1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Elevation Church Podcast. We've got a special 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: bonus podcast for you today from our very own Hollyfordict. 3 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: She recently shared this message with the women of our 4 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: church at our annual event called Reflect. But this message 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 1: is for everyone. We're excited for you to hear it 6 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: and learn how we can all end this year strong. 7 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: Enjoy the message? Are you ready for a message? All right? God, 8 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: we thank you so much that we can be here 9 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 1: together tonight. And together looks different this year, but together 10 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:37,599 Speaker 1: this year is beautiful because you are here, and you 11 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: are in our presence, and you are coming together with 12 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: us across our screens and across our worlds. And so God, 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: we unite our hearts together, we unite our faith together, 14 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: and we open up our minds in our ears because 15 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: we want to hear from you. Lord. Would you speak 16 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: to us now, say Jesus, and my prayam many. All right, 17 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: So twenty twenty it's been a really special year. And 18 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: I don't know if you're like me, but I am 19 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: just really thankful that it's November. Not that I think 20 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: that the clock is gonna, you know, strike twenty twenty one, 21 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: and all of this crazy madness is going to go away. 22 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: But as the year winds down and I'm beginning to 23 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: reflect on the last nine months, I'm like, wow, a 24 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: lot of crazy stuff happened, and like, you know, crazy good, crazy, weird, 25 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: crazy bad, And you know what, though, I'd like to 26 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 1: focus on the good stuff that have happened. There have 27 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: been some really cool moments, right, And we've had some 28 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: great conversations with our families being forced to be together, 29 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: and we've made some great memories. And I'm just starting 30 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: to see that, in spite of all the craziness, all 31 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: the madness, that I have actually learned a few new 32 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: things this year. Did anybody else learn anything new this year? Like? 33 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: Did anybody learn how to cook this year? My friendly 34 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: this year? She called me the today, she's a holly. 35 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: I cooked four times this week? Aren't you proud of me? 36 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: Did anyone learn how to teach kindergarten this year? Did 37 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: anyone learn how to cook, teach kindergarten and work remotely 38 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: all at the same time? And I don't know if 39 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:20,920 Speaker 1: I would say that I like mastered those things, but 40 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: I did give it my best shot. It's suft for 41 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: the kindergarten part, Thank god. I don't have any kindergarteners. 42 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: But I did also learn how to remove my own fingernails. 43 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 1: I mean not the actual nail, but you know that 44 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: like heavy nail polish that we love to get put on. 45 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,839 Speaker 1: And so I thought that we could take a few 46 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: moments to look back at all of the beauty blunders 47 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty. As I get started, you know, I 48 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,920 Speaker 1: like to start with something funny, and this is reflect 49 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 1: and so it's good to laugh at ourselves. So I'll 50 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: start with myself. Here's a picture that I posted back 51 00:02:53,919 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: in March on Instagram. There I am two hours, two 52 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: hours with foil. I was completely incapacitated with foil on 53 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: my fingers, soaking those bad boys off because I didn't 54 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: have the little drill you know that they use and 55 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: get them off in twenty minutes. Did anyone just chew 56 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: their nails off? Be honest, Type it in the chat. 57 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: Just give me the teeth, EMOCHI, Okay, type it in 58 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: the chat. So now I've been honest with you. Type 59 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: it in the chat. If you attempted to wax your 60 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: own eyebrows, cut your own bangs. We saw some really 61 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: bad bang cuts on Instagram. Abby and I one night 62 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: we wanted to experiment, so we put a semi permanent 63 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: pink hair dye on her hair. And Amy has a 64 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: lot of hair, and it turned out really great, except 65 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: that I spent the next two weeks trying to get 66 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: the dye out of my kitchen sink. So that was 67 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: a little beauty blender for me. Did anyone else attempt 68 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: to dye their own hair? I read that Madison read 69 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: that's a company that sells at home air kids. Adrian 70 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: said she dyed her own hair. Their profits increased seven 71 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty percent during the spring. Of all of 72 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: you trying to dye your hair at home, how many 73 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: of you took the approach that, no matter what, you 74 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: were going to wait it out. I think you were 75 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: the same women who realized how many days you could 76 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 1: actually go without showering before anyone in your family noticed. 77 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: I love memes, and I love I try to fill 78 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 1: my Instagram feed with things that make me laugh. So 79 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: I wanted to share with you my absolute favorite meme 80 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: of quarantine. It says coming out of quarantine like So, 81 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: I want to know which one you related to the best. 82 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: Is it the brows or the roots or the eyelashes 83 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: and the fingernails. So okay, the men have no clue 84 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: how hard quarantine was on us. It was. There were 85 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: some really hard things that we went through and that 86 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: we had to learn. Put that slide back up because 87 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: my message to and my inspiration from my message comes 88 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 1: from that top right picture. So I want you to 89 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 1: type it in the chat if you can relate to 90 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 1: needing to get your roots done. I took to Instagram 91 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: to ask some of you to send me pictures of 92 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 1: your roots, and that was hilarious. I laughed so hard 93 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: that I snorted Chelsea Reynolds, mostly at your picture that 94 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: you sent me. Would you like to see a couple 95 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: of them that people said me? I did get these 96 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: ladies permission, by the way. Okay, so here we go. 97 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: I just want to highlight a couple just you guys 98 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: can go through go through it a little faster. Just 99 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: got to see some of these ladies up close. Her 100 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: eyelashes look good, though. Let's see another one. Oh, I 101 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: like that one. My friend Jess Stack, he was our 102 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: campus pastor wife in Raleigh. She wins the prize for 103 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: the longest routs during quarantine, and she did tell me 104 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:59,160 Speaker 1: that I could share this picture although, fun fact, I 105 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: got it from her because I texted my friend who's 106 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: her hairdresser. I said, did you get there's Jess? Did 107 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:06,159 Speaker 1: you get any good pictures of people with risins? She 108 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:10,119 Speaker 1: sent me this picture of Jess, and bless your heart, Jess, 109 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 1: thanks for sharing that picture with you. Tonight, it is 110 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 1: time for a root check. So look at your neighbor 111 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: if you're sitting with someone, and say, let me check 112 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: your roots. If you're watching on zoom, just put your 113 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 1: head up to the camp. I'm just kidding. You don't 114 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 1: have to do that, but do turn in your Bible 115 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: to Jeremiah seventeen, verse seven. Let me get mine up here, 116 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: Here we go. I just got a little verse I 117 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:41,720 Speaker 1: want to read. You says this, But blessed is the 118 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 119 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: They will be like a tree planted by the water 120 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 1: that sends out its roots by the stream. It does 121 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,799 Speaker 1: not fear when heat comes. Its leaves are always green, 122 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: It has no worries in a year of drought, and 123 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: it never fails to bear. I love the Bible, and 124 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:06,039 Speaker 1: I love this passage because it paints for us a 125 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: beautiful picture of a person who is like a tree. 126 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: And I want to be a tree that has roots 127 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: that go so deep that no matter what the world 128 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 1: throws at me, no matter what happens to me, I 129 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: can operate from a place of strength. And it is November, ladies, 130 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: and we all know that this is the busiest season 131 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: of the year, and it's in the middle of the 132 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: craziest year ever. And I just was wondering if there's 133 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: anybody else out there, And you're like me, and you're like, 134 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: by god, I'm going to finish this year strong. Are 135 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 1: you with me? So denight we're going to talk about 136 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: how to have roots that never fail to bear fruit. 137 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: It's easy to be to say that you want to 138 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: be a woman with roots, you know, like that woman 139 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: who can just handle business, a woman who's a source 140 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: of strength for everyone around her, not somebody who's perfect, 141 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: but just you never you know, anyone it just seems 142 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 1: to have poised no matter what happens to her. We 143 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: all want to be that kind of woman that seems 144 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: to just be able to handle any situation. Can you 145 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: think of a woman in your life who has roots, 146 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: a woman who has weathered some storms and some droughts, 147 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: but always seems to come out on the other side 148 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: bearing fruit. Have you ever thought like, I don't know 149 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: how she does it. I don't know how she handles it. 150 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 1: I can tell you this right now. Strong women do 151 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 1: not happen by accident. Like, Okay, do you know a 152 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: woman who has a killer body? What is the thing 153 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: that everyone asks her? How do you do it? Why 154 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 1: do we ask this question? Like we all know the 155 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:53,599 Speaker 1: answer to this question. The answer is diet and exercise. 156 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: Anyone who has ABS does not eat French fries. And 157 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: yet I keep like, maybe there's she has found some 158 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:08,559 Speaker 1: you know, magic tea that just shrinks her belly after 159 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 1: she eats the French fress. Strength does not happen overnight. 160 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 1: It happens over time, day in and day out, staying faithful, 161 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:23,440 Speaker 1: staying present, working on becoming the best version of yourself 162 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: that you can be. And this is hard work because 163 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 1: the easy thing to do is to just blame others 164 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: for my situation. The easy thing to do is to 165 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: stay angry and to stay easily offended by every little 166 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:42,560 Speaker 1: thing that doesn't go our way. It's also easy to 167 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 1: try really hard for one day. Have you ever done this? Like, Okay, 168 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna wake up at five and I'm gonna read 169 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 1: my Bible and I'm gonna pray and I'm gonna fast too, 170 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 1: and then by noon you are on the phone screaming 171 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: at customer service driving through McDonald's. I have now you 172 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: Gus McDonalds. I'm just you said you were gonna fast, 173 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: and now you're driving to McDonald's. And you know, it's like, 174 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,359 Speaker 1: I remember the first time I took a group fitness class. 175 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: Remember I've told you I've never been MVP before. Okay, 176 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: So I did not take my first group fitness class 177 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: until I was over thirty. And there was this woman 178 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: that went to our church and she taught this class 179 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: called body Pump. And anybody ever take body pump before. 180 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: It's not very popular class anymore, but at the time 181 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: there was this class where you would lift weights to music. 182 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: So I show up at the class and the instructor 183 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: comes over to me. She was not one of those 184 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: people who ate French fries, and she just says to me, 185 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: she was like, hey, listen, just start light. You can 186 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: even just use the bar because the weights can get 187 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: really heavy. And I was like, I can do this 188 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: with the weights. I mean, I don't want to look stupid, 189 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 1: and so very stubbornly I completed the class with the weights. 190 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 1: I probably look stupid anyway trying to do it with 191 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: the weights. And when I tell you that I was 192 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: sore when I was walking to my car. Oh, guys, 193 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 1: when I woke up the next morning, I said to 194 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,199 Speaker 1: my husband, I said, I think I am the flu. 195 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 1: I could not move like I could not move for 196 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: about a week. I could barely go up the stairs. 197 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:32,079 Speaker 1: I was like an old lady. My kids were like, 198 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: there were babies at the time. They were like, mommy, 199 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: I'm like, kid, do it. I don't think I went 200 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 1: back to that class for like a year. That's not 201 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: how you build strength. That's not how you get strong 202 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 1: by going to one class one time. You get strong 203 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: little by little, day by day. A tree doesn't grow overnight. 