Accredited — Signs & Wonders — Rich Wilkerson Jr

If you have a Bible, quickly reach for it. Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2 is where I want you to turn. Acts chapter 2 verse 22 is where we're going to read. I got one verse for you today. Just one verse to kick us off. Today we are starting a brand new collection of talks entitled Signs and Wonders. Anybody know, anybody believe that God is still moving in the earth today? Come on, clap your hands and build your faith a little bit today. For the next five weeks, I want to help build your faith as we talk about a God who is full of signs and wonders. Let me just give you one verse to really kick off this collection that I think is going to lay a wonderful foundation. This is Acts chapter 2, starting in verse 22. It's going to come up here on the screen. This is the Apostle Peter as he's preaching. Fellow Israelites, listen to this. Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited. Someone say accredited. Was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him as you yourselves know. I just want to take this one verse today and I want to preach what Peter said. My message title today is really simple. I want you to write this down if you're taking notes. Accredited. In fact, put that in the chat right now. Just put accredited. If you're watching by way of YouTube or you're online, just put accredited. Would you pray with me? Let's believe that God's word is going to speak to us. God, we thank you so much that you're here. God, we sense your presence at work in the room today. God, we believe that whatever location we're at, if we're watching even online or by way of podcast, Lord, that your presence is making manifest right now in our lives. God, speak to us. God, today we believe that you are working, you are moving, and we want to hear from you. We love you. We praise you. And if you agree with that prayer, all of God's people said? Come on, all of God's people said? If you love Jesus, make a little bit of noise! I'm really, really excited about where we're going for the next five weeks and let me just try to lay a little bit of vision because whenever we come around God's word and whenever we start a collection, we don't just do so from a place of like happenstance, but there's a whole lot of design, a lot of intention put into it. I believe over the next five weeks, God wants to do something in you because God's getting ready to do something through you. Five weeks from now, we are hosting what I think is the biggest thing we get to do as a church family. I hate using the word event because as soon as you use the word event, it sounds very transactional. But I think VUCon is more than an event. I think it's something that our church has been doing before we were ever even a church.

We had this conference, this convention, and VUCon 2026 is right around the corner, June 10th through the 14th. How many believe we're going to have the greatest convention we've ever had before? Today, maybe you're new to VU Church Talk. What are you talking about? VUCon is around three things. It's first and foremost about encountering God. That's why I don't like the word event because I don't think it's really an event. I think it's an encounter. It's also to equip the church that we believe there's going to be tools, things given to you that's going to help you be a better believer and a better disciple. And the third word is that it's to empower next generation leaders. That I believe if you're here right now today, God wants to use your life. God has a plan for your life. And here's what's cool about VUCon. People from all over the world come. I'm talking about we've got people from Africa coming, people from Europe coming. I mean, what a shame if people fly all the way from a different continent and you can't make it because you live in Kendall. This convention, before it's for the world, it's for us as a church family. And I believe God is going to do something in your life as you get to VUCon this year. And I'm just taking a moment because I think sometimes what I'm finding out is that it's like 7,000 some people coming, but the majority of these days are coming from outside of our church. That breaks my heart. I heard someone say the other day, well, I've already been to VUCon. No, no, it's not like a movie. It's an ongoing journey that God has chosen us and allowed us to host. I believe people from all over the world that we can host his presence, but also that people would come to Miami and they would leave better than how they came. Anybody got some faith? God's going to do something. There's already hundreds of you that are signed up to serve, but I would encourage you, even today, today's Growth Track step two, and whatever location you're at, go to the Growth Track. You heard the beautiful story today. Don't just be a spectator here at VU Church, be a participator. Help us put on VUCon, but maybe you can't serve at VUCon. At least you could do is buy a ticket and come to VUCon. In fact, today's Mother's Day, and maybe you want to buy a ticket for someone.

Maybe you're a mom out there and you're like, yo, I got some sons that need to be in church. Yeah, listen, a praying mom will change your life. Get them to VUCon. God is going to show up, I'm telling you. And every year, we just put this on our calendar. And so I don't know about you, but like, I think things are important to have on your calendar. Like, I think a vacation is important for you to have on your calendar. I think birthdays are important to have on your calendar. Anniversaries, where's all the men of God? I remember some years ago, it was my seventh wedding anniversary, and I was overseas. I was in England and Dawn Sherry was over here, stateside, and we were on the phone that morning, talking, just chit-chatting, just doing as you do. What up, girl? Yeah, I love you. And yeah, just talking. And we hung up the phone, and nobody had ever said happy anniversary. And I got a phone call in two minutes from Dawn Sherry. She said, Rich, did you forget our anniversary? I had to think quick. I said, girl, every day's our anniversary. Guys, that will work one time and one time only. After that, you got to put it on the calendar.

