WEBVTT - Stepping Up to a Higher Attitude-Part 1 0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:03.530 Today on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. We're learning to 0:00:03.560 --> 0:00:06.170 step up and into our calling. 0:00:06.230 --> 0:00:08.660 And what God is saying is that nothing can make 0:00:08.660 --> 0:00:11.569 you happy besides me. So if you pray with the 0:00:11.570 --> 0:00:15.380 wrong motives, then God's not going to answer your prayer 0:00:15.380 --> 0:00:20.780 because you're substituting your answer for prayer as your fulfillment 0:00:20.780 --> 0:00:21.860 for God. 0:00:33.950 --> 0:00:37.610 And welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, president of 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:40.100 Moody Bible Institute and the senior pastor of New Life 0:00:40.100 --> 0:00:43.250 Community Church in Chicago. Well, Mark, you've said before that 0:00:43.250 --> 0:00:45.890 most of us live well below our calling from God 0:00:45.890 --> 0:00:47.960 and that the impact most of us could have on 0:00:47.960 --> 0:00:50.000 others really should be much greater. 0:00:50.030 --> 0:00:55.790 Yes, absolutely. And oftentimes the main issue is our attitude. 0:00:56.390 --> 0:00:59.960 Our attitude has to do with our mindset towards life, 0:00:59.990 --> 0:01:03.930 towards others and towards God. As we jump into this passage, 0:01:03.930 --> 0:01:08.490 there's three main questions that we're answering. What is the 0:01:08.490 --> 0:01:12.540 real source of our bad attitude? Why do spiritual people 0:01:12.540 --> 0:01:16.410 get stuck in negative cycles of bad attitudes? And how 0:01:16.410 --> 0:01:19.110 do we step up to our new attitude? 0:01:19.140 --> 0:01:22.110 All right, well, this begins a new series today entitled 0:01:22.110 --> 0:01:26.760 Step Up Living Higher. Here's Mark Jobe with today's bold steps. 0:01:28.020 --> 0:01:36.240 I believe that attitude is one of the key factors 0:01:36.240 --> 0:01:39.899 that determine how we live our life, and how we 0:01:39.900 --> 0:01:45.210 see our world. I believe that attitude can literally make 0:01:45.209 --> 0:01:52.860 you or break you. Your attitude has to do with 0:01:54.360 --> 0:01:57.480 the way you perceive the world and how you choose 0:01:57.480 --> 0:02:01.940 to see your world. Attitude affects everything. How about it? 0:02:02.240 --> 0:02:05.090 Have you ever run into a person with a bad attitude? 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:07.880 Come on, we all have. I'm not going to ask 0:02:07.880 --> 0:02:09.200 you to raise your hand if you're one of those 0:02:09.200 --> 0:02:11.300 people with a bad attitude. Maybe you wake up in 0:02:11.300 --> 0:02:12.890 the morning, look at yourself in the mirror, and you 0:02:12.889 --> 0:02:20.330 know you have a bad attitude. Most of us, if 0:02:20.330 --> 0:02:24.260 we have a bad attitude and we all do have 0:02:24.260 --> 0:02:27.260 days where we have a bad attitude. And so I 0:02:27.260 --> 0:02:29.570 wanted to say, why do you have a bad attitude? 0:02:30.710 --> 0:02:33.800 Most of us tend to blame our bad attitude on 0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:39.680 someone else, on our circumstances, on on some other person, 0:02:39.710 --> 0:02:43.160 on some other thing. You say, well, why do you 0:02:43.160 --> 0:02:45.320 have a bad attitude? Well, you know, you know my husband, 0:02:45.350 --> 0:02:48.950 he's just aggravating me lately. Why do you have a 0:02:48.950 --> 0:02:52.190 bad attitude? My boss boy, he's just on me, and 0:02:52.190 --> 0:02:54.560 I just. Why do you have a bad attitude? You know, 0:02:54.560 --> 0:02:58.700 the economy, the bills. I just we tend to blame 0:02:58.730 --> 0:03:03.510 our attitude On other people and on other things. But 0:03:03.510 --> 0:03:05.760 here's what I want you to to understand today, and 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:09.690 I want you to debunk the myth of your attitude 0:03:09.690 --> 0:03:11.850 is a result of somewhere else. I want you to 0:03:11.880 --> 0:03:22.440 hear me well. Your attitude is absolutely, 100% unequivocally your choice. 