“The Lies We Live” by Caleb Cole

Many of the battles we face start with the lies we believe about ourselves. In this message, we look at Gideon’s story and uncover how fear, pain, insecurity, and past wounds can shape identity in unhealthy ways. This sermon reminds us that God does not call us according to our weakness, but according to the purpose, courage, and calling He has placed within us. As we reject false labels and place our identity in Christ, we can live in freedom, healing, and bold faith.

• (00:00) - Name the Chain begins
• (01:01) - Why identity must come first
• (03:11) - Gideon, fear, and life in hiding
• (07:50) - Lie 1 I have to stay small to stay safe
• (14:14) - Lie 2 God has abandoned me
• (19:30) - Lie 3 My past disqualifies me
• (23:02) - Lie 4 I am not enough
• (24:40) - Truth 1 You are worthy of God’s presence
• (26:29) - God speaks to your potential
• (31:06) - You are commissioned, not accidental
• (35:14) - Gideon’s victory with 300 men
• (39:28) - Surrender your identity to Jesus

Creators and Guests

Host

Caleb Cole

Caleb, a Sacramento native, grew up in a pastor’s home and is a third generation minister. At the age of 12, after one of his grandfather’s sermons, he felt a call from God to be a pastor. He consistently pursued that call throughout high school and college. Caleb attended Central Bible College in Springfield, MO where he earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies and went on to the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary where he earned an M.A. in Theological Studies.

What is Project Church?

A life-giving Jesus community for a new generation of people in Sacramento.

Join us every Sunday
Old Sacramento: 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM & 11:45 AM @ 1200 2nd Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
South Sacramento: 10:00 AM (English) & 11:30 AM (Spanish) @ 6528 44th Street, Sacramento, CA 95823
Online: https://www.youtube.com/projectchurchsac

00;00;00;00 - 00;00;12;23
Caleb Cole
you have your Bibles, go to the Book of Judges. We're going to go to judges chapter six. This is in the Old Testament. And I want to kick off this all new series called Name the Change. Maybe you've been hearing about this series.

00;00;12;24 - 00;00;32;15
Caleb Cole
I was getting ready to launch it. We had an amazing Easter last weekend, but I want to talk to you today specifically about what we're facing in our culture. And what I'm seeing is that there are a lot of people and lives where we are not living in complete freedom, and as followers of Christ, we need to be free.

00;00;32;19 - 00;01;01;15
Caleb Cole
Jesus said, whom the sun sets free is free indeed. And yet we have Christians who are bound up. We have people that come here regularly whose mind and emotions are unhealed. And so what we want to do in this series is we want to address and go to and look at unaddressed pain, trauma, betrayal. We're going to help you break the chains of some of this wrong thinking and some of these things that have us in bondage.

00;01;01;15 - 00;01;33;11
Caleb Cole
And so today, I want to talk to you specifically about identity. If we don't get identity right, we're not going to get anything else right. And so we have to kick off this series. I want to talk to you about your identity and how we often lose identity. I think there are probably some of us in this room who have lost identity at some point, maybe at a young age, you lost identity, and here you are, all these years later, still wrestling and struggling with what to place your identity in.

00;01;33;14 - 00;01;51;10
Caleb Cole
And so we can frame this by looking first at Genesis chapter three. There's this moment where Adam and Eve sin, right? They they are told that you can eat of any tree in the garden, but not this tree. And then Satan comes in, Lucifer, the snake shows up and goes, hey, did God really say that? Can you really not eat of any tree?

00;01;51;14 - 00;02;08;25
Caleb Cole
Like, why don't you try this one tree? The only tree you're not supposed to eat? You have all the choices in all the garden. But Eve gives in. She eats, then Adam eats and they are made aware of their nakedness. And here's what it says in chapter three, verse number 11, I believe. Can you throw that up for me?

00;02;08;28 - 00;02;30;17
Caleb Cole
It says, he said, God, who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? So here's what I want to frame for us today. I want you to ask that question of yourself. Who told you that you weren't good enough? Who told you that God could have used you?

00;02;30;19 - 00;02;50;24
Caleb Cole
Who told you that you couldn't be a great father? Who told you you couldn't have a healthy marriage? Who told you you couldn't build that business? What I see is too many of us have allowed the voices of others, the voices of people in our life, the voices of those who actually were against us, to frame how we even see ourselves.

00;02;50;24 - 00;03;11;09
Caleb Cole
Too many of us need to be asked the question today. Who told you that? Who told you that about yourself? I want to read Judges chapter six. We're going to look at the story of Gideon, and let me frame the background of this story, because in order for us to understand this story, some of you have maybe heard this story, but we need to understand the context of this story.

00;03;11;09 - 00;03;36;27
Caleb Cole
Context is very important. It's why we open the Bible. We also talk about what's happening, when we read what we're reading. So this is around 1100 to 1200 BC. So a thousand years before Christ Israel has actually come out of bondage in Egypt. Right? There were slaves in Egypt. Moses leads them out. The plagues happened. They walked through the Red sea, and God brings them through a wandering period.

