The Algorithm: Ep.4. When the Algorithm Becomes Your Altar

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Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast. I'm your host,

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Connie Morris, and this is Faith on the Go,

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where you take the word with you on your drive to work, while you're getting

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ready in the morning, or even in those quiet moments before prayer.

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Real life, real word, and real growth, all while you are on the go.

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Before we get into today's word, let's take a moment to center ourselves with a familiar prayer.

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The prayer of Jabez.

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Oh, that you will bless me indeed and enlarge my territory.

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Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.

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Father God, we come before you this day asking that you will indeed bless us,

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not just with what we have, but in who we are becoming.

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Enlarge our territory, Lord. Expand our capacity, our mindset,

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and our ability to receive what you have for us.

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Let your hand be upon us, guiding us, covering us, and leading us in every decision we make.

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And Father, keep us from harm, physically, emotionally, and spiritually,

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that we may walk in peace and not in pain.

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And Lord, just as you heard Jabez when he cried out to you, Hear us now.

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Your word says that you granted his request. And we believe that you are the same God today.

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So we come boldly before you, knowing that you hear us, knowing that you see

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us, and knowing that you respond to the prayers of your people.

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Have your way in this moment as we sit, listen, and receive your word.

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In Jesus' name, amen.

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Hello, and welcome back to the Diary of a Black Woman's Podcast.

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I'm your host, Connie Morris, and we are still trudging through the Algorithm

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Is Not Your Alter series.

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And we're at day four, when the algorithm becomes your alter.

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And what that means is when you begin to perform, and, you know,

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your heart ain't in it, but your performance is like, you think it's top notch.

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You ever seen a bad actor?

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You know, they don't know they're bad until they watch themselves on video.

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And then they go, ooh, that was not good. That was not my best performance.

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But you got to know that we have a God that sees the heart. And he knows that

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we're not putting our best foot forward.

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And that we are performing for an audience instead of for him.

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Podcasts, I'm going to start the podcast off with not the foundational scripture.

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That'll come up later. with this scripture found in Galatians 1.10.

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Galatians 1, verse 10. Read it twice so you can get it.

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It says, For do I now persuade men or God? This is Paul talking.

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For if I yet please men, I should not be a servant of Christ.

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And the King James tells us, For do I now persuade men or God?

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Or do I seek to please men? For if I get pleased men, I should not be a servant of God.

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So we see here that there's an opportunity that we may be without knowledge

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or with knowledge trying to impress men.

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But God says, when you try to please men, you cannot please me.

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Let's go to Matthew chapter six, verses one through six.

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This is our foundational scripture. Matthew chapter 6, verses 1 through 6.

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I didn't mark that one. And so we're going to verses 1 through 6.

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Here we go. Take heed that you do not your alms before men to be seen of them.

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Otherwise, you have no reward.

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Of your Father, which is in heaven.

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Therefore then, thou dost thy alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee as the

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hypocrites do in the synagogue and in the streets, that they may have glory of men.

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Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

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Verse 3, but when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand, know what thy right hand is doing.

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Verse 4, that thy alms might be in secret, and that Father which seeth in secret

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himself shall reward thee openly.

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And verse 5, and when thou prayest, thou should not be as the hypocrites are.

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For they love to pray standing in the corner, standing in the synagogue.

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And in the corners of the streets, that they may be seeing of men.

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Really I say to you, they have their reward.

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But thou that prayest enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door,

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pray to thy father which is in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret

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should reward thee openly.

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So we see here in Matthew 6, 1 that God is not impressed with the show.

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He likes what you do in private.

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Yes, we live in a public world, but what you do in private will reflect your

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performance in the public and vice versa, right?

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So if you're always putting on a show and then when you get before God,

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you think that show is working, you say, I'm not impressed.

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Because if you're doing it for the show, the Bible just tells us that there is no reward.

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If you go out and pray on the street corner, nothing wrong with that.

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But if you're doing it for a show, that's your reward. When people gather around

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you, that is your reward. So God is very.

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Picky here. You can see about what he likes and what he doesn't like.

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And I read it in the King James Version, which sounds like a lot of thousand bees.

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But the overall concept is that don't do righteous acts to be seen.

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Do not do righteous acts to be seen.

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2 Timothy 3.5.

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2 Timothy 3, verse 5, Having a

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form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, for such turn away. Wow.

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Having a form of godliness, but denying the power.

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So you can look holy, but you do not have any power.

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And that power only comes from God. your relationship with him in private,

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that it only comes from him. So you have to be careful.

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This is really, isn't it good?

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I know it's just delicious. Let's go to John 12, verses 42 to 45.

