Thank you, collective worship, right? I want
to say it was Thursday. You know, I was praying
about this moment and envisioning this moment.
And this song came on and I just immediately
just broke down weeping in tears. And I can look
across the room and see some of you guys get
the message. But just so that we can come together
in this moment. This song. It resonated so deeply.
Because if there's one thing that you want to
do when you find yourself where God wills you
to be, is you want to slow down. That you don't
want to miss what God is doing. And today we're
starting a new sermon series, new life, new community.
objective of this message in this series is to
get us to really perceive what God is doing.
And that's my prayer that many of you guys will
realize that you're actually in the middle of
what God is doing. That you haven't been randomly
going through life and you didn't accidentally
end up here today, this Sunday morning, that
the decisions were the right or wrong. that God
hasn't mismanaged your life. And when you start
to realize that in his great love, his great
care, his sovereignty, that you are where God
wants you to be, you start to look at life differently.
And you stop thinking about the next thing you
can do, you start slowing down that ambition
a little, and you start to really say, you know
what, God, I don't wanna miss Where you designed
for me to be I? Told him in first service that
one of the reasons regret Hurts so much. It's
because regret is just evidence that you mismanaged
something you thought was going to be in plentiful
supply and It turns out it was sacred It turns
out it was sacred. So now you're looking back
regretting because you thought you were gonna
have more conversations You thought you were
going to have more opportunities and you realized
that moment I was in was actually precious. And
so the aim of this moment, this time, is to get
for some of us to realize that guess what? You're
actually where God wants you to be. Now whether
or not you got stories of victory spewing out
of your mouth or you're presently pressing through
situations You're where God wants you to be And
I woke up I was sitting in that room I was in
my office at my home and just thinking about
what I had on my agenda that day I was thinking
about you know, all the problems that were gonna
be solved the prayers I was asking to be answered
and God said boy slow down I'm here. We're here.
You're in the midst of what I'm doing. Enjoy
my presence. Enjoy this time. You don't want
to get two months from now and realize that this
was precious. That this was beautiful. I'm looking
around this room right now and I'm just seeing
things that are beautiful to me. I'm seeing.
Husbands and wives worshiping next to each other
Seeing kids families together He gripping his
wife this couple's matching and y 'all look fly
God slows down But let's let's appreciate the
moments that are precious let's appreciate your
presence and let's appreciate what you were doing.
And so I want to bring you guys into this moment
because this series is predicated upon us really
slowing down in some moments. Being thankful.
Being thankful. Thankful for what, Pastor Brian?
That you're no longer doomed to damnation. thankful
that you've been resurrected into an eternal
life, that joy truly is coming in the morning,
whether that morning is here on earth or that
morning is heaven, joy is my future. Slow me
down and let me not lay down the greatest gift
I was given, which was salvation. Listen, look
around, you're looking at a bunch of redeemed
people. You're looking at a bunch of people who
were doomed on the path to death Jesus stepped
in Made them righteous Covered them forgave them
redeemed them brought them into his marvelous
light A bunch of people who are no longer lost,
they are found. Woo! Woo! Gotta slow down sometimes
and see what God is doing. See what God has done.
The Bible tells us that we enter into his case
with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise.
And I'm just giving you something to be thankful
about this morning. is done look what the Lord
has done look what the Lord has done some of
y 'all never thought you would step foot in a
church and here you are look what the Lord has
done now you may be here curious and wondering
this new day yeah he's doing a new thing have
you slowed down to see it to perceive it to embrace
it and to enjoy it I gotta talk about you cuz
I seen you this week Deacon Andre he just won
his live and he just said I love it, too. He
just was talking about how good God's been. And
you've seen the joy rise up on him. He was sitting
there. He was talking. He just said, woo! Woo!
