Sunday April 19, 2026

Sunday April 19, 2026

What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? Bishop Lance Johnson brings a fiery, straight-talking message that speaks directly to anyone tired of white‑knuckling their way through addiction or old habits. Drawing on Matthew 22’s wedding feast, he contrasts simply accepting an invitation to church with actually “putting on the garment” of Christ.

Across this sermon, he repeats a challenging refrain: “Salvation without transformation is not salvation.” He explains that the blood of Jesus brings forgiveness, but it’s the Holy Spirit who brings real change: “The holy spirit provides transformation. The holy spirit provides deliverance. The holy spirit provides the power and ability for your nature to be changed.” For those battling substances, pornography, or any self‑destructive cycle, that message hits close to home.

You’ll hear strong warnings about settling for religious routine—repeating a prayer, warming a pew, but staying “still strung out… still broken… still caught in cycles of self-destruction.” Johnson pushes back against what he calls “dead institutionalized religion” that fills buildings yet leaves people bound, insisting that God “will not leave you that way… He came to transform you.” The tone is intense, urgent, and often confrontational, aimed at shaking comfortable churchgoers and giving hope to the desperate.

It’s especially relevant if you’re in recovery, worried about a loved one, or frustrated that faith hasn’t yet touched your behaviour or cravings. You’ll be reminded that the Holy Spirit doesn’t just help you speak in tongues or feel spiritual; he “gives you the power to live holy” and to walk away from addiction, secret sin and destructive patterns.

If you’ve ever wondered whether real inner change is possible after years of alcohol, drugs, or other bondage, this message asks a simple but piercing question: have you just accepted the invitation, or have you put on the garment?