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hey family I’m pastor Tori Hester Sarah
we just want to greet you before you get
ready to watch this powerful message we
believe it’s going to change your life
we’ve been praying for you and we also
want you to partner with us in changing
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that’s right you’re about to watch this
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but what you don’t get to see is how
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we just thank you they’re giving
instructions on the screen here partner
with us and let’s get into this word I’m
going to be speaking out of Colossians 3
I’ve got one scripture that I want to
start with but I have a few other
scriptures that I’m going to be pulling
from as I build out this thought so be
patient with me so I’m going to be
Colossians 3 simply verse – this isn’t
an unfamiliar text but it’s one that God
has really been dealing with me about
and hopefully it’s going to add some
wisdom and depth to your journey and
walk right now verse 2 begins it says
set your mind on things above not on
things on the earth to set your mind on
things above not on things on the earth
father God you have given me clear
instructions for days now you’ve been
uttering this word to me and so father I
just pray that you would allow this word
to come forth exactly as you need it to
come forth that you would use every part
of me father to deliver this word and
that you would leave nothing on
table father opened our hearts open our
minds remove our excuses and
distractions that we may face from this
word and become better as a result of it
in Jesus name I pray amen you know I’ve
been thinking in this subject for this
message for those of you who like to
take notes is to make up your mind make
up your mind which actually sounds a
little bit easier than it actually is I
think one of the greatest challenges
that anyone in a relationship or
friendship experiences is that question
about like what do you want to eat like
why is that one of the greatest
challenges in a relationship sure there
are all of these other finances and
character and integrity but one
consistent whether you’re in a healthy
relationship or in a toxic relationship
one of the recurring issues is being
indecisive over what you want to eat and
I am guilty of having this problem my
husband always asks me what do you want
to eat and I’m like I don’t care but the
thing is I do care I want to eat fat
food he wants to eat healthy food and I
don’t want to be penalized for my
choices so I say nothing at all and then
I sit there and I eat the kale with the
olive oil and the lemon made lemon
dressing and I just suffer because I was
too afraid to say what was actually on
my mind this notion of making up your
mind I think sometimes we don’t like to
deal with the consequences that come
with making up our mind as I was
studying for this message I kept hearing
over and over again that we are in this
season of being established and when God
is establishing us there are some
decisions that we have to make but
sometimes we’re hesitant to make those
decisions because we don’t want to deal
with the consequences I know I should
set my mind on this thing I know I
should set my mind
that thing but what happens if my
friendships fall off what happens if I’m
not sure how I’m going to be able to
connect in those groups and categories
and industries anymore and so we don’t
set our minds at all not recognizing
that even our indecisiveness is a mental
state as being indecisive is setting our
mind in James it says a double minded
man is unstable in all of his ways it
doesn’t say that a double minded men
cannot build it just means that whatever
that double-minded man builds is
unstable so what if even an hour
indecisiveness we think we aren’t
building but we are actually building
something it’s just something that isn’t
stable and when God kept telling me that
we were going to be talking about
establishing in this season what he was
saying to me is that I’m bringing my
people into a season where I want them
to be stable I want them to be solid I
want them to be established and so we
cannot be established unless we’re
willing to confront the areas in our
life where we are unstable I used to
live in this planned community in Texas
when I was a single mother and I just
had this dream of homeownership and I
saved and I pinched and my dream was to
live in this night plan community of
tract homes where you know your kids
could walk to the school bus and they
were friends with the neighbors and I
finally got this house and I can
remember that when I finally got the
house that there was a lot across the
street that was empty and I used to
think that myself oh my goodness it’s
going to be so hard living beside all of
this construction and it’s going to be
so noisy what I didn’t realize though
was how quickly they built those homes
they build them so fast that the noise
isn’t actually even that bad because
they just spring up so rapidly but there
is this season where they don’t just
build every single day because they lay
the foundation and when you lay the
foundation of the home you don’t lay
this on
and then build on it the next day
because if you build on the foundation
before it’s ready you run the risk of
cracking the foundation and if the
foundation is crack than anything you
build on that house runs the risk of
being ruined there are so many of us who
look at the houses and the lives that we
see that have been built and we think to
ourselves I want a house like that but
the reality is what we really need to be
asking is I wonder if there’s any cracks
in those foundations
I wonder what had to happen in order for
that house to stand as tall as its
standing I look at some of my mentors in
the faith and we’re going through this
pandemic and I call them my spiritual
grandfather and I I checked on him
because you know he’s got a church and
they’re a little compared to us I guess
you’d call it a little bit old school
but it’s a Holy Ghost sanctified Church
and I text him to ask him how things
were going with the pandemic and having
to do things virtual and he says honey
we’re just adjusting because they have
so much foundation that they don’t let
these things come and just shake them
and I just feel that prophetically for
you you’re watching this video and
you’ve been shaking and there’s nothing
wrong with being shaken but there comes
a moment when God says I’m showing you
where you’re being shaken not so that I
can scare you and not so that you are
it’s not so that you will no longer
build but rather so that you can
understand where the cracks are so that
when you build the next time I feel that
for somebody I don’t know who you are
you got a little bit shaken up and you
realize that there was a crack in your
foundation and instead of fixing the
crack in your foundation you decided
instead that I won’t build on it at all
and I hear God saying that he revealed
the crack in your foundation so that you
would come to a place where you realize
that that crack was exposed so that it
could be fixed addressed and I could
build again I feel that for somebody
it’s building season I feel the Spirit
of God on that like something I’ve never
felt before that God is establishing new
leadership he’s establishing new
Trailblazers he’s establishing new ways
of being
your family new ways of being in your
community
and you think the fact that you have a
crack in your foundation has
disqualified you and I hear God’s saying
the only way I can build you up to the
next dimension is if I expose to you
where the cracks in your foundation are
you see God isn’t like these master
builders who starts off with the blank
canvas when God gets ready to build you
up he has to take inventory of what you
brought to him when you come to God you
already have paradigms built when you
come to God you already have the
ideologies when you come to that you
already have a perspective on who you
are and I hear God’s saying that when
you came to me there were some cracks in
your foundation and in order for me to
build you up into who I’ve called you to
be not who your mother called you to be
not who your sister called you to be not
who your church called you to be not who
your community called you to be but I
want to build you up into what I saw and
so you have to be willing to let God
demolish what you have built if it means
that you can become who God has called
you to be I hear that song playing in my
head now I want to be where you are at
what point do you say I am so desperate
to be where you are that even if you
demolish everything I’ve built
if you’ve demolished my dream if you
demolish my idea of what my life should
look like but it means that I get to be
with you God you can tear it down God
you can tear down anything in me that
doesn’t look like what you’re trying to
build in me I’m not in love with any job
I’m not in love with any career I’m not
in love with any dream more than I am in
love with being where you are because I
recognize there is provision when I am
where you are there is protection when I
am where you are and there has to come
this desperation down on the inside of
us where we say to ourselves father I
want you to help me look at the
foundation that has produced Who I am
our mind is the foundation of who we are
as a man thinketh so is he that is the
foundation that we build our lives on I
can tell what you think about yourself
based on the relationships you’re in I
can tell what you think about yourself
based on the thoughts that come out
your mouth by the way you communicate
with other people by the way you handle
other people’s heart it says to me how
you communicate with yourself and how
you handle your heart because as a man
thinketh that’s why the Internet is
really such an interesting place because
you get to see people’s thoughts and
you’re thinking that they’re attacking
you they’re not attacking you attack is
the way that they speak attack is the
way that they communicate with
themselves
the thoughts that you receive our a
reflection of the thoughts that are down
on the inside of them as a man thinketh
so was he and so when God gets ready to
transform us he starts with our mind be
ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind your mind already has this shape
your mind already has a rhythm and God
says if I’m going to renew you you have
to be willing to lay down your mind
lay down your way of doing things lay
down your way of functioning so that we
can determine what’s worth sticking
because when God looks at you God
doesn’t just look at what you want him
to see God doesn’t even look at where
you are all God sees is what he created
I feel the presence of God on that
somebody needs to know that when you
look at you you see all of the things
you did wrong you see all of the things
that you could have done better and you
end up stuck because you can’t see
beyond what happened to you and what you
did and who violated you and who hurt
you and who you hurt and who you need to
forgive and so you don’t move because
you can’t see past that but what you
need to know is that when God looks at
you he only sees what he saws I’m going
to prove it to you in Isaiah it says
Isaiah 43 I think it is verse 25 they’re
going to put it on the screen for me it
says I even I this is God speaking to
the Prophet he says and he who blots out
your transgressions for my own sake and
I will not remember your sins God says
when I look at you I blotted out of my
mind because I cannot allow for what I
have seen when I formed you in your
mother’s womb to be diluted by the sins
that you have made that says I can
forgive you and I can help you to grow
and I can help you to become better and
the reason why I can do that is because
I only see you
your highest potential I gotta say that
the way it’s hitting in my spirit
because I want you to understand that
the reason God has called you the reason
why God is using you the reason why God
positions you has nothing to do with
what you have gone through it has
nothing to do with even what you see
when you look in the mirror and it has
everything to do with what he saw when
he formed you in your mother’s womb I
hear God saying I only see good when I
look at you
I only see perfection when I look at you
I only see you at your highest potential
when I look at you God says I only see
what I created and it breaks to my heart
when you have missteps and it breaks my
heart when you mess up not because I
don’t believe better but because I know
you’re better than that
you’re better than the way you’re acting
you’re better than the way you’re
thinking he gets upset with depression
he gets upset with anxiety he gets upset
when you’re hurt not because he feels
like he devalues you because he knows
you’re better than that
and so God says I’m gonna give you power
to rise to what I see I’m gonna give you
authority to rise to what I see I’m
gonna give you vision so you will be
hungry for what I see there comes a
point in your life when you have an
encounter with God where you start to
get curious about what it is that God
sees God how could you keep using me how
could you keep favoring me how could you
keep positioning me and God says you’re
wondering how but it’s all I ever saw I
saw that when you were a little boy I
saw that when you were a little girl I
saw that when they walked away from you
I saw that when they turned their back
on you you wanted them and I wanted you
because I knew what I place down on the
inside of you and when you come to a
place where you make up your mind that I
am who God says I am I can do what God
says I can do my pastors behind me my
future is ahead of me and I want to
figure out what it is that he knew God
what is it that you see when you look at
me and I set my mind on that that’s
where I have to live and it doesn’t mean
that I don’t get off track and it
doesn’t mean that I don’t have moments
when I slip up but I have to know where
I set in my mind so that when I get lost
I can remember where home is so that
when I get frustrated I can remember
where homie
there’s a place that God carved out for
me and this place that he carved out for
me this world doesn’t even understand it
but I’ve made a decision to be who that
person is and so we set our mind on
things above recognizing that when we do
that that God reveals to us what he
place down on the inside of us when Paul
is speaking to the church in Colossians
in these letters they’re coming to a
point where they are being established
as a church now this is important
because when we think about being
established as a church especially when
we’re in Pentecost week sometimes our
modern and Western Way of thinking
allows us to believe that being
established as a church means that we
need a building fund this isn’t what
Paul is talking about Paul is talking
about establishing the mindset of you
being the hands and feet of God
establishing the mindset that means that
even if I’m not in a building I
recognize that I am a part of the church
I am a part of what God is doing in the
earth I am a part of a kingdom that that
started in heaven and touches down to
the earth its expansion expands down
into the earth and so Paul is trying to
get these people ready to understand
this new calling this new identity that
he has called them into and I feel like
this is so important for someone because
you’re stepping into this new dimension
of who God has called you to be you’re
stepping into this new Authority you’re
stepping into this new level of
leadership where you have to be willing
to set your mind the days of you being
indecisive and not knowing which way you
should go and what you should believe
and what you should think I hear God
saying that’s coming to an end because
in order for me to build you in this
next season you need to be established
and if you’re going to be established
then you have to be willing to set your
mind and so Paul says I’m calling you
out from amongst the world that you know
so that you can understand the new world
that you are engaging in doesn’t that
sound just like where we are right now
God is calling us out
what we’ve always known and now we have
to be established in a new normal when
this first started we were all trying to
figure out what it was and we were
Netflix and chilling and snacking but
now that this has become our new way of
living there are some people who have
decided I can’t just keep floating by
anymore
waiting to see what the headlines are
going to have to say I’m gonna have to
establish myself in the midst of this
new world but where do I begin and
Colossians is very clear when it says to
us that the way for us to begin is to
start with having a set mindset I want
to ask you a question if you’re taking
notes I want you to ask yourself this
question and I want you to review it
after this message is over and to really
ask yourself where you align that
question is what is the foundational
thought of your existence and can it
live in the presence of God what is the
foundational thought of your existence
the foundational thought of my existence
if I had to put it simply and not have
this long run-on sentence if I had to
put it simply it would be I want to be
where God is I want to be where God is
and and we have to know what the
foundational thought of our existence is
because we may deduce it down to
something that this world understands
but that can’t live in the presence of
God the foundational thought of your
existence can’t be I want to get married
and I want to build wealth and that’s an
overflow type of mindset but the
foundational thought of your existence
what is it that drives you what is it
that pushes you forward what is that
thought that that challenges you and
your greatest moments
what is that thought I want to be where
God is and I want to be connected with
people who share that same foundational
thought because what I am connected with
people who share that same foundational
thought then when I start slipping they
can pull me back to where I am supposed
to be I need to be in relationship
whether it’s in my church or in my
friendships or romantically
with people who share that same
foundational thought I love this church
because I am convinced that one of the
foundational thoughts of this movement
is that we take territory for the
kingdom that we go in this space is
where they said we shouldn’t be and we
show up and we put up a banner that says
we’re supposed to be here because God
has called me to be here I love me a
gangster Christian I love somebody who
doesn’t mind saying I don’t care what
you thought about everyone who came
before me I don’t care what you thought
about what I should look like or what I
should sound like what I care about is
taking territory what I care about is
healing broken hearts what I care about
is making sure the homeless are fed what
is the foundational thought foundational
thought people get together and they
start building things that they could
have never built on their own but
because we think the same way and we
have the same foundation we start
building things that can’t be shaken I
want to prophesy for a moment that God
is gonna start bringing people into your
life who shared that same foundational
thought for their existence so that you
can begin building I want to prophesy I
don’t know who you are but you have been
looking for partnership and I hear God
saying that your partnership is going to
come when you stop looking at what
someone has on the outside and start
asking them questions like what is the
foundational thought for your existence
I don’t care where you work I don’t care
how tall you are I don’t care what your
degree says or how many zeros you have
in the bank account what I want to know
is what is the foundational thought for
your existence because you can be fine
and unstable but if you know who God is
and you have a foundational thought for
the kingdom and you have a foundational
thought for what God is going to do you
may be in an apartment today but I
rad was doing that apartment outright
would stay homeless I read what you no
matter where we go because we got a
foundational thought that can not be
shaken and we’re not looking at what the
world can see wondering that what God
wants to feel my husband all the time
you and the kids end up in a minivan but
we still have to sound a stuff out for
why God brought us together then we will
tell hell no on the sidewalk and we will
tell hell no until the kingdom
no matter where we go because we say
they share this same thought and you
need to get with somebody who says it’s
a foundational coffee I once attended my
organization because you share the same
thought I want you to be information
what is the foundational thought of your
existence and can it live in the
presence of God you gotta make up your
mind your mind doesn’t just come
together you make your mind you set your
mind on things above and then you get in
line with other people who know how to
build the way that you build I feel
something on that I need someone who
understands what I’m building I need
someone who understands what wakes me up
in the morning I need someone I
