Vision Release (Part 1)

0:30 Was anybody excited about what God's going to do today? Amen. Well, I'm pumped for numerous reasons. A lot of them. Number one, you're here, okay? Number two, God's here, okay? Number three, at the beginning of every year, We set aside a time, 21 days, where our conviction at Transformation Church is that we're going to give God practically the first of our year. And so we do that by going into a time of prayer and fasting. Everybody say prayer. Fasting. And I know some of y'all, that second word was a cuss word for you. You was like fasting. Hold on, what? Not eating, huh? Like, like, like, but, but what we've realized over the course of our journey with Christ is that there are some things that don't change except by prayer and fasting. It's what the Bible says.

1:23 And it's one of the most clearest times that you can get vision from God where you were, what we do is we trade, we trade what our flesh wants for what God wants to give us. And there's many of you that are controlled strictly by your flesh. Whatever your flesh tells you to do, that's what you do. Whatever your desires tell you to do, that's what you do. Whatever your desires tell you to eat, that's what you eat. Whatever your desires tell you to buy, that's what you buy. And there comes a point where you have to say, God, I'm going to trade what I want, what my flesh wants for what you desire for me. and what we do me and my family and many people in this church as well as as those all across the world that are watching on transformation nation um we're starting a daniel's fast starting tomorrow and i'm excited because i know that when i go on a daniel's fast everything in my life gets better like no no you don't hear i'm a better husband i'm a better pastor i'm a better leader because i draw away from everything that's not really adding to me and i draw close to the one who created me. And we're not talking about going on a fad diet or something like that. We're talking about getting and spending time with God. And so every time I get hungry, I pray. And for the first three or four days, I'll be praying a lot because my body's adjusting from my flesh being fed to my spirit man being fed. And the Bible says something like this, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. They will be filled. And what I'm telling you is many of you have taken a step on your spiritual journey as you've been a part of Transformation Church. And today you get the opportunity to take another step on your spiritual journey. Many of you have never done this before.

3:18 You might have tried one time and then went to Burger King. I was like, the Lord, I can't. And it doesn't matter. Try again. Many of you took the step last year. and man, it was only a few weeks ago, but it was last year to give in our tabernacle offering. And God took you beyond it. And this year we want to give you that opportunity. Every night we will be meeting right here at six o'clock for an hour of power prayer. We're going to have a time where you bring your devotionals and your journals and your Bibles. And we just want God to speak to us. We are making an appointment with God every day. And it's so funny. God never misses an appointment we sat with him. We may miss some appointments he sat with us, but I'm telling you, when you make a time to meet with God, I promise you, he will meet you right here. And for everybody that's watching online or maybe can't get off, or maybe you work at night, every day at noon, we're going to be doing a time of prayer every day on all of our social medias, on Facebook Live and Instagram Live. So maybe a lunch break, you'll double dip, you'll come at night, but you'll be there in the day with us, and we're going to have thousands of people joining us, and I don't want you to be left out of that. I'm telling you, make a decision. Everybody say a decision. To honor God with the first of this year, and I promise you, around here, we know that this time of year sets the pace for our entire year. If you've been a part of Transformation Church for any length of time, God gives us this first part of the year, and He gives us a word, and usually at this first part, When we get the word, we pray and we fast over it.

4:58 And then it ends up playing out in our church life, in our personal life. And so I just want, I want to let you know that I'm not just making stuff up. Like, like I'm the leader of this church because God's allowed me to, to take that responsibility. And I'll go pray and ask God, what do you want to say to your people? And even last year, if you were here, you know, like I didn't like the word God gave us last year. Like I hated it actually. But then what ended up happening? it. Oh, can I be honest? Okay. I hated it. But then when we obeyed it, so you don't have to like it to obey it. When I obeyed it, it changed everything. All y'all here, because we obeyed the word. So 2016, God, I went away to pray and God said, Michael, for 2017, I want the word to be beyond. Everybody say beyond. And God took us beyond in 2017. Like we were a small group of people. God grew us a little bit, gave us a little more influence. We thought we was doing it. And then in 2018, God said, the word for this year is stride. Everybody say stride. That's the one I ain't like. Because God told us that you need to walk instead of run into everything that I've called you to do. And I'm a runner and I want to make it happen. And God was like, no, no, no, no.

