1
00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,160
Speaker 1: Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to

2
00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,360
Speaker 1: our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you

3
00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,040
Speaker 1: enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and

4
00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:11,880
Speaker 1: share it with a friend, reappreciate you and pray for

5
00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,880
Speaker 1: God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you

6
00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,479
Speaker 1: and it's great to be with you today. And I

7
00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,000
Speaker 1: hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through

8
00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,000
Speaker 1: our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, and you

9
00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:26,799
Speaker 1: can come visit us in person. We'd love to have

10
00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,400
Speaker 1: you be a part of one of our services. So

11
00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:31,640
Speaker 1: I like to start with something funny, and I heard

12
00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,520
Speaker 1: about this couple that lived out in the country. They'd

13
00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,519
Speaker 1: been married for fifty years and never had an argument,

14
00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:41,240
Speaker 1: not one. Someone asked them the secret of their success.

15
00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,680
Speaker 1: The men explained, as they were leaving the church going

16
00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,199
Speaker 1: on their honeymoon, the wife's horse refused to go. She

17
00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,680
Speaker 1: got off, looked the horse in the eyes and said

18
00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:54,040
Speaker 1: that's one. He went a little further, stopped again. She

19
00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,240
Speaker 1: got off, looked the horse in the eyes, said that's two,

20
00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,400
Speaker 1: went a little more and stopped a third time. This

21
00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,720
Speaker 1: time she got all pulled a revolver out and shout

22
00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,720
Speaker 1: the horse dead. The husband said, what in the world

23
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,280
Speaker 1: are you doing. You can't just shoot a horse. She

24
00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:13,240
Speaker 1: looked at him and said, honey, that's one all right,

25
00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,200
Speaker 1: y'all say it like you mean it. This is my Bible.

26
00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:18,880
Speaker 1: I am what it says I am. I have what

27
00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:21,440
Speaker 1: it says I have. I can do what it says

28
00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:24,200
Speaker 1: I can do. Today I will be taught the word

29
00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:28,399
Speaker 1: of God. I'll boldly confess my mind is alert, my

30
00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:32,920
Speaker 1: heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name,

31
00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,600
Speaker 1: God bless you. I want to talk to you today

32
00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,480
Speaker 1: about healthy pressure. Sometimes we think we'll get to this

33
00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,520
Speaker 1: place where there's no pressure, no people getting on our nerves,

34
00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:49,560
Speaker 1: no traffic, no delays. Everything's falling into place, plenty in

35
00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,760
Speaker 1: our bank account, healthier than ever, children making straight, A's

36
00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:59,360
Speaker 1: Texans undefeated, mother in law moves to China. If we

37
00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:03,360
Speaker 1: can just we'll get to this utopia, this perfect place

38
00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:06,440
Speaker 1: where we don't have any more pressure. The truth is

39
00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,040
Speaker 1: not all pressure is bad. There is healthy pressure. If

40
00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,680
Speaker 1: you were comfortable all the time, you couldn't reach your potential,

41
00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,560
Speaker 1: if you didn't have opposition and things you don't understand,

42
00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:23,480
Speaker 1: problems not changing you would never develop endurance and trust

43
00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:28,000
Speaker 1: and character. That pressure is getting you prepared. You have

44
00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:32,799
Speaker 1: to have resistance to get stronger. God will allow situations

45
00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:35,600
Speaker 1: where we're over our head. We don't know how it's

46
00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,520
Speaker 1: going to work out. It's taken longer than we thought.

47
00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:43,520
Speaker 1: He's not making your life miserable. Those are opportunities to grow.

48
00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,560
Speaker 1: That's when you have to rely on him. When you're pressured,

49
00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,880
Speaker 1: you learn to stretch your faith, pray bold prayers, believe

50
00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,400
Speaker 1: for what looks impossible. The pressure is causing you to

51
00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:59,480
Speaker 1: get stronger. Quit fighting it and learn to embrace it.

52
00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,280
Speaker 1: God wouldn't have allowed it if he wasn't up to something.

53
00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,200
Speaker 1: Maturity is being at peace in the pressure, trusting in

54
00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,400
Speaker 1: the trouble, staying calm in the conflict. And yes, I

55
00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,040
Speaker 1: know we all love the seasons where there's no pressure

56
00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,840
Speaker 1: and everything's going great, but those seasons are few and

57
00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:22,080
Speaker 1: far between. There are very few times that we're not

58
00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,320
Speaker 1: dealing with some kind of issue that could have us stress.

59
00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,800
Speaker 1: You can have a dozen things going right, but there's

60
00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,280
Speaker 1: one thing you could easily worry about. But that one

61
00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,920
Speaker 1: thing is what causes you to keep pressing forward. It's

62
00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,240
Speaker 1: healthy tension. God knows how to put just the right

63
00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,520
Speaker 1: amount of pressure. So we don't get complacent. We don't

64
00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,920
Speaker 1: put our faith on autopilot. But we keep stretching, we

65
00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:51,400
Speaker 1: keep growing. Years ago, fishing for codfish in the Northeast

66
00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,240
Speaker 1: had become a huge commercial business. There was a demand

67
00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,280
Speaker 1: for codfish all over the states, but they had a

68
00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:02,360
Speaker 1: problem with distribution. At first, they tried freezing the fish

69
00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,120
Speaker 1: and shipping it out like the rest of their products,

70
00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,440
Speaker 1: but for some reason, the codfish didn't have any taste

71
00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:12,440
Speaker 1: after it was frozen. Next, they tried shipping the codfish

72
00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:16,360
Speaker 1: alive in these big tanks. They put them on trains

73
00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,960
Speaker 1: and had them shipped across the country in regular seawater.

