The Secret Of The SOIL | Pastor Terrence Mullings

Do you know why the Word of God coming out of your mouth has the same authority as if Jesus himself spoke it? Because the Word of God coming out of your mouth is still the Word of God. You've got to speak the Word of God over your circumstances. Don't look at darkness and be drowned in darkness. Speak and say it. Let there be light because God watches over His Word to perform it. Amen? Can I tell you everything you need God provides for you in the way of a seed. Everything is in the seed. The secret of the plant is actually in the seed. Everything you need God provides as a... You've got to know the seed. You've got to sow the seed. You've got to give time for the seed to grow the seed. And you've got to own your time, your talent, and your treasure because everything you have... In fact, your life is a seed. All you need is in the... In fact, if you get an apple seed and plant that seed, in the apple seed is the potential to become an apple tree. If you get a orange seed and you plant that orange seed in the... Orange seed is the potential to become an orange tree. Come on. If you get a mango seed and you plant that seed, it has the potential to become a... Stumbling block, people. A stumbling block. Especially for you Cubans and all you island people. I've seen how you misbehave in mango season. You know who you are. There'll be an altar call at the end of the service. You don't share your mangoes. You go to people's house and you steal their mangoes over their fence. Shame off you in Jesus' name. We are praying for you. All that you need, God has provided in the seed. But can I tell you this? All the seed needs is not in you. All seed needs soil to be successful.

All seed needs what? Soil to be successful. Seed needs soil. And the same principle is in your life. We all need a soil for the seed of our life to be planted in. That's called the right environment. That's called the right friendships. If you are not in the right soil, the right environment, then that soil will actually choke out the seed that God has planted in your life. You got dreams, talents, and abilities. In the wrong soil, that seed becomes contaminated. And so we want to make sure that our life is planted in the right soil so it doesn't choke out the potential. So if you're not seeing a harvest in your life, the problem may not be the seed. The problem might be the soil of your life. Are you planted in the right soil? You know, the Bible talks about four types of soil. How many? Four. Talks of good soil, bad soil, stony ground, and weedy, thorny ground. Let's read it in Matthew 13. Matthew 13. If you've got your Bibles, you can turn there. Otherwise, it's up on the screen. Matthew 13, reading in the NIV, starting at verse 13, says this. The same day, Jesus went out of the house and he sat by the lake. Verse 2 says, such large crowds gathered around him that he got onto a boat. He sat in it while all the people stood where? On the shore. And then he told them many things in parables saying this.

A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was scattering the seed, now first type of soil we see is this. Some fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up. That's called the wrong soil. The wrong ground. Verse 5. Secondly, some fell on rocky places where it did not have much soil. So, it sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. Can I tell you, soil is important for seed. Do you know that soil? I did some research today, yesterday, on Google. I found out that soil is made up of four properties. Four properties. Number one, soil is made up of rock. It's actually rock. It's air. It's water. And it's humus, dead organisms that have died in there. And so, soil is actually made up of rock that has been broken down. It can either be sand. It can be different types of ground. But this is what blew my mind. How intentional is God? When he creates soil, he makes it out of rock. Do you know at the center of the earth, it is rock? Isn't it amazing that God would put rock at the center of the earth and build the whole earth on the rock? Can I tell you, if you do not build your life on the rock, you will never be successful. But once you build your life on the rock, his name is Jesus Christ. That will be a life that will stand the test of...

I'm i'm preaching better than you're responding in jesus name Verse six says this when the sun came up the plants were scorched and they withered because they had no Roots, can I tell you if you don't get deep roots, you will not get good fruit I mean they came to church They did come to history makers church, but they never took notes So they don't remember they didn't get their roots deep. Come on right now You're going to take some notes because note takers are history makers Verse seven. This is the third type of soil other seed fell among thorns which grew up and choked the plants They encountered battle and the battle broke them the seed encountered a battle. Can I tell you a battle is not a bad sign? Giants are not a sign that you're coming out of egypt Giants are a sign that you're entering into your promised land You got to thank god for the giants that you are fighting in your life because the devil when god gives a promise There's always going to be a problem called a giant in your life But it's a sign that you're stepping into what god has promised me promised you you got to fight for fruit. Someone say fight Verse eight says there's still other seed now. This is the fourth type of soil was what type of soil it was Good soil where it produced a crop some 100 Some 60 some 30 times whatever was sown verse 9 Jesus is speaking this parable to his disciples and he says whoever has ears let them You know the seed may be great But the soil does matter. I want to speak to you this morning from this thought the secret not of the seed but the secret of the soil the secret of the Soil now eyes up look at me for a second. Do you know that places matter? Places matter before god creates a person. He always creates a place Before god god made places before he made people he made the sky and said i'm going to fill it with birds He created the earth and said i'm going to fill it with animals He created the ocean and said i'm going to fill it with little fish before god created the person. He created the Place he created the place he created the garden of eden and then he puts the crown of his creation Which was mankind and human people now just I was thinking about this. Let me illustrate all this

