1
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:03,800
Speaker 1: Hi, this is Jolan Victoria. Thanks so much for listening

2
00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:07,520
Speaker 1: to the podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. We

3
00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:11,400
Speaker 1: believe you're going to have an awesome twenty twenty four, healthy, productive,

4
00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,800
Speaker 1: and favor filled. God bless you today and enjoy the message. Well,

5
00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,360
Speaker 1: God bless you. It's a joy that come into your

6
00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,520
Speaker 1: homes each week, and we come with good news. I

7
00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,400
Speaker 1: know God rewards the people that seek after him and

8
00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:26,760
Speaker 1: I believe that's you, or you wouldn't be tuned in today.

9
00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,440
Speaker 1: So thanks for being letting us be a part of

10
00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,080
Speaker 1: this next thirty minutes. And if you're ever in our area,

11
00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:34,239
Speaker 1: I hope you'll come by and be a part of

12
00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,640
Speaker 1: one of our services. I promise you this will make

13
00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:38,839
Speaker 1: you feel right at home. But thanks so much for

14
00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,400
Speaker 1: tuning in today. And I like to get started each

15
00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:43,520
Speaker 1: week with something kind of funny. And I heard about

16
00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,199
Speaker 1: this pastor. He was out in the lobby after the

17
00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,040
Speaker 1: service greeting people and he saw this man that he

18
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,519
Speaker 1: hadn't seen in a long time, and he pulled him

19
00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,200
Speaker 1: aside and he said, sir, you need to join the

20
00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:56,800
Speaker 1: army of the Lord. The man said, what are you

21
00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:58,680
Speaker 1: talking about. I am in the army of the Lord.

22
00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:00,840
Speaker 1: And the pastor said, well, how come I only see

23
00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:04,520
Speaker 1: you on Christmas and at Easter, And he whispered back,

24
00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,679
Speaker 1: I'm in the Secret Service. Come on, hold your bibles

25
00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:10,760
Speaker 1: up and say it like you mean it. This is

26
00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,040
Speaker 1: my Bible. I am what it says I am. I

27
00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,680
Speaker 1: have what it says I have. I can do what

28
00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,639
Speaker 1: it says I can do. Today I will be talked

29
00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:24,200
Speaker 1: the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert,

30
00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,959
Speaker 1: my heart is receptive. I will never be the same.

31
00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:33,959
Speaker 1: I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever living

32
00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:39,360
Speaker 1: seed of the Word of God. I'll never be the same, never, never, never,

33
00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:44,160
Speaker 1: I'll never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you.

34
00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,920
Speaker 1: I want to talk to you today about being excited

35
00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,360
Speaker 1: about your life and not taken for granted what God

36
00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,520
Speaker 1: has done for you. Too many people have lost their

37
00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:59,040
Speaker 1: passion for life. They've lost their enthusiasm. At one time,

38
00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,400
Speaker 1: they were excited about their dreams. They got up every

39
00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:06,800
Speaker 1: day with purpose, with passion. But now, because of the

40
00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:11,320
Speaker 1: time that's passed, disappointments and the pressures of life, they're

41
00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,320
Speaker 1: not excited about them anymore. They've lost their fire. Or

42
00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,600
Speaker 1: maybe at one time you are excited about that person

43
00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,240
Speaker 1: that you're married to. You were so in love and

44
00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:26,399
Speaker 1: so passionate, but now that relationship has become stale. You're

45
00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,480
Speaker 1: just going through the motions of life, getting up, going

46
00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,480
Speaker 1: to work, coming home. But God does not want us

47
00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,040
Speaker 1: to live that way. We should get up every day

48
00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,800
Speaker 1: with enthusiasm, excited about that day. We should be grateful

49
00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,760
Speaker 1: that we're alive, grateful for the opportunities in front of us,

50
00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,240
Speaker 1: grateful for the people in our lives. And the truth is,

51
00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,280
Speaker 1: most of life is very routine, and anything can become

52
00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,240
Speaker 1: stagnant if we allow it to. You can have the

53
00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,359
Speaker 1: most exciting job in the world, but if you let it,

54
00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,080
Speaker 1: it can become boring. Or you can be married to

55
00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,600
Speaker 1: the finest, most loving, caring person around, but if you

56
00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:09,840
Speaker 1: don't cultivate that marriage and put something into it over time,

57
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,400
Speaker 1: it's going to get stagnant. We have to work at it.

58
00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,960
Speaker 1: If we're going to stay fresh. Doesn't automatically happen. I

59
00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,720
Speaker 1: believe every day we need to stir ourselves up. And

60
00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:25,560
Speaker 1: the Apostle Paul told Timothy fan your flame. He was saying,

61
00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,880
Speaker 1: Timothy don't let your fire go out. Stay passionate about

62
00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:34,320
Speaker 1: your life, stay enthusiastic about your dreams. And you may

63
00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,600
Speaker 1: be here today and you don't feel very enthusiastic. Maybe

64
00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,680
Speaker 1: in the natural you don't have any reason to be

65
00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,120
Speaker 1: excited about your life. But my word to you is

66
00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,440
Speaker 1: fan your flame. Don't let your fire go out, keep

67
00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,440
Speaker 1: your hope alive. Some of you have just a little

68
00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,360
Speaker 1: flicker in there. That fire is barely making it. You're

69
00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:56,800
Speaker 1: about to give up on one of your dreams, or

70
00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,680
Speaker 1: maybe in that relationship you're not very excited about it

71
00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,160
Speaker 1: any more. But the good news is the fire is