I'm not going to tell his testimony. He'll tell
his own testimony. But look what the Lord has
done. Slow us down, God. Open up our eyes of
understanding. Just one more time. Just give
it to us one more time. about to rise up say
everybody stop everybody stop everybody pause
check this out follow me I'm gonna say something
we we all arguing right now I need y 'all to
stop and I need y 'all to look at what the Lord
has done there's people alone in hospitals but
we're here together our text we have in them
in. I know some of y 'all forgot when you was
praying for the marriage you complained about
right now. You forgot what you'd have forgotten.
It was the gift from the Lord. Slow me down,
God. Let me not forget what you've done. Let
me not forget what you've done. Let me appreciate
what you've done with hopes of what you're going
to do. I thank you for this moment and I thank
you for this time to come and to minister your
word. I pray that your Holy Spirit illuminates
your truth. We cannot expect to come to your
word in our own understanding with our own minds
and in our flesh. So in this moment, God, we're
asking for your Holy Spirit to lead the way,
to be the guide, to illuminate what you have
for us today. And we pray that as a result that
we are edified, that we are sharpened, and what
we produce will bring glory to you. But then
more than anything, God, we are thankful. And
we say thank you. We say thank you. We say thank
you. We say thank you for calling us out of darkness
into this marvelous light, for redeeming our
souls from damnation, for giving us an inheritance
that we didn't earn nor we deserve. And we thank
you. for calling us sons and daughters of yours.
A title we don't earn, we couldn't earn, and
we don't deserve. But you, out of your kindness
and your love, have given us the most precious
gift. And we say thank you. In your precious
name, we pray the name above all names. Y 'all
say with me, Jesus, amen, amen. We'll love on
somebody next to you. We about to get into this.
I love this. Look at your neighbor say, new life,
new, new life, new community. And this moment
is a prophetic moment. that God told us that
we would enter into this time and this part of
the year. And he said, it's because he, and he
gave some frames, some time frames. He said,
this fall, saw August, that he was going to begin
to enlarge his church. That he was gonna begin
to enlarge his church. And with that, We took
that word of the Lord serious and said well,
how are we to prepare? his people for what he's
going to do and The first step in that it was
our truth collection called follow me Because
the worst thing that can happen When new people
are coming into the body is for people in the
body not to have the boldness to say follow me
People are coming in lost broken confused yet
those who truly have something to be thankful
for are unwilling to just say something as simple
as follow me and The truth of the matter is many
of us Won't say it because we're unwilling to
slow down To bring somebody into what we've been
the beneficiaries of We're thinking about schedules,
our agendas, and we just don't see space to allow
somebody to get that close. Y 'all know, you
done moved from ceramic tile to custom hardwood
floors. No scratch easy, pastor. Can't just have
everybody in here with their shoes on. But look
at your neighbor and say, do you remember when?
When what, pastor? When someone who was bigger
than you slowed down for you. None of us have
got to where we are alone. All of us have had
people who were willing to slow down, give a
word of encouragement, slow down, invite us in.
slow down and give us opportunities to understand
things we did not know. And then the greatest
concern became, man, how are we supposed to row
the church while remaining unwilling of doing
what really won many of us? It wasn't so much
the messages on the stage, but the interactions
we had with people in the aisles. Once the message
was taught, truthfully, it was the holy conversations
around that message that began to transform our
lives. People with incredible marriages was willing
to talk to you in your raggedy marriage. They
invited you out to dinner to expensive restaurants
at the risk of ruin a good meal over your bad
conversation, yet they did it. You know, in your
single season, a season seen you getting wild
up in the church was like, boy, if you don't
slow down, you're gonna find yourself entering
into relationships before you actually see the
one. We do things a little different in the body.
Y 'all rocking with me. And I know that as God,
begins To call on people to draw in their hearts
to come to his body we as his body Have to do
our assignment Be those people that realize it's
impossible for someone to experience new life
without being surrounded by new community That
many of us are going to have to you know Do some
things y 'all know we don't like You know, no
new friends. But unfortunately, people desperately
need your friendship. I already turned here and
I forgot to tell y 'all. Go to Acts 2 in 42 because
we're gonna be looking at this text as we begin
this journey. Y 'all know I like a good journey.
