Slow and See | Taylor Madu | Divine 2024

((applause))
 wow can we just give it up for King Jesus the one who saved my soul the one who rescued me from me from the Valley of the shadow of death and pulled me out and gave me a new name the Savior who didn't allow me to stay where I was but showed grace and mercy and called me higher and as the worship team Anna they were singing I just couldn't help but take my my heart and my mind back to the space of the darkest Valley where the devil thought he won the devil thought that he had authority over my life and yet God showed up and he stepped in and now I stand as a living testimony and Look What the Lord Has Done he's able to do it and if he did it for me he can do it for you can we just give Jesus a round of applause this is not just another day it's a new day and there's purpose inside of you I don't know what you came in caring I don't know what you came in worried about I don't know what's too heavy but I know that God is a god of restoration and healing and salvation and power and Redemption and freedom and he's here today and so excuse me not forgive me but Excuse me while I get excited about that name cuz it's that it's that name that that name that name you just thought you showed up at a conference that's the best part is you just thought you bought a ticket and you're in the room but Jesus has already been here waiting on you on you and he knows exactly where you are maybe you didn't even want to come but because of who he is he kind of situated this and closed that door and got you in this conversation and the invit and now you're in the room and I believe that what God has already done he's going to continue to do and he's going to continue to exceed do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could think or imagine and because he's in the room I have my expectation is just because he's in the room you can be seated thank you thank you worship team for leading us to the glory of all glories I'm a worshipper I love Jesus I'm excited about anytime I get to talk about him I'm just so honored U right someone loves Jesus in the room Hallelujah so gosh this is my first time in this room I think last time I was here I kicked off my heels and we had like a holy ghost alter call I love a alter call love the Holy Ghost we say holy ghost y'all say holy ghost or Holy Spirit Holy Ghost I you have to say holy ghost because your pastor is Pastor Jensen and Sharice Franklin so I know you say holy ghost but to give you a little bit of background my name is Taylor and uh the beautiful young lady I'm so glad that you've come to social Dallas how cool is that um my husband and I we planted a church three years ago um wow it has been quite the ride we never thought we would be pastors and the Lord called us to be pastors so we came off the road as evangelists and we planted a church and it has been quite the journey we went from like I don't know a little gathering at Granada Theater and then overnight we were like you know it's really it's it's a lot and it's the greatest journey of our lives and so um I am a pastor I'm also a mama and my two girls are here with me actually my Remington she's six but she's turning seven tomorrow so happy birthday Remy they don't like attention but that's my babies I love them so much um but yeah also have a son he's with Dad and and daddy is that weird that I call him daddy probably to you it is um yeah so there's that his name is Robert I call him daddy we call him daddy not for weird reasons but because he's the father of my children he would like me to call him daddy for that reason but that's not the case so there's that we have three kids together Hallelujah and he's with my son and so we're gonna have a great time today before I jump into the word of God I'm actually really excited um because even through worship I could see that the Lord has already aligned this message and so I'm confident that he's going to speak today and it's going to be transformative but before I go any further I have to honor uh Pastor Sharice I love her so much what a queen what a queen truly you're like don't do it yeah but here's the deal like I said I was we were evangelists we've been pastors for three years can I just tell y'all pastoring is not for the week y'all people us people we are crazy okay the best look don't get offended we we love people we love the Lord and we love people because that's the mission of Jesus the heart of God but let me let me tell you pastoring is not for the week and so to be able to put on a conference like this it is no small thing it takes faithfulness it takes grit it takes resilience it takes overcoming every demonic power and force that comes against your life and your family and so the fact that this is here the fact that the Franklin family they're here they're amazing and phenomenal and what an honor and privilege it is to have them as your leaders and pastors I mean what are we talking about voices for the world so thank you so much for just allowing me to be here it's an honor and I love you and I love Connor I mean I haven't seen Connor since she was two and now we're here and like you're grown now so there's that I'm not even much older than Connor but for some reason I feel like she's five and that's okay she's 26 now married and happy and thriving in life and Courtney we're the same I feel like kind of we've kind of just had this like Kindred thing going on so Courtney and Courtney's preaching the gospel what are we talking about it's it's just amazing but I love this family and now it's like okay get into the word so we're going to do that okay are you ready oh wait also my sister's here my bestie my butt we call her butt um is that weird too Daddy butt there's that my bestie then miss Simmons shout out okay here we go Taylor Focus okay Mark 6 let me turn my volume down Mark 6 30-44 father I ask that you come and you breathe on this word we're here for you no other reason no other name but the name of Jesus and that's the power of your spirit God is that you can hit every single situation every heart every mind with one word so speak the word may I speak it with confidence and boldness and Clarity and transform the heart and may we may we all leave Changed by what you've done in this room today in jesus' name amen the apostles returned to Jesus from their Ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught just this verse this first verse alone has blessed my heart because it shows me how intentional and kind and loving and personable our savior is so the disciples are on a Ministry tour quote unquote and yet they come back and they say they told Jesus all the things they had done in on behalf of his name so to me that's interesting because it's they did it for Jesus and yet he already knew what they did because he's the savior of the world and yet he told he allowed them to tell him all the things he had done our personable savior he sees you he cares about you he cares about your situation he loves you let's keep going then Jesus said let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest a while he said this because there was there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his Apostles didn't even have time to eat that part right there that really suck out to me because I don't know what in the world could ever happen that would keep me from eating but I don't know if there are some women in the room that love food and you always have snacks in your bag can I get a witness Hallelujah so this really intrigued me right they didn't have time to eat I said wow okay so they left by boat for a quiet place where they could be alone but many people recognized them and saw them leaving and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a Shepherd so he began teaching them many things late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said this is a remote place and it's already getting late send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and Villages and buy something to eat but Jesus had a different idea Jesus said you feed them they say with what they asked we'd have to work for months to earn enough food earn enough money to buy food for all of these people Jesus how much bread do you have he asked go and find out they came back and reported we have five loaves of bread and two fish then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass so they sat down in groups of 50 or a hundred Jesus Took Five Loaves and two fish looked up toward heaven and blessed them then breaking the loaves into pieces he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people he also divided the fish for everyone to share they all ate as much as they wanted and afterward the afterwards the disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftover bread and fish a total of 5,000 men and their families were fed can we give it up for the on time God that we just think about he always shows up miraculous savior um I love as I mentioned earlier the way the Lord was already setting our hearts open to receive uh this word today and we always talk about that he's a miracle worker until all of a sudden in our lives we need him to do a miracle and and we're in the waiting process but I believe that this word today is specifically for that person that is in the waiting and you're believing God for the miraculous um so uh a fun fact about me is I I just mentioned um earlier I'm a I'm a pastor's wife right I'm a I'm a a wife I am a daughter I am a mother I'm a lot of things and I recently in my busy full life I recently discovered my fifth grade Journal wow my fifth grade Journal I said I need to publicly apologize to my family for put for putting my family on blast I was like no wonder why my fifth grade teacher always encouraged me to write if she wanted my journal first every Friday I was like okay so we were small town evangelist daughter Ministry family and we had some things going on behind the scenes I mean we love the Lord okay but we also we would say a few things and do a few things that I'm sure my teacher love to hear about and so as I was reading I was like oh my gosh I'm so sorry to my stepmom I didn't mean that you know and like it is what it is right so we're here but in the front of my fifth grade Journal is actually Taylor I want to be this is what I want to be when I grow up so there were two things artwork and all the first thing that I wanted to be at 10 years old when I wanted to grow when I grew up was I wanted to be um a singer so it's really cool because I sing a little bit here and there I've led a little worship and there's that so mission accomplished I I I am a singer if you if you want to say um but the number two thing was I also wanted to be a teacher and this is really cool because as of H five weeks ago guys I am officially an educator give it up I'm a teacher that dream in my life from 10 years old has actually uh it's come to fruition right so as of five weeks ago I became um a a homeschool teacher I homeschool my children wow it uhuh look at thank you honestly I need everyone to clap because that's a big deal cuz we are uh we are we're doing it right in jesus' name so it has been quite the adventure and I say that because my kids are different my kids my kids are different they're on the front row they already know this so my kids got a little bit of Arkansas in them shout out Arkansas but they also got some Nigeria in them so that is a that's just a combo I don't think the world has ever seen before and so the Muk Kids on the Block are different okay it's beautiful and it's it's it's brutal so it's brutiful if you will like honestly it's like pastoring right shares it's beautiful and it's brutal uhuh y'all like the the life goes out of the room yall like no pastoring it's brutiful it's okay everybody calm down it is what it is you know um but it's funny because I'm committed to this journey I signed up I'm like I'm about to do this and I've announced it to the World the world knows let me tell y'all I'm going to let y'all know what I'm doing and I need y'all to cheer me on along the way so I'm a homeschooled teacher and I am determined to be the best teacher my kids have ever had so when I tell you I'm giving my all we are not just doing multiplication facts when I tell you we're doing gymnastics with multiplication facts because I'm like this is going to help them memorize nine time n so it's * 9 is 81 9 * 9 is like that's cheer that's not gymnastics but it's okay 9 * 9 ask my kids what 9 * 9 is and I promise you that 9 * 9 is 81 and they're passing their test okay so it's a amazing to see what the Lord I'm also a comedian did y'all know that I just no okay but but here's the deal committed to the journey and the hardest part because it's awesome but it's also very hard but I know I'm committed because I'm called to do it and so the hardest part of it all is not necessarily the fact that I'm homeschooling it's the reality that my life is already so full right so how in the world could I possibly fit one more thing into my schedule majority of people I've talked to my pastor friends they think I'm nuts they think I'm crazy and what's funny is in my notes I say however I don't feel crazy I feel fulfilled no I actually need to edit that I do feel crazy I feel really crazy and yet I also feel very fulfilled I feel very fulfilled as well and but I process there's a reason why I've decided to do that people have asked me why did you decide what made you decide to homeschool well I'm not necessarily adding busy to my life I view it as I'm actually adding a boundary around a priority in my life and so the reason I say that is because ministry will take every single second of every single moment of my life and if I'm not careful doing work in the name of Jesus will take all of my attention and before I know it my kids will be off to college and then they'll hate the church because I was never there for them true it's true you see it often right so here's the deal I'm like the church ain't going to take me down okay that's the thing listen and I love the church can I say that I'm making all these side jokes the church is everything the church is everything but because I do love the church so much I'm so passionate about the details when I tell you Sunday through Saturday Sunday to Sunday I'm in these Church details but I've also learned oh my gosh this could actually slowly but surely it's like when you're in the ocean and you're like standing in the shallow end and all of a sudden like 5 minutes later you look up and you're like a mile away from where you started it's like the slow drift you didn't even realize what's happening before your eyes that's what busy causes us to do we miss moments we're so busy that we're missing family dinners around the table people are in front of us and we're on our phones just scrolling away and yet we're missing before we know it we drifted so far and so for me and my family and my babies this is a boundary I've put into place and so today there's a difference I want to show you that there's a difference between a busy life and a full life that there's a saying that if the devil can't make you bad he'll make you y'all know that right listen he's not going to get me out in the club I'm 36 years old or actually 37 I'm too grown okay I honestly don't been there done that the Lord saved me Hallelujah um yeah for real though he's not going to get me in the CL he's not going to get me drunk turning up all that he will he will get me busy he'll get me so busy that I miss moments with my children I'll miss opportunities of I'm so busy doing everything what if the Lord has put someone in your path to minister to and yet you're just so busy you can't even look up at them look at them eye to eye and give them a smile because we're just so busy how many opportunities have we missed as Believers because we're so busy that's should be something that we're so aware of more aware of than anything because maybe he that's a that's a that's a easy it's a given that you're not going to be in the club and you're not going to do those big major sins but okay perfect I'll get you so busy you don't even talk to me anymore I'll get you so busy that you're not in your word and you're not praying and yeah you go to church Round of Applause you check that off your list great you're at church you're good that's that's that's the strategy of the enemy and I'm not trying to beat you up because I think there's there's in in Proverbs there's a scripture that says work for peace oh no search for peace work to maintain it search for it which means it's not easy to find search for peace work to maintain it once you find it you got to keep working to maintain it that's something that I have in my life as a reminder because it's not easy life and the days that we're living in it it it a lot of things are demanding our attention right but it's important that we identify and we put priorities and boundaries in our life to keep the main thing the main thing right so here we are um what I love is that Jesus had a full life I mean he's the savior of the world he's got a lot to do within the years that he's alive right and yet I mean it's so full that he didn't even have time to eat and yet we never see Jesus in a hurry we never see him in a hurry think about all the things all the demands and yet he's never in a hurry we often see him where gathered around a table talking to people engaging with them hearing their stories laughing with them breaking bread with with him we see him go out of his way John 4 to go sit on a well and wait to talk to one woman why because she was broken and she's lost and she's shattered and she needs an encounter and she's isolated all of a sudden this man named Jesus in his full life takes time to go sit to have a conversation with one woman why because it was more than just that moment he's about the soul right he's about the one he'll leave whatever he's got to leave to get to the one but he also knew there was more beyond the one it's now this woman gets transformed by this encounter with with Jesus she goes back into her town and the whole town was saved because of this encounter there's more to the story right and so this is who our savior has always been so when I thought about what I wanted to title this this chat this talk this word today I thought you know what let's title it slow and see slow and see I love uh the theme of this conference a angels all around cuz you know what's crazy is I think there are angels all around all around Angels Miracles all around and we miss it often because we're so busy that we don't see and I believe that there are angels truly in this room stationed around this room it gets me excited when I think about what is happening right now in the heart of every single one of you gets me excited to think of what's been prepared as as people have been praying pray for you to come into this room exactly what actually is happening in the Supernatural real there's angels all around this is Holy Holy Ground so slow and see we never see Jesus in a hurry but there's one moment in the Bible which I love seeing it's