understand that this is bigger than me
that this is bigger than what other
people can see that my identity and God
is resting on whether or not I say yes
my identity and God is resting on
whether or not I create I’m not doing it
so that it can hit a list I’m not doing
it so that I can become famous I’m doing
it because God placed it down on the
inside of me and I have no other choice
I have no other choice it’s got to come
out of me I have no other choice I gotta
produce and I need someone who is
dressed
to do what God has called them to do you
indecisive somewhere else right now I’m
in this season where I need to be
established and I need to be around
someone else who was playing a
foundation that cannot be shaken I can’t
smoke my way out of this one I can’t sex
my way out of this one
I can’t drink my way out of this one I
need something that cannot be shaken
because when the winds blow and the flag
drops I’m gonna still be standing cuz I
built my life on something that cannot
be shaken
[Music]
I gotta build on what cannot be shaken
and that’s why Paul sends this letter to
the Church of Colossians because he says
I’m investing my life in this and if I’m
going to invest my life in this I gotta
build a church that cannot be shaken and
I gotta show you how to build by how you
think and I got to show you how to think
by where you set your mind all different
types that thoughts can come to you but
can those thoughts live in the place
that you have set so Paul says I need to
give them instructions on how to set
their mind and as I was reading this
text I just studied this one word you
know me usually I have several
scriptures but there was something about
this one word set set set and being
established it kept ringing in my mind
he kept showing up no matter where I was
it says set your mind on things above
what this says to me is this first of
all Paul came to where that church of
Colossians was he came to them God sent
a word to them but God does not bring
you a word to keep you where you are God
didn’t even send Jesus down to earth to
keep us where we were he sent Jesus down
to the earth because Jesus was on a
mission to ultimately reconnect us back
to God God meets you where you are but
it is for the intent of taking you to
where he is I want to be where you are
thank you for coming to where I am but
now take me to where you are what if
that became my prayer god I thank you
for coming to me where I was father I
thank you for meeting me in the middle
of this pain thank you for meeting me in
the middle of this anxiety but father
now that you have met me God allow your
power to lift me from where you met me
allow your power to break me up father
so that I can be removed break
the ground for where from where I’ve
been planted so that I could be planted
where I need to be and I studied this
word set and it’s funny because if
you’ve ever studied these words in the
Bible it starts off English and then
it’s Greek or Hebrew depending on which
word you’re looking at and then they
have all of these different references
for the word our English Bible is a
translation that started in the Greek
and so when we look at this text we have
to be willing to figure out what was the
original intent of the author so it says
set but that word in the Greek when I
looked it up and I’m going to break it
down I’m gonna give you three of the
words because it kept breaking it down
until we got to the root that first part
of it says exercise so when I greeked it
that word set says exercise exercise
your mind on things above I love that
because what that communicates to me is
that it’s not always easy to just set
your mind sometimes setting your mind is
an exercise sometimes setting your mind
is that’s being able to say I’m going to
have to exert my mind to things above
I’m going to have to stretch my mind to
things above I know that you are saved
and sanctified filled with the Holy
Ghost and this is not your testimony so
just take this part of the message and
send it to somebody else who struggles
with being petty like I do and tell them
sis petty may be where you are but petty
is not where you are supposed to be and
if you don’t start exercising your mind
you’re going to stay stuck you have to
be willing to exert your mind I wonder
how that shows up when we start talking
about things like forgiveness
forgiveness is not necessarily natural
what does that mean when it starts
talking about our tendency to have low
self-esteem I’m I’m going to have to
stretch my mind it won’t happen all oh
it won’t happen overnight I’m gonna have
to stretch in my mind to get there I’m
gonna have to exert my mind and there
may be some moments when I exert
minding my mind can’t take it anymore
but I wake up the next day and I stretch
it again I wake up the next day and I’d
exert it again because I recognize that
the only way that I can build the muscle
necessary for my mind to be set on
things above this is if I start
stretching my mind we have a podcast on
called woman evolves and there’s a
segment of the podcast called rescue
even we call it rescue Eve because the
goal is to get people to stretch their
mind and to see things that maybe we’re
vilifying in the news in a different
direction in a different perspective
because there’s something about exerting
your mind you’re taking notes I want you
to write that down when you exert your
mind you stretch your mind to do what
Jesus would do and to think how Jesus
would think and to show up the way that
Jesus would show up and it is an
exercise it doesn’t come naturally to
you so don’t penalize yourself for not
being where you are supposed to be but
be willing to stretch yourself until you
become it but it didn’t stop there
because after it’s talked about us
exercising our mind and then says to
check out another Greek word that would
better translate that word that they
translated into exercise and that was
RAM in so setting your mind is
exercising your mind and then reining
your mind in I love that because it’s
like I said a little bit earlier you’re
going to have moments when you start
having all different types of thoughts
coming your way all different types of
ways that thinking especially on social
media social media I think is one of the
greatest distractions and greatest
highways of thoughts that anyone can
ever be exposed to because one minute
we’re grieving what happened with George
Floyd the next minute we’re looking at
somebody’s cute baby the next minute
we’re hungry it’s a highway of thoughts
and every now and then you have to rein
your mind and I feel like someone needs
to know that there are moments when you
allow to many thoughts to exist in your
world and that it is your responsibility
to rein your mind in it is your
responsibility to be aware and
intentional enough to know when you need
to unplug when you need to get in their
presence
of God rain your mind into things above
sometimes you got to shut it all down
and turn on worship music shut it all
down and turn on a message because my
mind is swirling with all of these
different scenarios and all of these
different issues and what if and and how
come and what if I am this and what if
I’m that and I hear God’s saying
rain your mind in rain it in and be okay
with being able to say that I need to
rain my mind in as I was studying for
this message one of the things that I
learned that I literally didn’t know is
that science is beginning to show that
our human brains are wired towards a
negative bias that means that we lean a
little negative it says that this is
probably a part of the early human
history that we had to pay attention to
bad dangerous and negative threats in
order to survive and those who were more
attuned with those dangers paid more
attention to bad things around them they
were more likely to survive and so now
that mindset has been passed down from
generation to generation and that’s why
it’s important that this Texas to set
your mind on things above because if you
allow your mind to be set by the culture
or the family or the community that you
live in then you may be setting your
mind towards something that keeps you
from becoming who God has called you to
be
or setting your mind on things that keep
you from really showing up in your
purpose and showing up in the kingdom
the way that you are supposed to be
there is no shame and knowing that I
need to reign in my mind and I want to
say this because I felt like as a church
as that not just this church but as the
body of Christ that we’ve had some
moments in some theologies that made us
believe that there was something wrong
with therapy but if you were going to
reign in your mind and I want to
challenge you that you may need help
bringing in your mind and there’s
nothing wrong with that it may take some
medication for you to reign in your mind
and there’s nothing wrong with that
because if you have to come to a place
where you are willing to say I will do
whatever it takes for my mind to be set
on things above and if my brain has a
chemical imbalance that keeps me from
setting my mind on things above
I need to get that fixed so that I can
become who God has called me to be they
say that God doesn’t need medicine but
God created doctors and created medicine
and sometimes we do need medication in
order for us to become no.1 it’s time
for you to reign your mind in and don’t
be afraid to ask for help
and then the last thing so that word
said once again in the Greek it broke
down to exercise and then it told me to
reference another word that was rain in
and there was another word that it told
me to reference and this is when it
stopped and it literally says stop to
fence in or stop that is the final word
to stop your mind on things above man
that was so powerful to me when I read
it because it made me realize that your
mind has to have a stopping point my
mind was racing when I first got this
message and I felt like God was saying
you know this is what I want you to
preach about I want you to preach about
what it requires for us to really make
our minds up we get up in our morning in
the morning and we make up our bed some
of us do we make up our bed in the
morning and it takes a little work and
that’s why some of us don’t do it
because we’re getting back in it why
would we make it up because of the work
required to make up your bed sometimes
we don’t do it imagine the work that
goes into making up in your mind it does
take work but there is the stopping
point and this text shows us that when
we stop our mind on things above that
the presence of God is what allows our
mind to become his mind why is it that
he would tell us Paul to set our mind on
