Halfway Is Not The Whole Way | Dr. Jackie Greene | Forward City Church

What's up, YouTube? It's Jamal here, and thank you so much for tuning ((music playing)) into the word today. Boy, do we have a doozy for you. Dr. Jackie Green preached ((music playing)) in our Planted on Purpose series, a message entitled Halfway is not the whole way. And I pray that this message blesses you.

Make sure that you grab a notebook, you grab a pen, ((music playing)) because notetakers are history makers. Lean in and receive all that this word has for you. Let's take a look at Genesis 12 verse one. The Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people, and your father's household to the land I will show you."

I want you to tap somebody beside you and let them know sometimes you just got to start going. >> I believe many of us might be delayed and think that we've been denied because we won't just take the first step. Did you know that there are sometimes THAT THE INSTRUCTION THAT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING ON, YOU'LL ONLY FIND ON THE WAY? >> There's a thing that YOU WON'T FIND BEFORE YOU GET STARTED.

YOU GOT TO STEP INTO THAT THING. AND AS YOU GO, YOU MIGHT BE HEALED. AS YOU GO, YOU MIGHT GET INSTRUCTION. AS YOU GO, YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND, OKAY, GOD, THAT'S THE DIRECTION YOU'RE SENDING ME. OH, I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO GO THAT WAY. GO TO THE RIGHT. THE LORD SAYS, AS YOU GO, I WILL SHOW YOU.

Verse two, I will make you into a great nation. >> You want to be great, you got to go >> and I will bless you and I will make your name great. Many of us BELIEVE THIS Y'ALL BECAUSE THE EARTH HAS TOLD US THIS. SOCIAL MEDIA EVEN HAS TOLD US THIS.

We are responsible to make our own name great. It reminds me of the people in the Tower of BABEL TIMES WHERE THEY START BUILDING TRYING TO MAKE THEIR OWN NAME GREAT. I can tell you this. God can do MORE WITH LESS IF YOU GIVE HIM YOUR OBEDIENCE. YOU WANT TO BE BLESSED IN THE CITY AND IN THE FIELD.

YOU WANT TO BE BLESSED IN YOUR COMING AND YOU'RE GOING, THEN DO WHAT GOD SAYS AND OBEY. >> HE SIMPLY SAID GO. HE SAYS IF YOU GO, I'LL DO THE MAKING. >> I believe that some of us HAVE BEEN BEING UH IN A POSITION OF UH OF WAITING BECAUSE WE WON'T SIMPLY TAKE THE step of going. >> He says, I'll do the making if you go.

I will bless those who bless you and whatever cur and whoever curses you, I will curse and all peoples on the earth will be blessed through you. I'm telling you, everything attached to you wins when you make a decision to obey the Lord. Let's pray together. Father, I thank you so much for your goodness.

Oh, hallelujah. Daddy, do what you promise. Lead us forward. We recognize that the word over Forward City Church is not just a church name. It's a prophetic declaration. Your desire is to move us forward faster in every area in our finances, in our marriages, with our children, God, in our health, in our perspective.

I pray that you bring about divine progression. >> Father, we trust you. Even in moments where we can't trace you, we trust you. Do what only you can in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Somebody tell the person beside you the title of my message that halfway is not the whole way. >> Halfway is not the whole way. >> Oh, I believe that God is in the room.

Anybody feel him in the room? >> I believe that there is instruction. We might be in November. There is a word. There is an instruction. There is an assignment that God has heavy on the hearts of his people. I believe that many people showed UP TODAY AND YOU RECOGNIZE THAT ALTHOUGH YOU'VE DONE SOME THINGS THAT THERE'S STILL SOMETHING ON THE INSIDE OF YOU LEAPING.

DO I GOT ANY people in THE ROOM THAT KNOW THAT GOD IS NOT DONE WITH YOU AS IT PERTAINS TO YOUR ASSIGNMENT? THERE'S STILL MORE THAT HE HAS IN STORE FOR YOU. THERE'S STILL MORE THAT HE'S [whispering] . THERE'S STILL VISIONS THAT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN FULFILLED. THERE'S STILL THINGS THAT THE FATHER IS AFTER IN YOU. >> SOMEBODY SAY THAT HALFWAY IS NOT THE WHOLE WAY. >> Halfway is not the way.

I BELIEVE THAT THE FATHER IS PROMOTING and even uh challenging us to not GIVE UP HAVING DONE SOME OF the things that he said but not going the full distance. The enemy would love nothing more than to have believers that love God but not fully blessed by God.

There are people in the room THAT WE WALK IN CHURCH ON SUNDAY and they ask you how you doing. We say we blessed AND HIGHLY FAVORED. BUT I'M TELLING YOU, THERE IS AREAS OF YOUR LIFE THAT you're saying, "God, I'm looking at that and it doesn't align to the word of God that I read that you said about me, the promises that you said.

And I am frustrated with the resolve that many times we're not seeing the fullness or we're denying the benefits of what God has promised that is available to us because we won't go the whole distance." Can I be real transparent with y'all in the beginning of this message and tell y'all one of the greatest pet peeves I have.

Can I be honest? >> Y'all going to judge me? >> Y'all like to keep it 100. >> That's how I live. So, in the very beginning of this message, I want to tell y'all about something that has been super hard for me. Sometimes I believe I'm superwoman and I can do all things by myself.

I got anybody in the room that you know I mean asking for help you don't you just you just don't know what you're going to get >> they just might not do it the way you want it done you know IT'S A CERTAIN WAY everything need to be done right and as I was thinking ABOUT THIS MESSAGE THIS IDEA AND this understanding of how it can be frustrating when you make a decision to get over YOURSELF AND FINALLY DECIDE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ask somebody for help with the thing that you cannot DO BY YOURSELF THEY MAKE A DECISION to only do it halfway You ever ask somebody to help you clean up, SWEEP YOUR FLOOR, WIPE, NOT FLOOR, FLOW, uh wipe the wipe the countertops, maybe, you know, help you deep clean the house.

Like, why are you going to call it a deep cleaning if you ain't going to move my furniture? >> JUST HALFWAY MINISTRY. THEY ONLY DO WHAT'S NECESSARY. They only do what you can SEE WITH YOUR NATURAL EYE. THEY MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IT'S full done, >> but it's only halfway.

There is nothing more frustrating than asking for someone to help you and they give halfway energy BECAUSE IN THE TIMES WHERE THEY WANT YOUR HELP, >> you show up, YOU SHOW UP ON TIME, YOU YOU GO THE EXTRA DISTANCE, you bring THE BISCUIT, THEY ASK YOU TO PICK THEM UP, BUT YOU BRING THEM BREAKFAST, YOU DO ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, BUT IN THE ONE TIME THAT YOU NEED THEM TO SHOW UP FOR YOU.

I GOT ANYBODY IN THE ROOM THAT'S FRUSTRATED WITH PEOPLE ONLY DOING IT HALFWAY. ((cheering)) >> ((applause)) >> I believe that nobody in THE ROOM IS MORE FRUSTRATED THAN MY MAMA'S. >> You ever ask your children to do something? >> I believe we just got some um what I like to call ungrateful children.

They get all the blessings. YOU ASK THEM TO do go just clean up YOUR ROOM BEFORE YOU leave for school. Johnny, you go to Johnny room and I mean it is ALL MANNER OF TORNADOES AND HURRICANES in that room. They go up there cuz you done fussed at them and and you got to threaten THEM TO TAKE SOMETHING.

WHY YOU GOT TO THREATEN SOMEBODY TO TAKE SOMETHING FOR THEM TO DO WHAT YOU ASKED THEM TO DO. >> Halfway ministry. They go upstairs. My my oldest son was he was in the first service. So I picked at him a little bit. Jayce specifically, he's 11. Man, you hold the oldest to a higher responsibility.

SO I SAY, "JAY, GO CLEAN UP YOUR ROOM." HE GO in there. He come downstairs. HE COMES TO REPORT. MOMMY, I'M DONE. I DID IT. Only for me to walk up the steps. I didn't even feel like getting off the couch. But I walk up here to see what you did.

I get in the room. He cleaned the desk, but the trash can overflowing. I see there's nothing on the bed, but it's something under the bed. I see stuff hanging out the closet. SON, LET ME BRING YOU INTO THE REALITY THAT ALTHOUGH YOU THINK IT LOOKS fully done, it's only halfway.

And I believe that THERE ARE SOME SPIRITUAL HALFWAY CHRISTIANS IN THIS ROOM WHERE GOD HAS CALLED YOU IN JANUARY TO LIVE A LIFE OF INTERCESSION AND FASTING AND YOU STARTED GOOD FOR THE 21 DAYS. BUT WHAT HAPPENED IN MARCH WHEN YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FASTING FOR THE FIRST THREE days of the month?

((cheering)) Halfway ministry. I believe spiritually the Lord is challenging us this morning BECAUSE HE IS SICK AND tired of GIVING HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS DOMINION, AUTHORITY, AND POWER AND US WALKING AROUND LIKE WE ARE FEARFUL. >> We won't open our mouth. WE WON'T PRAY FOR THE SICK. THE BIBLE SAYS IN MARK 16:17 THAT IF WE LAY OUR HANDS ON THE SICK THAT THEY WILL RECOVER.

BUT BECAUSE WE LIVE HALFWAY AND WE DON'T READ OUR WORD TO KNOW THAT THAT'S A PROMISE. There are people in hospital beds waiting on us to live fully in the thing that God has CALLED US TO. DO I GOT ANYBODY THAT UNDERSTANDS THAT GOD IS NOT SATISFIED WITH HALFWAY WHEN WHOLE BENEFITS ARE AVAILABLE?

((cheering)) >> He's asking us to MOVE BEYOND THE HALFWAY MARK GOING BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS. WE DO A LITTLE BIT AND THEN WE REGRESS. >> We do a little bit and we go back. The Lord said, "Would we graduate from halfway living to experience the fullness of what he has for us?"

I could imagine, I could only imagine if every single person that was in this room and then think about the households attached to that person and think about the the FAMILY LINE ATTACHED TO THAT HOUSEHOLD AND THINK ABOUT THE GENERATIONS ATTACHED TO THAT FAMILY LINE. IF WE WOULD MAKE A DECISION TO SAY, "DADDY, TODAY, NOT TOMORROW."

BECAUSE WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF TOMORROW'S PROMISED. BUT TODAY, whatever you say, I'll do. If you ask me to go, I'll go. Even if going was hard. >> This is where we find Abraham in Genesis chapter 12. God has given him instruction to go to a land that he does not know.

And he's going to walk us through A JOURNEY OF US GETTING SOME PRINCIPLES AND UNDERSTANDING. four principles that IF WE WILL GRAB A HOLD TO THEM THAT WE WILL BE SURE TO NOT LIVE HALFWAY BUT GO THE WHOLE WAY. DOES ANYBODY WANT TO MAKE IT TO THE PLACE THAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO?

I believe that THERE IS A CANAAN. THERE'S A PROMISED LAND. THERE'S A PROMISED PLACE. THERE IS A PLACE THAT IS FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY SPECIFIC FOR YOUR LIFE >> that he's calling us to. >> He wants us to not be satisfied anymore. He wants us to not be loved by the enemy and to, "Oh, you got a little anointing now, so you satisfied." >> He says, "No, no, no, no.

I GOT MORE FOR YOU, BABY. IF YOU STILL GOT BREATH, I STILL GOT MORE." >> I don't know. I feel like God is shaking somebody in THIS ROOM TODAY. HE MIGHT BE EVEN RESUSCITATING SOMEBODY THAT'S GONE TO SLEEP AT THE WHEEL, DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT GOD STILL HAS MORE BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE BREATH. >> YOU'RE NOT HERE BY ACCIDENT.

AND I DON'T MEAN JUST BIRTH. I MEAN STILL ALIVE TODAY. >> Meaning if he birthed you, HE HAD A PROMISE. HE SAID, "BEFORE I FORMED YOU, I KNEW YOU, DAUGHTER. >> I appointed you for something." And we have to be WILLING TO EMBRACE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ABRAHAM EMBRACED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE FULLNESS of that thing that he appointed us for.

We'll leave so much on the table if we stop halfway. Abraham, if you follow his story and you look at Genesis 11:31, you'll come to recognize that this promise of going to a foreign land that would be fertile and promised was not just given to Abraham. If there's any Bible scholars in the room, if we look at the text of Genesis 11:31, this is what the Bible says.

And I want this to really come to life for you because I believe many of us are sitting in the middle of a Abrahamic type story. The Bible says Tara took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, son of Haron, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out for of Calden to go to Canaan.

He didn't say to go where nowhere else but to Canaan. I want you to catch that. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. They settled in a place that God didn't call them to. >> Have you settled somewhere that God never called you? >> No, no, no, no, no.

