Transformation Church Podcast

Episode: Fast Forward: Let's Get To The Good Part //. Forward (Part 1)
Speaker: Pastor Michael Todd
Date: January 18, 2026

Main Theme

Pastor Michael Todd kicks off the “Forward” series at Transformation Church by challenging listeners to stop settling for sameness and instead step confidently into God’s direction for their lives. Using Philippians 3:13–14 as the anchor scripture, Pastor Mike encourages the church to “forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead,” emphasizing that forward is always God’s direction for our destiny. The message is packed with personal stories, practical advice, and faith-filled challenges aiming at spiritual acceleration—‘fast forwarding’ to the good part—with honest recognition of inevitable discomfort, distraction, and disappointment that believers cannot skip but can go through faster by faith, surrender, and engagement.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Move Forward, Don’t Stay the Same

• Pastor Mike begins by asking, “Who’s sick of the same?” (00:16), urging the congregation to honestly assess areas of their life that need change.
• He introduces “forward” as both the direction of personal destiny and the church’s Word of the Year.
• Key Scripture: Philippians 3:13–14 – “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race…”
  • Memorable Quote:

    "Anytime that God is calling you, he’s calling you forward. He's not calling you to something in the past." (05:36)

2. The Power and Necessity of Focus

• Pastor Mike links last year’s word, “focus,” to this year’s “forward,” noting their placement together in Philippians 3 (“…I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward…”).
• He challenges listeners to continually ask, “What would happen if every day all you did was look forward to what God has ahead of you?” (08:00)

3. God’s Word Lights the Path Forward

• Using Psalm 119:105 (“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”), Pastor Mike offers a visceral demonstration:
  • Closing the Bible brings darkness; opening it brings light and direction.
• Memorable Quote:

  "Turn it on. Turn on the light anytime you want to. You open this Word, it turns the light on. You’re confused about your relationship... turn the light on." (17:48)

4. You Can’t Skip, But You Can Fast Forward

• Drawing from childhood anecdotes about VHS tapes and Blockbuster, Pastor Mike illustrates that in life, “there are some things in this Christian walk you’re not going to be able to skip...but you can go forward faster.” (26:29)
• Faith Insight: There will be “acceleration” for those who move by faith, but no one gets to skip lessons or challenges.

5. Forward Always Encounters Opposition

• “It’s not forward if there’s no opposition.” (33:05)
• Biblical examples: Moses vs. Pharaoh, David vs. Goliath, Daniel vs. ‘ops’, Jesus vs. religious leaders.
• Emphasizes the difference between actually going forward and looping in the same spot (avoiding issues):

  • “What you avoid begins to plant stakes for a prison you will live in.” (36:32)

• Teaches the importance of direct engagement rather than avoidance:
  • Matthew 10:14 – “Shake the dust off your feet.”

6. Practical Handles to Fast Forward Through Difficulties

Pastor Mike highlights three unavoidable obstacles on the journey forward and how to fast track through them with God’s help:

a. Discomfort

• Growth requires discomfort and breaking out of old patterns or environments (46:42).
• Illustration: Getting blood drawn—fighting discomfort prolongs it, but surrendering helps it end quicker.

  • “What are you fighting that God’s been trying to get you to surrender for five years?” (50:36)

b. Distraction

• The “weapons of mass distraction” abound in life; only an obsession with obedience keeps you moving forward.
• Refers to Nehemiah: “I am engaged in a great work. Why should I stop working to come meet with you?” (56:51)
• Challenging believers to find and focus on their “great work.”

  • “If you haven’t found your great work, it’s easy to be distracted.” (57:50)

c. Disappointment

• No one is exempt from disappointment—even in faithful service to God (1:02:00).
• Shares personal and church disappointments; insists that the key is daring to “dream again, ask again, risk again, and engage again” (acronym: DARE).

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the Call Forward:

  “The direction of your destiny is forward—there is a destination I have for you that is forward. You have to make sure... you do not become in love with today.” (10:56)

• About Obedience:

  “If you become obsessed with obedience, you will not give in to the distraction.” (58:42)

• On Avoidance:

  “Avoidance strengthens the fear circuits in your mind. It teaches your brain that the fear was justified. Every time you avoid, your amygdala gets rewarded with relief, which cements the fear loop.” (42:34)

• To Those Disappointed:

  “You can fast forward through disappointment if you dare again: dream again, ask again, risk again, engage again.” (1:04:04)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:16 – Series Introduction, Call to Move Forward
• 05:36 – God is Always Calling Forward, Not Backward
• 12:00 – Power of Focus and Leaning Forward with Faith
• 17:48 – The Word as a Lamp Illustration
• 26:29 – Fast Forward Analogy (Blockbuster/Childhood Story)
• 33:05 – The Reality of Opposition in Moving Forward
• 36:32 – The Dangers of Avoidance and Circling
• 42:34 – Explanation of Avoidance and Fear (Amygdala Insight)
• 46:42 – Growth Requires Discomfort
• 50:36 – Surrender Accelerates Moving Through Discomfort
• 56:51 – Nehemiah: Staying Focused on Your Great Work
• 58:42 – Obsession With Obedience Defeats Distraction
• 1:02:00 – On Disappointment & DARE Acronym
• 1:04:04 – How to DARE: Dream Again, Ask Again, Risk Again, Engage Again
• 1:08:00 – Calling Listeners to Fast and Pray: “Go forward fasted!”

Action Steps and Spiritual Challenges

• Meditate on Philippians 3:13–14 daily; focus on what lies ahead.
• Make the commitment to “find yourself in the Word” to light your next steps.
• Fast and pray, not just as a church event but as a personal discipline to ‘accelerate’ your destiny.
• Practice direct confrontation with discomfort, distraction, and disappointment instead of avoiding them.
• Adopt the DARE process—to dream, ask, risk, and engage again where you’ve felt stuck.
• Obsess over obedience—clarify and commit to your “great work” for this season.

Conclusion

Pastor Mike wraps up with a heartfelt call for everyone to move forward—with practical, emotional, and spiritual clarity. He prays over those feeling stuck and over those deciding to follow Christ for the first time, emphasizing that the journey with Jesus is about “progression, not perfection.” The overall tone is faith-filled, honest, and empowering.

Notable Closing Quotes

• “Change our perspective even if you don’t change our situation… today we’re gonna dream again, ask again, risk again, and engage again.” (1:10:22)

• “We will see progression, not perfection, this week—but you’re going to see progression.” (1:12:56)

For further engagement:

• Church invites everyone to a week of prayer, fasting, and to find their “great work” as part of moving forward in Christ.
• Listeners can join the Transformation Church community for daily prayer and are urged to live a transformed life!