Transcription
E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E. God, thank you for a new year. Thank you for bringing us here collectively as a group to worship you, Jesus. Thank you.
[Music] [Music]
Jesus, got a river inside. It's full of life, it's ever growing. I got a fire, and it's always lit. It won't go out, it's always burning. You've given me joy, it's unspeakable joy, undeniable, unexplainable. I've got the joy of the Lord.
[Music]
I've got a river that's flowing inside. It's full of life, it's ever growing. I got a fire, and it's always lit. It won't go out, it's always burning. I've got a river that's flowing inside. It's full of life, it's ever growing. I've got a river, and it's always lit. It won't go out, it's always burning. You've given me joy, it's unspeakable joy, undeniable, unexplainable. I got the joy of the Lord down in my heart, deep down in my soul, deep down in my soul. Uncontainable, it's untameable. I've got the joy of the Lord.
[Music]
I've got joy on the inside. Feels like fire, can't keep it in. I keep praising in the midnight. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
[Music]
Got joy on the inside. Feels like fire, like fire. Give praise, give praise. Praising in the midnight. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
I got joy on the inside. Feels like fire, like fire. Can't keep it in. I keep praising in the midnight. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
I've got joy on the inside. Feels like I can't keep it in. I keep praising in the midnight. The joy of the Lord, the joy of the Lord is my, the joy of the Lord is, the joy of the Lord is my, is my strength.
I've got a river that's flowing inside. It's full of light, it's ever growing. I've got a fire, and it's always lit. It won't go out, it's always burning. You've given me joy, it's unspeakable joy, undeniable, unexplainable. I got the joy of the Lord down in my heart, deep down in my soul, down in my soul. Uncontainable, it's untameable. I got the, I got joy on the inside. Feels like fire. I keep praising in the midnight. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
I've got joy on the inside. Feels like I can't keep it in. I keep praising in the midnight. Joy of the Lord is, joy of the Lord is my, joy of the Lord is, the joy of the Lord is my, joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
[Music]
Attainable.
[Music]
I've got joy on the inside. Feels like a fire, can't keep it in. I keep praising in the midnight, at the joy. Let's sing that together.
Got joy on the inside. Feels like fire, feels like fire. I keep praising Him, I keep praising Him. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
Got joy on the inside. Feels like I can't keep it in. I keep praising in the midnight. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
I got joy on the inside. Feels like I can't keep it in. I keep praising in the midnight. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
I got joy on the inside. Feels like fire, can't keep it in. I keep praising in the midnight. The joy of the Lord is my, joy of the Lord is my, joy of the Lord is my strength. Joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
[Music]
Thank you, Jesus.
[Music]
Oh, we worship You. We worship You, Jesus. Come on, every hand raised from the front to the back. Are you thankful for His love, His amazing love?
I was lost, then You found me. I was broken and confused. And Your love, it's all around me, and Your mercy, it pursues. And it was grace that pulled me from the grave. It's Your blood that washed away. It's Your amazing love, Your amazing love. Jesus, You have saved me. Your amazing blood, Your amazing grace, amazing grace. Your amazing grace, Your amazing grace. Jesus, You forgave me. Your amazing grace.
I was lost, then You found me. I was broken and confused. But Your love is all around me, and Your mercy, it pursues. It was grace that pulled me from the grave. It's Your blood that washed my sins away. It's Your amazing love, amazing, amazing love. You're amazing love, You're amazing love. Jesus, You have saved, He saved me. Your amazing love. So amazing grace, amazing grace. Thank you for Your grace. Amazing grace. Jesus, You are great, me with Your amazing grace. It's Your amazing love, Your amazing love. Jesus, You have saved me. You're amazing God, Your amazing grace, Your amazing grace. Only Your grace, Lord. Amazing grace. Jesus, You are, me with Your amazing grace.
[Music]
You left heaven for my rescue, faced the darkness, defeated death for me. You left for my rescue, my face, the dark, the dark, defeated death for me. You left heaven for my rescue, faced the darkness, defeated death for me. You left heaven for my rescue, the face of darkness. Be, You let myness. You left for my rescue, raised the darkness to You. For my rescue, to face the darkness. You left heaven for my rescue, faced the darkness, defeated for me.
[Music]
H.
Come on, one more time. Can you just begin to lift up the King of Kings and the Lord of lords all across this room?
[Applause]
I don't know about you, but HYC, I've come with an expectation that God is going to meet us here, that God's going to deliver us here, God's going to heal us here, God's going to fill us with the Holy Ghost right here.
[Music]
God's going to call some pastors here at this HYC. God's going to call some missionaries at this HYC. He's going to call some church planters at this HYC.
[Music]
I just want to welcome you to HYC 2025.
[Music] [Applause] [Music]
We are so thrilled you're here. We're honored you're here. And there's going to be a great move of the Holy Ghost. Brother DJ Hill, our General Youth President, has already confirmed that to me, and I felt it for weeks. And I believe God is going to do something mighty in our midst this week. Amen. If you believe that, would you just lift your hand?
[Music]
I'm going to make a couple quick announcements, and then I'm going to get out of the way so we can worship just a little bit more, okay? Just a couple of announcements.
