You Can’t Stop Me

1:02 and um we're going to um go to romans and we're going to go to romans 8 um i want you to park there because i got stuck i got stuck this week um really three weeks ago when i began to ask what do you want to say to your people as we cross into this new year and let me go ahead and start off by saying nothing magical happens at midnight tonight okay nothing magical happens but something supernatural happens when people start to think about how good God has been and start to make plans for what God is going to do. And when we start writing down the vision and making it plain, there's something supernatural happens there. And so I want you to be more intentional about hearing what God is saying to you this morning so that we can move in action and not what everybody's doing tonight and what everybody, Hey, because I really do believe that God wants to do something unprecedented in your life in 2018. I believe that. And some people are even scared to amen that and all that other stuff. And people like they confessing the same thing every year and dah, dah, dah, dah. But my Bible tells me life and death is in the power of the tongue. And there's some of us that need to confess something different for our 2018 than happened for our 2017. And so as we stand here at this threshold, God begin to deal with me in Romans 8 and if you ever want to just encourage yourself in the Lord just go read Romans 8 it begins to change your perspective on stuff but I got stuck at this one passage and that's where I got the message title from and all of that somebody say you can't stop me now you said that like I could stop you that's why that's how you said that I I need you to say it with your chest.

2:48 I need to say, I don't, okay. I don't know if you've ever played a game before, like a basketball game or a football game or ping pong, but you were dominating whoever you were playing. And there comes a point when you were dominating somebody so bad that you just get this confidence. Like, I don't care what you do. You can't stop me. Like, like, and I had this all the time with my little brothers until all my little brothers became my big brothers. You understand what I'm saying? But there's a place that you can get to where you can say you can't stop me. I want you to say that phrase right now and prophesy into your future. I want you to say it like you mean it. I want you to say it like there is no obstacle that is going to be in your way this year that you cannot overcome. Somebody say you can't stop me. Oh, that's better. We're going to try it one more time because somebody's vocal cords just woke up right there. You haven't talked a lot today.

3:41 But by the end of this message, God is going to have that so deep down in our psyche and in our hearts that when we face trial in 2018, you will have something in you that is rooted and grounded in the truth that you know that whatever it is cannot stop you. Somebody just yell at me. You can't stop me. Oh, we're getting there. Go to Romans 8 31. Because if God's going to do something unprecedented in our life, he can't do it without us. And most of us want God to do a miracle besides us. He wants us to circumvent our will. And make us do what we don't want to participate in. And that's not going to happen, but I think if we get the right perspective, everything can change. Paul goes to talk to us after he talks about the grace of God and the goodness of God and how we received and were called and we're his own and we are loved.

4:43 He goes through all of that. And then it starts right here at Romans 831. He says, what then shall we say in response to all these things? Now, I want to keep preaching, but I just came to let you know in the next 34 minutes, I'm going to preach the fool out of this scripture. like i'm like when i tell you that sometimes i teach and sometimes i'm very sophisticated and eloquent i'm about to act a fool on this scripture right here why are you saying that pastor mike because this has real meaning to me because paul is saying to all of us he said what should we say in response everybody say response to all these things see the power of this scripture i've never read it like this before but but god was showing me he said michael the power of this scripture is not in the things that happen because that's where we focus what should be our response to all these things that happened all these setbacks all of these um miscommunication all of these relationship problems all these things that i lost what should i say about all these things and many times as believers we focus on the things we lost the things we have to give up the things that happen to us. But Paul is telling us to focus on something different.

6:03 He says, I want you to focus on the response to all the things that happen. So I begin to step back and say, okay, God, what are you trying to say? He said, Michael, the power point number one for you today, if nothing's going to stop you, you got to realize this point, the power is in my response.

6:56 See, because things, how many people has things happened to you this year? Like things, you don't even have to go into details, I can see it on your face. Some things have happened. Relational things, job things, heart things. Things that nobody really even knows the fullness of. You may have been violated this year in some way, mentally, emotionally. You may be in a place where you've been depressed. Things have just happened. You've lost money Your business did not succeed like you wanted it to you got it off the ground But it didn't go the place you wanted to do you have been stalled in making money and not walking in purpose I don't know what your things are But god tells us there is a proper response To the things and I know me usually i'm worried about the things and not my response If we can be honest when things happen, what happens usually determines how I respond.

7:56 How much it meant to me, how much they meant to me, how much I wanted to do something. And Paul says, if you're going to get this attitude that nothing can stop you, you have to check your response before you check with the things. And that may not mean a lot to you. but for me and my family, it's been a lot of things that happened and I can't lead this church being fake and saying what should happen for y'all and it's not happening to me. So let me tell you about a few things that happened this year. Me and my wife, we bought a house many years ago and we got in a bad contractor situation, had a lien put on the house. We had all of this stuff. We lost money in it. We had to pay certain stuff our house never got finished and and we're living in a house right now that is not completely finished the way that we want it to be and i was sitting at the beginning of the year and i said god you promised me i'm serving your people i'm doing these things for your house i'm giving up god why is why are these things happening to me and then we got pregnant this year and in that when my wife got pregnant I didn't get pregnant I impregnated her but some women just got you were not pregnant no I wasn't she was pregnant but in our time of pregnancy we found out that our son had some developmental delays and they they were trying to diagnose him with autism and my wife didn't even get to fully enjoy the the process of us having our new child because she was so worried about our son who's two and we've been walking through behind closed doors just believing god and praying and what are you saying and i'm sitting in the mornings when nobody's up and i'm praying god what why are all these things happening see and i don't know if You've had a real 2017, but I have.

10:04 And it may not be the same things, but there are things that have been happening even down to Christmas Day. We had an amazing time with my parents and family and Broken Arrow. And we were going to stay the night because it got late up playing games and stuff like that. But we didn't have any more formula. So we had to come back to our house and I was dead tired. So my wife said, I'll drive. And she was dead tired. and we got into a car accident on highway 51 that almost took our family's lives 130 in the morning i'm standing outside with police cars all around with my kids crying and screaming none of the doors would open airbags deployed and i'm saying god why are all these things happening to me.

10:58 And as I stood there looking at our brand new van, we just bought that van two months ago, 2018 van gone. As I was about to acknowledge the things that happened, God said, Michael, I'm in charge of things. I'm looking for your response. and I stood there outside who I can feel the presence of God the cops asking me what I want to do the tow truck taking my van away my parents I'm getting all the kids away I'm sitting there having spared death on Christmas I could not be here today and God said what is going to be your response in the face of all these things and something rose up in the inside of me and I borrowed a psalm from David in Psalms 34 when he said I will bless the Lord at all times and his praise shall continually be in my mouth my soul will boast in the Lord the humble shall hear it and be glad oh magnify the Lord with me and let's exalt his name together so you're not hype enough with me right now. My response had to be bless the Lord.

12:18 And see that's what happens when we don't realize how good God has been. So you're thanking him for what he's done. But have you thanked him yet for what didn't happen? Have you thanked him this year? Has your response been in line with what he didn't allow to come your way? With what he kept you from? From that relationship he kept you? so when I'm telling you that there are going to be things that happen God does not care so much about how the things affect you he cares about your response to the things so today I stand here because some of you almost missed your opportunity to leave 2017 because some things happened in this year and you just so hell god i just cannot wait for 2018 to get here i just cannot wait to shut this chapter of my life i just can't be quiet because the lesson you didn't learn repeats itself yeah the relationship you didn't close it comes back in another form it was billy this year but it'll be bob next year do you understand what i'm saying and god's saying to you don't leave this year without the proper response to all the things see what david knew is that even if he was in the palace or if he was on the back side of a pasture with sheep messing up his shoes in some boo-boo Let's call it that. And this is what I'm saying. If 2017 was a year that was full of manure for you.

14:02 you need to know that the primary ingredient for growth is sometimes the primary ingredient for your growth is sometimes the stinkiest, the most foul parts of you. All I came to encourage somebody is that the crap you went through in 2017 is about to be the fertilizer for the growth that God wants to see in your life. I dare you to have the proper response. Take 10 seconds and begin to bless the Lord. begin to shout into God with the voice of triumph let your voice be heard God you're worthy God you're mighty God there's nobody like you see some of y'all don't get it let me go to Psalms 103 bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name see the thing you've got to realize is sometimes you have to shut yourself up your soul your mind will and emotions and tell your mind will and emotions to bless the lord as i was standing there and thousands of dollars is being total total away my emotions started to get involved because my treasure was there and i said shut up god is a provider what are you talking bless the lord oh my soul my see because my mind will take me somewhere and my emotions will take me somewhere and my will will take me somewhere that does not line up with the word of God for me.

15:33 So what I'm telling you today is that no matter the things, what should we say about all these things that happened in 2017? What should be my response? It should be bless the Lord. Oh, my soul. And all that is within me, bless his holy name. I want to read the rest of that because there's power. It says, bless the Lord. Oh, my soul and forget not all of his benefits. The angels that were around me and my family's car, the angels that kept us. Those are benefits who forgives all my iniquities. He knew I was going to mess up. So he sent his grace in advance who heals all my diseases. I don't know who's struggling with sickness. I need you to know that there is a benefit to praising God and being his child who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things and who renews your strength like the eagles.

16:38 If you're going to be in a place in 2018 where nothing can stop you, you got to stop right here and just take a minute and forget about who's sitting next to you. And I've never done this before. Oh my God, they're so free in this place. Oh my God. I don't want you to miss your opportunity to give God the proper response for all of the things, the good things, the bad things, the okay things, the frustrating things, the hurtful things, the abusive things. Because my Bible tells me that all things work together. So that means the foreclosure is working for me now. That means the bad relationship is working for me. Oh, somebody should get excited right now That means them laying me off. I don't see it yet, but it's working for you It's kind of like my mom's from louisiana. It's kind of like gumbo They throw a whole bunch of different ingredients in there and they let it sit and they let it simmer and some of the ingredients by themselves Are not that good but when you let them sit and the holy spirit begins to stir those things up It comes out in something that is delicious I came to tell you that God is taking all your good, all your bad, and all your indifferent.

17:55 And he's creating something. I dare you got five seconds. Bless the Lord. If you're watching online, bless the Lord. God, we worship you. Bless the Lord. Come on, you got two more seconds. Bless the Lord. God, we love you. God, you're faithful. God, your mercy is enduring.

18:19 Somebody just shout hallelujah. Y'all sit down. I'm only on point one. Just sit down. I'm on point one. I'm hyped today. Because if you don't get this point. Because things are coming January 1. Like this week. Something frustrating is going to happen. What should we say then? in response to what's going to happen next week. There should be a praise on your lips that nothing can take away. So if you're going to have that attitude, somebody just say, you can't stop me. Say it like you mean it. You can't stop me.

19:06 So the second thing I want you to realize is found in the second part of that verse.

19:40 It says, what does we say in response to all these things? If God is for you. Am I reading this right? I don't know. It seems like my iPad's changing. If God is for us. Who can be against us? Point number two, the priority is to remember. Remember who is for you. See, see, my unstoppable spirit in 2018 is not going to come from Michael. It's not going to come from me making a list and just wanting to do better. It's not going to come from me making vision boards and making them all Pinterest ready and all that. All that is good.

20:32 But if I don't remember who's on my side, then I get stuck in trying to provide for myself, trying to make ways for myself. And so the Holy Spirit told me, he said, Michael, don't tell him to do a whole bunch of stuff except remember who's for them. Because if God is for you, who? like like i'm trying to figure out who can stop the plan of god in your life who externally can can make you not reach potential like and and this is one of those things that makes excuses evaporate because no longer can i blame my parents or my boss or people for what is happening in my life because this scripture is telling me so clearly if god is for me who like like tell me who like i see god i see this stuff in movies i see god talking to me and him and him saying to me michael i want you to build transformation church to 10 thousand people in the next five years. Well, um, God, uh, I don't have a seminary degree.

