1 00:00:00,400 --> 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 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. 6 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: It's a joy to come into your home. If you're 7 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: ever in our area, stop by and be a part 8 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: of one of our services. I promise you it will 9 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: make you feel right at home. But thanks for tuning 10 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: in today. I like to get started each week with 11 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: something funny, and I heard about this nun. She worked 12 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,520 Speaker 1: in the home healthcare field and she traveled from house 13 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 1: to house taking care of people. One day, as she 14 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: was making her rounds, she ran out of gas. There 15 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,279 Speaker 1: was a station just a couple blocks away, so she 16 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: walked up there and asked the attendant for a gas can, 17 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: but it had been checked out. He said it'll be 18 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: two or three hours before it gets back. She didn't 19 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 1: have time to wait, so she went back to her 20 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: car and got a bedpan and filled it up with gasoline. 21 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: She got back to her car and as she was 22 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: pouring the gas into her tank from that bedpan men 23 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:02,959 Speaker 1: were passing by. One man said to the other, if 24 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: that car starts, I'll be in church every Sunday the 25 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 1: rest of my life. All right, hold your bibles up, 26 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 27 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: I am what it says I am. I have what 28 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: it says I have. I can do what it says 29 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: I can do. Today I will be taught the word 30 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 31 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: heart is receptive. I'll never be the same. In Jesus' name, 32 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 1: God bless you. I want to talk to you today 33 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: about living with expectancy. Our expectations set the limits for 34 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: our life, and too many people are not expecting the 35 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,759 Speaker 1: right things. They don't expect to rise any higher. They 36 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: don't expect to get good breaks. They go through the 37 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: day expecting to get the short end of the stick. 38 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: They don't realize their own wrong thinking is keeping them 39 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: in mediocrity. God meets us at the level of our 40 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: ex expectations. If we expect little, we're going to receive little. 41 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: If we don't expect anything to get better, it probably 42 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: won't get any better. We need to pay attention to 43 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: what we're expecting. If we will learn to raise our 44 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: level of expectancy and start expecting more favor, more good breaks. 45 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: Then we'll see God do greater things. And every morning, 46 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 1: when we first get out of bed, we should say, 47 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: something good is going to happen to me today. We 48 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: have to set the tone for the day right at 49 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: the very beginning. Then all through the day we should 50 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: have an attitude of expectancy, like a little child that's 51 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 1: about to open up a present. Be on the lookout 52 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: thinking what's God going to do today? Instead of dragging 53 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: around thinking nothing good ever happens to me. Start expecting 54 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: to be at the right place at the right time. 55 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: Start expecting to get good breaks, Expect God's favor. Don't 56 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: go to the store not expecting to find what you need. 57 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: Don't go interview for a job not expecting to get it. 58 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: Your expectations is your faith at work. When you expect 59 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,959 Speaker 1: to get good breaks, you expect people to like you, 60 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: and you expect to have a great year. You were 61 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,519 Speaker 1: releasing your faith and that's what allows God to bring 62 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 1: it to pass. But our expectations work in both directions. 63 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: If you get up in the morning expecting to have 64 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: a lousy day, expecting people to be unfriendly, expecting not 65 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: to get any breaks. Then you're going to draw that 66 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: in your faith is working, you're just using it in 67 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: the wrong direction. I had a young person tell me 68 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: a while back how he was about to take his 69 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: final exams, and he had studied and studied, but he 70 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: was very worried because every time in the past he 71 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: would take an important test, he'd get very uptight and 72 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: he couldn't remember what he had studied, and he'd ended 73 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: up doing poor on that test. And he said, Joel, 74 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: I wish you'd pray for me, because I know it's 75 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: going to happen again. I told him what I'm telling you. 76 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: You're expecting the wrong things. You need to change your 77 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: expectations and throughout the day start telling yourself, I'm expecting 78 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: to do great on this test. I'm expecting God to 79 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: bring to my memory everything that I've studied. I'm expecting 80 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: to stay calm and be in peace. I saw him 81 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: not long ago. He said, Joel, that's the best I've 82 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: ever done on one of my final exams. Jesus said 83 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: this in Matthew nine twenty nine. According to your faith, 84 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: be it done unto you. One translation puts it so simple. 