Stephanie Ike - The Way Forward (01/20/2026)
This sermon explores how temptations often come as counterfeits offering only a small part of God’s true promise, drawing from Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). The preacher emphasizes that God allows tests of humility, hunger, surrender, and worship to prepare us for His blessings, and the key to overcoming every temptation is keeping the joy set before us—the greater purpose and impact God has planned. Ultimately, enduring with clear vision of that joy protects what’s truly valuable and unlocks obedience that releases God’s provision.
Introduction and the Season of Abundance
Such an honor to be with you once more. You know, on Sunday I shared the word that God has revealed to me about this season that we’re in, and that is the abundance and the increase that is assigned to our lives. It’s going to come in partnership with God through us, because many times we have an expectation of what we want other people to do, and God is saying in this season, what is assigned to your life, the increase assigned to your life, is that which will be produced by you with me.
The Challenge of Counterfeits
We see in that same path—the crazy thing about believing in what God can do is when it is challenged by a counterfeit that you can see. Because on one end, you know you’re believing that okay, God is going to do this with me, through me, and then the counterfeit pops up, and you can see it, you can touch it, you can feel it. It’s like a ransom. And you know, I call this message «The Way, the Weight Forward, » because temptation is a given. It’s always going to come. And as we study the word for today, we’re going to see how oftentimes—actually most times—the temptation will come before the provision.
So how do we come to the place where we are able to overcome every temptation in our life? Because when temptation comes, it is offering a counterfeit, and the power of a temptation is that it is connected to something you desire. It could even become connected to a legitimate need that you have. Someone once said that an illegitimate fulfillment of a legitimate need through illegitimate means is sin. And so even though the need is legitimate, if the way to procure it is illegitimate, it is sin. It is missing the mark. It is misalignment. You are going a different direction than God ever ordained you to be on.
But you see, the thing about a counterfeit—why it’s so easy to fall prey to it—is because the counterfeit speaks to a minute percentage of what God has for you. But because you can’t see it, it becomes magnified. For example, we are in the cuddle season, right? And Netflix and chill is better when there’s a chiller nearby. So this is just an example, right? And so now in this moment, even though you might believe in God for a spouse, a partner, a counterfeit could appear, and all they have to really offer you is companionship. Listen, it’s a lot of people praying for a spouse here, but check this: all they have to offer is companionship. But because you can see it, touch it, feel it, it becomes magnified, like this must be the promise.
But when you examine it closely, you begin to realize this does not speak to my destiny. This does not speak to where I’m headed. It does not feed me spiritually, nor does it stimulate me mentally. Why am I here? And the more that we give to that, the more that we are led by that, that is time that God could have been revealing someone to you. That is time that God could be making you whole. That is time that God could be preparing you for what He has for you.
So with a counterfeit, because it offers just a little percentage of the blessing, that thing becomes so magnified that it’s so easy to fall prey to it. And so today’s word, we’re going to look at why temptations come, what they represent, and what I believe is a key to overcome every temptation in our lives.
God Tests, Not Tempts
You see, when I think about temptations, it’s so interesting because on one hand the Lord says that when anyone is being tempted, they should not say that I am being tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. But on the other hand, you see how when Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the enemy, He was led by the Spirit of God. So how is it that God is leading Him—the Father is leading Him—to be tempted, but then He is not the one that tempts?
And so in thinking about that, I’m like, okay, so what does God specialize in? And God specializes in testing. And I began to see a connection with temptation and something being tested. And ultimately, what is being tested is the key for you to overcome. What is being tested is actually the very thing that will give you access to the promise.
You see, the Word of God says that His blessings make rich and add no sorrow. So His blessing increases and doesn’t add sorrow. But if God gives you a blessing before your time, that blessing—instead of increasing you—could crush you. And so there are certain principles that, before God can even release a provision to you, there are certain things that ought to be tested to know, okay, is this person ready for what I actually have for them?
Abraham’s Test of Reverence
You see, I think about Abraham, for instance, and we see how Abraham was tested by God. And at the end of his tests, the test dealt with God asking him, Abraham, give me your son, give me your only son—even though Abraham had two sons, but it was the only son in God’s eyes because that was the son of the promise. He says, give me your only son, and basically God is telling Abraham to kill Isaac, give him to me as an offering.
And at the end of this, we see that Abraham is literally at the brink of slaying his son’s neck, and an angel screams and says, no, no, stop, Abraham, no, no, no, no. And the angel says to Abraham, now I know that you fear God. You see, in that moment, what was being tested in Abraham is his reverence for God. And our fear of the Lord plays a role in our lives because I believe that the fear of the Lord is in the balance of understanding His love and His judgment.
And when I say judgment, it’s not like a bad word; it is literally the correction of God. But you see, sometimes in life we are too swayed on the love and the grace that we abuse it, and other times we’re so swayed on the judgment of God that we live in little fear. But there is a balance, and I believe that balance produces reverence.
Because that balance—you see Abraham in the balance. In the love of God, he understood that even if my son dies, the Lord will resurrect him. In his understanding of the judgment of God and the correction of God, it’s an understanding of cause and effect: my disobedience will have consequences. And it’s not because if I disobey that God is going to look from heaven and be like, oh my gosh, I’m not doing that for you. God is not petty, right? But it is literally that your obedience has a sound. Your obedience is what releases things to you.
You see, Abraham—it’s not even when the angel yells from heaven, Abraham, stop. I believe his obedience had a sound to heaven. That is, I learned that the angels said, oh my gosh, Abraham is really about to kill his son. They’re like, hold up, and they’re like, Abraham, don’t do it. Now we know that you fear God. Your obedience has a sound. Your obedience has a sound that calls forth the things that are assigned to you.
Obedience vs. Counterfeit Paths
And so how do we live in this place of perpetual obedience? How do we live in this place where we’re not easily swayed by the things that we desire? How do we live in this place where, when temptation comes, we have the ability to conquer? Because even though a counterfeit looks like a thing, it’s not it.
You see, in the Garden of Eden, there were fruit trees all over the place, but they had a different makeup: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They were both fruit trees, you know, according to the Word, but depending on what you chose, the outcome is different. Depending on the path you choose—depending on the path of obedience or the path of the counterfeit—the outcome will be different.
And when we recognize there is cause and effect, I can’t just do anything that I want to do because there is a consequence connected to that act. And there are times where the correction of God is not something you’re ready to afford. Sometimes when God is correcting you, it will cost you something you may not be ready to give. And that is why the Word says obedience is better than sacrifice, because there are some things that would have to be sacrificed that you may not be ready for.
Jesus' Temptation in the Wilderness
And so in looking at how is it—what are the things being tested? What is it that, really, in the light of temptation, what is God looking at? And so I thought about the ultimate story: Jesus being tested in the wilderness. And I want us to look at that passage.
You see, it says, then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. As a child of God, He orders our steps. And when temptation comes, it’s to understand that actually God led you to be tempted. He ordered your steps to be tempted, even though He’s not the tempter. He’s leading you to it because there’s something He’s watching out for.
And then it says, and when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, if You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.
Test of Humility and Hunger
You see, the first thing I see being tested is Jesus' humility. If You are the Son of God—if You are the Son of the Most High, if You are the Son of the all-powerful God—show Yourself, do something about it. You see, pride is arrogant, it’s boastful, it wants everybody to know NIST who it is. Humility is the ability to contain your power when it doesn’t serve the One you serve. Humility says, I have the ability to do this, but it’s not going to serve my Father’s agenda.
You see, sometimes we are tempted to prove ourselves or tempted to prove our points, because even if you might be right, if proving your point does more damage than good, then that’s pride—because it is to say that I want to be arrogant and boastful about my rights. Humility says, look, I know I’m in the right, but if this doesn’t change anything, it’s okay for me to be silent. There are times that you could be in the right, and God will have you pull back. It is a test of humility.
Because if Jesus fails the test here, then imagine when people were provoking Him on the cross—oh my gosh, He would have to turn up. You know what, all of you die, just all up here, just everyone with me, just get lashes right now by the angels. He didn’t have to prove Himself then because He passed the test here. And so the test releases access to the purpose and the promise connected to His life. God will test your humility.
