WEBVTT - How to Be Strong When People Let You Down – Part 2 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:03.720 Relationships will hurt us, but they don't have to define us. 0:00:03.920 --> 0:00:07.480 Discover the biblical path to healing today on Bold Steps 0:00:07.480 --> 0:00:08.520 with Mark Jobe. 0:00:09.840 --> 0:00:12.399 There's someone that knows you, that cares about you, that 0:00:12.400 --> 0:00:14.760 loves you, that has a purpose and a plan for 0:00:14.760 --> 0:00:18.599 your life. Someone whose presence has never abandoned you. Someone 0:00:18.600 --> 0:00:21.640 that's been there 24 hours a day. Someone that has 0:00:21.640 --> 0:00:25.599 the hairs on your head counted. He knows how many. 0:00:25.640 --> 0:00:27.880 That's how detailed it is for you. 0:00:40.800 --> 0:00:43.960 Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, founding pastor of 0:00:43.960 --> 0:00:47.840 New Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. Yesterday, 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:51.040 we began an incredibly relevant and personal message from Mark, 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:53.800 drawn from the Apostle Paul's own final words in second 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:57.160 Timothy chapter four. And what we've already discovered is that 0:00:57.160 --> 0:01:00.280 Paul knew what it felt like to be deserted, opposed, 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:03.920 and utterly alone. But even from a prison cell, with 0:01:03.920 --> 0:01:07.640 execution looming, Paul modeled a response to relational pain that 0:01:07.640 --> 0:01:10.800 was nothing short of extraordinary. Today, we'll pick up where 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:13.440 we left off and discover the final two of four 0:01:13.440 --> 0:01:16.520 biblical steps for staying strong when people around us let 0:01:16.560 --> 0:01:19.520 us down. If you missed yesterday's program, you can catch 0:01:19.520 --> 0:01:23.480 up online at bold steps.org. But right now, let's jump 0:01:23.480 --> 0:01:25.920 back in. Here again is Mark Jobe. 0:01:28.840 --> 0:01:30.640 And you know what? There are some of you today 0:01:31.720 --> 0:01:37.120 that you got hurt three years ago, two years ago. 0:01:37.680 --> 0:01:39.880 But every time you think about it, you're like my 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:44.240 little granddaughter, Maeve are. Because the emotions stir up and 0:01:44.240 --> 0:01:47.960 you could still feel the pain as if it happened 0:01:48.000 --> 0:01:55.720 just yesterday. The pain and the emotion surge once again. 0:01:56.440 --> 0:02:00.800 And if you're here today and you're struggling with hurt disappointment, 0:02:01.290 --> 0:02:04.170 whether it happened five years ago, two years ago, ten 0:02:04.170 --> 0:02:07.370 years ago. But you're struggling with how to deal with 0:02:07.370 --> 0:02:11.010 the disappointment hurt that people have caused you in life. 0:02:11.050 --> 0:02:13.209 I want to talk to you today, and I want 0:02:13.210 --> 0:02:16.210 us to look at a passage that's in the very 0:02:16.210 --> 0:02:21.850 final verses of Second Timothy, Paul's last book that he wrote, 0:02:22.410 --> 0:02:26.930 the last verses that he ever penned before he died. 0:02:27.650 --> 0:02:33.690 Second Timothy chapter four, verses nine through 22. Let me 0:02:33.690 --> 0:02:40.410 read these verses quickly to you. The apostle Paul says, 0:02:41.450 --> 0:02:44.930 do your best to come soon. He's speaking to Timothy, 0:02:45.210 --> 0:02:49.850 the young man that he mentored for Demas, in love 0:02:49.850 --> 0:02:54.929 with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. 