Mike Todd’s Introduction

 
The God who anchored us before is the God who will anchor us now and in the future.
 
People ask why do we celebrate so much? It goes back to the children of Israel, who would set
up memorials to remember what God did. People get amnesia of God’s goodness. What you
really need to do is think of what God did in a different season. This is why we celebrate
anniversaries.
 
Make this an anniversary for you.
 
Make a decision. Today is my anniversary, the last day I will be in poverty.
 
Whatever you’ve seen with TC didn’t start here. It started with a decision to stay faithful when
people left and nobody was cheering or clapping.
 
In Esther 4, Esther was in a situation where she had an opportunity to save an entire people
group. Someone said, perhaps you’re alive for such a time as this. When looking at what God
has done, maybe God made this church for such a time as this.
 
Mike’s response to God, even with the hardships and frustration, was to take a stance of joy
and faith. No matter what happens, Mike’s response is “what a time to be alive” – not “Oh
God, what are you going to go?” – “I was born for such a time as this”.
 
No matter how dark it is – you were born for such a time as this. No matter how broken,
how hurt, or with nobody seeing you, you were born for such a time as this.
 
You were born for such a time as this.
 
What will be your response? What a time to be alive.
 
I’m alive in the season God called me to be in, in the moment that God chose me to be an
answer. God only births answers.
 
The world is asking a lot of questions so God sent you.
 
People have questions and the answer is you.
 
I’m an answer. My family is an answer.
 
Maybe you were born for such a time as this.
 
The rest of this week, month, and year – don’t wonder if you have purpose – declare that,
“I was born for such a time as this.” “It might not be clear, but I was born for such a time
as this.”
 
Mike didn’t know he would be a pastor, but God knew what He made him for.
 
Someone is going to step up and declare that they were born for such a time as this.
 
What a time to be alive.
 
In Mike’s frustration and not knowing what was going to happen, he was born for this moment.
 
We’re just getting started. Stick with Mike for the next 10 years and let’s not see if we can’t turn
the whole world upside down! Glory to God!
 
God has really blessed this church to do things outside of the box. We’re going to take a trip
down memory lane and Mike will show us the process TC went through.
 
“We’re going to start a lifestyle brand. Everyone will be wearing merch that says Represent.” The
finance team said ‘No’ because it was unaffordable – when he was told no, God asked him if he
would let the no stop him. Mike took his own money and started printing his own merch. For 6
years, Mike has gone everywhere and put the vision of the church on his chest and represent
on the back. We’re at the point now where we have the infrastructure and the team to launch
this to the whole world!!!
 
It’s not clothing, it’s a calling!
 
https://therepresentstore.com/
 
 Darkness is the same to you God- There is no difference to God- He sees Darkness and
Light the same: Psalm 139
 Represent Store: SET THE ALARM! This is not clothing. This is a calling. Pre-order the
exclusive Blackout Collection. Available worldwide 2/7 at 2pm
CST therepresentstore.com

Message Title: What a Time to Be Alive

 
We are in week 5 of Anchored!
 
We’re going to be anchored.
 
God wants us to be tied to something that will not be able to move in the midst of the storm.
 
For whatever reason you’re here, this is divine.
 
Somebody is at the end of their rope. God is saying that He wants to be your anchor. The
thing that is stable, the thing that you tie your life to. His name is Jesus. He is the rock of ages.
He can take your past and use it for your future. You have to allow Him to be your anchor.
 
We decided last week that we’ll be in the deep. The shallow is not safer.
 
Mike didn’t know what God would do with his life. Six years ago, he pushed off the shore and
decided to go into the deep. In the deep, God does miracles.
 
Luke 5:3-4 New Living Translation (NLT)
3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon,[a] its owner, to push it out into the water. So he
sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down
your nets to catch some fish.”
 
Context: these are professional fishermen. They catch fish all the time. They would have some
level of success. They’re in a space where God is asking them to deny what they know to follow
His instructions. If you’re going to the deep, what you know doesn’t matter as much. Some of
you need to know that the college you went to doesn’t matter. In the deep, whatever you know
will not matter.
 
