Podcast Summary: Change Church Podcast

Host: Pastor Dharius Daniels
Episode: I See You
Date: February 9, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode of the Change Church Podcast, Pastor Dharius Daniels continues the “Name Dropping” teaching series, focusing on the biblical encounter between Hagar and God in Genesis 16. The teaching explores how the names of God reveal His nature, particularly “El Roi”—the God Who Sees. Pastor Daniels dives into the themes of being seen by God amidst human mistreatment, navigating “middle seasons” of waiting, confronting discomfort with complexity in scripture, and addressing how bitterness and resentment can stifle personal growth and spiritual formation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Series Context: "Name Dropping" and the Names of God

• The series centers on exploring the names of God as revealed in Genesis and Exodus to better understand His nature.
• The year’s theme at Change Church is “all in,” challenging the congregation to renew their pursuit of God.

2. Primary Text: Genesis 16 – Hagar Encounters El Roi

• The teaching text is Genesis 16:11–13, the story of Hagar’s flight and her revelation that God is the “God who sees me.”

3. The Inevitability of Being Mishandled

• Pastor Daniels opens with a provocative statement:

  “How far you and I go and how much you and I grow is greatly dependent on how we handle being mishandled.” – Dharius Daniels [12:30]

• Everyone striving for “human flourishing” will encounter people who exploit their character and generosity.
• Being used by God often makes one a candidate to be used by people.

4. Jesus’ Preparedness—Not Paranoia

• Reference to Matthew 10:16, where Jesus warns his disciples about “wolves”:

  “I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves… Therefore be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves.”

• The goal isn’t cynicism but realistic preparedness to avoid naivety and remain steadfast in Godly character:

  “You don’t get to match the energy. You set a different standard. Hold that standard.” – Dharius Daniels [16:30]

5. “People are going to people” VS. “God is going to God”

• A recurring phrase:

  “People are going to people. But God is going to God.” – Dharius Daniels [18:30]

• Human failings are inevitable, but God’s faithfulness and justice override, redeem, and redirect what people do.

6. The “Middle Season”: Waiting Between Promise and Fulfillment

• Pastor Daniels introduces the concept of the “middle season”—the interval between God’s promises and their realization.
• Delay is not denial. Delay can produce desperation, which leads to poor decisions:

  “The desperation she's feeling is coming from the story she's telling herself about her situation.” – Dharius Daniels [24:10]

• God uses middle seasons as “mirrors” that reveal and refine issues within us that must be addressed before stepping into the next season.

7. Complex Realities: Slavery, Polygamy, and Biblical Interpretation

• Pastor tackles uncomfortable topics in Genesis 16 (Hagar as a slave, polygamy) head-on, explaining:
  • The Bible often describes (descriptive) events without prescribing (prescriptive) them as models for behavior.

  “Just because something is seen being done by people in the Bible doesn't mean it is authorized or endorsed by the Bible.” – Dharius Daniels [33:00]

8. The Fallout: Hagar, Sarai, and the Monsters We Make

• Hagar’s pride and Sarai’s mistreatment lead to a toxic dynamic.
• Both women mishandle each other, failing to “hold the standard.”
• Sarai refuses to take ownership for her role, representing how people often broadcast your reaction but are silent on their contribution.

9. Hard Realities: Running from Wolves

• Hagar flees but is met by the angel of the Lord, who sends her back—not as a call to oppression, but as an acknowledgment that some realities (difficult people, “wolves”) are inescapable.

  “There are some realities that you will not be able to run from… You will never be able to completely eliminate people's tendency to handle you unjustly.” – Dharius Daniels [50:35]

• Many want God’s blessing (v.10) without enduring the necessary process (v.9).

10. Restorative Justice: God’s Response to Mistreatment

• God’s justice is often restorative—doing something for you rather than to those who wronged you.

  “It is God making sure you’re good even though they haven’t been good to you.” – Dharius Daniels [53:20]

• Winning through God’s restoration, not others’ loss:

  “Them losing doesn't make you win.” – Dharius Daniels [53:45]

11. Hagar’s Revelation: God Sees Me (El Roi)

• Hagar’s suffering becomes the context for a new revelation of God—a personal encounter, not just knowledge:

  “Hard times don’t just lead us to education, they lead us to encounters.” – Dharius Daniels [57:00]

12. Letting Go of Bitterness to Experience God’s Healing

• An invitation to move from bitterness and resentment into healing:

  “You can’t be a better person and a bitter person at the same time.” – Dharius Daniels [1:01:00]

• God sees what others overlook or exploit, and His vision ensures restoration and redemption.

13. Closure is Not Always Possible—And Not Always Needed

• Hagar never receives an apology; neither do many of us.

  “Sometimes what you call closure is a want, not a need. If it was a need, God would give it to you.” – Dharius Daniels [1:07:30]

• The necessity of moving on even without full explanations or validation from those who hurt you.

14. The True Meaning of Freedom

• True healing means:

  “The pain from the old wound no longer governs your mood or determines your direction.” – Dharius Daniels [1:10:20]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “How far you and I go and how much you and I grow is greatly dependent on how we handle being mishandled.” [12:30]
• “You don’t get to match the energy. You set a different standard. Hold that standard.” [16:30]
• “People are going to people. But God is going to God.” [18:30]
• “Delay is not denial. Sometimes He's holding stuff up because what needs to come out.” [27:30]
• “Just because something is seen being done by people in the Bible doesn't mean it is authorized or endorsed by the Bible.” [33:00]
• “There are some realities that you will not be able to run from… You will never be able to completely eliminate people's tendency to handle you unjustly.” [50:35]
• “God making sure you’re good even though they haven’t been good to you.” [53:20]
• “Hard times don’t just lead us to education, they lead us to encounters.” [57:00]
• “You can’t be a better person and a bitter person at the same time.” [1:01:00]
• “Sometimes what you call closure is a want, not a need. If it was a need, God would give it to you.” [1:07:30]
• “The pain from the old wound no longer governs your mood or determines your direction.” [1:10:20]

Important Timestamps

• 00:04: Introduction, context of the series, reading Genesis 16
• 12:30: Main statement on growth and being mishandled
• 16:30: Teaching on holding a spiritual standard amid mistreatment
• 18:30: “People are going to people; God is going to God”
• 24:10 & 27:30: The role of “middle seasons” and waiting
• 33:00: Addressing slavery, polygamy, and biblical interpretation
• 50:35: Some realities will not change; learning to live with uncomfortable inevitabilities
• 53:20: God’s restorative justice
• 57:00: Revelation—hard times as encounters with God
• 1:01:00: On bitterness and personal growth
• 1:07:30: Closure and moving on without apologies
• 1:10:20: Definition of true freedom and healing

Summary Takeaways

• The episode challenges listeners to face uncomfortable truths about human nature, the inevitability of mistreatment, and the need for inner healing.
• Pastor Daniels encourages setting higher standards, resisting cynicism, and seeking both knowledge and personal encounters with God.
• The story of Hagar reveals God’s attentive nature—He is the God who sees (El Roi)—and assures listeners that even when people aren’t good to you, God is always working for your good.
• True healing is letting go of bitterness and reclaiming your trajectory, even when apologies and closure never come.
• Key themes: spiritual realism, endurance in waiting, complex scriptural honesty, restorative justice, God’s faithfulness, letting go, and the life-changing experience of being seen by God.