Youth Takeover 4-in-7

God has chosen you to step into things at your proper time. So we're going to keep trusting and believing who we are. That I am royal, that I can do this. And that's why standing up here a year later means a lot to me. I'm standing here with a crown on my head. Somebody in this room better say I'm royal. Come on, who has a testimony of the goodness of God? Can somebody praise God that we are not who we once were, that we should be here today? But let me tell you right now, pain didn't have to find a word, God did. And the God will redeem, restore, and renew me as a reason. I can stand here today and testify to you that darkness may have had a chapter, but it did not get to write the envy. It is next-gen Sunday and I'm so excited about who we have here. What you're seeing is our four speakers and here's how today's going to look. We've got two of our speakers who are next-gen leaders. And then we have two of them who are actually next-gen students. And I say who to, because I believe this is what a picture of what next-gen ministry should look like. And by that, here's what I mean. That God hasn't just called us to minister to the next generation, but God has actually called us to minister through the next generation. You know, I believe that God's always called us to pass the baton. So the next generation can carry what God has placed in us, into them, and it keeps on passing like this, and that's what the Bible says. Since you're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, you run your race now. I've passed it on to you. And so I think you're going to be blessed by hearing from them. In fact, each one of these four people were actually part of our kids' camp and our youth camp. And here's the verse that we had over the kids' camp and youth camp. And here's what I want you to do. Before you stand, we're going to read this together.

But today's going to look like this. Each one of them is going to have seven minutes. Guantot d'Empo? Seven minutes to be able to take one part of this verse and preach it. And here's what I want you to do, and here's what I want you not to do. I want you to praise and shout and cheer them on like the Word of God is being spoken. Because guess what? The Word of God is going to be spoken today. And can I tell you this, Word of God has the same power coming out of anyone's mouth as if Jesus is speaking it because it is the Word of God. So I want to tell you, we were blessed last service. We had a chance to hear these words. And I promise you, you're going to be blessed by each one of these speakers. Can we just stand on our feet right now as we read the Word and I want to set the scene for what they're going to lead us through today? Can I encourage you to read it out loud with me? It says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praise of him who called you out of the darkness into his..." Come on, if you believe that, would you clap your hands in this place? Stay standing. I'm going to introduce very quickly each person. We have a truly who leads our... Come on, everyone loves truly. She leads history makers' kids so diligently, so faithfully. Also leads our history makers' youth alongside Gave and truly our next-gen director doing a phenomenal job and really does have a heart for our next-gen which I'm sure you'll hear and you'll see today. Next, we're going to hear from Mike. Come on, who loves Mike?

We love Big Mike. Mike has a QB. He serves each weaker, serves one, sits one in our set up and pack down team. He actually has been serving with an internship. So over summer, he came to learn. What does ministry look like on the day-to-day? Because it's not just Sunday. And he's been serving on the truly and Gave and done a phenomenal job. Alongside RV is actually one of our interns and just excited to hear from Mike. And he's one of these guys that are pouring into our next-gen, our men. And we need men like Mike to lead our next generation. Next, it's very close to my heart. As some of you can tell, these two next speakers... We're next, we're going to have Hosanna Mullings. And just so you know, I did not ask Hosanna, neither did Emma, ask her to speak. I asked truly who's our next-gen director. Hey, who do you think would be a great representation of history-makers kids? I want these parents to see what is being poured into their children when they get taken over to history-makers kids. And she suggested Hosey and Jerry. In fact, I actually did ask Hosanna, would you want to speak? And she said, "No, Dad." And then, truly asked her, and she said, "Yes, truly." And so, you kind of see who has the influence in this relationship. And can I encourage your parents in all honesty? Pour into that youth leader. And don't try and do this on your own. This is like, it takes a village to raise a child. And you've got a whole community of people who want to help your children. And so I want to encourage you, if you're struggling, like get them along the youth.

We promise you, if you'll bring your kids to history makers' kids from 12 weeks through to elementary. By the end of that time, they will know God, they will know the Bible's stories, they will know Jesus, and they will know that the Word works in their life. And so I want to encourage you to keep bringing them. And so I'm so proud of you, Hosey. This is the first time ever speaking up here, so make sure you encourage her. And then next we have my son Jeremiah Mullings. Come on, Jerry. This is his second time he actually spoke last year at Next Gen Sunday. And in fact, what you're going to hear from Jeremiah is, firstly, he's a great communicator. Obviously, he takes after his mama. You know it. He takes after his mama, but what you'll hear from Jerry is that he has a great testimony of what God has done through and in his life over the next year. And I think it's going to really bless you. But while you're standing, come on. Would you make some noise for our first speaker this morning? Truly, Maria Ortiz! Good morning, Church! Are you excited? Thank you, Pastor Terrence and Pastor Emma, for just always pouring into the next generation and making room for us to continue to pour into them. Family, today we are going to talk about First Peter 2-9, and I'm going to talk about being chosen. Everyone say, "I'm chosen." First Peter 2-9, it says, "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people." Now, I'm going to stop right there because I want to focus on that word really quick. That word, "chosen." Because in no context or definition, when you hear that word, is it ever on a whim? Or random, or on accident? The word "chosen" is a very intentional act. And I want to tell you today that God has intentionally chosen you. And there's three things I want you to know today. That you were chosen before, you were chosen despite, and you were chosen to live differently. Chosen before, Jeremiah 1-5, it says, "Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you." So before you ever chose Jesus, Jesus chose you. Before you knew his name, he knew your name. Before you loved him, he loved you.

But what happens when you feel like God has chosen everyone else but you? Maybe you might be feeling like because something hasn't happened for you yet, that God didn't choose you or choose you for that thing. And then we start to play that comparison game in our mind. That person's business is successful, but mine isn't. That person got an opportunity, but I didn't. That woman had the baby, and I haven't yet. And that was my story from 2018 to 2024, six years of trying to conceive and it not happening and me thinking that God probably didn't choose me for that. Maybe he didn't choose me for motherhood. And I allowed what hadn't happened yet to make me question what God already said about me. And I started to connect my identity to an outcome. And in that moment, I had to shift. And I had to start to pray and declare and know that I was chosen before this was even an issue. Before infertility was even a thing and me God already chose me before. So I had to stand firm on who I was that he chose me my identity in him. And I had to not allow my circumstances to speak, but for me to speak to my circumstances and trust God that he has chosen me regardless of the outcome. Regardless of if that baby comes or not, he's chosen me and I could stand on that and trust in him. And friends, when I began to shift and realize that I am chosen and trust God finally in 2024, I ended up conceiving. And I gave birth to my baby boy Josiah. He's going to be two years old next month. He was chosen by God to be born at the proper time. I was chosen to give birth at the proper time. God has chosen you to step into things at your proper time. So we're going to keep trusting and believing who we are. I never told anybody that, but it's because I believed that he had such a great plan for his life that God had made him special,

and that's how God feels about us, that he calls us Chosen. That's who we are. He calls us Chosen. And if God chose you before you were born, then nothing you've experienced afterwards could cancel his choice. You are Chosen, despite. And I think of David in the Bible, and there was a prophet named Samuel who went to Jesse's house. This is David's dad's house. And Samuel's looking for the next king of Israel. So he goes to Jesse's house, and Jesse brings out his seven sons. And just by looking at them, they were probably great considerations to be the next king of Israel. So, as Samuel's there, the Lord speaks to him. And he says in 1 Samuel 16, seven, but the Lord said to Samuel, do not consider his appearance or his height. For I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the hearts. So Samuel looks at Jesse and said, do you have another son? And Jesse says, well, yeah, there's David out in the field tending to the sheep. So they call David in, and David comes in.

And in that moment, Samuel looks at him, and he says, rise and anoint him. He is the one. Friends, David was chosen despite, despite his outward appearance, despite how young he was, despite how he looked compared to his brothers, despite his ability or his inability in that season, despite what his brothers and his father may have thought about him, whether he was worthy to be king or not, the Lord saw him and the Lord chose him. He was chosen despite, so whatever your circumstances are right now, you are chosen despite those things. And King David ended up being one of the greatest kings of Israel. So much so that Jesus was born from his lineage. Friends, what God has for you. You are chosen despite those things that you think are in the way. God has chosen you despite that. And the greatest lie of the enemy is to make you believe that you aren't chosen. In 1 Peter 5a, it says, be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, he prowls around trying to devour your purpose, trying to devour your calling so that you don't walk in it and so that you miss out on the fact