21:54 Um, the finances, I know you've seen them, but they don't look as, um, as voluptuous as I would want them to be. And, um, and I start giving God all these excuses of why I can't do what he's called me to do. And then he looks back at me and he says, Michael, remember I'm for you. so who can be against you well god the bank told me that they wouldn't give us a loan for the other property who you know i'm a provider right yeah god i know you're a provider but i need more leaders and so we need some people to come and join the church and so without the who are you are you telling me that you can't reach the purpose that i already designed for you because you think somebody else can stop the plan of god on your life when i'm on your team well the man is trying to keep me down who the well the government won't let me as a black man who like like i see god literally coming to your situation well god i can't write that book because i can't get a publisher who like who are you letting diminish what god has already promised you because you won't believe him and you're believing a who he said but if I am for you who can be against you I came to encourage somebody today as we stand at the threshold of 2017 there is not an external who outside of you that can stop you I feel like Dr. Seuss up here today You hear me? There is not a who outside of you that can stop you.

23:50 And when you get that revelation, it makes you move without fear. It makes you step out when God says step out because God is for me. I don't care if my family is not for me. God is for me. Some of us have used the lamest excuses to obey God. Well, I just don't know if my mom and my dad will support me Maybe you're the one that's supposed to step out And show them what faith looks like So they can get off of the cycle they've been on And step, oh, y'all don't hear me What if you're the change agent? What if you're the one to be able to make a difference in your generational life? If God be for you Whoo! Y'all, I'm gonna be walking around all year when I when doors get shut in my face. I'm just God. You're for me, right? And all he's gonna say is who who can be against you? I'm telling you, this is a simple truth that many of you have seen but have not believed.

24:52 And today, God wants to challenge your faith that there is an unstoppable force behind you. If you would remember who's on your team. See, see, see the beautiful thing about this. God showed me. He said, Michael, your position is more important than your opposition. Like your position with me, that you're my child, that you're loved, that you're covered, that you're redeemed, that you're chosen. He said that positioning makes you stronger than your opposition. That's why somebody like David can walk up when the whole Philistine army is sitting there paralyzed. And he walked up and it's like, here, bro, here's some grilled cheese sandwiches. What did he just say? What's his name?

25:45 Goliath? He ugly. what are y'all doing why haven't we started well we don't know we don't know if we can beat him we we don't know he's a strong opposition we nobody's ever taken him out and i believe david said if god is for me like i i guess y'all don't believe this but if god is for me who oh is that the who is that my opposition see because you don't realize that i've been on the backside of a mountain and i've been spending time with god and doing the last thing that he told me and and so i've faced opposition like you before i've seen things like you it wasn't you but it was a bear and it was a lion and i'm uneducated and i'm not in all the regalia that everybody else is in and i don't have all the formal training but i do know who's on my side so when everybody else is standing paralyzed, I can walk up to opposition and I can look it in the face and I say, come on, somebody this year is going to get their rocks and their smooth stones and they're going to look at their opposition and they're going to say, you've got to come down because I know who's on my side.

27:00 If God be for me, then who can be against me? Some of y'all starting to believe it. Nobody can stop you this year. Somebody just yell at me one more time. You can't stop me. So, so see, some of y'all still don't believe it. So Paul goes on to tell us in this scripture, because Paul wasn't one who lived a bougie life. So, so, so Paul went through all kinds of crap. Okay. Okay. The scourging that Jesus received. Paul got that a whole bunch of times. Like like he was shipwrecked. He was stuck on a deserted island. He was maybe writing the most inspirational, triumphant scriptures in jail, in chains. He had things that happened to him.

27:55 So when he's talking, so what should we see in response to all these things? He's thinking about his life. He's not thinking about somebody else. He's thinking about all these things. And he said, if God is for me, even if I'm in these chains, who can be against me? And then it goes on down into Romans 8, 37. He starts to remember. He says, no. And all these things, we are more than conquerors. Through him who loved us. Yeah, I'm convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither present nor the future I'm not scared of the future neither any powers neither height nor depth I'm gonna start comparing this thing to stuff that's abstract because I need you to know there is nothing in all of creation that will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus why is that important pastor Mike because my position with God allows me to say that if God is for me, there's not a who.