74
00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:23,320
Speaker 1: They thought for sure this would solve the issue, but

75
00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,720
Speaker 1: it only made it worse. Because the fish were sitting

76
00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:31,320
Speaker 1: in the water inactive, they became soft and mushing, once

77
00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:35,480
Speaker 1: again lost their taste. Someone came up with an interesting idea.

78
00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,359
Speaker 1: They decided to put some catfish in the tank with

79
00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:44,320
Speaker 1: the codfish. The catfish is the natural enemy of the codfish,

80
00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,760
Speaker 1: so the whole time they were being shipped, the codfish

81
00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,719
Speaker 1: had to stay alert and active and be on the

82
00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:54,440
Speaker 1: lookout for the codfish. Well, that solved the problem. When

83
00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,760
Speaker 1: the codfish arrived, they were as fresh and tasty as

84
00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,680
Speaker 1: they were on the East Coast. Sometimes what we think

85
00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:05,600
Speaker 1: is an enemy is really an asset, that person at

86
00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,920
Speaker 1: work that gets on your nerves. You've been praying twenty

87
00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,520
Speaker 1: seven years for God to take them away. They're a catfish.

88
00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,599
Speaker 1: God's using them to grow you up, to trust him,

89
00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,360
Speaker 1: to be your vindicator, to be good to someone that's

90
00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,640
Speaker 1: not good to you, to learn to forgive, not let

91
00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,080
Speaker 1: people steal your joy. You wouldn't be who you are

92
00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:29,919
Speaker 1: without them. Next time you see them, instead of being upset,

93
00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:34,039
Speaker 1: just smile, say good morning, mister catfish. You don't know it,

94
00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:37,640
Speaker 1: but God's using you. Some of the things that we're

95
00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:43,080
Speaker 1: asking God to take away that make us uncomfortable, causing pressure.

96
00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,280
Speaker 1: If he removed them right now, we would get stuck.

97
00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,479
Speaker 1: He's using them to keep us fresh, keep us growing,

98
00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:54,520
Speaker 1: keep us stretching. That's why you can't pray away everything

99
00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:58,200
Speaker 1: you don't like the catfish. You may not like that pressure,

100
00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:02,679
Speaker 1: but it's working for you. It's healthy pressure. A minister

101
00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,840
Speaker 1: friend of mine was very well known and influential. He

102
00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,520
Speaker 1: was loved by people all over the world, but in

103
00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:14,400
Speaker 1: his hometown, the local newspaper didn't like him. For forty years,

104
00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:18,359
Speaker 1: they never wrote a positive article. It's always something demeaning,

105
00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,919
Speaker 1: something out of context, where they were putting in down,

106
00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,080
Speaker 1: showing him in a bad light. It would get him

107
00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,600
Speaker 1: so riled up, so passionate. This went on for years.

108
00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:31,880
Speaker 1: At the end of his life, a reporter asked him

109
00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:35,320
Speaker 1: who had helped him the most. What were the pivotal

110
00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,640
Speaker 1: events that kept him going? He said, what helped me

111
00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:42,760
Speaker 1: more than anything else was my local newspaper. They were

112
00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,240
Speaker 1: so biased against me, so determined to make me look bad.

113
00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:50,240
Speaker 1: They didn't realize they caused me to pray bolder, to

114
00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:54,400
Speaker 1: work harder, to believe bigger, to go further. He said,

115
00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,400
Speaker 1: I want to publicly thank them for what they've done

116
00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:02,480
Speaker 1: to build my ministry. What was that? A catfish? God

117
00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,520
Speaker 1: could have changed the newspaper's mind. He could have put

118
00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:09,560
Speaker 1: someone in that loved his ministry. But God's uses pressure.

119
00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,960
Speaker 1: He uses opposition, things that are not fair, things that

120
00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:18,640
Speaker 1: make us uncomfortable. If we'll have the right perspective like him,

121
00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:23,280
Speaker 1: instead of being sour, discouraged trying to straighten them out,

122
00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:26,880
Speaker 1: we use that as fuel for our faith, to pray,

123
00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,960
Speaker 1: to stretch, to believe, then instead of stopping us, it

124
00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:35,240
Speaker 1: will propel us. I've learned you can't pray away the catfish.

125
00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:38,960
Speaker 1: God's not going to remove what he's using to keep

126
00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:43,680
Speaker 1: you growing and stretching and believing. What's interesting is a

127
00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:48,200
Speaker 1: few weeks before this man passed, the local newspaper did

128
00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:53,400
Speaker 1: this huge front page glowing story on how amazing his

129
00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:55,960
Speaker 1: ministry was and how he had done so much good

130
00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,000
Speaker 1: for the city. He said, if they had done that

131
00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:02,600
Speaker 1: forty years early, he would have never accomplished what he did.