that because God has chosen you, he has great plans for your life. Now friends, knowing your chosen is one thing. Now living like it is another. We're chosen to live differently. Just like how Jesus died for us, there is a call to die daily. It's called dying to self and living for Christ. Galatians 220 says, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And some of us have been settling beneath what it means to be chosen. We've settled with addiction. We've settled with compromising our purity. We've settled with dating the wrong person, with comparing ourselves. We've settled with being dishonest and unforgiving and holding on to offense. We've settled with living one way on a Sunday and differently throughout the week. Friends, I had a friend tell me one time that said, truly you know you can go to the club with us on Saturday and still be a woman of God on Sunday. And in that moment something rose up in me and said, I'm too chosen to live like that. I'm too chosen to make decisions like that and not because I'm better than anybody else. Not because God doesn't love me if I mess up, not because I'm trying to earn being chosen, but because I already knew who I am. So because of that, I need to live differently.

Holiness isn't how I get chosen. Holiness is a response to being chosen. So now I had to walk that out and live it out in my life. And can I be a friend in your life today that tells you the opposite of what that person told me? You're too chosen to live like that, friends. We're too chosen to live like that friends Jesus was too chosen to live like that and he knew it He knew he was chosen. He was chosen before he was born He was chosen despite what people accused him of and he was chosen to live differently And he did that he lived differently. So when the enemy tried to come and tempt him and tell him lies He was able to stand on the truth of what he knew and he didn't fall because he was standing on God's truth about him Friends, what are you standing for? Are you falling for everything because you don't know what God has called you to and how to live? He knew that he was chosen you're too chosen to stay that way Jesus even knew that he was too chosen to stay in that grave because he rose again three days So friends if you know that you are chosen I just want you to stand up in this place real quick And I just want you to give God a shot of praise if you know you're too chosen to stay in that grave If you know you're too chosen to stay in that situation if you know you're too chosen to think like that Too chosen to walk like that too chosen to date like that Too chosen to compromise your purity like that Too chosen to keep going back to what God already delivered you from you're too chosen to keep doing that You're keep your two chosen to hold on to offense. You're too chosen to not forgive You are chosen Good morning history makers church You guys all look great you sound great now, let's give a great shot of praise for Jesus Now come on come on that would work if we were served in okay, God, but I'm talking about the great God Let's give a great shot of praise My name is Mike and I have a secret to tell you guys are you ready? Are you ready? This is actually my first time giving a message

So I need two things from you to help me out one I need you to talk back to me today. I need you to scream. I need you to get loud I need you to be alive today church. Don't leave me hanging up here. Let me hear how that's gonna sound actually There we go and two I need you guys to lock in everybody's scream lock in Because I know God has something for you here, and I can't have you walk out of here missing it I want to take a moment to honor our pastors Terrence and Emma I want to take a moment to honor our staff team and our next-gen leaders Gabe and truly Thank you guys for your belief in me for always pushing me and showing me that this is possible I also want to honor my setup and pack down team. I want to honor my youth team cuz it's a takeover today And I want to honor my lovely wife Ash. I Love you, and thank you for being my rock All right, I don't know if this is seven minutes in real time or pass or tea time, but let's go The title of my message is heavy is the head that wears the crown It means being royals sounds cool until you learn that the crown comes with responsibility It's easy to define royalty as you know being flashy and having a throne But let's see what the good old Bible says about being royal in the Bible royalty means having a position Of authority honor and spiritual identity in God's kingdom through Jesus Church cannot tell you something being royalty isn't just about what God calls you. It's about how you respond to the calling Peter says in our camp verse 1 Peter 2 9 and everybody say it with me But you are a chosen people a royal priesthood stop gotcha Being royal comes with carrying with the crowns to carry and I have three things that will help you do that so take notes tell your neighbor next to you listen up and Here we go The first thing is you need to speak royal your words carry weight Just as much weight as the crown on your head because before your circumstances change your language has the ability to change how you see yourself and the world around you Proverbs 18 21 says that song can bring death or life those who love to talk will reap the consequences say it out loud but you might be thinking it and that eventually becomes how you live. I came with a story for you guys so let's gather around the campfire, raise your hand if you were here for last year's next gen takeover. Okay, give yourselves a round of applause, I'll see you guys.

