Toure Roberts - Play Your Hand (01/15/2026)
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In this teaching from the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus illustrates kingdom principles through a master distributing talents (opportunities/burdens) to servants according to their ability. The core message—“Play Your Hand”—urges believers to faithfully work whatever portion God has given them without comparison, complaint, or fear. The five- and two-talent servants multiply their gifts through toil and a winner’s mentality, earning “Well done” and rulership over much. The one-talent servant, crippled by a lack mentality and fear, buries his talent and faces loss. God deals wisely with insight and foresight; what He gives is sufficient and designed for multiplication into abundance when faithfully stewarded. Reject lack thinking, unearth buried opportunities, and pursue destiny from a place of wholeness—“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Faithful stewardship over little leads to abundance and entering the joy of the Lord.
Opening Prayer and Scripture Reading
And it’s out of Matthew the 25th chapter — not an unfamiliar passage of Scripture, but we want to look at it. I want to pull some things out of it that I believe will help you. We’re gonna pray, we’re gonna move on, we’re gonna have an incredible week. Amen?
All right, so Matthew chapter 25, beginning in verse 14. It reads: «For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground and hid his lord’s money.
After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.»
Theme: “Play Your Hand”
I want to talk to you today from this theme: «Play Your Hand, Play Your Hand.»
Father, thank you so much for this moment that we have to gather here in your house, to be in your presence, and to hear from you. Lord, your word is a lamp unto our feet; it is a light unto our path. Lord, at the entrance of your word comes light; when you speak to us, clarity comes, wisdom comes, strength comes, and revelation comes. Where we were stuck, all of a sudden, breakthrough comes, and now we’re able to move forward. We don’t live by bread alone, but by the words that come out of your mouth. Feed us today; we want to be fed. We want to leave here healthy, strong, and edified, with a true sense of victory and breakthrough, a true sense of who we are, what we have, and what we can do with what you have given us.
God, I thank you for the spirit of wisdom, revelation, insight, and knowledge. I summons all of the resources of heaven for this moment because you love your children and don’t want them to miss anything in any way. I thank you that every person under the sound of my voice, from Denver to L.A. to those watching from all over the world, will be touched deeply and richly, in such a way that they know you’ve engaged them. I thank you that that which is exceedingly abundantly above what we can ask or imagine will be our portion in this moment. In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen.
God bless you. Do me a favor: turn to somebody on your way down and say, «Play your hand, play your hand, play your hand, play your hand.» That word, that theme—play your hand—I don’t know if there’s ever been a more clear and urgent word in my spirit lately than those three words: «Play your hand.» When I say «your hand,» what am I talking about? When I say «play your hand,» what do I mean? When I say «your hand,» I’m talking about your portion. I believe that God has given everyone a portion; it is a worthy portion, a good portion.
A lot of times we get mistaken about the portion because we compare our portion to someone else’s. In some way, we may think that because we have less than what another person has, our portion is unworthy. As a result, instead of playing our hand and working the hand that God has given us— which will undoubtedly multiply the way it’s supposed to—we become so discouraged that we become ineffective. We can’t even believe God’s promises, not realizing that God knows how to make a whole lot out of a little. Are you tracking with me? That’s one of the things that God specializes in. God knows how to, in fact, make everything out of nothing.
Come on, somebody! The solar system, the universe—none of that stuff was there; there was nothing there. The word says that the earth was void and without form, and darkness was over the face of the deep. There was nothing there. God, as a creator, doesn’t need materials to create. Are you tracking with me? We need materials to create; our Creator, God Almighty, specializes in making something out of nothing. If He can make something out of nothing, then certainly He can make something out of little. So you cannot despise your small beginning; you cannot look at what somebody else has.
We’re going to get into this text in a minute. I’m going to break it down, but you can’t be discouraged. You can’t look at your hand and say, «This is not a good hand,» because if God saw fit to give you that hand, then there is something good in that hand, and God is going to multiply your hand.
The Parable Breakdown: God Distributes According to Ability
This story—it’s not unfamiliar. You’ve heard this sermon preached; I’ve preached it. But there were some insights that I saw in it recently that I believe underscore this theme for the day: «Play your hand.» I feel that for somebody: Just play your hand.
Here’s what’s happening in the story. This is, first of all, Jesus teaching us about life. He’s teaching us about the kingdom. He’s teaching us about what we have, what we’re supposed to do with what we have, and the value or blessing in doing what we know to do and what will come back to us as a result of it. He speaks in parables to help us understand what God has given us.
