“Afraid of the Dark” – Sarah Jakes Roberts

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what he told me to tell you I’m in

Ephesians 4 verse 17 my text begins it

says this I say therefore and testify in

the Lord that you should no longer walk

as the rest of the Gentiles walk in the

futility of their mind having their

understanding darkened being alienated

from the life of God because of the

ignorance that is in them because of the

blindness of their heart who being past

feeling have given themselves over to

lewdness to work all uncleanness with

greediness but you have not so learned

Christ this is in you because if indeed

you have heard him and have been taught

by him as the truth is in Jesus that you

put off concerning your former conducts

the old man which grows corrupt

according to the deceitful lust and be

renewed in the spirit of your mind and

that you put on the new man which was

created according to God and true

righteousness and holiness God we

brought into your presence the old man

and the new man and what we desire above

anything is to lay this old man at the

altar so that we can fully embrace this

new man that was created according to

your image and so God I would like to

add to the anointing and the authority

that is already permeating this

atmosphere and I want to send hell

notice that you have had your last

battle with this old person I used to be

because I’m putting on the new

I wanna prophesy in this

so darkness leaves i want to prophesy in

this room until the old man is cast down

and the new man is resurrected father

God wherever there is an open heart let

there be a new man being emerged because

that’s the kind of thing that you do

when you step in the room have your way

great God that you are no fear no

anxiety just your power your glory your

anointing

be strong in Jesus name Amen

I mean you guys can get seated I was

preparing for this message late last

night and as I was preparing for the

message I had to go downstairs and get

some water and I forgot when I went

downstairs to get some water that I had

turned all of the lights off in the

house and I’m not afraid of the dark but

I don’t fool with it like that I don’t

know about you but sometimes when I find

myself in dark rooms I do a little fast

walk to the light switch I’m not scared

I just need to see what’s happening in

my atmosphere and environment and what I

realize is that similar to how I am

naturally that there is something inside

of me that is afraid of the dark that is

my subject for tonight afraid of the

dark

and it is much easier to turn on a light

and fix the darkness in a room than it

is to fix the darkness that exists

inside of us because the darkness that

exists inside of us it doesn’t just

happen overnight

I don’t know if you’re like me and

you’ve ever found yourself in a dark

space I’m just I’m just in a dark space

it doesn’t just happen that we get in a

dark space there are these turn of

events there are these things that occur

that change our mind and change our

disposition and before we know it just

as subtly as the Sun set in the Moon

takes its place we find ourselves in

dark places and the difficult thing

about being in a dark place is that

unless you make a decision and unless

you make a choice you may stay in that

dark place because a lot of times when

we find ourselves in these dark places

it is a result of maybe a choice that

someone made

affected us or a choice that we made

that didn’t turn out the way that we

wanted to and the only way out of that

is to make another choice and so when we

talk about being afraid of the dark I

want to dig into Paul’s letter to the

church at Ephesus because it reveals to

us that these Gentiles who have now been

converted to believers have escaped

darkness because when we accepted Jesus

as our Savior when we finally saw the

light and said I don’t want to do things

my own way I don’t want to continue to

walk according to my own knowledge

something shook in the earth you know

why it shook in the earth because all of

a sudden you became afraid of the dark I

don’t know about you but when God found

me I was going down a path and I didn’t

know exactly where it was headed but all

of a sudden I saw the light and when I

saw the light I said I can’t continue to

go down that path anymore I don’t like

Who I am when I’m going down that path I

don’t like how I feel when I’m going

down that path I got afraid of the dark

that’s what I’m praying is gonna happen

in this room that someone’s gonna make a

decision that I’ve got to step out of

this darkness I got to step out of this

depression I’m not saying that it’s

going to happen automatically but the

moment that you say my identity doesn’t

agree with my circumstance any longer

you’re going to start to recognize that

it was never the sunsetting it was

actually the Sun rising I wish I had

some people in this room who understood

the power of being afraid of the dark

I’m afraid of the dark

and when church when Paul’s is writing

this letter to the church he recognizes

that these Gentiles have been saved from

a darkness in my text when verse 17

begins in verse 18 it says that the

other Gentiles are no longer going to

walk like the Gentiles of the world

they’re not going to walk like the

people of the culture you’re not going

to talk like the people of the culture

having their

understanding darken what does it mean

to have your understanding darkened it

means that all of a sudden things were

making sense but it’s not making sense