Then the devil says, command these stones to become bread. God will test your hunger. What are you more hungry for—what feeds your spirit or what feeds your flesh? You see, this was a real-life temptation for Jesus because when He was led to the wilderness, He wasn’t told how long He was going to be there. So when the forty-day mark hits and He’s hungry, He’s not aware how much longer He’s going to be hungry for.
You see, what feeds your natural hunger is your comfort. Jesus was not going to die because He was hungry, but He would be uncomfortable being hungry. You see, when God is testing your hunger, this is why sometimes you might be in a low place in life, and it feels like God is still requiring more of you. He’s requiring more service from you, He’s requiring you to give more. There are things that are being asked of you, and you feel like, God, I’m barely making it, and You want me to keep pouring out and pouring out—because He is testing what are you more hungry for. Are you more hungry to feed your spirit, to feed your spiritual need, or to be comfortable?
You see, God will test you in the low place, in the wilderness, to know if He can trust you in the high places. Because if your hunger is not in check, then you cannot be trusted to make certain decisions on platforms that would be given to you. Because when platforms come and the decision seems uncomfortable, it’s like being here. He will test your hunger. That’s why Jesus would always say, my food is to do the will of God. It doesn’t mean He was not hungry—I mean, He was hungry—but He says, no, no, the priority of my hunger is my spiritual hunger. It is not what feeds my flesh; it is what feeds my spirit.
And this comes in the temptation of what many will call the lust of the flesh—whether lusts, literally things that just look good and you just want it: I want that. But if it’s taking you away from, if it’s leading you astray from that which God has called you to do, then you’re giving in to a natural hunger over your spiritual hunger. God will test what are you more hungry for. He will cause you to keep pouring out in a low place, and you’re just like, God, when is something going to happen? But even in that low place, you’re being built spiritually. He will bring things that would tempt your flesh. I mean, you desire, but it’s the test: will you say yes or no? Because I want to know, what are you more hungry for?
Jesus was more hungry for the Word, more hungry for the will of God versus His natural hunger. And we see that even in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He says, okay, Lord, if You want to take this cup away from me, You can do it, but if it is Your will, I will submit. He was more committed to His spiritual hunger than what would make Him comfortable.
You see, when I was thinking about this verse, I thought about our senior pastors, and when they chose to make Denver—to be leaders over the Denver campus—that is a very uncomfortable situation. They just bought a new house out here, and then now you’re going to be pastoring in Denver as well. You see, they were trusted on that platform because their hunger was for the will of God over their comfort. God will test your comfort. What is it—or is your comfort bigger than the will for My purpose?
And then the Word says, but He answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, if You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: He shall give His angels charge over you, and in their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Test of Surrender
His surrender was being tested. You see, the devil is basically telling Him, Jesus, throw Yourself and let the angels save You. And this spoke to me about the cross, because ultimately He is going to be crucified, and His only Savior is in trusting that the Spirit would resurrect Him from the dead. His surrender is being tested because in this moment: Jesus, do You need to know—do You need physical evidence that the angels could save You to know that in the end the Holy Spirit will resurrect You? Are You surrendered enough to God to know that You don’t have to put out some demands on Him?
You see, sometimes God will call you to a place, and the circumstances of the situation—even though you know deep down, you know that God called me here, God positioned me here—then you start wanting to give God ultimatums: God, if You don’t do this, I’m moving back home. The devil is saying, Jesus, throw Yourself down. Obviously, if You threw Yourself down, that was to say, God, I mean, if You don’t catch me, I’m going to die. But I believe what was really being tested here is: are You surrendered enough? Do You trust Me enough to know that even when You are crucified and You’re dead—every time Jesus would say I will resurrect on the third day—to believe that truly My Spirit will resurrect You from the dead?
Are we surrendered? Do we trust God’s Word? You see, the crazy thing about giving God an ultimatum is that, first of all, it is forged by doubt. There’s a difference when you’re asking God for a sign from a place of trust and when you’re giving Him an ultimatum because you need an answer right now. And the Word of God says anyone who asks anything in doubt should not think they’re going to receive anything.