We have a lot of people here tonight, and that's a blessing, that's an amazing thing. If you have, I just, yes, if you have saved seats, I just want you to gather your things and pull them a little closer to you. I want us to sit a little bit closer. Let's make room for those that are standing. We do have chairs in the baptismal area for those that are needing a seat still. But what we're going to ask is that you young people, you push a little bit closer. Adults in the back, please push a little bit closer, because we want everybody to be able to have a seat. Amen.
Also, I want to say thank you to every pastor that's here tonight. We're so honored that you're here. Without you, this would not be possible. You are the tip of the spear. You are the one that's going out and having revival, and I want to thank you. We're honored that you're here tonight. Amen.
[Music]
I want to make one more announcement about the After Burner tonight, and then I'm going to get out of the way. So, After Burner tonight, right after the preaching of the word and after the altar call, if it ever ends. If it doesn't end, we'll figure out how to do nachos a different night. We'll save them, we'll prepare them for tomorrow night if the altar call just begins to linger past midnight. That's fine, that's what we've come here for.
[Music]
But I do want to let you know, the After Burner for tonight is to meet and greet downstairs with games, fun, singing. It's going to be a great time. We'll have nachos downstairs in the fellowship hall. The coffee bar will be open. It's going to be an awesome time of fellowship. You don't want to miss it, so don't leave early. Come play a board game, come play charades, come play Mafia, and it's going to be a fantastic time. Awesome, awesome.
And this is my only ask: that just as sensitive and hungry as you are for the Spirit of God. Yeah, we're going to show a video. Yeah, we're going to do a couple things. But I feel such a hunger in this place. You stay hungry, and I promise you, God's going to do what He came to do. He's going to answer the questions that you've come, questions. Amen, amen.
For, for, for, for. Praise God! Alaska Yukon students, anybody ready for a great HYC? Praise God!
I want to just welcome you to Anchorage, to HYC. And we're going to have prayer, and we're going to ask God to do what we cannot do this week. Brother Welshire already mentioned it, but I feel it so strongly that when the lights get turned out on Friday night, some of you are going to realize that you were created for His purpose. Amen.
And I believe that when we look back, we're going to find missionaries that were called this week, church planters that were called this week, intercessors that were called this week, evangelists that were called this week. Come on, this is not just an ordinary HYC, but we're believing God for the supernatural this week. And there's going to be a lot of fun, there's going to be a lot of activities, but the most important thing is you're going to be connected to the supernatural. And God's going to reach into this crowd, and God's going to reach into this Youth Department, and God's going to find somebody that's special, that's called out, that's separated, that's going to do a great work for God. I don't know who it is, but He does.
[Music]
And I want you to grab the hand of the one beside you, and we're going to pray. Come on, we, we, we know there's going to be good music, we know there's going to be good fun, but I want this to be something supernatural this week, like we've never seen before. I want us to lift our voice and ask the divine will of Almighty God to rest in every service. Come on, lift your voice, pastors, help me pray right now in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do a supernatural work this week, God. You see every student, You see every chaperone, You see each and every one. Call somebody this week, God. Bring somebody to a place in You this week. Do the supernatural, oh God. Speak through Brother Hill, speak through all these speakers this week. Do, oh God, what only You can do. We call upon You, we call upon You. Come on, lift your voice, lift your voice. We need You this week, God. Villages in Alaska need You this week, God. Unchurched cities need You this week, God. Come on, lift your voice, students, lift your voice. Let there be an anointing, oh God. Let there be the supernatural this week, God. Do, oh God, what only You can do. Do what only You can do, Lord, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I give You praise for what You're going to do, God. I give You praise for what You're going to do. Come on somebody, I give You praise, I give You praise.
[Music]
Come on, magnify Him, celebrate Him. God's going to do the miraculous.
[Music]
That has ever overcome your life, and there is no that can ever stand against Your might. You've always been with us, every battle, You've already won.
[Music]
There is no weapon that has ever left a mark on You. There is no army with the power to conquer truth. You've always been with us, every battle, You've already won, You've already won. Come on, if you know, sing. Show me one thing He can't do. Show me a mountain He can't move. He's the God of the breakthrough, and anything is possible.
[Music]
Show me one thing that's too hard. Show me waters He can't part. He's the God of the breakthrough, and anything is possible, is possible.
There is a kingdom dancing at the speed of light, and in His kingdom, dead things, and dead things is about to rise. God, our Redeemer, He is faithful to revive. He is faithful to revive, and He will revive.
[Music] [Applause]
Show me one He can't. Is there? Show me the He can't. He's the God of the breakthrough, is possible. Show me one thing, show me one thing, show me one, show me. Is God, God breaks. Anything is possible, it's possible.
[Music]
All my fear will turn into praise. Shake off despair as I sing Your name. A victory dance I will dance out. I will crush disappointment and break every chain. Now, all of my fear I will turn into praise. Shake off despair as I sing out Your name. A victory dance I will dance loud, and I will crush disappointment, chains. Now, all of my fear I will turn into praise. Shake off despair as I sing out Your name. Victory dance I will dance down in. I will crush disappointment and break every chain.
Show me one He can't. Is there a mountain He can't take? God, God of the, anything is possible. Look over your life, one water. Is God, God the breakthrough, is possible.
