Sunday December 21, 2025Sunday December 21, 2025
Lance Johnson Ministries
What a challenging truth. All too often, we cling to the promises of God that we’ve twisted and manipulated to fit our agenda, rather than His will and way. In today’s message, Bishop Lance will remind us that the most important thing we can do in thi
29:30•21 Dec 2025
Promises, Religion and Real Freedom: Bishop Lance Johnson Calls for Total Surrender
Episode Overview
- Knowing God personally is presented as more important than knowing doctrine, rules or religious commentary.
- Religion, church attendance and altars are described as unable to fill inner voids without a real relationship with Jesus.
- Mixing Jesus with alcohol, drugs, sexual sin or bitterness is challenged as evidence of an unsurrendered heart.
- The rich ruler is contrasted with Zacchaeus to show how reluctance to give up "one thing" blocks true spiritual life.
- True surrender is linked to trading brokenness, addiction and anxiety for peace, joy, healing and lasting freedom.
“Can I tell you the promises of God without knowing the promiser is only vanity?”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This message from Bishop Lance Johnson blends straight-talking preaching with the heart of someone who’s lived through alcohol and drug dependency and found freedom in faith. If you’re tired of “sipping saint” culture and church without real change, you’ll recognise a lot of what he’s talking about.
The episode centres on a sharp contrast between two rich men in the book of Luke: a religious ruler who knew the commandments but stayed spiritually empty, and Zacchaeus, a notorious tax collector who was ready to surrender his life. Bishop Lance shows how the first man knew all the rules yet walked away sorrowful, while Zacchaeus joyfully received Jesus and saw his entire life transformed.
Again and again, he hammers home one theme: knowing about God isn’t the same as knowing God. As he puts it, "Can I tell you the promises of God without knowing the promiser is only vanity?" From there, he calls out half-hearted faith, hidden sins, and attempts to mix Jesus with cocaine, Budweiser, bitterness, jealousy or unhealthy relationships.
The tone is bold, emotional, and often confrontational, but it’s aimed at anyone who feels trapped—whether by addiction, religion without intimacy, or relationships that keep dragging them away from God’s best. Bishop Lance talks openly about trading a life of chaos for genuine peace, joy and freedom, arguing that once you truly know Jesus, you won’t want loopholes; you’ll want surrender.
If you’re on the fence, feeling broken, or stuck in old patterns, this message might push you to ask a hard question: are you clinging to promises, or do you actually know the One who made them? Maybe tonight’s the night to give him everything.
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