Launch 2025 Night 1 | Jacob Peterson

Well, hello, everybody. I'm a little out of breath. Y' all just have to bear with me. My name is Gabriel, and I just want to share a bit of my story. The next dance we're about to do is a dance called God.

And what I really want to share is my story and how I encountered God. You're gonna hear every word we say in this song is straight from scripture. It's God describing God. It's God telling God who God is.

So as we declare this song, just know whenever you see us dancing up here and doing this, we're looking at God the whole time. And I want to encourage you guys as we dance, y' all look at God as well. So just a bit of my story. I'm gonna try and make it quick. My story, I feel like, is really similar to a lot of people's in this room.

You know, we're in the Bible Belt, and if y' all were here this morning, you heard a bit of the other Gabe's story, and ours are kind of very similar in that sense of. I was raised in this church environment. You know, I came out the womb and I was already saved. Bless God. I was Baptist.

Three piece suit and everything. I love Baptist, y'. All. I really do. And.

But I say all that to say is. I mean, my earliest memories, as far as I can go back, I remember being in church. I remember going down the hallways and just causing all kinds of havoc, you know? But I remember being in church and being around the presence of God. And for the first 18 years of my life, I'm 23 now.

I remember just being in this place where I was like, lord, like, I genuinely, really, truly do, like, love you, but I don't know how to walk with you. And, Lord, I don't know how to really run this race with you. I think that verse that says, you will run and not grow weary. You will walk and not faint. And it felt like every time I was here and God was over there, and I tried to get to God, but.

But I would run and I would get weary, and I would walk and I would faint. So I would go through this constant cycle of conference high and service high. I mean, I was in service two, three times a week for 18 years of my life. And can I tell y' all something? If service could save you, it would have saved me.

But, man, please, everybody in this room, hear me. Service is not able to save, but the God behind the service will save you. So I went through this process of my whole life where I was like, God, like, I want to get to you. And it was like I would. I remember this.

I would close my eyes. I remember talking to my friend in my driveway about this. We were in our car and I said, it's like I see myself now and I see myself in 20 years loving God and burning for God and really being the real thing. But I didn't know how to get there. I felt tethered to that me in 20 years.

But I didn't know what it looked like to even do tomorrow. So how am I going to get to 20 years down the line? So I remember I met two of my friends and, man, we were a bunch of idiots back then. We were not. We would just drive around town and do stupid stuff and just all these things.

But these two friends, the Lord really, truly used to change my life. And we all talked about that place that I was in that I was just telling you guys, where it's like, I'm trying to run after the Lord. I'm trying to burn for God. I'm trying to walk with God in the cool of the day, but I didn't know how. It's like every time I tried to run, my legs felt like leading and I had to pick them up.

So I met these friends and we're all talking about how we're in the same place. We went to the same church, and I remember we're on their couch. I remember. I mean, I can see it right now if I close my eyes. It's 14, 33 weeks drive.

And I remember sitting on his couch and we're talking about, like, man, that same thing. I've been telling you guys. I love God, but I'm not living for God and I don't know how to do it. And I wasn't even doing anything kind of crazy or out there. It was like I had this checklist in my mind, like this religious checklist.

Well, I'm not smoking, so I'm good with God. Well, I'm not drinking, so I'm good with God. Well, I'm not out here partying, so I'm good with God. I'm not sleeping around, so I'm good with God. But inside I was dying.

And it's because I was disconnected from God. Can I tell you guys something? Disconnection from God is disconnection from God. Whether that's complacency that disconnects you, or whether that's drugs or alcohol, whatever it is, pornography doesn't matter. It's still disconnection from Who God is.

So we talked about this. I remember sitting down there, and all three of us were in that same spot. We went to church and. But we didn't do these things. So we were like, you know, I guess I'm good.

But inside, it's like we just longed for something more. And, man, I really feel this. I believe some of you in the room right now feel that same thing. And you felt that for years of your life. I felt it for 18 years of my life.

So I remember one of my friends, their name's Colin Dante, and Dante spoke up, and he was like, you know, I know we've been talking about this over the last couple weeks and months. And he said, I've really been thinking about this verse. It's Psalm 119:37. It is the verse that has changed my life. And it's like I've taken it and adopted it, and it's now become my true north.

