Many of us as Christians have thought and been taught that ” deny yourself ” means:

Erase your emotions

Ignore your needs

Pretend you’re not hurting

But that’s NOT what Jesus meant.

• We’ve turned Jesus’ commandment to ” deny yourself ” into:  

Ignore your needs

Pretend you’re not hurting

Stuff down your emotions

Erase your personality

Have no boundaries

But that’s NOT what Jesus taught.

” Whoever wants to be my disciple must DENY THEMSELVES and take up their cross and follow me. ” ( Matt. 16:24  NIV )  This verse comes right after Peter tries to stop Jesus from going to the cross. In context, Jesus was rebuking Peter for prioritizing his self-centered earthly will over God’s will. 

I know it doesn’t always feel like it, or look like it, but just because you can’t feel it, or see it, doesn’t mean it’s already yours. 

God doesn’t make empty promises. If He spoke it, He will finish it. Even if the door hasn’t opened, even if the answer hasn’t come, even if you’re still walking around a wall that hasn’t moved yet, you’re NOT LATE and YOU’RE NOT LOSING!

Remember these truths:

*God’s Word Isn’t A Theory. It’s A Guarantee.

Act like it. Move like it. Stand on it.

*It’s Already Yours.

Not because you FEEL it.

Not because you SEE it.

But because GOD SAID IT!

Heaven has ALREADY spoken. The Word is ALREADY working. You don’t need another sign. YOU NEED TO START WALKING!

*God Doesn’t Speak In Suggestions. H

We’ve become experts at creating a vibe. Lighting. Loops. Transitions. Setlists. Branding. Atmosphere.

And none of that is bad. But if we’re not careful, we’ll spend our energy building moments for people and forget to build a place for God. 

Throughout Scripture, God responds to altars, not aesthetics. What are some key things we need to know when it comes to building altars in our personal lives? 

#1: One draws attention to the stage. The other draws the fire of heaven.

Our focus should be completely about Him, not some personality on a platform. It’s time for the ’ superstar ’ preachers to end! 

#2: A vibe entertains. An altar costs you something.

Too many Christians prefer entertainment over the Gospel, which has the power to change lives

Some of ya’ll are rebuking devils when it’s disobedience keeping you stuck. Not every season of lack is a result of spiritual warfare; sometimes it’s the consequence of ignoring instructions. 

Stop letting the enemy convince you that you’re ” waiting on God ” when the truth is …God’s been waiting on you!  Here’s what you need to know: 

#1: Poverty isn’t always a demon. Sometimes it’s a decision!

#2: Spiritual warfare is real. But so is a LACK OF DISCIPLINE. Not every dry season is an attack. Some are a result of ignoring DIVINE INSTRUCTION!

#3: You can’t bind what you refuse to build. You can’t cast out poor stewardship. And you can’t break through if you won’t obey through!

#4: ” Do not say, ’ I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send

God doesn’t want you to struggle or live in maintenance mode. The path of the righteous should increase steadily.

So, who are these 5 types of Christians that will always struggle? If you find yourself in one or more of these categories, then change should be at the top of your to-do list.

TYPE  #1- The Disobedient Christian.

God doesn’t bless rebellion. Disobedience is a sin. When you ignore God’s instructions, written or spoken, you dry up your supply.

TYPE  #2- The Carnal Christian.

You’re not under attack. Your flesh is out of control. IT’S NOT A DEMON; IT’S YOUR FLESH. DISCIPLINE IT!  Stop blaming the devil for what you refuse to put to death.

Gal. 5: 19-21

TYPE  #3- The Stingy Christian.

If nothing flows out, nothing flow

Have you prayed, or are you just preparing?  The most powerful worship doesn’t start with a song.

It starts in the secret place. Before you lead the room, let God lead you.

• Preparation matters. Practice matters. But without prayer, we’re just making noise.  
• Prayer isn’t a task, it’s a transfer. It’s where we hand God our anxiety, our ego, our expectations, and pick up His peace, His purpose, His power.
• Before you lead others, be led yourself. You can’t pour from an empty spirit. Let God lead you so you can lead with more than lyrics.
• Prayer clears the clutter. In the stillness, God reminds you who He is - and who you are.  ” Apart from me, you can do nothing. “  ( John 15:5 )
• Prayer gives you heaven’s perspective. You stop pe

In a world full of compromise, we can’t afford to be casual with our convictions. The enemy would love for us to break our boundaries so he could affect our convictions.

This isn’t the season to be soft with sin or blurry with boundaries. Here are some important truths to remember when it comes to our convictions, where compromise is a very real threat.

#1: Don’t Trade Your Convictions For Comfort !

The easy road is to resist change and choose comfort. It’s always a challenge when we’re in a position to stay true to our convictions or remain comfortable where we are when God is calling us to change. 

#2:  Where Boundaries Are Absent, Convictions Start To Fade!

Sin becomes more attractive. We become more easily subject to temptations. 

#3: Wha

In this world, you will have trouble. Those may not be our favorite words in the Bible, but like it or not, Jesus said them. Some people think preachers who teach on faith don’t believe that. They think we teach that if you walk by faith, you won’t have any problems at all. But we don’t. We are well aware of the fact that this world is full of trouble. As long as we live in it, we’re going to face trouble too. 

Here are some points to help you when those troubles come your way.

#1: Even through the seemingly chaotic moments in life, let His voice settle your heart. (Jo.. 16:33)

#2: May His Words become the foundation that holds your entire world. (Jo.. 8:31,32)

#3: When you choose to immerse yourself in His Word, His character becomes more evident in your li

A hardened heart doesn’t happen overnight. It happens in moments when we ignore conviction, justify disobedience, and quiet the voice of God because it’s inconvenient. But still, delayed obedience is disobedience.

#1: A Hardened Heart Resists God’s Voice!

When your heart becomes calloused, you can no longer discern conviction from comfort.

• You stop repenting
• You stop praying
• You stop responding    

 #2: Delayed Obedience Is Still Disobedience!

Every time you delay, you desensitize your spirit. What God told you to do now becomes harder to do later. 

• Partial obedience still breaks His heart
• Procrastination gives the enemy permission                                           

Yes, you heard right. God gets angry- but maybe not at what you think. Anger is an emotion that comes from the heart. But understand, God has a good, good heart. 

Let’s discuss anger and God.

#1: Anger can be holy. 

It means something matters.  It means Someone cares.  It means He has a heart.

#2: God doesn’t explode.

He doesn’t lose control and explode. He’s not unpredictable. His Word says He is: “slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”  (Ps. 103:8) 

#3: There are moments. 

There are moments when God gets angry. And it tells us what matters most to Him. 

#4: When……. 

When the powerful exploit the vulnerable. (Ex. 22:22,23)

When religion becomes a weapon. (Mk. 12:38-40)

When hearts become hard tow

You can’t cast out what you’re still cuddling. You can’t help others through what you refuse to heal from. You can’t build freely while silently bleeding.

Being in ministry, we carry oil, expensive oil, but many of us are also carrying unspoken wounds. And what we refuse to confront will eventually contaminate how we lead, serve, and love. 

#1: God Wants Your Heart, Not Just Your Gift.

He’s not impressed with your performance; he desires your posture. Your gifting might open doors, but it’s your healing that sustains the weight of the assignment.

#2: Deliverance Starts With Honesty.

God can’t heal the version of you you pretend to be. The real breakthrough begins where you stop hiding and start surrendering.

#3: Don’t Bleed On The People You’re

Let’s be honest. You can’t live a life on fire for God with a lukewarm prayer life. If you’ve been feeling spiritually dry, disconnected, or distracted, this is a call for you to get back in alignment.

First, let’s define what it means to be lukewarm. 

Lukewarm= spiritually indifferent, casual in devotion, and comfortable in compromise. ” Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. ” (Rev.3:16) You’re not just in danger of stagnation, you’re at risk of separation.

*** The Dangers Of Being Lukewarm.

#1: You stop recognizing conviction.

#2: You normalize disobedience.

#3: You settle for comfort over consecration.

#4: You become susceptible to deception.

#5: You lose spiritual hunger and sensitivi

So last week, we talked about storngholds and what they are. Remember we said the definition of a stronghold was any lie or argument that exalts itself against the truth of God…and holds you hostage. (2Cor.10:4,5) 

Today lets look at how to start destroying any strongholds in our lives.

*** RECOGNIZE IT-

What thought pattern or behavior keeps cycling despite your efforts to stop?

*** REPENT FOR IT-

Own where you you’ve believed a lie or chosen bondage over truth.

*** RENOUNCE IT-

Speak against it. Break agreement with it in the Name of Jesus.

*** REPLACE IT-

Fill that space with the truth from God’s Word. What lie did it feed you? What does God say instead?

*** REPEAT DAILY-

Strongholds don’t crumble with co

The Holy Spirit is one of the greatest gifts that was given to us when we were born again.Because The Holy Spirit who dwells within us leads us, guides us, empowers us, corrects us, and comforts us. Too often we could grieve The Holy Spirit when we are led by our emotions that are not in alignment with God’s truth. Understand that The Holy Spirit is the greatest counselor who leads us to all truth.

*** We aren’t called to follow our heart…we are called to follow The Holy Spirit!

*** The Holy Spirit will never lead you to what’s comfortable…but to what’s holy!

*** When I don’t feel peace in my spirit…that is The Holy Spirit saying, ” don’t go near it. “

*** Don’t follow or be led by your heart…follow Jesus!

*** A life led by The Holy Spirit…is

When you are in a season of open doors, that word ‘SEASON’ means that there is a window of allotted time. It’s an appointed time.

*** There is a time for everything and the season for every activity under the heavens. So, what the Spirit of the Lord is saying is that under the heavens, there is a specific realm whereby God confines things to time and appoints specific moments for specific things. (Eccl.3:1)

*** God is not restricted by time. He lives outside of the confines and laws of time. He exists in eternity. However, He will use a human vessel who is within time to accomplish His purpose, understanding that the earth is submitted to a jurisdiction and a principle.

*** God holds His Word higher than Himself…..and He w

You love God. You serve. You show up. But there’s something that won’t let go of you. That thought pattern. That secret habit. That relationship. That one thing that keeps taking you backwards. The truth?

That’s not just a weakness. That’s a stronghold—-a spiritual fortress built on lies you’ve believed. So what’s a stronghold? ” For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God. (2Cor.10:4-5)

A stronghold is any lie or argument that exalts itself against the truth of God, and holds you in bondage. So, what are the signs of having a stronghold?

#1: You Keep Cycling Through The Same Sin!

You know, the enemy isn’t just fighting your peace, he’s fighting your purpose. He knows what happens when you become confident in your calling, consistent in your prayer life, and committed to God’s assignment. That’s why he sends fear, comparison, and other distractions, anything to keep you playing small.

So, what are some tatics the enemy uses to hinder us from walking in our purpose and anointing?

***Fear

Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. Fear paralyzes you from taking steps of obedience. ” For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind ” (2Tim.1:7). Notice Paul said fear is a spirit. That spirit

Betrayal hurts. Especially when it’s from someone who once held your secrets. But God doesn’t just restore—-He defends. Let Him handle the betrayers in your life.

***This man was named Ahithophel. He wasn’t just a background character. He was David’s trusted advisor. His wisdom was so sharp, scripture says it was if a man had inquired at the oracle of God. (2Sam.16:23) This wasn’t a stranger—-this was someone David trusted with his strategy and soul.

***So when David’s own son Absalom started a rebellion, Ahithophel switched sides and joined the revolt. He used his wisdom against David. That’s betrayal. And it hurt—-deeply.

***What do you do when the betrayal isn’t from an enemy, but from someone who once prayed with you, built with you, and believed in you?

Some doors close so painfully, you wonder if life will ever make sense again. But God sees what you can’t. He sees the conversations behind your back. The betrayals behind closed doors. The plans that would have harmed you.

He didn’t close the door to punish you…He closed it to protect you. What you thought was rejection…was really redirection. What felt like a loss…was really love. 

Thank God for the doors He closed—-even when you begged Him to keep them open!

***Some doors closed so painfully you thought your life was over. But God knew what you couldn’t see.

***Behind that door were plans, conversations, betrayals you never knew about. God saw it—-and He shut it.

***You begged Him to fix it. You begged Him to let you stay. But He said, ” No

You’re not behind. You’re not forgotten. You’re in the process—-the place where God forms, refines, and prepares you for what you’ve been praying for. We don’t always recognize His hand in the breaking, the stretching, or the waiting…but later—-we’ll see it was the very thing that built our strength, our character, and our dependence on Him.

***The process doesn’t mean God forgot you. It means He’s transforming you.

***We pray for purpose…then resist the process that produces it.

***God isn’t punishing you, He’s preparing you. There’s a difference.

***The wilderness isn’t a delay, it’s divine development. ( Moses, David, Jesus all had one.)

***You can’t carry the weight of the calling if you skip the strength of the process. If you abort the proc

Let’s face it. Everyone loves the promise. We love the end, the completion of a thing. But very few embrace the process. 

The process is where God forges character, deepens your roots, and prepares you for the very thing you’ve been praying for. Don’t rush it. Don’t resist it. What feels hidden, slow, or even painful isn’t wasted—-it’s producing something eternal in you.

***We love the promise. But the process? Not so much. Yet it’s in the process where purpose is formed.

***God uses the process to shape your character before He elevates your calling. He deepens your roots.

***You can’t fast-forward formation. There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. If you abort the process, you will eventually have to do it all over again.

***The wilderness wa

Sometimes God closes a door—-not because you’re not called, but because He loves you too much to let you walk through it unprepared. He sees what’s on the other side. He knows the weight, the warfare, and the responsibility that comes with what you’re praying for.

So, when He says “not yet,” it’s not punishment—-it’s protection. The waiting season is not wasted. It’s where warriors are shaped. It’s where prayer lives are built. It’s where identity is revealed. If you’ve been in pause, don’t rush the process—-lean into it.

***Some doors are closed because God loves you too much to let you enter unprepared. Delay isn’t always the enemy—-it’s often protection !

***Premature access can become spiritual sabotage. God will never give you what you’re not spiritually, m

Question. What do David, Joseph, Moses, Elisha, and Daniel have in common?

They were ALL ALONE BEFORE God used them. Too often, we mistake isolation for rejection, not realizing that it’s actually PREPARATION !

It’s in the quiet places, the unseen seasons, where God does His deepest work in us.

**Before the crown, the anointed David was in the field.

**Before the palace, Joseph was in the pit.

**Before leading a nation, Moses was in the wilderness.

**Before the miracles, Elisha was plowing behind oxen.

**Before influence, Daniel was taken captive to a foreign land.

Aloneness isn’t God forsaking you, He is forming you.

It’s where God strips away the noise, the distractions, and even our need for validation, so He can build so

***If bad company pulled you into compromise, then GOOD COMPANY will pull you to the altar !

Not to punish you. To restore you.

***If bad company taught you how to hide, then GOOD COMPANY teaches you how to heal.

***If bad company numbed your pain, then GOOD COMPANY will name it and walk you to the altar to leave it.

***The altar isn’t a place where you perform. It’s a place where you pour out. Where you release what’s been breaking you.

***Revival doesn’t start on a stage. IT STARTS WHERE PRIDE DIES. It starts where SURRENDER SPEAKS LOUDER THAN TALENT !

***Some of you have been in bad company for so long you forgot what safety feels like. You’ve been carrying what you were NEVER MEANT to hold—-pain, pressure, performance.

It’s safe to s

The enemy will always attack what you don’t fully believe about yourself. If you’ve been under pressure, feeling like you’re unqualified, unseen, or too late—this is your more reminder that YOU ARE CHOSEN, ANOINTED, and called for such a time as this. You don’t have to shrink, second-guess, or settle. It’s time to break agreement with every lie and rise in truth.

#1: The Enemy Is A Liar—-Don’t Fall For It !

Satan is strategic—but so are we. He’ll whisper doubt, delay, and discouragement, especially when you’re on the verge of giving birth to something for God. You must know the truth, declare it, and war with it.

#2: Lie #1—-” You’re Not Qualified. “

Truth: Who God calls, He qualifies. God doesn’t look for perfection, He looks for surrender. See 1 Cor. 1: