I Need Peace: The Worst Gift Exchange Ever // Receipts (Pt 12) // Michael Todd

Hello, my name is Will, and I have the privilege of serving as one of the leaders here at Transformation Church. Thank you so much for tuning in from wherever you’re watching. If you haven’t already, make sure to like and subscribe. We believe God has an incredible word for you today, so let’s dive into this amazing message.

Look at your neighbor and say, “Merry Christmas!” Come on, say it with energy—“Merry Christmas!” Merry Christmas to everyone here and everyone joining us online. I wish you could all be here because the presence of God is in this room. The beautiful thing is, His presence is with you wherever you are. He is Emmanuel, God with us.

Today, whether it’s your first time with us at Transformation Church, you’re here for your annual Christmas service, or you’ve been joining us regularly, I want to say welcome. We’ve been praying for this service and for you. We’ve been asking God to push back the forces of darkness that would try to keep you stuck in situations that make you feel unworthy to be in God’s house. The devil is a liar. None of us are perfect enough to approach God; we all have our mess. But today, I want you to know you are welcome here.

For those of you who have been searching for something different, for those who feel an emptiness in your soul, and you’re wondering if today might be the day to try Jesus—I’m excited for you. I believe that by the end of this service, you’ll have the opportunity to transform your life.

I’ve also been praying for someone today—someone who has become numb. My prayer is that God will restore your sensitivity to His presence. I believe that something will come alive in your soul today.

I’ve prepared a brief message to wrap up our series, but more than that, I hope it’s not just a message—it’s an encounter, a revelation moment where you realize how deeply God loves you and how much purpose you still have on this Earth.

Today, I’m going to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. I’ve got a lot of notes, but they’re just there to help me stay focused. The message God has given me is inside me, and I want to share it with you.

Now, some of you may think I’m going off-script, but I assure you, this message is so deeply embedded in me that I’m not trying to impress anyone today. The only person I’m trying to impress is my mama, who likes me wearing a suit! And I’ll be sure to tell her “happy birthday” after service. But seriously, I don’t want you to think I’m here to impress you. What I’m here to do is to compel you—to show you how deeply I believe in this.

When someone believes in something so much, it’s contagious. It’s like when someone is passionate about something they work for, and even if you weren’t interested before, you might just want to try it because of their passion. That’s what I’m trying to do today. I’m not trying to convince you with my intellect, but through the Word of God and how it’s changed my life. Who I am today is not who I was. I was once disconnected from Jesus, and there’s no way to fully explain how different my life is now.

I don’t want anything from you today, but I want to convince you that there’s a better way to live than what culture offers. It’s not a perfect path, but it’s a path charted by the perfect one.

Today, I’m finishing a 12-week series on the fruit of the Spirit. If it’s your first time here, you’ve got some homework! Why is this important? Because scriptures mean nothing if you don’t live them out. You can read the Bible in a synagogue, you can hear the Word in church, but it’s only authenticated in the streets. Most people who claim to be Christian don’t act like it when they’re outside the church. But you, today, you are here. And that matters.