00;03;37;01 - 00;04;06;02
Caleb Cole
And then finally they enter into the Promised Land. So now they've been in the Promised Land for two generations, and they are under attack. Once again, even though they're in the Promised Land, they're not living free. So we can relate to them in a lot of ways. We've made it. We know Jesus, but we're not free. We're we're walking to the fullness of of the fact that God has saved us, but we're still holding on to some of the lies of what people have spoken over us.

00;04;06;04 - 00;04;30;05
Caleb Cole
And this is what Israel is experiencing there in the land of Cain, in the Promised Land. But the Midianites are still attacking them. And so the people of Israel are living terrified. They're living fearful. What would happen is every harvest season the Midianites would attack, steal their livestock, steal their harvests, steal their crops, and leave them decimated and starving.

00;04;30;07 - 00;05;01;00
Caleb Cole
And so the people of Israel in a bad spot there. Actually, it says, hiding in caves. They're hiding in the mountains. Even when they are harvesting, they're trying to do it in secret because they don't want Midian to steal what they have. And this has become their identity. Not only that, but it says in judges chapter 21, verse 25, that all of them are doing what is right in their own eyes, meaning they know God, but they're not obeying God.

00;05;01;03 - 00;05;26;22
Caleb Cole
So they're in this rough season as a people where they're constantly under attack, they're constantly, subjected to the Midianites. They're starving. They're they're fearful, they're hiding while also not living close to God or in step with God's commands. And that's where we come to this story of judges chapter six. Go with me. I'm going to read, starting in verse number 11.

00;05;26;24 - 00;05;49;08
Caleb Cole
Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the turbines at Oprah. Now Oprah, which belonged to Joash the Abyssal Right, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, the Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.

00;05;49;10 - 00;06;19;09
Caleb Cole
And Gideon said to him, please, my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian. And the Lord turned to him and said, go in this might of yours, and save Israel from the hand of Midian.

00;06;19;11 - 00;06;43;07
Caleb Cole
Do not I send you? And he said to him, please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest of men, and I'm the least in my father's house. And the Lord said to him, but I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man. This is a contrasting perspective right here.

00;06;43;10 - 00;07;10;15
Caleb Cole
We've got how Gideon sees himself and how God sees Gideon. And as those who struggle with freedom or struggle with identity in this place, and many of us do, and I have at many times, and still do at times, we need this story to remind us that we call ourself one thing, but God often sees another. And I just need you to receive this.

00;07;10;15 - 00;07;32;29
Caleb Cole
Have an open heart in this room because I think there's too many of you. You have partnered with the lies that others have spoken over you. You've partnered with the lies of the weakest parts of yourself. And God is saying, I see another thing when I look at you, because how many of you know the loudest voice isn't always the truest voice?

00;07;33;01 - 00;07;50;16
Caleb Cole
And unfortunately, there are some loud voices in our heads and from our past that have determined the identity in which we live with. But they are not the truest voices. So here's what I want to do that I want to contrast. We're going to look at how Gideon saw himself. Then we're going to look at how God saw him.

00;07;50;19 - 00;08;26;29
Caleb Cole
Let's start by Gideon getting saw himself. These are the lies that we believe, the lies that we partner with. First, he saw himself as someone who needed to work in hiding. What is the lie? Here's the lie. Church. I have to stay small, to stay safe. And I think there are many people in this room who have kept themselves small, out of fear of what could happen if you step into something greater, out of fear of what could happen to you if you put yourself out there.

00;08;27;01 - 00;09;09;17
Caleb Cole
Here is Gideon. It says he's threshing wheat in a winepress, hiding it from the Midianites out of fear. Fear is a dangerous thing when we are in the environment of it. You see, so often fear shapes our environment, and when that happens, it also will shape our identity. And I think there are some of us in this room that we have allowed fear to shape our identity, because fear has been the environment in which we found ourselves in Israel is in a state of fear, constant fear of Midian, constant fear of them attacking, constant fear of their harvest being stolen.

00;09;09;20 - 00;09;37;04
Caleb Cole
Fear had become the identity of Israel and so Gideon takes on this same identity. So even when God speaks to him, he can't hear it. Even when God calls him, he can't receive it. The lie is, I gotta stay small, so I stay safe. And I can relate to this because when I first started out in ministry, I'm coming out of Bible college and I started out as a youth pastor.

00;09;37;04 - 00;09;58;25
Caleb Cole
I'm 23 years of age. I married my wife around 26 and opportunity started to come my way. People would ask me to speak at something. They'd ask me to lead something that asked me to to to step into something. And I would regularly say no. And my wife would be like, why do you keep saying no to all these opportunities?

00;09;58;25 - 00;10;30;20
Caleb Cole
And I tell her, because I, I'm trying to stay humble. You see, I use spiritual language, and it seemed like it was rooted in a right place, but it was actually a lie. It was spiritual pride that was causing me to use humility, when in reality it was insecurity. I was framing it as humility. But what was deep in me was insecurity, because what was happening inside of me was, if I put myself out there and I fail, then I am a failure.

