Embracing God's Promises: A Journey of Transformation

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. **Exodus 6:6-7 (NIV)**
> "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.'"

2. **John 10:10 (NIV)**
> "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

3. **1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)**
> "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

#### Observation Questions
1. What are the four core promises mentioned in Exodus 6:6-7, and how do they relate to the journey of the Israelites?
2. According to John 10:10, what is the contrast between the thief's intentions and Jesus' purpose for us?
3. In 1 Peter 2:9, what are the four identities given to believers, and what is their purpose?
4. How did the pastor describe the importance of community in spiritual growth? [43:58]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How do the promises in Exodus 6:6-7 apply to modern believers in their spiritual journey?
2. What does it mean to have life "to the full" as described in John 10:10, and how can this be experienced in daily life?
3. How does being a "chosen people" and a "royal priesthood" in 1 Peter 2:9 shape a believer's identity and actions?
4. Why is it important to move from understanding our individual calling to participating in a community, as emphasized in the sermon? [01:01:52]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the promise of deliverance in Exodus 6:6. What past sins or entanglements do you need to seek freedom from, and how can you take steps towards this deliverance? [41:08]
2. How can you actively live out your redemption by using your gifts and calling to serve your community? Identify one specific way you can start this week. [01:18:42]
3. The pastor mentioned the importance of perseverance in fulfilling our calling. What challenges are you currently facing that require perseverance, and how can you stay motivated to continue in your work for God? [01:19:35]
4. In what ways can you contribute to making a difference through service, both within the church and in your daily life? Think of one tangible action you can take this month. [01:10:31]
5. How can you ensure that your faith is not just theoretical but practical and applicable in every circumstance? Share a recent experience where you applied your faith in a challenging situation. [42:32]
6. The pastor introduced the next theme of mental health. How can you prepare yourself to engage with this topic, and why is it important to recognize the value of both spiritual and mental health support? [39:43]
7. Reflect on the idea of being part of the "Dream Team" at Hope City Church. How can you become more involved in serving and contributing to the church community? What specific role or area of service interests you? [01:01:52]

Day 1: Embracing the Dynamic Truths of God's Promises
God's promises are not relics of the past but active, dynamic truths that shape our daily lives and spiritual journey. Understanding these promises is crucial as it transforms our theoretical faith into a practical, living faith. By revisiting God's promises, we ensure that our relationship with Him is not just about intellectual acknowledgment but about a deep, personal connection that influences every aspect of our lives. This understanding helps us to navigate life's challenges with a faith that is not only informed but also applicable in every circumstance. [42:32]

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." - Psalm 119:105

Reflection: How can you actively incorporate God's promises into your daily decision-making processes today?

Day 2: The Vital Role of Community in Spiritual Growth
Spiritual growth is not a solitary endeavor but a communal journey. Just as the Israelites were brought out of Egypt to form a community under God, believers are called to thrive within a community of faith. This community provides essential support, accountability, and fellowship. Engaging actively in the life of the church is not just beneficial but essential for spiritual health. It helps believers to grow not in isolation but alongside others who share their faith and struggles. [43:58]

"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

Reflection: What steps can you take this week to enhance your involvement in your church community?

Day 3: Living Out Our Redemption
Redemption in Christ is about more than salvation from sin; it involves being restored to our original purpose and design. Each believer has unique gifts and a calling that align with God's design for their life. It is crucial for believers to not only discover these gifts but to actively engage them in service to the community. This active engagement is a practical expression of living out our redemption, making our faith visible and tangible in the world around us. [01:18:42]

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10

Reflection: What are your God-given gifts, and how can you start using them more effectively in your community?

Day 4: Perseverance in Fulfilling Our Calling
Fulfilling our God-given calling requires perseverance and commitment, especially when faced with challenges or setbacks. Understanding our 'why'—our reason for being and doing—provides the motivation to continue in the work God has assigned to us. This perseverance is not just about enduring but about thriving and making a significant impact through our calling, despite difficulties. [01:19:35]

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9

Reflection: Identify a recent challenge in your life. How can you apply perseverance to overcome this challenge and continue pursuing your calling?

Day 5: Making a Difference Through Service
The ultimate expression of our faith is service. By serving others, we make the love of Christ tangible and visible. This service extends beyond spiritual acts within the church to all areas of life, affirming that every believer is called to be a minister in their own right. Engaging in service allows us to live out the gospel in practical ways, impacting our communities and the world at large. [01:10:31]

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." - 1 Peter 4:10

Reflection: What is one specific way you can serve someone in your community this week to demonstrate the love of Christ?

Morning! Great seeing you guys' faces today.

Um, before we jump into the word, they've already mentioned about our missionaries who will be going to Africa in June. I want to just introduce you guys to a few of them. They're not all in this service here, but those who are going with me to Africa here in a few—well, a couple months here—y'all come to the stage real fast, and let's put our hands together for this little group here.

So, just again, you're giving your generosity. Um, okay, yeah, yeah. So I'm excited about this group here. Again, we're missing a few of us, but we'll be going to Africa here in June. I just want to give you guys some visuals of who some of the people are going with us to Africa. This will make mine maybe—we're out as a church—our seventh missionary trip and probably my fifth out of those seven taking a group of people with me overseas.

This will be our first time going to Africa. We've been to Peru, Honduras, and a couple other places, and this will be the first time that we get a chance to go as a team. I went last year to Africa, and I'm telling you, it's going to be an absolutely amazing experience. Last week, y'all raised up—yes, Ray! So we're doing—we only do fundraisers here for our mission trips and for anything that our students may be doing. So we don't do fundraisers here, but the only time we do allow it is during our mission trips and students.

Y'all raised over a thing like 20—what was it? Oh, y'all know the number, huh? Okay, $2,400 last week doing chicken and waffles on that Sunday. So thank y'all, thank y'all, thank y'all for that! We'll be doing it for two this Sunday and next Sunday to finish with that project. And, uh, God is good!

So we're doing a special offering next Sunday for our special missions offering. Some of you have already started doing it already, but we will be collecting a special missions offering that will be going towards our mission trip. Pray, um, ask God how you can sow. We always say either, um, go, pray, or give. So this group is going to go, many of you will pray, and many of you will give to support what's going to happen over in Africa.

So just pray, ask God, and just bring a special offering next Sunday. If you choose to do it today, um, there is a link on the website or the giving app in which you can also give towards that today. And so, uh, pray for—and now, um, that God will use them in mighty ways. Some of them don't know it yet; they'll be preaching as well while they're down there.

And so, um, it's going to be an amazing experience for—yeah, get ready, y'all! Yeah, y'all ain't been with me, and Nakisha know, uh, Jacob know, uh, but yeah, we—some of y'all will be preaching down there, and trust me, the grace of God, the anointing of God will be on you to move on the people. Amen!

I bless y'all, bless you, bless you. I don't set you up, huh? Like you didn't tell me that part? Yeah, I can't tell y'all everything; y'all wouldn't go. God is good! So super excited about that, and I'll be going back again in October with a group of pastors and business leaders on a vision trip for the next one.

But it is my desire to go twice a year, um, back to Africa. And so if you don't get a chance to go this year, preferably you'll get a chance to go next year. Oftentimes, I'll be going back to Africa. There will be mission trips that we may not take, but there are a couple organizations that we partner with that do multiple trips to Africa throughout the year.

So do know that you are a great company. We, um, in great partnership with other organizations in which even if we're not going to Africa or whatever part of the world that you believe God may be calling you to go into, if you desire to go international, if you believe you have an international ministry, I do believe there’s a blueprint on how—if that’s what God has placed in your heart—how you could make that happen.

Okay, and so excited about the word on today. For those that have been with me for the past six weeks, you already know that we've literally been in our series called "The Promise" for the past six weeks. And today, we will be concluding this series—the final message in this series.

Um, the good and bad thing about ending these series is, number one, when they're pretty long—and this will—I normally go four weeks; this will be one of my lengthiest series. The good and bad thing about ending the series—the good thing is I'll be happy sometimes, so I'm happy because I want to talk about something else. I got something else to say.

Uh, the bad thing is when the series is real good, uh, you don't want to stop. And so this is one of those series in which we're talking about words like repent, um, sin, um, deliverance, and sanctification and holiness. You know, messages that tend not to be the most, um, exciting messages to teach and preach that people respond to.

But I would literally say over the past six weeks, this has been a series where, whether it's emails, phone calls, people reaching out for help, wanting some clarity as it relates to their own life and things like that. And so we always say here at Hope City Church, it's not about a destination; it's about a journey.

And everybody is on a different road, on a different lane in their journey, and we're not to their destination at the same time. But what I do want to make sure is that we're all on a journey, and that journey could look different for each of us as we're becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

I had somebody say to me last week that y'all really try to get people to live the Bible. Someone literally said—and I knew where they were coming from, but they were more so referring to, "Y'all really correct stuff. Y'all really hold people accountable." Like, yes, we do! Y'all really sit people down? Yes, we do!

These last six weeks have been a sitting down season for me. Like, every week, I'm sitting somebody down, like, you know? And so we—the scripture tells us that all scripture is given for a reason, not just to rejoice and to celebrate and say you're doing good, but it's also to rebuke and to correct and to reframe some things.

And so I'm honored and blessed to be a part of a house, a church, whereby the people want the whole room—even if you say, "Hey, I may not eat the whole roll or respond to it today. You just teach the word of God; you just show me what the scriptures say, and then the Holy Spirit would deal with people as it relates to when they need to bust those moves."

And so excited about the message on today as we end our series. I'm gonna spend about three or four minutes, maybe five at the most, doing a recap. I think that's important for people who are here for the first time, who weren't here for the first six weeks, to sit into something like this and miss what was the point of the overall message.

And so for some of y'all that's been here every six weeks—I mean, all weeks—it can get mundane. Like, didn't he say that last week? Didn't he say that last week? Didn't he say that last week? Yes, I did! People who weren't here last week, and so I gotta repeat some of that.

One more funny thing, and I'll move on. So there was a season—and I stopped this maybe about eight weeks ago, I think I said this to Pastor David and Nakisha in the office—there was a certain point sitting in the service, three services at a time, I mean, three services back to back, and you're hearing—you can get to a place—speaking for me, you can get to a place when you come to the first service and enjoy the full service, and enjoy the second service, and enjoy the third.

And over time, you can get to a point that you can be overwhelmed by all the singing. You're like, "Well, y'all just in the song right now." And I have to tell myself, "Cory, you've been in this for three services. The people who just came in right now, this is all they get right now, so they're okay."

And so, um, saying that, going back to the series-wise, yes, it can get mundane, but it can get mundane, and it can get mundane hearing the same thing over and over and over again. But one thing I heard—sometimes you gotta keep on saying stuff over and over again until you get it, because some of y'all ain't doing what I said!

Yeah, so I'm gonna keep on—we're gonna keep on saying it over and over again until you got it. Imagine the teachers moving on when the students don't have it. You can't move on until they got it. And I know we're in the age and a day right now where we are passing kids to the hall and too big, and we just move them along, but they're now in the next grade, two or three grades up, and they don't know what's going on because we're moving them up based on their size.

