Embracing Worship: Transformation, Community, and Righteous Living

In today's gathering, we explored the profound significance of lifting our hands in worship, likening it to the evening sacrifice of biblical times. This act is not just a gesture but a sacred offering, symbolizing our desire to honor God's presence. We have the choice to seek as much or as little of God as we desire, and lifting our hands is a way to invite His presence into our lives. This choice is a reflection of our dependency on God, acknowledging that we need His guidance and wisdom in every aspect of our lives.

We delved into the transformative power of God's Word, emphasizing that true change comes from partnering with God in His work within us. The scriptures remind us that we were once dead in our sins, but through God's grace, we have been made alive in Christ. This transformation is ongoing, requiring us to continually submit to the Holy Spirit's guidance. We are called to flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. This pursuit is not just about avoiding sin but actively seeking to live in a way that honors God.

The sermon also highlighted the internal conflict between our sinful nature and the Spirit. This battle is a daily reality for every believer, but we are not alone. The Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome our sinful desires and live according to God's will. We are encouraged to be intentional in our walk with God, allowing the Spirit to guide us and transform us into vessels of honor, ready for every good work.

Finally, we were reminded of the importance of community and companionship with fellow believers. Surrounding ourselves with those who call on the Lord with pure hearts strengthens our faith and encourages us in our journey. As we pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace, we do so in the context of a supportive community, knowing that we are not alone in our struggles or our victories.

**Key Takeaways:**

1. **The Significance of Lifting Hands:** Lifting our hands in worship is a sacred act, akin to the evening sacrifice, symbolizing our desire to honor God's presence. It reflects our choice to seek God's presence and our dependency on Him for guidance and wisdom in our lives. [43:20]

2. **Transformation Through God's Word:** True transformation comes from partnering with God in His work within us. We were once dead in our sins, but through God's grace, we have been made alive in Christ. This ongoing transformation requires submission to the Holy Spirit's guidance. [51:54]

3. **The Internal Conflict:** Every believer faces a daily battle between their sinful nature and the Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome our sinful desires and live according to God's will. Intentionality in our walk with God is crucial for victory. [01:06:05]

4. **Pursuing Righteous Living:** We are called to flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. This pursuit involves actively seeking to live in a way that honors God, not just avoiding sin. [01:23:58]

5. **The Importance of Community:** Surrounding ourselves with fellow believers strengthens our faith and encourages us in our journey. Companionship with those who call on the Lord with pure hearts is vital for spiritual growth and support. [01:25:44]

**Youtube Chapters:**

[00:00] - Welcome
[43:20] - The Significance of Lifting Hands
[44:49] - Inviting God's Presence
[45:27] - Becoming the Priest
[45:59] - Humbling Ourselves
[51:54] - Transformation Through God's Word
[57:20] - God's Plan for Us
[58:54] - The Work of God
[59:35] - Refusing to Obey
[01:06:05] - The Internal Conflict
[01:11:10] - Everyday Battle
[01:13:58] - Winning the Battle
[01:15:41] - Reflecting God's Glory
[01:16:52] - The Warning
[01:19:07] - The Seed and the Soil
[01:21:34] - Vessels of Honor
[01:23:58] - Pursuing Righteous Living
[01:25:44] - The Importance of Community

**Bible Study Discussion Guide**

**Bible Reading:**
1. 2 Timothy 2:20-22 (NLT)
2. Ephesians 2:1-10 (NLT)
3. Galatians 5:16-17 (NLT)

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**Observation Questions:**

1. What does the act of lifting hands in worship symbolize according to the sermon? [43:20]
2. How does the sermon describe the ongoing transformation in a believer's life? [51:54]
3. What internal conflict is highlighted in the sermon, and how does it affect believers? [01:06:05]
4. According to the sermon, what role does community play in a believer's spiritual journey? [01:25:44]

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**Interpretation Questions:**

1. In 2 Timothy 2:20-22, what does it mean to be a "special utensil for honorable use," and how does this relate to the sermon’s message about transformation? [51:54]
2. How does Ephesians 2:1-10 illustrate the concept of being made alive in Christ, and what implications does this have for a believer's daily life? [57:20]
3. The sermon discusses the conflict between the sinful nature and the Spirit. How does Galatians 5:16-17 explain this struggle, and what guidance does it offer? [01:06:05]
4. How does the sermon suggest believers should respond to the internal conflict between the flesh and the Spirit? [01:11:10]