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And it reads, it says, Nevertheless, among the chief rulers,

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also many believed on him.

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But because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be

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put out of the synagogue.

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43, it says, for they love the praise of men more than the praise of God. Wow.

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The Pharisees and the Sadducees are in the Bible, but their main focus is they

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love kind of, like I said, being the boss, being seen with all the roles and

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the fanciness on, but that shows an empty heart.

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John 12 tells us that love the praise of men. They love the praise of men more.

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See how easy you can get it twisted?

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Or you might have a position in a church, but if you're always saying,

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hey, look at me, look at me.

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God says, I don't see you. I remember a time when I was preaching in the church.

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I had Paul, you know, he would say, Connie, it's your time being at the space,

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you know, time for you to go to the altar, time for you to.

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We had rotations and sometimes the pastor would give you a surprise rotation.

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You're not expecting it. You just kind of say, Connie, you're up next.

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And so I was like, OK, I'm up next. And on that particular day,

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I was just fired up. It was new.

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I had, you know, you have people standing up and shouting.

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And then I began to look forward to that. So you always want to gear your sermons

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towards a shouting sermon instead of what God placed on your heart.

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You can put it on your heart, but somehow you would take it and you would turn

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it into a shouting sermon when God wants you to be a teacher.

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He wants you to be an encourager.

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He might want you to heal the sick. You might have something they want to do.

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But if you're so stuck in wanting the praise of men, he can't do what he wants to do through you.

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So my pastor came to me and he says, Connie, I know you like,

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I love hearing you preach, but I don't want you in a kind of,

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in the way he said it is, I want you to remain neutral.

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I don't want you to pretty much get the big head. I want you to be able to maintain a status quo.

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I mean, the preaching is good, but I want you to be able to not allow that praise

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of men to go to your head. Because what he said is those same praises can also turn on you.

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And then you'll be damaged goods. And so damaged goods mean the people that

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praise you to your face can actually do a lot of damage behind your back.

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That was powerful because what that did for my heart is that allows you to not

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suck up the praise when people are clapping and saying that was good work.

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It allows you to take it because God gave you that gift, but not to let it get

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to your head, not to let it be your all in all.

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And you know people like that. We have friends who, when they do something,

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if you praise them, they love that.

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But when you don't praise them, what do you think? They're asking.

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It causes a little insecurity in you because your praise is for men.

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And when men stop praising you, then guess what? You're lost. You're lost.

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And so when you begin to look for that praise or no one said,

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I look good today, you should know you look good when you left the house, right?

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You should know that you are doing it for God. And God always rewards you openly.

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He says he rewards us openly.

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That means that the praise of

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God comes from you and they all know only person that can do that is God.

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That's the only person that can do that is God, right? Let's go to, where am I at?

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Proverbs 29, 25.

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Proverbs 29, 25 tells us that the fear of man bringeth a snare,

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but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

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I want to say that again. The fear of man bringeth a snare.

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A snare is a trap. And I just explained how that trap can affect you.

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It can give you a big head, but then it also, just as the enemy does,

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when he snatches away that, what happens?

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You're insecure. You're anxious. You're worried. You're fretful.

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And so always put your praise to God, not to man.

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Let's go to our final scripture is,

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Luke 42. Luke 42, that's from our foundational scripture.

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And Luke 42 tells us here, but one thing is needful and Mary has chosen that

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good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

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What part did she chose? She shows the praise of God.

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See how that focus changes? So let's do a quick review before we get into the devotional.

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Galatians tells us for...

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Do I persuade men or God? So God asking you right now, why are you doing this?

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Because this is going to protect your heart.

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If you please men, you should not be a servant of Christ.

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Matthew 6 tells us, don't do righteous acts to be seen.

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If you are a praise and you're a worshiper, go ahead and do that.

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There was an incident at the church just on Good Friday. We had a good Friday

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service and the lady, the choir had transitioned to another song and she went

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into this high, loud praise.

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And you can tell that it was off because it ruined the spirit.

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And the choir, the praise team looked around to see what that was.

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The head usher looked around to see what that was. It grieved the spirit.

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And what was that about? Have you ever done that before?

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Have you ever seen that? Not that you can't praise loudly, but you have to follow

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the flow of the spirit because God is in the house.

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And so if you're focusing on you and you're trying to please man and someone

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said, girl, I heard you praising the Lord.

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No, I heard you disrupting the spirit of the Lord in the house.

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Hello. No one's going to say that. Let's go to 2 Timothy, form of godliness, but denying the power.

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So God wants us to show up towards his power. He doesn't want us just to look

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like we're golly, but we have no power.

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When he says, Connie, I want you to step up and pray for this person,

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he's giving you that power. It's available, right?

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You don't have to go stir nothing up in the spirit. Sometimes I just go and

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I just, hey, how you doing? Just a touch.

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I'm not trying to make a scene because I don't need to praise a man.

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They walk away. They don't know who healed them because they didn't shook everybody's hand.

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But the power of God went through her or him, whoever God has me shake their hand or give them a hug.

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Mostly not hugging men, but you know what I'm saying. But that when God says,

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I want to heal her, I need you to go over there and do A, B, C.

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Now go over there, shake his hand, shake her hand, give him a high five,

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smile, whatever that act that God tells you to do and you do it.

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And then that person comes back and said, that day that you shook my hand.

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You know, my heart, I felt a warm sensation. That's nice.

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That was God. Give him the praise and move on.

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Don't think you can do anything without the Lord.

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I'm sorry, John 12, love the praise of men more than the praise of God.

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Proverbs 29, a fear of man is a snare. It's a trap.

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It's a trap. And Luke 10, 42, choose the better portion. Choose the better portion.

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Let's go. We are living in a generation that rewards appearance.

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Offensive, not holiness, not fruit, not character.

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Disappearance. You can look cold and be wounded. You can look blessed and be

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burdened. You can look powerful and be empty.

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Look anointed and still be bound.

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And social media has made it worse because it has trained people to live for

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approval, attention, validation, applause, likes, shares, followers.

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Is there anything wrong with that? No. But if your focus is to please man and

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not praise the Lord, there's a problem.

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There's a problem. And then it goes on to say, when I'm thinking about this,

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what won't you do for attention?

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Remember, approval, attention, validation, applause, likes, shares,

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and followers. We always want to be validated.

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What happens if nothing happens? My podcast is moving very slow.

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And so I'm not counting the likes or the looks or the whatever is going on because

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it's coming from the heart.

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Because when you start to look at that and start to please man.

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You'll notice a shift in the podcast because you already want to give that stand

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up and shout hallelujah messages.

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And as you know, I'm more of a teacher. I'm always like, how do I get to that?

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How do I get to the righteous state?

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How do I praise God properly?

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That's what we are missing. We can always stand up and shout God in our own

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home. But what have you done for him lately?

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Have you worshipped him? Have you sat quietly before him? Or have you set up

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an idol altar of likes and followers?

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And that's what God calls idolatry. While the world may call it influence.

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Heaven causes something else, idolatry.

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Because the altar is anything you consistently return to for identity,

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for worth, for comfort, and power.

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That's why this devotional is necessary because many people are bowing

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to statues, they are bowing to the algorithm.

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Paul makes a firm statement in Galatians 1.10 that cuts through the spirit of

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performance like a knife.

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If I yet please men, I should not be a servant of Christ.

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I would hate to think I'm doing something good on earth.

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And then when I get to heaven, God says, I don't know you. Who are you?

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He said, I'm the one with the influence. I had over three million likes and followers.

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I'm sorry. Who are you again?

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All right. In other words, you cannot be fully surrendered to God while still

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being addicted to approval.

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This is not just about social media. This is about the fear of man.

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And Proverbs warns us that the fear of man bringeth a snare.

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Proverbs 29.5. A snare is a

00:17:37.046 --> 00:17:42.186
trap, which means fear of man doesn't just distract you, it captures you.

00:17:42.426 --> 00:17:44.926
It traps your voice. It traps your worship.

00:17:45.226 --> 00:17:47.126
It traps your obedience. It

00:17:47.126 --> 00:17:52.126
traps your identity. Then Jesus confronts the Spirit head on in Matthew 6.

00:17:52.366 --> 00:17:59.706
Take heed that you do not your alms, alms is your praise, before men to be seen of them, your giving.

00:17:59.966 --> 00:18:04.826
Don't do it for the people. Do it for God.

00:18:05.206 --> 00:18:10.126
That praise to be seen is a hard issue because the performance Spirit always,

00:18:10.486 --> 00:18:13.306
always isn't only about doing wrong.

00:18:13.386 --> 00:18:17.266
It's about doing right for the wrong reasons.

00:18:17.486 --> 00:18:22.146
So you're asking me, I can see it. I can hear it. What is a performance spirit?

00:18:22.386 --> 00:18:26.006
This is important. And so we're going to just take our time here.

00:18:26.206 --> 00:18:29.146
The performance spirit is when

00:18:29.146 --> 00:18:35.926
spiritual activity becomes image management instead of intimacy with God.