6:16 I'll make it happen if you obey me. And literally almost a year ago, this time is crazy. We were at two services with less than 700 people coming to our church and God said, do less and I'll do more. And we canceled stuff. And the gift that you saw this year, that's what we canceled last year. We had that a year ago and God said, do less and I'll do more. And when we got in a time of fasting and praying, unobayed God to do that word, God clowned us. I mean, literally, he did things that we could never do for ourselves. And our church went from a small church to a very large church, as you can see right now. And every... Someone is about to become a millionaire.

7:27 Young. Old. Black. White. Skinny. Bluffy. Everybody's here! Okay? It looks like heaven. that that wasn't here last year but when we obeyed everybody said the word of the lord and i know these are things that you don't use all the time because you you would rather obey your word than his word but when god gives us a word man we we just buckle down on it so this year i'm so excited because the year that we're about to enter into is 2019 and if you're taking notes I've already started my message. This is the year of release. Everybody say release. Say it with your chest. Say release. Say it till it annoys your neighbor. Say release. Oh, I'm feeling good in the building today. The reason I'm excited about this is because the revelation God's beginning to give me around this word release is about to set the trajectory for the rest of this year. And I want to help you. Like if you attach your faith to this, what God's saying and what he's doing, he's going to do it anyway. He'll do it with us or without us. But we're a church that said, no, no, no, we're not just going to listen to what God is doing and clap while he's doing it.

8:48 We're going to grab a hold of this thing and we're going to see it not just happen for our church, but our personal lives, for our families. Everybody say release. Okay. So, so in this 21 days of prayer and fasting. We're going to be praying around the subject of release and what God is doing. But every Sunday I'm going to be teaching another level of release. And literally, I wish I could teach all of it today because it's like bubbling up in me. But today is just going to be the, I'm going to set the foundation for this entire series. Because when you pray, when you fast, you get vision for your life and for what God is asking you to do. And this is why the enemy tries to keep people from prayer because it's the exchange between you and God. And the only way you can know what God is asking you to do is if you have a conversation with him. Prayer is not a monologue, not us telling God all the things that are going wrong in our life and everything that we hate. It's a dialogue. That means we have to set a time and we have to stay in God's presence long enough for us to speak and for him to speak back. Well, pastor, does God speak? Yep. He speaks in a lot of ways. Number one way he speaks is through his word. That's why the devil gives you sleepitis every time you crack open your Bible. It's just like, okay, let's be honest. How many people have tried to read their Bible and just sleep come over you? Just, I mean, just slumber.

10:09 We don't even use that word, but that just felt right. Just like slumber comes over you, hibernation and i i it's because if you ever started hearing what god was saying through his word about you it would change how you lived the other way he speaks is through others and this one messes you up because you don't think nobody know nothing except you come on let's be honest it takes it takes our pride being humbled for God to use somebody that we know is flawed to speak to it. But if God can use a bush,

10:51 if God can, mama, why are you cussing on the front row? Mom said a jackass. That's in the Bible for all y'all don't know. The saints, because they so holy, the only time they cuss is when it's in the Bible and my mama's real holy. Anyway, but what I'm saying is if he can use a donkey and if he can use and if he can use a bush to talk to Moses why couldn't he use your cousin who's still kind of crazy but maybe is it the word of God to you or is it you're so concerned about the vessel that you don't hear what they said so God speaks to others and then he speaks in prayer everybody say prayer and this is probably one of my secret weapons that's why even at all of the prayer nights, if you come to one of our prayer nights, we got these new wristbands that say prayer is my secret sauce. And I'm telling you, if you come to prayer, you're going to get one of those. And I'm wearing this because it's really my secret sauce. Like people think it's charisma or being funny or anything. No, no, no, no. Your boy has a prayer life that is treacherous.