204 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: A tree takes the time to put down roots. And 205 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 1: if you want to be a strong woman, a woman 206 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 1: who fights for the things in your life that are 207 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 1: important to you, you're going to have to have some roots. 208 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: Time under tension creates strength. And Jeremiah says that this 209 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,199 Speaker 1: tree is planted by the water, and it sends out 210 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:16,199 Speaker 1: its roots by the stream. You see. The most important 211 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: part of the tree happens below the surface. It happens 212 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: in the places where people cannot see. And I want 213 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: us to finish this year strong. I don't want to 214 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: go limping across the finish line into twenty twenty. I 215 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: want to look back on this year and say, you 216 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: know what, twenty twenty threw some stuff at me, but 217 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 1: I think I'm stronger for it. How do we do this? 218 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: How do we do this? We've got to check our roots. 219 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:44,319 Speaker 1: So I want you to turn in your Bible to 220 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: Luke chapter one, and I want to show you a 221 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:53,559 Speaker 1: woman who had weathered some pretty tough droughts and storms. 222 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:56,559 Speaker 1: And I believe that she has a few things that 223 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: she can teach us tonight about how to have some 224 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:02,680 Speaker 1: deep roots. So we're gonna look at the life of Mary. 225 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: Start with me. In verse twenty six, it says this, 226 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 1: in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the 227 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in gallery Galilee, to 228 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:15,840 Speaker 1: a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, 229 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The 230 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: angel went to her and said, greetings, you are highly favored. 231 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: The Lord is with you. And Mary was greatly troubled 232 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: at his words and wondered what kind of greetingness might be. 233 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 1: But the Angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary, 234 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 1: for you have found favor with God. You will conceive 235 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: and give birth to a son, and you are to 236 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:44,920 Speaker 1: call him Jesus. He will be great, and he will 237 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord 238 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:48,880 Speaker 1: God will give him the throne of his father David, 239 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:52,439 Speaker 1: and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever. His kingdom 240 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: will never end. How can this be, Mary asks the angel, 241 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 1: Since I am a virgin, and the Angel and the 242 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 1: Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of 243 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 1: the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one 244 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:10,199 Speaker 1: to be born will be called the Son of God. 245 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a child, 246 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: and her own her old age, and she who has 247 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: said to be unable to conceive as in her sixth month, 248 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: for no word from God will ever fail. I am 249 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: the Lord's servant, Mary said, May your word to me 250 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: be fulfilled, and then the Angel left her. Mary had 251 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: a massive calling on her life. She was going to 252 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: be the mother of the Messiah. She was going to 253 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: raise God. I don't know what it's like to raise God. 254 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: I do know what it's like to attempt to raise children, 255 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:53,160 Speaker 1: and that is a massive calling. And we know nothing 256 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 1: about Mary prior to this passage of scripture. As the 257 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: story unfolds, we find out that she's a girl for 258 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: Nazareth who's engaged to be married, and an angel comes 259 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: to her and says, greeting, Have you ever thought about 260 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 1: all of the ways that God spoke to people in 261 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: the Bible up until this point, up until Jesus came. 262 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: He spoke through dreams, he spoke through a burning bush, 263 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: he spoke through a talking donkey, he spoke through writing 264 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: on the wall, and even occasionally an audible voice. But 265 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 1: we come to this passage and we find Mary and 266 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 1: where was she when the angel came to her? What 267 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: was she doing? The passage doesn't say that she was 268 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: in church, or that she was kneeling in prayer, that 269 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: she was sleeping and he came to her in a dream. 270 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: It just simply says that an angel came to her. 271 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 1: And I wonder if God just knew that he could 272 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: interrupt any old day in Mary's life that she had 273 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 1: such an awareness of God's presence that she was ready 274 00:15:55,560 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 1: to receive from him during her everyday life. And I'm 275 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 1: just wondering, are you aware of God's presence in your 276 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 1: everyday life? Or is your day so loud and so 277 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: crowded and so back to back to back that God 278 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 1: would have to strike lightning to get your attention. It's 279 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: so popular for us to talk about self care right now, 280 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: and self care it really is important. But what if 281 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: self care was not about a girl's night out or 282 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: a day at the spa. What if self care was 283 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: not letting your calendar get so full? What if self 284 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: care was about saying no to another thing that you 285 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 1: were asked to do, or another sports team for your kid. 286 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 1: What if self care is about taking a break from 287 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: social media. I'm talking to myself. But if you think 288 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: that being aware of God's presence means that you get 289 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 1: up and pray at five am, that's great and if 290 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: you can do that, you should. I think getting up 291 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 1: is awesome. I just can't do it. I have tried, 292 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:08,440 Speaker 1: and when I get up early, I just fall back asleep. 293 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if I splash cold 294 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:15,119 Speaker 1: water on my face doesn't matter. I mean, I just 295 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: can't get up early. And I do think that setting 296 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: aside time to read and study God's word and pray 297 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 1: and listen to music. I do believe that those things 298 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: are essential for my strength, and I do practice those 299 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: things in my everyday life. It's just that I have 300 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 1: to look for pockets. You may not have an hour 301 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 1: to spend every day in prayer and on your knees, 302 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: and it's a beautiful thing, like I said, if you do, 303 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: But do you have any pockets? Like? What do you 304 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: do on your commute to work? What do you do 305 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: when you're sitting at your kids sports practice. I've sat 306 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 1: at a lot of sports practices and play Candy Crush 307 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:57,959 Speaker 1: on my phone. I'm just gonna be honest with you. 308 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: What is playing in the background while you're doing laundry? 