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**Application Questions:**

1. Reflect on your personal worship practices. How can you incorporate the act of lifting hands as a symbol of your dependency on God this week? [43:20]
2. In what areas of your life do you feel the need for transformation? How can you partner with God to see change in these areas? [51:54]
3. Identify a specific youthful lust or temptation you struggle with. What practical steps can you take to flee from it and pursue righteous living? [01:23:58]
4. How can you be more intentional in your daily walk with God to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and transform you? [01:06:05]
5. Think of a time when you felt the internal conflict between your sinful nature and the Spirit. How did you handle it, and what might you do differently next time? [01:11:10]
6. Who in your community can you reach out to for support in your spiritual journey? How can you strengthen these relationships? [01:25:44]
7. Consider the role of community in your life. How can you contribute to building a supportive environment for others in your church or small group? [01:25:44]

Day 1: The Sacred Gesture of Worship
Lifting our hands in worship is more than a physical act; it is a sacred offering that mirrors the evening sacrifices of ancient times. This gesture symbolizes our earnest desire to honor God's presence and reflects our choice to seek Him wholeheartedly. By lifting our hands, we invite God's presence into our lives, acknowledging our dependency on His guidance and wisdom. This act of worship is a tangible expression of our faith and a reminder of our need for God in every aspect of our lives. [43:20]

Psalm 141:2 (ESV): "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice."

Reflection: In what specific area of your life do you need to invite God's presence today? How can lifting your hands in worship become a regular practice to symbolize this invitation?


Day 2: Partnering with God for Transformation
True transformation in our lives comes from partnering with God in His work within us. The scriptures remind us that we were once dead in our sins, but through God's grace, we have been made alive in Christ. This transformation is not a one-time event but an ongoing process that requires us to continually submit to the Holy Spirit's guidance. As we allow God's Word to work within us, we are called to flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. This pursuit is about actively seeking to live in a way that honors God, not just avoiding sin. [51:54]

Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV): "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel God is calling you to change? How can you partner with Him in this transformation today?


Day 3: The Daily Battle Within
Every believer faces a daily battle between their sinful nature and the Spirit. This internal conflict is a reality we must confront, but we are not alone in this struggle. The Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome our sinful desires and live according to God's will. Intentionality in our walk with God is crucial for victory, as we must choose daily to follow the Spirit's leading. By doing so, we become vessels of honor, ready for every good work that God has prepared for us. [01:06:05]

Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV): "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."

Reflection: What specific sinful desire do you struggle with daily? How can you intentionally rely on the Holy Spirit to overcome it today?


Day 4: Actively Pursuing Righteous Living
We are called to flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. This pursuit involves more than just avoiding sin; it requires actively seeking to live in a way that honors God. By focusing on these virtues, we align our lives with God's will and reflect His character to those around us. This intentional pursuit of righteousness is a lifelong journey that shapes us into the people God created us to be. [01:23:58]

2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV): "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to pursue righteousness in your life? How can this step help you reflect God's character to others?


Day 5: Strength in Community
The importance of community and companionship with fellow believers cannot be overstated. Surrounding ourselves with those who call on the Lord with pure hearts strengthens our faith and encourages us in our journey. As we pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace, we do so in the context of a supportive community, knowing that we are not alone in our struggles or our victories. This community provides the strength and encouragement we need to continue growing in our faith. [01:25:44]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: Who in your community can you reach out to for support and encouragement in your faith journey today? How can you also be a source of strength for someone else?

Amen. Come on, why don't you lift your hands? Come on and lift your hands. Lift your hands. Yeah, thank you, Jesus. Thank you.

Those of you who are online, lift your hands right there where you are. Come on, lift your hands. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Jesus. Come on, I can feel His presence is here. Thank you, Jesus.

Oftentimes you hear "lift your hands" in church. Let me tell you the significance of lifting your hands. Whether you're in church, whether you're home, whether you're on your job, the scripture tells us, "May the lifting of our hands be like the evening sacrifice."

In biblical times, the evening sacrifice was when the priests would come and they would slaughter the animal that was going to be sacrificed unto the Lord so that the tangible presence of God could be honored. The unseen God would be honored by the people of God.