And it's a thing. Like I cling it and I hide it in my heart. And I've heard this verse 50, 100 times growing up. But there's something about when the seed of the word of God hits the soil of your heart, it brings up an oak of righteousness. So this verse that I heard so many times in one day on a couch, not even a service, not even a service which I'd been in hundreds of, changed my life.

And he began to explain it. Psalm 11937. And it's David crying out to the Lord, and he says, lord, turn away mine eyes from looking at worthless things and revive me in your way. So my friend Dante began to explain. He said, you know, like, I know we're not doing all these things, these crazy things, he said, but I've been thinking, like, David didn't say, lord, turn away my eyes from looking at evil things.

He didn't say, lord, turn away my eyes from looking at wicked things or vile things. He said, worthless things. So this began a process with us over the next couple months of our life of being like God. Like, what is it in my life that's worthless? What is a worthless thing?

It's just something that, just like Chelsea was saying, that takes away your eyes from looking at who God really is. Like, guys, I love sports. I could watch ESPN for probably three hours. And there's nothing wrong with you. It's not sin, but it's worthless if it takes away my gaze from looking at Jesus.

And I also think of this verse. It's in Matthew 6. Jesus is talking and he says that the eye is the lamp of your body. He says, if your eye is good, your body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your body will be full of darkness. And he says, I'll hear this.

He says, if the light that's in you is really darkness, then how great is that darkness? And that verse cut through me like a knife because I had went 18 years of my life thinking that the so called light in me was actually light, but it was darkness. Oh, I feel the Holy Ghost, but I thank God. John 1, 4 and 5 says, in him was life, and the life was the light of all men. But that, that light shines in the darkness.

And it shined in my darkness, and the darkness could not comprehend it. I think of Psalm 139. It says, God, even darkness is as light to you. So I don't know who you guys are, I don't know where you're from, but God is not intimidated with your darkness. Your darkness is as light to him.

So as we do this dance and just, just to wrap up, it's like, guys, over the next couple months, I did like surgery on my heart of being like Lord God, what isn't in my life, that's not even necessarily sin, but it's just worthless. It's taking away my time from you. And guys, can I tell you, that was the key of David to my heart. And. And guys, I've been running and burning after the Lord for five years now.

And I never thought I would ever be able to say that. So as we do this dance and as we declare who God is, guys, I want y' all to do the same thing that changed my life. Don't even wait till the song starts. Look at God as we on this stage. Look at God.

So even right now, everybody just begin to pray. Just begin to just look at the Lord right now. Even before we start. Come on. We don't have to wait for the the song to begin.

We don't have to wait for the dancing. Lord, we look to you, Jesus. Come on. You are the God who sits on heaven's highest throne. Lord, you sit at the right hand of the Father.

Your enemies have been made as a footstool beneath your feet. Come on. You're crowned with many crowns. God, your vesture is dipped in blood. Lord, in righteousness, you judge and you make war.

God, you hold the keys to death, hell and the grave. So, Lord, as we do this dance, God, we look at you in Jesus mighty name. Let's declare it, guys.

Were made by him and without him wasn't anything made.

That's right. We talking about God the creator. Talking about the ruler of all the I am who created man. He the rock, he the lion and he the lamb. Almighty leaves Satan deceased.

He is the most high, stating the least. He defeated him, he victorious. My God too powerful. He too good.

The heavens, the earth and the angels.

That's right. He is cadet. He holy. He different. Yes, he is the best.

Ain't no match for me. He on top. That's right. Yeah, he coming and he can't be stopped. He's unstoppable.

That's cause he too strong and he is a boss. Overall. He's overall and above everything else, my God stands too tall.

I.

Different.

You're good and you're holy. You're good and you're holy. You're good. You're holy. You're God.

Come on. Give it up for Chosen Again Church. Wow. So powerful, man. We're so excited tonight to have as our first speaker for launch 2025, Pastor Jacob Peterson Refuge.

I want you to get on your feet. I want you to give him a great launch welcome tonight. Come on, Pastor Jacob Peterson, give it up.

Come on, church. Can you lift up a shout of praise to the Lord tonight? Come on, Church. If he's been good to you, if he set you free, if he's called you out of darkness, come on. Would you lift up a shout of praise to the Lord tonight?

Hallelujah. You can be seated all over the room, man. I, I just want to take a moment and tell you how honored I am to be here tonight. Y'. All.

The Holy Ghost is in the house. How many of y' all feel that? And y', all, it's only night one. God has some incredible things in store for you this week. And, and again, we are just so honored to be here and to be a part of what God is doing here in the house.

I believe that this weekend, this week is going to be significant to you. You're coming off that 21 days of prayer and fasting. Amen. So we'll see you in the Taco Bell drive thru after this. Amen.

Ain't nothing like breaking a fast with some Taco Bell. Hallelujah. But I love that. I love that you guys have strategically planned this week to end your 21 days of prayer and fasting, because fasting is a declaration of desperation. And I believe that when we come together, like Pastor Jay preached on this morning, and we are humble and we are seeking God how many of you know, he answers our cries, he answers our prayers.

And I want to tell you, listen, God is attracted to hunger. Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be open. And y', all, I believe that this launch 2025 is going to be marked by asking, by seeking, and by knocking.

Is anybody ready for a God encounter this week? You know, I was in prayer, getting ready for this, and. And I was leaning in for a word, and I felt something very significant from the Lord, because just to be honest, I had a whole nother message planned out, had a whole another direction that I was planning on going to start tonight off. But I was in prayer and I began. The Lord, the Lord began to shift my focus and my attention.

I began to feel a stirring on tonight. And as I began to pray, I. I felt the Lord literally begin to give me vision for tonight that tonight is not just a typical open night. It's not just a typical beginning night that the Lord literally wants to, for lack of better terms, launch you into the rest of the week. That. Listen, our response tonight dictates where we go the other nights, and where we go the other nights actually determines where we go for the year.

And. And I. I began to pray into that. Begin to meditate. And I felt. The Lord asked me, said, Jacob, what is the.

What is the beginning? When. When there is a launch of a rocket or a ship? What. What has to be there?

What component has to be there in the beginning? And. And I'm so thankful for. The Lord is patient with me because I didn't know.

Aren't you thankful the Lord is patient? Sometimes the Lord's like, dude, how, How, How. How do I need to break it down to you? And I'm praying and I'm saying. He's saying, what.

What has to be at the beginning of a launch? And I'm sitting there and I'm like, can I call a friend? Can it be multiple choice, Lord? And I, I. As I was praying in the spirit, I looked and.

And on the really awesome launch shirt that. That the team provided me with, I saw a rocket ship. And out of that rocket ship was fire. And I felt the Lord say, tonight we're gonna start with some fire. And I just feel the Holy Ghost wants to meet you tonight in a fresh way.

So we're gonna start and we're just gonna go there. Amen. If you have your Bible, turn with me to Matthew, chapter number 26, verse 31. Matthew 26, 31. While you're flipping there.

I want to honor Pastor J and Pastor Melanie. Don't you guys love your pastor? Can you honor your pastors, honor the staff here? Y', all, I have been so stirred since I got here because the presence of the Lord is so real here. And I was praying for you, Pastor Jay, earlier in the room, and.

And I. I felt something very specific from the Lord, because even this morning, if you were here, y', all, the presence of the Lord was so real, so tangible. This morning is my first morning here, and I was so moved by that. And. And Pastor Jay, I just want to honor you for being a friend of the Holy Ghost, for guarding that good thing that God initiated this with. And.

And I want to let you guys know you're at a special church and a special place, and it's an honor to be here and to be a part of what God is doing. Matthew, chapter 26, verse 31. Then Jesus said to them, all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night. For it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. But after I've been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.

Verse 33. Peter. Everybody say, peter. Peter answered and said to him, even if all are made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble. Jesus said to him, assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.

Peter said to him, even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you. And so said all of the disciples. Tonight I want to talk to you about even Peter's role, and I love even Peter's life that was portrayed here in Scriptures. Aren't you thankful that the scripture doesn't get give us the G rated version. If you started a year through the Bible reading plan, you're in Genesis, y'.

All. And Genesis has some sketchy moments. Amen. And it's only downhill from there, y'. All.

Like Exodus. Hold on. If you're new to the Bible, wait till you get to Judges. It needs to have a parental advisory before you get into Judges. Amen.

Like, there's some weird stuff in Judges. There's just some weird stuff there. But I love the fact that it does not paint perfect pictures of the heroes of the faith, that it plain and simple, shows their shortcomings and their failures. And just to be honest, I relate a lot to Peter, but I'm also really hard on Peter at the same time. So much so, I'm a little worried about when I meet him in heaven.

