To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://tphla.org/giving/ Service Date: 08.17.17 11AM

[Music]

you know Petey first of all give it up

for Petey and pastor Sarah come on you

can do better than that you can do

better than that

amen god bless them as they are in

Denver this weekend

and a few weeks ago Petey said hey you

know Devon why don’t you come in

September and do a two-part message on

your book The Hollywood Commandments

that’s my new book amen amen amen

it’s a spiritual guide to secular

success and I said cool Petey yes I’m in

and as I started preparing for today God

said don’t be Labor the book he said get

to the book next week he said what I

need them to know is more important than

you talking about the book I said Jesus

lord have mercy on my soul Lord you see

how many people there are here hey you

know what we talked about this book lord

help me Jesus

uh-huh uh-huh si si I want you to know

anything I preach to you about is

because I’m going through a tool right

I don’t preach from here down here we

all in this thing together and when you

hear God you say Oh Lord I gotta be

obedience alright so I’m not gonna talk

about the book all I’m gonna tell you is

the word he gave us commandment number

eight that word for today is your

difference is your destiny your

difference is your destiny I just want

to show you something look at you put it

down

Thanks oh it just makes it easier to get

into it thank you

okay so

in my hand somebody’s hungry my god a

man you you you should eat a little bit

of something before you come to church

amen

hallelujah so so in my hand

we got mrs. fields we got some mini

Chips Ahoy the chewy kind not not the

dry-time not not too covered up and we

got the Keebler’s chocolate chip deluxe

with the M&M somebody now as many of you

are salivating cuz you’re hungry I pray

your hunger for the word is greater than

your there’s a Kohanga watch this I

don’t want you to get lost I want you to

stay with me I hold in my hand chocolate

chips chocolate chip cookies right now

what’s interesting is this is just an

example of when you go to any

supermarket there is a whole aisle

dedicated to chocolate chip cookies you

can get whatever flavor or everstyle

you want but what dawned on me is that

you mean to tell me there’s a whole

aisle of the same product so as I I sat

there looking at the aisle I said how is

it possible in almost every supermarket

in the country there can be an aisle

dedicated to the same product as I began

to think about it I said it might be the

same chocolate chip but what

differentiates one brand from another

the recipe

may I submit for your consideration

these chocolate chip cookies represent

success we all have been destined to be

successful but each one of us has a

different recipe that God will use to

create success what I know is that

Keebler ain’t trying to steal mrs.

Fields recipe because Keebler does what

they do mrs. Fields do what they do and

they both can sell millions of cookies

every single year why because they’re

committed to their recipe they believe

that their recipe is the best and as a

result they still find success you don’t

see on the package of mrs. Fields we

taste just like a blurs now mrs. fields

as mrs. Fields Keebler’s as mrs.

Keeler’s and Chips Ahoy as Chips Ahoy Oh

your difference is your destiny you have

a recipe for your success so why are you

over there trying to steal your

neighbors recipe why don’t you start

cooking up what God gave you start

mixing up your ingredients and know that

if your neighbor can find space on the

Isle of the world for success that God

has some shelf space for you too I don’t

know who I’m talking to right now but

your difference is your destiny anybody

want some cookies

I all right please do not open those in

church please I don’t want y’all say

please after service all right watch

this watch this it is so important as it

relates to owning our difference that we

recognize what makes us different as a

way to helping us understand how God

wants us to be successful the work that

he is doing in you the work that he is

doing in me is different then the work

that he’s doing anyone else all right

but this is where it starts to get

difficult why because if we’re honest we

don’t like being different hmm and the

church gets quiet to be honest we don’t

like standing out we want to fit in we

want to be accepted we want to be liked

and as a result even in this very moment

some of us are even wearing something

different that we don’t even like but we

know that it’s the style so we want to

be accepted even in one church so we

wear jeans that we cannot fit we wear

shoes we don’t even like we wear a shirt

that’s a little too short but we like it

because we’re trying to fit in because

somebody told us this is how one church

dresses but what if God told you to put

on a suit and what if God told you to

put on a tie and bless your heart what

have they told you to put on a dress and

go to one church would you be obedient

to the difference or would you say no I

can’t do it it’s one church I have to be

who they want me to be what about owning

who you already are

[Music]

