Podcast Summary: Change Church Podcast

Episode: He's Him

Date: August 17, 2025
Host: Pastor Dharius Daniels

Overview

In this sermon, Pastor Dharius Daniels explores the profound, transformative power of perceiving Jesus as the ultimate source of change, fulfillment, and freedom. Centering on the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), Pastor Daniels challenges listeners to re-examine cycles in their lives, reconsider their perception of God, and embrace authentic worship "in spirit and in truth." The message weaves practical insights, scriptural exposition, and passionate encouragement, urging listeners toward personal breakthrough and daily communion with God.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Perception of God: "The God You See is the God You Get"

• Pastor Daniels emphasizes: The way we perceive God determines the way we experience Him.
  • "The way I see God doesn't change Him, but it does impact my experience with Him." (01:50)
• Biblical examples show God frequently reintroducing Himself to correct distorted perceptions shaped by life or the enemy.
• Notable Quote:
  • "Our revelation of God is producing some limitations in our life." (03:15)
  • "The enemy knows you live at the level of your revelation." (03:50)

2. God as the God of Alterations

• Exposition: God doesn't just save; He transforms. He specializes in changing stories, situations, seasons, even souls.
  • Examples: Turning sinners into saints, bitter water to sweet, changing career paths, and repurposing what was meant for evil.
  • "He's the God of alterations. He alters stories so he'll turn tests into testimonies...he'll take the instrument that the enemy wanted to use to assassinate you. And he'll take that same instrument and elevate you." (05:15-06:02)
• Call to Worship: Pastor encourages a “prophetic praise”—praising God not just for what He’s done, but for expected alterations.
  • "I'm looking for people that'll praise Him because you believe he's getting ready to do it. Hallelujah, any day now." (06:45)

3. Sovereignty of Struggles vs. Sovereignty of God

• Insight: If we don’t believe in God’s power to alter, we risk giving our struggles unintended authority.
  • "If you don't believe that, you've assigned sovereignty to your struggles; your struggles are not sovereign." (07:45)
• Uses biblical stories to remind listeners that how long a struggle lasts doesn’t define God’s identity or power.
• Rallying declaration: "Tell the devil, let me go. This is God's property…He's the God of alterations." (09:15)

4. Breaking Cycles: The Story of the Samaritan Woman (John 4)

• Diagnosis vs. Prescription:
  • Jesus addresses not just the obvious relational cycle (five husbands) but the underlying spiritual thirst.
  • "Diagnosis must precede deliverance. And the reason some people stay stuck in cycles is because they misdiagnosed the cycle they're in." (13:45)
• Suboptimal Patterns:
  • Cycles aren’t always catastrophic—they can be patterns of “suboptimal” living, where potential goes unfulfilled.
  • "Just because you're doing better than them doesn't mean you're doing everything you should be doing." (15:40)
• Notable Analogy: The Parable of the Talents—don’t compare yourself to others, compare to your potential.
  • "God gave you so much. You still got more than some people and you're not even maximizing what you got." (16:20)

5. Real Issue: Spiritual Thirst, Not Just Choices

• Jesus never corrects the woman’s relationships—instead, He offers “living water” to address her deeper longing.
  • "Because you think your issue is your choices, so you keep trying to fix your choices. But the issue is not your choices. The issue is your thirst." (20:48)
• Memorable Teaching:
  • “It's dangerous to choose when you're thirsty. Discernment is diluted when you're thirsty.” (23:35)
• Cycle Anatomy:
  • Trigger → Response → Result → Reset → Repeat—address the thirst, or the cycle continues.