And so it is with VUCON. It's a date with destiny. It's a date with our creator. It's a date with our maker that we're believing God is going to show. Come on, I need some faith in the room. VUCON 2026, and we're going to be hearing from so many different voices, but I'm led in this collection to say that I believe over the next five weeks, God wants to prepare us. And the way that he wants to prepare us is he wants to remind us that he is a God who is still moving and still working. I believe as people descend upon Miami, I want you to be ready. And so for the next five weeks, we're going to teach on signs and wonders, miracles. I'm believing for miracles to show up in our church. Anybody in need of a miracle today? Anybody in need of a supernatural touch? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I got all, I got the hokey pokey going on up here. I love what we're reading today. This is Acts chapter two, and this is powerful because we are showing up right now where the apostle Peter, he is preaching a famous sermon. This sermon he's preaching, he's not in a church. In fact, he's in the streets of Jerusalem. This is on the other side of the upper room experience.

It was Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon an upper room of 120 people. And when the Holy Spirit showed up, man, it was unexplainable to say the least. A rushing wind, tongues of fire, men and women begin to speak in other tongues. And now thousands have gathered because they're looking at the church being born and they're a bit confused at what is taking place. In a couple of weeks, we will preach from Acts chapter two on Pentecost Sunday. But before we get there, let's listen to what it is that Peter says. Because Peter gets up and he preaches a bold sermon. And the Bible says that at that sermon, 3,000 people were converted to Christianity. And with it, the church of Jesus Christ was born. Anybody believe the church is still moving forward in strength? And as Peter is preaching, he begins to quote the prophet Joel. That's the basis of his sermon. And he speaks of Joel and Joel in his message says, in the last days, God will pour out his spirit and he will bring wonders from heaven and signs here on the earth. And now here's Peter as he gets up and he boldly professes, ladies and gentlemen, we are in those last days for Joel's message and Joel's proclamation is merely Jesus Christ with skin on.

We are looking at the one who comes to us in signs and wonders. And as you listen to Peter's message, you got to go back and read it for yourself. As Peter preaches, he does not say believe in Jesus merely for what he taught. He doesn't say believe in Jesus because he was a good guy or a good man who had good ideas. That's not his message. Instead, he says, believe in Jesus for what he did. What did he do, Peter? Peter says, what he did was miracles, signs and wonders. And this was God qualifying him for you and I. In fact, the word that Peter says is Peter says, God accredited him. I like that word. Accredited. Accredited means to be qualified or verified by a higher authority. How many all know accreditation matters? You don't think about accreditation much until you're 30,000 feet up in the air. And all of a sudden over the intercom comes, ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Steve. I want to let you know I have a passion for aviation. Although I never finished flight school, I'm believing we're going to have an incredible flight because I've watched a lot of YouTube videos. Right about there, everybody, even the atheist starts speaking in tongues. Excuse me? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You don't want to go to a doctor and the doctor says, well, it's my first surgery. Never went to medical school, but I sure am gifted. Gifted? No, no, no. I don't need gifted. I need accredited. I need qualified. I don't want a dentist who's got vibes. I don't need a lawyer who's self-certified. I don't want to go to a chiropractor and he's like, you know what? The Lord's going to lead me to your spine. No, no, no, no. How are you qualified? Who verified you? By what authority do you come? How did you get here? It's interesting because we live in an interesting time, don't we? We live in a world

right now that people want influence without accreditation. There's a lot of people that are taking on platforms, but they got no proof as to how they got there. I'm telling you what, when God shows up in power, whoever he commissions, he always confirms. And Peter says he's accredited by God. How? By miracles, signs, and wonders. That Jesus is more than a man. He's the God-man. Come on, somebody. Why don't you clap your hands and thank God for Jesus. He's not just a man. He comes in miracles, signs, and wonders. This is who our God is. Miracles. Let's talk about them for a moment. I believe in miracles. Our church believes in miracles. What is a miracle? A miracle is when heaven interrupts earth. A miracle is when the natural order is superseded by the higher order. A miracle is not that it's a denial of reality. A miracle is not that we don't obey reality. A miracle is when a revelation takes place that there's a bigger world outside of this reality. It is not God breaking rules. It's God reminding you, I'm the one who wrote the rules. And so nothing can stop me. If I open up my mouth, if I want to do something, I can do whatever I want to do. I'm the one who wrote the rules. He's a God of miracles. Colossians chapter one, verse 17 says this way about Jesus. Jesus is before all things and in him, all things hold together. And here's what I really, really like about this because there's a whole movement of people that believe that miracle signs and wonders are actually ceasing and stopping. And they're only for the book of acts and that God is not working in this way anymore. I want to reject that wholeheartedly because Hebrews chapter 13, verse eight says it this way. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Let me make that really relevant. The God in the book of acts is the God who's working right here in Miami, Florida. And when he wants to move, he will move when he gets working. I'm telling you what, nothing can stop him. If he did it back then, he'll do it again. He comes in miracles, signs, and wonders. And this is how Jesus was accredited. Don't just listen to him. Watch him. He's got supernatural power. What he was doing was telling us who he is. I'm the only one who can save you. Miracles. We don't have to just go to the Bible to find miracles. I mean, it's Mother's Day weekend and welcome to everybody who's at church. I imagine there's some today that don't follow Jesus or maybe even others from other religions. We welcome you here at VU Church. You might even be a person who's agnostic that you're not really sure. Maybe you're as far as to say, I'm an atheist. I just don't even believe in God. I hear you. But man,

on Mother's Day, can we just stop and recognize you don't have to even. be a Bible-believing Christian to understand miracles are happening. Motherhood. Motherhood is a miracle. What are we talking about all the moms in the house and there's some moms going, yeah, you better believe it. You know, you have no idea what I've been through. Moms are a miracle. Just think about human life and conception. It's miraculous. You know, there's science and biology, but when you start looking at it, man, it's more than biology. It's more than science. Scientists would say that the odds of you, you sitting in a chair, you watching online, that your face, your personality, your genetic makeup, the odds of you getting here, the stats would say that you are one out of 400 trillion. What? Yeah, there's a lot that goes into you. You're complicated. It's not by happenstance or coincidence that you're here. Even conception. I mean, what are we talking about? 200 million sperm took off on a race for one egg. Congratulations, you won the race. What's your neighbor say? You a winner. Say you fast. Pregnancy. A woman's body. Like, can we just, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

You are made in a supernatural way. When a woman gets pregnant, I mean, her whole body starts changing. Like organs start moving. The kiddies like, oh, there's life here. I got to move over. Your heart starts pumping almost 50% harder. Your blood volume increases tremendously. The immune system, the immune system's entire purpose is to reject any foreign agent in your body. However, when a woman gets pregnant, it's like the immune system takes a sabbatical. We're just going to let a whole other life begin to be formed and shout out to everybody who's in the room. But if you've ever been inside the room for delivery or labor, I don't know how you can walk out of that room. Not believing in God. Come on somebody. I'm talking about motherhood. I don't want to say happy mother's day. I want to say happy miracle day. You're a walking, talking, breathing miracle. Somebody clap your hands and give honor where honor is due. He's accredited by way of supernatural power beyond biology, beyond science. But the other words here that our collection is going to be grounded on is that he comes in signs and wonders, and we're going to really anchor there over the next five weeks as we build our faith for a great gathering as people come from all over the world that we might serve them. But as we refresh others, we believe God's going to refresh us. What's a sign? What's a sign? The Greek word for sign is the word simeon.

And when you study signs in the Bible, the whole purpose and point of the sign is that the sign is pointing you towards something. The sign is directing you towards something. This past weekend, I did a wedding in Palm Beach area. And when you drive up to Palm Beach, you see signs letting you know how far away you are from West Palm or when you come home 30 miles from Miami. Now nobody usually gets out of their car and takes a photo with the sign 30 miles away. Maybe you maybe take the photo, maybe you snapshot that and just have a memory, but nobody gets a lawn chair and says, I'm going to live right here. I'm grateful for this sign. No, no, no. The sign is directing you. A sign is never the destination. It's the indicator. It's the indicator. It's pointing to something bigger, something greater. And this is what takes place. This is what's happening in Acts chapter two, when all of a sudden they begin to speak in tongues. These are signs that something is taking place. I could tell you about a lot of them, but John chapter two, it's Mother's Day weekend. I think it's a good one to reference is Jesus's first miracle. And if you don't know, Jesus's first miracle was at a wedding, which I like because we serve a God who enjoys the party. He goes to the party. He likes to celebrate. And as he gets to the wedding, the scripture says that they run out of wine. I know that's a problem. It's difficult for some of you Baptists out there. They run out of wine and the Bible says Jesus' mom comes over and says, hey, they're out