see hmm I gotta just give it to you

where feel I’m gonna get to our text

don’t worry I got a text I’m going to in

two minutes just give me a minute

because see here’s the thing the power

to conform is so pervasive that many of

us are prey to it right now that we

really aren’t owning our difference

because we’re afraid that if we do we

will not be accepted by the one that

sitting next to us so as a result

instead of being obedient to what God

has called us to do how he’s called us

to do it we have exchanged obedience for

acceptance and then we wonder why we’re

not happy we were not designed to fit

into someone’s limited idea of who we’re

supposed to be can I get an amen and

hallelujah somebody your difference is

your destiny I want to give you this

text real quick and then I want to talk

about the pain of being different but

also the power of being different I read

this text in your hearing we’re in 1st

Samuel Chapter 17 verse 31 this is David

going to King Saul telling King Saul

that he is going to fight the giant

Goliath and he says let no one lose

heart on account of this Philistine why

because your servant will go and fight

him we’re talking about destiny

difference is the one thing that

differentiates two people right or two

things it’s mixed it’s the difference

between what is similar and what is not

that is difference destiny is the place

that we were designed to operate it is

our calling it is our vocation may I

submit for your consideration that once

we get to our destiny we have an

abundance of opportunity you don’t I’m

here to tell you don’t have to worry

about money

you don’t have to worry about it get

close to your destiny and money comes I

promise you don’t even worry about

opportunity

keep walking pores close to your destiny

and God will give you opportunity I

promise you how many know that they need

to get closer to their destiny and are

believing who are but how many are

believing that God will bring you to

your destiny how many are excited about

getting to your destiny come on come on

so what I know about destiny similar to

the text his destiny comes with a

declaration David had to declare what he

was going to do not only before he did

it but before he even had the

opportunity to prove that he could do it

how well are your declarations and what

are you declaring what is coming out of

your mouth and is it working against

your difference and your destiny think

about it what are the first things you

say when you get up in the morning I’m

late noticing a list anybody who heard

reclaiming my time and got no reason or

excuse to be late am i right come on

somebody right hey if you late that’s on

you

Amen we have to begin to look at our

declarations and are we declaring the

destiny even before it manifests are you

speaking what you’re going to do even

before you have the opportunity to do it

I’ll never forget in high school I was

17 years old I had the opportunity to go

to Washington DC the summer between my

junior year and my senior year and it

was a program called boys nation it was

a program where they chose two students

high school students from every state

and you would go to Washington and

participate in a mock government during

the summer you would be a senator from

whatever state you were from this was

the same program where Bill Clinton when

he was a kid

met JFK President Kennedy there’s a

famous picture and so this particular

summer I had the opportunity to meet

President Bill Clinton at the time while

he was in the White House and then they

had media that was there and they came

up to each student and asked each

student what do you want to do when you

get older what is your dream what is

your passion what is your career goal

and now I grew up in a community of

faith I grew up in the church but God

called me to come to Hollywood now the

church didn’t like that too much the

elders would say no Devon why don’t we

just go ahead and lay hands on you and

just rebuke the devil

come on Who am I talking to many of you

are here because you had to fight the

rebuke of your own church community and

family community because they didn’t