anymore and I need to retrace my steps

and figure out how I got here because

when you are a true believer you just

don’t accept that anything has just

happened to you God I know that if

something is happening to me that your

word has promised that all things are

going to work together for my good

so God of my understanding cannot be

darkened if you are the light I wish I

had some people in this room who were

willing to take captivity over every

area of their life where there feels

like there is some darkness you feel

like there’s darkness in your career

reduce them i rebuked that right now in

the name of Jesus I knew I came to go to

war with the devil I rebuke it right now

in the name of Jesus Candace

on everything that’s gonna work

everybody in this room Nebuta messed

around the mr. squirrel man ain’t no

wage war doctor this case

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darkness is going to get up off for you

tonight

after the power of the Holy Ghost

getting ready to break free in this

place

you’ve been wondering when you were

gonna see the light I came here to show

you that the light has arrived baby the

Holy Spirit of God

in this place

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there is no darkness that is greater

than the power of God there is no

depression that is greater than the

power of God there is nothing that can

wage war against Jesus because he has

won every battle so I don’t care how

many times I have to say it or what I

have to go through to get it out hey I

want you to know that I’m afraid of

what’s gonna happen if I don’t release

this word

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I came to get you out the river there’s

a flow happening in the earth and the

flow is trying to make you confuse and

the flow is trying to make you suicidal

and the flow is trying to make you

forget who you are and the flow is

trying to make you believe that you had

a mistake and I came to get you out of

the flow I came down here tonight to let

somebody know that you cannot have who

God has set aside that I didn’t just

hear from God that I learned from God

and what I learned from God is though he

slay me yet shall I trust him what I

learned from God is that no weapon

formed against me will prosper I’m not

just somebody who believes in Jesus I’m

chasing after him I wanna become more

like him I wanna go to war with

everything waging war against God I’m

not here for

I’m not here for no Oscar

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that’s why Paul says that he prays that

they as of your understanding would be

enlightened that you would see what this

is for real

the enemy is after your understanding

because if I can get you to feel like

you’re in the dark then maybe you’ll be

still

but I’m after your understanding too

because I want you to know that you

don’t understand it by standing still

that there are some things God can only

show you when you move away from the

circumstance when you say my identity is

not attached to what I’m standing around

my identity is attached to who God says

I am and I just ask God to show somebody

a mirror in this place cuz the new man

you gotta put on the new man it’s time

for you to put on the new man it’s time

for you to stop playing and pretending

like you have it all together it’s time

for you to stop going with the flow like

everyone else is going with the flow I

hear God saying that you will change the

flow and everyone connected to it if you

would just step into your new man

there’s a new

connected to you and that new man that

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new man was created according to God

Jesus and when you step into that new

man there is righteousness attached to

it

there’s a definition I want to read and

then I think we gonna shut this thing on

down Paul says that you have to put on

your new man which was a crate created

according to God and true righteousness

that word righteousness means the act of

doing what God requires I want to do

what God requires of me and doing what

God requires of me doesn’t mean that I

always get to do it comfortably but I do

what God requires because I want to be

in partnership with him and what he’s

doing in the earth so when Paul is

writing this letter to the Church of

Ephesus he’s writing it from a prison

cell because righteousness does not save

you from prisons it only guarantees that

the prison cannot contain you because

when they would not let Paul go to the

Church of Ephesus and they thought that

that would end up shutting him down and

killing everything that he was after

Paul broke got a pen and a piece of

paper and he said if I can’t go I’ll get

there by any means necessary what does

that mean that means that when you put

on this new man that nothing can stand

in between what God has destined this

new

do I came here to tell somebody that’s

been feeling like they’re in a prison

and that they’re not gonna make it to

the next dimension that I hear God’s

saying that if you make up in your mind

that I’m gonna do what you’ve called me

to do by any means necessary

that you will find a pen and a piece of

paper let me tell you how serious this

is I haven’t been preaching 15 minutes

and I’m about to lose my voice you know

why because I came to set the captives

free and I believe that if you would get

this word down in your spirit that you

would recognize that there are

generations attached to your name

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so the old man has to die I can’t trust