0:03:22.470 --> 0:03:29.130 You are the determining factor of what attitudes you have 0:03:29.160 --> 0:03:33.899 or don't have. No one can dictate your attitude but you. 0:03:33.930 --> 0:03:42.360 You are responsible for your attitude. I love what, um. 0:03:45.120 --> 0:03:50.760 Victor Frank, a concentration camp survivor, said everything can be 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:55.680 taken from a man. But one thing to choose one's 0:03:55.710 --> 0:04:02.030 attitude in any given set of Circumstances and he was 0:04:02.030 --> 0:04:07.250 a concentration camp survivor. You determine your attitude. So I 0:04:07.250 --> 0:04:10.010 want you to turn in your Bibles to James chapter four. 0:04:10.040 --> 0:04:13.369 I'm going to begin reading in verse four of James 0:04:13.370 --> 0:04:16.010 chapter four, and I'm going to ask you to stand 0:04:16.130 --> 0:04:23.510 briefly with me as I read the word. James asked 0:04:23.510 --> 0:04:29.990 this question. What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't 0:04:30.020 --> 0:04:34.640 they come from your desires that battle within you? You 0:04:34.640 --> 0:04:38.060 want something, but you don't get it. You kill, you covet. 0:04:38.060 --> 0:04:42.349 But you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and 0:04:42.350 --> 0:04:47.630 you fight and do not have because you do not 0:04:47.630 --> 0:04:55.820 ask God. He goes on to tell us when you ask, 0:04:55.850 --> 0:04:59.120 you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong 0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:03.510 motives That you may spend what you get on your pleasures, 0:05:03.510 --> 0:05:06.270 you adulterous people. Don't you know that friendship with the 0:05:06.270 --> 0:05:09.150 world is hatred towards God? Anyone who chooses to be 0:05:09.150 --> 0:05:12.240 a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:15.300 Or do you think that scripture says without reason, that 0:05:15.300 --> 0:05:19.470 the spirit he caused to live, live in us envies 0:05:19.470 --> 0:05:29.100 intently the Word of God? You may be seated. So 0:05:29.100 --> 0:05:32.610 as we talk about attitudes, I want to answer three questions. 0:05:32.700 --> 0:05:35.490 The first question I want to answer is what is 0:05:35.490 --> 0:05:39.840 the real source of our bad attitudes? The second question is, 0:05:39.839 --> 0:05:43.500 why do spiritual people get stuck in negative cycles of 0:05:43.500 --> 0:05:46.799 bad attitudes? And the third question is this how do 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:50.460 I step up to my new attitude? So let's start 0:05:50.460 --> 0:05:54.210 with the first question what is the real source of 0:05:54.210 --> 0:06:01.250 bad attitudes? James says, what causes fights and quarrels among you. 0:06:03.500 --> 0:06:07.700 What causes you to fight and quarrel? What causes the 0:06:07.700 --> 0:06:13.250 conflicts that are among you? He says, don't they come 0:06:13.250 --> 0:06:18.589 from the desires that battle within you? You see, the 0:06:18.589 --> 0:06:23.690 real source of bad attitudes is not the people around us. 0:06:24.830 --> 0:06:31.730 It's not our boss, our spouse, our parents. It's not 0:06:31.730 --> 0:06:35.090 the system. The real source of our bad attitude is what? 0:06:35.120 --> 0:06:38.719 What James tells us is this. That you and I 0:06:38.750 --> 0:06:45.560 have desires in our heart. We want things. We have dreams. 0:06:45.890 --> 0:06:52.910 We have desires. We have areas that we want fulfilled 0:06:52.910 --> 0:06:57.800 in our lives. And so we have desires that we're pursuing. 