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- [00:00]
Paula White
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
Public Investing Ad
Guaranteed Human support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It's IT screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures today.
- [01:14]
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- [01:47]
Paula White
Can'T wait to take highway. All.
- [01:58]
Pastor Todd
Begins with Paul.
- [02:08]
Paula White
God's word is your answer as we enter into New Year. Exciting and I just believe God. It's going to be your best year. But God has a way. God has a prototype, a path. He has principles. And what I really want you to ask yourself so many people say God is first as they're making New Year's resolutions. And as believers, as Christians, we often say God first, then family, then career. Maybe it's ministry, lose weight, finances. But the reality of it. It should be God first, God first in ministry, God first in marriage, God first in losing weight, God first in finances, God first in career. Why? Because God first is not God as a pecking order and all these things first fall under it. God has to be first in your relationships. God has to be first in your finances. God has to be first with your children. And so we have to have a paradigm shift, a different mindset. The Bible declares In Psalm chapter 11, verse 3, if the foundations the essential be destroyed, what can the righteous do? You see, foundation is a basis and it's the essence for all that will be built. If that foundation gets destroyed or it's not strong, then nothing else can be be built on it. Putting God first in all things is the basis or the underlying support for your success in all things, with your marriage, with your children, with your finances, with your career, with your calling, with your ministry. Psalm 26:2 in the message version says this Examine me God, from head to foot, order your battery of tests, make sure I'm fit inside and out. Now I challenge you. Will you pray that dangerous prayer with me? Will you say, hey, God, examine me from head to toe, put me through a battery of tests and make sure I'm fit. It's a great prayer when I say dangerous because anything that doesn't belong in your life, let it be shaken, let it crumble, let it fall, fall. Let the wrong people exit, let the wrong attitude leave you. So that will be a real year of fruit. Let's go to Matthew, chapter six. I want to lay a foundation for you. It's very familiar. Jesus is giving a parable, and it's one of the most important things because I think the basis of us as human beings, we're like, well, God, how am I going to be fed? What do I do about this? How do I pay my bills? Who do I know how to marry? And this is a really practical parable that God's going to teach us about how the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God operates. So let's start in verse 25 and we'll look through verse 34. Jesus says, Therefore I say unto you, take no thought. Now the word thought means don't be anxiously careful. So don't have anxiety. Don't have anxiety is what he's saying. For your life, what you shall eat, what you will drink, what you're going to wear on your body or clothes, what you shall put on is not the life more than meat, and the body more than remnant. Behold, watch what he's going to say. The fowls of the air, for they don't sow, neither do they reap, neither do they gather into barns. Yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Are you not much better than they? He says, hey, by the way, by being anxious and worrying and stressed out. Now, let's be honest, it's just you and I having an intimate conversation here have you had anxiety over what you're going to eat? How are you going to feed your kids? I have at points in my life. But I can truly say that God has put me through a process to show me he is savior, he is provider, that he takes care of me. That doesn't mean the enemy doesn't try to get in with that.
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Pastor Todd
That.
- [06:07]
Paula White
But I just rebuke it. I'm like, watch this. In fact, when I feel the enemy coming after me with stress or anxiety or worry, especially in the area of finances or giving, I just start giving all the more because I know how the kingdom of God works. So he says, which of you, by taking thought or worrying or having this anxiety, can add one cubit? It's like, can you add an inch to your stature? Can you grow three inches today? He says, so why are you taking thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don't work, they don't toil, they don't spin. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven or the fire, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Now that's interesting, because it's not a rebuke there, and I'll get into what that means in one of these programs. Therefore, and here's his answer. Take no thought. Don't be overly anxious saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or wherewithal will we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Now, if you know I have need of them, God. And you're saying, don't even be anxious about him, and you're going to take care of them. Then why is this gap sometimes between what I believe and what I see, my faith and my reality? Because the answer is really in verse 33. But seek ye first, foremost in time, foremost in place, foremost in order. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Be in right standing with God. And then all these things will be added. The Greek word added means to place, in addition, additionally to lay aside, to repeat, to increase unto you. You see, God's ways are not man's ways. Now he says it again. Take therefore, no thought for tomorrow for the morrow shall take care or thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:33 is the answer. Seek ye first. The kingdom of God is righteousness. I love the message. What it says is, what I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, not to be so preoccupied with getting give me, give me, give me so you can respond to God's giving. It's the craziest thing because the world says, store, store, store, save, save, save for a rainy day. And God says that person tended to poverty. And there's a lot of other scripture, but in order to receive from God, you have to first give. Isn't that what God did? And we're supposed to be just like him. We're in his image. For God so loved the world that he gave. He first gave his son while we were yet sinners. He gave his son Jesus, when we didn't even know what we were receiving. He gave his son out of an abundance of love. So he's saying, look, when you fuss over these things, you cannot respond to God's giving. So people who don't know God and know the way he works, that's crucial. They fuss over these things. But you as a believer in his word, know both God and how he works. So steep your life in God reality, God initiative, God provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find that all your everyday human concerns will be met. I love this. You see, God just challenges us here. CS Lewis says, when first things are first, second things are not suppressed, but they are increased. So when God tells us to seek first, let's just get this part down. Because remember, he says, if you're fussing, if you're complaining, man, I don't know how we're going to eat. I don't know what I'm going to do with these kids. I don't know where we're going to live. I'm stressed, my body's turning on itself, my immune system's breaking down, all this stuff. He said either one of two things, because you either don't know God, which we will lead you to the Lord right now, and that's the greatest decision you'll ever make. Or number two, which is more likely, you don't know how God's works. God's ways are not man's ways. He says, my thoughts are much higher than yours. My ways are far beyond yours. He's not of this world and neither are you. So God says, and I want you to get this. This is the basis for first fruits. Seek ye first. By implication, to seek means to worship. So he says, worship you First. Hmm. Now, what worship means isn't just what you do on Sunday like. And I love worship Sunday like, hallelujah, glory be to God. But it means to build a life that denotes his worth, his honor, and to revere him. Now, let's camp out right there, because seek ye God first. First, in your marriage, are you building a life that denotes honor? In your marriage, does your marriage honor God? Are you building a life that reveres God? In your marriage, are you building a life that honors God? In your finances? Now, if all your finances consist of in the checkbook that you go through, your bank account, your statements are a book of revelation. If you look at it, you have to say, okay, there's my mortgage, there's my apartment payment, whatever it is. There's my groceries, there's my electric, there's clothes, there's my gym membership, there's my Hulu account, There's my whatever it is. And if you look back down and you really get honest with yourself, this isn't a test for Paula White ministry. This is for you. And you look and go, does 1% go to God? Whoa, if you only knew. Inflation, economy. Of course I know. Inflation, economy. God's allowed me to run a worldwide ministry for 40 years. Think about that. Feeding millions of pounds of food. He's allowed me to go through a depression almost through the recession of 2007, which for me was on the heels of going through a divorce that I didn't want. I believed in family, everything else. You know my story. A ministry that was going through all kinds of turmoil at that time, falsely accused, had to go through investigations that I was exonerated for pr. Just slamming, slamming, slamming. Think about that. And you think all those circumstances made me go, well, my life just changed, so my ways are going to change. I would have been in such deep trouble, I would not have the life that I had. Now, our ministry for 40 years, that gets to honor and glorify God and do things that are just astronomical. John wouldn't be in my life. My amazing husband, who I've been married to for 10 years, the love of my life, wouldn't have happened. But see, when you put God first, you've got to ask yourself, do you denote his worth in your giving? Do you denote his worth with your children? Do you denote honor to him? Do you revere him with your children? Your ministry calling, put whatever you want to in there. But he says, seek. Does your life denote my worth? My honor and reverence to me? Seek me first. So it's not Just seek. It's not just denote my worth, denote my honor, denote. God says, I'm first. You shall have no other gods before me. He says over and over, I'm a jealous God. First means foremost or first in time, first in place, first in order of importance. So let's just get. Let's take relationship again. Let's just focus on marriage today or giving today or anything that's very practical to our life. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Okay? Worship God with honor, reverence, worth to note those things first, foremost in time, place, and importance of order. So you ready? You and your wife get in a big fight. You and her husband are just. You're like, oh, my God, I can't stand him. His breast sticks right now. Everything else because we're human or whatever, right? You're just, why did I marry this person? Because relationships have ups and they have downs. And what's happening? Well, most likely you put your husband first first or your wife first, and you'd think, well, that's right. No, that's a. That is a recipe for failure. What if your marriage does not have God first? I don't know how any two humans can make sustainability for the long term. 20, 30, 50 years, make it work. If you put that child first. And your children are vitally important. Important. Their heritage of the Lord, their arrows of your quiver, they are the, the. The blessing of the Lord. But if Brad, Rachel, then my grandchildren, Asher, Nick are first. The only reason I have a child, the only reason you have anything in your life is because God. And when it boils down to it that I've got to make a decision between what my child wants and what God wants, what's first? Well, those who don't know God and those who don't know his ways will always put people first or things first or decisions first. But if you, if I can get you to do one thing before we get so deep into this principle of first roots that will forever alter your life, and that is to see things, have a paradigm shift, see things differently, and really do an examination. Is God first? Let's keep taking it.
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Pastor Todd
Is God first?
