WEBVTT - When God Stops – Part 2 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:05.200 Fully devoted people start by taking steps of obedience. What's 0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:08.480 the current condition of your heart toward God? Stay tuned. 0:00:09.000 --> 0:00:12.239 So here's how it goes. To those whose hearts are 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:20.799 completely his extraordinary power follows on the heels of extraordinary commitment. 0:00:33.240 --> 0:00:36.800 Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, president of Moody 0:00:36.800 --> 0:00:40.080 Bible Institute and senior pastor of New Life Community Church 0:00:40.080 --> 0:00:43.440 in Chicago. Today in the broadcast, we continue the message 0:00:43.440 --> 0:00:46.920 when God stops, he's always on the move, always searching 0:00:46.920 --> 0:00:49.159 for those who are fully devoted to him. When he 0:00:49.200 --> 0:00:53.080 finds one, he stops and says, I found one. Are 0:00:53.080 --> 0:00:55.000 you one of those who are hungry in your faith, 0:00:55.040 --> 0:00:57.840 even when it's hard to obey? To keep up with 0:00:57.840 --> 0:01:00.640 our current teaching series, Fully Devoted, you can listen again 0:01:00.640 --> 0:01:05.320 to any of our messages anytime, anywhere on demand at bird-stamps.org. 0:01:05.760 --> 0:01:08.440 Now here's pastor Mark Jobe with part two of When 0:01:08.440 --> 0:01:10.960 God Stops on Bold Steps. 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:15.720 Verse 12. It says. In his 39th year of his reign, 0:01:15.760 --> 0:01:20.160 Asa ended poorly, being king for 39 years, Asa became 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:23.800 diseased in his feet. We don't know exactly what kind 0:01:23.800 --> 0:01:26.199 of disease it was. A lot more than athlete's feet, 0:01:26.200 --> 0:01:31.000 believe me. His disease was severe. Listen. But yet, even 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:34.520 in his disease, he did not seek the Lord. But 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:38.880 only the doctors. Can I tell you there's a shift 0:01:38.880 --> 0:01:42.800 in mindset going on there. There's nothing wrong with going 0:01:42.840 --> 0:01:45.520 to doctors. If you're sick, you should go to a doctor, 0:01:46.000 --> 0:01:47.640 he said. Pastor, I'm just going to trust the Lord. Well, 0:01:47.680 --> 0:01:49.000 you know, why don't you trust the Lord and go 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:51.440 to a doctor, too? It's not a lack of faith 0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:54.960 to go to a doctor. How about it? The problem 0:01:54.960 --> 0:02:00.080 was that he only went to doctors when he was sick. 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:04.250 And he didn't go to God. There's no problem that 0:02:04.250 --> 0:02:05.770 you go to a doctor. You should go to a 0:02:05.770 --> 0:02:07.650 doctor if you're sick. If your car is broken down, 0:02:07.650 --> 0:02:10.290 you should go to a mechanic. If your finances are 0:02:10.290 --> 0:02:14.530 in trouble, you should go to an accountant. You see, 0:02:14.530 --> 0:02:18.169 when you trust in others or other people or other things, 0:02:18.330 --> 0:02:22.169 but you don't go to God. Ultimately you're saying, hey, 0:02:22.169 --> 0:02:25.730 my trust isn't ultimately in you God. I think I 0:02:25.730 --> 0:02:29.930 can solve my problems and my issues without you, God. 0:02:30.450 --> 0:02:37.890 That is the ultimate presumption and arrogance of the human heart. 0:02:38.250 --> 0:02:42.450 To think that we can do anything that's worth doing 0:02:42.610 --> 0:02:48.210 without the power and strength of God. Can I tell 0:02:48.210 --> 0:02:52.250 you something? If your marriage is in trouble, you should 0:02:52.250 --> 0:02:56.810 go to a counselor to help you with your marriage. Ben, 0:02:56.810 --> 0:02:59.730 can I tell you something? Take the initiative. You be 0:02:59.730 --> 0:03:02.810 the one that leads. Men typically don't like to do that, 0:03:04.410 --> 0:03:07.010 but if you go to a counselor and believe that 0:03:07.010 --> 0:03:11.050 it's the counselor that fixes your marriage, ultimately it's no 0:03:11.050 --> 0:03:13.450 counselor in the world can fix your marriage without the 0:03:13.450 --> 0:03:16.130 power of God. You go to a counselor, but you 0:03:16.130 --> 0:03:19.010 need the power of the Holy Spirit in your life 0:03:19.010 --> 0:03:21.650 to change what you cannot change. You need someone to 0:03:21.690 --> 0:03:29.250 change your heart. God can only do that. If you 0:03:29.250 --> 0:03:34.450 have cancer. By all means, go to an oncologist. Get 0:03:34.450 --> 0:03:38.010 all the treatment that you can. But if your treatment, 0:03:38.010 --> 0:03:42.570 if you if you ultimately depend on chemotherapy and don't 0:03:42.570 --> 0:03:47.490 understand that he is Jehovah Rapha, the God that heals 0:03:47.490 --> 0:03:50.290 and you're not calling upon the Almighty God to release 0:03:50.290 --> 0:03:53.330 his healing power upon your life, then your confidence is 0:03:53.330 --> 0:03:57.730 in doctors, not in God Almighty. If you have an 0:03:57.730 --> 0:04:01.140 addiction problem, yes, go to a 12 step program, you 0:04:01.140 --> 0:04:03.820 should go to a 12 step program, but if you're 0:04:03.820 --> 0:04:08.020 confident is in your sponsor and 12 step program, then 0:04:08.020 --> 0:04:12.380 you have misplaced your confidence because that's only a tool 0:04:12.380 --> 0:04:15.940 that God uses to break the chains of addiction and 0:04:15.940 --> 0:04:24.780 set you free. You need the power of God. Asa 0:04:26.500 --> 0:04:34.660 went to doctors but didn't call upon the Lord. I'm 0:04:34.660 --> 0:04:42.779 just wondering, is your heart fully committed? It shows up 0:04:42.779 --> 0:04:47.500 in what you go to when you're in trouble, what 0:04:47.500 --> 0:04:51.940 you go to first. When you're in trouble, it shows 0:04:51.940 --> 0:04:56.140 up in what you rely on most. I love what 0:04:56.140 --> 0:04:59.700 Proverbs chapter three verse five and six says. It says, 0:04:59.740 --> 0:05:03.980 trust in the Lord with all your heart. What does 0:05:03.980 --> 0:05:08.940 it say? How much of our heart? Part of our heart. 0:05:10.779 --> 0:05:19.539 What does all mean in the Greek? All. All means 100%. 0:05:20.300 --> 0:05:25.580 Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. 100% 0:05:25.580 --> 0:05:31.780 of your heart. You rely on God. God can meet 0:05:31.779 --> 0:05:37.620 the need through other people. Even our finances and our resources. 0:05:38.500 --> 0:05:41.620 If you believe that your your boss is the one 0:05:41.620 --> 0:05:44.260 that meets your need, then your boss will be your God. 0:05:44.940 --> 0:05:46.820 If you believe that God is the one that meets 0:05:46.820 --> 0:05:48.740 your need and he uses your boss, then you will 0:05:48.740 --> 0:05:51.220 put your boss in the right position and your boss 0:05:51.220 --> 0:05:55.419 will never say, suck your soul out of you because 0:05:55.420 --> 0:05:58.020 you know that ultimately it's God that provides and not 0:05:58.020 --> 0:06:06.950 your boss. If you understand that your boyfriend loves you 0:06:06.950 --> 0:06:08.550 and it's a good thing that he loves you and 0:06:08.550 --> 0:06:10.470 you kind of overflow in it. But if you think 0:06:10.470 --> 0:06:12.790 that your boyfriend is the one that gives you worth 0:06:12.790 --> 0:06:15.270 and value, then you will always have to have a 0:06:15.270 --> 0:06:17.710 man beside you. Whether he's a good man or a 0:06:17.710 --> 0:06:20.710 bad man, whether he treats you like trash or good, 0:06:20.750 --> 0:06:23.510 you will be driven to get your worth from a man. 0:06:23.589 --> 0:06:26.350 When