Podcast Summary — Change Church Podcast Episode: Don't Push Me; I'm Close To The Edge
Host: Change Church | Pastor Dharius Daniels
Guest Speaker: Pastor Darius McClure
Date: March 30, 2026

Episode Overview

This dynamic Palm Sunday message, delivered by Pastor Darius McClure, centers on how to handle betrayal and the pain of people "switching up" on you, using the story of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19) as a living lesson. Pastor McClure challenges listeners to navigate seasons of disappointment and relational upheaval God’s way, rather than resorting to cultural or superficial religious coping mechanisms. The sermon is filled with humor, energy, and practical application, calling believers to rise above offense, process pain honestly, and stay committed to their purpose, just as Jesus did.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction & Context: Palm Sunday as a School, Not Just a Story

• Pastor McClure opens with exuberant praise and gratitude, emphasizing that Palm Sunday isn’t merely a historical commemoration but an educational moment:

  "This Palm Sunday passage is more than a story, but it's a school…a school in the sense that it provides information that can give us education…on how not to blow up when people switch up." (04:20)

2. The Reality of Betrayal and Relational Disappointment

• The congregation is prompted to confront personal experiences where friends or loved ones proved disloyal or inconsistent. (04:14–05:05)
  • Memorable moment: Laughter and response when McClure says God is sending “a me” — someone who brings intercession, counsel, and support.
• The Palm Sunday crowd’s shift from “Hosanna” to “Crucify!” illustrates rapid relational reversal:

  "These are the same people that cried hosanna on Sunday, but then shouted, crucify him on Friday." (06:15)

3. How Not to Handle Betrayal: "Culture's Way" and "Church's Way"

• Culture’s Way: Retaliate or retreat
  • "Culture's way is to retaliate or retreat...When you become addicted to getting your lick back…you allow the person that broke your heart to also break your character." (10:01–10:50)
  • Notable quote:

    "My character and my calling is too valuable to keep shrinking down to the level of people who have no character." (10:53)

• Church’s Way: Spiritualize or suppress
  • "Spiritualization takes real pain and covers it with religious language before it's honestly processed...Suppression feels like pain, but attempts to numb it by ignoring it...Some of us have confused having a healed heart with a hard heart." (12:23–13:35)

4. The King’s Way: Accept and Elevate

• Accept and Elevate:
  • "Sometimes betrayal is a kingdom key to your elevation. Sometimes God is saying, 'I can't take you up until you let go of old baggage.'" (14:34)
  • Encouragement to discern between being loved and being needed:

    "Some people don't love you. They need you...That's not love. That's leverage." (15:55–16:07)

• The necessity to let go of relationships that no longer serve God’s purpose in your life; “Let it go” becomes a rallying cry. (15:13)

5. Connection to Passover: The Power of the Blood

• Pastor McClure revisits the Exodus story, emphasizing the covering of the blood and the concept of exception:

  "When the death angel gets to your house, it's going to have to pass over you because it's not just going to see you. It's going to see my blood." (21:11)

• Miracle of Exception:

  "Everyone around you is subject to the same conditions, but God exempts you from the same outcomes." (22:54)

• Notable celebration moment:

  "I should be dead by now, but it passed over me. I should be in jail by now, but it passed over me…The blood still works." (21:11–22:20)

6. The Crowd’s Misguided Praise and Trauma Bonds

• People cheered for Jesus with the wrong expectations; they didn’t want a savior as much as they wanted a conqueror—a misalignment that led to betrayal.

  "Their vision and expectation of Jesus was too small for his assignment. So their praise and their excitement shifted into entitlement..." (25:09)

• On trauma bonds:

  "They were not devoted to Jesus, they were just depending on Him. And be careful when you're depending without being devoted." (28:04)

7. Jesus’ Three Practices for Handling Betrayal

• a. Predetermined His Path
  • "He makes a decision on who he is before they flip on him...Because if you don't predetermine who you are and what you're called to, betrayal will always become your GPS." (29:08–30:36)
• b. Processed His Pain
  • "When he saw the city, he wept over it. He wept over a people that he loved, but he knew they wouldn't love him back...He's saying, 'I'm God enough to heal it, but I'm also man enough to feel it.'" (31:16–32:10)
  • Memorable quote:

    "Just because they're the loudest doesn't mean that they're the most loyal." (32:35)

• c. Protected His Purpose
  • "He protected his purpose because he said, 'If I do what you want me to do, I'll free Israel. But if I do what The Father sent me to do, I'll free the world.'" (33:52–34:17)
  • On refusing to shrink to others’ agenda:

    "Jesus refused to redirect his anointing toward their agenda. And you must refuse to redirect your anointing to other people's agenda." (34:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On retaliation and character:

  "Getting your lick back is when you allow the person that broke your heart to also break your character." (10:45)

• On excusing emotional numbness:

  "Some of us have confused having a healed heart with a hard heart...You calling yourself the strong friend when what if you're not the strong friend? You the numb friend." (13:22)

• On letting go:

  "Let it go. I know you love them, but let them go." (15:13)

• On God’s exception:

  "We’re going through the same thing, but we don’t come out the same way. So you can throw me in the fire, but I’ll come out not even smelling like smoke." (23:20)

• Challenging expectations:

  "Their vision and expectation of Jesus was too small for his assignment." (25:12)

• On devotion vs. dependency:

  "Be careful when you're depending without being devoted." (28:04)

• On betrayal as pattern:

  "Wherever there is a trauma bond, betrayal is not a possibility. Betrayal is a pattern." (28:35)

• On mission vs. preference:

  "He did not shrink his purpose down to the size of their preference." (34:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Praise and Set-Up: 00:01–04:14
• Introduction of Main Theme: 04:20–07:14
• Handling Betrayal: 3 Ways Framework Introduced: 09:43–10:14
• Culture’s Way (Retaliate/Retreat): 10:15–11:51
• Church’s Way (Spiritualize/Suppress): 12:23–13:38
• King’s Way (Accept and Elevate): 13:39–14:59
• Letting Go and Discernment: 15:13–16:16
• Passover Connection/The Blood: 17:04–23:49
• Misguided Praise and Trauma Bonds: 25:09–28:35
• Jesus’ Three Practices: 28:35–34:27
  • Predetermined Path: 29:08–31:16
  • Processed Pain: 31:16–32:35
  • Protected Purpose: 32:35–34:27
• Prayer and Charge: 34:22–37:06

Conclusion: Faithfully Handling the "Switch Ups"

Pastor McClure closes with a passionate prayer and exhortation to model Jesus: to accept, process, and grow through betrayal rather than being defined or derailed by it. The congregation is challenged to treasure their calling, refuse to be hijacked by others’ preferences, and trust God with their pain and elevation.

"We will not be lost by the switch up of other people. But we'll stay faithful to the assignment that you've given us. In Jesus name I pray. Amen." (36:25)

For listeners seeking answers on how to heal after betrayal, keep their hearts soft, and walk with purpose, this sermon provides an engaging roadmap, raw honesty, and memorable encouragement rooted in the Palm Sunday and Passover narratives.