0:02:55.530 --> 0:03:00.370 The first hurt. I've been deserted. Christians has gone to Galatia, 0:03:00.610 --> 0:03:06.369 Titus to Dalmatia. These people had left. Luke alone is 0:03:06.410 --> 0:03:10.369 with me. Get Mark and bring him with you. For 0:03:10.370 --> 0:03:14.570 he is very useful for me in ministry. Tychicus I 0:03:14.610 --> 0:03:18.169 sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that 0:03:18.169 --> 0:03:22.130 I left at carpus at Troas. Also the books and 0:03:22.130 --> 0:03:27.730 above all the parchments. Verse 14. Alexander the coppersmith did 0:03:27.730 --> 0:03:31.050 me great harm. The Lord will repay him according to 0:03:31.090 --> 0:03:35.130 his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed 0:03:35.130 --> 0:03:39.250 our message. Verse 16 at my first defense no one 0:03:39.250 --> 0:03:46.490 came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May 0:03:46.490 --> 0:03:49.890 it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood 0:03:49.890 --> 0:03:53.010 with me and strengthened me, so that through me the 0:03:53.010 --> 0:03:56.250 message might be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles might 0:03:56.250 --> 0:04:00.530 hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. 0:04:00.860 --> 0:04:03.620 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed. Bring 0:04:03.620 --> 0:04:08.220 me safely into his kingdom. To him be glory forever 0:04:08.220 --> 0:04:18.140 and ever. Amen. The Apostle Paul, his last words ever 0:04:18.140 --> 0:04:21.980 to be written in the Bible before he was executed 0:04:21.980 --> 0:04:26.460 by the Romans, have to deal with the personal hurt 0:04:26.460 --> 0:04:30.380 that he experienced by the people around him, and how 0:04:30.380 --> 0:04:34.380 he had to manage it. So if you're taking notes 0:04:34.380 --> 0:04:36.700 this morning, I want you to write this down. I'm 0:04:36.700 --> 0:04:40.700 going to talk to you about how to stay strong 0:04:40.820 --> 0:04:45.580 when people let you down. Because listen to me. There's 0:04:45.620 --> 0:04:51.339 a cost to community. There's a cost to relationships. If 0:04:51.380 --> 0:04:56.260 you're in any kind of relationship today, you will be hurt. Guaranteed. 0:04:56.860 --> 0:05:00.460 If you're married, you'll be hurt. If you have kids, 0:05:00.500 --> 0:05:04.180 you'll be hurt. If you have extended family, you'll be 0:05:04.180 --> 0:05:06.779 hurt if you're part of a church and get to 0:05:06.820 --> 0:05:12.020 know people, you will be hurt because relationships come with hurt. 0:05:12.060 --> 0:05:15.220 So the question isn't will you be hurt? The question is, 0:05:15.380 --> 0:05:21.299 what will you do with the hurt when it comes 0:05:21.300 --> 0:05:28.380 your way? Four things. Number one, when you are hurt, 0:05:28.860 --> 0:05:34.260 respond with release. Notice what the apostle Paul says. He says, 0:05:34.500 --> 0:05:37.420 do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, 0:05:37.900 --> 0:05:42.500 in love with this present world, has deserted me and 0:05:42.500 --> 0:05:45.900 gone to Thessalonica. Now we don't know much about who 0:05:45.900 --> 0:05:49.940 Demas was, but what we do know is that Paul 0:05:49.940 --> 0:05:54.260 had mentioned him two other times in the Bible. He's 0:05:54.260 --> 0:06:00.059 mentioned in Colossians chapter four, verse 14, where he says, Luke, 0:06:00.100 --> 0:06:04.750 the beloved physician, greets you, as does Demas. And then 0:06:04.750 --> 0:06:08.470 in Philippians and Philemon, chapter one, verse 24, he actually 0:06:08.470 --> 0:06:12.990 refers to Demas as a fellow worker. So it appears 0:06:12.990 --> 0:06:16.510 that Demas was a guy that had worked with Paul, 0:06:16.870 --> 0:06:19.630 one of his inner circle. One of the people that 0:06:19.630 --> 0:06:23.349 was ministering with him and sharing the gospel with them. 0:06:23.350 --> 0:06:28.670 But a time came where Demas says, this is too hard. 0:06:29.270 --> 0:06:31.390 I don't know if I want to keep doing this. 0:06:31.950 --> 0:06:36.150 And the Bible says that because he loved this present world, 0:06:37.589 --> 0:06:42.229 maybe he got involved in a relationship. Maybe he just decided, 0:06:42.230 --> 0:06:45.909 I want to make money. Maybe he just decided, hey, 0:06:45.950 --> 