132
00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:07,200
Speaker 1: Don't fight the catfish. Don't fight the pressure. Embrace it.

133
00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:11,400
Speaker 1: Use it as fuel to go further, to believe bigger,

134
00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:15,320
Speaker 1: to trust that God is in control. But practically, at

135
00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:17,920
Speaker 1: every stage of life, there are going to be some

136
00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:22,040
Speaker 1: catfish people that are not for you. Neighbor that gets

137
00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,760
Speaker 1: on your nerve, a problem that's not going away. That

138
00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:29,480
Speaker 1: catfish is not really your enemy. It's a tool that

139
00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,960
Speaker 1: God allowed to keep you fresh and growing. Potential is

140
00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:38,239
Speaker 1: released when you're under pressure. It's nice to be comfortable,

141
00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:41,760
Speaker 1: not have any opposition, know where all the funds are

142
00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:46,040
Speaker 1: coming from, all the people lined up. That's appealing, but

143
00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:50,120
Speaker 1: it's limiting. The greatness God put in you is going

144
00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,520
Speaker 1: to come out by stretching, by going beyond what you're

145
00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,320
Speaker 1: used to, by being good to people that are not

146
00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,520
Speaker 1: good to you, by not letting that pressure cause you

147
00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:03,559
Speaker 1: to swing back, but instead you dig down deeper, knowing

148
00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:07,760
Speaker 1: that God is getting you prepared for something greater. When

149
00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,400
Speaker 1: my father went to be with the Lord, I knew

150
00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:14,000
Speaker 1: I was supposed to pastor the church. I had never ministered.

151
00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,120
Speaker 1: I was nervous. I didn't have the training, but I

152
00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:20,920
Speaker 1: took that step of faith. A few weeks later, one

153
00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:24,800
Speaker 1: Sunday morning, after church, I just finished ministring. I was

154
00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:28,160
Speaker 1: in the front lobby walking behind these two ladies and

155
00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,040
Speaker 1: they didn't know I was there. Now, I overheard one

156
00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:33,600
Speaker 1: of them say he's not as good as his father.

157
00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:36,720
Speaker 1: The other answered about yeah, I don't think the church

158
00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,680
Speaker 1: is going to make it. You know what those ladies were,

159
00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:44,440
Speaker 1: no disrespect. They were catfish. Have you noticed catfish have

160
00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:49,280
Speaker 1: a big mouth. You can't become who you were created

161
00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:54,760
Speaker 1: to be without resistance. That resistance is not working against you.

162
00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:59,199
Speaker 1: It's healthy pressure. It's designed to make you stronger, but

163
00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:02,200
Speaker 1: you have to hand it the right way. Pressure can

164
00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:07,040
Speaker 1: defeat you or pressure can propel you. At first, what

165
00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:10,240
Speaker 1: those ladies said discourage me. I thought, you know what,

166
00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:14,240
Speaker 1: They're probably right. But then something rose up on the inside.

167
00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,560
Speaker 1: I thought, they don't determine my destiny. They didn't know

168
00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:20,520
Speaker 1: me before I was formed in my mother's womb. They

169
00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:24,040
Speaker 1: didn't call me, anoint me, crown me with favor, plant

170
00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,960
Speaker 1: out my days for good. Instead of defeating me, I

171
00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:31,320
Speaker 1: turned it around and used that pressure as fueled to

172
00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,360
Speaker 1: go further, to study, harder, to pray, bolder, to be

173
00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:40,120
Speaker 1: more determined, more passionate, more disciplined. David said in SAWM

174
00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:44,800
Speaker 1: for God enlarged me in my distress. He didn't get

175
00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:48,719
Speaker 1: enlarged with good breaks, open doors, the right people showing up.

176
00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:52,440
Speaker 1: Those were the good times. He was enlarged when his

177
00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,959
Speaker 1: father didn't believe in him, when his brothers were making fun,

178
00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,520
Speaker 1: when King Saul was jealous and trying to kill him.

179
00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,440
Speaker 1: He had a lot of catfish, a lot of things.

180
00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:07,520
Speaker 1: He didn't understand, situations that weren't fair, family turned on him,

181
00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,240
Speaker 1: a son that tried to take the throne. Here's the key.

182
00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:15,440
Speaker 1: He used that pressure as fuel for his faith. He

183
00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:18,600
Speaker 1: didn't get bitter. He didn't try to pay people back,

184
00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,079
Speaker 1: prove to his father who he was. He didn't give

185
00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,000
Speaker 1: up in the Shepherd's fields when it didn't look like

186
00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:28,320
Speaker 1: his dreams would ever come to pass. He saw it

187
00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:32,840
Speaker 1: as healthy pressure. King Saul was chasing him. David had

188
00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:36,200
Speaker 1: done nothing but good for Saul, so loyal and honoring.