Imagine if god created, um, the first thing god created was a fish. Come on anyone like fish All right, in fact you are quick. Imagine if god fish a fish and says adam let there be fish This is a fish This is a fish everyone. This is a fish It's I mean it's pretty but I can imagine adam looking at this fish going I mean talk What are you doing fish talk walk sing what do you do what is god what is this thing this is What is this thing? It's dumb Oh see a fish out of water Looks like a failure But if you take that fish And you place it Oh Hang on This fish isn't a failure This fish just hadn't found its place yet Can I tell you? When you are in The place that god created you to be you don't look like a failure. This looks phenomenal In fact, this fish is flourishing I mean in its place of its strength where it was created to be this fish has no rival This fish has no equal. This fish has no competition. I can imagine a fish out of waters A fish in water singing you have no rival You have no equal now and forever God you reign yours is the yours is the yours is the name Is That's what the fish is singing in the water because the fish has found the place can I tell you in the wrong place Your weakness will be magnified In the wrong place your strength will die in the wrong place. Your genius will actually be diminished

We can take that off the screen right now Come on in the wrong place You can either choose to be in the center of your strength or you can choose to be in the middle of your weakness You will succeed somewhere You will not succeed everywhere And you got to find the place where god has placed you. Can I tell you just like a seed? needs soil a fish Needs water to be successful and you and I need the right place in order to prosper Today, I want to give you two thoughts around how to prosper in the right place how to prosper in the right place is because God always prepares a place before he places the person. Two big ideas today is number one, God prepares the place before he prepares the person. I got a secondary thought that I want you to walk out of here knowing that this is the place. This is the place. So two truths about the place. Without these truths, you will look like that fish out of water. It looks dumb. It looks like it has no purpose. The right thing in the wrong place looks like the wrong thing. You're not the wrong thing, you just possibly haven't found your place. Write this down as number one. Your provision is in a place. Your provision is in a place. Provision requires a place because there's four types of ground. There's good ground, that's where you get a great harvest, we read. There's the wrong ground, that's where you get no harvest. There's stony ground, which has very little harvest. And there's thorny ground, where you once had a harvest, but now you have lost that harvest.

Let's work from the bottom up. Thorny ground is where you lose your harvest. This is an environment where you have friends who are not family. These are the co-workers that you work with, they're negative, they gossip, they're always talking bad. There is a reason why you may not have had your promotion, because you're in the wrong place with the wrong people. You know, my Jamaican father used to say it to me. My Jamaican father said, show me your friends and I'll show you your future. That's what my Jamaican father used to say. You know, you should feel uncomfortable in certain environments, because you are not created for every environment. The person requires the right place. You don't fit because God created you to be different. And some of you are so focused on fitting in in places where God created you to stand out. I will be nice to everyone, but I can't spend time with everyone. Because I need to protect the seed that God has placed in my life to protect it from others who are negative, who are choking out the seed of my life that God has placed that he wants to be fruitful and he wants to flourish. Negative people will choke out the seed of greatness in your life. Number two, let's look at the wrong ground. Let's jump up to wrong ground is no harvest. These are the friends who push you to compromise on your dreams, goals and God vision. They're the friends who want to make so-called friends who will make you take shortcuts. Their doubt and their negativity is contagious. Is it amazing that 12 spies were sent to spy out the promised land? 10 spies says they're too big. We can't go in. Two spies said we can.

Can I tell you negative people, negativity is contagious. You got to be careful of the people that you have around you. And you do need to cut some people off. You need to unfollow some people. Now don't go and be rude and mean about it and say, Pastor T said, I'm going to cut you off dead. You know, not like that. Maybe you just need to slowly stop spending time with certain people where every time you're around them, your dream dies. And you need to surround yourself with people who are in a group, some people who are encouraging Some people who are speaking what God says about your future, what God says about the seed in your life, they're speaking life into you. Can I tell you, I would rather cut them off than me be cut off from the purposes and the promises of God. You got to be careful to make sure the soil is the right and not the wrong environment. What about stony ground? Stony ground is where you get a quick harvest. Now if you listening to CNN and Fox News all day, that is the wrong soil because that will harden your heart. It doesn't cultivate godliness or greatness. There is a reason after you listen to that stuff, you are so angry and mad at the world on both sides of the spectrum. If you spend your whole life sitting there scrolling through Instagram, Instagram, tell me who I really am. Facebook, Facebook, tell me how my life should look. No, no, no. You got to get your face in the book called the word of God and let him speak into your life and tell you who you are. Because as you sit there scrolling, there is a reason why you now feel jealous of other people.