29:01 I don't want you to leave this year and think that there is some external thing that can stop you this year. The only thing that can stop you this year is my third point, you. yeah yeah you are the only who that can stop you and this is beautiful because god gives us a beautiful picture he says if i before you who externally can be against you but then he gives us will and gives us the ability to close our heart to him and he gives us the choice to listen and obey or to do our own thing and I came to tell you see because some of you thought that this message is about you can't stop me ain't none of my haters stopping me ain't nobody stopping me no no no they can't because if God is for you who can be against you except you and i want you to get as we go into 2018 that we're not talking about anybody else stopping you we're talking about ourselves stopping us see when i say you can't stop me i'm talking to me i'm talking to the michael who's lazy i'm talking to the michael oh yeah you know we all have another the person you're sitting in your ass right now that's not you you faking that's not who you really are the real you is insecure the real you changed outfits four times because you thought somebody was going to look at you today yeah the real you makes a plan and and doesn't do it the real you procrastinates the real you looks at pornography at four o'clock in the morning like the real the real you is paralyzed by failure and what i'm telling the real me the ungenerated the the the the sin nature michael is that you

31:08 can't stop me to this year there's no external thing because if god is for me who can be against me except me so i got to talk to me at the end of 2017 yeah we're not coming and checking for anybody else, but we're checking for ourselves. When I say you can't stop me, I'm talking to me. Everybody pull out your smartphone right now and get, or get a mirror out and get your camera on. Even if you're watching online, I want you to get your camera on and I want you to put it on selfie mode. Yeah, no, no, this is prophetic. Some of y'all just stand there. Look, get your phone out. Get what are y'all doing? Get your phone out, put it on selfie mode. And I want you to look at you. Look at you. Some of you smile. Look at you smile. Hey. Hey, Michael. How are you doing? This is what I want you to do There's bitterness That's in this screen looking at you Unforgiveness That's looking at some of y'all I don't know what yours is But you know the real you And I want you to prophetically tell Yourself That you can't stop me Come on just tell it You can't stop me Bitterness You can't stop me Come on whatever it is Lazy Michael You can't stop me Forgetful Michael You cannot stop me.

32:31 The plan of God is going to come to pass in my life this year. Comparison, Michael, you can't stop me. I don't know what y'all see. Some of y'all are looking at me. You can't even do it when everybody else is doing it. But I'm telling you that the only thing that can stop the progress of God, the plan of God in your life this year is you. And if you get the revelation that you are working with God and not against God, you'll be able to say you can't stop. See, I'm sitting in here with a bunch of people who have shame, unforgiveness, discontent with your season in life. You look at yourself and you don't even some of y'all didn't even want to look at yourself because you know who you really are. You know what you did this year. You know that you're in a relationship that doesn't look like God that nobody knows about. God's just saying, give it to me.

33:25 Can I have it? Can I please heal your family? Can I please change your trajectory? Some of you guys were in ministry and you got hurt in ministry. And so you closed that chapter down in your life or you've been waning and God saying, would you please give it to me? I got plans for you. Ain't even started yet. You ain't even seen the purpose that I have for you. If you could just get out of your way, if you could just, I hear God saying, if you could just get out of my way, I have a plan for you. That is bigger than what you can ever imagine. But you're going to have to stand for yourself and tell yourself you can't stop me.

34:03 As I stand here today, I'm looking at people that there's endless potential. But the key that I've learned is that this Christ walk is never about God's ability. It's about our availability. And my question to you at the end of 2017 is, will you be available for God to remove the parts of you that are stopping you? Yeah, there's character things that he wants. You talk too much. And he wants to shut you up in 2017.

34:35 Into 2018 and allow you to speak with wisdom. And your words to have weight. But this is just the way I am. And God's saying, you stopping you.

35:14 Would you allow me to temper your tongue? Would you allow me actually to go to the root and heal the insecurity that's there? because the reason you talk too much is because you feel like since you were a child nobody heard you and so you won't let anybody talk because you need to be the one that talks so that you can make sure you're understood and god say can i go to the root of that and heal the insecurity that is there so that you can get out of your way and i can use you in the places that i've called you to but that's going to take you saying okay god you can do that and looking yourself in the mirror and saying you can't stop me i am standing here as a living witness that there are books on the inside of me there are things that god has given me and it hasn't been the devil that has stopped it from happening i'm tired of church people oh the devil trying to and the devil and the it's you like it's not the enemy it's the inner me like it's the me that won't get up and do something. It's the me that won't stop scrolling. It's the me that wants to be in everybody's business that keeps me from being who God created to be. Me to be, but not this year. I've looked at myself and I told myself, you can't stop me. That's why when I pick up my phone and I look at this sweaty face in front of everybody, I tell you, you will be everything God has called you to be. And you can't stop me. Somebody shout out, you can't stop me.