And how often do we do that in church? We think people are mature because they look like church, they sound like church, they dress like church, but they're still a baby that needs some milk. Are y'all with y'all? Y'all still love me today?

And so, uh, let's hopefully finish well—not hopefully, let's finish this series on today. And then next month, when next week, we're going into our new series, and I want to focus a lot on, through the scriptures, through the word of God, on mental health. I do believe the Bible has a lot to say when it comes to us as Christians, as believers.

And you could have, um, God and a counselor—come on, somebody! You have God and a counselor in your life. And so I wanted to show you through scripture. He tells us in the multitude of counsel—that's a gift. He gave the gift of counsel. Everything is something—you'd be sitting on somebody's couch and have a conversation, come on, somebody! And it is okay; it is okay.

So let's end this series today, "Promises Part Six," talking about making a difference. Our foundational scripture is Exodus chapter six, verse six, where it says, "Therefore say to the Israelites, 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.'"

And again, over the past six weeks, we've been teaching this. We started this series right before Easter. Um, Exodus chapter six is where Hope City Church has its vision—not particularly the vision did not come directly from Exodus chapter six, more so from a scripture. But Exodus chapter six was a picture in the Old Testament of what God wanted to do, and God did do through the nation of Israel, through the children of Israel.

But it became fully established and fulfilled through Jesus Christ when he died on the cross. These are four promises, four things that God said to the children of Israel he wanted to do for them. He says, "I want to bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I want to free you from being slaves to them. I want to redeem you with an outstretched arm, and then I want to take you as my own people."

The promises of God—the Bible is full of promises, but these are the core promises of God that every church should be teaching. Even if their language is not "Know God, find freedom, and discover your purpose and make a difference," they may not use that same language, but all churches should be teaching people who God is, helping people get free, helping people discover why they said yes to life, and helping people to become a part of a community, of a family.

The Bible refers to it as the body of Christ, the ecclesia, the spiritual, the church itself. Here at Hope City, as a part of our vision, we refer to it as the dream team—getting people out of Egypt, getting Egypt out of them. Once they're out of Egypt, restoring them back to their original design.

Because when you were in Egypt, you allowed Egypt to put stuff on you that you normally would never have done if you were in your right mind. Come on! There were some people you talked to and you went out with that you would never have dated if you were in your right mind. But because you were in Egypt, you did Egypt stuff.

So now we got you out of Egypt; now we're getting Egypt out of you. Once Egypt is out of you, as the scripture says, "I will restore you to your original design," cause you to remember why you showed up. And then I will make you—and it was four cups that the children of Israel would sit around the table every Passover.

We had Resurrection Sunday, and then that Friday they had what is called Passover, where they remember how the blood of Jesus—or the blood of God, if you would—or blood was applied over the doorposts, which was a picture of Jesus coming in the New Testament, and he was going to shed his blood. And whatever God—wherever Jesus sees the blood, even in the life of a believer, that should pass us by.

Why? Because we are now in Jesus Christ. A little bit more of a backdrop, and then we'll move on. The four cups that we also call—this was the cup of sanctification, or the promise of sanctification, the cup of deliverance, or the promise of deliverance, the cup of redemption, and the cup of praise.

We call it here at Hope City Church: Know God, cup of sanctification, find freedom, cup of deliverance, discover your purpose, the cup of redemption, and to make a difference—that's the cup of praise and putting you on the dream team. We just chose not to call the vision of Hope City Church the cup of sanctification and the cup of deliverance and the cup of redemption and the cup of praise.

We use the language of we're here—we exist to help people know God, find freedom, discover their purpose so that they can make a difference. That was God's desire then; it is his desire now, and he fulfills this through Jesus Christ down on the cross. And he said, "Whosoever will, him that him come."

Why? Because God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him does not have to perish but can have everlasting life. So the first message was the weekend services—that's Know God. Small groups find freedom. New members class, growth track—that's taking place today. Matter of fact, every Thursday, Sunday, we have growth track helping people figure out who they are in God.

And then, actually, I'm sorry, on today, our last message is the cup of praise, talking about the dream team. I want to focus on the unlived life. Unfortunately, there'll be a lot of people who are going to live an unlived life. You're going to be saved; you're going to heaven, but you will not live the life that God has ordained for you. You won't be fulfilled. You'll have a job, you'll get paid, you'll make money, but you won't—there'll always be a longing in you for more—that you were created for more, you were designed for more.

And many people will be like, you're not going to live the life that God has ordained for you. You won't live the life that God has ordained for more, and many people will settle for a less-than version of who they were called to be because they have not taken the time to rediscover, "Why did I show up, and why did I say yes to life?"

Because oftentimes, when we were in our own proverbial Egypt, if you would, some of us don't even have a mindset to rediscover who we really were. Many people are just happy to be out of Egypt, and I can understand why, because Egypt could have been that destructive to you. You're just happy to be out.

But I'm telling you, there's more to your life than just being out of Egypt. There's more to your life than not only just being out of Egypt and getting Egypt out of you. There are some purposes and some promises and some things, some positions in the earth that God wants you to fulfill.

And then you discover that, but then you don't figure out, "Who do I do that with? Who am I called to do life with? How can I manifest? How can I express these giftings?" The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12, he sets the members in the body as it pleases him.

How do I express these gifts in a local house? How do I express these gifts in a local community? Am I expressing my gifts in a local church, or I like to say the mountains of influence? Is it religion? Is it business? Is it politics? Is it education? Is it government? Well, where's your mountain of influence? What giftings are locked up on the inside of you?

You may have discovered your purpose, but now do you know where to perform it at and who to perform it with? "I know what I'm supposed to do; I know my gift is, but I don't know where I can exercise these gifts at." And if you got spiritual gifts locked up on the inside of you, as Hope City Church continues to grow, we need you to exercise those gifts here and to minister.

Excellent job! I don't mean to call you out, but you did an excellent, excellent job. I feel like you've been doing that every single Sunday, so thank you for that, ma'am! Excellent! I was saying, I'm like, "You go, girl! You go, girl!"

Yeah, I was just all flowing naturally and all, just like, "This is what I do. This is who I am. Let me loose, Pastor Cory!" John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only but to steal, kill, and to destroy."

Now, he doesn't just stop at stealing your dream and your vision. He wants to possess it and then destroy it and rip it all up. So that even when you come to yourself and decide to, "I want to do what I'm supposed to do," he calls you to jack things up so bad in your life that you can't even go back to it.

It's like people who say, who really believe that they don't want to be cremated because they believe if you're cremated and God decided to bring me back real fast, it's all destroyed. You know, that's the mindset of some people. They literally believe that, "Man, I ain't going to—don't cremate me."

See, just in case at the last minute God decided to bring me back. The thief, he doesn't just want to steal it. He wants to kill it and rip it all up. That's what he wants to do to your vision and your dreams and your purpose. He doesn't want to just possess it. He doesn't want to just hold it in some box.

But he's thinking that once I get it, I want to annihilate it. Just in case something happened in you, you go to a church that shows you who you are, and you desire to go back to your true identity. So he doesn't only want to just steal it. He wants to steal it. He wants to kill it, and he wants to destroy it.

It's showing the degree in which he wants to take away who we are designed to be. But Jesus said, "But I come that they may have life and have it to the full." One version says, "I come that you may have life to the full until it overflows."

See, see, I would tell people my full cup is for me. My overflow is for you. See, see, see, I can't give you—I can't give you anything if my cup is not full. My full cup is for me. It's that overflow that I'm trying to pour out so that everybody I'm called to serve, everybody I'm called to bless can be a partaker of that overflow.

It is a promise that God made to Abraham. He said, "Abraham, I'm going to bless you and make you a blessing." Many of you are sitting here right now. Your life is blessed. All your needs are met. All your needs are supplied. That's great. But God says, "No. I want to position you so much so that through your life, other people can be blessed."

I don't know about you, but I want my life to be the kind of life that blesses other people. You know, not just me, me, me, me, me, me, my selfish life. No, I want to use my life to serve other people. And we got to make sure we move from this unlived life.

And here's a few ways that people live in this unlived life. Number one, we let the past cripple us. Many people live an unlived life because their past cripples them—the mistakes of the past, the failures of the past. Mama, daddy not being there in your past. Being dropped as a child. Whatever the specificity of your past may be.

Maybe you were addicted to something—maybe drugs, maybe pride, anger, bitterness. It took some things away from you. Maybe you lost a job that was your dream job, but you lost it because of your attitude. It was bad, and so you lost something that really belonged to you, and now it has paralyzed your thinking.

It has paralyzed your identity. We let the past cripple us. We let what they said about us. We let the doctor's report cripple us. We let these outside things rob us. We let delay cripple us. We let the weight of the weight cripple us.

Because how many of you know the weight of the weight can be heavy sometimes? The weight of the weight could be difficult. The W-E-I-G-H-T or the W-A-I-T can be heavy sometimes. And that's why you single people, you got to wait. And I know it's heavy. It's too much for me to bear, Pastor Cory. I can't wait.

In your patience, the scripture says, "Possess ye your soul." What is my soul? My soul is the seat of my emotions. It's how I feel. It's how I think. It's how I feel. It's how I make my decisions. In my patience, I possess my soul. But in my impatience, I give away my soul.

So when you get ahead of yourself and you get impatient—single person or whatever your state may be—when you are in patience, in your patience, you possess your soul. You keep everything that belongs to you. And the enemy wants us to get impatient about things. And we end up giving away things that rightfully belong to us.

We become crippled. We become crippled by our past. Psalm 38:4 says, "My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. I am bowed down and brought low." Is that some of you guys right now? A divorce has bowed you down. You maybe lost your home, and it has bowed you down. Your children did not turn out the way you thought they should, and you are bowed down.

You got an issue going on at the company, at the job that is bringing you down. He said, "My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. I am bowed down and brought low." Not only do we allow our past to cripple us, we allow the culture to define us. We allow the culture to define us. Current ways and current trends, it defines us.

Now, I always say—and I forgot who actually said this quote here—but the quote is, "In matters of style, swim with the current. In matters of principle, stand like a rock." It's okay to kind of move things around in seasons where, you know, in this season, just like now, we're going to a season now where we're in the spring and we're wearing spring clothes, but the summertime is coming.

And you don't wear coats in the summertime, right? So the season calls to wear more different kind of clothes, right? I don't even see you at the beach with a sweatsuit on. Are you with me? That's style. Those things come, and those things change.

But what shouldn't change in your life is standards, is principles. Come on, somebody! See, this is the stuff that God is looking for in our life. He don't care if you dye your hair this week blue and next year you dye it red. God can care less about the color of your hair. Are you with me?

You want five tattoos? You won't see. I think God can care less about any of those things. But when it comes to character, when it comes to matters of heart, when it comes to standards, come on, somebody! When it comes to integrity, those are the things God is looking for.

We let the culture define us. If they’re doing it, then I'm going to do it, even when that don't align with your purpose. It's one thing to be doing something that they're doing because it aligns with where you're going, but you only want it because they got it.