0:06:58.640 --> 0:07:03.780 And when someone comes into our life that makes it 0:07:03.779 --> 0:07:07.320 feel like they're keeping us from what we want or 0:07:07.320 --> 0:07:12.210 what we need. Then we become angry at the person 0:07:12.210 --> 0:07:16.500 that we feel is keeping us from the desires that 0:07:16.500 --> 0:07:23.520 we really want. For example, you could be a have 0:07:23.520 --> 0:07:26.130 a 11 or 12 year old son or daughter at 0:07:26.130 --> 0:07:30.270 home and they want to grow up. They want to 0:07:30.270 --> 0:07:33.810 feel free. They want to feel like I'm no longer 0:07:33.810 --> 0:07:37.830 a little kid. I'm a grown up little adult. And 0:07:37.830 --> 0:07:40.710 so when their parent says, no, you can't do this, 0:07:40.710 --> 0:07:43.500 and no, you can't watch Rated-r movies. And no, you 0:07:43.500 --> 0:07:49.560 can't spend six hours on your Xbox every day. And no, 0:07:49.560 --> 0:07:53.940 you can't be unsupervised out there. Then they start getting 0:07:53.970 --> 0:07:58.050 angry at their parents because what they want is freedom 0:07:58.050 --> 0:08:02.840 and liberty, and they feel like Mom and dad are saying, no, no, no, 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:06.560 you can't. So then they cop an attitude towards their 0:08:06.560 --> 0:08:09.410 parents because they feel like all I want to do 0:08:09.410 --> 0:08:12.710 is feel free and you're keeping me from that freedom. 0:08:12.740 --> 0:08:20.060 How many parents know what I'm talking about? How many 0:08:20.060 --> 0:08:21.739 of you have 12 or 13 year olds that have 0:08:21.740 --> 0:08:28.520 perfected the rolling of the eyes? How many of you 0:08:28.520 --> 0:08:35.510 want to say, is there something wrong with your eyes? Why? 0:08:35.540 --> 0:08:37.760 Because they perceive that I want to grow up and 0:08:37.760 --> 0:08:40.040 you're not letting me grow up. So since you're not 0:08:40.040 --> 0:08:42.109 letting me grow up, I'm angry towards you. I have 0:08:42.110 --> 0:08:44.359 an attitude towards you. And how many parents have come 0:08:44.360 --> 0:08:45.980 to me and say, I don't know what's happening with 0:08:45.980 --> 0:08:53.420 my teen? They always have an attitude. Or maybe you're 0:08:53.420 --> 0:08:58.069 a married woman, and all your life you've felt like 0:08:58.070 --> 0:09:00.109 what you want to be is you just want to 0:09:00.120 --> 0:09:05.640 feel loved, appreciated, value. And when you were single, you 0:09:05.670 --> 0:09:10.140 finally found that man that you thought would meet your dreams. 0:09:10.140 --> 0:09:12.689 That man that would treat you like a lady. That 0:09:12.690 --> 0:09:15.570 man that cared about how you were feeling, that man 0:09:15.570 --> 0:09:18.660 that protected you and watched over you. And you remember 0:09:18.660 --> 0:09:20.730 how you felt in the early days. You felt so 0:09:20.730 --> 0:09:25.530 special and loved and cared for and valued, and you thought, finally, 0:09:26.880 --> 0:09:30.660 I'm going to be happy. And then somewhere down the 0:09:30.660 --> 0:09:33.840 road of marriage, it seemed like that man that was 0:09:33.840 --> 0:09:36.930 watching out and taking care and looking out and made 0:09:36.929 --> 0:09:40.949 you feel special, that they got distracted. And now they 0:09:40.950 --> 0:09:44.670 were into their jobs and other things, and suddenly you 0:09:44.670 --> 0:09:48.510 started feeling like, hey, I'm here still. You know what's 0:09:48.510 --> 0:09:52.920 going on? And kids came and payments and car payments 0:09:52.920 --> 0:09:58.170 and mortgage payments and responsibilities, and then suddenly all you 0:09:58.170 --> 0:10:01.670 want is to be happy, feel loved, and that person 0:10:01.670 --> 0:10:05.150 that was making you feel loved no longer is making 0:10:05.150 --> 0:10:08.210 you feel loved. And so then suddenly you feel like 0:10:08.210 --> 0:10:11.900 you are keeping me from what I want. I want 0:10:11.929 --> 0:10:14.960 to feel loved. I want to feel valued. But you're 0:10:14.960 --> 0:10:18.530 no longer valuing me. So there's an attitude, an anger 0:10:18.559 --> 0:10:22.189 or resentment. You are no longer making me feel valued. 