things above unless at the end of the
day God was trying to give us his mind
man what an honor and privilege it is to
have access to the mind of God that says
when you set your mind on things above
when you make up your mind that my mind
is going to be set on what’s above that
I don’t just leave you there that I get
to give you an exchange
so I gotta get my mind to God I gotta
get my heart to God I gotta give myself
to God I’ve allowed my mind to be with
depression I’ve allowed my mind to be
with my insecurities I’ve allowed my
mind to be with my fears for long enough
now I have to set my mind on things
above I have to be who God has called me
to be because there is a gift waiting
for me there all throughout the Bible
that talks about how God wants to give
us a divine exchange how he has mystery
stored up for those who search him out
who seek Him who look for him so I got
his said my mind on things above so I
can receive his mind my mind stops in
the presence because when my mind stops
in the presence his mind is what I
receive in it instead have you ever been
worshiping and in that moment you were
worshiping in that moment you were
listening to this message you started
thinking to yourself man it’s so funny
when I came into this I was so heavy but
now I’m coming out of it and I feel like
I have enough strength I have enough
vision I have enough faith that I’m
going to be okay that the creativity is
going to come that’s not just because we
had this trance it’s because you came
into the presence of God and when you
came into the presence of God he gave
you his mind instead
I remember in Isaiah actually gave them
this text and the prophet Isaiah Isaiah
is talking about when the King Josiah
died it says in the year that King
Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting on a
throne high and lifted up and the Train
of his robe filled the temple above it
stood Seraphim each one had six wings
two he covered his face and the two he
covered his feet so you wasn’t looking
the Seraphim they weren’t looking and
they weren’t moving but the other two
they were using to fly so in this
instance they got angels in the presence
of the Lord and the angels aren’t
looking in the angels feet they aren’t
moving the only thing they’re doing is
doing enough to stay up in the presence
of God that’s what happens when we’re in
the presence he elevates us enough that
our eyes don’t matter our path doesn’t
matter but in this moment all that
matters is that we stay up and then it
says that these two seraphim’s were just
crying to one another holy holy holy is
the Lord of hosts the whole earth is
full of his glory holy holy holy
these Saracens for a moment they were
wrapped up in what when they saw the
earth they didn’t see the races and when
they saw the earth they didn’t see the
pain when they solved the earth they
didn’t see a pandemic when they saw the
earth they didn’t see division all they
saw was that the earth was full of God’s
glory it doesn’t mean that that glory
had been manifested it just meant that
the earth was so full of potential for
God’s glory so much potential that when
they saw it all they could do is stay in
the presence of God and say holy holy
holy holy and I hear God saying that I’m
looking for some people who don’t mind
looking at my presence and seeing the
earth the way that I see it and being
the ones who are willing to establish
the glory
this earth is meant to carry this earth
is meant to carry glory the same things
those Arabs were saying in that moment
they’re saying right now I bet you if we
could look into the windows of heaven
then we would see angels looking down on
the earth saying holy holy holy holy the
Lord of Hosts their art is full of God’s
glory the earth is full of God’s glory
and you are God’s glory
you are God’s plan you are God’s
strategy you are God’s idea and you
gotta make up your mind that I am God’s
strategy in the earth and so I have to
show up with my mind stayed on Jesus so
that I could run this race so I can
bridge this gap so that I can eradicate
hate this is my job this is my role and
I do it not because I believe in what I
see on this earth but I believe it
because my mind is set on things above
and so when I look at this earth I look
at it the same way the Seraphim steer
and I said God there’s so much room for
your glory here by there’s so much room
for transformation there’s so much room
for change you’re watching this message
I want you to type I’m God strategy I’m
God strategy I’m God strategy I’m God
strategy I want you to start prophesying
that over where you are right now
God unleash your strategy over where I
am right now father I’m ready to set in
my mind on things above I want to pray
with you I want to pray that in this
time that we had together that God had
begun to really reveal to you
that there’s room for you to exercise
your mind on things above maybe you’ve
already found that place but now it’s
time for you to rain your mind in and I
want I want to pray specifically that
God will give you strategy on what
raining your mind in looks like for you
maybe that means having boundaries with
people maybe that means getting help
maybe that means finally going to see
that therapist and not just thinking
it’s a good idea but what I want to pray
most of all is that the race in your
mind I feel this for somebody your mind
has been racing non-stop it seems like
it never ends that non-stop mind racing
doesn’t exist in the presence of God and
so our goal our job our responsibility
is to make room so that we can be where
God is that’s you I just want you to
type that’s me that’s me that’s me I
want you to own where you are because
when you own where you are you have the
ability to change where you’re headed
sometimes we don’t want to own where we
are I don’t want to own the fact that
I’m struggling I don’t want to own the
fact that my pride has got me out here
that my egos got me out here that my
pain has made me start doing some things
that are that are unlike me but I need
you to own where you are you don’t have
to tell us where you are but I want you
to own that I got a little off track
because now we can now that we have
identified the crack and your foundation
we can ask God to tear down anything
that you’ve built on that crack so that
he can repair it and build it again I
want to pray with you father God men in
your presence
and your presence there is joy and your
presence there is healing and your
presence there was love and your
presence there is overflow Spirit of the
Living God what we want now more than
ever is to set our mind on things above
we live in our earth that pulls us down
it makes us negative sometimes it makes
us hurt sometimes it makes us wonder and
depressed and anxious sometimes but
father when we set our minds on things
above you will give us strategy on how
to navigate this earth and so father we
give you our mind and we ask for you to
make it up we ask for you to fix it to
transform it to change it father and we
ask that you would bring us into
alignment with people who are on the
same path with people who possess that
same passion to have a foundational
thought that is built or that is based
in who you are and what you’re doing in
the earth father I pray for everyone
viewing right now I want to speak to
that anxiety I want to speak to that
depression I want to speak to that fear
and I want to speak Jesus over and I
speak Jesus I feel God on that I speak
Jesus over your anxiety I speak Jesus
over your depression I speak Jesus over
your pride I speak Jesus over your
brokenness I speak Jesus over your
abandonment issues I speak Jesus over
those rejection issues I speak Jesus
Jesus Jesus Jesus he knows how to fill
in the cracks Jesus Jesus Jesus he knows
how to restore you Jesus
Jesus Jesus he knows how to build you up
again ice plead the blood of Jesus over
you right now in the name of Jesus I
speak Jesus over your health I speak
Jesus over your dreams I speak Jesus
over your purpose I speak the kingdom of
heaven has come and because the kingdom
of heaven has come we push darkness away
father we ask that you would touch us in
the places we need it the most and that
you would open us up to receive the
transformation that is the reason why
you met with us in the first place
father please don’t leave us the same
father please don’t allow us to come
into this place the same way that we
came in but father transform us that
when the message is over and we shut
down our phones and close our laptops
that this will stick with us and when
insecurity and low self-esteem and
anxiety and in doubt begin to creep in
father I ask that you would give us the
remembrance of what this message did for
us that you would remind us that we have
the ability and the power to set our
mind on things about father we receive
this word we act that you would allow it
to take root and produce fruit in our
lives Father forgive us
forgive us father for not living up to
who we know we could be forgive us for
being indecisive in moments when we
should have shown up as our true
authentic divine self we repent father
we change our minds so that you can
change our actions and we ask that you
would allow us that walk in covenant
with you afresh and Jesus name I pray
amen
listen you know I have to have a little
homework for you so if you’ve been
touched by this message and you said
this is my word I want you to go to
Colossians 2 and I want you to start in
verse 12 I mean you know my husband’s
they read the whole Bible but Colossians
3 verse 12 through 17 and it just talks
about the character of the new man and
it’s going to help us to understand what
we’re exercising our mind towards
there’s some big boats some big adult
folks stuff in there talking about
kindness and humility and meekness and
long-suffering things that are unnatural
to us but supernatural in God so that’s
your homework I want you to start
dissecting don’t overwhelm yourself but
pick up just one or two things that you
want to focus on in this season where
you say I want to stretch my mind to be
more like above in this area and then
we’ll tackle another area and we’ll do
it over and over again until God has
said good job well done my good and
faithful servant we love you thank you
for activating with us we cannot wait to
see you on Saturday and then on Sunday
[Music]
you
hey family I’m pastor Tori Hester Sarah
we just want to greet you before you get
ready to watch this powerful message we
believe it’s going to change your life
we’ve been praying for you and we also
want you to partner with us in changing
the lives of others as you know we’re