00;10;30;23 - 00;10;59;15
Caleb Cole
The fear of failure, it dictated the decisions that I was making. So I continue to say no to opportunity. After opportunity. My wife said, why do you keep saying no? And I'm like, oh, I'm just trying to stay humble, but I don't want to elevate myself. Here was the problem. God was bringing me those opportunities. And so it was actually disobedience and insecurity that was causing me to say no to that which God was asking me to step into.

00;10;59;18 - 00;11;17;11
Caleb Cole
And so after a few years and, at my wife's prodding and the Holy Spirit's work one day, I felt like God spoke to me. It was like, I keep bringing you things. Stop saying no.

00;11;17;14 - 00;11;41;06
Caleb Cole
Say yes. And so then I made a decision. I'm gonna say yes to everything. Every opportunity that seems like it's God. I'm saying yes. Every. Every moment that God and God opens, I'm gonna say yes. And here's what's crazy. When I start saying yes, I started seeing greater favor. I started seeing greater opportunity. Now does that mean I always am confident?

00;11;41;08 - 00;12;05;23
Caleb Cole
No. When I did the first time, the Sacramento Kings Chapel a few weeks ago, you think I didn't battle insecurity for a moment? Of course, there's fear that enters in. But I stepped into that chapel finally in boldness and confidence because I know this isn't about me. This is about God. If God's opening the doors and asking me to say yes, then it isn't about whether they like me or not.

00;12;05;23 - 00;12;30;03
Caleb Cole
I'm here for a mission in on a purpose. I'm gonna say yes because God told me to say yes. I'm not here for man's approval. I'm here to be the voice of God. And yet so many of us battle insecurity. And what's really going on is we are simply trying to keep ourselves safe so we stay small. And I'm just here to tell you I don't believe God.

00;12;30;07 - 00;12;54;17
Caleb Cole
God wants you to stay small. I don't believe his will is that you would not step into greater opportunities, greater moments, greater jobs, that you wouldn't get, raises that you wouldn't move up the ladder, that you wouldn't have more opportunities. Because every space and place that God elevates you is more opportunity for you to be his hands and feet, for you to be his voice, for you to be a light in the darkness.

00;12;54;20 - 00;13;17;25
Caleb Cole
And yet we have Christians holding ourselves back, and we try to frame it as humility. It is false humility rooted in insecurity. And I tell people all the time now, after all these years of pastoring and ministry, I've dealt with a lot of my insecurity. I've gotten over most of it. I tell them all the time, my greatest strength now, my superpower as a leader.

00;13;17;27 - 00;13;44;17
Caleb Cole
It's not my teaching. It's not my preaching. It's not my leadership abilities, not my administration. It's not anything else other than my security. Security is a superpower that will elevate you in greater ways than anything else ever could. Because when I'm secure, I actually elevate those around me to I don't push them down. I'm good with other people flourishing and thriving and them being successful.

00;13;44;22 - 00;14;08;11
Caleb Cole
Why? Because I see that as I'm a part of that, I'm partnering in that. What insecurity does is it will hold you back, it'll keep you small, but it'll also cause you to try to keep others small. What is it? Well, it's rooted in fear. If they get big, then that makes me small. But what I found is when I help others get big, I get big too.

00;14;08;14 - 00;14;13;29
Caleb Cole
I help others get opportunities. More opportunities come to me to.

00;14;14;02 - 00;14;36;05
Caleb Cole
Too many of us have partner with the law that I have to stay small, to stay safe. And I just want to tell you, you must break that lie off of yourself. Second thing we see from Gideon how he saw himself, is he was doubting God. Here's the lie that he partnered with God has already abandoned me. Look at verse 13.

00;14;36;07 - 00;14;58;04
Caleb Cole
Gideon said to him, please, my Lord, if the Lord is with us, then why has all this happened to us? You already abandoned me. God, you've put me through all this. You've already left me. You know what pain does? Pain will distort our perspective.

00;14;58;06 - 00;15;18;00
Caleb Cole
Is the pain real? Yeah. Is the pain there? Absolutely. But the pain will distort our perspective and it will cause us to forget about all the other things God has done. Because right after he says, If God is with us, then why are we going through this? He goes, did not our fathers tell us about how God brought them up out of Egypt?

00;15;18;07 - 00;15;37;23
Caleb Cole
So at the same time that he's doubting God and actually saying and partnering with the lie that God has abandoned him, he's acknowledging how God had already brought them through years before. You see, sometimes we got to testify and remember the good things God's done in the past so we can have faith for what God can do in the future.

00;15;37;26 - 00;15;55;22
Caleb Cole
How are you? God has done some things for you in your past. Can you testify right now with the raised hand and say, God has blessed me. He's touched me. He's moved in my life. When we, were early on in church, you know, Project church, we started, there was just six of us, three, three couples. That's how we start our project church.