believe you could come out here and be

successful who am I talking to don’t get

quiet on me 11 o’clock so there I was

and in my mind I said do I tell the

reporter what is acceptable by my church

family that my dream is to stay in the

Bay Area I’m from Oakland by the way

yeah yep there is a stronger anointing

on Oakland

I think the Warriors show that okay

we’re gonna say say say in the message

Devon stop it Devon stop stop okay here

we go watch it watch this I’m going

somewhere watch this do I tell them what

will be acceptable or do I actually

speak what is in my heart

do I declare what is going to happen

even though when my parent or my aunt’s

or my family or my church reads the

article they may not like what I say but

if it’s my truth should I begin to

monitor my truth because somebody else

may not like it please let me get right

beside you right now and ask you a

question are you living your truth or

are you trying to modify the truth

because you want somebody next to you to

say yes you’re doing what God called you

to do let me tell you something God

ain’t gonna tell everybody what it is

that you’re supposed to do he may only

whisper it in your spirit and he may

tell you the truth about your life so if

you submit the truth to somebody else

for a vote and they vote no are you

still going to do it you’ve got to start

declaring where you’re going to go and

so in that moment with the reporter I

told him the truth I said I want to be a

media mogul well do you know anyone in

entertainment I don’t know nobody but I

want to be a media mogul I want to use

the power of media to inspire and make

people’s lives better that’s what I want

to do seventeen years old had not got

accepted to USC had not didn’t know

anybody in Hollywood but I declared it

because I said you know what I got to

own my difference because here’s the

thing I only got one life this is not a

dress rehearsal can I remind you of that

you don’t get a chance to do this life

over again this is the show you’re

waiting to perform the performance is

now so if you don’t live out your truth

if you don’t embrace your difference

will you be able to look back and say

whatever you shortchanged your

difference for it was worth it

whoever you shortchange your difference

for were they worth it so often we

become a limited version of ourselves

just to be accepted by somebody who then

goes on to move on to some

and there we are left with the damage of

having compromised ourselves for their

love and acceptance and they de said no

no and they’re on to somebody else and

we’re still left healing from a

situation we should have never been in

to begin with say your notes Devon I

just need to tell you right now please

do not want love so badly you

compromised who you are to get it if

somebody you’re dating cannot handle the

fullness of your purpose and your

calling and your personality why don’t

you go ahead and drop them right now

please drop them cut it off cut it off

why because all you’re doing is wasting

your time and their time be who you’re

created to be and if they cannot handle

that god bless them go ahead and buy my

bag of cookies and say I’ll see you on

the other side but I cannot allow myself

to be subject to your limited thinking I

am bigger than your capacity to handle

Who I am Who am I talking to right now

your difference is your destiny we all

were created different we were created

as Sandown you can’t be like anybody

else no matter how hard you or I try we

can’t do it

he made us different for a reason so we

had to declare so I declared it watch

this I declare I want to be a media

mogul check this Contra Costa Times 1995

and the article goes back home and

people are like oh I guess you’re not

going to seminary I said no I gotta go

to Hollywood and I believe that he’s

gonna open up away I had to declare it I

had to speak it what are you speaking

seriously what’s in your mouth right now

stop speaking to get yourself stopped

speaking against your difference too

often we say why can’t I be like anybody

else you ever been there before trust me

I’ve been there I’ve been there more

days than I would really want to admit

because it’s hard to be different it’s

hard to stand out growing up you know

I’m the middle child of three boys any

middle children in the house we got a

support group okay right after this it’s

hard to be a middle child am i right

amen so so here’s the thing standing out

is difficult because we all come in the

world with the need to be wanted and

accepted in love and that is natural

that’s okay

but the question comes what are we doing

to get that and are we doing it at the

expense of who we were created to be so

so difference is painful watch this not

only does David declare it when you cut

to verse 38 it says that souls rest

David in his own tunic so Saul said fine

if you want to go fight Goliath that’s

on you you’re crazy

so I’ll did not believe that David had a

chance to defeat Goliath but if David

wanted to go on a suicide mission he was

not gonna stand in his way

so Saul says look he says I dressed he’s

a dress that says then Saul dressed

David in his own tunic he put a coat of

armor on him in a bronze helmet on his

head verse 39

David fastened on his sword over the

tunic and tried walking around because

he was not used to them then he said to

Saul I cannot go in these because I am

not used to them so he took them off oh

my lord oh my lord oh my lord

David came into the reality that I’m

different I’m the eighth son that that

Jesse didn’t even think qualified to be

brought before the Prophet the oil has

fall fallen on my head

I’m a shepherd I’m a warrior and I know

how to play the harp a masculine and

feminine all at the same time watch it

see too many times

we try to own one part of who we are not

the fullness of who we are

David said yes I can play the harp and

yes if you try me I can whoop

they called him a warrior I’m just

quoting scripture I’m just uh I’m just

quoting the scripture this is what he

did when Saul was in need of someone to

play the harp the person in the kingdom

said go get David he’s a mighty warrior

and he can play wait a minute so you

mean he can war and he can also play I

don’t even understand how that works why

David didn’t trip he said I’m different

I’m gonna own my difference you may

think of me as just the soft harp player

but let me tell you something don’t

mistreat or misunderstand who is playing

the harp this is a warrior playing this

thing I am playing strings of victory I

need to talk to somebody right now

because see here’s the thing as men as

men as men here’s what we do as men we

allow society to define what masculinity

is Society says real men don’t cry so so

anytime we find ourselves getting

emotional we hear the voice of society

saying my emotion tells me I’m not a

real man so as a result as men we are

conditioned to cut off the emotion that

means we can never fully love nor fully

receive love because we are closed off

and then the society wants to wonder why

we are damaged as men because it has

reinforced this idea that if we show

emotion we are weak we are soft this is

where toxic Nexus masculinity comes from

but then when I go into the word it

tells me that Jesus wept

[Applause]

Jesus is the man of men

Jesus is the man of men he is the man of

men let me tell you something if Jesus

wept and I call myself a follower of the

man of men that I don’t mind if I cry

too why cuz I’m not afraid to show

emotion you’re gonna see my heart let me

tell you something any real man is not

afraid to show your heart is not afraid

to get vulnerable I need to know who I’m

talking to are there any real men in the

house right now not afraid to let

somebody know how you feel not afraid to

show that you care not afraid to drop us

here once in a while who am I talking to

right now

we no longer let society define us we

define what masculinity looks like we

can be a play the harp we can also war

we can write poetry we can also go ahead

and write a soliloquy we can go and give

a dissertation we can also go and be

there for you when you need us the most

we are redefining what masculinity looks

like right now why because we are owning

our difference

[Applause]