the old version of me I can’t trust

what’s around me I gotta put on a new

man that new man does what is right

according to God that new man knows how

to act on what God says do and that new

man will do it from a prison if they

have to I came here to hold a funeral

service for every part of you that has

been holding you back to who you used to

be and I hear God’s saying that when you

step into that new man that there is

Authority and there is anointing

attached to that new man the renewing of

the spirit of your mind my mind needs a

new spirit my mind gives up too easily

my mind second guess is too easily my

mind my mind needs a new spirit my mind

wants what kills me my mind wants what

hurts me my mind wants me to do what the

culture says I should do the mind

the mind wants me to chase after things

that don’t make my name great it doesn’t

even have anything to do with God I need

a new spirit I need a new spirit in my

mind I need a new spirit in my mind let

this mind that was in Christ also be in

me I need a

mind because when I get a new mind then

I start to look like what God had in

mind and when I start to look like what

God had in mind I can do what God has in

mind for the earth and I just want you

to know somebody that short life is not

random

you came here to shake the earth and you

cannot shake that earth in the old

version of who you are turn me up in the

microphone you cannot shake the earth in

that old version of who you are the only

version of you that can shake the earth

is the version of you that has to step

in to the new land

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and I cannot think of any person more

suited to teach us about this strength

of the new man than Paul because Paul

was a persecutor of Christians but he

saw a light and when he saw a light he

was afraid of the darkness that existed

inside of him and he was so afraid of

the darkness that existed down on the

inside of him that he didn’t even care

if he had to do it from a prison as long

as I don’t go back to who I used to be

that is the defining point and all of

our lives

when we make a decision within ourselves

that I want to pursue this new man so

much and with such intensity that I

never go back to being who I used to be

I don’t want to be that old Cerie

anymore that old Sarah was insecure that

old Sarah was crazy that old Sarah was

addicted to things I don’t want to go

back I wish I could have testimony

service in this room so we could just

find out for sure what we’re burying in

this room if you know without a shadow

of a doubt that I thought I came to a

church service but it turns out I came

to a funeral because there are some old

things that are down on the inside of me

not taken when I walked out of this room

I’m not going back out of here the same

way I came in

I’m not going back out here confused

broken and disgusted I’m not going back

out of here addiction did you know that

God could touch down in this place and

that he could break every stronghold

that’s been hanging over your life

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and so this moment is a glory encounter