I heard all them jokes he made about me when you preach. And my last name's Peterson, so I'm probably related to him somehow. It was a nod from the Lord that when I read Peter, I actually see myself. Amen. But we see Peter here, and we see Peter in this lifestyle of being passionate for the Lord, following hard after Jesus, y'.

All. Peter left his nets to follow after Jesus. Just two words caused him to leave everything and follow this rabbi. Then we go on. And not only that, we see.

Listen, there's only two people in human history that have walked on water, Jesus and Peter. He's doing all these things. Third time, Jesus comes to him, says, who do men say that I am? And some say. Some say that thou art John the Baptist.

Some say thou art Elijah. Some say thou one of the prophets of old. But he says, who do men say who do you say that I am? But Peter stands up and says, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And then Jesus looks at him and says, flesh and blood has not revealed this unto you, but my Father, which is in heaven.

And I tell you that upon this rock I shall build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Glory be to God. It was awesome. Then.

Then Jesus says, the Son of man will be betrayed into the hands of men and will be put to death. And Peter, oh, Sneaky Pete, grabs him and rebukes him. Y', all, I. I don't consider myself one of the brightest scripture people, theologians, whatever you call them, but I do know rebuking Jesus isn't a good idea.

He rebuked Jesus. And Jesus again. I've been rebuked by the Lord before. Anybody with me? It's a fairly consistent theme in my life.

But Jesus doesn't say, peter, son, you're out of line. You need to get in line, son. He says, get thee behind me, Satan. Can you imagine if Jesus calls you Satan?

That's a bad day.

So we see this roller coaster of zeal for the Lord, backsliding, passion for God, going back to my same old cycles. And if I were to be honest, that's what my life has looked like. If I were to just be very straight up, I know how it feels to say, no matter what happens, Lord, I'm going to give my life for you. Okay, let's flip over really quickly to Luke 22. Luke 22.

Let's see what happens. You already know Luke 22. Jesus is betrayed, verse 54. Having arrested him, they led him and brought him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance.

Pause. Can I tell you that the beginning of your backslide always begins with the distance between you and Jesus? Us? You will always be able to trace your wanderings by the distance that has gotten between you and the Lord. One minute, Jesus.

Peter is walking side by side with Jesus, but when times get hard, he's now following at a distance. How's your distance tonight?

Peter followed at the distance. Now, when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And certain servant girls, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, this man was also with him. But he denied him, saying, woman, I do not know him. And after a little while, another saw him and said, you are also of them.

But Peter said, man, I am not. Then, after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, surely this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean. But Peter said, man, I do not know what you are saying. Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crow and the Lord turned and looked looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord.

How he said to them, before the rooster crows, you'll deny me three times. So Peter went out and wept bitterly. I think we've all been in those situations before where we're on fire. We're going to follow Jesus all the days of our life only to find ourselves denying him over and over. Can I tell you that when Peter proclaimed that he was going to die with Jesus, listen, I believe Peter meant to it.

Why? How can I tell you that? Because a few chapters later, he tried to take a dude's head off with a sword. Amen. He was ready to die with Jesus.

But can I tell you, I believe a lot of you. I see your heart, I know your heart. And inside the deep places of your heart, even through the issues, even through the backsliding, even through the struggles, you have a heart to serve and to love God, just like Peter. Can I tell you, tonight, Peter had the heart, but he needed the help.

Peter had the heart to serve God, but he just needed a little help to serve God. Look at your neighbor and say, you need some help. Look at your other neighbor and say, no, for real, you need help. I'm concerned about you.

Amen. You're like, wait, are you serious? Is that why you brought me here?

He had the heart, but he needed the help. Listen, I believe breakthrough can come in your life when you have the divine revelation that you need help. That you can't do this alone. You can't do this by yourself. All of this has been created literally in God's infinite wisdom.

Wisdom. He designed us to desperately need Him. If we could do it without him, we would. But we can't. And it's false pride and it's arrogance to believe that we can live.

Because the Bible says, in him we move, we live and we have our being. And we were created for the Revelation to know. Without Him, I am nothing.

We need his help to live our lives, to follow him, to pursue Him. But I got good news. Aren't you thankful? Listen, actually, let me read the scripture real quick. John 14:15, you already know it.

If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father and He will give you another helper. Everybody say, helper, that he may abide with you forever. The Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows Him. But you know him.

For he dwells with you. I love that with you. And he will be in you. He's with me and he's in Me. I will not leave you orphans.