You were content with your house and your car until you saw the picture of their new house and new car. Now you want a new house and a new car. Why? Because you're trying to not keep up with the Joneses, as we used to say, but you're trying to keep up with everybody on Facebook, on TikTok, social media, whatever you thought.

We let culture define us. Galatians 1:10 says, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God?" Who am I looking for the approval for? A man, a people, or a God? Am I worried more about what they say, or am I worried more about what God says?

I have realized we have come to a point in life that we are more concerned about how other people feel and not how God feels. We can care less about how God feels as long as they are happy with me. As long as she's happy, as long as he's happy, and God may hate this, it doesn't matter.

I want to make sure I please them because I can't see God, but I see them. But it don't take away the emotions of how God feels about the matter just because you don't see him. Come on, somebody!

And so it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, who are you trying to please? "Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I was still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

See, when you join—I'm going to say the army of the Lord—it sounds spiritual, right? But when you join the army of the Lord, there are certain things you have to let go. There's no—who in here has been in the military before? You, when you went to the military and you entered, there are certain doors, certain stuff you came in with, they was about to strip you of all that.

And you couldn't say, "Oh, no, bro, I'm keeping this one right here." No, no, no, no, no. You're going to be held in contempt of whatever words they use wise. When we make a decision to follow Christ, to become a part of God's kingdom, there are some stuff we have to let go.

But we always got to keep in mind, God's not trying to get nothing from us. He's trying to get something to us. So whenever God is requiring us to let go of certain stuff, it's not because he's a bad or a mean God. It's literally because he's a good God.

So when you go back to the garden of Eden, God gave them free access to almost everything in that garden. He said, "Touch any tree you want to, eat whatever you want to eat." He said, "Just don't touch this one tree." He said, "Do whatever you want to do. You got free access. Just don't touch this one tree because in the day that you touch this particular tree, something's going to happen."

God wasn't trying to withhold nothing from them. He was trying to get something to them. And he knew if they touched that one tree, it was going to destroy a lot of things in their life. Some of the stuff that God is telling you not to touch, he is saying it not because he's not trying to get something from you. He's trying to get something to you.

So when it's the way that we talk to our spouses, "I'm a man; I can talk the way I want to." But if you keep talking like that, you're not going to get the dream marriage that you want. You're not going to get the honor and the respect. You can't treat your husband like he's your child.

"Well, I'm a grown woman." No, no, no, no, no, no. We're not trying to tell you what to do. God is showing you how you can get everything that belongs to you. But because you can't touch this one tree, this one tree of being, "I'm an independent woman," or "I'm a grown man."

No, that's God not trying to hold nothing from you. He's trying to get something to you. And just a freebie for the ladies: being an independent woman is overrated. Did you just say, "Just a freebie" right there?

I'm just going to say the Bible is right: two is better than one. There's something good about two bank accounts—come on, somebody! More money—come on, somebody! It's just overrated. How you feel that night over there by yourself? Come on, somebody! You know, how you—your independence? Could you call it over there?

Yeah, I'm just over here being independent by myself, going out to eat by yourself at the table with your independence there. Let me get back on task here real fast because I'm off task.

We let our past cripple us. We let culture define us, and watch this here: we try to do it alone. We live an unlived life because we let our past cripple us, we let the culture define us, and we try to do it by ourselves.

You got so much locked up on the inside of you. Mr. Brooks, who's the chairman over at the boys' club over there, he got some dreams and some visions. He just locked up in his head, locked up in his heart, but he can't bring the vision and the dreams locked up in his heart over at the boys and girls club by himself.

He needed a team. He needed a group of people that got stuff locked up on the inside of them all coming together collectively, manifesting something, building something that he could not do by himself.

I love the fact when you look back at that verse over in Exodus, he says, "I am the Lord. I will bring you out. I will free you. I will redeem you." That he switches it in the end and says, "I will take you as my own people."

It went from an individual to a people, and we call it here at Hope City, the dream team, because we don't believe you should be doing life alone. Yes, you individually got gifts and talents locked up on the inside of you. He brought you out of your Egypt for a totally different reason than he brought me out.

Yes, we were all struggling with something, but what you were struggling with may be totally different for why I came out of Egypt. But when he ultimately gets done with all of us, he wants to bring us together, group us together as a people to make a difference.

And so y'all can't say, "I don't like going to a big church," because we don't get bigger. I'm just one of you right now. Why? For some basic reasons is people won't help people, won't hope. The word is making sense in their life, and you can't be so—saying, "What is this? Getting too many people here now? Let me go somewhere else."

Well, I feel sorry for you if you go. I'm just being honest with you, and I'm not saying we're not the only place. But what I am saying is God set you here. You just can't leave because things are getting bigger.

It's now I got to discover my purpose and see how do I plug in here to keep making a difference or to help make a difference because watch us here. I can't do it by myself. Come on, somebody! We need more people like Minister Janine as pack.

I'm going to say y'all got to get the bigger picture. You know folks about they want to go international or go global. You haven't gone local yet. I mean, how are you going to go global and you haven't even done nothing locally yet?

You know, some people have been prophesied, "Oh, you go into the nations." They ain't even doing nothing at their local church yet. How do you go into the nations? Because we don't show people what I believe is a clear biblical—in which I hope I did over the past six weeks.

It took me six weeks to make one point, y'all! That's crazy, right? Six weeks to make one point that I hope y'all got the point of this message here. And we're going to live a fulfilled life moving from an unlived life.

We cannot do this by ourselves. Ecclesiastes 4:8 said, "There was a man all alone. He had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth." The man had money. He had wealth. He had riches. But he had neither son nor brother.

