Toure Roberts - Ready for Whatever (01/15/2026)
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In this raw, heartfelt talk following the 2018 Thousand Oaks shooting, the core message is: «Be ready for whatever.» In a shaking world—violence, fires, uncertainty—God awakens believers from slumber, calling them to surrender personal dreams for His kingdom dream. True solutions to societal brokenness (mass shootings, mental health crises, darkness) lie not in politics or laws alone, but in regenerated hearts through the gospel. One transformed person prevents multitudes of victims. Lay down self-focused pursuits (career, fame, comfort) at the altar; exchange them for God’s agenda—loving, reaching, discipling the lost. Freely give what you’ve freely received: the Holy Spirit’s power, love, deliverance. Become unshakable on Christ the Rock, filled with radical love that overcomes evil. The anointing costs sacrifice but yields hundredfold multiplication. Revival starts with surrendered, Holy Ghost-empowered lives ready to be God’s solution in their generation.
Opening: Ready for Whatever
One of the things I want to say to you tonight is that He wants you to position your life in such a way that you are ready for whatever. That’s the thought I want to deal with tonight, just for a few minutes. It’s kind of… it’s not service as usual, because today was… it was a day like normal, but it’s been a crazy day. The Bible talks about everything that can be shaken being shaken so that that which cannot be shaken can remain. And one of the things that God does when He allows shaking to take place is — what He’s trying to do oftentimes — is to shake believers out of their slumber.
Can we have a real conversation here tonight? In fact, sit down for a moment. I just want to talk to you. I’m gonna talk to you for a moment. I believe with all of my heart that God is raising up a generation of people who are ready for whatever — for whatever. And that’s why David, when he wrote his psalms, he would say things like, «The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war should rise against me, even in this I will be confident.»
If you study the psalms, the sentiment of the psalmist was: I am ready for whatever. He talks about, «Though the earth be shaken, though mountains be cast into the sea — because God is my rock, I’m gonna be okay.» And I want to… I don’t have a sermon tonight. I want to talk to you. And I believe that what God is doing in this season is He’s trying to develop believers in such a way that they will be ready for whatever, and they will be whatever God needs them to be in a moment to bring to pass what He’s trying to do in the earth.
What I want from you tonight — and what I believe God wants from you tonight — and I mean you — is I believe that what God wants you to bring to the altar tonight is your dream. It’s your dream. It’s what you want. God wants what you want, and He wants to exchange what you want for what He wants from your life. Oh, it’s gonna get juicy tonight. It’s gonna get juicy tonight.
Context: Thousand Oaks Shooting and Personal Impact
I believe that, man. I sat back… you know, I’m up early in the morning, and it’s just been a crazy… see, this has been like the best season and the craziest season all in one season. Anybody know what I’m talking about? Like, on this hand — wow; on this hand — whoa. You ever had a «wow» with a «whoa» all at the same time? You ever had a «wow» on the «whoa» in the same day?
So of course this crazy thing takes place today. Last night over in Thousand Oaks — ten minutes from my house — young people, college night. College night at the Borderline Bar & Grill. You’ve seen it all over the news today. Young people — people in a church this size more than likely had at least, if they hadn’t visited this church, surely knew about this church or were connected. Young people, a lot of them from Pepperdine University and Cal Lutheran — both of which are Christian universities. This is our community. This is our people. It’s our generation. It’s our demographic — literally.
And you know the story: this guy comes in there, man, and kills people. Kills the first responder. The first responder’s on the phone with his wife on the way to the scene: «Hey baby, I’ll see you… dang it, I got a call. Love you very much.» And he goes into the fire and loses his life — and probably saved lives losing his life as he diverted some of the gunfire to himself as opposed to the young people who were breaking out windows, getting out of there. And what’s crazy is you’ll have all this debate… of course, you know, I’m heartbroken about it for a number of reasons.
Isn’t it funny how when it hits closer to home it makes more of a difference? I felt really convicted personally, to be honest with you, because my heart goes out any time I hear about anybody killed senselessly. My heart goes out, and I’ve been involved and praying and supporting any way that I can in just about every mass shooting for the past ten years or so. But there was something different about this one, man. Maybe it was because it was close. Maybe it was the proximity. I don’t know. But it just meant something. It was in my backyard. It was really heavy.
