Embracing Divine Design: Living Beyond Mediocrity
Summary
In the presence of the Lord, there is fullness of joy, and today we gather to embrace the divine design that God has for each of us. We are reminded that our lives are not meant to be average or mediocre, but rather, we are called to live with dominion and purpose. This divine design is not just about our physical differences or our financial status, but about understanding our unique identity in Christ and the authority we have been given to live beyond the norm.
The world often conditions us to settle for mediocrity, but God calls us to rise above and embrace the fullness of our potential. As we ascend to new heights, the journey may become turbulent, but we are encouraged to trust in God, the ultimate pilot of our lives. Our divine design is rooted in the creation mandate, where God commands us to be fruitful, multiply, and have dominion over the earth. This is not just about procreation, but about the spiritual fruitfulness and multiplication that comes from aligning with God's will and collaborating with others in the body of Christ.
We must be vigilant about the company we keep, seeking out those who are producers and not polluters of our purpose. God places treasure in earthen vessels, and despite our flaws and failures, He equips us with grace for our assignments. Our decisions determine our destiny, and we must be willing to let go of old ideas and embrace the new things God is doing in our lives. This requires a willingness to change, to learn, and to receive the newness that God offers.
As we walk in our divine design, we are reminded that God is doing a new thing, and we must not despise small beginnings. Our relationship with God is about to yield greater benefits, and we are called to function according to His blueprint for our lives. This is a season of acceleration, where God is raising us up and aligning us with His purpose. We are encouraged to embrace the new, trust in God's plan, and walk into the fullness of our divine design.
Key Takeaways:
1. Divine Design and Dominion: We are called to live beyond mediocrity, embracing our divine design to have dominion and purpose. This requires understanding our unique identity in Christ and the authority we have been given. As we align with God's will, we rise above the norm and experience the fullness of our potential. [45:42]
2. The Power of Revelation: Revelation is divine insight that transforms our understanding and guides us into God's purpose. It requires letting go of old ideas and embracing new ones, allowing God to reveal His plans for our lives. This process of revelation leads to spiritual growth and alignment with God's will. [48:14]
3. Collaboration and Community: We are called to collaborate with others in the body of Christ, recognizing that we need each other to fulfill God's purpose. By connecting with the right people, we can achieve more together and see the will of God manifest in our lives. [01:07:14]
4. Embracing Change and Growth: Change is necessary for growth, and God often uses new experiences to stretch and develop us. We must be willing to embrace change, learn from it, and allow it to propel us into our divine destiny. This requires a willingness to let go of the familiar and step into the unknown. [01:09:22]
5. Trusting God's Plan: In times of turbulence and uncertainty, we are encouraged to trust in God's plan and His ability to guide us. As we walk in our divine design, we must remain steadfast in faith, knowing that God is orchestrating our steps and leading us into a season of acceleration and blessing. [01:17:30]
YouTube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [38:01] - Testimony Loading
- [39:02] - Honoring Dedication
- [40:31] - It's Already Done
- [42:02] - Serving in the House
- [43:25] - Genesis and Dominion
- [45:42] - Dominion by Design
- [46:58] - Beyond Mediocrity
- [48:14] - The End of Average
- [59:51] - Divine Design and Governance
- [01:07:14] - Cross-Pollination
- [01:09:22] - Producers vs. Polluters
- [01:17:30] - Embracing New Seasons
- [01:21:43] - Naming Your Season
- [01:27:04] - Peace and Clarity
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Genesis 1:26-28
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Genesis 1:26-28 say about the authority and purpose given to humanity by God?
