Stay in the Race: Faith, Surrender, and Transformation
Summary
Tonight, the Spirit of God is calling us to a deeper place of faith, surrender, and spiritual responsibility. We are reminded that God is still in the business of miracles—He is able to heal, to deliver, and to transform lives, as seen in the testimony of young JJ’s healing from leukemia. But these miracles are not just for a select few; they are meant to be the norm for a people who are prepared, surrendered, and walking in the authority of Jesus Christ. The key is not just to love God, but to be in love with Him—to move beyond a transactional relationship and into a place of total devotion and trust, even when the path is unknown or uncomfortable.
We are in a generational relay, where spiritual batons are being passed from one to another. The challenge is not to drop what has been entrusted to us. The altar—both literal and spiritual—must be rebuilt and reclaimed as the center of our lives. It is at the altar that we are prepared for the race set before us, a race that requires endurance, discipline, and a willingness to sacrifice comfort for calling. The story of John Stephen Akhwari, who finished his Olympic marathon despite injury, is a powerful reminder that we are not called just to start the race, but to finish it, no matter the cost.
To run this race well, seven foundational stones must be assembled in our lives: surrender, sacrifice, submission, obedience, love, authority, and fruit. Each stone represents a deeper level of commitment and transformation. Surrender is the first step, laying down our will for God’s. Sacrifice and submission follow, requiring us to die to self and honor both God and those He places in authority. Obedience, even when it hurts or doesn’t make sense, is non-negotiable. Love is the heartbeat of it all—without it, we cannot flow in the gifts or authority of the Spirit. Authority comes as a result of walking in these previous stones, and finally, God is most concerned with the fruit that is produced in our lives.
This is not a call to spiritual mediocrity or bare minimum Christianity. It is a call to assemble the altar, to press into prayer, fasting, and true devotion, so that we can carry the baton faithfully and see God’s promises fulfilled in our generation. The altar is open—God is ready to meet those who are willing to say yes, to be transparent, and to let Him do a new work in their hearts.
Key Takeaways
- Miracles Flow from Prepared Hearts
God’s miraculous power is not reserved for a select few, but is available to those who prepare their hearts and walk in faith. The testimony of JJ’s healing is a reminder that when we trust God fully and step out in obedience, the supernatural becomes possible. Preparation of the heart—through prayer, surrender, and faith—creates an atmosphere where God’s power can move freely. [01:18:14]
- Being in Love with God Transforms Our Commitment
There is a profound difference between loving God and being in love with Him. Many are content to receive from God, but few are willing to go deeper, to the place where they would lay down their lives for Him. True devotion is marked by a willingness to surrender control, embrace the unknown, and trust God’s leading, even when it is uncomfortable or costly. [01:20:10]
- The Generational Baton Must Not Be Dropped
Spiritual inheritance is passed from one generation to the next, but it requires intentionality and sacrifice. The altar has become less sacred in our time, and as a result, spiritual fervor and authority have diminished. We must reclaim the altar, honor the sacrifices of those before us, and ensure that we do not drop the baton, so that the next generation can walk in greater power and purpose. [01:23:46]
- Seven Stones: The Foundation for Endurance and Authority
Surrender, sacrifice, submission, obedience, love, authority, and fruit are the essential stones for building a life that can endure the race and operate in spiritual authority. Each stone requires intentional action—laying down pride, dying to self, honoring leadership, loving deeply, and producing fruit. Authority and spiritual gifts flow from this foundation, not from shortcuts or comfort. [01:35:41]
- The Altar is the Place of Transformation and Power
The altar is not just a place of ritual, but the center of spiritual life and transformation. It is where we become transparent before God, allow Him to reveal and heal what is broken, and receive the strength to run our race. Without a sacred altar, we settle for mediocrity and miss the fullness of what God wants to do in and through us. [01:57:59]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:17:46] - Testimony of Healing and Faith
[01:18:14] - The Power of Prepared Hearts
[01:20:10] - Loving God vs. Being in Love with God
[01:21:31] - Running the Race with Endurance
[01:23:46] - Generational Batons and the Sacred Altar
[01:25:24] - The Danger of Dropping the Baton
[01:30:32] - The Cost of Spiritual Mediocrity
[01:31:30] - Preparation and Spiritual Training
[01:34:21] - Intercessory Prayer and Spiritual Sensitivity
[01:35:41] - The Seven Stones of the Altar
[01:39:22] - Submission and Humility in the Body
[01:43:09] - Obedience When It Hurts
[01:45:28] - Love: The Heartbeat of Spiritual Authority
[01:48:13] - Walking in Authority and Bearing Fruit
[01:57:59] - The Call to the Altar and Final Challenge
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
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### Bible Reading
1. Hebrews 12:1-2
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
2. Romans 12:1
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
3. James 4:7
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
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### Observation Questions
1. In Hebrews 12:1-2, what are the two things believers are told to "throw off" in order to run the race with perseverance?