85 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: Have what your faith expects. Let me ask you today, 86 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: what are you expecting in life? Big things, little things, 87 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: nothing at all. It's easy to expect the worst. But 88 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: if you can just switch over into faith and start 89 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: expecting to excel, start expecting to accomplish your dreams, then 90 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: you will draw out God's blessings and faith. But some 91 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 1: people have had a negative mindset so long they don't 92 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: even realize they're doing this. It's just natural to them. 93 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: They expect the worst and they usually get it. They 94 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: expect people to be unfriendly, and they usually are. I 95 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: know this lady that had a lot of negative things 96 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: happened to her, and it was just like she was 97 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: on autopilot. She expected people to hurt her, and they 98 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: usually did. She expected to get laid off from her job, 99 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: and eventually she did get laid off. Her own expectations 100 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,479 Speaker 1: were drawn in all the negative. One day she learned 101 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: this principle and she started expecting God's favor. She started 102 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: expecting people to be good to her. She started expecting 103 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 1: to get breaks. Today it's a totally different story. She's 104 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 1: living a victorious life. You may have had a lot 105 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: of disappointments in the past, but don't fall into that 106 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: trap of staying in a negative frame of mind. Instead 107 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: of expecting more of the same, start expecting God to 108 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: turn it herround. Don't expect to barely get by. Start 109 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 1: expecting to excel. Don't expect to be overcome. Start expecting 110 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: to be the overcomer. You may not always feel like it, 111 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: but when you wake up in the morning, you need 112 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 1: to remind yourself you are more than a conquer God 113 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,039 Speaker 1: has great things in store, and you should go out 114 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: excited about the day, expecting things to change in your favor. 115 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,479 Speaker 1: Our attitude should be I may have difficulties, but I'm 116 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: expecting God to turn them around. My dreams may look impossible, 117 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 1: but I'm expecting God to make a way. My finances 118 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: may be kind of low, but I'm expecting supernatural increase. 119 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:43,159 Speaker 1: My child may not be doing right, but I'm expecting 120 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: him to change. Get your faith out there. Our expectations 121 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: are setting the limits for our life. I had somebody 122 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: tell me one time, Joel, I don't like to expect 123 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:56,840 Speaker 1: anything good. That way. If it doesn't happen, then I'm 124 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 1: not disappointed. But that's no way to live. Not expecting 125 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: something good you're not releasing your faith. And if it 126 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: doesn't happen the way you want or on your timetable, 127 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: just know God has something better in store. Don't go 128 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: through life trying to protect yourself from a disappointment by 129 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: not expecting anything good. Well, you say, Joel, I'm not 130 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: expecting anything bad. But really it's not enough to just 131 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: not expect anything bad. You cannot be in neutral in 132 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: your thought, life, in your expectations and have God's best. 133 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 1: My question is are you aggressively expecting something good? Do 134 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 1: you go out of the house expecting God's favor? Are 135 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: you expecting your dreams to come to pass? Are you 136 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: expecting to be better off this year than you were 137 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: last year? Pay attention to what you're expecting. Maybe you're 138 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: hearing your single today and you have a desire to 139 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: get married. Don't go around thinking this never gonna happen. 