11:59 No, no, no, no, no. If you mess with me in the natural, I'm going to go handle you in the spirit. oh you you thought i was playing get in my way in the natural i got something for you i'm gonna handle you in the spirit god said we don't wrestle against flesh and blood but we gotta go and take authority over those things and prayer is a weapon for us and and and one of those things that happens in prayer is that god releases vision and i just want to make sure that we don't go into 2019 and we've already made a plan and then we ask God to bless a plan that he didn't make. Come on, let's be honest. How many of us in this room have ever made a plan and then asked God to co-sign it? Some of y'all sitting next to him. Anyway, oh, I'm coming for you today. God bless you. All I'm saying, all I'm saying is we get a lot of the same things when we make a plan outside of God's presence, it becomes a problem. And then usually we end up asking God to fix the problems that not he made, that we made without him. And so we're first Sunday of the year.

13:12 Why don't we stop our planning for a second and go to prayer? And why don't we ask God, what do you want for 2019? What do you want for my relationships? What do you want for me to do this year because if we get his plan we end up not wasting time anyway going around around and around in cycles this year god wants to do more than he's ever done in our life but it's going to take us making everybody say time for him to speak to us and we want god to set the vision for this year so this is why we pray this is why i do a vision series and today i want to tell you why vision is so such a big deal to me. Go to Proverbs 29 verse 18. And I'm going to read this out of the message version. But it says, if people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves. So a lot of your trip in last year was because you didn't see what God was doing.

14:12 You were watching what you planned to do, but you did not attend to what God was doing. But it says, But when they attend, when they pay attention, when they participate in what he reveals, they are most blessed. And so you have an assignment this year as we start in this vision series. Number one thing you need to do for your life is you need to see what God is doing. What is he doing? What is he trying to put the magnifying glass on? What is he trying to get out of your life? I need to see what God is doing. The second thing that I need to do is I need to take part in what God is doing. It's one thing to know God's doing something. It's another thing to participate in it. And too many of us know like, yeah, God is trying to make me a leader, but I ain't going to do nothing. Like God is trying to bring me to a place of purity, but I'm not going to cut off the people who are making me walk down in perversion.

15:09 I know, I know, I know, I know. God's trying to use the gifts he put in me, but I'm scared to show anybody. See, it's one thing to know God's trying to do something. It's another thing to say, I don't care what this costs me. I'm going to take part in what God's doing. And this is the third thing. This is the result of it. We are most blessed. Everybody say most blessed. That's what God wants for 2019 in our life. And so as I begin to think about, okay, we went beyond in 2017. We were finding our stride in 2018. and God, you said 2019 is the year of release. Okay. Give me some more on that Lord, because I want to release it, but you got to show me. And I went away and I prayed and I fasted. In July, I take a week and I just go seek what God is saying for our church. And when he said release y'all, he started unfolding this thing and I want to give it to you. Okay. So write this down.

16:11 this year god said i want to release you from i want to release you of and i want to release you into write it down this is the year of release from everybody say from this is the release the year of release of everybody say of and this is the release into everybody say into I'm telling you this is about to be crazy. So then he went deeper. I just need to give you that so that you could be able to to to brace yourself. Watch this. He said Michael from my people this is the word of the Lord to transformation church and to everybody who would attach their faith to it. He said this year I want to release them from the place of bondage. whatever place has you tied up the the relationship that has you bound the thought process that has you bound the the family cycle that has you but god said this is the year somebody say this is the year i feel the presence of god already and the thing that's in you that's fighting this right now is generational curses and them demons who thought they would never be touched and they're like oh we got to be released like like like this is that thing in you because there are bondages that you've been tied to so long that you thought it was a part of you like some of you like i don't have anything to change like i don't even know why i like what release from what and the truth is many of us have had bondages that have become a part of us so so we almost think that we'll just live with it i'll just live with my anger i'll just live with my attitude i mean i'm just a prideful person like god god knows me i'm just a prideful and we've no no no he said this is the year of release somebody shout at me release those things that have kept you bound and kept your