0:06:48.430 I just want a life that's easier. This is too 0:06:48.430 --> 0:06:51.750 hard for me. But because he loved the present world, 0:06:51.750 --> 0:06:56.710 the Bible says that he abandoned Paul, left him, left God, 0:06:56.710 --> 0:07:00.110 left the things of God, walked away from his faith 0:07:00.910 --> 0:07:07.109 because it was too difficult. And Paul, his fellow laborer, 0:07:07.910 --> 0:07:11.870 was left with the pain of someone that abandoned him 0:07:12.070 --> 0:07:15.190 when he should have been walking with him. You know, 0:07:15.230 --> 0:07:19.270 later on, it says in this passage in verse 16 0:07:20.190 --> 0:07:22.510 that the apostle Paul, he was in prison when he 0:07:22.510 --> 0:07:26.630 wrote this. He was standing, going to stand in trial 0:07:27.950 --> 0:07:31.550 for his faith. And so he stood in a court 0:07:31.790 --> 0:07:36.190 with judges in front of him. And Paul says this, listen, 0:07:37.750 --> 0:07:41.750 he says, at my first defense, no one came to 0:07:41.790 --> 0:07:45.990 stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not 0:07:45.990 --> 0:07:50.270 be charged against them. You know, Paul, that was preaching 0:07:50.270 --> 0:07:53.630 the gospel, helping people come to God. When he stood 0:07:53.670 --> 0:07:59.110 before the near the Emperor's court. Who was Nero? Nero 0:07:59.150 --> 0:08:04.160 was this eccentric, crazy Roman emperor. He's the guy that 0:08:04.160 --> 0:08:07.440 supposedly set fire to Rome so that he could build 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:11.160 a big palatial estate in the middle of Rome, and 0:08:11.160 --> 0:08:13.520 blamed it on the Christians that they had burned Rome, 0:08:13.520 --> 0:08:17.120 this crazy emperor. When Paul was about to stand trial 0:08:17.160 --> 0:08:20.239 before him, all of the people that he ministered to, 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:24.240 no one stood with Paul. They all abandoned him. The 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:28.360 question I have for you is, have you been hurt? 0:08:30.680 --> 0:08:32.720 Or is there a time in your life when you thought, hey, 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:36.680 people should be beside me? This is when they need 0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:39.760 to show up. But the people that you expected to 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:43.680 show up didn't show up. The people that you thought 0:08:43.720 --> 0:08:47.040 would stand with you, didn't stand with you the way 0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:51.920 you expected them to. Now, when you heard in that way, 0:08:52.960 --> 0:08:55.839 there's a couple decisions that you can make. You can 0:08:55.880 --> 0:09:02.400 become hurt and bitter. You can allow the pain of 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:08.640 people's disappointment to cause you to back away, to disengage, 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:15.800 to become someone that is resentful, someone that walks away 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:19.160 from the community. But I love what Paul says. Listen 0:09:19.160 --> 0:09:23.080 to what Paul says. They all deserted me. But listen, 0:09:23.640 --> 0:09:28.800 may it not be held against them. You know what 0:09:28.800 --> 0:09:32.760 Paul is saying, man? It hurt me deeply, but I'm 0:09:32.760 --> 0:09:36.400 not going to let the pain define me. I'm not 0:09:36.400 --> 0:09:39.640 going to let my hurt derail me from my call. 0:09:39.840 --> 0:09:43.080 I'm going to learn to release people that have hurt me. 0:09:43.280 --> 0:09:46.840 Even though the pain is difficult. I will release them 0:09:47.040 --> 0:09:50.520 because I don't want to be defined by the pain. 0:09:50.600 --> 0:09:53.080 I want to be defined by the grace of God, 0:09:53.080 --> 0:09:55.720 the forgiveness of God, and the goodness of God. 0:10:00.410 --> 0:10:03.090 You're listening to bold