I will come to you. I'm so grateful that the Lord, when He died on the cross, he was raised from the dead. And when he ascended into heaven, I'm so thankful he did not ascend and just say like, good luck, Don't mess this up. You know, like when someone's walking away and they're telling you something really important, don't forget to.

Right. Wait. Lord, hold up. What was that?

I'm so thankful that he did not just leave us to figure this thing out.

He's given us the word of God. He's given us the scriptures. There's living and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword. I love that he's done that. And I love that he's given us a helper.

And I want to declare for you tonight, you're going into this year not alone. Not having to face your struggles alone. Not having to face your bondage alone. Not having to face your marriage alone. You're going into this year with a help.

Helper. And he is the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it either sees him nor knows Him. You are leaving tonight with the helper. You and I need help. We need help.

We need help every single day. You need help going to work. You need help raising your kids. We need help. Let me point out to you three areas that he's going to help you in.

Okay? Three areas he's going to help you in, and then we're going to pray together. Does that sound good? The first thing is this. He helps us live holy.

Everybody say holy. He is the Holy Ghost. Amen. And I love that. Even as we live, and I know even right now in this day and age that we live in, it seems like darkness is abounding.

It seems like there's, like, new ways to sin added every single day.

AI is getting creepy. Amen.

It's just a little weird. Let's just be honest. I saw dude in the airport with goggles on, like, fully in the VR world. I was like, bro, you need help.

Like, things are just getting weird. Amen. Like, we. We can see even by watching the news, it's like, like, lord, you need to come back. People are getting sketchy.

I love, though, that he's given us the helper of the Holy Spirit that helps us live holy. And one of the chief avenues in which he has chosen to do that is this blessed thing called conviction.

Can I tell you that conviction is a blessing and not a curse?

Like I said earlier, I've been rebuked more than you all. Amen. Like, but you know what Hebrews says? He chastises those whom he loves.

We love singing. He loves us. Oh, how he loves us. Just crying.

Then he just rebukes me. I'm like, you do love me, Lord. He chastises those whom he loves. And I've learned that conviction is something I do not need to run away from. It's something I need to embrace.

That. That we've got to learn that the Holy Spirit that has been activated in our life, that lives in you, that dwells in you right now, has he. He literally lives with us. He does not stay at the door when we leave church. He does not just resign himself to our 6:00am Prayer time.

No, no. He wants to do life with you if you let him. And what I found is that when I do life with the Holy Spirit, he leads me into true truth. He leads me into righteousness. And.

And listen, we've got to change the way we view temptation.

Thank you.

Thank you. We got to change the way we view temptation. Because oftentimes. Listen, this is how I've always dealt with temptation. I will find myself, get into a situation, and then all of a sudden, I begin to ask for help.

This is how temptation oftentimes goes. I'm going to talk to my young people where my youth at, wave at me, where my young adults at. Amen.

Oftentimes you'll See a teenager who maybe is in a dating relationship, say, talk about it, And they'll get a text that says, like, you want to come over, play Scrabble?

And you're like, I like Scrabble.

So you get to the house, They answer the door, come inside, and they're like, you go downstairs to the basement and, you know, play Scrabble.

I like Uno too. Whatever.

You know, my parents are upstairs, so they don't get. They never go downstairs, and they're like, okay. You go downstairs into the basement, and they're like. Or, you know, we could watch Ratatouille.

I love ratatouille.

The next thing you know, you're sitting on the couch together.

They're down there.

I love ratatouille. I love rats. I just. I don't know. The next thing you know, you kind of.

And then the other person's like, I'm really cold. I'm gonna go get a blanket. Can I tell you, if they break out a blanket, you better run like Joseph out of Potiphar's house. You better run up, out, jump out a wind.

Ain't nobody cold in that basement. You've been sweating since you got out of the car.

Next thing you know, you're under a blanket. Together.

Listen. And in that moment, that's when you decide to go. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth. There's anything in heaven.

Jericho's gotta fall, Break out the shofar. Break out there. And you're interceding, crying out for help.

And we all know the Holy Ghost told you not to go the moment you got the text. What I've learned is that when he said that our fathers, the. The Lord's Prayer, he said, lead me not into text temptation. And can I tell you, the Holy Ghost will lead you not into temptation. He'll save you from trouble.

He'll save you from danger. You might go to work, and all of a sudden, your coworker, the gossipy one's, like, I got to tell you what Susan did.