All of my fear I will turn into praise. Shake off despair as I sing out Your name. A victory dance I will dance out, and I will crush disappointment and break every. All of my fear I will turn into praise. Shake off despair as I sing out Your name. A victory dance I will dance loud, and I will crush disappointment and break every chain. All of my fear I will turn to praise. Shake out as I sing out Your name. Victory dance I will dance out. I will crush disappointment and break every, break every, break, break every, break every, break every, break every, break, break every, break every, break every, break every, break every, break every, break every, break every chain, break every chain, break every chain.
Show me, show me one thing He can't. Show me a mountain, show me a mountain He can't. He is the God, the God of the breakthrough. Anything is possible. Show me one thing that's too hard. Show me water He can't part. He is the God of the breakthrough, and anything is possible, is possible.
[Music] [Applause] [Music]
When did I start to forget all of the great things You did? When did I throw away faith for the impossible? And how did I start to believe You were sufficient for me? And why do I talk myself out of seeing miracles?
[Music]
You are more than. Yes, You are, God. You're more than able. You are more than, You are, Lord, more than able. Who am I to deny what the Lord can do? Oh, now I see all that I have. Oh, I've got my confidence back. So why would I trust in the One who still does miracles? You do, You are.
[Music]
Yes, You are, Lord. You are more than able. You are, You're more than able. You are more than able. You are more than able. Who am I to deny what the Lord can do?
[Music]
Can you imagine with all of the faith in the room, what the Lord can do, what the Lord can do? And it's going to happen just the way. Do you believe that? Can you imagine there's so much faith, what the Lord can do? And it's going to happen, it's going to happen just like the way. Make it through. He's going to move, He's going to move.
Can you imagine with all of the faith in the room, what the Lord can do, what the Lord can do? It's going to happen just like the way. Make it go through. He's going to, He's going to. Anything is possible, anything is possible, anything is possible. Who am I, who am I to deny what the Lord more can do?
[Music]
Anything is possible, anything is possible, anything is possible. Who am I to deny what the Lord can do? Who am I to deny what the Lord can do? Who am I to deny what the Lord can do?
[Music] [Music]
Done with me, yeah. He's not done with you, yeah. Oh, there's so much more to your story. Oh, He's not done with you yet. You're not done with me, yeah. You're not done with me, yeah. Oh, there's so much more to the story. You're not done with me, You're not done with me, You're not with me. Oh, there's so much more to your story. Come on, do you believe that? He's not done with you yet. You're not done with me, You're not done with me. There's so much more to your soul, so much more to. You're not done, You're not done, You're with me.
[Music]
You're not done with me. Oh, there's so much more to your. With You, I come. You're not with me, You're not with me. There's so much more, there's so much more to. He's not done with you. You're not done with me, You're not done with me, You're not done with me. There's so much more to the story. You're not done with. Oh, who am I to deny what the Lord can do? Who am I to deny what the Lord can do? Who am I to deny what the Lord can do?
[Music] [Applause]
Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
[Music]
Everybody in the room, would you just lift your hand one more time? You just close your eyes. The presence of the Lord is in this place, and I just feel the Holy Ghost say, "If you've come from a broken situation, there's a Healer in the room."
[Music]
If you need salvation, He's a Savior. Come on, that's it, young person, just begin to cry out to Him because He's everything that you need. Oh, Hallelujah, Jesus.
Some of you have come from a lonely place, but I want you to know, He's a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
[Music] [Music]
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Amen, amen. I'm so thankful for what I feel in this room right now. There's nothing, I mean, there's nothing in this world like the presence of God. Hallelujah.
There's nothing in the world. There's no drug, there's no friend group, there's no peer group, there's no level of achievement that you could reach that would match the moving of the Spirit of God on our lives. Matter of fact, the most wonderful and the most awe-inspiring thing that could ever have happened was that God would come as a man and die on a cross for you and I when we weren't worthy, when we didn't have anything going for us, so we could feel this, what we feel here. So you could experience deliverance at HYC night number one, so that you could be filled with the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in an unknown tongue on night one of HYC 2025. Amen.
I want you to keep this spirit. I feel like it's time for the preaching of the word, so I want you to just prayerfully and in this same mindset, start making your way back to your seats. Amen, amen.
We are so honored to have our General Youth President, Brother DJ Hill, here with us to preach our night services at HYC. He's doing an incredible job, and he's a dynamic leader in Youth Ministries.
But not only is he just a dynamic leader, not only is he just doing an incredible job in transforming "Move the Mission" and transforming the Youth Committee, the National Youth Committee, and making changes all over the nation and the world, but I've seen him personally at General Conference or at a youth conference just begin to put his arm around a young person, and you begin to see his heartbeat, that it's not just about the crowds, it's not just about the money, it's about you, it's about young people. And that's what this is all about.
We're so honored to have him, and we're going to have him come to the pulpit and preach to you. But we're also honored to have Sister Natalie Hill, which I think had to step out, and their three precious daughters: Caia, Ira, and Alia. Althia, I think I said that right. We are so thankful and honored to have them here tonight. Brother Hill, would you come up and preach to us tonight?