He tells a story about a lord who had some servants. This lord was getting ready to take a journey. Before he took his journey, it says that he took his goods and distributed them to three of his servants. To one servant, he gives five talents; to another, he gives two talents; and to the third servant, he gives one talent. He doesn’t just give them these talents indiscriminately. The scripture tells us that he is giving them talents according to their ability. So it’s not just random; he knows them, he knows his servants, and he knows their capacity. He distributes these talents based on what he knows is in them.
That word «talent» used there is interesting. It’s a word that has evolved over time, but at the root of that word «talent,» when he says he gave five talents, two talents, and one talent, is the idea of to bear or a burden to bear. So, he’s giving talents or burdens according to their capacity. Are you tracking with me? God will not give you beyond your capacity.
Oh God, I feel it!
I’m always going to go left. I don’t want to do that because I’m trying to stay focused here. I don’t have my wife here to pull me in today. But He won’t give you things beyond your capacity, and we’ve heard that theme: God won’t give you more than you can bear, meaning you can handle it. He also won’t put more on you than you are going to be accountable for, than you have the capacity for.
That word has evolved; at the root of that word is the word to bear. This word burden grew and evolved over time to represent a weight, and it ultimately became currency. The reason it became currency is that the monetary value at that time was based on the weight of the thing. Even today, it’s the same way when you think of precious metals; their worth is based on weight.
So, basically, as I studied that, what God is saying to us is that He has given them talents, but that talent represents opportunity based on their capacity. I want to say that clearly: The guy who had five talents, according to his ability, had five opportunities because he could handle what was required to maximize those opportunities. The guy with two talents had two opportunities and owned that. The reason he had two opportunities is that he only had the capacity to work those two. The guy with one talent only had the capacity for that one opportunity.
Are you tracking with me? I want to jump in; I’m trying to make it plain. These three servants have three different experiences with what God gave them, and that’s kind of what I want to look at today.
The Five-Talent Servant: Toil Leads to Expansion
Let’s look at character number one, the guy who had five talents. Out of the three, he was the one who ultimately had the most to bear because of his innate ability and gifting. Let’s look and see what he did. If we go back into the text and to verse 16, it says, «Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them and made five other talents.» The word that was translated «traded» is a Greek word in a better translation; that word is he toiled or worked.
The guy with the five talents goes and toils; he works those talents, and it says he made another five talents. Here’s what did not happen: He did not take those five talents, work those five talents, and then get five more of the same talent. The word that was translated «another» literally means «different.» So when he worked his five talents to their capacity, it opened new doors of opportunity and expanded what he had. I feel God on that.
I’m thinking that we’re in L.A., and I know Denver—God bless you, love you—but I’m in L.A., and I’ve got love for the Denver Broncos because I’m praying for them faithfully and all kinds of stuff. But I’m from L.A., and I thank God for LeBron. I know I’m going to start some stuff, but that’s okay. I was glad when they said unto me, «Let LeBron come to Los Angeles. Hallelujah!» I praised the Lord over that.
One of the things I love about LeBron—and I could say this for even Magic Johnson—is that they worked their talent. They worked their opportunity, and as a result of working their opportunity to the maximum, entertainment doors started opening. Are you tracking with me?
God’s idea of multiplying what you have is not giving you more of what you have but expanding you into areas that you don’t even know about. There’s something on the inside of you that is designed to multiply and grow, and you’re going to move into areas and phases that you haven’t even considered. But the only way to do it is to work what you have.
There are some people in it right now; you don’t know who you are. Stop being so quick to define yourself; work your talent. Because as you work your talent and bring it to greatness, you’re going to new levels, dimensions, and opportunities you haven’t even seen yet. This is a big world; there are huge opportunities. This guy didn’t get five more of the same; he increased and got more.
I love that! Just turn to your neighbor and say, «Don’t define yourself.» Don’t do that; you don’t know who you are! I feel that for somebody; you don’t know who you are. You’re just beginning to figure yourself out. Until you work your greatness, until you maximize and play the hand that God gave you, you won’t even see what’s assigned to you.