00:18:36.206 --> 00:18:42.826
And that can come in a lot of different forms. But it happens when you care more about how you look

00:18:43.116 --> 00:18:47.136
than how you live. You get a new car, you're parking that baby right in the

00:18:47.136 --> 00:18:50.736
front. You're coming in late because you got a new outfit to go with the new car.

00:18:50.956 --> 00:18:53.936
And so you want everybody to look at you, look at you, look at you.

00:18:54.056 --> 00:18:56.056
And that is image management.

00:18:56.216 --> 00:19:00.556
When that car gets older, maybe five years later, you're no longer parking in the front.

00:19:00.756 --> 00:19:04.836
You're parking probably a little bit back, far as back as you can,

00:19:04.976 --> 00:19:10.316
because now the car needs this or repairs, or it doesn't look like the shiny new toy.

00:19:10.776 --> 00:19:15.736
So image management, or you perpetrate the fraud and you actually go get a new

00:19:15.736 --> 00:19:19.516
car when you can't afford it, you know, and so everything else get cut off.

00:19:19.836 --> 00:19:24.636
You're tithing, you're giving, even your time because you got to work overtime to manage that image.

00:19:24.976 --> 00:19:29.596
Number two, it happens when you want to be seen more than you want to be changed.

00:19:29.596 --> 00:19:32.456
You want an affirmation more than accountability.

00:19:32.756 --> 00:19:35.436
You crave applause more than obedience.

00:19:35.836 --> 00:19:39.916
You got to understand as a staff member at the church, not the church I'm in

00:19:39.916 --> 00:19:44.816
now, but in the past, there's a lot of things that go on that you can't see,

00:19:44.976 --> 00:19:46.116
that we have knowledge of.

00:19:46.256 --> 00:19:49.756
And we can always tell who's what and what's changing.

00:19:50.036 --> 00:19:54.756
Especially a lot of times you bring in, a lot of the females are bringing new men out the blue.

00:19:55.016 --> 00:19:58.876
They haven't been to any men's meeting. They haven't been to meet the pastor.

00:19:59.016 --> 00:20:00.056
They just come out the blue.

00:20:00.356 --> 00:20:03.416
I was like, okay. And then they leave out the blue.

00:20:03.736 --> 00:20:07.876
Image management. The performance spirit includes, come on now,

00:20:08.196 --> 00:20:12.536
it produces staged worship, created Christianity,

00:20:13.016 --> 00:20:19.656
loud gifts with no fruit, spiritual language with no spiritual power.

00:20:20.016 --> 00:20:26.716
This is why scripture warns us, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.

00:20:27.056 --> 00:20:31.336
Form without power equals performance. And here's the danger.

00:20:31.636 --> 00:20:36.056
Performance can fool people, but it can't fool God.

00:20:36.396 --> 00:20:38.116
Influencer culture.

00:20:38.723 --> 00:20:42.623
And faking the funk. Can we just be real here?

00:20:42.843 --> 00:20:46.823
Real time, I would like to give you what it looks like in real time,

00:20:46.983 --> 00:20:50.063
even though all of it that I'm speaking is real time.

00:20:50.203 --> 00:20:55.203
But what is this influencer culture and faking the funk?

00:20:55.463 --> 00:21:01.083
I remember I was just scanning through social media and always the most popular

00:21:01.083 --> 00:21:05.303
person, maybe they live in this house or they drive this car.

00:21:05.523 --> 00:21:08.883
It's one where this guy always has this fancy car. It's always parked.

00:21:09.163 --> 00:21:11.803
You never really see him driving it. It's like it's parked. Like they probably

00:21:11.803 --> 00:21:14.303
says, this is for show, don't you drive it.

00:21:14.363 --> 00:21:17.523
And then one day I was driving it, but he and my heart just went around the corner.

00:21:17.943 --> 00:21:21.303
But this is the influencer. You're looking for a man in a fancy car.

00:21:21.703 --> 00:21:25.443
Men in fancy cars, if they can't drive it, guess what? If you're just sitting

00:21:25.443 --> 00:21:28.523
in it talking and he don't have the key, I'm just saying, let's keep going.

00:21:28.783 --> 00:21:33.603
Real time looks like this. People don't just post pictures. They post identities.

00:21:33.903 --> 00:21:35.403
They don't just share content.

00:21:35.823 --> 00:21:39.583
They share a version of themselves they want others to believe.

00:21:39.763 --> 00:21:43.043
We found out, I found out that these people in these fancy houses,

00:21:43.043 --> 00:21:48.003
waking up all beautiful with their makeup on, like, oh, good morning.

00:21:48.163 --> 00:21:50.863
They had to stage that to set that up.