18:18 mouth closed and kept you stuck to the same perversion this is the year of what release oh i'm coming to serve notice on everything that thought it was gonna stay with you every attitude every lazy thought every doubting spirit that thought it it had permanent residence in your life it's getting an eviction notice this month this is the time that god wants to release you from every bondage and then he said oh this is good he said tell my people michael that i want to release them of the perspective of bondage. I said, hold on, God, you just said you was releasing us from the place of bondage, but the perspective, he said, yeah, yeah, yeah, because I can deliver you from a place, but the perspective is still in you when you're in another place. He said, ask the children of Egypt, the children of Israel, when I delivered them from Egypt, they were slaves, and so I took them out of the place of bondage, but I was trying to take them to a promise but I had to take them to a wilderness and they never let me transform the perspective of bondage and so what ended up happening is they turned the place that was supposed to renew their mind into the place that they died and he said this year 2019 I want to release the perspectives that now that I've delivered you you not that way no more but you still think like it. I delivered you from poverty, but now I bring you in the blessing, but you still won't give or be generous because you still think poor. I delivered you from perversion, but when you come over here, you won't trust anybody because you think everybody's going to take advantage of you. God said, I got to get you released of the perspectives, the thoughts, and the habits that have you doing the same thing in a different place. That's why I tell people, Move.

20:20 As long as you take you, the same thing will find you. Go to Kansas. Go to L.A. Go to New York. The same issues will show up with different faces. Change jobs. Change careers. Change majors. Until your perspective is delivered. You, Egypt, God brought you out of Egypt, but Egypt is not out of you. and god said this is the year i want people to be released in their perspective everybody shout at me release okay one more one more one more he said tell my people this is the year that i'm going to release them into the promise of the blessing so so not that just god wants to release you from the place of bondage and and from the perspective of bondage but the reason he wants to release you of those things because those things kept you from the place or the promise of your blessing the vision god put in your heart the purpose that he told you told you your whole family would be safe and that's the promise he gave you and and and you're like why hasn't it happened it's because a lot of things have not happened because we're still tied to things that we won't release there are a lot of things that God's saying this is the promise but we're still tied down to things and excuse me people who were never meant to be released into the next place we're going and so I'm telling you transformation church this is about to be a year of I'm gonna use some churchy words right here deliverance and healing like things that you have been holding your whole life, God by his spirit is coming in and he's saying it's time for you to be released. Release from alternate lifestyles, controlling your thoughts. Release from poverty and lack, turning you this way. Release from worry and depression. Release. Somebody shout at me, release. I am too hyped right now. The reason is because I know what happens when you get free.

22:32 you become everything god called you to be you no longer need the approval of people to know that god already approved you when he called you and he made you this is what he said before you were formed in your mother's womb he said i knew you they might not know you but i knows you and i had plans for you plans to prosper you not to harm you to give you a hope and a future Like this is what god wants so it's time for us to what? Release okay, so so now as god gave that to me I was like, okay god I know there's gonna be some people in here that not gonna really understand it that quick like how you've been downloading this to me for the past few months So give me a picture show me something that I can show people of what you're trying to do And this is what god said he said michael I want you to tell the people this is not a one-dimensional release This is a multi-faceted release and I was like multifaceted release that makes it harder lord I can't explain multifaceted release what does that mean and he gave me this picture I want everybody to listen and hear this video as as you see release and I'll explain it to you in a minute launch control this is Houston we are go for launch six five four three two We are Five boosters have begun to throttle down in preparation for the upcoming shutdown in 20 seconds.

24:29 Side booster shutdown and separation. Inside and shut down. Side boosters. center which is used that's where he keeps going some of y'all like what did we just watch like okay i'm about to explain it to you that was a multi-faceted release i'm about to show you this if you really could hear it clearly at the very beginning it said from houston you have a go ready to launch and the first release was a word given from an authority figure they released the rocket to be able to go and it was a word from the authority can i help you that the word that i'm giving you today was a word that came from god And he said, release. The word had to come first from the authority that they call Houston.