2. According to the sermon, how does the concept of "dominion" relate to our daily lives? [45:42]
3. What are some examples given in the sermon of how society conditions us to settle for mediocrity? [46:58]
4. How does the sermon describe the role of community and collaboration in fulfilling God's purpose? [01:07:14]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does understanding our "divine design" change the way we view our identity in Christ? [45:42]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that revelation can lead to spiritual growth and alignment with God's will? [48:14]
3. How does the sermon explain the importance of letting go of old ideas to embrace new ones? [48:14]
4. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between change and growth in our spiritual journey? [01:09:22]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt called to rise above mediocrity. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? [46:58]
2. Identify an area in your life where you need to trust God's plan more fully. What steps can you take to strengthen your faith in this area? [01:17:30]
3. Consider the people you surround yourself with. Are they producers or polluters of your purpose? How can you seek out more positive influences? [01:09:22]
4. What old ideas or habits might be holding you back from embracing the new things God is doing in your life? How can you begin to let go of them? [48:14]
5. How can you actively collaborate with others in the body of Christ to fulfill God's purpose in your life? [01:07:14]
6. Think about a recent change in your life. How did you handle it, and what did you learn from the experience? [01:09:22]
7. What specific actions can you take this week to walk more fully in your divine design and purpose? [45:42]
Devotional
I'm ready to provide the 5-day devotional based on the steps outlined. Here it is:
---
Day 1: Embracing Divine Design and Dominion
In the presence of God, we are called to live beyond mediocrity, embracing our divine design to have dominion and purpose. This involves understanding our unique identity in Christ and the authority we have been given. As we align with God's will, we rise above the norm and experience the fullness of our potential. The world often conditions us to settle for less, but God calls us to ascend to new heights, trusting Him as the ultimate pilot of our lives. Our divine design is rooted in the creation mandate, where God commands us to be fruitful, multiply, and have dominion over the earth. This is not just about physical procreation but about spiritual fruitfulness and multiplication that comes from aligning with God's will and collaborating with others in the body of Christ. [45:42]
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." (Psalm 139:13-14, ESV)
Reflection: What specific area of your life do you feel God is calling you to rise above mediocrity and embrace your divine design? How can you take a step towards that today?
Day 2: The Power of Revelation
Revelation is divine insight that transforms our understanding and guides us into God's purpose. It requires letting go of old ideas and embracing new ones, allowing God to reveal His plans for our lives. This process of revelation leads to spiritual growth and alignment with God's will. As we open ourselves to God's revelations, we are invited to see beyond the ordinary and step into the extraordinary plans He has for us. This journey of revelation is not always easy, as it often challenges our preconceived notions and requires us to trust in God's wisdom over our own understanding. [48:14]
"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known." (Jeremiah 33:3, ESV)
Reflection: What old ideas or beliefs might you need to let go of to embrace the new revelations God has for you? How can you create space in your life to hear from God today?
Day 3: Collaboration and Community
We are called to collaborate with others in the body of Christ, recognizing that we need each other to fulfill God's purpose. By connecting with the right people, we can achieve more together and see the will of God manifest in our lives. This collaboration is about seeking out those who are producers and not polluters of our purpose. God places treasure in earthen vessels, and despite our flaws and failures, He equips us with grace for our assignments. Our decisions determine our destiny, and we must be willing to let go of old ideas and embrace the new things God is doing in our lives. [01:07:14]
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your community can you collaborate with to fulfill God's purpose in your life? How can you encourage and support each other in this journey today?
Day 4: Embracing Change and Growth
Change is necessary for growth, and God often uses new experiences to stretch and develop us. We must be willing to embrace change, learn from it, and allow it to propel us into our divine destiny. This requires a willingness to let go of the familiar and step into the unknown. As we walk in our divine design, we are reminded that God is doing a new thing, and we must not despise small beginnings. Our relationship with God is about to yield greater benefits, and we are called to function according to His blueprint for our lives. [01:09:22]
"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (Isaiah 43:18-19, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel God is calling you to embrace change? How can you take a step of faith into the unknown today?
Day 5: Trusting God's Plan
In times of turbulence and uncertainty, we are encouraged to trust in God's plan and His ability to guide us. As we walk in our divine design, we must remain steadfast in faith, knowing that God is orchestrating our steps and leading us into a season of acceleration and blessing. Trusting God's plan means surrendering our own desires and timelines to His perfect will, even when the path seems unclear. It is in these moments of trust that we find peace and assurance in His promises. [01:17:30]
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust God's plan more fully? How can you practice surrendering your own understanding to His guidance today?