00:21:51.103 --> 00:21:54.463
Hello, people. They want people to believe that they live in a nice house,

00:21:54.623 --> 00:21:56.703
that the camera's always rolling.

00:21:56.883 --> 00:22:03.063
But this is what we don't see. We don't see the depression. We don't see the insecurity.

00:22:03.463 --> 00:22:07.303
We don't see the bondage. We don't see the anxiety.

00:22:07.983 --> 00:22:09.583
We don't see the depth.

00:22:09.952 --> 00:22:14.912
Debt, and we don't see that their quotes are spiritually dry.

00:22:14.912 --> 00:22:17.672
What they do is they post while they're depressed.

00:22:17.852 --> 00:22:19.992
They post confidence while they're insecure.

00:22:20.292 --> 00:22:23.372
They post God did it while they did it themselves.

00:22:23.812 --> 00:22:28.972
They post peace while they're anxious. They post blessings while they're drowning in debt.

00:22:29.112 --> 00:22:32.932
And they post spiritual quotes while spiritually dry.

00:22:33.212 --> 00:22:39.452
And the culture rewards it. That's why so many people are what we call faking the funk.

00:22:39.772 --> 00:22:47.952
If you are not used to that language, it means just perpetrating the fraud or putting on a show.

00:22:48.412 --> 00:22:51.772
And so that means everything about them is not real.

00:22:51.972 --> 00:22:55.812
The makeup that you see, we're going to put this on and we're going to do that

00:22:55.812 --> 00:22:57.112
and layers and layers of makeup.

00:22:57.352 --> 00:23:01.192
And then they'll show you a part where they don't have any makeup on,

00:23:01.252 --> 00:23:04.712
but if you really watch, they got a little bit of makeup on because they're

00:23:04.712 --> 00:23:09.232
not going to come before you real because they're faking the fun because social

00:23:09.232 --> 00:23:11.952
media, that image gets rewarded.

00:23:12.172 --> 00:23:17.812
Even the ladies who have got these, is it BBLs and these, I think I covered

00:23:17.812 --> 00:23:22.552
that in our single series and the big lips and the long eyelashes,

00:23:22.872 --> 00:23:25.752
you know, those things are not meant for your body.

00:23:25.952 --> 00:23:29.912
They're going to cause some harm. As we see the BBLs, people are actually.

00:23:30.460 --> 00:23:33.500
Not making it through. We see the lips.

00:23:34.020 --> 00:23:37.660
The people who are paying to do it don't know what they're doing.

00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:43.760
What's the purpose of having big lips? I don't know. And those are the women of European descent.

00:23:44.120 --> 00:23:46.860
If your lips are thin, work with them. You can do that makeup,

00:23:47.080 --> 00:23:51.300
lips on it, make it work for you. But God created us the way that we are for a reason.

00:23:51.460 --> 00:23:56.120
And when that image don't get rewarded, it causes what? Anxiety and depression.

00:23:56.360 --> 00:24:00.920
When your authenticity gets ignored, Truth gets attacked.

00:24:01.140 --> 00:24:05.860
Conviction gets unfollowed. So you have to fake the funk in order to even pay

00:24:05.860 --> 00:24:07.860
your bills because you have set your way out.

00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:11.960
Even everybody got a cooking show. It's like, okay, everybody can cook.

00:24:12.200 --> 00:24:13.680
We used to have cookbooks.

00:24:14.020 --> 00:24:17.940
Remember, there wasn't a show on about cooking. It was about cookbook.

00:24:18.100 --> 00:24:21.260
Get your cookbook out, go to the grocery store, get the ingredients,

00:24:21.580 --> 00:24:23.600
and then practice cooking.

00:24:23.840 --> 00:24:26.540
If you watch a cooking show, it's to help you

00:24:26.859 --> 00:24:30.079
cook, but now it's entertainment, right?

00:24:30.419 --> 00:24:34.919
We call it, he calls us to be true. God calls us to just be true.

00:24:35.099 --> 00:24:37.339
Here is what we must understand.

00:24:37.579 --> 00:24:41.059
Likes are not love. Followers are not fruit.

00:24:41.299 --> 00:24:47.439
Engagement is not endorsement and applause is not approval because people don't

00:24:47.439 --> 00:24:50.099
want deliverance. They want engagement.

00:24:50.359 --> 00:24:54.819
If you take anything away from this sermon today, this teaching,

00:24:55.079 --> 00:25:00.439
take this away. When the algorithm becomes your altar, worship becomes performance

00:25:00.439 --> 00:25:04.479
and performance will always leave you empty.

