The D.I.G. Pressed + Purposed Bianca Olthoff

0:19 Hello. What is going on? Welcome, welcome, welcome to Transformation Church. And this is The Dig. We're so excited that you guys are kicking it with us. Yo, I saw just a few minutes before. Y'all, they are wilding up here, okay? I saw just a few minutes before we started. Many of you all checking in from all over. I saw France is in the building. I want to learn some French. I'm just saying. Ghana is in the house. Trinidad. I see y'all. Y'all are all throughout here. California is in the building. Listen, we're so excited that you guys are taking some time to join with us tonight. It's going to be a powerful night. Listen, if this is your first time with us, you are a VIP, go ahead, drop a one in the chat. And if it's your first time, there's a number showing up on the screen. We want you to go ahead, text that number so that we can connect with you and give a little bit of information to you. But like I said, this is the dig.

1:13 But I want to share a little bit of Transformation Church's vision. It's representing God to the lost and found for transformation in Christ. And it's such an honor to serve this vision, serve our pastors, Pastor Michael and Natalie Todd. Man, it's such a powerful thing that we get to see every single week people becoming transformed. And that's what the dig came out of. Like it's that we want to see people transform. So we decided that we would take the message from Sunday and dig just a little bit deeper. You know, we're going to go deeper in God. Dig deeper in God right there. So listen, you know somebody right now that is in a pressing place. Pastor Bianca preached a powerful message. So if you know somebody right now, I'm sure you do. I want you to take a moment and share this with somebody. Somebody who seems like they're on their last leg and they're thinking like it's almost over. This is a conversation that you do not want them to miss. It's going to be powerful.

2:06 So just take a moment and do that. But as you're doing that, let's go ahead and introduce some of the team. Since it was Throwback Sunday this past Sunday, you know what I'm saying? We represented like all, like what was your favorite decade? I'm going to say mine. I should say my name. I'm Julia. You know, I should say my name. Let's start with that. My favorite decade was the, I'm going to say the 90s. I'm a 90s baby. Like, I mean, you had the great shows. I mean, we invented the Internet is how I see it. You know, all the best.

2:38 I mean, so many different things came. Like, you know, I mean, we did a lot of stuff. I mean, the phones got cooler when we came along. So anyway, yes. So I'm going to throw it over to the cap over here. Go ahead. Tell us who you are. Hey, guys, this is Tom Todd, man of God, a.k.a. The Captain. And I'm saluting you tonight. But join us. My favorite decade was two. The 70s and the 80s because that's where the best music came from Earth went in

3:13 My name is will and I'm gonna I'm gonna have to agree with the 90s I too was a part of inventing the internet. I was a part of that. It was 90s were the best I'm serious the TV the the games everything about the 90s. I just I love it. I wish we could go back Okay, my name is Bree, and I'm going to say my favorite was the 2000s, honestly. And because I was in high school at that time, I mean, you know, it's around the time that Crime Map Crew came out, just different things, knock if you bug. I mean, just, you know, some great music. Also, you know, good like Earth, Wind, and Fire. That's right. Right. And my name is Demario. My favorite decade was definitely the 90s. I love the music. Talk about Tupac, Outkast, Biggie. I mean, there's just so much amazing stuff that came out of the 90s. Yeah, it was. Switch, don't you breathe.

4:05 Bone thumbs and harmony. Tell us what your favorite decade was. Yeah, type it in the chat. What was your favorite decade? But no, hey, guys, we're about to get started. Thank you guys again so much for joining us. And as Jill said, we had an amazing message called Press and Purpose by Pastor Bianca Otoff, kicking us off with Fun Month. And it was awesome because literally the message, she kind of, she wrapped it around the journey of Jesus. Like as he was going to the cross, she kind of came from that perspective. And she was letting us know that he came to a place called Gethsemane, which basically means the place of pressing. Like literally in the natural, it was a place where olives were pressed. It was a place where grapes were pressed. And Jesus literally, I mean, it just, when you read about it, he was pressed. He was stressed out in the moment that he was in Gethsemane. The Bible literally says that he began to sweat blood drops. He himself said, God, if there's any other way, like, take this cup away from me.

5:01 And so, like, it was a place of pressing. But we understand that by him staying in that place, it produced an amazing, it really produced this purpose and caused him to launch in the purpose. So we want to go ahead and watch this clip, this first clip, and then we'll just launch right into our discussion for tonight. Let's take a look at this first clip. The pressing is real. The pressing is rough and the pressing will rival your greatest pain. Why? In the vineyard, the grapes are grown by being attached to the vine. They are attached to the vine for their sustenance. The grapes don't have to do anything. They're chilling like a villain on the vine, getting round and juicy, living their best life. They are attached to the vine. Why? Because the vine is the one doing the work. See, the vine, the roots have to go down deep into the soil. It has to fight for minerals. It has to fight for the nutrients that it needs.

5:54 It fights for water. In fact, do you know that if the vine had the perfect ingredients, it had the perfect atmosphere, if the vine had everything perfect that it needed, the fruit actually would not be good. But if you stress the vine, if you stress the vine and you make the vine work to go down deep for its nutrients, to go down deep for its water, that the fruit that is produced is beautiful. Now, I believe that this is a word for us. I'm going to make a case the same is true for us, that it is the struggles and the stresses of life. It is the struggles and stresses of life that produce the greatest harvest. Wow. Wow. Yeah, that's so powerful. My God. The fact that so much of what causes us to produce the best fruit in our life are the most stressful and pressing times of our life. That's amazing. And one of the things, oftentimes, like, the press is represented by God asking us to do something that we don't want to do.

6:53 And so our first question tonight, TC Nation, this one's for y'all. I want you to type your answer in the chat. Are you avoiding something that God told you to do because you don't want to go through the pressing? And so we're just going to popcorn and go around and just tell stories about that, you know, something God asked us to do that we don't necessarily want to do. So, Captain, let's go ahead and start right here. Well, before I tell my personal story, this makes me think about the story in Jonah, about when God told Jonah to go to Nineveh. But actually, Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh because he didn't like the people in Nineveh. So he wanted to go to another place. So he got on a boat and got going toward where he was going, and they got out in the ocean. And what happened was they knew something was wrong in a storm, and everybody on there was saying, well, who's got sin in their life?