I want to come down here and talk to you, like walking through the aisles in Denver right now. You don’t even know who you are! You’re counting yourself out! You’re looking at your hand and saying, «My hand is not enough.» You don’t even know what’s in your hand! Multiplication is in your hand! Expansion is in your hand! But you have got to work what is in your hand! Work it! It’s more than what you think! It’s more than what you think! You thought it was just this, but it’s that. You thought it was just music, but it was technology. You thought it was just fashion, but it was business and ministry and Kingdom things and humanitarian things. Work it so that I can expand you!
You know what the challenge is for five-talent people? I’m going to tell you. Five-talent people always struggle with laziness. I’m going to drive down your street.
Here’s why: because you have so much ability, so much gifting, that you could literally do less and have more. Can I talk to you about a real conversation? Five-talent people are the biggest procrastinators on the planet! Five-talent people are scholars, right? But they wait until the last minute to do their work, because what would take the average person four weeks of study, you can do in two days—or you could reduce that down to one night. Instead of having a 4.7 GPA, you have a 3.1.
You might say, «Well, it’s good enough.» No, it’s not good enough! I don’t know about you, but I’m going for the gold! I do not want the bronze; I do not want the silver. I want the gold! Because God is looking at how you’re playing your hand. The problem is not in your hand; the problem is how you play your hand.
I’ve got to move. There are some of you right now looking at your hand wrong. You think the issue is in the cards! The issue is not in the cards; the issue is in your mentality about the cards! That’s the problem!
God gives the one guy five talents—that was his hand—and his hand was according to his ability. God knew what was in him. He gives another guy—God is the dealer! I never looked at it that way, but just go with me—he deals to the next guy two talents. In his wisdom, he scans him and says, «This is your ability; this will bless you according to where you are.» He gives to the other guy one talent.
But guess what he did? Let me tell you what he did: he was giving them equally! It was just on a scale because his ultimate end result for each of them was the same: it was called, «Well done, my good and faithful servant.» You were faithful over a few things; I’m going to make you ruler over many things. He had the same end in mind, but he distributed to them differently according to what they could handle and according to what he knew that if they worked it, it would become something.
I feel this! You’re looking at your hand wrong! I don’t know who I’m talking to; you’re looking at your hand wrong! You’re seeing it wrong! You think you don’t have enough! It’s in your hand! The problem with that mentality is it will be right there in your hand, and you will miss it! There will be an ace of spades, a joker, a wild card right there to change everything! But because you were too busy—watch this—looking at somebody else’s hand, you’ve got to play your hand.
Oh, I feel the Spirit of God! You’ve got to play your hand! God is not foolish; He knows what He put in your hand! It says that He gave them these talents—these things to bear—according to their ability, which means that God distributes with insight. God distributes within sight. He also distributes with foresight.
Oh, feel it! So don’t think that because you don’t have what you think you need that you have nothing! In fact, it’s just the opposite! In your hand right now is everything you need! In fact, if He were to give you more, it would be more than what you need; it would be waste! I feel God!
Oh, I feel the Spirit of the Lord! Some of you right now are so preoccupied—not you, but some people you know—you are so preoccupied with what you think is missing that you’re being deceived about the power of what is there! It’s a deception! I love social media, but you know what? You’ve got to stick and move! Post and move!
Hey, can we have a real conversation? You’ve got to post and move, because when you scroll, you’re looking at all these other hands, and sometimes they’re not even real! They’re photoshopped!
The guy with the five talents played his hand; he played his hand. That’s character number one; he did well, and he expanded it, expanded it so that everything that was in him could come out. He didn’t just get five more of the same; he got five different talents.
Wow! I didn’t even know this was in me! I didn’t realize that when God gave me this, He was really giving me all of that! Man, I wish I had about a hundred people that would catch what I’m saying!
I wish I had about 75 people in Denver that would get that there is more in this than I think! This is really all of that. But I won’t get to all of that until I play this until I look at it right and I play it right!
The Two-Talent Servant: Hunger and Winner’s Mentality
That’s the guy with the five talents. The guy with the two talents is different. The two-talent guy has less than the five-talent guy! In fact, he has more than 50% less! He has—well, he doesn’t even have half of what the five-talent guy has! He could have said, «Man, shoot! I’m at a disadvantage! God, you handed out five talents! No wonder he or she is doing so well; look at all the opportunities! I only have two opportunities!»
NO! He doesn’t have that mentality! He has a different mentality! He’s like, «Since I’ve only got two, I’ve got to work this!» Are you tracking what I’m saying? «I’ve only got two opportunities—I don’t have time to be playing games. I don’t have time to be wishing I had more opportunities! I’ve got to work the two that I have!»
