Your Thinking Is Limiting the Blessing | The Blessing, Part Two

What Else Has to Happen Before You Wake Up? | Closer to God Part 2

What else has to happen before you wake up? In Closer to God Part Two, Pastor Mike Darnell continues the conversation on closeness to God by asking a sobering question: What else has to happen before you wake up? How many more disappointments, distractions, compromises, or warnings does it take before a person fully surrenders to God and commits to His ways?Throughout Scripture, God consistently works through commitment before revelation. Many people spend years asking for details about their purpose, their future, and God's plan for their lives, but God often waits for a simple yes before revealing what comes next. The pattern of the Kingdom is commitment first, details later. The early church committed when they received the revelation that Jesus is Lord. Saul committed after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In both cases, revelation opened the door, but commitment moved them forward.One of the greatest dangers to spiritual growth is believing that more information will produce obedience. Information alone rarely changes a life. Encounters with God do. Saul knew plenty of information before he became Paul, but it was not until he encountered Jesus that everything changed. One encounter transformed a persecutor of the church into one of its greatest builders.The enemy understands the power of commitment, which is why he works so hard to create distance between people and God. Distance rarely happens all at once. It develops gradually through self-sufficiency, distraction, compromise, and divided loyalties. Over time, that distance can become resistance. What once felt normal begins to feel inconvenient. What once brought conviction begins to feel optional. Without realizing it, people can drift from pursuing God's will to resisting it.But closeness to God produces the opposite effect. The closer you are to Him, the easier it becomes to receive from Him. Faith becomes stronger. His voice becomes clearer. Obedience becomes quicker. The Kingdom moves from being something you talk about to something you experience. Jesus never intended for His people to simply discuss the Kingdom. He intended for them to demonstrate it through wisdom, authority, healing, deliverance, boldness, and lives that reflect the reality of His rule.Distance creates resistance. Closeness creates acceptance. The question is not whether God is speaking. The question is whether the heart has become willing enough to respond. Every believer must eventually decide whether they will continue waiting for more information or whether they will trust the revelation they have already received, fully commit to following the King, and advance the Kingdom.Listen now to Closer to God Part Two from Pastor Mike Darnell at Excel Church and discover why commitment unlocks revelation, why encounters with God change everything, and how staying close to Him protects you from the gradual drift that leads to resistance. 🎟️ Register for the 2026 Reprogram Conference:https://brushfire.com/excel-church/rpgm26/ [https://brushfire.com/excel-church/rpgm26/] ⛪️ Visit Excel Church: https://www.excelchurchatlanta.com/visit-us 👑Kingdom Mentorship & Excel University: https://excelu.thinkific.com [https://excelu.thinkific.com/] Visit Excel Church:https://www.excelchurchatlanta.com [https://www.excelchurchatlanta.com/] 📚More Kingdom Resources from Pastor Mike Darnell:https://linktr.ee/mikedarnell [https://linktr.ee/mikedarnell] 🎙️Podcast Home:https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/mike-darnell/ [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/mike-darnell/]