7:47 What's going on? Why is this happening against us? So they began to cast lots to see who it was, and the lot fell on Jonah. So what they did was they threw Jonah over into the ocean. And what happened, God caused a giant fish. Now, I don't know how big that fish was. But God called a giant fish to swallow Jonah. Now, Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh, but he found himself in a worse place because he didn't obey what God wanted him to do. But even in that place of disobedience, the Bible says Jonah prayed from the belly of the wheel and asked God to deliver him. So that just shows you how much prayer can do when you're in a situation in the press. All you got to do is to press into God and to remember that God hears you no matter where you are or what you're going through.

8:47 And what God did, he caused the whale or the fish to vomit Jonah up out. And he eventually got to Nineveh. He obeyed what God was saying. But he didn't want to do it because of his dislike for the people there at Nineveh. Now, so far as my personal story, not wanting to do something that God told us to do. Years ago in 2009, I believe, 2008, my wife and I, Brenda, started a church called Spirit and Truth Praise and Worship Center. because we had been a part of a big mega ministry, and that ministry we left and we started our own itinerary. We thought that that's what God wanted us to do. So we started traveling on our itinerary ministry, going to different places, preaching, holy revivals, all that stuff.

9:42 But God said, I want you to start a church. So we came back and we started a work. So about two and a half years into that, then Pastor Michael, who wasn't Pastor Michael at Transformation, but he was the youth pastor at our church. He came because he ran sound at Greenwood Christian Center where Pastor Gary McIntosh was the pastor. And he came to us. He and his friend Antoine had been talking, and they said, hey, my mom and dad, they got the Jews, but they got the people over here, so we might need to ask them to consider collaborating and joining with Pastor Gary. So he came to us and he said, Mom and Dad, you all should think about merging your church with Pastor Gary's church. And both Brendan and I looked at us and he said, the devil is alive. We just started.

10:36 We just getting started. We're having people coming. But, you know, God had a plan. So what we did was we didn't go on our own plan, but we sought God. And not only did we seek God, we sought counsel from other people that we respected and we looked up to. And they said, I think God might be in this. So we had talks with Pastor Gary and Pastor Debbie McIntosh. And we made the decision in June of 2011 to merge our church, Spirit and Truth, with Greenwood Christian Center. And not knowing, even though we didn't want to do it or we didn't understand it, God had a bigger plan. And that's how it is so much. So many of the times we have to just obey the voice of God when we don't even see what the end result is going to be. So we merge not knowing that God had a plan for Michael to become the senior lead pastor of what now is Transformation Church and what's blessing people all over the world and why we are sitting here on this stage doing the dig.

11:44 I think that's so good, that story. For me, the pressing season was one that me and my husband were on the dig last week and shared just a little bit of our story of how in our first year of marriage, my husband was unfaithful. And so the pressing season started for me immediately when that truth came out. and one of the things I know that God asked me to do was to fight for my own marriage. At the time, we didn't know if we were really going to make it. I mean, we weren't sure if we wanted to be together anymore, and I know that God asked me to fight for our marriage, and it was just at such a time where I felt like literally the weakest, the weakest emotionally, physically. I was saying this earlier to y'all. It was an emotional battle, but I felt it physically in my body. It was just, it felt like everything was just torn down and shattered and God was asking me to fight. And it was like that, that feels contradictory to how I feel.

12:42 And if you are a loving God, would you not know how I feel right now? And so I think that that was something that God asked me to do that pushed me into a pressing season of having to really deal with me and my own issues, my own insecurities. having to be, you know, a partner to my husband in his own healing and our healing of our marriage. And it was, I mean, we're still healing from it. It was a lot of ups and downs that went along with that. But at the same time, I knew that it was something that God asked us to fight for. And I was reading a scripture actually earlier, and I was thinking about this because really in that situation, I felt I was obviously felt betrayed by my husband. But more than my husband, I felt betrayed by God. I genuinely felt like God ignored all my good works and all the things that I had done as this believer and this Christian and just left me in the dust, basically. And I was telling Will this.

13:38 I said, I couldn't say God was good during that time. During that season, I could not out of my mouth say God was a good God because I didn't believe that. And I read this scripture the other day. It is in Isaiah 45 and 9. It says, what sorrow awaits those who argue with their creator? And then it starts talking about how the clay never argues with the potter. Instead, the clay allows the potter to do whatever, because you can't question the creator. And so for me, one of the things that I think brought even more sorrow and suffering in that season wasn't just what we went through. It was my argument with God. It was my questioning God. It was my, why did you allow this to happen? and my unbelief that really created such sorrow during that time for me. And I know that there's somebody out there right now, you watch it, and you are angry with God. You are in a pressing season right now, whatever that, maybe it's your marriage, maybe it's your business, maybe your child is disabled, maybe you have different things that's going on in your life, and you're angry with God.

14:39 And what I want to say to you is that this scripture is telling us, on top of the sorrow that life already brings, there is an added sorrow that can come to our lives when we argue with our creator. Instead of really just doing our best to trust that he is sovereign and he knows what he's doing. If he allowed it into our life, he will use it. He will partner with us. He will heal us from it. Whatever it is that we need from him, he will give that to us in this pressing season. But we have to believe that God cares for us and that he wants what's best for us. that he can take Romans 8 and 28. He can take everything and make it good. That's so good. I think back to about, you know, pressing seasons for me. And we have a hot culture around here, humble, open, and transparent. And I'm very open and transparent about my story.

15:33 You all know, you know, everything I've been through, I talk about it. Because there's power in your testimony. So don't ever let anybody tell you not to share your testimony because there's power in there. There's freedom in other people through your testimony. But when I think about pressing, and I remember specifically God asking me to get sober. And if you don't know my story, I battled with a drug addiction and alcohol addiction for 10 years. And I remember so vividly the first time it was like that Holy Spirit moment that I remember. Even though I was wiling out and doing my thing, God was still in the mix and I didn't realize it. But I remember I was in a parking lot of a store and I was there contemplating to end my life. I was at that place where I was like, man, if this is how life is, I'm done. But I remember for the first time in a long time, I flipped down my visor and I looked at myself in the mirror, which I avoided doing because I just didn't like what I saw.