one of the few we never see Jesus running anywhere but the the only time we see him connected to running is when he's telling the story of the prodical son who decided to come home Luke 15:20 but while he was still a long way off his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him he ran to his son and what's so beautiful about that is in today's text the father has always been consistent in verse 34 Jesus saw the crowd and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a Shepherd this story is more than build our faith story it's actually a front row seat of our intentional unhurried slow and steady savior Christ personifying patience and presence Jesus Christ the one with the greatest demand the greatest demand you think you got pressure on you you think you got Demand on you Jesus Christ the one with the greatest Demand with unlimited power and yet the most unhurried when I think about Jesus I I love the names of God he's savior of the world he came to seek and to save the lost and he gave his life on a cross whoa did that just rhyme I didn't mean to do for it to do that I'm like wow see could save the lost and he he died shed his blood at Calvary to wash our sins away savior of the world Emmanuel he's he's with us you go to your in your car you feel alone no Emanuel is there you go to sleep at night and your home by yourself you feel alone maybe your family's there but you still feel alone guess what Emmanuel he's he's there Emmanuel The Lion and the lamb he is mighty and he's Majestic and he's power powerful and yet he's the lamb gracious and kind intentional personable savior he's Alpha and Omega he's the beginning and the end he goes before you behind you beside you above you beneath you he's Alpha and Omega he's also the Great I Am whatever you need him to be he is that you need him to be this he'll be that and more and today we experience Elroy in our text is Elroy the God who sees and as I was studying Elroy it's not just the God who sees I thought it was the god who sees it's actually the God who sees me the God who sees you he sees you what are you caring today what when you walked in the room what are you caring what do you need Elroy to see in you what do you need him to do in you you're not too far gone you're not too dirty you're not too broken you're not too shattered his eyes are fixed on you he sees you Jesus teaches us how an unhurried life allows you to see and not just look and there is a difference I can look out and I can see a crowd of people but when I slow I can see the person the individual I've learned that I can be in the room with people I can be in the room with my kids and not see them that is actually the the danger of of presence because you can be there but be not be present we think that we are present and we aren't and so practical ways that we put into play for our family is actually to slow and see are actually family dinners around the table we do at least two to three a week because this allows us put some priority and a boundary around our family to Where We Gather on the table out of all the hustle and bustle and we sit and we're able to ask questions how was your day how was your day how are you feeling you doing okay what was something fun that you did today my husband also does heart to Hearts by the time I get to the end of the day I don't have the capacity for heart to heart I you know I have homeschool he does the heart to heart and so he he lays with them and he does and they love heart to hearts and he ask them hey was there anything that made you happy today they tell them was there anything that made you laugh anything that made you sad anything that made you cry and and they begin to talk and he's he sees them this is a priority and a boundary it's practical it's super simple but it's also very hard to do because why because we have so many things going on but it's in those moments that we're able to see our children and see what's going on in their hearts and their souls you know before there was one time time where one of my kids they were acting out and it was just like their behavior was not like their normal behavior and I could tell they were frustrated and irritated and kind of lashing out and could have easily disciplined them and sent them to their room but in my heart there was something that saying no no no they need time with you go talk to them and see what's going on and so I go and I sit with them and I begin to ask them hey pretty much tell me more and as I began to peel back the layers of their heart and I took time to sit with them and see them they began to tell me something that happened in their day that was super super hard and it was a great opportunity for me to help them navigate this situation of what they experienced that day I could have shunn them away I could have just sent them away but slowing and seeing allowed me to see that the their behavior was actually a cry out for someone to see them and I think that's what we see right now is there's a lot of people that are actually out there and we're judging them for their behavior but really God has Christ has called us to love them and see them and we dismiss them because they're bad and Christ is saying no no no I need you to to see them I actually have a picture of oh that angel wow I love that I just saw that I'm like wow I have a picture of something and I want to put it up well I gave youall like five pictures so that's a problem right the black and white photo that I gave you okay what do you see this is so funny I didn't know if this was going to go right but hey I think it's working so okay how many of you how many of you saw a duck okay how many of you only see a duck oh wait how many of you saw the rabbit wow y'all are super smart in Georgia it's amazing I was having the hardest time trying to see the rabbit I said where's where's the rabbit someone show me where the rabbit is but now I see the rabbit ducking a rabbit a lot of us same same room same picture but we see different things and I think it's important that we allow the Holy Spirit into our lives that we invite him into our lives to help us see what he wants us to see do you see everything through the lens of oh I got to be here do you see opportunity no I get another day there's breath in my lungs I get to live another life God who are you sending my way to be Jesus to who are you sending in