I’m tired of fitting in I’m tired of

fitting in I turn to your neighbor say

I’m tired of fitting in turn to your

other neighbor say no I’m really tired

of fitting in David realized what I am

wearing does not fit this is what

conformity looks like hmm

many of the reason why most of you come

to this church is because it allows you

to be free the church community I love

the church too so I’m not gonna vilify

the church but I’m gonna tell you let’s

be honest about the church the church

does not embrace difference very well

growing up if I didn’t want to be a lot

a doctor a lawyer a pastor a preacher in

terms of the church if I didn’t sing in

the choir or if I wasn’t leading the

praise team any gift that was not on the

pre-ordained church lifts gifts were not

embraced they were suppressed Who am I

talking to

anybody had your gift suppressed before

because the church didn’t know how to

handle you so instead of speaking life

into you they slept they spoke depth

into you see here’s what I know here’s

what I know as much as the church loves

me and loves you people have a hard time

dealing with those that are different

they don’t fit a norm is that their

problem or our problem

there have been generations of

well-meaning Christians who have never

lived out the fullness of their calling

because they were afraid to go against

what the church said was acceptable and

what wasn’t God sent me here today

because he wants you to know you don’t

have to fit in you were created to stand

out watch this

David put on the armor it did not fit

think about this for a moment just think

about it for a moment

he has gone before the

he is exposed he said I am going to do

it the king says fine if you want to go

take on Goliath let me at least put you

in armor that may protect you David goes

he is obedient he tries it on in that

moment he is having an identity crisis

because he understands what is expected

of him but as he is there in the

dressing room of the palace he

recognizes that the expectation does not

fit because he can’t move the way he’s

used to moving he can’t do the thing he

know he knows that he can do the way

he’s used to doing it so he has a

dilemma do I keep the arm the armor on

even though I know it does not fit and

it’s restrictive and go out into battle

and do my best or do I have enough

courage in the moment to say it doesn’t

fit I’m not going to wear it and going

to the battlefield the way God called me

to do it he’s got a dilemma we have a

dilemma how often are we faced with am I

really going to own what I want to say

in a moment or do I want to fit into my

group so well do I want to fit into this

network so well that I remain quiet even

though I know I have something to say

how often are we faced with an identity

crisis where we know who we really are

but we aren’t sure if we embrace it if

we will still succeed you got to

understand something I’m standing before

you not as Minister Devon Franklin I’m

standing before you as Devon I’m

standing before you as your brother I’m

not preaching from here to here we all

in this together and and there has been

a tendency in my life again because I

want to be accepted I want to be loved I

want to be part of the in-crowd there

has been a tendency

to sand down my difference just to fit

this book this book me writing and

talking and calling it the Hollywood

Commandments a spiritual guide to

secular success is crazy because there

are some people in the church crowd they

say Devon you are too secular and there

are some people in the secular world is

a Devon you are just too churchy so in

these moments we have that identity

crisis where I’m trying on the armor of

either one and I recognize that neither

quite fit I don’t quite fit completely

in the neat box of the church and I

don’t quite fit necessarily in the

wildness of the world but I do have

secular ambition that I believe God gave

me and I do have strong spirituality

that’s rooted in the Word of God

so ask me what am I supposed to do

because I’m not just this or just that

I’m everything God created me to be so I

have a dilemma

do I wear the church armor or the world

armor at the expense of the church at

the expense of the world well I said you

know what god bless your heart I’m aware

both armors at the same time and I’m

gonna teach you how you can do the same

so you can be who everything God called

you to be I’m tired of you thinking you

have to fit in with one or the other

no be who God created you to be and know

that it’s going to be enough oh here’s

what I can see in your spirit some of

y’all are like literally jumping out of

your skin right now because you came out

here thinking like oh cool is LA and

people in this industry have said no

you’re too spiritual as a matter of fact

some of you haven’t even gotten some

invitations to go to some events you

thought you should be getting into am i

right can we be honest some of you hang

with some people you thought you were

friends with you even know they got

together till you saw it on Instagram

[Applause]