And so in that moment of saying, God, if You don’t do this, I’m leaving—and nothing happens—you literally remove yourself from a position that God has planted you in under frustration of, God, You didn’t move. God will not respond to doubt. And so if He has positioned you somewhere, if you want to know that—if you’re seeking God for a sign from trust—that is evidence in the fact of, God, whatever You say, I’m good with it. If You tell me to stay here in this circumstance, in this situation, I’m good with it. If You tell me to go, I’m good with it.
But when you give Him an ultimatum to change the circumstance to fit you being there, that’s doubt—because you’re literally saying, okay, God, I don’t know how this is going to work with what’s happening right now. He will test your surrender. He will test your trust. Certain things will come to you, and you will be challenged by certain things to know: do I really trust God? Do you really trust Me? Do you really trust My will for your life? Do you feel like I have to prove Myself to you in a way that fits your circumstance?
Because when you’re asking God for a sign from trust, He will give you a sign. But when you are in the position where you’re already questioning, I don’t want to be here, I don’t like how this is—you know what, God, maybe You never called me here, and if You don’t do this, I’m not doing it—He will not respond to doubt. He’ll respond to trust, but never doubt. And so we will be tested with our surrender.
And the Word now says, Jesus said to him, it is written again, you shall not tempt the Lord your God. Again the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, all these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.
Test of Worship and Weight
Your worship will be tested. You see, worship—I believe—is about weight. What has weight in your life? The posture of bowing down—we worship God because of the weight of who He is to us. When we think about everything that God is to us, it has weight to it. And so the posture of bowing down—there is something that we are carrying, there is a weight of His essence, there is a weight of His glory, there is a weight of His identity. What has weight in your life?
You see, when the enemy is saying, look, Jesus, just bow down to me, I will give you all of this—is the weight the glam of the purpose? Because sometimes we could be after a thing because of the look it gives us and not the actual purpose of it. You see, a blessing is a weight, because a blessing is a responsibility. There are things connected to the blessing. It’s a weight on its own. And that is why God does not rush to do things in your life—because either you are able to carry it or it will crush you.
And so the test here is: what has weight in your life? Jesus, do You want the glam of how things look? Because hey, I could give You the kingdoms right now. But if He gave in to this—you see, this was void of the redemptive work that would be done at the cross. That would be out of the picture completely. There would be no Savior, only for those who were on the earth at that time, maybe.
And so what has weight—is it the glam of things or the purpose in it? You see, purpose takes guts; glam is just for the show. You see, I’m reminded of my time in this country. I remember so many times it did not make one sense, because when I compared my life in Nigeria and my life here in the beginning, I said, this is a very mediocre life, Lord, what is going on? I left a country where there was a driver to be jumping on the bus in this country. I said, God, why? It made no sense to my family. They’re like, Stephanie, you should come back to Nigeria. There are so many opportunities for you. If you want to preach, listen, you could have a TV channel, a show. You could preach, you could touch the people in Nigeria. There were so many opportunities of glam but not purpose. There were so many opportunities to look like a thing but have no impact.
You see, there’s a passage that says they talk about people that have the appearance of godliness but they are void of the power. I don’t want to look like I’m doing something for God but I’m making no impact. Because you see, your purpose is geographical. There are places that God will call you to, and to function outside of that place is death. And so you could look the part—I could be in Nigeria on a TV show talking about Jesus, ain’t nobody getting saved—because the power would only back up what is in alignment. So I’d just be motivating people.
And so I stayed in this country not because it was glamorous—because it was not—but I stayed in this country because God called me here. The weight on my life was not for the glam; it was for impact. God, I want You to use my life to create impact for Your kingdom. You see, sometimes when we get distracted—and that’s why, you know, this whole social media culture can sometimes be quite sad—because we see glam, glam, glam, glam, glam, but we don’t understand: is it impactful? Is there any impact behind this beauty right now?