my path to love on and to point them towards you what are you seeing you have an opportunity to see negative oh Jesus negative people when you're around negative people isin't that just so like my husband always says there's the people that when they walk in the room what what is it you walk out what was it I butchered that no no I can't so never mind but you know what I'm talking about what do you see what do you see Henry David thorough says it's not what you look at that matters it's what you see and here at Social Dallas at our church we actually have a see the one team because I'm very passionate about crowds of people for people not to feel left out or isolated and alone because you can feel that way in a big crowd and so we have see the one where their only mission is to literally look and and watch and pay attention to the posture of individuals so if they look uncomfortable if they're on their cell phone if they're playing with their cuticles that's a thing and they're just like looking around uncomfortable you find them and you engage with them you see them love on them and I believe that's actually what Christ has called us to do is to see right see people see people but it's so funny because we we are we live in a a day and time I think always Humanity has always been this way we want to want to be seen and and because seeing helps us feel valued right um recently within the last few years forgive me if this is offensive I hope it's not in Jesus name if it is everything's going to be okay everyone calm down but I dressed up as Joyce Myer for Halloween okay so period period okay let's just take a moment real quick and pause wow that's a really good costume can we just say that okay so if I had a hero Joyce Myer's my hero I love her my husband's an introvert I'm an extrovert and he was like please don't do that please don't babe please don't I said babe it's an honor and it's a privilege like I love her and I honor her and I respect her and I just she's she has to hopefully she'll see it and she'll love it she'll think it's so funny you know Joyce is so funny right she's for sure going to laugh so there's that he was holding his breath a few days you know people were laughing but like Joys you know and all the sudden out of nowhere just Joyce Meer started following me on Instagram and so it's just I was like okay okay girl she loved it I literally in our kitchen I started screaming she saw it she loves it but is that funny but also this is actually really funny then I ended up going on her podcast which is hilarious so anyone who doesn't believe that I can dress up as joice for Halloween look it opened the door and Jesus made a way and listen let me tell you something there ain't no devil in hell that owns any day of my life okay my God owns every day so there's that but it's actually ridiculous because of the way I felt so good when Joyce Meyer started following me it's real can we talk about it I was like oh my God this is amazing did I do the maybe I was shouting a little bit I was like this is weird but it's real but it's funny because it's we just want to be seen and that's so shallow super shallow super shallow but also I lowkey felt like this is my moment y'all like this is the moment I've been waiting for my whole life I didn't even know it to be seen for real to be seen to be seen and we're all out here trying to do all the things just to get someone to see us and yet Elroy Elroy the god who sees you he's here he sees me he sees every part of us and he loves us and he adores us and he created us and that's not shallow that is a fulfilling yoke is easy burden is light type of see he sees you in the midst of your betrayal he sees you when you receive the diagnosis he sees you in the midst of your miscarriage he saw you as a child trying to navigate the abandonment he saw you when you lost your job he saw you then and he he sees you now the Savior then is the savior now he saw them that day same savior he sees he sees and his heart was full of compassion meanwhile the disciples which the disciples would represent us not so much Christ sees opportunity but the disciples they see a problem before you judge the disciples we are the disciples often in life where we see a problem Christ sees opportunity that sounds real good right oh that's powerful Christ sees opportunity where we see it's unfortunate it it honestly is so unfortunate right because often discovering Jesus comes through suffering learning his characteristics learning all these names about who he is how do you know if he's healer if you hadn't never been sick truly and that's very I know we've heard that before but how do you know he's Redeemer if he hadn't never been broken and shattered into a million pieces I know he's Redeemer because I once was laying in a hospital bed holding my stillborn baby boy I didn't know how I was going to get up I didn't know how life would ever be good again I never knew how I could find Joy again and yet the Redeemer stepped into my life and he pulled me out and he gave me a new day and I stand here today is a living testimony right how do you how do you know how do you know until you are faced with the opportunity to learn who he is right and so a problem opportunity the solution for the disciples was super simple they said send the crowds away that's the solution super easy and there's no judgment they're tired they're hungry they've been doing Ministry all the things they actually go away to hide from the crowds the crowds follow Lord give the church that type of influence right where we don't really have to post the thing that what God is doing in the house of God is so contagious and everyone's talking about it that people we can't keep the people away they're they're showing up they're running after because what is on our lives what is in us what we are presenting is so contagious so here they go and they're tired I get it I'd be hungry too I'd be mad too and be like Jesus send them away okay put them back we're good call it a day but the reality is is Jesus says otherwise the easiest solution would be instead of facing the problem let's send the problem away and that's what most of us do if it's hard send it away sending sending it away sounds good but we don't have control over our circumstances right and so we only have control over our emotions and how we act in our circumstances okay so