Podcast Summary: Change Church Podcast

Episode: "Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself"

Host: Pastor Dharius Daniels
Date: January 5, 2026

Episode Overview

Pastor Dharius Daniels opens Change Church's new year with the launch of a seven-week teaching series titled "Name Dropping". The episode centers on the 2026 church theme "AI" — not artificial intelligence, but "All In: Everybody" — and focuses on the concept of gaining a fuller, deeper understanding of God by exploring the biblical idea of progressive revelation. Through the story of Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush (Exodus 3), Pastor Dharius challenges listeners to move past incomplete or mistaken notions of God and allow Him to "reintroduce" Himself, especially through His names in scripture.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. 2026 Theme: "AI" - All In Everybody

• The church’s focus for 2026 is being "all in" with God, not artificial intelligence or "the Antichrist," as some humorously assumed.
• Resources (devotionals, plans) are available for congregants to live out this theme.
  (00:15)

2. Spiritual Perception and Reception

• Pastor Dharius opens with a relatable question:

  “Have you ever had an experience or encounter with an individual who thought they knew you, but they didn’t?” (04:10)

• This often leads to "spiritual settling," where limited understanding of God restricts experience with Him:

  “The God you see is the God you get. Your perception determines your reception.” (07:30)

• Pastor challenges the church to refuse “spiritual settling” this year, emphasizing that their adversities require deeper discernment, strength, and spiritual stamina.
  (09:15)

3. Progressive Revelation: God Reveals Himself Over Time

• Explained as a central theme for the series:

  “God is so major...He can't expose all His Godness at one time. So over time, He reveals and exposes different aspects of Himself to His people.” (13:50)

• Encourages listeners to pray boldly:

  “Show me your glory…Show me signs of you that I’ve never seen.” (16:10)

4. Name Dropping: From Humanity to Divinity

• Human name-dropping seeks borrowed status; God “name drops” Himself to reveal His unique nature.

  “When God name drops, He drops His own name. And God dropping his names is the way God reveals different aspects of Himself.” (18:45)

• Explains that “God” is a category (Elohim), not a name — similar to saying “man” instead of a person’s real name.

  “His names reveal His nature…what you can expect…whether I’m relational or transactional.” (22:00)

5. Exodus as Context: God the Covenant Keeper

• Reviews the context of Exodus:
  • Israelites multiply and intimidate Egypt’s new Pharaoh; oppression ensues.
  • God calls Moses through the burning bush—the beginning of a progressive, relational revelation.

  “He’s worshiping with an incomplete revelation of who he’s worshiping.” (32:15)

• God sees, hears, and is concerned with Israel’s suffering (Exodus 3:7); sends Moses as his representative:

  “Just because God isn’t talking to you about the problem doesn’t mean God isn’t working on the answer.” (40:00)

6. Assigning and Empowering: “I Am With You”

• Moses’ insecurity met by God’s promise:

  Moses: “Who am I that I should go?”
  God: “I will be with you.” (49:30)

• Pastor’s observation:

  “God doesn’t argue with him. He just said, I’m with you…I am what you’re not.” (50:00)

7. God’s Name Revealed: Yahweh/Jehovah

• The first introduction of God’s covenant name to Moses:

  “God said to Moses, I am who I am…Tell them ‘I Am’ has sent me to you.” (53:10)

• “Elohim” is a category; “Yahweh” (Jehovah) is the covenant name, used in all caps as “LORD” in English Bibles.
• Explains the significance:

  “When God uses this name, it reveals the nature he is revealing to his people. I am the God that makes and keeps covenant. I’m not just a creator, I’m a covenant keeper.” (58:40)

• Each manifestation (Jireh, Shalom, Rapha, Shammah, etc.) is God filling new needs as part of His covenant.

8. Practical Impact: Confidence, Clarity, Calmness

• Confidence:

  “Maybe I don’t have the experience, but I got a covenant.” (1:07:00)

• Clarity:

  “You don’t have to worry about what I want to do. I put it here. I want to supply your needs and I covenant to do it.” (1:09:10)

• Calmness:

  “Instead of focusing on the answers I don’t have, I lean into the answers that I do…you don’t break covenant.” (1:10:05)

9. Jesus as the Fulfillment of Yahweh

• Links Old Testament revelation to the New Testament confession:

  “Paul is saying Jesus is Yahweh in human form…so my confession is Jesus is Yahweh. So when I say Jesus, I’m saying Jireh…Nissi…” (1:11:30)

10. Revelation Fuels Worship

• Understanding God as covenant keeper deepens worship:

  “Yahweh gets something from me Elohim don’t get.” (1:15:05)

• Encourages worship from a fresh place of revelation.
  (1:16:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On spiritual perception:

  “Your revelation of God determines how you relate to God. If you have a limited view of God, you’ll have a limited experience with God. Not because God is limited, but you’ve limited his unveiling, his exposure, his interaction in your own life.” (07:55)

• On progressive revelation:

  “You know the way Maker, but I need to introduce you to the healer…Allow me to show you a side of me you hadn’t met yet.” (15:55)

• On favor:

  “If you think favor comes from them, when something happens with that Pharaoh, you’ll think you lost your favor. But when you realize favor comes through them…God’s got another way to get me to what he’s trying to get me to.” (29:00)

• On the covenant name:

  “I am what I am. Whatever I am, I promise you, I’m going to be it.” (1:04:00)

• On anxiety and peace:

  “Your nerves will become calmer when you realize: I don’t break covenant.” (1:06:30)

Key Timestamps

• 00:15: Introduction of 2026 Theme “AI: All In Everybody”
• 04:10: “Have you ever had an experience…?” (Theme of perception vs. reality)
• 07:30: “The God you see is the God you get…”
• 13:50: Progressive Revelation explained
• 18:45: God “name dropping” explained
• 22:00: Elohim as a category vs. God’s true name
• 29:00: On favor passing through people
• 40:00: God works on answers while you see problems
• 49:30: Moses’ insecurities & God’s response
• 53:10: “I am who I am” — revelation of Yahweh
• 58:40: Covenant explained (Jehovah/Yahweh)
• 1:04:00: “I am what I am. Whatever I am, I promise you, I’m going to be it.”
• 1:07:00: Confidence & covenant
• 1:11:30: Jesus as Yahweh in the New Testament
• 1:15:05: Revelation revolutionizes worship
• 1:16:50: Worship and closing encouragement

Tone and Style

Throughout, Pastor Dharius combines practical teaching, passionate exhortation, and strong biblical exposition—energizing the congregation to hunger for deeper understanding and intimate relationship with God, not just as “Elohim” but as “Yahweh,” their covenant-keeping Lord.

Summary Takeaway

This episode lays the foundation for the “Name Dropping” series, urging listeners to let go of shallow or outdated views of God and embrace the invitation: “Allow me to reintroduce myself.” Pastor Dharius reminds the church that God’s progressive revelation is personal, powerful, and always timely—filling every gap, calming every anxiety, and fueling worship rooted in covenant assurance.