Before the takeover, I was given an opportunity to prepare and share a message for you guys. I was at my then girlfriend, now wife, Ashlyn's house and I got a voice note from Pastor Emma. Now, Pastor Emma doesn't know this but when she sent me that voice note, I was actually in the bathroom handling a little bit of business. All right, come on, I know I'm not the only one. Something crazy always happens when you're in the bathroom. This was an amazing opportunity, especially coming off of our first youth camp, which I was also leading at. So I had to balance preparing a message with being a camp leader, both of which I had never done before up until that point. So I said yes to preach, but I realized along the way, I just couldn't do it. I remember the frustration and the shame that I felt in that moment and the spiral of negativity started forming in my speech. I'm sure someone here can relate when I say that I'm usually my own biggest critic and in that time, I showed myself zero grace, but God, but God and this is why joining groups is so important. This is why finding a team is so important. This is why coming to youth nights is so important. God lifted me up by using my leaders and the people I serve with to speak life and truth over me. They helped me to start doing that for myself and I had to start speaking what God said about me over and over and over again, that I am royal, that I can do this. And that's why standing up here a year later means a lot to me because last year I was cooked. This year, I'm standing here with a crown on my head. Somebody in this room better say I'm royal. The second thing is royalty needs you to get dirty. Here's something we don't always like to hear. The crown doesn't mean you have less responsibility.

It means you have more of it. Think about David, God chose him to be king, but after he was chosen, David went right back to the field. He didn't say I'm royalty now. Somebody else can handle this. David learned to serve faithfully first before he ever wore the crown. We love the story of David defeating Goliath, but don't forget about the lion and the bear. The battles that maybe a couple of people saw prepare David for the battle that everybody saw. Church, I need you to get this right here. God is developing royalty before anybody sees your crown. Maybe some of you are frustrated because you want the crown, but you don't want the field. My encouragement to you is don't despise the field. It's where God prepares you. Maybe you're in a season where you feel like nobody sees your hard work, but can I tell you that God is Elroy, the God who sees you? He's preparing you for the crown that he's called you to carry. So don't run from the field, run to the field. Everybody in this room better say I'm royal. And the third thing is you need to live royal. As a royal priesthood, we can't live the same way we did before we got the crown. Living royal means a new way of speaking. We don't curse, gossip, or tear people down. We use our words to lift people up, even when they're not around. Let's act this out. Bro, have you seen Julie? She's so rude and annoying right now. I don't get it. Whoa, whoa, whoa. We're not doing that.

The truly that I know is actually one of the most loving and caring people. So if you feel that way about her, you need to go tell her that yourself. FYI, nobody would ever say that about Julie. Come on, give Julie a shout of praise. Living royal means a new way of walking. How you carry yourself matters, you guys. We don't walk with pride thinking that we're better than everyone else. We walk with confidence because we know who our father is. And our father gave us the crown that we have on our head. And it means a new way of thinking because sometimes the heaviest part of the crown isn't what's on your head. It's actually what's in your head. The enemy would try to tell you that you're not royal, but the crown changes your mindset. Yes, the crown does have weight. I won't lie to you guys, but you were never meant to carry it alone. Jesus paid the price for your crown and he's the one who's going to help you carry it. Come on, somebody. Even closing, so now that you've learned how to carry your crown, I want to leave you guys with a challenge. When you carry it, remember Calvary, remember the cross. Because when Jesus carried the cross for you, before Jesus carried the cross for you. [BLANK_AUDIO] carried that crown and remember what he carried for you because I guarantee you guys today, if you can remember what Jesus carried for you, that's going to change the way that you carry what he's given you. The crown comes with responsibility, but, but the crown also comes with blessing. No history makers, my question to you here today is, how will you carry your crown? Hello church, I am so honored to be able to bring the word today, and today I want to speak to you guys from 1 Peter 2 9, and it says that we are God's special possession, and that just means that we belong to God, someone say I belong to God.