am i right

but see here’s the thing I don’t want

you to covet every invitation because

see because you are as spiritual as you

are there are certain environments you

go into and people can sense the

presence of God on you

ah hey they can they the presence of God

is so strong on you you don’t even have

to say a word and you convict those that

don’t even want to be in the presence of

God because it’s on you and they didn’t

invite you because they didn’t want to

feel convicted so don’t you feel

rejected you just continue to own who he

created you to be continue to be as

spiritual as you are and he will allow

you to be at the right places at the

right time you don’t have to compromise

to get recognized you don’t have to

compromise just to get an invitation if

they did not invite you well bless your

heart that means I didn’t belong I need

to talk to somebody right now own your

difference and it will lead you to your

destiny

watch this David made a choice I’m gonna

take myself out of the armor and I’m

gonna own what makes me different for

better or worse

life or death win or lose I’d rather do

it owning my difference then if I fail

and I can’t the armor on I would have

always regretted not doing it the way

God called me to do it are you pursuing

success in the way he called you to

pursue it or are you like David could

have been trying to wear an armor that

does not fit because you believe that if

you don’t have it you won’t be accepted

I need to talk to the artists in the

house any artists any musicians it has

songwriters producers here’s here’s what

I know here’s what I know there are

certain melodies that God gives you okay

resist the temptation watch this there

is a there is an exchange temptation

which is to exchange what makes you

different for what will make you common

see sometimes we try to say well what’s

hot right now let me write what’s hot

let me produce what’s hot no no what

about writing was honest to you what

about producing what’s honest to you

regardless if another person says oh

that’s hot cuz let me tell you all of us

were born hot we were born in His image

we were shaped in his life Who am I

talking to you don’t have to get hot you

already hot they don’t even know how hot

you are you don’t even know how hot you

are you’re trying to get hot you are

already hot let me tell you something

God does not make anything less than he

makes us more than I don’t know who I’m

talking to

but you’re more than a conqueror you

have what it takes to make it you woke

up in the room and now all of a sudden

the temperature starts to rise why cuz

you’re that hot I don’t know who I’m

talking to right now stop trying to get

hot you already hot why what is here

here so here’s what I know the reason

why God want me to talk about your

difference is because it’s too often we

we exchange our difference for somebody

else’s difference too often we mistake

somebody else’s distinctiveness for our

distinctiveness I need you to know

because here’s the thing I used to work

for Will Smith right I used to make

movies I used words in the first of all

I was an intern for him I was an

assistant at a company and then I used

to make movies for him watch this and

there was a time that I believed I had

distinctiveness and difference because I

worked with will because I worked with

somebody who was so distinctive and who

was so different

I was confusing his difference with my

difference watch this because here’s the

thing

too often we covet being in the

environment of somebody who is different

and distinctive and we think that

because we have proximity to that person

that means success is gonna fall on us

too I need you to know if God has you in

proximity of distinctiveness

indifference it’s not because you’re

supposed to worship that it’s because

you already have the same level of

distinctiveness and difference as the

person you’re in proximity

– like attracts like don’t outsource

what makes you great for their greatness

you are in their environment because

there is greatness in you – I don’t know

who I’m talking to right now

embrace your difference embrace your

difference embrace your difference

embrace your difference embrace your

difference embrace it embrace it embrace

it as a matter of fact some of you God

has put you in proximity to people like

that to put you on notice of what’s

getting ready to happen to you it’s an

email from God to you you think this is

something I’m setting you up so that you

know how to handle success when it comes

now you know how to handle fame when it

comes you know how to handle blessings

when they fall you are in proximity

because it’s getting ready to happen to

you anybody ready for God to do it

anybody ready for God to do it anybody

ready for God to do it Who am I talking

to anybody ready for God to do it

anybody ready for God to do it here’s

what you have to do you cannot exchange

your difference for someone else’s as I

was working for will I’ll give you a

true story being transparent telling you

my truth I’m in Beijing working on the

Karate Kid I was the lead executive for

Sony at the time and I and you know I

had known will for about ten years at

that point a little bit longer than ten

years and we had made a pursuit of

happiness and seven pounds and Hancock

and now we were producing working on

Karate Kid in so much of my success in

Hollywood was because I had the

association you might know I’m talking

now

oh so you’re associated to him that

means that’s getting ready to happen

pray okay cool so because you have the

association we’ll take your call we’ll

treat you with respect but there I am in

Beijing watch it I’m in Beijing and I’m

like great working on the Karate Kid

this is awesome this is my movie in

between takes it was will

Jaden jada and Willow the Smith family

and in between takes they’re having a

time they’re just playing around and

having fun and in that moment God says

what do you see and I said Lord I see

the Smith family

he said no Devon what did you see and as

I looked closer I said I see that this

is their movie he said yes he said Devon

this movie would have happened whether

you worked at Sony Pictures or not

because this movie was born out of their

difference not yours

Real Talk

you are servicing their difference but

don’t mistake their difference with your

own so as I’m getting the revelation I’m

completely being broken down by God

because so much of my identity was tied

up in the relationship with Will Smith

[Applause]