By the lifting of their hands, it is very significant. It's very sacred. Glory to God. Come on, lift your hands. May it be like the evening sacrifice. You can have as much of God as you want or as little of God as you want. You get a choice, you get a choice, you get a choice.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on. I'm lifting my hands like it's the evening sacrifice. Like you're going to come and meet me here. When I lift my hands, come on, lift your hands. Come on, lift your hands. Meet me here. Come on, ask Him. Would you meet me here? Would you meet me here?

Oh, we worship you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Lord. The lifting of our hands be like the evening sacrifice. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Be indulged in His presence. God, we worship. Come on.

There's nobody like Jesus, y'all. Nobody like Jesus. You could be going through the worst thing of your life, and you lift those hands. Remember, when you lift them, it's like it's going before you. It's like it's going before you. It's like it's going before you. It's like it's going before you. The evening sacrifice.

You get to be the priest. You get to be the priest. Come on, lift your hands. Bow down your heart. Come on, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. He'll lift you. He'll lift you. He'll lift you. Bow down your hearts. Humble yourself. Humble yourself like the evening sacrifice.

I worship you. You're the Lamb that's being slaughtered. Come on, I told you what it meant. It's like an evening sacrifice when you lift your hands. Come on, sit on you. The word is going to come forward, but it can't do what it needs to do in your life. You won't see transformation.

Open up, open up, open up, open up, open up. Come on, open up, open up, open up, open up. A seed is going to go in the ground. A seed is going to be dropped. A seed is going to be dropped in your life. It's an eternal work from God.

Come on, you want to see change and transformation beyond Sunday. Open up, open up, open up, open up, open up in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Thank you, God. In the name of Jesus. There's a sweet spirit in here. You can feel it. You can sense it.

God, we worship. God, we worship. Come on, declare your dependency upon Him for the week. I don't know what you're going to be faced with. I don't know what's to come. Come on, declare your dependency. Declare it right now. Say, "Lord, I'm depending on you this week. I'm depending on you this week. I'm depending on your mind. I'm depending on your wisdom. I'm depending on you to direct me. I'm depending on you to order my steps."

Oh God, I'm depending on you. Go ahead, declare your dependency right now. Come on, right now. Uh-huh, declare your dependency. Oh God, we worship. Oh God, we praise. Oh God, we honor. Come on, declare your dependency. Oh God, we honor right now, right now.

Come on, man, you need God. Woman, you need God. Declare your dependency on Him. Mama, you need God. Father, you need God. Single mama, you need God. Single man, you need God. Declare your dependency. Business owner, you need God. Come on, declare it right now. I declare my dependency. I'm not in this by myself.

Come on, I got some unseen help walking with me. I'm not in this by myself. I'm not going to use my own experience. I need another level of wisdom to walk through what I'm going to walk through.

All right, come on. Yes, glory to God. Come on, online audience, online people of God, declare your dependency on Him before you even go into Monday. Declare your dependency on Him in Jesus' name.

Take your seat, take your seat. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Tell somebody hello, hello. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let the weak declare, "I'm strong in the Lord." Come on, say, "I'm strong, I'm strong." That's right, give God a praise. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Glory to God.

All right, I got like 35 minutes to do what the Lord wants me to do. Oh, you have to declare your dependency. Yeah, you gotta let God know, "I'm depending on you, Lord." He'll show up in ways you have not known Him to.

This morning, I don't have a title for my message, which is very unusual for me because normally, the way I prepare for a message or a study, I normally get a title and then I know kind of the pathway I'm going. It was very different with this, so I don't have a title, which is not normal for me. It's not my usual way.

But hopefully what will happen is you will be able to assign a title for yourself as the Holy Spirit is amongst us and He begins to open up the scriptures and kind of speak to you where you are. Right? So let's go into the word of God by His help.

Father, we thank you for today, and we thank you for the distribution of your word, how it will be dispensed and where it will land. God, we have not come for itching ears. We have come to be transformed, and only you can do the transformation. But we partner with you in that transformative work.

We thank you for the very lives that are going to be changed from the inside out. And Lord, we declare that the enemy who fights every last one of our souls shall lose the battle, and he shall not win because we declare we are partnering with you in this work. In Jesus' name, amen.

Amen means "so be it." That's for the new ones because some of us have already been saved. But amen means "so be it." That's what that means. So be it. So be it. Whatever you spoke prior to the amen, so be it.