189
00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:40,960
Speaker 1: But Saul was a catfish. He wasn't there to destroy David,

190
00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:44,840
Speaker 1: but to develop David, so David could show God what

191
00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,000
Speaker 1: he was made of. One time, out in the desert,

192
00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,520
Speaker 1: Saul and his men were sleeping in, David snuck up

193
00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:54,680
Speaker 1: on him. This was his big chance. He could have

194
00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:58,440
Speaker 1: killed Saul, but he wouldn't do it. He knew Saul

195
00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:01,560
Speaker 1: was anointed as king, and God said to touch not

196
00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:05,320
Speaker 1: the anointed. Even though Saul was trying to kill David,

197
00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:10,520
Speaker 1: David wouldn't kill Saul. All that pressure wasn't defeating David.

198
00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:15,400
Speaker 1: It was developing David. He was growing with greater character,

199
00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,120
Speaker 1: proving to God that he was ready to lead the people.

200
00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:22,880
Speaker 1: Saul looked like an enemy. Really he was an asset.

201
00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:26,719
Speaker 1: You don't really know who you are until you're put

202
00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:30,880
Speaker 1: under pressure. You don't know your true character until it's

203
00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:34,840
Speaker 1: tested in the fire of affliction adversity. You're not getting

204
00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:38,640
Speaker 1: your way. Maybe you're dealing with a catfish at worker,

205
00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:42,280
Speaker 1: catfish at the gem, a catfish at your school. Perhaps

206
00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:45,480
Speaker 1: you're married to a catfish. We're not gonna go there,

207
00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:49,280
Speaker 1: but quit letting that pressure defeats you, make you sour,

208
00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:52,560
Speaker 1: give up on your dream. Do like David, keep the

209
00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,360
Speaker 1: right perspective. You'll be able to say. God enlarged me

210
00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,440
Speaker 1: in my distress. He took what was meant to stop

211
00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:03,080
Speaker 1: me and turned it around and used it to increase me.

212
00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:07,640
Speaker 1: The catfish is a tool. It's an opportunity to come

213
00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:11,240
Speaker 1: up higher in our character. Anyone can treat people the

214
00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:15,480
Speaker 1: way they treat us. Anyone can take revenge, talk bad

215
00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:18,880
Speaker 1: about who's talking bad about you. That's the easy way out.

216
00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,240
Speaker 1: But to reach your destiny you have to do some

217
00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:26,160
Speaker 1: hard things. You have to take the high road, stretch

218
00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:29,320
Speaker 1: when you want to stay comfortable, be more determined than

219
00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:32,200
Speaker 1: what's trying to stop you. You have to ignore the

220
00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:35,200
Speaker 1: negative voices and do what God put in your heart.

221
00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:39,920
Speaker 1: When you do this, God will enlarge you in your distress.

222
00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:42,920
Speaker 1: Won't be the good breaks the people cheering your own

223
00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:46,160
Speaker 1: the doors that open that cause you to see new levels.

224
00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:50,400
Speaker 1: It will be the catfish, the saws, the local paper

225
00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:53,200
Speaker 1: that wouldn't acknowledge you, the two ladies that said you

226
00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:57,920
Speaker 1: couldn't take that pressure and turn it into power. Our

227
00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,920
Speaker 1: mindset should be I will not shrink back, be talked

228
00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:05,240
Speaker 1: out of my dreams, settle for mediocrity. I'm going to

229
00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:11,000
Speaker 1: stand stronger, believe bigger, pray boulder, be more determined. Yes,

230
00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:13,920
Speaker 1: this catfish looks like an enemy, but I know the truth.

231
00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:18,160
Speaker 1: It's an asset. When we were trying to acquire this building,

232
00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:22,240
Speaker 1: the former Compact Center, there was this very influential business

233
00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,560
Speaker 1: leader here in town that everyone knew, and he was

234
00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:28,800
Speaker 1: against us. He was very vocal about it. He did

235
00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:32,600
Speaker 1: not want a church in the Compact Center, and especially Lakewood.

236
00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:35,600
Speaker 1: A friend of mine was at a business lunch in

237
00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:39,480
Speaker 1: downtown with several hundred people. He was seated at a

238
00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:43,080
Speaker 1: table with this man. The subject of the Compact Center

239
00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,800
Speaker 1: came up. He didn't know this man was my friend.

240
00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,680
Speaker 1: He laughed and said sarcastically, it will be a cold

241
00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:53,960
Speaker 1: day in hell before Lakewood gets the Compact Center. This

242
00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:58,440
Speaker 1: man meant to be discouraging degrading, but God knew I

243
00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:02,360
Speaker 1: needed that as fuel my fire. He didn't realize it,

244
00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:06,000
Speaker 1: but he was a catfish upawn in the hand of God.

245
00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,960
Speaker 1: I don't even blame him. God used him as healthy pressure,

246
00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,560
Speaker 1: and God caused my friend to hear that this was

247
00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:17,600
Speaker 1: a setup not meant to defeat us, but to empower us.

