Just Reach, There Is More by Cornelius Williams May 10, 2026 Kind: sermon Scripture: Ephesians 3:20, Matthew 16:25, 1 Kings 17:10 Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/cornelius-williams--just-reach-there-is-more Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page. Free to copy and share with attribution. ------------------------------------------------------------ Ephesians 3 and 20. Nobody likes a long-winded preacher, so I'm getting to the point. Now unto him that is able. Anybody still believe that God is able? Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above. That's a three-dimensional superlative set of adjectives to exclaim that I don't know what you came expecting God to do this morning, but God can do more than even you expect. Anybody believe that in the room? I don't know what you need from God, but whatever it is, God can exceed the necessity. And God can do more than you think he can do. I just come to tell you we're in that house this morning that God is in the house and he can do more. He can do more. He can do exceedingly abundantly above. Somebody shout more. More than we may may ask or think according to the power that worketh in us. And seemingly unrelated, the Bible declares in Matthew 16 and 25 that for whosoever will save his life shall lose it. And whosoever will lose his life for my name's sake shall find it. The third and final passage of scripture is what I believe is one of the most beautiful propagations of faith in the word of God. This is the text of Thomas that we know as the doubter doubting Thomas. But can I tell you that whatever you're struggling with in life, Jesus knows exactly where we are. Anybody Anybody believe that this morning? No matter where you are and what you're going through, I want to tell you right now in the Holy Ghost that God has a word for you in the house this morning. And knowing Thomas's location, Jesus walked right through the wall to where he was. He met him in his doubt. And he gave him some instructions. He said, "Thomas, he said, 'Reach.'" Somebody shout, "Reach." Shout, "Reach." He said, "Reach hither thy finger and behold my hand. And reach." Somebody shout, "Reach." "And reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side." Why was Jesus asking Thomas to reach? Because sometimes when there is things that we need from God, it's hard to understand and it's hard to remember that that same God that was in Ephesians can still do exceedingly abundantly above all. Anybody need something in the house from God? Come on, anybody in the house need something from God? And he said, "Thomas, I want you to reach." Somebody shout, "Reach." And he said, "Be not faithless, but I feel the Holy Ghost right now. I want to tell a mom in the house, whatever you're going through, don't don't be dismayed and don't be faithless. God has everything in control. Be not faithless, but believing. Can we just reach right now unto God and lift our hands in the sanctuary and lift our hearts? Come on, I I that God can meet somebody in your madness right now. God can touch somebody in your turmoil. Come on, I feel the Holy Ghost right now. Come on, if you need strength from God to make it through to tomorrow, I want you to pray and reach out to God from your heart. Come on, that's it. Come on, come on, anybody know how to pray and reach God in the Holy Ghost? Come on, I want you to lift up your voice. God, we're reaching our hearts to heaven, God, in our needs and in our darkness and our time where we need you the most. God, we're reaching up my hands. God, I'm lifting up my heart. God, I'm delivering up my soul that you will reach down and touch a people in this house this morning. Come on, if you feel the Holy Ghost, I want you to clap your hands and lift up your voice. Come on, somebody's going to be going to leave the house with strength this morning. Come on, somebody's going to leave this house with more faith than you ever had in your life this morning. Somebody's going to leave here. Come on, clap your hands with faith. Come on, put your hands together with faith. Come on, lift up your heart and your voice with faith. Amen. Amen, it's 12:26 and I'm going to obey God this morning. I I want to help somebody in the sanctuary to get beyond the place where you are and to leave this house better than we came. And for the next few moments, I want to preach from this thought, this is how this is how you get what you need this morning. Just reach. There is more. Boy, anybody feel the Holy Ghost right now? Just reach. Just reach. Come on, when you feel like you can't go one more day, just reach. Come on, when you feel like you can't make it and you're going to lose your mind. I just want to tell somebody just reach cuz God has more than you think he can ever give you. Come on, clap your hands one more time and lift up your voice as you being seated in the house. Come on, I feel the Holy Ghost in the sanctuary. Come on, somebody shout just reach. Just reach. Amen. God bless you the fear of the Lord. You