of wine. Jesus looks back and says, woman, why do you involve me in these matters? Now on Mother's Day weekend, I gotta be honest with you, if I ever spoke that way to my mom, I wouldn't be standing here today. But he is the Messiah. Woman, why do you involve me? And this is what Mary says. She says, listen to him, do whatever he tells you to do. Which by the way, that might be the greatest sermon you will ever hear. If Jesus says something to you, you obey immediately. The scripture says Jesus prompted by his mom, happy Mother's Day. He says, see those six jars of water or six jars, fill them with water to the top. And so they go and get these jars. These are not just small little jars. These are massive containers that were used for ceremonial cleansing. He has them fill with water and then he has them poured out. And as they begin to pour out the water, the water turns to wine. Now it's interesting because the master of the ceremony, as he comes out, he tastes the wine and he says, whoa, this is the greatest wine I have ever tasted. He says, it's interesting. Most people serve the best first and then give the cheaper stuff last. But you have saved the best for last. The best is yet to come. Ain't no party like a Jesus Christ party. Because a Jesus Christ party don't stop. John says this was the first of Jesus's signs is the word that he uses in the gospel. Why does he call it a sign instead of a miracle? No doubt it is a miracle, but he's calling it a sign for a reason because the sign is pointing to a bigger story. The sign is an indicator of something more happening.

Don't get logged in right here. This isn't just about giving people wine. There's a bigger story at play. Well, what's the bigger story? There's lots of bigger stories that play. First and foremost, six is the number of man. And these ceremonial jars are all about outward cleansing. But Jesus is trying to show them, no, no, no, I'm filling you up. But this old covenant has reached its limit. And so now as I pour out this old covenant, there is a new covenant. Wine fills you with joy. Wine fills you with his presence. This thing used to take place from the outside in. Now it's the inside out. There is a new covenant. It's far greater, far better. It's me. Why did he do his first miracle at a wedding? That seems so strange. It's not that strange because his first miracle was out of the wedding. How many will know his last miracle is going to be at a wedding when all of a sudden he returns for his bride called the church. It's a sign. Pay attention. Pay attention. I'm pointing you. There's a bigger story at play here. I want to fill you with my presence and I am going to do more and more and more. You think water to wine is amazing. Wait till I turn wine into my blood.

Isn't that what he did as he received the last supper? Drink of this cup for this is my blood. His blood washes us clean, but he doesn't just come in miracles and science. He also comes in wonder. The Greek word is the word terrace, and this is important because terrace is this idea that a wonder it stops you. It like it awakens you. I would say it this way. You can read all about the Grand Canyon in a book. Oh my goodness. I want to go to the Grand Canyon. This is so cool. How wild. Look at all the facts about the Grand Canyon, or you can go to the Grand Canyon. And when you go to the Grand Canyon, you kind of look out and go, whoa, well, it leads to a place of wonder, a place of awe, a place of awakening. And this is what God wants to do it in our life. He doesn't merely want to point us somewhere. He wants to stop us from time to time. Signs inform wonders transform. This is what a wonder does. Isaiah chapter six, Isaiah comes into the presence of God. And as he walks into God's presence, he says, whoa, is me for my lips are unclean. I was down at South Miami a couple of weeks and I was teaching on this. Sometimes in 2026, when we get around God's presence, we only teach an audience to say, wow, God's presence is awesome. But truly when you encounter the living God, you don't just say, wow, you say, whoa. You say, I got to hold up, because when I see how beautiful and great you are, I recognize how frail, how small.

I see that my righteousness is like filthy rag. So I got to stop back and go, you are wonderful. You are great. You are mighty. Come on, somebody. Anybody believe in a wonder working God? It's Mark chapter four, that the disciples are with Jesus and they're in a storm in a boat. They come and find Jesus. He's asleep. Jesus, don't you care if we drown? That's what they say to Jesus. Jesus wakes up. He's stretching. He's yawning. He's removing the sleep from his eye. And with just his words, be still, quiet, be still. And the Bible says that the storm becomes completely calm. Now, when you go back and you read it, notice what it says. They were afraid in the storm, but then they were terrified in the calm. Why? It's because it wasn't just a miracle when that storm settled. It was a wonder. I was afraid when I was in the storm, but now I'm terrified because apparently even storms have to submit to Jesus Christ, our savior.