you understand that it's God that gives you worth, 0:06:26.350 --> 0:06:28.790 then God can use a man in your life to 0:06:28.830 --> 0:06:31.150 love you in the right way. But ultimately, your worth 0:06:31.150 --> 0:06:34.190 is not from a man. Your worth is from God Almighty, 0:06:34.350 --> 0:06:36.710 who looks at you as a child of the living 0:06:36.710 --> 0:06:41.510 God and gives you worth and value. You see, ultimately 0:06:41.510 --> 0:06:44.150 we're looking to God. Trust in the Lord with all 0:06:44.150 --> 0:06:50.470 your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding. When 0:06:50.470 --> 0:06:56.630 the Word of God. Is different than our own understanding, 0:06:57.950 --> 0:07:01.190 then ultimately it says, don't go by what you think. 0:07:01.230 --> 0:07:05.469 Go by what God says. Because ultimately, God's way is 0:07:05.470 --> 0:07:13.070 better than your way. Your heart might may say, I 0:07:13.070 --> 0:07:16.510 want to hold the grudge of unforgiveness and hatred in 0:07:16.510 --> 0:07:18.750 my heart because look what they did to me. And 0:07:18.750 --> 0:07:22.230 God says, forgive them because it's better for you. I've 0:07:22.230 --> 0:07:25.350 forgiven you and you say, I don't want to forgive them, 0:07:25.350 --> 0:07:28.670 but God says forgive them. Ultimately, God's way is better 0:07:28.670 --> 0:07:33.870 than your way. So you forgive. You say, God, I'm 0:07:33.870 --> 0:07:37.150 going to trust you and I'm going to forgive, even 0:07:37.150 --> 0:07:46.190 though I don't want to forgive. That's trusting God. God 0:07:46.190 --> 0:07:50.390 calls you to sexual purity. Walk in sexual purity. Well, pastor, 0:07:50.390 --> 0:07:53.150 you don't understand. If I don't like, get involved, I'm 0:07:53.150 --> 0:07:55.030 going to lose the guy. Because every guy, you know, 0:07:55.070 --> 0:08:00.680 they want a little something on the side. And I'm 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:02.080 afraid if I don't give him a little something on 0:08:02.080 --> 0:08:03.600 the side, he's going to find a woman that will 0:08:03.600 --> 0:08:05.800 give him a little something on the side. So I just, 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:12.880 you know, I really like him, pastor. I'm glad you 0:08:12.880 --> 0:08:16.760 like him. I'm glad you like him. But I hope 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:25.880 you love God more than you like him. Because if ultimately, 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:28.120 you're just going to get him. Because he's. Because you're 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:30.960 giving him something on the side, listen, he's not worth 0:08:30.960 --> 0:08:36.040 hanging on to. Until he puts a ring on your 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:39.120 finger and says, for better or for worse, let's do this. 0:08:40.160 --> 0:08:43.000 You said, pastor, you, you say, well, pastor, you must 0:08:43.000 --> 0:08:44.760 not live in the world I live in. Pastor. You're 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:48.160 kind of old fashioned. You've been in a bubble. No, I'm. 0:08:48.160 --> 0:08:50.240 I live in the same world you live in. I'm 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:53.679 just saying that what you define our lives is not culture. 0:08:53.679 --> 0:08:56.679 Which should define our life is the power and truth 0:08:56.679 --> 0:08:59.800 of the Word of God that supersedes culture. That's what 0:08:59.800 --> 0:09:04.400 I'm saying. The Word of God should supersede culture. And 0:09:04.400 --> 0:09:07.760 if God says it, even though it's hard to obey, 0:09:08.000 --> 0:09:12.160 follow what God says because God trumps trust in the 0:09:12.160 --> 0:09:15.400 Lord with all thy heart. Lean not on thine own understanding. 