But this year has been all about new life, that's
why it's on the wall. And God said that he's
gonna take us from graves to glory, graves to
glory, that as this year progressed, that he
would show us graves, which are just symbolic
places of death for a believer, and show us how
to go from that grave into glory, what he wants
to see us do. And so every time we get to a new
series we talk about what was promised and then
we begin to discuss the path of how we go from
graves to glory I'm gonna see if y 'all been
remember this statement because to every promise
there's what? Boy, I love y 'all. Whoo. I love
y 'all. I Love y 'all to every promise. There
is a path and many believers They come into churches
and they hear promises and never stick around
for the path The Bible would describe that as
misguided zeal, misdirected zeal. Anytime you
hear what God can do and you don't stick around
to hear how he wants to do it with you, you are
running off of what we would call a hype, but
no substance. And so we know what God has promised
is that we should have a spiritual family. Here
at Reveal the Truth Ministries, our spiritual
family is founded on Jeremiah 33 and six. so
on the wall peace prosperity security stability
health healing and truth that that was a promise
that was given to new jerusalem jeremiah gave
that prophecy of what the church would experience
as a result of the resurrection of jesus christ
and so our vision is that people would experience
all those things but here's the problem church
i want to hear the problem you're supposed to
experience that collectively not individually
That that promise is given to a group of people
not an individual But we haven't slowed down
enough to realize that I may need you When I'm
not feeling the peace that God has promised so
that you can remind me of the peace God promised
That truthfully there's people that represent
those things those reality those spiritual truths
in your life That receiving that isn't an individual
journey. It's a group project Y 'all rocking
with me that Unfortunately many people have turned
a we gospel into a you message That they're hearing
truth and they're thinking about themselves Not
the part they play and how it brings together
wholeness for us all Y 'all rocking with me.
I'm seeing how much I can go before y 'all start
checking out y 'all doing good And it says and
they look at that they Devoted themselves to
the Apostles teaching and the fellowship into
the breaking of bread and the prayers and all
Came upon how many souls church? Every soul And
many what, church? Wonders and signs were being
done through the apostles. And all who believe
were worth church together. And they had all
things in common. I wanna pause right there because
this is where you're starting to see the framework
of spiritual community. Many people hear that
as spooky community, but it's spiritual community.
Because here's the truth the way you become a
part of any family unit is three ways right that
you're either married into a family Born into
the family and check out this last one adopted
into a family That the only way you can become
part of anybody's family is marriage birth or
adoption and Guess what? The Bible says we've
been we've been adopted So look at your neighbor
and say, what's up, cuz? That we have all been
adopted into a spiritual family. A spiritual
family that isn't united by different bloods,
but by one blood. That isn't united based on
the color of their skin or where they were born.
That they're united based on a deposit That the
same Holy Spirit that lives in me lives in you
And so we all have far more in common than we
ever have different because the same power I
have you have The same wisdom I have access to,
you have access to. The same spiritual blessings
I have access to, you have access to. Why? Because
we all have been adopted into what is called
a spiritual family, and the Holy Spirit is that
united agent amongst us all. That's how you can
know somebody, you know naturally for five years
and y 'all ain't on the same page then you meet
somebody in the church in one month and y 'all
just start sharing things that you never told
anybody before but they've heard from the Lord
you've heard from the Lord and you find out that
God has been speaking to both of you via the
Spirit about the same things and now you have
a deeper connection with someone you just met
there's someone you know for five years Church
that's not an accident is divine that is God
calling you into a family calling you into a
community that truthfully upon saying yes to
Jesus knows more about who you are than sometimes
the mama that raised you your mama might be like
that's a bad business idea Because the only reason
you have to do it is you've heard from the Lord
She's thinking about the optics You go sheriff
one of your brothers and sisters of Christ. God
told me to start this business. They say God
told you That same word With your spiritual command
the community says you better go do that thing
now But what about this what about you better
throw all them butts out the door if God has