309 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: What do you do on your lunch break at work? 310 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 1: Who do you talk to or what do you watch? 311 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 1: Are you pulling up are you pulling up the news 312 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:12,120 Speaker 1: or Netflix or Instagram or even here's a really hard 313 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 1: one for me to say. What's the last thing you 314 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 1: do before you fall asleep at night? Mary had space 315 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 1: in her life for God. And we live in a 316 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: day and time where we are so lucky because we 317 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 1: can fill the space in our life with the most 318 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:33,439 Speaker 1: amazing summons from the most incredible preachers around the world, 319 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: and worship music is at our fingertips and audio books 320 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 1: and podcasts. But if you don't have a plan, then 321 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:43,119 Speaker 1: you're gonna end up scrolling feeds during every extra second 322 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:47,680 Speaker 1: that you have during your day. And while I am 323 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 1: on the topic about making space in your life, I 324 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:56,399 Speaker 1: just want to say that some of us, I feel like, 325 00:18:57,359 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 1: are letting church slip through our fingers. When we first 326 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 1: went into quarantine, you got up early and you got 327 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:07,720 Speaker 1: your family up, or you got to your kitchen table 328 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: and you had your coffee and you had your TV on, 329 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:14,399 Speaker 1: and you gave God your full attention. But now maybe 330 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: you're just catching it later on YouTube. And by the way, 331 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:21,880 Speaker 1: our buildings are open. I don't know if you knew that. 332 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 1: But also, just about every church that I know is 333 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: somehow safely meeting together. And if you're not careful, if 334 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 1: you let the important things slip through your fingers, you're 335 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 1: gonna find yourself in a very difficult storm and you're 336 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: not gonna have the roots to get you through because 337 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,719 Speaker 1: you have not made God's presence a priority in your life. 338 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:47,640 Speaker 1: It's time for us to wake up, ladies and position 339 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:51,360 Speaker 1: ourselves to hear God speak to us. Because the strength 340 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,399 Speaker 1: that you need in the next season is that we're 341 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:57,360 Speaker 1: right here in the things that God is speaking to you. Now, 342 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 1: are you aware? Mary aware? And the Angel comes to 343 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 1: her and tells her you have found favor with God. 344 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 1: You're gonna give birth to the son of the Most High, 345 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: and the power of the Holy Spirit is gonna come 346 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: upon you. And what did Mary say? She said, I 347 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: am the Lord's servant. Made a word to me, be fulfilled. Now, 348 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,760 Speaker 1: if they were me, if I were married, when the 349 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,120 Speaker 1: Angel came to me and said that, I'm not sure 350 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:31,359 Speaker 1: that I am the Lord's servant, would be the first 351 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: thing out of my mouth. You know, like, I have 352 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: some things that I would want to know, like if 353 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 1: you qualifying? Like God, did you know that I'm just 354 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: a girl and I don't know nothing about raising no baby? 355 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: Or God? Did you? Did you? I don't think anybody's 356 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 1: gonna believe me. I mean, a virgin pregnant. How is 357 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: that gonna go? God? I mean, I'm not good enough. 358 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: I'm not shruck, I'm not smart enough. What about my past? 359 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: What about the things that I've done, the mistakes that 360 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,199 Speaker 1: have Mammy, God, you don't want to use me? I 361 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: mean I think that you could use her, or you know, 362 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 1: I was actually thinking Lord, that that maybe I could 363 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 1: have a more upfront calling than rather like behind the 364 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: scenes calling. Maybe God, I could be a prophetess instead 365 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 1: of a diaper changer. But Mary accepted the calling that 366 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: God had placed on her life. And you've got to 367 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 1: have the root of acceptance in your life because if 368 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 1: you don't, you're going to abandon your calling at the 369 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: first sign of trouble. Because the thing about a calling 370 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: is your calling is only for you. You can't trade 371 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 1: it for someone else's. Although I know sometimes we look 372 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: at somebody else you're like, God, Okay, why didn't you 373 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:55,359 Speaker 1: call me to do that? That looks like so much 374 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: more fun than than this. You can't return it for 375 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:03,359 Speaker 1: a different one. I like to return things. It's like 376 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 1: a habit that I have. I like to order things 377 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: online and then try them on and then return them. 378 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: You can't return your calling. You can either reject it 379 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 1: or you can accept it. And I am so guilty 380 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: of rejecting my own calling. Not outright, of course, I 381 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 1: mean like, of course Mary was never gonna be like God, 382 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,239 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna do that. It's more subtle. It's not 383 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: like Jonah, who went in the opposite direction of where 384 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: God was calling him. I think I can just sometimes 385 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:39,640 Speaker 1: let myself get stuck, and some days, if I'm being honest, 386 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: I'm unwilling to put in the work that's required to 387 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 1: accomplish the things that God wants me to do. I'm 388 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:49,880 Speaker 1: just gonna say it this way. It's kind of hard 389 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 1: for you to come out of my mouth, but I'm 390 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:55,399 Speaker 1: lazy and I would rather watch YouTube videos of someone 391 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 1: else's day in the life than actually live mine with 392 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 1: the purpose that God has given me. Someday, Just can 393 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 1: I be honest? I mean, is anybody with me? And 394 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 1: some of you were giving me the praise hands that 395 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 1: it took me years. There were years where I just 396 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: simply did not want to put in the work that 397 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:16,160 Speaker 1: was required to preach a good sermon. My husband would 398 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:17,399 Speaker 1: be like, I want to you to preach. I'm like God, 399 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,399 Speaker 1: I'm not good at preaching, But you know what it 400 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 1: takes work to write a good sermon, and you know 401 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,200 Speaker 1: what else it takes to put a good sermon together, 402 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:30,399 Speaker 1: reading your Bible. But at the time, I think it 403 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:33,679 Speaker 1: was easier for me to hide behind the idea that 404 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,400 Speaker 1: I wasn't good enough, that I didn't have what it takes. 