Why don't we stand to our feet and give that hand clap of appreciation and turn it into a praise to the only wise God? Come on, the God that showed up here on a Wednesday night. Come on, we could be anywhere, but God is here to reach you at the point of your needs. Why don't you lift your voice for a moment? Why don't you close your eyes and just thank God? I know the singers aren't up here, but why don't you just magnify the name above every name?
[Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]
Thank you, Jesus.
I love what I feel in the house today, and I'm so thankful to be here in the Alaska Yukon District. Why don't you give yourselves a hand for traveling here? I know for some people it was a long trek, a hard trip. I honor you all.
If you would turn to Genesis chapter 3 in your Bible, Genesis chapter 3. And while you're turning there, I want to give great honor and thanks to your District Superintendent. Now, to a lot of you all, that is just a word, and you might not even know how to spell it. I don't, if it wasn't for predictive text. And it might not mean a lot to you, but Brother Blackshear and Sister Blackshear are shepherds and helpers that love this land. They love the people of this land. They are called, they are anointed, and they are amazing. Thank you so much for your work. Why don't we honor our district leadership, all the pastors, youth workers, youth pastors? Thank you all for being here, all the ministry.
One day, when I feel the full release to say what happened at that General Conference, I'll tell you. There's a piece of that General Conference in my wallet from that service, and I'm so thankful for your voice and ministry. I honor your family. Jude, a friend of mine, I love Jude, and Paris, and Dylan, one of the great ministers of our movement. He preaches at my home church in Atlanta West pretty often, and I'm so honored to be able to share this pulpit with you all. To your Youth President, Brother Todd Welcher, his family. To your Youth Secretary, Brother Levi, and his family. Don't you love the Youth Committee? Thank you all so much for all your hard work. This does not just happen, it's a lot of highs and lows, and I honor you all.
A lot of preachers say, "I'm not going to name names, or I'll get in trouble," but I don't mind naming names because I believe giving honor to where honor is due. Brother James Mullin, thank you so much for your diligent service through the years as Youth President. We honor you. To my wonderful family that got to come to Alaska with me, my father-in-law, mother-in-law, they pastor in Seattle, Brother Craig and Sister Vicky Warren, we honor you all. My beautiful wife, Natalie, my baby girls, Ira, Kyia, and Alia. Love, love my family.
God, God is going to do something miraculous today, and I cannot wait. Friday is going to be mind-blowing. I really cannot wait. God has spoken very clearly what He's going to do in the altar call on Friday. But there's tonight, tomorrow morning, tomorrow night, Friday morning. We're going to get rid of some things. We're going to hear the voice of God, and then Friday, our lives will never be the same. Look at your neighbor and say, "You're never going to be the same after this week." Look to someone else and say, "You're never going to be the same after this week."
I'm glad I get to have the pulpit a few times because I'll continue to share honor and great words and affirmation of the great people that I get to do life with. I honor you so much. Words fail what do you all mean to me? Thank you for allowing me to serve you all. To all the ministers and pastors, it's an honor to serve you all, and I pray that God continues to grace me to do it.
Genesis chapter 3 in your Bible. If you have your Bible, say, "Amen." If you're going to cheat and look at the screen, say, "Amen." Bunch of cheaters! Y'all got to get it right. Y'all are HYC cheating. That's all right.
[Music]
Now the serpent, someone say, "The serpent." Serpent. The serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Eve, "Yea, hath God say, did God really say, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Did God really say?"
We'll skip to verse six. We'll fill in the story as we go tonight. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to look upon, it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave it also unto her husband with her, Adam, and he did eat. And the eyes of them were both open, and they, that they realized that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves. Someone say, "Fig leaves." They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons, or cloth.
And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord amongst the trees of the garden. God is there, and they're hiding from God. And the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him, "Where are you?" Look at your neighbor, say, "Where are you?" Look to someone else and say, "Where are you?" Look to that neighbor that you've been ignoring every time I tell you to repeat something and say, "Where are you?"
Adam responds in verse 10. He said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I, I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself." And God responded, "Who told you that?"
God laid a word on my heart weeks ago, and then all of a sudden on Instagram, a post was posted with the theme of this week. And I'm so thankful when God affirms things that He lays on our hearts, and that we still hear from God in 2024 and even 2025. For the next few moments, I want you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, regardless of what you're going through, regardless of the sin you might have walked in here with, regardless of the family that you came from, good or bad, it doesn't matter. You were created. You were created for great things. You were created with a purpose. You were created for His glory. I know you might have messed up, but you were created. I know you haven't always got it right, but you were created. I know your family is broken, but you were created. The God of all creation made you, and He loves you. And with the help of God, for the next few moments, I'm going to make sure you understand that, that you were created. Abigail, you were created. Craig, you were created. Brother Dixon, you were created. Ethan, you were created. You were created. I'm going to say that 100 times because I want you to know that you were. Amen. You may be seated.
Nelson Mandela was the president of South Africa, and he died in 2013. Someone say, "2013." 2013.
Fiona Broom had this memory that Nelson Mandela died in prison in the 1980s. So she went to Google to try to figure out more about Nelson Mandela's death, and she realized that it wasn't just her that had this false memory that Nelson Mandela, the president of South Africa, died while in prison in the 1980s, that thousands and even tens of thousands of people also had this false memory that Nelson Mandela died, though he was still alive for a few more decades. And so Fiona Broom coined this the Mandela Effect. Look to your neighbor and say, "The Mandela Effect."
