Prepared Trust | Robert Madu | Social Dallas

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: Prepared Trust | Robert Madu | Social Dallas

Podcast: Social Dallas Podcast
Episode Date: February 16, 2026
Host/Speaker: Pastor Robert Madu

---

Episode Overview

In this impactful episode, Pastor Robert Madu explores the theme of "Prepared Trust"—the dynamic between actively preparing in life and fully trusting in God for victory. Using Scripture from Psalms 20 and Proverbs 21, Robert emphasizes that true trust in God isn't passive or lazy, but is marked by both practical preparation and wholehearted spiritual surrender. With humor, memorable analogies, and practical wisdom, he encourages listeners to move from "lazy trust" to "prepared trust," urging everyone to do their human part while recognizing God's ultimate sovereignty.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Word of the Year: Trust

• Social Dallas' guiding word for 2026 is "trust," specifically a confident trust in the Lord (00:01–00:58).
• Anchoring Scripture: Hebrews 10:35–37—reminder to persevere in faith to receive God’s promises.

---

2. Scripture Foundation: Psalms & Proverbs

• Psalm 20:6–7:
  • Some trust in chariots and horses, “but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
• Proverbs 21:31:
  • “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord.”
  • Message translation (paraphrased): “Do your best, prepare for the worst, then trust God to bring victory.” (02:42–03:43)

Robert’s main question:

“Which one is it? Preparing the horse or trusting God for the victory? … Both. Both.” (03:59)

---

3. Psalm vs. Proverbs: Emotion and Wisdom

• Songs stir emotion but lack wisdom. Bible gives us both:
  • Psalms = expressing the heart (emotion, prayer)
  • Proverbs = living out wisdom (action, discipline)
  • “Psalms shapes my prayers, but Proverbs shapes my practices.” (08:48–09:40)

---

4. Active vs. Passive Trust

• David is both preparing for battle and praying for God's intervention.

  • Not a passive, hands-off attitude, but partnership: prepare as if it depends on you, pray as if it depends on God (11:13–11:59).

• Critical distinction:

  • “It does not say, ‘We don’t have horses… we’re just trusting in God.’ … They had horses and chariots. Their trust wasn’t IN those things.” (12:44–13:15)

---

5. Where Is Your Trust?

• You can have resources, relationships, skills—but your trust must be in God, not in those things (13:16–14:19).

• Notable example:

  “I could have a job, but my trust is not in my job. My job is not my source. It's just my resource. God is my source.” (13:23)

• Sometimes you only learn where your real trust is when it’s taken from you (14:29–14:52).

---

6. God May Strip Away False Sources

• Sometimes, as in Joshua 11, God commands the destruction of chariots to build trust in Him alone (15:31–16:19).
• Personal testimony:
  • Robert shared about launching Social Dallas without asking for funding, learning firsthand that God provides beyond human preparation.

---

7. Prepared Trust vs. Lazy Trust

• Prepared Trust: Active participation in God’s plans—do your part!
• Lazy Trust: Passive, spiritualizes inaction, points the finger at God while refusing human responsibility (22:48–23:32).
  • Illustrated with humor via the “hammock vs. horse” analogy. (23:35–28:07)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Humorous Breakdown of Song Lyrics (05:13–07:57)

• “We ain’t getting no younger, we might as well do it.” — On bad romance advice in music.
• “Gas tank on E, but all drinks on me.” — “You broke but you generous in the wrong places.”

Hammock vs. Horse Illustration (23:35–28:07)

• “Some of you need a visual… This is how I trust God. Just chilling. Got movement, but ain’t going nowhere.” (23:43)
• “You think you’re waiting on God, but God is waiting on you. The horse is still prepared. My victory comes in the name of the Lord. Okay, but have you got a horse or a chariot?” (22:48–23:35)
• “Stop swinging in the hammock and get you a horse.” (28:06)

---

Practical Application: Principles from Training a War Horse

Robert draws parallels between preparing a war horse and building "prepared trust" in our spiritual lives:

1. Feed Daily (30:47–31:33)

• Horses eat daily. Similarly, “Camel Christianity”—only feeding spiritually once a week—is not enough.
  • “Give us this day our daily bread, not weekly, not monthly, daily bread.” (31:07)

2. Groom Regularly—Cleanse Your Heart (32:46–35:29)

• Grooming prevents sores; likewise, cleanse your heart daily from offense or bitterness.
  • “If you don’t allow the water of the word of God and healthy community to cleanse your heart, debris is going to build up…” (33:26)

3. Check Your Foundation (35:29–36:52)

• Examine under the hooves for stones; examine the foundation of your life and relationships.

4. Submit to Training (37:11–39:07)

• Discipline is necessary: “What good is your strength if you’re not accountable? Who can tell you no?”
• “Formation takes longer than you realize. If you can submit to the training, you can be trusted to handle weight.” (39:07)

5. Embrace Meekness, Not Weakness (39:49–44:14)

• Meekness = strength under control.
  • “Meekness means I could say it, but I won’t.” (41:06)
  • Jesus modeled meekness—he had all power, but chose restraint and servanthood (43:41–44:14).

---

Call to Action: Are You Doing Your Part? (21:11–23:24, 47:32–53:41)

• Self-examination: Where are you trusting God but refusing preparation?
• Tangible examples: Applying for jobs, budgeting, going to counseling, building community.
• “You’re not waiting on God. God is waiting on you.” (25:04)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening Theme & Scripture of Year: 00:01
• Psalms & Proverbs—Emotion and Wisdom: 08:48–09:40
• Prepared vs. Lazy Trust, Hammock/Horse: 23:35–28:07
• Daily Spiritual Feeding: 30:47
• Grooming/Cleansing the Heart: 32:46
• Foundation Check: 35:29
• Submitting to Training: 37:11
• Embracing Meekness: 39:49
• Call to Action & Altar Response: 47:32–53:41

---

Tone & Language

The episode is energetic, humorous, and practical. Robert uses analogies (“hammock vs. horse”) and real-life examples to connect with the audience. His delivery is motivating but grounded, combining challenging exhortation (“Do your part!”) with encouragement (“Victory belongs to the Lord.”).

---

Conclusion

Pastor Robert Madu’s message is clear:
Do your due diligence—prepare the horse—but never place your ultimate trust in the horse or chariot. God asks for active partnership: diligent, daily preparation on our part and unshakeable confidence that the victory is His. Through faithfulness in little things, daily feeding, cleansing the heart, embracing discipline, and walking in meekness, believers are equipped to experience both the responsibility and freedom of true trust.

“At some point, you got to move beyond hype and start checking your habits.” (46:39)

Final Challenge:
Are you swinging in a hammock of lazy trust, or are you preparing your horse for the victory God wants to bring? Move from passive hope to prepared trust and watch God do what only He can.

--

Transcript

[A]

How many glad that you're in the house of the Lord today? How many more thankful that his presence is here today? Welcome to Social Dallas. You look good. And matter of fact, you look like you got confident trust in the Lord. If you're new to Social Dallas, we have a word that shapes our year. And our word for 2026 is trust that this is the year we're going to put our trust in the Lord. Not shaky trust, not scared trust, but confident trust in the Lord. How many feel trust being formed in you already this year? Amen. Well, that word of the year comes straight out of the word of God. It's Hebrews, chapter 10, verses 35 through 37. And so we read this collectively as a family every single Sunday, and we're going to do that today. Y' all ready to read it? Social Global family. Can we make some noise for them all over the world? Y' all ready to read it at home?

[B]

We got people watching this on Pando.

[A]

All over the world today. Y' all ready? Remember, don't go till I say so, okay? Y' all been coming. Here we go. So do not throw away. Remember the great reward it brings you. Patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. For in just a little while, the coming one will come and not delay. Come on, if you believe it. Give him some praise today. Then. Our text for today comes from Psalm chapter 20. Want to look at verses 6 through 7 and also Proverbs, chapter 21, verse 31. Psalm, chapter 20, verse number 6 declares, now this I know. The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. Don't miss verse 7. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. That's good stuff, y'. All. I don't do drugs. I do scripture. That is. That's good stuff. And then just to add to this, Proverbs 21, verse 31 says, the horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord. I like the message translation because it expands the language on this text. Proverbs 21, verse 31, message. Translation says, do your best, prepare for the worst, then trust God to bring victory. So on one hand, I got a God that's gonna bring the victory. It belongs to him. I can't trust in the horse of the chariot. Victory only comes from God. But I gotta prepare the Horse for the battle. Which one is it? Preparing the horse or trusting God for the victory? Both. Both. And today, I want to tag a title to this text and preach to you from this thought. Prepared, trust. Prepared, trust. Now I need you to help me preach. Look at your neighbor, whichever one you like the best. Come on. I give you a chance every week to pick. I want you to look at them and just say, neighbor, I know you're trusting God, but are you prepared? I don't know. You gotta ask another neighbor. Ask another neighbor.

[B]

Come on.

[A]

Say other neighbor. Oh, I know you got trust, but.

[B]

I want to know, are you prepared?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. If you believe God's going to speak today, would you give him some praise in here, Father? Speak to us today.

[B]

Amen.

[A]

You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. Prepared, trust. Any music lovers in the house today? Oh, it's a whole lot. All my music lovers. Have you noticed how there are some songs that sound real good on the surface, but if you actually pause and start thinking about what you're singing, all.

[B]

Of a sudden you realize, that is.

[A]

The dumbest thing I have ever heard? That absolutely makes no sense.

[B]

Have you noticed this? This can happen a lot.

[A]

Sometimes the lyrics are completely illogical if you'll take the time to just pause and think about what you're singing.

[B]

There's a whole lot of songs I.

[A]

Could give you, but even before I give you one of them. Anybody in here newly engaged, about to get married? I know yesterday was Valentine's Day. Anybody? Come on. Oh, over here. Let's go.

[B]

Anybody else newly engaged? Right there. I see you.

[A]

Congrats. Congrats.

[B]

I want to help some of y'.

[A]

All.

[B]

There's one song that probably should not.

[A]

Be on your wedding playlist. Okay? It should not be on it. If it is, take it off right now.

[B]

Because it sounds good on the surface, but if you start thinking about it, it is stup.

[A]

Have you heard? It goes like this.

[B]

Meet me at the altar in your white dress. We ain't getting no younger. We might as well do it. Time out, time out, time out, time out. We ain't getting no younger. We might as well. We might as well. All those who just got engaged. Is that how he proposed? He got down on one knee and said, will you marry me? You said, oh, my God. Are you serious?

[A]

And then he went, might as well.

[B]

Who in the world wants a might as well marriage? You gotta think about it. These lyrics are messed up. Here's another one.

[A]

Younger generation. Here's another one.

[B]

It's a beautiful night I'm looking for something dumb to do hey, baby, I think I wanna.

[A]

Y' all ain't saved. Y' all ain't saved.

[B]

At least the psalmist Bruno was honest. He said, this is a dumb idea, and I just wanna do it. I don't even know if I wanna marry you. I think I wanna marry you. This blows my mind. These lyrics are illogical.

[A]

It's dumb advice. Here's another one. Because these stupid lyrics are not just limited to romance. Sometimes it'll go over into finance.

[B]

Here's one.