16:28 And I remember flipping that down and I looked in the mirror. And in that moment, I just had this moment where I know it was God. and it was just like, man, you need to get help. And in that moment, God was like, I have something for you, but you have to get sober first. You have to change your life first. You have to give it to me first. And in that moment, I was like, all right, let's do this. And I went to my mom's house and then my dad's house, and I had to open up and confess everything that I've been doing, and I needed help. And then from there, I thought, okay, like we're here. I got this. You know, I went to rehab. I went 28 days. I got the, you know, the little certificate that I, you know, that I graduated. And then, oh, I got home. And it was back to the same situation, the same friends, the same thing. And I didn't change anything. And from there, I just kept, I just kept like, okay, God, you asked me to get sober. But like, where are you?

17:21 I need help. And then I just, I gave up. And I think there's so many people that in the pressing place, they're giving up like I did. I gave up, I think, six times. I went in and out of rehab. I wanted to get sober. I hear you, God. I want to do it. Ah, okay, hold on. This is too hard. I want to get sober, God. Ah, okay, this is too hard. And finally, it got to a place where I ended up, you know, going to jail, and God got my attention in there. But I just, it was, in my head, it was too difficult. Like, the pressing, I was like, man, I can't do this, God. But the thing was, I was trying to do it, like, Will's way. But the moment in jail when I said, okay, God, here's my life. You take it. It was, that pressing, it was still pressing. but it looked different because I had God on my side and I did it with him. And here I sit today, this is just crazy to me that I get to be up here. Yeah, it's amazing.

18:14 I love it. That is so powerful. As you were talking, I was thinking about the fact that you said when you went back, like you were 28 days sober, you went back, but it was the same friend, same situation. And it's so funny because when we don't give into the pressing season or the pressing place that God has us in, then we'll invite all of the same things to be around. Like the thing about the vine and the grape is like they literally have to prune back the leaves and the vines so that the fruit can have everything that it needs to produce. And so for many of us, there are friends in our pressing place that can't go. Like you got to evaluate who are the people that are in the pressing place with you because they will cause you to abort that mug. That is so good. Even the story talking about J.R. and his daughter and Jesus having to kick some people out of the room because it was a pressing season. He was going to raise that little girl back from the dead, and there was unbelief in the room.

19:10 He was like, y'all gots to go because now that we're going into this press, I need the people around me that are going to have the faith to believe what I'm trying to do here. So, yeah, it's all about that. I will say that was probably the hardest thing for me was giving up the relationships I had. That was definitely the hardest thing. And I remember finally when I got out of jail, that was the first thing God said was like, you need to get a new phone number. There's something simple, but I was like, yeah, God, I don't know. But it was just start over, start fresh. And the promise God made me was, okay, every friend that you get rid of that is not supposed to be in your life, I'm going to replace them with three better ones. And in the moment, I was like, all right, God, that's an interesting word to give me. And I didn't believe it, but I had no reason not to trust God. I was like, all right. I cut everybody off. And now I look around in my life and the friends I have, the people that just pour into me. It's amazing.

20:06 And God kept to his promise. That's so powerful. Well, and talking about people, I think about the one thing that God really asked me to do that I did not want to do, and that was to be accountable. It was to basically get in community, expose my life to someone else, and allow them to see what I didn't want people to see. You know, when I think about my battle with porn, literally I was willing to do everything else. I was willing to pray, read the Bible, go to church, serve the homeless. Like, Lord, I would do anything else but open myself up and allow somebody in. And literally, when I finally said, okay, I'll do that, on the other side of that was the victory that I just couldn't attain it by myself. I couldn't attain it without, you know, being willing to open myself up and to do the thing that I really didn't want to do. You know, that makes me think about when you're going through the press, the most important thing is your trust in God, that his promises, like you said, are true.

21:11 When you look at the word promise, you know, it's pro, P-R-O, which means far, and M-I-S-E, mys, which means an agreement or a settlement. God has made an agreement with us. If we trust him, he will bring us out on the other side. No matter what you're going through in your individual press, the Bible says, God said, I will never leave you, nor will I forsake you. Now, some people can leave you, but when a person tells you that they will not forsake you, that means that they're going to be with you. Though you make your bed in hell, Lord, I will be there with you. So those are those ride or die type of people that you have to have around you when you're going through the press. That's so good and so true. Even as we were talking and just thinking about relationships and friendships, really it's because it's intimacy.

22:09 Into me see. You know, they're the people that end up being the closest and influence you the most. And really you need the right people, the ride or die folks, the people that can see like, hey, it's a pressing place, but don't give up. Hey, I know you feel like this is the end, but our God is so great and so big that he says, I'll never leave you or forsake you. I've got something better for you. And so I think what Pastor Bianca said was work the vine. Let the vine do its work. Let the vine do its work. You know, as we were talking, I just really feel like there's some people that are watching or that will watch. And the press is that God is telling you to change directions. You know, for some of you, like, you're in school, you're in your third year, and God is telling you to change your major. It's like, wait a minute, Lord, I've already paid this money. I've already invested this much. I don't want to do that. I just want to encourage you, like, go ahead and do it. Some of you right now, you're engaged, about to get married.

23:05 You've sent out the invitations. And it's like the Lord said, this ain't it. And I know the press, the struggle is real. But I promise you that God is trying to lead you into his purpose. He's trying to lead you into your best life. If you'll just trust him, I promise you that God will lead you into the best and into the purpose that he has for you. That's so good. All that to say, it's not too late to do what God has told you to do. It's never too late. And don't think that that it's, man, but it costs so much. What is it costing you not to obey God? That's so, so powerful. Well, listen, we want to throw it to this next clip where Pastor Bianca begins to talk about the pressing place. So let's check it out. I want us to be people, even in the midst of the craziness, where we say, press me, God, to bless me, God. God, I believe that this will not break me.

24:00 This will make me, God. I know that you see me. I know that you're doing a work in me. I know that you are the author and the finisher of my faith. So put a period on this story real quick. Now, we as people, if we say, oh, I'm a follower of Christ, I follow Jesus. Hey, if you follow Jesus, you don't just follow him for your free blessings. You don't just follow him for the miracles. You don't just follow him for the fish and loaves. Nah, you also follow him to the pressing place. We have to follow Jesus to where he is calling us. And what is the pressing place? The place of the grapes and the olives where their outer flesh, their skin was removed so that what is inside of them, their real value would come out. And I declare that your purpose will come out, church, when you are pressed. See, we all want the oil, but we don't want the pressing. We want the anointing, but don't make me pay a price on that.