140 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: I'm getting too old, I'm never gonna meet anybody. No, 141 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: you need to start expecting to be at the right 142 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 1: place at the right time. Start expecting God to bring 143 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 1: you divine connections, the right people across your path. Well, 144 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: you say, Joel, what if I do this and nothing happens? 145 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: What if you do it and something does happen. I 146 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: can tell you nothing's gonna happen if we don't first believe. 147 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: And I found if we're not disciplined in our thought life, 148 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: in our expectations, then our mind will just default back 149 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 1: into expecting the worst, expecting failure, expecting bad news. I 150 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 1: know people that are just waiting for the next disaster. 151 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: They live in fear. Everything can be going great, but 152 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 1: they're sitting around thinking instead of enjoying it. When's it 153 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: gonna come to an end? I had somebody ask me 154 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: a while back, Joel, you've got a beautiful family, You've 155 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,839 Speaker 1: been blessed in your life, You've had some success. Don't 156 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 1: you ever worry that it's almost too good to be true? 157 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 1: Don't you ever worry that something bad is going to happen, 158 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: It's not going to last. And I thought to myself, 159 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,560 Speaker 1: I don't even think like that. I've learned to not 160 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: put my faith in the negative. I'm not expecting it 161 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 1: to end and expecting failures and tragedies and mistakes. I'm 162 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 1: expecting God's goodness. I know God is going before us, 163 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: making crooked places straight. I know God has said no 164 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: weapon formed against us is if we're gonna prosper, I'm 165 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: not gonna live in fear expecting the worst. I'm gonna 166 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: live in faith and expect the best. And the fact is, 167 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: even if the worst happens, I'm not gonna fall apart 168 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,320 Speaker 1: and get all upset. And so I just my luck. 169 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 1: I should have known it wasn't gonna last. Now I'm 170 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: gonna stay in faith and expect God to turn it around. 171 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna expect to come out better off than I 172 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: was before. Don't go around expecting the worst. Somebody told 173 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: me once, Joel, you're in a season of favor. You 174 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: need to enjoy it. It's not gonna last forever. They 175 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: were trying to encourage me. But I just assume they 176 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:02,119 Speaker 1: kept that encouragement to themselves. There's a scripture in Psalms 177 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 1: that says God's favor is not for a season, it's 178 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: for a lifetime. When you're seeing God's goodness, when you're 179 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: seeing God's blessings and favor, don't you dare go around thinking, well, 180 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: I better enjoy it. I know it's not going to last. No, 181 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 1: as long as you keep believing, God's favor is going 182 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 1: to be on you for a lifetime doesn't come and go. 183 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 1: Even when it's difficult, his favor's there to help bring 184 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,960 Speaker 1: you out. The Scripture says in Deuteronomy, if we will 185 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: obey God's commands and keep him first place, his blessings 186 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:38,559 Speaker 1: will chase us down and overtake us. We need to 187 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:43,439 Speaker 1: start expecting God's goodness to overtake us, not failure, calamity, 188 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: bad breaks. Don't sit around thinking nothing good ever happens 189 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,439 Speaker 1: to me. I tried and I failed. It happened once, 190 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: It'll probably happen again. No, don't expect setbacks, don't expect 191 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: trouble and heartache. Release your faith by expecting God's favor, 192 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: God's blessing, God's increase. Several years ago, I was in 193 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: a difficult situation. Some things had come against me and 194 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: they had the potential to turn out really bad. And 195 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 1: it went on and on month after month, and my 196 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 1: mind was going ninety to nothing, telling me all the 197 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: reasons why it wasn't going to work out, how bad 198 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 1: it was going to be, and I was very tempted 199 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:26,479 Speaker 1: to expect the worst. If we're not disciplined in our expectations, 200 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: in our thoughts, most of the time, our mind will 201 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 1: play out the worst case scenarios. I was reading the 202 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: scriptures one day and saw one twelve, and it says 203 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: we do not have to fear bad news. I made 204 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 1: a decision that day. I wasn't going to live in fear. 205 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,319 Speaker 1: I wasn't going to expect the worst anymore. I turned 206 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 1: it over to God and started expecting for him to 207 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 1: turn it around. Every time I was tempted to worry, 208 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: every time I was tempted to lose my joy, I'd say, no, 209 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: God is in control, and I'm expecting this to work 210 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: out to my advantage. Years so later, got a call 211 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,599 Speaker 1: out of the blue telling me that it had totally resolved. 