And I felt convicted because sometimes when something is not close to you we treat it as normal or we treat it as common. But what happened with this is it pricked my heart. It really began to emphasize in my heart the craziness that’s happening all around the world every single day — from people going into yoga studios and blowing stuff up to people going into Kroger or synagogues. It is just absolutely crazy.
The Real Solution: Kingdom, Not Politics
And let me tell you — with the best of intentions — the worst thing to do in a season like this is start sending letters to the NRA. Now we’re gonna have a real conversation today. To blame — because everybody wants somebody to blame. And so we start blaming the NRA or we start blaming gun control and all these sort of things. And I’m not saying that there isn’t a place in the battle to address some loopholes and various things, but at the end of the day what we’re talking about is people who need Jesus — people who need their hearts touched and their minds touched.
And the reason I’m saying this is because I want you and I to understand where the real solutions lie. And the real solutions are sitting in these chairs right now. Because let me tell you something: a law cannot change your heart. A law was never intended to change your heart. Jesus didn’t say, «Seek first the law, and then the world is gonna be better.» I’m not saying you don’t do your part to make certain laws just — I’m not talking about that. But what I am talking about is Jesus’ strategy to bring healing and redemption to humankind. A law will not save you. I cannot put a law on you and the law get you to Jesus. I’ve got to be who God has called me to be. I’ve got to be the light of the world. I’ve got to be the love of the world. I’ve got to be the truth in the world. And when I become truth and when I become love and when I freely give what I have freely received, then we’re gonna see a difference made in this earth.
I posted something online today, and somebody said, «Until we get gun laws…» — I wanted to say, «Shut up.» Shut up. Because what you’re talking about is a rifle. In the first place, this dude did it with a pistol. So now what? You got people who have lost their loved ones bleeding on the street. At the end of the day I think it’s a kingdom problem, not a gun-control problem. I’ll be honest with you — I think it’s a kingdom problem.
And so I really feel like God wants your dream. Like, what are you pursuing right now more than the salvation of the next person? Don’t make me come down and talk to you today. We’re not gonna shout tonight — we’re having a real conversation. What are you pursuing now more than seeing your brother or your sister come to the Lord and have their life transformed and healed? Where are we investing our time? Where are we investing our prayer? Family, for real — let’s have a real conversation.
One Person Changes Everything
Jesus talked about the kingdom, and people were healed all around them. They talk about mental health — and that’s part of it — but some of that was in the Bible. There were people who were mentally broken. And maybe the power of the kingdom is not just «I pray and lay hands on you and you’re free from your mental illness.» Maybe it’s «I pray and lay hands on you and I’ve got resources and wisdom that point you to people that can get you healed.» It’s still a kingdom thing.
I think this one is on us — not our fault, that’s not what I’m talking about — but I think this is a wake-up call to the people of God to be about it now more than we have ever been about it in my lifetime. And what will you give up to be the real thing? Because I’ll tell you right now — the anointing costs something. You’ve got to sacrifice something to get the anointing. You’ve got to sacrifice your dream. You’ve got to sacrifice sometimes relationships. How bad do you want the anointing that breaks yokes? How bad do you want it — for real? Will you give up your career for it?
The people that followed Jesus left everything because they understood the value of what they had received. And I believe that what God is doing — see, there’s a reason why we’re still here. There’s a reason why we’re not dead in a bar, on the floor, on the ground. There’s a reason why we didn’t die in a yoga studio. There’s a reason why we didn’t die in a high school, on the streets, coming here, or in a fire. (I literally am, in fact, about to evacuate out of my home right now.) You’ve got to be ready for anything. Are you tracking with me?