405 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:42,399 Speaker 1: Was that really it, I'm not sure that it was. 406 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,159 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm sure that I struggled to have confidence, 407 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 1: but I really don't think that I was willing to 408 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,119 Speaker 1: put in the work to live out the things that 409 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 1: God was calling me to do. And you're enough. You 410 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: have everything that you need to do what God is 411 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,680 Speaker 1: calling you to do, but it doesn't mean that it's 412 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:10,359 Speaker 1: not going to be hard. Repetition over time creates strength, 413 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 1: and you might be thinking like, well, I don't really 414 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:15,000 Speaker 1: know what I'm called to do. I have an answer 415 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:19,440 Speaker 1: for you. It's really simple. You're called to do whatever 416 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 1: God has placed in your life right now. Not one 417 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: day when I get married, not one day when I 418 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: have more money, not one day when I have my 419 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 1: own house I'll have people over. I just want you 420 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,040 Speaker 1: to hear me say tonight, the best person to raise 421 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:39,439 Speaker 1: your kids, is you, the best person to do your job? 422 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:43,399 Speaker 1: Is you the best person to speak up for that 423 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: cause that's just so burden on your heart. That's your calling. 424 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:52,159 Speaker 1: It's you. You are called to the place that you 425 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:56,680 Speaker 1: are right now. Your high school, your neighborhood, your co workers. 426 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:01,119 Speaker 1: They need to see you confidently in the calling that 427 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: God has given you. And when you go through something hard, 428 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 1: all the people around you are going to see your 429 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: strength and your resilience and your dependence on God as 430 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:17,240 Speaker 1: you go through whatever your challenges are. Challenges are unavoidable 431 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 1: in life. And we like to think that of Mary 432 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:24,159 Speaker 1: when the Angel visited her, and how glorious and beautiful 433 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 1: that was. But what about Mary when nobody did believe 434 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 1: her that she was pregnant? What about that hard part? 435 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: What about the part where Mary had to give birth 436 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 1: to a baby in a barn? I mean talk about 437 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,719 Speaker 1: giving birth during COVID. Mary gave birth to a baby 438 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 1: in a barn. What about the hard part where Mary 439 00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 1: stood at the foot of the cross and watched her 440 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:51,359 Speaker 1: son experience the most unimaginable pain and rejection. And I 441 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 1: believe that it was in those moments that Mary had 442 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 1: to come back to that encounter with the angel and 443 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:01,159 Speaker 1: she had to remember what she was chosen for. She 444 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: said all right, I am the Lord's servant. Write this down. 445 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: This is deep, This is really deep. I can do 446 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:20,920 Speaker 1: hard things. You can You can do hard things. Nobody 447 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 1: ever said that a calling was easy. Having a calling 448 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,520 Speaker 1: requires you to have strength so that you can move 449 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 1: through the difficult times. And the minute that Mary accepted 450 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:42,879 Speaker 1: her calling, she went into action. Look at this all right, 451 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:47,040 Speaker 1: So we've got verse thirty eight, and Mary says, I 452 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:50,200 Speaker 1: am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled? 453 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 1: And then the angel left her. At that time, Mary 454 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 1: got ready and hurried to a town in the hill 455 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 1: country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 456 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:06,639 Speaker 1: Let me ask you a question. When God gives you 457 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:14,360 Speaker 1: a direction, what is your response? Time. God uses people 458 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:19,159 Speaker 1: who hear his word and move, and it starts with 459 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:22,160 Speaker 1: the small things, because if you can't hear and act 460 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 1: in the small things, then you won't be able to 461 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:26,639 Speaker 1: do it in the big things. I promise you. I 462 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 1: know you think if God just call me to do 463 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 1: something big, then I would do it. But I don't 464 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 1: want to do this small thing. But let me tell you, 465 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:36,199 Speaker 1: the small things are practiced for the big things. And 466 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 1: I just wonder tonight, what is the last small thing 467 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 1: that God asked you to do. Maybe he asked you 468 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 1: to apologize to someone. Did you do it? Maybe he 469 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:48,159 Speaker 1: asked you to begin the process of forgiveness. And I 470 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 1: know that forgiveness is complicated, and I'm not saying they 471 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 1: have to go, you know, be friends with that person again. 472 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: But maybe he just whispered into your spirit. I want 473 00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: you to start to forgive that person. I know they 474 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:01,680 Speaker 1: hurt you, but forgiveness is you. Did you do it? 475 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 1: Maybe ask you to start an e group or a 476 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: Bible study in your home. Becoming a woman of action 477 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:14,360 Speaker 1: takes practice, and the absolute best thing that you can 478 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:16,640 Speaker 1: do for the people in your life that you love 479 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:20,359 Speaker 1: is be a healthy person yourself. It's to be a 480 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 1: woman who is able to hear God's voice and act 481 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 1: on it in the simplest, smallest ways. You put down 482 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:33,199 Speaker 1: your phone and you spend time with your child, or 483 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 1: maybe you send a text message. God just put somebody 484 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: on your heart, so you send it. It's the small things. 485 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: God is good and he is patient, but he is 486 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 1: not going to give you step two before you do 487 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 1: step one. Now, the good news is that step one 488 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: is still right there waiting for you right now. A 489 00:28:54,760 --> 00:29:00,640 Speaker 1: woman who takes action understands that better is not out there, 490 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:05,080 Speaker 1: Better is right here, right now, and that woman is 491 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: able to look around and figure out what is the 492 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 1: next step that God wants me to take? What is 493 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:12,120 Speaker 1: something that I can do right now? And so what 494 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,560 Speaker 1: does Mary do? She goes to see Elizabeth. And this 495 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 1: is the part of the story that really gets me. 496 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 1: I'm really passionate about this, and I want you to 497 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 1: understand that strong women understand the power of attachment. When 498 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 1: I am confident in my calling, I don't need to compete. 