00;15;55;24 - 00;16;15;13
Caleb Cole
We start our meeting inviting people. Next thing you know, we had 50 people. We opened in January, of what, 13 years ago? So. So 2013. And, we had a couple hundred people and we watched our church grow through the years. And we were meeting at the Kress Theater for seven years. Who was at the crest? Come on.

00;16;15;13 - 00;16;35;19
Caleb Cole
Where my OG's at? Okay, a good chunk of you. What up, what up? OG's? Okay, we had some people at the crest, so we met at the Crest Theater for seven years. Well, the last three years I was looking for a permanent home for our church and we went building. After building, we put up offers on, leases we try to offer to to secure leases.

00;16;35;19 - 00;16;52;20
Caleb Cole
That building after building, I tried to we tried to buy multiple buildings and every time it was met with met with a closed door, there'd be a building on the market. We put an offer on over asking price and they'd come back. We're like, actually, we're not going to sell it. I'm like, it's on the market. You posted it?

00;16;52;23 - 00;17;11;19
Caleb Cole
Yeah, we're not going to sell it now. I'm like, what? What world are we living in? We'd offer a lease. Oh, we don't want to lease it to a church. Wait, what? What? Let's negotiate the cost. Nope. We just don't want a church here. It was closed door after closed door, but I knew I felt that God had told us he was gonna give us a permanent home.

00;17;11;19 - 00;17;30;28
Caleb Cole
He want us to be a light right here in downtown and and wants to have impact. And so. So finally, I told our our broker, I said, stop bringing me buildings. I'm done looking. Three years, nothing but closed doors. I was mad at God, was frustrated, I was bitter. And so a few months went by and then he called me.

00;17;30;28 - 00;17;47;01
Caleb Cole
One day he said, Caleb, I have a building. I was like, I don't want to see. I was like, no. I thought I literally was like, no, I'm not going to see. He's like, it's an old shack. I'm like, heck no. It's like, what are we gonna be buy candy? Heaven. Are you crazy? I go into Old Sack, the Railroad museum.

00;17;47;01 - 00;18;04;29
Caleb Cole
Like, what are you talking about? And he's like, we just come here. He harassed me for, like, a week, and I was like, all right, bro, fine, I'll go see it. But I'm not happy about it. So I came here and we walked through the building, me and Christy. And at the end of it I said, God, this is everything we need.

00;18;05;01 - 00;18;31;13
Caleb Cole
And I was like, there's no sign here. And he said, yeah, it's not even on the market. But I know someone that knows the owners next door. They want to sell it. Are you guys open to buying it? We bought it last Easter. We had 1100 people between our two campuses. Amazing. Last week we had 1400 people. Just an old sack.

00;18;31;16 - 00;18;55;02
Caleb Cole
Between our two campuses, we had over 1700 people. Last week we saw dozens, over 100 give their life to Jesus. We're seeing people get connected. Our new believers course, our groups are growing. We're thriving. Right? God was faithful when we started the church. And yet I had a couple of years of closed doors and I forgot all about it.

00;18;55;04 - 00;19;11;04
Caleb Cole
And I just need to remind you a little bit of our story to tell you. Yeah, maybe it hasn't been in your timing. Maybe you're waiting on God like Gideon. God, how could you before us? I mean, you did do something for our forefathers, but what about us now? If God was faithful back, then, he'll be faithful now.

00;19;11;04 - 00;19;30;28
Caleb Cole
He'll be faithful in the future. It might not look how you thought it would look. You might end up by Candy Heaven and the Railroad Museum. And you thought there was no way. But God makes a way in ways we don't always see. We gotta stop doubting God. Break off the lie that God has abandoned us. Can I tell you, church?

00;19;30;28 - 00;20;01;25
Caleb Cole
He's with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Yeah. The third thing we see from Gideon's life is that he was from the wrong family. Where was the lie? He said where I came from, this qualifies me. Verse 15. Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest and I am the least in my father's house.

00;20;01;28 - 00;20;23;06
Caleb Cole
You see so many of us in this room, we've allowed our history to become our identity. But I want to tell you right now, identity is given. It's not achieved, and the Lord has given you a new identity as his sons and daughters. He says you've been grafted into the vine. I have chosen you for a time such as this.

00;20;23;06 - 00;21;00;24
Caleb Cole
I have appointed you and anointed you. I have given you something new. Don't let your history become your identity. Break off the lie. It doesn't matter where you came from. It is a matter of your family, your dysfunction, your past, your sin, your mistakes. God says, I have a plan and a purpose for your life. And to many of us we have partner with that lie that what I've done, where I came from, my mistakes, the mess of my life, the dysfunction I come out of, even the things that have been spoken over me that disqualifies me.

00;21;00;26 - 00;21;21;28
Caleb Cole
You know, it's funny, my, my family, we have a practice. We try to eat dinner together at least 2 to 3 nights a week. And it gets harder as the kids get older. You know, a lot of activities and events, but we still make it a priority. So at least three nights a week, we're sitting down in our house and, Chrissy cooks, praise God, not me, but, she she cooks and we sit down.

00;21;21;28 - 00;21;40;17
Caleb Cole
No devices are allowed at the table, and we have to sit and talk. And the kids very quickly. Can I be excused? I'm like, nope, you're gonna stay here and you're gonna like it. And you're going to talk to us. So, parents, you need to practices. It's good for your kids, good for you, good for their hearts, good for their minds.

00;21;40;20 - 00;21;56;00
Caleb Cole
And so the other day we were at dinner and we're sitting there. And so we had made them talk to us for a while. And they'd been talking. And then out of nowhere, my son, he just turned 13. Pray for me. I have two teenagers now. I need God's grace on my life. But, my son just turned 13.

00;21;56;00 - 00;22;10;04
Caleb Cole
He looks at me and he goes, dad, is it ever weird for you that you're the only person who's not Asian in this house? That's him. And then all four of them just looked at me.

00;22;10;06 - 00;22;36;05
Caleb Cole
Said, what is this? And, maybe it's because we're eating salmon bowls with, like, you know, seaweed wraps and, look, look, I'm fully Filipino now, right? Punta chicken adobo, lumpia. Like I get down on all of it. Okay. And and so I looked at him. I was like, bro, are you serious? You're halfway. Shut up.

00;22;36;08 - 00;23;02;27
Caleb Cole
But isn't it funny how we can even disqualify ourselves or people based on their appearance, based on something external? And yet Scripture tells us we learned in the New Testament that there is neither in the family of God, in the people of God. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female. In Christ we are one under the blood of Jesus.

00;23;02;27 - 00;23;36;29
Caleb Cole
We all have the same call, purpose and hand of God on our life. So stop disqualifying yourself because God has qualified you. And then Gideon sees and speaks over himself that he's the weakest of everyone. He says, I'm from the weakest clan and I'm the lowest in my father's house. Can I tell you the lie that some of us have partnered with the lie we've partnered with is that I'm not enough?

00;23;37;01 - 00;24;00;15
Caleb Cole
Not enough? Caleb. I'll never be enough. I said earlier about insecurity. You see, insecurity will always exaggerate your limitations. It will make you think that you are not capable of more. Even though God says with me, all things are possible. Here's God saying, Gideon, I have chosen you, oh mighty man of valor, to lead my people against the Midianites.

00;24;00;15 - 00;24;19;18
Caleb Cole
And all Gideon can focus on is the family he came from, and that he's the weakest in the weakest clan. I'm not enough. You can't be right. God, you can't have picked me. It's got to be someone else. Choose that guy or. Or that girl or that person. Hear me? Church, break off the lie that you're not enough.

00;24;19;21 - 00;24;40;05
Caleb Cole
We must partner with what God says. So how does God see Gideon? Let's shift gears here. You see, these are the truths that will set you free. How many? You want to be free in this place? I want to be free here today. Number one, you are worthy of an encounter, an encounter with the real God and encounter with the presence of God.

00;24;40;11 - 00;24;58;25
Caleb Cole
I thought this was so interesting because I've read this so many times, but God showed me there's something unique this week. He showed me in verse 11 and 12 that actually an angel appears to Gideon and says to him, the Lord is with you, a mighty man of valor.

00;24;58;28 - 00;25;23;27
Caleb Cole
You are worthy of an encounter with the power of God. And I think there are some people in this place that need to hear this truth. God sees you even when you're hiding. This is the truth. Gideon is hiding. Threshing wheat in a winepress. Or hiding from the Midianites. The lowest, insecure, the worst clan, the lowest in his father's house.

00;25;23;29 - 00;25;45;13
Caleb Cole
Woe is me. Life is terrible. And God says, I see you. You're hiding, and I'm calling you to something greater. Heaven knows your address, church. Some of you have made yourself small. You've been hiding. Heaven knows where you are and you are worthy of an encounter with his presence. Some of you are here today thinking you're not worthy of even being in his house.

00;25;45;20 - 00;26;01;19
Caleb Cole
And he's speaking to. And the reason he's been stirring your heart, and he's stirred you in worship and he's stirring you with the word is because he's telling you you're worthy of my presence. I've claimed you as my own. Yes, you're worthy.

00;26;01;22 - 00;26;29;00
Caleb Cole
We see Gideon hears from God, and God speaks through an angel and calls him a mighty man of valor. What is God speaking to? Is God speaking to his present? Is Gideon a mighty man of valor in this moment? No. He doesn't believe in self. He's insecure. He's hiding. He. He thinks he's the worst from his father's household, and he's from the weakest clan.

00;26;29;02 - 00;26;49;16
Caleb Cole
And every time God speaks to him, he's like, it can't be me. It's got to be someone else. And yet he's a mighty man of our. What's the truth? God calls out what's in you before you ever live it. He's speaking to your potential church. He can show you what you can be. And so I need to speak to the men in this place for a moment.

00;26;49;20 - 00;27;06;23
Caleb Cole
Can I just call out the man? You didn't have a good father figure, but you can be a mighty father in your household. You didn't have a model of a good marriage, but you can set an example for your children of what a healthy marriage is. You didn't have a great spiritual leader in your house. You can be the spiritual leader that God has called you to be.

00;27;06;27 - 00;27;28;26
Caleb Cole
We need mighty men of valor to be spoken over in this place. But Kayla, that's not what I am. That's okay. That's what you can be. I'm speaking to your potential. God is speaking to your potential. He's calling you to something greater. He's calling you to something higher. My voice to me, a phrase recently. And they taught me this, right?

00;27;28;26 - 00;27;57;26
Caleb Cole
It's called crashing out. You guys heard of this? Like when you crash out and this is like, when you lose it, flip out, right? Like, lose your stuff. Whatever you want to say. And I was thinking about it because as a pastor, like, I've crashed out a few times. No, I really have. Let me tell you, when we had our opening week of Project Church 13 years ago, I was in this huddle with our leaders and we were making all these decisions for our opening Sunday.

00;27;57;26 - 00;28;20;19
Caleb Cole
We were three days from the opening Sunday, and they all were asking me questions. Taylor, what should we do here? What should we do there? Taylor what about this and what? And and in the middle of this huddle, I had a panic attack. The only time in my life I couldn't breathe. My brain couldn't process everything that they were asking me.

00;28;20;21 - 00;28;35;12
Caleb Cole
And, I don't know, I was like, I started panicking. I was like, guys, can you leave me alone till you leave me alone? I just walked away and they're like, what the heck? Because that's that's not me. Like, your boy crashed out.

00;28;35;14 - 00;28;47;23
Caleb Cole
And I went, I got a moment and I asked for the Lord's help. And then they all came over and they prayed over me. And I've never had a panic attack since. 13 years since.

00;28;47;25 - 00;29;02;12
Caleb Cole
When I was a youth pastor, I was 25 years old. I had a 20 year old intern. He was in my office one day. And this kid, like, he just asked a lot of questions. He was always pushing, always driving. And so he's in my office and I'm working on something on my computer and he's behind me. He's like, what about this?

00;29;02;16 - 00;29;24;11
Caleb Cole
What do we do here? What should we do here? And he just keeps asking me, ask me if I turn around. I said, bro, will you shut up and get out of my office? He just got up and just walked out. I know I feel bad for him, you know? And so I took a minute. Then I walked over to him.

00;29;24;14 - 00;29;27;29
Caleb Cole
He was in a closet.

00;29;28;02 - 00;29;47;09
Caleb Cole
He was cleaning out our our youth closet. I made him feel that bad. He's like, I'm just going to go clean that. And I went to him. I say, bro, I'm so sorry. I said, you did not deserve to be spoken to that way. I was totally out of line and I completely apologize. Like, Will you forgive me?

00;29;47;12 - 00;30;04;13
Caleb Cole
And he said, I forgive you. We hugged and we kept it moving. And honestly, that was probably 18 years ago. I don't think I've crashed out on a staff member since. Praise God. They can maybe tell you different, but you know.

00;30;04;15 - 00;30;32;18
Caleb Cole
Why did I tell you that? Because my past does not determine my future. My failure does not limit the potential of what God has for me. The mistakes you've made. I've made plenty of mistakes in church and life, in ministry and in parenting, in fatherhood, in, in in being a husband. But it's never too late to set my life on a new trajectory.

00;30;32;20 - 00;30;51;29
Caleb Cole
God is speaking over your potential, who you can be. There are mighty men and women of valor in this place. We must rise up and lead this church into the new season that God has called us to. We also see God speaks over, get in here. It says that he is sent by God. Verse 14, what does God say when Gideon's like?

00;30;51;29 - 00;31;06;27
Caleb Cole
It can't be me, not me. It's got to be somebody else. He says, do not I send you? What's the truth? The truth is this you are not an accident. You have been commissioned.

00;31;07;00 - 00;31;10;18
Unknown
If God calls you, it doesn't matter what.

00;31;10;18 - 00;31;31;09
Caleb Cole
Anyone else says. If God puts his hand on you and gives you a commission from him, it is a matter what's been spoken over you. It is a matter what lies have been planted in your heart and head. I'm here to tell you that God has said to you, I send you, I've anointed you. I've appointed you, I've called you.

00;31;31;11 - 00;31;54;06
Caleb Cole
You're not an accident. You've been commissioned. Now what is the commission a co mission meaning? I am on mission with God. So watch this. This is my last point. And if the kids are come back. Sam said he's ready. He was ready. Atta boy. I love when he's on the front row. The last service. Because I'm like, let's go, Sam, that's my dog.

00;31;54;06 - 00;32;02;15
Caleb Cole
Give it up for Sam. Come on in my jeep.

00;32;02;17 - 00;32;36;19
Caleb Cole
You see, one man with God on his side can accomplish great things. God says, I will be with you tonight. I call you, and I will be with you when I say you are commissioned. Every one of us is commissioned. Well, what's my mission, Caleb? Well, your mission is clear that every part of your life would be worship.