The kingdom of God is about power. The weight on Jesus' life was impact. It wasn’t about acquiring the kingdoms just to look like He’s doing something, just to look like, you know what, I came, I showed up, I got the kingdoms—boom—a shortcut that would not be backed up by heaven. You see, the burden you carry is the burden you will serve. If you carry a burden to say, God, use my life for impact, you will serve that—like, God, you know what, it does not matter how tough things get, I’m not leaving this place until You do what You said You would do through me. But if you carry a burden for glam, you will give in, you will compromise, find yourself in all sorts of compromising situations, but there will be no impact.
The Key to Overcoming: The Joy Set Before You
You see, as I studied these things and thinking of how each and every one of these tests literally gives us access to the promise, my question now was: how is it that we overcome every time? You see, the Word of God talks about blessed is he who endures temptation. Then in another scripture it talks about how no temptation has come to you that you cannot bear, but that God will make a way so that you will endure it. The key word there is endurance.
And the Lord Jesus says something that really blew my mind: He said that for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross. Family, if you’re going to overcome temptation, there has to be a joy set before you. What is it that you’re looking toward so you’re not easily drawn away from it? When you don’t have a clear vision about what your aim is, if you don’t have an aim for your life, if you’re not in the presence of God seeking God—what is the joy set before me? —anything can stray you away.
You see, sometimes we have to take inventory of the patterns of our temptations and bring it before the Lord and say, God, what is this really costing me? Because oftentimes what I’ve understood with this passage—literally no temptation comes to you that you cannot handle—so when we give in to temptation, there is something wrong with our perception. It is not that we are not strong enough to say no, but there is nothing that is more attractive or more appealing to us for us to deny it.
Jesus had a joy set before Him. He said, there’s something I’m looking at that I don’t think nothing can take me away from this joy. You see, when I think of my life, I cannot afford to be distracted because there is an enemy after my soul. There’s an enemy after my life. And to be honest with you, I am aware that my calling is not just for the people that God will lead me to; it’s for my family. I am very aware that there are issues of life and death in my family that if I stray away from my call, that blood would be on my hands.
And so there is a joy set before me—not just for my life, not just for the people that God has called me to—there is a joy set before me to see my family be all they can be. The scripture talks about be sober and be alert because the enemy is just—let me just paraphrase it—he’s just looking for someone to devour.
There are times that family members would call me and talk about an illness, and to this day I’m like, this is a spiritual thing, let’s pray about it—and in prayer that thing is healed. What if I was distracted? What if I was just led by temptation, and someone calls me about an issue, oh, you know what, it’s going to be fine—and then something else happened that was not supposed to happen.
As a child, I remember that what God would speak to me about things to warn my mother concerning, and I’m like, Mom, tomorrow this person’s going to call you, please don’t go. There were issues of life and death that were connected to my obedience to my calling. I remember a dream that the Lord gave me, and I will never forget this dream. Literally, I’m standing in the middle, and on one line is just a bunch of people I don’t know, and on the other line I see like my family members—and just being transparent, my family is my heart—and He says to me, who would you die for?
And in the dream, you know, so I’m not really having control of the dream, and I point to the strangers, and He said, by dying for them, they will live. And it’s not literally like I’m going to die—and you know—it is that I would be a living sacrifice to my call for my family to see my family also be all they can be. So there’s a joy I know—the joy set before me—and it cannot be compromised. It’s not worth it. I’ve been there, done that, and it’s not worth much.
When God showed me the joy set before me, I said, God, it’s me and You in this thing, because I would not be held guilty for something that could have been prevented by being alert, by being sober. I remember when I used to read that scripture—be alert and sober—that was in my drinking days. I thought it was just about being sober. I was like, God, okay, I’m not going to drink today. No, it’s about being sharp in the spirit.
Family, I want us to take time—this is not an answer that you may have right now. This will come from meditation, from prayer: God, what is the joy set before me? What is this thing really costing me?
You see, Esau—when Esau sold his birthright to his brother—he didn’t realize the cost. That’s why when his father was praying, that when he found out that his brother tricked him and received the blessing of the firstborn son, he was upset. But heaven backed that up because Esau literally gave away his birthright for some food. He chose food over the blessings of being the firstborn—like God made a mistake to push him out first. He didn’t see it right. He had a perception problem, and that is why it was so easy to give it away—because he didn’t recognize what he had.