I think we all go through a moment in our lives where we ask, do I belong here? And even being in a place like this where it says where friends become family, you can find yourself asking the question, do I really belong here? Because I think the greatest tactic of the enemy is to make us feel like we don't belong. You know, I just turned 17, and I got the great opportunity to start at a new school, and you know it's very nerve-wracking the first day, like I don't know where any of the classrooms are, I don't know where my teachers are, and it's very scary, and I'm asking like, do I belong here? Maybe you've been to a party, and you just feel like you didn't belong. So today I want to speak to anyone who feels like they don't belong in God's family. You feel like the black sheep, and if I'm being really honest, there's always been this thing being mixed, like my mom's white, my dad's black, so with my black friends, I'm not black enough, or with my white friends, I'm not white enough, and there's always been this feeling of like, where do I belong? And God has given us this amazing choice. Do we want to belong to the world, or do we want to belong to the family of God? And it's a choice because you can't choose both, and I believe when you know you belong with God, it makes it easy to belong where God has placed you. So today I want to give you three truths, someone to say three truths, about belonging to God. Number one, you belong to God because he chose you. So this summer I got to preach at our first kids' camp, and it's the first time I've ever done something like that, and there's one thing I said to them that I think I should share with you guys. So who loves Toy Story? Who loves Disney? Where the adults that still love Disney are? So I have Woody here with me today, and I want to tell you a story about him. So in the second movie, Woody and his friends, well, his friends are going back to Andy, but this prospector has convinced Woody that he shouldn't go back to Andy, that he doesn't

belong with Andy, that he should stay on the shelf. And Woody has this moment of just contemplation, he's like, what should I do, like, who do I belong to, should I stay on the shelf, do I go back with my friends? And in this moment of thinking, he looks at the bottom of his foot, and what is he seeing? He sees Andy, listen, what made Woody special wasn't that he's a cowboy, it wasn't that he said there's a snake in my, that's not cool, but it's actually because Andy had purchased Woody, Woody now belongs to Andy, and there's a name written on his life, and can I tell you there's a name written on your life, and it's the name of Jesus. The Bible says in Isaiah 43 one, I have called you by name, you are mine, God knows your name. Yes, I'm talking to you, God knows your name, he chose you, and he says you are mine. So as most of you are known, I was born in Australia, no, I don't have the accent, so stop asking. But you guys were born in other countries, but as followers of Jesus, there's something even more important about where we belong to. The Bible says in Philippians 3 20, our citizenship is in heaven. So when we put our faith in Jesus, our ultimate identity isn't based on our nationality, our identity is in heaven. We belong to a different kingdom, that's why 1 Peter 2 9 says we are God's special possession, we belong to him, amen? My passport may tell you where I was born, but my faith will tell you where I belong. So the second thing I want to tell you is that Look 15, let's read it together. Then Jesus tells them a story. He said, "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Won't he leave the 99 in the open country? Won't he go and look for the one lost sheep until he finds it? When he finds it, he will joyfully put on his shoulders

and go home. Then he will call his friends and neighbors together. He will say, "Be joyful with me, because I have found my lost sheep." And maybe some of us needed to hear that today. You might feel like the one who's wandered. You might feel like you've messed up too badly. You've gone too far. That God has forgotten about you. But Jesus tells us that when only one goes missing, that he goes looking for it. He leaves the 99 just for the one, amen? And the third thing I want you to know, and God wants you to know, is that you belonged to God because Jesus paid the price for you. The cost was huge, but God believed we were worth the cost. 1 Corinthians 6-20 says, "You were bought with a price." Family, Jesus, the Son of God, was rejected and cast away. He was healing the sick, opening the eyes of the blind, raising the dead, yet they still chose to crucify him. But this is the good news of the gospel. Jesus died for the sins of this world. He went to hell, and just like Andy purchased woody, Jesus purchased our salvation, and rose three days later to testify of the goodness of God. Come on, who has a testimony of the goodness of God? Can somebody praise God that we are not who we once were? That we should have be here today! But God, someone say, "But God!" Thank you, Jesus. And here's the beautiful thing about belonging to God. When we know who we belong to, it changes how we live.

I don't have to spend my life trying to prove that I'm valuable. I don't have to earn God's love. I live from this security that I already belong to Him. And we want to bring God, Gloria, because He chose us, and He paid a price for us to have direct access to Jesus, so that our sins wouldn't separate us anymore. And it's interesting, now that I belong to God, I've actually made this decision to wait 'til marriage to have sex. Yeah, I said that. As His word tells us to do, and my dad didn't, so I know I can do it too. And it's so counter-cultural today, but I know that God has set us apart. He's set me apart, and I'm just too chosen to throw my purity around. I'm just too chosen to sleep with anyone. I'm just too chosen to go anywhere, 'cause God has set us apart. We are too chosen to be sleeping around. So, belonging with God means that we can't belong to the world. You can't do it double life. It's not like, let me get a little bit of the world. Let me get a little bit of God. I'm gonna come to church, but you don't know what I did last night. I'm gonna put on a little show for Sunday. You can't do both, and you can't stay on the fence, 'cause the fence belongs to the enemy. You belong to Jesus, or you belong to the world. So, who wants to say, who wants to belong to Jesus? (audience cheering)

