Let God Change Your Old Ways Part 2Let God Change Your Old Ways Part 2
Lance Johnson Ministries
Grace is a commonly misunderstood term in the church. When someone is late for a meeting, we say, “We’ll give them some grace.” We sometimes call our leniency a “grace period.” But what does God say about His grace? In today’s message, Bishop
29:30•9 Feb 2025
Let God Pull Up the Roots: Grace, Bitterness and Real Change
Episode Overview
- Grace is described as God’s active influence on the heart, reflected in how a person lives, rather than simply mercy or forgiveness.
- Unhealed roots of bitterness grow from traumatic events and harsh words, silently shaping attitudes, emotions and reactions.
- Holiness is framed as character in daily life—how you treat people, keep commitments, and conduct yourself—not outward religious appearance.
- Biblical examples such as Esau and Moses are used to warn that people can miss a God-given season or destiny through bitterness and disobedience.
- Deep healing may require honestly exposing buried pain, allowing God to reach into hidden places and remove long-standing resentment and anger.
“Grace is God's divine influence upon your heart, and its reflection in your life.”
What drives someone to seek a life without the old destructive patterns? This message from Bishop Lance Johnson leans hard into that question, tying together faith, trauma, and the very real struggle to break free from bitterness and addiction. You’ll hear Bishop Lance unpack what he calls a major misunderstanding in modern church culture: the meaning of grace.
He pushes back against the idea that grace simply means mercy or forgiveness, saying instead, "Grace is God's divine influence upon your heart, and its reflection in your life." For anyone coming out of alcohol or drug addiction, that picture of grace as active, ongoing power can feel deeply relevant. The episode focuses on how unhealed "roots of bitterness" can quietly contaminate a person’s behaviour, relationships, and even their spiritual life.
Lance uses vivid examples—harsh words, abuse, betrayal, childhood trauma—to show how painful experiences plant seeds that grow underground, affecting everything from anger and jealousy to how someone reads the Bible or receives love. Bishop Lance shares raw stories from his own past: violent discipline from his father, being told he’d "never amount to anything", and carrying generational rage that led to shocking outbursts, even after years in ministry.
He describes a powerful moment of healing in baptismal waters, where he says God, "the gardener", reached down into the "soil" of his heart and pulled up a lifelong root of bitterness. The tone is direct and challenging, yet aimed at people who genuinely want change—especially those in recovery who might recognise the mix of outward behaviour change and inner turmoil.
Holiness, in Lance’s words, isn’t about dress codes or appearances, but the character shown in how you treat people, keep your word, and live day-to-day. If you’re wondering why certain patterns or tempers still flare up long after leaving addiction behind, this message might prompt some honest soul-searching: what roots are still buried, and are you ready to let God pull them up?
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