I want you to I want you to wrestle with it. I want you to bring THAT THING TO LIFE. THIS AIN'T JUST ABOUT ABRAHAM. THIS IS ABOUT ABRAHAM DESCENDANTS. THERE was many uh descendants OF FATHER ABRAHAM. HE WAS OUR FOREFATHER OF FAITH. BUT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE FAITH THAT HE LIVED is still available today. >> The first thing that we have to grapple with, THE FIRST PRINCIPLE, THE FIRST STEP WE HAVE TO TAKE IS MAKING A DECISION TO NOT SETTLE IN THE PLACE OF SAFETY. >> That's what his father Terra did.

If you could imagine, the safe PLACE IS NOT ALWAYS A BAD PLACE. IT'S JUST A PLACE WHERE YOU WON'T LIVE FULLY FULFILLED. >> Right there. Right there. Right there. I I need you to really I want you TO FEEL ME BECAUSE THE RELATIONSHIP MIGHT NOT BE BAD. IT JUST MIGHT NOT BE GOD'S BEST. >> We see Abraham GO WITH HIS DADDY TO A SETTLED PLACE because it was much like the place THEY HAD COME FROM.

SO in they worshiped the moon god and guess what they worshiped in Haron? The moon god. In earth, IT WAS A PROSPEROUS PLACE THAT MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO LIVE OF WEALTH. And Haron WAS EXACTLY LIKE EARTH, WHICH IS WHERE ABRAHAM'S FATHER, TERRA, SAYS, "YEAH, this is good enough.

GOD, I DID PART OF WHAT YOU SAID, so that's good enough, right? >> I just feel like many OF US ARE EXPECTING FULL BLESSING, full promise, BUT GIVING A HALFWAY PLANETNESS. We will do part of WHAT GOD SAID. IS PARTIAL OBEDIENCE. AND PARTIAL OBEDIENCE is actually perfume disobedience. >> He is calling us beyond doing a little of what he's saying and not out of law, out of love.

GOD RECOGNIZES IF WE DON'T DO THE FULL INSTRUCTION, WE'LL NEVER GET THE FULLNESS OF EVERYTHING THAT he wants for us. >> Safety in moments can feel comfortable. But have you ever settled for a relationship that you know has expired and how in a moment where you settled, it felt easy, BUT WHEN YOU got to live with it for a little while, you start with that relationship.

Maybe you've married that man that was your high school sweetheart, but you keep growing. You marry not for where you're going, but for where you were, a settled place. It might have some blessing, but it doesn't bring out the fullness of what God HAS PROMISED FOR YOUR LIFE.

I can reckon with Abraham where he's in this place where his daddy stopped and HE CAUSED GENERATIONAL DELAY. YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE that maybe we would HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT FATHER TRA IF WE HAD HAD HIM NOT GIVE A NO TO WHERE GOD WANTED A YES. WE MIGHT NOT EVER EVEN HAVE KNOWN FATHER ABRAHAM THE WAY WE KNOW HIM.

BUT HE was willing TO TAKE HIS DADDY'S NO OF THE LAST SEASON AND MAKE IT A YES. DO I HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE MADE A DECISION THAT IF I HAVE TO BE THE ONE FOR MY FAMILY, IF I HAVE TO GO FIRST? IF I HAVE TO BE THE PROTOTYPE, THEN I'LL GO.

I MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE AN EXAMPLE, BUT AS LONG AS I GOT JESUS, HE IS MY MODEL. HE IS MY EXAMPLE. HE IS THE ONE THAT WILL WALK WITH ME AND TALK WITH ME AND SHOW ME HOW TO DO THIS SO THAT I DON'T SETTLE IN A PLACE THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO pass through. >> I'm not saying THAT YOU WON'T PASS THROUGH HER RUN.

I'M SAYING DON'T PLANT YOUR FEET RIGHT THERE. >> I can tell YOU ABOUT A STORY IN MY OWN LIFE. I am actually a professional uh should I say doctor of the teeth. I'm a dentist, y'all. And I went to school for eight years and got a degree. Many of y'all thought my doctor was honorary like many people, but I actually went to school and got medically trained.

Y'all, y'all saw Pastor Travis, he had his little DOCTOR UP THERE TODAY. Y'ALL, HE ACTUALLY DEFENDED HIS DISSERTATION JUST THE OTHER DAY. AND WHERE WE GOT A NEW DOCTOR? YEAH, Y'ALL GOT TWO D LIKE PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY TRAINED in this thing. WE DOING THE THING. WE are expanding to the left and to the right.

We're doing the thing of expansion. >> I go to school for eight years. I love math and science. My mama and my daddy, they're in the medical profession. I I get it. It's easy for me. I ended up finishing my dental my dental requirement six months before I was supposed TO GRADUATE NOT KNOWING ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD be attached to THE ACCELERATION BECAUSE I NEED YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN WITH ACCELERATION GOD HAS SOMETHING IN MIND I didn't know that my child's life was going to be put on the line separate subject in the middle of getting this degree in the middle OF CHOOSING GOD'S WAY FOR that season I could have said God you took me eight years to this place to become a dentist there's no way I'm going to give this up.

THERE'S NO WAY I'M GOING TO LEAVE THE HARON OF MY LIFE, DENTISTRY, MY WHITE COAT, AND GETTING all these things was exactly WHERE YOU TOLD ME TO GO. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOD SPEAKS, BUT YOU DON'T keep listening for him to keep on speaking? >> You end up settled in a in in a in a place that was supposed to be a pass through. >> WOW. >> THAT'S WHAT THIS MESSAGE IS ALL ABOUT.

THE LORD HAS BROUGHT US TODAY BECAUSE I BELIEVE MANY OF US HAVE SETTLED IN HARON AND HE STILL HAS OTHER OTHER DESTINATIONS ON THE JOURNEY ON THE GPS AS HE'S TRACKING US to the PLACE OF PROMISE AND HE'S SAYING YOU SETTLED IN A PLACE BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER THAN WHAT MAMA THEM BEING.

BUT I'M TELLING YOU I GOT EVEN BETTER OVER HERE. THAT WAS MY STORY. I'M NOT SAYING THAT DENTISTRY WAS BAD, Y'ALL. I HAD VISION. I HAD VISION FOR DENTISTRY. I WAS GOING TO OPEN UP PRACTICES. THEY WERE GOING TO BE CALLED GLORIOUS SMILES. It would have blessed God. >> Oo. >> It would have helped people.

