Word so that our words would live too.
Many times we cast away our ideas. We cast things away because we call it coincidence. We’re just like, wow, one of the odds. And when we don’t recognize that heaven is in that thing, we can easily just cast it away. And when we don’t recognize the part that we play, we become idle under the pretense of offense, frustration. Oh, you know, God is just not gonna bring this to my life. And God is just like, I’m waiting to partner with you.
The spotlight is on you. What are you gonna do with the gifts that God has given you? Some of you are so talented, it makes no sense that things are not being finished. Hear me. So often you start, then you start something else, then you start something else because you’re so talented. But you’re not finishing anything. And so your talents could actually manipulate your potential because you’re so aware that you’re so talented. But your potential is to produce.
And when you don’t finish the thing, you’ve produced nothing because unfinished things are left behind. It’s like, oh wow, you know, I’m just gonna go to the next thing. Let me try this out again. We’re so quick to just like, let me try this, let me try this, let me try this. And we leave things unfinished.
Jesus says, it is finished. He didn’t come to leave anything unfinished. He didn’t even say what is finished. He just said it is finished. And so there are things connected to our lives, family, that we have to look, wait, what if. We’re in the last days of 2017, the year of alignment. What is it that God has put before me that I’ve just been putting to the side and allowing myself to be distracted and feeling good about it because I’m still doing something else with the gifts He’s given me? No, what about the other thing? What about the things that He’s spoken to you?
Family, are you willing to take a step, or have you been questioning yourself and putting the blame on what someone should have done or should not have done? Everything that happened in the life of our Lord Jesus, it was never by coincidence. Everything was purposed. Even the betrayal had a purpose.
It’s what are you willing to say? God, how can this be? What is the strategy? How can we do this together? It’s not to wallow in frustration and say, okay, this is another test. No, how can we partner together? How can we function? How can we make this happen? Because the world needs what is in me. The world needs what is in you.
People Are Praying for What You Carry
You are in this church today because the leader produced what was in him. People are waiting for what is in you. Earlier I talked about a woman named Anna who was fasting and praying, a prophetess fasting and praying for the coming of the Messiah. There are people that have been fasting and praying for you because they may never know your name, but what they are fasting and praying for is what you carry.
You see, Anna was fasting and praying. This is how the scripture says that she was fasting and praying for the redemption of Jerusalem. She didn’t put a name to it. She just said she was fasting and praying for their salvation, that would be in our Lord Jesus. And when she finally saw Him, she gave praise to God that the answer has come.
There are people that you want to recognize you that can only recognize you through your gift because that is what they have been praying for. There are people that God has put your gift, your idea in their hearts. And you’re waiting for them to know you by name or see you and just say, wow, the hand of the Lord is upon her. My gosh, can you see that the angels are just dancing? I must know you.
No, the way they would recognize you is by what you produce. And they will see that and say, my gosh, we have been looking for this. We have been praying for this. We have been fasting for this. God has laid this on my heart. It’s in what you would produce, family. It’s in what will come through you.
God’s Expectations of Us
And in the same way that we have expectations of the things in our life, God also has an expectation of us. He has an expectation of how we live our lives. He has an expectation of how we treat people. He has an expectation of how we love. He has an expectation on our character, on our obedience, and our surrender. He also has an expectation of us.
And when both can collide, oh, that’s power. Because you see, when we’re seeking partnership with God, He’s also seeking partnership with us. And what that means is there is a need we have of Him, and He’s also looking at us as, look, I want to put My signature on this. I want to put My name on this. But it needs to look like Me. It needs to sound like Me. It needs to talk like Me.
You see, Jesus would take, before Jesus would give His Spirit to His disciples, they spent time with Him so they could look like, they could sound like Him. You know, this is just my theory, right? But it’s interesting that when, and this is when, you know, the Lord is being arrested and all this stuff, and the people are coming to take Him away, you know, to now lead Him to crucifixion, they couldn’t recognize which one was Jesus.
To the point they’re like, Judas, Judas had to kiss Him for them to know, okay, that is Jesus. And I personally believe that is so symbolic that they all had a look that they couldn’t even tell, okay, which is Jesus, which is Peter, which is who.
Do we look like God in our decisions? Do we look like Him, you know, in what does our character speak of His word? Because you are a word, and whatever you do is saying something about whose word you are.
And so, family, if I will talk about the expectation you have and how that would be birthed, I must also talk about the expectation our Savior has of us. And He’s not saying you have to do it by yourself. Literally, there are times that things could, it could feel like things are keeping you bound where you just feel like, I don’t know how to escape this thing I’m in.
And then His Word says you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. The truth is Jesus. The truth is a person. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. You shall know Him, and in Him you will find freedom.