00:25:04.779 --> 00:25:09.679
Let's do a heart check and I want you to answer these questions honestly.

00:25:09.999 --> 00:25:13.019
Am I doing things for God or for attention?

00:25:13.379 --> 00:25:16.499
Have I made image more important than intimacy?

00:25:16.859 --> 00:25:20.279
Do I feel pressure to look okay when I'm not?

00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:25.479
Am I posting my faith more than I'm practicing my faith? Have I replaced the

00:25:25.479 --> 00:25:27.099
secret place with the spotlight?

00:25:27.379 --> 00:25:31.939
Am I afraid to be real because I want, I might lose approval?

00:25:32.139 --> 00:25:37.719
These are real questions for you to answer. How do I get it back?

00:25:38.039 --> 00:25:42.979
How do you, if you want to, how do we break free from performance?

00:25:43.339 --> 00:25:46.519
Remember, this is about freedom. It's about taking it back.

00:25:46.939 --> 00:25:53.159
And so number one, you repent for seeking praise. This is not a condemnation. This is cleansing.

00:25:53.439 --> 00:25:55.779
You are not too deep into it.

00:25:56.119 --> 00:26:01.599
God can purify your motives again. And then what he does for me is like I had

00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:07.599
an outro asking for money and the Lord told me to take that off.

00:26:07.959 --> 00:26:12.659
Because once you start, another thing, once you start getting paid and the money

00:26:12.659 --> 00:26:15.919
starts coming in, guess what? It changes you.

00:26:16.199 --> 00:26:21.999
It changes you. So you'll see it in a link, but you won't hear me talking about it.

00:26:23.114 --> 00:26:26.054
Because that takes off the focus of what God wants to do.

00:26:26.254 --> 00:26:29.654
There's always people out there that want to give you, help you.

00:26:29.814 --> 00:26:33.274
But then if they don't, God is your source.

00:26:33.634 --> 00:26:36.154
Another one is return to secret worship.

00:26:36.534 --> 00:26:41.214
That's going to be the hard one. In Matthew 6, it says, Thy father which seeth

00:26:41.214 --> 00:26:43.874
in secret. What is he seeing in secret?

00:26:44.074 --> 00:26:48.254
What are you showing him? What is God seeing in your secret?

00:26:48.534 --> 00:26:52.374
Are you staging the next show? Or are you seeking him with your whole heart?

00:26:52.374 --> 00:26:54.854
You need to worship when there's no camera.

00:26:55.034 --> 00:26:59.314
I don't have a camera. I have a camera on my setup, but I haven't really turned it on yet.

00:26:59.494 --> 00:27:05.114
No captions, no audience, no performance because hidden worship restores God.

00:27:05.514 --> 00:27:11.354
I'm sorry, restores power. How do you go from being performative to being secretive?

00:27:11.514 --> 00:27:14.694
I guarantee you when you flip the script, you're going to find out.

00:27:15.291 --> 00:27:19.191
The things that you really desire, you can go to God with it.

00:27:19.331 --> 00:27:24.551
And he'll take that little fakeness that you've been doing, faking the funk, and he can make it real.

00:27:24.711 --> 00:27:28.971
But first, before he does that, he's going to restore you, your heart,

00:27:29.251 --> 00:27:34.571
back towards him so that in the end, he will get all the glory and the praise.

00:27:34.851 --> 00:27:37.871
Number three, win. Fast what feeds performance.

00:27:38.191 --> 00:27:42.151
Fast what feeds performance. Take a three-day social media fast,

00:27:42.471 --> 00:27:46.491
delete the app for seven days, and try not to post for about a week.

00:27:46.491 --> 00:27:49.151
Not to prove anything, but to detox.

00:27:49.391 --> 00:27:55.471
So I don't have any apps on my phone. I have my podcast app because I listen

00:27:55.471 --> 00:27:57.611
to my own preaching because it is good.

00:27:57.791 --> 00:28:02.731
I have Instagram, have all those, but I don't have those on my phone because

00:28:02.731 --> 00:28:07.031
there's always something to look at because they keep you busy with those social

00:28:07.031 --> 00:28:11.551
media. And so that started first, is just to take the apps off your phone.

00:28:11.791 --> 00:28:16.251
You want to go on there for a couple minutes or so, then you log into your computer.

00:28:16.531 --> 00:28:19.831
Three days might be a lot for some, but remember, you're not doing it for you.

00:28:19.971 --> 00:28:22.471
You're trying to reset your heart with God.

00:28:22.811 --> 00:28:25.931
Once you delete the apps, you don't miss them, unless you're a daily poster.