And I know you ain't refilling your coffee. You want to walk by her office, but the Holy Ghost will say, stay at your desk.

When you're at y', all, when you're getting your fast food order and you ordered it plain, and they didn't make it plain.

And you want to throw the cheesy gordita crunch back through the window, the Holy Ghost is there to help you. He wants to lead you into holiness. I Want to encourage you, make it a goal for yourself this year to be a person of conviction, to be a person that says, lead me and guide me into the ways of righteousness. Lord, I will hide my word in your heart so that it shall not sin against you. Lord, I want to be holy.

I want to be righteous. I want to abstain from all appearance of evil. But what I love about the Holy Ghost too is not only leads us into holiness, but in moments where we find ourselves messing up. He's also our comforter. And I found times where I've blown it and I did something I said I was never going to do.

The Holy Spirit's the first one there to pick me up, dust me off and say, son, you need to get your head right and keep going because God's not done with you yet.

He helps you to live. Holy number two, he's going to help you to pray.

He's going to help you to pray. Listen. If you did not hear, listen. I'm probably going to go back and listen to your sermon series on prayer this month, because this morning was fire. Amen.

What would happen if the church prayed? I mean, collectively? Can you imagine him, every person who calls themselves a believer of Jesus Christ? What would happen if collectively we were on our knees crying out for revival? What would happen in this nation?

What would happen in the nations of the world? What would happen in your high school? What would happen on your college campus? What would happen in your marriage and what would happen with your children if we became people of prayer? Romans 8 says it that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, for we do not know what to pray as we ought.

He prays through us. Have you ever been to a place of desperation where English would not cut it any longer? Such a place of spiritual warfare and spiritual fatigue and desperation? All you had was a groan. Can I tell you, God cannot ignore groans.

What would happen, mothers and fathers, if your kid, who's starting to wander from the Lord when they're at school, you went into their bedroom and began to pray in the Holy Ghost. You began to anoint their door with oil. I remember getting in my car growing up and there being oil on my rear view mirror. I didn't put it there. My mama did.

What would happen? What would happen if you got to work a little bit early in the morning? You walk through the office corridors praying in tongues.

What would happen if we woke up everyone we prayed over our government officials? What would happen if we woke up every day and prayed for abortion to end in the land. What would happen every day if we woke up and prayed for human trafficking and pornography to be vanquished from America? What would happen if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, turn from their wicked way, and seek my face, y'. All.

We would see God begin to shake things. God begin to move things. Great awakening begin to stir in the land. He's going to help you to pray. Listen, what I've learned is that I. I believe we're the.

We're our greatest discreditors when it comes to prayer. The enemy's lied to you and told you you're not good at praying. News flash. None of us are. Nobody's figured out prayer.

You get into a room and you talk to God. Sometimes you just cry. Sometimes you just walk around, back and forth. Sometimes you feel glory and sometimes you feel nothing. What's the difference?

Some people quit and some people keep going. What would happen if we had a resilient church to say? My forehead is set as flint and I'm saying, God, I'm not gonna move until I see revival in the land. Until I see my kids turn back to God.

And what I've learned is when I play in the flesh, it's hard. But when I tap in and I grab my friend, the helper of the Holy Ghost who comes alongside me, prayers become easier. Prayers become stronger when I lick my arms with the Holy Ghost and we pray together, because here's what I believe. Everybody in this room wants to pray. You got the heart.

You just need the help. Last thing is this. And then we're going to pray. He helps you to become a witness for him.

He's going to help you become a witness to him. I believe one of the greatest elements of anxiety most Christians battle with is evangelism. Amen. We grew up our whole lives being told not to talk to strangers. Then you join a church and we're like, talk to strangers.

And we're like, what? Yes, talk to them. Walk up to random people and say, do you know Jesus? Can I pray for you, y'? All?

That used to terrify me. I'd such stress about it. I'd be like, no, I just kind of stretched my hands over him, just. Or just save him. God bless him for all.

To be honest, there's something about that that just stresses us out.

We have the heart. We just need the help. And what I love about the Holy Ghost is that when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, he transformed a bunch of fishermen into radical evangelists. What I've learned is that the Holy Ghost loves people. And when we are friends with the Holy Ghost, we love what he loves.

And he wants to induce you with supernatural power. Worship Team Young gone. Come on up. He wants to fill you with power. I love these stories.

