2026 Licensure & Ordination Service with Bishop Winton Anderson: "It Costs to Get Here"

Main message: Jesus' mission is redemption, so respond with self-control, purpose, and forward motion rather than revenge; endurance through seasons of "captivity" costs you, but God's sovereignty and mercy bring transformation and eventual elevation—even if it comes humbly and differently than you expected.

Key points:

• Before you react: examine your heart, remember your God-given purpose, and keep moving forward instead of retaliating (Luke 9:56).
• Let go, let God, and move on to another—your breakthrough is beyond the place of rejection or pain.
• “It cost to get here”: enduring delays, exile, or suffering often precedes restoration; people applaud arrival but not endurance.
• God’s mercy and sovereignty work even in captivity—being prolonged in a season does not mean you are forgotten.
• Symbolic transformation: God changes your “garments” (status/identity) before or as circumstances change; sometimes you must sit at another’s table humbly until your season is fully restored.

Scriptures mentioned: Psalm 95, Luke 9:56, Proverbs 4:23, Philippians 3:14, 2 Kings 25:27-30, Jeremiah 52