Many people wouldn't have known it was a settled place. ((cheering)) >> Many of us are currently sitting in Haron in a place of settling and people think you out here in faith. ((cheering)) >> See the thing about obedience is only you and God know the thing that he said. THE THING ABOUT OBEDIENCE IS SOMETIMES IT'LL COST YOU EVERYTHING TO LEAVE THE SAFE PLACE TO GO TO THE PROMISED PLACE.

I had that white coat. I ended up MAKING HISTORY AS IT PERTAINS TO DENTISTRY. THEY PERFORMED THE FIRST CEREMONY OUTSIDE OF THE DENTAL INSTITUTION for me. >> I was in the hospital on bed rest with my first son, BELIEVING FOR HIS LIFE, FOR GOD TO MAKE A WAY.

AND GOD MADE A WAY FOR ME TO MAKE HISTORY in a place that was only temporary. ((cheering)) Can God take you from the place WHERE YOU START TO HANG YOUR HAT? CAN GOD TAKE YOU FROM THE PLACE WHERE YOU HAVE MADE HISTORY? CAN GOD TAKE YOU FROM THE PLACE FOR A SEASON THAT HE USED to make your name great AND TAKE YOU FURTHER?

IS ANYBODY WILLING TO GO FURTHER? THAT'S WHAT THE MESSAGE IS ALL ABOUT. NOT GOING HALFWAY. WILL YOU GO THE WHOLE WAY? >> Even in the place of dentistry >> where I was so blessed. I met so many amazing people. I can still speak the language and I believe that it was necessary.

You all would have missed out on the fullness of what God had for you had I stopped in dentistry. ((cheering)) You don't even recognize. He says that those that are connected to you will BE BLESSED. AND IF I don't choose to move past a run, PAST THE HALFWAY POINT, THEN THERE ARE THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO END UP missing their blessing. >> So often we think that the comfortable safe place IS JUST ABOUT US.

THE REASON WHY HE WON'T LEAVE YOU ALONE, DAUGHTER AND SON, IS BECAUSE he see thousands attached to your Yes. >> I don't know who I'm talking to in this room, but I believe that THERE ARE SOME GENERATIONAL CURSE BLESSERS that are in this room that he is arising TODAY TO SAY, "I WON'T GO HALFWAY IF THE WHOLE WAY IS AVAILABLE."

DO I GOT ANYBODY IN THE ROOM THAT'S SAYING, "GOD, I'LL PRESS IF I HAVE TO PRESS. I'LL CRY IF I HAVE TO CRY. I'LL LAY ON MY FACE IF I HAVE TO LAY ON MY FACE. I'LL GIVE UP EVERYTHING THAT I'VE KNOWN TO GO TO A FOREIGN PLACE IF THAT'S WHERE you called me. >> God said to Abram, "Yeah, you can't settle in the place that's safe.

You have to be willing to do the thing that your daddy didn't do. You got to go forward. You got to go forward. You got to DO THE THING THAT MIGHT BE HARD FOR YOU TO DO. AND I FEEL YOU. BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT EVEN WITH MY FEELING, I'M GONNA BE WITH YOU. >> One of the greatest promises we receive from God is not what he'll do for us, is who he'll be to us in the journey. >> I believe that many of you feel afraid to start again because YOU DON'T KNOW IF HE'LL BE WITH YOU.

CAN I TELL YOU, I HAVE LIVED THE LIFE OF WALKING AWAY FROM MINISTRY AND stepping into ministry. And although dentistry was a part of ministry, IT WASN'T THE FULLNESS OF MINISTRY. And when I stepped into the place of getting back on the track of promise, it was a lot harder than I expected.

I stepped out and I said, "God, you can have this white coat cuz you gave it first. >> Anybody willing to give him back what he gave from the beginning. This don't it didn't belong to me. The doctrine didn't BELONG TO ME. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR GOD, I WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE ANYWAY.

SO, I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE FOR MYSELF SOMETHING THAT HE LIT ME. I'M GONNA GIVE HIM BACK THE THING BECAUSE HE GAVE IT FROM THE BEGINNING. ((cheering)) >> Don't settle in a safe place. >> We're gonna have to be willing like Abraham to not stay in the safe place.

But even on the journey of making decisions THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO FORWARD, WE'RE GOING TO DO THE THING THAT GOD SAID IN JANUARY. WE GET THE PROPHETIC WORD AND WE STAND STRONG. I want to be real about something that is highlighted in EVEN ABRAHAM'S STORY, EVEN MY STORY.

THERE WERE MOMENTS THAT I WANTED TO QUIT. DO I HAVE ANYBODY IN THE ROOM THAT WE NOT GOING TO DO CHURCH AND NEEDS, WE NOT GONNA PLASTER A SCRIPTURE OVER IT? IT WAS TIMES WHERE GOD, I WENT THE DIRECTION you told me to go and because it got hard over there >> because it didn't look like what I expected over there. >> I made a detour. >> Has anybody ever detoured on God?

So, in Genesis 12:10, THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT how uh Abram, he makes a decision. He's going to turn the no of his last generation INTO A YES. HE ENDS UP IN THE PLACE that he's supposed to be. HE ENDS UP IN THE PROMISED land of Canaan. And the Bible says that a famine hits this land.

There was a drought. There was a desolate place. There was something that happened IN THE PROMISED PLACE THAT HE DIDN'T EXPECT. YOU WENT WHERE GOD told you to go, but he didn't tell you WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO find when you got there. >> Now, daddy, you told me this land was going to be flowing with milk and honey. >> I don't see no milk or no honey.

I GOT TO GO. ANYBODY BEEN THERE? >> SO, I TRUSTED YOU, GOD. I GAVE A BIG GIFT, BUT BECAUSE IT DIDN'T RETURN THE WAY I EXPECTED, I DIDN'T GIVE THE NEXT YEAR. The Lord, he wants us to understand that if we want to make it THE WHOLE WAY, THE SECOND THING that we have TO EMBRACE IS THAT THE DETOUR CANNOT BECOME THE DESTINATION.

So what he does, what Abram does after he goes to Canaan, HE GOES TO THE PROMISED PLACE AND FAMINE HITS THE LAND. HE GOES TO THE ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE OF HIS DAY. HE GOES to Egypt. He says, "All right, I can just go back to what's normal. I can go back to WHAT MY FAMILY ALWAYS DOES."

THEY TRUST IN LOGIC MORE THAN THEY TRUST IN GOD. I'll make a way for myself. If God, you won't make a way. Anybody ever felt the weight of making the way for yourself. >> It's so funny how how you start is how you have to finish. And if you make the way, you going to have TO SUSTAIN THE WAY.