36:40 If you hear this truth, your year changes and you won't blame anybody. Because everybody's trying, well, my job, if they would just promote me. God's over promotion. You don't even have the character to walk into that next position. You cussed everybody out on the first day. You don't even have. And God's saying, if you if I could perfect you right here, if you would stop fighting this and let me make you into who I created you to be. He's like, there's no limit to what I want to do with you. He's saying, hey.

37:20 Can you get out of your own way? Can you talk to yourself and tell yourself you can't stop? Can you prophetically prophesy? Fear can no longer keep me. And that's been laying with me all my life. I'm scared of failing or I'm scared. You need to look fear in the face that has been a part of you and say you can't stop me. Guilt and shame. Yeah, you did it, but it's not who you are. You are redeemed. You are blood barred. You are somebody different and you need to look yourself in the face and say, ah, you can't stop me. Yes, you come from poverty, but you are not poor anymore. You are the king's kid. You have a new inheritance. God's going to teach you how to tap into that new wealth as you stew it over your what you have right now. But you need to look at yourself money. It's not an excuse no more. You've got to look at yourself and say you can't stop me. I dare you to believe the word of God today that if God is for you, who besides you can be against you? So what do we do with that, Pastor Mike? My last point is you have to divorce the default.

38:27 divorce the default you the you that won't get up and pray the you that will be inconsistent in reading your word you got to divorce them because because that's what i do on my default like there is a default michael that wants success with no work see i'm out here just butt naked in front of y'all i'm telling all my business and y'all just looking like that's you but you nasty too Let's go. There's stuff going on in your life and I'm just trying to be an example because as God starts to bless me this year, it won't because of something that's external. I'm moving all my validation meters to the inside.

39:10 I'm not comparing with anybody this year. See, because my default is to compare with you. I went through my Instagram two weeks ago and I deleted some of the most amazing pastors in the world. I stopped following them, not because they're great people. They're amazing people. But I was comparing myself to them. And I said, if God is for me, who can be against me? Why am I comparing myself to somebody who's been doing this 15 years, 20 years, 13 years and trying to see am I doing okay? I just unfollow, unfollow, unfollow. God bless you, unfollow.

39:44 Because my validation has to come from the inside. Has to come from the one who created me. Has to come for the one who can take me to where he's called me to be. If God before me. Who? And I'm challenging you. To divorce your default. The default you. Is not optimistic. You're pessimistic. The default you. Doesn't think good is going to happen. The default you. I don't know what it is. The default you is drawn to lust when you're stressed. Come on. The default you. Whatever your default is, some of y'all, the default is isolation. Beginning of the year comes, stuff ain't going your way. We don't see you till May.

40:30 What happened to you? You come out with a full beard and braids. And when we saw you, you had a fade last time. Like what happened? what's the default you divorce it when you feel these cycles because they're about to come these cycles the cycles are about to start trying to creep up you and do the same thing and you're saying no no no no no i i know what this is that's insecurity trying to come back i messed up one time but i'm developing in my gift and now i feel like I should stop, but no, no, no, no, no. You can't stop me. The you that would take this, this seemingly failure and make it something bigger than it is. No, I'm becoming right now. You can't stop me. I'm going back out there. I'm going to do it again. Yeah. The first business failed and the second and the third failed, but God's called me to be an entrepreneur. And so I'm not sick. Come on y'all. So I'm not about to stop right now. I'm only 35. I'm only 55. I'm only 75.

41:31 I'm only 95. Sarah and Abraham were 100 when the promise came to pass for them. What if they stopped before God was finished? What if you stop before God is finished? I'm challenging this church today To not look at opposition As the defining marker of what God can do in your life I want you to look at how you're positioned As a child of the most high God And if God is for you There is no who outside of you That can be against you So when when Ephesians tells me that it's now unto him Ephesians 320 who's able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Do you know how much that is because I ask and imagine a lot.