25:40 The word has to come first from the authority that we call God. When you get a release from God, everything else can start to happen. This is where many of us have made our mistake is that we have started to count down to what we wanted. And Houston, we have a problem. They haven't given us the release. and this is why this time of prayer and fasting is so important before you start that business get a release before you get in that relationship get a release before before you go to that place get a release because when the word comes forth then you get to see another release the boosters come on and then everybody starts counting down and you almost probably missed it you almost missed it. But right when the rocket is about to go up, all that power, all that energy, all that strength, there's something that is connected to that rocket that is holding it up while it's on the ground.

26:44 But it has to be released for it to be able to go to where it's supposed to go. What I'm telling you right now in this season is there are some things that God is saying, they have been keeping you grounded and it's time for them to be released with all of that power with all of that strength if it would have tried to go but there wasn't a second release it would have been destruction and many of you have been trying to launch been trying to go to your next place but you're still connected to people and things that have you grounded Bye. that's good the reason i'm saying that right now is because you've been wondering for a season they held you up they helped you sustain and now god's trying to launch you and he's saying those habits can't go with you into this next place i'm trying to take you those people and their attitudes cannot go to this next place I'm trying to take you. It means you're going to have to release. Yeah.

27:56 And some of y'all missed the next release because there's two more releases. See, once it got off the ground, the rocket, when it got to a certain level, had two rocket boosters on the side of it. And it says, you got to get ready because the rocket boosters have to be released. And this was so funny to me because some of the things that were able to get off the ground with you... won't be able to go to the destination with you. And you've been wondering why you've been stuck at the ceiling. It says, because you weigh too much. See, the thing about the rocket boosters are they were there and they got it to a certain place, but it is ways too much to go into the next atmosphere. And there are people that God is trying to release you into what he's called you to be, to the person that he's called you to be and to the family that he's called you to be and to the calling that you know you're supposed to have.

28:58 But many of us are holding on to attitudes that made it off the ground. And you thought because it made it off the ground, it could stay with you. to sins and perversions and, and, and, and thinking of people a certain way, like you got it all together. God said, I can't let you break into the next atmosphere until you what release. And let me tell you the third, the third one. Remember I said that God told us that we were going to break, that he was going to release us from. So he released us from the ground. And then he was going to release us of, he released us of those rocket boosters. then he's going to release us in two. And the thing that you have to realize is they were not trying to fly an airplane because the airplane would have been successful if it would have got off the ground, stayed in the one atmosphere and landed at another place. That wouldn't have been a rocket. That would have been an airplane. And God's calling many of us to a new space.

30:00 get the analogy a new space and we're treating it like it's an airplane that i can go up stay at a certain level and come down and god said this ain't no airplane this ain't american airlines this ain't delta this ain't southwest this is something else that i'm not trying to get you just to a better place i'm trying to take you to a new atmosphere. And he said that you have to be released from the ground, released of all the weights, so you can be released into a brand new space. And I'm just trying to tell somebody right now, if you can receive this by faith, your next level is not wrapped up in who's coming. It's wrapped up in what you're releasing. you have all you need right now to fulfill the purpose that god has placed in your heart but you might have too much that's keeping you grounded that you're trying to go to another level with so much weight and you're not able to get into the space that god's called you to be into so this is this is the question you're gonna have to answer like i'm answering right now if God is saying release, why would you hold on?

31:30 Like if God's telling you to release the relationship, why would you hold on to it? If God is telling you to release the book, why would you not do it? If God is telling you to release your servanthood and your time, why would you be selfish with that? This, for our church and for anybody who would attach their faith, is the year of release. Somebody shout at me, release. Okay, so if God is saying it's the year of the release, that means we got to start releasing some stuff. So I'm going to give you three things that we got to release. Okay, write these down. Release, let free. I want you to put it just like that. Release, let free. And let me give you the definition of this word release. to allow or enable something or someone to flow freely from confinement to make free. And that word allow, it excites me because it says you have to give permission to do something. This is your key right here. God is ready to release his power on your life, but there's one condition you got to allow him to. You have to let him flow freely. And I know most of us want God to supersede our will, but it doesn't work like that. He gave us a will because he wants us to be ones who invite him into situations. And right here at the top of 2019, God is saying, I want a release on your life.