2. According to the sermon, what was the significance of the testimony about JJ’s healing from leukemia? [[01:18:14]]
3. What are the seven foundational stones mentioned in the sermon that are needed to build a life of endurance and spiritual authority? [[01:35:41]]
4. In Romans 12:1, what does Paul say is our "reasonable service" to God?
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### Interpretation Questions
1. The sermon draws a distinction between loving God and being in love with God. What does it mean to move from a transactional relationship with God to one of total devotion? [[01:20:10]]
2. Why is the altar—both literal and spiritual—described as the center of spiritual life and transformation? [[01:57:59]]
3. The story of John Stephen Akhwari was used as an illustration. What does his determination to finish the race, despite injury, teach us about spiritual endurance? [[01:25:24]]
4. Why is it important to not "drop the baton" when it comes to spiritual inheritance and generational faithfulness? [[01:23:46]]
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### Application Questions
1. The sermon challenges us to move beyond spiritual mediocrity. What is one area of your spiritual life where you have been settling for the "bare minimum"? What would it look like to go deeper in that area this week? [[01:31:30]]
2. Of the seven foundational stones (surrender, sacrifice, submission, obedience, love, authority, fruit), which one do you find most challenging? Why? What is one step you can take to grow in that area? [[01:35:41]]
3. The altar is described as a place of transparency and transformation. When was the last time you were truly transparent with God? What keeps you from being open with Him, and how can you overcome that? [[01:57:59]]
4. The testimony of JJ’s healing was connected to prepared hearts and faith. Is there an area in your life where you need to prepare your heart for God to move? What practical steps can you take to do that? [[01:18:14]]
5. The sermon talks about passing the spiritual baton to the next generation. Who in your life are you intentionally investing in spiritually? If you’re not, what is one way you could start this week? [[01:23:46]]
6. The difference between loving God and being in love with Him was highlighted. What is one way you can show God that you are "in love" with Him, not just loving Him for what He does for you? [[01:20:10]]
7. The call to prayer, fasting, and true devotion was emphasized as necessary for spiritual breakthrough. What is one specific way you can press into prayer or fasting this month? [[01:31:30]]
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Devotional
Day 1: Running the Race with Endurance
The Christian life is compared to a race, not a sprint but a marathon, requiring perseverance, discipline, and a willingness to lay aside every weight and sin that hinders us. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses—those who have gone before us in faith—and are called to run with patience, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Even when the journey is painful or the outcome uncertain, we are not called just to start the race but to finish it, trusting that God will sustain us and fulfill His promises as we remain aligned with Him. [01:21:31]
Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
Reflection: What is one “weight” or distraction you need to lay aside today so you can run your race with greater focus and endurance?
Day 2: Building the Altar—Surrender and Sacrifice
To truly walk in God’s power and presence, we must assemble the altar in our lives, beginning with surrender and sacrifice. Surrender is a step of humility and obedience, giving up our own will and desires to follow God’s, while sacrifice means dying to ourselves and consecrating every part of our lives to Him. This is not a one-time act but a continual process of resisting sin, seeking God’s nature, and offering ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to Him. [01:36:23]
Romans 12:1 (ESV)
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
Reflection: In what area of your life is God asking you to surrender or sacrifice more deeply today?