0:09:15.400 --> 0:09:19.400 In all your ways acknowledge him. And guess what? He 0:09:19.400 --> 0:09:23.120 will direct your path, or he will make your path straight. 0:09:27.640 --> 0:09:34.840 I'm talking. This is hard. This is difficult. This is challenging. 0:09:36.800 --> 0:09:39.960 Is my heart. A heart that would make God stop 0:09:39.960 --> 0:09:44.520 at my address and say I found one. Because they're 0:09:44.520 --> 0:09:53.920 fully devoted. Number three, not only must we refuse to 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:57.839 give what belongs to God to others. Secondly, we can't 0:09:57.840 --> 0:10:02.370 put our reliance on others, but God above all others, 0:10:02.370 --> 0:10:06.050 if our heart is fully devoted. And number three and lastly, 0:10:06.370 --> 0:10:13.890 fully devoted hearts become magnets of the God's power. Verse 0:10:13.890 --> 0:10:16.970 nine says, for the eyes of the Lord move to 0:10:17.010 --> 0:10:20.370 and fro throughout all the earth, that he may listen 0:10:20.370 --> 0:10:27.170 to this, that he may strongly support. Another version says, strengthen. 0:10:27.970 --> 0:10:34.530 Another translation implies manifest his power to those whose hearts 0:10:34.530 --> 0:10:41.490 are completely his. So here's how it goes. Extraordinary power 0:10:42.090 --> 0:10:46.370 follows on the heels of extraordinary commitment. 0:10:54.890 --> 0:10:57.930 You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, and there's 0:10:57.929 --> 0:11:00.290 more coming up in a minute. Just to pause here 0:11:00.290 --> 0:11:02.089 to welcome you to the program. And if you're new 0:11:02.090 --> 0:11:04.690 to the broadcast, all of what you're hearing on air 0:11:04.730 --> 0:11:09.010 is also available to hear online at bird-stamps.org. There are 0:11:09.010 --> 0:11:11.610 different options there for you to receive the daily teaching. 0:11:11.610 --> 0:11:13.730 If you are a smartphone user and prefer to listen 0:11:13.730 --> 0:11:17.890 on demand, consider downloading the free Moody Radio app. Or 0:11:17.890 --> 0:11:21.170 you can subscribe to the podcast version on iTunes or Google, 0:11:21.570 --> 0:11:23.930 however you prefer to connect. It's our hope that this 0:11:23.929 --> 0:11:26.970 good news and teaching your hearing is challenging and encouraging 0:11:26.970 --> 0:11:29.490 you to take the needed, bold steps in your life 0:11:29.490 --> 0:11:32.610 to grow in faith and walk closer to God. So 0:11:32.610 --> 0:11:36.370 if you can, visit Bold steps.org for more details. Down 0:11:36.370 --> 0:11:38.970 through history, those who have had the most influence spiritually 0:11:39.010 --> 0:11:41.850 were those who were completely devoted to God, and we 0:11:41.850 --> 0:11:44.569 can learn from their examples. Here again is pastor Mark 0:11:44.570 --> 0:11:46.930 Jobe with more bold steps. 0:11:52.890 --> 0:11:58.050 Extraordinary spiritual power does not come to the intelligent, the wealthy, 0:11:58.450 --> 0:12:04.020 the resourced, First, the strategic extraordinary power comes to the 0:12:04.020 --> 0:12:10.179 extraordinarily committed. Jesus chose 12 disciples. You know what all 0:12:10.179 --> 0:12:16.380 12 disciples had in common? The one common denominator of 0:12:16.380 --> 0:12:23.700 the 12 disciples was that they were hungry and devoted 0:12:25.620 --> 0:12:31.980 to following Christ. They weren't the wealthiest. They weren't the 0:12:31.980 --> 0:12:36.980 most prosperous. Their names were not known. The one that 0:12:36.980 --> 0:12:42.060 would become the the leader of the early church. His 0:12:42.059 --> 0:12:45.420 name was Peter. And he was a fisherman. Not a theologian, 0:12:45.860 --> 0:12:51.020 not a businessman, not of noble birth, a man that 0:12:51.020 --> 0:12:54.140 was used to catching fish. And he would become one 0:12:54.140 --> 0:12:58.900 of the most spiritually powerful men in the early New Testament. Why? 0:12:58.940 --> 0:13:01.940 Because he was simply devoted to Jesus. He