248
00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:21,760
Speaker 1: But it all depends on whether you recognize the purpose

249
00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:25,960
Speaker 1: of the catfish. If you take the pressure, the opposition,

250
00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:29,960
Speaker 1: the setbacks negative, man, we don't have a chance. It's

251
00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,640
Speaker 1: not going to work out. I'm so overwhelmed, then the

252
00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,240
Speaker 1: pressure is going to defeat you. You have to realize

253
00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:39,640
Speaker 1: that catfish is there for one reason to stir your

254
00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:43,240
Speaker 1: faith up. The right attitude is God, I know you're

255
00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:46,360
Speaker 1: bigger than what we're facing. You being for us is

256
00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,680
Speaker 1: more than the world being against us. We may not

257
00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:52,320
Speaker 1: see away, but we know you have a way. Let

258
00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:55,880
Speaker 1: that pressure fuel your faith to where you stretch and

259
00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,480
Speaker 1: grow and believe. But there were plenty of times during

260
00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:02,640
Speaker 1: our three years battle trying to get enough council members

261
00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:06,920
Speaker 1: to vote for us and dealing with a lawsuit opposition

262
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,600
Speaker 1: from a huge company, I was tempted to get discouraged

263
00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:14,080
Speaker 1: think it wasn't gonna work out. Every time I did,

264
00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,800
Speaker 1: I would hear those words a cold day in hell.

265
00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,520
Speaker 1: I would see that man's face. I would pray harder,

266
00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:24,720
Speaker 1: stand stronger, be more determined. He doesn't realize it, but

267
00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,320
Speaker 1: he's a big reason we got this building. If I

268
00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:35,040
Speaker 1: ever see him, I'm gonna buy him dinner, some fried catfish.

269
00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:42,320
Speaker 1: But I made myself laugh. I wonder if there's some

270
00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:46,360
Speaker 1: catfish in your life that you're not recognizing. You're seeing

271
00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,520
Speaker 1: the pressure the wrong way, thinking it's too much, The

272
00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:53,040
Speaker 1: problem's too big, it's been too long. You're letting it

273
00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:56,560
Speaker 1: defeat you, causing you to lose your passion. Have a

274
00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:00,960
Speaker 1: new perspective. It's healthy pressure. Going to use it to

275
00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,800
Speaker 1: enlarge you in your distress. He's about to do something new.

276
00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:09,359
Speaker 1: He's getting you prepared for something you've never seen. Paul

277
00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:13,080
Speaker 1: said in Romans five, let us rejoice in our trials

278
00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:19,399
Speaker 1: knowing that the pressure is producing unswerving endurance. Endurance is

279
00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:24,840
Speaker 1: developing maturity of character, and character is producing hope, confident

280
00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:29,760
Speaker 1: expectations of God's goodness. Paul was saying, if you'll see

281
00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:34,440
Speaker 1: the pressure the right way, the difficulties, the delays, the sauls.

282
00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:37,560
Speaker 1: If you'll stay full of joy and not get bitter,

283
00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,840
Speaker 1: then that pressure is making you stronger. It's doing something

284
00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:45,560
Speaker 1: on the inside, getting you prepared for what God has

285
00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:49,960
Speaker 1: in store. Here's the key. Pressure is going to produce something,

286
00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:54,880
Speaker 1: either faith, hope, endurance, or it's going to produce discouragement.

287
00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:59,399
Speaker 1: Weakness can't do it. My question is what is the

288
00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:03,600
Speaker 1: pressure in your life producing? Are you seeing it as negative,

289
00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:08,280
Speaker 1: not fair, letting it defeat you have a new perspective,

290
00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:12,160
Speaker 1: see it as healthy pressure. God wouldn't have allowed it

291
00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,600
Speaker 1: if it was going to stop you. That catfish may

292
00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:19,080
Speaker 1: be annoying, you don't like it, but it's serving a purpose.

293
00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,280
Speaker 1: It's there to help you grow, to stay fresh, to

294
00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:25,600
Speaker 1: build your faith. And every time you get rid of

295
00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:29,479
Speaker 1: one catfish, God brings you through with a victory. You

296
00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:32,200
Speaker 1: get rid of Saul and you take the throne. Those

297
00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,520
Speaker 1: two ladies are gone and you're up ministry. The cold

298
00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,480
Speaker 1: day in hell has happened because you have the compact

299
00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,240
Speaker 1: center and the catfish has to drive by and see

300
00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:45,200
Speaker 1: it on the way to work. All those victories are

301
00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:49,639
Speaker 1: fuel for your faith. Next time you face pressure, the

302
00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:53,480
Speaker 1: next time a saw shows up, you're tempted to be overwhelmed.

303
00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,080
Speaker 1: You can look back and say, God, you brought me

304
00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:58,240
Speaker 1: through in the past. I know you're going to bring

305
00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:01,920
Speaker 1: me through this time. Kill my mother of terminal cancer.