499 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 1: I don't need to compare. I simply need to align 500 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 1: myself with those who can confirm what is already inside 501 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 1: of me. You are never intended to live out your 502 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,200 Speaker 1: calling alone. And I'm not talking about having a husband. 503 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 1: I am talking about having a group of women around 504 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 1: you who will support you. But you have to get 505 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:57,880 Speaker 1: the order right first. You've got to get the order 506 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 1: right first. Mary was aware, so she was able to 507 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,280 Speaker 1: hear from God when he spoke to her. Then she 508 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: accepted the calling that God had placed on her life. 509 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: Then she acted, and so she knew, what is the 510 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,160 Speaker 1: step that I need to take. Well, I'm gonna have 511 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:15,200 Speaker 1: a baby, so I better get around someone who's a 512 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:17,120 Speaker 1: little bit farther down the road for me. And the 513 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:21,719 Speaker 1: angel happened to tell me your cousin Elizabeth has also conceived. 514 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 1: Now you might be thinking she talks about friendship every year. Yes, 515 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:30,719 Speaker 1: I do, because I still see women who don't get it. 516 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:35,840 Speaker 1: We need each other. I need you and you need me. 517 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: Over the past year or so, I've become obsessed with elephants. 518 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: And you may have caught onto that tonight, because we've 519 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 1: got an elephant necklace, and we've got a elephant ornament. 520 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 1: We've got all these fun things. And it's because well, 521 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 1: it all started with a fiction book by Jodypico. I 522 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:54,120 Speaker 1: don't know if anybody is a Jodypico fan. I am 523 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:57,160 Speaker 1: a fan of fiction, and those of you who know 524 00:30:57,280 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 1: me know that I just I love stories. So I 525 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: listen to this book it's about elephants, and it got 526 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 1: me really intrigued. So then I watched some YouTube videos, 527 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,160 Speaker 1: and I watch documentary. Then I listened to a memoir. 528 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 1: It's just a whole thing. So I want to share 529 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:12,720 Speaker 1: with you a couple of things that I learned about 530 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:16,480 Speaker 1: elephants because they are an incredible species. They are among 531 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: the most intelligent species of animals. Their intelligence can rival 532 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:26,640 Speaker 1: that of primates and dolphins and whales. Elephants can solve 533 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 1: complex problems. They can recognize their reflection in the mirror 534 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 1: self awareness shout out to reflect five years ago if 535 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: you were here. Elephants can dance to the beat of music, 536 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:42,440 Speaker 1: and they can even communicate with each other through infrasonic 537 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 1: sounds like these sounds that are inaudible to the human 538 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 1: ear when they communicate six miles apart. But that's not 539 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 1: the best part about elephants to me. Elephants are a 540 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 1: matriarchal society. So this means that they kick the boys 541 00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 1: out when they become teenagers and they operate as a unit. 542 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: They care for each others young The older teach the 543 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 1: younger how to watch for danger, how to find water 544 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:12,840 Speaker 1: in a drought. They grieve with each other when one 545 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:16,360 Speaker 1: loses a baby. They slow down when someone in their 546 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 1: herd is sick or injured, and they have this thing 547 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 1: that they do when one of their own is vulnerable. 548 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:26,960 Speaker 1: They circle up. When should I look at this picture 549 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 1: that I have for you? Keep it up there because 550 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:35,400 Speaker 1: as you see, the elephants are in a circle, but 551 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 1: the strong ones are facing out. And I want you 552 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 1: to notice that there are some that are obviously older 553 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 1: and bigger than others. There are some children there that 554 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: are learning this is what we do. This is a 555 00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:52,720 Speaker 1: herd of elephants, And most likely what they're doing is 556 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: they're either protecting the young from danger, which I don't 557 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 1: think that's what's happening in this picture because we have 558 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: the little wed and kind of poking his head out. 559 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:02,480 Speaker 1: Most likely what they're doing is one of their own 560 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:06,800 Speaker 1: is in labor, and so when one of their own 561 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:10,240 Speaker 1: is giving birth to something and they're in a vulnerable position, 562 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:16,080 Speaker 1: they circle up. They huddle around each other to protect 563 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 1: their own from the outward danger that she is facing 564 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: in that moment. And ladies, I don't know if you've 565 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 1: ever had the honor of having some women come around 566 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: you during a time of need, but it is a 567 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:31,800 Speaker 1: beautiful thing to experience. I'm trying to get you to 568 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:35,720 Speaker 1: see tonight that, yeah, having roots does require you to 569 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:37,880 Speaker 1: do some things on your own, to be aware of 570 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 1: God's presence and to accept your calling and be ready 571 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:43,320 Speaker 1: to act. And when you see that direction from God, 572 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 1: but you're also going to need others to support you 573 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:52,200 Speaker 1: on your way. And every time I say something about 574 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:57,400 Speaker 1: the importance of female friendships, someone inevitably says or comments 575 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 1: on my Instagram or whatever. They say something like, well, 576 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 1: I've tried, and I'm just too hurt and I am 577 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: just gonna go it alone. And I thought about that tonight, 578 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:10,960 Speaker 1: and I thought about all the teenage girls who are 579 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:14,000 Speaker 1: out there watching shout out to my elevation youth. I 580 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,600 Speaker 1: know that many of your groups are meeting together, and 581 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:19,560 Speaker 1: I just want to say to all the teenage girls 582 00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 1: who are hearing me talk about having a group of 583 00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 1: women around you, that mean girls are a real thing. 584 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:32,720 Speaker 1: And unfortunately they don't go away when you graduate high school. 