Sometimes it’s not just about reading the daily verse of the day that pops up on your phone. Wow, checkmark, read my Bible. It’s not just about praying for that five minutes and say, whoo, Lord Jesus, have Your way, bless me, Lord, you know. Sometimes the prayer we do is over the meal. Lord God, bless this melon box and receive, blessed, I prayed today, thank you Jesus.
No, it’s about relationship. Any powerful relationship is based on intentionality. No relationship is formed and strengthened randomly. Someone is not your best friend by accident. It’s like, oh my gosh, we’re just best friends, you know. We just run into each other, and it’s like, wow, hi friend, ya.
No, a friendship, any kind of strong relationship is when you both can carry the burdens of each other. That’s what, when we sing songs like, God, break my heart for what breaks Yours—there’s a song like that that I love—it is pointing to relationship. I want to carry what You carry. And at the same time, He also says I want to carry what you carry. Cast your burdens to Me. Give it to Me. Let Me carry it because My yoke is light. Give it to Me. That is the language of real relationship.
And He’s saying that you can do it with Me. Whatever is keeping you bound, you don’t have to be bound by it. In relationship with Me, the truth of who you are, your identity can be found. In partnership with Me, because He formed us. He knows us by name. Who else to partner with than the One who created us?
Call to Stillness and Partnership
Family, rise with me. You see, family, before we start, you know, making preparations for 2018, let us use this time. Let us take some time in stillness with God and just say, Lord, let me go over everything You’ve ever spoken to me, every idea I’ve ever had. Show me what Your hand is in. Show me how can we strategize about this thing.
Recently, and it was so powerful for me, recently the Lord led me. He told me, there was one particular day, and He says, on this day, switch off your phone. No TV. Just switch it off and spend time with Me. Because sometimes even though I might say like, oh, I’m not gonna go on social media, but my phone is right there. I’m like, that’s tweet account, you know. Or if I go to like Safari and put Twitter.com, does that count if I’m not on the app?
But He just told me, switch off. Switch off your electronic devices. Switch it all off and spend time with Me. Bring before Me everything that you believe that Your hand is in in this season, everything that you’re a part of. Bring it before Me. Let Me talk to you about it. Let Me give you a clear vision for your life. Let Me show you what I’m in and what I’m not.
And when you can see Me in what you’re doing, then you can start seeking Me for the strategy connected to it. It was just one day, but that day was so powerful for me because just by having a clear vision of who He says I am, I could easily discern the things that were coming to me that were distractions. I was like, wait, this does not even align with the word over my life. What am I even paying attention to this?
Family, we’re here in the last few days of this year. Take some time in stillness. God, what is connected to me that is You, and what is not You? And that which is You, the words that You have given me, what is it that I’m calling coincidence that You might have been speaking to me all along? What are dreams that I’ve had that I’ve just pushed to the side because I didn’t pay attention to my dreams? How are the ways that You have been speaking all along to me, and I’ve been looking at it like a random thing?
This word today is still awakening that very thing God has put in you. It’s safe, family. It’s not random, and you are not by yourself. That He had a strategy before He even gave you the word. And it’s time. We are celebrating the birth of our Lord. Heaven wants to celebrate the birth of your identity. The spotlight is on you. What are we gonna do?
Altar Call and Prayer
Family, I want to take the time. So just open, and as I’m speaking, if that is you, just come to the front. The first group of people I want to call, when it comes to your expectations, when it comes to your gift, when it comes to the things that God has spoken to your life, you had a hard time believing in Him because you were not even aware that He already had you in mind all along.
You felt, when I talked about feeling forgotten by God and feeling forsaken because it seems like everyone around you is being blessed but you, and you’re missing the point that no, God always had you in mind. If you have devalued your gifts because you didn’t think much of it, if you have devalued ideas because it seemed like, well, maybe this was a coincidence, I want you to come down. I want us to cover this in prayer. God is calling you into partnership with Him.
When we talk about the expectations God also has of us, half of us, when, if you feel like your life, you feel bound by certain things, and it’s just like, God, I don’t know how I’m gonna get out of this thing. The answer is in relationship. He said that you would know Me, and in knowing Me you will be set free. Because in knowing Me you would know My power. In knowing Me you would know everything I’ve made available for you. In knowing Me you will know how to walk who you are. You will know how to resist things. You will be empowered and strengthened.
And so I’m also opening this altar that if you are here and you want to commit your life to Jesus and say, Lord, I want You to be my Lord and my Savior, come down, and let us rejoice like we know heaven is rejoicing. Thank you guys. You don’t have to be bound. This is not something we do on Sundays or Thursdays. This is life. This is relationship. This is not religion. This is not where you come to and get a feel and go back and you feel bound.
The Kingdom of God is about power to set you free from anything that ever held you down. And so if that is you, come down, and we’re gonna pray into that. You’re saying, God, I want to commit my life to You. Or I want to recommit my life to You because although I’m saying that I love You and all these things, but I’m not living intentional about our relationship.