00:28:26.171 --> 00:28:29.411
Then take it off your phone and just put it. And when it's office time,

00:28:29.431 --> 00:28:32.351
you go into office and you do what you got to do, right?

00:28:32.591 --> 00:28:36.891
But just detox from it. Number four, replace posting with processing.

00:28:37.371 --> 00:28:41.851
Instead of immediately sharing your pain online, process it with God.

00:28:42.211 --> 00:28:46.891
Isn't it interesting that people, I call it storyline, and they're telling the

00:28:46.891 --> 00:28:49.911
worst thing that happened to them, like, but you haven't healed from it.

00:28:50.111 --> 00:28:54.811
And you know, when people, when you post your heart online, everybody's not feeling you.

00:28:55.031 --> 00:28:58.331
And so people are going to make comments because that's what people do.

00:28:58.531 --> 00:29:03.031
But instead of posting your hurt and your pain, like the best prayer I have

00:29:03.031 --> 00:29:09.131
in the beginning of the podcast, like ask God to help you deliver you from that pain.

00:29:09.291 --> 00:29:13.651
You can do that through prayer, journaling, just quiet time, scripture.

00:29:13.951 --> 00:29:17.911
And sometimes we actually need some Christian counseling. Go to your pastor.

00:29:18.506 --> 00:29:22.106
Someone, a mentor that can help you heal with that pain.

00:29:22.386 --> 00:29:28.226
It's always good to have a storyline, but I love it when the storyline is a

00:29:28.226 --> 00:29:30.266
good, like the good part.

00:29:30.486 --> 00:29:35.386
You know, it's a success. Now that you drop your pain on your social media and

00:29:35.386 --> 00:29:38.906
then you leave and now you got to deal with it because now you're looking for

00:29:38.906 --> 00:29:43.306
likes and followers, but yet you're still hurting your damage.

00:29:43.506 --> 00:29:46.606
Number five, rebuild your identity in Christ.

00:29:46.866 --> 00:29:51.246
Colossians tells us your life is hid with Christ and God.

00:29:51.506 --> 00:29:56.566
You do not need likes to be valuable. You don't need applause to be anointed

00:29:56.566 --> 00:29:59.566
and you do not need followers to be chosen.

00:29:59.826 --> 00:30:04.526
Your identity is correct. I just sensed from beginning of the year.

00:30:06.569 --> 00:30:11.269
That God is having this call out. He is calling everyone out.

00:30:11.409 --> 00:30:16.889
And if I don't hit you with the last couple of sermons since January, then guess what?

00:30:17.129 --> 00:30:21.329
Then he's got something for you coming. Because I keep hearing the same thing

00:30:21.329 --> 00:30:25.349
about you guys calling us into a relationship with him.

00:30:25.529 --> 00:30:29.389
He's coming soon. And you don't want to be the one waiting for the bridegroom,

00:30:29.809 --> 00:30:33.309
like the three, like the foolish virgins and the wise virgins.

00:30:33.449 --> 00:30:36.569
You want to be the one that actually have your oil ready.

00:30:36.909 --> 00:30:44.909
Let's go to six, our last one. Choose Mary's portion again and do repeat because Mary sat at his feet.

00:30:45.329 --> 00:30:47.749
Mary didn't perform. Mary didn't compete.

00:30:48.309 --> 00:30:51.769
Mary chose what was better so you can.

00:30:52.169 --> 00:30:57.489
And so Mary did, Mary stopped because Jesus doesn't come to your house every

00:30:57.489 --> 00:30:59.869
day. So Jesus made that decision.

00:31:00.089 --> 00:31:03.529
I'm going to stop by these two ladies' houses because we know he knew Mary,

00:31:03.669 --> 00:31:06.909
Martha, and there's a Lazarus, you know, Lazarus was raised from the dead.

00:31:07.189 --> 00:31:12.149
So he was familiar with Mary and Martha. And so, and I just believe he stopped

00:31:12.149 --> 00:31:14.449
by the house to help Martha out, right?

00:31:14.589 --> 00:31:18.009
Because God, you know, he was very sensitive to his people.

00:31:18.429 --> 00:31:22.149
He probably said, go stop by Mary's house or Martha's house,

00:31:22.309 --> 00:31:25.989
whoever is the leader there, but I want to talk to Martha.

00:31:25.989 --> 00:31:31.989
So that whole time he wanted to meet and speak with Martha, even though Mary

00:31:31.989 --> 00:31:35.089
was sitting at his feet. His heart was towards Martha.

00:31:35.763 --> 00:31:41.683
Let's pray. Father God, thank you. Forgive me for forgiving me every time I

00:31:41.683 --> 00:31:44.123
sought validation before transformation.