See, so many of my friends are in relationships. They're going to the parties, drinking, smoking, and there is this sense, like, am I missing out? Like, I see all of it on social media, and I question, do I belong? But then I remember I've made this commitment to the Lord, and I truly believe that when you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, that all the other things that we want, he will provide. Amen? And here's the part of belonging that they don't really tell you about. It can be lonely sometimes. But I'd rather belong to God, and be used by God, than belong to the world, and be used by the world. So maybe today, you walked in feeling like the one who doesn't matter. You walked in feeling rejected. You've made too many mistakes. Maybe you know you've gone too far. You really wondered if God sees you, if God knows you. But can I tell you right now, God wants to meet you right where you are. He wants to meet you, eye your seat, and he wants to transform your life. He doesn't want you to leave the same. Not because you're perfect, not because you've earned it, not because you deserve it, because we do not deserve it. We are far from deserving. It is just because it is his character.

And it's just because he loves you. Amen. (audience cheering) (audience cheers) Good morning, good morning, good morning. Good morning, history makers, church. Come on, let's give them a round of applause so let's say the Jesus Christ. (audience cheering and applauding) Amen. As most of you guys know, my name is Jeremiah Moneys. And today, we're gonna talk about what it truly means to be called out of the darkness and into his wonderful life. And here's what I want you to remember throughout this entire message. And here's a title of my message today, you were not made for darkness. But what does it truly mean to live in the light that Jesus has called us into? Well, I'm gonna show you three ways that you can truly walk in that line. The first way is by remembering that Jesus brought you out of the darkness. Let me read that last part of the verse to you again. For he calls us out of the darkness and into his wonderful life. But I have a question, what does darkness feel like to you? Maybe it's when you're praying, but you can't feel anything changing.

Or maybe it's when you're obeying God and watching things in your life get harder instead of easier. Maybe you're trying to do the right thing, but everyone is misunderstanding you. You see, this week, on Friday, my Bible teacher bought in a street preacher to teach us how to defend our faith. But what he also did was show us the illustration, how to discern the voice between the lies of the enemy and God's truth. And it was truly so good, I couldn't get it out of my head, I'm gonna show it to you here today. You see, this book right here represents the lies of the enemy and darkness. And this book right here represents God's truth and the light. And all what I want you to see about this entire illustration is that the enemy's gonna keep throwing lies into your life saying, you're not good enough, you never be able to make it. But God says, I have chosen you. The enemy says you're too dirty, but God says the eye washed away all your sins clean. And so the enemy's gonna keep throwing lies into your life and God's gonna keep speaking his truth. But eventually you have so many lies and every time he throws a lie, it creates a friction point in your life. And you're gonna have so many friction points

in your life that now you can't discern the voice between God's truth and the lies of the enemy. And you're trying so hard to pull it apart, but you can. And the reason that it's so hard to pull apart isn't because the lies became true, but it's 'cause you kept weaving it into what you believed. You see, some of us love God, we go to church and we pray and still have the enemy's pages woven throughout our entire lives. You see, for me, my dark season of my life was my freshman year of high school. We had just finished our history makers' youth camp and honestly, my life was great. I truly had nothing to complain about and whenever I was struggling, I ran to God. You see, at year at camp, I had gotten a prophetic word saying, "Juramae, you're gonna lead people." But what my dad told me is that every time you get a prophetic word from God, the devil's gonna come with a persistent problem. And that problem, for me, was believing the lies of the enemy. What the enemy had told me is that, "Juramae, you're never gonna live up to the expectation of your calling." Or, "Juramae, you're never gonna be good enough and people are always gonna judge you because you can't do it." And I had taken those lies and ran with them. But the mistake I made is that I didn't run to God,

I ran to the world. So I started living like my life truly had no value at all. I ran to the weed, I ran to the alcohol. That's right, me. The pastor's kid who's supposed to have his whole life figured out was living like everybody else. I would leave the house at two in the morning just to get high with friends or go to parties because I didn't care. See, that's what darkness did to me. The enemy didn't have to take my life. He just had to convince me that there was no point and no value in it. You see, I was living like pain had the final word over my life, but let me tell you right now, pain didn't have the final word, God did. And the God who redeemed, restored, and renewed me is the reason I can stand here today and testify to you that darkness may have had a chapter, but it did not get to write the envy. (audience cheering) You see, healing sometimes looks like this. It's identifying every lie that you have ever believed and replacing it with what God has actually said. And that brings me to my next point. What you believe will shape where you stay. You see, sometimes darkness doesn't feel dramatic. It just feels familiar. It sounds like this is just who I am now. I'm never gonna change and I'm too broken.