24:55 No, when we say, Lord, anoint me. Lord, set me apart. Lord, give me a purpose. You know what you're really praying? You know what you're really praying? Lord, press me. Woo! Woo! Sometimes you never know the prayers that you are praying. You have no idea. Like, there are certain things that you prayed for, but you didn't know that it was going, you really didn't know the pressure or the press that was going to come as a result of that like she said those lines was cold they were she said you want you want the oil you want the anointing without the work like at the end of the day it is we've got to submit to God for that there's so many there's so many different types of pressure uh that many of us face and there are different types that we're trying to figure out like God what does this look like and oftentimes we think of the pressing place as a negative thing.

25:48 It's associated with something being negative. But what happens when the pressing place is the dream? Damari, you and I talked about that. Like the pressing place being the dream. It was like, oh my God, I didn't know this was coming. I didn't ask for all this. Yeah, you know, I think about like myself, you know, when I was 15, I knew that I was called to pastor and gonna be in full-time ministry and all of that. And that became a goal, became a dream and aspiration. and when I stepped into that, it was like, I'm here. Like, I'm in the ministry full time. And, you know, there was a moment of celebration, but then I quickly realized that, like, my dream, the place, the thing that I had been believing God and asking God for for so many years, it was the place of pressing. Like, it was a place where God exposed things that were still in me. It was a place where I thought that I was better at things than I really was, and God was like, yep, you need to come up here.

26:41 Like, it was literally the place where, in a lot of ways, I got crushed. I was like, oh, my God. Like, Lord, this is supposed to be the ministry. What is going on? But, yeah, like you said, I love how you said that many times we think that the pressing place is only a negative thing. But sometimes, like, your greatest dream. You know, for some of you, you're looking, it's like, man, if I could only own that business and make a million dollars and da, da, da, da. Like you think that's the target, but there's going to be pressing and there's going to be pressure even there, even when you get to the place. You know, while you were saying that, Demario, it made me think about most people think of the pressure as a load on you pressing down on something to get a result. But what you have to also remember is that the press, the Bible says, forgetting those things which are behind, I press toward the mark of the high calling of Christ Jesus. And what you have to understand is there can be one type of press, but there's another type of press that you have to do.

27:44 Whatever the goal is, whatever the obstacle that's in front of you, you have to keep pressing toward the mark. No matter what the devil throws in front of you, no matter what you come up against, you keep pressing. Jesus said, for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross. That obstacle for him, that death that he had to go through, he kept focused on the prize. And that's what I'm encouraging you to do today. No matter what it is, when the obstacle comes, don't go backwards. Press into it because the Spirit of God will help you to move that obstacle out of the way. That's so good, Pastor Tommy. As you were saying, I thought about the line that Pastor Rianca said. I thought it was cold, you know, once again. She dropped bars like 16, you know, so the rapper in me is like ready. But she said, the enemy thought he buried me, but I'm a seed.

28:41 like and when you think about a seed it is buried but even in what you said like when the roots begin to crack open being in the midst of the dirt which also has manure i.e the crap that we deal with it had to press through the dirt to get the roots deep in order to produce the fruit or produce whatever the purpose was that god intended for that plant that was created so i love that scripture And Jules, you got to have the crap for the seeds to grow. You can't grow without having some type of negative obstacle in your life. It's a must that you have it. That's so good. I remember when I was in the courtroom with my sentencing, I just, I don't know, I had this image that when the judge put down the gavel and sentenced me, I just felt like the enemy was almost like laughing, like, ah, I buried him. You know, I got him. You know, he's in a cave.

29:32 But little did he know, you know, God was going to take that and use it for his glory. Because I remember so vividly, it was probably three weeks into my sentence, I detoxed off of everything and I was trying to like feel normal in there, as normal as you can when you're in there, you know. But I remember going to sleep, as much as you can sleep, it's like a deflated balloon that they give you for a pillow. I mean, come on, can we upgrade a little bit to a MyPillow or something? But no, for real, I was laying down and I couldn't sleep and I was struggling. I was wrestling. I was sweating and tossing and turning. And I remember so vividly that God gave me this dream. And it wasn't a normal dream. It was I knew it was from God. And it was you were going to pastor people. There was so much to the dream. But at the end, I just remember God was like you were going to pastor people. But when you then I wake up and I'm like, okay, but I'm still in a jail cell.

30:26 Like, you know, God, can you break me out like you did, Paul? You know, get me out of here. That didn't happen. I had to be in there. But I think for some people, you're in a pressing place, and God has given you this promise like he gave me. But you just, your surroundings don't look like it. And I don't, I want to just encourage somebody right now that is watching, like, stay in the pressing. Because all I did in that moment, I served my sentence because I didn't have a choice. God didn't come and open the jail doors. You know, I served my sentence. and I just made the declaration that I was gonna trust God with everything. I was gonna hold on to that promise and I did and I got out, didn't have a job, nobody wanted to hire a convicted felon and I kept just trusting God. Okay, what do you want me to do? So I served. That's something somebody needs to hear. Go and serve. If you've got nothing else to do, go and serve because that's all I did was serve and I served, I volunteered at an adults with special needs facility, loved it.

31:24 Then I got hired because they trusted me after being in there. I applied for an internship. They told me no, but I pressed into God. I trusted him. I said, I know what you said. And a week before the internship started, they called me and said, hey, guess what? God told us to bring you on. And he did, and they brought me in. And then from there, oh, I didn't get hired at the church I wanted to get hired at. And I was like, all right, but I know what God said. And then next thing you know, fast forward a couple years, I'm in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on here with you guys. It's just so amazing. But I just want to encourage, like, hold on to the promises in the pressing. Because you have no idea what can be produced. And I was telling Bree this. I would not trade those 10 years. I know this is a bold statement to say. But I would not trade those 10 years of all that suffering and the drug abuse. I wouldn't trade the pain that came with that because of what it produced in me to be up here and declare God's word with a boldness. And tell somebody to stay in the pressing.