00;32;36;21 - 00;33;04;01
Caleb Cole
My job is worship. My parenting is worship. My my spouse and my marriage is worship. The conversations I have with my friends worship when I show up to church, worship when I drive home, how I worship. So I've been commissioned with God because I don't have to do this life in my own strength. Here's the reason a lot of us are insecure, because we've been trying to do it all alone.

00;33;04;03 - 00;33;05;16
Caleb Cole
I'm a build the business.

00;33;05;19 - 00;33;07;01
Speaker 2
My strength.

00;33;07;03 - 00;33;34;11
Caleb Cole
I'm a be a good husband in my power. I'm going to be a great father according to my ability. I'ma finish school with my mind. And we're doing so much in this life alone. And the Bible is clear. God is speaking it over you just like he spoke it over. Gideon, am I not with you? I will be by your side.

00;33;34;14 - 00;34;02;15
Caleb Cole
And then he has a greater and another mission that we would be his hands and feet. There would be light in the darkness that we would love and lead others to Christ, that we would share the gospel, that we would make disciples. You see, all in this life is meant to be done alongside of God. Here's the truth God and Jew is always in us.

00;34;02;17 - 00;34;26;22
Caleb Cole
And I think there's too many in here. Like I'm not enough, not enough. I'll never be enough. You're not. You can't be. You won't be. But it's not just you. You think Caleb could have led this church 13 years, then we could accomplish what we accomplish now. If two campuses built this building, like everything we've done. You think I could have done this in my strength?

00;34;26;25 - 00;34;56;17
Caleb Cole
No way. I have had a lot more panic attacks church than out of crashed out way more times. But why did not? Why am I still going? And why am I still being faithful? Because I haven't had to do this alone. Because it's God cost me. God in me, up arm in arm. Uncle mission with God full of His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, go with me everywhere I go.

00;34;56;19 - 00;35;10;05
Caleb Cole
And so I go with a different heart and a different perspective and different eyes and different love. And I go with a different kind of strength, a different kind of power, because I'm not doing it in my strength.

00;35;10;08 - 00;35;14;05
Caleb Cole
I think about this story.

00;35;14;07 - 00;35;39;14
Caleb Cole
I didn't I didn't tell the end. Can I tell you that in some, you know, the end. So God calls Gideon. It's like, all right, now you're going to raise an army. So he puts together an army of men. Is 32,000 men solid army, right. Puts together an army, 32,000 men. Well, the god's like. I think you're going to take too much credit with 32,000 going against Gideon.

00;35;39;16 - 00;36;00;24
Caleb Cole
We gotta thin this out a little bit. So ask all the men. Tell them if any of you are afraid you can go home. So Gideon gets in front of the whole army goes. If any of you are afraid you don't want to go to battle with us, you can go home. 22,000 leave, leaving 10,000 Gideon's like. All right, we could go 10,000.

00;36;00;29 - 00;36;23;05
Caleb Cole
Okay, I can work with ten. Okay, guys. Like, nah, we're gonna thin this out a little more. I don't want you to get all the credit. Next thing you know, he whittles it down. They go to a river. He says, have them drink. The men who drink like a dog lapping it up. Send them home. The man who scooped the water with their hands.

00;36;23;13 - 00;36;26;03
Caleb Cole
They get to stay.

00;36;26;05 - 00;36;32;23
Caleb Cole
This is a side tip you some decorum, church. You know what I'm saying? Like use some manners at the dinner table.

00;36;32;26 - 00;36;50;28
Caleb Cole
That's not in the Bible, but I just. I like to say thank you and please, you know, give good tips when you're out at dinner as a represented representative. Christ. Okay. Anyway, that's all that. What's left? 300 men.

00;36;51;01 - 00;37;11;24
Caleb Cole
So 32,000, down to 300. God says, here's what you're going to do. You're going to light fires on sticks. You're going to stick them in pots. You're going to go surround the whole army of Midian while they're sleeping. They're sleeping in a valley. There's mountains, hills all around them. So the 300 men, they spread out all around Midian, the Midian army, just 300.

00;37;11;27 - 00;37;29;08
Caleb Cole
There's, I think around 50,000 Midianites. I got. Look, soldiers. And he says, when I tell you you're going to break the pots and you're going to hold up the fire, and you're all going to yell, all 300 of you say, do it.

00;37;29;11 - 00;38;00;18
Caleb Cole
The Midianites, they wake up, they see these fires, and all the men yelling. They panic. They start killing one another. And that night God gives Israel victory over Midian. They are set free and set on a new trajectory. 300 men. I think about two years later and, they're telling the story to their grandkids. They're like, Papa, tell us a story about Gideon conquering the Midianites.

00;38;00;21 - 00;38;22;27
Caleb Cole
So Papa tells them a story, and then they broke the jars and held up the fire, and the Midianites killed each other. And we had a victory that night. God set us free. Papa, were you there now? When? When Gideon asked if he was afraid, I went home. I went with the 22,000. Oh. What? You didn't stay, Papa?

00;38;22;27 - 00;38;58;05
Caleb Cole
Oh, I was chicken. I was scared. I don't want that to be my story. I think about today all the things that God has planted in your hearts to do, the calls he's placed on your life. And how often we allow fear, a lack of identity, a lack of faith in what God can do with our life, to hold us back from the fullness of the great things he has for your life marriages, your children, your future.

