Main Verse:

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

— Galatians 1:10

1. Introduction – Who Are You Living For?

Church, let me ask you something today.

Not just something surface. Something that presses into the real you.

The you behind the outfit. Behind the story. Behind the social media.

Whose approval are you living for right now?

Whose voice gets the final say in your life?

For many of us, we seek validation from the crowd. We crave likes, compliments, recognition. We shape ourselves around what others expect instead of who God called us to be.

I’ll be real with you—when Shandel asked me to speak, my first thought wasn’t excitement. It was worry. I worried about whether I could say enough, be enough, and live up to the moment. Maybe you’ve felt that too—the pressure to perform, to prove yourself worthy in the eyes of others.

But here’s what God reminded me: He never asked me to be “enough.” He asked me to be available. My strength doesn’t come from my words or my confidence—it comes from Him. And if He’s the one who called me here, then He’s the one who will carry me through.

But the enemy loves to twist that pressure. He wants us chasing the crowd, measuring ourselves by the world’s approval. And if we’re not careful, our desire to be enough for people will start to drown out our devotion to God. That’s why Scripture warns us so clearly: