We have to do our part to develop the gifts God has given us. When you get into an environment where your gifts can grow, those seeds of promise will come to fruition.

>> VICTORIA: JUST WANT TO

ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY THAT YOU

HAVE THE POWER OF THE LIVING

GOD ON THE INSIDE OF YOU.

DO YOU EVER GET TIRED

OF HEARING THAT?

I DON’T EITHER, AND I THINK

WE CONSTANTLY NEED TO BE

REMINDED THAT GOD’S POWER

LIVES IN US.

YOU SEE, YOU’RE EQUIPPED THIS

MORNING, AND I WANT

TO ANNOUNCE THAT.

YOU’RE EQUIPPED FOR YOUR

UNIQUE ASSIGNMENT.

GOD HAS LEFT NOTHING OUT THAT

YOU’RE GOING TO NEED FOR

ANYTHING THAT HE’S CALLED YOU

TO DO, AND NOT ONLY HAS HE

THOUGHT ABOUT YOU, I LIKE

WHAT CINDY SAID, THAT HIS

THOUGHTS FOR YOU,

HIS PLANS FOR YOU ARE GOOD.

SEE, HE THOUGHT ABOUT US.

HE KNEW OUR ASSIGNMENT,

AND HE PUT EVERYTHING IN US

THAT WE WOULD NEED,

EVERY GIFT, EVERY TALENT,

OUR PERSONALITIES,

OUR DISPOSITIONS.

EVERYTHING IS JUST RIGHT,

AND THEN HE DID SOMETHING

ONE STEP GREATER.

HE PUT HIS POWER IN US.

HE PUT HIS POWER IN US.

SEE, YOU HAVE THE LIVING GOD

ON THE INSIDE OF YOU IF YOU

ARE A BELIEVER TODAY.

SO I DON’T WANT YOU TO FEEL

ORDINARY, BECAUSE WE ALL DO.

SOMETIMES IT’S JUST

AN ORDINARY LIFE.

WE GO TO WORK.

WE COME HOME.

WE EAT DINNER.

WE DO IT AGAIN.

WE GET UP IN THE MORNING.

WE GO MOW THE LAWN.

WE DO THIS, WE DO–

IT CAN FEEL ORDINARY.

BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU

SOMETHING.

GOD DIDN’T SAVE YOU, HE

DIDN’T CALL YOU, HE DIDN’T

CHOOSE YOU TO BE ORDINARY.

HE CALLED YOU

TO BE EXTRAORDINARY,

AND YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND,

BECAUSE YOU HOUSE

THE LIVING GOD,

YOU ARE EXTRAORDINARY.

YOU’RE SET APART.

YOU’RE CALLED BY GOD,

AND HE HAS ASSIGNMENTS

FOR YOU TO DO.

YOU SEE, IT’S SO INTERESTING

BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE

DON’T RECOGNIZE THE CALL

OF GOD ON OUR LIFE.

THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND

THE CALL OF GOD.

OR LIKE I SAID,

WE MAY FEEL ORDINARY.

WE WONDER IF WE’RE

ACCOMPLISHING WHAT GOD EVEN

WANTS US TO ACCOMPLISH.

SEE, SO OFTEN, WE DETERMINE

THE POWER OF GOD WITHIN US BY

WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND US.

“YOU SEE, IF I WAS MAYBE

DOING A LITTLE BETTER,

IF GOD LIKED ME A LITTLE MORE,

THIS WOULDN’T BE HAPPENING.”

OR “MAYBE IF I COULD JUST GET

A LITTLE CLOSER TO GOD,

I WOULDN’T BE GOING

THROUGH THIS TRIAL.”

BUT CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING?

THAT’S THE WAY MAN LOOKS

AT THINGS.

IN FACT, GOD TOLD

THE PROPHET SAMUEL,

HE SAID, “YOU’RE GOING

TO ANOINT THE NEXT KING

OF ISRAEL, AND I WANT YOU

TO KNOW THIS ONE THING

ABOUT THIS ANOINTING.

YOU’RE GOING TO ANOINT THE

MAN THAT I CALL, BUT I DON’T

WANT YOU TO BEGIN TO LOOK FOR

WHAT YOU THINK WOULD BE

THE KING.