It's where you and I have this false memory. Maybe we only heard half of the story, or maybe we heard it wrong, and so we hear it long enough, or we think about it long enough, that we now believe that it's true. For instance, there's an older movie and an old book that it came from where there was this dad that was fighting with his son, and the dad breathed like this while he and his son were fighting. His son was losing the battle, and what did the dad say to his son? "Luke, if you've ever heard, 'Luke, I'm your father,' raise your hand." That's not what he said. It says, "No, I am your father." But somewhere along the way, we heard "Luke," and we thought that was real.
There's another older show that this older woman that had a weird nose, and there was this beautiful princess that was there, and she wanted to give her an apple. And she would look at this thing that was hanging, not on the floor or the ceiling, but a thing over there, and it was shiny, and she said something to it, and she asked a question. Does anybody know what that question was? "Mirror, mirror on the wall." If you've ever heard that, raise your hand. It's actually, "Magic mirror on the wall." But somewhere along the way, we got it wrong. It's known as the Mandela Effect.
So, sound man, I, I need your help. Can you put one of those pictures up to help prove and help us understand what the Mandela Effect is? Can you put that first picture up? All right, how many of y'all love Cheez-Its in the house? Come on, that's one of my daughter's favorite snacks. Okay, if you think that this one is correct, I need you to stand up. Brother Wick, I appreciate you, man of God, being brave. The first one. Don't sit back down now, you done stood up in front of everybody. People are starting to argue. If you're standing up, give yourselves a hand. You got it correct. It is Cheez-It. All right, put that next one up.
All right, on the count of three, yell out your favorite cereal. One, two, three. Cinnamon Toast Crunch. You said that you're highly favored, not just a great piano player, you're an anointed man of God. All right, we did that side last time. If you think it's this one, I need you to stand up. How do you spell Froot Loops? Okay, four of y'all, Hananiah, Mishel, and Azariah, and Daniel, if you don't know the difference, ask your neighbor, they might be able to help you. All right, if you're standing up, give yourselves a hand. You tried, but you were absolutely wrong. It is this one. Throw that next one up, if you would. Give me a break of that. All right, we did, oh, there it is. Man, I look crazy up here. All right, we did that, this one last time, so let's do this one. If you think this is the right one, stand up. There's no hyphen, no hyphen in this one. That's the little dash in between. So, hyphen, Young Adult Ministries, as you're in between youth and being like a full adult with all the bills and responsibilities. So, hyphen. All right, if you're standing up, you are correct. There is no hyphen in Kit Kat bar. Throw that next one up.
The game that causes so many fights, Brother Blackshear. When COVID-19 hit, my wife and I were stuck in the house, and you can only play Monopoly so many times one-on-one before it starts to get really aggressive. And Monopoly. All right, we did that one last time. If you think this is the right one, I need you to stand up. Does anybody know the difference? Yell it out. What's the difference? The monocle. Man, y'all are smart up here. I had to Google what that was. I was like, "Google, what is the glasses that's only on one side of the face?" All right, if you're standing up, you are wrong. It's Mr. Planter's peanut that has a round head and a monocle. All right, I think there's maybe one more, oh, two more. Okay, how many of y'all love Oreos in the house? All right, we've been going back and forth, and y'all think there's a pattern. There isn't a pattern. If you think this is the right one, I need you to stand up. Bro, you stood up a lot. I, I believe in you, man. You're going to get one right. You got this, bro, you got this. He's like, "Man, I know it." There's only one F or two F's? There is only one F in Double Stuf Oreos. So if you're sitting down, you're correct. All right, one, this is for the older generation. Some of you have never had bologna in your life. You've never cut it, an X in it, and fried it, put it on some white bread, piece of American fake cheese. Y'all, y'all don't know about that. Y'all ain't struggled. Y'all never had water in your cereal before. Oh, I wish I was a. Okay, some of y'all know about that. All right, if you think it's this one, I need you to stand up. If you are standing up, I said this one, right? If you're standing up, you are correct. It is M-A-Y-E-R. Why don't you give yourselves a hand? Sakai, you got it wrong. Don't stand up late. Did anybody get them all right? Anybody? Nobody.
It's known as the Mandela Effect. Someone say, "The Mandela Effect." Mandela. It's this false memory where you thought Froot Loops didn't have two extra Froot Loops in the letters, or Double Stuf Oreos had two F's, because you, you have this false memory, maybe because all the information wasn't there. Do you know that the devil also uses the Mandela Effect in your life? He whispers lies to you long enough that you begin to believe it about yourself. "You've messed up too many times. You don't come from the right family. You don't come from the right church. You don't come from the right youth group." I've come to let you know that heaven is real, God is real. You were created. He does love you. You do have a purpose. It doesn't matter what you came in here struggling with. You were created for His glory. Don't give into the lies of the enemy. Don't believe the Mandela Effect. You have great things in store for your future.