0:10:22.190 --> 0:10:27.290 So I'm angry at you because I want something. And 0:10:27.290 --> 0:10:30.500 you are standing in the way of me getting the 0:10:30.500 --> 0:10:38.030 one thing that I want. James says that quarrels and fights. 0:10:40.670 --> 0:10:49.339 Are birthed out of unfulfilled desires. The real problem is 0:10:49.340 --> 0:10:54.140 unfulfilled desires that cause frustration and anger towards those things, 0:10:54.140 --> 0:10:57.320 or people that you believe are holding you back from 0:10:57.320 --> 0:11:06.660 your fulfillment. Persistent bad attitudes are nurtured in the cradle 0:11:06.690 --> 0:11:12.660 of filth, of filling our life outside of God. James 0:11:12.660 --> 0:11:18.569 goes on to say that you want something, but you 0:11:18.570 --> 0:11:21.690 don't get it. How many of you know that you don't? 0:11:21.809 --> 0:11:24.150 You don't always get what you always want when you 0:11:24.150 --> 0:11:28.470 want it. Just a big life lesson. You don't always 0:11:28.470 --> 0:11:32.070 get everything you want right when you want it. Just 0:11:32.070 --> 0:11:36.179 part of life. Life is not that way. It doesn't 0:11:36.179 --> 0:11:40.979 always happen. James says you want something, but you don't 0:11:40.980 --> 0:11:44.160 get it. And so he says, you kill and you covet. 0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:45.780 You say, well, I'm not a murderer, but how many 0:11:45.780 --> 0:11:49.620 of you know there's different ways of killing? That Jesus said, 0:11:49.620 --> 0:11:53.940 if you hate someone, that you have already become a 0:11:53.940 --> 0:11:57.540 murderer in your own heart because you you hate that 0:11:57.540 --> 0:12:00.920 person and want damage, you've killed them in your heart. 0:12:01.070 --> 0:12:05.929 And sometimes we become so angry at people and things, 0:12:05.929 --> 0:12:10.100 and we can't compartmentalize our anger. If you get angry 0:12:10.100 --> 0:12:13.340 at your husband and you're resentful and full of anger 0:12:13.340 --> 0:12:16.640 at him, your bad attitude is going to splash over 0:12:16.640 --> 0:12:19.309 to your children and in your job and in your 0:12:19.309 --> 0:12:23.750 other relationships. Because you cannot contain a bad attitude towards 0:12:23.750 --> 0:12:28.100 one person, your bad attitude will spill over into other 0:12:28.100 --> 0:12:30.050 areas of your life as well. 0:12:35.270 --> 0:12:38.210 This is Bold Steps with pastor Mark Jobe reported in 0:12:38.210 --> 0:12:39.980 our message for just a moment to talk a little 0:12:40.010 --> 0:12:43.489 bit about our Bold Partner program. Mark, we're so appreciative 0:12:43.490 --> 0:12:47.180 of listeners who give faithfully to bold steps. It really 0:12:47.179 --> 0:12:50.030 does help a great deal in the production and distribution 0:12:50.030 --> 0:12:52.880 of this program. I want to especially thank those listeners 0:12:52.880 --> 0:12:55.339 who give at a level of $30 or more each month. 0:12:55.340 --> 0:12:57.650 We're grateful for every gift, but for those who give 0:12:57.679 --> 0:13:00.810 $30 or more each month, there's some great benefits. 0:13:00.840 --> 0:13:03.750 Yeah. If you give $30 or more to. Bold steps, 0:13:03.750 --> 0:13:07.739 then you get a significant discount. I believe it's. 0:13:07.740 --> 0:13:08.490 50%. 0:13:08.670 --> 0:13:12.900 50%. That's a huge discount. And we have some just 0:13:12.900 --> 0:13:15.420 great books coming out every single month. 0:13:15.420 --> 0:13:19.199 I'm astounded at the productivity of Moody Publishers, and the 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:21.150 titles they release every month are incredible. 0:13:21.150 --> 0:13:23.429 They really are. And I'm holding some books in my 0:13:23.429 --> 0:13:25.530 hand right now that I'm thinking, man, I want to 0:13:25.530 --> 0:13:29.160 read these. For example, Becky Harling has a six week 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:33.179 study for The Anxious Heart called The Extraordinary Power of Praise. 