212 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: God had changed it in my favor. But it's easy 213 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: to expect the worst. You know how, you have a 214 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,840 Speaker 1: pain in your side, something I'll tell you that's cancer. Man, 215 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 1: they're laying off people at your company, even in another state. 216 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: Something will tell you you're next. You better pack up. 217 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: What are you gonna do? Don't expect the worst, don't 218 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 1: fear bad news, keep expecting God to turn it around. 219 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 1: And even if it doesn't work out, even if you 220 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:31,959 Speaker 1: do get bad news, you don't have to get all upset. 221 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: God is still on the throne. He's given you strength 222 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: for every battle. Instead of saying I knew this wasn't 223 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: gonna work out, no, just say God, I know you're 224 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: bigger than this problem. I'm not gonna get discouraged. I'm 225 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 1: expecting any moment for you to show up and change 226 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 1: things in my favor. What I'm saying is, let's stop 227 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: expecting calamity and trouble to overtake us, and let's start 228 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 1: expecting God's blessings and favor to overtake us. David put 229 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: it the way, what would have become of me had 230 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: I not believed to see the goodness of God? What 231 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 1: he was saying was what would have happened to me 232 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: if I had not had the right expectations? Where would 233 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 1: I be if I had not believed and expected God's 234 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 1: blessings and favor. I know some of you feel like 235 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 1: you've had a thousand things go wrong. Life has dealt 236 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 1: you some tough blows. That dark cloud tries to follow 237 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:28,239 Speaker 1: you around, kind of like a heaviness, and it's constantly 238 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: telling you it's never gonna change, it's never gonna get 239 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: any better. You can't expect good things. You need to 240 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: shake off those lives. God is saying today, this is 241 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: a new day, and I have great things in store 242 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: for you. You need to draw the line in the sand 243 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 1: say it may not have happened in the past, but 244 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: that's not gonna keep me from believing for the future. 245 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: This is my time for increase, this is my time 246 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 1: for favor. I'm expecting to have a blessed and prosperous 247 00:13:54,600 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: new year. It says in Psalms that goodness and mercy 248 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: will follow us all the days of our lives. In 249 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 1: the past, you may feel like disappointments and setbacks have 250 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 1: followed you around, but you need to let go of 251 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:12,600 Speaker 1: everything that didn't work out. Let go of every disappointment, 252 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,439 Speaker 1: let go of every person that hurts you, and start 253 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: expecting goodness and mercy to follow you everywhere you go. 254 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 1: Matter of fact, sometimes it's good to look back and say, hey, goodness, 255 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 1: hey mercy, how y'all doing back there? Make sure you 256 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: keep up with me. But some people are constantly looking 257 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 1: for the next disaster. They're looking for the next bad break, 258 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: looking for the next failure. No change what you're looking for. 259 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: Start looking for goodness, mercy, favor, blessings, promotion, that's what's 260 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: supposed to be following us around. And when I think 261 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 1: about how God is going before us, making crooked places straight, 262 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: goodness and mercy are following us. Favor is surrounding us. 263 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: No wonder we can stay in faith, no wonder we 264 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 1: can expect good things things. God is in control. He 265 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: has us in the palm of his hand. He knows 266 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: the end from the beginning. He's already said he has 267 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: arranged the good life for each one of us. When 268 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 1: we're positive and hopeful, expecting good things, then we're in 269 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: agreement with the creator of the universe. But when we're negative, worried, 270 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 1: expecting the worst, we're in agreement with the enemy. We 271 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: have to choose who we're going to get in agreement with. 272 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: And I'm not saying that when we expect good things 273 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: we'll never have a problem and every day will be perfect. 