So many of us want our qualifications to anchor us. Regardless of the money you have, you
can’t heal cancer. Regardless of how many people have your cell number, there are certain
doors that only God can unlock.
 
God is saying, “You need me to go with you in the deep.”
 
Has God ever asked you to do something that you thought you could do without Him?
 
Many of us need to be able to position ourselves to be out of control, i.e., not making the
decisions.
 

1. God Does the Dynamic in the Deep 

 
There are dynamic things God cannot do at the level of Christianity that you’re at. For
instance, you need to launch into humility for him to save your marriage.
 
There are dynamic things He does in the deep.
 
The church seems powerless because we stopped doing the dynamic things in church. Signs,
miracles, and prophecy. Mike feels prophecy strong coming to this church – divine
intervention and intelligence from God. If we’d be open to being in the deep, He’ll send
someone to tell us before it happens. He will send people to give you a foreshadowing.
 
The miracles, signs, and wonders – your marriage being on the brink of divorce and God
stepping in to do the dynamic. The dynamic only happens in the deep.
 
There is tension because people in culture can accept Mike’s message to start pandering to
other people in culture.
 
Mike will never do what is politically correct, but what is biblically correct. So if you don’t
like it, and if you don’t like him calling out the silhouette challenge, know that Mike will not
stand with you and IG followers before God.
 
I want the dynamic in my life – to be able to speak to stuff that’s dying and it comes back to life
– for situations that are shriveling to stand up and live! The only thing that happens with
dynamic is that it has to happen in the deep.
 
Say signs, miracles, and wonders – these will get the world saved.
 
We will not be powerless. We’re about to step into the deep and see God do things what
nobody thought was possible.
 
This is a call for those that don’t want to sit down and have bible study and then go watch porn.
This is for those who want to have the ability to reach back in grace and mercy and to get the
dynamic only found in the deep.
 
So many people were impacted by the water on the stage. You know what Mike found out last
night? There was a woman who came last year and prophesied to Mike. He called Brenda Todd,
then found the prophecy at 10:30 pm last night. The lady said one line that made pregnant
Natalie Todd sit up. God wanted Mike to know it would be dynamic and that God wants to do
the dynamic in the deep.
 
God sent a word to let Mike know that He was thinking about the dynamic while Mike was still
in the shallow. The dynamic only happens in the deep.
 
There are certain creatures that you will never see until you go to the deep.

This is the type of dynamic that God has laying under the surface for you. What if that was
your business? What if it was generational wealth?
 
We’re sitting here because Mike decided we’re going to the deep – regardless of who’s done it
before.
 
Mike is using his life as a marker and to let you know that there is no qualification that
separates Mike from you. Mike is not better than you. Mike is at the same level of you from
every aspect – he still has to love his wife – still has to pray – still has to watch out for
temptation – still has to study to have a relationship with God – still wants to snap at people
who cut him off – the only difference is that Mike chooses to live in the deep.
 

2. The Deep Has a Design

 
Mike is not trying to toy with you for you to struggle. Everything He does is by design. He is a
master crafter and builder. If you would give Him control and be your anchor – know that the
deep has a design.    
 
There are certain things that will not come out of you without the deep – and cannot do in you
until you don’t have control anymore.
 
It was daunting for Mike to step into Bishop Gary’s role. At the time, Mike felt like he had to be
like Gary so he had on suits every week. He thought if he had to be deep, he needed to be in his
design. You’re trying to fit into the mold of someone else. God’s deep has a design for you.
 
God designed the deep to get something in and out of you.
 

