Disrupt The Cycle // Triggered (Part 7) // Will Heckenbach

Summary

Podcast Summary: Disrupt The Cycle // Triggered (Part 7) // Will Heckenbach

Transformation Church – November 5, 2025
Host: Transformation Church (Pastor Chris & Pastor Errol)
Main Theme:
This episode, part 7 in the "Triggered" series, explores how everyday triggers—small or large—can send us into cycles of emotional and spiritual “crash outs.” Using the stories of Elijah and Jesus, Pastor Chris and Pastor Errol teach how to recognize, disrupt, and surrender these cycles to God instead of being trapped by them.

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Episode Overview

• Focuses on the emotional and spiritual "crash out cycles" triggered by life events.
• Uses the biblical narrative of Elijah and the experience of Jesus to illustrate these cycles.
• Provides practical steps to disrupt destructive patterns through surrender to God.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Understanding the "Crash Out Cycle"

[01:26] – [12:05]

• The message begins with the biblical story of Elijah who, after witnessing God’s power (supernatural acts such as fire from heaven and super speed), suddenly falls into despair because of a threatening message from Jezebel.
  • Quote: “God showed off through Elijah, but yet we come into this scene right here, seeing that Elijah is running away, he's retreating, he's alone, and he doesn't want to live anymore.” – Pastor Chris [03:33]
• The hosts introduce the Crash Out Cycle—a repeating pattern when we’re triggered:
  • Spark: The initial trigger—could be a message, event, smell, or memory that hits an emotional nerve.
  • Surge: The rush of emotions and anxiety that follows.
  • Spiral: Escalating negative thoughts; analogy of a spinning amusement ride.
  • Crash Out: Emotional isolation, withdrawal, and pulling back from God and people.
  • Quote: “The first thing that happens in the crash out cycle is a spark. …It ignites a response, whether that be from fear.” – Pastor Chris [08:16]; [08:21]

Elijah and the Trigger

[12:05] – [15:15]

• Jezebel’s message is the spark for Elijah. In modern terms, it could be as small as “one text message, one post, one song lyric, one bad dream, one smell...” [06:51]
  • Quote: “One message, can we make it real in today’s terms? One text message, one post that they saw on the Instagram feed … then we see Elijah completely crash out.” – Pastor Chris [06:51]
• Elijah’s surge is panic and flight; his spiral leads him to give up hope.
• God responds with practical care (rest and food) through an angel—sometimes the remedy is simple self-care.

Making It Personal: Identifying Our Sparks

[15:28] – [17:08]

• The hosts encourage listeners to identify their personal triggers.
• Quote: “It would be such a shame to get out of this whole series and not even evaluate the things that you're struggling with, the things that send you to that moment of wanting to give up.” – Pastor Errol [07:20]
• Personal story: Pastor Chris, a former drug addict, shares the importance of avoiding known triggers to prevent returning to destructive cycles.

Why the Enemy Wants You Trapped

[17:08] – [20:55]

• The cycle is not just happenstance; spiritually, the enemy wants believers stuck and ineffective.
  • Quote: “The devil wants you in that crash out cycle…He wants you so discombobulated…trapped in this continuation of a cycle and you never deal with it.” – Pastor Errol [17:15]
• The enemy targets people who are a “threat” to his plans—just as Jezebel feared Elijah’s influence.

Missing Our Purpose When We Crash Out

[19:31] – [20:49]

• If we stay internally focused, we miss opportunities to reach others for God.
• Reminder that personal struggles, if unchecked, can limit God’s work through us.

Disrupting the Cycle: Jesus as Example

[20:49] – [29:13]

• Disrupting the cycle means drastically altering and destroying the enemy’s structure.

• Jesus is the ultimate example for breaking the cycle—when faced with his trial in Gethsemane, he feels anguish but doesn't crash out; he surrenders.

  • Quote: “We are going to disrupt the cycle with surrender. If you write anything down, write that down.” – Pastor Errol [27:08]

  Contrasting Elijah and Jesus:

  • Elijah crashes out and needs God to come find him in the cave.
  • Jesus, instead, proactively goes to God and surrenders.
    • Visual Analogy: “The garden and the cave”—Elijah waits passively; Jesus seeks God actively.
    • Quote: “Jesus did not wait, crash out and then God come and be like, ‘Yo, what are you doing?’ … He actually ran over here and retreated and said, ‘God, I need you.’” – Pastor Errol [28:23]

Pastor Chris’ Personal Crash Out Story

[30:20] – [34:32]

• At 18, after learning of a partner’s abortion, Chris cycles through surge, spiral, and crash out (retreating to drug use and isolation).
• Later, by surrendering to God, he experiences redemption, a new family, and purpose.
  • Quote: “What would it have been if I would have turned to him and not turned to the bottle, not turn to the pipe?” – Pastor Chris [33:21]
  • “Now I’m in this place where every time that spark comes up, it is met directly with surrender.” – Pastor Chris [33:42]

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Practical Steps to Disrupt the Cycle with Surrender

[34:33] – [39:17]