32:20 because his promises, he is faithful to complete it. I'm just, I'm fired up right now. Come on, Will. That's so powerful. I'm just thinking about, you know, what Pastor Bianca talked about. She talked about the grape and she talked about the wine. You know, like in the beginning when you're a grape, you don't know that you're going to look like wine in the end, you know, but it's us going through the pressing process that really produces. Like you said, you're here today and you're in ministry full time. Like you're doing all these different things that God said then. But then, I mean, when he told you, you were great. But you had to go through the crushing process. You had to go through the pressing process in order to become that wine. I think, man, that's so, that's awesome. That's so good. I feel like it's really all about perspective. God's perspective is so different than man's perspective. And everything that is in the word, even when Jesus, you know, came to earth and was telling them about, you know, his relationship with God, it was just so different than what people, you know, we're an eye for an eye kind of people.

33:19 And Jesus is like, no, I want you to bless those who persecute you. Like he just flipped everything on his head. And so even as we're talking about seeds and talking about just different parts of our story, usually as humans, we do not like dark places. We do not enjoy dark seasons of our lives. But the scripture in Isaiah 45, and I think it's three, it says that God creates treasures in dark places. that we're so used to thinking that treasure only comes from the blessings and the raise and the promotion and the this and the that and all the good things, all the light and glitz and glamour that comes from life. Really, God is saying, I give you some of the best treasures in the darkest places that you've ever been. I can give you character. I can teach you how to love beyond yourself. I teach you how to forgive. You don't have to learn how to forgive until you need to forgive someone. Like all these different, the fruits of the spirit, even talking about grapes into wine, the fruits of the spirit are developed in us in these dark seasons that we go through.

34:28 How do you learn patience until you have to wait? You know what I mean? How do you know what real joy is until you've experienced sorrow. Joy is joy even in the midst of sorrow, in the midst of grieving, in the midst of trying to figure out where hope lies. That's where you can find real joy. And so these dark seasons that we go through in life, oftentimes we despise them and we hate them. But the truth is, God said, I have treasures in dark places for you. And so we have to change our perspective to be able to see that from God's point of view. I just want to add one thing to that, you know, when you were talking about seeds in dark places, it just reminded me of the scripture that says, except a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed. But if it dies, goes into the ground, it takes root, it brings forth much fruit and fruit that's remaining right here. That seed in Jesus Christ is the seed that's producing fruit in our lives right now. And we continually have to understand that when we go through dark places, we are getting into a place where God can produce fruit in our lives. I love that. I think, man, that's so good.

35:51 Pastor Bianca, she said, just talking about the grape to wine analogy, that a grape lasts for maybe four or five days. But when it goes through the process of being crushed, of being pressed and becomes wine, that thing can last 80, 100 years. And so like you said, the longer it lasts, the more valuable it is. The more valuable. Wow. And I think about, and I think Pastor Mike said this once in his sermon, and it just hit me and reminded me of that moment. I got, I would say I got a prophetic word from the Lord in jail. And then I just remember Pastor Mike saying a sermon, like with the prophetic word comes prophetic work. Like it can't, I couldn't just sit there and not do anything. And like I said, I served, I did something. And I believe that there is somebody that is allowing like the weight of the pressing and they're just not doing anything. Don't do that. Don't be paralyzed by it. Like press into the Lord and push forward because with what God has promised you, if you do the work, it's gonna be amazing.

36:49 He's gonna meet you where you're at. I promise he will. No, he absolutely will. I love the component that Pastor Bianca talked about. She talked about Jesus or us being led into the pressing. Like he doesn't leave us, but he will lead us into the pressing. And as I thought about that, even with my own story, I'm an athlete, played ball all my life, along with other sports. But I really thought that what God was calling me to do was to be an athlete, was to play basketball. And for many years, I had different injuries. I was like, I don't understand why I'm going through all this. Does it make any sense? And then I move forward and I get into my senior year. And I'm thinking I'm going to get these different scholarships. You know, I was trying to be for Tennessee because they were killing the game at the time. But in my senior year, I had another injury to my knee. So here it was. I'm thinking I'm getting scholarships. And I had some people that were looking for me, but then nothing came of it.

37:43 And so I began to question God even more. Fast forward, I do get into college. I walk onto a team, and I get to this point where I'm like my best self. I'm feeling good. I'm working out. I'm doing it all. And I've worked on my game. I've done all of this work after injuries. And I get on the team, and all of a sudden I have a coach who tells me, listen, you're good enough to play. You're good enough because you're competing against some of my best players, but I can't use you. Y'all. And I'm not trying to gas myself up. But what do you do when somebody says, man, I can't have you compete with the best of those that I have out here. I would rather not use you. Like that became my pressing place. And there was so much that I didn't understand. And for me, it was a nightmare. Like I dealt with depression. Like it was everything that I was trying to obtain was becoming an athlete because I thought that was my purpose.

38:39 And what God began to show me was that purpose is not relegated to a title or position, but purpose is a journey. And so in the pressing, the pressing will produce a pathway to your purpose. And here's the thing. Many of us, we think that we've got to attain this destination place called purpose. And really, God is saying, no, this is a journey. I'm going to continue to reveal things in you. And even in that, like, God, I don't understand why I got to go through this crime. Why me? Well, he's chosen us. And there are things, as Pastor Tommy said earlier, I loved what you said. Like, we have to have the crap. We have to have the struggle. But we have to have these things in order to produce what God wants to get out of us. One of the things I begin to think about, like in my now season, is there were disciplines that I had to learn in that season. There were things that I never would have learned. I never would have known the true capacity that I have if I never went through those moments. And it prepared me for seasons that I'm walking in now, you know.

39:37 So I think one of the things about our conversation is that we never want to leave something just hanging right here. All of us have shared a bunch of different stories, but Pastor Bianca, she shared a little bit more in reference to staying in the pressing. We don't want you to abort the season. Don't abort the pressing season because then you'll abort your purpose. And so I think Pastor Bianca did an amazing job. Let's go ahead and check out this next clip. The pressing isn't meant to destroy you. It's meant to get the very best out of you. And this isn't just my story. it's your story because what God did for TC and what God's doing for us God wants to do for you if you have lost everything stay in the pressing for every scar that you have every broken heart that has been shattered on the floor stay in the pressing for every dollar wasted dollar invested dollar earned, stay in the pressing. For every lost relationship, every ache and every pain, stay in the pressing. For every tear shed, every hope and every dread, stay in the pressing.