Oh yeah, that's a word right there all by itself. So be it. So be it. My marriage shall be whole. So be it. My children shall love God. So be it. So be it. So be it. So be it. We shall be called a household of faith. So be it. So be it.

Now go to 2nd Timothy 2, 2nd Timothy chapter 2, verses 20 through 22. I'm going to be reading this to you. I'm going to be reading out of the NLT. I want to say thank you to every person that makes their way to this house week in and week out. Thank you for inviting your friends and your family and your coworkers. That's what it's all about. It's about building God's kingdom.

About building God's kingdom. 2nd Timothy 2 and 20. I want us to read together. I want you to write as you feel like the Holy Spirit highlights something to you. Underline that thing. Go back and write it down so you can go back during the week and kind of go over it yourself.

So the scripture reads, "In a wealthy home, some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones for everyday use. If you keep yourselves pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the master to use for every good work. Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust; instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts."

Go to Ephesians 2, verses 1 through 10, again out of the NLT version. And it reads, "Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil."

Come on, y'all, not talking back to me. Y'all sound like my homeroom in my class. I'm doing my good teaching, and they don't want to do that good learning. Come on, don't be like that today on me. Today, come on, let's go back to it.

You used to live in sin just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil. Who? Come on, y'all. Actually saying, like, you know who you was obeying. We was obeying the devil, y'all. And now God has wooed you into His house, and you barely want to come.

He wooed you into His house. He wooed you in. Do you know what it took for Him to work all the circumstances in your life to get your heart pliable enough to even want Him? He wooed you in. This wasn't your idea. This wasn't my great idea.

There was a woman taking place. Amen. Somebody said, "Going back to the scripture." I feel myself getting off. Go back, put me up. Because I think we toy around with our salvation.

Because I think the name of Jesus has become common, and going to church has become common. It's like going to the grocery store now. But something else was greater at work for us to get us to this place. And you may not be fully where you want to be because there's an ongoing transformation that's taking place.

But my God, if you look back where you were, what you were doing, there was no mother values or no finger continuously. You were the one leading that. I know you are welcome. All you know is this family values that held you to bring you into the house of God.

God Himself on assignment for your life brought you in. He had His own plan. He had His own persons He wanted to witness to. So while we were yet in sin, not doing the thing, not even obeying the devil, God said, "How can I flip it where I can get her, where I can get him into my house?"

Because if they learn me long enough, they'll fall in love with me, but I first got to get them. So He set His eyes on you. He set His affection on you. This was the work of God all by Himself. All by Himself. Wooing you. Having His eye on you.

Looking at the right time when He was going to send somebody your way. Looking at the right time when you would be pliable enough to hear His message. Oh God. Ooh. That was the work of God. That was the work of God.

Ephesians says, "Once you were dead because of your disobedience and many sins." Get that scripture back up. They got to see it. You used to live in sin just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil. Who is he? The commander of the powers and the what? Can't even see it.

He said he is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse the what? That means they're getting the message, but they're putting up a block against it. They're saying, "Not right now. I still want my weed. Not right now. I still want my drink. Right now. Not right now. I want to still go to..." Refused to obey.

And yet look at you. In God's house. Yeah. Yeah. Got a little bit of wanting to obey Him, a little bit of wanting to obey Him. It's a lot of work that He did to get you there. You ought to serve and worship Him and thank God for the little bit of work He's doing.

He said he is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our very own nature. We were subject to God's anger, which was hovering over us. We were getting ready to get damnation, and can't nobody stop God's anger.

His anger was hovering. It was like, "Sis, you better get it right." There's an impending anger that when God releases it, can't nobody stop it. But you've been with God. You've been fighting the flesh to stick it out with Him for the long haul of your life. You're going to be glad you did.

It's coming. A time is coming. I'm telling y'all, a time is coming. You can be like, "Thank God I obeyed God. Thank God I did what God told me to do." It's coming, y'all.

It's as by our very own nature we were subject to God's anger just like everyone else. But God is so rich in His mercy, and He loved us so much that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.

It is only by God's grace that we have been saved. For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness towards us as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

It says God saved you by His grace when you believed. It happened when you did what? Everything, the fullness of who God is, came the moment you believed. All you're doing now is working it out, and you're on a forever track of being sanctified through the process of transformation.