Like a madman! Like a crazy man! I don’t have time to hang out with the wrong people! I don’t have time to be thinking the wrong things! I don’t have time for any of that! I’ve got to work my two!
Because I’ll tell you, there are some people that have less opportunities than you, but they have more fight than you! Oh, I feel the Spirit! They have more fight than you! There are some people right now who are passing you up, and you’re saying, «I’m more talented!» But do you want it as badly as them? Are you as hungry as them? Are you tracking with me?
Do you have a fight in you?
You know what’s interesting? The way that this multiplication happened between the guy with the five talents and the guy with the two talents is different. The one guy who had the five talents, it says that he took those five and made more. The guy with the two talents took his two talents and multiplied them! He worked them, and he gained more! That word that was translated «gained» in Greek literally means to win!
He had a winner’s mentality! He said, «You know what? I may not have five opportunities, but these two opportunities that I have, I’m going to win! Failure is not an option!»
There has to be a fight on the inside of you! There has to be a determination! You can’t step into the game of life saying, «I hope I win.» You’ve got to know that with God, all things are possible. I’m going to win this thing; failure is not an option!
I’m stepping into the ring, and I’m going to keep on swinging! How I feel God! I’m going to keep on swinging at this thing until it falls! I have got to win! I don’t have five opportunities; I’ve only got two, so I’m going to work those two until my breakthrough comes through! Are you tracking with me? Work your opportunity!
Failing is not an option! See, he didn’t let the fact that he only had two—and didn’t have five—be a crutch! He wasn’t a victim!
I feel God! He wasn’t victimized by what happened to him! Stop feeling sorry for yourself! Stop feeling sorry for yourself!
Work your two! Work is working! You have what it takes; you have enough! Play your hand! Don’t complain about your hand! Don’t complain about this industry! Don’t complain about your workplace! Don’t complain about your family! Don’t complain about where you came from!
Just play your hand! Play your hand! Play your hand!
Life is to be lived like a card game. Oftentimes in a card game, the deck is shuffled and reshuffled. Sometimes you get a nice hand, you get excited! You get that confidence!
You know what I mean? When you get a good hand, like in blackjack, you know what I mean? I used to like blackjack, aka 21, right? The best hand to get in blackjack is 21, right? A face card and an ace. Or a 10 and an ace.
You get that 21, boom! You win automatically! The second best thing is two face cards; that’s 20. The dealer hands you 20, you get that 20! And there are signals in blackjack. I cannot believe I’m doing a tutorial on blackjack!
Anyway, God—you know I’m making the point, Jesus. You get 20, you get two face cards. Their little signals in blackjack—one of the signals literally means you’re good. You don’t need a hit.
So when you have a good hand, you get confident. You play cards and stuff when you get a good hand.
Like I said before: you have to play the game of life similar to someone who is playing cards. What I mean by that is that when you’re playing cards, you’re looking at what’s in your hand, and then you’re looking at the board. The board represents life; the cards represent the hand that God has given you. You look at the board and you look at what’s in your hand.
Watch this, family: Hear me clearly—there is a connection between what’s in your hand and what’s in your life! There’s a connection between what’s in your hand and what you’re trying to accomplish! There’s a connection between what’s in your hand!
Even that hand that you don’t like! In blackjack, one of the worst hands you get is like 12 or 15. The reason it’s a bad hand is because it’s not good enough; it’s not close enough to 21. As you start getting up to those higher numbers—you have 15—you only have six or less cards—cards with values of six or less—to keep you from doing this thing called busting!
Busting is when you lose before the dealer even shows you what’s in his hand. So in life sometimes you’ll get 15, and you think it’s a terrible hand! Sometimes you don’t think it’s enough! You ask for more, and you get more, and you bust out! If you would have stayed, you would have won!
Are you tracking with me? What you have in your hand—I feel God! What you have, Denver, Colorado, what you have in your hand right now is a winning hand! God would not have distributed the hand to you if you could not work it and win! It’s strategy!
I’m not looking at what I don’t have! Trying to figure out what I don’t have is a distraction! It’s a distraction! In fact, let’s go to the third guy.
The second guy says, «Look, man! I’ve only got two opportunities! I ain’t got time to play! I’ve got to be about strategy! I can’t…» there are some things I’ve got to cut out. You know, I’m going to get to what the five-talent guy gets to.