1. Recognize
   • Name and acknowledge the trigger and cycle.
   • Quote: “Until we get to a place where we acknowledge and recognize what is happening … we can’t surrender.” – Pastor Chris [35:23]
2. Repent
   • Sometimes this means turning from sin, but often it means acknowledging where we haven't trusted God.
3. Receive
   • Accept forgiveness, grace, and the new mercies God freely gives at any point of the cycle.
4. Resist
   • After surrender, resist the enemy’s attempts to drag you back.
   • “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” is only possible after surrendering to God first (James 4:7).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Spark’s Power: “All that happens is a little spark can take down an entire forest … Please do not discount that one thing in your life that is getting you to a place of in that spiral.” – Pastor Chris [15:28]
• On the Enemy’s Tactics: “You are a threat. The purpose and the call that sits on your life is a threat to what he is trying to do.” – Pastor Errol [18:09]
• On Surrender: “What we see in Jesus in his cycle…when that spark came, he actually ran over here and retreated and said, God, I need you.” – Pastor Errol [28:23]
• Visceral Moment: Pastor Chris recalls God whispering at his lowest, “Are you done yet? Are you tired? Cause I got something better for you.” [41:20]

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Key Timestamps

• Elijah’s Story & the Crash Out Cycle Explained: [01:26] – [12:05]
• Identifying & Personalizing the Cycle: [15:28] – [17:08]
• Enemy’s Strategy: [17:08] – [20:55]
• Contrast: Elijah & Jesus’ Responses: [23:00] – [28:23]
• Pastor Chris’ Testimony: [30:20] – [34:32]
• Practical Surrender Steps: [35:23] – [39:17]
• God’s Whisper in the Cave: [41:20]
• Call to Salvation & Prayer: [43:12] – [45:53]

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Final Thoughts & Call to Action

• God wants to meet us in our cycles not with condemnation, but with an invitation to freedom through surrender.
• The process doesn’t stop with the crash; it continues with surrender and acceptance of God’s love, leading to renewal.
  • Quote: “The story doesn’t stop at the crash. It continues in surrender. No matter where you’re at. He will meet you where you are.” – Pastor Chris [43:21]

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For Listeners:

• Identify your cycle, bring it to God, and disrupt it with surrender.
• If you’re ready, surrender your life to Jesus—and experience transformation and freedom.

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Note: Timestamps reflect the beginning of content segments or direct quote moments in MM:SS format.

Transcript

[AM PM Advertiser]

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Could you be more specific?

When it's cravinient.

[Pastor Chris]

Okay.

[AM PM Advertiser]

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at a.m. p.m.

I'm seeing a pattern here.

Well yeah, we're talking about what I.

Crave, which is anything from AM pm.

What more could you want?

Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience and too much good stuff.

Hey, this is Sarah. Look, I'm standing out front of a.m. p.m. Right now and well, you're sweet and all, but I found something more fulfilling. Even kind of cheesy. But I like it. Sure you met some of my dietary needs, but they've just got it all. So farewell oatmeal. So long you strange soggy.

Break up with bland breakfasts and taste AM PMs bacon, egg and cheese biscuit made with cage free eggs, smoked bacon and melty cheese on a buttery biscuit. AM P M. Too much good stuff.

Welcome to Transformation Church podcast where we represent God to the lost and found for transformation in Christ. We're so glad you're here and wherever you're listening from, we believe God will transform your life through today's message.

[Pastor Errol]

I want to just jump straight in.

[Pastor Chris]

To the Word this morning. Can we do that?

[Pastor Errol]

We're going to jump straight in the Word. So I need you to pull out your Bibles if you have them, okay? Because we're gonna spend a little bit.

[Pastor Chris]

Of time talking about a guy named Elijah, okay?

[Pastor Errol]

We're gonna talk about Elijah.

[Pastor Chris]

And here's a funny fact again, I'm gonna be hot. I'm gonna be telling on myself all sermon.

[Pastor Errol]

Is that cool?

[Pastor Chris]

Can I just tell on myself? Okay.

[Pastor Errol]

I have always been intimidated about preaching.

[Pastor Chris]

About Elijah because of Elisha, okay?

[Pastor Errol]

Now if you don't know, there's an Elijah and there's Elisha and I never wanted to preach about it because I was like. I just feel like I start to sound silly and I forget who's Elijah and suh and I put an emphasis on the sh. And I just get all lost and.

[Pastor Chris]

Confused and I'm like, I'm just not touching. I'm not doing it.

[Pastor Errol]

I'm not gonna preach it.

[Pastor Chris]

But guess what?

[Pastor Errol]

Today we're talking about Elijah and we don't even have to talk about Elijah today. Okay, I want you, Elisha. See, I'm doing it already. Get in 1 Kings and read about him.

[Pastor Chris]

But today, we are specifically talking about Elijah. All right, if you got your Bibles, go ahead and Open up to First Kings 19 is where we're going to be hanging out for a second. First Kings 19, 3, 4. Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba in a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness and traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and he prayed that he might die. I've had enough, Lord, he said, take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died. God, use this portion of Scripture. Use this word to speak to your people. I love you. It's in the mighty name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Now, we have now entered into this scene with Elijah where he is done. He's thrown in the towel. He is giving up. He's saying, God, I don't want to live anymore. And if you know anything about Elijah.

[Pastor Errol]

I started asking, how in the world.

[Pastor Chris]

Did we get here, Elijah?