so as God begins to tell me this I say

Lord what am I supposed to do he said if

you start asking me what you were

created to do what your difference is

and if you would stop downplaying your

difference just to be close to their

difference you would really begin to

discover what I created you to do so I

was completely honestly completely

depressed by the revelation true true

story we can be honest I can tell you

the truth completely depressed by the

revelation completely but what did I do

that same trip while I took the Sabbath

off in Beijing I said Lord okay well

what do you want me to do what makes me

different and he

davonne where have you been in this past

week I said well I was in London for a

premiere I went to to the Bay Area to

preach I was back in Los Angeles for

meetings and here we are in Beijing God

in one week he said okay what is taking

you there I said well it’s my faith

because I’ve honored you I’ve held on to

my faith he said exactly faith is the

path to success not the obstacle and he

said and he said who else do you know

has navigated entertainment the way you

have I said nobody exactly he said I

want you to call up that book agent that

came to you a year ago and told you to

write a book and you told him no I want

you to call them up and tell them the

idea for your first book is that faith

is the path to success not the obstacle

we’re talking 2009 this is happening I

call up the book agent I say hey I got

the idea for my first book this is what

it is she said great I said what do you

want to call she said what do you wanna

call it I said I think we should call it

produced by faith I was an executive for

Sony I had to go get permission to write

the book they said wait you want to

write a book about how you can use your

faith to be successful Devon do you want

to get fired

I’m like no but I believe there are

people who can benefit from my

difference and I want to be obedient to

what I believe God is calling me to do

and I want to hold on to my job as well

you have not because you asked not to

you better start fixing it in your mouth

don’t be afraid to ask for it

the way he told you to ask for it you

are different and God will allow

circumstances that nobody else has been

able to conform around their faith but

they will conform around you why because

you are different and not only do they

say yes you could write the book but do

you realize that writing the first book

produced by

faith was the key to harnessing my

difference I would not even have a

production deal right now making

faith-based movies if I had not been

obedient to writing the first book

because the book was identity the book

was different where is your difference

you want to manifest your difference you

got to start harnessing it no matter

what

stop being a brain turn to your neighbor

say stop being afraid stop being afraid

stop being afraid stop being afraid stop

being afraid oh we might need to cut

that stop being afraid stop being afraid

why because when you own your difference

power is on the other side peace is on

the other side joy is on the other side

reward is on the other side destiny is

on the other side keep owning your

difference and you gonna see God work

this thing out last thing I want to say

and we’re going close Jesus in his first

sermon to the Jewish people in the

Sermon on the Mount he said you are salt

and you are light he said what good

insult if it loses its flavor you are

supposed to be the salt of the earth and

I began to think about this salt usually

comes in a shaker salt in the shaker

does absolutely nothing you and I have

had moments when we are just like the

salt in the shaker when we do nothing we

can be of no use to the world but in

order for salt to do what it’s supposed

to do you got to shake it on something

you gotta shake your distinctiveness on

something you can’t stand here and where

you want to be is there and you sit here

no you got to get closer

and you got to shake it on your

environment shake it in your

relationship I don’t know who I’m

talking to right now but you gotta stop

being the salt in the shaker and you

gotta shake it in your environment

somebody should be able to taste

something you’ve done and taste the fact

that you flavored it why because you’re

different you’re distinctive you add

flavor to the earth you add flavor to

the culture the culture needs you you

don’t need it the culture needs your

salt

the culture needs your seasoning you

need to season up your gift real good

cuz somebody needs it the way that God

gave it to you

I don’t know who I’m talking to right

now but you gotta shake that thing on

everything God created for you to shake

it on why because you’re gonna make it

better it’s gonna taste better when

you’ve you’re done doing what you can

only do with it I don’t know who I’m

talking to right now but you are salt of

the earth you are light you cannot shine

light and light

you gotta shine light in darkness that’s

why God has sent some darkness your way

not to depress you but to allow your

light to shine even brighter you gotta

know your difference is your destiny who

am I talking to right now

anybody ready to harness the power of

your difference who am I talking to

right now anybody ready to say today I

owe my difference today I stop making

excuses for being different today I will

no longer limit myself because of my

difference what I will begin to embrace

every good thing that makes me different

God wants you to know your difference is

not a burden it’s a blessing the fact

that you don’t fit in is good because

now that he can isolate you because

sometimes when we’re different one of

the prices we pay is loneliness if

you’ve been lonely because of your

difference I want you to stand I want

you to stand I want you to stand I want

you to stand I want you to stand I want

you to stand here’s what I know if

you’ve been lonely and you have ever

viewed your difference as a burden raise

your hand please I want you to raise

both hands as you raise your hands this

is a sign of surrender

I want you to surrender to the