306
00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,520
Speaker 1: You changed that city council member's mind and gave us

307
00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:08,240
Speaker 1: the compact center. You caused me to walk into a

308
00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:11,320
Speaker 1: jewelry store and meet Victoria. You taught me how to

309
00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:15,040
Speaker 1: minister one. Others said I couldn't now when those voices

310
00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:18,280
Speaker 1: whisper it's never going to work out. My answer is

311
00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,880
Speaker 1: I'm sorry you got here too late. I've come too

312
00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:25,560
Speaker 1: far to not believe. I've seen too much of God's

313
00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:28,439
Speaker 1: goodness to be talked out of it. Too many doors

314
00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:33,760
Speaker 1: have opened, too many giants have fallen, too many divine connections,

315
00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,840
Speaker 1: too many ways where we didn't see away. And I

316
00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:41,679
Speaker 1: know none of us like pressure, but your potential is

317
00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:45,440
Speaker 1: released when you're under pressure. You really don't know what

318
00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,040
Speaker 1: you can do until you're put under greater pressure. I

319
00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:51,800
Speaker 1: saw a man on a video. This car had fallen

320
00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,040
Speaker 1: off the jacks onto his friend. This man was just

321
00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,440
Speaker 1: average size. He ran over and lifted the car by

322
00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:02,399
Speaker 1: himself so his could get out. He never dreamed he

323
00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:07,680
Speaker 1: could lift a car, but something happened under pressure. Sometimes

324
00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:10,639
Speaker 1: God will let you be under more pressure than you

325
00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:14,439
Speaker 1: think you can handle. It's not to discourage you, but

326
00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:19,040
Speaker 1: so you'll discover what's in you. God created you. He's

327
00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:22,320
Speaker 1: the one that put the potential, the gifts, the talents,

328
00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:25,399
Speaker 1: the greatness in you. The only way it's going to

329
00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:29,680
Speaker 1: fully come out is through pressure. Don't fight the pressure.

330
00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:34,200
Speaker 1: Embrace it. It's not the time to get bitter, live overwhelmed.

331
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:36,800
Speaker 1: This is too much for me. Quit talking like that.

332
00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:41,600
Speaker 1: You're defeating yourself. When you're under pressure, your declaration should

333
00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:45,159
Speaker 1: be I can handle this, I am well abled, I

334
00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,359
Speaker 1: have strength for all things. I am strong in the Lord.

335
00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,119
Speaker 1: That's what's going to cause you to stand strong and endure.

336
00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:55,720
Speaker 1: My father told about this man out in the country

337
00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,320
Speaker 1: that was walking home at night. He took the shortcut

338
00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:02,639
Speaker 1: through the cemetery. He didn't realize they had dug a

339
00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:05,840
Speaker 1: hole for a grave in the path that he normally walked.

340
00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:08,119
Speaker 1: It was so dark he couldn't see it, and he

341
00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:11,439
Speaker 1: fell in the hole. It's about ten feet deep. For

342
00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:14,960
Speaker 1: two hours, he hollered and screamed and kicked and clawed,

343
00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,680
Speaker 1: but nobody heard him. He tried grabbing onto the sides,

344
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:22,160
Speaker 1: climbing out, but he fell back again and again. Finally,

345
00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:24,639
Speaker 1: he just sat in the corner realized he'd have to

346
00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:29,240
Speaker 1: wait till morning. About midnight, this drunk man came wandering

347
00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,000
Speaker 1: through the cemetery and he fell in the same hole.

348
00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:36,320
Speaker 1: He didn't see the other man. He just sat there watching, silently,

349
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:39,080
Speaker 1: watching it all take place, and the drunk man began

350
00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,160
Speaker 1: to panic. He started hollering and screaming at the top

351
00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,960
Speaker 1: of his lungs. The man sitting in the corner decided

352
00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:48,840
Speaker 1: to have some fun. He said in a real deep,

353
00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,800
Speaker 1: scary voice. You can't get out of here, but you

354
00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:57,480
Speaker 1: know what he did, and you don't know what you

355
00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:02,760
Speaker 1: can do until you're put under pressure. Joel. You can't

356
00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,600
Speaker 1: take over your father's church and minister for in the

357
00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,399
Speaker 1: thousands of people. You don't have the training, but you

358
00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:12,080
Speaker 1: know what I did. You can't raise one hundred million

359
00:22:12,119 --> 00:22:15,720
Speaker 1: dollars to renovate the Compact Center. You don't have that experience,

360
00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:19,240
Speaker 1: but you know what we did. Dody. You can't be

361
00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:22,879
Speaker 1: terminal cancer with no treatment available, but you know what

362
00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:27,760
Speaker 1: she did. Look back over your life at all the

363
00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:32,040
Speaker 1: things you did under pressure. You defied the odds. You

364
00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:35,240
Speaker 1: broke barriers in your family. You raised that child that

365
00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:38,040
Speaker 1: people didn't think you could raise. You reached goals you

366
00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:42,240
Speaker 1: never dreamed you'd reach. You overcame obstacles that, even surprise

367
00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:46,919
Speaker 1: you now, would have never happened without the pressure. The

368
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:51,280
Speaker 1: pressure was necessary to release your potential. The pressure is

369
00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,119
Speaker 1: what God used to bring out of you, what he

370
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:57,159
Speaker 1: put in you. The catfish had a big mouth, but

371
00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:01,240
Speaker 1: it was necessary. You needed salt to be jealous. You

372
00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:04,560
Speaker 1: needed those people to not believe in you. You needed

373
00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:07,760
Speaker 1: to not feel qualified to not have the training. That

374
00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:12,600
Speaker 1: pressure prepared you. It developed you. That's what's caused you

375
00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:16,639
Speaker 1: to blossom into who you are. God enlarged you, not

376
00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,199
Speaker 1: in the good times, but under pressure. In that distress.