Steps. The Bible teaching of Mark 0:10:03.090 --> 0:10:06.290 job will continue in just a moment. First, I want 0:10:06.290 --> 0:10:08.250 to make sure you know all about a valuable tool 0:10:08.250 --> 0:10:11.130 for your walk with God that's completely free. It's the 0:10:11.170 --> 0:10:14.530 Bold Steps app. With the app, you can access full 0:10:14.530 --> 0:10:17.489 sermon series from Mark right from your phone or mobile device, 0:10:17.490 --> 0:10:21.490 along with short teaching videos, biblical insights, and practical tools 0:10:21.490 --> 0:10:25.010 for daily living. Whether you're looking to take your first 0:10:25.010 --> 0:10:28.010 bold step or your next one, this app puts Mark's 0:10:28.010 --> 0:10:30.730 Bible teaching right in the palm of your hand. Download 0:10:30.730 --> 0:10:33.290 it today from your favorite app store. Just search for 0:10:33.290 --> 0:10:36.850 bold steps and then start exploring. And just so you know, 0:10:36.890 --> 0:10:39.570 we'd love to hear from you. If today's message has 0:10:39.570 --> 0:10:41.890 impacted your life, or if you have a testimony to 0:10:41.890 --> 0:10:44.689 share about how God is working in your story, please 0:10:44.690 --> 0:10:47.010 reach out to us. You can send a message through 0:10:47.010 --> 0:10:50.970 our website at bold steps.org, or call our recorded listener 0:10:50.970 --> 0:11:01.370 line at (312) 329-2011, that's (312) 329-2011. Your story matters, and it 0:11:01.370 --> 0:11:04.449 may encourage someone else who's walking through a similar season. 0:11:05.050 --> 0:11:07.650 Now here again is pastor Mark Jobe with the conclusion 0:11:07.650 --> 0:11:10.370 of How to be Strong when People Let You Down. 0:11:15.929 --> 0:11:20.650 Hurt and disappointment can lead you to bitterness, disillusionment and 0:11:20.650 --> 0:11:24.610 listen and disengagement. Do you know how many people I 0:11:24.610 --> 0:11:27.929 talked to out there? Not in church, that when I 0:11:27.929 --> 0:11:30.290 invited them to church, they say, oh no, I was 0:11:30.290 --> 0:11:34.290 a part of a church, I got hurt. And because 0:11:34.290 --> 0:11:38.970 they got hurt, they disengaged, they abandoned. They said, I'm 0:11:39.010 --> 0:11:42.090 not going to let that happen to me again. And 0:11:42.090 --> 0:11:46.090 what I see is people that usually aren't walking with 0:11:46.090 --> 0:11:49.850 God or doing well, because they've allowed the pain to 0:11:49.890 --> 0:11:53.130 keep them away from the very things that ultimately could 0:11:53.130 --> 0:11:59.530 help them if they embraced it. Number two, when you're opposed, 0:11:59.530 --> 0:12:04.540 what you do, you do. Trust God with justice. Look 0:12:04.540 --> 0:12:08.100 what it tells us in verse 14. Paul goes on 0:12:08.140 --> 0:12:12.780 to say, Alexander the Coppersmith did me great harm. I 0:12:12.820 --> 0:12:17.219 love his response. The Lord will repay him according to 0:12:17.260 --> 0:12:22.420 his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed 0:12:22.420 --> 0:12:26.740 our message. Listen, occasionally there's going to be some people 0:12:26.740 --> 0:12:30.260 that they don't just hurt you, they are out to 0:12:30.300 --> 0:12:33.580 get you. How many of you have had people like 0:12:33.580 --> 0:12:36.420 that around you? Someone at work that you do something 0:12:36.420 --> 0:12:39.900 wrong to, and they are out to get you. They 0:12:39.900 --> 0:12:43.939 want to badmouth you, spread rumors about you, get you fired. 