Let’s understand the progression of going into

the deep:
 
Distance
 When it comes to your relationship with God, you will be distant first
 God is fine, as long as you listen because He will draw you in close
 
Dwell
 Something within Simon Peter allowed God to come in and dwell there
 God doesn’t dwell in silence
 
Direct
 When God gets in your boat, He wants to direct
 He will never leave you in the same place he found you
 God has been directing some of you this whole year – shut up, stop doing this,
start doing that
 He directs you into the deep
 
Deep
 He directs you into the deep and then he gives you a decision
 
Decision
 Has God been able to direct you? God only directs to the deep and now you have a
decision.
 You have to make the decision every day to obey God
 
 

3. Every Decision In the Deep Has to be

Anchored in Obedience
 
God wants you to obey.
 
Any success people think that Mike has comes from always obeying what God said.
 
Time after time God asked Mike to do things that were not fun and he didn’t want to do – but
he made a decision that he would be anchored in obedience.  
 
Anecdote: at 23 years old, a music company offered Mike 100k to produce for one year when
he only had ramen boodles, chicken and beef, and a Mcdouble and Mcchicken were the
sustaining foods in his life. For most of you, it might have not even been a thought. Mike
prayed. God said, you’ll go and be successful, but He would take His hand off of what you’re
doing. Most of us would take success over His hand. What are you doing without His hand? It
looks good, but you’re out there by yourself. God is saying, I need you to choose to obey. Be
anchored in obedience. The hardest thing now is that it doesn’t get easier to obey when you
have some success and impact. You think once you get it, and now when the super bowl calls to
perform a song – the immediate answer was yes, but the Holy Spirit said, “but you didn’t even
ask me.” You thought because the platform was bigger, you didn’t have to go through Him as
your filter. Mike turned it down, and they came back with better offers. The answer was, “No”,
Mike asked, “Why”, the answer was, “No.” God doesn’t have to give reasons in the deep. They
came back and said, “would you just pray?” The Holy Spirit said, “yes, you can pray for everyone
on stage.” Mike prayed for them, but today, Mike is celebrating in obedience. Nobody is posting
about the prayer, but God is standing in heaven applauding.
 
God is trying to find some people anchored in obedience. Everything God has done today to
impact the world was anchored in obedience.
 
Put yourself in the disciples mind.
 
Luke 5:5 New Living Translation (NLT)
5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll
let the nets down again.”
 
“Just want to let you know what happened last time – last year – the trauma that happened –
how damage I was…”… “the last season.” Sometimes He’ll ask you to do something you just did.
Will you be anchored in obedience or the place that makes you complacent?
 
When you start complaining enough, you feel validated and think it gives you a reason to
not do what God told you. He’s telling you to obey regardless of what the last season
produced.
 
Simon said, we worked hard all last night – but something rose up on the inside of him as a
declaration – it’s something you say in confidence no matter what the situation is telling you.
 
Here’s a declaration for everyone in the deep, “But if you say so.” That is a declaration that is
drenched in faith!!
 
“I went to counseling before” – If God says, “Go again” , you say, “If you say so.”
 

4. My Declaration in the Deep is “If You Say So”

 
This is the language for the people who live in the deep.
 
When Jesus tells you something, your response needs to be, “If you say so.”
 
If he said your family will be saved, you better say, “If you say so.”
 
Don’t consult other seasons – declare by faith, “If you say so.”
 
Some of you feel like you’ve been in a night of nothing. Where are the resources, the
connections, the friend group, the healing? Where’s my team? You said if I sowed, I’d reap, but
it’s been a night of nothing. You said serve again though…
 
Imagine what those disciples must have felt like, sitting there unraveling the same utensils they
used the night before – the same prayer spot you prayed before, the same office you worked in
last night, the same kids that you spoke over – this was the biggest faith act that they could do.
The same way God is going to tell you, forgive them again, and the declaration is going to raise
up on the inside of you, “If you say so.”
 
Don’t give up just because God hasn’t given you new scenery yet. This happens in the same
spot they were in. What if God doesn’t remove you from the job, but He tells you what to do,
but “if you say so” comes out of your mouth that He may not change your season, but He might
change your situation. He may make you run the whole team even if He doesn’t remove you.
 