AND ON THE DESTINATION BEING A DETOUR, IT CAN SOMETIMES BE VERY HEAVY TO TRY TO SUSTAIN THE THING THAT GOD NEVER called you to. >> They get to Egypt because there's a famine in the promised land. It doesn't look exactly like they expected. And in Egypt, in the place of self-reliance, in the place of fear, IN THE PLACE OF SELF-PRESERVATION, WHAT Abraham ends up experiencing is more and more misalignment.

He starts to lie and deceive. The Bible TALKS ABOUT HOW WHEN THEY GET THERE, BECAUSE HIS WIFE SARAH IS SO BEAUTIFUL, HE STARTS TO TELL HER, "HEY, LIE and act like you my sister." SEE, IN THE PLACE where you're NOT SUPPOSED TO BE, MORE AND MORE THINGS THAT ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN KEEP HAPPENING.

AND I WONDER, DO I HAVE ANYBODY IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORM? BECAUSE YOU HAVE MADE A DETOUR YOUR DESTINATION. >> YOU WONDER WHY THERE'S FIRE and rain AND HELL. AND WHY AM I GOING THROUGH ALL THIS? HE'S TRYING TO PUSH YOU BACK TO THE PLACE THAT HE CALLED YOU FROM the beginning. >> He's trying to REALIGN YOU IN LOVE.

WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS A STORM OF HATE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN A STORM OF LOVE. He said, "Daughter, I can't leave you here. Son, I can't leave you here. I didn't call YOU TO THIS PLACE." AND ALTHOUGH THIS PLACE MIGHT BE THE thing that everybody else calls powerful or beautiful or an opportunity or a a promotion or the place of PROVIDENCE BECAUSE THE NILE RIVER RAN through Egypt, it was a place of resources and luxury.

That might not be the same thing that heaven calls Egypt. Right? >> He said that Egypt was a downgrade even though there was famine in the promised place for a moment. >> I want you to understand that you might be in the middle of trying to decide. WOULD YOU GET BACK ON THE PATH THAT GOD SET YOU ON?

WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF beyond the detour and you're just not sure because the last time disappointed you so much? It reminds me of uh Peter when they were out there on the water and they had let down their nets and they had fished all night AND THEY HAD TRIED to catch fish AND THEY HAD TRIED TO DO IT AND THEY WERE DOING IT GOD'S WAY BUT THEY DIDN'T GET GOD RESULTS AND God came back like he's coming back today and he says let your net down again. >> Wow. >> I hear the father saying leave Egypt and go back to Canaan again.

Leave the place of self-reliance in the place of doing it in your own strength and try my strength again. >> I don't know who's in this room that needed to know that his hands can be trusted to hold you. >> That he won't let you down and he won't fail you.

There were moments in my journey of leading leaving dentistry where I was like, God, you could have left me alone in my strong place, but you'll take me to the place that will require me to put my full weight down on you. And he says, "It's that place where I'll bless you fully.

It's that place where you'll really flourish. It's that place that you'll end up in all that I have for you, but you're going to have to trust and rely on me." It's a hard thing to give way to your trust and your reliance to put your weight down on God. >> Abraham gets pushed out of the detour because in God's love, even though he wasn't planted, he was covered.

I just I don't know who needs to hear it, but you serve a God that is not judgy. He's patient. >> He'll sit down and wait in your detour. >> He will sit down and he will becking you and call you. He will send person after person. He will love you there.

He will COVER YOU THERE AND HE WILL KEEP INVITING you back. Hey daughter, come on back over here. Oh, come up a little higher here. He'll invite you back to the place that will yield everything that you expected. But you cannot be weary in welloing and expect for due season to come. >> Abraham makes a decision to make the next step of going all the way.

He goes back to Canaan and recognize that the blessing is for the planet person. The last that's the third thing that we have to realize that when you go back to the place that God called you from the beginning, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND that in that in that PLACE OF BEING WHERE GOD has called YOU TO BE.

I WANT I WANT TO BRING THAT TEXT. It was I think it's 13:5. The Bible says, "Now Lot WAS MOVING ABOUT WITH Abram and had flocks." Y'all, they telling me to wipe my face cuz I be in this thing. Amen. >> Are we good? Amen. >> To the text that your mom is good.

Um, now Lot was moving about with Abram and had flocks and herds and tents, but the land could not support them while they stayed together. I need y'all to hear this. The reason they couldn't stay together for their possessions, I'm talking about flourishing, blessing, abundance, increase. Their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.

This text was something that I had heard about so often. I heard about Abraham being so blessed that the land couldn't contain his blessing. Does anybody know about the weight of blessing? People don't talk about enough that there is weight attached to the blessing of God. There is a lot of weight attached to the blessing of God.

BECAUSE IF YOU SHOW HIM you can be faithful over little, he'll continue to make you ruler OVER MUCH. AND THE WAY he you show him that you can be faithful over little is you plant your feet where he tell you and you don't move until he tell you to move.

Abraham ends up back in the place where he will be blessed and he will flourish. And simply because Lot was in the right proximity. He was IN COVENANT AND ATTACHED to the right person. You see Genesis 12 come to LIFE THAT EVERYBODY THAT YOU BLESS you will be blessed.

Everybody connected to you will BE BLESSED. AND SO you see this beautiful picture of so much blessing that they have to expand. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN talking about all year long. This expansion. One of the things that the Lord challenged me with that I had never considered is why what was the difference between Abram and Lot than you and I?

Why have many of us been saying we're blessed in highly favored, but we don't see blessing in every area of our life? WHY HAVE WE BEEN GOING SEASON after season seeing some areas THAT ARE STILL IN DROUGHT WHEN WE KNOW THAT THE GOD HAS PROMISED THAT WE WOULD BE BLESSED in the city and the field coming and going?

WE WOULD BE THE HEAD AND NOT THE TAIL, LENDERS AND NOT BORROWERS. WE NEED TO ASK THE QUESTION, HOW DO I GET BLESSED LIKE ABRAHAM and Lot? >> That's what the CONVERSATION IS ALL ABOUT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE THAT SEPARATES ABRAHAM AND LOT FROM MANY OF US IS they made a decision to obey God. that on the journey of going even when they detourred they got back on the journey and kept going.