274 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: Of course not. But when we expect the best, even 275 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: when negative things happen, we can say, God, I know 276 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,160 Speaker 1: you're still in control, and I'm expecting this to turn around. 277 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 1: Every morning, I've gotten into a habit. I never leave 278 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: the house without saying something good is going to happen 279 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 1: to me today. It's important to declare that over your life. 280 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: Words have creative power. Well, you say, Joel, does something 281 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: good happen to you every single day? Not at all? 282 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 1: Some days everything in the world that can go wrong. 283 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 1: Does you know what I do? I get up the 284 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 1: next morning and say, something good is going to happen 285 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 1: to me today. You got to be determined. You've got 286 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: to be persistent. I'm not talking about trying this for 287 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 1: three days to see if it works. I'm talking about 288 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: developing a lifestyle of expecting the best, not expecting things 289 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: to not work out, things to go wrong. I'm expecting 290 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 1: to have a productive day, not expecting to barely get by. 291 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 1: I'm expecting to live an abundant life, not expecting problems 292 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: and always be struggling. I'm expecting God to turn it around. 293 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: I know we are victors and not victims. It's all 294 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: in our mindset, It's all in our approach to life. 295 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: The scripture says in Isaiah thirty verse eighteen, God is 296 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 1: longing to be good to the people that are looking 297 00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 1: for his goodness. Let me ask you today, what are 298 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: you looking for? What are you expecting? Do you go 299 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 1: out expecting favor, promotion? God's blessings, or do you go 300 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:12,679 Speaker 1: around expecting the worst, thinking that you've reached your limits. 301 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: You've got so many problems you don't think it'll ever change. No, 302 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 1: you're missing out. God is longing to be good to you. 303 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:23,879 Speaker 1: He wants to show you more of his favor. He 304 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:26,479 Speaker 1: wants to do more than you can even imagine. But 305 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:29,439 Speaker 1: you've got to do your part. Number one, we have 306 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 1: to walk in obedience, of course, and number two, you 307 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 1: have to be looking for God's goodness. Some of you, 308 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 1: this is exactly what's holding you back. You're not expecting 309 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 1: anything good. You're not expecting your marriage to get better. 310 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:47,199 Speaker 1: You're not expecting your dreams and desires to come to pass. 311 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 1: And without the right expectations, we lose our enthusiasm for life, 312 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 1: we lose our passion. That's why many people are just 313 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 1: dragging through the day. The scripture says, this hope deferred 314 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 1: makes the heart sick. One definition of hope is happy 315 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 1: anticipation of something good. When you're anticipating something good, it's 316 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:11,679 Speaker 1: going to give you joy. It's going to give you 317 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: enthusiasm when you know God's working behind the scenes, arranging 318 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 1: things in your favor, about to bring your dreams to pass, 319 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: then you'll go out with expectancy, with a spring in 320 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:27,600 Speaker 1: your step. But if you're not anticipating anything good, you'll 321 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 1: just rag through the day, going through the motions of life. 322 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:35,879 Speaker 1: No joy, no enthusiasm, no passion. Friends, God has created 323 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: us to have something good to look forward to. You 324 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:42,920 Speaker 1: need to stir up the dreams and desires that He's 325 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 1: placed in your hearts, and every day you should anticipate 326 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:51,160 Speaker 1: God's showing up and doing great things in your life. 327 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 1: He's longing to be good to you. He's searching right 328 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: now for someone to shower his blessings and favor. The 329 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: question is are you looking for God's goodness? Somebody asked 330 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 1: me one time, Joel, what's the secret of your success? 331 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,399 Speaker 1: What's the secret of God's favor on your life? I 332 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,480 Speaker 1: told them two things. Number one, I've always done my 333 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,920 Speaker 1: best to keep my heart pure before God. And number two, 334 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: I've learned this principle of expecting good things. I've done 335 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 1: it so long it's ingrained in my thinking, even in 336 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: my subconscious mind. All through the day, I'm expecting God's favor. 