- [15:52]
Paula White
In my day, do you just jump up and you grab your phone, you look at your text that came in through the night in your emails, or do you lay there like I do and I've been taught this and I've been corrected in my life, when I've got off path and they're saying, Paula, because I hold myself accountable, do you lay there? Do you envision your day? Thank God, this is the day the Lord had made. I will rejoice and be glad in it, or whatever you want to say. And you look at yourself, probably know your schedule, and you see God in that board meeting, you see God in that studio, you see God in that I'm putting God first in everything. And then at night you go to bed and you do a treasure hunt and you look back at over all what I call the winds in life. And you look how God made that phone call happen. God anointed me and gave me grace when I was put on the spot spot to pray or to give a briefing. God gave me the wisdom to go in the studio and to minister to the people that I love so much. You see, living a life with God first by honor, worth and reverence changes everything. And at the end of the day, that really is the principle of first fruits. So how do you do that? How do you seek God? Like, how do I make this practical? Multiple ways. You do it in the ways I just said. And you go, God, what's your words say? There are many ways that God talks to us. There are many ways that God communicates with us, that God meets us. So I do that through His Word. It's not a leftover thing I do. I do that through prayer. I pray without ceasing. I was always praying. I do that through spending time with him. I do that through fasting. I do that through giving. I do that through serving. I do that through obedience. You see, there are multiple ways that you put God first in a practical way. But you've got to do it. It's like, I know you want to look real cute. So do I. So do I. Like, we're going to get real healthy this year, right? But guess what, guys?
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Pastor Todd
That's going to take some discipline.
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Paula White
Some pushing away the fried food, some calorie counting, some getting on an elliptical, some 10,000 steps. Why? Because it doesn't just happen. It has to be intentional. So if you want this amazing blessed life that God has to release to you that he's no respecter of persons, it takes following the pathway of God. It takes some discipline. It takes some decisions to put the principle of first fruit. So Joshua 1:8 says, do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth. Meditate it on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and make your way successful. Remember, people who don't know God and people that don't know his ways or his works fuss over these things. Aren't you tired of being stressed out over the stuff of the world? You've got to change it. And I believe in you. I believe that God speaks, speaking to you right now. I believe the Holy Spirit is just knocking on your door right now. Your heart, he's pulling those heart springs and saying, hey you. He's tapping on the shoulder saying, hey, you, I'm talking to you. And I promise you, I promise you when you change your life and I tell you I try to create atmospheres for God. I have a speaker, my phone on. I put worship in the morning. I do before I get out of the bed, I do that. I read the Word before I get busy with all my emails or do anything else. I take God breaks during the day. I dedicate everything I do to the Lord. I'm flexible to hear him and obey at any minute and change my schedule. I honor him to the best of my ability and ask God to help me more and more and more as a wife, as a mother, as a pastor, as everything that he's, as an advisor to president, as everything that God has allowed me to be. So the more we know God, the stronger our faith becomes. And the stronger our faith becomes, the better our life becomes. Remember Romans, chapter 10, verse 17. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And the word reveals to you who God is and how he does things. Psalm 17. 4 concerning the works of men. By the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Psalm 119, 105 and that entire chapter. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119, verse 11. The word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you. Miss the mark. Psalm 132. 2. I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your name for your love and your faithfulness. For you have exalted above all things, your name and your word. Think about that. Above depression, above sickness, above disease, above death. God says I have exalted above poverty, above divorce, above all. Look at all the other things. Rebellion in my children. Your name and your word. Let me give you something of putting God first. My son is so powerful, powerful preacher. He's a phenom. Bradley Charles Knight Story Life, church Not because he's my son. Son because I believe. First off, when he was born, I just put the word on that just continually played all the way up until he was 7, 8 years old, maybe 9. So the word was in him 24, 7. Had one of those cassette players. And I was just, I'm gonna get it in him. And when Brad hit a teenager, he became rebellious. I mean, he was. He tells his own story in his testimony, but he went through some real deep, dark things that should have never happened to him. And sometimes bad things happen to good people. The enemy gets an advantage. And I had a son who ended up becoming an addict and who was an atheist. Very intellectual philosophy major. Started out as a political science, then got his first degree in theater, then got philosophy, etc. Etc. Continually learning. When he was 21 atheist, 22 atheist. But when he was in my house as a teenager, rebellious atheist, everything else, this was how he was. Because he was for. Against cruelty of animals, and he was for the rights of this and the rights of that and all those are wonderful things. But God was nowhere in his portfolio or in his heart. I shouldn't say in his heart. In his world, I was the mama, not the pastor, the mama that put God first. I was the mama that as soon as he got out of that room, I went in and I laid on his bed. Not for 10 minutes. Not okay, I think I did my duty. I laid on that bed like a. Like a mad woman. Like the syrophoenician woman that said, devil, you messed with the wrong one. My son's grievously vexed, and I needed to get ahold of Jesus. Not one day, not one week. For years this went on. And I would stretch myself across and I would say, God, fill this place. Visit him in the night. And I'd begin to quote every scripture I knew I would take every word I knew I would take anointed prayer cloths, stick them between those sheets. I would put them in his shoes. I would put them in his pants. I would sew them in. Months would go by, and he'd pull something out. He'd go, I gotcha. You and your stupid prayer cloths that didn't work out. I go, you're wrong, son. You should