Jesus was teaching and He saw them preparing their nets. They weren’t complaining about
not catching anything, they were preparing. They may have realized it was a night of
nothing, but they knew something else would come. They were mending their nets – in crazy
faith. Many times we give up. How many people said, “Your building should be open, we’re
going to the church up the street because you’re not a man of God” or “You’re called but we’re
leaving.” If you allow disappointment to keep you from mending the nets, then you won’t
be the one that’s usable.
 
Jesus didn’t supply the nets! He told them to take their prepared nets! If you’re not
preparing something, then He won’t have anything for you to use. He took the nets that
they were already preparing.
 
Some of you are crying to be in the deep with no net. What do you have to use for your
miracle? He can’t use opinions. You’ve been cultivating your opinion for years. Have you
been hosting people? Improving your administration skills? Using the car that you have?
 
Anecdote: At one point, Tammy was the only person that worked for the ministry. Mike was the
graphic designer, band director, marketing director, pastor – he did everything in that season.
He would walk into the office wondering if anyone got anything. It was dark. He would ask why
give him such a big vision and can’t see anything. He walked into the back office with an “if you
say so” attitude though. Tammy would be the only person in the office dying laughing as Mike
enthusiastically greeted people. Slowly but surely, Mike doesn’t even know everybody on their
staff today – not because Mike did something special, but because he kept preparing his nets.  
 
If you threw your net aside, know that God may need that.
 
 

5. The Disappointment in the Darkness is for

Development 
 
God was developing Mike.
 
Mike was prepared to lead and “know people” because he was leading “no people”. It was just
Tammy and he was using what he had in the moment that he had it.
 
This disappointment you have right now is for your development.
 
Culture shows us that we can keep taking instant photos, over and over.

We sometimes want a polaroid – we give a little more time – but if it takes too long, we throw it
back – just like what we sometimes do to people.
In the church, sometimes we want instant people; instantly healed. From the club and instantly
into ministering. If we look at the word, God chooses to pick up something that has to be
developed.

With this, it’s a process.

You have to wind it up. You can’t see the pictures right away. You can’t post them. You can’t
show the world. The device that God chooses to use has to go to the dark room.
 
The film has to be taken to the darkroom. Any light will overexpose what God is trying to do.
 
You know about Mike because he was in the dark room for 10 years. Mike is glad you didn’t see
him preaching to youth.
 
God kept him in the dark room for development.
 
The night of nothing is not for nothing.
 
The dark season is for development.
 
Mike can see the smart phone pic and it looks like the best quality, the Polaroid isn’t bad either,
– but for some reason – the photographer of our lives chooses to use something that is
developed.
 
Mike needs some people to come into the deep with him to be developed.
 
This is just the beginning.
 
God is asking us if we’ll let the deep develop us. Will your character change this time next
month? Can God take the thing you’re going to argue about after service?
 
Can God take a picture of you right now and next year this time, the new picture will
show how much you’ve grown?
 
Go with Mike and dive deep.
 
The world does not need another cookie cutter Christian church or a church riddled with
scandal or falling leaders. We’re all susceptible if we don’t take hold of our anchor.
 
Why start catering to the crowd at the moment it’s inconvenient? Mike decided we’re going to
dwell in the deep.
 
Luke 5:5-7 New Living Translation (NLT)
5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll
let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A
shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with
fish and on the verge of sinking.
 
What if we were sinking for the right reasons? So much blessings coming to our lives that we
had to be generous because we couldn’t contain the blessings ourselves. That is the story of
our church, giving away millions of dollars was the overflow of our obedience.
 
The prayer is that you will sink for the right reasons. That you would have so much that you
couldn’t hold it all. This is what happens in the deep.
 
The Deep Doubles It 
 
At this moment, two boats are filled to the point of sinking. If you allow God to develop you in
the deep, it will be double what you ever thought it was.
 
Mike is standing in double of everything him and Bishop ever talked about.
 
God doubled everything because they were obedient and anchored in the deep.  
 
Obey God.
 