[Applause]
But Adam and Eve, though they were created, the first man and the first woman, they began to believe the Mandela Effect. It was close enough to what was real that they thought it was real. We see Eve walking in the garden, and there was hundreds, thousands, who knows how many trees. But God said, "There's one tree that I don't want you to eat." It's not because it's poisonous, but it's because I want to see with your free will if you love Me or you're going to love yourself. And so Eve is walking, and all of a sudden this slippery serpent comes and starts to talk to her in questions. "Did God really say? Is God trying to hold something back from you? Is it really worth it living for God? Is it really worth it living like that and doing all of that and going to church regularly? Is it worth it to sacrifice like that in your relationship with God? Does God even know you? Does He even love you? Does He even have a purpose for your life?"
But Eve, who had dominion over every beast of the field, everything that crawled, she could have instantly shut the lies of the enemy up. But she listened long enough. And some of you, you hear the whispers of the enemy, and you have authority and the supernatural to be able to shut the mouth of every devil that comes and whispers anything against the word of God to you. You have authority to say, "Not in my house. My family will be saved. My city will experience revival. Our youth group will grow. I will overcome this." But too often we believe the lies of the enemy long, long enough that it's the Mandela Effect. We begin to believe what the enemy has said about us.
So Eve, in the day she hears the serpent, she realizes that it's good for food, and it looks good. It, it doesn't look crazy. So she grabs that fruit. We don't know what it was, an apple, a fig, that's not what's important. What's important is that she should have loved God enough to stay away from it. But she listened to the enemy long enough. She didn't think anything bad would really happen. So she takes that fruit, she bites into it, but nothing happened yet. So she gives it to her husband. What's her husband's name? Adam. Adam. She gives this fruit to her husband, Adam, and he sees it's good, and, and she's still alive. And so he grabs it, and he takes a bite of it, and nothing happens yet. They think that they were going to die, but then all of a sudden they realize that they are naked, and they're ashamed of the state that they're in. They should have shut the mouth of the enemy up, but instead they hung around it long enough.
Let me be clear, this is not exactly where I'm going, but you don't need to hang around things that are influencing you away from the presence of God. You don't need to listen to music that's influencing you away from the presence of God. You don't need to watch things that are influencing you away from the presence of God. It's time to shut the mouth of the enemy up. I'm going to serve God because I am created for a purpose. I am created for His glory.
But Adam and Eve, Adam and Eve ate of it anyways. They realized they were naked, and so they sewed fig leaves together. Someone say, "Fig leaves." Fig leaves. They found these big leaves, and they started to put them together to try to cover up their nakedness because they thought that maybe if I cover it up that I won't feel the shame or the brokenness. But God won't heal what you hide. God will not heal what you hide. You can try to sew fig leaves together as long as you want, even in the presence of God. God won't heal what you hide.
Well, I don't wear fig leaves. I'm in a nice suit, or you're in a pretty dress, or skirt, or shirt, or blouse, or whatever you all call them. But so many of us are wearing fig leaves. Oh, well, well, I'm, I'm, I'm a jock because I, I'm cool. No, really, you're just insecure because maybe somewhere along the way your dad or mom didn't tell you they were proud of you, so you cover it up by being cool. Well, I'm just an introvert. I, I really don't have friends. No, you've been hurt somewhere along the way. Someone betrayed you, so you don't know how to open back up, and you try to hide behind a personality. Fig leaves will never do. God won't heal what you hide.
Tonight, the presence of God is reaching for a young lady. It's reaching for a young man and saying, "You've been broken long enough. You've been wearing the wrong label long enough. I've come to heal you today."
[Applause]
Some of us can wear fig leaves even in ministry, where you can hide behind a microphone, you can hide behind a pulpit, behind an instrument. But in reality, somewhere along the way, you've been wounded and broken, and you haven't dealt with it yet. Fig leaves will never do. You can hide behind your church name. You can hide behind career. You can hide behind money. You can hide behind marriage. But that will never, ever fill the God-sized void in your heart. The only thing that's going to help you and I tonight is the presence of God. But God won't heal what we hide. God won't heal what we hide. He won't.
So they sew these fig leaves together, and then all of a sudden the presence of God starts walking in the cool of the day to meet with Adam and Eve because they were created to be in a relationship with God. But this day, sin entered the world. They were wounded, they were broken, and so they hide themselves from the presence of God. God's voice echoes throughout the garden, "Where are you?"
Now God, who's all-knowing, knew exactly where they were, but He wanted Adam to admit where his heart was. So I ask you the same thing. I know you're at HYC. I know you were up front shouting, and that's wonderful. You need to keep doing that. You need to be a worshipper. You need to praise God every chance you get. I, I know that you're sitting on a pew right now. I know you got your friends around you. I know you're going to have fun at an After Burner afterwards. But where are you at? A piece of your heart is still back there where somebody took advantage of you, and you're still broken, and it echoes still today. A piece of you still longing for your mom or your dad to just tell you they love you and notice you. I know you're sitting here physically, but where is your mind at? Where is your heart at? It's broken and shattered from things that's happened in the past, and we can try to cover it up with fig leaves long enough, but God won't heal what we hide.
It gets quiet at an HYC when we start talking about pain that's causing anxiety and depression and mental health issues. It, it gets quiet because we don't really want to deal with it. We want to cover behind our praise. We want to cover behind our smile. We want to cover behind our personality. But in reality, God will never heal what you hide. And you've lived with it long enough, and I've come from St. Louis, Missouri, with a clear word from God to let you know that you were created. You don't have to live broken another moment. You don't have to live with guilt and shame another moment. You don't have to live with hurt and pain another moment. You don't have to live with regret another moment. There is healing, there is peace, there is joy, there is love in the house today. But God won't heal what you hide.