have died. That's been in there for six months. And I watched how God just took this boy who was rebellious, in an addict, and just Sam dunked him, saved him. And then Brad was still suicidal, he was depressed, and God literally delivered him out of a prophet in a crazy setup. He moves to Ghana. Long story short, God does this work. Not overnight. Nothing's overnight. But God does this work that. I look and go, this young man truly seeks God first in all things. That's not supposed to be my testimony. That's your testimony. I can't tell you how many checks that I thought, this is close to breaking my bank account. I wrote and I said, bradley Charles, and I will serve God. I do it every single day I give to someone. And I always honor God in that. That is the life of first things first. I could give you the dates and say, okay, you could do it in spring, you could do it here, you could do it there. But the reality at the beginning of this year, I want you to make a conscious decision to honor God first by putting him first in all things. That's the principle of firstfruits. I want to give you an opportunity to truly put God first, and that is with the relationship with him. If you don't know him as your Lord and Savior and that His Son was sent to save you, then cry out to God if you're sick and tired of being sick and tired and you want to make this right or you don't even know where you're going to spend eternity. The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Every one of us missed the mark. But God came to redeem us, to put us back in position in right standing with him. Through his Son, Jesus Christ, you can be assured of your eternal future, that you will spend the rest of eternity forever and forever and forever with God. How, Paula? Pray this prayer with me. Say, father God, I come to you right now in the name of Jesus. Forgive me for all my sin. I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Say, devil, the Lord rebuke you. Let go of my life. Holy Spirit, fill me and baptize me that I may have power to serve God until I see him face to face. If you prayed that prayer, welcome to the family of God, you say, Is it that simple, Paula? It is and it isn't. It's the first step. Make sure that you go to the website. We have a free digital download that I want to get to you what is salvation and also send me your prayer request. Now, I want you to honor God. I want to give you an opportunity because this is a time that we put and we make an intentional decision to put God first. And I believe that giving just breaks through everything. The Bible references first fruits or first things or devoted things all the same, no less than 32 times. And he says in Leviticus, chapter 23, verse 9 and 10, that when you come into the land which I gave you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priests. So it also declares to the in Proverbs 3, verse 9 and 10, honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase. So your barns, or it would say bank accounts today will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow. The first represents the total. So all first belong to God. So what do you mean? So if you're bringing the tithe to God, that's the first. 10. Let the first. Like if I get paid $500 a week, then the whole of the first belongs to God. Now I'm not saying you have to do it. I'm saying you get to do that. It's a choice that you make. And I encourage you to do the best you can to honor God. You see, the Bible declares this in Romans chapter 11, verse 16. For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is holy, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. God claims the first of all things things. It rightfully belongs to him. So when we apply that principle, that we give it to God, then we see the harvest come back to us. Remember our keynote scripture. Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. You can put God first in every area of your life. I want you to step out in faith and do this. Write the PO Box, put a check in it. Go to the website right now. Click on that donation button. It's going to be a year of harvest for you in Jesus name.
- [28:12]
Promotional Announcer
Proverbs 3:9 teaches us to honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all our increase.
- [28:18]
Paula White
God has to be first in your relationships. God has to be first in your finances. God has to be first with your children.
- [28:24]
Promotional Announcer
Honoring the lord in the first month of 2026 through the biblical principle of first faith positions you for favor opportunities and financial blessings. God's principle of firstfruits is all about putting him first in everything Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. Put God first through your firstfruits offering.
- [28:45]
Paula White
Honoring God in every way with my time, with my energy, with my relationships, with my finances. God first in all things.
- [28:54]
Promotional Announcer
Call, write text together. Go online now with your best friend offering given in obedience to God's word and we will rush to you. Paula's new devotional titled First A 31 Day Devotional to Keeping God first. And when you sow your first fruits offering of $120 or more. Today we will rush you this very special First Fruits bundle including the new Devotional plus Paula's brand new book First Unlocking the Daily Benefits of Putting God first plus Paula's four disc series God's Principle of First. Paula will touch and agree believing for supernatural increase and and abundance in every area in 2026. Activate God's principle of first fruits in 2026 as you make God first, it's worth fighting for. You are about to be unleashed into your purpose. Register today for the 2026 Unleashed Conference February 18th through the 21st in Apopka, Florida. Four days of anointed preaching and prophetic power plus a free children's Conference. Conference speakers include Pastor Paula White Kane, Pastor Russell Johnson, Pastor Jensen Franklin, Apostle Guillermo Maldonado, Prophet Gideon Danzo, Pastor Brad Knight and more, as well as Anointed Worship by Jonathan Cain of Hall of Fame, rock band Journey and others. This event is free but guaranteed. Preferred seating is available right now to secure your seat. We want to see you there.
- [30:14]
Public Investing Ad
Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investing recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures.
- [31:43]
Paula White
Welcome to politics today. Are you ready for an extraordinary year to see God's promises manifest in your life? To live that abundant life well, as we're in the beginning of the year, we must obey his word. Matthew 6 Seek ye first. Put God first in all things. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all these everyday needs and concerns. Everything you have need of will be added. They'll increase in your life. So I'm going to teach you on the principle of first fruit and how you can see the promises of God to come to pass in your life. Now let's get into the word.