337 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: I'm expecting blessings, I'm expecting good breaks, and just as 338 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,680 Speaker 1: you train yourself to expect the worst, you can train 339 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 1: yourself to expect the best. And I don't say this arrogantly, 340 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: but I expect people to like me. Maybe I naive, 341 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 1: I don't know, but do me a favor and leave 342 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 1: me in my ignorance. When I go somewhere, I don't 343 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:55,919 Speaker 1: have these walls up, defensive, intimidated, insecure. They're probably not 344 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: gonna like me. They're probably talking about me right now. No, 345 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 1: I expect God's favor to cause people to be drawn 346 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: to me. I expect when people turn me on on 347 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,160 Speaker 1: the television, they won't be able to turn me off. 348 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:13,199 Speaker 1: I expect. I expect when people see my books in 349 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:15,439 Speaker 1: the stores, they'll be drawn to it want to read them. 350 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: I'm talking about having an attitude of expecting good things. 351 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,880 Speaker 1: I don't know about you, but I'm expecting this year 352 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 1: to be better than last year. I'm expecting God's blessings 353 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 1: to overtake us. I'm expecting us to rise to new 354 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: levels in our careers, in our finances, in our relationships. 355 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:38,440 Speaker 1: I'm expecting our children to be mighty in the land. 356 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: I'm expecting God to take our ministry where no ministry's 357 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:48,120 Speaker 1: gone before. I'm expecting us to overcome every obstacle. I'm 358 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:52,360 Speaker 1: expecting us to fulfill every dream, every desire God's put 359 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: in our hearts. Some of you today you need to 360 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 1: get your expector out. That thing needs to be overhauled. 361 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: You hadn't used it in six months. You need to 362 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 1: start expecting greater things for your own life. Start expecting 363 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:09,640 Speaker 1: to rise higher. Start expecting every enemy in your life 364 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: to be defeated. Start expecting supernatural opportunities. Start expecting favor 365 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: at work, favor at home, favor at the grocery store, 366 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:23,640 Speaker 1: favor on the freeway. God's longing to be good to you. 367 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: He's looking out over the heavens right now. But you've 368 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 1: got to get in position. What's the position expectancy. That's 369 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: what gets God's attention. You remember the lady in March 370 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: chapter five. She had been sick for twelve years with 371 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: some kind of bleeding disorder. The doctors had told her 372 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 1: there's nothing more they could do. Now she's at home, 373 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 1: no doubt, thinking that it's over. She could have easily 374 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:49,879 Speaker 1: gone back to bed, depressed, defeated, but she did exactly 375 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: what we're talking about. She heard that Jesus was passing 376 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:57,120 Speaker 1: through her town, and she started saying to herself over 377 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: and over, I know if I can get to him, 378 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:04,160 Speaker 1: I will be made whole. What was she doing? Releasing 379 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:08,160 Speaker 1: her faith expecting to get better. She fought her way 380 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: through the crowd and eventually got to Jesus and touched 381 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: the edge of his robe, and instantly she was made home. 382 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: Jesus stopped and said to his disciples, who just touched me? 383 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: They were kind of confused, They said, Jesus, his crowd 384 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: and everybody's touching you. He said, no, somebody touched me 385 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 1: with such faith, with such expectancy that they drew the 386 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:33,960 Speaker 1: supernatural power right out of mere friends. When we live 387 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: with expectancy, we can stop God in his tracks. When 388 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: we expect good things, it gets God's attention. If you're 389 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:46,680 Speaker 1: facing a sickness today, don't sit back expecting the worst. Hell, Joel, 390 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 1: I'll probably never get better. I got a bad report. 391 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:52,480 Speaker 1: Now let me give you another report. With God, all 392 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: things are possible. God's report says you will live and 393 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: not die and declare the works of the Lord. Why 394 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: don't you start expecting God to turn it around instead 395 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 1: of expecting the worst. Start expecting God to bring you 396 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 1: out of it better off than you were before. Some 397 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:13,960 Speaker 1: of you today you are not expecting enough. You need 398 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 1: to raise your level of expectancy. You've gotten too easily satisfied. 399 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: God's been good to you in the past. You feel 400 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:25,120 Speaker 1: very blessed, and there's this tendency to just sit back 401 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 1: and kind of coast. But let me assure you. God 402 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:32,439 Speaker 1: has more in store. He's trying to stir your faith. 403 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 1: He's trying to convince you to believe for new levels. 