You're not in this by yourself. You're not changing by yourself. And let me give you a secret: none of us are off that wheel. You don't get to be the preacher and then I've just mastered every level of sin. No, baby, I got my own fight going on.

God saved you by His grace when you believed. Keep the scripture up for me. And you can't take credit for it. It's a gift from God. Salvation is a gift from God. He thought enough of us. He loved us enough to say, "You know what? I'm going to tug on his heart. I'm going to tug on her heart. I'm going to tug on his mind. I'm going to tug on her mind. I'm going to give him this gift."

And somebody, somebody refusing a gift from God, they're like, "I don't want it." He says it's a gift. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

But we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. Before you even got here, I planned some things for you, and I want you to walk in there. But there's some prerequisites.

Let's read. Go with me to Galatians 5 and 16. So it says, "Galatians 5 and 16." Thank you. "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other."

And guess where the conflict takes place? Within you. It's a conflict. And every believer across the whole world, they are in conflict with their flesh. Me as well. You don't get to be the preacher and then you get to say, "Oh, I mastered it," and sin no longer bothers you. Oops, sorry, that's not how it works.

We are all in conflict. Listen to what it says: "And the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want."

Hello! We got something on the inside of us from God that puts up a fight when we want to do the old stuff we used to want to do. Come on, thank God for that.

I'm going to read a different version of this. It says, "Thank you, my friend." So I say, "Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your simple nature craves."

Like sweets for me. How many of you eat and then you got to have something sweet afterwards? Raise your hand if that's you. That's me. I'm going to have my hot tamales and put them in the freezer, let them get a little hard, and then when I eat my dinner, I'm going to get my hot tamales.

Because something in my body craves that when I finish eating my salad. Because I'm going to eat my salad. So I say, "Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your simple nature craves."

The simple nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants to do. The Spirit wants to do good, and it knows how to carry out good in your life. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite of what the simple nature desires.

These two forces— that's a strong word right there because when I think about force, I think about there's something at play that I cannot see. And when something is at force, that means it has the propensity to probably dominate me.

But as long as I have the Holy Spirit and I am willing to follow after Him, then the force that will come from my sinful nature that entices me and gets me in trouble with God, I got another force that can match its ability.

Let's go, Shana, let's go. So this is how this plays out. When you get up every day and you get up to serve God with intentionality, you got to get up and want to serve Him. And you can't leave room on the table for anything, anything for the devil to have his way in your life.

You cannot because he will have his way in your life. So it's just like this: the evil nature—she's not evil, but she's going to play evil today. The evil nature, when you wake up, it almost puts a hold on you.

But when you start talking to God and you say, "Father, today, let me tell you, let me use my own prayer life. I say, 'Father, I thank you today. I glorify you. I'm asking you, Holy Spirit, lead me all day today until I get home and get in my bed, and I thank you for it in Jesus' name.'"

That's my personal prayer. Boom! Guess what happens? The Holy Spirit, He gets activated. He gets stirred. It's not that hold on, ladies. It's not that He gets activated; you become more acclimated. You become more attuned to His voice. You get almost primed like a wall ready to receive Him and be obedient to carry out what He says do.

Let me say this: you can't carry out what God asks you to do. You're not that weak, bruh. You're not that weak, sis. You can carry it out. You can do exactly what God says, and it says that it is written in the book.

We got a cloud of witnesses. Hebrews tells us. So, you got up for the day. I'm talking about your everyday living. Your everyday walking it out with God. The enemy comes. He's your old nature, sinful nature.

Knows all about your quirks. Knows all about your history. On fleek, ready for you to do evil. Ready. Ready. Because you were sleeping, and he woke up, and he was like, "We ready? Let's go. We're going to mess you up today. We're going to act a fool today. I'm going to bring your conscience under condemnation. I'm going to make you feel like you ain't saved."

Oh, I'm ready for you today. I'm ready for you today. And so, you don't even know two forces are at work. And you don't even wake up to give God the praise. Hallelujah. Come on. There's a gift God gave you. Use it. Use it.

So, here you go. Evil nature grabs a hold of you. But I done said my prayer. I'm primed. Here it goes. I'm following after the Holy Spirit. Because I asked Him to do what? Lead me and guide me all day until I get in my what? That's me. That's Pastor T's personal prayer. You can borrow it until you build your own request.