And so there Adam comes out, and Eve comes out from amongst the trees of the garden, hiding from the presence of God. God wants to reach them, but yet they're hiding. And Adam gets asked, "Why are you hiding?" Adam said, "I, I'm ashamed, and I was afraid of You, God, so I hid myself." The God of all creation that made Adam from the dust of the ground in His image. And Adam responds back, "I'm afraid of You, God. Look at my life, surely it's not what You want. Look at how messed up I am, surely You don't love me anymore."
God responded back in Genesis 3:11, "Who told you that?" That was never supposed to be in your story. That was not supposed to be something you experienced. Sin entered the world, and now you are going through that, but that's not God's plan for your life. And God has come to Alaska Yukon HYC to redeem you, to restore you, to love you, to make sure that you know that you were created. Who told you that lie? Who told you that you weren't good enough? Who told you that you weren't pretty enough? Who told you that you were a failure? Who told you that you were dumb? Who told you that you're never going to amount to anything? You were created. You were created in the image of God. You're fearfully and wonderfully made. Ephesians 3:20, you are the work of His craftsmanship. He loves you so much. You were created in the image of God. Who hurts you that you're hiding in plain sight from the presence of God?
And so what was God's solution for Adam and Eve? We see in Genesis 3, verse 21, that as Adam and Eve come out of hiding, God gives them kind of consequences and things that now are going to change because of their actions and decisions, because there are consequences based on our decisions. Unto Adam also, and to his wife, did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothe them, because fig leaves will never do.
And so for the first time in all of creation, there was a sound that echoed throughout the garden. Peaceful paradise turned to a slaughterhouse. Where an animal, we don't know what kind it was, we don't know what it was doing, was pulled out from sleeping, eating, drinking, walking around, and laid down. And then whimpers of sacrifice echoed for the first time. Adam, Eve, and the animals hear the sound as God cleans up this animal and covers Adam. He gets another animal, and we hear the same sound again. It's still just as eerie, it's still just as crazy to hear. And God cleans up that animal, and He covers Eve, because what we can't do in our own strength, only God can do. And that was their answer.
But Jude, there's also an answer for us. Brother Bill, there's also an answer for us. Brother Springer, there's also an answer for us. 2 Corinthians 5:17, "If any man or..."
Woman is in Christ. Behold, there a new creation. All old things are passed away, and all things have become new. For the first time, not in creation, but all of eternity, and for the last time, a sound was heard over 2,000 years ago. Sin had the world falling apart. People were broken in life, and God came in flesh. He manifested in flesh, the one true Living God. His name is Jesus.
He came, and at one point, when he said, "Let that be a tree," they formed it into the shape of a cross, and he carried it up a mountain. After being beat, after a crown of thorns getting pushed on his head, he laid on that piece of wood, and they drove nails into his hands and his feet. They hung him up, and they made fun of him. And he gave up his life to have a relationship with you.
But on the third day, he rose again to have a relationship with you, to make sure that you know that you were created. You're created, you're created, you're created. Because if we can be in Christ, we can be a new creation, just like Adam and Eve. You can be made new today.
So I know you're hiding in plain sight. I read the statistics. Anxiety and depression is at an all-time high. I know divorce rates are at an all-time high. Abuses at an all-time high. I know you're sitting here today, and I might not be able to see it physically, but your heart is wounded and broken. And God wants to heal you. But God won't heal what you hide. It's just a piano player comes for now. God won't heal what you hide.
See, we sat in the middle of a service. I worship with you all. I praise God with you all. I'm even preaching. But God won't heal what you hide. Look to your neighbor and say, "That God won't heal what you hide." Because some of you all can sit through a service, but on the inside, there's wounds. On the inside, you hear echoes of what they said and what they did to you.
Let me be honest with you, young lady. Somewhere along the way, someone abused you. You say, "I'm a failure. I'm not good enough. I'm broken. I'm fat. I'm ugly. I'm too short. My my hair's not long enough. My hair's kinky. My hair's straight. My hair's curly." You are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. Don't believe the lies of the enemy. God wants to heal you today. You are good enough. You are not a failure. You are smart enough. You are going to make it. You were created for his glory. You're going to do great things in his kingdom.
My skin is this. I got too many pimples. I got gap teeth. I'm this. I'm that. Don't listen to the lies of the enemy and take on those labels. Don't take on those labels. Don't listen to what the enemy has told you. Because fig leaves will never do. Today, it's time to be honest with God. "I'm too skinny. I'm dumb. I'm stupid." It's time to take off the labels and be honest in the presence of God. Because you were created.
Brother Blackshear, at the age of 15, showed to a youth camp. Brother Luke LaVine was preaching. I was so angry. I was so broken by what went on. My family divorced at the age of eight. I couldn't understand why I was so mad. As I looked at other people's lives and how happy they seemed. A year before that happened, my friend from down the street, his older brother came over, and I didn't fully understand because I was just a kid. I was seven years old, and life happened, hit me in the face. I lost something that day, and I didn't know how to talk to anybody about it. And so I hid it.