When we are lured by temptation, we don’t recognize what it is taking us away from. We don’t recognize the value, so we don’t protect it. What you don’t understand its value, you will not protect. And so I’m learning that temptation is not a problem of weakness. Falling into temptation is not because you’re weak; it’s because there’s something you’re not seeing right. Because the Word of God will not lie: God would not—you would not be tempted beyond what you can bear. That is the Word of God. There is a way for you to endure.
But endurance is not fun. Endurance is—you’re literally sitting with something that could be—if you’re resisting it—but what gives you the strength to resist is understanding the value of what you’re protecting. And so family, my call to you is to take some time, study the patterns of your temptations. This thing with God, this walk with God, is a very intentional walk. Growth does not happen by accident with Him. Study the pattern of your temptations. Come before Him: God, what is this really taking me away from? Show me the joy set before me. Because when you know that, you would never be led astray. You can overcome every temptation because you recognize what you’re really protecting.
Altar Call and Prayer
Family, stand with me. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Family, I really just want us to cover this in prayer. That where you’ve been feeling like, you know what, this thing just keeps overcoming me—if there’s something in your life and you’re like, this thing just keeps overcoming me—but it’s not that you’re weak; it’s a perception issue. And if that spoke to you, I want you to come down. I want to pray for you that God will reveal what you’re up to protect.
Thank you, Jesus. If there’s a pattern that is taking you away from obedience to God—because obedience is the sound that unlocks things for you. Obedience is the way forward. It is the sound that heaven responds to. Obedience. So anything that comes against it, anything that causes us to be led astray, has to be checked. It has to be dealt with. We cannot play games with it. We cannot be in bed with the enemy that is trying to destroy us, because you cannot save yourself from someone you’re in bed with.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. And you see, the beautiful thing about life is—even when we talk about the fear of God and we talk about His love and His judgment or correction—because sometimes when we hear judgment, we just think like, you know, just this bad—even though you might be here and you feel like, okay, you know what, what happens if I’ve been messing up? No, God is just. God will correct it. He will realign you.
And that is why the beauty of it is that He is the restorer of time. You see, it’s so interesting—there’s a passage that, you know, when I remember reading this all the time, when it talks about God will restore the years that the locust has eaten, right? But there’s another passage in the scripture where God actually calls the locust His great army. So He’s restoring what He allowed to have access to you. But it’s not that He’s like, you know, bipolar—no, He’s correcting things. And even oftentimes what correction will cost you, He will restore.
And so if you’re here and you feel like, God, I’ve been messing up—trust me, I was there. You know, I talked about my drinking story, so Lord, that was just embarrassing to the glory, you know, to have it there. They’re just like, what is this child doing over here? I’ll be just hearing and prophesying, oh, Jesus loves you—pass me the drink right there.
If you feel like, God, I’ve made so many mistakes and literally how you feel is I don’t even know if You can use me, I don’t feel good enough, I don’t feel—and for someone the word even is I don’t feel holy enough—God is like, no, look, I specialize in this. I’m testing you to also reveal to you where we need to tighten up.
And so if that’s you and you’re here, come down. Let us cover this in prayer. When you look at the lineage that brought forth Jesus, it was not perfect. There was a prostitute in there. There were all kinds of people in there. Even the Lord says no one is good except the Father. If you feel like, man, I’ve just been back to back, back to back—He can correct it and restore what the correction cost you. God specializes in using broken people.
This idea of perfectionism is so flawed. The only thing that is due to Him is our surrender, not our perfection. It’s surrender, because surrender says, God, like this, just take all of me—my mess, my good, my bad—and show me how that can reveal Your power, Your grace, Your love, Your mercy. I don’t want to—it’s not about abusing the grace—no, God, show me how to walk with You. Show me how to live by You. Show me how to live a life that is pleasing to You.