invested a lot into technology so that
we can continue to bring the word to you
and innovative in creative ways but we
don’t just stop there we also believe in
blessing people in a more pragmatic way
that’s right you’re about to watch this
video that is going to tremendously
bless you
but what you don’t get to see is how
we’re blessing people off of the pulpit
there are families that are being fed
there are women who are being saved from
human trafficking there are so many
organizations that we are able to
support thanks to your generosity so we
want to invite you to be a part of
changing the world with this yeah we’ve
been very intentional in this season to
to partner with organizations and
support them financially that are making
a difference considering their crisis so
we just thank you they’re giving
instructions on the screen here partner
with us and let’s get into this word I’m
going to be speaking out of Colossians 3
I’ve got one scripture that I want to
start with but I have a few other
scriptures that I’m going to be pulling
from as I build out this thought so be
patient with me so I’m going to be
Colossians 3 simply verse – this isn’t
an unfamiliar text but it’s one that God
has really been dealing with me about
and hopefully it’s going to add some
wisdom and depth to your journey and
walk right now verse 2 begins it says
set your mind on things above not on
things on the earth to set your mind on
things above not on things on the earth
father God you have given me clear
instructions for days now you’ve been
uttering this word to me and so father I
just pray that you would allow this word
to come forth exactly as you need it to
come forth that you would use every part
of me father to deliver this word and
that you would leave nothing on
table father opened our hearts open our
minds remove our excuses and
distractions that we may face from this
word and become better as a result of it
in Jesus name I pray amen you know I’ve
been thinking in this subject for this
message for those of you who like to
take notes is to make up your mind make
up your mind which actually sounds a
little bit easier than it actually is I
think one of the greatest challenges
that anyone in a relationship or
friendship experiences is that question
about like what do you want to eat like
why is that one of the greatest
challenges in a relationship sure there
are all of these other finances and
character and integrity but one
consistent whether you’re in a healthy
relationship or in a toxic relationship
one of the recurring issues is being
indecisive over what you want to eat and
I am guilty of having this problem my
husband always asks me what do you want
to eat and I’m like I don’t care but the
thing is I do care I want to eat fat
food he wants to eat healthy food and I
don’t want to be penalized for my
choices so I say nothing at all and then
I sit there and I eat the kale with the
olive oil and the lemon made lemon
dressing and I just suffer because I was
too afraid to say what was actually on
my mind this notion of making up your
mind I think sometimes we don’t like to
deal with the consequences that come
with making up our mind as I was
studying for this message I kept hearing
over and over again that we are in this
season of being established and when God
is establishing us there are some
decisions that we have to make but
sometimes we’re hesitant to make those
decisions because we don’t want to deal
with the consequences I know I should
set my mind on this thing I know I
should set my mind
that thing but what happens if my
friendships fall off what happens if I’m
not sure how I’m going to be able to
connect in those groups and categories
and industries anymore and so we don’t
set our minds at all not recognizing
that even our indecisiveness is a mental
state as being indecisive is setting our
mind in James it says a double minded
man is unstable in all of his ways it
doesn’t say that a double minded men
cannot build it just means that whatever
that double-minded man builds is
unstable so what if even an hour
indecisiveness we think we aren’t
building but we are actually building
something it’s just something that isn’t
stable and when God kept telling me that
we were going to be talking about
establishing in this season what he was
saying to me is that I’m bringing my
people into a season where I want them
to be stable I want them to be solid I
want them to be established and so we
cannot be established unless we’re
willing to confront the areas in our
life where we are unstable I used to
live in this planned community in Texas
when I was a single mother and I just
had this dream of homeownership and I
saved and I pinched and my dream was to
live in this night plan community of
tract homes where you know your kids
could walk to the school bus and they
were friends with the neighbors and I
finally got this house and I can
remember that when I finally got the
house that there was a lot across the
street that was empty and I used to
think that myself oh my goodness it’s
going to be so hard living beside all of
this construction and it’s going to be
so noisy what I didn’t realize though
was how quickly they built those homes
they build them so fast that the noise
isn’t actually even that bad because
they just spring up so rapidly but there
is this season where they don’t just
build every single day because they lay
the foundation and when you lay the
foundation of the home you don’t lay
this on
and then build on it the next day
because if you build on the foundation
before it’s ready you run the risk of
cracking the foundation and if the
foundation is crack than anything you
build on that house runs the risk of
being ruined there are so many of us who
look at the houses and the lives that we
see that have been built and we think to
ourselves I want a house like that but
the reality is what we really need to be
asking is I wonder if there’s any cracks
in those foundations
I wonder what had to happen in order for
that house to stand as tall as its
standing I look at some of my mentors in
the faith and we’re going through this
pandemic and I call them my spiritual
grandfather and I I checked on him
because you know he’s got a church and
they’re a little compared to us I guess
you’d call it a little bit old school
but it’s a Holy Ghost sanctified Church
and I text him to ask him how things
were going with the pandemic and having
to do things virtual and he says honey
we’re just adjusting because they have
so much foundation that they don’t let
these things come and just shake them
and I just feel that prophetically for
you you’re watching this video and
you’ve been shaking and there’s nothing
wrong with being shaken but there comes
a moment when God says I’m showing you
where you’re being shaken not so that I
can scare you and not so that you are
it’s not so that you will no longer
build but rather so that you can
understand where the cracks are so that
when you build the next time I feel that
for somebody I don’t know who you are
you got a little bit shaken up and you
realize that there was a crack in your
foundation and instead of fixing the
crack in your foundation you decided
instead that I won’t build on it at all
and I hear God saying that he revealed
the crack in your foundation so that you
would come to a place where you realize
that that crack was exposed so that it
could be fixed addressed and I could
build again I feel that for somebody
it’s building season I feel the Spirit
of God on that like something I’ve never
felt before that God is establishing new
leadership he’s establishing new
Trailblazers he’s establishing new ways
of being
your family new ways of being in your
community
and you think the fact that you have a
crack in your foundation has
disqualified you and I hear God’s saying
the only way I can build you up to the
next dimension is if I expose to you
where the cracks in your foundation are
you see God isn’t like these master
builders who starts off with the blank
canvas when God gets ready to build you
up he has to take inventory of what you
brought to him when you come to God you
already have paradigms built when you
come to God you already have the
ideologies when you come to that you
already have a perspective on who you
are and I hear God’s saying that when
you came to me there were some cracks in
your foundation and in order for me to
build you up into who I’ve called you to
be not who your mother called you to be
not who your sister called you to be not
who your church called you to be not who
your community called you to be but I
want to build you up into what I saw and
so you have to be willing to let God
demolish what you have built if it means
that you can become who God has called
you to be I hear that song playing in my
head now I want to be where you are at
what point do you say I am so desperate
to be where you are that even if you
demolish everything I’ve built
if you’ve demolished my dream if you
demolish my idea of what my life should
look like but it means that I get to be
with you God you can tear it down God
you can tear down anything in me that
doesn’t look like what you’re trying to
build in me I’m not in love with any job
I’m not in love with any career I’m not
in love with any dream more than I am in
love with being where you are because I
recognize there is provision when I am
where you are there is protection when I
am where you are and there has to come
this desperation down on the inside of
us where we say to ourselves father I
want you to help me look at the
foundation that has produced Who I am
our mind is the foundation of who we are
as a man thinketh so is he that is the
foundation that we build our lives on I
can tell what you think about yourself
based on the relationships you’re in I
can tell what you think about yourself
based on the thoughts that come out
your mouth by the way you communicate
with other people by the way you handle
other people’s heart it says to me how
you communicate with yourself and how
you handle your heart because as a man
thinketh that’s why the Internet is
really such an interesting place because
you get to see people’s thoughts and
you’re thinking that they’re attacking
you they’re not attacking you attack is
the way that they speak attack is the
way that they communicate with
themselves
the thoughts that you receive our a
reflection of the thoughts that are down
on the inside of them as a man thinketh
so was he and so when God gets ready to
transform us he starts with our mind be
ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind your mind already has this shape