I started to become the class clown because if I can make other people laugh long enough, maybe they won't realize I'm not smiling. Started to get in trouble in school. I started to play sports because maybe if I could just escape for a moment, everything will be okay. But God won't heal what you hide.
Came to an altar. I didn't really understand all that was going on. And those people looked crazy. They still do, and that's okay. We love God. I came to an altar, and Brother Luke LaVine, who played basketball with me early that week, called me by name. He said, "DJ, God spoke to me." I came to about that part of the sanctuary, and I just kind of laid down in between the pews. I gave God all the brokenness, gave all the anger, all the doubt. I said, "God, I don't even know if you're real. I'm so broken." But on that day, I was healed. On that day, the chapter turned, and God started to rewrite my story. On that day, God started putting me on a trajectory, and I realized that I'm created.
Stephen, with the purple suit, that that day is today for some of the people in this room. Ethan, that day is today for people in this room. I know you have bracelets on and you wear long sleeves because you're trying to hide the cuts. But God won't heal what you hide. You can be honest with God. Amen. I know you hide the control by deleting the browser. But God won't heal what you hide. I know you're ambitious and you try to work hard because you're trying to prove your parents wrong about what they said about you. But God won't heal what you hide.
I know your looks and your smile and how you carry yourself may fool some people, but inside you're broken and you're insecure. God won't heal what you hide. Can you close your eyes right now? The rest of the musicians come. God is going to do something so miraculous and life-changing on Friday night. But first, you got to take off the labels. "You're annoying. You're too short. You're too fast. You're unlovable. You're unlikable. You're ugly. Your skin this. Your hair this. You're a failure. You're going to be like your mom. You're going to be like your dad. You're dumb. You're stupid. No one cares about you. You've messed up too much. You don't have the right name. You don't go to the right church. Your youth group is this. Your youth group is that. Your district is this." Shut up the noise from the enemy today and get real with God right now.
With everyone's eyes closed, can you begin to just start to talk to God? Before we make our way to this altar and get honest with God, can you just open up your mouth, even in a whisper, and just begin to talk to God? As tears are already swelling up, and you've been hiding it from everybody, even your parents, even your pastor, can you be honest with God right now? Because you were created. You weren't created to be broken. You weren't created to suffer. You weren't created to be called those names. You weren't created to believe the lies of the enemy. That's the Mandela effect. You were created for his glory. And God wants to tell you that today. But you can't hide from them. Young lady, stop hiding. Young man, stop hiding. I beg of you today. God wants to reach you. God wants to heal you. God wants to go back to that seven-year-old and erase the memories. God wants to go back and let you sleep good at night and smile again and laugh again. God wants you to love what you see in the mirror each and every day. God wants to let you know today that you were created. You were created.
God, right now, in this moment, before the students that are so amazing come forward, I pray that we can prepare our hearts and our minds to be honest with you. That we're not going to hide in another moment. We're going to be healed in Jesus' name. Can you stand all across this place?
Students, we can intercede for the students. We intercede for the students. God, do something. That said, you don't have to wait on me. You can run to this altar right now. You can find a corner of this church and you can get alone with God. Come on. He's already paid the ultimate price. He's already sacrificed so that you can know him. He's already died on the old rugged cross so that you don't have to live with that anxiety and depression. Come on, young lady. You are beautiful. God does have a man for you that's going to take care of you, that's going to love you and spoil you. Come on, young man. You can make it. You're not your dad. You're not your past. You're not your mistakes. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. It's time to take off the labels. Alaska, Yukon. It's time to be honest with God. No more hiding. Come on. Don't worry about your friends right now. Why don't you get alone with God? Come on. You are pretty, young lady. I don't care what they told you. You can feel pure again. I don't care what you've done in the past. You are created for his glory. You're created for his purpose. Come on. You're just lonely. No, you're not. You're created. You're stupid. No, you're not. You're created. You're fat. No, you're not. You're created. You're lame. No, you're not. You're created. You're annoying. No, no, no, no. That's the lie. Don't give into the Mandela effect right now. You were created for his glory. Don't try to hide it with money. Don't hide it with personality. Don't hide it with ministry or sports. God won't heal what you hide. You can be honest with God right now. Come on. Don't be like me physically, how you're doing spiritually, where you can sit through a whole service wearing labels on the inside, with scars on your heart, with bad memories that haunt you to this day. Come on. I know you're here physically, but where are you at spiritually? God wants to rewrite your story today. That's it. Samuel, let's it. Zach, God wants to rewrite your story. Let's in. Abigail, shut down the noise right now. Listen for the voice of God. You were created. You're created. You're fearfully and wonderfully made. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you. That's why I trust in God, my savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God, my savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. That's it. You're not worthless. You're created. I trust in God, my savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God, my savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God, my savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God, my savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. That's why I trust him. That's why I trust him. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. That's why I trust him. That's why I trust him. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. That's why I trust him. That's why I trust in God, my savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God, my savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. That's why I trust him. That's why I trust him. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. That's why I trust him. That's why I trust him. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. That's why I trust him. That's why I trust in God, my savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God, my savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord, and he heard and he answered.