may be seated this morning in Jesus name. Just reach. There is more. For the next few moments, I want to preach transparently. I don't want to take much time, but I want I want to pull somebody out of the shadows of emotion. I want to pull somebody out of the depths of of depression and the weariness of life. Because there are there are facts about being human which I believe everyone here is. There's some facts about being human. There are some characteristics about the nature of humanity. There are some things about human beings. Our ability to be intelligent. Our ability to to have wisdom and knowledge and learn and grow and we we have the ability from the earliest ages of life from from being an an infant to a toddler to adolescence, teenagers, adulthood. Throughout the matriculation of life, we we go through life and we learn to learn. We learn to learn. We pick up things along the way. You don't You don't have to teach a three-year-old how to lie. They learn to lie that is part of humanity. Right. You ask them, "Did you take that cookie?" and they look you dead in the face and said, "Mm-mm." You don't have to teach that. It is innate within our ability to learn how to protect ourselves, to defend ourselves. And there are some things about the humanity side of learning that I I wish there were some things we did not learn. One of those things is our ability to learn human emotion. From the earliest ages and stages of life, we learn how to be emotional. We learn how a certain event and a a presented state of life calls us for a certain emotional response. For example, when things are good and something excited happens, we learn that you're supposed to smile when good things are happening. Let me see those pearly white saints where you just smile big. You're supposed to smile when you're feeling good, when things are going great. That is the emotional response that is necessary in that moment. We learn to laugh when we find things funny. Some people laugh when things are not We We learn that on the opposite side of the spectrum that when we're sad, that also calls us for an emotional response. When we're sad, we learn We learn to let our lips quiver. And we lie We learn to let tear ducts well in our eyes, and we we learn to throw temper tantrums. Let all the folks shout amen. But in learning human emotion, the reason why I wish we would not learn emotion is because sometimes we wear hear me sometimes we wear emotional mask longer than we should wear the mask. Because we learn that emotional response that is drawn out and held for a long period of time will garner a certain attention. Yeah, I'm going to be I'm going to be transparent this morning. This is why some people learn to be mad longer than they're really mad. And all the folks nod your head because you know what I'm talking about. The fight is over. The situation is long gone, but you're still mad we're holding on to an angered emotion because we want to be mad. We want people to ask us what's wrong. We want someone to say are you okay because it gets an attention and it it it gathers an emotion. Everybody shout shout amen. And so we wear masks longer than we should wear masks and that is dangerous. That is dangerous because there are some emotions that we should not carry longer than we should carry them. And I want to tell you this morning that sometimes sometimes because we're wearing the mask we start believing the emotional mask that we're wearing even though the situation does not cause for that. I'm taking my time to preach to you right now cuz I'm going to preach somebody right out of your depression in the name of Jesus this morning. I'm going to preach somebody right out of your defeat in the name of Jesus this morning. I'm going TO PREACH SOMEBODY RIGHT OUT OF YOUR SADNESS BECAUSE THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE AND I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN HEY, I COME TO TELL YOU IF YOU CAME SAD, YOU BETTER LEAVE HAPPY BECAUSE CUZ IS GOD'S HOUSE AND THERE IS NO REASON TO FEAR. THERE IS NO REASON TO BE AFRAID. THERE IS NO REASON TO WORRY. THERE HEY, I COME TO TELL YOU THAT WHEN YOU COME TO THE HOUSE OF GOD AND YOU WEAR AN EMOTIONAL MASK, YOU JUST GOT TO KNOW THIS AIN'T EMOTION. THIS IS THE POWER OF GOD. THIS AIN'T EMOTIONALISM. THIS IS THE PRESENCE OF GOD. THIS AIN'T SENSATIONALISM. I FEEL SOMETHING WHEN I LIFT UP MY HANDS. I FEEL SOMETHING WHEN I LIFT UP MY VOICE. I FEEL BETTER WHEN I GET TO THE HOUSE. ANYBODY feel better yet? If you don't feel better, we're going to get there because I'm going to keep on preaching. And sometimes we wear the emotional mask of depression, and we WEAR THE EMOTIONAL MASK OF WEARINESS, AND WE wear the emotional mask of frustration and anger and bitterness. All these emotions, but can I TELL YOU THAT GOD GOD GOD IS IN THE HOUSE THIS MORNING, AND HE HAS MORE THAN THE MASK THAT YOU'VE BEEN WEARING. HE HAS MORE THAN THE HURT THAT YOU'VE BEEN CARRYING. WE SERVE A GOD THAT WHEN YOU'RE HURTING, HE HAS A HEALING FOR THAT. WE SERVE A GOD