40:52 In the words of Jesus, get not what I will, but what you will. Jesus modeled this so beautifully. He was betrayed. He was mocked. He was scourged. He was abandoned. He was beaten and he was crucified and he was buried. But those were the facts of his past. There was a destiny yet to be held. And on the other side of pain is always resurrection, church. In the pain of the garden, it became power in the tomb. The crucifixion on the cross became the defeat of death. His death brought us life. His broken body became a resurrection for a world in great need. And as Jesus resurrected, guess what? So will we. Wow. Such a powerful clip talking about staying in the press. And I know that many of you just like us are probably asking, like, how do I stay in the press?

41:51 Like, how do I stay in this place that is uncomfortable? I don't know. Because here's the thing. Sometimes we're in the middle of the press and we have no idea what it's going to produce. And so we just want to give some practical handles around how to do that. TC Nation, real quick, here's our question for you. What is currently pressing you that you need to give in to God? And we're going to kind of just ping pong and talk about how to stay in the press. So, Pastor Tommy, why don't you start us off? So one of the first things that you got to do is you got to have your relationship with God so intact that when you're in the press, you know that you can pray to him in the press. in the press. Pray in the press. One of the songs that we used to sing was Go Through with Praise, which somebody is going to talk about. But the thing is, if you don't talk to God about the issue, he knows what you're going through. He knows the outcome. But he just wants you to talk so you can have relationship with him so he can have the final say in the outcome. He's going to have the final say, but he'll give you the confidence to keep pressing in the press so that you can get through whatever it is that you're going through. So you got to pray. That's our first response.

43:05 No matter what you're going through, he is waiting. The scripture says, call unto the Lord and he will show you great and mighty things that are to come. But you got to talk to him. you got to call upon him because he wants to show you. That's so good. You know, as you were saying that, Pastor Tommy, I thought about the scripture that it says that if we abide in him and he abides enough, then we'll ask what we will and we'll receive that. And I just kind of heard that, like, if we'll pray, then he'll help us to stay. Like, literally, the ability to stay is wrapped up in us praying. It's wrapped up in our connection to God. And so anyway, that's just such a powerful point that we pray, and that is the power to stick and to stay with it. I think that's so good because when you are going through the press, you want to talk about it.

44:02 Oftentimes, though, to the wrong people. You want to vent. You want to share. You want to let somebody know your problems, like all those different things. And you can do that, and God wants you to do that to him. He wants you to come to him in prayer and talk to him about the press and talk to him about the suffering and whatever else you're experiencing because we're going to have this innate desire to bring someone else into this. We have to have someone else that we need to share this with. Why don't we do that with God? Right, and he's not scared of your raw emotions. Read the Psalms. Like David said some prayers and said some things. He was like, listen, God. Listen, there was one time he was like, Lord, break their teeth. I mean, he went in talking about stuff. I just say that to say that God is not afraid of your raw, real emotions. He wants you to be hot. He wants you to be humble, open, and transparent with him. That's so good. I think we saw that even with Jesus. You know, the last line that she said, not my will.

44:58 Like he said, like, here, God, like, nah, I don't want to do this, bruh. But your will be done. I will lean into that. And so after we pray, the next thing is praise. We've got to give thanks to God for the season you're in. And maybe you're sitting here like, what you mean praise? Like, well, I got to say thank you, God. thank you so much that I got fired. Thank you so much that, you know, I mean, but seriously, I think I love Pastor Mike said this. I can't remember. I think this was in a stronger series. And it was like, this is trash, but I trust you, you know? And I think that trust you part is the part that allows us to give into God, to acknowledge that our God is a good, good father. He would never leave us or forsake us. And because of who he is, we know that it isn't the end. There's a scripture that says that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them all. See, we've got to allow the vine to do the work, but then we've got to give praise to God.

45:55 Like, okay, God, I know that this isn't the end. Like, I don't like what I'm dealing with right now, but because you are a good God, I know that you have better plans for me. I know there's something else. Like, you called this out earlier. There's something that God has told you you've got to let go. And because you're thinking about the cost, but because of the cost, it's like, you know what? I trust you more. I trust God that you are going to provide for everything that I need. I trust that there is a better plan. I don't see it. I don't understand it. But I'm going to hold on to your word, which is the word of God. That is our anchor. That is what we stand on. So I can give you praise, even with tears in my eyes. Even you're sitting in your room right now and you're saying, I don't have anything else to give. But God, I trust you. That's a praise. Right now in the chat, say, God, I trust you. God, I lean into you. God, this is trash, but I trust you. Father, I'm not going to abort this season.

46:48 Listen, if you're contemplating suicide right now, listen, say, God, I trust you. I trust you with my life. There is something that you're working in me. There's something in me that you're trying to get out of me. And I thank you, Father. So that is the praise. Like, once we pray, we got to give the praise. As you were saying that, I just thought about this, that praise is evidence that you believe that this is not your final place. I feel like, you know, when you talk about suicide and hopelessness, all of that comes because you feel like there's nothing else. This is the end. This is it. But when we praise, it's evidence that we believe, nope, this is not it. Even as Will said, like, we keep going. We keep on, like, just as we praise, like, it is, it gives God permission to bring us out. You know what I'm saying? It gives God the path. That is our path out in a lot of ways, that we keep praising God and keep trusting God in the midst of our press. You know what's funny, and I didn't say this, but oftentimes when we praise in the midst of everything that's going on, it begins to speak to those that are around us.