Dangerous Distance: How the Enemy Pulls You Away From God | Closer To God Pt 1

Have you heard enough to commit? In Closer to God Part One, Pastor Mike Darnell asks a question that cuts straight to the heart: Have you heard enough to commit? Not to visit God. Not to consider Him. Not to keep waiting for more details. To commit. Many people are not as close to God as they think because they are still standing at a distance, waiting to be convinced. But in Acts 2, the early church heard one revelation: Jesus is Lord. That was enough to repent, be baptized, and continue in the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers. The Kingdom works differently than the world. God does not give you every detail before you commit. You commit first, and then the Holy Spirit brings the details. He leads you into truth after your heart has yielded. Commitment happens in the heart, not the head. Understand that proximity to God is not always closeness to God. You can be around the things of God and still be far from His ways. Salvation brings you into the Kingdom, but closeness is developed as you learn the culture of the Kingdom. You can be a citizen and still carry an alien mind, a mindset trained by another world, another system, and another way of living. That is why closeness has to be pursued. If you assume you are close, you will not pursue being close. Closeness is yielding to the King’s will and His way. It is learning to depend on God, hear His voice, stay in His presence, and grow in His understanding. Strength for your assignment, wisdom for your circumstances, and strategy for your future all come from closeness with Him. The enemy knows this, so he works to create dangerous distance between you and God. He does not always pull people away dramatically. Sometimes it starts with one missed prayer, one neglected moment in the Word, one skipped gathering, one quiet compromise. Distance eventually becomes resistance. But God is calling His people closer. Stay close in prayer. Stay close in the Word. Stay close in fellowship. Stay close in praise. Praise is not a side note; it is evidence of passion, fire, and surrender. The closer you get to God, the more His presence begins to change everything about you. Listen now to Closer to God Part One from Pastor Mike Darnell at Excel Church, and learn how to commit fully, resist dangerous distance, and stay close to the God who gives strength, wisdom, strategy, and fire for your assignment. 📍 Register for the 2026 Reprogram Conference: https://brushfire.com/excel-church/rpgm26/ [https://brushfire.com/excel-church/reprogramconference2025] 🎓 Kingdom Mentorship & Excel University: https://excelu.thinkific.com [https://excelu.thinkific.com] ⛪️ Visit Excel Church: https://www.excelchurchatlanta.com [https://www.excelchurchatlanta.com/] 📚 More Kingdom Resources from Pastor Mike Darnell: https://linktr.ee/mikedarnell [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFItNG5YdS1JUFJReE9jYXgyal9uRlIxTU90Z3xBQ3Jtc0tuQzN0cXpTcVVkY2JOVWQwbUNUY0RLdWFBVzF1WGExSkpvRllFQ3VOV2ZvVmdsRnZ0X2VKQkl2UlNteThOZk51dHlrRVpLYUp4aXdQSzU0SmM1M3RiSGxUVXktMHVMMTF6YjdzMXdRRUtUUzlxRHFNYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Flinktr.ee%2Fmikedarnell&v=hawK_qhFZaQ]  🎙️ Podcast Home: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/mike-darnell/ [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/mike-darnell/]

Reprogram Podcast LA | God Has No One To Talk To Part 2 | Mike Darnell

God is speaking… but does He have anyone who actually understands Him?In this powerful episode of the Reprogram Podcast (LA Pt. 2), Pastor Mike dives deep into a reality most believers have never considered:👉 God doesn’t struggle to speak… we struggle to understand.“God has no one to talk to” isn’t about His silence—it’s about a disconnect between heaven’s language and earth’s mindset.This teaching exposes:Why the Kingdom message feels foreign to most believersHow human thinking blocks divine communicationThe difference between natural understanding and kingdom revelationWhy many are living from the wrong “program”How reprogramming your mind unlocks clarity, direction, and powerJesus preached the Kingdom everywhere He went—but today, it’s one of the least understood messages in the Church.Until your mind is transformed to match heaven’s perspective…➡️ You’ll hear God, but not understand Him.➡️ You’ll read truth, but miss its meaning.➡️ You’ll live in potential, but not demonstration.This isn’t just a message—it’s an invitation to think differently, live differently, and access a higher reality.🔥 If you’re ready to stop guessing and start understanding—this is for you.