0:13:33.300 --> 0:13:36.090 A lot of people could read that, or the four 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:40.920 Habits of Raising joy filled kids. A lot of parents 0:13:40.950 --> 0:13:44.010 want to get that one. Here's another interesting one. It's 0:13:44.010 --> 0:13:47.610 called the visual word. And this is illustrated outlines of 0:13:47.610 --> 0:13:50.730 New Testament books. And this is a big one with 0:13:50.730 --> 0:13:52.830 a lot of photos and pictures. 0:13:53.010 --> 0:13:54.059 Fantastic. Yeah. 0:13:54.090 --> 0:13:58.770 Or Sky gilani's. What if Jesus was serious about prayer 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:02.689 or questioning Christianity. Is there more to the story? I mean, 0:14:02.720 --> 0:14:06.260 these are some phenomenal books that you get at 50% discount. 0:14:06.290 --> 0:14:10.310 The entire catalog is available to our listeners at a 50% discount. 0:14:10.309 --> 0:14:13.370 If you become a monthly donor to Bold steps at 0:14:13.370 --> 0:14:16.280 $30 a month or more, and it's easy to do that. 0:14:16.280 --> 0:14:18.800 Sign up online at Bold Steps. Org right there on 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:22.280 the homepage you'll see the Become a Bold Partner Today link. 0:14:22.280 --> 0:14:24.320 Click on that and we'd love to have you join 0:14:24.320 --> 0:14:27.500 this team of bold partners who listen to this program. 0:14:27.590 --> 0:14:30.320 All right Mark, thank you. Let's return to your message. 0:14:30.320 --> 0:14:32.510 Step up to a higher attitude. 0:14:37.550 --> 0:14:41.420 So he says you kill and you covet, but you 0:14:41.420 --> 0:14:46.730 cannot have what you want. Listen, you quarrel and you fight. 0:14:47.630 --> 0:14:51.650 Most tension that exists in marriages that I've talked to 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:55.130 are because the spouse is looking for something and feeling 0:14:55.130 --> 0:15:01.000 like their spouse is holding them back from it. Oftentimes 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:04.570 what a woman is looking for is love and a 0:15:04.570 --> 0:15:06.790 sense of value and worth. And when she doesn't get 0:15:06.790 --> 0:15:09.850 it from her husband, then she resents it. Oftentimes, a 0:15:09.850 --> 0:15:12.880 man is looking for respect, and when he doesn't get 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:15.130 it from his wife, then he begins to resist it 0:15:15.130 --> 0:15:19.630 as well. And many of the fights in that, that 0:15:19.630 --> 0:15:23.620 are in marriages revolve around those things. So he says, 0:15:23.950 --> 0:15:29.200 you quarrel and you fight. Listen, you do not have 0:15:29.230 --> 0:15:36.520 because you do not ask God. James is saying that 0:15:36.520 --> 0:15:39.010 you have a bad attitude because you can't get what 0:15:39.010 --> 0:15:42.310 you want. And when you can't get what you want, 0:15:42.310 --> 0:15:44.950 you start getting angry that you don't have what you 0:15:44.950 --> 0:15:48.700 want because you need it. You want it, and you 0:15:48.700 --> 0:15:50.560 feel like if I don't have this in my life, 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:52.540 I can't be happy. And so you get angry at 0:15:52.540 --> 0:15:56.290 people and angry at circumstances, and you carry that anger 0:15:56.290 --> 0:15:58.930 around with you, and it creates a bad attitude in 0:15:58.930 --> 0:16:02.570 your life. And so you're you're slamming doors and kicking 0:16:02.570 --> 0:16:06.170 the dog, and you just you're cranky and crabby and 0:16:06.170 --> 0:16:08.540 people are saying, what's wrong with you because you want 0:16:08.540 --> 0:16:11.600 something and you can't have it. And so you're unhappy 0:16:11.600 --> 0:16:15.590 and you're angry at different people. And James says, you 0:16:15.590 --> 0:16:18.890 don't have this in your life because you're not coming 0:16:18.890 --> 0:16:22.280 to God. You're trying to get it from other people, 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:24.650 but you're not asking