I DON’T WANT YOU TO LOOK

FOR THE MAN THAT’S THE RIGHT

HEIGHT, THE MAN THAT’S IN A

CERTAIN POSITION, THE MAN

THAT HAS THE TALENTS

THAT YOU THINK WOULD MAKE

A GOOD KING.”

HE SAID, “BECAUSE I DON’T

LOOK AT THINGS THAT WAY.

THAT’S THE WAY YOU LOOK

AT THINGS.”

HE SAID, “YOU LOOK

FROM THE OUTSIDE.

YOU RESPOND TO LIFE FROM

THE OUTSIDE, BUT SEE,

I AM A GOD OF THE INSIDE.”

MAN LOOKS ON THE OUTSIDE,

BUT GOD LOOKS ON THE HEART.

SEE, YOU’RE QUALIFIED TODAY

BECAUSE GOD CHOSE YOU

TO BE QUALIFIED.

HE LOOKED AT YOUR HEART AND

HE SAID, “THAT’S MY CHILD.”

YOU KNOW WHAT I LOVE ABOUT

THAT IS THAT GOD IS THE GOD

OF SECOND CHANCES.

GOD IS ALWAYS INSIDE OF US

WORKING FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

HE’S WORKING ON OUR THOUGHTS.

HE’S WORKING ON OUR ACTIONS.

HE’S WORKING ALL THE TIME.

GOD NEVER SLEEPS,

HE NEVER SLUMBERS.

HE’S ALWAYS AT WORK IN

THE HEART OF A BELIEVER.

DAVID SAID IT LIKE THIS.

HE SAID, “YOU TEACH ME WISDOM

IN MY INNERMOST PARTS.

THAT’S WHERE YOU’RE

SPEAKING TO ME, GOD,

IN MY INNERMOST PARTS.”

YOU SEE, GOD COMMUNICATES

WITH US IN OUR INNERMOST

PARTS, AND I WANT TO REMIND

YOU TODAY THAT YOU HOUSE

THE GREATEST POWER

IN THE UNIVERSE.

I DON’T WANT YOU TO NEGLECT

OR NOT PROTECT WHAT’S

ON THE INSIDE OF YOU.

YOU’RE NOT ORDINARY,

YOU’RE EXTRAORDINARY.

YOU WALK WITH HUMILITY

BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE GOD THAT

YOU SERVE, BUT HE HASN’T MADE

YOU LIKE ANYBODY ELSE.

HE’S SEPARATED YOU.

SO I JUST WANT YOU TO GET

THIS IN YOUR HEART TODAY

BECAUSE I THINK WHEN WE

REALIZE WHAT WE CARRY, WE’LL

PROTECT WHAT WE CARRY.

WE’LL ACKNOWLEDGE

WHAT WE CARRY.

WE’LL ALLOW WHAT WE CARRY

TO TEACH US WISDOM

IN OUR INNERMOST PARTS.

WE’LL UNDERSTAND THAT WE

DON’T HAVE TO REACT TO THE

BOSS WHEN HE’S PUTTING US

DOWN, WHEN HE’S TRYING TO

MAKE US FEEL LESS THAN.

WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THE

CRITICS DON’T HAVE TO DEFINE

US, BECAUSE GOD IS TEACHING

US ALL THE WHILE IN OUR

INMOST PARTS.

I WANT TO JUST USE ONE

OF THE GREATEST MOTHERS,

SINCE IT’S MOTHER’S DAY,

RIGHT?

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ONE

OF THE GREATEST MOTHERS

IN THE BIBLE.

IN FACT, THIS MOTHER WAS THE

FIRST MOTHER THAT GOD LIVED

IN, THE FIRST MOTHER

THAT GOD LIVED IN.

HER NAME WAS MARY.

YOU KNOW MARY.

YOU KNOW THE STORY OF MARY.

SHE WAS THE MOTHER OF JESUS.

SHE WAS A YOUNG GIRL.

SHE WAS ABOUT TO GET MARRIED

TO THE MAN OF HER DREAMS.

NOW, SOMEBODY MIGHT NOT THINK

SHE WAS ANYTHING SPECIAL

IF THEY LOOKED ON HER

FROM THE OUTSIDE.