what if it you fill in the blank of what your it is what if it isn't going anywhere I can fill my schedule up and stay so busy that I don't have to think about it I can continue to fight it press it down and act like it doesn't exist uh we can try to ignore the trauma that we've walked through and go from relationship to relationship go to the alcohol go to the sex go to Target that's the thing spend out all of the money honey but it Whatever It Is will always resurface itself until we face it and what I'm learning with the father with God is that God will make you face it until you're free from it so one of my prayers in my life is God I don't know what you're doing I'm uncomfortable I'm overwhelmed those are real emotions I have anxiety sometimes I have anxiety it it feels my heart's beating out of my chest I need to take a deep breath I need silence I what what but then I'm like wait but I don't want to miss whatever God is trying to teach me in this God don't let me miss it to where I have to do it again and again and again and again he will make you face it until you're free from it colossian teaches us how to face it you know a lot of times we pray the things away but how about we pray like Paul in Colossians we continually ask God to fill you with knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the spirit gives so so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way bearing fruit in every good work growing in the knowledge of God being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and giving joyful thanks to the father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the Kingdom of Light instead of praying it away sending get away God give us spiritual Insight give us knowledge and wisdom on how to navigate this right often we are praying you don't have a car and and you want a car so you pray for the car but at the same time what what give me spiritual insight and wisdom and knowledge and endurance to be able to endure this season cuz often we do have to endure the season we can't just send it away we do have to endure it so okay so let's figure out what do we do and how do we endure it God is the god of process and the process perfects us it refines us it strengthens us but the process is not just for us it's also for others around us because our lives are all connected so I want to ask you what in your life and I want you to think about it what in your life are you trying to send away that God is asking you to endure so he can do the miraculous through you if God would have done what the disciples had said to do out of their own desire he would have met the needs of 12 and miss the opportunity to meet the needs of the 12 plus 5,000 they say that 5,000 men plus women and children roughly was 10,000 people so meet the needs of 12 the disciples easy fix or perform indoor perform the miraculous and now for 10,000 plus people to watch we are often Earthly focused it's fair I get it it's our flesh it's hard we don't want that it's painful we are often Earthly Focus while Christ is only only eternity focused we are often Earth chres only that's the only way he sees eternity is all that matters you're not just in the hospital room for you there are nurses and there are doctors that Christ is wanting to use for you to minister to and he knows it's hard he knows it's hard but he also knows that what's in you is for them give Grace and endurance and strength and patience to endure this season I'm not minimalizing your pain I I can't even imagine what you're going through but also bigger picture because you can't control your circumstances you can only control your attitude and your perspective God give us strength to sustain us through this journey Give Me A Reason Who Am I who are you trying to reach through me today be empowered by the Holy Spirit you're not just without a car because God doesn't want you to have a car no God is trying to get you in that Uber because that Uber driver needs what's inside of you to get to them there's a bigger picture can you say there's a bigger picture there's a bigger picture God you know social Dallas 3 years old we're running about three to 4,000 people on a Sunday three years old it is hard in these streets and the kicker is that we don't have a building we're mobile we have no building we are at the mercy of these venues literally every single Sunday will you take us will you take us the people are coming they're walking a mile there's no parking it's crazy there's no seats it smells like throw up in weed because we're meeting in public venues news our kids ministry is amazing and it's also ghetto sometimes but you know what we love our social kids you know what I could sit here my husband and I both could literally sit here and cry that we don't have a building is it hard absolutely are we weary heck yeah would it be incredible if all of a sudden God dropped down a building absolutely but you know what I've often seen him move the way I've seen him move is all of a sudden I hear about the worker that's at the door the all of a sudden they got their little hand lifted and they're they're not supposed to be there for social Dallas but because they're working for the venue they're there at Social Dallas and they experience there's tears coming down their faces and there's people that are being transformed that are part of the venue not social Dallas and I'm like this is why you haven't given us a building Lord your will be done there's a bigger picture it's not about me it's not about us God what are you wanting to do through Us in the Earth for eternity it's about souls it's always been about souls give us strength to endure in Jesus name there's a bigger picture so Jesus comes with the solution he responds with you feed them Jesus puts a demand on on the disciples that is actually humanly impossible to achieve how the heck are we gonna feed them what doesn't even make sense why would he suggest this at the snap of a finger one word spoken he could have made bread appear first in their stomachs in front of them he could have put Tru bread sticks from Olive Garden with alfredo dipping sauce right in front of them in Jesus name that's my jam I love Olive Garden I used to work at Olive Garden shout out Olive Garden okay wow it's the moment for Olive Garden OG period but instead unhurried Jesus not in a hurry not rushed he's about to reveal who he is he's