42:31 And the Bible is telling me that God's able. So it's not about his ability. He's able to do more than all of that. But look where the power is. It's according to the power His power That is at work Within Us What I'm trying to tell you Is if you Would agree with God this year And get out of your own way And check this one out Make your personality Submit to your purpose Well I'm just introverted And I'm shy Well God's called you to a big stage Tell your personality to shut up like do you understand what i'm saying like like well i just you know i just i don't know like if god's gonna use my intellect and yeah you're gonna have to practice some things you're gonna have to actually practice things that are natural for other people but when you get it god can use it do you understand what i'm saying tell your personality to sit down be humble and submit to what god wants to do in your purpose and some of you will get here next year and we'll be looking at you and it'll be another year that happened to you.

43:43 But there's others that are hearing this word right now and you're about to happen to 2018. That you're about to look at your only opposition. You know who your only opposition is this whole year? You. Like there's nobody else that can come for me this year because God's on my side. And if he's for me, I mean, you're going to be walking around all the time. You're just going to be like, who? Like, oh, is that who? Nope. Because my only, my only competition is this you. And guess what, Michael Alexander taught? The lazy version of you. The passive version of you. The version of you that doesn't want to do the things that is necessary. The version of you that wants to eat donuts at 2 o'clock in the morning. The version of you that keeps a Blue Bell ice cream on deck just in case.

44:43 Oh, you think this is ministry to me right now. The version of you that makes excuses about your education of why you can't do something. Like the you that won't do what I've already, God has already asked you to do. You, I'm telling you, I'm here to serve notice on you. You're going to be uncomfortable all 2018. Because you can't stop me. You will not for another moment delay my destiny because of what I don't think I have. Because my Bible tells me that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And if God be for me, who can be against me? You can't another day.

45:36 You can't stop. and I dare you in your private time on your way home at the stoplight in your mirror pull that mug down flip it up tell yourself I'm trying to give you a practical step because the enemy's gonna come and you're gonna feel the opposition but you gotta know God's for you so nobody can be against you I'm gonna pray for you because I see people battling right now with who you are and who God wants you to be.

46:15 Somebody say, I can't let go of those friends and I can't forgive them because that's my only safety net for if they hurt me again, then I can go off on them for what they did. And God's saying, forgive them. Let them go. Let that go. Hey, believe for your healing again. I know you didn't get healed this year, But believe believe for it again, like according to your faith, like let's let's try this thing again. Let's go because nobody can be against you except you. This is your day. In 2017, we're going to respond to all those things with praise. We're going to remember who's on our side. We're going to we're going to stand here and know that we're the only person that can stop us in this next year and that we're divorced at the default. the me that doesn't want to be who God created you don't get to speak this year because you can't stop me I want to pray for every person father I thank you I thank you for your word that's alive and that's sharper than any two-edged sword I'm thanking you father that you're doing a work inside of every person under the sound of my voice God I believe that you are trying to set us up for the best year of our lives but father god help us get out of the way of what you want to do in us god i thank you that you're working on our character father that you're working on our speech on how we love each other how we love ourselves father god that we're moving all of our validation to the inside father that we're not going to blame the enemy father but we are now focused on the inner me father that you're going to do a work so cold on the inside of us god that you're the only one that can get the glory for it. God, I'm thanking you right now that all excuses, all blame, all past hurts, all things that happened that, Father, we didn't even have control over. God, we give them to you.

48:11 At the end of the year, Father, we cast down every weight that we've been carrying that could slow us down. Today we come and we ask you to heal us from the inside out, God. give us the courage to trust you even in the face of opposition god i thank you that today we are making the decision to look ourselves in the mirror and say you can't stop me and it won't be by might or by our own power but it'll be by your spirit and we thank you and we praise you and we honor you that 2018 you're going to get the most out of us because you are on our side and we are on our side we trust you we believe you and we thank you in jesus name we agree let's give god some praise right there come on if you know that nothing