72
00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:05,560
Speaker 1: still in there. Now you've got to do your part

73
00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:10,280
Speaker 1: and fan your flame. That means, instead of dragging around

74
00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,640
Speaker 1: finding every reason you can to be unhappy, you've got

75
00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,640
Speaker 1: to change your focus. Quit looking at what's wrong in

76
00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,520
Speaker 1: your life, and start being grateful for what's right in

77
00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,560
Speaker 1: your life. Your attitude should be I am not going

78
00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,839
Speaker 1: to live my life defeated and depressed. All my dreams

79
00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:27,800
Speaker 1: may not have come to pass, I may have some

80
00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,880
Speaker 1: obstacles in my path, but I know God is still

81
00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,799
Speaker 1: in control. I know He's got great things in store

82
00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:36,720
Speaker 1: for me. So I'm gonna get up each day excited

83
00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,760
Speaker 1: about my life. And I realize everything may not be

84
00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:43,760
Speaker 1: perfect in your life, but if you don't learn to

85
00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:46,479
Speaker 1: be happy where you are, you will never get to

86
00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,919
Speaker 1: where you want to be. You may not have the

87
00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:51,599
Speaker 1: perfect job, but you should thank God at least you

88
00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,359
Speaker 1: have a job. Some people would love to have your job.

89
00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,240
Speaker 1: Why don't you fan your flame? Why don't you go

90
00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,279
Speaker 1: to work this week with a new enthusiasm. Don't drag

91
00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,200
Speaker 1: in there with a long face, waste half the day

92
00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:09,560
Speaker 1: playing on the internet. Now give your employer one hundred percent.

93
00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,599
Speaker 1: Do it with all your heart to the best of

94
00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:17,000
Speaker 1: your ability. Stay passionate about your work. Everybody else may

95
00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:20,320
Speaker 1: be goofing off. Everybody else may have a sour attitude,

96
00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,200
Speaker 1: But let me tell you, you're not everybody else. You're a

97
00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,680
Speaker 1: child of the most High God, and I'm asking you

98
00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,279
Speaker 1: to not be a part of the problem, be a

99
00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:33,760
Speaker 1: part of the solution. Do you know enthusiasm is contagious.

100
00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,760
Speaker 1: If you'll go in there with a smile on your face,

101
00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,800
Speaker 1: full of life, full of joy, full of victory, before long,

102
00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,039
Speaker 1: you'll rub off on others, and that whole place will

103
00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,800
Speaker 1: come up to a higher level. All because of you.

104
00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,839
Speaker 1: You gotta let your light shine, And the scripture says

105
00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:53,840
Speaker 1: there in Romans twelve, verse eleven, to never lag in

106
00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:58,680
Speaker 1: zeal but be a glow and on fire serving the

107
00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:02,840
Speaker 1: lordes to you today is are you on fire? Are

108
00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,920
Speaker 1: you a glow? Do you get up each morning? One, lady,

109
00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,960
Speaker 1: is do you get up each morning? Do you get

110
00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:13,120
Speaker 1: up each morning passionate about your dreams? Are you grateful

111
00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,240
Speaker 1: for the place that God's given you to live? Oh? No, Joel,

112
00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:18,440
Speaker 1: I'm in this tiny apartment. I can't stand it. I

113
00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:20,719
Speaker 1: want a bigger house. No, you've got to learn to

114
00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,760
Speaker 1: be happy right where you are. Understand it? Dishonors God

115
00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,240
Speaker 1: for us to go around complaining and thinking about everything

116
00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:30,760
Speaker 1: that's wrong in our life. You may not be living

117
00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,039
Speaker 1: in your dream house, but at least you should thank

118
00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,039
Speaker 1: God you got a roof over your head. Thank God

119
00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:38,520
Speaker 1: you're not out there in the cold. You said, Joel,

120
00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,560
Speaker 1: my husband, we don't have anything in common. We don't

121
00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:45,200
Speaker 1: get along anymore. No, he may not be the perfect husband,

122
00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,359
Speaker 1: but why don't you thank God? At least you have

123
00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,600
Speaker 1: somebody to love. Do you know how many people are

124
00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,240
Speaker 1: lonely today? Ladies? You may not believe this, but some

125
00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:58,200
Speaker 1: lady would love to have you a husband. Now, I

126
00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,080
Speaker 1: know some of you are thinking, can I give you

127
00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:04,719
Speaker 1: a number? Be grateful for that man, Be grateful for

128
00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:09,120
Speaker 1: that woman. We need to recognize every day is a

129
00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,960
Speaker 1: gift from God. We may not even be here tomorrow.

130
00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,280
Speaker 1: What a shame to live this day, negative and defeated.

131
00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,480
Speaker 1: And the truth is, we all have obstacles in our path,

132
00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,480
Speaker 1: we all have challenges to overcome. But our attitude should

133
00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,080
Speaker 1: be thank God, I'm alive. Thank God I've got here

134
00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:28,360
Speaker 1: to breathe. Thank God, I've got a great country to

135
00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:30,680
Speaker 1: live in. Thank God I've got family. Thank God, I've

136
00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:34,280
Speaker 1: got an opportunity. I'm gonna make the most of this day.

137
00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,480
Speaker 1: I'm gonna give it my very very best. Well, Joel,

138
00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,440
Speaker 1: I would do that, but I just found out I

139
00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:42,160
Speaker 1: have to work late next week. I have to mow

140
00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,200
Speaker 1: my lawn when I get home. I got to take

141
00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,520
Speaker 1: care of these kids all day. Let me tell you

142
00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:48,880
Speaker 1: you don't have to do anything. You get to do it.