How to Activate the Blessing Through Faith and Obedience | The Blessing Part 5

In the finale of The Blessing Series, Pastor Mike Darnell teaches that the blessing belongs to every believer in Christ, but it must be understood, practiced, and activated through obedience. God wants His people to prosper in every area of life, not as a theory, but as a visible demonstration of His Kingdom in the earth.  This message reveals that the blessing gives believers access to heaven’s instruction, authority to walk in dominion, and the ability to live beyond the limits of natural circumstances. Pastor Mike teaches that the blessing separates God’s people from worldly patterns, human striving, and the systems of the earth so they can follow the course of heaven. A major principle in this message is that obedience is connected to the flow of the blessing. Faith is not just saying yes to God; faith is doing what He said, even when it is inconvenient, uncomfortable, or difficult. The blessing functions when believers trust God enough to obey His Word, follow His instruction, and live by faith instead of natural reasoning. Pastor Mike also emphasizes that blessed people must speak blessing. Believers are called to bless their children, homes, marriages, jobs, churches, leaders, neighbors, and even their enemies. Speaking the blessing is more than kind words; it is releasing heaven’s authority over people, places, and situations. The Blessing Part 5 is a call to believe in the blessing, obey God fully, and become a blessing everywhere God has placed you. Listen now to the finale of The Blessing Series with Pastor Mike Darnell at Excel Church. 📍 Register for the 2026 Reprogram Conference: https://brushfire.com/excel-church/rpgm26/ [https://brushfire.com/excel-church/reprogramconference2025] 🎓 Kingdom Mentorship & Excel University: https://excelu.thinkific.com [https://excelu.thinkific.com] ⛪️ Visit Excel Church: https://www.excelchurchatlanta.com [https://www.excelchurchatlanta.com/] 📚 More Kingdom Resources from Pastor Mike Darnell: https://linktr.ee/mikedarnell [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFItNG5YdS1JUFJReE9jYXgyal9uRlIxTU90Z3xBQ3Jtc0tuQzN0cXpTcVVkY2JOVWQwbUNUY0RLdWFBVzF1WGExSkpvRllFQ3VOV2ZvVmdsRnZ0X2VKQkl2UlNteThOZk51dHlrRVpLYUp4aXdQSzU0SmM1M3RiSGxUVXktMHVMMTF6YjdzMXdRRUtUUzlxRHFNYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Flinktr.ee%2Fmikedarnell&v=hawK_qhFZaQ]  🎙️ Podcast Home: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/mike-darnell/ [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/mike-darnell/]

How To Prosper When Everything Around You is Failing? | THE BLESSING PART 4

In Part 4 of The Blessing series at Excel Church, Pastor Mike Darnell teaches that the blessing is far more than money or material increase. It is heavenly revelation, divine strategy, and the ability to prosper even in difficult seasons. Using the story of Isaac in Genesis 26, Pastor Mike explains how Isaac prospered during a famine because the blessing gave him insight that others did not have.  One of the central revelations of this message is Isaac reopening the wells that the Philistines had filled with earth. Pastor Mike explains that the wells represent the revelation of God, while the earth symbolizes worldly thinking, fear, pride, culture, and dependence on natural systems. God is not always trying to create something new in us. Sometimes He is removing the earthly thinking that has blocked what He already placed inside of us.  Pastor Mike also breaks down the Hebrew word Barack — the biblical word for blessing — revealing that the blessing begins with submission, humility, and covenant connection with God. Through an in-depth teaching on the Hebrew letters, he shows that true Kingdom prosperity flows from kneeling before God before being lifted by Him.  This message challenges believers to stop living from earthly systems and start living from heavenly revelation. Whether in seasons of prosperity or hardship, Pastor Mike reminds the church that the blessing is meant to reveal God to the world so people can clearly see His hand on His people. 📍 Register for the 2026 Reprogram Conference: https://brushfire.com/excel-church/rpgm26/ [https://brushfire.com/excel-church/reprogramconference2025] 🎓 Kingdom Mentorship & Excel University: https://excelu.thinkific.com [https://excelu.thinkific.com] ⛪️ Visit Excel Church: https://www.excelchurchatlanta.com [https://www.excelchurchatlanta.com/] 📚 More Kingdom Resources from Pastor Mike Darnell: https://linktr.ee/mikedarnell [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFItNG5YdS1JUFJReE9jYXgyal9uRlIxTU90Z3xBQ3Jtc0tuQzN0cXpTcVVkY2JOVWQwbUNUY0RLdWFBVzF1WGExSkpvRllFQ3VOV2ZvVmdsRnZ0X2VKQkl2UlNteThOZk51dHlrRVpLYUp4aXdQSzU0SmM1M3RiSGxUVXktMHVMMTF6YjdzMXdRRUtUUzlxRHFNYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Flinktr.ee%2Fmikedarnell&v=hawK_qhFZaQ]  🎙️ Podcast Home: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/mike-darnell/ [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/mike-darnell/]