47:46 Like, it becomes a testament. Like, there are moments in my life. literally a few years ago where I said I could have lost my mind but I chose to praise God through it and as a result of that there are people who saw me in the season where I should have like cursed God like what Joe like what his what Joe's friend said should have cursed God or be like God how could you allow this to happen but the switch of the perspective to say God I will praise you, whether it's good or whether in the bad, I'm going to praise you and I'm going to trust you. That's so good. We pray, we praise. And the third thing is we protect the promise. And by this, we mean that we remember what God already said to us. If you are, maybe you're thinking, you know, I've never heard a prophetic word from someone or I haven't, I don't know if I've ever heard God speak. All you have to do is open up your Bible. And there are just hundreds if not thousands of promises that God has in the word of God for us to live off of. And it's our responsibility to protect that promise, to remind ourselves. When we read the word, we're not reminding God of who he is. We're reminding ourself of who God is and the promises that he promised us. The Bible says that our God is a God that cannot lie. So yes, you have been promised things from people before and they have failed you. But this is not the same thing. When our God makes a promise to us, he is going to make good on that promise. I know for even myself, when I was going through the pressing season of those initial moments of realizing how broken my marriage was, I remember, first of all, I remember my prayer time was literally just help. Like I could, I didn't know how to, I could not gather any other words to say to God. And y'all, I had a very rich quiet time that I used to have with God. And just, it felt like I went to the heavenlies of heavenlies every morning. And when that thing hit and I realized

49:52 how broken our marriage was, all I could say to God was help. I mean, because literally through the tears, that's the only word that I could get out of my mouth when I had that quiet time with God. And what I did was there was a scripture and I don't even know how I landed on the scripture other than just the sovereignty of God in Psalms 40. And it talks about how I waited patiently on the Lord and he delivered me. And then the verse three says, he gave me a new song, a hymn of praise. And at this season of my life, I could not worship. Like it felt like I could, like you said praise, like it literally felt like I was paralyzed and couldn't worship. I would go to church working at the church. I remember one day you came up and hugged me during praise and worship. And I just like broke down because I was so numb because of all the pain that I was feeling. And there's somebody that you understand exactly what I'm talking about right now. You feel that numbness where we say, well, praise your way through it.

50:50 It's like, how am I supposed to do it? I feel so, and that's how I felt at that time. But that scripture, I started reading that scripture and I told myself, I'm not going to stop reading this scripture. Like every day when I spend time with God, I'm going to read this same scripture because I want to get to a point where I actually believe it. And at the time, I did not believe that ever I would experience joy again. I felt like I was in a depth so far down that there was no way of getting out. But that scripture, I reminded myself of the promise. By the grace of God, he gave me the strength to remind myself of his promises that he made. And that scripture said I would have a hymn of praise. That means a joyful spirit that I would have. And I believe that God made good on his promise just because I kept reminding myself of what it is that his word said and held on to that thing until my heart actually leaned into it. So I'm encouraging you today.

51:50 You may feel numb. You may feel completely depleted and fatigued. But what I'm saying to you is find a scripture. Get something. Hold on to the promises of God and keep reminding yourself of that. You know, Bree, as you were talking, another way that we protect that word is by getting the right people around. Because there's times where you are like, I don't believe it. I know God told me, but I don't even believe it anymore. I think about a time in my life where I was so sure about this. I was sure about the ministry. But I was drowning so deeply in my own sin and pornography that I was like, listen, I don't think this is it. But I had a friend. I had a friend that encouraged me and he would say, no, D, you got it. No, D, you're called. You were anointed. Even though I didn't look anything like that in the moment. And so much of protecting what God has said is keeping the right people around you, the people that know your calling just as good as you do.

52:45 Because there's going to come a time or a moment where you're weak. There's going to come a time or a moment where you're like, I don't even know if I believe it. But it's your friends, it's the people, it's your community that's able to keep that thing in front of you and to protect it even when you don't know how to. Yeah, and I'll say this, even when it comes to the word and reminding yourself of those promises, do it out of discipline, even when you don't have desire. Because we're not gonna have, when we go through the present, we don't have a desire to do the things that God's asked us to do. Do it out of discipline until that desire is sparked once again. And if you just out of discipline, every day I'm gonna pray, every day I'm gonna read God's word, every day I'm getting in community. If you do it out of discipline, the desire will be sparked. I would say this before you go, Will, is I think there's something so practical that people can begin to do right now. And that is like in the chat, go ahead and write out what is the promise that God is giving you. And don't just leave it at the chat, but take a moment and actually write that in a notebook.

53:44 Write that like when you get home, write it on the mirror. And every day begin to speak that, begin to say that. We talked about stating faith back in crazy faith. And one of the things about that is sometimes we begin to speak so much negative and everything that would counteract the promises that God has spoken over our lives that now we've just got to speak it until we see it. I'm not saying fake it till you make it. I'm saying speak it until you see it. And so put that wherever it's got to go. Take a moment. Put it in your notebook, in your phone. Put an alarm. I have sticky notes all around my house. Sticky notes on every single wall with scripture on it just to remind me. Just to remind me. You have to do that. Wow. No, and just to, if you think, and I just want to squash something right now, a myth. If you think for a second, like us being up here, and I feel like I can speak on behalf of us that we somehow like made it and got all figured out. We got out of the press and we're good.

54:37 That is not true. Because just like a current day testimony, and this is, man, I'm so thankful that I have leaders in my life to just call out stuff in me because even a more recent testimony, about two weeks ago, again, I know what God said in that jail cell and spoke over me. And, yes, like, okay, now, like, I'm here. I'm on the dig. I'm talking. Like, but there's still a pressing. And I had a day about a couple weeks ago where I was like, man, God, but it's not looking exactly what I thought it was going to look like. And that was the day that you, Bree, were obedient and got up in the staff meeting and prayed over me probably exactly. Like you couldn't have gotten it more spot on. But that gave me that fuel and that fire to continue. You know what? Okay, I'm going to protect this promise again. You know, so it's just a minute.

55:28 Surround yourself with people that are going to speak life over you. But, yes, we have pray, praise, protect the promise. And this last one is just close to home for me, but it's perseverance. difference uh because like I said you could it would be easy to to look up on this stage and see everybody up here and be like oh man they made it like it's easy for them to say all this it's because I was there I was sitting you know when I would hear sermons my mom would send me something and I was just like yeah okay like it's easy you're sitting up there like you made it out you know but I want to show you a clip let me just set it up for you I kept a video log um when I was in my drug addiction. And the intent of the video was at first it was, man, I'm going to like beat this thing and I'm going to record the comeback. And it slowly turned into, okay, that's not happening. And I started keeping a video log more so for my family. So if I did, you know, give in to taking my life, they could have this video and just be like, okay, how can we figure out addiction?

56:31 How can we beat addiction? And I want to show you this clip. This is me in my rawest, most transparent. It can't get any more transparent than this clip right here. I'm in a very, very dark place right now. and I don't know how to get out this is just a battle that I'm losing right now and I really hope I don't lose permanently cause I would love to I would love to help people get out of this place that I'm in all I know is, man, Will if you're watching this down the road. You know, I pray to God every day that one day we'll look back at this and probably cry like a little baby knowing the pain that we were in at this point.