143
00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,080
Speaker 1: God is the one that's given you your breath. You

144
00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,440
Speaker 1: couldn't mow that lawn. If God didn't give you the strength,

145
00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:57,160
Speaker 1: you wouldn't be able to work late next week if

146
00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,240
Speaker 1: God hadn't opened up that door of opportunity. Need to

147
00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,880
Speaker 1: change your perspective. Don't do things out of obligation, because

148
00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,800
Speaker 1: you have to do it with a good attitude. In

149
00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:08,600
Speaker 1: other words, I don't have to go to work today.

150
00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:10,880
Speaker 1: I get to go to work. I don't have to

151
00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,200
Speaker 1: take care of these children. They're a blessing. I get

152
00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:15,640
Speaker 1: to take care of it. I don't have to give.

153
00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:19,400
Speaker 1: I get to give. See the scripture says in Isaiah

154
00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,800
Speaker 1: one nineteen, when we are willing and obedient, we will

155
00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,400
Speaker 1: eat the good of the land. And it's one thing

156
00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,960
Speaker 1: to be obedient. That's good, that's better than not doing it.

157
00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,840
Speaker 1: But if you want to really experience God's best, you've

158
00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,640
Speaker 1: got to be more than obedient. You've got to be willing.

159
00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,400
Speaker 1: You've got to do it with the right attitude. It's

160
00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,079
Speaker 1: one thing to give because you have to. It's another

161
00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:44,800
Speaker 1: thing to give because you want to. It's one thing

162
00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,360
Speaker 1: to go to work to pick up a paycheck. It's

163
00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:49,559
Speaker 1: another thing to go to work to be a blessing

164
00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,720
Speaker 1: to somebody else. It's one thing to stay married to

165
00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:56,040
Speaker 1: that person because it's the right thing to do. People

166
00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:58,400
Speaker 1: may look down on you if you don't. But it's

167
00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:01,160
Speaker 1: another thing to stay married to that person and to

168
00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,160
Speaker 1: treat them with respect and honor and help them reach

169
00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:08,520
Speaker 1: a higher level. That's being willing and obedient. And when

170
00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:10,839
Speaker 1: you do that, there's no limit to what God will

171
00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,320
Speaker 1: do in your life. And it's so important that we

172
00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,319
Speaker 1: get beyond just being obedient. That's easy, anybody can do that.

173
00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,320
Speaker 1: Let's take the next step and let's be willing. Let's

174
00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,439
Speaker 1: do it with a good attitude. I read an interesting

175
00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:27,080
Speaker 1: article a while back and talked about how most children

176
00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:31,960
Speaker 1: are born with enthusiasm. They're excited, they're happy, they have

177
00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,559
Speaker 1: a real zeal for life. But this study showed by

178
00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,720
Speaker 1: the time the average child reaches ten years of age,

179
00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:43,120
Speaker 1: the enthusiasm starts to fade and our children begin to

180
00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,319
Speaker 1: take on a negative bent toward life. Now, I believe

181
00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,320
Speaker 1: in the same way, God has put enthusiasm on the

182
00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:51,679
Speaker 1: inside of each one of us. But if we're going

183
00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:54,240
Speaker 1: to keep it, we have to work on it on

184
00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,360
Speaker 1: a daily basis. We have to straight up and as

185
00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:01,400
Speaker 1: I said, too often we allow disappointments and stress and pressures,

186
00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:04,560
Speaker 1: and just the time that's passed before long, that's just

187
00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:07,360
Speaker 1: dragging us down, and we're not even passionate about our

188
00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,160
Speaker 1: lives anymore. And many times the root cause is we

189
00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:14,120
Speaker 1: are focused on the wrong things. We are looking at

190
00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,400
Speaker 1: what we don't have instead of what we do have.

191
00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:19,600
Speaker 1: And I heard about this man. He was very down

192
00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:22,720
Speaker 1: and discouraged, and he went to see his minister and

193
00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,000
Speaker 1: he said, nothing's going right in my life. I don't

194
00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,320
Speaker 1: have any reason to be excited. The minister said, all right,

195
00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,600
Speaker 1: let's just do a little exercise, and he got out

196
00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,360
Speaker 1: this legal pad and he drew a line right down

197
00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,280
Speaker 1: the center, and he said, on this left side, we're

198
00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,840
Speaker 1: gonna list all of the good things in your life,

199
00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:42,719
Speaker 1: everything that's going right, And on this other side, we're

200
00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,480
Speaker 1: gonna list all your problems and all these things that

201
00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:48,280
Speaker 1: are bothering you. And the man kind of chuckled. He said, well,

202
00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:50,920
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna have anything to put on the asset side.

203
00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:53,800
Speaker 1: The minister said, fine, let's just go through the exercise.

204
00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,439
Speaker 1: And the man put his head down and the minister said,

205
00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:00,839
Speaker 1: I'm so sorry to hear that you're w passed away.

206
00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,120
Speaker 1: That men jumped back. He said, what are you talking about.

207
00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:08,400
Speaker 1: My wife didn't pass away. She's alive and healthy. He said, oh,

208
00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:10,560
Speaker 1: and he wrote down on the asset side, has a

209
00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:14,800
Speaker 1: wife alive and healthy. Then he said, I'm so sorry

210
00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:17,520
Speaker 1: to hear that your house burned down. He said, my

211
00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,480
Speaker 1: house didn't burn down. I got a beautiful house. He said, oh,

212
00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:23,480
Speaker 1: he wrote down, has a beautiful house. Then he said,

213
00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:25,760
Speaker 1: I'm really sad to hear that you lost your job

214
00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:28,160
Speaker 1: got laid off. The men said, where are you getting

215
00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,960
Speaker 1: all this nonsense. I've got a great job. Wrote it down,

216
00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:33,800
Speaker 1: has a great job. About that time the man caught on.