But I’ve got to work a little harder to get there! I didn’t get the relationships—hello somebody! I didn’t get the degree! But I’m not going to let that stop me! The devil is a liar! I may not have this; I may not have that! But such as I have, I’ve got something!
Instead of worrying about what I don’t have, I’m going to work what I do have. Are you tracking with me? That was the two-talent guy!
I feel that for somebody: You’re seeing it wrong! You’re seeing it wrong, and you’re disqualifying yourself and downgrading your expectations because you think you missed something! And you know what? You are missing something, and what you’re missing is looking right at you, and it’s in your hand! You’ve got to play it!
The One-Talent Servant: Lack Mentality and Burial
But look at the one-talent guy. We just got done, almost. We’re almost done—three or four hours in, but we’ll be finished here today.
The one-talent guy— the five-talent guy did his thing; he stretched it out and maximized it. The two-talent guy did his thing; he stretched it out and maximized it.
Let’s look at what the one-talent guy did. The one-talent guy we’ll read about in verse 18. It says, «But he who had received one went, that seemed good, right?» When everybody went, it says, «But then something happened. He went just like everybody else, and it says that he dug in the ground and hid his Lord’s money.»
Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Okay, if the two-talent guy was more prudent than the five-talent guy because he realized he had less to work with, and therefore he needed to work harder, then you would think that the guy who only has one talent would outwork them all!
The two-talent guy had options; the five-talent guy had several options! Yet you would just think that if I’ve only got one talent—where are my one-shot people?
There are some people in there right now; he is the underdog of underdogs! But he has a problem with his thinking! See, he’s looking at what he doesn’t have! He has a lack mentality!
A lack mentality says that, «Yeah, I’ve got something, but I don’t see what I have! I perceive what I’m missing!» So what I see more than what I possess is what I perceive I am missing!
It’s a lack mentality!
There’s a revelation about Psalm 23:1 that the Lord gave me that wrecked me! If you were in Denver Thursday night, I talked about it, but Psalm 23:1 says, «The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.» That’s another translation. Another translation is «I have no lack.» There’s another translation that says, «The Lord is my shepherd; I know no lack.»
What I realized is that lack is a mentality!
Oh, I feel the Spirit of God—you’ve got to get this! If this is the only thing that breaks off of your head today, we’re going to be in real good shape!
I’m not pursuing my destiny; I’m not pursuing my dream; I’m not pursuing my calling. I’m not pursuing from the place of deficit. I’m pursuing it because I do have it!
I feel good! I’m pursuing it because it is there! I’m pursuing it because it’s in front of me! That’s what faith is: faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Just because I do not see it doesn’t mean it’s not there! My expectation is that it is there, and that’s why I go after it!
I’m not going after it because I don’t have it; I’m going after it because it’s mine!
And here’s the thing—when you have a lack mentality, you will put effort in the wrong direction!
So this guy with the one talent—the five-talent guy is working it! He’s going! He’s toiling! The two-talent guy is doing the same thing, and he’s being strategic! «I only got two, so I’m going to work this thing.»
I thought the one-talent guy who was going to do the same because he’s digging! He’s digging to bury his opportunity! When you have a poverty mentality, you work—you exert energy, effort, and sometimes even strategy—in the wrong direction!
I was perplexed by this guy. As I close, I think that there are some people in here that God is calling you to unearth and dig back up what your lack mentality buried! God wants you to pick up your cards!
Sometimes, in a card game, you get frustrated, and you throw your cards into the center. I believe that there are so many right now who’ve thrown your cards in, and you won’t say it. But when was the last time you looked at your hand?
Oh, I feel the Holy Spirit! Something’s going to happen! This is by the Spirit of God; something’s going to happen!
Because God’s going to break that mentality off of you, and you’re going to pick your cards up! The next time you look at your hand, you’re going to see how to win!
The next time you look at your hand, because you’re seeing it through faith and not lack, you’re not looking to see if there’s victory in it; you’re looking to find the victory in it! Are you tracking with me?
You’re going to pick that hand back up, and you’re going to look at life! You’re just going to start playing it! It will be work; it will be work! But it’s work that will work! It’s work that will work!
The Reckoning and Call to Action
I want to pray for you. There’s one last thing. Let’s go to verse 19 real quick. It says, «After a long time, the Lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.»