And as you hear those lies long enough, you're gonna start building your life around them. But darkness is a liar in the name of Jesus because what you feel isn't always what's true and what happened to you is not the final definition of you. And what you've done is not too powerful. The enemy is going to tell you that you're stuck But God says I'm still writing your story the enemy says you will never be free But God says for them. Son says free is free indeed The enemy is going to say there's no way back But God says come to me And maybe that's the word for somebody today You don't have to see the whole way out of the darkness You just have to keep walking towards the light and God will guide your steps And that takes me to my third and final point let his light shine through you Now it's gonna get real dark in here, and I want to show you this one quick illustration What's this? All it took was one little light now I can see all of you guys and you guys can see me too But what I truly want you to get from this illustration is that that light didn't have to yell at the darkness It doesn't have to get mad at the darkness. It doesn't have to scream at the darkness It simply has to shine and that's where Jesus wants us to do He doesn't ask you to have your whole life figured out He doesn't ask you to be the most famous person in the room or have the most money You just have to allow his light to shine through your life You see to eliminate that darkness it just took one light so when you go back to school What are you gonna do shine come on say with me when you go back to your house? What are you gonna do shine when you go back to your family? What are you gonna do shine? When you walk back into that place and it's only darkness What are you gonna do shine because you were not made for darkness you were made to walk in the light you were made for God

Come on make some noise if you believe that in this place Come on you can do better than that put your hands together and Thank God What a word we can just stay standing as we as we finish Can I tell you the next generation is in good hands aren't they? Church, I'm so proud of you for serving each week given each week. I'm so proud of you for entrusting us with your students elementary middle and high schoolers I want you to know that we believe in them. We care about them I mean I got Lakeisha here crying on the front where I like a pride a proud auntie come on As Jeremiah was wrapping that up. I just couldn't help it. Just remember that thought what are you gonna do when you go back into that darkness? you're gonna Shine you see you can't shine What you first haven't received? As each person was speaking you can't do any of that receive any of that step into any of that without Jesus He's the scripture that I I want to leave you with that Jesus says I am The light of the world. What does Jesus say I am? He doesn't say I'm gonna point you to the light. He doesn't say I'm gonna tell you what about the light He says I am the light of the world in fact when God created the heavens of the earth. He said let there be See what he was doing you got to know at the beginning of creation God was releasing Jesus into the earth If you don't believe me think about this that all three were together and said let us make man in our own image Jesus was there at the beginning and in fact John tells us in the Bible that in the beginning was the word and the word is with God and the Word you got to understand Jesus is the light of the world and I don't know what darkness you walked in here Maybe like truly you you're believing did God choose me because my circumstances don't say that God has chosen me because I'm still Believing for the fulfillment of a promise. Maybe darkness for you are the thoughts that you have to live in and heavy is the crown But it's about the mind that's inside because the mind will affect the mouth and when God speaks He doesn't just speak for communication for he speaks for creation And so we got to get fixed the mind things so the mouth thing gets fixed I don't know of darknesses for you when you think of the past and the mistakes you've made Maybe like Jerry you you started off really awesome forgot

Can I tell you my heart's never been broken More than to think under my watch Under my watch And I'm a present father. I'm extra. I am Went away to two conferences seeking the Lord serving the Lord and I look at the cameras and my son is covering the cameras Trying to sneak out with friends See you can't weave a little bit of the world in a little bit of God There's a reason why when light comes on it distels darkness You can't give something you haven't first receive. I want to tell you. It's either light or darkness. It can't be both Like hose you said I can't just want a little bit of world a little bit of God. I got to choose I'm too chosen to live like I used to know I got to live and follow I don't know if the darkness is because of your past. I don't know if the darkness that you're feeling is not because of the things you've done, but maybe the darkness that you're living in is something that was done to you. And you can't seem to get out of that. Can I tell you, there's an eternal darkness that all of us are destined for, except for Jesus, the light of the world. And here's what the scripture says. "Not only am I the light that dispels all darkness, "death and the grave." He says, "If," someone say, "If." See, "If" is a proposition. The difference between darkness and light is the decision. He says, "If," you've got the choice, and I'll tell you why the choice is now yours, because God already chose you. God already wrote His name on your heart and on your life.