217
00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,160
Speaker 1: He said, give me that list, and he took it

218
00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,360
Speaker 1: and he wrote down a couple dozen more good things

219
00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:41,760
Speaker 1: in his life. By the time he got finished, he

220
00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,400
Speaker 1: went out of there with a different attitude. You see,

221
00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:49,079
Speaker 1: he just had to change his perspective. It's so easy

222
00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,400
Speaker 1: to get focused on what's wrong, it's so easy to

223
00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,640
Speaker 1: take for granted what's right. But you noticed when he

224
00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:58,320
Speaker 1: began to focus on the good, that's when he got

225
00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:01,000
Speaker 1: his enthusiasm back. That's what he got his passion back.

226
00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:04,240
Speaker 1: And if you struggle with staying excited about your life,

227
00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:07,400
Speaker 1: if you struggle with stay and passionate, you too need

228
00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:09,600
Speaker 1: to make a list of all the things that you

229
00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:12,720
Speaker 1: had to be grateful for, all the things God's blessed

230
00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:14,840
Speaker 1: you with. If you have your health, write it down,

231
00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:17,480
Speaker 1: I'm healthy. If you can see, write it down, I

232
00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:20,120
Speaker 1: can see. If you're good looking like me, write it down,

233
00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:24,400
Speaker 1: I'm good looking. If you've got a job, I've got

234
00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,360
Speaker 1: a job. I've got family, I've got friends, I've got children.

235
00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:31,120
Speaker 1: Make that list, and then every day before you leave

236
00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,040
Speaker 1: the house, you need to go over it two or

237
00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:35,800
Speaker 1: three times. You've got to get your mind to go

238
00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,920
Speaker 1: in in the right direction. Your life is going to

239
00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,760
Speaker 1: follow your faults, and at the first of the day

240
00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,240
Speaker 1: you have to set the tone for the whole day.

241
00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:47,320
Speaker 1: If you can just go out with a grateful attitude,

242
00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,920
Speaker 1: in a positive frame of mind, you'll not only feel better,

243
00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,600
Speaker 1: but you're going to draw in the good things of God.

244
00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:57,640
Speaker 1: We attract what we continually think about. If you get

245
00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:01,200
Speaker 1: up thinking, man, life's a draging good ever happens to me,

246
00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:04,120
Speaker 1: I know my marriage it isn't gonna last. When you

247
00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:08,679
Speaker 1: do that, you're gonna attract a defeat, failure, mediocrity. But

248
00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:10,640
Speaker 1: if you can just learn to turn it around and

249
00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,760
Speaker 1: go out with the grateful attitude thinking about how blessed

250
00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:16,000
Speaker 1: you are and how good God's been to you, then

251
00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,560
Speaker 1: you're gonna draw in the goodness of God. But I

252
00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:22,960
Speaker 1: think about how many times we lie in bed in

253
00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,199
Speaker 1: the morning and we think, man, I don't want to

254
00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:28,320
Speaker 1: go to work today. I've got so many problems. I'm

255
00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,400
Speaker 1: sick and tired of cleaning this house. Listen, you just

256
00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:33,880
Speaker 1: paved the way to have a lousy day. You just

257
00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:36,960
Speaker 1: paved the way for defeat. Now, when those old, negative,

258
00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,800
Speaker 1: discouraging thoughts come, you got to learn to turn it around.

259
00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:43,760
Speaker 1: Get your list out, go over it. I'm alive, I'm healthy,

260
00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,040
Speaker 1: I've got a wife, I've got children, I've got so

261
00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:49,600
Speaker 1: many good things. See, you gotta fan your flame, keep

262
00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:52,040
Speaker 1: your mind going in the right direction. Now, I would

263
00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,600
Speaker 1: encourage you put that list up on your bathroom mirror

264
00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,160
Speaker 1: or somewhere you can see it all through the day

265
00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:01,280
Speaker 1: again and again. That'll help you to stay excited about

266
00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:04,080
Speaker 1: your life. Now, another thing that's important to keep in

267
00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:07,920
Speaker 1: front of us is our goals. Some people have lost

268
00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:11,680
Speaker 1: their passion for life simply because they're not pursuing anything.

269
00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:16,840
Speaker 1: But understand, God created us to always be reaching for something.

270
00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:21,040
Speaker 1: You need something to be striving toward. If you get

271
00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:25,320
Speaker 1: up in the morning with no motivation, no dreams, no goals,

272
00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:28,960
Speaker 1: then you're certainly going to become stagnant. It may be

273
00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:32,040
Speaker 1: a goal to finish school, or to be a better parent,

274
00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,840
Speaker 1: or to increase in your career. But we should always

275
00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:39,400
Speaker 1: have something in front of us. We should always be growing,

276
00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:43,440
Speaker 1: and really we never arrive. Even after we accomplish one goal,

277
00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,880
Speaker 1: we should immediately set another goal. And the whole reason

278
00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:49,760
Speaker 1: some of you are not enthusiastic about your life is

279
00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:52,280
Speaker 1: you don't have anything in front of you. And it

280
00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:55,000
Speaker 1: may be because you don't feel well, or you're having

281
00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,120
Speaker 1: a problem in your marriage or your finances, but please

282
00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:01,200
Speaker 1: don't let those things keep you from dreaming a dream.