had hunger 0:13:01.940 --> 0:13:06.420 for God. Down through the centuries, those that have turned 0:13:06.460 --> 0:13:10.020 countries around, those that have altered nations, those those that 0:13:10.020 --> 0:13:15.260 have influenced haven't always been the most successful, the wealthiest, 0:13:15.300 --> 0:13:18.540 the smartest, the those of royal blood. They have been 0:13:18.540 --> 0:13:22.900 those that say, I believe in what Scripture says. I 0:13:22.900 --> 0:13:26.980 believe in the power of God. I believe, and my 0:13:26.980 --> 0:13:31.540 heart is 100% devoted to who God is. And God says, aha! 0:13:31.580 --> 0:13:35.300 Now I found someone I can pour my power into. 0:13:36.700 --> 0:13:44.420 David was a shepherd boy. Not a soldier. But when 0:13:44.420 --> 0:13:47.420 he defeated Goliath, he was simply a shepherd boy that 0:13:47.420 --> 0:13:51.420 fully trusted God. And God empowered him to defeat a 0:13:51.460 --> 0:13:58.100 massive warrior called Goliath. Moses was a shepherd after 40 years, 0:13:58.100 --> 0:14:02.310 an old man When he had the burning bush experience 0:14:02.790 --> 0:14:07.229 and God said, go set my people free after 400 0:14:07.230 --> 0:14:12.470 years of slavery. And he set almost a million Israelites 0:14:12.470 --> 0:14:18.910 free from the oppression of the Egyptians. Not because he 0:14:18.910 --> 0:14:22.790 had power, but because he said, I'm willing and fully 0:14:22.790 --> 0:14:29.670 devoted to follow you, God. Gideon was but a child, 0:14:30.910 --> 0:14:34.470 fearful when the angel of the Lord appeared to him 0:14:34.470 --> 0:14:38.630 and said, mighty warrior, I'm calling you. And he rose 0:14:38.630 --> 0:14:41.710 up fully devoted, and set the people of God free. 0:14:42.670 --> 0:14:45.870 All I'm saying is that those that have greatest influence 0:14:45.870 --> 0:14:49.670 in the spiritual realm are those that say my heart. 0:14:50.030 --> 0:14:55.070 I choose to be fully devoted to who God has 0:14:55.070 --> 0:15:00.520 called me to be and follow him. I've asked myself 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:06.080 this question what would happen in the city of Chicago 0:15:07.480 --> 0:15:16.880 if there was ten, 20, 30, 100 fully devoted followers 0:15:16.880 --> 0:15:22.600 of Jesus? What if. Come on, we're dreaming here a 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:29.120 little bit. What if there was a church? A fully 0:15:29.120 --> 0:15:33.720 devoted followers. What if God were to move in a 0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:41.000 place like this? Yeah. An old factory converted. On the 0:15:41.000 --> 0:15:46.720 southwest side of Chicago. We have about 1500 people that 0:15:46.720 --> 0:15:52.440 attend on Sunday morning in this location. What if 1500 0:15:52.440 --> 0:15:54.880 people in the city of Chicago decided we're going to 0:15:54.880 --> 0:15:58.640 be serious about God, and we're going to become devoted, 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:03.240 that our hearts will not be halfway there. Partially there. 0:16:03.440 --> 0:16:06.680 A 10th of a way there. But what if. What 0:16:06.680 --> 0:16:12.880 if a church said we are 100% ready and willing 0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:21.320 to follow God? What could God do through 1500 fully 0:16:21.320 --> 0:16:26.080 devoted people where God says, he stops and says, aha, 0:16:26.680 --> 0:16:31.960 I found one. Now let me pour some power. Let 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:35.440 me pour some ability. Let me pour some strength. Let 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:37.920 me empower them. Because when God finds a heart that's 0:16:37.920 --> 0:16:40.920 fully devoted, he's not afraid to pour power into it. 0:16:40.960 --> 0:16:44.080 He's not afraid to strengthen it. He's not afraid to 0:16:44.120 --> 0:16:46.440 allow them to do things that they could never do 0:16:46.440 --> 0:16:51.040 in their own power, because he strengthens them with supernatural power. 