You're already gods, but you gotta choose whether you're gonna stay with the prospect of the enemy, or you're gonna come and follow this Jesus who love you and chose you before the foundation of the earth. So now the choice is yours and mine, and I made that decision around about 13 years old again. When I got baptized and said, "I'm gonna serve God. "I'm not gonna live on my mum and dad's faith. "I gotta make it for myself." And I wanna say I'm proud of each and every one of you, Mike. I'm proud of you for stepping up. And last year, you said no. You believe the lies of the enemy that you weren't good enough and you couldn't do it. You didn't have the capacity, but God, the light of the world came in. And once this, he says, "If someone say, "If, if you follow me, "you won't have to walk in darkness." Why? Because you will have the light. Someone say the light. The same light at the beginning of creation, Jesus wants to come into your life, and he will illuminate all the darkness, all the dark thoughts. You're going back into your family and you think you're going back into darkness. God, the light is gonna come with you. You're going back into that workplace and you think, "Oh, that's dark. "God is gonna come with you." See, what happens when you carry the light,

you're now can shine the light, but you can't shine what you have in first receive. Can I tell you, greater than a light here on earth, there's a light, his name is Jesus, and he says, "I'm not just a light in darkness." He says, "I am the way to the Father, "the truth that will break every chain and every lie, "the way the truth and the life, life, life." That's abundant life. And the Bible says, here's how you receive that light. Hear me, hear me. If you believe in your heart and you confess with your mouth, he shall be saved. I believe that when God said, "I'm gonna turn the hearts of the children to the parents "and the hearts of the parents of the children, "this is what we're seeing today." And even out of the mouth of babes, innocence, you're hearing truth. If you're here in darkness has covered your life, if you're here and you've never accepted Jesus, or maybe you once walked with him, and life happened, you didn't have the results you wanted from God, and it caused you to walk away. This is your day to come home. Here's the Bible says, "If you believe in your heart "and you confess with your mouth, you shall be saved." This is a salvation call. If you've never accepted Jesus, or your once didn't walk away,

it's time to come back home. And here's how you rewrite your story. You ready? With your words. And so I'm gonna lead you in a prayer of salvation. And if you want me to include in that prayer, you gotta take a step and say, "No, no, I'm stepping in." 'Cause if you can't make a decision in here, trust me, when you get around your friends, or you'll make a decision for a while until you get entangled, and you may not understand how serious this illustration is. You cannot pull these books apart. Very well, I'm stronger than you. (congregation laughing) But can I tell you, here's the prophetic picture. You trying to do it in your own strength, you can't do it. (congregation laughing) But the Father can, but the Father can. Your Father in heaven can do it. Yes he can, because he's able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all, that you ask, think, or imagine. You see how I preach that, son? Come on now. So hear this truth. You got to me pulling that apart Father through the Son, and you get to your Father through the Son with every eye closed and every head bowed. If you've never accepted Jesus and you want to accept him today,

lift that hand and say, that's me. Please, no one moving around. This is a holy moment. Awesome, I see your hand. Lift those hands up high if you want to accept Jesus, and as I lean in his prayer, I'm going to count those hands. I see him, awesome. I see one hand in the middle, two hands in the middle, three hands, four hands saying yes to Jesus. Come on, anyone else want to say five hands down the back. I see your hand, daughter of God, and your Father in heaven sees anyone else. Lift those hands up high. I see that hand down the back. God sees those hands. Come on, you can pop those eyes. Wow, hands going up in the middle right here. You can see those hands, that beautiful couple in the middle. You can put those hands down, and I want you to pray this from your heart. I saw your hand, but more importantly, God saw your heart. Let's say this. Say, dear God, thank you for sending Jesus. Thank you for sending Jesus. To find me. your Holy Spirit. Make me new. Today, I decide that I'm chosen and I'm all yours. I'm saved in Jesus name, amen, and amen, and 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 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, 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 Chat where friends truly become family. - See you soon. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)