0:12:44.140 --> 0:12:47.660 They are your opponents. You are the arch enemy. You 0:12:47.660 --> 0:12:51.420 just rub them wrong and so they can't stand the 0:12:51.420 --> 0:12:54.420 sight of you. And they are enemies of you. And 0:12:54.420 --> 0:12:57.780 the Apostle Paul says, Alexander the Coppersmith, we don't know 0:12:57.780 --> 0:13:02.340 exactly what he did, but he was ardently opposed to Paul. 0:13:02.460 --> 0:13:06.459 Maybe he even got Paul imprisoned. Or maybe he even 0:13:06.460 --> 0:13:10.140 got him, um, to the judges to turn against him. 0:13:10.140 --> 0:13:12.780 We don't know. But sometimes in life, there will be 0:13:12.780 --> 0:13:17.700 people that will go against you, that they'll make you 0:13:17.700 --> 0:13:21.940 their arch enemy. And I love what Paul says. He 0:13:21.940 --> 0:13:26.340 says the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 0:13:26.380 --> 0:13:29.020 You know what Paul is saying? I'm not going to 0:13:29.020 --> 0:13:32.940 turn into a vengeful person. I'm going to say, God, 0:13:33.660 --> 0:13:37.900 vengeance is yours. Deal with them. How many of you 0:13:37.900 --> 0:13:45.220 know that God can deal with people? Some of you 0:13:45.220 --> 0:13:50.620 just need to say, Lord, I can't do anything. I'm 0:13:50.660 --> 0:13:53.140 not going to do anything, but I'm going to release 0:13:53.140 --> 0:13:56.619 him to you. You be my defender. God, you do 0:13:56.780 --> 0:14:00.790 do justice, Lord, because I can't do anything about it. 0:14:01.429 --> 0:14:07.030 Number three, when disappointed, what do you do when you're disappointed? 0:14:07.630 --> 0:14:13.870 When disappointed. Give chances and grace. Notice what it says 0:14:13.870 --> 0:14:17.949 in verse 11. The apostle Paul says, pretty much everyone 0:14:17.950 --> 0:14:22.750 left him. Luke alone is with me, he says, and 0:14:22.750 --> 0:14:26.230 then he says, get Mark and bring him with you, 0:14:26.430 --> 0:14:30.630 for he is very useful to me in ministry. Now, 0:14:30.630 --> 0:14:32.870 if you just read this without knowing the context, you 0:14:32.870 --> 0:14:36.190 would say, well, who's Mark? But we know who Mark 0:14:36.190 --> 0:14:40.710 is because Mark is also called John. Mark. In acts 0:14:40.710 --> 0:14:45.030 chapter 16, you'll see his name. John Mark was a 0:14:45.030 --> 0:14:48.990 young man that was zealous. He went with Paul on 0:14:48.990 --> 0:14:53.830 his first missionary journey, and when things got difficult, he 0:14:53.830 --> 0:14:58.750 abandoned them and left them and went running back to Mama. 0:15:02.160 --> 0:15:06.080 Paul didn't like that at all. Like, hey, we're in 0:15:06.080 --> 0:15:08.880 the middle of this battle and you leave me. So 0:15:08.880 --> 0:15:11.640 on the second, the second missionary journey that Paul was 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:15.560 about to take, Barnabas, the son of encouragement, says, hey, 0:15:15.560 --> 0:15:17.920 let's take John Mark again. And Paul says, no way. 0:15:18.080 --> 0:15:20.360 I'm not going to take him. He bailed out when 0:15:20.360 --> 0:15:22.880 it was tough. I will not take him. And they 0:15:22.880 --> 0:15:26.640 had a sharp disagreement over it and parted ways. Barnabas 0:15:26.640 --> 0:15:31.000 went one way. Paul went another way because Paul felt 0:15:31.000 --> 0:15:36.920 like he had been disappointed in John Mark's abandonment. This 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:40.880 is years later, and I love the fact that Paul, 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:44.400 years later is saying, hey, bring Mark. You know what? 0:15:44.400 --> 0:15:48.560 It tells me that he had restored his relationship, that 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:51.640 he had given Mark a second chance. Listen, you may 0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:53.640 have you may have people in your life that have 0:15:53.680 --> 0:15:58.640 blown it, that maybe they disappointed you. Maybe they dropped 0:15:58.640 --> 0:16:01.120 the ball. But I want to tell you how many 0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:04.040 times have you disappointed God and God gave you chances 0:16:04.040 --> 0:16:11.680 and grace. There's something powerful about giving people second chances 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:16.240 and giving people grace. Sometimes people are immature at a 0:16:16.240 --> 0:16:19.760 certain season of their life, and when they grow and mature, 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:25.280 