And if you’re saying, God, I just, I want to give You me, just like You gave me You, then come down. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus.
If you were here, and even as this message was going on, God started reminding you about unfinished business, I want you to come down. And even as you do, whether you do it right after service, so when you get in your car, write down what that thing is. God starts reminding you about things that you keep starting just to start another thing. Come down because there are things that need to be finished.
We don’t start to stop. In partnership with God, there are times that, and it’s for some of you, it’s not that you even felt like you should stop. You just didn’t know how to continue. But the answer is in relationship with Him because He will give you strategy.
The problem is that we’re looking for strategy in the world for something they have no understanding of. Something could look similar, but it is not it. I look like my mother, but I am not my mother. So if you call her me, she’s not gonna answer you. You could shout all you want, Stephanie. She’s gonna keep walking. Well, somebody must be shouting for who.
God knows. God has strategy. I need to keep saying that. God has strategy for someone. He has strategy for you. He has strategy for each and every one of you. And you feel like you don’t know how to move forward with your gift. God says, talk to Me. Come in partnership with Me. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus.
If anyone has been holding offense—literally the expectation that you have, you had of someone caused a division in a relationship, and you’ve been carrying this offense against that person as though believing that what they did not do cost you something, as if you’re gonna walk down. I want that as you’re taking a step, that each step is gonna be about letting it go.
So if that is you and you’ve been holding offense against someone for what they did not do, I want you to walk down and see every step as a step of letting it go. Because nothing about your life, thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus, nothing about your life happens, it’s not, you’re not an accident. Nothing happens just randomly. God has a plan and a purpose for everything connected to your life.
Our expectation is in what He is gonna do through us. It’s not in what man will do. Yes, God, we use people, but then you recognize that when someone is doing something for you that God sent them to do that, it’s not for you to have offense because you have an expectation of something now that has been entitled. Because you cannot put a demand on something that is not yours.
And so if that is you, this is, it’s a day, family. Let us forgive. Let it go. Let it go. You know that relationship ended with, it just had this bad taste. Let it go.
If anyone is still out there and you’re holding, and you’re struggling with this, you’re just like, you know what, I hear you, but you don’t know my story. Jesus does. And He forgave. He became everything that we could ever go through. And even at the cross He still said, Father, forgive them, because He knew the purpose.
So if that is you, I may not know your story, but I know Jesus. And if we are to be like Him, then we are to forgive. Let your expectation, let your hope be in the Savior.
If you’re holding anything against anyone, before we pray, I invite you to come down, and let us seal this in prayer. Let us seal even the act of forgiveness in prayer. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus.
Father God, we thank You. Thank You for Your love. We thank You that You are the example, Lord. And I thank You for each and everyone in this room, everyone that has come before You. They’re not coming down to this altar because it looks like they’re coming, Lord God, because every step they’re taking is to confirm the yes they’re making, and You’re doing it before You, Lord God.
I thank You for those who have said that yes, I’m committing my life to the Savior. That in relationship with You, Lord God, they would know freedom. In relationship with You, Lord God, they will not be bound by any addictions, any fear, any depression, anything that takes them away from who You have called them to be, Lord God.
I thank You that these all around here, these are signs of Your children saying that, Father, we are coming in partnership with You. Lord, and I thank You that our hope is in You. We thank You, Lord Jesus, that we know that Your word will never fail. We thank You, Lord God, wow, that we are birthing, we are producing everything that You have called us to. And we are saying, God, we’re doing it together.
And as we come before You, Lord God, we come with our hearts surrendered, not trying to just say that God bless me here and I could live like anything else. No, we’re saying that, God, as we’re partnering with You over our expectations, Lord God, that we are coming before You even for the expectations that You have of us: to look like You, to move in Your love. You commanded us, You said love one another as I have loved you.
And there are signs all around, those that came down and said, Lord, I am letting it go. I’m gonna forgive. I’m gonna forgive. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus. Their gift will make room for them. Their gift will make room for them. And even when times may seem hard, may they know that sometimes favor does not look like favor, but they are favored because You are with them. And the outcome, Lord, it will bring praise to Your name.
Father, we thank You. We love You, Jesus. We love You, God. Take a moment and speak to Your Father. Take a moment and speak to Your Savior. Let it not just be my words. Tell Him, God, I’m coming in partnership with You. Tell Him, God, I’m gonna surrender everything that has been standing in the way of true relationship. I’m gonna be intentional with You.
Thank You, God. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, God, that You hear the voice of Your people. Thank You, God, wow. Have Your way in their lives. I thank You for lives transformed in this moment. I thank You for minds renewed in this moment. Have Your way, Lord Jesus.