283
00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:04,200
Speaker 1: If you're not healthy, have a dream to get healthy.

284
00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:06,680
Speaker 1: If you're in debt, have a dream, Hey, I'm going

285
00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:08,600
Speaker 1: to get out of debt. And then get up each

286
00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:12,280
Speaker 1: day knowing that you're pressing towards something. Well, you say, Joel,

287
00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,160
Speaker 1: I'm retired, I'm just kicked back, taking it easy. No,

288
00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:17,360
Speaker 1: even you need to have something in front of you.

289
00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:20,080
Speaker 1: What I'm saying is it is not healthy to not

290
00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,760
Speaker 1: have something to pursue every day. I'll never forget. Years ago,

291
00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,240
Speaker 1: my father and I met Jacques Cousteau. He was that

292
00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:32,320
Speaker 1: famous underwater explorer and he did all that research on

293
00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:34,800
Speaker 1: life under the sea. Daddy and I were on a

294
00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:38,160
Speaker 1: flight down to the Amazon jungle. Mister Cousteau was on there,

295
00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:40,880
Speaker 1: and we got to talking. He was an older gentleman

296
00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:44,120
Speaker 1: at that time, probably in his early eighties, and what

297
00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,760
Speaker 1: made such an impression on me was how passionate he

298
00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,760
Speaker 1: was about his life. He got to telling us about

299
00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:53,840
Speaker 1: this new project he was working on. He explained it

300
00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,960
Speaker 1: in great detail, went on and on, and just as

301
00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,720
Speaker 1: we were about to leave, he told us about his

302
00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:02,600
Speaker 1: tea in your Plan and all that he had hoped

303
00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,120
Speaker 1: to accomplish. I thought, men, most people, especially his age,

304
00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:08,280
Speaker 1: they're not thinking a week or two out here. He's

305
00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,920
Speaker 1: thinking ten years down the road. And really that's one

306
00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:14,040
Speaker 1: of the things that helps us to get up each

307
00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:18,360
Speaker 1: day with enthusiasm. You may not have something that exciting,

308
00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,080
Speaker 1: but God has put something in your heart. And if

309
00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:23,840
Speaker 1: your assignment right now is to raise your children, do

310
00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:27,680
Speaker 1: it with passion, do it with enthusiasm. And maybe you

311
00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,760
Speaker 1: have a dream to start a business, a dream to

312
00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,160
Speaker 1: own your own home, a dream to be in the ministry.

313
00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,760
Speaker 1: Keep it in front of you. The Scripture says in Proverbs,

314
00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:40,640
Speaker 1: where there's no vision, the people perish. We need something

315
00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:43,760
Speaker 1: to always be striving toward. I think about my dad.

316
00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,880
Speaker 1: He kept a globe everywhere he worked. At his chair

317
00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,400
Speaker 1: at home where he studied, he had one there. On

318
00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:52,680
Speaker 1: his desk at the office, he had a globe there.

319
00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:57,000
Speaker 1: Daddy's passion was to share God's love all over the world,

320
00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:01,040
Speaker 1: and that globe reminded him of that. And even later

321
00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:04,000
Speaker 1: in my father's life, when he had to go on dialysis,

322
00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:06,720
Speaker 1: he asked us to check to see if they could

323
00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:10,119
Speaker 1: do dialysis over in India. That's where his heart was.

324
00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:13,320
Speaker 1: And although Daddy never made it back to India once

325
00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:17,160
Speaker 1: he started dialysis, noticed that didn't keep him from dreaming.

326
00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,159
Speaker 1: In fact, that was one of the very things that

327
00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,360
Speaker 1: helped him to get up every day with enthusiasm in

328
00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:26,639
Speaker 1: spite of his adversity. Some of you today, like my father,

329
00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:29,800
Speaker 1: You've got big challenges in your path, but don't fall

330
00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:32,640
Speaker 1: into that trap of giving up on your dreams. Keep

331
00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:35,879
Speaker 1: something in front of you. God still has something for

332
00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,600
Speaker 1: you to do. And if you make the mistake of

333
00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,560
Speaker 1: dwelling on the wrong things and letting your mind wander.

334
00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:44,679
Speaker 1: Before long, you'll be planning in your own funeral. And

335
00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,840
Speaker 1: that's exactly what the enemy wants you to do. Now,

336
00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,480
Speaker 1: I'm challenging you, no matter what it looks like in

337
00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:54,280
Speaker 1: the natural, keep your dreams alive. You may be a

338
00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:58,399
Speaker 1: mother raising small children and you're facing serious illness. You

339
00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:00,280
Speaker 1: need to keep a picture of your children in front

340
00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:02,480
Speaker 1: of you. You should get up every day and say

341
00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:04,239
Speaker 1: I'm going to be here to raise my children. I'm

342
00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:07,840
Speaker 1: going to live and not die. Or maybe you're struggling financially,

343
00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:10,719
Speaker 1: but you have a dream of owning your own home. Well,

344
00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:13,879
Speaker 1: I challenge you to keep that dream alive. Put a

345
00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:15,600
Speaker 1: picture up of the home you would like to have,

346
00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:18,960
Speaker 1: keep it in front of you. You need something to

347
00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,919
Speaker 1: be striving toward. Another reason we tend to lose our

348
00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,800
Speaker 1: enthusiasm is because we let what once was a miracle

349
00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:31,120
Speaker 1: become too common to us. We get used to it,

350
00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:35,960
Speaker 1: it becomes routine and it doesn't excite us anymore. For instance,

351
00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:39,280
Speaker 1: maybe at one time you were excited about your job.