Day 3: The Power of Submission and Obedience
Submission to God and to the spiritual authorities He places in our lives is essential for walking in true apostolic authority and spiritual protection. Obedience is better than sacrifice, and it means following God’s commands even when it is difficult or when we do not fully understand. True submission also extends to one another in the body of Christ, requiring humility and a willingness to trust God’s order, even when it challenges our preferences or pride. [01:43:09]
James 4:7 (ESV)
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Reflection: Is there a leader or fellow believer you struggle to submit to? How can you choose humility and obedience in that relationship today?
Day 4: Love—The Mark of True Discipleship
Love is the foundation of all spiritual gifts and authority; without it, we cannot truly flow in the Spirit or represent Christ to the world. Being in love with Jesus—not just loving Him for what He does—transforms our motives and empowers us to love others selflessly, forgive quickly, and see people as God’s children. This kind of love is sacrificial, reproductive, and the distinguishing mark by which all will know we are His disciples. [01:46:32]
John 13:34-35 (ESV)
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Reflection: Who is one person you find difficult to love? Ask God to help you see them through His eyes and take one step to show them Christ’s love today.
Day 5: Bearing Fruit through Spiritual Discipline
God is more concerned with the development of spiritual fruit in our lives than with any other gifting or outward display. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—grows as we assemble the altar, surrender, and remain in the race. Not everyone will possess all the fruit, because few are willing to pay the price of sacrifice and dying to self, but those who do will see God’s harvest in and through their lives. [01:49:50]
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Reflection: Which fruit of the Spirit do you sense is lacking in your life right now? What is one practical way you can cultivate that fruit today?
Quotes
``Pastor, we've got to find an altar, church, like never before. Is it okay if I flow in the Holy Ghost? I'm going to act like I'm not at home. I'm telling you right now, y 'all go ahead and be seated. It's time for us to begin to operate in the spirit. It's time for us to understand our true identity and we not go back to regular mediocre thinking when times get hard. [01:20:10] (28 seconds)
I know that God is going to do something in this place. And God began to speak to me this year. He began to tell me that there's so many people that love him, but they're not in love with him. They go to service. They flow. They operate. But they're not in love with God. [01:20:58] (19 seconds)
They're not in love with him. They only love him. And they love the things that he can do for them. But they're afraid of the deep. And they're afraid to go places that's unknown because they want to be in control. But I'm telling you right now, as children of God, we can't have any control. We've got to let go and let God. And allow God to move and flow and operate in this place. We've got to stay in this race. This race is not for the weak. It's for the strong. Hebrews 12 and 1 says, Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us. And let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. You've got to understand that God is wanting us to stay in this race. [01:21:31] (68 seconds)
And as we stay in this race and we stay in the alignment of Jesus Christ and begin to flow and operate, we know that everything that God has promised us is going to come and happen and come to pass. The tests won't have to be as long as they used to be because we surrender our will to God. [01:22:51] (21 seconds)
many people drop the baton because they can't handle the pain or they can't handle the unknown of the deep because there's demons and devils in the deep and I don't want to fight that way and I don't know if I'll survive but if you operate in the under underneath the authority of God he'll allow you to operate in his capacity and nothing will touch you unless he allowed it [01:24:57] (27 seconds)
I didn't understand why I was hit from behind at 50 mile an hour in December but God allowed it and the more I think about it he's helping me prepare myself for what's to come and I thank God that he didn't allow me just to go out there and end up dying spiritually because I wasn't ready we've got to become transparent with ourselves and understand that this race we can't have any issues we can't have any insecurities we can't have any fear we can't have any flesh we've got to get to a place where the world will know who Jesus is because right now this very moment in this generation it's a generation that was in Eli's generation as we read in Samuel they knew not the Lord [01:25:24] (55 seconds)
To surrender, this is a step of humility and obedience that involves giving up your will, dreams, and desires to follow the will of God. To surrender to God is to resist sin and develop a hate for sin. It began to learn God's nature. [01:36:04] (17 seconds)
Love is a much. Everything operates and flows in love. If you want to flow in the gifts of the spirit you've got to have love because God can't trust you if you don't love the body. [01:46:40] (15 seconds)