Thank you, Lord. There’s someone—and maybe only a few here—but if you’re not coming and you’re battling with yourself to come down, you’re being called. You’re very aware there’s a calling in your life, and it’s for ministry in the literal sense of the word, you know. And you’re being—and you know that God is calling you to proclaim the Gospel, and you question yourself so much because you just feel like I’m not the person for the job at all. No, it’s not by your power, it’s not by your might, it’s by His Spirit. It’s by His Spirit, and He will show you what that also means in your life.
Sometimes your calling is what will save your children. Sometimes your calling is what will save your parents. Sometimes the decisions you make is what allows those connected to you to live in the decisions connected to heaven. Let me say that better: the decisions that you make with your life, God can show you the impact in the lives of those around you to live a whole life, to live an abundant life.
There will be a joy that He will show you that it’s connected to. For some of you, even as we’re talking about this element of being tested by God—I don’t know who this is for—but even when we talked about surrender, there are things that you’re dabbling into, and if you’re honest with yourself, deep down you know it’s wrong, but you keep trying to give yourself a reason for why it’s okay. But deep down you don’t have peace about what you’re doing, but you’re trying to make this situation look like, oh no, no, no, you know, God gave me this, so I think this is all right.
I don’t want to say exactly what it is, but I know that the Holy Spirit is ministering to your heart. You’re dabbling into something you know it’s wrong. You see, family, even when once you’re presented by a God thing, it has to be God’s way. The way you take care of it has to be His way if it’s going to reflect His power, if He would even breathe on it, if He’s going to support you in it, if He’s going to move with you in it. It has to be in His way with Him.
If that is you and these words are revealing things to your heart, I want you to come down, and let’s seal this in prayer. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
Partnership with God is the greatest thing that would ever happen in your life. And if we really want to see ourselves live in an abundant life, there are things that we have to surrender. You have to surrender your wisdom, because God uses the foolish things—the Word says He uses the foolish things to confound the wise. It doesn’t have to—it doesn’t have to be logical, how you know scientifically. Sometimes it’s taking those signs from Him.
But when you know God is speaking to your heart, you don’t want to do anything that your peace is not in, because where your peace is not, your destiny cannot afford it. Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, God, for what You’re doing in this moment. Thank you, Lord, that for many of Your children they thought it was a weakness problem—but how can it be when Your Word says let the weak say I am strong? No, who You are—you’re not weak. Thank you, Jesus.
Lord, I thank You for everyone who said, Father, help me in this pattern of mine. I thank You, Lord, that You would reveal to them the joy set before them. You would reveal to them what is at stake by being lured away. You would reveal that to them, and they would see that. And if they will hold out so dear for that thing, Lord God, they will be protected with everything—that they would have the ability to endure. They would be able to resist the enemy because they know the value of what they are protecting.
Lord, I thank You. I thank You for those who even felt like, God, I’ve been messing up over and over again—like the Tim McGraw song, if anybody knows that song—but God, the beauty is that You are a restorer of time. You are a restorer of resources. You would restore unto them even through the correction, Lord God. You will still bring restoration.
And so I thank You, Lord, that in You they have lost nothing. I thank You, Lord, they will not put a limit on themselves, but they will be identified by who You say they are—not what past or not their experience or their choices in the past. No, no, no, no—because You need to put new wine into new wineskins.
And so every old habit, every old destructive habit, Lord, we break it right now in the name of Jesus—that they would be that new wineskin. They would take on the identity of who You say they are and not what their past decisions have echoed about them. I thank You, Lord, that You’re renewing their minds even right now.
I thank You, Lord, for the callings on the lives of Your children. Lord God, ministry—and everything is a ministry—but Lord Jesus, we just thank You because in everything, Lord God, we are proclaiming Your name—whether it is through the word, whether it is through our lives, because we are a living Word.
I thank You, Lord God, that we would do it in boldness and trust and surrender. Lord God, our hunger would be for You—that we will come before You in our humility because You raise up the humble. We thank You, Lord, that the weight on our lives will be the weight to do Your will, will be the weight for purpose.
Father God, we say have Your way. Have Your way. Lord Jesus, take control. Do that which only You can do. I thank You, Lord, for the testimonies—that it would not be by might nor by power but by Your Spirit. In Jesus' name.