No matter what obstacles stand in your way, God is able to escort you to victory when you are in relationship with Him, just as He did for Peter. When you walk closely with God, He will move or remove every barrier, working on your behalf in ways that defy human understanding. The power of God is greater than any force that opposes you, and when you allow Him to lead, nothing can stop the progress He has ordained for your life. Even when you feel surrounded or outnumbered, remember that what is working for you in Christ far outweighs what is working against you. [01:06:44]
Acts 12:1-11 (NKJV)
Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel surrounded by obstacles? Can you invite God to be your escort and trust Him to move or remove those barriers this week?
When the church prayed for Peter, God moved in a miraculous way, showing that persistent, united prayer has the power to change even the most hopeless situations. There is a difference between simply attending church and being a disciple who prays and intercedes for others. The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective, and sometimes it is the prayers of others that sustain us when we cannot pray for ourselves. Never underestimate the impact of your prayers for someone else, or the legacy of prayer that has covered your own life. [01:03:39]
James 5:16 (ESV)
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Reflection: Who is someone in your life that needs prayer right now? Take a moment today to pray specifically and persistently for them, trusting God to move on their behalf.
God has the uncanny ability to turn your dreams and visions into reality when you walk closely with Him. Just as Peter thought he was dreaming as he was escorted out of prison, God can bless you in such uncommon and unusual ways that you will look around and hardly believe what He has done. Your thoughts and what you focus on matter—when you concentrate on God’s promises and envision His goodness, you open the door for Him to manifest those very things in your life. [01:32:19]
Ephesians 3:20 (ESV)
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
Reflection: What is one God-sized dream or vision you have been afraid to believe for? Write it down and ask God to help you trust Him to make it a reality.
Even in the midst of chaos, uncertainty, or impending trouble, God offers a peace that surpasses all understanding. Peter was able to sleep soundly the night before his possible execution because he trusted in God’s sovereignty. True rest is not just about sleep, but about a deep assurance that God is in control, no matter what storms are raging around you. You don’t have to let anxiety, stress, or fear rob you of your rest—God invites you to lay it all down and trust Him to handle what you cannot. [01:32:39]
Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Reflection: What is keeping you up at night or causing you stress? Tonight, intentionally give it to God in prayer and ask Him for His peace and rest.
God has already escorted you through past trials, and His faithfulness in your history is a promise for your future. Sometimes, you need to pause and remember the times God has brought you out—out of mess, out of drama, out of sickness, out of situations you got yourself into. When you recall His faithfulness, it builds your faith for what He will do next. God is still opening doors, making ways, and leading you into new seasons of victory, blessing, and breakthrough. [01:34:56]
Psalm 103:2-5 (ESV)
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Reflection: Take a few minutes to remember and write down specific times God has brought you through in the past. How does recalling His faithfulness encourage you to trust Him for your current needs?
In Acts 12, Peter finds himself imprisoned, surrounded by guards, and facing certain death at the hands of Herod. Yet, in the midst of this dire situation, God intervenes in a miraculous way. The church is praying fervently for Peter, and God sends an angel to escort him out of prison, past every obstacle, and into freedom. This story is a powerful reminder that God is not only able to deliver us from impossible situations, but He is also actively working on our behalf, even when we cannot see it.
Victory looks different for each of us—sometimes it’s healing, sometimes it’s peace, sometimes it’s provision or restoration. But the common thread is that when we are in true relationship with God—not just church members, but disciples—He will escort us to the victory He has for us. It’s not about how many hours we’ve spent in church, but how deeply we’ve invested in our faith, our prayer life, and our walk with Christ. Just as Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000 hours” principle applies to mastering a skill, imagine what would happen if we gave that same dedication to our spiritual growth. The more we invest in our relationship with God, the more we see Him move in our lives.
Peter’s story also teaches us that what we imagine, what we dare to believe God for, can become our reality. Peter thought he was dreaming as the angel led him out, but it was real—God was making the impossible possible. We must learn to rest in God, even when chaos surrounds us. Peter slept soundly the night before his scheduled execution because he trusted God completely. That kind of peace is available to us when we let God be our escort, guiding us through every trial and opening doors no one else can open.
God has already escorted us through so much—out of trouble, out of sickness, out of situations we got ourselves into. If He’s done it before, He will do it again. Our job is to trust Him, to walk in faith, and to let Him lead us into new seasons of victory, blessing, and purpose. Let’s not settle for being mere churchgoers; let’s strive to be disciples who walk so closely with God that we see His hand moving us forward, no matter what stands in our way.