THAT WHEN YOU'RE BROKEN, HE HAS I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD HELP THE PREACHER IN THE HOUSE. WE SERVE A GOD THAT WHEN YOU'RE WEARY, HE'LL LIFT YOU UP BY THE SHOULDERS AND SAY, "NO, I'M NOT LETTING YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE LIKE THAT. YOU CAME HERE WEARY, BUT YOU CAN LEAVE HERE WORSHIPPING. YOU CAME HERE BROKEN, BUT YOU CAN LEAVE HERE BETTER. YOU CAME HERE BRUISED, BUT YOU CAN LEAVE HERE BEAUTIFUL." MY GOD, I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD GIVE GOD PRAISE. I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT, BUT GOD HAS MORE FOR YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF I BELIEVE THAT, BUT HE CAN. IT'S A MORE THAN YOU BELIEVE. MY KIND OF WISH SOMEBODY WOULD GIVE GOD PRAISE. HE'S ABLE TO DO EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE WHICH IS MORE. SOMEBODY SHOUT MORE. GOD CAN do more than you think he can do. God God God can take your financial situation and he can pour OUT A BLESSING OUT OF NOWHERE. GOD CAN TAKE A MESSED UP MARRIAGE AND ZIP IT UP IN THE MIDDLE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE AGAIN WITH YOUR HUSBAND BECAUSE THE GRACE OF GOD WILL GET A HOLD OF YOUR HEART AND YOU SAY YOU KNOW WHAT? I'VE BEEN WEARING THIS MASK OF DEPRESSION WAY TOO LONG. I'VE BEEN WEARING THIS THIS MASK OF DEFEAT WAY TOO LONG. I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU IF YOU LOST YOUR SHOUT, YOU CAN FIND IT THIS MORNING. IF YOU LOST YOUR JOY, YOU CAN GET IT BACK THIS MORNING. BUT I I WANT to help you this morning because it's easier said than done. You said preacher, I I understand that God can help me in my situations right now and I know that God can help my family AND I KNOW GOD IS EXACTLY what I need in my life right now BUT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN I NEEDED PEOPLE the most, they left ME AND YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN I NEEDED HELP THE MOST, THERE WAS NOBODY THERE WITH ME AND WHEN I NEEDED AN ANSWER, THERE WAS NO VOICE THAT WAS SPEAKING TO ME BUT CAN I TELL YOU THAT JUST LIKE THOMAS HAD A GOD THAT WALKED THROUGH THE WALL FOR HIM, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU GOD WILL SIT RIGHT NEXT TO YOU ON YOUR PEW AND LET YOU KNOW THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT. HE'LL SIT RIGHT NEXT TO YOU IN YOUR LIVING ROOM AND LAY NEXT TO YOU IN THE BED AT THE MIDNIGHT HOUR WHEN NOBODY'S AROUND AND LET YOU KNOW EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT. OH, I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD LET SOME JOY JUST SEEP DOWN IN YOUR SPIRIT AND SAY IT'S ROUGH, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY. IT'S HARD, BUT GOD IS IN CONTROL. IT'S TOUGH, BUT GOD KNOWS. AND SO I WANT to help somebody this morning. Is that all right? If I just help you a little while. Because there are times that we need God to answer, but we have more doubt. Somebody shout doubt. We have more doubt than we have faith. Let the whole church shout amen. We have more doubt than we have faith. We have more reservations than we have belief. We have We have more trouble than we have good days. And and God understands that, but there IS AN EQUATION. THERE IS AN EQUATION ON HOW YOU GET GOD'S ATTENTION. THERE IS A SPIRITUAL FORMULA ON HOW YOU GET GOD TO MOVE AND YOU LET HIM KNOW THAT YOU BELIEVE EVERY WORD THAT he says. He said, "THOMAS, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TROUBLE BELIEVING ME. AND FAITH COMES BY HEARING." HE SAID, "BUT THOMAS, THERE'S ANOTHER FORMULA ON HOW YOU CAN OBTAIN FAITH." HE SAID, "THOMAS, WHEN YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE BELIEVING THAT I STILL LOVE YOU. WHEN YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE BELIEVING THAT I'M GOD AND I CAME TO DIE JUST FOR YOU. WHEN YOU HAVE TROUBLE BELIEVING THAT I AM WHO I SAID I AM." HE SAID, "THOMAS, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS REACH AND YOU'LL FIND OUT THAT I'M GOD AND I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING. MY GOD, I FEEL THE HOLY GHOST. HE SAID, "THOMAS, I WANT YOU TO REACH YOUR FINGER AND FEEL THOSE SCARS IN MY HANDS. HEY THOMAS, I DID THAT FOR YOU. I WANT YOU TO REACH FOR YOUR HAND AND FEEL MY SIDE. HEY CHURCH, I DID THAT FOR YOU. AH, I FEEL THE HOLY GHOST. YOU SAID nobody ever did anything nice to me. Oh, think again. Jesus died for you. Nobody's ever been nice to me. No sir, no ma'am. There was a man that that There was a There was A MAN THAT WALKED THE EARTH AND HE SUBJECTED himself to the cross and he did it just for you. I'll tell you why he did it because he knew that there was going to be days THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH, BUT HE SAID I HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH. THERE WAS GOING TO BE DAYS THAT PENNIES WERE GOING TO BE PINCHED, BUT HE SAID IN MY STOREHOUSE, I WILL POUR YOU OUT A BLESSING BECAUSE I'M THE GOD OF MORE. I'M THE GOD OF MORE PEACE. I'M THE GOD OF MORE GRACE. I'M THE GOD OF MORE LOVE. SOMEBODY SHOUT MORE. He said, "Thomas, I want you to reach." Somebody shout reach. He said, "I want you to reach because when you reach by faith, you shall obtain faith." He said, "Be not Be not Be not Be not doubtful." He said, "Be not faithless." He said, "But believing." This Sunday morning, I believe that people are going to be touched in this house, but I I want to paint a picture for you on how how it looks when we're having hard time believing that God can do what he said he's going to do. Now, by a show of hands, I just want to see I just want to see Is there anybody in the house that you've been praying for God to heal your body? Anybody in the house? Come on, let me see your hands. Oh, yeah. Is there anybody in the house you've been praying for your family, praying they would be saved? I want to see your hands. Is there anybody in the house you've been praying for a financial breakthrough because you need more money, you need a raise, you need a promotion? Let me see your hands. I would venture to say that there are people right now in this house that you've been battling more things than you care to battle with. You've been going through more stuff. I know this is a Mother's Day message, but I'm going to help mothers right now. You've been going THROUGH SOME STUFF TRYING TO TRYING TO RAISE THOSE KIDS BY YOURSELF AND YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH HELP. BUT CAN I TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU HAVE? WHEN YOU HAVE GOD, YOU HAVE MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU GOT WHEN YOU GOT GOD. YOU MORE I'VE COME TO TELL YOU YOU'RE NOT AS BROKE AS YOU THINK YOU ARE. YOU'RE NOT AS WEARY AS YOU THINK YOU ARE. YOU'RE NOT AS EMPTY AS YOU THINK YOU ARE. YOU'RE NOT AS HELPLESS AS YOU THINK YOU ARE BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE GOD, YOU'VE GOT EVERYTHING YOU NEED. I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD CLAP YOUR HANDS AND TELL YOU YOU BELIEVE THAT. I KNOW YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE LESS AND YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH AND YOU'RE ON YOUR LAST LEG AND YOU HAVE NO HOPE. BUT I'VE TELL I'VE COME TO TELL YOU I HAVE GOD AND THAT'S ALL I NEED. OH, GIVE GOD SOME PRAISE. I FEEL THE HOLY GHOST. I'VE COME TO TELL YOU YOU AIN'T LOST NOTHING IF YOU DIDN'T LOSE GOD. YOU HAVEN'T LOST ONE THING IF GOD IS STILL WITH YOU. SOMEBODY SHOUT MORE. I want to paint a picture and help you understand what it looks like. Because I believe that if we can just drum up a little bit somebody shout a little. If we can just drum up a little bit of faith in the house, I believe somebody can leave here with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. I believe somebody can leave here with a breakthrough in the sanctuary. But can And tell you it's one thing for the preacher to believe it, but I just want to know is there ANYBODY ELSE THAT BELIEVES THAT? I just WANT TO KNOW ANYBODY STILL BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN HEAL YOU AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ONE MORE DOCTOR'S VISIT. THAT GOD CAN HELP YOU AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ONE MORE TRIP TO THE PSYCHIATRIST. THAT GOD CAN DELIVER YOU AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE CORNER DEALING DRUGS. THAT GOD CAN I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD RUN WITH VICTORY, WOULD SHOUT WITH PRAISE, AND KNOW THAT GOD CAN DO MORE, MORE, MORE, MORE, MORE. MY GOD. I COME TO TELL YOU WHEN YOU GIVE GOD MORE, HE'LL GIVE YOU MORE. WHEN YOU SAID, "GOD, I FEEL LIKE I'M AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL. I'M AT THE LOWEST OF THE LOWS." BUT WHEN YOU REACH OUT TO GOD AND YOU GIVE HIM WHAT YOU GOT, HE WILL GIVE YOU MORE. I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD GIVE GOD MORE PRAISE. I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD GIVE GOD MORE WORSHIP. I'M TIRED, BUT YOU GOT MORE IN YOU THAN YOU THINK YOU GOT. I'M HURTING, BUT YOU BUT BEYOND YOUR HURT, YOU'RE STILL HERE. I DON'T FEEL LIKE LIVING, BUT GUESS WHAT? GOD WOKE YOU UP. PRAISE HIM ANYWAY. MY GOD, I FEEL THE Holy Ghost right now. My God, I feel God speaking. Somebody shout, "More." But if you're going to get more, there are some things you got to be willing to let go of. Because it's hard to get more with a closed fist. I'll tell you why I'm we've dancing, why we running, why we shouting is because my spirit is wide open. I said God, I'm going to give you a praise that you are worthy of. And in my giving, I BELIEVE THAT GOD IN RETURN WILL open up the portals OF HEAVEN. AND WHILE I'M PRAISING, HE'S GOING TO BE BLESSING. AND WHILE I'M WORSHIPPING, HE'S GOING TO BE WORKING. AND WHILE I'M GIVING, HE'S GOING TO BE GIVING. NOT A LITTLE, BUT MORE. I THINK I'M THINKING I'M ABOUT at 65%, but I'm going for 100 this morning. Reminds me of the story, a biblical text that some of us are familiar with. The Bible declares in 1 Kings 17:10 that this was a time of famine, a time in the land of Israel when they were going through a great drought. It had not rained on the earth, there was no water within the region. This was a hard time. Somebody shout hard time. But can I tell you that even in your hardest of times, when you get in this house, God can change the times. And so the Bible declares that the prophet of God, Elijah, he was he was waiting by the brook of Cherith that had dried up as he was being fed by ravens. And God commanded him, he said, "Go to the city of Zarephath and there I will provide a widow to sustain you." And so the prophet of God obeys God and he he makes his way toward the city OF ZAREPHATH. BUT WHEN HE GOT TO THE GATES OF THE CITY, AN interesting image began to unfold. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WHILE HE WAS IN THE GATES OF THE CITY as he came to the gates of the city that when he made it to the gates that there was a widow woman there. There was a widow woman there, a woman, a mother that had lost her husband. A widow woman there and THE BIBLE SAYS THAT SHE WAS IN THE GATES of the city. And I can see her reaching. Somebody shout reach. I can see her REACHING DOWN AND GATHERING. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT SHE WAS GATHERING. She was gathering sticks. AND AS SHE'S REACHING AND GATHERING, REACHING AND GATHERING, THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT ELIJAH CALLED OUT TO HER. He called out to the widow woman AND HE SAID, "FETCH ME, I PRAY THEE, A LITTLE." SOMEBODY SAY A LITTLE. "A LITTLE WATER IN A VESSEL THAT I MAY DRINK." And so I I can imagine in my mind she's in a drought. We're in a drought. Remember, we're in a drought. He's asking for something that's hard. But she turns on a heel AND AS SHE GOES TO FETCH the water, the Bible SAYS THAT HE CALLED OUT TO her again. I can hear him hear him saying, "Ma'am, WHILE YOU WHILE YOU'RE GETTING ME SOME WATER, HE SAID, "BRING ME, I PRAY THEE, a little morsel of bread in thy hand." Now, if it has not rained, this is hard times, remember. It has not rained, THERE'S DROUGHT, THERE'S BARELY ANY FOOD, barely any water. ANYBODY KNOWS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE to struggle? Oh, I I want to say that again cuz some folks ain't being honest in the house of God. Anybody knows what it feels like to struggle? She's struggling. She's trying to be the best mama she can be. And she's gathering up sticks. And she turns to THE MAN OF GOD AND I CAN SEE HER WITH A WORRIED LOOK ON HER FACE AND SAID SHE TELLS HIM IN SO MANY WORDS THAT I DON'T HAVE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME FOR. SHE SAID, "I HAVE NOT A CAKE." She said, "All I have" Somebody say, "All I have." She said, "I don't have A CAKE." SHE SAID, "DON'T YOU KNOW WE'RE IN A DROUGHT? I DON'T HAVE a cake for you." She said, "All all I have all I have is a handful of meal in a barrel. One handful. AND A LITTLE OIL in a cruise." And she said, "In fact, I WAS PLANNING ON MAKING ONE LAST CAKE." I WANT TO PREACH TO SOMEBODY IN THE Holy Ghost right now that you are not on your last leg. I want to tell SOMEBODY THE DEVIL'S IN YOUR EAR TELLING YOU THAT THIS IS IT. YOU MIGHT AS WELL QUIT. GOD DOESN'T LOVE YOU. NOBODY ELSE CARES. BUT I JUST COME TO TELL YOU THE DEVIL IS A LIAR. IF YOU MADE IT TO THE HOUSE, YOU GOT ONE MORE DAY IN YOU. IF YOU MADE IT TO CHURCH, YOU GOT ONE MORE FIGHT IN YOU. IF YOU MADE IT TO THE HOUSE OF GOD, YOU GOT ONE MORE MY GOD, I FEEL THE HOLY GHOST. SHE SAID WE WERE GOING TO EAT THE CAKE. I was going to dress it. I was going TO BUILD A FIRE WITH THESE STICKS. AND ME AND MY BOY HEAR ME. THIS is a mama talking. SHE SAID, "ME AND MY BOY WE'RE GOING TO EAT OUR LAST MEAL AND WE'RE GOING TO DIE. WE'RE GOING TO JUST SIT DOWN AND WAIT FOR DEATH'S door to be opened." BUT THE MAN OF GOD GOD SENT A PREACHER TO THAT MAMA AND SAID, "MA'AM, I WANT YOU TO HEAR ME CAREFULLY." HE SAID, "FEAR NOT." I COME TO TELL SOMEBODY FEAR NOT, FRET NOT, BE NOT FAITHLESS, BUT BELIEVE HIM BECAUSE GOD HAS A MIRACLE FOR A MAMA. GOD HAS A MIRACLE FOR A DADDY. GOD HAS A MIRACLE FOR SOMEBODY. IF YOU CAN JUST BELIEVE IT. BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE MORE PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. He said, "Fear not." He said, "Hear me." HE SAID, "I KNOW THIS MIGHT BE HARD TO DIGEST." HE SAID, "BUT IF YOU GO AND MAKE A CAKE FOR ME FIRST." If you make a cake for me first. He said, "The word of the Lord spoke to me to tell you that that that that meal in that barrel shall not waste and that oil in that cruse shall not RUN OUT." BUT WAIT A MINUTE, PREACHER. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Are you really telling me I just told you that we don't have enough for me and my son and you're saying feed me first? Are you crazy? Ain't nothing like a preacher. 