In other words, he didn't have nobody in his life. He didn't have people in it. Listen, we need people. God people. Some people say, "I don't need nobody." Yes, you do! God designed us to need. A baby needs someone to get them out the crib.

God wired us to need people, but we come to a place in our world where people have either been offended or hurt, and leadership doesn't know how to handle that to help bridge the gap from the brokenness and bring people together.

You know, John Maxwell just wrote a book called "High-Role Leaderships" or "High-Role Leaders." And in it, he's talking about how we're in a day and an hour where we need high-role leaders, whether it's in business, whether it is in the church, and particularly today in politics, we need high-role leaders because leadership right now, everybody's going low road.

Everyone's going in the gutter. We're not talking about stuff that matters. We are weak. We have low-role leaders. Then John and Chris Hodges in Birmingham, they're working on a book now that will be out in June called "Jesus, The High-Role Leader," taking it, showing through scriptures how Jesus—even when Jesus was firm and had to correct—it's oftentimes not what Jesus said; it's how he said it.

Because we could be so caught up on trying to make a point that we hurt people in the process. And you can make a point, and you can correct, but you don't always have to hurt people in the process.

I mean, think about Jesus and the woman at the well. I mean, you talking about calling somebody out. Jesus at the well with the woman telling her all about her business—the man. She means she was with the man. She with—he ain't even your husband, you know?

I looked at a reason. I said, "You know what? I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna find all the places where Jesus clap back." Because I realized Jesus was clapping back in the Bible, y'all! Jesus, y'all! I saw at least 10 places where Jesus clap back with people.

He moved on. He stayed there right there with her. I mean, come on! Imagine at the well, are you talking with Jesus, and Jesus will tell you what? "Yeah, uh-huh. Yeah, but the man at your house right now, he ain't even your husband. And when you had last week, he ain't your husband either. Now what?"

Talk about, "I'm a high-role leader." See, we think high-role leader is always has been passive. You can be a high-role leader, be firm about the principles. It's all about the principles. We fight us. We major in the minor, and we minor in the major.

Jesus always was strong when it came to the major stuff. On the minor stuff, he didn't fight over that. I remember one time they said that Jesus said, "Jesus, John, I have baptized people. He’s baptizing more people than you." She said, "It's cool."

Said, "Long as he's gathering. He is gathering." We get so caught up on me, me, me, me, me. I shared earlier—not share it now—that this should have been at the end of my message here, but I shared earlier that maybe about two or three years ago, I remember distinctly God asking me, "Will you be okay with most of your fruit being on other people's trees?"

It took me maybe about 10 seconds to get what he was asking me. But are you okay with most of your fruit being on other people's trees? And it was in that moment—what we was processing, I was processing planting another church, how to get more people in here. Do we need a bigger building? Can we find one that fits more people?

And that's when he was showing me the multi-sites that we got to start. Are you okay that if everybody don't come here? Are you okay with creating places where people that will come to you, but they go here, Pastor David, or go here, Minister Harris, or whoever it is?

Are you okay if I send a lot of people your way, but they go and be with someone? Are you okay with that? Absolutely! He said, "Okay, good. Watch what I do with you."

If we can get over ourselves, God can do great things to all of our lives. He desires to do great things to all of our lives. What God needs to do is Savannah. It's going to take more than one pastor and more than one church.

Well, we got to get over ourselves. We try to do it all alone. Here's a few things I want to give you here: the promise to make a difference. Pastor Cory, how can I make a difference here? Let me get ready to close out here.

Exodus 6:7, "I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God." It was Isaiah 61:6 says, "But you shall be called the priests of the Lord. They shall speak of you as the ministers of our God. You shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory, you shall boast."

Talking about imagine God making us his people, and we're all called to be ministers without the title, but we all got the position as ministers. And you know how—even in our government, in particular, in other nations, they use the words like the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Agriculture.

See, we get so caught up in the church. I want to be called Minister to make me look good. No! Do you know anything about the fence? Do you know anything about agriculture? The thing is, we're all called to be ministers.

Have I discovered my purpose and what I'm supposed to do? To be ministering in—even if it's not the pulpit—come on, somebody! You could be a school teacher, and you minister, and you could be a doctor, and you minister, and you could be a lawyer, and your ministry.

Have you discovered your place in the body? He's gifted you, and he set you in the body to make a difference. Have you discovered your purpose? And once you discover your purpose, now I need to discover my people.

I need to discover my people who I'm supposed to be making a difference with. So it's like my wife, for example. She's a school teacher, and I think—I would assume she discovered her people—that this is the people I'm supposed to be. Even if she knows she's called to teach, have she discovered who I'm supposed to be teaching?

Because many of you know you got the gift of teaching in you. Have you discovered who am I supposed to be teaching? What level? What grade? What type of people am I called to teach? Yeah, the gift of teaching is in you, but don't let the wrong person steer your teaching in the wrong direction.

That's the reason why I don't like bad prophecy and people just using their position to call things out of people and read and direct them in the wrong place. I know some churches now, everybody in the church is an evangelist. I mean, every last person is an evangelist in the church.

And I believe some of them people would never fully discover who they're supposed to be because they're going to be running after trying to fulfill something that some zealous preacher or some zealous prophet tried to bring out of their life. Are you with me?

Promise to make a difference. We're going to be called the ministers of our God. Imagine Hope City Church. We got all kinds of people in here—business people, lawyers, and doctors, and school teachers, and realtors in here. Find your own.

We're all ministers. We're all—the word minister at its lowest form is—without a title, minister. You'll be an ordained minister by the power invested in me. I now ordain all of y'all ministers. Now go serve!