[Pastor Errol]

How did we get to a place where, if you look before the scripture, we saw God do some amazing works. Through Elijah has flexed his power on her, buddy. Okay? God showed off through Elijah, but yet we come into the scene right here, seeing that Elijah is running away, he's retreating, he's alone, and he doesn't want to live anymore. We saw God answer Elijah's prayers over and over and over. There was a moment where Elijah prayed and fire came down from heaven and completely destroyed the altar of baal down to the water. And it. It literally took all the water, completely evaporated it up. Gone, power, fire from heaven. God even gave Elijah the victory over 450 people, gave him some sort of super strength. If you don't believe me, listen. He also gave Elijah a superpower. I don't know about you, if you know Flash from the. I think it's DC Comics. You know, I'm a Marvel guy myself. But we got Flash, okay? Literally, there's a portion of scripture where it says that God gave him some sort of super speed. The people left the chariots, went ahead of Elijah. Yet God gave him the ability to have speed to beat them all back. He tucked in his cloak and he took off running.

[Pastor Chris]

I almost did, but these shoes would have come off. All right, we're not gonna do that right now.

[Pastor Errol]

But I'm saying, but isn't this crazy? He gave him a superpower. I don't know about you. What superpower would you want if God.

[Pastor Chris]

Was to give you a superpower?

[Pastor Errol]

I feel like I would need to fly. Anybody you wanna fly in here? Anybody in the room? You wanna fly? Ok. I don't know, Lord.

[Pastor Chris]

No.

[Pastor Errol]

Okay.

[Pastor Chris]

We see God move in a mighty way through Elijah, like you can't in all the things.

[Pastor Errol]

And I'm not even listing off everything yet. We come in and we see that he wants to give up. So I ask, what happened?

[Pastor Chris]

How did we get here? Let's read chapter 19, 1st Kings 19, just two verses before so we can see what happened.

[Pastor Errol]

How we went from power of God.

[Pastor Chris]

To I don't want to live anymore. When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of baal. Ahab was a little snitch, man. He went home and told Jezebel, that's crazy. So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah.

[Pastor Errol]

May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow.

[Pastor Chris]

I have not killed you, just as you have killed them.

[Pastor Errol]

God moved in this mighty way, showed off through Elijah. Elijah got super speed, fire came down from heaven. And one message, one message from this person, and he completely was undone. He completely crashed out. One message, can we make it real in today's terms? One text message, one post that they saw on the Instagram feed, one song.

[Pastor Chris]

Lyrics, one bad dream, one smell, and then we see Elijah completely crash out. I don't know if we're being honest in my hope and desire for us throughout this series, and we are on week seven, it's so important that we start to identify what these triggers are. It's important to identify what is that.

[Pastor Errol]

One message for you? What is that one thing for you? This is important. It would be such a shame to get out of this whole series and not even evaluate the things that you're struggling with, the things that send you to that moment of wanting to give up. I want to challenge us and encourage us to keep asking that question. What is it for me? Because what happens and what I want.

[Pastor Chris]

To introduce to you guys today is we enter what I'm calling the crash out cycle.

[Pastor Errol]

Okay? We're entering the crash. Anybody ever crashed out before? Can we just acknowledge?

[Pastor Chris]

Anybody have a crash out?

[Pastor Errol]

Okay, Almost every hand is up. If your hand's not up, you've definitely crashed out. Okay.

[Pastor Chris]

You might be, um, right now, I.

[Pastor Errol]

Don'T know, but I want to introduce this idea of the crash out cycle and what I feel like when we look at Elijah, what is happening here? When we look at our lives, what is happening? Okay, the first thing that happens in.

[Pastor Chris]

The crash out cycle is a spark.

[Pastor Errol]

Okay, the first thing that happens in.

[Pastor Chris]

The crash out cycle is a spark.

[Pastor Errol]

Now the spark, it could be something big, it could be something small. But what is happening is the spark, it ignites some sort of emotion in you. Okay? It ignites a response, whether that be from fear. You enter into this moment of. I don't know whether it is a message, whether it is a post, whether it is the smell, whether it is the song, whether it is whatever that is, whether it's the person. It is a spark that ignites an emotional response.

[Pastor Chris]

And then what we see happen is we go into this thing, what I'm calling the surge.

[Pastor Errol]

This is where you start getting flooded with anxiety and emotions start going wild and you begin to to start to think things and you begin to get into this. What I see the fight or flight. Anybody ever been there before where you have a decision to make, it's either we're gonna fight or we're gonna run. What happens is you have the spark or the trigger, there's something that triggers that emotion. And then we go into this moment of the surge, that anxiety flares up, you start to make bad decisions, you start to not be thinking clearly. And then what ultimately the surge leads to is a spiral we see ourselves entering into. Now, what I'm calling the spiral. Thoughts start racing.

[Pastor Chris]

I can't do this anymore.

[Pastor Errol]

Thoughts just start racing through your mind. Things that aren't true, and you start to doubt and you start to question. Can anybody else just think about the things in your life? Okay, let me ask you this. You ever been on the teacup ride at one of those things? The things that go spin, spin, spin, spin, spin, but put you in a spiral?

[Pastor Chris]

I do not like those.

[Pastor Errol]

I have retired from those rides. I told my kids, man, we went to the fair, they said, daddy, can we come back?

[Pastor Chris]

No, ask your mama. She's gonna go on with you.

