Just like every professional athlete needs a solid core, so do we. Visionary Leader Caldwell illustrated this by inviting middle and high school students to hit him in his core. As they struck him, he pointed out that his base was widened and steady. Why? Because a strong core gives balance and stability.
As we get older, a solid core isn’t just about taking punches—it’s about being able to rise, even off a toilet by yourself. The stronger your core, the more pressure, hits, and challenges you can withstand in the natural and in the spiritual realm.
If your C.O.R.E. is developed in the supernatural, no weapon formed against you shall prosper. You’ll be able to take more shots and still stand.
C — Confidence
Paul teaches us about confidence in 2 Timothy 1:12–14. He declared, “I know the one in whom I place my trust.”
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My core matters to me, my family, and most of all to God.
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Paul had unshakable confidence in God because of what God had done for him.
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His testimony was so strong that people wanted to get in his shadow when he taught and preached.
Have confidence in God, and because of that, have confidence in yourself. Paul also says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
A tragedy of slavery in America is that it crushed confidence in many people of African ancestry. But God calls us to rise above that—our confidence is in Him.
O — Overcomer
By God’s grace, we are more than conquerors. Romans 8:37 says, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
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Whatever you’re going through, let it go through. Don’t stop in the middle.
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Paul endured hardships and overcame by God’s grace.
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We’ve been given love, mercy, favor, and grace—and we didn’t even have to go to the cross for it.
Be a good steward of what Jesus has already done for you.
R — Righteousness
Paul boldly declares, “I am the righteousness of God” (Acts 9:1–3). That’s powerful when you remember who Paul used to be—he burned churches and killed believers. Yet, God made him new.
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Righteousness is not something we can earn. It’s a gift of grace.
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When you wear God’s righteousness, you can press forward instead of looking back.
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Forget what lies behind—by God’s grace you are a new creation, right in His eyes.
Stop complaining. Complaining drains the very strength and grace God has given you. Instead, stand firm:
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I am more than a conqueror.
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I am the righteousness of God.
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I have confidence in myself and complete confidence in God.
That’s exactly what the enemy does not want you to believe. But when you know who you are in Christ, you can turn the page. You did the best you could with what you had at the time—but now, move forward in God’s strength.
This is just a taste of the message. To truly experience its power, I encourage you to listen to the full sermon for yourself.