Here I go. I'm going to work. You done lost some of your grip. I'm going to work. You still trying to grab hold of me. Now, when you do and I make a mistake, guess what happens? Grab me. Guess who? The force is going to show up. The force. The force. The one that's going to keep me on the straight and narrow.

Are y'all with me? You lose your grip. You lose your grip on me. I got peace. I'm walking in righteousness. You can't bother me. You paralleling. Because it says wherever good is, evil is. Oh, you paralleling. But you ain't getting me. Because I'm following. See, my intentions are already here.

Go, Holy Spirit. I'm following. I'm doing what He says do. Speak to the— He's saying like this: Speak to your enemy. Good morning. He'll say things like, "Bring to your memory. Call Sister So-and-so. She been missing. Go ahead and drop a cash app to So-and-so."

Oh, you want me to do? Okay. Why? Because I'm being led. Yes, I'm being led. Give them a round of applause. This is how you win your everyday battle. Why? Because these two forces are going to constantly fight.

Within you, they're going to fight each other. So you're not free to carry out the good things God had planned for you. There's something called the devil that wants to stop you from doing... Growing in God, from becoming in God, and from carrying out the assignment, good intentions, bearing fruit for God.

You got to fight on your hands. You got to fight on your hands. You just scrolling through TikTok and Instagram. You just scrolling. And you got a whole fight on your hands. Help us, God.

I want you now to go with me. Are you getting it? Are you getting anything out of this? Second Corinthians 3:18, this is the admonishment, but we Christians have no veil over our what? Faces.

I want you to think of this. This scripture is talking about when Moses came down from off the mountain. For 40 days, he had to put a veil over his face because the glory of God was shining till it changed how his image looked, right? And the people of God, the Israelites, were a little scared of that. They was like, "Ooh, okay, it's kind of freaky there." So he had to pull the veil over his face.

Now check this out. This is what the scripture says. But we Christians have no what? Veil over our what? We can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord does what? He works where? Within us.

This work of the Spirit is going on where? Within you. What is He doing? He is increasing your desire to love God more. He is increasing your ability to obey Him more. He is increasing your ability to hear Him more. He is increasing your awareness of what God honors and what God doesn't.

That's the work of the Spirit, not the work of you. Your work is to obey. Come up under submission. Okay? Okay. He says, "And as the Spirit of the Lord works, where? Within us, we become what? More and more like Him." Who is Him? Jesus.

Now, here is the warning. That's the admonishment. Here is the warning. Go with me to James 1, 23 through 24 in the NIV. Are we ready? Here is the what? Warning.

"Anyone who listens to the word..." Stop right there. Are you listening to the word? Everything I just said came from the what? That's why I had no title, probably.

He says, "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like..." Here's what you're like when you heard the word, but you didn't do it. Ooh. Are you ready?

This is the warning. Someone, he says, "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like this: someone who looks at his face in the mirror. In the mirror. And after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what? What it looks like."

That's how it looks. You heard the word. Didn't obey it. Cast it to the side. This is what it says we look like. That's the warning.

Here's the application. Go with me to Matthew 13, 20 versus 22 in the worldwide edition. Here it goes. Here it goes. Some seed—there's a person who fell on the stony ground. That is like a person who hears the message and right away they're glad when they hear it.

You're listening to the message, receiving some type of joy and understanding of it. He says, "But it does not go down where?" It doesn't go down deep. I noticed we have two translations. It's okay. It doesn't go down deep. They heard the word. They received it with joy. They accepted it, but it didn't—what?

Verse 22: "But it does not go down deep in his heart. He believes it for what? A short time." You could get it back up. We'll work with that translation. "He believes it for a short time, and when trouble or a hard time comes because of the message you have received with joy, you stop believing."

That's heavy, isn't it? You came to church. You was with the believers. You believed the message. You received it with joy. Then hard times came to try the very message that you received with joy, and you lost all of what the word could do because it was in seed form, and now you stop believing.

It says some seed fell among the weeds. That is like the person who hears the message, but he thinks about the things of this world. He wants to get money to be happy. These things push the message out of his heart, and no good comes from it.