6. Accessing Living Water – Spiritual Transformation

• Key turning point: The woman's shift in perception from Jesus as a prophet to Jesus as the Messiah.
  • "If you only see a prophet, you can get a word. But if you see the Messiah, you can get salvation. I'm him." (29:13)
• Authentic worship, not routine religion, brings transformation.
  • Symbolic action: She “left her water pot,” valuing her encounter with Christ over her original agenda.
  • "I'm leaving something I value for something I value more." (31:30)

7. Reframing Worship: Worship as Spiritual Discipline

• Worship is not just a Sunday expression but a daily spiritual discipline—a “means of grace.”
  • "Worship begins with affection first, and my actions are an expression of my affection." (32:10)
• Practical Analogy:
  • Like gym exercises for spiritual growth—consistency and correctness matter. All spiritual disciplines serve different purposes.
  • "Prayer is a spiritual discipline. But only praying and never studying the Bible is like working upper body and never working legs." (36:10)

8. Spirit and Truth in Worship

• What does it mean to worship in “spirit and in truth”?
  • In spirit: Worship from the heart, not just out of routine or hurt.
    • "The human spirit is expressing adoration and appreciation to God utilizing the human faculties." (37:28)
  • In truth: According to the revelation of God in scripture, not personal preference or “strange fire.”
  • It’s not about "your own way"—it’s about biblically anchored worship that fits your God-given temperament.
  • "Sometimes we're worshiping the God we created, not the one that created us." (41:07)

9. Outcomes of True Worship

• Encountering God’s Presence:
  • "There are greater degrees, greater measures of His presence. When my worship aligns with spirit and in truth…you live a presence-driven life." (44:10)
• Receiving Messages from God:
  • God gives direction, clarity, and instruction amid genuine worship. (Acts 13 reference)
  • "A large degree of our anxiousness is tied to a lack of clarity...after you get through talking and texting...you got to hear from heaven." (48:15)
• Moving of God:
  • Worship brings breakthrough, open doors, and newfound freedom, illustrated by Paul and Silas in the Philippian prison.
  • "When you start worshiping, God starts moving. Doors start opening. Freedom starts happening." (50:30)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• "Our revelation of God is producing some limitations in our life." (03:15)
• "He's the God of alterations. He turns sinners into saints. He alters conditions." (06:00)
• "If you don't believe that [God can alter], you've assigned sovereignty to your struggles." (07:45)
• "Diagnosis must precede deliverance. And the reason some people stay stuck in cycles is because they misdiagnosed the cycle they're in." (13:45)
• "Just because you're doing better than them doesn't mean you're doing everything you should be doing." (15:40)
• "It's dangerous to choose when you're thirsty. Discernment is diluted when you're thirsty." (23:35)
• "If you only see a prophet, you can get a word. But if you see the Messiah, you can get salvation. I'm him." (29:13)
• "Worship begins with affection first, and my actions are an expression of my affection." (32:10)
• "Sometimes we're worshiping the God we created, not the one that created us." (41:07)
• "When you start worshiping, God starts moving. Doors start opening. Freedom starts happening." (50:30)

Notable Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:15] – The God you see is the God you get
• [05:15] – God as the God of Alterations
• [07:45] – Sovereignty of struggles vs. God’s sovereignty
• [13:45] – Cycles: Diagnosis and Prescription
• [16:20] – Parable of the Talents and “flipping” potential
• [20:48] – Spiritual thirst as the root issue
• [23:35] – Dangers of choosing when “thirsty”
• [29:13] – Prophet vs. Messiah revelation
• [32:10] – Worship as affection, beyond expression
• [36:10] – Spiritual disciplines compared to gym exercises
• [41:07] – Worship in spirit and truth/“strange fire”
• [44:10] – Outcomes of worship: presence-driven life
• [48:15] – Hearing from God and spiritual clarity
• [50:30] – Worship unlocking breakthrough and freedom

Conclusion

Pastor Daniels closes with a passionate call for worship that goes beyond routine, aligns with both “spirit and truth,” and leads to real encounters with God—resulting in breakthrough, clarity, and liberation from recurring cycles. The message is a vibrant reminder to anchor our identity, expectations, and transformation in "Him"—Jesus, who is both the Living Water and the source of lasting change.