33:03 I want to bring blessing. I want to bring increase. I want to heal you, but you got to let me. you you gotta allow me and then it goes on to reinforce it it says not just allow it says enable and this word enable excites me too because it means give authority to do something so God's saying to you you got to give me permission and authority to come into your life and release what I have for you well well Pastor Mike okay amen I believe it. This is your release, 2019. Okay. I'm going to let God, I'm going to let him do it. Lord, you can use me. Do whatever you want to as long as it's comfortable.

33:46 Because then it looks like this, where this is all God wants to do in 2019 in your life. I mean, it's pure. It's ready. It's going to quench thirst. It's going to bring everything to pass that he showed you and stuff you didn't even see. And God says, I'm ready to pour it out. I'm ready to do it. All right, God. three, two, release!

34:06 And the reason why nothing's coming out is because you've capped God. you did not allow or enable him to flow freely. And so all he wants to do every week while he's trying to talk to you, while you're coming to church, while you're doing this, all the potential that is in here right now, it is capped because you did not give permission or allow God to flow like he wants to flow. He's standing here like this, but there is nothing coming out because you did not remove your cap.

34:40 and this is why God says, is this how we're going to do it all year? Like we at the first Sunday of 2019, and I'm ready to release my favor, my wisdom, plans for stuff you didn't even know about, but you're going to just keep me capped like this? And I know you're like, uh-uh, no, no, no, no way. I'm going to cap God. Mm-mm. I'm going to give God permission, what is it, to allow. We're going to allow Him, Lord. it. Do you, God? Do you? And what you do is you give him a little bit of freedom. You only talk to him about the things that aren't so uncomfortable. You only serve a little bit. And God says, three, two, one, I'm ready to release. And it squirts. Squirts.

35:31 I'm going to do big thing, God. I'm ready for you to release. Why so little? why is my destiny still thirsty? Why is my, this is not enough. God said he wanted to release, but we only gave him permission, authority to release on our comfortability level.

35:55 So God says, is that, okay, so 2019, it's going to take all year. it's gonna it's gonna take it's gonna take a whole month to get a cup full of me and some of y'all like uh-uh not me not me lord i'm gonna start the fast lord i'm gonna give once a month lord i'm gonna give you a little more room and so god i'm just you know i'm gonna pour out and this is what we do it's more than they do why is this a problem it's more it's more than pour out lord i'm pouring out more than you and god says why are you comparing yourself with somebody who disobeyed me when i want all of you and and you're still giving me you're only letting me touch a little bit but I'm ready to release but you put a cap on what I can do I made a decision that in 2019 I ain't got no cap I'm going to let God oh y'all didn't hear me I'm going to let him pour whatever he wants to do and somebody's got the faith to believe I am uncapping God and he can pour he can pour out Now watch The thing you have to realize Is when you uncap God He's going to pour out so quickly That he'd have to fill this thing back up He doesn't have A limited supply He just has a limited Resource To pour out of Will you Let him release everything he has for you uncap god this year and some of y'all so funny you're more worried about the carpet i'm about to use everything you're more concerned about what release looks like to others

38:05 than him actually pouring out in your life well what if somebody got wet or what you better get a little bit of this i'm so sorry but the way i'm about to pour in 2019 you might get you might get a little wet all i'm telling you is this is the year somebody shot at me release i'm telling you listen for everybody whose weave i messed up Sorry, but... All I'm telling you, all I'm telling you, all I'm telling you is this is the year of what? I'm going to uncap God. You can have all of me. Use everything I got, God. Okay.