0:16:51.920 --> 0:16:55.720 Are you tracking with me? Well, see, that's what I'm 0:16:55.720 --> 0:17:01.720 praying for. That's what I'm believing for. And what I've 0:17:01.720 --> 0:17:05.760 discovered over the years is this. Listen, I've discovered that 0:17:05.760 --> 0:17:09.440 fully devoted people. Yeah. When we're fully devoted, we start 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:15.280 taking steps of obedience that lead to extraordinary outpourings of 0:17:15.280 --> 0:17:18.160 blessing and power in our life. But listen, you can't 0:17:18.160 --> 0:17:21.760 expect new blessing off of old steps of obedience and commitment. 0:17:21.760 --> 0:17:24.639 I'm really glad that 20 years ago you bowed your 0:17:24.640 --> 0:17:27.880 knee and gave your life to Jesus. I'm super happy 0:17:27.880 --> 0:17:30.000 that you made a commitment ten years ago, but I'm 0:17:30.000 --> 0:17:33.480 not talking about ten years ago. I'm talking about this year. 0:17:34.760 --> 0:17:37.800 What's the condition of our heart? Well, I'm not talking 0:17:37.800 --> 0:17:42.400 about perfection because we won't reach that until we get 0:17:42.400 --> 0:17:50.919 to glory. I'm talking about commitment. Devotion, saying, Lord, if 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:53.879 you say it, I do it. My heart is full 0:17:53.880 --> 0:17:59.080 of yours. That's what I'm talking about. I pray that 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:09.010 God would keep my faith simple, pure and childlike. Help me, Lord, 0:18:09.010 --> 0:18:16.330 if I ever get too professional. Help me Lord, if 0:18:16.330 --> 0:18:21.890 it gets too complicated. Help me Lord. If, as your pastor, 0:18:22.050 --> 0:18:28.810 I overthink. It's our strategy, our intelligence, our structure, our ingenuity, 0:18:28.970 --> 0:18:34.490 our self-determination, our power, our will, our leadership organization that 0:18:34.490 --> 0:18:38.050 causes the church go forward. Help us God, if that's 0:18:38.050 --> 0:18:43.850 ever our reality. Because in the end, what drives the 0:18:43.850 --> 0:18:46.370 church of the Living God forward in the end, what 0:18:46.369 --> 0:18:49.369 causes God to show up with power in the end? 0:18:49.410 --> 0:18:52.609 The places where the presence of God says yes, here 0:18:52.609 --> 0:18:55.969 I can show up is simply people that have a 0:18:56.010 --> 0:18:59.980 childlike faith that says, here I am. You're my daddy. 0:18:59.980 --> 0:19:02.980 I showed up to worship you. And my heart fully 0:19:02.980 --> 0:19:07.020 belongs to you. That's a place where extraordinary power can 0:19:07.020 --> 0:19:13.180 be poured out. The simplicity of the gospel. Listen. I'm 0:19:13.180 --> 0:19:17.100 believing God for to move in some extraordinary ways, like 0:19:17.100 --> 0:19:20.580 I always have. And I. And I've seen it in 0:19:20.580 --> 0:19:24.140 my own life. When I'm really depending on God, when 0:19:24.140 --> 0:19:27.660 I really need God, I pray. When I'm walking on 0:19:27.660 --> 0:19:31.300 the flesh, I plan. I depend on self, I think 0:19:31.300 --> 0:19:34.500 I can solve it, I get consultants and nothing's wrong 0:19:34.500 --> 0:19:36.980 with that. But if you don't pray and go to God, 0:19:36.980 --> 0:19:39.380 who needs to be the first to go, go to, 0:19:39.420 --> 0:19:41.939 then really you're walking in the arm of the flesh 0:19:41.940 --> 0:19:43.699 and not walking under the arm of the spirit. And 0:19:43.700 --> 0:19:45.540 when you walk on the arm of the flesh, you 0:19:45.540 --> 0:19:51.619 always fail by the arm of the flesh. We're praying 0:19:51.619 --> 0:19:57.700 for our city. We're praying for international. But you're also 0:19:57.700 --> 0:20:03.660 praying for you. Because we corporately come together