You were content until you started getting on this thing, looking at what God's doing in other people's life. But can I tell you, every person needs a place and when you find your place, you flourish in your place. You have no competition when you're in your place. You were not meant to succeed in every place, but you were meant to succeed in some place. It's those family members who tell you, you won't amount to anything. We don't do that. This is just a lot of our family. No, it's not. Shut up, in Jesus' name. It's the family members who tell you, well, you know, everyone does drugs in our family. Everyone drinks in our family. No, reject those lies. Those lies become labels. Tables become lids and lids are limiting. You got to break those lies. Come on, that stuff ran in your family until it ran into you. Amen, somebody. You are a curse breaker. You are a way maker. You are a miracle worker because Jesus Christ, the rock of ages lives inside of you. You were born into a new family. And in this new family, it is a new place. And in that place, it's the right environment where you know the truth that God is good. And all the time, God is good to me. In this place, you realize that Jesus

paid for it all in this place. In this place, you realize the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that lives inside of you. So nothing is impossible for you. I don't care what giant I face. I will take down Goliath with that one smooth stone that God has given me, a strategy to be successful in this thing. The environment you put yourself in is so important. I don't send my kids to any house. Not every house is a safe house. Not every parent is attentive and watching. Not every child is healthy. You gotta be careful where, because places matter. Your provision is in a place. Not every parent is worth emulating. You don't have to be perfect. You just gotta be progressing because weeds will choke out the God dream in your life. And the seed that God planted in your life will never find its fulfillment and its fullness if it doesn't find the right place for it to be in. When you receive a divine instruction from God, that's called a seed. When you receive a seed, God will send you to a place, soil, for that seed to germinate and find fulfillment. Your provision is in a place. Let me read it like this. In John 21, it says this.

The disciples said, I'm going out to fish. Simon Peter told them, and they said, well, we'll go with you. And so they went out into the boat, but that night they caught nada, nothing. Verse four says, early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples didn't realize that it was? He called out to them, friends, have you caught any fish? Pesca, como se dice? Pescado, tienes pescado, tienes hambre. Have you caught any fish? And what do they say? No, they answered. Verse six, he said, hey, watch this. Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and there you will find some. Cast your net not on this side, but on the other side, not in this place, but in that place is where you're gonna find. And when they did, they were unable to haul the net in because they caught such a large number of fish. Can I tell you, money does not follow you to any place. Money follows you to the right place where you've got the seed of obedience, where God has called you to. Can I tell you, everything you want is in a place. Provision is always in a place. Someone say place. You gotta lift your vision

because where God guides, He provides. And His provision is always in a place, in a place. You know, Abraham was called to leave a pagan place and actually go to the place God says, where am I going, Abraham says. God says, I need you to leave this place and go to the place that I will show you. And so Abraham gets up because in that place is gonna be the place of power. In that place is gonna be the place of provision that God has for them. I don't know why someone's believing for a baby for six years and turns up to this place. And it's the promise that they're believing for because the provision is always in a place, a place of faith, a place where miracles happen, a place where God is. And he was saying to Abraham, in that place, I'm gonna provide lineage, that's children, land, legacy, resources and riches. I'm gonna provide life and life more abundantly. And you know, it's interesting. I'm not sure if I gave them the screens, this scripture, but write this down, Genesis 13, 14. Genesis 13, 14, I did. Let's read it together, shout it out. The Lord said to. Abraham, after Lot. Okay, the Lord spoke to Abraham before or after Lot left? After.

After. God spoke to Abraham after Lot, his cousin. Now God said to him, leave your family, leave this place and go to another place. But he took Lot with him. God was silent until Abraham finally had the seat of obedience to let Lot go. And look what happened after that. Do you know what Lot means? So it said, after he said, he lived, Lot left, look around from where you are to the north, the south, east and the west. Basically, God says, I have a land of. Revision for you and the miracle that he was believing for only happened when lot left. He found the place. What's the point? Do you know the name lot actually has a meaning the name lot means veil? The lot means a veil that means there will be a veil in your life that stops you from seeing God and Seeing his purposes until someone exits your life The veil in your life will stay in your life Even when someone exit the veil will only be removed when that someone enters your life His name is King Jesus who ripped the veil from the top to the bottom So that we could enter into the holy of holies This is what God does when you're obedient to get in the place because before God places the person He always prepares the the place the place the place Provision is always in a place You know our story of leaving Australia is that I thought because God spoke to me during a 40 day fast About coming here to plant this church And I thought God you spoke to me through the the story of Moses and Moses had this burning bush moment He had this encounter with God where God spoke to him in the place And when God spoke to me said I need you to go back to Egypt and set my people free And if you read the story of Moses he goes and Pharaoh won't let him go because God had Pharaoh hardened Pharaoh's heart