your mind already has a rhythm and God
says if I’m going to renew you you have
to be willing to lay down your mind
lay down your way of doing things lay
down your way of functioning so that we
can determine what’s worth sticking
because when God looks at you God
doesn’t just look at what you want him
to see God doesn’t even look at where
you are all God sees is what he created
I feel the presence of God on that
somebody needs to know that when you
look at you you see all of the things
you did wrong you see all of the things
that you could have done better and you
end up stuck because you can’t see
beyond what happened to you and what you
did and who violated you and who hurt
you and who you hurt and who you need to
forgive and so you don’t move because
you can’t see past that but what you
need to know is that when God looks at
you he only sees what he saws I’m going
to prove it to you in Isaiah it says
Isaiah 43 I think it is verse 25 they’re
going to put it on the screen for me it
says I even I this is God speaking to
the Prophet he says and he who blots out
your transgressions for my own sake and
I will not remember your sins God says
when I look at you I blotted out of my
mind because I cannot allow for what I
have seen when I formed you in your
mother’s womb to be diluted by the sins
that you have made that says I can
forgive you and I can help you to grow
and I can help you to become better and
the reason why I can do that is because
I only see you
your highest potential I gotta say that
the way it’s hitting in my spirit
because I want you to understand that
the reason God has called you the reason
why God is using you the reason why God
positions you has nothing to do with
what you have gone through it has
nothing to do with even what you see
when you look in the mirror and it has
everything to do with what he saw when
he formed you in your mother’s womb I
hear God saying I only see good when I
look at you
I only see perfection when I look at you
I only see you at your highest potential
when I look at you God says I only see
what I created and it breaks to my heart
when you have missteps and it breaks my
heart when you mess up not because I
don’t believe better but because I know
you’re better than that
you’re better than the way you’re acting
you’re better than the way you’re
thinking he gets upset with depression
he gets upset with anxiety he gets upset
when you’re hurt not because he feels
like he devalues you because he knows
you’re better than that
and so God says I’m gonna give you power
to rise to what I see I’m gonna give you
authority to rise to what I see I’m
gonna give you vision so you will be
hungry for what I see there comes a
point in your life when you have an
encounter with God where you start to
get curious about what it is that God
sees God how could you keep using me how
could you keep favoring me how could you
keep positioning me and God says you’re
wondering how but it’s all I ever saw I
saw that when you were a little boy I
saw that when you were a little girl I
saw that when they walked away from you
I saw that when they turned their back
on you you wanted them and I wanted you
because I knew what I place down on the
inside of you and when you come to a
place where you make up your mind that I
am who God says I am I can do what God
says I can do my pastors behind me my
future is ahead of me and I want to
figure out what it is that he knew God
what is it that you see when you look at
me and I set my mind on that that’s
where I have to live and it doesn’t mean
that I don’t get off track and it
doesn’t mean that I don’t have moments
when I slip up but I have to know where
I set in my mind so that when I get lost
I can remember where home is so that
when I get frustrated I can remember
where homie
there’s a place that God carved out for
me and this place that he carved out for
me this world doesn’t even understand it
but I’ve made a decision to be who that
person is and so we set our mind on
things above recognizing that when we do
that that God reveals to us what he
place down on the inside of us when Paul
is speaking to the church in Colossians
in these letters they’re coming to a
point where they are being established
as a church now this is important
because when we think about being
established as a church especially when
we’re in Pentecost week sometimes our
modern and Western Way of thinking
allows us to believe that being
established as a church means that we
need a building fund this isn’t what
Paul is talking about Paul is talking
about establishing the mindset of you
being the hands and feet of God
establishing the mindset that means that
even if I’m not in a building I
recognize that I am a part of the church
I am a part of what God is doing in the
earth I am a part of a kingdom that that
started in heaven and touches down to
the earth its expansion expands down
into the earth and so Paul is trying to
get these people ready to understand
this new calling this new identity that
he has called them into and I feel like
this is so important for someone because
you’re stepping into this new dimension
of who God has called you to be you’re
stepping into this new Authority you’re
stepping into this new level of
leadership where you have to be willing
to set your mind the days of you being
indecisive and not knowing which way you
should go and what you should believe
and what you should think I hear God
saying that’s coming to an end because
in order for me to build you in this
next season you need to be established
and if you’re going to be established
then you have to be willing to set your
mind and so Paul says I’m calling you
out from amongst the world that you know
so that you can understand the new world
that you are engaging in doesn’t that
sound just like where we are right now
God is calling us out
what we’ve always known and now we have
to be established in a new normal when
this first started we were all trying to
figure out what it was and we were
Netflix and chilling and snacking but
now that this has become our new way of
living there are some people who have
decided I can’t just keep floating by
anymore
waiting to see what the headlines are
going to have to say I’m gonna have to
establish myself in the midst of this
new world but where do I begin and
Colossians is very clear when it says to
us that the way for us to begin is to
start with having a set mindset I want
to ask you a question if you’re taking
notes I want you to ask yourself this
question and I want you to review it
after this message is over and to really
ask yourself where you align that
question is what is the foundational
thought of your existence and can it
live in the presence of God what is the
foundational thought of your existence
the foundational thought of my existence
if I had to put it simply and not have
this long run-on sentence if I had to
put it simply it would be I want to be
where God is I want to be where God is
and and we have to know what the
foundational thought of our existence is
because we may deduce it down to
something that this world understands
but that can’t live in the presence of
God the foundational thought of your
existence can’t be I want to get married
and I want to build wealth and that’s an
overflow type of mindset but the
foundational thought of your existence
what is it that drives you what is it
that pushes you forward what is that
thought that that challenges you and
your greatest moments
what is that thought I want to be where
God is and I want to be connected with
people who share that same foundational
thought because what I am connected with
people who share that same foundational
thought then when I start slipping they
can pull me back to where I am supposed
to be I need to be in relationship
whether it’s in my church or in my
friendships or romantically
with people who share that same
foundational thought I love this church
because I am convinced that one of the
foundational thoughts of this movement
is that we take territory for the
kingdom that we go in this space is
where they said we shouldn’t be and we
show up and we put up a banner that says
we’re supposed to be here because God
has called me to be here I love me a
gangster Christian I love somebody who
doesn’t mind saying I don’t care what
you thought about everyone who came
before me I don’t care what you thought
about what I should look like or what I
should sound like what I care about is
taking territory what I care about is
healing broken hearts what I care about
is making sure the homeless are fed what
is the foundational thought foundational
thought people get together and they
start building things that they could
have never built on their own but
because we think the same way and we
have the same foundation we start
building things that can’t be shaken I
want to prophesy for a moment that God
is gonna start bringing people into your
life who shared that same foundational
thought for their existence so that you
can begin building I want to prophesy I
don’t know who you are but you have been
looking for partnership and I hear God
saying that your partnership is going to
come when you stop looking at what
someone has on the outside and start
asking them questions like what is the
foundational thought for your existence
I don’t care where you work I don’t care
how tall you are I don’t care what your
degree says or how many zeros you have
in the bank account what I want to know
is what is the foundational thought for
your existence because you can be fine
and unstable but if you know who God is
and you have a foundational thought for
the kingdom and you have a foundational
thought for what God is going to do you
may be in an apartment today but I
rad was doing that apartment outright
would stay homeless I read what you no
matter where we go because we got a
foundational thought that can not be
shaken and we’re not looking at what the
world can see wondering that what God
wants to feel my husband all the time
you and the kids end up in a minivan but
we still have to sound a stuff out for
why God brought us together then we will
tell hell no on the sidewalk and we will
tell hell no until the kingdom
no matter where we go because we say
they share this same thought and you
need to get with somebody who says it’s
a foundational coffee I once attended my
organization because you share the same
thought I want you to be information
what is the foundational thought of your
existence and can it live in the
presence of God you gotta make up your
mind your mind doesn’t just come
together you make your mind you set your