to pray 0:20:03.660 --> 0:20:06.580 for what God has called us to do. We're praying for, 0:20:06.619 --> 0:20:10.820 for for this church. I'm believing that this church would 0:20:10.820 --> 0:20:13.820 be a place, a hub of the presence of God, 0:20:14.340 --> 0:20:18.660 a powerful place of transformation where thousands of people will 0:20:18.660 --> 0:20:21.780 hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and be transformed. Where 0:20:21.780 --> 0:20:25.100 marriages will be revitalized, where prodigal sons will come back 0:20:25.100 --> 0:20:27.260 to God, where the hardest of the heart will come, 0:20:27.260 --> 0:20:29.940 to Jesus, where people will see this as a beacon 0:20:29.980 --> 0:20:32.859 of hope, a place that is full of the life 0:20:32.900 --> 0:20:36.580 giving power of Jesus. I'm believing that for this congregation, 0:20:36.580 --> 0:20:39.340 for midway, for this factory that we have here in 0:20:39.340 --> 0:20:48.620 the next few years. But you need to pray for you. 0:20:50.220 --> 0:20:53.860 What does God want to do in your family? What 0:20:53.859 --> 0:20:57.980 does God want to do in your kids? What does 0:20:57.980 --> 0:21:02.820 God want to do in your heart. What is God 0:21:02.859 --> 0:21:06.460 doing in you? And if you're here saying, pastor, I 0:21:06.460 --> 0:21:08.140 don't really have anything. Well, come to me. I got 0:21:08.140 --> 0:21:12.220 a whole bunch of things to give you. If you 0:21:12.220 --> 0:21:14.740 had nothing to pray for, then you're not dreaming big enough. 0:21:15.740 --> 0:21:20.820 You're not expecting enough. Some of you need to pray. Oh, God, 0:21:20.859 --> 0:21:23.619 take this heart that's kind of cold and put some 0:21:23.619 --> 0:21:28.219 fire back into it. God. Some of you have family 0:21:28.220 --> 0:21:31.980 members that right now, you could never, never, never envision 0:21:31.980 --> 0:21:35.300 them actually worshiping and following Jesus. But you need to 0:21:35.340 --> 0:21:38.020 pray that God would bring them to a place where 0:21:38.020 --> 0:21:44.220 they'd finally be open to the things of God. Hey, 0:21:44.540 --> 0:21:46.620 I don't know what's on your heart to pray for. 0:21:48.500 --> 0:21:50.420 You may be a single woman here saying, I'm praying 0:21:50.420 --> 0:21:54.659 for a husband. I think that's a good prayer. A 0:21:54.700 --> 0:22:00.710 godly husband. You may be a guy praying for. Who knows, 0:22:00.710 --> 0:22:02.150 there may be a guy over there and a girl 0:22:02.150 --> 0:22:05.390 over there. And during the fast, you come together and voila! 0:22:05.430 --> 0:22:08.030 Your prayers answered right there. Who knows? That's how God 0:22:08.030 --> 0:22:14.150 works sometimes, right? I don't know what the prayer is. 0:22:14.150 --> 0:22:17.629 Maybe you need healing in your life. Physical healing. Maybe 0:22:17.630 --> 0:22:21.550 you need spiritual healing, emotional healing. Maybe you need a 0:22:21.550 --> 0:22:24.470 breakthrough in your job. I don't know what your issue 0:22:24.470 --> 0:22:27.190 is today and what God has put upon your heart 0:22:27.190 --> 0:22:29.990 to pray for, but I do know that what you're 0:22:29.990 --> 0:22:33.670 saying when you fast and pray is I am weak. God, 0:22:33.670 --> 0:22:36.230 I can't do it on my own. I'm acknowledging there's 0:22:36.270 --> 0:22:39.550 a power much greater than me. His name is God 0:22:39.550 --> 0:22:43.429 through His Son, Jesus Christ, that sends His Holy Spirit. 0:22:43.430 --> 0:22:46.790 And in my weakness, I'm calling unto God to do 0:22:46.830 --> 0:22:49.790 in a supernatural way what I cannot do in a 0:22:49.790 --> 0:22:51.590 natural way. That's what you're saying. 