hard heart is not the environment for seed to grow and The reason why Pharaoh's heart was hardened is so that when Pharaoh finally let the people go The Bible says they live with so much riches so many things that they couldn't carry all the riches out of Egypt To go into the new land, and I thought Emma We're good This is gonna be our story That was not our story We didn't leave with riches and provision because provision was not in that place provision was in this place And I always ask God. Why didn't you let us leave with provision and Sony now? I'm starting to see the reason why God didn't leave us with provision because the provision is always in a place And why did God have the provision for us here and not there? And I started to read this story, and I realized that every divine instruction is a seed And it's you're sent to a specific place because God doesn't just want to provide for you God wants to bless you so you can be a What's this first King 17 talks about Elijah the Prophet Elijah? And it says this where he was fed by ravens it says in verse 2 then the Word of the Lord came to Elijah and If we can start a verse 3 Yeah Then the Word of the Lord came to Elijah leave here and turn eastward and hide in the Kerith ravine east of the Jordan In that place you will drink from the brook you will drink from the brook He says leave here and go there You will drink from the brook and I have directed the Ravens To supply you with food not where you were but in there in a new place Do you know provision is so much in a place that God could take dirty birds called Ravens? Ravens are scavenger birds They don't bring to they take from But God can so change the nature of a dirty bird to be a bird that delivers the provision That you're looking for when you're obedient to move from that place to move into this place that God has called you to Verse 5 says this so he did what the Lord had told him

He went from the Kerith ravine east of the Jordan and he stayed there the Ravens brought him bread pun and meat in The morning and bread and meat in the evening and he drank from the brook as provision is always in the right place There was something that happened where the brook dried up Verse 7 says sometime later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land In fact Elijah was the one who declared that there was going to be a drought because God will not bring provision where there's sin God will not bring provision where you are not doing things according to his word He says verse 8 then the word of the Lord came to him go at once to where The word of Lord came to him and said go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there I have directed a widow there not where you are But there to supply you with food so when you give the church does get blessed When you give the staff gets blessed to lead when you give the pastor does get blessed When you give the building does get blessed and we can afford this building when you give we can purchase equipment when you give we can do outreach and we can do ministry. Come on, thank God for the givers in the house. When you give, your giving makes a difference to see life's change and life transformed. I love that I get to give too. In fact, at Easter, we had 2,500 people come in this place to receive food and life and meet Jesus and have salvation. How many people? 2,500 people. You know what 10% of 2,500 people is? Shout it out. 250. You know what 1% of 2,500 is? Come on, mathematicians, help them out. 25, 25.

Here's what's interesting. We just realized, Emma and I, are in the top 25 givers in our church. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. We once sowed a seed of our home savings to make it over here to birth what God is doing here. But if I sowed seed yesterday and don't keep sowing seed today, then the harvest I'm looking for tomorrow will never be here. So we will always, and I think we have a privilege to lead. Now, that's a pretty scary thought that the pastor's in the top 25 givers of the church. I'll let that one sit right there. Verse 10 says, so he went to Zarephath. Maybe God's calling you to rise. Maybe that God's placed something inside of you because some of you have resources to do what you're about to see. But you ain't gonna beat me. I'm always gonna be in the top 25 in Jesus' name. I'm competitive. So he went to Zarephath and he came to a town gate. A widow was there gathering sticks and he called her and asked, would you bring me, shout it out, bring me what?

A little water in a jar. A little water in a jar so I may have a drink. He didn't ask for a lot. He asked for a little. As she was going to get it, he called out and said, and please bring me a piece of bread. Verse 12, surely is the Lord your God lives, he replied. I don't have any bread and I only have a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. What does she have? She has a little jar and she has a little jug. What is that called? That's called a seed. You might think you only have a little in your life, but all God needs is a little to turn it into a lot. So what does the prophet do? The prophet helps the person, the woman, find a place for the provision. Find a place to plant the seed and gives a process in which she can prosper. I'm gathering a few sticks to take home to make a meal for myself and my son that we may eat and we may, me eat and what? Pause, hold that there. A footnote to all our men, to all the sons in the house. She has gotten to a place where all that she has when it comes to hope in her life is to eat her last meal for her to die

and for her son to die. Her only hope is death. Why? Because she's a widow. Do you know what a widow is? It's a woman who has lost her man. When fathers die, families fail. Can I tell you men, if you've ever questioned your significance in your family and your position in your home, let this be the last day that you question your position and your call of God in your life. You have been placed there as an oak of righteousness. You've been placed there to lead because when fathers fail, when fathers are absent, families die. And I'm so grateful that we have a church that pours into our men who are wearing son's shirts right now. You are a son of God. You know what that makes you men? And you better get up on your feet. If there's one woman standing up and there's no man standing up in this place, you need to know that as a man of God, you are significant. You need to know as a man of God, you are necessary in your family. You are special. You are unique. You're not a woman, you're a man.