you give them second chances abilities to redeem themselves. Because 0:16:25.280 --> 0:16:28.120 we all need people that are full of grace in 0:16:28.120 --> 0:16:30.880 our lives to say, you know what? Your failure doesn't 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:34.040 define you. God can change you, and God can give 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:37.280 you a second chance as well. And so did Paul 0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:41.840 in the life of Demas. And then lastly, number four, 0:16:43.160 --> 0:16:47.560 when you feel alone, remember that God is with you. 0:16:50.000 --> 0:16:58.200 There is a. Epidemic of loneliness in our country these days. 0:17:01.000 --> 0:17:07.640 You can be surrounded by people, but fear feel utterly alone. 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:14.000 Aloneness is not the absence of people around you. You 0:17:14.000 --> 0:17:17.600 can be surrounded by people, but yet at the same time, 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:20.480 you don't wear a t shirt that says, I feel lonely. 0:17:21.400 --> 0:17:26.080 But what does loneliness mean? Loneliness means that you feel 0:17:26.080 --> 0:17:31.560 like no one really cares about you, that no one 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:36.199 really understands you, that you don't really belong to a 0:17:36.200 --> 0:17:40.440 community that's significant. And some of you here today feel 0:17:40.440 --> 0:17:42.600 like if I were to die tomorrow, it wouldn't make 0:17:42.600 --> 0:17:47.600 a difference. And in your mind, in your mind, you're disconnected. 0:17:48.280 --> 0:17:51.800 In your mind, you feel like there's no one that 0:17:51.800 --> 0:17:55.760 understands me. There's no one that would stand with me. 0:17:56.440 --> 0:17:59.160 And even though I may be surrounded by people, I 0:17:59.330 --> 0:18:07.570 feel utterly alone. In fact, we have a a nation 0:18:08.930 --> 0:18:12.570 that struggles with loneliness. You'd think that in a city 0:18:12.570 --> 0:18:15.330 like Chicago, where sometimes you can barely find a parking 0:18:15.330 --> 0:18:18.130 space and you're always running into people that since we're 0:18:18.130 --> 0:18:20.890 surrounded by people, you would think that people would not 0:18:20.890 --> 0:18:24.490 be lonely. But sometimes urban environments are the most lonely 0:18:25.170 --> 0:18:29.370 because it's not about how many people are around you. 0:18:29.570 --> 0:18:33.129 It's about the connection that you have, the sense of 0:18:33.130 --> 0:18:36.649 belonging that you have, the sense that, hey, people really 0:18:36.650 --> 0:18:40.250 care about me and I care about others. They understand 0:18:40.250 --> 0:18:46.770 me that I am not isolated. The apostle Paul says 0:18:46.770 --> 0:18:52.170 when he desperately needed people, no one was there. But 0:18:52.170 --> 0:18:55.250 I want you to notice what he says in verse 17, 0:18:55.970 --> 0:19:02.180 but the Lord stood by me, and strengthen me, so 0:19:02.180 --> 0:19:06.180 that through me the message might be fully proclaimed to 0:19:06.220 --> 0:19:10.060 all the Gentiles they might hear. So I was rescued. 0:19:10.100 --> 0:19:15.619 I love this, the apostle Paul says, even though other 0:19:15.619 --> 0:19:17.900 people weren't with me. Can I tell you something? There 0:19:17.940 --> 0:19:20.820 is someone that's with you 24 over seven. There's someone 0:19:20.820 --> 0:19:23.580 that knows you, that cares about you, that loves you, 0:19:23.580 --> 0:19:25.860 that has a purpose and a plan for your life. 0:19:25.900 --> 0:19:29.940 There are someone that when you cried yourself to sleep 0:19:29.940 --> 0:19:33.139 at night, when you wailed and no one knew it, 0:19:33.180 --> 0:19:36.220 when you drank yourself and said, I just. I just 0:19:36.220 --> 0:19:39.419 want to get drunk to forget about it. There's someone 0:19:39.420 --> 0:19:43.500 that was there, someone that was beside