[A]

Here's one. Here's one. This one has to be one of the dumbest lyrics ever created.

[B]

This one's so dumb, I gotta put.

[A]

It on the screen to show you how stupid it is. This psalmist said this.

[B]

I pull up at the club, vip.

[A]

Gas tank on E, but all drinks on me.

[B]

What? I'm confused. You broke, but you generous in the wrong places. Tank on me. All drinks on me. Y' all laughing, but that's how some.

[A]

Of you live your life.

[B]

Generous in the wrong places. Cover charge. Got it.

[A]

$30. Drink.

[B]

Got it. Come to church offering. Aw, they always want my money. Are you generous in the wrong places?

[A]

Here's one more.

[B]

One more, one more.

[A]

I gotta do this one. This the Stalkers national anthem. Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you. That is not romance. That's surveillance, y'. All. That is a restraining order. It's coming your way. What? What's the point? PR that? There. There is a point. The point is, songs do a real good job of giving us emotion, but they don't give us wisdom. They tell you how to feel, not how to live. Songs help you express what's on your heart, but they don't shape your habits. And that's why I love the Word of God. Because I think God, in his infinite brilliance, gave us the Word of God. And right in the middle, gave us two books right next to each other. Psalms and Proverbs. Psalms and Proverbs. He gave us these two books so we could not just express our emotions, so we could also live in wisdom. You need Psalms and you need Proverbs. He gave us Psalms so we could express our hearts. He gave us Proverbs so we could discipline our lives. Psalms teaches me how to talk to God, but Proverbs teaches me how to walk with God. Psalms give me emotion, but Proverbs gives me wisdom. Psalms shapes my prayers, but Proverbs shapes my practices. Psalms give me language for my feelings, but Proverbs gives me wisdom for my decisions. Psalms help me process life, but Proverbs help me steward life. Psalms remind me I can cry out to God, but Proverbs reminds me I have a responsibility. And hear me. If you are going to trust God, you need both. You need to be able to express your emotions and talk to God how you feel. I'm thankful that I can come to him with how I really feel. I don't have to put on for God. I don't have to have pretense for God. But I love Proverbs because Proverbs keep gives me principles of how to walk in wisdom. And you need both of them. So our text today in Psalms chapter 20 and in Proverbs chapter 21. Let's start with Psalms 20. This is a military psalm. This is a royal psalm. It's written by King David. You remember David, the rock star that defeated Goliath? This is his psalm. And I love it because when you're reading Psalm 20, you're reading something that they would have sung right before. Right before they're about to fight, they would sing this song. The first half of the psalm is Israel's prayer over their leader, over their king. The second half is David's response to what they're saying. I love it because this is not a love song. This is a war song. David's not reading this from a bed. He is about to go to battle. That's important for us to note because he's not sitting back chilling. He's about to fight. He's about to go to war. Do you know how much strategy goes into war? You gotta prepare the troops. You gotta. The horse is ready. If you do not prepare for the battle, people will lose their lives. So it is important that you have a process. It is important that you have a strategy. So here's David. He is strategizing for the war, but he's also praying. He's preparing and he's praying. He's praying and he's fighting. So the picture in Psalm 20 is not of this passive trust. That's just sitting back saying, I don't gotta go fight the enemy. Let me just pray to God. No, no, no, no. I am preparing to fight, but I praying to God. It's a picture of active trust. It's saying, God, I'm doing everything I can. Like this fight depends on me. But I'm also praying, like, this fight depends on you. And I need both of them. Let's look at it again. Proverbs, chapter 20. I'm sorry? Psalms, chapter 20, verse number seven. Let's put it on the screen and look at it. It says, some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Hmm. Some trust in horses and some in chariots, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Is that what your Bible says? Is that what it says on the screen? You sure? I have grown up in church my whole life and heard this verse a whole lot of times. And I was so busy looking at what the text does say, I didn't realize what it does not say. Notice what it does not say. It does not say, we don't have horses.

[B]

Forget them chariots.

[A]

We're just trusting in God.

[B]

No.

[A]

Do your due diligence.

[B]

David and the military had horses. They also had chariots. What they're saying is our trust is not in them. There's some people that have horses and.

[A]

Chariots, and they have put their trust in them.

[B]

We are distinct in that we have horses and we have chariots. We didn't get rid of them, but we're not trusting in the horses or the chariots. Our trust and our dependence is on God.

[A]

Hear me today.

[B]

There's a difference between having something and.

[A]

Then having your trust in something. Oh, y' all gonna make me work hard today.

[B]

I could have a job, but my trust is not in my job. My job is not my source. It's just my resour. God is my source. I can have a relationship, but my trust in my security and my identity and knowing how loved I am is not in the relationship.

[A]

It's in God.

[B]

I can vote as I should vote in this nation. But please believe that just because I'm voting, my trust is not in an administration. My trust is not in a political party. My trust is not in the White House. My trust is in the one who nobody voted him in and nobody can vote him out. My trust is in the God that operates by a kingdom. My trust is in a God that says, heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. And beside me there is no other. Oh, please believe I'm gonna vote. But don't get it twisted. The voting is not me saying I'm trusting in the government.

[A]

My trust is in God. Ooh.

[B]

I'm telling you, just cause I have.

[A]

Something don't mean my trust is in it. That is the tenor of this text today.

[B]

And sometimes you don't know what your.

[A]

Trust is really in until it's. Until it's taken away from you. Oh, yeah. That's why some of y' all are tripping right now, because you thought your trust was in God, but your trust was in Fred, and now Fred broke up with you, and you about to.

[B]

Lose your mind, and you thought God.

[A]

Was your foundation and Fred was your foundation.

[B]

Come on, somebody.

[A]

Some of you thought your job was.