THEY COULD’VE SAID,

“SHE’S JUST A GIRL.

SHE HAS A LOT TO LEARN.”

BUT YOU SEE, GOD WASN’T

LOOKING AT MARY’S OUTSIDE.

HE WASN’T EVEN LOOKING

AT MARY’S PLANS.

HE WAS LOOKING AT MARY’S

HEART, AND HE HAD A UNIQUE

ASSIGNMENT FOR MARY.

YOU SEE, THAT’S SO

INTERESTING BECAUSE GOD

WASN’T CONCERNED

ABOUT MARY’S PLANS.

GOD WASN’T CONCERNED THAT SHE

WAS ABOUT TO GET MARRIED.

THE INVITATIONS WERE

ALREADY OUT.

THE CATERERS WERE COMING.

THE VENUE WAS ALREADY

PAID FOR.

YOU SEE, HE WASN’T LOOKING

AT ALL THAT.

HE WAS LOOKING AT HER HEART,

AND HE HAD A SPECIAL

ASSIGNMENT FOR HER.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN

INTERRUPTED BY GOD?

WELL, MARY WAS INTERRUPTED.

THE ANGEL CAME TO HER

AND ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WAS

A HIGHLY FAVORED WOMAN

AND THAT SHE WOULD GIVE BIRTH

TO A SON.

SHE SAID, “HOW CAN THIS BE?

I’M A VIRGIN.

I’VE NEVER KNOWN A MAN,”

AND HE SAID, “THE HOLY SPIRIT

WILL COME UPON YOU,

AND GOD WILL EMPOWER YOU

TO BRING FORTH THIS SON.”

YOU SEE, THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS

WHEN YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE,

YOU KNOW YOU GOT GOD

ON THE INSIDE OF YOU,

HE EMPOWERS YOU

SO YOU CAN BRING FORTH

THE THINGS ON THIS EARTH

THAT HE WANTS YOU TO DO,

THE PLANS THAT HE’S

ALREADY ESTABLISHED.

SEE, I DON’T KNOW HOW IT ALL

WORKS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU

THAT GOD IS ALWAYS WORKING.

HE’S ALWAYS WORKING,

AND, YOU KNOW, MARY,

INSTEAD OF GIVING A LOT

OF EXCUSES, SAYING,

“CAN WE DO THIS

A LITTLE BIT LATER?

IT’S KIND OF INCONVENIENT,

GOD.

I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS

MAN A LONG TIME.

YOU DON’T KNOW.

ALL MY GIRLFRIENDS GOT

THE MAN OF THEIR–I’VE BEEN

WAITING FOR THIS MAN

A LONG TIME.”

MARY SAID, “BE IT UNTO ME

AS YOU SAID.”

SHE LITERALLY MADE A DECISION

THAT SHE WAS GOING TO EMBRACE

THIS SEED THAT GOD HAD JUST

PLANTED, THE SEED OF PROMISE,

AND THAT SHE WAS GOING TO

ACCEPT IT, NO MATTER IF IT

INTERRUPTED HER PLANS OR NOT.

NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT IT

WAS, SHE SAID, “I’M GOING ALL

THE WAY WITH GOD,” AND I LOVE

THAT ABOUT MARY, AND AS I WAS

READING THE STORY ABOUT MARY,

I JUST WANT TO GET TO SOME

PRACTICAL THINGS THAT MARY

DID, AND I THINK THESE THINGS

CAN HELP US.

WE’VE HEARD THEM BEFORE.

BUT YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT

MARY JUST HAD IT EASY.

“OH, MARY, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS

CHOSEN BY GOD TO HAVE

THE SON OF GOD.

SO I’M SURE, YOU KNOW, SHE

HAD EVERYTHING SHE NEEDED.”

BUT I CAN TELL YOU,

IT WAS ROUGH?

IT WAS ROUGH TO BIRTH

THE PROMISE OF GOD.

IT WAS ROUGH TO DO WHAT GOD

HAD CALLED HER TO DO.

BUT GOD SAID SHE WAS FAVORED

AND HIGHLY BLESSED.