32 year old and a little ignorant and wild that tells you that God can heal you of cancer. Preacher, are you serious? Well, I'm going to keep on preaching. That God can deliver you from an alcohol addiction that you've had for 30 years. Preacher, are you serious? I'm so serious. I'm dead serious. BECAUSE THE GOD THAT I KNOW CAN DO MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU HEY, I COME TO TELL YOU I DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR A LITTLE. I SHOWED UP FOR A LOT. I DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR A LITTLE BREAKTHROUGH. I CAME FOR CHAINS TO BE BROKEN. I CAME FOR SHACKLES TO BE SHOOK. HEY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAME WITH A LITTLE BIT OF PRAISE, BUT IF YOU GIVE GOD A LITTLE BIT MORE, HE'LL OPEN UP HEAVEN'S PURSE AND POUR OUT MORE THAN YOU THINK. I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD TAKE ABOUT 15 SECONDS AND PRAISE GOD LIKE YOU WANT MORE. PRAISE HIM ACCORDING TO HIS GREATNESS. PRAISE HIM ACCORDING TO HIS LOVING KINDNESS. PRAISE HIM ACCORDING TO HIS POWER, FOR HE CAN DO EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE PREACHER, THAT sounds good. But it don't sound good enough yet. And so I can see this mama this mama Hear me right now in the Holy Ghost. I'm almost there. I'm done almost done preaching. I can see this mama she's got a choice to make. Because she told her preacher, "Listen, preacher, I know that I know that that God can help." She said, "But I'm gathering these two sticks for me and my boy cuz ain't no hope left for us." I want somebody to hear me right now. God's talking to somebody in the house. There ain't no hope left for us. I've prayed and I've prayed and I've trusted God and I've trusted God, but I've I've I've got to the point that I'm just going to cast in my coins. I'm going to throw in the towel and I'm going to sit with my sticks. I'm going to sit right here and we're going to eat this last cake and we're going to die. But can I tell you that if you give GOD YOUR STICKS, GOD WILL GIVE YOU BREAD. IF YOU GIVE GOD YOUR BROKENNESS, GOD WILL GIVE YOU BETTER THAN YOU EVER HAD. IF YOU GIVE GOD YOUR TEARS, HE WILL GIVE YOU TRIUMPHANTS. HE'LL GIVE YOU GREATNESS. HE'LL MY GOD, I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD HEAR ME HERE. IF YOU JUST OPEN UP YOUR HANDS AND START REACHING FOR GOD AND SAY GOD TAKE THESE STICKS AND GIVE ME BREAD FOR MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE BUT ALL I NEED IS A WORD FROM THE PREACHER. ALL I NEED IS A WORD FROM GOD. ALL I NEED IS A WORD FROM HEAVEN. BREAD MATTER FROM MY GOD I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD HEAR GOD TALKING TO YOU. YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO HOLD IT TOGETHER. YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE. YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY INTACT BUT GOD SAID IF YOU JUST GIVE THEM TO ME, IF YOU JUST GIVE EVERYTHING TO ME, I'LL GIVE YOU MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU HEY, I'M GOING TO TELL SOMEBODY YOU'RE GOING TO GET THAT RAISE WHEN YOU STOP TRYING TO DO MORE WORK AND WORK MORE OVERTIME. WHEN YOU SAY GOD I'M JUST GIVING IT TO YOU. I'M JUST PUTTING IT IN YOUR HAND. MY CHILDREN I GIVE THEM TO GOD. MY FAMILY I GIVE THEM TO GOD. MY HURT MY HURT I GIVE IT TO GOD. MY BROKENNESS YOU AIN'T PREACHING WITH ME YET. MY BROKENNESS I'M GOING TO GIVE MY STICKS TO GOD. MY WORRIES IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE blessed you got to get rid of your sticks. You got to open up your hands and say God I'm tired of care. Do you want sticks or do you want bread? Cuz I don't know about you but I don't like being depressed. I thought I would have more people on my side maybe some of y'all like going to a counselor but I don't like being sad. And if in God's presence there is fullness of joy you better believe I'm showing up every church service. I'mma say it again. I SAID IN HIS PRESENCE THERE IS FULLNESS OF JOY. IF YOU AIN'T SMILE ALL WEEK, GOD CAN GET A HOLD OF YOUR FACE AND LIFT THE SMILE UPON YOU SAID PREACHER, well how? How is God going to help me? I'll tell you how. When you start reaching. He said Thomas, you when you reach hither thy hand, all of a sudden faith starts getting stirred up. But I feel the Holy Ghost about to break out in this house. What does it look like? It's okay if I can let's go down here brother Nate. Let's go let's go talk to the people. I'll tell you what it looks like. It looks like a woman that just heard from the preacher some stuff that is hard to believe, but she said, "Nevertheless, if you say that God can do it, I believe he can do it." I don't know how God's going TO DO IT, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO BELIEVE he's just going to WALK THROUGH THE WALLS AND APPEAR IN MY HOUSE AND WORK A MIRACLE OUT OF NOWHERE. I JUST BELIEVE THAT GOD'S GOING TO SHOW UP AND HEALING VIRTUE IS GOING TO FLOW THROUGH MY BODY. I'M JUST GOING TO BELIEVE THAT GOD'S GOING TO SHOW UP AND MY BABIES ARE GOING TO MAKE IT BACK HOME. IT'S NOT EASY, but things start changing when you start reaching. You hear me RIGHT NOW? LISTEN, I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU A EASY AND SIMPLE ANSWER. YOU WILL NOT GET A BREAKTHROUGH IF YOU DON'T PRAY. Maybe that was way too simple. If you sit THERE AND EXPECT GOD TO JUST DROP A LOAF OF money