told you to do a thing look at me Do it My mama
said I shouldn't yo mama don't know She don't
your daddy Some of y 'all your best friends You
know, I was supposed to save this example to
another week, but I'm gonna put it here It turns
out that church is the only institution Where
we expect to go from level to level without changing
who's around us It's amazing because at this
time of the year we're having to pray over Elementary
kids who are going to middle school and middle
schoolers who are going to high school because
by default elevation means new surroundings Church
is the only place where you figure you can go
from glory to glory Surrounded by people telling
that same story. No Look at him say, new life,
new community. So he says that all things in
common, not sameness, but spiritual realities,
spiritual truths, and they can talk about what
God is doing, what God is saying. Check this
out and they were selling their possessions and
belongings and distributing the proceeds to all
as any had need and day by day Attending the
temple together and breaking bread in their homes
I love this because it speaks about the repetition
the rhythm if you notice that they went to the
temple and in their homes So when speaking of
they didn't just worship together on Sunday,
they ate together on Mondays. And they gave as
each one had a need. What are you saying, Pastor
Brian, that it's expected that as spiritual family,
that man, anything my brothers and sisters are
in need of, I should be willing as spiritual
brothers and sisters to make sure they have what
they need. But you gotta catch the minor notes
here, is they weren't getting away everything,
because they still have food to eat, they still
had houses to go to. It was speaking of those
who have access, excess, that there are times
that as a family, some family members is doing
better than other family members. And I know
you get mad at your natural family because they
can't seem to catch the clue. That this is your
struggle season. Why is there overcoming season?
Some of y 'all cousins can win the lottery and
you still got to ask them for $5 Do they remember
you still owe them $10, right? You just won the
lottery. What is wrong with your heart? Y 'all
would talk about this. Maybe you the one that
won the lottery, huh? What I'm saying is that
we do feel and I don't want you to hear these
things strange Hopefully over these weeks you'll
understand that we should feel a greater inclination
to give towards our spiritual family than at
times our natural family. Some of us have ended
up in that problem. Y 'all know the words, how
you up to serving them like that and you ain't
been to 10 Thanksgivings? Because every time
I get around y 'all I forget who I am Now you
don't want to hear that And I'm trying to maintain
grace for your redemption. I don't want to be
your stumbling block But you remind me of who
I used to be don't want to be ain't looking to
be no more But many of us I'll stay in pace They
receive I know They were that was good they received
some people saying oh, but how slow you know
They receive their food with glad and generous
hearts praising God Check this out having favor
with all people And the Lord added to their number,
day by day, those who were being saved. What
promises are we seeing here about biblical community
is that the promises of God, favor, miracles,
signs, and wonders were never meant to be experienced
in isolation. That they were always experienced
amongst, look at your neighbor say, community.
And here's the truth. Many people don't need
another sermon. They need holy conversations.
That moment here we're looking into was the birthing
of the church. The birthing of the first community
of people who will come together and say, I believe
that the Lord Jesus Christ died in me. He rose
again. And they knew how precious that was, how
necessary it was for them to dwell amongst each
other, to be with each other. They understood
that there are things that we have in common
that people who have no relationship with God
don't know anything about. And so the title of
my message today is simply this, counterfeit
community. Because the reality is many of us
believe that we are amongst the community that
Jesus wants us to be amongst and the truth is
we aren't and many people are like Abraham understanding
where the promised land is understanding that
it's yours to possess understanding what God
can do but unable to enter in because the community
you're supposed to enter in isn't ready. The
promised land wasn't just for Abraham. It was
for his community. And when the community wasn't
ready, the journey paused on the outside. I'm
saying this because I've seen so many believers
So full of ambition, so I got an incredible work
ethic and I'm like, that's great But where are
your people Boy y 'all really not rocket would
be on this one some y 'all like I don't know
where they at You tell me your guess is as good
as my guess pastor In short, your community is
actually surrounding you right now. But for many
of us, we don't even know the people in this
room. No, I know who your natural family is.