Anybody grateful for a God that all he has to do is open up his mouth. And with one word, everything has to be silenced. Come on, church, clap your hands. He's a God who works in miracles, signs, and wonders. Look at what John says in John chapter 20. This is beautiful. We're gonna preach about this next week. Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. So the ones we read about in the Bible, there were many others, but these are written that you may, what's the word? That you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name. What's the purpose of his miracles, signs, and wonders? It's that you would believe. So I wanna say something very, very important. It is possible that you end up caring more about miracles than you do the Messiah. And we have to make sure as we go on this journey that all of us are checking our own hearts because we don't wanna get so caught up in miracles that we miss out on the very one that we are after. We want Jesus. We want Jesus. Oftentimes the Pharisees would come to Jesus and they would say, show us a sign.

He would say, no, I'm not gonna do it. Your hearts are unclean. It is totally possible to get caught up in blessings that you forget the blesser. May we never be a church that we care more about the gifts than the gift giver. I want a promise for my life, but I don't want a promise more than the promise giver. Is there anybody out there that says, I want Jesus. If he doesn't do one more thing for me. Come on, somebody. He's done more than enough. Go ahead and thank him on this Sunday. Show him that you love him today. He is a good God. Today, as we embark on this journey, I wanna do so by way of testimony. I believe that we should open up the scriptures. And as we open up the scriptures, we discover Jesus and we see him in a new and fresh way. And it builds our faith. Yet today, as we just kick off, it's no coincidence or accident that we're starting this collection signs and wonder because I wanna testify about the greatest miracle that maybe I've ever gotten to witness outside of my own salvation, but it didn't happen in a church. It actually began in a hospital room some 39 years ago. I wanna tell you the story about my brother, Graham,

and to do so on Mother's Day, I thought I would bring up on the stage and honor outside of my wife, the greatest woman I have ever met. Would y'all help me welcome at all of our locations. Can we get up on our feet? Can y'all put your hands together for my mom, Dr. Robin Wilkerson. I love you. Happy Mother's Day, mom. Thank you for being here with us today. Thank you, thank you, thank you. My mom, if you don't know, has once again been my mom for 42 years. And my mom, I'm actually preaching right now from our Miami Gardens location. Mom and dad actually started this church in this location some 20 years ago. We would not even have this space without their leadership, without their legacy. Can we really give honor where honor is due? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Where honor is due. Thank you. We're so grateful for you. Thank you. And Richie, I'm grateful for you.

That was good preaching. Oh my goodness. That was fantastic. And thanks for inviting me. And I want to thank Dawn Cherie for inviting me. Amazing, she's so. amazing. I love you, Richie. I think you're a good preacher. I think it'll work out. It'll work out. Don't you think it'll work out? We've come a long way. Today, we want to share a testimony from our house. But even before we kind of get there, mom, my mom pastors, she has a doctorate. She's been teaching faith for so many years. And in many ways today, she has built my faith just watching her life. Let's just take a moment and kind of ground some of the things that we are sharing here today, because we are going on a journey as a church over the next five weeks and even leading up to VUCon. Why do you think it's important that we talk about the supernatural? Why do you think it's important that we as a community still believe in miracles, signs, and wonders? Why? Because we need miracles. I need miracles. Right now, today, I'm praying for things that people in the natural would say, that'll never happen. Hey, just you being here today, me standing on this platform, people across this congregation, this is a miracle. I'm standing in the answers to my prayers that people said, no, you're nuts, lady. That's never going to work out. And here you are anyway. Anyway. So, miracles are about God working in our lives in a way that sometimes others don't know. But for me, I know. I know I prayed, God answered. I know it was impossible. It happened anyway. It's beautiful. Let's take everyone back because 39 years ago, you're the mother of four children, four boys, but your third child, my brother Graham, something happened. And I just want to tell the story. Maybe take us back to the hospital, take us back to the moment. Just give everyone a glimpse of that story. Right. It was about this time of year, summer, and you were three years old. So cute. And his six-year-old brother, his bigger boy, John Fulton. And so I knew about boys and God gave me a baby boy named Graham. He was six months old at this time. And he had what I thought was an ear infection. And again, I'm an expert in boys by then and they had had ear infections. So that's what it was. I took him to the doctor. I said,