mind on things above and then you get in
line with other people who know how to
build the way that you build I feel
something on that I need someone who
understands what I’m building I need
someone who understands what wakes me up
in the morning I need someone I
understand that this is bigger than me
that this is bigger than what other
people can see that my identity and God
is resting on whether or not I say yes
my identity and God is resting on
whether or not I create I’m not doing it
so that it can hit a list I’m not doing
it so that I can become famous I’m doing
it because God placed it down on the
inside of me and I have no other choice
I have no other choice it’s got to come
out of me I have no other choice I gotta
produce and I need someone who is
dressed
to do what God has called them to do you
indecisive somewhere else right now I’m
in this season where I need to be
established and I need to be around
someone else who was playing a
foundation that cannot be shaken I can’t
smoke my way out of this one I can’t sex
my way out of this one
I can’t drink my way out of this one I
need something that cannot be shaken
because when the winds blow and the flag
drops I’m gonna still be standing cuz I
built my life on something that cannot
be shaken
[Music]
I gotta build on what cannot be shaken
and that’s why Paul sends this letter to
the Church of Colossians because he says
I’m investing my life in this and if I’m
going to invest my life in this I gotta
build a church that cannot be shaken and
I gotta show you how to build by how you
think and I got to show you how to think
by where you set your mind all different
types that thoughts can come to you but
can those thoughts live in the place
that you have set so Paul says I need to
give them instructions on how to set
their mind and as I was reading this
text I just studied this one word you
know me usually I have several
scriptures but there was something about
this one word set set set and being
established it kept ringing in my mind
he kept showing up no matter where I was
it says set your mind on things above
what this says to me is this first of
all Paul came to where that church of
Colossians was he came to them God sent
a word to them but God does not bring
you a word to keep you where you are God
didn’t even send Jesus down to earth to
keep us where we were he sent Jesus down
to the earth because Jesus was on a
mission to ultimately reconnect us back
to God God meets you where you are but
it is for the intent of taking you to
where he is I want to be where you are
thank you for coming to where I am but
now take me to where you are what if
that became my prayer god I thank you
for coming to me where I was father I
thank you for meeting me in the middle
of this pain thank you for meeting me in
the middle of this anxiety but father
now that you have met me God allow your
power to lift me from where you met me
allow your power to break me up father
so that I can be removed break
the ground for where from where I’ve
been planted so that I could be planted
where I need to be and I studied this
word set and it’s funny because if
you’ve ever studied these words in the
Bible it starts off English and then
it’s Greek or Hebrew depending on which
word you’re looking at and then they
have all of these different references
for the word our English Bible is a
translation that started in the Greek
and so when we look at this text we have
to be willing to figure out what was the
original intent of the author so it says
set but that word in the Greek when I
looked it up and I’m going to break it
down I’m gonna give you three of the
words because it kept breaking it down
until we got to the root that first part
of it says exercise so when I greeked it
that word set says exercise exercise
your mind on things above I love that
because what that communicates to me is
that it’s not always easy to just set
your mind sometimes setting your mind is
an exercise sometimes setting your mind
is that’s being able to say I’m going to
have to exert my mind to things above
I’m going to have to stretch my mind to
things above I know that you are saved
and sanctified filled with the Holy
Ghost and this is not your testimony so
just take this part of the message and
send it to somebody else who struggles
with being petty like I do and tell them
sis petty may be where you are but petty
is not where you are supposed to be and
if you don’t start exercising your mind
you’re going to stay stuck you have to
be willing to exert your mind I wonder
how that shows up when we start talking
about things like forgiveness
forgiveness is not necessarily natural
what does that mean when it starts
talking about our tendency to have low
self-esteem I’m I’m going to have to
stretch my mind it won’t happen all oh
it won’t happen overnight I’m gonna have
to stretch in my mind to get there I’m
gonna have to exert my mind and there
may be some moments when I exert
minding my mind can’t take it anymore
but I wake up the next day and I stretch
it again I wake up the next day and I’d
exert it again because I recognize that
the only way that I can build the muscle
necessary for my mind to be set on
things above this is if I start
stretching my mind we have a podcast on
called woman evolves and there’s a
segment of the podcast called rescue
even we call it rescue Eve because the
goal is to get people to stretch their
mind and to see things that maybe we’re
vilifying in the news in a different
direction in a different perspective
because there’s something about exerting
your mind you’re taking notes I want you
to write that down when you exert your
mind you stretch your mind to do what
Jesus would do and to think how Jesus
would think and to show up the way that
Jesus would show up and it is an
exercise it doesn’t come naturally to
you so don’t penalize yourself for not
being where you are supposed to be but
be willing to stretch yourself until you
become it but it didn’t stop there
because after it’s talked about us
exercising our mind and then says to
check out another Greek word that would
better translate that word that they
translated into exercise and that was
RAM in so setting your mind is
exercising your mind and then reining
your mind in I love that because it’s
like I said a little bit earlier you’re
going to have moments when you start
having all different types of thoughts
coming your way all different types of
ways that thinking especially on social
media social media I think is one of the
greatest distractions and greatest
highways of thoughts that anyone can
ever be exposed to because one minute
we’re grieving what happened with George
Floyd the next minute we’re looking at
somebody’s cute baby the next minute
we’re hungry it’s a highway of thoughts
and every now and then you have to rein
your mind and I feel like someone needs
to know that there are moments when you
allow to many thoughts to exist in your
world and that it is your responsibility
to rein your mind in it is your
responsibility to be aware and
intentional enough to know when you need
to unplug when you need to get in their
presence
of God rain your mind into things above
sometimes you got to shut it all down
and turn on worship music shut it all
down and turn on a message because my
mind is swirling with all of these
different scenarios and all of these
different issues and what if and and how
come and what if I am this and what if
I’m that and I hear God’s saying
rain your mind in rain it in and be okay
with being able to say that I need to
rain my mind in as I was studying for
this message one of the things that I
learned that I literally didn’t know is
that science is beginning to show that
our human brains are wired towards a
negative bias that means that we lean a
little negative it says that this is
probably a part of the early human
history that we had to pay attention to
bad dangerous and negative threats in
order to survive and those who were more
attuned with those dangers paid more
attention to bad things around them they
were more likely to survive and so now
that mindset has been passed down from
generation to generation and that’s why
it’s important that this Texas to set
your mind on things above because if you
allow your mind to be set by the culture
or the family or the community that you
live in then you may be setting your
mind towards something that keeps you
from becoming who God has called you to
be
or setting your mind on things that keep
you from really showing up in your
purpose and showing up in the kingdom
the way that you are supposed to be
there is no shame and knowing that I
need to reign in my mind and I want to
say this because I felt like as a church
as that not just this church but as the
body of Christ that we’ve had some
moments in some theologies that made us
believe that there was something wrong
with therapy but if you were going to
reign in your mind and I want to
challenge you that you may need help
bringing in your mind and there’s
nothing wrong with that it may take some
medication for you to reign in your mind
and there’s nothing wrong with that
because if you have to come to a place
where you are willing to say I will do
whatever it takes for my mind to be set
on things above and if my brain has a
chemical imbalance that keeps me from
setting my mind on things above
I need to get that fixed so that I can
become who God has called me to be they
say that God doesn’t need medicine but
God created doctors and created medicine
and sometimes we do need medication in
order for us to become no.1 it’s time
for you to reign your mind in and don’t
be afraid to ask for help
and then the last thing so that word
said once again in the Greek it broke
down to exercise and then it told me to
reference another word that was rain in
and there was another word that it told
me to reference and this is when it
stopped and it literally says stop to
fence in or stop that is the final word
to stop your mind on things above man
that was so powerful to me when I read
it because it made me realize that your
mind has to have a stopping point my
mind was racing when I first got this
message and I felt like God was saying
you know this is what I want you to
preach about I want you to preach about
what it requires for us to really make
our minds up we get up in our morning in
the morning and we make up our bed some
of us do we make up our bed in the
morning and it takes a little work and
that’s why some of us don’t do it
because we’re getting back in it why
would we make it up because of the work
required to make up your bed sometimes
we don’t do it imagine the work that