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Acts 12:1-11 (ESV) — Now about that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
Child of God, I'm led to believe as you obviously have deduced from the title of our conversation today that God, if you are in covenant relationship with him, will escort you to victory. Whatever victory looks like for you, all of us are created in the image and likeness of God. However, we are all uniquely created. And so victory for one may look different than victory for another. All of us, however, the common denominator, all of us need something from God. Daily, we need something from God. And I suppose I'm trying to argue theologically today that if you are connected to the Christ, if you are hooked up with the Holy One, he in fact will escort you to victory. No matter what that victory looks like for you, it might be healing. It might just be peace of mind. It might be favor in your finances or favor in your marriage and family life. Favor and overflow in your career and your professional endeavors. your business. Nevertheless, it doesn't matter what victory looks like to you if you have God on your side. And if God is active in your life, and if you are active with God, you'll be escorted to victory. [01:00:21]
And I thought that was interesting because as a preacher and pastor, I began to think about how would it look if we actually gave 10,000 hours to prayer? What would it look like if we gave 10,000 hours to reading the Word of God? 416 days of meditating on the goodness of God. What would it look like if we actually gave that 10,000 hours? How proficient would we be in faith? And you know what's interesting about my argument today? It's in the fact that some of us, in fact, many of us between both services, we've been in church for quite some time. There's a great number of us who've been in church for well over 10,000 hours. If you accumulate it, there are many of us that have been in church for well over 416 days. And there are many of us that have given ourselves to worship, to service, to church over the years. Some of us from knee high to a grasshopper. We grew up in church, Sunday school, mothers of the church, all of that good stuff. [01:04:50]
However, the question begs, do we have 10,000 hours in faith? You see, it's easy for somebody to go to church. And I don't believe if you would be so kind as to entertain me. I don't believe that God is really interested in church folk. I believe that God is interested in this. God. discipleship you see there's a difference between being a member of a church and a disciple anybody can go to church even the enemy likes church see the reality is there are a whole lot of people not just in Atlanta but all across the world who go to church who pride themselves mama raised you to go to church and maybe you discovered faith or discovered God in some kind of a contour on your journey in life however if we're going to really be believers in and on Christ it's not enough to just go to church it's not enough to just be a church member but child of God we ought to strive to be disciples of Jesus Christ [01:06:22]
And here's my challenge to you today child of God when you become really connected to Christ I'm talking about being a disciple when you're hooked up with the Holy One and you're serious about your relationship with God that means God doesn't just hear from you on Sunday morning but God hears from you on Monday morning God receives your praise on a random Wednesday morning or random Wednesday evening on a random Thursday night you can break out in the praise in your kitchen with your bunny slippers on and your house robe and your do rag on and your little face cream on and you can shout all by yourself don't need no Hammond b3 don't need a keyboard don't need a drum set don't need a Fred Hammond or Kirk Franklin soundtrack all I need is to think about what God has done for me and what God has brought me from and it causes me it incites in me a praise that I can't keep to myself but I gotta shout and my kids come downstairs asking mama daddy what's wrong I am in worship they ought to see that [01:08:01]
And child of God I suppose what I'm trying to suggest is that if we put just as much effort in trying to become proficient in faith and in discipleship as we do in trying to become wealthy and trying to become entrepreneurs and trying to become well in our professions and in our daily living maybe we will discover and we'll realize the closer you get to God the more you see God I just said something I said the closer you get to God the more you see God active in your life you see God manifesting in your life on a daily basis and what you'll discover is that every day you walk with God God is escorting you into victory in various areas of your life he will escort you to victory in your career victory in your marriage victory in your family victory in your parenting victory can I find somebody here today who said pastor Howard I hear you well if you hear me holla back at your boy and let me know that my praise and my worship is not just confined to praise and worship in church but you can catch me on a random day at a random time in my car at my cubicle in my office in my kitchen in my den giving God the glory because God has been too good to me to just relegate my praise to what happens on Sunday morning [01:09:03]
I'm not just interested in being a church member I want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ because being a disciple has French benefits I wish I had a witness here somebody and I've learned the more I walk with Jesus the more I see Jesus in my everyday living in my travels in my money in my budget and my bank account becoming debt free give yourself a high five and say self allow yourself to be escorted into victory [01:10:30]
What's working against you cannot compete with what's working for you yeah what's working against you can't compete with what's working for you you see child of God I'm not trying to get into the business of talking about haters and ops and all of that kind of stuff because the Bible lets us know we wrestle not against flesh and blood that the battle we're going through is primarily a spiritual battle that if you're going to fight you need to fight in the spirit first don't swing no hands don't put hands on anybody because chances are there's a spiritual attack or a spiritual opposition to your progression and what I love about this passage of scripture is that the Bible says Peter gets arrested simply for being a disciple for being a carrier of the gospel [01:14:15]