And you are necessary. When fathers fail, families die. And this is why we need to men of God, a history maker's church, to rise up and take your place and make some noise in this place. If you know you are called by God. The woman's awesome. She's awesome. Praise God for the woman. Praise God for the woman. I'm grateful for the woman. But I love that we have groups where you may not have a man in your life, but there is a man in this church who will stand in the gap to care, to look after you. Leaders in this church. She's awesome. She has a vision to feed her son and herself. We call that noble. God calls that nonsense. So the prophet has to come and say to her, I know you think what you're doing is noble, but I need you to lift your vision because God has more. You don't lift your vision to number one put God first You need to lift your vision to include others sons and daughters. You haven't even seen yet and then Think about yourself and your family. The Bible says it like this seek first

The kingdom of God and his righteousness and then listen all the things you're looking for God says it will be added unto you a God sized vision always Elicits God sized participation. You need a God sized vision to invite God sized participation Verse 13 Elijah said to her do not be afraid go home and do as you have said, but first someone say first Make a small loaf of bread for who? Man, can you imagine a woman's dying? She hasn't got enough and the pastor says give me something I mean that's not going to go down well on social media Feed me first from what you have and bring it to who? God doesn't ask you to give from what you don't have God asked you to give from what you do have He said what do you have and he says bring it to who bring it to me? Bring it to me each week when we bring our finances We're bringing it to God to see his kingdom come here his kingdom come his will be done in Jamaica in South Florida in the prisons in your life But you got to bring it to God and then he says and then after you've given it to me which represents giving it to God make something for yourself and for your So she hasn't forgotten her. He hasn't forgotten her and he hasn't forgotten her son verse 14 Let's read this verse 14 for this is what the Lord the God of Israel says a jar of flour Will not be used up and the jug of oil will Not run dry until the day the Lord sends the rain Come on, even in a drought even in poverty God can bring prosperity when you find yourself in the right place Doing what God has called you to do and it will require the seed called obedience verse 15 So she went away and did as Elijah told her the seed of obedience and here was the result So there was food some days There was food what There was food every day an abundance in the middle of a drought a lot turned into a little there was enough food every day for Elijah who represents God and his people his purposes and for the woman For her family God supplies not just just enough but God always supplies

More than enough for Elijah and the woman. Come on. You can clap your hands right there. That is a good word Verse 16 says for the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry in keeping with the word spoken by spoken by The Word of God coming out of your mouth has the same power as if God spoke it himself and When God speaks into darkness and says let there be light darkness doesn't stay light comes Do you know why the Word of God coming out of your mouth has the same authority as if Jesus himself spoke it? Because the Word of God coming out of your mouth is still the Word of God You got to speak the Word of God over your circumstances Don't look at darkness and be drowned in darkness speak and say let there be light because God watches over his word to perform it Amen. So number one your provision is in a Place you will not prosper in any place. You'll prosper in the right place Your provision is in a place number two. Your person is in a place someone say your person There is a person in the place before God created the person Adam. He created the place called the garden off He puts Adam to sleep and he provides for Adam out of Adam a person called Eve in The Garden of Eden because your person is waiting for you in the place in Genesis 2 18 It says then God said it's not good for man to be alone I'm gonna make him a helper who is right just for him. Hey single people Before God creates the person he prepares the place What's this if you're single in this room? Maybe God is preparing the place you for the person that he's bringing to you You are not the wrong person You just might be the person that God is preparing because before God puts in the person he always prepares the place Can I tell you Ruth didn't find her Boaz in any place No, Ruth followed Naomi and said where you go I will go your people will be my people because Boaz were not waiting for her just in any Anyplace, Boaz is waiting for her in the right place. Can I tell you, you are the person that God is preparing and you want him to prepare you because he's also preparing them.

The single people make some noise in the place. We can close the laptop and finish right there. This is a picture of Kevin. Kevin has served in translation up there, hola mi gente. Kevin actually started serving as a single guy here on sound. He was the guy that set up the sound with the amazing team and made sure that when I speak, you can hear me. Kevin was on sound. Kevin was single. Kevin, there's another person in our church. Her name is Christina. This is Christina. Christina is a principal at a school, assistant principal at a school. She served in hospitality. So when you come in to get your coffee or cafe con leche, we don't actually have that, but we got coffee, Aussie coffee, American coffee. You get your coffee, that's where she served. Kevin's single, Christina's single, but they're both serving in the place, in the place. Watch this. We have our dream team Christmas party in 2022. And this is the picture of our dream team party. Now this doesn't mean anything to you, but this is where we celebrate all the people serving. Kevin had never met Christina. Christina had never met Kevin.