SO I GUARANTEE YOU, SHE WAS

FAVORED AND HIGHLY BLESSED,

NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT IT

WAS, NO MATTER HOW MANY

BATTLES SHE HAD TO FIGHT,

NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES

SHE HAD TO TALK

HERSELF INTO IT,

BECAUSE GOD SAID SHE WAS

BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED,

AND GOD SAYS YOU ARE BLESSED

AND HIGHLY FAVORED.

YOU ARE BLESSED

AND HIGHLY FAVORED.

YOU MAY BE GOING THROUGH SOME

DIFFICULT TIMES RIGHT NOW.

YOUR PLANS MAY BE

INTERRUPTED, BUT I WANT YOU

TO HEAR THAT LOUD AND CLEAR.

GOD CHOSE TO LIVE IN MARY,

AND GOD CHOSE TO LIVE IN YOU.

GOD CHOSE TO LIVE IN YOU.

THAT’S POWERFUL,

THAT’S POWERFUL.

BECAUSE MARY FULFILLED HER

ASSIGNMENT AND BROUGHT

FULFILLMENT TO

THE SCRIPTURES, GOD CHOSE

TO LIVE IN HIS PEOPLE.

I BELIEVE THAT WAS A

FORESHADOWING OF WHAT GOD

WANTS TO DO IN THE EARTH.

HE WANTS TO LIVE

IN HIS PEOPLE.

BUT AS SOON AS MARY ACCEPTED

THAT SEED OF PROMISE,

THE SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT SHE

IMMEDIATELY WENT TO HER

COUSIN ELIZABETH’S HOUSE.

NOW, HER COUSIN ELIZABETH WAS

MARRIED TO A MAN NAMED

ZACHARIAH, AND THEY WERE

PROMISED, EVEN IN HER VERY

OLD AGE, THAT SHE WOULD

HAVE A BABY.

SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH HER

BABY WHEN ELIZABETH GOT

THERE, AND WHEN ELIZABETH SAW

MARY, THE SCRIPTURE SAYS

THAT “SHE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN

TO ENCOURAGE MARY.”

SHE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN

TO SPEAK FAITH INTO MARY.

NOW, WHERE AM I GOING

WITH THIS?

‘CAUSE, SEE, THAT WAS

A LONG TIME AGO.

BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I

BELIEVE GOD IS SHOWING US,

ONE THING HE IS SHOWING US.

WHEN HE PUTS A SEED OF

PROMISE IN YOU, YOU NEED TO

PROTECT THAT SEED OF PROMISE.

YOU NEED TO GET IT INTO AN

ENVIRONMENT THAT IT CAN GROW.

YOU NEED TO GET INTO A GOOD

CHURCH, WHERE THE PEOPLE KNOW

WHAT GOD DOES AND THEY CAN

SPEAK ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOUR

HEART BECAUSE THAT’S EXACTLY

WHERE GOD HAD MARY GO.

HE HAD HER IN AN ENVIRONMENT

WHERE THAT ENVIRONMENT KNEW

THE POWER OF GOD.

YOU KNOW, IT’S INTERESTING,

AND THIS IS JUST A SIDE NOTE,

BUT I DON’T KNOW IF YOU ALL

FIND THIS AS INTERESTING AS I

DID, BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT

MARY WAS AT ELIZABETH’S HOUSE

FOR THREE MONTHS.

YOU KNOW, IT’S INTERESTING

BECAUSE WHEN A WOMAN

GETS PREGNANT,

THAT 12-WEEK PERIOD

IS VERY CRUCIAL.

MANY TIMES YOU CAN MISCARRY

BEFORE THAT 12 WEEKS.

IN FACT, YOU KNOW, SOME

PEOPLE DON’T EVEN LIKE

TO ANNOUNCE THAT THEY’RE

PREGNANT UNTIL AFTER THE 12

WEEKS BECAUSE THAT KIND OF IS

A SAFE ZONE, AND, YOU KNOW,

“OKAY, IT’S PROBABLY

GOING TO BE OKAY,”

AND I GET TO THINKING,

“ISN’T THAT INTERESTING,

THAT GOD HAD HER THERE

FOR 12 WEEKS?”

SEE, HE DIDN’T WANT HER

TO MISCARRY THIS SEED.