- [32:26]
Pastor Todd
So watch what he's saying. Just write it down. Because I got to get you into God being first. Deuteronomy 11 says, Love the Lord your God. Keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws, and his commands always. All right, so there are four things he says. To love is interesting there because it means to have affection. It means to be intimate with God. That's a serious word. Like yada ginosko. To be intimate with God. God's not saying, love me from here. Love me. You're not intimate with everybody. Guys, intume. See? Intimacy, Intimacy. And God's saying, therefore you shall be intimate with the Lord your God.
- [33:09]
Paula White
Here's how you do it.
- [33:10]
Pastor Todd
By keeping his charge and his statutes and his judgments and his commands. To keep means, to guard, to protect, to attend to. So let me break them out for you. Because commandments are the commands or the law. You go, that was done away with. That's sloppy grace. Jesus came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. You're not the letter of the law killeth, but the spirit gives life. You didn't become a renegade rebel because you're a New Testament Christian. You still have the order of God. Jesus came to fulfill it. He said, you're gonna break this law every time. And the law can't save you. But I can. The judgments. Judgments are justice. It's a verdict that is pronounced judicially. Especially a sentence or a formal decree. It's a divine law. It's a ceremony. Okay, so John and I got married the first time on December 6th in Ghana. We got married the second time on April 25th.
- [34:16]
Paula White
Doing good here.
- [34:17]
Pastor Todd
April 25th, at the Ritz Carlton. We got married the third time on April 26th here at Destiny. At the time. One for God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. All right, so when did we get married before God. The first time? December 6th. Did I have an American license with him?
- [34:44]
Paula White
No, I didn't.
- [34:47]
Pastor Todd
That took till April 25. Did John move in with me on December 9? That's when we got back. Y' all looking funny. Y' all don't know. Isn't a trick question, Pastor Todd. It's not a trick question. Yes, he did. We were legally married in Ghana. Rachel and Brad were part of our wedding. Brad walked me down the aisle both times. All three times.
- [35:16]
Public Investing Ad
Why?
- [35:18]
Pastor Todd
Because marriage is a divine law. I don't care what the state says. I don't care what the state does. It is a divine law. And I was married. Y' all don't want me to go here, do you? I was married by God through archbishop, to my husband. I wanted the civil benefits of the. What America could give us. So we had another wedding for our friends to enjoy and to get the civil benefits. But when was the divine law fulfilled? Hey, it says if. If you can't. It says it's better to marry than to burn. Y' all aren't hearing what I'm saying. We were going to get married quick. Amen, y'. All. Some of y' all need to come get married now and then have your civil ceremony a little bit later. A judgment is justice.
- [36:20]
Paula White
Judicial.
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Pastor Todd
It's a divine law. Statues are customs enactments. Statues are appointments. God has appointments with you. So he says, love is this to obey God in the law, in divine law, in appointments.
- [36:35]
Paula White
You ready?
- [36:35]
Pastor Todd
And in charges, it's the act, it's the post, it's the duty, it's the office. You know, every one of you have been called to an office. Might be an office of an intercessor, might be an office of administrative. It might be an office of a pastor. You're called to a duty when you don't obey God in that you're not loving him. I didn't.
- [36:57]
Paula White
I'm just delivering it.
- [36:58]
Pastor Todd
Pastor Todd. So we're examining ourselves from head to toe to. Can I take 20 more minutes with you guys? So, Deuteronomy 6, 5, 7. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, your strengths, these commandments I give you today.
- [37:13]
Paula White
Write them on your hearts.
- [37:15]
Pastor Todd
Deuteronomy 7, 9. It's all an honor thing. Deuteronomy 10, 12, 13. It's all an honor. John 14, 15. If you love me, you will obey what I command. Now, in Hebrew, here's an interesting thing. The command to love the Lord God means to choose him for one's most intimate relationship, and then to express that choice by obedience through his revealed will. So in Hebrew, if you say, I love God, it means you choose God and you express that love by your choice. This is gonna go somewhere.
- [37:55]
Paula White
Now, by your choice.