00:31:44.603 --> 00:31:49.683
Forgive me for performing instead of abiding. Forgive me for caring more about

00:31:49.683 --> 00:31:51.483
being seen than being healed.

00:31:51.743 --> 00:31:55.763
I repent for the fear of man and the addiction to approval.

00:31:56.083 --> 00:32:00.043
Deliver me from the performance spirit. Restore purity in my worship.

00:32:00.383 --> 00:32:05.683
Teach me to love the secret place again. Let me desire you more than attention.

00:32:06.003 --> 00:32:13.003
Let me seek truth more than trends. And let my life bear fruit, not just content.

00:32:13.323 --> 00:32:17.663
In Jesus' name, amen. Say these with me. The algorithm is not my altar.

00:32:17.983 --> 00:32:23.163
I choose intimacy over image. I renounce performance and embrace presence.

00:32:23.463 --> 00:32:28.343
I will not be ruled by the fear of man. My worship will be real, not staged.

00:32:28.723 --> 00:32:34.103
I desire fruit more than followers. I am hidden from Christ and secure in God.

00:32:34.343 --> 00:32:37.863
This is what I want you to do this week. Maybe today when you finish listening,

00:32:38.043 --> 00:32:39.503
is I want you to be honest.

00:32:40.093 --> 00:32:45.073
I want you to write down where you've been tempted to fake the fun.

00:32:45.313 --> 00:32:50.553
And then I want you to answer why you did it. What am I afraid people will see?

00:32:50.693 --> 00:32:53.133
What do I need to surrender to God?

00:32:53.293 --> 00:32:56.993
And what would real worship look like in my private life?

00:32:57.113 --> 00:33:02.853
Second part of action step, once you write that down, now I want you to have a secret place.

00:33:03.093 --> 00:33:06.133
Today, I want you to spend 15 minutes with God in secret.

00:33:06.453 --> 00:33:10.833
Many of us have closets. We have a space. If you don't have a large closet,

00:33:10.973 --> 00:33:14.933
go and close your bathroom and lock the door just for 15 minutes.

00:33:15.253 --> 00:33:19.053
Put your phone in the other room. No music needed unless you let it.

00:33:19.393 --> 00:33:24.933
Have some music on. Open your Bible and have a quiet heart. And just pray this simple prayer.

00:33:25.233 --> 00:33:30.853
Lord, cleanse my motives. Restore my worship and make me real again.

00:33:31.193 --> 00:33:32.713
In Jesus' name, amen.

00:33:33.253 --> 00:33:36.893
Thank you for listening. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

00:33:37.113 --> 00:33:41.653
The algorithm is not your altar. This is your host, Connie Morris,

00:33:41.813 --> 00:33:44.473
and I'll see you on the next episode.

00:33:55.368 --> 00:33:58.688
Family, thank you for spending time with me today.

00:33:58.968 --> 00:34:02.688
To every woman listening who has ever felt hidden, overlooked,

00:34:02.748 --> 00:34:05.088
or pushed aside, hear me clearly.

00:34:05.368 --> 00:34:09.908
God has not forgotten you, and neither have I.

00:34:10.188 --> 00:34:15.148
Now let's go before the Lord and close this out with a word from God,

00:34:15.408 --> 00:34:19.848
because someone out there needs this reminder today.

00:34:20.188 --> 00:34:24.168
Jeremiah 29, 11, verses 11 through 14.

00:34:24.488 --> 00:34:29.548
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you

00:34:29.548 --> 00:34:33.368
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

00:34:33.628 --> 00:34:38.488
Then when you call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you,

00:34:38.688 --> 00:34:43.948
you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

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I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and bring you back from captivity.

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Father God, we thank you for your word, that it is true, that it is living, that it is for us.

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You said you know the plans you have for us, plans to prosper us and not to

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harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.

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So today we receive that, not just in our minds, but in our hearts.

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When we feel overlooked,

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remind us, you still see us. When we feel forgotten, remind us, you still have a plan.

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And when we feel hidden, remind us, you are still working.

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Your word says that when we call on you, you will listen. So we call on you now. Hear us.

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Strengthen us. Guide us. Help us to seek you with our whole heart,

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not halfway, not sometimes, but fully.

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And as we seek you, let us find you in every season, in every place, even the hidden mind.

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Restore what was lost, renew what feels broken, and remind us that nothing in

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our lives is wasted in your hand.

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Lord, we trust you, we believe you, and we stand on your word. In Jesus' name, amen.

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This is Diary of a Black Woman podcast, and I'm your host, Connie Morris,

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and I'll see you on the next episode.