I believe God wants your dream tonight. I believe there’s something in you that is bigger than having a big social media following. I believe there’s something in you that’s bigger than your record deal, than your part in a series, your role in a series. I think there’s something bigger — something greater, something stronger, something more divine. I believe that the breath in your body is more significant than what you think. I think it has something to do with what’s wrong with the world today. And if you will tap into it and get whole and stop needing things from people and needing people’s affirmation and validation — and you get to a place where you say, «God, tonight I’m gonna lay my dream on the altar and I will keep it there until You give me Your dream» — that’s who God is looking for in this season. He’s looking for some people that He can trust, that He can use. And those people He can trust and use — He’s gonna channel grace, power, strength, wisdom, favor unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. It’s in this room. I’m looking at it.
So I sat there, man — I’m just like, «Oh God, this is just too much. This is in my backyard.» I was, today, just for a doctor’s appointment, scheduled to be there tomorrow — right in my backyard. I’m like, «God, I don’t get this.» And in me — you know, I’m a solutions guy — so I start thinking, «Okay, well, yeah, gun control…» My mind started going there. And then it just dawned on me — actually, I was talking to God, doing business with Him, and it was like, «I’m glad you’re doing what you’re doing, because sometimes the law isn’t gonna fix it. It’s gonna be people that change people’s minds and change people’s hearts.» And it just hit me like a ton of bricks: you’re the solution, guys.
This thing that happened today — and this thing that happens all the time in all sorts of ways — it’s typically one person that causes multitudes to grieve. One person. So we look at this and say, «Man, look at all these lives — thirteen people, and then all the families…» We see this domino effect. But guess what — it all happened because of one person whose heart and mind was not regenerated by the power of the gospel. Do you see it?
You don’t have to have a mega church. You don’t have to have a mega ministry. But if you touch one person — are you hearing what I’m saying today? — just one person. There are hundreds of people in this room right now, hundreds watching via live stream right now. What if you touch one person — and not with a little cute spiritual milkshake? No — for real. Because I want the people that I have the honor and privilege of leading to not be sugar-sweet Cracker Jack with no depth, no root in the Holy Ghost. I don’t want that for you. Because in order for you to be ready for whatever, you are gonna have to know Elohim. You are gonna have to know the Rock of Ages. You are gonna have to know the Ancient of Days. You are gonna have to know Jesus Christ. You’re gonna need the Holy Ghost for this life. You’re gonna need a real foundation.
Surrender and Altar Call
That’s what I mean when I’m talking about being ready for whatever: I know Jesus. My life is built on Jesus Christ. And you’re gonna need to be able to tell devils and demons and every negative, wicked, unclean spirit — and witches and warlocks and wizards — «In the name of Jesus I command you to loose me, loose my family, loose everything!» And this time, trust me — you are going to need the Holy Ghost. I love everybody. I’m not talking about energy. I’m talking about the Holy Ghost — the breath of God, the power of God, the strength of God. You’re gonna need some of that. Trust me. That’s the energy of energies that every false energy has to bow the knee to.
You can’t touch nobody if you don’t have the Holy Spirit. I believe in humanitarianism. I believe in feeding people. I believe in being nice and encouraging and all that stuff. But all that nice stuff doesn’t change a life. You need to be able to say, «Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give unto you.» I promise you — you’re gonna need it. Because things, family — hear me, I love you — things are gonna roll up on you in this life, and you’ve got to be ready for whatever.
You don’t know what’s gonna happen when you wake up in the morning. I woke up this morning cool; by afternoon the fire department said, «Yo, brah, you need to evacuate, » and I had to roll my family out. You don’t know what’s gonna happen, but you’ve gotta be ready. God wants to have your ear. He wants your relationship with Him to be so close that He whispers things in your ear that keep you out of trouble. He whispers, «This is the way — walk in it, ” and you move, and it doesn’t happen to you but to somebody else. I’ve seen God tell me stuff, family. I’ve seen God tell me stuff, and I make adjustments. And had I not made adjustments I would be dead, or broke, or something crazy would have happened.
Here it is: God is looking for some friends. All this evil that’s taken over the news — one person. If everybody in here reached ten people and made God’s agenda and God’s priority theirs — what if all of your life was about finding some creative way to reach somebody for God? You want to see your creativity be anointed? You want to see your creativity go to another level, break out so the whole world stops and looks at you like they did Jesus? Point it toward helping somebody who’s lost.