Mike stands here with the only qualification being, if God said so, and saying, “If you say so.”
 
Luke 5:8-10 New Living Translation (NLT)
8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh,
Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they
had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were
also amazed.
Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”
 
God’s blessing can expose how deep and dark you are and He is not opposed to your mess.
 
God made them fish for people from now on. It was a big experiment to show them what really
mattered. Blessing our home, health, business, kids – it’s all for us to actually follow Him.
 
When they got to the land, they didn’t take selfies of the fish, they didn’t have a fish fry, or go to
market – they left everything and followed Jesus.
 
Could the most successful thing about your life be the smallest thing in comparison to the life
God wants you to live?
 
Mike is standing here ready to give up everything he ever wanted to follow Jesus and bring
more people to Him.
 

6. The Deep Makes Disciples and Changes

Destinies 
 
Bishop deciding to go to the deep changed the destinies of the people in the room. Mike was
probably trying to get on AOL to look at porn when God spoke to a man and woman to push off
the shore and go to the deep. For 16 years, they dwelled in the deep. When the boat was
breaking, they called Mike and Natalie. Then God told Mike to leave it all and come and
represent Him.
 
Mike is willing to stand here and declare that he went through the whole progressions –
distance > dwell > direct > deep > decision – and now, he’s a disciple.
 
Mike’s yes has made him a disciple and has changed other people’s destinies.
 
Mike wants you to be consecrated. If Mike dies before he gets old, he doesn’t want it to be said
that “he almost reached his potential” – the prayer is for you to get the spirit of “if you say so.”

Prayer:
God you’ve used this story of Mike and Gary’s life as a mirror for people to go to the deep.
Thank you for irrational obedience rising up in your sons and daughters. Please keep our “if you
say so” intact – that we would not drift – that every dark area of our lives are for our
development and that there is a breaking and a new day coming in the name of Jesus. Father,
we anchor on you, have your way.  Have your way in my life God, have your way in my family
God. God I’m in the deep and only you can direct me out here. Have your way God. He can
change your identity, your ideas, everything. Have your way with me God. Thank you for
bringing us to this place, but I’m anchored on you. I’m not doing anything to impress people,
but to bring people to you and be fishers of men. Lord, let the spirit of evangelism rise up in
transformation nation. Thank you that there would be salvations that make last year not even
worthy to be compared. Do not allow us to be complacent. What a time to be alive. Thank you.
Thank you that we can be your voice to speak to people. I pray against every lie of the enemy
trying to take people out just because they are in a disappointing season. You will live and not
die. With long life, God is going to satisfy you. Everything you touch will bring so much frit that
others will be blessed. For everything TC ever does, God, you get the glory, honor, and praise. In
Jesus name, Amen!
 
As we go to the deep, it is Mike’s commitment – and he’s asking you that after next week’s
message, it’s one of the most poignant messages. The deep is a little uncomfortable – the series
after that – we’re going to talk about financial stewardship. The challenge is to not swim back
to shore. This year we’re going to be progressing to the deep. Then we’ll do 9 to 10 weeks
on the Holy Spirit! How can we live this life without power? Burning sage etc. – you have
no power. Welcome to the deep. 2021, we’re going to make the deep things very simple and
allow transformation to take place in your life.
 
Prayer and Altar Call:
If you’re distant and what God to dwell, all you have to do is ask him into your heart. Last week,
over a thousand people got saved because they decided they didn’t want to be distant
anymore, but wanted God to dwell. It’s the greatest decision you could ever make. Identify
yourself and slip your hand up on the count of three. 1. You’re making the greatest decision you
could ever make, 2. Mike is proud of you, but more importantly, your name will be written in
the lamb book of life, 3. Put your hand up in the air.
 
God thank you, for sending Jesus to be my anchor, today, I give you my life. I believe you lived,
you died, and you rose again, just for me. You have a design for my life and I’m going to find out
what it is. Change me, renew me, transform me, I’m yours, in Jesus name, Amen.