God. You're not going to God 0:16:24.650 --> 0:16:26.720 and saying, God, I need this and you are the 0:16:26.720 --> 0:16:30.800 one that needs to fill me. Here's what he says. 0:16:31.700 --> 0:16:35.030 I want you to understand that persistent bad attitude is 0:16:35.030 --> 0:16:38.630 nurtured in the cradle of filling our lives outside of God. 0:16:38.630 --> 0:16:41.960 We quarrel and fight, but don't come to God, our 0:16:41.960 --> 0:16:47.540 true source, and humbly ask him. I want you to 0:16:47.570 --> 0:16:54.950 know this today. If you have a bad attitude, you're grumpy, 0:16:54.980 --> 0:17:00.420 you're grouchy, you're negative, you're critical. You just have this 0:17:00.420 --> 0:17:06.540 bad attitude towards life. You can blame other people and 0:17:06.540 --> 0:17:11.459 blame your circumstances. Blame your mother, father, your husband, your wife, 0:17:11.490 --> 0:17:17.250 your kids, your boss. The economy, the government, city hall, 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:26.820 the IRS. There's a lot of people to blame. But ultimately, 0:17:28.140 --> 0:17:32.850 you are the one responsible for your attitude. And when 0:17:32.850 --> 0:17:36.480 you don't have what you want and can't get what 0:17:36.480 --> 0:17:40.470 you want, God says, have you tried looking to me? 0:17:42.150 --> 0:17:46.230 Look to the source of what you really need. I 0:17:46.230 --> 0:17:49.830 believe that God, that most people are looking to fill 0:17:49.830 --> 0:17:52.860 their lives with something that only God can give them. 0:17:53.850 --> 0:17:55.830 I believe that there's many people in life that are 0:17:55.830 --> 0:17:59.399 trying to get something from someone, but haven't realized that 0:17:59.420 --> 0:18:04.460 only God can fill the vacuum of their heart. Plato said, 0:18:04.460 --> 0:18:08.540 there's a God shaped vacuum in every person's life. There's 0:18:08.540 --> 0:18:11.630 a part of you that only God can fill. And 0:18:11.630 --> 0:18:16.010 maybe your husband, he could be the perfect husband and 0:18:16.040 --> 0:18:20.060 give you flowers often, and write you notes and encourage 0:18:20.060 --> 0:18:23.000 you and try to value you and try to appreciate you. 0:18:23.000 --> 0:18:27.410 But ultimately, that would never fill a vacuum that only 0:18:27.440 --> 0:18:30.290 God can fill. There's a part of your heart that 0:18:30.290 --> 0:18:35.000 no man, no woman, no job, no promotion, no finances, 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:44.540 nothing can fill but God himself. And God says you want, 0:18:44.540 --> 0:18:46.790 but you don't have. But you never you have not 0:18:46.790 --> 0:18:51.770 asked me. And some may say, well, pastor, I did 0:18:51.800 --> 0:18:55.280 ask God, and I have come to God. And so 0:18:55.280 --> 0:18:59.649 James answers that question, why do spiritual people get stuck 0:18:59.650 --> 0:19:02.680 in negative cycles. Look at what he says in verse three. 0:19:03.609 --> 0:19:08.350 When you ask, when you ask God, you do not 0:19:08.350 --> 0:19:14.320 receive because you ask with the wrong motives. So some 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:16.690 of you are asking God. He says, but you're coming 0:19:16.720 --> 0:19:23.980 to God with the wrong motives when you ask. That 0:19:23.980 --> 0:19:27.520 you may spend what you get on your own pleasures. 0:19:28.869 --> 0:19:34.119 He says, some of you feel like you're being held 0:19:34.119 --> 0:19:37.209 back from what you want, and so you come to 0:19:37.240 --> 0:19:40.899 God and you say, God, please give me what I want. Please, Lord, 0:19:40.900 --> 0:19:43.750 give me what I want. Please, I need it. Please, Lord, 0:19:43.750 --> 0:19:46.869 open up the door. And he says, and you're not receiving. 