you. Someone that 0:19:43.500 --> 0:19:45.580 when you woke up, was there. Someone that when you 0:19:45.619 --> 0:19:48.659 went to sleep, was there someone whose presence has never 0:19:48.660 --> 0:19:51.939 abandoned you? Someone that's been there 24 hours a day. 0:19:51.980 --> 0:19:56.020 Someone that has the hairs on your head counted? He 0:19:56.020 --> 0:19:59.300 knows how many. That's how detailed it is for you. 0:20:02.020 --> 0:20:04.179 The King of kings and the Lord of lords. Your maker, 0:20:04.180 --> 0:20:08.020 your Creator God. He loves you in a way that 0:20:08.020 --> 0:20:11.540 you could never fathom. He loves you in a way 0:20:11.940 --> 0:20:16.220 that is just incredible. The love of God. And the 0:20:16.220 --> 0:20:20.940 Apostle Paul says, he stood with me when everybody else 0:20:21.500 --> 0:20:26.060 abandoned me, and he helped him fulfill his purpose. Now, 0:20:26.060 --> 0:20:29.139 I think you still need community, but I want to 0:20:29.140 --> 0:20:31.460 tell you, in the midst of your hurt, in the 0:20:31.460 --> 0:20:34.180 midst of feeling alone, in the midst of feeling well, 0:20:34.180 --> 0:20:37.419 does anybody care? It should matter that the God of 0:20:37.420 --> 0:20:40.580 the universe who made you, cares about you, love you, 0:20:40.740 --> 0:20:44.260 and stands beside you when no one else will do so. 0:20:45.020 --> 0:20:53.180 So today, if you feel hurt, disappointed, abandoned, or alone, 0:20:53.660 --> 0:20:57.180 I want to remind you that ultimately what God tells 0:20:57.180 --> 0:21:01.939 us is release it to him if you're hurt. Release 0:21:01.940 --> 0:21:05.020 it to him. If you're disappointed, release it to him. 0:21:05.420 --> 0:21:07.899 If you feel like injustice has happened, release it to 0:21:07.900 --> 0:21:10.180 him and say, God, can you do something about it? 0:21:10.500 --> 0:21:14.500 There's something powerful about saying, I'm in pain, but I 0:21:14.500 --> 0:21:17.659 will not let the pain define me and hold me 0:21:17.660 --> 0:21:21.020 back from my calling and my purpose and engagement and 0:21:21.020 --> 0:21:24.020 letting people into my life and loving other people. I 0:21:24.020 --> 0:21:30.940 will not let pain define my behavior, my relationships, my destiny. 0:21:31.060 --> 0:21:34.500 I've experienced pain, but I know the power of releasing 0:21:34.500 --> 0:21:37.820 it to God and saying, God, I release it to you. 0:21:38.420 --> 0:21:39.580 Deal with my life. 0:21:45.740 --> 0:21:48.459 You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. What a 0:21:48.460 --> 0:21:51.820 powerful lesson from the Apostle Paul. He released those who 0:21:51.820 --> 0:21:55.179 hurt him. He trusted God with justice. He extended grace 0:21:55.180 --> 0:21:58.379 to John Mark, and in his loneliest moments, he held 0:21:58.380 --> 0:22:01.030 on to the reality that God was right there standing 0:22:01.030 --> 0:22:03.950 with him. Mark. That's what it looks like to stay strong. 0:22:04.390 --> 0:22:08.910 It does. And maybe you're listening to this message and 0:22:08.910 --> 0:22:14.189 you have to admit that you have been disappointed. Uh, 0:22:14.230 --> 0:22:16.990 maybe not in the same way that the apostle Paul 0:22:16.990 --> 0:22:21.750 was hurt and disappointed, but by a friendship that ended 0:22:21.750 --> 0:22:24.910 in what you feel like was betrayal by a trust 0:22:24.910 --> 0:22:27.390 that you put in someone and then felt like they 0:22:27.430 --> 0:22:33.710 disappointed you by a covenant that was made and broken. 0:22:34.270 --> 0:22:37.590 And I want you to know that even if you're 0:22:37.590 --> 0:22:43.510 going through relational pain, you cannot let it turn into bitterness, 0:22:44.270 --> 0:22:52.429 unresolved anger, unforgiveness, because ultimately it's double damage, the damage 0:22:52.430 --> 0:22:54.230 that was done to you. But then the damage. 0:22:54.230 --> 0:22:55.750 That you do to yourself. 0:22:55.790 --> 0:22:56.910 Everybody loses, right? 