[Pastor Errol]

I can't do it. Because what happens in the spiral when you're turning and you're spinning, you get so discombobulated, you don't know what's up, you don't know what's down. And that's what happens when you have this spark, you have this trigger, you're surge filled with emotions. And then you start to spiral. You don't start to think clearly. You start to make compromising things, decisions just like that. I'm telling you, when I think of that ride when I am done after.

[Pastor Chris]

That thing, I'm like, hold up.

[Pastor Errol]

I cannot. I don't know what has happened. I feel sick.

[Pastor Chris]

But that's what happens. Things just start to race through our minds and we're just not clear. And then what happens from there. So we end up at the crash out.

[AM PM Advertiser]

Hey, this is Sarah. Look, I'm standing out front of a.m. p.m. Right now and, well, you're sweet and all, but I found something more fulfilling. Even kind of cheesy. But I like it. Sure, you met some of my dietary needs, but they've just got it all. So farewell, oatmeal. So long, you strange soggy.

Break up with bland breakfast and taste AM PM's bacon, egg and cheese biscuit made with K tree egg, smoked bacon and melty cheese on a buttery biscuit. A.m. p. M. Too much. Good stuff.

What do you think makes the perfect snack?

Hmm. It's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

Could you be more specific?

When it's cray venient.

[Pastor Chris]

Okay.

[AM PM Advertiser]

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at AM pm. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at AM pm.

I'm seeing a pattern here.

Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.

Crave, which is anything from AM pm.

What more could you want?

Stop by AMPM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience ampm. Too much good stuff.

[Pastor Chris]

We end up at the crash out. I should have made a sound effect when that thing did that. I'm just. It felt like I needed to make a sound effect. We didn't just imagine in your head, okay? But this is where we see the results of what has taken place. We had the spark, we had the surge. And then we started to spiral and we crashed out. This is where we withdraw. This is where we isolate. This is where we just. We check out. We stop coming to church. We stop talking to those friends. We stop being honest with ourselves. We start. We see ourselves in this moment where we have got ourselves in the crash out cycle. Now that we have an understanding of what I'm calling the crash out cycle. I want to look at Elijah's story now, okay? Because now we've seen Elijah. We've seen what has happened in First Kings 19. I want to start to see so we can identify this cycle in his life. Okay? So we see the spark for Elijah. Jezebel's message, okay?

[Pastor Errol]

We see the spark in Elijah's cycle.

[Pastor Chris]

As Jezebel's message, okay, Saw the power of God, did all these amazing things. And then he got a message. He got a text message, his phone, ding. He looked at it, and that was the spark.

[Pastor Errol]

Then we see the surge. We see the surge in Elijah's life. This is where he starts to panic. He sees the message. He hears the message, and he starts to panic. He starts to go into this flight mode where he's like, I gotta get out of here. I gotta run. And he runs, he retreats. He isolates.

[Pastor Chris]

And then we see the spiral in Elijah's life. This is where he starts thinking things. I have had enough. It got so bad that in the spiral for Elijah, he said, I don't want to live anymore. Take my life, Lord. And then Elijah, there's a series of events. If you don't know the story, I wish I had time to go through and tell you all about it. But what happens from here is there's a moment where Elijah is under the broom tree by himself, completely spiraled, and an angel appears to him and literally just tells him to sleep, and he gives him some food. Some of y', all. The crash out could be avoided if you just eat and sleep.

[Pastor Errol]

Like, there's a reality that me and the man might have just been hungry. He might just need some food. Sometimes it's not that deep. Sometimes it's not that spiritual. When we look at that, this your spark could be your stomach growling like, I'm just. There's a reality and there's a solution to that.

[Pastor Chris]

Go get some food.

[Pastor Errol]

But if you're not familiar, then what happens from here is Elijah's met with the angel, that he goes on this journey for 40 days by himself, and.

[Pastor Chris]

He ends up in a cave.

[Pastor Errol]

So we see Elijah enter this crash out cycle, and ultimately his crash out ends him alone in a cave.

[Pastor Chris]

Church. It started with one message. I don't know if you can relate to this, but maybe for you, you've been on this mountaintop in life and God is moving, and you went to V4 conference, or you came to a.

[Pastor Errol]

Church service, or you heard the message.

[Pastor Chris]

From last week, and you a moment at the altar and you're charged up, and God moved, and you got this.

[Pastor Errol]

Anonymous money in the bank, or a bill got paid off for you, or something took place, and you're like, yes.

[Pastor Chris]

And then one thing starts, a spiral into a crash out. When I think of this spark, because I think sometimes we're like, yeah, but it's just like one little thing. It was one message, like, but there's a. The spark is powerful. Guys, when I look at forest fires and things that take place, all that happens is a little spark can take down an entire forest, can wreak havoc and destruction.

[Pastor Errol]

So please do not discount that one.

[Pastor Chris]

Thing in your life that is getting you to a place of.

[Pastor Errol]

In that spiral. It can be. I'm telling you, you have. This is why it's important to identify and be able to know. Because one spark can destroy what God is trying to do in your life.

[Pastor Chris]

If we don't deal with it, if we don't submit it to him.

[Pastor Errol]

But you gotta ask yourself what it is for you.

[Pastor Chris]

I can't answer that question for you. You gotta find yourself in this and figure out what is that thing that keeps coming up. What is that one thing that just keeps coming up in my life.

[Pastor Errol]

And every time.

[Pastor Chris]

I know. So that way you can deal with it. Can I be honest?

[Pastor Errol]

As a former drug addict, I don't.

[Pastor Chris]

Go and hang around people that are doing drugs. I don't.

[Pastor Errol]

Because I know that that's just a temptation that I don't even want to be around. Why in the world would I go towards the edge and hang out here when I could easily be like, yeah, I just actually don't go there because I know myself. I've identified that and I don't want any problems with that anymore. Okay? I love what God is doing in my life. I have no desire to be over there. We have to identify these things because that one spark can take you out, can take you out. And I want to.

[Pastor Chris]

I want to expose the enemy's plan for a second. The devil wants you in that crash out cycle.

[Pastor Errol]

He wants you in the crash out cycle and not even realize that you're in the cycle. He wants you so discombobulated and confused and trapped in this continuation of a cycle and you never deal with it. So then years go by in your life and you're struggling and you're crashing out by the same thing. The words says it like this in first Peter 5:8. Stay alert, watch out. Because your great enemy, the devil, he prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. He wants us trapped in this crash out cycle. He wants us being triggered by that stuff. He wants us to be in the place where we get so focused on the negative in our life and continue to spiral that we don't realize it and we just continue to cycle after cycle after cycle. Why?

[Pastor Chris]

Because he knows you're A threat.

[Pastor Errol]

You need to know that we have a very real enemy that has no power, no authority over us, likes to try to trick us into think. He does, because you are a threat. You are a threat. The purpose and the call that sits on your life is a threat to what he is trying to do. He wants to steal, he wants to kill, he wants to destroy. You're a threat. You need to know that you have somebody that wants you to fail. You have somebody that wants you to lose.

[Pastor Chris]

You're a threat.

[Pastor Errol]

You're being triggered because you're a threat. Jezebel wasn't just after Elijah to just kill him. She knew the impact he had, the influence he had. She was after that. Can I say something? She didn't even kill him. She sent a message and he went and hid and walked out of his purpose and walked out of his call. He stopped influencing people. He was literally at the peak of being one of the most influential people at that time. And people looked to him and listened to him, but a message sent him to go into hiding.

[Pastor Chris]

Elijah was a threat.

[Pastor Errol]

You are a threat.

[Pastor Chris]

Don't get trapped in the cycle. Because what happens when we were crashing out and we get trapped in the crash out cycle, we get so focused inward that we lose focus on what.

[Pastor Errol]

Is important to God and us being.

[Pastor Chris]

Able to reach his people. That's what the crash out does. It keeps us so focused inward on.

[Pastor Errol]

What is wrong and we just are trapped in this that we miss the people that God have placed in our lives. To be Jesus, to. To be able to invite to church. Can I tell you something practical? If and I'm not. Let me just be very real. There are things that you have to walk in and you have to navigate and you do need to go to counseling and you do have to have the moment to sit and grieve and all these. I'm not saying. But what I am saying is please just be alert and mindful that if you would just continue to be in this cycle of a crash out, you might miss the person at the grocery store that just needs. Desperately needs to come to church. But because you're so focused inward and trapped in this cycle, we don't invite them to church. They don't experience Jesus. And I'm trying to put that on all of us. But at the same time, we are called to go out and make disciples of men. We are called to go and be representatives of Jesus.

[Pastor Chris]

So you want to know what we're going to do? We're going to disrupt the cycle today.

[Pastor Errol]

What I believe we are going to.

[Pastor Chris]

Do as a church is we are going to disrupt the cycle. The very definition of disrupt, drastically alter and destroy the structure of the enemy.

[Pastor Errol]

Has a plan to come in and keep us trapped in this cycle. But I believe that today we are going to destroy that structure. We are going to no longer believe the lies that the enemy has got us to believe. We are going to focus on Jesus and we are going to see lives transformed, including ourselves. Disrupt the cycle. The title of my message, disrupt the cycle.

[Pastor Chris]

John 10:10. The thief's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. We might have a real enemy that is, wants to keep us trapped in this cycle. But we also have somebody that is greater. The God, the creator of the universe.

[Pastor Errol]

Who was for us, that wants us to be out of this cycle, that.

[Pastor Chris]

Wants us to be walking in freedom.

[Pastor Errol]

Wants us to be delivered, wants us to be redeemed, wants us to be able to not be stuck in this cycle and focus on people, be able to be the best husband, the best father, be able to be the best mother, the best wife. All these things. God wants us that for us he has promised, he wants hope for a future. I don't want to give the enemy too much credit, man. He lost, he loses. Like, come on, it's over. We have the victory and yet some of us are trapped in this cycle. But I'm believing today we're gonna disrupt the cycle. How are we gonna do this?

[Pastor Chris]

How are we gonna do this? We are gonna look to the ultimate example and that is Jesus. I'm not gonna try to make up something and like, well, how we do this is. No, we are gonna look at Jesus and we are gonna see his life and his story and his crash out cycle. Oh, you didn't know?

[Pastor Errol]

Listen, Jesus had experience with the crash out cycle a little bit. Okay? Okay. We're going with it a couple times, but we're gonna focus on one today. Okay.

[Pastor Chris]

Let'S look to Jesus. Luke 22:41, 44. What you need to know here, this is where he is going to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. He's bringing a couple disciples with him. They fall asleep, he gets mad. It's a whole thing. We're not gonna talk about that today. But he knows that the time is near. He knows that what he has to do, what he was born and the.