My last part of the day, go to 1 Timothy 2 and 20. In a wealthy home, you have some vessels, am I right? The scripture says, "Get it up for me. I'm going to be done." It says, "In a great house," that may be what your version says, "there are vessels or utensils that are made of gold, silver. Some are what? Made of wood and clay."

These are all in a great house. Thanksgiving coming up, years ago my husband went to the thrift store when we was in Florida and bought this big old case of silver that needed to be polished. He's kind of bougie, and I don't like that kind of stuff. It's just creepy to me, like it's been in an old mansion or something. Just my mindset.

But that wasn't everyday silver. That was for special occasions. Listen to what the scripture says: "In a wealthy home or in a great house—in God's house because it's a great house—some utensils are made of gold, some silver, some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones for everyday use."

If you keep yourselves what? Pure. Once He cleanses you. Once He starts the sanctification work in your life. What is the sanctification work, Miss Ma'am? That's the process of Him removing those evil desires that you have an inclination and a craving to.

The Holy Spirit is the one that begins to deal with that desire in you. And it says that if you keep yourself pure. It didn't say make yourself pure. It says if you keep your—your job is the keeping.

That means, for example, if you know your own nature, watching certain things that don't glorify God, here's how you keep yourself pure. Boop. Change the channel.

Oh, thank you, sis. Change the channel. Don't be up that time of night. No. You got power to keep yourself pure, or they never would have wrote that. Change the channel. That's just for example.

He says, "If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special vessel for honorable use. Your life will be what? Clean. And you will be ready for the master to use for every good work."

It tells us to run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Run. Run. What is your action? So, Miss Ma'am, you telling me I need to start like kicking off in track when something comes? No.

What he's saying is if it comes on you, that temptation, you got to take an opposite direction. But you got to be purposeful about that. You got to be purposeful about that. If you know Bobo, them are still a hard thing for you to hang out with, cut them off.

"Bobo, I ain't got no problem with you, man. You been my homie since I've been knowing you. But right now, man, I'm on a different track." You got to open up your mouth and let them know.

"Man, I'm really trying to walk this thing out with God. And me and you, I ain't got no problem with you. But I'm headed in a different way." That is you running. That's you running.

All right. He says here, "Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Instead, here's what I want you to use your energy for. Pursue righteous living."

When I first got saved, I used to hear this word, "holiness, holiness." I was like, "I don't even know how to live holy. Man, I've been bebopping over here to Tupac and Biggie because I like Biggie."

I'm just saying I did. Biggie had a place in my heart. Man. Stop with you. Just stop. But I got saved. I was in college. I was trying to figure out the balance between being young and being saved and how to balance it.

And then I just was like, "You know what? It's too much. I'm just going to go after God." I stopped dating. I stopped hanging out. Let go of my halter tops. That was me running. Youthful lust. I was pursuing something.

I wanted to have longevity in God's house. I started out as wood. You couldn't put nothing on me. She ain't know nothing but two scriptures. But over time, after learning how to walk righteously, how to pursue faithfulness—what is faithfulness? Like being married to God.

When I learned how, "Oh, oh, I'm married to Him." You are married to God. That faithfulness is not just showing up. It's saying, "I'm married to the one who saved me." Baby, I already got a ring. You don't even know.

It came from the Holy Ghost. This came from Pastor Corey. But you got another seal on you called the Holy Spirit. And He gives it to every believer until the day He comes back to redeem us.

Oh, that right there. Did that make sense? Because I said it with too much passion. You have a ring of redemption on your finger. You are already in a relationship, sis. Mister, you are already in a long-term relationship to the day you die.

Listen, He says this was Paul writing to Timothy. Timothy was young, starting his relationship out with God, being a leader in the church, and Paul gave him some wisdom in the scripture. He said, "Anything that's going to stimulate your youthful lust, he said, I need you to run from it. Instead, this is what I want you to do: pursue righteous living. Figure out how God wants you to live righteously.

Then I want you to pursue faithfulness because you're already married. Pursue it like you're married. Fidelity. And then he says, "I want you to pursue love, acts of kindness to people that is demonstrated."

And then he says, "I want you to follow peace, Timothy. These are the things I want you to work on: righteous living." Say it: "Righteous living."

Faithfulness. Love. And peace. Say, "I must pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace."

Stand up. Say, "I must pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace." And then he tells us, "Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the name of the Lord with a pure heart."