This is a photo that was snapped up by Kijon. This is Christina walking up to get an award and look at Kevin smiling. Look, he's ready. He's locked. He knows what he wants. He is seated at the table with Christina because your provision is not in any place. It's in the right place. It's in the right place. So now this is a picture of Kevin and Christina, the next one, who are now married, everyone. I got the privilege to marry them. I couldn't show you the photo of me as the celebrant marrying them because I'm just tears crying. I can't do weddings. I'm so bad. I'm too emotional. So Kevin's single meets Christina's single in the place serving God in the right place at the right time with the right people. Now, this is a picture of Kevin and Christina who now have, next one, a baby, their little baby. And so Kevin and Christina were in the right place. And so God says, hey, there is provision for you, but not necessarily on this side. So they've moved to another side and now they're serving as group leaders and this is their group that they are in.

That's one group. We've got a picture of another group. Come on, now they've got a group where they're meeting friends. They're leading, oh, they've got any more pictures of their group. Now they have their own home. They've purchased their own home. Now they have their own business and God is prospering their business. In the place, they found the people because the provision is always in the place. And I'm very happy to announce the next picture that now Kevin and Christina are about to have baby number two because your provision is always in a place. And all the single people made some noise. Come on, Sam, Tyrone is coming, girl. Hey, Matthew 13 says this. Coming to his hometown, this is Jesus, teaching the people in their synagogue. Now, where was Jesus? Jesus is teaching the people where in the? They were amazed and say, where did this man get this wisdom? Where did he get these miraculous powers? They asked, verse 55 says this. Isn't this, but hey, what? They said, isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't this just his mother, Mary?

Aren't his brother, James, Joseph, Simon, Judas? I mean, aren't all his sisters with us? Where did the man, where then did this man get all these things? And they took offense at him, but Jesus said a prophet is not without honor except in his own town and own home. Verse 55, and he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. Your miracle may not happen there in the wrong place, but your miracle will happen here in the right place, in the right place. Jesus understood place. Favor is not found in every place, but favor is found in this place where we honor God. Watch this, Jesus understood that church was the place. When we see Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords comes down from divinity and comes down into humanity and chooses to put on his earth suit to operate just like we. He should operate to show us that the promises of God will work in our humanity. And so he comes and he gives up his divinity so that what you see Jesus do, we can do. Watch this. It says, Luke 2, three days later, his parents are looking for him and they discovered him where? In the temple, in the temple, not in any place, in the temple, in the church, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them, what you're doing right now, and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. But why did you need to search, he asks his parents. Did you not know that I must be at my father's house?

But they did not understand what he meant. And there in the temple, where? There in the temple, Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, favor with God, and favor with man, favor with people. Can I tell you, you got to plant yourself in the right place because every seed needs soil. Every fish needs water to be successful. And every person needs their place in order to prosper. You need the house of God. In fact, Jesus grew in those four, actually five areas. And we've actually put our church, modeled our church, structured our church around those five things. That if you will plant yourself in this church, some of you have been visiting, some of you are kind of turning up, but if you will not just sit, but get yourself planted, deep roots will get good fruit. And what's this? It says Jesus grew in wisdom. Jesus grew in wisdom. That means he grew mentally. Jesus grew in wisdom, favor, in stature, stature. So he grew physically. He grew emotionally. Jesus grew in favor with God. That means he grew spiritually. He's grew spiritually. And Jesus grew in favor with man. Favor with man is two areas of your life. That's where you grow relationally with people. And when you grow relation with people, there's another area it's called financially. Now what's this?

We say to people, give God a year. If you spend a year planted in this place, Jesus spent three years with the disciples that prepared them for a lifetime of ministry. Now here's what we are so guaranteed emotionally. So wisdom, you come every Sunday, you will grow in your mental health. We have series, take notes, stature. We have groups where literally you're growing physically. We have run groups. We have walk groups. We have tennis groups. If you find yourself in a group, favor with God spiritually, find yourself in the house of God. Do not miss a Sunday. You're going to find relationships as you grow in your stature because you're going to sign up for a team and when you don't turn up, someone's going to go, hang on, hey, I thought, Philip, I thought you were meant to be serving this weekend. Is everything okay? You call Philip, it's like, no, no, something happened with my kids. Hey, we're there to help you. So you got to get people around. You'll grow in your stature. You're going to grow in favor with men. That's called relationally. Come on, that's what Kevin did when he met Christina because he found himself not in any place. He found himself in the right place, which is the house of God because your provision is always in a place. Now watch this. Remember the fish? When I took the fish and it was out of water, it looked pretty silly.