not only healer he's not only Redeemer but he is also provider and some of you are at that place right now in your life you need God to snap your snap his finger and make bread appear that's not going to happen I want it to and and maybe it could sometimes God does those things right it's like all of a sudden we sing about it all of a sudden he GNA come all of a sudden my God I love that song and Anna's voice wow an angel from heaven but truly all of a sudden he can but quite often back to God of process he takes us through the process because he's more concerned with who we're becoming than just giving us what we want I always say God keep me humble you know I keeps me humble by not giving me what I want that's what I would do for my children you don't always get what you want you got to work for it you got to you know we got to teach our kids some things not that we earn his love or for for any works but we're being refined we are we're there's some things that need to be sifted out of our hearts and our souls and that's that's where this whole process comes in right and so Christ is wanting to refine you um he's wanting to also reveal another part of who he is um as I mentioned when I was holding my stillborn baby boy I I didn't know what any of this meant I'm 19 years old my life is a mess I grew up and moms struggle with addiction and Dad's on the road and incredible parents who were doing their best but there was lack in different ways and they were phenomenal still love them it's it's amazing and yet there was a lot of times where I just didn't know and I don't know how I even ended up there and then God stepped in and said you've heard about me making all things new your whole life well now let me teach you what that looks like for me to make all things new and so I stand today is my life is what I can't even believe I'm here but that was the exchange of Christ taking me on this journey of making all things new and in Co 2020 we were evangelists on the road so all of a sudden all the churches are shutting down which means our bank account shut down it's true all of a sudden cancellation after cancellation after cancellation after cancellation God had been so gracious to literally provide for us on the road well now all of a sudden it stopped we're like oh my gosh never thought this would happen but guess what started to happen ran random checks in the mail and we didn't even have to work for it exceedingly abundantly above all that you could think or imagine God would provide I didn't I knew that side I believed it but then I now I really believe it whenever that random check came in the midd I didn't know how we're going to pay our mortgage and all of a sudden boom that's how you're G to pay your mortgage you've been faithful and I see you and I'm not even going to make you work for it because I know that the posture of your heart has always been to be faithful with the tithe and faithful in the house of God and so boom I'm going to provide for you provider he revealed who he was but it was scary it was frustrating it was uncertain and yet he revealed a new expression of who he was for Taylor and Robert MW God is Not intimidated by The Impossible I'm going to go ahead and invite the the worship team God is Not intimidated by The Impossible he loves it because it's opportunity for him to work and do what he does best way maker way maker Miracle Worker promise keeper that's that's who he is so verse 39 I'll be closing soon it says then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass groups and green grass everyone say groups gr and green grass grass 10,000 people in groups put in 10,000 people in groups wow think about it for real so you're tired you're hungry you're weary you snuck away the people followed you now Jesus who can make the impossible possible just put the bread sticks in front of them he has a different idea frustrating now he says now I want you to put 10,000 people to in groups of 50 10,000 people in groups of 50 can you imagine imagine imagine I can't even keep 2,000 people on a Sunday any order it's chaos it's beautiful chaos put them in groups of 50 but I love that Jesus always has a reason beh behind why he calls us to do what he's called us to do because I'm imagining the disciples had to been frustrated but while they were grouping hey you one two three family of five okay over here okay 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 2 okay 50 they're grouping they're slowing and they're seeing Jesus in his intentionality to have them do that what they didn't really want to do he was having them slow and see because he's always been a savior consistent savior who slows and sees and as they're putting and seeing now all of a sudden their frustration as they look into the eyes of these people who are marginalized and they're exhausted and they're tired and they're weary and they've been waiting on the Savior Jesus to come and waiting on him to come and they they can see and now all of a sudden they're fresh FR ation turns into compassion because they can see the the individual and they their attitude changes so the best part of serving the kingdom is whenever you serve in return it ends up being more beneficial to you than it is for the person that you're serving because we in our pride think we show up because we're serving people and we're so sweet and we're so kind and we're so good and then all of a sudden we realize oh my gosh this actually this is more for me and I would go and visit um we had a baby girl four years old in our church and fighting cancer and her name was Isabella Joy it's our baby we call her our baby and she transitioned to heaven and the mom my friend Jessica was in that hospital room for gosh days six months she would just wait for Isabella to wake up and I remember I would go in and I would see her and I want to be present right I want to be kind and be there and be available and as I would go in to minister to her it's crazy because she would Minister to me her strength and her joy and all her scriptures posted up in the hospital room and the saying future is secure and her strength now rubbed off on me and I'm like wait how is this working and that's the gospel when you serve it's there's an exchange and so Jesus in his sovereignty in his intention Al ity had plan and purpose of why the disciples should group them together slow and see a