You're Not Suffering. Here's What's Really Happening.

APOC Ministry

Eric Thomas

Religion & Spirituality, Spirituality, Christianity

4.9 • 900 Ratings

🗓️ 23 March 2026

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

You've been calling it suffering. You've been calling it surrender. Pastor Eric Thomas says it's neither — and what's actually happening might be the most important thing you hear all year. In Part 3 of the Royal Airlines series, Pastor ET delivers a message that will challenge everything you thought you knew about obedience, people pleasing, and following God's plan. Using the story of King Saul in 1 Samuel 15, he exposes the real reason most Christians stay stuck — not confusion, not weakness, but two competing wills. Yours and God's. If you've ever people-pleased your way out of a blessing, let people's voices drown out God's direction, or found yourself wondering why obedience and people pleasing feel identical — this message is for you. The flight plan is already written. The question is whether you'll follow it. In this message you'll discover: Why "surrender" isn't a real problem — and what the real issue actually is The dangerous difference between people pleasing and true obedience to God How to stop people pleasing when it feels like the right thing to do What King Saul's biggest mistake reveals about our own relationship with God A practical tool to help you know whether you're obeying God or just people pleasing Why people pleasing is actually hurting the people you're trying to help CHAPTERS: Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome: The Gift of Today 00:02:23 There's No Such Thing as Suffering or Surrender 00:05:30 Surrender Only Exists When There's Conflict 00:06:55 You Want to Quit, God Says Stay 00:08:38 You Want Revenge, God Says Forgive 00:10:43 You Want Comfort, God Wants You to Grow 00:12:27 Your Will Versus His Will: The Real Battle 00:15:41 God Doesn't Pay You to Think or Feel 00:16:01 First Samuel 15: When You Were Little in Your Own Sight 00:17:26 The Command: Destroy Everything, No Exceptions 00:21:18 The People Made Me Do It: Saul's Excuse 00:22:25 When God Gives, He Also Gives Instructions 00:24:19 Rebellion Is as the Sin of Witchcraft 00:36:56 You Only Destroyed the Bad Stuff 00:41:49 To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice 00:46:07 False Repentance: Honor Me Before the People 00:49:34 What Surrender Really Looks Like 00:51:43 Five Wills That Fight Against God's Will 00:52:09 Prayer for Men: Use Your Influence for God's Will 00:54:21 Prayer for Women: Support the Will of God 00:56:00 Prayer for Children: Stop Following the Internet 00:58:11 Next Steps: Connect, Give, and Share ✅ Subscribe and turn on notifications — new messages every Saturday: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLRzMQFmplNd4-H1X5bj1jA?sub_confirmation=1 📲 Follow us on Instagram: 👉 https://www.instagram.com/apocministry_/ 🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts: 👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/apoc-ministry/id1448489948 🎧 Stream on Spotify: 👉 https://open.spotify.com/show/7MSRcKb31rzblPxPpvM5WF?si=5541166622814a17 💛 Support the Mission If today's message moved you, consider partnering with A Place of Change Ministry. Your generosity fuels our weekly services, community outreach, and our ability to reach people around the world through this channel. Every gift — no matter the size — makes a difference. 👉 Give at: apocministry.org/give About A Place of Change Ministry (APOC) A Place of Change Ministry is a church community in Grand Ledge, Michigan, committed to helping people love God, grow in faith, and serve others. We believe the church isn't just a building — it's a movement. Join us live every Saturday at 11 AM ET, right here on YouTube. 📱 Download the APOC App: Search "APOC Ministry" in your app store 🌐 Website: apocministry.org

Transcript

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0:00.0	Yo, what's up? It's your boy, E.T. Pastor of a place to change ministries. Thank you so much for
0:06.8	tuning into this podcast. You know, so many people have said to me, E, we love the normal service,
0:11.8	but the podcast, we can wash dishes, wash clothes, work out to it, drive up and down the road,
0:18.9	our commute to work.
0:22.1	And so, guys, thank you so much.
0:27.0	Look, you know, we have one goal here, and that is to meet your spiritual needs.
0:32.2	And so we hope that this message helps you in your everyday walk, helps you in your transformation.
0:38.1	And most importantly, we hope that it helps you to make the rest of your life the best of your life.
0:43.6	God said this is going to be the best year of your life. Praise God. God said you are not going to be in circles. This is going to be your year. But in order for it to be your year, something has to
0:50.4	change. Praise God. Something's got to change. Praise God. And listen to me, I'm so excited because
0:55.9	you, like, you're getting my leftovers. I'm just being real. All the stuff I'm preaching, God has
1:01.2	already taken me through it. So when we said this year, we were going to have a rest and a reset,
1:06.0	I promise you, I've been there, done that. And so I'm expressing, I'm expressing to you what God has already done through me.
1:13.7	And I'm giving you the secret to success. I'm telling you what God did for me, right? And so a lot of
1:19.4	people hit me up to, they're like, pastor, how do you surrender? Right? How do you surrender to the
1:25.3	will of God? Because I told you you when you read the Bible we shouldn't
1:28.9	just be reading the Bible to read the Bible we should be emulating what happened in the Word of God
1:33.2	and the Word of God said that Joshua was so close to God that God told him I need you to be careful
1:41.1	with what be careful where you put your foot son because wherever you put your foot is going to be careful. Careful with what? Be careful where you put your foot, son.
1:44.8	Because wherever you put your foot is going to be blessed. Amen. Come on somebody. I don't know about
1:49.5	you, but I, like, I read that and I want that. Amen. I want that. Whatever I touch is going to be
1:55.8	blessed. Anybody else want whatever you touch is going to be blessed. Amen. Anybody tired? Anybody like
	...

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