I'm here to remind you that when God is moving in your direction all obstacles either have to be moved or removed yeah see when God is operating in your life child of God there is nothing that can stop the movement the power the progression of God in your life when you concentrate when you allow God to be your escort everything has to move out the way or be removed entirely God will work on your behalf in such a way that it doesn't matter what's against you whether it be spiritual or natural it has to subside and it has to come to the subjection of the power of God in your life this only happens when you really concentrate when you put some hours in see you got to really develop your relationship with Christ because the more you develop in faith the more faith works for you and Jesus will begin to manifest God will begin to move every obstacle in your life [01:16:47]
Let me make it a little more practical because many of us came up in church or maybe we did not however all of us I would contend had somebody in our lives it could have been mama it could have been granddaddy who was a deacon but I am so grateful deacon Ron that somebody prayed for me that even when I wasn't praying for myself somebody prayed for me like the church prayed for Peter they had me on their mind they took the time can I get a witness here somebody to say I'm so grateful because for about 25 maybe 30 years of my life I survived off of the prayers of my mama and I survived off of the prayers of my big mama that somebody was interceding for me before I came to faith before I accepted Jesus for real I ain't talking about Sunday school or Bible camp I'm talking about when you really gave your life to Christ it was many years before many years before that when nobody could recognize any kind of religiosity on me however there was somebody in my life that prayed for me and interceded for me and lifted me up to the Lord and the reason why I sit here today in my right mind health in my body activity of my limbs is because there was somebody who prayed for me and called on God to work on my behalf even when I was outside and I was in the streets give yourself a high five and say self I'm so thankful that somebody prayed for me [01:17:56]
No matter how much information or intel we have on the hurricane we can't control where it lands or what it does i wish i had a witness here come here it's all up to the will of mother nature who god has authority over that that that that's for any hurricane or any natural disaster what are you trying to get me to see pastor how well it's this this is exactly how god works don't miss it when god is at work and when god is moving we might have some information and we might have a little bit of intel but let me tell you we can't control where god decides to land and what god decides to do we can't control any of that but watch this the enemy can't control it either i feel holy ghost you see the enemy can't control god and i'm so grateful don't miss this that i serve a god that even though i can't tell god when to move i can't tell god where to land i can't put a time frame or time stamp god however when i call on him he always answers can i get a witness here somebody and the reality of the matter is when he shows up all the attributes of god show up and so when god shows up peace shows up when god shows up joy shows up when god shows up healing shows up when god shows up favor shows up when god shows up overflow shows up you want to give yourself a high five and say self i don't know when it's gonna happen i don't know how it's gonna happen but i do know who's gonna do it and when god shows up here it is he might not show up when you want him but you show enough gonna want him when he shows up [01:21:07]
What you imagine can truly be yours don't don't miss it the bible says that peter was locked up he's in jail and there are several levels to the jail it's two three doors that have to be accessed in order to get in or to get out and peter not only is in prison but uh herod of agrippa the first he hated believers so much that he put squads around peter that peter the bible lets us know was in chains and he was sleeping between two soldiers there were two soldiers in the cell with peter and then there were two other soldiers outside of the cell these four soldiers rotated for 24 hours a day so for 24 hours a day peter had two soldiers in the cell two soldiers right out of the cell keeping watch on him but the bible says out of nowhere an angel appears to peter and tells peter wake up boy we have things to do i want you to get dressed tie your sandals up and follow me i'ma escort you up out of here the bible says out of nowhere the chains just fall off of peter it's in your bible read it when you have time it's a great story the chains just fall off of peter he starts putting his clothes on he puts his sandals on i feel like having church and he begins to follow the angel right outside of the prison out of nowhere the doors just open they don't have a key they don't have any kind of chainsaw they just walk up out of that thing like it ain't nothing [01:24:03]
Peter didn't even think it was real he thought he was imagining this he thought that he was dreaming here's the shout for you child of god you see child of god what i want to show you is that god has an uncanny ability to make your dreams and your visions the things that you think of become your reality if you get close enough to god what you vision and what you imagine well you'll look up one day and you'll be living in it you'll look up one day and you'll be experiencing it give yourself a high five and say self if i can think about it if i can envision it then show enough it can be real all i got to do is rely on the one who will escort me [01:27:18]
Thoughts become things whatever you imagine can truly be yours the bible says that as peter is walking out in real time being escorted by the angel of god he thinks he's dreaming he thinks it's a vision but it's happening in real life and that's what god would do for you child of god god will bless you so tremendously he'll bless you in such an irrational uncommon and unusual way that you'll look around and say this can't be real i can't believe i'm living this life i can't believe i'm driving my dream car i can't believe i'm living in my dream house i can't believe i have my dream boo i can't believe i'm working in my dream career i can't believe my dream business is successful can i get a witness in here somebody [01:29:17]
