Psalm 27 Part 2

Psalm 27 Part 2

How can compelling narratives motivate and inspire others? This message from Bishop Lance Johnson circles around that question by pairing King David’s story in Psalm 27 with Lance’s own past struggle with alcohol and drug addiction. You’ll hear how Lance contrasts chasing ministry with chasing God himself. He calls out the trap of building identity on titles, platforms and church politics, rather than on being a child of God.

With a mix of straight-talking humour and urgency, he warns that loving ministry more than Jesus leaves people restless, offended and burnt out. David’s example becomes the anchor: faced with the possible loss of his kingdom, reputation and wealth, David’s prayer was, "Lord, take not thy Holy Spirit from me." For David, "the one thing" worth guarding was God’s presence.

Lance repeats the line, "If you're in love with God, the one thing you will never risk losing is the presence," using it to challenge anyone whose faith has drifted into ambition or religious performance. The episode also contrasts David and Saul. Saul cared about keeping the people’s approval and his position. David cared about keeping God’s face.

That contrast is held up as a mirror for anyone who’s ever chased success, even in church, at the expense of peace and integrity. For people in addiction recovery, the theme lands strongly: it’s not about chasing a role or fixing appearances, but learning to hunger for God "like a deer panteth for the water". The message keeps coming back to intimacy with God as the only secure foundation when everything else feels shaky.

If you’ve ever felt worn out from trying to prove yourself—whether in church, work or recovery—you might find yourself asking Lance’s core question: are you in love with ministry, or in love with Jesus?