toer says while it looks like things are out of control behind the scenes there is a God who has not surrendered his authority my God so now we we see the groups we see what's going on there but now we see the green grass this miracle is the only Miracle recorded in all four Gospels that's very interesting to know all four gospels the only Miracle recorded in all four Mark is the only one that mentions that the crowds were like sheep without a shepherd and that the the grass was green why why is he telling us that the grass is green like grass we get it it's green well as I began to talk to a friend who's a theologian he began to blow my mind as he opened up my eyes to see exactly what Mark was trying to get us to understand that Mark is actually pointing the readers to a Psalm that they would have all been familiar with the Good Shepherd has come to the rescue Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd I lack nothing he makes me lie down in Green Pastures so as he grouped them and had them sit down he was already fulfilling what he had already promised my God sit down in groups lie down in Green Pastures The God Who slows in Seas he makes me lie down in Green Pastures he leads me beside Quiet Waters he refreshes my soul even though I walk through the darkest Valley I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil my cup overflows surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever The Promised Messiah would fulfill Psalm 23 and would make the house of Israel lie down in Green Pastures and he would invite them to D at his table oh my gosh the word of God is so good Jesus you can stand to your feet Jesus thank you Lord for your presence and this is the part Jesus Takes the bread and he gave thanks kiss the bread and he gave thanks the interesting part is that it's not just not enough bread but it's barley bread and barley bread was what the poor ate so it was considered animal feed the lowest of the lowest of the lowest so as I was processing Christ giving thanks for animal feed he's thanking God for he's giving thanks for what's not enough as he turns what's not enough into enough because let me tell you gratitude turns what's not enough into 
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 enough you don't have enough to fix your marriage you don't have enough to have the baby that you so desire you don't have enough to get the job you don't have enough to find the spouse but what you do have is a thank you and a posture of gratitude to say God give me the endurance give me the strength give me the spiritual Insight give me the spiritual wisdom to endure whatever you've plac on me to endure I know that I can and I give you thanks God I give you thanks let me tell you gratitude is one of the most powerful strategies that you can use against hell I'm trying to tell you Joyce Meers says that best if you want to make the devil mad just get happy okay and so I believe today at Divine conference 2024 that there's a group of women that you don't know what tomorrow holds and you're not necessarily sure about if the Lord is going to meet the need but you are grateful and you know that he's a good Savior and you lift up your hands as you lift up your hands you're going to say thank you God that you are enough despite what I see despite what I feel thank you God that you woke me up again today and there's breath in my lungs thank you God that I'm alive and well and that your grace is sufficient and your peace God is gives me peace that passes all understanding that you are my anchor and I am firmly planted God on the solid foundation that you are all that I need you are the I am that I am you're the Good Shepherd you are all things that I need you to be he's everything that we need him to be so as we summarize this in a nutshell God today give these women at Divine myself included give us eyes to see I declare it give us eyes to see we're not just looking we're seeing give us eyes to see what you see Jesus number two give us strength to endure spiritual Insight wisdom strength to endure because I can't control my circumstances but I can control my attitude in the circumstances and number three last but not least give us Grace to be grateful anyways so God today I want to invite the prayer team and I want every single one of you you can fill in the gap of what you need God to do whatever Miracle it is that you need him to do whatever season that you're in whatever you're believing God to do I pray that strength you feel it in your inner being not just that shallow I feel good height but no in your inner being the holy spirit is here and he's digging down deep he's going deep deep deep and he's going to give you strength in your inner being that he'll be a be begin to uh shift your perspective and not just see the thing the lack the enemy wants you to focus on the lack but there's so much good and there's so much more more that God has specifically for you and so today if you if you want and you desire to for God to give you eyes to see if you uh desire you need strength to be able to endure whatever you're walking through or you just simply say you know what I need to repent for being negative and complaining about this season that I'm in God this is a new day give me a heart of gratitude and a posture of Thanksgiving because I can see that that in my not enough you turn what's not enough enough into enough through my Thanksgiving and my gratitude I want to give you this opportunity to partner with someone what a beautiful prayer team partner and believe that from this day forward I'm going to see differently in Jesus name Anna can you lead us in gratitude and we're just going to believe that right now the room is going to be filled filled with the presence of God grateful Hearts new eyes to see fresh Vision as you go out into your day this is not a one- Time moment this is changing Generations you're affecting your kids the way you see the way that you talk your babies are watching and they're listening so may we lift up our hands and just give him glory because he is enough we give you thanks father I want to invite you if you desire this in your life come forward we're going to make space for this opportunity it's an opportunity God to meet with the father God we thank you God we love you we know it's not much but God we we give you our lives and we say thank you we say thank you you