38:57 dann Okay, let me give you bible second corinthians chapter 3 verse 17 It says now the lord is the spirit And where the spirit of the lord is There is liberty there is freedom. There is release. It's the emancipation from bondage True freedom. I don't care what depression you've been walking around in what lack you've been walking around in what perversions you've been walking around in. God says he's coming to give you true freedom. And we all with unveiled faces continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are, I love this, progressively being transformed. Like that's why I'm asking you to fast.

39:50 That's why I'm asking you to give. That's why I'm asking you to serve. That's why, because God's saying, would you allow me to flow freely in you? Because the goal of me flowing in you is that you will be progressively transformed into what? Pastor Mike, my best version? No, look what it says. Into his image. From one degree of glory to even more glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. so my only question to you today is at what level are you gonna allow permit release god to work in your life this year everybody say release okay let me give you the second one real quick release this release and then i want you to write stop holding it's because this release is for you to stop holding the definition says to drop or to stop carrying, holding or containing something.

40:51 It's the Hebrew 12. This is the year that you lay aside every weight. This is the year that you stop carrying things in people who've been a weight in your life. Let me make it real plain. This is the year that you actually forgive. No, no, no, I know, I know. You've been holding against them because your daddy wasn't there and because your daddy wasn't there, then this messed me up and I didn't have it. And God said, I know you've been holding these unforgiveness cards for a day. He said, but it's keeping you grounded. And to this year is the year of release. Yes, they abused you, but we're letting them go this year. They will no longer be able to be out of my life, but still be controlling my present.

41:39 Yeah, I know that boss didn't did me wrong. And I know that person looked over me on the basketball team. And I know those people and God said, this is the year that you're going to stop holding them. You're going to everybody say it release. Because I'm telling you that some of you have so much that God wants to do, but you can't go into the next space, the next stratosphere. And you're still holding things that are weighing you down. You've been holding people. You've been holding situations. You've been holding unforgiveness. And God said, this is the year you're going to get free from that. I'm going to release you from every person that looked over you. And they're probably not going to come back and say sorry. But you're not going to have to even worry about it no more. Because by my spirit, I'm going to allow you to let go. Somebody say let go. I'm telling you, we're about to take a, what is it called?

42:36 A lesson from Elsa. And we're about to let it go. Do you hear what I'm saying? This is going to be the year of release. Let me help you with that. Hebrews 12.1. I'm going to read it in the message version. It says, do you see what this means? All these pioneers who blaze the way, all these veterans cheering us on. It means we better get on with it. Strip down. Start running. No more staying in the same place. And never quit. I love this one. No extra spiritual fat. And then this is my favorite. no parasitic sins do you know what a parasite is a parasite is something that sticks to you and it sucks you of all your nutrients many of you have not been able to do what god has called you to do because you've been letting unforgiveness bitterness cling to you and suck you dry of hope and faith and believing and i'm telling you that this is the year of release god is coming to set you free. And this is what we get as we stop holding. Everybody shout at me one more time.

43:44 Release. I'm telling you, this is the word of the Lord for our church and for your life, if you would grab hold of it. The last one, as we stop holding and as we allow God to flow free in our life, the last release is to make public. This is about to be some of our coming out year. there are things and gifts that god has placed on the inside of you that are about to be released you've been hiding them from everybody your parents and your cousins and your friends don't even know they on the inside but there's a leader on the inside of you that has been waiting to erupt and i know somebody talked about you that got your confidence down and you didn't know but this year god says oh it's time for you to release it i know what i put in you i know who you are You've been going in this other direction. He said, but there's things that I've placed in you that the world needs to hear, that people around you need to know.

44:40 This is your year of release. Look at the definition. It means to let. Everybody say let. That means you got something to do with it. You have to allow it. You have to say, God, you can use me. let something be shown in public or made available for use.

45:04 Do you know why God wants you released? It's so that you can be available for his use. Because there's other people that need to be. because there's co-workers that you work with right now that if you would ever be released from your anger issues you could help them be released from their anger issues if you would ever be released from perversion the girl that you was trying to do it with you could actually see them as your sister in christ and be a person to help bring them into their release if you would ever fully get released from depression. You can walk back into situations where you see the dark cloud around people and speak life and faith over them and grab them by the arm and say, I know exactly how you feel, but I met a man named Jesus and he can take what seems like the worst place in your life and raise you up to a brand new place. I want to help you be released.