377
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,200
Speaker 1: The people of Israel had been in slavery for many years,

378
00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:27,520
Speaker 1: and God told Moses to go tell the pharaoh to

379
00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:32,000
Speaker 1: let the people go. Well, Moses was intimidated, insecure, He

380
00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:36,160
Speaker 1: had a problem with stuttering. He was already under enough pressure,

381
00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:39,440
Speaker 1: way over his head going to do something he didn't

382
00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:43,560
Speaker 1: feel qualified to do. The scripture says God hardened the

383
00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:48,000
Speaker 1: pharaoh's heart so he would not let the people leave here.

384
00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:50,960
Speaker 1: God just told Moses, tell him to let the people go.

385
00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:55,000
Speaker 1: But God caused the Pharaoh to be stubborn and say no.

386
00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:59,439
Speaker 1: What was that? The pharaoh was a catfish. God was

387
00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:03,399
Speaker 1: using the Phaiah to create the right environment so he

388
00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:07,000
Speaker 1: could show his power in a greater way. The pressure

389
00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:10,600
Speaker 1: was a setup. God wanted there to be more opposition,

390
00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,400
Speaker 1: more adversity, so when he turned it around, it would

391
00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,760
Speaker 1: be a greater miracle. There are times God will tell

392
00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:20,480
Speaker 1: you to do something. He'll lead you down a path,

393
00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:23,360
Speaker 1: open a door. You know it's his hand to favor.

394
00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:27,919
Speaker 1: Then he'll increase the pressure. People come against you, a

395
00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:31,320
Speaker 1: set back in your business, a betrayal, a closed door.

396
00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,959
Speaker 1: Now you're right where Moses was, God, where are you?

397
00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:38,440
Speaker 1: I did what you said, but it didn't work out.

398
00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:43,080
Speaker 1: The people said no. The pressure is intensified. You could

399
00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:46,920
Speaker 1: give up on that dream, get discouraged, lose your passion.

400
00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,800
Speaker 1: But the increased pressure is a sign that God is

401
00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,879
Speaker 1: about to show out in a greater way. He wouldn't

402
00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,720
Speaker 1: have caused the Pharaoh to say no if he wasn't

403
00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:01,320
Speaker 1: about to do something unusual and uncommon. God did miracle

404
00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:05,000
Speaker 1: after miracle, not only changed the Pharaoh's mind. But the

405
00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:09,440
Speaker 1: Israelites left with abundance. Pharaoh's people gave them all their treasures.

406
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,360
Speaker 1: They saw the Red Sea parted, they saw their enemies drowned.

407
00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:17,600
Speaker 1: All that pressure was ordained by God to bring them

408
00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:22,720
Speaker 1: out of captivity into a victorious, abundant life. Don't fight

409
00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:26,399
Speaker 1: the pressure, embrace it. You don't know what God is

410
00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,520
Speaker 1: up to telling Pharaoh to say no. God, we need

411
00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,640
Speaker 1: him to say yes. No. The pressure is a setup.

412
00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,400
Speaker 1: It's getting you in position for God to do something

413
00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,640
Speaker 1: that you've never seen. You may be under a lot

414
00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:44,920
Speaker 1: of pressure now, you could feel overwhelmed, discouraged. God has

415
00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,600
Speaker 1: you in the palm of his hand. He did not

416
00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:51,240
Speaker 1: bring you this far to fail you. Now stay in faith.

417
00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:54,920
Speaker 1: That pressure is doing a work on the inside. It's

418
00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,840
Speaker 1: getting you prepared. Pharaoh said no a few times, but

419
00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:02,879
Speaker 1: your yes is coming. That catfish was ordained by God.

420
00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,800
Speaker 1: It's causing you to stretch, to believe, to trust, to

421
00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:11,320
Speaker 1: dig down deeper. God sees your faithfulness. He sees you

422
00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:14,399
Speaker 1: doing the right thing when it's hard, being at peace

423
00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:18,640
Speaker 1: in the pressure, staying calm in the conflict. You are

424
00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:23,200
Speaker 1: passing the test. Now I believe and declare that pressure

425
00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,600
Speaker 1: is about to be turned into power. God's about to

426
00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:30,960
Speaker 1: launch you to a new level of your destiny. Like Moses,

427
00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:35,879
Speaker 1: You're going to see red Sea's part doors open, enemies defeated.