[Pastor Errol]

Call and the purpose and the prophecy that's on his life.

[Pastor Chris]

He's about to go and face what nobody should have to endure for us. He knows this. He goes and we find him in verse 41 Luke 22:41. He walked away about a stone's throw and knelt down and prayed.

[Pastor Errol]

Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.

[Pastor Chris]

Then the angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood.

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[Pastor Chris]

Jesus had experience with the crash out cycle. Let's go through the cycle real quick so we can see this. Okay?

[Pastor Errol]

We have the spark. This is that moment. He knew what was coming. He knew and felt and experienced the weight of what was happening, the burden that was sitting on his shoulders. He felt it. He knew the time is near. And then we look at the surge. Okay, what's the surge in this, in.

[Pastor Chris]

This cycle right here for Jesus?

[Pastor Errol]

Jesus feels deep anguish. He feels deep anguish. His sweat becomes like drops of blood. You can't tell me that there's not a reaction to what is taking place. There's this surge that is taking place through his body and it's physically responding. We see the surge.

[Pastor Chris]

And then we.

[Pastor Errol]

See this spiral, this little glimpse of a spiral where he knows what needs to be done and he's having this moment, but he's filled with all his emotions and thinking about what is taking place. The beautiful thing about Jesus is he's fully God and fully man. He felt what we felt. You can't tell me that there wasn't this emotion of like, oh my goodness, this is not gonna be fun. Like there's this reality. So we see the spiral. This is that moment where he's like, yo, God, if there's any other way. He's starting to think he knows it needs to be done, but yet this thought comes out of the God, is there any other way.

[Pastor Chris]

Please take this cup for me. And then we don't see Jesus crash out. We don't see Jesus crash out. What do we see him? Do we see him surrender? We see Jesus surrender.

[Pastor Errol]

Yes, he felt a spark. Yes, there was a surge of all these emotions. Yes, there was some thoughts that he was thinking in the spiral, but he did not crash out. He came to, to a place of surrender. That's how we're going to disrupt the cycle. We're going to disrupt the cycle with surrender. If you write anything down, write that down. We are going to disrupt the cycle with surrender.

[Pastor Chris]

We're going to disrupt it.

[Pastor Errol]

All the things he was feeling, all.

[Pastor Chris]

The emotions he was feeling, it was disrupted with surrender. And I can't. I get this visual. We see two totally different scenes. Team. You can go ahead and throw up the garden and the cave. We see, we see. I wanted to be able to bring two different stories so that we can see the contrast of these things. Okay, we see this bed's pretty dark. Man, that cave is not looking friendly. Over here. This is where we see Elijah's moment. His crash out cycle ultimately led him to a place of being in this cave alone. What we see in Jesus in his cycle and what he does, what I.

[Pastor Errol]

Love about this, here's what I'm gonna say.

[Pastor Chris]

This is, thank you, Holy Spirit.

[Pastor Errol]

What I'm gonna point out on this side here is Elijah got to a place where he crashed out. He had this whole moment and the angel came and found him. It was like, yo, you need to eat and you need to drink. Like there's a moment here and then later on I'll talk about it. But God meets Elijah here. But what happened over here? Jesus did not wait, crash out.

[Pastor Chris]

And then God come and be like.

[Pastor Errol]

Yo, what are you doing? No, Jesus knew. When he said the time was near when that spark came, he actually ran over here and retreated and said, God, I need you. God, I don't know what to do. Like, God, I just. I need you to come through. In this morning, in this moment, he knew that he needed to go spend time with God. The beautiful thing about both of these is they both end with God meeting them there. Yes, absolutely. But what if there was a world in which we actually don't need to have this ending in a cave moment, lonely and isolated. What happens if the crash out, the spark takes place and we are met with surrender and we come over here and say, God, I can't do this. I don't know how to raise these kids by myself. God, I Need you.

[Pastor Chris]

We're going to disrupt the cycle with surrender. I want to. I was thinking through and praying through just my story and my life and was really trying to find myself in the crash out cycle. And let me be honest, I've had many. I had many crash out cycles and I still do. Let's just be honest, there is a reality that there are still moments that we get stuck in this. But I was thinking in my life, one moment that was really a defining moment in my life.

[AM PM Advertiser]

What do you think makes the perfect snack?

Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

Could you be more specific?

When it's craving. Okay, like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter available right down the street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at AM pm.

I'm seeing a pattern here.

Well yeah, we're talking about what I.

Crave which is anything from AM pm.

What more could you want?

Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience AM PM too much good stuff.

[Pastor Chris]

And I want to show you. I want to take you through the cycle and I just want to make it real for you. There was a moment where my spark was. I was 18 and I got a girl pregnant and I was young, I was dumb, all this stuff. But can I be honest? I was old enough to be a dad. And if I'm being really honest, I kind of got excited. I remember finding out and it turned from fear to excitement. I was like, dang man, I'm be a dad. Like, that's amazing. Started looking at stuff, started thinking baby names, started thinking if it was going to be a boy or a girl. And that spark for me was when I went over to her house and she sat me down and she said, hey, remember last week I said I went on a retreat with my mom for a little getaway. She's like, I couldn't tell you, but I actually went and got an abortion. And that spark sent a surge of a lot of emotions. Anger, sadness, brokenness, hopelessness. I was flooded. I wasn't seen straight. I was so just broken in this moment. And then I called my friend and.