That's your neighbor to your left. That's your neighbor to your right. That's your small group. Companionship with those who what? Love God. God bless you.

1. "Oftentimes you hear lift your hands in church. Let me tell you the significance of lifting your hands, whether you're in church, whether you're home, whether you're on your job. The scripture tells us may the lifting of our hands be like the evening sacrifice. In biblical times, the evening sacrifice was when the priests would come and they would slaughter the animal that was going to be sacrificed unto the Lord so that the tangible presence of God could be honored. The unseen God would be honored by the people of God by the lifting of their hands. It's very significant. It's very sacred. Glory to God. Come on, lift your hands. May it be like the evening sacrifice. You can have as much of God as you want or as little of God as you want." [00:43:20] (64 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "Come on, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. He'll lift you. He'll lift you. He'll lift you. Bow down your hearts. Humble yourself, humble yourself like the evening sacrifice. I worship you. You're the lamb that's being slaughtered. Come on, I told you what it meant. It's like an evening sacrifice when you lift your hands." [00:46:06] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "Come on, open up, open up, open up, open up, open up. A seed is going to go in the ground. A seed is going to be dropped. A seed is going to be dropped in your life. It's an eternal work from God. Come on, you want to see change and transformation beyond Sunday. Open up, open up, open up, open up, open up in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Thank you, guys. In the name of Jesus. There's a sweet spirit in here. You can feel it. You can sense it. God, we worship. God, we worship. Come on, declare your dependency upon him for the week." [00:46:53] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "God saved you by his grace when you believed. Keep the scripture up for me. And you can't take credit for it. It's a what? It's a gift from God. Salvation is a gift from God. He thought enough of us. He loved us enough to say, you know what, I'm gonna tug on his heart. I'm gonna tug on her heart. I'm gonna tug on his mind. I'm gonna tug on her mind. I'm gonna give him this gift. And somebody, somebody refusing a gift from God, they like, I don't want it. He says it's a gift. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." [01:03:28] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "So, you got up for the day. I'm talking about your everyday living. Your everyday walking it out with God. The enemy comes. He's your old nature. Sinful nature. Know all about your quirks. Know all about your history. On fleek, ready for you to do evil. Ready. Ready. Because you were sleeping and he woke up and he was like, we ready? Let's go. We're going to mess you up today. We're going to act a fool today. I'm going to bring your conscience under condemnation. I'm going to make you feel like you ain't saved. Oh, I'm ready for you today." [01:11:55] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "This is how you win your everyday battle. Why? Because these two forces are going to constantly fight. Within you, they're going to fight each other. So you're not free to carry out the good things God had planned for you. There's something called the devil that wants to stop you from doing... Growing in God, from becoming in God, and from carrying out the assignment, good intentions, bearing fruit for God. You got to fight on your hands." [01:13:02] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "But we Christians have no veil over our what? Faces. I want you to think of this. This scripture is talking about when Moses came down from off the mountain from 40 days, he had to put a veil over his face because the glory of God was shining till it changed how his image looked, right? And the kid, the people of God... The Israelites were a little scared of that. They was like, ooh, okay, it's kind of freaky there. So he had to pull the veil over his face. Now check this out. This is what the scripture says. But we Christians have no what? Veil over our what? We can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord." [01:14:55] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "He is increasing your awareness of what God honors and what God doesn't. That's the work of the spirit, not the work of you. Your work is to obey. Come up under submission. Okay? Okay. He says, and as the spirit, put it back up, and as the spirit of the Lord works, where? Within us, we become what? More and more like him. Who is him? Jesus." [01:16:28] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9. "If you keep yourselves what? Pure. Once he cleanses you. Once he starts the sanctification work in your life. What is the sanctification work, Miss Ma'am? That's the process of him removing those evil desires that you have an inclination and a craving to. The Holy Spirit is the one that begins to deal with that desire in you. And it says that if you keep yourself pure. It didn't say make yourself pure. It says if you keep your job is the keeping." [01:22:52] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10. "He says if you keep yourself pure, you will be a special vessel for honorable use. Your life will be what? Clean. And you will be ready for the master to use for every good work. It tells us to run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Run. Run. What is your action? So miss ma'am, you telling me I need to start like kicking off in track when something comes. No. What he's saying is if it comes on you that temptation, you got to take an opposite direction. But you got to be purposeful about that." [01:23:57] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)