They went to the place of Canaan. What you did not see was blessing in earth which IS THE FIRST DESTINATION. YOU DID NOT SEE THE BLESSING OF FLOURISHING IN HARON. YOU DID NOT SEE THE BLESSING OF FLOURISHING in Egypt. AND MANY OF US BELIEVE THAT JUST BECAUSE WE ARE A CHILD OF GOD, WE CAN FORCE HIM TO BLESS US WHEREVER WE DECIDE TO PLANT OUR FEET.

BUT I'M TELLING YOU, THERE IS A SPECIFIC DESTINATION, a specific soil, a specific people >> THAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO THAT WILL BE THE ONLY PLACE THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE an orange, IF YOU DON'T PLANT THAT ORANGE IN FLORIDA, YOU WON'T SEE THE BENEFITS of juice and abundance and all the things that will come from being planted in the place that God HAS CALLED YOU TO.

YOU CAN'T FORCE PLANTS and fruit to to flourish anywhere. They have to be in the place that God has designed them >> to flourish. >> We show up to Canaan and you see abundant blessing happen because they're right where God wants them. They have found themselves right in the middle of alignment doing exactly what God has called them to do.

And and the fourth thing that they go on to do is they recognize that the whole way God's way. the whole way, not part of the way. They don't GET TO DO PART of the instruction. They recognize in order to be able to see everything and the abundance that GOD WANTED FOR THEM, FOR THE land to be burdened so MUCH BY THEIR BLESSING, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE to be in the right place.

They do all that God has called them to do, every instruction that he gives. It's it's amazing that even in the promised place, you have to be willing to give yes after yes after yes after yes after yes after yes. Very often we feel like I DID IT ALREADY GOD.

I DID WHAT YOU TOLD ME TO DO. WHY AM I NOT SEEING BLESSING? AND MY QUESTION WOULD BE, have you kept on saying yes? You made the sacrifice. You left the safe place, but did you leave the detour? You left the detour, but did you get back to the place that he called you to from the beginning to do what he's promised?

And I want to slow down in this fourth point to practically bring to life some options that we have as believers. The Lord told me that I have a responsibility as a spiritual mother of this house to ensure that whatever we want to see in your life, if we've been blessed in the city, in the field, if we've seen ABUNDANT HARVEST, WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT we want you to be about.

So many of us have seen money gangs happen. We've seen it go wrong or people misunderstand or misdiagnose the REASON WHY WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT WHAT WE SPEAK ABOUT THAT WE JUST STOP SPEAKING. AND WE'RE SEEING people live in LEVELS OF POVERTY BECAUSE WE WON'T OPEN OUR MOUTH TO SHARE THE SECRETS that have caused us to be blessed.

I BELIEVE WE ALL HAVE RESPONSIBILITY TO START TELLING PEOPLE HOW WE GOT TO THE PLACE THAT WE'VE GOT TO. DO I GOT ANYBODY THAT RECOGNIZES THAT WITH THE SAME FREEDOM HE'S FREED ME, I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE FREE, TOO. If he healed my body, I should tell you how I got healed.

If he BLESSED MY LIFE, I SHOULD TELL YOU HOW I GOT BLESSED. >> I'll tell you how I got blessed. We made a decision over and over, even if I could only take one step, that I would go the whole way. I made a decision that even if it's hard and I have to give up everything that I thought I knew myself by, I WOULD BE WILLING TO REDEFINE myself by the thing that was important, which is BEING THE BELOVED OF GOD, seated in HEAVENLY PLACES WITH HIM, RECOGNIZING THAT I'M A DAUGHTER AND NOT ATTACHING my identity TO SOMETHING EXTERNAL, SO THAT I'M NOT WILLING TO HOLD THAT MORE THAN I'M WILLING TO HOLD the instruction of God. >> The whole way is God's way, >> not part of the way, not some of the stuff.

And so I had a conversation recently where there was a what I would call a financial coach that has been helping uh Pastor Travis and the leadership of Forward CITY CONTINUE TO STEWARD EVERY seed and every dollar that you all sew into THIS CHURCH BECAUSE WE BELIEVE here that you don't give to a church, you give through a church. >> And I'm not willing to be the lid for where we can go in terms of expansion.

I want to hear about all the ways that other people that are further ahead of me, that have more wisdom than me, how did they get to the next level of blessing? >> They went the whole way. >> They went the whole way. And we invited uh this external company that we do life with in terms of HELPING TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE STEWARD your gifts better. uh this guy named Jeremy, he came for an onsite and he gave these four practical buckets that you can start to feel that will land your life in abundance and flourishing and blessing that I don't want to leave you all out on.

What I loved about the message and the practicality of what he gave was he was teaching this same little graph that I'm about to SHOW YOU TO HIS NINE-YEAR-OLD SON BECAUSE IT'S never too early to start training your children. It's never too EARLY TO START SHOWING THEM THAT EVEN WITH THE LITTLE, God can take your little and make it much. >> It's what Pastor Travis and I did.

Many of you all have heard kind of like Abraham and Lot us start talking about when Pastor Travis's tithe was $10. You have you ever stopped to ask God, how did it go from $10 to us being top givers? I want you to understand this. You can be invited from the place that you are where you're giving.

You're you're living paycheck after paycheck. You might be living in a measure of poverty that you know that doesn't agree with the vision that you have in you. Am I talking to anybody in the room WHERE YOU'RE LIKE, "GOD, I KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO DO MORE WITH MY LIFE.

I KNOW THAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO BLESS PEOPLE MORE THAN I'M ABLE TO BLESS PEOPLE. I KNOW I'M SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO GIVE MORE THAN I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE." WELL, YOU GOT TO BE WILLING TO DO SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER DONE. MAYBE STRETCH MORE THAN YOU'VE EVER STRETCHED OR TRY SOMETHING THAT EVEN YOUR MOM AND FATHER NEVER TRIED to get a life of bounty. >> Woo, I feel that.

A life of flourishing. A life WHERE YOU CAN COME IN AND SAY, "NO, NO, I AM THE HEAD AND NOT THE TAIL. NO, I WILL BE THE LENDER AND NOT THE BORROWER." HOW YOU ACTUALIZE on the promise. >> YOU ACTUALIZE ON THE PROMISE BY LIVING GOD'S WAY. AND HIS WAY IS A FULL WAY.

He walks us through a simple step of being given $10 as a nineyear-old. And maybe we just go back TO BEING LIKE CHILDREN AND RECOGNIZING THAT GOD DOESN'T need a a lot to make much. All he needs is a little faith. >> Faith the size of a mustard seed.