it is when we make a definitive choice

to not allow the circumstances that put

us in the dark to define us for the rest

of our lives I’m walking in something

new and pom knows is he’s writing this

letter to Ephesus that they’re gonna go

back into a culture that is used to the

old version of who they are and yet he

tells them that if you would put on this

new man that you will be so strengthened

by who you become that you will never

fall prey to who they are ever again and

I just believed and pastor now we’re

talking about this that there is no

better time to become serious about who

you are and to make choices about who

you are and who you are not then right

now in this moment we got to make a

decision about who we are not the most

powerful thing that ever happened to me

is when I decided that I wasn’t the

person who was in the situation I got to

say that I looked at my situation and I

looked at how that situation was

changing me and I disagreed with who I

saw looking back at me in the mirror and

I don’t ever want to be her again

and I’m not afraid of becoming her

because I stepped fully in the sea

I hear guys saying that you don’t have

to be afraid of going back to who you

were if you would step fully into who

I’ve called you to be and the first step

in stepping truly into who God called

you to be is recognizing who you are not

I’m not an addict I don’t agree with

that I’m not an alcoholic I don’t agree

with that I’m not just gonna be

depressed I don’t agree with that I’m

going to counseling I’m going to get

some therapy I don’t agree with that I

don’t agree with what life is trying to

tell me who I am and I’m afraid of this

darkness because if I don’t shine a

light in the area that is dark then that

darkness will continue to grow and grow

and grow until depression turns into

suicidal thoughts and I’m sitting there

wondering how many pills it would take

so in this atmosphere I believe that God

wants to shine a light in the areas

where we have been experiencing darkness

and I believe that it is not just so

that we can have a temporary moment but

so that we can step into the newness and

the new identity that God has for us the

new man that was made according to God

if the new man is made according to God

then the question is what is the old man

made according to but what is that old

man made according to was it the

abandonment issues was it the mistakes

how did I become Who I am what have I

been made according to and if I cannot

answer that question then I have to be

willing to surrender everything that I

have until I can say without a shadow of

a doubt that Who I am now has been made

according to God I became somebody in

him but most importantly I became

somebody for him

I became somebody in him so that I could

become somebody for him and sometimes we

want to be somebody for him before we

become somebody in him and I hear God’s

saying in the most loving way that you

had the right intentions but you missed

a step it starts from the inside and

then it overflows into everything that

you touch and so I want to invite those

of you those of you who know you’ve been

caught in the flow and that flow was

taking you to dark places that flow was

taking you into places where you see

your light flickering and you’re ready

to draw a line in the sand you can’t

take me no lower than this you can’t

take me no further than this somebody’s

gonna come down to this alternate it’s

gonna be the moment that they decide I’m

gonna get serious about therapy

somebody’s gonna come down to this altar

and they’re gonna be serious about

saying it’s my I don’t just like to

drink I have a drinking problem

somebody’s gonna come down to this

halter and it’s gonna draw a line in the

sand that line is saying I want that new

man

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more than I want the comfort that comes

with being that old version of Who I am

I need Jesus I need Jesus Jesus is the

bridge from the old man to the new man

Paul says in my text he says that you

have heard of Christ it’s one thing to

hear him it’s another thing to be taught

by him I want to be taught by Christ

God’s

show me how Jesus navigated this earth

show me how Jesus dealt with people

turning their backs on him Jesus show me

how he had enough discipline to get on

the cross even though he knew it would

hurt Jesus I I need to know you in a new

way and when they made this decision it

served notice on everything that could

ever threaten them that I’m not afraid

of the prisons and I’m not afraid of the

darkness what I am afraid of more than

anything is not being connected to him I

got to be able to hear from God I got to

be able to work for God and I don’t know

who you are but she used to be on fire I

feel this prophetically for somebody I

don’t know who you are but you used to

really live this righteous life and I

would only do what God told me to do if

this isn’t for you it’s okay just pray

but I believe that you’re supposed to be

at this altar that you suffered some

prison moments

got those prison moments were a

reflection of who you were not realizing

that God wanted to know if you would

still do what he told you to do if you

had to do it from a prison would you do

what I told you to do if you had to

carpool if you lost the car if you lost

the house if you didn’t get the job if

your name was never in lights would you

still serve me from a prison if for just

a moment it wasn’t about you and all it

could be was about what I needed because

that’s what happened to Paul God has

stripped Paul down to a prison a paper

and a pen this isn’t about his next meal

this isn’t about who’s gonna ride with

him this isn’t about when his name is

going to be made great this is about him

it’s exclusively doing what God has told

him to do and I told God that I would

come here and that I would say what he

told me to say not because I feel

confident not because I’m a theologian

and because I have it all together but

because a few several years ago I drew a

line in the sand and when I drew that

line in the sand I said I’m never going

back to being that girl who I didn’t

even like who I didn’t even know who I

didn’t even understand and stepping into

righteousness it takes work it takes

practice it requires that you lay hold

of every thought but most importantly it

means that you act on what God says

if you know that there’s been some

things that God told you to do that

you’ve been reluctant to do because you

weren’t sure how it would change your

world just wave at me I want to know

we’re in the right room god I hear God’s

saying that your righteousness that your

victory that your power that your

authority that your anointing is on the

other side of you making that decision I

hear God saying that you cannot afford

to be stagnant any longer that you

cannot afford to pretend like you don’t

know any longer that it is time for you

to draw a line in the sense I might is

gonna send the text message when we

leave this place it’s not you it’s me

I drew a line in the sand I can’t do it

anymore

somebody’s gonna make a decision when

they leave this place because God’s been

waiting on me to step into their new man

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hallelujah

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let me tell you something both of us

lost our voice tonight and I think it’s

I think it’s truthfully a couple things

one I was doing the math and it is

starting tomorrow 10 days to Pentecost

Sunday and I believe we’re supposed to

go on a 10-day fast I really do

what God is doing with his church he is

doing in his church I promise you

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it is not about what God is doing for