Now, now go serve! Go serve! I'm going to close with this here. 1 Peter 2:9. Let me give you three points. 1 Peter 2:9, "But you are a chosen generation." Back to a people again. "Your chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy—this is New Testament. This is after Christ—a peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

He has called you out of Egypt into his kingdom. I love this here, but you are chosen. You are royal, a holy nation. My focus point here real fast: a peculiar people. Listen, Hope City, we're supposed to be peculiar.

Listen here, Christian, you're supposed to be peculiar. People supposed to see you and see something distinguishable about you. Then how other people respond and act. You may work at the same company, same job, and everybody else may be going off on the boss. How are you going to respond?

Everybody else may be late every single day. How are you going to respond? What is peculiar about you? It won't take all that, Pastor Cory. And that's why you ain't got some of your blessings right there.

That's why you got something so right there because what God will allow them to get away with, you can't get away with. You ever had a parent who always got you and never got the other kid? And then when you let so-and-so do it, and you ain't tell me nothing?

No, that's them. I'm talking to you right now. Because there's an expectation. There's something in you. Your ministry is different than their ministry, and what I would just overlook with them, I can't overlook with you.

Are you with me here? We're supposed to be peculiar, and we clap back. We act—we get mad the same way. We late with our bills like everybody else. We robbing Peter to pay Paul like everybody else.

We don't hold our words like peculiar, and all this little leaven messes up a whole lump. And we think this stuff don't matter. We think character don't matter no more. We think standards don't matter no more.

You're filing for your taxes last week. You claim five kids; you only got two. Character matters. Come on! Come on! And you may get that extra two or three thousand dollars, but I'm saying God has a way of putting holes in your pockets over time.

And you want to know why is all this happening in my life? And we always say that song, "When I think back over my life." No, you need to think back over your life and see all the craziness you've done. And that's why you got that flat tire. And that's why that's happening. And that's why that—because everything ain't the devil.

We blame the devil for it. Sometimes the devil sit by like, "Now, they blaming me for that one too. I didn't even do that one. Now, I was nowhere around. I was asleep right that time."

And the danger, you guys—listen, the danger about blaming the devil for everything is because what you're saying is I have no power. Some of the stuff that you're giving the devil too much power is stuff you can fix just like that.

You got more power and authority than you realize. I need you to get this on today. God has greatness available locked up on the inside of us, but we can't use the same excuses that everybody else use. Why? Because you're peculiar. You're different. You're different.

You're going somewhere where other people can't go. You're going to do things that other people can't do. You're going to sit at tables that other people cannot sit at. Here's three things I want to share, and I'm done.

Number one, how do I make a difference? Number one, it begins with a calling. 2 Timothy 1:9, "He has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time."

So before you allow Egypt to mess you all up over the years, and you did life on your own terms, God had already had designs for you. Now that I hope you discover some of that over the past couple weeks of who you are and what you're designed to be, now is time for you to get on a team into a place where you can make a difference.

It begins with a call, and then he called you, Jeremiah, before the faith of Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in your mother's womb, I knew you, and I ordained you to be a prophet until the nation." Your ministry is specific—the ministry over your life, the assignment over your life.

It is specific. When they tried to put the armor on Saul on David—and I can't break this down now—but when they tried to put the same armor on David that everybody else normally used, David put it on, but David threw it off and said, "This don't fit me. This don't work for me."

And he used his simple slingshot and a rock to make a difference in his generation. I don't know what you got in your hand. I don't know what you got in your house. It may not look like what everybody else has, but if the anointing of God is on your life, he could use a slingshot and a rock.

He could use a stutterer—come on, somebody! He could use a former thief. He could use a former prostitute to do something great in—he will see. See, the anointing was not even about what he had; the anointing was on the person who had it.

And when you allow the anointing of God, the calling of God to become known in your life, what doesn't work for somebody else, it will work for you. Just because it don't work for you don't mean it won't work for me. Why? Because there's a grace.

I know my grace. I know my position. I know my purpose, and it's going to work if I choose to work it. Can we give God a praise right there?

It begins with a calling, and watch this here: number two, it stands on a cause. It's your calling, your purpose, your position. It stands on a cause. Acts 20:24 says, "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus." That's a call.

See, he has a cause. Listen, you need to figure out what's your why. Some of you figured your why out in growth track already. Now you discover your because. If you don't figure out your why, or if you ever lose your why, you'll lose your way.

And too many people have lost their why, and because you thought your why was a dream house, and somehow life caused you to lose that dream house, and now you think because you lost a dream house, your why is over with. No, baby girl, baby man. Your why is bigger than a house.

Maybe you experienced divorce right now, and you thought that marriage was your why. Your life is bigger than a marriage. Come on! If you ever lose your why, you'll lose your way. Is there not a cause? Have you discovered your cause?

Have you discovered why you're here? Have you discovered why you showed up? Have you discovered why you said yes to life? Jeremiah, "Before I formed you and shaped you in your mother's womb, I knew you. I had a conversation with you. We talked about this. You knew who you were designed to be before I formed you and shaped you."

We was intimately acquainted, and I like to use the blocking man factor of how when we were seeds or just spirits, I just believe in my mind here that at the beginning, God knew us, and God told us what we was going to be, and we say, "Yes, Lord! Yes, Lord! I'll do that. I'll be a doctor. I'll be a lawyer. I'll be a preacher."

"Okay, you agree? Cool. Boom!" And you forget place in your mother's womb, and it's your parents' job to raise you up in a way in which you should go. It's not your parents' job to tell you what to do. It's their job to help you figure out why you said yes to life.

