Change Church Podcast: "It Won't End Like This" (February 8, 2026)

Host: Pastor Dharius Daniels
Episode Theme: Becoming a Sign of God’s Miraculous Power

Episode Overview

In this passionate and prophetic message, Pastor Dharius Daniels explores the Gospel story in Luke 1, using the pregnancies of Mary and Elizabeth to illustrate how God makes individuals into living signs of His miraculous power. The sermon centers on the prayerful declaration, "Lord, make me a sign," encouraging listeners to embrace both the miracles God performs in them and through them, and to be content whether they are center-stage like Mary or supportive yet essential like Elizabeth. Pastor Daniels challenges the church to reconsider their expectations of the miraculous, to avoid comparison, and to recognize the significance of both the process and the partners God provides in their spiritual journey.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Principle of Exposure

(00:00–06:00)

• Scripture Focus: Luke 1:26, drawing attention to the story of Mary and Elizabeth.
• Main Idea: God uses our exposure to others’ miracles to increase our own expectation of what He can do in our lives.
• Quote:

  “God uses exposure to what he has done with others as an avenue... to increase your expectation of what he can do with you.” — Pastor Dharius Daniels (02:45)

• Insight:
  • Exposure isn’t meant to provoke jealousy but to awaken hunger for God’s possibilities.
  • Jealousy, according to Pastor Daniels, is the result of mismanaged exposure:

    “Jealousy is the consequence of an individual allowing exposure to drive them to comparison, when exposure should produce confirmation of God's capability.” (03:45)

• Challenge: Believers are encouraged to pray, “Lord, make me a sign,” becoming the evidence of what God can do.

2. Testimony vs. Talent, Time, & Treasure

(06:15–10:00)

• Key Distinction:

  “Use my testimony. Because your testimony speaks louder than the usage of your time, your talent and your treasure. Your testimony becomes undeniable, irrefutable, unequivocal evidence of God’s miracle working power.” (06:45)

• Example: The story of Lazarus—the miracle wasn’t only for his benefit, but to show others what God can do, providing a public, undeniable sign.
• Memorable Moment:

  “If they ask you what does a miracle look like? You could just tell them it looks like the person sitting next to you.” (08:25)

• Pastor leads the congregation in affirming their own miraculous stories.

3. Mary & Elizabeth: The Power Of Assignment and Support

(10:00–20:00)

• Mary's Assignment:
  • Her calling disrupted her personal desires—she didn’t ask for it, but was chosen ("Her assignment disrupted her desires for her own life." — 10:50).
• Elizabeth's Role:
  • Often overlooked, Elizabeth was integral as Mary’s sign—her visible, miraculous pregnancy preceded Mary’s, providing hope and proof.

  • “Elizabeth is important. Elizabeth is essential. Elizabeth is significant. Elizabeth is necessary. Because... Elizabeth is Mary’s sign.” (12:40)

• Cultural Commentary:
  • Pastor critiques the tendency within church culture to seek the spotlight, reminding the church of the value and anointing of being an “Elizabeth” (the encourager, the precedent).

4. God’s Timing and Public Miracles

(15:32–19:30)

• The Audience of Your Trials:
  • Pastor Daniels highlights that sometimes God ensures your “non-childbearing season had an audience” (16:05), so that when breakthrough comes, its miraculous nature is indisputable.

  • “He made sure that your non childbearing season had an audience... I’m gonna keep [critics] in close proximity so that the same ones that were cynical... will have to be the same ones that scratch their head when you walking around showing.” (16:18)

5. Patterns of God’s Miraculous Signs

(19:30–32:35)

Pastor lays out three ways God may use us as a sign:

A. Miracle in the Person

(19:30–21:47)

• Elizabeth’s supernatural pregnancy demonstrates God’s sovereignty over time, not just within it.
• Notable Quote:

  “He is not controlled or limited by our time frame. He is sovereign over time.” (20:35)

• Congregational Affirmation:
  • Series of call-and-response declarations underscoring God’s ability to perform miracles regardless of age, mistakes, or past failures.

  • “He’s still gonna do it!” (21:32–22:09, various congregants)

B. Miracle in the Process

(23:25–28:36)

• Mary’s Immaculate Conception shows God can “skip steps” and isn’t bound by natural processes:

  “Sometimes God works a miracle by exercising his sovereignty and allowing you and I to skip a process.” (24:56)

• Leap Metaphor:
  • Drawing from deer imagery, Pastor speaks of “leaping” as a season of acceleration:

  • “God is also the God that orchestrates your leaps. And I know every leap year comes around periodically, but in the kingdom, every year is a leap year.” (26:15)

  • Loud, joyful repetition and affirmation from the congregation:

    “I’m leaping, I’m leaping!” (27:48–28:21)

C. Miracle with a Partner

(32:35–34:24)

• Elizabeth as an answer to Mary’s isolation:
  • Spiritual pregnancy can feel uniquely lonely; God sends partners who make what’s in you “leap” (resonate, ignite).
• Transparency:
  • Pastor shares personally about feeling isolated with visionary assignments (“carrying this church, Third way, Kings Way... that can feel real lonely because a lot of people love second way. And second way is lucrative.” — 33:16)
• Encouragement:
  • God “may want to use your story to let Mary know you’re not the only one. Be the answer to somebody’s issue of isolation.” (34:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Testimony:

  “Your testimony becomes undeniable, irrefutable, unequivocal evidence of God's miracle working power.” — Pastor Dharius Daniels (06:45)

• On Comparison and Purpose:

  “Jealousy is the consequence of an individual allowing exposure to drive them to comparison, when exposure should produce confirmation of God's capability.” (03:45)

• On Leaping Forward:

  “In the kingdom, every year is a leap year.” (26:23)

• On Divine Partnership:

  “Elizabeth represents the person God supernaturally sends to your life... so divinely joined that when you come into proximity, what’s in you leaps.” (34:01)

Key Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Theme | |--------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–06:00 | Introduction, Principle of Exposure | | 06:15–10:00 | Testimony vs. Talent/Time/Treasure, Story of Lazarus | | 10:00–20:00 | Mary’s Disrupted Assignment, Elizabeth’s Encouragement | | 15:32–19:30 | Audience of your “non-childbearing” Season, Public Miracles| | 19:30–21:47 | Miracle in the Person, God’s Sovereignty over Time | | 23:25–28:36 | Miracle in the Process, The Leap Metaphor | | 32:35–34:24 | Miracle with a Partner, Addressing Isolation |

Tone & Delivery

• Passionate, encouraging, and prophetic—Pastor Dharius uses charismatic repetition, call-and-response, and humor to make profound theological points relatable.
• The sermon balances personal transparency with urgent collective encouragement, consistently inviting listeners to see themselves as recipients and bearers of the miraculous.
• The language is direct, energetic, and full of memorable metaphors—leaping deer, pregnancy, and signs—designed to move the congregation from passive hope to active faith.

Summary Takeaways

• Becoming a sign means more than receiving miracles; it’s about embodying undeniable proof of God’s power so others’ faith can rise.
• God is sovereign over timing and process, able to accelerate, bypass, or restore regardless of natural limitations.
• Christians are called to embrace whatever role God assigns—whether as Mary or Elizabeth—with contentment, knowing both are essential to God’s plan.
• In seasons of loneliness or obscurity, God may use you as someone’s sign, just as Elizabeth was for Mary.
• The ultimate prayer: "Lord, make me a sign"—not only that you might be blessed, but that through you, others might believe and be encouraged.

For more messages from Pastor Dharius Daniels, visit www.lifechange.org