46:12 let me prove it to you what look what Luke 4 18 says it says now the spirit of the Lord is upon everybody say me yeah yeah some of y'all never thought that because you think you've done too much for the spirit of the Lord to be upon you but I'm trying to tell you 2019 the spirit of God is coming to search you out there's a there is a tracking device on your purpose right now and he's saying I'm looking for you will you allow me to release in your life will you allow me to use your smarts and your business and your gift will you allow me and god is saying the spirit of the lord my spirit is upon you and then he says for he has anointed me that means his approval is there to bring good news to the poor then it says because this remember he's releasing us he's making us public he said he has sent me everybody say god sent me yeah that's why you're at the job you don't like right now and that's why you're at the school. God sent you there. You thought you ended up there? God don't waste nothing. I think my Bible says all things, everything works together for the good of those who are called and that love him. So he's saying, I sent you there to proclaim, look at this, that the captives will be released.

47:37 God said I need you to be released I don't want you to be bound in anger and frustration and isolation anymore because if you get released then I can send you to go tell people the good news and not at the church that's why I'm sending you to the entertainment industry and I'm sending you into real estate and I'm sending you into education. And I'm sitting like, the church don't need to huddle here. This is our huddle, but we got to go play the game. And God says, I have too many injured players trying to run routes and trying to do stuff and they haven't been released from their pain. So this year, I'm going to take the whole year and I'm going to release you. Every bondage, all baggage, all things that have been holding you and keeping you grounded.

48:37 God says this is the year of relief. You don't have to keep it if you don't want to. He said because there's other people At your job In your family That live right next door to you That the only reason I put you there Is because if you get released You'll be the one to help them get released He said I want the blind eyes to see I want the oppressed I want them to know that they will be set free and I need you to tell everybody I need you to make this public that the time of the Lord's favor has come the reason our church has to be released is because we're the only Jesus some people will see and it's hard to release people from something you're still bound to I want to pray for everybody y'all I have so much in me right now you do not want to miss a week of this series because I'm layer by layer God's going to teach us how to be released we're going to stop being grounded we're not going to hold the stuff that's keeping us weighted down we're going to make public all that God has put on the inside of us even though it's not in its mature state yet we are going to be a church that is say it with me real loud released and I want to pray for you because right now as we start in this 21 days of prayer and fasting this is the way you get the vision to know what God is saying to you that's why I'm saying like don't punk out right now like you ain't even tried yet like I can't do that yes you can I promise you and you're like a third day I went to McDonald's I just I couldn't take it anymore it doesn't matter like, but you're progressing.

50:36 And you're coming to prayer and you're trying. All God's saying is take a step. Don't stay in the same place and then expect something different. Don't shout release, but you won't even let me do the work in you. I'm challenging everybody. Start this year off. If God said the word release, let's put ourself in the place so we can hear. What do we really need to release? Because I know some of y'all are like, oh, I know I need to release my anger and I probably need to release Billy. like I know but when you get in the presence of God he starts revealing stuff you didn't even remember he starts going deep down and pulling out stuff that you suppressed so long that you don't even know if it's real or not and he said yeah I want all that because for where I'm taking you that can't go hands lifted all over this place father I thank you father we here as a church we are agreeing with your word this is the year of release we will not stand by and not see what you are doing we will hear you we will obey you and we will trust you father i'm thanking you as we start this fast tomorrow i thank you father that you're giving people faith and hope like never before father those of of us who have never done this before i thank you that there's a supernatural grace because you're calling us into a season of release god i stand with everybody who feel so hopeless and faithless and in bondage right now. And I speak to the chains on their life and on their mind. God said that we will be released. So we stand in faith that this is the year of release. And Father, I thank you that you're bringing us into a knowing that you're a good father and that you are going to fulfill your promise in Jesus name.

52:23 Everybody say we agree.