[Pastor Errol]

I said, bro, I don't know what I gotta do.

[AM PM Advertiser]

I gotta.

[Pastor Chris]

And he said, hey man, what if we just get away for a little. Let's go to Myrtle beach, let's just.

[Pastor Errol]

Buy a ticket and let's get out of here. And so my spiral, I ran, I retreated, I Didn't go to my friends, I didn't go to my family. I was so broken that I said, yo, I just gotta get out of here. So I went and I ran. And you know what I turned to? My drug use was already bad, but I started even making it even worse. Worse, I started running. The spiral had me thinking thoughts I don't want to feel anymore.

[Pastor Chris]

There was so many emotions and I just didn't want to feel them anymore. And ultimately that led me to a crash out. My drug use from there got a lot worse. It wasn't fun party scene, doing my thing type anymore. It was. I genuinely just didn't want to feel anymore. I ran from everything. I cut off family. I didn't. I wasn't the same person anymore after that. I chose to isolate. I chose to go sit in the cave by myself. I didn't run to God. I wish I would have. Sometimes I think about it and I'm like, man, what would it have been if I would have turned to him and not turned to the bottle, not turn to the pipe?

[Pastor Errol]

What would have been?

[Pastor Chris]

I ask it every now and then, but now I'm. I'm just so confident in what God has done in my life and the redemption. I look at my son, Errol James, and my daughter Story Snow. When I see grace, I see mercy. I see a new and a fresh start.

[Pastor Errol]

I see it, I see it. And now I'm in this place where every time that spark comes up, it is met directly with surrender. I'm not perfect with it, but you want to know something? When that spark hits, the first thing, my first thought is, God, I need you.

[Pastor Chris]

It's gotta be church. That's gotta be our response. We gotta disrupt the cycle. God has something so great for us and in you and in your life and in your future family and people that are connected to you, God, I disrupt that cycle with surrender first. And.

[Pastor Errol]

And I don't want to ever get.

[Pastor Chris]

Up here and preach a message and say, surrender, surrender. And it'd be just some ethereal thing and you not leave with what we actually do with that. Because I really. I literally.

[Pastor Errol]

This was the one that. This is one of the main things.

[Pastor Chris]

I literally got with God. And I said, God, I know that.

[Pastor Errol]

The answer to my question, when people ask, how do you stay sober?

[Pastor Chris]

How do you stay in this place of being just happy and filled with.

[Pastor Errol]

Joy and all these things? And the answer is surrender. Like, I genuinely like, it's because I surrender to God. But I want to be able to give Practical language to this so that we know because somebody might be in a place where you're at the spark or you're at the surgery, you're in the middle of the spiral or you've already crashed out. I want to show you.

[Pastor Chris]

I'm going to give you four things.

[Pastor Errol]

We're going to talk through them real quick.

[Pastor Chris]

Then we're going to just let God close this thing out. What does surrender look like? The first thing we have to do is we recognize until we get to a place where we acknowledge and recognize what is happening. When we recognize that we are trapped in the cycle of a crash out until we just recognize God, I continue to struggle with this. God, I continue to feel anxiety. God, I continue to wake up in the morning and actually kind of be disappointed that I woke up. Like, if we're being honest, if we don't recognize these things, if we don't recognize that we need God, we can't surrender. So the first thing we do as.

[Pastor Errol]

We recognize.

[Pastor Chris]

We got to recognize the sparks that the things that represent triggers. We got to recognize them, we got to identify them.

[Pastor Errol]

I'm going to encourage you.

[Pastor Chris]

If you haven't yet, please do not get out of this series without writing down the things that set you off and send you into this cycle. The second thing we do is we repent. This is where we turn. This is where. Can I say it like this? Sometimes the crash out leads to us sinning. And sometimes the crash out does not lead to us sinning. Sometimes when I say repent, it is repent. God, I need forgiveness for doing this. And the beautiful thing is you are met with forgiveness in that moment.

[Pastor Errol]

But sometimes the repent looks like this.

[Pastor Chris]

God, I'm sorry I didn't trust you.

[Pastor Errol]

God, I'm sorry. Like, yes, that man, when I saw that bill, it sent me, I started feeling some type of way. I went down this spiral. I went down. God, forgive me for not trusting you. Sometimes we just need to repent for not trusting in him and then turn.

[Pastor Chris]

And say, God, I trust you.

[Pastor Errol]

I know you're the provider.

[Pastor Chris]

I know you got me.

[Pastor Errol]

I know you got my family. We have to recognize we have to.

[Pastor Chris]

Repent and then we have to receive. This is where we receive the forgiveness. This is where we receive the grace and the new mercies. Because I want to encourage you, no matter where you are at in that cycle or if this is a future thing, that's. I just want you to remember this at any point. From the spark to the surge to the spiral to even the Crash out. You can surrender. You can always receive the grace and the mercy from Jesus. You can always receive new mercies from him. You can always wake up in the morning and say, man, I missed it yesterday. But God, thank you for giving me another day today.

[Pastor Errol]

This last one.