I'm talking about who are the spiritual people
God has called you to be surrounded by? To experience
everything he promised I'm saying where them
folks Y 'all rocking with me It's amazing and
I totally put this up Put this image up on the
stage, I don't know how many of you guys have
been paying attention to what's been going on
in the world right now Seem I like nothing not
at all pastor lion Y 'all got y 'all got my image
they're gonna put it up, but if you notice over
the over the weekend something Crazy has been
going down right that Y 'all know y 'all ever
heard of AP watches Some y 'all like what's the
AP watch well an AP watch This watch over here
on this left -hand side the one that's surrounded
by all them diamonds some of y 'all like is that
what is that them diamonds? AP watches have a
wide range Entry -level prices start around $20
,000 to $30 ,000 to get an AP watch some of y
'all right now. That's why I don't know what
that is You could have said that that's right
While more popular versions $45 ,000 to $120
,000. And rare ones, like the one that's in this
image, cost a half a million dollars. If you
see somebody with an AP watch on, they either
have arrived or have enough to pretend they have
arrived. But either way, they doing all right.
But over the weekend AP decided to do a collaboration
He me all ever heard of swatch The mobile is
upstairs the International Mall next to the Apple
Store, you know what I'm talking about Nice -looking
watches great deals past them Well AP decided
to do a collaboration watch with swatch and They
announced this week That the prices would start
at $400 now For everybody who's been wanting
an AP watch this sounded like the opportunity
of a lifetime But to anybody who already had
an AP watch this sounds like the most devaluing
moment that could have ever arrived. I paid that
much because people didn't have access to it.
I paid that much because the real thing only
increases in value. It's precious. It's worth
having. It's worth sacrificing for. It's worth
giving more than what you normally would because
it will only increase in value over time. So
I put my life savings in a watch because it carries
increasing value all the way up to the introduction
of counterfeits and so while some people were
celebrating check this out the lowering of standards
While some people were celebrating compromise
while some people were celebrating The availability
and easy access to what was precious another
group was nervous And so this weekend when y
'all in line I Knew some y 'all knew So this
weekend, they released them. $400. People were
in line since Thursday, sleeping outside of the
stores so they can get their hands on one of
these watches in hope that the counterfeit could
be just as valuable as the real thing. Y 'all
be working. And so. They found out on Friday
that the ones that were going to be released
on Saturday ain't have straps on them. That was
hit number one. Because how am I going to have
an AP watch if I ain't got no strap to put it
around my wrist? People were upset, got out of
line. There's spots in line. But some people
stuck around to see if the real, the counterfeit
could ever be as good as the real thing. Saturday,
stores opened up. People get the watches. I wanna
see, put it back up. By Saturday afternoon, they
were sold out everywhere. If you had. one of
these four hundred dollar watches they actually
Increased anywhere between seventeen hundred
and twenty six hundred dollars, so they were
right It did increase in value But the people
who had the real thing Breathe the sigh of relief
Realizing that although the name carries some
value it couldn't duplicate all value Why are
you saying this, Pastor Brad? When you got saved,
you were introduced to real family that has immense
value. Can't be duplicated. It gives you access
to the experience of God's precious promises.
Favor, mercy, grace, redemption. These things
can't be duplicated. Yet many of us have stayed
subscribed to the counterfeit version because
it still has some value. We yet to realize it
doesn't have ultimate value. What are you saying
Pastor Bryant? I'm not saying that you should
get rid of your family. I'm just saying you should
reorganize the priority. Now I know I'm on thin
ice. But I need you to hear this. The church
is the only place where people think they can
go from glory to glory without having to change
what's around them. And like I say, it's not
a matter of getting rid of people, but it's time
for some of you guys to reprioritize your community.
There are people who you've never met that know
more about what God is gonna do in your life
than people who have known you your whole life.
And God is waiting on you to slow down and start
prioritizing what's around you so you can enter
into what he's promised you. for saying that.
Thank you. Thank you. I'm just doing it for myself.
Thank you pastor for opening our eyes of understanding
and giving us clarity of what's been going on
in our lives because we've been trying to take
elementary school level friends to college. And
you're somewhere in between the real AP and the
swatch. Asking somebody to value it like it's
real. Woo! So. I'm gonna give you something.