YOU CAN GIVE GOD $1 AND HE CAN DO MORE WITH $1 THAN YOU CAN DO OVER AND OVER AGAIN, SEASON AFTER SEASON OF YOU TRYING TO SPEND IT AND STORE IT THE WAY YOU THINK YOU SHOULD. >> He'll take your little and make it much. One of the first steps that you see in this journey of living out the principle of going the whole way that I want us TO ACTIVATE, YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF ON THIS journey in any one of these four buckets.

AND UP UNTIL NOW, THE BUCKET MIGHT HAVE BEEN EMPTY. BUT I'M TELLING YOU TODAY WITH $10, YOU CAN TAKE ONE AND YOU CAN START TO TITHE. >> The first step IS OBEDIENCE. THE TITHE IS NOT ABOUT MONEY. AND I WANT YOU TO HEAR ME LOUD AND CLEAR. I WANT YOUR LIFE BLESSED, FLOURISHING, MILKING HONEY COMING FROM EVERY SINGLE AREA OF YOUR LIFE.

WHERE YOU GOT CHECKS IN THE MAIL THAT YOU DIDN'T EXPECT, WHERE YOU HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT CAN COME TO YOU LOOKING FOR THE THING THAT ONLY YOU HAVE in a drought. >> It starts with obedience. The Bible teaches us, and we're going to look at Malachi 3:10 to see what THE WORD OF GOD SAYS ABOUT THE TIDE.

WHAT I DO BELIEVE AND I want you to understand is when you understand why you do what you do, you do it more consistently. I want to break this down. So, if you ever hear us talking about it again, you're not one of the PEOPLE LIKE, "CAN Y'ALL even tell me why we do this?"

Let's take it slow enough to understand HOW WE CAN START TO fill this bucket or why we even fill this bucket. The first uh Malachi chapter 10, I mean 3:10 says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven.

He's talking ABOUT INCREASE AND POUR OUT SO much blessing THAT THERE WILL NOT BE room enough to store it. He gives a promise. He says, "If you want flourishing, if you want bounty, if you want blessing, I want your heart." >> Many of us think he wants our dollar.

And in the scenario of us having 10, as Jeremy was talking to his little nine-year-old boy, all he's asking for the tithe is 10% of it. HE SAYS, "GIVE ME $1." WHY IS HE ASKING FOR THE $1? IT'S NOT ABOUT THE AMOUNT. IT'S ABOUT A HEART THAT IS SURRENDERED SO THAT THE HANDS THAT GIVE IT WILL BE WILLING TO DO EXACTLY WHAT GOD IS SAYING.

IF HE DOESN'T HAVE YOUR HEART, HE WILL ONLY HAVE LIMITED AMOUNTS OF WHAT YOU GET WITH YOUR HANDS. >> Because you will only GO AS FAR AS YOUR HEART IS SURRENDERED. That's right. >> The Lord is not asking you to tithe so you can bless them CHURCH PEOPLE.

IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU AND MAN, but everything to do with you and God as it pertains to tithing. He's inviting us into holy, FAITHFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. THE WHOLE TEXT IS ABOUT YOU AND GOD. HE SAYS, "YOU BRING ME THIS BECAUSE IT'S NOT A GIFT.

YOU'RE BRINGING ME SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO ME." THE TITHE IS NOT A GIFT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE OWE GOD BECAUSE IT BELONGS TO HIM. >> We give it. WE BRING IT BACK TO HIM and he says, "Okay, now that I know that I have your heart, I CAN TRUST YOU WITH MY MORE.

I can trust you with the FLOODGATES OF HEAVEN. I CAN TRUST YOU THAT FOR OUR BLESSING." MANY OF US HAVE not seen the LEVEL OF BLESSING THAT WE THAT WE PRAY FOR OR WE DESIRE BECAUSE WE WON'T GO ALL THE WAY WITH TITHING. >> He says, "Give me the dollar.

I'll train your heart to not hoard a thing that I want to bless others with." >> He says, "Give me THE DOLLAR. GIVE ME OBEDIENCE." AND I WILL MAKE YOU IN A POSITION TO ALWAYS BE ALIGNED TO uh allow your heart to break FOR WHEN MY HEART BREAKS FORTH.

SO WHEN YOUR CHURCH IS GETTING READY TO BLESS OR GETTING READY TO SHOW UP FOR OTHER PEOPLE, YOU'RE IN ON THAT BECAUSE I ALREADY HAVE YOUR HEART. MONEY will never be a thing that HAS YOU. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A THING THAT HAVE MONEY. >> I want you to recognize that he's challenging us to understand that obedience is much better than sacrifice.

He doesn't want necessarily your song if you WON'T GIVE HIM YOUR HEART. >> The Bible SAYS IN ROMANS 12, PRESENT YOUR body as a living sacrifice, HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE UNTO HIM, WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE. THE BEST GIFT THAT YOU GIVE GOD, THE BEST OFFERING, THE BEST THING THAT YOU GIVE HIM is a heart of obedience.

We have to obey God first. And after we obey God, THEN WE STEP TO THE bucket of actually giving. We teach at Forward City that you don't give 10%, you give the first 10%. That would be the dollar. When you step to the next bucket that you need to fill, it would be generosity.

It would BE SACRIFICE. IT WOULD BE THE THING THAT YOU PLACE ABOVE the thing that God has already asked you for. He asks us, "Bring the tithe." And then out of thanksgiving, you say, "God, with all that you blessed me with, I'mma put a cherry on top. I'M NOT JUST SATISFIED WITH JUST GIVING YOU BARELY ENOUGH OR BRINGING BACK TO YOU WHAT YOU'VE ASKED FOR.

I WANT TO DO A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT. DO I GOT PEOPLE IN the room THAT ACTUALLY GIVE GOD AN OFFERING TO SAY, "GOD, THANK YOU FOR KEEPING ME. THANK YOU FOR SUSTAINING ME. THANK YOU FOR BLESSING ME. THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT I COULD NOT DO FOR MYSELF."

Pastor Travis and I, we practice week after week making sure we put a cherry on top. That's the offering. That's the place where we give. And that in the scenario of the little boy, he says just give another dollar a little extra beyond what God has asked you in obedience to give.

After you go from giving, after you go from being obedient to giving, then he wants us to be prepared so that even in our blessed state, we never get caught off guard by life being life. Anybody had your uh air conditioner break in the summer, your car break down, and you you just paid it off.