you right now

I want you to just suspend that just to

spend that he’s got you trust me he’s

got you eyes haven’t seen ears haven’t

heard nor has it entered into the heart

of man the things that he’s prepared

he’s gonna do trust me exceedingly

abundantly far above what you can ask

for or imagine so I want you to get out

of what God is going to do for me you

got to get out of that spirit right now

what God is doing in the church in this

our family is what he is doing in you

that’s why past this area is talking

about the new man if anyone is in Christ

he is a they are a new creation new old

things have passed away behold all

things become new there is a completely

new next level of glory path way for

each of you and a lot of things that God

has promised you will be manifest on the

new path he spoke it to you there but it

will be manifest up there

see what God didn’t tell you was how

because sometimes he will whet our

appetite he knows us he can’t give it to

us all at once so he tell us the what

but he will not tell us the how because

we will look at the house and say no

it’s what he’s doing in you and I’ll be

honest with you I didn’t even I found

out today that Pentecost Sunday and I

know you know I know my church and I

know that that we’re gonna have to do

some teaching on Pentecost because some

of you like and that’s okay I love that

I love that because I’d rather actually

have a person that does that about

Pentecost the one who thinks that they

know everything that there is to know

about Pentecost and so they’re so full

that they ultimately leave empty because

there’s no room for revelation so if you

don’t know what Pentecost is a fully

understanding I actually salute you I’m

happy for you because you’re getting

ready to go on a ride on the thrill of

your life you’re gonna discover life

like you’ve never seen it before the

power of Pentecost is your portion is

your portion everything’s gonna change

just like that

everything is gonna change it’s gonna

shift just like that

Giants that were this tall are gonna be

under you’re not even gonna be able Rick

you won’t even be able to feel them

under your feet just like that issues

that have had you for years

just like that heartbreak that has been

on you for weeks and months and years

just like that watch this soul ties that

you have not been able to break off of

your life you know it ain’t no good but

you cannot get that person out of your

spirit it’s gonna break just like that

just like that

it’s coming but I want you to prepare

yourself for it the word says here’s

what God says he says open your mouth

wide and I will feel it what that means

is to the degree that you can receive

God he’ll feel you see I’ll be honest

with you some of you right now the

feeling feeling fi ll ing that God wants

to do you don’t have capacity for

the power that you need for your calling

for your life for your future requires

that you fast because when you fast you

clear

you clear the way for the expanse of God

[Applause]

some of you receive something tonight

but I believe that it’s just a portion

of what’s gonna come on you after this

10-day fast so here are the instructions

a whole lot of questions what we what we

share with you tonight is like eight

weeks of teaching seriously to give it

its its its due but let me just give you

quickly just the ABCs of this fasting

thing that I’m talking about first of

all the a is why do I fast is it just

some religious ritual

I just deny myself and just look weird

and walk around here Tom but I’m fasting

and that’s not what it’s about fasting

simply put is crucifying your carnal man

so that your spiritual man can emerge

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it is putting to death your flesh I like

cookies and chocolate ale I like cake I

like hamburgers

I want you to think about what your

flesh likes social media definitely

definitely delete it off of your phone

tonight and I’ll touch more on that

Sunday delete it off of you I mean

delete it off of your phone don’t say

I’m not gonna use it no no because

because what you don’t realize is you’re

actually wire to use you’re addicted to

it you like pass that’s extreme no it’s

not that’s why when you see the little

Instagram thing light up dopamine kicks

in it activates your brain’s reward

center you get high off likes and

depressed when there are no likes no

family for real this is scientifically

proven so I’m nice no I want you to

delete it off of your phone tonight

so that’s gone I’m telling you that cuz

that you know their medical things were

eaten so I you know I have to be real

liberal with with you know with with

that but social medias got to go if

you’re gonna go on this 10-day fast with

us

it has got to go and you are gonna be

amazed at the clarity that immediately

begins to come to you simply by deleting

it now for those of you who will take it

a step further and I think that you

should it can be meat I don’t know it’s

it’s up to you and what you know will be

a sacrifice if you do not eat breakfast

normally then giving up breakfast is not

your fast

don’t even try if it’s one male one mil

of that it’s gotta be something it’s

between you and the Lord I don’t think

that you ought to go cold turkey cuz I

have to raise you from the dead we’ve

got the anointing to do that but that’s

for emergencies not stupidity

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meet maybe me if you love you a steak