57:32 But I just want you to don't ever, ever, ever, ever come back to this. You know, He chose me for a reason. He chose me to go through this. I know there's days where I get mad and I don't understand why. But, you know, he chose me for a reason to go through this. He knows I can do it. And one day I'll know what that purpose is, you know, but I don't right now. All I know is I'm in hell, and I'm just going to keep walking until I get out. Oh, man, when I recorded that, there was no hope inside of me that I thought I was going to get out of it. One of the videos, it was probably my last one.

58:27 It was basically like a goodbye to everyone. And in that moment, when I was ready to just end it, I accepted that that was my life. that that was how it was gonna be forever. And I just feel so strongly that I want to encourage somebody, it's not gonna be like that forever. It is not gonna be like that forever. And I need you to hold onto that, whatever you are going through, whatever your situation looks like. And it's just crappy right now. And you can barely get, there was moments where I could barely get out of bed. And if that's you and you're in this place where you feel all this pressure and this suffering, perseverance, hold on to that word, hold on to the promises that God has given you. Don't let the enemy take that and try to make you doubt that it's gonna happen because when I'm in that, when I watch that video, I remember sitting in my study just and I would click off the video and I would feel so dumb like recordings, like there's no way that I'm gonna be watching this one day, let alone watching it on a stage, being able to encourage.

59:41 I literally said, I hope one day that I get out of this because I feel like I'm supposed to help people and I'm here. Why? Nothing I did. But it's because of God and his faithfulness. And I just need you to know, even if it's not you and you have a son or a daughter or a family member that is going through something, they are in a pressing place and it is just eating you alive, don't stop praying for them. You keep pressing in for them. Because I had a praying mom that prayed every single day on her hands and knees when nothing was changing, when most people would probably give up. And I just don't give up. You keep pressing in. You pray on behalf of others. I promise you that God's promises are yes and amen in him. And you hold on to them with everything you have. There was those days that all I could do is say, God, help. God, I need you.

1:00:34 I know what you said, but I just don't see it. And I just kept just all I had. I said, this too shall pass. I think I said that and I wrote it down on my mirror. I wrote it down on sticky notes. I wrote it down. I just kept telling myself this too shall pass. And in that moment, I didn't see this. I did not see what was gonna be produced through that pressing. And I just hold on, but also don't miss it. Don't miss what God is wanting to do in this because there is something you need to get from your pressing season so that you can go and you can pass it on to other people and share what God has done in your life and change lives. I just, perseverance. Do not give up. Do not give up. That's so good. I feel like there are some people out there that are trying to figure out how do I persevere. And maybe it wasn't a drug addiction, but I think the thing that I keep hearing is the loss of dreams.

1:01:40 And that dream along the lines of those who have been wanting children, miscarriages. And you're broken and you don't see value in your life. And I just want to encourage you right now that God sees you. He hears you. Persevere. Don't let up of what God has spoken to you. Don't lose hope. Don't lose faith in whatever the dream was that God has given you. Keep pressing. Keep persevering through that thing. You know, some of you are watching this right now. And, you know, we're talking about Jesus and God and pressing and purpose. And for you, you know, you're going through some things. Maybe you're in the darkest place that you've ever been in, but you've never accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. I want you to know that God wants to take whatever is pressing you, whatever the pressure that you're facing right now, and he wants to turn it into purpose.

1:02:41 He wants to use that to lead you right into purpose. But it starts with a personal relationship with him. Right? The Bible says that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. So when we make Christ our Savior, God is able to take the pressure. He's able to take the thing that we're going through and turn that into purpose. Real quick, I just want to say a prayer with you. I want to lead you. If you've never accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, I want you to repeat after me. Transformation Nation, stand up. Nobody prays alone in the room. We're going to pray together. So I just want you to pray right after me. Say this. Say, dear God, thank you for loving me. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to die on the cross for me. I admit that I've made mistakes. Jesus, come into my heart. Change me, transform me, renew me.

1:03:38 I am yours. Amen. Amen. Hey, fam, if you just prayed that prayer and meant it, Man, we believe that everything in your life, everything just changed. Even though it doesn't look like it right now, like Will said when he was in that jail, so he got the vision, but nothing changed in the moment. I promise you that if you prayed that prayer, everything just changed. Your destiny, the destiny of those that are coming after you. And man, there's a number at the bottom of the screen. Go ahead and text the word SAVE to that. We want to send you some resources as you start this brand new life. We know that as you have accepted Christ, that he will take the pressure, take the press. the thing that you've been facing and turn that into purpose. God has a plan for your life. God sees you. He knows exactly what you're called to. And you will do the thing that God has called you to if you keep on following him. Man. That's so good. Listen, this is a dig. We're going deeper in God.

1:04:30 I want to encourage you. If you have a prayer request, go ahead and drop that in the chat. We have people that are hosting right now. I know I saw a couple of things come in. And I just want to take a moment and just pray for some of the ones that I did see. So, Father, I thank you right now, God, for those that have even communicated some of their prayer requests, Lord, that there's so many people that are watching right now that are in a pressing place and they don't have hope, Lord God. They can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Father, I pray right now that you would be the hope in their heart, Father, that you would lead and guide them, that you would cover them. Father, that even if they're in their weakest point or their weakest moment, Father, I pray that you would send friends, you would send the right people over to them to be errands in hers, to lift up their hands to see what's in them to say there's more in you don't give up don't let up father I pray right now Lord God that you would um that you would just cause a revival to happen Lord God God I thank you right now Lord God that there is no seed that will be wasted God that there is no struggle or no pain that somebody is going through that will be wasted but God I pray that you would Just give us the strength.

1:05:35 Renew our strength day by day. It is in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Well, hey, guys, listen, like I said, it's the dig. We're so glad that you guys connected with us. We've got TC Pre that happens on Sunday mornings. And then we start at TC Post right after the service as well. Next week is our Global Sunday. We've been in our fun month. This is a time where Pastor Michael and Pastor Natalie take some time away and really allow God to refresh them, rejuvenate them. And every time Pastor Michael comes back, every time, it is crazy bananas. And so I want to remind you to just continue to pray for them and care for them and all that good stuff. But we love y'all. We can't wait to see y'all next week. Go out and live a transformed life. All right. Bye, guys. Thank you.