585 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 1: But I wonder tonight if maybe you're using the wrong 586 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:42,080 Speaker 1: criteria for your support system. What you want to do 587 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:46,720 Speaker 1: is get yourself around someone who's a little bit farther 588 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,320 Speaker 1: down the road from you, maybe not in age, maybe 589 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:55,360 Speaker 1: just immaturity, in maturity, not im maturity. Someone that you 590 00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:58,240 Speaker 1: look up to for who they are, not what they wear, 591 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 1: someone that they you admire for the person that they are, 592 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:05,239 Speaker 1: not how many followers that they have. And I'm not 593 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:09,640 Speaker 1: just talking to the teenage girls anymore, Ladies. When Mary 594 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:15,240 Speaker 1: got to Elizabeth, Elizabeth immediately confirmed what was already happening 595 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:19,200 Speaker 1: inside of Mary. She celebrated her, and she brought her 596 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:22,520 Speaker 1: into her life. The Bible tells us that Elizabeth was 597 00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:26,359 Speaker 1: six months pregnant and that Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 598 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:27,719 Speaker 1: three months. I don't know if you could do the 599 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:33,560 Speaker 1: math on that, but I think that Mary stayed until 600 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:38,799 Speaker 1: Elizabeth gave birth. And I don't know about you, but 601 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:42,920 Speaker 1: I think when it came time for Mary to give 602 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:47,640 Speaker 1: birth to her own child alone in a barn, I 603 00:35:47,719 --> 00:35:50,840 Speaker 1: just wonder whose voice was in her head because she 604 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 1: got herself around somebody who could help her. Check your 605 00:35:56,560 --> 00:36:00,759 Speaker 1: roots tonight? Who is around you? Who is cheering you on? 606 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,359 Speaker 1: Who has fault with you? Who is griefed with you? 607 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: Maybe you don't know where to start. I have an 608 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,040 Speaker 1: idea for you. Who are you watching with right now? 609 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:13,080 Speaker 1: You see? I have some friends in this room whose 610 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:15,759 Speaker 1: friendship means everything to me. Some of them live here 611 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:17,800 Speaker 1: in town. A few of them got on an airplane 612 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:21,040 Speaker 1: during a pandemic to come and see me. And these 613 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,839 Speaker 1: ladies are more than just people that I hang out 614 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 1: with for fun. These women have We've prayed each other 615 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:33,600 Speaker 1: through things. We've prayed each other through cancer and loss, 616 00:36:33,960 --> 00:36:38,799 Speaker 1: We've prayed each other through ministry and kids. And there's 617 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:41,799 Speaker 1: some women in this room that mean the world to me. 618 00:36:42,719 --> 00:36:45,040 Speaker 1: And in a few minutes we're going to get to 619 00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:47,840 Speaker 1: share with each other what God is speaking to us. 620 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:50,560 Speaker 1: And I really hope that you'll take the time to 621 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:54,400 Speaker 1: dig in on the route of friendship tonight. The whole 622 00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:56,439 Speaker 1: reason I didn't want you to watch alone is because 623 00:36:56,520 --> 00:37:00,799 Speaker 1: I am so sick of virtual relationships. I want us 624 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:03,520 Speaker 1: to have face to face conversation. Zoom and face sight. 625 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:06,799 Speaker 1: It counts, but you've got to look somebody in the 626 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:14,080 Speaker 1: eyes and say help or can I help you? But 627 00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:17,480 Speaker 1: if you don't build it now, that's the thing about roots. 628 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:20,960 Speaker 1: You got to build them before the storm comes. You 629 00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:24,239 Speaker 1: have to send them out to the stream, before the 630 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:28,200 Speaker 1: drought comes, because if you don't build those relationships now, 631 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:31,640 Speaker 1: you won't have them when you need them. And you 632 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:36,719 Speaker 1: know what, it is an amazing thing, a beautiful thing 633 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:40,520 Speaker 1: to feel the support of other women in your life 634 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:44,480 Speaker 1: during a difficult time. But it's also a privilege to 635 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:48,840 Speaker 1: do it for someone else when you walk alongside a 636 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:52,680 Speaker 1: friend through a divorce or a loss, or a sickness 637 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:56,560 Speaker 1: or infertility, you experience a level of friendship that a 638 00:37:56,600 --> 00:38:01,920 Speaker 1: girl's night out is never going to provide. It takes vulnerability, 639 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:08,879 Speaker 1: takes relationship takes time. Remember roots take time. So Elizabeth, 640 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:17,239 Speaker 1: she confirms what's inside of Mary. She says, blessed is 641 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:21,640 Speaker 1: she who has believed that the Lord fulfill his promises 642 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:26,800 Speaker 1: to her. And then Mary begins her prayer and she says, 643 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:31,799 Speaker 1: my soul glorifies the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God, 644 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:35,040 Speaker 1: my savior, for he has been mindful of the humble 645 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:39,040 Speaker 1: state of his servant. He picked me, and from now 646 00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:43,320 Speaker 1: on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty 647 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:49,320 Speaker 1: One has done great things for me. Holy is his name. 648 00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 1: See it was good for Mary to have Elizabeth to 649 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:56,839 Speaker 1: confirm what God had called Mary to do. But there 650 00:38:56,920 --> 00:39:02,359 Speaker 1: comes a time when the affirmation that you need has 651 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:07,719 Speaker 1: to come from within yourself, with your own mouth, when 652 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:12,600 Speaker 1: you begin to worship God. Before Mary saw any fruit, 653 00:39:13,239 --> 00:39:17,040 Speaker 1: she had to center her focus on who her God was. 654 00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:20,319 Speaker 1: To her, he was her Savior, the Mighty One, who 655 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:24,160 Speaker 1: had done great things for her. Worship like this only 656 00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:28,799 Speaker 1: flows from someone who has a living, breathing relationship with 657 00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:32,759 Speaker 1: her father. She goes on to just quote scripture. She 658 00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:36,120 Speaker 1: just pieces it together from the different prophecies in the Bible. 659 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:39,520 Speaker 1: It's scripture that she had planted in her spirit as 660 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:42,840 Speaker 1: a child, and it poured out of her mouth because 661 00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:45,840 Speaker 1: long before she was visited by an angel, she was 662 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:51,600 Speaker 1: putting down roots. Mary focused her faith on the one 663 00:39:51,640 --> 00:39:54,799 Speaker 1: who had called her. She didn't list out all the 664 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:57,799 Speaker 1: things that could go wrong. She didn't think about all 665 00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:01,080 Speaker 1: the hardships that would lay ahead, because by God, if 666 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:04,160 Speaker 1: she had, she probably wouldn't have accepted this calling. But 667 00:40:04,239 --> 00:40:08,480 Speaker 1: she stayed focused on who God was and who she 668 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:12,640 Speaker 1: was in Christ. And this makes sense when we read 669 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:15,839 Speaker 1: it about Mary the mother of Jesus. But these are 670 00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:19,400 Speaker 1: things that we must put into action in our own lives. 671 00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 1: This is the root that you draw from on the 672 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:26,480 Speaker 1: days where you feel weak, when you feel like you 673 00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:30,760 Speaker 1: don't have what it takes, when perhaps no one knows 674 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:35,760 Speaker 1: exactly what you're going through because it's just too personal, 675 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:40,239 Speaker 1: too soon, or you just can't verbalize it. Sometimes the 676 00:40:40,280 --> 00:40:46,760 Speaker 1: affirmation that you need has to come from within. Several 677 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:50,319 Speaker 1: weeks ago, I woke up to the start of a 678 00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:54,480 Speaker 1: very long day, and I had a million and one 679 00:40:54,520 --> 00:40:56,680 Speaker 1: things to do, some of them small, some of them big. 680 00:40:56,680 --> 00:40:58,960 Speaker 1: And I already told you I'm not a morning person. 