Podcast Summary: Change Church Podcast

Episode: "I Don't Understand The Assignment"

Host: Pastor Dharius Daniels
Date: December 15, 2025

Overview

In this powerful and relatable message, Pastor Dharius Daniels explores the challenge of following God’s purpose, especially when the divine assignment isn’t clear or doesn’t align with our understanding or preferences. Drawing from Matthew 1:18 and the story of Joseph, Pastor Dharius delves into the tension between purpose, calling, and destiny—emphasizing the importance of fulfilling rather than merely participating in God’s assignment for our lives. Through humor, cultural context, and vulnerability, he encourages listeners to trust God’s plan even when it defies reason, personal ambition, or comfort.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Why of Existence: Purpose, Calling, and Destiny

• Mark Twain Quote:
  "The two most important days of your life are: number one, the day you were born. Number two, the day you discover why." (02:00)
• Purpose is the reason for your creation.
• Calling is God’s invitation to participate in that purpose.
• Destiny is the summation of accepting purpose and calling.
• Notable Insight:
  “Your presence on this planet...is not a coincidence. You’re not even a result of some relational accident. Your parents may not have planned for your arrival, but God did.” (02:01, Pastor Darius)

2. Deposits Versus Discovery

• Everything needed for your assignment is already within you.
• The challenge is discovering and deploying it:
  “Your problem is not deposits. Your problem is discovery. And if you’ll ever discover what God has deposited, you will be a nightmare on Elm street for the devil.” (03:19, Pastor Darius)

3. Purpose ‘Having’ You: Shift in Standards

• Difference between having purpose and purpose ‘having’ you.
• When purpose, calling, and destiny ‘have’ you, your standards and boundaries change.
  • “You can never have a low sense of self and have high standards.” (06:06, Bishop)
  • “You’re trying to raise your standards, but you hadn’t raised your view of you.” (06:23, Pastor Darius)

4. Fulfilling vs. Participating in Purpose

• Many people confuse participating in their purpose with fulfilling it.

  • Participation: Doing part of what God called you to.
  • Fulfillment: Doing all of it.
  • Illustrations from Jesus’ life highlight this difference—miracles like feeding 5,000 or raising Lazarus were participation, but resurrection was fulfillment (09:12–09:18).

• “Because Lazarus getting out of the grave fix his life, but Jesus getting out of the grave fix mine.” (09:18, Pastor Darius)

5. The Reality of Divine Assignments: Confusion and Disagreement

• God may lead you into assignments you don’t understand or agree with.
  • “Many operate with the understanding that God requires your agreement before he picks your assignment.” (12:04, Pastor Darius)
  • The story of Joseph: A model for accepting a divine role that didn’t make sense or feel fair.

6. Retelling Joseph’s Narrative for Modern Listeners

• Relatable retelling: Joseph learning of Mary’s pregnancy, his shock, internal debate, yet choosing to act honorably.

  • "He said, you’re telling me you’re pregnant? Well, how you get pregnant? She said, God." (20:41, Pastor Darius)

• Joseph’s Example:

  • He plans to end the engagement quietly to protect Mary from disgrace (21:24–22:00).
  • Receives angelic confirmation not while busy, but when he is still: “There are certain things that God does when you’re asleep…when you’re inactive…when you’re at ease.” (22:59–23:41, Pastor Darius)
  • Joseph’s family line (David) is invoked, reminding him he is "built for hard things" (24:46).

7. Purpose Sometimes Looks Different Than Expected

• Joseph is remembered not for his carpentry, but for who he raised (Jesus):
  • “The thing he thought he would be known for may not have been the thing he ended up being known for.” (28:02, Pastor Darius)
  • “Sometimes God calls you to come alongside someone who’s carrying something that God has given them…your assignment is to help bring it to pass.” (28:58, Bishop)

8. Decreasing for the Assignment: The Example of John the Baptist

• Not everyone is assigned to be “the star”—sometimes, greatness is found in supporting roles:
  • “John was so obsessed with his assignment and not his own ambition, he said, my assignment actually requires me to decrease.” (29:43, Pastor Darius)
  • “It ain’t submission until there’s disagreement.” (32:44, Pastor Darius)

9. Detoxing from Rationalism: When Reason Limits Faith

• Encouragement to use reason as a tool, but not a master.
  • “Rationalism says my reasoning is truth. That way, if it doesn’t make sense to me, then I don’t think it’s true.” (32:44–33:50, Pastor Darius)
  • Faith goes beyond agreeing with God—sometimes it means submitting even in confusion.

10. Trusting God’s Process Over Personal Preference

• God’s plans are better than our preferences—even if costly or unglamorous:
  • “Could you do it? Yes. The question is not can I, it’s are you called to?” (38:59, Pastor Darius)
  • Personal examples: Sacrificing a law career for ministry, his wife’s career transition, and embracing family/church over material success.

11. Final Challenge: Offer God Your ‘Yes’ In Advance

• “I accept the assignment even when I don’t understand the assignment.” (39:16, Pastor Darius)
• The call to trust God’s choice, timing, and method—offering Him our obedience in advance, just as Abraham offered Isaac, knowing God had already provided a ram (41:30–42:02).

Notable Quotes and Moments

• “Your problem is not deposits. Your problem is discovery.” (03:19, Pastor Darius)
• “You’re trying to raise your standards, but you hadn’t raised your view of you.” (06:23, Pastor Darius)
• “It’s one thing to have destiny. It’s another thing for destiny to have you.” (07:17, Pastor Darius)
• “If he only participated but didn’t fulfill, where would we be?” (09:03, Pastor Darius)
• “Many operate with the understanding that God requires your agreement before he picks your assignment.” (12:04, Pastor Darius)
• “He would be known...not by what he did, but by who he raised.” (27:50, Bishop)
• “Sometimes purpose requires that you’re Joseph. You don’t always get to be the star in the story.” (29:02, Bishop)
• “Rationalism says my reasoning is my master. So I only obey what I understand.” (33:24, Pastor Darius)
• “It ain’t submission until there’s disagreement.” (32:44, Pastor Darius)
• “My answer is yes, Father, I accept the assignment even when I don’t understand the assignment.” (39:16, Pastor Darius)

Important Timestamps

• 00:01–04:08: Opening, reading Matthew 1:18, intro to purpose, calling, and destiny
• 09:12–09:18: Participation vs. fulfillment – Jesus’ miracles compared to resurrection
• 12:04–13:00: God doesn’t require your agreement before giving an assignment
• 19:07–23:26: Creative retelling of Joseph discovering Mary's pregnancy
• 23:41–24:46: Importance of stillness and being “asleep” to receive from God
• 28:02–29:24: On being known for supporting others’ destinies rather than starring
• 32:44–33:50: Faith vs. rationalism, what true submission means
• 38:50–39:16: The question is not “Can I?” but “Am I called to?”
• 41:30–42:50: Encouragement to offer God a “yes,” trusting His provision

Takeaways for Listeners

• Don’t confuse being busy or involved with actually fulfilling your life’s purpose.
• Purpose is discovered through surrender, not just effort or ambition.
• Your biggest impact may come from supporting someone else’s assignment.
• God’s plans for your life will sometimes require you to yield your preferences and understanding.
• Submission begins where agreement ends. Trusting God—especially in confusion—is the ultimate yes.

Closing Challenge:
“Are you willing to trust Him with your life’s purpose? Even when you don’t understand and even when you don’t agree? My answer is yes, Father. I accept the assignment—even when I don’t understand the assignment.” (39:16, Pastor Darius)