See this? After a long time, I like that! God is so patient; I feel the Lord! God changes—He’s changing somebody’s life right now! He’s so patient! He gives us time to get it right!
He gives us time to work through all of our anxiety, all of our misconceptions, all of our perceptions about things—He allows us time to get past our pity party about the things that have happened to us in life! What happens is this: I’m not being insensitive; I’ve had things happen to me!
But at the end of the day, so what! I’m still here! Get the counseling you need! Get the breakthrough that you need! Get the therapy that you need! Get whatever that you need!
Get something so that you can get on! Are you tracking with me?
Listen! I know the deck gets shuffled! I know the deck gets shuffled and reshuffled! But as long as you are breathing, you have a hand! It may not be 21, but it’s 15, and if you hit it right, it’ll be 21!
Have you ever played—the blackjack?
You ever been playing blackjack and you have 15, and the dealer has a face card showing? I know you don’t know this; whatever—I just break the spirit of addiction that could come upon you!
You want your dealer to give you another card because the cards you have don’t seem to be enough! So you say—and you feel inspired to ask the dealer to give you that card!
But fear keeps you from taking it, and then the dealer turns his card over, and if you would have taken the card, you would have had 21! Meaning that the cards you had, although they seemed to be at a deficit, were really right where you were supposed to be!
I feel that for some of you right now! You don’t know what the dealer has in his hand to add to your situation! God is the dealer! Wow! Dealer hits addiction!
You’ll catch that on the one-on-one later! Here’s the point! Here’s the point—God has in His hand everything that you think is missing from yours!
When you work the hand that God gave you and thank Him for it! You thank Him for it!
God, this didn’t work out, but I’m still here! God, this thing failed, but I’m still standing! God, this disappointed me, but guess what? I’m still in the house of God!
On Sunday morning, lifting up Jesus, lifting up my hands, and I believe in restoration!
God will restore the years the locust has eaten!
I feel that for somebody! If you will get your cards back in your hands and begin to play those cards, restoration is coming! Resurrection is coming! Breakthrough is coming! Healing is coming!
The Lord is my shepherd; I have no lack! My cards are just fine! They may not be yours, but they’re just fine! I’m going to work what I have.
I want to pray for you! We’ve got to go! Play your hand! Play your hand! Come on! Get back in the game! Play your hand! It’s still on!
You haven’t seen anything yet! Eyes have not seen, ears have not heard those things that God has prepared for those who love Him!
I want to speak this over you! You know it, but I want to speak it over you afresh! Jeremiah 29:11: God says, «For I know the plans that I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope!»
When I doubt you, your cards were a part of my plan! So just work it! Keep on working it, and my promise is going to manifest in your life!
If you’re here, family, and you say, «Petey, I haven’t been looking at my cards right.» You might say, «Petey, I’ve got five opportunities, but I’ve been a little lazy.»
I’ll be honest—I’ve been a little lazy because God is evaluating you and is evaluating not is going to but is evaluating you based on what He gave you!
Oh yes! Which means that your level of comfortability may not have anything to do with God’s! Your level, where you measure success, has nothing to do with what God sees!
Because He gave you a lot! To whom much is given, much is required! That’s why you’ve got to stop asking God for stuff! You don’t know what you’re asking for!
When you ask God for stuff, you’re asking for responsibility!
Hey, you know what it takes, from a kingdom responsibility perspective, to become a billionaire? You just see the sexy side of it! You don’t understand that if God were to give you a billion—
I know all of you were brainstorming last jackpot! Come on, somebody! Don’t get quiet on me!
And you’re wanting to do it by yourself—in Jesus’ name!
There’s a requirement! You might be here and say, «Pastor, I’m probably that guy with five options, but man, I’ve only been working one, and I know it because I’m lazy.»
Are you here? Have you buried yours? You’re the one in one talent, and you buried yours because you said, «It’s not enough! It’s not worth anything!»
Let me just bury it; let me just kill it; let me just live life; let whatever comes to me come to me instead of taking what God gave me! I’m going to work it until it multiplies!
So that I can ultimately be in charge! If that’s you, I just want you to lift your hand! I want to pray with you! That’s you! If you’re in Denver, lift your hand! I want to come into agreement with you!
Something’s going to break! Father, I just thank you so much, Lord, for the richness of the words you speak to us, that you break down in simplicity the complicated realities of life.