A fish out of water looks silly because it's out of place. Now, here's what's interesting. If you focus on this and on that picture right there, let's put up another picture of it. What do you see? I see a crucified Jesus on the cross, legs, arms, head. Those five things is Luke 2 because it's not just about coming to the place to find provision. The keys can come. It's not just about coming to the place to find your person. It's actually about coming to the house to find his presence called Jesus. A fish doesn't die because it's out of water because it was out of water. Did it die? No, no, no. A fish doesn't die. Look at me. Look at me. A fish doesn't die because it's out of water. A fish dies when the water is out of it. That fish lived over here because although it was out of water, the water was still in its gills and so it could fish breathe. In fact, that fish could live for an hour, two hours, three hours out of water as long as the water doesn't get out of it. The whole purpose of God saying, bring the tithe about being planted in a place is because God knows where your treasury is there. So he needs your heart in there. You know the story of the widow who was about to kill herself and her son was about to die, but she invited the participation of the prophet with a seed. She invited because she's Sewed and you thought the miracle was that she had provision to last until the drought was over Because there was enough for the prophet for her and her family That's not the miracle

If you go back to the story in first Kings, it says Sometime later that same woman Became the son became very sick He was saved from the famine you've come in the church you've met Jesus, but remember Giants are not a sign that you're exiting Egypt They didn't have the biggest battle there. They had the biggest battle when they were entering into the promised land He grew worse and worse and finally he did what What do you do when the promise of God dies? I've planted myself. I have turned up and now we're getting a divorce I've turned up and now my children have been abused and this has happened in my life God. How dare you? How could you God you provided for my business and you blessed me, but God what I really wanted you haven't given me You remember the story of Lee that guy who's a multimillionaire came and preached three weeks ago Has all the money in the world his daughter gets sick He knows all the right doctors Nothing could help him with financially But there was a prophet who came a pastor who spoke a word over his daughter You need a word from God verse 8 says this Then she said to Elijah. Oh man of God. What have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sin and kill my son? Everyone ever felt disappointed with God and the circumstances you're in. Can we be honest in this place? I know I did when we were leaving Australia looking for provision, but it wasn't there Some of us and here's what he said verse 19 says but Elijah said give me your son God says give me the very thing that has died in your life. Give me the relationship Give me your singleness Give me the business that you're battling with right now. Give it to me Give it to me Because that business that you're holding on to a dear life You're choking the life out of it and it's killing you and your family. How do you give it to God? Will you take a portion and you say God? I'm not the Lord of his business

I am sewing a portion back to you because I want to come under the covering when you give it breaks pride Off your life like the devil where you think I can handle this a hundred percent. It is all on me When I give I'm actually saying to God, is it a dream? I'm saying to God. I can't do this on my own I need you is the money tearing your family apart the inheritance a sale of a house the bonus from a windfall It's dead in your hands already But watch what happens when she gives it to God watch what happens. My father passed away Before he passed away. He moved from Australia and he moved to Jamaica He took the sale of his house the family home and invested it with my sister in her house all of it In her house, he's no longer here, but all the money is still there Am I gonna fight over that? Some of you are fighting over stuff where God says just give it to me. Just release it Some of you are fighting family over stuff where God says just give it to me Just give it to me. What's this and He took the child's body from her arms. It has to be released for God to bless it She chose to give it a seed must die to bear fruit and he carried him where up where Up the stairs to the room. He was staying God doesn't say lay treasure up here on earth But when we give we are laying treasure up in heaven not from us But for us away from where moth and rust and corrupts and destroys This is the verse we read in Malachi 10 When we say bring all the tithe where into the Storehouse that there may be food in my house now watch this that word tithe Represents something that's a value to you So I don't know what it is. That's a value to know. I know money is a value to all of us But is it a dream? Is it a disappointment? Is it your husband your wife? Is it your child? What is it just replace the word tithe with what's a value to you and God says hey bring that Into the storehouse bring your husband to church Bring your family to church bring the boy you want to be your boyfriend to church

Make sure they meet Jesus first And he says if you bring it there will be food in my temple And if you do says the Lord I will open up the windows off heaven There's a reason why the boy had to be taken up in the story to the upper room. That's a starting point Because you will watch what's valuable to you and watch what happens. That's where your treasuries is where your Do you know you watch? What's valuable to you? So she watched as the boy went up. See I watch life 360 I Watch the cameras in my house. Oh I watched the cameras on Friday night at youth at HQ There is cameras right now over in our kids I watch because I've got something I value there I Watch how fast my children Hosanna is driving in the car because you watch where your treasuries your heart goes I Invested money in this stock in Australia called Commonwealth Bank Do you know when I took my money out? I don't care about Commonwealth Bank stock because my treasure my my heart's not there because my treasure is not there So if you do, I'll open up the floodgates of heaven put me to the test. Let's go back to the story So Elijah laid the boy's body on his bed God takes what's valuable to me and he lays it on his bed in heaven Dead things little things come back to life when it's laid on the bed of heaven Verse 20 then Elijah cried out to the Lord. Oh my god why have you brought this tragedy on this widow who's opened her home to me causing her son to and He stretched himself over. Have we got a scripture? He stretched himself over If we can keep that scripture up, did I not give it to you guys? Hope I did Let me tell you what it is. It's going back to that original scripture It's in there. It's in the Bible somewhere He cried out why have you brought his tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me and he stretched himself over Why over? Because over is a covering