There’s some people in here and you’ve got nonprofits in you. God has given you ideas — a burning passion for homeless people, for veterans, for seniors, for young people. And the enemy does a masterful job distracting you with your own brokenness: „I need this, I need to look like this, I need to have this, and once I get this then I’ll start my nonprofit.“ You’re not realizing that your upgrade is in doing the thing God gave you to do to be a blessing to somebody else.
God is looking for people. It’s not gonna come from politics — and God bless you, I pray we all voted on Tuesday, hallelujah, Rock the Vote, praise the Lord — but that ain’t gonna fix it. That was never God’s strategy to fix it. The issues are too deep. We’re talking about dark hearts and dark minds. You can’t vote a heart change.
I really sense — you know, my wife’s not here, she had to take our family, we were up in a hotel — but I know she stretches edges. I want to snatch dreams tonight. I want to snatch dreams that are beneath you. And I believe, family, if you give God your dream tonight — and I want you to think about it — God has blessed me in ways that it’s not even funny. You can get to a place where God has blessed you so much that you don’t even think about blessing anymore. It would almost be sinful to say, „God, bless me some more.“ It’s like that — and that’s not bragging, that’s a different spirit. God, You’ve done so much, and You keep doing… I don’t even get excited about it anymore; it just is. I’m trying to find new and creative ways to bless other people.
There’s a level you can get to as you walk with God and surrender that you are no longer saying, „God, bless me.“ I can’t even think of the last time I said, „God, bless me.“ It’s „God, bless them. God, bless through me. Don’t bless me — bless through me.“ And I believe that’s what God wants to bring many under the sound of my voice to right now. But I’m gonna tell you — you don’t get there by living for blessing. You get there by living to be a blessing. You get there by saying, „God, I am Yours. I’m thankful for Your mercy and grace in my life. I could be dead. I could be on another road. I could be crazy, strung out, all messed up. I realize that this breath You gave me — I owe You my life.“
Anybody owe God their life? If we’re honest right now — if your life, your breath, was some sort of account and you think about the decisions you made with that breath and how you spent that breath out of the account — there are some people in here right now that know that if it had not been for God you would be completely bankrupt. Come on, somebody — let’s tell the truth up in here.
The decisions that you made, the people you invested your graft, energy, and time in — I know right now that the breath that’s in me is God’s. And if it’s God’s, that means I have to be a steward over it — a steward over my time, my talents, my resources, focus. Because I realize I am on borrowed time. And time is ticking. I feel that for some of you — you think you have a long time, but I hear the clock ticking. And as long as the enemy has you distracted, you’re losing seconds, minutes. And with that you could have been changing somebody’s life.
What I was getting at as it relates to the blessings — there were two things I did that got me there, and I live in that space. It’s crazy. Two things: I kept my heart pure, and I think part of keeping your heart pure is saying constantly and consistently, „Not my will but Your will be done.“ I feel that something’s gonna break when you can say that for real. Because there’s an empowerment that comes over your life when you say, „Lord, I’m not into You because of what I want from You. I’m into You because of who You are.“
And what I would do — my testimony — is I would lay it all at His feet and say, „God, I’m Yours.“ I lay relationships down. I lay jobs down. I lay careers down. I lay financial opportunities down. I’d do it in inconvenient times so that I would know that I’m the real thing.
I want you to think about the thing you love the most right now. I’m not even talking about people necessarily — just put people aside. I might be out, but I won’t do you like that. But think about what makes your heart go like this — and consider giving it to God. Would you do it?
I’m thinking about the rich young ruler in the Scripture (Mark 10 — study it when you get a chance). The rich young ruler walks up to the Lord: „What can I do to inherit eternal life?“ Jesus says, „Oh, no problem — do this, that…“ He gives him eight or nine things according to the law. The guy says, „I’ve done all these things since my youth.“ And the Bible says Jesus, staring at him, looked at him, saw right through him, and said, „Yeah, I know. You rich, right?“ „Yeah.“ „Sell everything you have, give it to the poor, and come follow Me.“ And this dude was like… The crazy thing is the Bible says this guy walks away sad. How do you think you’re doing the right thing and not walk away excited? He walks away sad because he realizes he didn’t have enough within himself to do the right thing.