It's a audit of your circle. I'm asking you to
slow down this week and consider these questions
I'm about to give to you. I want you to think
about the five people you communicate the most
with, not the ones we see you talking to, the
ones you Actually talk to the most think about
the five people you spend the most time talking
to And ask yourself these questions Who is helping
me obey the truth I Know y 'all know a lot about
each other I know y 'all can talk about stories
from way back when. Are any of these stories
stirring up where God is taking you? Because
until they are, you got to swatch baby. The counterfeit.
It got some value, but it ain't got all value.
Ask yourself, who is normalizing compromise?
Who every time I talk about I did something I
wasn't supposed to do, they'd be like, you know,
sometimes it happens to us all. Why are you normalizing
compromise? Why are you making it seem like it's
OK for me to keep failing at the same thing over
and over and over again? And I'm not saying I'm
done talking to you. I'm just say you moved out
of the top five. urbanizing you Hey, and our
phones are so sophisticated now, you can literally
have top friends You can unfriend people they
didn't even know you unfriend them You can set
up your newsfeed to only see the people you want
to see this is amazing As of who sharpens My
convictions. Every time I'm like, man, I really
got to stop doing that. Who says you should?
And I'm thinking today. You got any of them,
folks? Because if they like, hey, you know, you've
been redeemed from the curse girl. That's true.
But the application of it in this context, It's
keeping me in elementary. Can we talk? I already
know my life has been redeemed from destruction.
Thank you. Can we get some meat into this conversation?
Are we gonna keep drinking this milk? Boy, y
'all looking at me like. Pass the cold bro, can
I get another week? I Had plans this week and
ain't none of them in that top five I Asked my
daughter something the other day. I'm just doing
this to help y 'all swallow this message As my
daughter this the other day, um, she's in the
third grade she's going to fourth grade And she's
already nervous about the fifth grade. I said,
why Amber? She said, because then I have to leave.
I said, leaving is a part of growing. She said,
she says, no daddy, I'm going to have to make
all new friends. I said, you might, but you're
a friendly girl. Stay friendly. We got to do
this. Look at your neighbor. Don't look at me.
Maybe you're nervous because you stop being nice.
I'm not afraid of new people because I'm a nice
person I'll walk in the room. Well ready to love
on everybody I'm not caring the trauma of what
happened to me from people that are no longer
a part of my surroundings I'm not fearing new
relationships because I'm so bent out of shape
out of past relationships Jesus has set me free
and who the Sun set free is free indeed I'm asking
some of y 'all to exercise your freedom walk
in your healing happen again it could you know
what you do you dust off your feet but you have
to refuse to believe that you can get to where
God is taking to you to while staying surrounded
by everything he's trying to grow you from I
said Amber and answer this question I said Amber
You like your school, don't you? She says, yes.
She says, all my friends are there. I say, yeah.
I said, OK. I said, can I ask you something?
She was like, what? I said, how many sixth graders
do you see walking around your elementary school?
I'm like, nah, I don't see no middle schoolers.
Walking around the elementary school. I said
you wouldn't know why They discovered something
look at your neighbor The best is yet to come
Some y 'all moved out the neighborhood why you
don't come by no more You don't swing by like
you used to You don't let me ride with you no
more. Uh, why you ain't calling me up after you
did that? I'll never forget this last thing.
I'm gonna say that we'll go home last question
last one is and Who keeps softening them talking
about your convictions? Who is helping me obey
the truth? who is normalized and compromised,
who sharpens my conviction, and who keeps softening
me. Slow down this week, ask yourself those questions
of the top five people you talk to on a weekly
basis, and then that will let you know whether
or not you have a godly community or whether
you've been operating in a counterfeit version.
And it's not that you're getting rid of people,
you're reorganizing your communication. Because
you don't need another sermon. You need hold
of your conversations that are going to draw
the God in you straight up out of you Bible tells
us that we are to motivate ourselves To works
good works But I'll never get it My father which
I'm excited, right? Talk about graves to glory,
right? This is one of those moments. Every time
I feel like there's a big shift happening spiritually,
I just do something that's significant to me.