difference that God has created in you

he didn’t make you or I different to

burden us to depress us but he made us

different because he knows what needs to

be done in the earth and he knows that

we are needed to fulfill the purpose in

the earth so he’s allowed us to be

different to think different to create

different to walk different to talk

different to dress different and this

difference is to be celebrated you are

right where you need to be but God is

asking me to tell you it’s not wishing

you or someone else come on come on come

on come on come on come on

you are awesome just the way you are you

are more than nothing you are powerful

you are amazing you are incredible you

have what it takes to make it I need you

to know it your destiny is closer than

you think when you begin to embrace your

difference as you embrace it be more

courageous in knowing and owning who you

are every good thing that has come in my

life has become because I’m own

distinctiveness I’ve own being different

I’ve owned it I just said you know I get

you I get too tired of asking God well

why can’t I preach like this person and

why can’t I produce like that person God

says you can’t because you were created

do something unique and God wants me to

let you know you were created to do

something unique it ain’t gonna be like

nobody else why cuz there’s nobody else

than doing like you alright you the only

one you’re one of one you are rare and

this earth will reward those that are

rare in the mind and mighty name of

Jesus so here’s we’re gonna do before I

pray for your difference is there anyone

here today that knows that you need to

give your difference to Jesus for the

first

or you need to give your difference back

to the difference-maker here’s what I

know

I could not harness the power of my

difference if I had not committed my

life to Christ committing my life to

Christ and living for him has helped me

harder the power of my difference and

every day there may be days I’m down

there may be days I even cry but I don’t

do it without hope I know who I serve I

know I serve a risen Savior I know I

serve a Savior who died from my sins and

it’s coming back so I know we have to go

we got to get ready for the one o’clock

but if there’s anybody here right now

and you know you got to give your

difference back to God I want you to

come down right now or you got to give

your difference to him for the first

time come right now

come right now come right now come right

now come right now come on

don’t delay god bless you my sister god

bless you my brother come on come on

come on come on come on god bless you my

brothers come on come on come on come on

god bless you my sister come on make

room make room make room come on come on

come on come on come on make room make

room

one church do not pattycake those that

are coming to God I need you to

celebrate there Stan amen

welcome them as they come welcome

welcome come on come on come on come on

come on come on come on come on come on

make room make room it’s all right make

room make room make room

anybody else you got to give your

difference to God for the first time or

you have to resubmit your difference

amen rededicate your life hallelujah

anybody else anybody else before we

close anybody else anybody else you know

you got to be up here you know it again

to harness your difference begins with

obedience be obedient to what God is

calling you to do and who he’s called

you to be stop fighting who you are stop

fighting it you are everything he

created you to be you don’t have to

fight it just embrace it and own it okay

is there anyone else before we close

anyone else there you go thank you my

sister god bless you my sister god bless

you

god bless you who else who else god

bless you my sister my brother there it

is come on there it is there it is

hallelujah there it is come on now yes

thank you Jesus thank you Jesus who else

who else for those of you that are up

here I want you to join hands please

join hands grab your neighbors hand

right now as in those that an audience

you can grab hands as well I want

everybody touching somebody right now

for those of you that have come up to

give your difference to God for the

first time or to give back your

difference if you have already if your

rededicating your life I want you to I

want you to feel the burden lifting

because you’ve been fighting your

difference some of you have been hating

your difference because it’s been so

hard to be you it feels like there’s a

tax on every side it feels like nobody

understands what you’re trying to say

and what you’re trying to do and there

have been many nights where you have

cried yourself to sleep and you have

prayed God just make me like everyone

else and because he loves you he has not

answered that prayer because he loves

you he loves you so much he will allow

you to remain different because he knows

your difference will take you everywhere

he’s planned for you to be so I pray as

you dedicate your life to him that you

would know he is the difference maker

and that your life your salvation is

assured so now it’s about walking it out

day by day do not live as someone who

hates who they are but live as someone

who is proud to be created by the

Creator dear Heavenly Father I pray

right now for every living soul in this

house I pray right now for every destiny

represented in this building I pray dear

God that those that have come down would

keep their commitment to you and I pray

those that are already commitment will

continue to walk in steps of difference

and destiny knowing that the combination

of both

we’ll make them unstoppable I pray dear

Lord that everyone understanding and

hearing this prayer would feel motivated

to own who they are to own how they feel

like they need to dress to own how they

feel they need to create based upon what

you have told them right now in the name

of Jesus and let them know in the depths

of their spirit that they are enough in

the name of Jesus we pray give your God

a hand praise give him a hand praise

[Music]