352
00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,080
Speaker 1: You prayed and believed, and you know God opened up

353
00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:47,280
Speaker 1: that door. God supernaturally gave you that position. You couldn't

354
00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:49,760
Speaker 1: wait to get to work every morning. You got there

355
00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:52,840
Speaker 1: and gave it one hundred percent. But now a few

356
00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:56,560
Speaker 1: years later, the newness has worn off. It's become kind

357
00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:59,400
Speaker 1: of routine, and you don't really like going to work anymore,

358
00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:02,560
Speaker 1: and you kind of down and discourage. You know what's happened.

359
00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:06,480
Speaker 1: You've let your miracle become too common. You need to

360
00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:09,440
Speaker 1: go back and remember how God brought you to where

361
00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,920
Speaker 1: you are. You need to fan your flame. And I'm

362
00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:14,959
Speaker 1: not saying that we never want to move on, but

363
00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,159
Speaker 1: too many times we are taking things for granted that

364
00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,400
Speaker 1: we should still be excited about. I know a friend

365
00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:25,359
Speaker 1: of mine one time he complained and complained about his job.

366
00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:28,239
Speaker 1: He told me how they weren't treating him right, he

367
00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:31,359
Speaker 1: wasn't being paid enough money, he couldn't stand his boss.

368
00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,920
Speaker 1: On and on it went, and one day, the most

369
00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:38,639
Speaker 1: interesting thing happened. The company announced that they were going

370
00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:42,000
Speaker 1: to downsize and lay off about half of the employees.

371
00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:44,520
Speaker 1: And it looked like he was going to get laid off,

372
00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:46,840
Speaker 1: and do you know, all of a sudden, he really

373
00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:50,560
Speaker 1: started liking his job. It's amazing how that can change

374
00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:54,119
Speaker 1: us and Fortunately, right at the last they decided to

375
00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,520
Speaker 1: keep him. And you would have thought he just won

376
00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:58,800
Speaker 1: the lottery. He wanted to go in there and kiss

377
00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:01,840
Speaker 1: his boss on the cheek. And it's interesting how things

378
00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:04,800
Speaker 1: like that can change our perspective. And you may be

379
00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:07,320
Speaker 1: a little more excited about your job if you could

380
00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:11,040
Speaker 1: just realize you may not always have it. Or maybe

381
00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:14,280
Speaker 1: you would be more excited about that person that you married,

382
00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,560
Speaker 1: if you just realize they may not always be here.

383
00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,640
Speaker 1: And some of you have allowed your marriage to get

384
00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,520
Speaker 1: stale and stagnant. At one time you were so excited

385
00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:27,719
Speaker 1: you couldn't keep your eyes off that other person. But

386
00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:31,439
Speaker 1: now over the years you've allowed yourselves to grow apart.

387
00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,440
Speaker 1: You don't enjoy each other like you should. You don't

388
00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:39,240
Speaker 1: have time for hugs and kisses and compliments, too busy

389
00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:43,159
Speaker 1: to talk at night, might miss your favorite TV program. No,

390
00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:46,159
Speaker 1: don't take that other person for granted. You need to

391
00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,760
Speaker 1: get the spark back that brought you together in the

392
00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:52,199
Speaker 1: first place. And I found you're gonna get out of

393
00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,280
Speaker 1: your marriage what you put into it. You cannot sit

394
00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:57,840
Speaker 1: around and wait for that other person to change. You

395
00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:01,520
Speaker 1: have to change, bring some friend leishness to your marriage.

396
00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:06,760
Speaker 1: Get out of your normal routine. Do something different. Variety

397
00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:10,359
Speaker 1: will help that relationship to not get stale. And I

398
00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,119
Speaker 1: know I'm a very routine person and I have to

399
00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:16,120
Speaker 1: make myself on purpose. Get out of my normal routine.

400
00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:19,320
Speaker 1: Victoria and I have a date night every Friday night.

401
00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:22,240
Speaker 1: We usually go out to eat, but a couple weeks

402
00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:24,600
Speaker 1: ago we went and rode go carts. Thank God, I'm

403
00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:28,119
Speaker 1: still alive. A few weeks back, we took our bikes

404
00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,359
Speaker 1: down to the park and just rode them around. But

405
00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:33,040
Speaker 1: you got to do something to bring some freshness and

406
00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,480
Speaker 1: some of you. If you don't make these simple changes,

407
00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,919
Speaker 1: that relationship is not going to last. You need to

408
00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:42,159
Speaker 1: get that fire back for each other. Don't lose that

409
00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:46,680
Speaker 1: enthusiasm for the other person. Don't let that miracle that

410
00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:50,120
Speaker 1: person God has brought into your life become so common

411
00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,359
Speaker 1: that you just take it for granted and they don't

412
00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:55,640
Speaker 1: excite you anymore. Or I don't know. Maybe at one

413
00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:58,600
Speaker 1: time you were excited about that house God's given you.

414
00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:01,480
Speaker 1: You prayed, you believe, you know, God opened up the door.

415
00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,159
Speaker 1: But now you think, man, I got to clean this place.

416
00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,800
Speaker 1: My gutter's messed up, my dishwasher quit working. Taxes are

417
00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,679
Speaker 1: so high. No, you are focused on the wrong things.