[Pastor Chris]

Is important to me. I literally, I had the three. And because at the end of that, can I just, Can I. Let me say a blanket statement. You receiving Jesus, accepting that free gift of salvation that he paid a price for us is the most important thing. That is the most important thing. And I also want to give this other last point that I feel like is important. Important. When I look at my life and I'm looking at it, I'm saying, okay, I recognize it, God, I need you in this moment. When I repent, when I turn, when I. When I ask for forgiveness, and when I receive and I receive that forgiveness. The fourth point is resist. Why do I say this? Why is this the last point? Because there is a reality that we can have these moments like Elijah. We can see the power, we can see God move, we can see fire.

[Pastor Errol]

Rain down from heaven.

[Pastor Chris]

And then a message, and we end up at a crash out. But what the word of God says is, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Now, I hear this scripture said a.

[Pastor Errol]

Lot and it's powerful. Resist the devil and he shall flee from you. But if you don't read the very first part of what this scripture, scripture says, we miss it. It says, submit yourself. Surrender yourself then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee. It starts with surrender. I look back at my life. There are so many moments where I was trapped in this crash out cycle that I was like, man, I could have surrendered there. I could have surrendered there. And I don't get hung up on that cycle stuff anymore. But I do look at the moment where I did interrupt, when I did disrupt the cycle with surrender. If you heard my story, I've shared it a million times. I'm going to share it two more million times. Okay? I was in the basement of a jail, and it was the moment where I ended up in my crash out. I was in there. I was charged, I was convicted. 10 years of drug use. And I'm in there and I'm just like, God, what are you doing? And you want to know where it started, where it changed, where my crash out turned into my testimony was when I surrendered. I got on my hands and knees and I prayed. I said, God, I don't want to Live this way anymore. God, I know you have so much more for me, God. Will you take my life and use it?

[Pastor Chris]

I was desperate for him. Can you put up the cave one more time for me? The beautiful part of this story and what I relate to is when Elijah was in this cave, there was a lot of things that took place. And the Bible talks about there were storms, there was an earthquake, there was fire, there was all these natural disaster things, chaos that are taking place. And the Word says that God was not in that stuff. But in the midst of all of that, he whispered to Elijah. God met him and he whispered to him. And when I found myself in the cave where my cave was called the SHU special Hold Unit, his isolation in the basement of a jail, I don't know which cave was worse. I'm not sure. Mine for sure. I was in this and in the moment where I was on my hands and knees and I was praying and I was asking God to please turn it around. I surrender it to you. It was a whisper that I heard him say, like, are you done yet? Are you done yet? Are you tired? Cause I got something better for you. I got something better for you. And it was in that moment I.

[Pastor Errol]

Prayed and I literally repented of everything. I gave the laundry list because I just started going and listing off all this stuff. And at the end of the day, my last thing I said was, God, please take my life. It is yours. And that surrender me disrupting the cycle was met with freedom. It was met with redemption. It was met with me meeting the love of my life, being married. It was met with me having Arrow James. It was met with me having Starry Snow. It was met with me walking in my purpose. It was met with me walking in my calling. It was met with me being sober for 10 years. It was met with Jesus.

[Pastor Chris]

And that's what he wants to do here today.

[Pastor Errol]

He wants to disrupt your cycle. Jesus wants to come into your life. No matter what you are doing, no matter what you are going through, you.

[Pastor Chris]

Just gotta give it to him. Whether that be surrendering your life to Jesus for the first time or just saying, God, I've missed it this week. Jesus, I'm sorry, can we start this over? I don't know where you are with that, but the solution to whatever you're going through is surrender. The solution is surrender. He's gonna meet you right where you are. The last thing I'll say. The story doesn't stop at the crash. It continues in surrender. No matter where you're at. He Will meet you where you are. Will you stand all over this room right now, in this moment, I'm gonna. I'm gonna invite people. This is the most important part of the service. I'm gonna invite people to receive Jesus. So if you are in this room, I'm gonna ask that you just pray in this moment for the people that are about to give their life to Jesus. Every head bowed, eyes are closed. I'm going to ask this question. If you would like to give your life to Jesus. The greatest decision that you can ever make. The decision that completely changed my life. The power that was able to take a guy that was addicted to drugs for 10 years and give him complete freedom. It's a free gift. All you have to do is receive it. If this is you and you want to surrender your life to Jesus, I'm going to ask that you slip your hand in the air. Just put your hand in the air. If you're watching online, let somebody know right now. Raise your hand in the air. I see you. I see you. God sees you.

[Pastor Errol]

I see you, my brother up there. I see you.

[Pastor Chris]

I see you back there.

[Pastor Errol]

I'm going to ask in this moment.

[Pastor Chris]

Thank you, Jesus. I'm going to ask in this moment that we are a family. We all pray together. Repeat after me. Father God, thank you for sending Jesus to die on a cross for me. I believe he lived, he died, and he rose again. I admit that I've sinned, but right now, I fully surrender. Take over my life. I love you. It's in Jesus name we pray and everybody said amen and amen.

[Pastor Errol]

Can we give it up for everybody that made that decision to give their life to Jesus?

[Pastor Chris]

Yeah.

[AM PM Advertiser]

Thank you for joining us today. If you said that prayer and accepted Jesus into your heart, it's the best decision you could ever make. We want to celebrate with you and we have some tools to help help you on your journey. Text saved to 828282 and to find out more about TC Text connect to 828282. Be sure to subscribe and share this podcast with your friends. Thanks for listening. Now go out and live a transformed life.