doctor, Graham is sick. He looked in his ears. He said, you know what? You're right. He's got an ear infection. And I said, oh, okay. It's a pretty bad one. He goes, yeah, I think it is. I took him home. Didn't get better. And I remember I walked the floor with him all night long, baby moaning, you know, that was different. So I went back to the doctor. And by the way, he was a great doctor, wonderful pediatrician. And I remember I was so shook up and so worried. I said, no, he's sicker. And the doctor said, now, Robin, and he reached across and he patted me and he said, he's okay. He's all right. And I'm like, okay, you know. Well, I drove home and he was still very sick, this big, six months old. And I got to my house and my mom, she lived next door. She's gone to heaven now, but she was this short little Norwegian lady. And she looked at the baby and she said, what'd that doctor say? And I said, well, and I told her and she goes, nope, I don't agree with that. And I'm like, mother, I've been to the doctor. I promise he told me. And she goes, I don't care what the doctor said. I want you to put him in the car and drive him to the hospital. And I thought to myself, oh, I don't want to do that. I'm going to look foolish. I don't want to take him. But I'm more afraid of my mom than I was the doctor. So I remember I loaded it up, the car seat, went out to the car. And I'll tell the truth. I was very slow. I put him in the back. I strapped him in. He had his little yellow pajamas on, sleeping. I drove slowly to the hospital. I pulled up to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. I walked in to the ER. And when I put the baby in his car seat on the table about like this, the nurse started screaming. And when she started screaming, I couldn't understand at first what she was screaming about, but she was screaming code blue because the baby was dead. Now, I don't know how long, nobody knew how long, but she proceeded to scream and as she kept it up, the crash cart came, all the people running around, they sliced open each arm, his ankles, jammed an art line down into his heart and they started resuscitation and I remember kind of backing up and I thought, this is like a movie. I had never seen anything like that, I had never experienced that.

I had not been around crisis at that kind of calamity, catastrophe and it began, it began. I don't know how long I was there, but the doctor came out, she was a young woman, she specialized in intensive care for children and she looked at me and she said, Mrs. Wilkerson, the baby was dead. You brought death in here and all I can tell you is that he will be blind, he will be deaf, he will never walk, he will live in a crib the rest of his life. I tell you, he'll probably be spastic and suffer for as long as he lives. And in that moment, I was like so shocked. She said, he has a very serious version of spinal meningitis and he's going to need brain surgery to relieve the swelling and that came next. Yeah, it was a shocking moment where my reality, you live your life and you're rolling along and you have this sense of security. Of course, I was a Christian, my dad's a pastor, my grandfather a pastor and I was walking in faith and suddenly, my very secure awareness was like a bubble, it just burst, it burst. And in that moment, everything about me, everything about you, Richie, everything about our family, who I was, what did it mean to know God, shifted, shifted. Shifted, shifted and I began a journey. Yes, faith, yes, healing, but God was beginning a story

in my life that ultimately would bring me to a new understanding of who he is and what he wants from me. It's beautiful, it's beautiful. I think as we reflect on that moment, there was a clear miracle just in the hospital room of the fact that Graham had died and that he had been resuscitated, resurrected, revived, but then began a journey where you have this diagnosis that he's going to be disabled, that he's going to almost be in a vegetable-like state and after that began what I would kind of call series of progressive miracles, little thing after the next. There's no doubt that God can do something in one moment, but I've also seen God do things throughout a process. Talk for a moment because maybe someone who's here isn't necessarily in that exact same scenario, but maybe they are up against opposition or challenge or even the sense of an identity shifting moment. For you, what did that mean and how did God in his grace help you walk through this new reality of raising a child who has special needs, that has disabilities? What did that feel like? What were things that helped you get through? Well, here I am. Let me be transparent. First, I was full of grief and then I was full of rage. I mean, I was mad at God. I was mad at God.