and a hamburger no meat no sweet

straight fish I know we got vegetarians

already in house that’s why that doesn’t

apply to you make it a sacrifice and

replace that replace it with study with

meditation get your journal back out you

know that journal we use and we got a

zillion notes in it we got enough notes

in our journal to preach 72 sermons and

we haven’t looked at it in 72 months

it’s your journal back out it’s a

cleansing we’re going to create capacity

for God so that when he fills you he has

more of you to feel because you’re gonna

need that for your future family I I

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believe more than anything before you

stuff I promise you that we’ll just do

stuff for you don’t seek God for what he

can do for you you miss God when that

happens it is nothing for him to bless

you it is nothing for him to give you a

place there’s nothing for him to do

anything that you need naturally that’s

nothing for him

and sometimes he leverages not doing

that so that he can do things in you

hear me loud and clear there are some

things that you wanted that God did not

allow because it would have kept you

from this moment it would have kept you

from the type of hunger that comes with

questioning asking God questions the

type of hunger that is the byproduct of

examining examining life see when life

seems to work the way that you want it

to work

you don’t examine it you have no reason

to examine it you have no reason to

press into it when when life starts

throwing you some curveballs all of a

sudden you’ve got questions God will

cause you to have a question for an

answer that he wants to bring you he has

answers but you’re not asking the

questions so he has to allow

circumstance to make you start asking

questions so that he can get the

information to you that he wants we’re

gonna go into 10-day fast come with me

on your level whatever it is it starts

tomorrow so you got tonight to have your

hamburger if that’s what you want to do

but social media is gone that’s gone so

eat up heartedly tonight go down to

Roscoe’s if you want to never do your

thing you know how it is what if I’m a

fast tomorrow hear me family is gonna

make such a difference and you’re gonna

be way ahead of the sunday crowd I know

some of you to suddenly crowd but not

all of you but you’re gonna be way ahead

of the sunday crowd because I’m gonna

give some some other stuff but let’s do

this man we’re gonna be happier we’re

gonna be healthier I thank God for my

wife was that not a word from God

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[Applause]

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listen full transparency and you can

sense it and you can fill it in the room

that we’re on the brink of something

we’re being stretched and you know who’s

next because we love you and I swear to

you as sure as my name is torie Thomas

Roberts and her name is Sarah Dion Jakes

Roberts yacht to know about the Dion

hallelujah as sure as we are who we are

we love you and we would never we would

never keep from you what we know you’re

gonna need here’s the thing this is this

is the realest thing maybe I’ve ever

said to you you’re next you are us

you’re next but you gotta be ready and

we can’t quit until you’re ready it’s

not about us not y’all

which our whole thing is to get you

everything that God will entrust us to

have to you and pray for you and cover

you we want I’ll be honest with you

we’re trying to work ourselves out of a

job no seriously we’re not going away

that’s not what I’m talking about but

I’m saying that if we don’t if we just

sit around and preach to you and get you

excited off of our revelation we failed

you we failed you and we will not have

that on our hands we want to continue to

grow because because we can’t give you

beyond who we are but man when I tell

you you’re next I swear to you every

time I look at you I see next and it may

not look like this it doesn’t have to

look like this in fact with technology

and everything we don’t even know how

long we will even be able to do this now

I’m just saying some countries this

can’t even happen I don’t know what it’s

gonna look like for you I have friends

that are more effective in their

profession than they would ever be in a

pulpit right now I mean major major

people in major places that have way

more influence than us and they don’t

have any titles I’m not talking about a

title when I say you’re us I’m not

talking about this necessary now some of

you probably will in fact some of you

will I’m talking about Kingdom people

I’m talking about in your own way in

your unique style in your unique grace

changing the world so when I say full

disclosure I’m saying we’re being

stretched right now the Holy Spirit is

stretching us and that is so good for

you so join us on this 10-day fast

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you