428
00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:41,639
Speaker 1: The pressure is releasing your gifts, your potential talents. Favor

429
00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:45,920
Speaker 1: the fullness of your destiny in Jesus's name, and if

430
00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:49,679
Speaker 1: you receive it, may you say amen. I'd like to

431
00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:52,480
Speaker 1: give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of

432
00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:56,560
Speaker 1: your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus,

433
00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:01,400
Speaker 1: I'll repent of my sins, come into my I make

434
00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:05,160
Speaker 1: you my Lord and savior. If you prayed that simple prayer,

435
00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:08,160
Speaker 1: we believe you got born again. We'd love to send

436
00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,960
Speaker 1: you some free information on your new walk with the Lord.

437
00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:13,199
Speaker 1: You can text the number on the screen or go

438
00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:15,639
Speaker 1: to the website. But I hope you'll get into a

439
00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,320
Speaker 1: good Bible based church and keep God first place.

440
00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,040
Speaker 2: Fear can be a powerful force, and we'll try to

441
00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:28,840
Speaker 2: make you feel alone, stuck without hope. But fear doesn't

442
00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:32,440
Speaker 2: have to get the final say there is a way out.

443
00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:35,800
Speaker 1: Fear is a powerful force, but so is faith. What

444
00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:39,159
Speaker 1: we focus on shapes our reality. In my new book,

445
00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:42,320
Speaker 1: No More Fear. You have the Mind of Christ. I'll

446
00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:45,159
Speaker 1: show you how to silence fear and live boldly in

447
00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:49,000
Speaker 1: faith and confidence. Just like David said, though I walk

448
00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:52,360
Speaker 1: through the valley, I will not fear, you too can

449
00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,280
Speaker 1: walk through life's challenges without being paralyzed by fear. And

450
00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:59,480
Speaker 1: I can't promise you you'll never feel fear, but I can

451
00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:02,119
Speaker 1: teach you how to rise above it. By dwelling on

452
00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:06,040
Speaker 1: what God says, learning to replace the anxious thoughts with

453
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,440
Speaker 1: faith filled ones, you can live from a place of peace,

454
00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:11,040
Speaker 1: power and purpose.

455
00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:14,240
Speaker 2: As our way of saying thank you for your gift

456
00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,880
Speaker 2: of any amount this month, we would like to send

457
00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:20,239
Speaker 2: you a copy of Joel's book, No More Fear. You

458
00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:24,080
Speaker 2: Have the Mind of Christ. The Bible proclaims the Lord

459
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,639
Speaker 2: is my Light and my Salvation. Whom shall I fear?

460
00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:31,720
Speaker 2: This powerful and practical book will help you silenced, dout,

461
00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:37,200
Speaker 2: overcome anxiety, and step boldly into God's overcoming power when

462
00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:41,320
Speaker 2: fear whispers you can't. This devotional will stir your faith

463
00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:45,400
Speaker 2: to declare God will. Each page reminds you that you

464
00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:49,160
Speaker 2: weren't created to live in fear or despair. You were

465
00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:53,600
Speaker 2: created to live with passion, purpose, and confidence in God's

466
00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:57,240
Speaker 2: plans for your life. Let God's Word equip you to

467
00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:00,240
Speaker 2: rise above fear and walk in victim.

468
00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:04,880
Speaker 1: Read fear doesn't have the final say God does. Be bold,

469
00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:07,600
Speaker 1: be strong, and step up to who He made you

470
00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:10,520
Speaker 1: to be. Vitorne. I want you to know we're praying

471
00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:13,920
Speaker 1: for you and your family, believing for God's very best.

472
00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,200
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your prayer and support. Your

473
00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:21,240
Speaker 1: generosity is helping people around the world. As we finish

474
00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:24,280
Speaker 1: this year, I hope you'll consider making a special year

475
00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:28,080
Speaker 1: in gift helps to keep the ministry strong. I always

476
00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:30,560
Speaker 1: want to thank our Champion of Hope partners for your

477
00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:33,400
Speaker 1: monthly gifts. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll

478
00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,440
Speaker 1: consider becoming one, And until we see you next time,

479
00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:38,680
Speaker 1: may the Lord bless you and keep you.

480
00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,480
Speaker 2: Be sure to request your copy of Joel's new book,

481
00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:46,160
Speaker 2: No More Fear You Have the Mind of Christ. Visit

482
00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,800
Speaker 2: joelostein dot com or call eight eight eight five six

483
00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,760
Speaker 2: seven Joel and for an additional gift. This month, we're

484
00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:58,360
Speaker 2: also offering the God's Word Work Study collection. This empowering

485
00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:02,560
Speaker 2: set includes the NIV, the Message, Parallel Bible, Joel's No

486
00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:06,040
Speaker 2: More Fear devotional, the classic how to Read Your Bible

487
00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:10,160
Speaker 2: and Enjoy It, plus a beautifully crafted leather bookmark with pen.

488
00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:14,760
Speaker 2: You can request these inspiring scripture discovery resources by calling

489
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:18,280
Speaker 2: eight eight eight five six seven Joel or logging on

490
00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:22,480
Speaker 2: to Joelostein dot com today. Call or click any time,

491
00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:27,040
Speaker 2: twenty four hours a day. Silence fear, strengthen your spirit.

492
00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:30,640
Speaker 2: Let God's word equip you to rise above fear and

493
00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:34,440
Speaker 2: walk in victory. Request these resources today