out of heaven on your head, ain't going to happen. But when I START REACHING FOR GOD, HE SAID, "WHEN YOU draw nigh to me, I start getting closer to you." When you start reaching for me, MY GOD, WHEN YOU START REACHING FOR ME, I START REACHING FOR YOU. AND IT'S A PROCESS. I'M ALMOST THERE. It's a process. This is what it looks like cuz the first day the first day the first day was not the faith day. Now, some of you you you you're past that point. You've been You've been You've been You man, you've been strong. You've been TRYING TO HOLD ON, BUT now things are getting hard. The first day was not the hard the hard the hard day. Because she did have a handful left. I can see her reaching. We're going to make this cake. We're going to pray on it. We're going to bless it. And I hope this man ain't crazy. I know some of y'all call preachers crazy. We ain't crazy. I'm going to bless this cake and I'm just going to believe that God's going to do something. That was not the hard day. The hard day was after her and Elijah and her boy had a few crumbs and they're picking up crumb after crumb because this mama's scared. What if What if there's nothing left for tomorrow? This This This God that I'm believing, WHAT IF WHAT IF HE DOESN'T SHOW UP? WHAT IF HE CAN'T HEAL MY DIABETES? WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF GOD CAN'T DO WHAT HE SAID HE'S GOING TO DO? WHAT IF WHAT IF What if But what if there was more than your questions. What if God had more answers than you had questions? Somebody right now you're SAYING WITH PREACHER GOD DOESN'T love me. God doesn't CARE ABOUT ME. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF STUFF I DID IN MY LIFE. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DID IN YOUR LIFE. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD MY GOD I FEEL THE HOLY GHOST. HE SAID WHERE SIN DOES ABOUND GRACE DOES MUCH MORE. Y'ALL AIN'T PREACHING WITH THE PREACHER. HE SAID IF YOU HAD A LOT OF SIN IN YOUR LIFE I GOT MORE GRACE THAN YOU GOT MISTAKES. I GOT MORE MERCY THAN YOU GOT MISTAKES. I GOT MORE GRACE THAN YOU GOT GARBAGE. BUT IF YOU CAN JUST BRING IT TO ME. IF YOU CAN JUST CRY TO ME. IF YOU CAN JUST I'M DONE. COME to the music so they'll know I'm done. That was not the HARD DAY. THE HARD DAY WAS THE NEXT DAY. Because she goes back and I can see this mama I'm just going to put my I don't I'm not I'm not trying to stretch the text. I'm not trying to add or take it to the word but I'm just going to be the widow old woman for a for a minute. If I'm her I am scared to death to go to that barrel the next day. And if I'm scared to death TO GO TO THAT BARREL BUT THE CHARLES I'M NOT GOING TO THE BARREL WITH JOY IN MY SPIRIT. I can see that I can see that mama waking up that morning while everybody was still asleep and inching her way and praying oh God please let there be something in that barrel. God please show up at church today. God, please work a miracle in my family. I've been holding on. I've been trying to be faithful. I've done everything that the preacher asked me to do. Please let there be something in the barrel. Anybody hear the preacher talk to you? And if I'm this woman, I DON'T EVEN WANT TO LOOK IN THE BARREL. I CAN SEE HER BISHOP. I can see her with her eyes closed and inching closer and closer. I can see her reaching out her hand. Somebody shout, "Reach." I can see her reaching out her hand to feel the edge of that barrel. God, please let there be something in here. And I can see her reaching over in that meal of barrel that barrel of meal. And she gets another handful. Wow. But maybe that wasn't even a hard day. Because there's some skeptics in the house. You don't believe in miracles. That stuff, that's crazy Bible stuff. We don't believe in miracles. Maybe by probability and chance there was a few bread crumbs left in there that just sifted through her fingers the day before. So, all of the skeptics in the house, let's go to the third day. Cuz now ain't nothing left in there. Not even A A FEW FRAGMENTED CRUMBS of potential. But can I tell you that when you have nothing left is when God shows up the best? I don't think you HEAR ME. I SAID, "WHEN IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, IS WHEN GOD DOES HIS BEST WORK." I KNOW YOU FEEL EMPTY, GOOD. I KNOW YOU FEEL BROKEN, GREAT. I KNOW YOU'RE HURTING, AWESOME GOD CAN CHANGE ALL OF THAT. MY GOD, I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD GIVE GOD PRAISE IN THE HOUSE. I WISH somebody would would let some faith get A HOLD OF YOU. DON'T GIVE UP YET. BUT THAT THAT third day was a hard day. Cuz for sure it's hopeless now. Some people here right now you feel hopeless, you are not hopeless. You feel like you don't have a life worth living, guess what? You're alive right now. God sees more. Somebody shout more. He sees more in you than you can see in yourself. But you don't know how much he has for you until you start reaching for him. That third day comes. I maybe I'm not sure, but she's probably got a little tear because she's thinking about her boy. I