Why were you born? Why were you here? Because just like Jeremiah, God already had designs and plans for you even before you were shaped and formed in your mother's womb. And that's why some of you are struggling right now because you're something you were not meant to be, and there's something on the inside of you telling you there's more to my life than I'm living.

I'm living like this, but that's another—he said, "But my life is worth nothing to me unless it is for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the good news about the wonderful work or the wonderful grace of God." His was preaching.

I want to make a difference doing something that makes a difference. Here's the last thing: it spreads from me to we. "I will free you. I will deliver you. I will redeem you, and I'll make you my people."

It moves from me to—it moves from individual to a team, the body of Christ, the ecclesia, the church. With the body, some of us the hands, the feet, the eyes to know we're all on the same team. We call it the dream team here at Hope City—people who are not volunteering, but people who discover their purpose.

See, God's not looking for volunteers. He's looking for people who knew, who discovered why they showed up. And we don't need no volunteer preachers. We don't need no volunteer singers. Can you sing or not? And if you can't, we're going to discover.

We're going to discover when they bring you in that room and say, "Sing for me." And then if you can't sing, and if over the past 10 years no one was bold enough to tell you you can't sing, I've equipped a couple people who will tell you you can't sing.

And we'll place you in the body that fits you because I love to sing solo. I can't sing, but I love to sing solo—solo that nobody can hear me—because that ain't my gift. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, "Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor."

It begins with a calling, stands on the cause, and it spreads from me to we. I want to make a difference doing something that makes a difference with people who want to make a difference. Can we give God a praise for his word?

Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word. Thank you for speaking to our hearts. Thank you for speaking to our minds. Maybe someone is here today. You're saying, "Hey, Pastor Cory, I needed this word today. I know church don't know him shaking your hand yet to shake God's hand. I got good religion, but I don't have a personal relationship with this God you're teaching us about, you're talking about. I want to know this God."

They're just like Jeremiah. He knows me. I want to know what it means to be known. I want to know what my call is. What's my why? I got a lot of little whys, but I want to know what the core of who I am. Why did I say yes to this life?

You're here today, and I'm going to call you up—not going to call you, but just a head, Pastor Cory. I don't have that assurance that if I was to take my last breath on this side that I would enter into the presence of my Creator.

I understand you've been talking about God getting us out of Egypt, getting us out of the burning building. But once he gets us out of the burning building, out of our Egypt, he then does the work to get the smoke out of us that came in us in the burning building, in our Egypt.

I'm caught up between both of those right now. I'm in Egypt, and I want to get out of Egypt. I want to respond to this message on today. Not going to call you up, not going to call you out, but just like the day of Pentecost, Peter preached the word of God. The word went forth, and people responded accordingly.

And then secondly, they were going to pray. You said, "Hey, Pastor Cory, I already made that decision. I have confidence that rather 10 years from now, 50 years from now, 100 years from now, that when I leave this side, I got assurance. I'm assured that I would enter into the presence of my Creator.

But I do need a church home that teaches the word of God in such a way that I can take it and apply it to my life. I believe my faith, my family can grow here at Hope City Church. I want to be a part of what God is doing here. I believe that my gifts can be expressed through this work that is bigger than one man, but it's for a group, for people, for all of us to express the kingdom of God in this region and even around the world.

So if you stand in one of those two positions, I want to get my heart to Christ for the very first time or make Hope City Church my home. On the count of three, I just want to quickly see your hand. You can bring it right now. Just want to know who I'm praying for. On the count of three: one, two, three. Will that be one?

I see that hand. I see that hand as well. Bless you both. I see that hand as well. I see that hand, sir. I see that hand, ma'am, as well. God bless each of you. Don't miss this moment between you and God, between you and God.

Will there be another? Will there be another? No pressure, no crime. I just want to facilitate this moment for you and with you. Will there be another? All of you, lift your hands towards heaven. Say, "Lord God, I believe you sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins. But I also believe that he rose from the grave with all power in his hand.

Say, "God, I ask you now to forgive me of any and every sin that has separated me from your love." Now, say, "God, I don't fully understand what all this means, but I do believe with your presence living on the inside of me, I can become the person you ordained me to be.

So I ask you now to fill me with the power and the presence of your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, you are welcome to live in my heart for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name, amen."

Come on, let's celebrate with all of heaven for every decision made in this place on today!

1. "We let our past cripple us. We let culture define us and watch this here. We try to do it alone. We live an unlived life because we let our past cripple us, we let the culture define us, and we try to do it by ourselves." [01:00:17](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



2. "He brought you out of your Egypt for a total different reason that he brought me out. Yes, we were all struggling with something but what you were struggling with may be totally different for why. I came out of Egypt, but when he ultimately gets done with all of us, he wants to bring us together group us together as a people to make a difference." [01:01:52](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



3. "It begins with a calling second Timothy one nine. He has saved us and called us to a holy life. Not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time." [01:16:34](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



4. "But my life is worth nothing to me unless it is for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord. Jesus the work of telling others the good news about the wonderful grace of God." [01:19:35](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



5. "Have you discovered your purpose? And once you discover your purpose now, I need to discover my people. I need to discover my people who I'm supposed to be making a difference with." [01:10:31](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



6. "But you are chosen generation. A royal priesthood. A holy this is New Testament. This is after Christ. A peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." [01:13:25](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



7. "We're all ministers. We're all the word minister at his lowest form is. with a title minister. You'll be be ordained minister by the power invested in me. I now ordain all of y'all ministers. Now go serve. Now now go serve. Go serve." [01:12:38](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



8. "I want to make a difference doing something that makes a difference with people who want to make a difference." [01:23:39](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)