And if you read that story on through, the disciples start saying, „Wow…“ Jesus basically says, „Yo, there’s no one who has left anything that I have not multiplied a hundredfold in this life and then given them eternal life.“ He was trying to upgrade the poor guy, but the guy had — no, the money had him so bad, the thing had him so bad. Jesus didn’t really even want the thing, because it was gonna be multiplied a hundredfold. He didn’t want the thing to have him.
So there is safety in your ability to release anything God asks you to release, knowing that He will never abuse you, and anything He asks you to give up is for your good and to take you to a greater place. There are callings in this room — callings for those watching via live stream. And I believe the only reason you’re here tonight is because the Lord wants you to lay something down so He can raise something up.
I’m sad. We’re gonna pray for people who lost loved ones — that’s unthinkable, man. The guy who lost his son… I had to turn it off. Tamera’s niece, 18 years old… it was just too much. I’m looking at that and I can’t help — I’m a father, I’m a solutions God. I’m like, „How can we fix it?“ And then I thought about it: one guy did this. One guy. And we’re mad at him and all that — I understand that — but he’s one guy. One person that could have been touched if we’re focused.
How many times do we walk right past people so focused on our thing that we don’t even pause? Sometimes we say, „Hi, how you doing? God bless you. Hey man, come to church.“ Many people don’t come to church simply because they’re not invited. Isn’t that something? That means the people you want to come to church — if you invite them, a lot of them would actually come. Because most people don’t know what to expect, and this place changes lives. I wouldn’t be here if it didn’t.
I want us to get to a place, man, when we see crazy stuff happen in our world — I don’t want us to shake our heads and start lobbying and all that (that’s wonderful, do that after) — but first: Who do I need to be? Who do I need to be to make a difference, to touch somebody?
Jesus said after His disciples walked with Him, „Now you gonna do this. I want you to do what I did: go preach the kingdom, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead.“ And then He says something that wrecked me: „Freely you have received — now freely give.“ When was the last time you gave what you’ve received?
I hear the Lord saying, „I didn’t free you simply for you.“ You might say, „Yeah, I know, Jesus, but You’re still working on me. I haven’t come into the fullness of my destiny.“ But you’re not crazy. You hear His voice. Whatever you have received, you have an anointing and an obligation to give.
Some of you have had yokes break off of you. Some of you were on the brink of suicide, ready to throw it all away — and you received something that changed that. Now you’re richer inwardly. Freely you have received — now freely give. Some of you — our spiritual orders — you’ve received so much but you don’t have any fruit beyond you and your family. I’m not trying to beat you up — we’re talking. Show me your fruit. Your paycheck is not your fruit. Your blessing is not your fruit. Fruit is that which is born out of you — the multiplication of your life.
There’s something in this room — you’ve got to make a decision. I feel it so strong. Some of you are like really called — a weighty anointing. There’s some prodigals in here — I feel the Holy Spirit of God. There are great anointings in here — greater than mine — great, great anointings right now. And you’ve been running, compromising, haven’t had the faith to step into it. And right now these words are piercing your heart and burning because you know they’re true.
What happened to you? I’m prophesying tonight. What happened to you? Some were hurt in church because their anointing is unique — not religious, but Holy Ghost. There’s a difference. You tried it out in a certain context, that context rejected you, and you thought it was God rejecting you. And I hear God saying you have found a safe place, a safe environment. Some of those places had to reject you because what is in you is so pure it cannot be contaminated by the constructs of man. And God is saying it’s time to dust it off, time to pull it out again. Because God is not finished with you, and He wants to stir up the gift of God that’s on the inside of you. If not now — when?
Some of you right now — you literally feel it in your chest as I’m talking. If I said stand up, you feel it right in your chest. There’s a bunch of you. It is more than jobs and deals and parties and your name on a paper or in lights or a blue check on Instagram. Life is so much more than that. Buying followers — what if you would be the real you and God would manifest real followers, true fruit?