[B]

Your foundation, and all of a sudden.

[A]

Your job gets taken away and you found out that was really your foundation and it wasn't God. And that's why I love what David is saying. He's like, let's be clear. I have horses, I have chariots, but my trust is not in them. It's interesting. God doesn't say, burn up all the horses and get rid of the chariots. Although there's one time he did. When you read it. Read it when you get to the crib. Joshua, chapter 11. Joshua was on a conquest. And actually he gets a commandment from God to burn up the chariots and get rid of the horses. All of them. Why? Because God was forming trust in his people. And often when God is forming trust in you, there's things that you would naturally rely on that he wants to strip away from you to show you that your dependence has got to be on Him. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? Have you ever had a season where you had to actually burn up the chariots and get rid of the horses.

[B]

To remind yourself God knows how to.

[A]

Bring you the victory any way he can? He doesn't have to have a horse or a chariot. Come on. This is a God that'll make you walk around a building and just yell, and he'll bring you to victory. And I'll preach to myself. I remember when we planted this church. God gave us a burn up the chariots and get rid of the horses moment. He spoke to us so clearly when we planted Social, Dallas said, don't call anybody. Don't ask for a penny. And as God is my witness, we.

[B]

Did not call a single person and say, hey, we're planting a church. If the Lord would put it on your heart, please sow.

[A]

No, no, no.

[B]

We just obeyed God and we casted the vision. And I know I. That moment, God knew I needed that moment because it blew my mind as I didn't ask anybody for anything. And all of a sudden, I would get calls from people and say, man, God just spoke to me and said, I'm supposed to sow into what y' all are doing. I needed that confidence. Then when we were Just starting, because God knew we would be in this season. Now, I needed to have that confident trust when it was just thousands because God knew that the vision was going to require millions later. Who am I preaching to? Somebody in here right now? You actually need to burn up the horses and the chariots so that when God opens the door, can't nobody else take credit but God. And you can tell him it wasn't by might, it wasn't by power, it was by God's spirit that this came to pass.

[A]

Preaching to myself, that feels real good. So sometimes he'll have you burn up the horses, get rid of the chariots. In fact, if you'll read Deuteronomy, chapter 17, When God is giving the law to his people, he actually gives warnings to the king. He said, when you put a king.

[B]

Over you, make sure he doesn't get.

[A]

A whole bunch of silver and gold.

[B]

Make sure he doesn't get a whole bunch of different wives that will turn his heart away from Yahweh. And then he says, and make sure.

[A]

He doesn't get a whole bunch of horses.

[B]

Why do you care about horses, God?

[A]

Because horses represented the strength. They represented the military power. He said, I don't ever want you dependent on anybody but me. Is this helping anybody in here today? So God, he doesn't say, burn up the horses or burn up the chariots so you can have a horse. In fact, I love the verse in Proverbs because Proverbs doesn't just say, have a horse. It says, prepare the horse. God expects you to prepare. Let the church say prepare. Prepare.

[B]

Yeah, prepare.

[A]

That means trust is not passive, it's active. That means trust is partnership with God for his purposes to come into the earth. Come on, let's read it. Proverbs 21:31. Just one more time. It says, the horse is prepared on the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord. Is that what it said? Somebody say, yeah, one more time. The horse is prepared on the day of my bad new prescription. The horse is prepared for. You know all the people that said on. That's the procrastinators right there. Isn't that interesting?

[B]

The horse is not prepared on the day of battle. It's prepared for the day of battle. In other words, you can't start getting the horse together when the enemy is coming against you. There ought to be some things that you have a vision for and you're already preparing.

[A]

Now, let me help some of y'.

[B]

All that are dating now. I'll wait till I get married. To start acting like a husband. I'll wait till I get married to start acting like what? You are preparing now. If you sleeping around now while you dating, what, you. You think you're gonna turn that off because you went to an altar? No, no, no.

[A]

You're preparing now. Now. And so I love. Oh, put it back up there. I love that the horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord. So let's just look at this. It's so simple, but it'll bless you. The horse is prepared. Um, whose part is that? That's your part. God says, I ain't coming down from heaven to prepare that horse. That preparation is on you. Victory belongs to who? To the Lord. So I prepare. God provides. I obey. God opens doors. I steward, God supplies. That is real trust. And I love that. We have David that's saying it through a song. And then we got Solomon that's saying it through a proverb. You got different voices that are both saying the exact eternal truth. You got two different people, a father and a son, saying the same. You got a worshiper and a builder saying the same thing.

[B]

You got David, who prepared the tools.

[A]

That were needed for the temple, and.

[B]

Solomon, who built the temple, saying the.

[A]

Same thing in this truth. That there's a such thing as God's.

[B]

Sovereignty, but there's also human responsibility.

[A]

And God has to do his part. And you got to do your part, too.

[B]

Don't tell me you're trusting God and you haven't done your part.

[A]

My question is simple for you today. Are you doing your part? I know you say you're trusting God, but are you doing your part, really? Have you applied for the job? Have you applied for the loan? Have you taken the step of faith? Have you asked her out?

[B]

Do your part. I think this is in my heart.

[A]

We're gonna do this one day on Social. We're gonna have a singles mixer. It's gonna be holy, it's gonna be good.

[B]

And we're gonna help y' all out. Don't clap too soon. We gonna have a singles mixer. This is in my heart. We're gonna do it. We'll have a singles mixer.

[A]

Watch this.

[B]

And we taking all yalls phones away.

[A]

I want a locker.

[B]

We just gonna lock em up. And me and PT gonna be there and we're just gonna watch and see if you know how to communicate and do your part. My goodness. Dawg, can you do something without sliding into a dm? Can you walk over and open up your mouth and communicate? I Like the way you worship. Can we go get lunch? Look at somebody say, do your part. The horse is prepared for battle. You laughing, but there are so many people that refuse to do their part. And you think you're waiting on God and God is waiting on you. The horse is still prepared. My victory comes in the name of the Lord. Okay, but have you got a horse or a chariot? Well, victory belongs to God. Okay, have you prepared the horse?

[A]

My message today is called prepared trust. But here's what I see, especially in church, is what I'll call lazy trust. Lazy trust. Elbow the person next to you that's about to fall asleep, but just say, lazy trust. Yeah. You ever seen somebody with some lazy trust? Lazy trust is passive. Lazy trust spiritualizes inaction. Lazy trust points at God and refuses to take responsibility. It's lazy trust. Oh, I'm trusting. But I don't want to get a horse. Let me show you what lazy trust looks like. Okay? Some of you need a visual, so I'm gonna show you today what lazy trust looks like. Okay? You want a picture of what lazy trust looks like? These are the people who were like, I'm trusting God.

[B]

You got a horse?

[A]

No, I ain't got a horse. I got a hammock, though.

[B]

I don't need a horse.

[A]

I got a hammock, fam. And I'm gonna sit up here, and this is how I trust God. The believers that I see, that this is how they trust God. Just chilling. Trust him. You got movement, but you ain't going nowhere. Cause I'm trusting in the Lord. I'm gonna take my time and just chill. I'm trusting God.

[B]

What you're trusting him for? Oh, financial breakthrough. Jehovah, Jehovah Jireh, my provider. Financial breakthrough. I'm trusting. It's coming. It's coming. Financial breakthrough. Oh, really?

[A]

You trusting? Yeah.

[B]

Do you have a budget?

[A]

Budget?

[B]

No, I'm trusting God. Are you tithing? No, I'm trusting God. Are you acting your wage and living within your means? For means?

[A]

I believe in miracles. Charge it.

[B]

God gonna provide.

[A]

This is lazy.

[B]

Oh, I'm trusting God to heal my marriage.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Are y' all communicating?

[A]

Nah.

[B]

Have y' all been to counseling?

[A]

Well, you know, I really am not the problem. It's her communication style that's. I'm not doing anything. Oh, but you trusting God to heal your marriage?

[B]

I'm believing for breakthrough. Really? Have you forgiven that person you keep.

[A]

Harboring that offense to? What does trust really look like in your life? I'm trusting God for My health. This is going to be my year to be healthy. I'm trusting God for my health. Really? You working out? Nah. You get enough rest? Nah. You eating healthy? Have you been to the doctor? Please, Jehovah, Rapha, my healer, I don't need to go to the doctor. Nah. You laughing, but you know how many believers, this is their life just rocking, sipping on a pina colada, waiting for the promises of God to just come to pass and say, and I'm trusting. Oh, I'm trusting God to use me this year. Oh, get ready. He's going to use me. Are you working on your craft? Have you even put 10,000 hours into the thing that you want people to pay you to do? Have you been to Social DNA? Nah, I ain't got time for that. Social should know they gonna see my gift. At some point, you gotta realize this is not trust. This is lazy faith. This is the faith that points the finger at God and then wonders why the promise hadn't come to pass. You're not waiting on God. God is waiting on you. Here's the question I want to ask you today. Where are you trusting God but refusing to prepare? Where are you trusting God but refusing to prepare? Because at some point, trusting God means getting out of the hammock and getting a horse. Some of us don't need another worship song. We need to work. Some of us don't need another prayer. We need to prepare. You need a horse. Hmm. I can't just lay in the hammock and hope for the best. Cause the text does not say the hammock is prepared for battle. The text says the. The. The horse is prepared for battle. I had them bring out a hammock. I may as well have them bring out a horse. Oh, you don't think I will? I will do anything to illustrate a point. Is it? Is it? Oh, Lord, I didn't know you gonna get one that big. Okay, come on, bring it out. What y' all think was about to come out, y'? All? We on a budget. We on a budget here at Social.

[B]

Look at your neighbor. Say, get a horse, get a horse.

[A]

Get a horse, get a horse, get a horse.

[B]

When you at least get a horse instead of a hammock, you are letting God know.

[A]

I'm preparing.

[B]

I'm preparing. I'm ready for it. I'm ready for it. Stop swinging in the hammock and get you a horse. This horse proves God. I trust you.

[A]

Are you preparing? It's interesting. Last year, PT And I did something that was very Responsible. We did something that was very responsible. We're not expecting anything bad to happen to us. I don't have expectation of leaving this earth early. I want to live as long as I can.

[B]

In fact, if you want to know.

[A]

My vision, I want to be 95 years old, still at Social Dallas. I ain't going to be passing or preaching, but I'm still going to be pulling up and I want to be the dude on the front row just going crazy, just saying, preach, come on. I want to be jumping up and down. I want people to look at me and be like, who is that 90 year old dude that still in shape and got all his hair? I gotta prophesy what I wanna see. And got all that energy and jumping up and down and be like, don't worry, that's our founding pastor. That's just it.

[B]

So, so, so that is my expectation. I'm not, I'm not believing for bad to happen. However, last year we prepared something called.

[A]

A trust, a living trust. It was the craziest process.

[B]

Getting lawyers, getting papers, putting stuff in.

[A]

The bank and putting it all together.

[B]

I signed stuff until my hand was hu.

[A]

Why? Because this trust shows that I'm prepared. So if something should happen to me or pt, our kids know, here's what's going to happen, here's who you go with, here's what you get. That horse that I used on stage, this is who it belongs to. I can't do it when I'm gone.

[B]

I have to prepare.

[A]

If it comes. Are you preparing? Are you just lazy? Trusting God will not prepare the horse for you, you must prepare it. Which got me thinking. I wonder if there's some principles from the preparation of the horse that would help us to not just have lazy trust, but to have prepared trust. I think there are a few. Here's one thing I learned as I was looking at horses this week. Horses, in case you want to buy one, horses eat a whole bunch of hay, a whole lot. And you have to feed them every single day. If you gonna get a horse, just prepare to have a hay day every day. Because they have to be fed every day. Some of you, you can't have that responsibility. Don't get a horse, get a camel. Because the camel you can feed like maybe once every two weeks, you can give it water just once every few weeks.

[B]

You know why?

[A]

Because the camel is designed to just get a little bit in that one setting and then it can last on.

[B]

That for a long time.

[A]

Let me just parenthetically park there and say That's a problem with some of you. You have camel Christianity because you come on Sunday morning and you get your.

[B]

Filling and you eat.

[A]

You're like, I'm good for the rest of the week.

[B]

And then you wonder why you can't stand spiritually. And then you wonder why the enemy keeps coming against you and you keep falling down. How many know if you. You need more than just a Sunday morning. You need to be fed on Monday. You need to be fed on Tuesday. You need to be fed on Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and Saturday. This is my daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread.

[A]

Not weekly, not monthly daily bread. So if you're going, who have prepared trust, you got to feed daily. Look at your neighbor. Say, feed daily. Horse in the stable. Real quick stay. Are you feeding daily or you just waiting for Sunday to get fed? Don't get me wrong. I love feeding on Sunday morning. I was created to do this right here. I don't mind throwing out hay all day, but that's not gonna sustain you if you don't feed your spirit daily. Why y' all starting social studies? If you missed it, you really missed. The Next one is February 25th. Because it is the vision of social studies to give you tools so you can feed yourself and not just wait for a preacher to feed you. You gotta feed daily. What are you feeding on? Is it the word of God or is it just TikTok how you know the latest dance to everything, but you ain't got more than five scriptures in your spirit. Are you feeding on CNN and ABC and NBC and Hijk lmnop and wonder.

[B]

Why you got so much anxiety?

[A]

Cause that's what you're perpetually feeding on. If you're gonna have a horse, it must be fed daily. If you're gonna have trust that's prepared, you must feed. Can I give you something else? I learned something else about horses, that horses got a lot of hair. A lot of jokes came to my mind, but I'm not gonna do it. I have a lot of hair. And because they have a lot of hair, they have to be consistently groomed, consistently clean. If you're gonna get a horse, just get ready to brush and grow every single day, week. Why? Because if a horse is not brushed and cleansed and groomed, parasites sores will begin to grow on the horse. And you just can't throw a saddle over a sore. It has to be addressed. So if I'm gonna have prepared trust, I can't just feed daily. I've gotta cleanse not my hair. Although you should. I gotta cleanse my heart. Horses, naturally, because of being alive, the dirt and the debris that come towards them have to be groomed and cleaned. And if you are going to live a life of faith, you have to cleanse your heart daily. Daily. Hear me. There will be a multiplicity of opportunities to get offended, to get mad, to get bitter. And if you don't allow the water of the word of God and healthy communities to cleanse your heart, debris is going to build up and you'll be bitter and not even realize how bitter you've gotten. This is why I love community. Because sometimes people will tell you, because you won't even realize how angry you've gotten, how bitter you've gotten. And it'll come out in your language and you need somebody around you to tell you amen, you need to cleanse that, cause it's starting to come out in your mane. This is a man. It's all you talk about, it's all you think about. Sometimes cleansing your heart means guarding your heart. I can't let that get in my heart. In this season of my life, I gotta guard my heart. There are people that I don't like. Can I say that I love em? I don't like them. And sometimes people that love you will know something about somebody you don't like and they will come to you saying, well let me tell you about them. And I've learned to tell people, don't tell me. I don't need any more evidence to let me know why. I don't fool with them.

[B]

I'm guarding my heart. People are doing the name of, well I'm just trying to let you know, don't let me know.

[A]

Sometimes cleansing your heart, guarding your heart. The Bible says guard your heart for from it comes the issues of life. Something else I learned about horses. This one doesn't have that problem because it's connected to a stick. But if you're gonna have a horse, watch this. Be prepared to check the horse's hooves. You can have a horse that's got muscles, legs, strong, but if you don't check the debris that gets under their hooves, they'll get weak and they won't be strong. In other words, if my trust is gonna be prepared, I gotta check my foundation. Check your foundation. Some of you, you've got strength, but you're wondering why you're crippled and you're not moving in life the way you should. It's because you never check your foundation of what you actually built your life. Look at your neighbor. Say, check your foundation. Check your foundation. You are constantly looking at a horse's hooves. Why? Because the foundation is critical.

[B]

Some of you. The problem in your relationship is because.

[A]

It was built on a faulty foundation.

[B]

Yalls connection was.

[A]

Cause we both think each other is fine. And you started sleeping together. And that was the foundation of the relationship. And now you're wondering why it's not working. Because a physical connection is not enough. If you're going to be in a long marriage, you better have something more.

[B]

Than a physical connection. And she fine.

[A]

To have years of a marriage. That's healthy. So I got to check my foundation if I'm going to have trust. That's not lazy, but prepared. Can I give you one more? Two more. Okay. Something else about a horse. A horse, although it is powerful, if it is not disciplined and trained, it's no good. So I'm gonna have prepared. Trust. I'm gonna have to learn to submit to training. Submit to training. Training. It's interesting. They will use the language that we haven't broken in that horse. And they will stop you from riding a horse that has not been broken in. Why? Because that horse has not learned to submit to training. So it is a danger to anybody that tries to sit on it because it has not gone through the proper training. So it can learn how to be led. So it can learn. Watch this. To know who is following who. So it can learn the voice of the trainer. Some of you right now are wondering why you're going through what you're going through. And it is simply God training you for what's ahead. And you're about to resist the training and say, I'm so sick of what I'm going through right now. But what you're going through right now is training. Watch this. So you can carry more weight.

[B]

God has something he wants to put on you. But if you resist the training, you won't ever be able to handle it.

[A]

You've got to submit to training. What good is your strength if you're not accountable? Who can tell you no?

[B]

Who can tell you that's dumb? Who can tell you I love you?

[A]

But that's a bad decision. It's training, and I hate it because training is so boring. Be jumping over the same thing. How long do I gotta keep jumping over this? Until you're submitted. Formation takes longer than you realize. And if you can submit to the training, you can be trusted to handle weight. I don't want any weight on me that I've not been trained to Carry. When a horse has been trained, all of a sudden it can carry more weight. Here's the last one.

[B]

Whoo.

[A]

This is the hardest one. You want prepared trust and not lazy trust. You gotta embrace meekness. Meekness, not weakness. Meekness. What is meekness? Meekness is strength under control. It's power that has been submitted. See my little horse right here, it's got this bridle in its mouth. A bridle has a metal piece that goes in between the most sensitive part of the horse in its mouth. And so when you're training the horse that has so much power, you apply pressure to see if it will submit. It's meekness. We live in a culture that thinks meekness is weakness, but meekness is not weakness. Meekness means I could say it, but I won't. I could do it, but I won. I could let you know what I think about what you said, but I won't.

[B]

I could post it, but I won't. See, this is foreign to our culture today because we live in an outrage culture. Just go off when you feel like going off. Clap back when you feel like clapping back. Say it if you feel it. Don't let them quiet you. Let them know who you are, but you don't. Show me your strength and your power when you just say whatever comes to your mind. When you're just led by your emotions. You don't got strength and power. I know you got strength and power when you could have said it, but you did it when you could have posted it, but you did it when you could have given them a reaction, but you didn't. Don't tell me you're full of the Holy Spirit when you just say whatever you want to say whenever you feel like saying it. I know you full of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit grabs your tongue and say, don't say that. Don't do that. Don't go there. Do you have any restraint? Is there anything in the spirit that bridles you?

[A]

What makes you meek? It reminds me of what James says in James, chapter three. Don't miss this. He says, dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church. For we who teach will be judged more strictly. I wish they would quote that verse more before people start popping off, starting their ministries.

[B]

You will be judged more strictly. You waiting for the mic, you waiting for a stage.

[A]

Just know you will be judged more strictly indeed. We all make many mistakes, for if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other Way we can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. I know you're meek by what you choose not to say. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness doesn't make you pitiful, it makes you precise. I love it because even Jesus teaches on it. In Matthew, chapter five, he says, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Watch this. They don't take the earth, they inherit it. You mean to tell me, God, if I could get my mouth under control and I could have power that is governed by you, that there's things that I'll just inherit that I don't have to fight for or take? What about your character, God? Tell me about you, Jesus.

[B]

Look at it in Matthew 11.

[A]

He says, Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly at heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. As a matter of fact, the personality trait that Jesus shows us the most is his meekness. You know you meek when you're God in the flesh, and people that you created have the nerve to talk to you.

[B]

And you could take them out with one lightning strike, but you choose to serve them, you choose to wash their feet, you choose to die on a cross. What are you exercising?

[A]

Meekness? Do you have meekness? Is there anything that causes you to have restraint? Reminds me of my son who somewhere in the service, Robert Madu iii. Often we do what every dad is supposed to do with his son. We have wrestling matches, and we'll be having our wrestling matches, and we'll be going and wrestling and fighting. And every dad can relate to this. There comes one moment where your kid hits you for real and it hurts. And they can look at your face and know that it hurts you.

[B]

And they're laughing like, ha, ha ha, I got you.

[A]

And you need a minute to be like, I'm about to get you. But what do I do? In that moment, I am convinced I can knock him out. He's 10.

[B]

I know I can.

[A]

I don't fight with him and put my full strength on him. My love for him governs how much strength I show. This is what I love about God. Even when he allows me to go through things that are painful, I have to trust that he's a good, good father. And he loves me so much.

[B]

He's never.

[A]

Going to operate in a strength that will destroy me. He loves me too much. Can you flip it? Do you have a love for God that causes you to embrace meekness, that causes you to forgive that Causes you to say, I want to say something to you right now, but I'm going to choose to look at even the brokenness that made you do that to me and know that the same God that rescued me is the same God that can rescue you. Do you have any type of love that restrains you? And every time I operate in that meekness, watch this. I'm proving to God I trust you. I know you're gonna do your part. But, God, I'm gonna do my part. I refuse to live my life swinging in the hammock waiting for God. I want to prepare the horse for the victory that is already mine. I'm going to ask every person that can, would you stand to your feet today? I'm going to ask that you would honor this moment and just ask every. Head be bowed and eyes be closed. I hope you hear the heart of the message today because this message is not about you feeling hype. At some point, you got to move beyond hype and start checking your habits. At some point, you got to move beyond just being inspired in a service and start going, what are the instructions that I need to follow? Hear me.

[B]

It is easy to operate in lazy.

[A]

Trust.

[B]

And be passive and say, God, I'm waiting on you.

[A]

And say, well, I guess it's just.

[B]

Not coming to pass.

[A]

And God's saying, no, victory does come from me. But the horse is prepared for battle, heads are bowed, eyes are closed. Today I want to ask the question I asked earlier. Are you doing your part? Are you doing your part? I believe that God's speaking to people today with specificity about what your part looks like. For somebody, your part, for the healing to take place in your marriage is going to be to go to counseling and not just once and not just twice, but to keep going and to keep going, to humble yourself and say, I'm sorry and stop giving a defense for everything, stop pointing the finger and start addressing what's broken in you. For somebody, doing your part is going to be trusting God with your finances and saying, God, I'm going to cut back in some things and I'm gonna trust you this year. Oh, it's so easy to say, oh.

[B]

No, God, I can't afford to do that. I can't.

[A]

No, I can. No, put the excuses away and say, I'm gonna do my part. I don't know what that looks like for you. For somebody, doing your part is gonna be going back to school to finish that decree. For somebody else, it's gonna be getting in community because the enemy Picks you off so easily because you're in isolation and you've told yourself, that's my personality. You need accountability. What good is a horse that has strength but is not submitted to training? I don't know what do your part looks like, but I do know there's a victory that's waiting on the other side of you doing your part. Heads are bowed, eyes are closed. But if you'd be so honest to say, hey, P.R. i hear God speaking, and I know what my part is. And today, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I'm getting off the hammock. I gotta prepare the horse. Vashti, would you just lift up your hand high enough and long enough to where I could see it? If you say, I know what that is today. Thank you, Lord. Wow. Thank you. Hands are going up all over this place today. Thank you, Jesus. Father, I thank you that this word is falling on good ground today, Lord. This is more than an emotional moment or just lifting up our hands in a service. God, I pray that Monday through Saturday, whatever the next step is, Father, give them the strength, the grit, and the grace to follow through and trust in you. Anybody else, lift it up and put it right back down. Thank you, God. Heads are still bowed, eyes are still closed. If you're here today and you've never taken that first step, which is to say, jesus, my life is yours, here's what I love. There's some of you, you're so good at being prepared. Oh, you've done your part, but you've never surrendered your life to Jesus. And you wonder why life is still empty. Because it's both. You can prepare, but you also have to surrender to the Savior who paid the price for your sin. And so with heads bowed and eyes closed today, with nobody looking around, if you'd be so honest to say, hey, P.R. i'm surrendering my life to Jesus today. I'm tired of fighting against him Today, I surrender. If that's you, would you just lift up your hand high enough and long enough to where I could see it today? Thank you, Lord. Yeah. Yeah. Hands are going up all over this place today. Thank you, Jesus. The day you hear his voice, don't harden your heart. A man by the name of Paul was on a road to Damascus, and a bright light came out of nowhere. And God knocked him. Watch this. Off of his horse to the ground and blinded him and said, saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It's hard for you to keep kicking against me. Surrender. And I feel like God is Saying that to somebody today, how long you gonna keep fighting against me? Surrender. Anybody else today say, I need to give him my life today? I'm tired of fighting, and I surrender. Lift it up and put it right back down. Thank you, God. Watch this. I'm gonna make you do something in here that I believe is gonna give you strength to stand for God out there. If you lifted up your hand that second time saying, I need to give Jesus my life, I'm gonna ask you to be so bold and so brave. When I count to three, I just want you to come up here to the front and find a place at this altar. Why? Because I just think it's something. Something powerful about leaving where you are and stepping to a new place. Because you're doing physically what's happening supernaturally. Because the old you is staying in your seat, but the new you is saying, God, I'm ready to follow you wherever you lead. I'm tired of fighting against you. I'm ready to have the bridle on me. Wherever you lead me, I'll follow. So if you lifted up your hand or you should have that second time, I just want you to come. 1. Come on. This is between you and God. 2. How long you gonna keep running away from your savior? 3. Would you come? Would you come? I don't care how long the walk is. I promise every step is worth it. And as you're walking, you're gonna hear some people in here cheering, doing exactly what the angels in heaven are doing.

[B]

Because the Bible says that heaven rejoices when one sitter, just one.

[A]

Come on. Come on.

[B]

Today's my day.

[A]

I surrender.

[B]

Come on.

[A]

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God.

[B]

Come on.

[A]

Maybe there's a painful situation, and you've been saying, God, how are you faithful when I went through that? How are you faithful when they did that to me? How are you faithful when they weren't there for me? But here's how I know he's faithful. Because you're here. Because you're here. You're here. The beauty of this Savior, he's able to take even those painful things and use them for his glory. The testimony that's more powerful is somebody that said, I went through it, and I'm still here. I can relate to a person that wanted to, but I didn't. And I'm still standing. I came to tell you that your life matters. Somebody you hadn't even met yet is waiting on your story.

[B]

Did you hear what I said?

[A]

Somebody you haven't even met yet is.

[B]

Waiting on Your story.

[A]

And trust starts with surrender. Just surrender. And so right here at this altar, if you can't, could you just lift up your hands? In fact, let's all do it as a family, especially those of you at the front. I love this because it's the international sign for surrender. When your hands are up, you're saying, God, I give up. I give up control. I give up trying to figure out why. And I just surrender. And I'm gonna lead you in this prayer, but I want you to say it from your heart today. Would you say this? In fact, let's join them as a family. Can we declare? Jesus, I need you. Lord, I know I cannot do life without you. Jesus, I know that you came from heaven to earth, lived a sinless life for me. Jesus, I believe you took my place when you died on the cross for my sin. So today I respond to that love. That love is what saved me. Your blood makes me brand new. So I surrender. Come into my heart, renew my mind. From this moment forward, I'm walking with you. I believe in you and I trust you. In Jesus name, Amen. Amen. Amen. Come on. Can we give Jesus the best praise that you got today? Come on. Come on. Can you do better than that and really give Jesus the praise that is worthy of today?