00;38;58;07 - 00;39;28;16
Caleb Cole
So today I want to call to you the true identity that God has given you men and women of valor, courage, boldness, commission to live this life for Christ with him, arm in arm with you. See, the other thing I see though here today, there's some of you that you lack identity because you've placed your identity in all the things of this world.

00;39;28;18 - 00;39;49;27
Caleb Cole
The Bible is clear that nothing will fill the void in your heart. No amount of money, no amount of success, no amount of relationships, no amount of sex. It'll never fulfill the void. And you're the only one that can fulfill you. Is Christ. And today, I think there's some of us in this room. You disqualified yourself because of your sin.

00;39;49;29 - 00;40;04;07
Caleb Cole
Maybe you've tried to fill the void with all the other things. But today, you need to surrender your heart to Jesus for the first time. You need to rededicate your life a new and fresh in this place. Would you bow your heads with me? Close your eyes across this room. I want to give you a moment alone. If that's you, you say, Caleb, that's me.

00;40;04;07 - 00;40;21;05
Caleb Cole
Up and running from God. Turn my back on God. Maybe I allow the failure of my past to disqualify me from walking hand in hand, arm in arm with Jesus Christ. And today I'm ready to surrender. I'm ready to to receive forgiveness for my sense. I'm ready to walk in relationship with Jesus once again. If that's you, would you just lift your hand right now?

00;40;21;05 - 00;40;45;00
Caleb Cole
Say, ask me. I gotta get my license. She's. I gotta rededicate my life. Yeah. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Thank you. Seven. See those hands? You can turn them down. Would you pray this with me right now? Everyone in here say Jesus today I surrender wholeheartedly all that I am to you. Forgive me and change me from the inside out.

00;40;45;02 - 00;41;14;25
Caleb Cole
I'm placing my identity in you, Jesus. I'm a son or daughter. I'm saved and set free through the blood that was paid on that cross by you. But you didn't stay there. You rose again three days later and I give you praise in your name. Amen. Amen. Come on. Let's give God a shout of praise for these people who raised our hands.

00;41;14;27 - 00;41;27;28
Caleb Cole
Are a host. Are going to walk back right now if you raise your hand. We got a card we love for you to fill out. This is the next steps card we want to follow up with you. Get you a Bible. We have a New Believers course. So as they're walking back just wave at them. They'll hand you a card.

00;41;27;28 - 00;41;49;26
Caleb Cole
But we all stand to your feet right now with me. Here's what I want you to do. I just believe we got gotta speak new identity over God's church today. You've partnered with lies. Would you just lift your hands like this? I want to pray a prayer of proper identity over you. I want to pray that God would break off the lies and speak truth over you.

00;41;49;28 - 00;42;07;21
Caleb Cole
So Jesus, right now, with hands lifted, we lay down the lies that have been spoken over us, the lies that we are from the right family, the lies that we're not strong enough, the lies that that that we have too much sin. The lies that. That you're not with us any longer. The lies that we have to go it alone.

00;42;07;27 - 00;42;28;24
Caleb Cole
Jesus. We break off anything that has been spoken over your people that is not from you. And today we partner with truth God. We partner with the truth that we are co laborers. We are on a commission with you, Jesus Christ. We partner with the truth that you will never leave us nor forsake us. We partner with the truth that we are called and anointed and appointed.

00;42;28;24 - 00;42;48;01
Caleb Cole
For a time such as this, we partner with the truth that you've given us. Everything we need every talent, every treasure, every ability you've already put it in us to accomplish all that you want us to do, because we're not going it alone. So Jesus, right now may faith rise in this place. May trust in you. Rise in this place.

00;42;48;04 - 00;42;56;11
Caleb Cole
We're walking in the true identity as sons and daughters of the Most High God. We give you praise in this place. In your name.

00;42;56;17 - 00;43;03;28
Unknown
Amen and amen. Come on, let's give God some praise. Can we sing this before we go? Come on. Lift your.

00;43;03;28 - 00;43;05;19
Caleb Cole
Voices.

00;43;05;22 - 00;43;12;00
Unknown
This is the only

00;43;12;03 - 00;43;15;12
Chrissy Cole
Thank you for being a part of our online community here at Project Church.

00;43;15;13 - 00;43;18;24
Chrissy Cole
We hope that this message and the whole service bless your life.

00;43;18;27 - 00;43;35;02
Caleb Cole
Yeah. And if it did, we want to ask that you would do something for us. First of all, if you're not already subscribed to our YouTube channel, be sure to subscribe. Like this video. But also, we would ask that you would consider financially supporting what God is doing through Project Church. You can give in a variety of ways.

00;43;35;05 - 00;43;50;11
Caleb Cole
You can text project to 97,000. Right now. You can give to our Church Center app, or you can give on our website project church.com/give. Thanks so much for being a part of our online community. And once again God bless you guys. We'll see you soon.