0:19:46.869 --> 0:19:50.170 And God's not answering your prayer, partly because you're asking 0:19:50.170 --> 0:19:54.160 for the wrong motives. You're saying, oh, Lord, I really 0:19:54.160 --> 0:19:57.790 need this job promotion. Oh, God, I really need it. Oh, Lord, 0:19:57.790 --> 0:20:00.060 if you would open those doors, First of all, you 0:20:00.090 --> 0:20:02.430 got angry because you felt people were keeping you back. 0:20:02.460 --> 0:20:04.139 Then you came to God and you said God opened 0:20:04.170 --> 0:20:08.490 the doors. If I could only get that $20,000 raise, Lord. 0:20:08.700 --> 0:20:10.980 If that could get that, then all my problems would 0:20:10.980 --> 0:20:13.560 be solved. Oh, God. Please. But God is saying you 0:20:13.560 --> 0:20:16.740 ask and you do not receive because your motives are wrong. 0:20:16.770 --> 0:20:20.190 You're not asking to get that raise and to get 0:20:20.190 --> 0:20:23.820 those so that you can pay your bills and be 0:20:23.820 --> 0:20:26.580 generous and live in a place you're asking so that 0:20:26.580 --> 0:20:29.280 you can get it, so that you can get that 0:20:29.280 --> 0:20:32.070 extra money just to spend on yourself and just to 0:20:32.100 --> 0:20:35.280 to satisfy yourself, thinking that that's going to fill you, 0:20:35.280 --> 0:20:38.609 but it never will. How many of you know you 0:20:38.609 --> 0:20:43.919 can ask even pray with wrong motives? God doesn't always 0:20:43.920 --> 0:20:47.310 answer our prayer because sometimes our prayers the worst thing. 0:20:47.340 --> 0:20:49.169 If God were to answer, it would be the worst 0:20:49.170 --> 0:20:52.740 thing for you. I've had people come up to me 0:20:52.740 --> 0:20:55.859 and say, look, pastor, I'm praying that that that girl 0:20:55.859 --> 0:21:01.020 over there would be my wife And I know the girl. 0:21:02.160 --> 0:21:07.170 I'm thinking, oh boy, if you only knew you'd be 0:21:07.170 --> 0:21:13.710 thanking God for not answering your prayer. Sometimes what we 0:21:13.710 --> 0:21:17.580 pray for would be the worst thing for us because 0:21:17.580 --> 0:21:20.760 we're really not asking, oh, God, is this what you 0:21:20.760 --> 0:21:24.420 want for me? Is this the best for me? Can 0:21:24.420 --> 0:21:28.650 I serve you better, glorify you better, follow you better. 0:21:28.680 --> 0:21:31.859 We're asking. I want it because I think it'll make 0:21:31.859 --> 0:21:34.980 me happy. And what God is saying is that nothing 0:21:34.980 --> 0:21:37.919 can make you happy besides me. So if you pray 0:21:37.920 --> 0:21:42.420 with the wrong motives, if you pray with the wrong motives, 0:21:42.420 --> 0:21:45.629 then God's not going to answer your prayer because you're 0:21:45.630 --> 0:21:51.330 substituting your answer for prayer as your fulfillment for God. 0:21:52.260 --> 0:21:55.409 And so he says, you pray and you don't get 0:21:55.410 --> 0:21:58.679 an answer to your prayer because you ask with the 0:21:58.680 --> 0:22:02.420 wrong motives so that you could spend on your pleasures, 0:22:02.900 --> 0:22:07.250 he says to. These people, you adulterous people. And here's 0:22:07.250 --> 0:22:10.879 what I want you to understand. Spiritual adultery is the 0:22:10.880 --> 0:22:18.410 pursuit of fulfillment and happiness outside of God's plan and covenant. 0:22:18.950 --> 0:22:21.650 He says, you adulterous people, do you not know that 0:22:21.650 --> 0:22:25.219 friendship with the world is hatred towards God? Anyone who 0:22:25.250 --> 0:22:27.740 chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an 0:22:27.740 --> 0:22:32.210 enemy of God. What does this mean? Well, he's not 0:22:32.210 --> 0:22:36.680 talking about not having friends in the world. He's not 0:22:36.680 --> 0:22:39.440 talking about you can't have friends outside of the church. 0:22:39.440 --> 0:22:41.960 That's not what this verse says. Jesus tells us we 0:22:41.960 --> 0:22:44.390 are to be in the world, but not of the world. 0:22:44.630 --> 0:22:49.280 He's saying friendship with the world system. When you try 0:22:49.280 --> 0:22:53.300 to get your happiness from other things instead of pursuing God, 0:22:53.330 --> 0:22:57.889 God says you're committing spiritual adultery. 