I didn't want that job. I didn't want that assignment. I didn't want anything to do with that story. Richie, I never said it out loud before, but I wanted to run away. Truth. Too much. I can't do it. So one night, you know, I'm in the bedroom for the millionth time walking the baby. He had tremendous outbursts, emotional discontrol. It was a long, long journey. And one night I was rocking him, trying to comfort him again and I said, oh God, I give up. I quit. I'm out of here. I can't do this. And the Holy Spirit spoke. And what, I've heard people say that line. I think, well, what does that mean? That means a deep knowing and an awareness and a higher thought comes into your consciousness. And when it happens. happened, I knew it couldn't be me, because here's what he said. He said, Robin, don't you know it's harder for Graham than it is for you? Don't you know that? And don't you know that I never left him, I never walked away.

Robin, listen, you've got the right kid. That means he's got the right mom. That means, that means, Robin, you've got the right stuff. You've got what it takes with God to go through, to go through. Now, all I can tell you is that to me, that was the worst thing that could possibly happen to a mom, the worst, and yet let me share with you that the very worst thing that ever happened to me that I could imagine turns out to be the very best thing that ever happened to me. Why? Because Graham's journey, his uphill push, his constant fall down, get up, fall down, disappointment, get up, that journey uphill, I believe, Ritchie, I believe that it grew in our family. I know for sure in my heart, I watched it. I believe it began a journey of compassion in you and in your siblings, all of you are pastors. I don't think it's a coincidence. God uses suffering, He uses pain, He uses disappointment to build something out of what the world would say is impossible ashes. There's nothing good that can come out of spinal meningitis, and I'm here to say that I'm walking in a miracle. My Graham is great, he works at Booth Church, he has a ministry along with team here, and I believe that God is alive.

He's the same yesterday, today, forever, Ritchie. Beautiful, it's beautiful. Graham is actually, Graham serves at our Design District location, so shout out to everyone over at Design District, but Graham actually today, because he knew we were ministering together, he's here at Miami Gardens. Graham, why don't you stand up so everyone can see you? This is my little brother Graham over here. Stand back up, Graham, so that camera can see you. Turn around, look at that camera right there, so they can see all this little kid. There it is, there he is. We're proud of you, we're proud of you. Your life, it's living proof to all of us about a God who's still moving, who's still working. Mom, what would you say, definitely towards the moms and the families here, but I think this message is far broader than just to the women of our house, but what would you say to somebody today who's up against something, who's in need of a miracle, who's desperate today for God's supernatural power? How would you encourage them? You know, where the shift came in that dark night, in that moment, I've discovered that it's not the thing that happens to you, it's how you think about the thing. The Bible says, rejoice in all things. Now, to think that I'm able to tell you in truth it's the best thing that ever happened to me

is because somewhere in the shift, Richie, somewhere in the agony, I thought, you know, if I'm the right mom, then I need to be thankful for what actually happened. What? You mean, I need to be thankful for the actual thing, for the injury, for the error, for the mistake? I need to be, in other words, whatever you're in today, if you can change, if you can reframe how you think about that pain, actually look at it and say, God, show this to me in your perspective. Help me to turn it around so that when I change my thinking, I am free. elevate my perspective. And when I'm able to do that, energy can come to a healing place that couldn't exist before. Today, we titled this message, Accredited. And I want to say to you, mom, in front of everybody, I think it's important that you're not just accredited as being a mom because you gave birth. And your accreditation didn't come from a diploma, but rather your accreditation came from waiting in hospital rooms, staying when others would have quit, your faithfulness, your tenacity, your perseverance. That's what's accredited you. It's the heart that you carry. Happy Mother's Day to you. Let me say to all the women really, giving birth isn't the only thing that makes you a mom. It's not what accredits you as being a mom, being a mom takes place because of sacrifice, because you kept praying, because you kept believing, because you remained patient. And to all the women of this house, we are so much better because of you, whether you've given birth biologically, or maybe you're a spiritual mom, or maybe you're waiting to have children. Maybe you've been going through a season of infertility. Maybe you lost your mom. Maybe you don't have a husband, or there's no way for you to actually give birth to a child. And so this day kind of brings about all of this pain or all these questions. I just want to encourage you that today you are accredited, not merely from some act of science, but rather because of the heart that you carry, that you can nurture. You can be a spiritual

mom. We need you. We care about you. And today I just know that all of our locations and people even watching online, maybe you are in need of a great miracle. I want to remind you of a God who does not change. And the same God who showed up for us 39 years ago in a hospital room, He's here right now. The same God who moved in power in Acts chapter 2, He's moving here in Miami, Florida. And when we call upon His name, when we believe in faith, anything is possible. Does anybody believe in a God who's still moving, still working?