418
00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:13,520
Speaker 1: God blessed you with that house, no doubt. At one

419
00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,960
Speaker 1: time it was a dream come true. And we should

420
00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,720
Speaker 1: never lose the amazement of what God has done. Every

421
00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:24,240
Speaker 1: time I drive by this building, I'm amazed. I made

422
00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:26,840
Speaker 1: up my mind. Twenty years from now, I'm still going

423
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,400
Speaker 1: to be amazed. I say, God, You've done more than

424
00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:33,439
Speaker 1: we could even ask or think. See. God told the

425
00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,440
Speaker 1: people in the Book of Revelation, I'm not happy with

426
00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:41,080
Speaker 1: you because you've lost your first love. In other words,

427
00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:44,159
Speaker 1: you're not excited about what I've done for you. And

428
00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:47,040
Speaker 1: too often we do the same thing. We let something

429
00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:50,760
Speaker 1: that was so great at one time become so routine

430
00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:53,919
Speaker 1: that we really don't appreciate it like we should. I

431
00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:57,359
Speaker 1: heard this reporter ask a famous heart surgeon how he

432
00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:01,639
Speaker 1: kept his excitement. This man had developed a certain procedure,

433
00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:04,959
Speaker 1: and he had performed it over ten thousand times, and

434
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,600
Speaker 1: by now it was so routine and so ordinary. They said,

435
00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:10,760
Speaker 1: do you ever get tired of doing it? And I

436
00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:14,400
Speaker 1: loved his answer. He said, no, it's because I act

437
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:18,720
Speaker 1: like every operation is my very first one. He was saying,

438
00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:21,400
Speaker 1: I don't take for granted what God's allowed me to do.

439
00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,159
Speaker 1: I don't let it become so common that it doesn't

440
00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:27,639
Speaker 1: excite me anymore. And many of you today, like me,

441
00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,840
Speaker 1: You can say that God's done great things in your life.

442
00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,200
Speaker 1: He's taken you further than you could dream, He's brought

443
00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:37,280
Speaker 1: great people into your life. He's opened up great doors.

444
00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:42,119
Speaker 1: Now I'm challenging you to not get so used to

445
00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:45,720
Speaker 1: that that it doesn't excite you anymore. Don't let the

446
00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:49,480
Speaker 1: fact that it's now routine keep you from being passionate

447
00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:53,880
Speaker 1: and living every day with enthusiasm. Now, sometimes I hear

448
00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:58,399
Speaker 1: people complain about their children. Well, I'd be more enthusiastic, Joel,

449
00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:00,560
Speaker 1: if I didn't have to stay here and take care

450
00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,399
Speaker 1: of my children all day, I'd be excited if I

451
00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,240
Speaker 1: was a famous heart surgeon. I know you're missing the point.

452
00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:10,360
Speaker 1: Do you know your children are a miracle. Think back

453
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:12,480
Speaker 1: to the day they were born, No doubt you had

454
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:15,520
Speaker 1: tears running down in your cheeks. You were so overjoyed.

455
00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,199
Speaker 1: You knew that was a gift from God. Don't let

456
00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:21,600
Speaker 1: that become so common that you just take it for

457
00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,920
Speaker 1: granted and it doesn't excite you. I know. The other day,

458
00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:26,680
Speaker 1: I was in a hurry to leave the house and

459
00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,760
Speaker 1: I was trying to get everybody rounded up, and somebody

460
00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,600
Speaker 1: had given us a label maker, a little machine that

461
00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,480
Speaker 1: prints out labels, and my children loved to play with that.

462
00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:37,959
Speaker 1: And our ten year old son, Jonathan, he had it

463
00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,440
Speaker 1: out and he was typing a message, and I said, Jonathan,

464
00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:41,920
Speaker 1: you got to put that thing away. We got to

465
00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:43,960
Speaker 1: go right now. He said, Daddy, just give me a

466
00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:46,520
Speaker 1: few more seconds. I want to finish this up. I said, no, Jonathan,

467
00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:48,320
Speaker 1: put it up. We got to go, and we're kind

468
00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:49,879
Speaker 1: of going back and forth, and I was getting all

469
00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:52,720
Speaker 1: up tight. Finally he got finished and printed it out

470
00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:57,440
Speaker 1: and it said best Daddy in the world. And I thought,

471
00:24:57,480 --> 00:24:58,879
Speaker 1: we can stay here a little longer and print a

472
00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:03,840
Speaker 1: few more of those out. Ah. But sometimes we can

473
00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,560
Speaker 1: get so caught up in our plans, and in such

474
00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:09,520
Speaker 1: a hurry we miss the miracles all along the way.

475
00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:13,200
Speaker 1: Take time for your children, Look in their eyes every

476
00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,160
Speaker 1: day and tell them how much you love them, how

477
00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:18,840
Speaker 1: proud you are of them, Think of the joy and

478
00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:22,080
Speaker 1: the fulfillment they bring you. That alone should be enough

479
00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,120
Speaker 1: to cause us to get up each day with enthusiasm,

480
00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:28,359
Speaker 1: and when you're tired, you're cleaning up after them, cooking

481
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:30,480
Speaker 1: them dinner, and you attempted to have a bad attitude.

482
00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:33,000
Speaker 1: Learn them to turn it around. Say Father, thank you

483
00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:35,920
Speaker 1: for these children, Thank you for this gift that you've

484
00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:40,400
Speaker 1: given me. See, I believe there are miracles all around us,

485
00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,040
Speaker 1: the people in your life, the doors God has opened.