Because if you're wondering why I'm dressing
a little different today, this is like my daddy's
time. And I was like, I'm just going to add a
little modern spin to it. But you know, I truly
felt that there was a major shift in where he's
taking us. I embody things like that. But my
father Had such a reputation Where he was from
Mobile, Alabama? That he truly realized he couldn't
return Mind you our family reunion was in Mobile,
Alabama every year Almost our crime because I
I remember seeing his face and what he was saying.
I realize now, at my age, how hard it was for
him to say what he said. When I say they've said
so many things about him, and I'm saying this
knowing that some of them could potentially be
listening, but y 'all, y 'all, we family, right?
Because I might lose some of them telling y 'all
the truth I'm just being real that's what it
is sometimes And so but it's my life It's truth
It was so bad We as his kids Never experienced
a family reunion And I remember we were talking
to him because we felt as though He was keeping
us from our family. And we weren't connecting.
The worlds. The hurts, the pains that we couldn't
do it, we weren't weren't old enough, mature
enough to understand that. But eventually, through
so much pressing. He said, I'll make a phone
call. And if you knew my daddy, you probably
imagine how this phone call went. He called him
up. He said, I'm still unwilling to go to Mobile,
Alabama. But on behalf of my kids, I will pay
to bring all y 'all to Tampa, Florida. If you
want to see me. You gonna have to meet the new
me. The things they called him, he was genuine
in what he was saying. That's exactly what we
expected you to say. You think you done got rich
and ran off and now you can just push your money
on all of us and they didn't realize he didn't
even want to call you then. He was just trying
to oblige his kids. He was done. But he always
kept the door open. You could come to Tampa,
Florida whenever you want. God continued to bless
him in such a way that he told him, if you come
to Tampa, Florida, I'll pay for your move and
I'll get you jobs. God continued to bless him
Listen not just you I'll get your husband a job
your wife a job. I'll make sure your kids are
set up He said but I'm not going to Mobile, Alabama
Some of y 'all know my auntie Lucretia my uncle
T They said we ready to leave Mobile, Alabama,
too They came on down turned out the offer was
real He meant every word But just to give y 'all
a funny story right eventually I Want to say
maybe five years after that moment He finally
said y 'all want to go see where I'm from. We
said sure He flew us to Mobile, Alabama At this
point, you know, we we was pretty deep as pose
He had rented two black Denali Suburbans They
pull up to the airport we walk out there looking
like Targets We hopped in these blacked out Suburbans
We riding around I gotta tell y 'all this piece
I Was in the one with him. He said I want to
take y 'all To where I grew up And so he starts
driving to that side of the town He said guys
it's funny like now people say you grew up on
the other side of the tracks He said it was literal
tracks. We drove over the tracks. He's like man.
He's like listen, it's so we drove the tracks
He's like, yeah, he said man when I lived here,
we will wait For people to come across them tracks
that didn't belong here And as soon as they came
across the tracks, they didn't realize that you
can't just get up out of here There's like a
u -turn there a you as he's talking He was like
y 'all we got to go he realized I'm the target
now Get us up out of here He went to take us
on a memory trip and realized bro. You don't
fit in here no more You the target He said man
he swung us by that family reunion Never ate
fish and grits so fast before my life He said
y 'all We got to go but we knew he was out of
water anyway When he told us the list of hotel
accommodations and we was all like we got to
stay there He's like this is what I was trying
to tell y 'all for the last 20 years y 'all don't
belong here I Know I'm adding a little a little
levity, a comity to this, because I understand
the context of what is being asked of you. I
just pray that you are perceiving what God is
saying and doing. And respecting, hear what I'm
about to say, respecting what God has done with
your life. There may not be a lot of natural
evidence, but you know the transformation. Respect.
what God is doing. And command that the people
around you respect what God is doing. Father,
we thank you for this moment.