goes into making up in your mind it does
take work but there is the stopping
point and this text shows us that when
we stop our mind on things above that
the presence of God is what allows our
mind to become his mind why is it that
he would tell us Paul to set our mind on
things above unless at the end of the
day God was trying to give us his mind
man what an honor and privilege it is to
have access to the mind of God that says
when you set your mind on things above
when you make up your mind that my mind
is going to be set on what’s above that
I don’t just leave you there that I get
to give you an exchange
so I gotta get my mind to God I gotta
get my heart to God I gotta give myself
to God I’ve allowed my mind to be with
depression I’ve allowed my mind to be
with my insecurities I’ve allowed my
mind to be with my fears for long enough
now I have to set my mind on things
above I have to be who God has called me
to be because there is a gift waiting
for me there all throughout the Bible
that talks about how God wants to give
us a divine exchange how he has mystery
stored up for those who search him out
who seek Him who look for him so I got
his said my mind on things above so I
can receive his mind my mind stops in
the presence because when my mind stops
in the presence his mind is what I
receive in it instead have you ever been
worshiping and in that moment you were
worshiping in that moment you were
listening to this message you started
thinking to yourself man it’s so funny
when I came into this I was so heavy but
now I’m coming out of it and I feel like
I have enough strength I have enough
vision I have enough faith that I’m
going to be okay that the creativity is
going to come that’s not just because we
had this trance it’s because you came
into the presence of God and when you
came into the presence of God he gave
you his mind instead
I remember in Isaiah actually gave them
this text and the prophet Isaiah Isaiah
is talking about when the King Josiah
died it says in the year that King
Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting on a
throne high and lifted up and the Train
of his robe filled the temple above it
stood Seraphim each one had six wings
two he covered his face and the two he
covered his feet so you wasn’t looking
the Seraphim they weren’t looking and
they weren’t moving but the other two
they were using to fly so in this
instance they got angels in the presence
of the Lord and the angels aren’t
looking in the angels feet they aren’t
moving the only thing they’re doing is
doing enough to stay up in the presence
of God that’s what happens when we’re in
the presence he elevates us enough that
our eyes don’t matter our path doesn’t
matter but in this moment all that
matters is that we stay up and then it
says that these two seraphim’s were just
crying to one another holy holy holy is
the Lord of hosts the whole earth is
full of his glory holy holy holy
these Saracens for a moment they were
wrapped up in what when they saw the
earth they didn’t see the races and when
they saw the earth they didn’t see the
pain when they solved the earth they
didn’t see a pandemic when they saw the
earth they didn’t see division all they
saw was that the earth was full of God’s
glory it doesn’t mean that that glory
had been manifested it just meant that
the earth was so full of potential for
God’s glory so much potential that when
they saw it all they could do is stay in
the presence of God and say holy holy
holy holy and I hear God saying that I’m
looking for some people who don’t mind
looking at my presence and seeing the
earth the way that I see it and being
the ones who are willing to establish
the glory
this earth is meant to carry this earth
is meant to carry glory the same things
those Arabs were saying in that moment
they’re saying right now I bet you if we
could look into the windows of heaven
then we would see angels looking down on
the earth saying holy holy holy holy the
Lord of Hosts their art is full of God’s
glory the earth is full of God’s glory
and you are God’s glory
you are God’s plan you are God’s
strategy you are God’s idea and you
gotta make up your mind that I am God’s
strategy in the earth and so I have to
show up with my mind stayed on Jesus so
that I could run this race so I can
bridge this gap so that I can eradicate
hate this is my job this is my role and
I do it not because I believe in what I
see on this earth but I believe it
because my mind is set on things above
and so when I look at this earth I look
at it the same way the Seraphim steer
and I said God there’s so much room for
your glory here by there’s so much room
for transformation there’s so much room
for change you’re watching this message
I want you to type I’m God strategy I’m
God strategy I’m God strategy I’m God
strategy I want you to start prophesying
that over where you are right now
God unleash your strategy over where I
am right now father I’m ready to set in
my mind on things above I want to pray
with you I want to pray that in this
time that we had together that God had
begun to really reveal to you
that there’s room for you to exercise
your mind on things above maybe you’ve
already found that place but now it’s
time for you to rain your mind in and I
want I want to pray specifically that
God will give you strategy on what
raining your mind in looks like for you
maybe that means having boundaries with
people maybe that means getting help
maybe that means finally going to see
that therapist and not just thinking
it’s a good idea but what I want to pray
most of all is that the race in your
mind I feel this for somebody your mind
has been racing non-stop it seems like
it never ends that non-stop mind racing
doesn’t exist in the presence of God and
so our goal our job our responsibility
is to make room so that we can be where
God is that’s you I just want you to
type that’s me that’s me that’s me I
want you to own where you are because
when you own where you are you have the
ability to change where you’re headed
sometimes we don’t want to own where we
are I don’t want to own the fact that
I’m struggling I don’t want to own the
fact that my pride has got me out here
that my egos got me out here that my
pain has made me start doing some things
that are that are unlike me but I need
you to own where you are you don’t have
to tell us where you are but I want you
to own that I got a little off track
because now we can now that we have
identified the crack and your foundation
we can ask God to tear down anything
that you’ve built on that crack so that
he can repair it and build it again I
want to pray with you father God men in
your presence
and your presence there is joy and your
presence there is healing and your
presence there was love and your
presence there is overflow Spirit of the
Living God what we want now more than
ever is to set our mind on things above
we live in our earth that pulls us down
it makes us negative sometimes it makes
us hurt sometimes it makes us wonder and
depressed and anxious sometimes but
father when we set our minds on things
above you will give us strategy on how
to navigate this earth and so father we
give you our mind and we ask for you to
make it up we ask for you to fix it to
transform it to change it father and we
ask that you would bring us into
alignment with people who are on the
same path with people who possess that
same passion to have a foundational
thought that is built or that is based
in who you are and what you’re doing in
the earth father I pray for everyone
viewing right now I want to speak to
that anxiety I want to speak to that
depression I want to speak to that fear
and I want to speak Jesus over and I
speak Jesus I feel God on that I speak
Jesus over your anxiety I speak Jesus
over your depression I speak Jesus over
your pride I speak Jesus over your
brokenness I speak Jesus over your
abandonment issues I speak Jesus over
those rejection issues I speak Jesus
Jesus Jesus Jesus he knows how to fill
in the cracks Jesus Jesus Jesus he knows
how to restore you Jesus
Jesus Jesus he knows how to build you up
again ice plead the blood of Jesus over
you right now in the name of Jesus I
speak Jesus over your health I speak
Jesus over your dreams I speak Jesus
over your purpose I speak the kingdom of
heaven has come and because the kingdom
of heaven has come we push darkness away
father we ask that you would touch us in
the places we need it the most and that
you would open us up to receive the
transformation that is the reason why
you met with us in the first place
father please don’t leave us the same
father please don’t allow us to come
into this place the same way that we
came in but father transform us that
when the message is over and we shut
down our phones and close our laptops
that this will stick with us and when
insecurity and low self-esteem and
anxiety and in doubt begin to creep in
father I ask that you would give us the
remembrance of what this message did for
us that you would remind us that we have
the ability and the power to set our
mind on things about father we receive
this word we act that you would allow it
to take root and produce fruit in our
lives Father forgive us
forgive us father for not living up to
who we know we could be forgive us for
being indecisive in moments when we
should have shown up as our true
authentic divine self we repent father
we change our minds so that you can
change our actions and we ask that you
would allow us that walk in covenant
with you afresh and Jesus name I pray
amen
listen you know I have to have a little
homework for you so if you’ve been
touched by this message and you said
this is my word I want you to go to
Colossians 2 and I want you to start in
verse 12 I mean you know my husband’s
they read the whole Bible but Colossians
3 verse 12 through 17 and it just talks
about the character of the new man and
it’s going to help us to understand what
we’re exercising our mind towards
there’s some big boats some big adult
folks stuff in there talking about
kindness and humility and meekness and
long-suffering things that are unnatural
to us but supernatural in God so that’s
your homework I want you to start
dissecting don’t overwhelm yourself but
pick up just one or two things that you
want to focus on in this season where
you say I want to stretch my mind to be
more like above in this area and then
we’ll tackle another area and we’ll do
it over and over again until God has
said good job well done my good and
faithful servant we love you thank you
for activating with us we cannot wait to
see you on Saturday and then on Sunday
[Music]
you