486
00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,240
Speaker 1: Every one of you can look back and see things

487
00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:49,919
Speaker 1: that have happened along the way. And it had to

488
00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:52,720
Speaker 1: be the hand of God. It had to be God's

489
00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:55,399
Speaker 1: favor that caused you to be at the right place

490
00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:57,920
Speaker 1: at the right time. All of a sudden, you met

491
00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:01,359
Speaker 1: someone and fell in love, qualified for that home, and

492
00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:05,480
Speaker 1: you shouldn't have or you got that promotion unexpectedly. That's

493
00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:09,639
Speaker 1: not a coincidence. That was God directing your steps. Don't

494
00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:13,360
Speaker 1: take it for granted. Don't let it become so common

495
00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:18,960
Speaker 1: that it doesn't excite you anymore. Fan your flame, Stir

496
00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:22,480
Speaker 1: yourself up. Make a decision that you're going to live

497
00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:26,159
Speaker 1: every day with enthusiasm. Get up in the morning and

498
00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,840
Speaker 1: think about all the things you have to be grateful for.

499
00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,439
Speaker 1: If you need to make that list, keep it in

500
00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:35,320
Speaker 1: front of you, and then go out each day, pressing

501
00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:38,240
Speaker 1: towards your God given dreams. I can tell you this.

502
00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:41,040
Speaker 1: If you'll stay on fire and a glow, if you'll

503
00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:43,919
Speaker 1: never lag in zeal, God will take you places that

504
00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:47,080
Speaker 1: you've never dreamed of. He'll pour out his blessings in favor,

505
00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:50,600
Speaker 1: and you'll live that life of victory he has in store. Amen,

506
00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:55,200
Speaker 1: do you receive it today? We never like to close

507
00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:58,840
Speaker 1: our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus

508
00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:01,159
Speaker 1: the lord of your life. Would you pray with me?

509
00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:06,960
Speaker 1: Just say, Lord Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. Come

510
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:12,320
Speaker 1: into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends,

511
00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:14,560
Speaker 1: if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got

512
00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:17,640
Speaker 1: born again. Get in a good Bible based church, Keep

513
00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:20,320
Speaker 1: God first place. He's going to take your places that

514
00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:21,240
Speaker 1: you've never dreamed of.

515
00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:27,399
Speaker 2: God has put a specific dream in your heart. Maybe

516
00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:31,119
Speaker 2: it's a dream for a better career, a blessing that

517
00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:34,720
Speaker 2: enables you to bless others, to be in a healthy

518
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:39,400
Speaker 2: loving relationship, to launch your own business or ministry endeavor.

519
00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:43,560
Speaker 2: We all have dreams, but sometimes set backs and opposition

520
00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,359
Speaker 2: can rob us of our dreams. So how do you

521
00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:48,600
Speaker 2: make your dreams? A reality.

522
00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:51,600
Speaker 1: One way you know it's a God given dream is

523
00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,440
Speaker 1: you can't accomplish it on your own. We never thought

524
00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:57,800
Speaker 1: we'd be having church in a former basketball arena, but

525
00:27:57,880 --> 00:27:59,920
Speaker 1: this is what can happen when you take the limit.

526
00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:00,800
Speaker 1: It's off of God.

527
00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:03,520
Speaker 3: When you believe what God put in your heart, that's

528
00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,320
Speaker 3: when He steps in and makes ways where you never

529
00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:06,960
Speaker 3: saw ways.

530
00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:09,280
Speaker 1: Now I love to send you my newest book, It's

531
00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:12,119
Speaker 1: Time to Dream Again. It'll help you to hold on

532
00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:15,120
Speaker 1: to what God promised and now get discouraged by how

533
00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:18,360
Speaker 1: impossible it looks or how long it's taken. You are

534
00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:22,240
Speaker 1: closer than you think. God's working behind the scenes right now.

535
00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,159
Speaker 1: Stay in faith, you're going to see the greatness of

536
00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:26,640
Speaker 1: God or in your dreams.

537
00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:30,159
Speaker 2: To pass as our way of saying thank you for

538
00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:32,800
Speaker 2: your gift of any amount to the ministry. This month,

539
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,160
Speaker 2: Joel and Victoria would like to send you this dream releasing,

540
00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:40,440
Speaker 2: life affirming book, It's Time to Dream Again. You might

541
00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,160
Speaker 2: sense that your dreams have been buried, but with this

542
00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,200
Speaker 2: book you'll see that they are actually a hidden treasure

543
00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:49,959
Speaker 2: just waiting to be uncovered and come to life. God's

544
00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:53,200
Speaker 2: plan for you is significant. His dreams for you are

545
00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:57,200
Speaker 2: beyond what you could imagine. Don't wait another day. It's

546
00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:58,480
Speaker 2: time to Dream Again.

547
00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:02,640
Speaker 3: This book will help you gain a fresh perspective for

548
00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:05,840
Speaker 3: your dreams and to believe for everything God has put

549
00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:06,360
Speaker 3: in your heart.

550
00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,800
Speaker 1: Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day.

551
00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:12,800
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your prayer and support. Your

552
00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,760
Speaker 1: generosity is making a difference around the world. Remember you

553
00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:20,880
Speaker 1: can watch the services live online every Sunday, download the

554
00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:25,120
Speaker 1: daily podcast our YouTube channel, listen on Serious XM. We

555
00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:28,560
Speaker 1: will keep you encouraged and inspired. But until we meet again,

556
00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:30,760
Speaker 1: may the Lord bless you and keep you.

557
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:34,200
Speaker 2: Be sure to request your copy of It's Time to

558
00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:38,680
Speaker 2: Dream Again today. Visit Joelostein dot com or call eighty

559
00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:40,800
Speaker 2: eight five six seven Joel