Quotes
"In the presence of the Lord, in the presence of the Lord, there's the fullness of joy. At his right hand are pleasures forevermore. And I am grateful to be in the house of the Lord one more time. Glad to be in the service one more time. Hallelujah. We honor the Lord for our being here, and I don't take it for granted that we were able to gather and assemble in the house of the Lord one more time." [00:37:30] (31 seconds)
"Then God said, let us make man in our image. If you didn't know that this is a house where we believe in the triune God, one God eternally existing in three persons, simple English with the note that when God says us in our, he is speaking of the plurality of God. Elohim in the text. I need to make that very clear because in our mingling and in our interactions and in our faith, preachers, pastors, teachers, some of us don't know their doctrine. And you need to know what you believe and why you believe it." [00:43:38] (36 seconds)
"Because as you elevate and as you ascend and as God takes you into another place, you begin to see things from a different perspective. And I want us to be very clear this evening. Because when we start talking about average and mediocrity, I want us to consider how that has been a part of our formation. The entire social system has been built around this idea that average size or it all it fits all type of model." [00:47:15] (28 seconds)
"The hardest part of learning something new is not embracing new ideas, but letting go of old ones. You would be surprised how often we will live a conflict. We will find life based upon old information. That we will be introduced to something that is new, something that is innovative, something that's progressive, something that is actually going to make an impact on our lives. But because it is new and because it is different, we demonize what is different." [00:51:03] (27 seconds)
"there is no other we begin to understand that our divine design is for us to have dominion dominion dominion that means that i don't live a subpar life i don't live beneath my means i'm not living beneath my privilege rather when you begin to understand that you have been called you and i have both been called to live a life of dominion that means that god has caused us to be models and examples and exemplars of what it means to live in the kingdom of god the reason that that is important is because when you understand the power of revelation someone say revelation when you begin to understand the power of revelation it is divine insight that has once been concealed that is now revealed for the moment that you were in the reason that we need daily bread is because god can't give us everything right now if he were to give you everything that your future is actually going to yield you will crumble under the pressure so what does god do he breaks that thing into digestible pieces and some of us can't digest what god's trying to give to us because we don't like it on our palate we don't like the taste of it because the taste seems like pressure the taste seems like work the taste seems like a little duress but , sometimes god has to use those elements and those components to process us and prepare us for what he has already intended to do i want to preach to some people in this room who understand that god has already predetermined what he's going to do and all he is looking for me all he is looking for you to do is collaborate with his will i'm not fighting the will of god i have seen mother streets that when i yield to the will that's where provision is when i yield to the will that's where blessing is i have seen mother streets that when i yield to the will that's where blessing is when i yield to the will that's where favor is when i yield to the will that's where partnership and collaboration exists so when i function according to my divine design i am not functioning in accordance with this world i'm not functioning in accordance with these systems and i want to stop right here because some of us have to be purged but not just the system of the world but can i say this with my chest the system of church oh i know i got quiet right through here but the reality is you have to be purged with all your heart and soul you have to be purged with all your soul because you still don't have any time left in your life some of us have become so conditioned and formatted to what we think and what we know as church we're gonna miss God that's why people have a church and God not there people are gathering weekly and God's not there nothing has happened nothing is breaking you mean to tell me you're in a place where no miracles happen no signs happen no wonders happen there's never a breakthrough nobody ever get anything occurring in their life the devil is a liar can you see the signs of the time we are living in a day in an era that requires and necessitates a certain breed of believer and the only reason that you got breath right now is because God wants to use you to usher us into this next kingdom age it's by divine design everything that we've been through up to this moment has been by divine design someone say divine design John Maxwell Kira says something very interesting he says people change when they hurt enough that they have to change they learn enough that they want to change they receive enough that they are able to change I want you to pick which category you are in does God have to allow you to endure pain in order for you to change or are you the type of individual that you will have an appetite to learn and that will cause you to want to change I want you to see where you are because depending on where you are is going to determine what type of season you now want to be in. walk into you i don't believe that god has to always use pain to change us some of us he has to use pain because we're rebellious and we're disobedient so god will orchestrate life circumstances and conditions to now cause us to yield to his will but when you understand that i have to collaborate and align with the will of god i must submit to the will of god even when i do not agree we've sung the song yes to your will and yes to your way we sing beautiful lies in church that our hearts really don't mean in real life we will sing one thing in church we will preach one thing in church but i'm here to tell you that people are watching your life it's easy to sing about a god that you think you know until life happens and i want to know if i'm talking to some people in this room who understand that i am in the process of becoming beloved it does not yet appear upon what we shall be but i know that when he comes I will be like him and see him as he is so I am evolving I am growing I am maturing I am developing excuse me if I have changed it appears that my palate is no longer the same I talk different I dress different and the reality is Deacon Streets I am different life has changed me my assignment required more out of me so the old version of me is dead because if any man be in Christ he is a new creature all things are passed away and behold all things have become new it's not just your spiritual attitude but everything concerning you God wants to do something new with you he wants a new mind new thoughts a new heart a new spirit a new reality a new perception everything concerning your life God wants to do it new but if you gotta appetize and a palate for the old you're going to miss God you" [00:51:03] (0 seconds)