404 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:40,680 Speaker 1: You have not seen your greatest accomplishments. Yet there are 405 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:44,680 Speaker 1: new mountains to climb, there are new horizons to explore. 406 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: God's dream for your life is so much bigger than 407 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:53,639 Speaker 1: your own. Don't stop believing. Don't let past disappointments steal 408 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 1: the dreams out of your heart. Don't let what somebody 409 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,080 Speaker 1: did to you cause you to get soured on life. 410 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:03,640 Speaker 1: God is still in control. He's saying, if you will 411 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:07,119 Speaker 1: raise your level of expectancy, he'll take you places that 412 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 1: you've never even dreamed of, says in Isaiah fifty four 413 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 1: to two. Enlarge the place of your tents, Let the 414 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 1: curtains of your habitation be stretched forth, spare not lengthen 415 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 1: your cords, strengthen your stakes. What's God saying, get ready 416 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:28,479 Speaker 1: for more, make room for increase, enlarge your tents. In 417 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 1: other words, start expecting more favor, start expecting supernatural breaks, 418 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: Start expecting negative situations to turn around. It may not 419 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:41,119 Speaker 1: have happened in the past, but God is saying it 420 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 1: can happen in the future. Don't get stuck in a rut. 421 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 1: God doesn't want us to be at this same place 422 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: next year as we are right now. He wants to 423 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:54,439 Speaker 1: increase you. He wants to give you more influence. He 424 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: wants you to be better off in your health, in 425 00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: your relationships, in your finances, reached your limits. There are 426 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:04,439 Speaker 1: gifts and talents on the inside of you right now 427 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 1: that you've not yet tapped into. You are full of 428 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 1: incredible potential, and some of you have had a lot 429 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:13,159 Speaker 1: of negative things come against you, and it's tried to 430 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:17,240 Speaker 1: steal those seeds of greatness. But I believe today something 431 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 1: new is happening on the inside. Those seeds are taken 432 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:24,479 Speaker 1: root in a greater way. Faith is rising in your hearts. 433 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:26,919 Speaker 1: You need to draw the line in the sand and 434 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:30,680 Speaker 1: say that's it. I'm done with low expectations. I'm done 435 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:34,520 Speaker 1: with living in mediocrity. I'm expecting more of God's favor. 436 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:39,640 Speaker 1: I'm expecting his goodness to overtake me. I'm expecting this 437 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: year to be my best year so far. Friends, God 438 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 1: works where there's an attitude of faith. If we're not 439 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,679 Speaker 1: expecting to rise any higher, then it'll keep us right 440 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 1: where we are. Psalm thirty one nineteen says God has 441 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: blessings stored up for those that honor him. I believe 442 00:25:56,800 --> 00:26:00,160 Speaker 1: today you're going to begin to walk into your blessings 443 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 1: that God has already stored up for you because you've 444 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 1: honored God by living a life of integrity, by expecting 445 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: good things. And I believe you're gonna come into new 446 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 1: levels of favor. I believe that you're gonna see supernatural 447 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 1: doors begin to open. You're gonna overcome obstacles that you 448 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: once thought were impossible. You're gonna see God do new, 449 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 1: unusual things in your life. When you go out each day, 450 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 1: you need to just imagine, right now in your path, 451 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:33,879 Speaker 1: there are blessings, favor, increase, promotion. They already have your 452 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 1: name on it. It's just a matter of time before 453 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: you come across them. Keep believing, keep expecting. Don't fear 454 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,680 Speaker 1: bad news, don't expect the worst. We're gonna have exactly 455 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 1: what we expect. Let's get up every morning and just 456 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 1: declare it by faith. Something good is going to happen 457 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 1: to me today, then all through the day. Don't expect 458 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: trouble to overtake you. Expect God's blessings to overtake you. 459 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:59,680 Speaker 1: Don't expect calamity to chase you down. Expect goodness and 460 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 1: mercy to chase you down. If you'll raise your level 461 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 1: of expectancy instead of expecting the worst, expect the best. 462 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: I know God's gonna pour out his blessings in favor. 463 00:27:10,119 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: You're gonna rise to new levels, and you're gonna live 464 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 1: the life of victory he has in story. Amen, can 465 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 1: you say them in today? Or we never like to 466 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:22,200 Speaker 1: close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make 467 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:24,919 Speaker 1: Jesus the lord of your life. Would you pray with me? 468 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 1: Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come 469 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, 470 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:37,840 Speaker 1: if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 471 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:41,120 Speaker 1: born again. Get in a good Bible based church. Keep 472 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 1: God first place. He's gonna take your places that you've 473 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:44,679 Speaker 1: never dreamed of. 474 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 2: God's healing isn't earned, it's received, and you can discover 475 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:52,760 Speaker 2: how in the next thirty one days. 476 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:57,760 Speaker 1: Life has a way of wearing us down physically, mentally, emotionally. 477 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,399 Speaker 1: But God didn't create us to just but to thrive. 478 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:05,919 Speaker 1: I'm excited about our new devotional, Happy, Healthy and Free. 479 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 1: For thirty one days, I'll take you on a wellness 480 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:12,919 Speaker 1: journey for your spirit, body, and soul. It's filled with 481 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: daily declarations, scriptures, encouragement. As you get your mind in 482 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:22,880 Speaker 1: tune with what God says, you'll experience a refreshing, a revitalization. 483 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:28,240 Speaker 1: You are created to be strong, to be passionate, to live, happy, healthy, 484 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:29,200 Speaker 1: and free. 485 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 2: When you contact us today, we'll send you Happy, Healthy 486 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 2: and Free a thirty one day wellness journey as a 487 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 2: way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount. 488 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:44,240 Speaker 2: This devotional will help you strengthen your faith, declare God's promises, 489 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 2: and receive the healing He's already made available to you spirit, soul, 490 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 2: and body. God wants you whole, and this resource will 491 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 2: help you experience His peace from the inside out. Please 492 00:28:56,920 --> 00:29:00,920 Speaker 2: request your copy today. Begin a life receiving life giving 493 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 2: journey that will transform your spirit, mind and body. In 494 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 2: just thirty one days. 495 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 1: God is going to restore what the enemy tried to steal, 496 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: your joy, your peace, your health. Detoy and I pray 497 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:16,680 Speaker 1: for you and your family every day. Thanks so much 498 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 1: for your prayer and support. Your generosity is bringing hope 499 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: to people around the world. Special thank you to our 500 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 1: Champion of Hope partners for your monthly gifts. If you're 501 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one. Remember 502 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 1: you can watch the services online every Sunday morning, download 503 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 1: our daily podcast, watch on YouTube the new Joel Ostein 504 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 1: network social media. You can listen on Serious XM twenty 505 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: four hours a day. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired 506 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 1: until we see you next time. Mad The Lord bless 507 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:49,520 Speaker 1: you and keep you. 508 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:54,560 Speaker 2: Be sure to request your copy of Happy, Healthy and Free, 509 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 2: a thirty one day wellness Journey. Visit Joelostein dot com 510 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:02,920 Speaker 2: or call eight date five six seven Joel for an 511 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 2: additional gift. This month, we are also offering the Wholeness 512 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 2: and Promise Bundle, which includes the Happy, Healthy and Free 513 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 2: book plus the Words of Promise Journal, a beautifully designed 514 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 2: journal where you can reflect, record prayers, and speak life 515 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 2: over your future. You can also request the Happy, Healthy, 516 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:25,880 Speaker 2: and Free collection, featuring the devotional, the journal, and a 517 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 2: beautifully crafted set of three desktop encouragement blocks. Each whitewashed 518 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 2: wooden block displays one powerful word happy, Healthy, and Free, 519 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,560 Speaker 2: along with a carefully chosen scripture. Place them in your 520 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 2: home or workspace as daily reminders of God's promises for 521 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 2: your life. You can request these life changing resources by 522 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 2: calling eight eight eight five six seven Joel or logging 523 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:55,400 Speaker 2: on to Joelostein dot com today. Call or click any 524 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:58,920 Speaker 2: time twenty four hours a day. This is your season 525 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 2: to rise strong, live later, and walk daily in God's 526 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 2: healing and peace. Request your copies today. 527 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 1: If you're a pastor, we'd like to invite you to 528 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: our Pastor's gathering. We'd be honored to spend the day 529 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 1: with you here at Lakewood. We'll share some of the 530 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,800 Speaker 1: things we've learned, insights and behind the scenes. Be a 531 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:35,200 Speaker 1: time of inspiration and encouragement. We'd love to meet you