We acknowledge right now, Lord, that you’ve given us a hand, and in your wisdom, it is a good hand; it is a worthy hand.
Oh yes, it is! It is more than enough because you give it to us according to our ability! According to what you know we can handle! But we have the capacity to work, and for it to produce and multiply and expand!
Lord, forgive us for not seeing our hand! Lord, forgive us for being distracted, preoccupied with the hands of others, and as a result, not honoring, celebrating, and thanking you for the gift!
See, these were your goods; they weren’t our goods! You distributed unto us your goods according to what we can handle!
For us to think small of what you’ve given to us, Lord, is almost blasphemous! It is to say that you are not enough, that your wisdom is not enough! Forgive us for that, God!
I pray that when we come out of this prayer we’ll have a new perspective over the hand you’ve given us! I feel the Holy Spirit!
I thank you, God, that life will enter back into us! Because we will have removed the scales off of our eyes that prohibit us from seeing the beauty in what we still have!
I thank you, God, that we’re going to be like the guy with two talents, and we’re going to recognize that the time is short, and the opportunities are great! We will declare ourselves as winners!
We’re not going to do losing! The bronze is not good enough for us! The silver is not good enough for us! We’re going for the gold because you’ve called us to the gold!
And so, Father, I thank you, God, even for those who, for whatever reason, have, for lack of better terms, dumbed down themselves to fit in.
Because they had so many—I feel that! Because they had so many opportunities that they were so set apart, and so much further than others that they dumbed down themselves to try to fit in.
I pray today that they would no longer see your blessing as a curse! They will no longer see your favor as that which produces a disadvantage! But that they would thank you for every opportunity, and they will walk through those doors!
I hear that some of you have been talked out of things that were for you because people around you couldn’t get it! And I hear God saying, «I’m going to bring the opportunity back around, and this time you walk through that door!»
And if they can’t go through the door with you, they weren’t for you! God has others on the other side! Seal this word, Lord!
Those who had a lack mentality switch it right now! The Lord is my shepherd; I have no lack! Everything that is for me is there already! If I go get it!
Love you, Jesus! Seal this in the hearts and minds of your sons and daughters! From Denver, Colorado, to L.A., to all over the world—those who are watching, seal this!
May this day be a moment of breakthrough! In Jesus’ name, Amen! Amen!
Come on! Come on! Come on! This is crazy! My Lord, I’ve got my revelation! I’m going to go! I’m going to toil! I’m going to work, and I’m going to gain! I’m going to increase!
Come on! If you’re going to increase, take a minute! Just open your mouth!
See, that last passage—the last verse—says that the person who gets this right is going to have abundance.
You know why they’re going to have abundance?
There it is! You know who doesn’t have abundance? They’re going to have abundance because abundance was their portion from the very beginning! It was a test!
God says, «I’m not going to do it for you! I’m not going to do it for you! I’m going to give it to you, but you have to work it!»
So he leaves, and he’s gone for a long time. He’s really nowhere—just watching, being merciful, being patient, and being kind, and giving you a chance to work through your issues!
Then it says, «After a long time, he comes back!» But then he says at the end of this, he says, «For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have…»
What? No, you’re not catching it, because some people that really are in a position and ready now to receive abundance would not just be in abundance—they’re going to have all!
Say it again! Come on; keep saying it until you have it all!
Come on! Come on! Something’s getting ready to happen this hour! Something is happening in here right now!
I believe that there’s something to lay hold of right now!
I believe that a lack mentality that has been holding you back and keeping you from everything God has for you can be broken right here!
See, look! He tells them after he tests them—what does he say? He says, «Well done!»
Well done! First of all, that means you passed the test! Well done! You did what you were supposed to do with it!
Well done, my good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a little; now I’m getting ready to make you a ruler over much!
Are you hearing me? Abundance is your portion! Man, abundance! Abundance! Abundance! Abundance! Abundance!
I speak that over you right now!
Come on! Lift up your hand like you’re getting ready to receive something!
Father, in the name of Jesus, according to your word, you said, God, that if we’re faithful over little, you will make us rulers over much. And God, your definition of faithfulness is to play our hand! It’s to work what we have! God, as we commit here today that we’re going to play the hand you’ve given us, we’re not going to whine over a hand! We’re going to play our hand! We’re not going to cry over! We’re going to sow our hand! And God, as we do it, you’re going to increase us, you’re going to expand us, and bring us into a place of abundance!