0:23:02.550 --> 0:23:05.100 This is bold steps. You're listening to the Bible teaching 0:23:05.130 --> 0:23:07.980 of Mark job, and today's message is titled Stepping up 0:23:07.980 --> 0:23:10.740 to a Higher Attitude. We'll continue with part two of 0:23:10.740 --> 0:23:13.650 this lesson when we come back tomorrow. If you missed 0:23:13.650 --> 0:23:15.780 any portion today, or if you'd like to catch up 0:23:15.780 --> 0:23:18.030 on a previous message from Mark, you can do that 0:23:18.030 --> 0:23:21.780 online at Bold Steps. Org. There you'll also discover a 0:23:21.780 --> 0:23:25.260 wide variety of other faith building resources, including this month's 0:23:25.260 --> 0:23:28.619 Bold Step gift. In times like these, it's natural to 0:23:28.650 --> 0:23:32.550 feel unsettled by the dramatic changes reshaping our world. But 0:23:32.550 --> 0:23:35.700 what if these challenging days aren't just something to endure, 0:23:35.700 --> 0:23:39.929 but rather a unique moment pregnant with possibility? That's the 0:23:39.930 --> 0:23:43.890 compelling message in this month's Bold Step gift. Mark Sayer's book, 0:23:43.920 --> 0:23:48.210 A Non-anxious presence, offers a fresh framework for understanding and 0:23:48.210 --> 0:23:52.889 engaging with our rapidly shifting culture. Instead of anxiety about change, 0:23:52.890 --> 0:23:56.340 you'll discover how to maintain steady faith and bold vision 0:23:56.340 --> 0:24:00.680 even in turbulent times. Now, this resource couldn't be more timely. 0:24:00.710 --> 0:24:04.280 God is moving in powerful ways, even through circumstances that 0:24:04.280 --> 0:24:08.300 may seem chaotic. Learn to recognize divine opportunities in the 0:24:08.300 --> 0:24:11.869 midst of disruption, and lead others with wisdom and hope. 0:24:11.869 --> 0:24:16.040 By requesting your copy of a Non-anxious presence, we'll send 0:24:16.040 --> 0:24:18.379 it to you with your gift of any size. To 0:24:18.410 --> 0:24:21.530 support bold steps, you can easily donate through a number 0:24:21.530 --> 0:24:25.129 of ways by going online to Bold Steps. Org or 0:24:25.130 --> 0:24:32.389 calling us at 800 D.L. Moody. That's (800) 356-6639 or even 0:24:32.390 --> 0:24:35.180 sending a check in the mail. Just address your envelope 0:24:35.180 --> 0:24:41.899 to bold steps. 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 6610. 0:24:42.050 --> 0:24:44.960 Thank you so much for your support. If you've got 0:24:44.960 --> 0:24:46.970 a comment or a Bible question you'd like to share 0:24:46.970 --> 0:24:50.060 with Mark, or you simply want to share your testimony 0:24:50.060 --> 0:24:52.100 and tell us how Bold Steps has helped you in 0:24:52.100 --> 0:24:54.800 your walk with Christ, be sure to let us know! 0:24:54.830 --> 0:24:57.410 Pick up the phone today, call us and leave your 0:24:57.410 --> 0:25:08.040 message on a recorded line by dialling (312) 329-2011. That's 312329 2011. 0:25:08.070 --> 0:25:10.260 Or send a message through our website by going to 0:25:10.290 --> 0:25:13.679 Bold Steps. Org. Of course, we also invite you to 0:25:13.710 --> 0:25:16.320 connect with Mark on his YouTube channel, and check out 0:25:16.320 --> 0:25:19.740 all the bonus content and special video lessons available. You'll 0:25:19.740 --> 0:25:23.010 find him by searching for Bold Steps Radio on YouTube. 0:25:23.040 --> 0:25:25.379 Just make sure you subscribe to the page when you 0:25:25.380 --> 0:25:28.080 get there so you don't miss out on the next video. 0:25:28.410 --> 0:25:30.570 And that's the end of today's program. But join us 0:25:30.570 --> 0:25:33.300 again tomorrow when we'll discover why trying to fulfill life 0:25:33.330 --> 0:25:37.290 outside of God's will just doesn't work. Our message comes 0:25:37.290 --> 0:25:41.190 from our series titled Step Up Living Higher. I'm Wayne Shepherd. 0:25:41.220 --> 0:25:45.900 Be listening Wednesday to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Bold 0:25:45.900 --> 0:25:48.870 steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of 0:25:48.869 --> 0:25:50.490 Moody Bible Institute.