The bible says that while peter is awaiting to be presented to the jewish aristocracy by herod and executed by the roman government the bible says that while situated between two soldiers and he's chained up peter is asleep two other soldiers are outside of the cell but the text says it messed me up that peter was asleep isn't it interesting that in the midst of a chaotic situation in the midst of impending death peter said y 'all not gonna drain me with all of this foolishness i know the god that i serve i'm gonna get a good night's sleep and i'm gonna let the lord handle it come here child of god give yourself a high five and say self let me take a note from peter i ain't gonna sit here and stress out over this foolishness going on in my life i'm not gonna have an anxiety or a panic attack i'm not gonna keep pacing the floor late at night i'm not gonna keep worrying about the debt collectors i'm not gonna keep worrying about all of the stress that is trying to rise in my life i'm going to sleep look at your neighbor say neighbor you ought to go to sleep and don't just sleep get you some rest you know there's a difference sleep is just a function rest is a necessity and the bible says that peter got his feet kicked up between two soldiers he's about to die the next day but because he knows who he serves he said i'm gonna get some rest [01:30:45]
God will give you peace in the midst of chaos. That's why he said the peace of God that surpasses the heart. Y 'all understanding shall guard your heart. Can I talk to somebody here who knows what the peace of God feels like? You've been in a chaotic season. You've been in a chaotic situation. Storms are breaking out all around you. And yet you walk like nothing is bothering you with your head held high. You might not have two nickels to rub together in your pocket. But you're walking like you're worth a million dollars because you know God will take care of you. [01:32:53]
Look at the birds in the air, Jesus said. They wake up every day singing and they don't know where their meal is coming from. They don't have any food stored up, but they wake up every day singing. You want to know why? Because they know God is going to take care of them. They know by the end of the day I'm going to be full. Or can I find somebody here who said at the end of the day I'm going to be full, baby. I'm going to be full off of joy. I'm going to be full off of peace. I'm going to be full off of favor. I'm going to be full debt free. I'm going to be full. Give yourself one more high five and say self let God escort you. [01:33:29]
God is too big of a force. Bigger than you can ever imagine. You can't even calculate the power of God. It's impossible. But let me show you this. I'm done. And it's real simple. Watch God escort you. Just watch him do it. Here's the shout. He's already done it before. We really should be dancing already. Because there's some people in here who say, Pastor, you ain't even got to tell me that. I'm a witness that God escorted me out of some mess. God escorted me out of some drama. God escorted me out of a sickness. And guess what? I got myself in it. And God got me out. [01:34:31]
In fact, there are some of us in here right now that are being escorted. Nobody around you saw it, but God escorted you right into the church. God escorted you right to your chair. God escorted you right to your life class. You've had an escort with you. You ought to look at your neighbor and say, Neighbor, you ought to took two seats because you got a bodyguard with you. There's an escort with you right now that has escorted you into the church, that walked you into the car, that walked you to the gas station, that walked you. Give yourself a high five and say, Self, let God open doors for you. [01:35:49]
If God before you, that's the definition, of no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Because even with the guards awake, God will freeze time, and God will freeze the opposition, and allow you to walk up out of any situation in your life. God will freeze the doctor's report, and escort you to your healing. God will freeze divorce court, and escort you into a prosperous marriage. God will freeze the debt collectors, and escort you into a marriage.debt -free living can I find somebody here today who can help me close my little sermon by turning to your neighbor and saying neighbor no y 'all not talking I said say neighbor oh neighbor you need to watch God escort you into victory now you can't be escorted unless you're standing on your feet you can't be escorted unless you're walking and I need somebody in here who's been sitting down on me all Sunday I need you to stand on your feet and I need you to lift your hands and I need you to tell God go ahead and take the wheel you can escort me into the next season of my life you can escort me into a new healing you can escort me into a new breakthrough you can escort me into a new pay grade you can escort me into a new tax bracket [01:38:12]
I'm out of here y 'all but is there anybody who can help me give God the glory because God's working on your behalf and when God is working for you no devil in hell there is no obstacle that can stand in your way do me one favor give your neighbor a high five and say neighbor it's time for communion but I'm wondering neighbor do you got a one last praise do you got a one more shout do you got a one more hallelujah because God is escorting you into your next level into your victory into your healing into a new business into a new opportunity [01:39:49]
I'm being escorted into my new dimension into my new season into my new anointing into my new joy into my new peace into my new peace you're not talking and y 'all not moving I said lean on your neighbor and say neighbor back back and give me 50 feet I need some moving room cause I'm being escorted I'm going to the front of the line the Bible says the first shall be last and the last shall be first he's escorting me pardon me neighbor I'm not cutting the line but God is my escort he's taking me to the front new joy new healing new miracles new blessing new health won't he do it shall yeah you're not talking shall yeah [01:42:26]
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