There's a man of God who's well beyond his years. He passed away years ago by the name of Smith Wigglesworth. Love Smith Wigglesworth. Just Google them later. And Smith Wigglesworth, this shows the element and the reality of Holy Ghost in you, how it changes things.

One time he was preaching a revival and he, I mean he's got documented people raised from the dead, signs, wonders and miracles. He couldn't read well on into way on his life. He was just a plumber. He encounters God, gets saved, gets baptized in the Holy Spirit. God transforms, transform his life, raising from the dead.

All these different incredible story. Well, he's at a revival in a different city and he goes and preaches in the city. And while he's there, the woman in the church pretty much comes to the pastor and says, can I please host Smith Wigglesworth while he is here? My husband is lost and I want Smith to preach the gospel to him. She said, absolutely.

So her and her husband, who's lost, take the guest bedroom and they allow Smith Wigglesworth to sleep in their master bedroom. So he's there for about three nights, preaching every night. Signs, wonders of miracles, salvations. God is moving. Well, by the end of it, it comes and goes.

And he never has the opportunity to sit down and lead her husband to the Lord. So finally, the final morning comes. He wakes up, he grabs his bag, he's leaving, he's walking across the street. And she runs out frantically and says, smith, please, you have not led my husband to the Lord. Please come back inside and talk to us.

And he's walking across, he stops, he says, don't change your sheets. And then he keeps going.

So naturally she's like, what? And one that's kind of gross, but what? And so listen, out of faith, she doesn't change his sheets. And that night they get in bed together, they go to sleep, and all of a sudden her husband begins to violently shake. He begins to cry, saying, I feel fire.

I feel fire. I feel fire. He rolls out of the bed, hits his knees, gives his life to Jesus. Why? Because the anointing that's on the inside of you was not meant to stay in you.

It was meant to get out.

He wants to use you in power. One more story. There's a guy by the name of Graham Cook. He was a prophet out of the United Kingdom. And he tells this story where he's going to be a guest speaker at a church.

And he's ministering to a girl who's being commissioned to go on the mission field. And they're in the church basement, and they say, brother Graham, will you come pray for her? We're going to lay hands on her, commission her, and send her to the mission field. So he says, absolutely. So he goes down and they begin to pray for her.

And it's a very generic prayer session, you know, Lord, we ask that you would commission her, send her, anoint her with power in the name of Jesus. Well, as he's praying, a word of knowledge comes to him. And the word is this. Tell her I hate mommies and daddies.

So he stops and he goes, what?

Are you kidding me? You want me to tell this girl that you hate mommies and daddies? So he begins to wrestle with God. No, I'm not going to say it. Not going to do it.

Begins to literally wrestle with God this entire time. Well, the prayer is beginning to wrap up. And so he literally just says, fine, I'll say it. Thus saith the Lord, I hate mommies and daddies. She looks up at him, and years of pain and trauma come out.

She doubles over, begins to weep. They lead her through deliverance. They minister to her heart. She finally gets settled, and he asks her, what did that mean?

And little did he know that when she was a child, she was raped by family members. And they called the game mommies and daddies.

And in that moment, y', all, she didn't need just a cute little word. She needed a word from her heavenly father to break the chains and the bondage of the enemy. Listen, God wants to use you in that way. I believe in this hour, God's raising up prophets, he's raising up evangelists. He's raising up apostles.

Listen, the time is urgent. So the anointing of God is being released like never before. Because, listen, can I tell you that Peter's story isn't over? We know Peter denies him, says, I'm not going to follow. I'm going to go.

We. He goes out and he weeps outside the city.

We know the story that Jesus actually appears to his disciples. And the angel of the Lord actually, actually tells. Go tell the disciples. And Peter. Peter's restored.

He sees the resurrected Lord. We know the story. He's on the Sea of Galilee. Later on, Peter, do you love me? Peter, do you love me.

Yes. I love you. I still love you. Feed my sheep. Feed my sheep.

Then finally says again, follow me. Then we fast forward to Acts, chapter 2. And the Bible says, when they were all together in one mind and one accord, that came a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind. And tongues of fire rest upon them all.

And I love this because John the beloved, did not stand up to preach. James, the brother of the Lord did not stand up to preach. Who was it that boldly stood up and proclaimed the gospel? It was Peter. Why?

Because not only did he have the heart, now he had the health.