681 00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:02,960 Speaker 1: So when my alarm went off at six am, I 682 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:06,440 Speaker 1: immediately was feeling overwhelmed. And I just, I don't know 683 00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:07,799 Speaker 1: if you ever feel like that when you wake up. 684 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:09,480 Speaker 1: I feel like that when I wake up almost every morning, 685 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:13,360 Speaker 1: but this morning I actually was like deserved to feel 686 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:16,080 Speaker 1: that way. And so I woke up and I just 687 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:19,920 Speaker 1: everything just felt so heavy, and I dragged myself out 688 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:23,319 Speaker 1: of bed and headed to the bathroom and I thought 689 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:29,040 Speaker 1: to myself, I can do this. And my husband sat 690 00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:32,359 Speaker 1: up in bed and he said what can you do? 691 00:41:33,080 --> 00:41:35,359 Speaker 1: And honestly, I was shocked, and I was a little 692 00:41:35,360 --> 00:41:38,200 Speaker 1: bit embarrassed because I didn't realize that I had said 693 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:42,239 Speaker 1: it out loud. I felt like he was like invading 694 00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:46,400 Speaker 1: my space. And I was like, oh, and I realized 695 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:50,400 Speaker 1: I said out loud, I can do this. And so 696 00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:54,080 Speaker 1: when he said what can you do, I looked at 697 00:41:54,160 --> 00:41:59,000 Speaker 1: him and I said everything. It probably wasn't like that. 698 00:41:59,040 --> 00:42:03,960 Speaker 1: It was probably more like everything everything that I have 699 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:08,160 Speaker 1: to do today, I can do it. I promise you. 700 00:42:08,239 --> 00:42:10,920 Speaker 1: I not get this right ninety nine times out of 701 00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:16,080 Speaker 1: one hundred, but that particular day, in the darkness of 702 00:42:16,560 --> 00:42:20,120 Speaker 1: my bedroom and in the darkness of the morning, somehow 703 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:25,040 Speaker 1: my soul was able to top those roots that I 704 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:28,680 Speaker 1: had spent time, and I was reminded of Philippians four thirteen. 705 00:42:28,719 --> 00:42:31,640 Speaker 1: I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. 706 00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:35,360 Speaker 1: My goal for you tonight was for you to come 707 00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:38,080 Speaker 1: and for you to feel refreshed, and for you to 708 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:41,520 Speaker 1: just take a deep breath, and for you to feel encouraged. 709 00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:45,520 Speaker 1: But most of all, I wanted you to hear me 710 00:42:45,600 --> 00:42:54,759 Speaker 1: say you can do this. You can finish twenty twenty strong, everything, 711 00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:59,479 Speaker 1: everything that you were called to do, and not one 712 00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:05,560 Speaker 1: thing extra. You are a chosen child of the Most 713 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:10,000 Speaker 1: High God, and you are a rooted woman, and you 714 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:16,360 Speaker 1: can finish strong because together we're not gonna limp across 715 00:43:16,560 --> 00:43:20,760 Speaker 1: the finish line to twenty twenty. Together, we're gonna help 716 00:43:20,840 --> 00:43:24,200 Speaker 1: each other, we're gonna pray for each other, we're gonna 717 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:27,200 Speaker 1: lift each other up. And on those mornings where we 718 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:32,000 Speaker 1: just feel alone and overwhelmed, we're gonna tap that root 719 00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:35,040 Speaker 1: that's deep inside of us, and we're gonna say, all right, God, 720 00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:39,160 Speaker 1: I can do this. Whatever it is that you've called 721 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:42,520 Speaker 1: me to do, God, I can do it, and I'm 722 00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:46,320 Speaker 1: gonna do it with a good attitude, and I'm gonna 723 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:50,480 Speaker 1: do it because I am empowered by the Holy Spirit. 724 00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:54,960 Speaker 1: Remember the Angel said, the Holy Spirit will come upon you. 725 00:43:54,960 --> 00:43:59,120 Speaker 1: You are not alone. You're not alone physically, and you're 726 00:43:59,160 --> 00:44:02,600 Speaker 1: not alone spear Vitruly, everything that God has called you 727 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:05,719 Speaker 1: to do, He's gonna put in your spirit, and He's 728 00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:09,480 Speaker 1: gonna give you his spirit, and together you're going to 729 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:14,080 Speaker 1: accomplish the amazing things that God has put right in 730 00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:21,840 Speaker 1: front of you. Right now. You can do this everything, everything, 731 00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:27,240 Speaker 1: everything that you're called to do, and not one thing extra. 732 00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:31,360 Speaker 1: So I want to pray for you tonight. I just 733 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:36,000 Speaker 1: want to take a minute and pray over you God, 734 00:44:37,640 --> 00:44:42,520 Speaker 1: Thank you for this night. Thank You for these women 735 00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:49,360 Speaker 1: that are gathered literally all over our world. Thank You 736 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:54,240 Speaker 1: that we live in a day and time where nothing 737 00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:58,800 Speaker 1: can stop your church, nothing can stop us from meeting together. 738 00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:11,520 Speaker 1: Just take a breath, breathe in and realize that you 739 00:45:12,280 --> 00:45:19,279 Speaker 1: are chosen child with the most high King. And I 740 00:45:19,320 --> 00:45:21,280 Speaker 1: want to pray for those of you who are tired 741 00:45:23,080 --> 00:45:26,640 Speaker 1: and overwhelmed, And God, would just whisper to you in 742 00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:33,200 Speaker 1: this moment, here's your strength. I want to pray for 743 00:45:33,239 --> 00:45:38,960 Speaker 1: the one who is busy. God, for those of us 744 00:45:38,960 --> 00:45:42,520 Speaker 1: who are busy, and when we head into the busiest 745 00:45:42,560 --> 00:45:45,680 Speaker 1: time of the year, it's just busy on top of busy, 746 00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:50,400 Speaker 1: on top busy. Would you show us the pockets of 747 00:45:50,480 --> 00:45:54,560 Speaker 1: time that we have. Would you whisper to our spirit 748 00:45:55,320 --> 00:45:59,560 Speaker 1: when we're scrolling in the wrong places, when we have 749 00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:04,600 Speaker 1: a minute it to hear a word from you to 750 00:46:04,719 --> 00:46:07,400 Speaker 1: recenter our focus and worship you. Would you just whisper 751 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:10,040 Speaker 1: it to us? Would you give us a song to 752 00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:12,839 Speaker 1: get us through the end of the Yeard, you give 753 00:46:12,920 --> 00:46:16,959 Speaker 1: us a word, You give us a verse. God, show 754 00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:21,040 Speaker 1: us those little pockets of time. And I believe that 755 00:46:21,080 --> 00:46:24,440 Speaker 1: when we when we center our focus on You, when 756 00:46:24,480 --> 00:46:27,280 Speaker 1: we see that pocket and we come to you. God, 757 00:46:27,680 --> 00:46:29,400 Speaker 1: so You're going to give us that little bit of 758 00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:32,359 Speaker 1: strength that we need for the next thing that you've 759 00:46:32,400 --> 00:46:38,359 Speaker 1: called us to do. God, help us to fight, help 760 00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:46,480 Speaker 1: us to keep fighting, Help us to realize that in 761 00:46:46,520 --> 00:46:53,560 Speaker 1: You we're stronger than we think we are. Make us 762 00:46:53,600 --> 00:46:57,160 Speaker 1: aware of your presence in this place right now. For 763 00:46:57,280 --> 00:47:01,560 Speaker 1: every person that's watching in this moment, maybe in a 764 00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:04,520 Speaker 1: couple of hours or in a couple of days. God, 765 00:47:04,560 --> 00:47:09,120 Speaker 1: you're not bound by time. Your spirit can reach through 766 00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:12,719 Speaker 1: a screen and grab our hearts when we give you 767 00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:16,520 Speaker 1: our time and our focus and our faith. And that's 768 00:47:16,520 --> 00:47:19,920 Speaker 1: what we're doing right now, right here, in this moment. 769 00:47:23,040 --> 00:47:25,600 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of 770 00:47:25,640 --> 00:47:28,640 Speaker 1: you who give generously to this ministry. Is because of 771 00:47:28,680 --> 00:47:31,600 Speaker 1: you that this ministry is possible. You can click the 772 00:47:31,600 --> 00:47:35,360 Speaker 1: link in the description to give now, or visit Elevationchurch 773 00:47:35,520 --> 00:47:38,759 Speaker 1: dot org slash podcast for more information and if you 774 00:47:38,880 --> 00:47:42,080 Speaker 1: enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share it 775 00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:44,440 Speaker 1: with your friends. You can click the share button, take 776 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:46,799 Speaker 1: a screenshot and share it on your social stories and 777 00:47:46,840 --> 00:47:49,719 Speaker 1: tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God 778 00:47:49,719 --> 00:47:56,000 Speaker 1: bless you.