told him everything was going to be all right and I don't even I don't even know if I believe that myself. And I can see her with her eyes closed and praying, God, please let there be something in this barrel. And I can see her reaching one more time. Cuz ain't nothing in here, for sure there's nothing in here. She reaches her hand over in that meal of barrel. And all of a sudden her fingertips hit the meal. And there's another handful. I said there's another handful. I said there's another handful. Now some of y'all not CATCHING WHAT GOD'S TRYING TO DROP IN YOUR SPIRIT, but I guarantee you day four was a different day, brother Sergeant. I don't know if you hear me right now. I said day four was a different day. Because she went to that barrel, there was nothing there, but she reached her hand, she reached her hand over that edge of that barrel, and God showed up when nobody thought that he would. I wish somebody was standing in this house. I feel the Holy Ghost. I said God will show up right now, and he will love you when everybody else has left you. I SAID GOD WILL SHOW UP RIGHT NOW, AND HE'LL REACH DOWN HIS LOVING ARMS, AND GRAB A HOLD OF YOUR HEART WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE HAS FORSAKEN YOU. Somebody ought to get a charge of faith in your spirit. Cuz that fourth day is a different day. Because I I I I believe God, and I prayed for a miracle, and God showed up yesterday, AND GUESS WHAT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HE'S THE SAME YESTERDAY AND TODAY AND FOREVERMORE, AND I KNOW I KNOW I GOT FAITH NOW. WHEN YOU START REACHING FOR GOD, YOUR FAITH GETS STRONGER. WHEN YOU START BELIEVING GOD, YOUR FAITH GETS STRONGER. THERE'S HOPE IN THE HOUSE. SHE REACHED over that barrel, she let go of her sticks. And I can see the fifth day and the sixth day, the Bible says that that meal did not waste the entire famine. She just kept on reaching. I said she just kept on reaching. I wish somebody would reach and grab a hold of the word of God right now. She just kept on reaching. She ain't quit. She reached another day and God showed up. She reached another day and God showed up. Hey, I wish somebody WOULD REACH UP YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW. I wish somebody would reach up your hands. Huh? Come on, you think that you're at THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL and you think that you don't have a life worth TO LIVE. YOU'VE LOST HOPE. YOU'VE LOST JOY. YOU'VE LOST STRENGTH. YOU'VE LOST MONEY. You've lost friends. YOU'VE LOST FAMILY. BUT YOU STILL GOT GOD. COME ON, I SAID. COME ON, I said. I wish somebody would close your eyes and just reach up your heart and reach up your hands and reach out to God. COME ON, MAMA, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT. COME ON, DADDY, AND YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT. WILL YOU REACH FOR GOD? I'm losing faith. But when you reach, Thomas, YOUR FAITH WILL BE MADE WHOLE. OH, YES. Come on, I feel it. COME ON, I FEEL SOMETHING. COME ON, SOME of you wondering how I'm going to get out of the bottom of the barrel. How I'm going to get out OF THE PIT. I'LL TELL YOU HOW. REACH FOR GOD. YES. YES. YES. I SAID REACH. COME ON, REACH. REACH. REACH. REACH. Come on, all across the house, I want you to lift your hands. Come on, somebody reach. Come on, reach from the depths of your spirit. Come on, reach way down. You got more strength in you than you think you have. YOU GOT MORE HOPE IN YOU THAN YOU think you lost. I said reach. Come on, somebody's reaching right now. Come on, I said mama, you're going to make it. Come on, reach for God. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, I want those tears. Come on, you let them flow out of your eyes. Come on, I'm tired of wearing a mask. I'm tired of being weighed down. I'M TIRED OF BEING WEARY. I'M TIRED OF BEING DEPRESSED. COME ON, YOU GET RID OF THAT MASK. GOD HAS MORE FOR YOU. YOU GET RID OF THAT WORRY. GOD HAS MORE FOR YOU. COME ON, I SAID REACH UP. Reach up. Reach for God with all your heart. REACH FOR GOD WITH ALL YOUR SOUL. REACH FOR GOD WITH ALL YOUR MIND. COME ON, SOMEBODY. COME ON, SOMEBODY'S REACHING. Come on, somebody let go of those sticks. Come on, come on, you can't you can't make it without God. You can't make it without his power. We can't make it without his love. Come on, I want you to reach over and hold somebody's hands up and say we got to reach FOR GOD TOGETHER. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT TO GOD TOGETHER. I GOT TO reach to get out of the depths of despair. I got TO REACH TO GET OUT OF THE BOGS OF LIFE, OUT OF THE FIRE AND CLAY, out of the muck of misery. Come on, right now I want y'all to lift up your voice as loud as you can raise it. Come on, lift up your voice as loud as you can lift it. Come on, I want you to reach for God right now on this SUNDAY MORNING. COME ON, IF YOU NEED SOME HELP FROM GOD, IF YOU NEED SOME STRENGTH FROM GOD, I WANT YOU TO REACH FOR IT. Come on, lift up your voice as loud as you CAN LIFT IT. WOO! YEAH.