0:22:58.350 --> 0:23:01.590 That's pastor Mark Jobe. And this is bold steps. Mark 0:23:01.590 --> 0:23:03.990 is there's nothing in us. There's nothing in our strength 0:23:03.990 --> 0:23:06.830 or our knowledge. It's all of God, isn't it? 0:23:06.869 --> 0:23:12.430 It really is. And the story of Asa just reminds me, 0:23:12.790 --> 0:23:15.350 as the prophet says to Asa, it's really a rebuke, 0:23:15.350 --> 0:23:18.590 but he's reminding him, God's looking for a heart that's 0:23:18.590 --> 0:23:22.510 fully devoted. And when he finds one, he pours out 0:23:22.510 --> 0:23:26.470 his power, or he manifests his strength. And so really, 0:23:26.510 --> 0:23:29.510 God's strength and power are attracted to humility. 0:23:29.510 --> 0:23:32.750 Thank you Mark. Today's message is titled When God Stops. 0:23:32.750 --> 0:23:34.790 And if you want to revisit any part of it, 0:23:34.790 --> 0:23:36.910 or if you'd like to share this lesson with a friend, 0:23:37.109 --> 0:23:40.270 be sure to visit Bold Steps org. When you visit 0:23:40.270 --> 0:23:43.190 that website, don't miss out on our current Bold Step gift. 0:23:43.230 --> 0:23:46.790 A transformative resource addressing one of the greatest challenges people 0:23:46.790 --> 0:23:51.629 face today the epidemic of loneliness. It's fascinating that despite 0:23:51.670 --> 0:23:55.389 being more connected than ever through technology and social platforms, 0:23:55.630 --> 0:23:58.680 genuine human connection seems harder to find than ever. However, 0:23:59.119 --> 0:24:03.359 studies have revealed something shocking that feeling socially isolated can 0:24:03.359 --> 0:24:06.240 be as damaging to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes 0:24:06.280 --> 0:24:10.280 a day. The research is clear authentic relationships aren't just 0:24:10.280 --> 0:24:14.200 nice to have, they are essential for wellbeing. And that's 0:24:14.200 --> 0:24:16.719 exactly why we're thrilled to offer this month's featured book 0:24:16.720 --> 0:24:21.359 by doctor Heather Holloman, The Six Conversations. Through practical guidance 0:24:21.359 --> 0:24:25.000 and proven techniques, you'll discover how to create deep, meaningful 0:24:25.000 --> 0:24:30.800 connections and transform casual interactions into truly fulfilling relationships. This 0:24:30.800 --> 0:24:34.120 bold step gift provides a roadmap for building authentic community 0:24:34.119 --> 0:24:36.840 wherever you find yourself, and we want to get this 0:24:36.840 --> 0:24:39.680 valuable resource into your hands, so we'll send it your 0:24:39.680 --> 0:24:43.239 way with your gift of any size to support bold steps. Now. 0:24:43.280 --> 0:24:46.080 Do this simply go to Bold Steps org to give 0:24:46.119 --> 0:24:53.679 or call us at 800 Moody. That's (800) 356-6639. And if 0:24:53.680 --> 0:24:55.919 you'd rather send your donation and request this book in 0:24:55.920 --> 0:24:58.160 the mail, you can do that by writing to bold 0:24:58.160 --> 0:25:04.560 steps 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois. 606 ten One 0:25:04.560 --> 0:25:10.880 More Time. 820 North LaSalle, Chicago, Illinois. 606 ten and 0:25:10.880 --> 0:25:12.840 before we wrap up today, let me remind you how 0:25:12.840 --> 0:25:15.440 to find us on social media and get connected with 0:25:15.440 --> 0:25:19.480 our growing online community of fellow believers and Bold Steps listeners. 0:25:19.760 --> 0:25:23.520 You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Mark's 0:25:23.520 --> 0:25:27.520 YouTube channel by searching for Bold Steps Radio. Be sure 0:25:27.520 --> 0:25:30.120 to let us know when you get there. Well, that's 0:25:30.119 --> 0:25:33.120 our time for today. I'm Wayne Shepherd, thanks for joining us, 0:25:33.119 --> 0:25:35.600 and be sure to join us tomorrow when Mark presents 0:25:35.600 --> 0:25:38.520 the next message in our fully devoted series, a message 0:25:38.520 --> 0:25:43.080 titled The Power Habits. That's coming up Wednesday here on 0:25:43.080 --> 0:25:47.320 Bold Steps with Mark John. Bold steps is a production 0:25:47.320 --> 0:25:50.560 of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.