- [37:57]
Pastor Todd
Remember this statement for the illustration I'm gonna do. If you love God, it means that you choose God and express that choice by obedience to his revealed will. So if someone is sick, we're to call forth the elders and pray over them, right? Well, if we just decide not to do that, are we walking out as a revealed will? When are we to help someone versus enabling them? See, the Bible is full of this stuff. There's nothing in your life that's not touched. Galatians 6:1. You who are spiritual, restore your brethren lest you fall into that same temptation. Now if it goes into restore that same word, restore that. First verse one says, when a person has a life crushing issue, lift the boulder off them and stand them up. But you're not to keep standing them. So when people keep being dependent on you, tell them, I'm not your God. Only God is God. He might have used me to resource, but he's your source. When people get mad at you because you won't do their urgency is not your emergency. The only time something is an emergency. If there is a life crushing issue, if they can't work, if they can't eat, if they can't walk, if they can't move because there is something so debilitating to them that they are not capable of standing up. If they're capable of standing up, don't be their crutch in life. You're not supposed to. In fact, it gets pretty rough about what you're supposed to do. Y' all still with me? Battery of tests. Say it's a heart thing. Say it's an honor thing. And now it's a how thing. So how do I do this? Proverbs 3, 5, 9 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him. He'll direct your paths. Don't be wise. In your eye, fear the Lord. Depart from evil. It will be help to your navel, marrow to your bones. Honor the Lord with thy substance, with thy first fruits of all, thine increase. That's an honor. So go with me to Matthew, chapter six. We're gonna make this real quick. Don't take any thought. Don't be anxiously careful for your life. How many of you have ever had anxiety over your life? So first thing he says is stop having the anxiety. What you're gonna eat, what you're gonna drink, what you're gonna wear, what gonna you're what you're going to put on where you're going to live. He says, these are these. You're going to have anxiety. Don't have anxiety over the everyday needs of life. Now, I've had anxiety over them sometimes. How are we going to pay our bills, what we're going to do, what needs to Be cut what we're going to, how we're going to make. And he says, behold the fowls of the air. They don't sow, they don't reap, they don't gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not a lot better? So why take thought, consideration. Consider this. And he goes into all these different things, right? Verse 33, but seek first. Somebody say, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these things will be added to you. Additionally placed. It means to lay beside, to repeat, to increase. Therefore, take no thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow shall take thought for itself.
- [40:58]
Paula White
Sufficient. Today.
- [40:59]
Pastor Todd
I'm going to read you the message because I love the way it reads. It says, what I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax. Turn to somebody, say, chill out. Say, take a chill pill. Now I mean that so sincerely. Cause all your griping is not gonna change your spouse, all your rebuking is not gonna change that rebellious child. Now, there are things that are going to do it, but all that stuff that we do in the flesh, all that worrying is not gonna change your situation. And he says, what I'm trying to do is get you to relax. I thought Mary taught something so profound yesterday when she talked. You have to release God even in a place of suffering. Like even when you see someone suffering, you've got to release them to God completely. What I'm trying to do is get you to relax, get you to trust me, get you to love me, get you to old baby, take battery of.
- [41:55]
Paula White
Tests right now, okay?
- [41:58]
Pastor Todd
To not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving.
- [42:06]
Promotional Announcer
Proverbs 3, 9 teaches us to honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all our increase.
- [42:12]
Paula White
God has to be first in your relationships. God has to be first in your finances. God has to be first with your children.
- [42:19]
Promotional Announcer
Honoring the lord in the first month of 202026 through the biblical principle of first fruits positions you for favor, opportunities and financial blessings. God's principle of first fruits is all about putting him first in everything Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Put God first through your first fruits offering.
- [42:39]
Paula White
Honoring God in every way. With my time, with my energy, with my relationships, with my finances. God first in all things.
- [42:48]
Promotional Announcer
Call, write, text together. Go online now with your best first fruits offering given in obedience to God's word, and we will rush to you. Paula's new devotional titled First A 31 Day Devotional to Keeping God First. And when you sow your first fruits offering of $120 or more today we will rush you this very special first fruits bundle including the new devotional plus Paula's brand new book First Unlocking the Daily Benefits of Putting God first. Plus Paula's four disc series God's Principle of First. Paula will touch and agree believing for supernatural increase and abundance in every area in 2026. Activate God's principle of first fruits in 2026. As you make God First.
- [43:27]
Paula White
I pray you're enjoying God's word. We'll be back with it in just a second, but I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for standing with us at Paula White Ministry. If you've not signed up to be a Paul partner yet, why don't you get all the benefits and find out what is it that I can do for Paula White Ministry and what is it that Paula White Ministry can do for me? Just go to our website and find out how you can make a difference around the world. Now let's get back into the word.
- [43:58]
Pastor Todd
If I'm fussing, it means I either don't know God or I don't know how he works. God has a divine, accurate or order an arrangement for everything in your life. I just want to help you get out of a groundhog year right now. I want to help you not live contrary to the word of God. I want to help you have that breakthrough right now. This is not a message of condemnation. This is a message of really love and saying, look, I've been in divine accurate or I've been out of order before. But when God began to reveal to me divine accurate order and arrangement of things, my life begin to get in alignment. When my life gets in alignment, I see God's promises. How many of you are ready for a breakthrough year? Come on. How many of you ready for stop having no more groundhog years? So say bring it real fast, Paula. Bring it. So foremost in time, place, order, the kingdom of God, who God is and God's way of doing things. How. This is the how part. Well, there's obvious ways. We've been doing prayer, fasting, giving his word, right? Serving, putting him first in everything, your life, ministry, business. If you're just working a job, what are you doing? You're not a job type of person. You're a called person. You shouldn't be at that job if you're just doing a job just to get ends meet. I mean say God, this temporary now show me my assignment. Because everything in your life is an assignment. What are you doing clocking in just.
- [45:20]
Paula White
To get a paycheck?
- [45:22]
Pastor Todd
Unless you're supposed to be there for 50 years to minister to one person so they don't go to hell. Everything in your life is an assignment. You're a sent person. You are chosen by God. You're called by God. Joshua 1:8 starts, how do we put him first? It starts by putting his word first. Do not let this book of the law depart out of your mouth, but meditate it, chew on it day and night. Come on. That you may be careful to do everything that is written. There goes that obedience. To do everything that is written. And so shall you. Make your way prosperous. And make your way successful. Prosperous means to advance, to break out, to break through, to break forth. How many of you are ready to break forth? Breaking forth out of depression, breaking forth out of loss, breaking forth out of generational curses, breaking forth out of the enemy's demonic stronghold, breaking forth out of mindsets that are resistant to change. Today I'm going to make God's word first in my life. Come on. How many of you are going to say, it's going to be my roadmap. It's going to be my lifeline. It's not just something I casually read. I'll study it more than anything else. People who don't know God and know the way he works. Come on, we fuss. So Romans chapter 1017 says, faith cometh by and hearing by. So the word of God reveals to you how to live. The just shall live by faith. Over and over, the just shall live by faith. Psalm 17:4. Concerning the works of men, by the word of your lips have I kept myself from the path of the destroyer. The enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy you, but it is only through the word of God that you're able to keep yourself from the path of destruction. There's no way not to fall into a path of destruction except for hiding the word of God in your heart every single day, knowing that your heart is constant ground that needs to be plowed. Psalm 119. 105. Your word is a lamp to my feet, and it is a light to my path. Verse 11. The word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you, I might not miss the mark. Psalm 132, verse 2. I'll bow down toward your holy temple, and I'll praise your name for your love and your faithfulness. For you have exalted all things. For you have been exalted all things. Your name and your word. God exalts his name. God exalts his word over everything. Over crisis, over destruction, over divorce. Come on. He exalts his name in his word.
- [47:58]
Paula White
Word.
- [47:58]
Pastor Todd
There's a plan that God has for your life. When you put God's word first, it begins to alter and change everything in your life. Jeremiah 29:11. I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, to break you forth, to advance you, to break you through, not to harm you. Plans to give you an expected end. How many of you want to make it to the expected end? Come on. Because God. God doesn't look and say, oh, there's a war going on. Whoa, the economy's getting bad.
- [48:24]
Promotional Announcer
Whoo.
- [48:25]
Pastor Todd
Bank of America. No. Who was it? Bank of America came out, said, we're about to lose all the stock. And Goldman Sachs and Amazon just laid off 10,000. And the competitor to Google is getting ready to lay off 12,000. And, oh, you better be concerned. Some of you look at your stock portfolio more than you look at your Bible. I'd be concerned too, if I was dependent on this world system, but I'm not. I've been hungry. I can be hungry again. I've been full. I can be full again. But this one thing I know, I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor their seed begging for bread when the rubber hits the road. I've got to know God. You've put me through a battery of tests. You're first in my life. So every covenant right, every covenant privilege, are released by believing and activating the word of God. You have to make his presence your priority. I'm not going to take time to do this, but you know, I teach this. There are three important things you've got to understand about the word principles, which are fundamental truths, which every other law is based on, patterns, which is a divine, accurate order and arrangement of things and positioning the way you are placed or arranged around that. So there's principles, there's patterns, and there's positioning. You've got to understand that in context of studying. So God has a divine, accurate order and arrangement of things. Are you ready? Say, bring it on. When something is arranged in a proper, systematic order, that order for the kingdom of God. Now this is not the order for the world. It's not the order that your boss is putting out. Might not even be the order for some people in your house. But that order for the kingdom of God is always in all things first. Things first. God first, which means the principle of first fruits. Now if that's the divine accurate order and arrangement, let me bring it down. You ready for a battery of tests? Y' all are like, I've got this down, I'm passing the test. Hold your seats just for a minute. Principle is a root word from Prince meaning dominion. Meaning if it's a principle, it has domain over your life. It is a fundamental truth or law that everything else is based on. So everything gets based out of God first. First fruits is more than an offering though. It's inclusive of an offering. So don't get up here and think first fruits is just an offering. First fruits is when I bring this much to God. First fruits is the first tenth of the tithe. First fruits is a principle. It's a feast. Jesus was the first fruits of many brethren. First fruits means the hasty fruit. It means birthright. That's what it means. In the Hebrew it means a promise to come. In the Greek it means a sacrifice. It's the best or the choice part. It's the first in place, the first in time, the first in order, the first in rank. It's a beginning or a chief or a principal thing. It's a forefront or fundamental. A fundamental means a basic essential supporting all existence. It's the foundation. If we don't have this foundation, guys, we're in a sinkhole or something. We have no way to be in here and have stability in our life. The reason there's so much double mindedness and wavering is because there's not a foundation. And there has to be a foundation. Starting with the fact that your elder brother is the first fruit of many brother. It determines the essential structure and it determines the function. It's a promise to come. And God says, all first belong to me.
- [52:18]
Paula White
I pray the word has blessed you today. I want to give you an opportunity to honor God and put him first by giving him a first fruits offering. Like I said, we recognize there's a difference between the Hebrew calendar and the Western calendar. But during our first January, we like to do three things. Pray, fast and give. Now God mandates this throughout his word, especially in the the Old Testament. You see it in the New Testament as well. But this is not a heaven and hell issue. This is not, if I don't give, I'm going to go to hell. That was settled by the blood covenant of Jesus Christ. This is an issue of you can be saved and not fulfill the full plan of God. See all the blessings of God. But why would we want that? So I want you to position yourself for God's promises by honoring him with the first fruits offering. So first fruits in the Hebrew is bichiram and literally means a promise to come. You see, there is one who never breaks his promise, and that is God. So when you honor God with the first fruits offering, it's like sending a signal to your September, to your July. And that promise is released in your life. See, when you keep first things first through faith and obedience, you turn God's promise, promise into provision because he wants you to succeed. He died to give you an abundant life. And he's put a principle in place called first fruits. And he says in Leviticus 23, verse 9 and 10, when you come into the land which I gave you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. We also see it in Proverbs chapter 3. And again, all through the word, honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase. So your barns, or we would say bank accounts, will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow. You see, the first represents the total and all first belong to God. This divine establishment of God's order is actually the root and the foundation for what governs the rest. So whatever you do with the first hour of your day governs or dictates the rest. The first day of the week, the first month of the year, the first of your giving. Romans chapter 11, verse 16 says it like this. For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy. And if the root is holy, then so are the branches. So remember, God claims the first of all things. It rightfully belongs to Him. And when we apply the principle of firstfruits, we see that all firsts should be given to the Lord. This is your opportunity to grow in faith, to be a blessing to this ministry which is good, good ground. So right now, honor God with His first fruits and, and I promise you, you are going to see the results, the rewards, the promises of God. Seek ye first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33. How do I do it? Call the toll free number right now. You click on the donation button. Go to paulawhite.org or you can write the the po box. You can do it with cash app PayPal. There's a lot of different ways to do it, but the key is put God first in your giving with a first fruits offering. I'm deeply convicted about this And I've lived it for literally decades now. Father God, I pray over every giver that you would show them your promises, increase them supernaturally in the name which is above every name, the name of Jesus Christ. Let all fear be gone and let them take a step of faith as they honor you first and have a different year than they've ever had before in Jesus name.
- [56:23]
Promotional Announcer
Proverbs 3:9 teaches us to honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all our increase.
- [56:29]
Paula White
God has to be first in your relationships. God has to be first in your finances. God has to be first with your children.
- [56:35]
Promotional Announcer
Honoring the lord in the first place of 2026 through the biblical principle of first fruits positions you for favor, opportunities and financial blessings. God's principle of first fruits is all about putting him first in everything Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. Put God first through your first fruits.
- [56:56]
Paula White
Offering, honoring God in every way with my time, with my energy, with my relationships, with my finances. God first in all things.
- [57:05]
Promotional Announcer
Call, write text together. Go online now with your best first fruits offering given in obedience to God's word and we will rush to you Paula's new devotional titled First A 31 Day Devotional to Keeping God First. And when you sow your first fruits offering of $120 or more today we will rush you this very special first fruits bundle including the new devotional plus Paula's brand new book unlocking the daily benefits of putting God first plus Paula's four disc series God's Principle of First. Paula will touch and agree believing for supernatural increase and abundance in every area in 2026. Activate God's principle of first fruits in 2026 as you make God first.
- [57:44]
Paula White
This is a year of glory. The manifestation of God's presence and his presence must be our priority. But you can't have his presence without a relationship. You cannot really see the manifestation of all God's promises without a real relationship. And maybe you have never asked God or Jesus Christ more specifically to be your Lord and Savior. In fact, if you died right now, you're not sure if heaven or hell's your home. You don't have to live like that. Let's do this first month right by really having a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. If you want to pray that prayer, say Paula, I'm ready to reset my life. I want to make sure that heaven becomes my home. Pray this with me. Say Father God, forgive me for all my sin. I receive Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. Say Devil, let go of my life in Jesus name. If you prayed that prayer, go to paulawhite.org There's a book on salvation, our building blocks of faith. It's not the last step, but it is the first step. And welcome to the family of God. I'd love to be your pastor. Let's do life together. Send me your prayer request and your praise reports and God bless you.
- [59:12]
Promotional Announcer
It's worth fighting for. You are about to be unleashed into your purpose. Register today for the 2026 Unleashed Conference, February 18th through the 21st in Apopka, Florida. Four days of anointed preaching and prophetic power, plus a free children's Conference. Conference speakers include Pastor Paula White Kane, Pastor Russell Johnson, Pastor Jensen Franklin, Apostle Guillermo Maldonado, Prophet Gideon Danzo, Pastor Brad Knight and more, as well as anointed worship by Jonathan Cain of Hall of Fame, rock band Journey and others. This event is free but guaranteed. Preferred seating is available right now to secure your seat. We want to see you there.
- [59:54]
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- [60:24]
Paula White
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.