Podcast Summary: Trigger Something Different // Triggered (Part 12) // Michael Todd

Podcast: Transformation Church
Episode Air Date: December 7, 2025
Speaker: Pastor Michael Todd
Episode Theme: Trigger Something Different (Triggered Series Part 12)
Timestamps follow MM:SS format.

Episode Overview

Pastor Michael Todd wraps up the "Triggered" series by challenging listeners to reconsider their reactions to life's inevitable triggers. Rather than focusing on minimizing or avoiding triggers, Mike Todd emphasizes the importance of what we are "filled with"—faith or fear—when those triggers are pressed. Through biblical stories, personal anecdotes, and engaging illustrations, he urges the Transformation Church family to pour out fear and fill up with faith, so that when squeezed by life's pressures, what emerges is Christlikeness and positive transformation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reframing Giving and Obedience

• Faith over money: The current "crazy faith" offering is portrayed not as a ploy for church fundraising but as an opportunity for individual transformation through obedience and faith. (03:00)
  • “This is not a ploy for the church to get money... This is an opportunity for your house to transform.” — Pastor Mike Todd (01:51)
• Obedience is year-round: True obedience and faith are not seasonal but consistent practices, likened to regular gym attendance rather than occasional bursts of effort. (04:10–05:00)
  • “One time in the gym... it’s not as good as 50 times. The compounding of 10 pounds over time is going to produce a much stronger... faith than lifting a hundred pounds once.” (04:55)

2. Personal Stories on Stewardship and Sacrifice

• Teaching children about obedience: Mike shares a touching story about his daughter learning to tithe, emphasizing the heart behind giving rather than the act itself. (10:08–12:24)
  • “If I don’t give it to you now, I won’t give it to you.” — Pastor Mike Todd’s daughter (12:16)
• God as the ultimate provider: Even when we give sacrificially, God continues to provide, just as an earthly father remembers and honors his child’s sacrifice. (13:24–15:07)
  • “If you, a regular earthly father, can remember the sacrifice your daughter put aside... how much more do you think that I see every dollar, dime, every sacrifice?” (13:24)

3. Triggers: The Real Source of Power

• Triggers are neutral: Pastor Mike explains that triggers only reveal what's already inside us.
  • “Triggers don’t do anything but give access to whatever’s on the inside.” (25:35)
• The content, not the trigger, determines the outcome: Using powerful object lessons (like squeezing an orange or a spray bottle), he illustrates that being full of fear, bitterness, or faith determines what comes out when we’re pressed. (33:53–34:17)
  • “What do y’all think is gonna come out of here if I squeeze this?...Because it's an orange... And it wouldn’t make sense if apple juice came out of an orange.” (34:00)
  • “The problem is we’re so used to fear being readily available...God has been trying to change out our content.” (33:09)

4. How to Refill: Faith vs. Fear

• Filling up on the Word: Faith comes by hearing and the Word of God; we must intentionally fill ourselves up with scripture and positive influences.
  • “Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God... Church, you cannot fill up too much on the word.” (38:59–39:51)
• Personal transformation: When filled with faith through God’s Word and Spirit, being triggered releases Christ-like behaviors and impacts those around us—especially our family and children. (53:20)
  • “What I’m full of is going to get on them.” (53:20)
• Fruit of the Spirit: Pastor Mike calls for listeners to shift their default responses (anger, bitterness, fear) to the fruits of the Spirit when triggered.
  • “Be filled with these fruits of the spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control.” (89:58–90:18)

5. Biblical Example: Joshua, Caleb, and the Israelites

• Story of the spies (Numbers 13): Ten spies return full of fear; only Joshua and Caleb are filled with faith. This leads to 40 years in the wilderness for an entire generation.
  • “Joshua and Caleb are a part of being delivered from Egypt... They still were able to come out of a really bad situation with faith.” (63:06–64:09)
  • “An 11-day journey turned into a 40-year death. Why? Because of disobedience.” (68:48)
• Protecting the seed of faith: Even if faith isn’t popular or shared by many, protect it, nurture it, and believe longer (not just stronger).
  • “How do you trigger something different? Believe what others don’t... Protect the seed of your belief... You believe longer, not necessarily stronger.” (78:16–83:41)
• Generational impact: Faith leaves a mark on subsequent generations, just as fear does.

6. Practical Calls to Action

• Evaluate your content: Ask God for help replacing negative internal “content” with faith. (86:36)
• Listen to scripture: Fill daily routines with God’s word—faith ‘comes by hearing’ (87:59)
• Respond differently: When triggered, aspire to release faith, joy, or compassion, not old patterns. (89:45)
• Guard your environment: Protect your faith “seed” with boundaries, just as a garden is protected from being trampled. (80:53)
• Believe uniquely: It’s okay if only a few stand in faith; God honors even the minority who believe.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the neutrality of triggers:
  “Triggers are neutral. Triggers don’t do anything but give access to whatever’s on the inside.” — Mike Todd (25:35)
• On faith and obedience:
  “The circumstance is not supposed to dictate our obedience.” (05:08)
• On sacrificial giving:
  “It’s not a sacrifice if you don’t say ‘ouch.’” (08:04)
• On filling with faith:
  “The difference between this orange and you is that you're a vessel and you get to choose what goes in.” (35:26)
• On generational impact:
  “What you’re full of is marking your children. What you’re full of is marking your co-workers.” (57:28)
• On faith as evidence of a future:
  "Faith is the evidence that you believe God gonna do something up there. I'm using my faith right here." (43:19)
• On our choices:
  “You get a chance to fill up with the right thing or the wrong thing. You can fill up with faith or you can fill up with fear.” (37:04)
• On popular faith:
  “2 out of 2 million...faith may not be popular, but with God, it will preserve you.” (77:26–77:42)

Important Timestamps & Segments

• Call to transform giving & faith: 01:46–07:01
• Story of his daughter’s offering: 10:08–14:11
• Object lesson with spray bottle & orange: 28:31–35:05
• Biblical teaching on being filled: 37:09–41:16
• How faith is built: 38:59–40:23
• Impact on next generations: 53:09–59:00
• Practical application: 80:53–84:08
• Story of Joshua and Caleb: 63:06–72:11
• Challenging the listener to be different: 86:12–88:57
• Concluding prayer and salvation call: 90:42–94:43

Three Methods to “Trigger Something Different”

1. Believe What Others Won’t: Stand in faith, even in the minority (78:16)
2. Protect the Seed of Belief: Guard your faith, set boundaries (80:53)
3. Believe Longer, Not Just Stronger: Endure in faith, even if it’s not loud or impressive; persistence matters (83:41)

Closing Challenges

• Evaluate what you’re truly filled with; faith or fear?
• Intentionally replace old, negative patterns with God’s Word and Spirit.
• Let your responses under pressure be transformed so that your life leaves a mark of faith on others—especially your family.

Summary by Transformation Church Podcast Summarizer — December 2025