I know this is not what you’re used to, but this is what you need. The only reason you’re breathing is because you are God’s answer to this generation. God doesn’t keep you alive so you can amass more — He keeps us alive so we can produce more fruit. Partnership with God — real partnership — is absolutely incredible. Because when you partner with God you are ready for whatever. You’re not easily shaken. You don’t get all afraid and turn the other direction because you know God is for you, and if God is for you who can be against you? Even the difficult things are working together for your good.
All of creation, the Bible says, the earnest expectation of creation — everything God has created is eagerly waiting for the revealing of the children of God. We can be the children of God but not manifest as the children of God. Creation is waiting for us to wake up to our true identity — not to be what we are not, but to who we really are.
So I want to do an altar call — a real thing. My God — why don’t You allow that to happen? People the age of my kids… But I know it changed me. It lit my fire. Everybody’s looking at the victims — I’m looking at the one guy. Because if that one guy got touched, there would be no victims. It’s a gospel thing. It’s a kingdom thing. If I reach the right one there will be less victims. And since I don’t know who the right one is, I’m hungry, thirsty, desperate to reach everyone — with a love heart.
That’s why my sweatshirt — I gotta love people. God called me to ministry and told me I have to love every human being the same way I love my firstborn child. When I look at you, that’s who I see. And that’s what pulls the anointing out of me. I can’t do it if I don’t love for real.
That’s why I can’t be caught up in political vitriol — left or right. I can’t do that to be effective. I gotta live higher. I don’t care about your orientation — I swear I don’t care. I care about your heart, your life, you. You and the Lord can figure everything else out. True love sees people.
So I want you to join me — not join me, join Jesus — and be a part of His force in the earth. What’s my response to the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks? To be more on fire for God to reach people than I have ever been in my life — especially the people I don’t understand.
If that’s you and you want to grab hold of God’s dream and you’re willing to let this altar be where you sacrifice your dream for His — come meet me at this altar so I can pray for you. I could not wait to get here. You’re it. You’re the called. You’ve got it. God will never allow those who serve Him to starve or lack. The liar says you can’t serve God and make a living — show me one of His disciples it happened to. Whatever you’re willing to give God for the sake of His kingdom, He multiplies and gives back.
The world is serious. We need more than tighter laws — we need somebody meeting Jesus. That’s what’s gonna work. This guy kills those people, then kills himself — it wasn’t even about the people, it was about how he felt about himself. That’s what the gospel does — makes you see yourself differently. And when you value yourself you begin to value others.
We’ve gotta be kinder than we’ve ever been. Somebody flips you off — „Man, I’m praying for you too.“ Somebody treats you crazy — dare you to be radical love. Overcome evil with good. Love trumps hate. We need babies-again hearts — shocked that anyone wouldn’t like them, loving everybody because we’re loved.
If there’s anything I put before You, if I walk past Your people pursuing my own dream — God said if you seek first the kingdom, all these things will be added.
We’re here at this altar because we want to be more like You. We recognize You’ve given us something powerful — Your love that casts out fear. We are Your body, Your voice, Your hands, Your feet, Your solution. Sometimes we’re distracted by our own brokenness, looking at what others have, forgetting how rich we are right now. So we’re laying our dream on this altar — not because it’s bad, but because when we handle Your business You handle ours.
We’re gonna be somebodies miracle tonight, tomorrow, every day — in kindness, love, prayer, generosity. We need Your Holy Spirit. Baptize us to the overflow so the gates of hell cannot prevail. Fill us up that we might make a difference in our generation.
(Now the prayer of reception and the move of the Spirit that followed — tongues, weeping, etc. — is left exactly as it happened, because it was holy ground.)
Family, there are giant anointings in this place. The enemy is going crazy because God is loosing next-level believers. You’re not this cute little believer — you’re here to shake generations. Take seriously what the Holy Spirit spoke tonight. Write down the 3-5 things He said to you. Press into them. Make them your new normal.
Out of the pain, confusion, sorrow right here in LA — we’re about to see a crazy, radical, ridiculous Holy Spirit revival. It’s on you. Be bold. Matthew 6 — your homework. I love you. I’ve got your back.