SEE, HE WANTED TO KEEP THAT

SEED IN AN ENVIRONMENT

THAT IT COULD GROW

IN A STRONG FOUNDATION.

SEE, THINK ABOUT

WHAT GOD SAID TO YOU.

THINK ABOUT THE DREAMS

HE’S PUT IN YOUR HEART.

THINK ABOUT HIM BEING

ON THE INSIDE OF YOU.

WHAT ENVIRONMENT DO YOU

PUT YOURSELF IN?

DO YOU LET PEOPLE

TALK DOWN TO YOU?

DO YOU PUT YOURSELF IN

AN ENVIRONMENT THAT GOD

WOULDN’T WANT TO BE IN?

ARE YOU CAREFUL?

DO YOU PROTECT IT?

YOU SEE, THERE WERE MANY

NAYSAYERS WHEN MARY

SHOWED UP PREGNANT.

SEE, SHE WAS A VIRGIN,

AND GOD DID AN IMMACULATE BIRTH

IN HER, BUT THE PEOPLE

DIDN’T RECOGNIZE IT.

I’M SURE THEY WERE SAYING,

“HMM, DID YOU HEAR

ABOUT MARY AND JOSEPH?

THE WEDDING’S OFF.

WHAT’S MARY BEEN DOING?”

BUT YOU SEE, GOD TOOK HER OUT

OF THAT ENVIRONMENT, AND HE

PUT HER INTO A PROTECTIVE

ENVIRONMENT, AND I JUST

WANT TO SUGGEST TO YOU

AND I TODAY THAT WE BEGIN

TO PUT WHAT’S IN US IN

A PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT.

IT’S NOT EASY TO BIRTH

THE PROMISES OF GOD.

LISTEN, MARY HAD TO GO

OUT OF HER WAY.

MARY HAD TO CHANGE HER PLANS.

MARY HAD TO DO SOME THINGS

THAT MAYBE A LOT OF PEOPLE

WOULDN’T WANT TO DO, BUT MARY

WAS WILLING TO SEE

THIS THING TO THE END.

IT ALSO SAYS THAT “MARY

TREASURED UP ALL OF THESE

THINGS AND PONDERED THEM

IN HER HEART.”

SEE, THAT TELLS ME THAT MARY

FOUGHT DISCOURAGEMENT,

THAT MARY FOUGHT THE CRITICS,

THAT MARY FOUGHT

THE HARDSHIPS BY PONDERING

ALL OF THIS IN HER HEART,

BY JUST IMAGINING AND

TALKING TO GOD ABOUT ALL THAT

WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN

AND ALL THAT WOULD HAPPEN

IN THE FUTURE, AND SEE,

THAT’S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

WE NEED TO NOT JUST RUN

AROUND TELLING EVERYBODY

OUR PROBLEMS, NOT JUST TRY

TO GET MAN TO FIX US.

“OH, CAN YOU HELP ME?”

NO, WE NEED TO PONDER WHAT

GOD HAS SPOKEN TO US.

GET HIS WORD.

BUILD A FOUNDATION OF TRUTH

SO THAT WHEN WE GO OUT TO

BIRTH WHAT GOD IS PUTTING

IN US, WE’LL WITHSTAND

THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE

OUT THERE.

YOU KNOW WHAT?

THIS IS MOTHER’S DAY, AND I

JUST WANT TO HONOR MARY.

I WANT TO JUST SAY, “MARY,

GOD SAW YOUR HEART.

YOU SAW IT THROUGH.

YOU FULFILLED THE

SCRIPTURES,” AND I JUST HONOR

THE FACT THAT GOD CHOSE MARY

AMONG ALL THE WOMEN.

SHE WAS QUALIFIED, AND CAN I

TELL YOU THAT GOD HAS CHOSE

YOU AMONG ALL THE PEOPLE,

AND HE’S QUALIFIED YOU?

HE’S CHOSE TO LIVE IN YOU

TODAY, JUST LIKE HE LIVED

IN MARY.

PROTECT WHAT HE’S GIVEN YOU.

BIRTH WHAT HE’S PUT IN YOU,

AND I BELIEVE YOU’LL SEE GOD

DO THE IMPOSSIBLE,

JUST LIKE MARY DID, AMEN?

AMEN, HE’S AN AWESOME GOD.