Over is now the fish is covered in something that protects it and allows it to prosper you know when you go out to lunch and there's that always that one guy or girl who's like I forgot my wallet and Then someone has to say no, it doesn't matter. I got you covered I got you covered three times this happened and he cried out to the Lord Oh Lord Please let this child's life return to him three is significant in the Bible because three is the number of agreement if two of you agree is touching anything here on earth agreeing with my word God says I will do it a Threefold accord is not easily broken the Lord heard Elijah's prayer and the life of the child returned and he was Revived verse 23 then a law Elijah brought him down. What did God say would happen when you bring the tithe into the storehouse? He will open the floodgates of heaven and bring something down for you He brought the child down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. Look He said your son is alive. You brought your marriage to the house of God went to the marriage course Look, your marriage is alive. You brought your business to the house of the God. Look your business is alive Look, you brought your mental health to the house of the Lord and look you are Alive and a woman told Elijah now. I know for sure that you're a man of God and that the Lord truly speaks through you The Word of God is a seed and all you need is in the seed but all the seed needs is not in you a Seed must be planted in soil Before God creates the person he always creates a place. Do you know why God creates a place? Because in the place called the house of God is his presence Oh your presence your presence You know the presence of God is here right now hit the five Cuz your presence Is Your presence God your presence Is Okay, so here's what we're gonna do right now some of you the reason why you're not prospering you think you're out of Order, you're not out of order. You're just not in the right place

Right now in here in the presence of God God is here and the same God that revived that little boy The same God who was able to do miracles in a place of faith The Bible says if you believe in your heart and you confess with your mouth You shall be saved with every eye closed and every head bowed if you're here today, you've never accepted Jesus Your provision is in a place But the person you need is in the place. His name is Jesus. I'm gonna Prayer, prayer of salvation. And if you want to invite Jesus into your heart and you want me to include you in this prayer, just lift those hands and say, yep, include me, Terrence. Awesome, I see hands going up all across. You know you need the person and his presence. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, awesome. God sees those hands. You can put those hands down. We're gonna invite the presence of God into your life. This is called salvation. Let's say this prayer. Let's say, dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to find me and forgive me. Today, I found my place. It's in your presence and I'm diving in. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Make me a new creation. I am saved in Jesus' name. Amen and amen and amen. Come on, we lift up a big shout of praise and thank God.

Hey, if you prayed that prayer, before you go, just give me 30 seconds. If you prayed that prayer, we'd love to be able to give you this card right here. It's in the seat pocket right in front of you. And it just says, I prayed that prayer. Now, please hear me and hear me strong. A fish doesn't die necessarily because it's out of water. It dies because the water gets out of it. If you don't get yourself in the right environment with the wrong people, you might come on Sunday, but Monday to Friday looks like the fish out of water. And this is why we wanna help you take some next steps with Jesus. If you've never planted yourself in the house of God, would you make a decision that as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. We've got a Bible we'd love to give you. We'd love to pray with you. You can take this card and drop it at our next steps tent as you walk out. And we've got a Bible and a gift we'd love to give you. If you're a visitor for the first time, we love you. We'd love to get connected with you. Please, if you've got that little gift, let someone know that you're here for the first time. And we're gonna finish there. Hey, anyone feel like fish for lunch? Why don't we stand? I'm gonna pray a blessing over you before you go.

Father, I thank you. Hey, did you receive that word here today? Everything you need is in a place. And this is the place. Lift those hands. Father, I thank you that the church is the people. So those with their hands lifted are the place that's invited your presence. For every person in this place, God, I pray that their body, their life, their mind, their home would be a place where your presence fills to provide them with all that they need to do all that you've called them to do and to be all that you've created them to be. May marriages be restored. May homes be healed. May minds be made whole because they've found themselves in the place and invited you, the King of Kings, into their place. Bless every home. Bless every family. We ask this in Jesus' Name. And all God's people, shout it, Amen! Amen. Hey, heaven is celebrating and we are celebrating with you. And we wanna walk this journey together. So if you prayed that prayer or you just wanna know more about Jesus, follow the prompts that are on the screen right now.

We are so proud of you. And honestly, God's vision for you is to see you live that better story, epic and eternal. We say it like this, to see you holy, healthy, happy, and bring in heaven to earth. And if you're watching and you wanna help others find Jesus like that, you can partner with us. And together we can make that epic difference. Hey, giving details are coming up on the screen. And we just say, if God's blessed you, you can be a blessing to other people as well. And hey, if you're here in the South Florida area, we'd love to see you in person. Check out the description below for times and the location where you can come to a service. We would love to see you soon. This is History Makers Church where friends truly become family. See you soon.