This is the third bucket where HE'S SAYING YOU GOT TO LIVE PREPARED lives and I don't want you to GET SET BACK BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T PREPARED FOR THE SETTLEMENT. >> He says in this bucket you're going to SAVE RIGHT HERE THAT YOU LIVE AS A PREPARED PEOPLE SO THAT YOU CONTINUE TO BLESS AND FLOURISH NO MATTER WHAT THE ECONOMY DOES, NO MATTER WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES.

HE SAYS WE'RE GOING TO START PUTTING BACK $2. WE'RE GOING TO START SAVING FOR WHATIFS THAT ARE TO COME. We make sure that we're in a position NO MATTER WHAT TO ACTUALLY BE WHO GOD HAS CALLED US TO BE TO BE A BLESSING. Forward City, we live this out.

And Pastor Travis even talked about it during offering that there was economic strain on many people that are in our community. And what we recognize as people who have dominion and authority AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO REIGN IS THAT WE ARE GOD'S HANDS and feet. HE'S NOT GOING TO STEP DOWN HERE HIMSELF.

HE HAS GIVEN GREAT stewards to be people that save so that in the TIME OF HARDSHIP, WE CAN SHOW UP TO be the hands and feet of Jesus. >> We showed up and WE GAVE $20,000 JUST LAST WEEK BECAUSE OF YOUR FAITHFULNESS TO BE PREPARED. CAN Y'ALL CLAP FOR YOURSELF?

THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN BY HAPPEN STANCE. It happens because there are people that make a decision to go the whole way. The fourth bucket is one that we are living out even in this moment. It's the bucket of actual investment. It's how we become wise. How we become people OF WISDOM WHERE WE have uncommon favor and we experience things that other people don't experience because we get with people who've experienced things that we've never experienced.

Wisdom says, I know that there are people that know how to STEWARD THIS DOLLAR BETTER than me. So, I'm going to put my money in their hand because multiplication is a principle of the kingdom. SO, IN ORDER TO SEE THE FULLNESS OF THE BLESSING THAT GOD HAS FOR ME, I'M GOING TO START INVESTING MAYBE IN MY CHILDREN'S EDUCATION OR MAYBE IN RETIREMENT OR MAYBE IN LIFE INSURANCE OR MAYBE IN GETTING A FINANCIAL coach to teach me HOW TO BUDGET.

MANY OF US ARE SAYING that we want to be blessed, but we don't want to do the things that would bring about blessing. >> If I'm honest with you, if you WOULD FILL THESE FOUR BUCKETS, YOU WOULD HAVE BLESSING running over. THEY SAY GOOD MEASURE PRESSED DOWN, SHAKEN TOGETHER, AND RUNNING OVER.

YOU WOULD END UP LIVING THIS BLESSED AND FLOURISHING LIFE AND YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ROOM ENOUGH TO RECEIVE IT JUST LIKE ABRAHAM AND LOT. But because many of our lives look like all four of those buckets that are shown right, they're empty. And we stand expecting God to bless us and prosper us.

But yet, WE'RE DISOBEDIENT. WE'RE GREEDY. WE'RE SELF-S SERVING. AND WE'RE TOO fearful to tithe OR TO GIVE OR TO SAVE OR TO INVEST. It's practical. I don't want this TO BE SO SPIRITUAL THAT YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE THAT EVEN TODAY YOU have one other step that you could take. >> Out of obedience and you don't know what God would do with one more step. >> I just wanted to challenge my sons and daughters to be able to live a life that I'm believing that God is going to do more with.

I don't believe that God is done with what he's done with Pastor Travis or with Pastor Jackie or with Forward City. Does anybody believe that he's going to do more with where you are right now? and you're making a decision that you're going to start taking the steps to live the whole distance.

You all can begin to stand to your feet. I believe that the Lord in this room today, even with practical teaching, he's up to something. He doesn't want us to feel like, God, I want this thing, but I don't know how to get it. What I will tell you is one of the hallmarks of For City is we'll take away and disarm your excuses. will be willing to be bold enough to talk ABOUT THE THING THAT maybe many whites might shy away from.

But I'm going to TEACH MY CHILDREN THIS SAME THIS SAME GRAPH RIGHT HERE to see them end up living in blessing and flourishing and abundance. What I want you to know is that you're my children as well because the blessing that's on the head should flow down to the children. >> I don't want you to be in a place of abundance of fire of harvest and you stand beside it but never plant your feet.

I don't want you to maybe choose to like I'm going just give God something sometimes. Oh, I get tired of them people. You just adopt the counsel of the ungodly. I'm just the people just want our I don't want your money. Don't need it. But God wants your heart. >> He wants a heart yielded enough to say, "God, whatever you ask for, I won't hold it as an idol because you're the only thing that will not be rivaled in my life.

You'll always stay as first and best. I will never allow anything to have my allegiance more than you have my allegiance. I'm willing to not go halfway, but go the full way. I believe that the father in this message is challenging us beyond the places of Haron, beyond the places of Egypt to walk us fully into the blessed life of Canaan.

And my prayer is that we would take him fully up on his promise. Let's pray together. God, you're so faithful. You want your children blessed and today I believe that you have armed them with the resources to understand one new step they can take. One of the things that you taught Pastor Travis and I is that we don't have to fill all four buckets at once, but we do have to get started in obedience.

I pray father that as I have shared this revelation that you have given us about the tithe and about giving and about saving and about being able to be wise enough to invest that you would take the seed of this word and that you would plant it in their hearts and you would bring forth harvest from it.

I pray that when we get to big gift that we would have recordbreaking big gifts this year. I pray that we would see the number of people that make a decision to tithe out of obedience to you, believing that you would open up the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessing that they don't have room enough to receive.

I pray that it would go to astronomical levels. Maybe we would even have uncommon levels of tithers. God, I just believe you like that. I pray, Father, that these sons and daughters that my heart beats for, they would experience the fullness of everything that you have for them in the mighty name of Jesus.

Amen. Were y'all blessed by this word? Amen. I love you all. ((applause)) >> Man, I hope you were blessed by that word. Listen, I need you to do a couple things for me. First, if you enjoyed this word, make sure that you like this video. But then also, if you are not already subscribed, make sure that you subscribe to our YouTube ((music playing)) channel because we want for you to stay uptodate on all things Forward City Church.

Also, if you enjoyed this word, don't be stingy. Send ((music playing)) it to a friend, a family member, or a co-orker because we need more people stepping out of the halfway and ((music playing)) into the whole way. Listen, I am so glad that you were a part of this experience. And here at Forward City, we don't dismiss, but we make this declaration.

Your past is gone. Your future's waiting. Move forward. See you next week.