0:22:56.950 --> 0:22:59.910 Everybody loses. And so I want to pray for that 0:22:59.910 --> 0:23:03.070 person right now. That's saying I just hard to let 0:23:03.070 --> 0:23:07.270 go of this, but you need to. And this is 0:23:07.750 --> 0:23:11.470 a reminder from God that you cannot go into this 0:23:11.470 --> 0:23:15.030 next chapter without releasing. So, father, I pray for that 0:23:15.030 --> 0:23:18.710 person right now struggling. You know, they've been hurt. God, 0:23:18.710 --> 0:23:22.109 you know how it's simmered inside of them, the pain 0:23:22.109 --> 0:23:25.910 that they've felt, how they've rehearsed it so many times. Uh, 0:23:25.910 --> 0:23:29.030 the feelings that come up when they hear the name 0:23:29.030 --> 0:23:31.950 of that person or see the image of that person. 0:23:31.950 --> 0:23:34.030 I pray in Jesus name that through the power of 0:23:34.030 --> 0:23:38.790 your Holy Spirit, God, you would give a double grace 0:23:39.230 --> 0:23:43.070 to be able to forgive because you have forgiven us, God, 0:23:43.390 --> 0:23:47.230 to be able to release, uh, to, to tear up 0:23:47.230 --> 0:23:51.070 that debt because you've torn up our debt, not because 0:23:51.070 --> 0:23:54.350 the person deserves it, but because you deserve it. I 0:23:54.350 --> 0:23:59.440 pray for freedom and steps of release and forgiveness In 0:23:59.440 --> 0:24:01.000 Jesus name. Amen. 0:24:01.359 --> 0:24:03.640 Yes. And that's exactly why we want to put this 0:24:03.640 --> 0:24:06.520 month's bold step gift into your hands. It's a book 0:24:06.520 --> 0:24:09.240 by Lee Strobel called The Case for Faith. And When 0:24:09.240 --> 0:24:12.560 the circumstances of life, including the people in it, shake 0:24:12.560 --> 0:24:15.480 you up, there's nothing more stabilizing than a faith that 0:24:15.480 --> 0:24:19.040 can hold up to hard questions. Lee Strobel investigates the 0:24:19.320 --> 0:24:23.520 toughest objections to Christianity, from the reality of suffering to 0:24:23.560 --> 0:24:26.160 the fear of a God who seems harsh or distant, 0:24:26.400 --> 0:24:30.080 and he delivers honest, evidence based answers that speak to 0:24:30.119 --> 0:24:33.040 both the mind and the heart. When your faith has 0:24:33.040 --> 0:24:36.880 been tested by hard seasons and difficult people, this book 0:24:36.880 --> 0:24:40.639 reminds you of exactly why it stands. Request your copy 0:24:40.640 --> 0:24:42.760 of The Case for Faith today. When you give a 0:24:42.800 --> 0:24:45.960 donation of any amount to support Bold Steps, just visit 0:24:45.960 --> 0:24:51.159 us online at bold steps.org or call us at 800 DL. Moody, 0:24:51.480 --> 0:24:57.200 that's (800) 356-6639. Now, you can also send your gift and 0:24:57.200 --> 0:24:59.680 request this book in the mail. write to us at 0:24:59.680 --> 0:25:05.640 Bold Steps, 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 606 ten. 0:25:06.400 --> 0:25:08.440 And if you ever miss one of these daily programs, 0:25:08.440 --> 0:25:10.719 the easiest way to catch up is by subscribing to 0:25:10.720 --> 0:25:14.480 our podcast. Open up your favorite podcast app, whether that's 0:25:14.480 --> 0:25:18.639 Spotify or Apple or other platforms. Search for bold steps 0:25:18.640 --> 0:25:22.439 with doctor Mark Jobe and tap the subscribe button. Every 0:25:22.440 --> 0:25:25.359 message is there waiting for you, ready to download so 0:25:25.359 --> 0:25:29.399 you can listen anytime and anywhere that works for you. Well, 0:25:29.400 --> 0:25:32.320 I'm Wayne Sheppard. Tomorrow we're beginning a series called relentless. 0:25:32.600 --> 0:25:35.400 Mark's going to be teaching from acts chapter 16 in 0:25:35.400 --> 0:25:38.200 a message titled Make Some Noise about what it looks 0:25:38.200 --> 0:25:40.880 like to press on when the pressure is on. That's 0:25:40.880 --> 0:25:46.160 coming up Friday on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Bold 0:25:46.160 --> 0:25:49.159 steps is a production of Moody Radio, a Ministry of 0:25:49.200 --> 0:25:50.600 Moody Bible Institute.