"Sometimes you have to test people, but just a little bit of the plan, just a little detail of what God's about to do to see how they respond. Because we're always trying to rain on your parade. But cross pollinators will say something like this on the streets. How can I help? How can I pray? What do you need? I don't have much, but I can sow this. I can give that. I can give you this resource. I can give you this connection. Look for those who give, not those that just take. We need producers, not polluters." [01:09:22] (38 seconds)
"spiritually right now I have to test teacher I have to test mother streets whether or not you are ready to work the impartation you've been receiving the last three years not in my presence but in my absence you've been hearing all of this word now what you gonna do with it you got these gifts that have been activated while you're still sitting on them are you going to allow fear to trick you out of the best season of your life or are you going to feel the fear and do it anyway because this is dominion by design I am not asking the enemy for anything but everything that is assigned to my head I'm going after it in this season if God gives me the option that's all I need if God gives the idea that's all you need you looking for confidence you don't need company you just need one or two that God has sent in your life to agree with you and I am here to preach to some people in this room to get your mind right because you're getting ready to reign you're getting ready to govern in a way that you have not done before and some of you gonna change jobs some of you gonna change careers and do not fret the aligning of God do not fret the tension that you are feeling in relationships and friendships it's by divine design that God can get you to the place that he has already predetermined for you to be and I am here to prophesy to you that what you lost what you lost and the people that you lost and the money that you lost and the opportunity that you lost do not grieve over that anymore do not fret over that anymore because I hear the Lord saying if you obey me and you begin to move in accordance to my divine design you will be like the Lord and you will be like the Lord and you will be like the going to see fruitfulness and you are going to see productivity and multiplication on another level sometimes god has to subtract from your life that he can really add value to your life i'm not upset over anybody or anything that left my life if god let them leave that means he's about to add to me so i get excited when people begin to go the other way because i know your exit is really your entrance so why are you upset why are you frustrated about what's not happening you better get in favor what's getting ready to happen because the same door someone left out of your life more people are about to walk into your life did you hear what i just said the same door that people left your life the new people about to walk into your life i need you to open your mouth last thing minister linda i see you from houston with the first adam lost due to disobedience the last adam regained through obedience where the first adam fell in the garden of eden it was a utopia mama maddie it was a place in space that had been orchestrated for them to rule and reign in there was nothing in that place that they needed but because they diso kicked out of the garden but there comes another man through 40 and two generations that paul calls the last adam who will go to another garden and when he is between and betwixt what he should deal do i really want to die for some people who really won't believe in me anyway he gets to the place where he is crying and he is sorrowful that his tears become like blood drops and it's at that place of yield of this and surrender decubateman that he says not my will but your will be done as the first adam lost to you that what the first adam lost you now are able to get through the second adam through jesus the christ so one man's disobedience death and damnation came into the earth but through one man's obedience life and salvation has been revealed and i am here to declare to you that your relationship with god is about to yield greater benefits you didn't know what it could entail but it's coming through revelation and you're about to see him with a great benefit you didn't know what it could entail but it's coming to revelation and now revelation will come to you. You don't have to settle because God really sent Jesus that you may have life and have it more abundantly. I'm no longer selling it. I'm no longer surrendering to average. I'm no longer surrendering to mediocrity. But I speak to the greatness of the inside of you. I speak to the power of the inside of you. And I'm pulling it out of you. God put it in you, Brad. But he's going to use people to pull it out of you. Did you hear what I said? God put it in you. But he's about to use the right people to pull it out of you. And I am here to prophesy to Tampa. And I am here to prophesy to Houston. That what's on the inside of you is about to come out of you. If you believe it, I want you to open your mouth and just begin to give him glory." [01:15:27] (0 seconds)
"Lift those hands to the Lord. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for... divine design that we're walking in another place in space called dominion. We reject every thought, every deed that will cause us to be misaligned. Father, let this word and your spirit guide us, direct us. Shorad alamassia. We receive. We receive the newness that is you. Take a deep breath. We inhale your goodness. We inhale a new thought. We inhale revival." [01:33:09] (59 seconds)